#looking weird :/ tired of trying can't make it work I will have to settle for only using like 2/3s of the rainbow instead very sad

[zaacoy]

Hi!!! A few rendered practices of my Minecraft sona for a server i'm playing on currently because I've been thinking about them a lot over the past few weeks + a few tidbits about them heeheehoo

[takes1]

your needy Kenma smut was SOOO good omfg I was biting my fist reading it!! can i request a needy suna smut?

needy!suna rintarou x reader

hi!! so glad you liked it!! wow this took me so long i'm so sorry! i just could not find a way to write it without it being exactly the same as kenma's!

warnings. heavy nsfw, minors DNI

details. fem!reader / forbidden, established relationship / manager!reader / vocal!suna / whiny!suna / needy!suna / bratty!suna / liiiight mommy kink nobody freak tf out!! / suna has a cute laugh / creampie / raw cuddly sex / 1.9k words

links. my masterlist. more haikyuu. my ao3. my imagines. my request box

"Don't look at me like that, Rin'."

Your fingers were smushing the lower half of his face, angling his head away from you. His head stayed obediently forward at the center court, but those eyes were still piercing through you.

Through his fishy-lips, his words became jumbled together, "'can' helb i'--,"

It wasn't his fault he looked so mean, so critical when he focused in on something.

"I can't help it," He spat, rubbing his jaw.

Suna wasn't careful about his hand placement. The members of Inarizaki knew you had been dating for a time, but Coach Kurosu did not need a reason to question your managerial position.

When you pushed his hand away from your waist, his face scrunched; that mean and bitter look returned, tenfold.

A frustrated, hushed, but not quiet, "I want you."

Though it wasn't an appropriate time, place, or circumstance, it would be lie to say that it wasn't hot. The unique mixture of his assertive, court-like focus and lesser-known bedroom-only begging forced you to cross your arms.

"You-," You glanced around, thankful nobody heard that, "Have a game to focus on."

The attitude he gave was not only unwarranted, but it succeeded in making you less receptive. To you, it was obvious that he was only looking for an out. He was tired and halfway through a challenging match. You couldn't spare to be his partner right now, and he did not like that.

He sucked his teeth, tapped his foot, crossed his arms, worked his jaw, and gave you a sharp sigh, all within five minutes of angry silence.

What a whiny bastard.

You found his struggle almost amusing. At the moment, it was more important to maintain your focus, for the both of you.

Still, it kept you wondering throughout the remainder of the match: What had you possibly done to warrant such a strong response?

Every instance that he had to be around the bench, drinking water, a temporary switch-out, he would send you a deeply dissatisfied glance. You didn't justify it with a reaction. He was being bratty.

Though you were a prude, anti-PDA personality in public, especially around the team-- you were the one to push him back onto the mattress and throw his shirt across the room, once you were back at his place.

"Fuck--mnh!"

That pretty sigh was all he could get out before you were on top of him.

"Start talking," You muttered. Your shirt was off in seconds.

His breathing grew heavy, eyes black with lust at the sight of your pretty skin, his favorite bra he clocked earlier under your shirt- the whole reason his mind got to spinning.

Suna was kept this irritating, calculating, slithery persona up around his friends, and especially during matches, because he learned that it kept him safe. He didn't always like being so on edge. He wanted to trust somebody enough to tell them everything that passed through his mind, to be skin-to-skin and a little weird, because you were comfortable and safe.

Here, under you, after enough love and time, he knew he didn't need to waste energy on appearances.

"I- ah-h, I just wanted you so bad," Was his honest attempt at an explanation.

He sat up to touch you, kiss you, but you kept him to the sheets with a forearm.

"Are you trying to get me kicked out?"

Suna huffed, eyes bouncing from your face, to your confined tits, then back, "What?""

Your legs slid a bit further apart, weight settling better onto his warm lap, "If Coach finds out we're dating, you know I'm gone."

You snapped, just for emphasis, but he flinched, "Like that. In an instant."

He was painfully hard. You could feel him throbbing, even through his combo of athletic shorts and thick sweatpants. Despite the circumstances, you knew he was keen enough to understand that you were a little pissed off about his lack of restraint.

He was in that spot you liked seeing him work through. Struggling, deciding whether to be nice, or snarky.

"You're smarter than that, baby," Was much kinder of a statement in tone, but it tipped him off to be rude, instead.

Those narrowed eyes dripped down to your chest slow, sweet, like honey.

"Why'd you wear that, then?" He felt you stiffen. He placed a hot palm onto your hip to help his well-intentioned venom settle.

You couldn't believe that was his entire problem, summed up in five words.

"Are you really so dirty-minded that you could tell what bra I was wearing? Under my shirt?"

The call-out was meant to return his energy, but he responded in a more secure way than you.

"When it's you, yeah--," He sat up with ease, against your pushing, just to remind you that he could outclass your force if he wanted to. He caught your small frown and he corrected himself, "Yes, ma'am."

You gave a small hum, a low-lidded stare right back at him. He was so hot when he deferred to you.

It warranted a strong, messy kiss- all charged with hours of denial, suggestive glances, and too many minutes of clothed rubbing.

All your clothes came off in a range of easy to difficult, distracted efforts.

Suna lay under you, all flushed and twitchy with anticipation. Your hands flitted down his sensitive, strong sides, his cock crammed between your legs, getting spoiled and slick. Not inside, not just yet.

You loved tickling him just to hear his laugh.

And he'd tolerate anything with you gliding over his dick, like that. Giving him such a good view.

"Shhh-haha-h-ahh!" He bit his lip to keep from giggling, moaning, too much or too loudly.

That look he gave you was enough. All twisted, pleading, intelligent. Like he knew exactly what he said and how he said it, would get you turned on.

His sound was adorable, rare.

It was unrestrained, and light, cute, enough to understand why he kept it behind his hand around his friends. Sounded exactly like something a bunch of guys might make fun of him for.

"Hmm.. Let's cuddle fuck," You pressed a tingly kiss just under his ear.

You knew he was feeling lazy. Your job today wasn't easy, either. You wanted to feel close at the end of a busy day, more than anything.

Suna was warm, and tired, and tacky to the touch but it all added to how badly you wanted each other. It was a demanding match, and getting all upset with each other made it feel that much longer.

Slick, and hot, and easy was the adjustment to him. Nothing to do with his real size- you were just ready, after having to put up an act, as if you were too above all of it.

The panting you had to listen to on the sidelines, watching him miss his mouth with the squeezy bottle, all the sweat and water dripping onto his jersey, it ate at you, corroded the brick walls you put up. Even his frustrated glare was sexy. He couldn't stop looking at you, even with an important task at hand, or when his teammates needed him to focus.

Now he fucked you like your mean -still, justified- rejection was never a problem, like he was savoring you slowly.

"Yes-yes, yesyes," Suna swallowed up your moans in a greedy kiss.

"Mmh- how's that feel--?" You purred.

"So good," A satisfied groan, "Fuck- Got such a perfect pussy."

His hand kept your thigh up, your knee close to your shoulder. He inspired a gasp at how quickly he bottomed out to your teasing.

He stretched you so good, so easily, and kept your trembling steady in his grasp-- but every sound he made was shaky, barely held together, and never masked.

After three months, Suna decided at some point on his own that he could trust you enough to completely let go in the bedroom. Though he naturally gravitated to a more submissive role, he usually said some downright sleazy, vulgar shit to get his kicks.

"A-ha, h-fuc-k, aughh, you feel so good, you--," His breath clipped into a high, closed-mouth whine as he pulled you harder onto the base of his cock, just flexing hard, as deep as he could get.

Your teeth sunk into his pillowcase, fingers filled with plush.

The knowledge that he loved it, but couldn't ever get as deep as he wanted, had your strength waning. Squeezing, bracing, at all the butterflies tired you out.

Although, if it were a competition, Suna had you beat by a mile. The drooling, whiny mess behind you may have had enough to strength to use his body weight to keep you smushed, but you could tell he was sloppier, clumsier, with exhaustion.

He buried his face in your neck.

"I-I'h- needed you so bad," His moan was so light and breathy- like he was swimming on Cloud 9-, "So-h, so... fucking...bad."

Your uncontrollable squirm to get away from the sensation was met with instant crushing. Even if you wanted your thigh back, it would never happen.

"Mh-h-! Rin-," You tried to speak, but he was hitting all your angles just right, so you stopped.

His words were twisting up that knot in your tummy, the trap of his arms a steady, innocent backdrop to how filthy he decided to fuck you.

Slurred mutters, consisting of mostly nonsense syllables and phrases, sometimes bred real messages like, "So hot," "Mommy," "So much," and, "'Can't take it."

His yapping, you thought, may have been a way of making up for how little he spoke, usually. You were generally much quieter than him here, but outside of the bedroom, the opposite remained true. It was cute.

"M'so- close-mh," His groans were short, choked on pleasure, his squeezing desperate and uneven.

The idea of him finishing close, hugging you, just like this, was too hot to let not happen.

You gathered yourself to tell him, "C-um-- Mh, inside, pretty boy."

"F-uck!" That tone completely tipped him over the edge.

Your grin was to yourself, twitchy and genuine, before the feeling of fullness set in.

He was left to fuck out his load as deep inside of you as he could get, "Fuckfu-ck- Ahh-hh-!"

Your nails dragged across his skin- the white hot, pulsing enough to spur a sudden orgasm. Dark lines remained in their wake as your muffled whines filled his ears.

And Suna was nothing if not dedicated. He fucked you as well as he could through your own, whinier, less violent experience. His breath, laden in the resolution of his own, was hot and tingly across your sensitive ear.

You squeezed his arm to stop and he finally let your leg down.

"Hm...sorry," He mumbled into a peck against your cheek, "You okay?"

Sore, and achy, you shared a giggly kiss. He softened naturally and you readjusted to hold each other, warm and soft, with chemical infatuation.

"Mhmm," You stole a longer, slower kiss.

Those pretty eyes watched you, worshipped you, as you rubbed your hand across his jaw.

"Perfect."

☆VIP☆

@integers @paradoxicalwritings @yuchacco

my masterlist. more haikyuu my request box

[karikarasuno]

part one

law is handy. well, he's good with his hands. he's a surgeon after all. so when he sees you struggling to push a box that's nearly twice the size of you into your home, he's out of his car in seconds.

sure his arms are sore from working all day and he feels the beginnings of a headache prick at his temple. but he can't help himself when he sees the box you've managed to wrestle upright almost topple over and onto you.

"fuck," you whisper yell, but it's loud enough for him to hear as he quickly approaches you. his hands somehow wrap around yours where they grip the cardboard. the sudden contact startles you and you yelp, jumping back in fear.

"shit, sorry," he's apologizing immediately, pulling the large box away from you and towards himself. "you looked like you needed some help."

"oh so you came rushing over to rescue me?" you smile when you realize it's just him and not someone attempting to rob you.

"i guess you could say that," he chuckles, shifting the box that was clearly too heavy for you to carry alone to one side so he could see you. "do you want me to bring this in for you?"

he watches your cheeks form a pretty blush which satisfies him in a way he doesn't really understand.

"that would be nice actually," you say, your eyes sliding from his hands up his arms. he appreciates the attention even though he won't admit it aloud. "you're probably stronger than me anyway."

"yeah, probably," he laughs through his nose, hiking the box a few inches from the floor as he follows you inside. he didn't think his offer through first, though. because stepping into your home is like stepping into another world entirely.

his house his clean. organized. marie kondo'ed to a tee. and that's not saying that yours is a mess. it's just cluttered. every place has a thing but every thing has a place. its the definition of organized chaos. yet it feels lived in. and comfortable. and nostalgic almost.

and the smell. it’s smokey like bourbon, but with a hint of something sweet. vanilla. oddly enough, it reminds him of his brother. now he’s craving a hug. how weird.

“you can just set it there,” he hears you say, pointing to an empty space in your bedroom. chopper comes bounding out, friendly and excited. you had to hold him back by his collar so law had enough space to put the large box down.

“thanks,” you say as law straightens, “it probably would’ve taken me twice as long to lug that in.”

“it was no problem,” he says wiping his hands on his scrubs, and trying not to cringe once he remembers he’s still in his work clothes.

“yeah yeah yeah you’re big and strong, I get it,” you wave your hands around. he blushes. hard. “but you don’t gotta rub it in.”

he drags a hand down his face to settle the burn in his cheeks.

“you know, i can build it for you too," he offers, realizing that if it was too heavy for you to carry, it might be a struggle for you to build.

"no, its fine," you dismiss him, gesturing for him to follow you out the bedroom. "if you keep being nice to me i'll eventually fall in love with you."

you say it so casually. so flippantly. and he knows you're just kidding, but it still sits in his chest in an uncomfortably full way. but he laughs to cover it up.

"alright then," he says walking towards your still open front door, "the offer still stands if you ever need it."

****

cora is over. he's decided he needs to use law's grill. not that law really uses it. but he conceded to cora's request, because he promised to cook dinner. and law is very much tired of eating grilled chicken and rice since it's the only thing he has time to make these days.

"i have steak, veggies, and a tray of shish kebabs i found at the store that looked interesting so i bought them," cora says, organizing the food on an aluminum platter to take out to the lanai.

he forgets the tongs, so law grabs those from his utensil holder before following cora outside. he's just excited to get a home cooked meal to be honest.

but what causes him to pause-- to stop fully in his tracks-- is the sight of you, downward dog on a yoga mat in your backyard. directly in his line of sight. he's not sure when you took up yoga or when you started doing it outside, but he can't help but stare.

"hey," cora snaps in front of law's face, "gimme this." he steals the tongs from law's loose grip.

you've now moved into child's pose, chopper slumbering peacefully beside you. he has to force his eyes away from you, regardless of how flexible you appear to be.

“who’s that?” cora asks, fiddling with the grill to turn it on.

“just my neighbor,” law says, trying his hardest to maintain nonchalance. but you make it harder for him when he looks up again and finds you standing beside your mat and stretching your arms out over your head.

you’re in a sports bra and shorts. and that’s it.

“right so i gathered that much,” cora responds, clicking the tongs together, “but what i meant was do you know her?”

“as my neighbor, yes,” law says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. cora rolls his eyes and directs his attention back to the grill.

and maybe, in an ideal world, cora would’ve left it at that, but that’s before he sees you approaching. chopper is running enthusiastically in front of you, tongue hanging outside his mouth as he runs straight up to the screen.

“chopper, down!” you scold as he places his front paws on the door.

“i’m sorry,” you continue, grabbing chopper by the collar and tugging him down, “we’re currently working on his over friendliness.”

“it’s ok,” law says, glancing over at cora who’s staring at the interaction with a little too much interest for law’s comfort.

“hi,” you greet cora, saying your name and smiling politely.

“cora,” he replies. “this guy’s older brother.”

he tilts his head towards law, busying himself once more with the grill. and law’s pretty sure it’s not even on yet.

“Y’know,” law starts as he approaches you, “you apologize to me quite often and you really don’t have to.”

“ugh, I can’t help it,” you complain, exasperated but your lips are stretched with a coy grin. “it’s a bad habit i picked up because of my dumb ex.”

law’s surprised. he wasn’t expecting you to be so open or forthcoming. so casual about your life as if you don’t mind sharing it with him. a stranger.

“anyway, i’ll work on it,” you chuckle, letting go of chopper’s collar now that he’s calmed down again. but now that your hand is free your cross it over your body to hold onto the yoga mat that’s propped on your opposite hip. he knows you don’t do it on purpose, but the gesture presses your breasts together in a way that accidentally draws his attention.

his neck grows hot.

“speaking of, did you ever get around to building that…” he trails off when he realizes he has no idea what was inside the box.

“oh! my dresser.” you shake your head. “turns out you need tools like a drill and not just the flimsy screwdriver I have in my junk drawer.”

“i could have told you that.” he finds you endearing. which is a problem because he knows he’s starting to like you. as more than just a neighbor.

he can also feel cora’s gaze burning holes into his back. nosey son of a bitch.

“yeah well, i’m working up the courage to go to the hardware store to buy one. the men in there are just always so fucking pushy, i hate dealing with them.”

“i have a drill,” he says plainly, trying not to show his annoyance about how offhandedly you refer to the weirdos that seem to lurk in every aisle of that place. like this is just a normal occurrence for you.

“can i borrow it? that would actually save me so much time and sanity.” your eyes light up, hopeful.

“i think it would be easier if i just did it,” he offers again. it’s obvious to him and maybe to you, but most definitely to cora, that this is law’s attempt at trying to spend more time with you.

“i’m starting to think you don’t trust me,” your eyes narrow playfully, and you purse your lips at him skeptically. “and after all we’ve been through.”

you pout. feigning hurt, but your eyes are alight with something else entirely. law’s stomach flips.

“it’s an expensive drill,” he shrugs, stuffing his hands into his pant pockets, silently praying that he looks unaffected by your antics; that are absolutely working on him.

“fine, when then? i’m free tomorrow evening.”

“that works for me.”

the smile you give him is sly. knowing. and completely disarming to him.

“perfect, it’ll give me enough time to think of how I’ll return the favor.”

before he can contest to let you know that you don’t have to return anything to him, your back is facing him and chopper is following happily behind you.

he watches you leave. mostly dazed from speaking with you. and enjoying it more than he probably should have.

but his bubble bursts when cora says, “hm, next time just invite her over for dinner. maybe that’ll make it less obvious that you’re trying to get in her pants.”

part three

[gyeomsweetgyeom]

[10:14 am]

(cw: pregnant reader, some cussing I think, pregnancy symptoms/discomforts)

You groaned as you continued walking. What would have been a beautiful day for anyone else felt awful for you, nearly 2 weeks overdue. The sun was shining brightly- which was making you hot and sweaty. There was a breeze- which wasn't strong enough to cool you down. The birds were singing- just more noise to piss you off.

"Come on, honey. Keep going, almost back home," Jaehyun smiled at you while his hands gripped your forearm.

You glared at him, fury in your gaze, "you better not be lying to me like the last lap around the block Jung Jaehyun."

Being nearly 2 weeks overdue was a major pain in the- everywhere. You back ached, you couldn't sleep, you felt every movement of the human inside you, you were hot, cranky, tired, swollen everywhere, and sore. You had spent hours bouncing on a yoga ball, eaten spicy food, chugged various teas, ate viral salads, and here you were, going on your- you lost count- walk since your due date. One foot remained on the curb of the sidewalk while the other stepped on the road for uneven steps to "really open your pelvis." Jaehyun was very supportive, maybe even a little too supportive, in helping you during this tough period. It was him that encouraged all this excessive movement! Lovely!

As much as you grumbled about it now, he truly had been such an angel your whole pregnancy. He had painted the nursery 4 times when you couldn't decide on a shade only to end up choosing the first color he had painted! He never complained about waking up to get you your fast food cravings in the middle of the night and even tried your weird combinations.

Finally your familiar front door came into view and you left Jaehyun's hold in favor of making your way back to your favorite spot on the couch. You sighed in relief as you settled into the cushions of the couch, the air conditioning quickly cooling you off.

"More raspberry leaf tea, honey? A date or some pineapple?" Jaehyun asked.

You sighed tiredly, your eyes falling shut. "Can I just get some peace and quiet please?" You asked quietly.

"Do you want a snack for your quiet time?"

You felt yourself getting overwhelmed, hot tears filling your eyes. You breathed deeply, trying to get yourself to calm down, but all you felt was your body temperature rise all over again as your feelings rose. Your breath trembled as you repeated, "Can I please just get some peace and quiet?"

Jaehyun scrambled over to you in a panic, "Honey! What's wrong?!"

You felt your shoulders shake as you cried harder. "I feel terrible! This baby was supposed to be out like 2 weeks ago. I feel like a hippo, I can't do anything by myself. I'm tired of raspberry tea and salads and dates and pineapple. And you always want me to be active and I hate it! It takes a lot of work for me move the way I used to with my center of gravity thrown off and an extra 30 pounds to move. I always feel the baby moving and even when I want to be alone, I'm not! I can't ever have any peace!" You ranted while hot tears streamed down your cheeks, "And every time we go to the doctor she always mentions that this kid has gotten you big ass head- do you have any idea how much damage a head the size of yours will do to my body?!"

Jaehyun looked at you in pure shock. His eyes were wide and lips pursed. "I-I-I don't know what to say." He didn't dare mention that the doctor had mentioned the high likelihood of a c-section.

"Because it's not happening to you! You don't get it and you want me to do everything the way I used to but I can't! And I really, really feel like if you try to touch me in any way for the next 3 days I will hire someone to kick you in the balls since I can't get my legs that high," you add while exhaling shakily, using the backs of your hands to wipe away at your tears.

Jaehyun cleared his throat with a decisive nod, "I'm gonna go shower. I'm closing the windows and turning down the air for you. Then I'm going to draw you a bath with your favorite bubbles. Can I get you anything else before I give you your peace and quiet?"

"I want an iced coffee, please."

Jaehyun opened his mouth to argue- you were supposed to be limiting your caffeine! Then he remembered the rant from a minute ago and decided not to. He disappeared into the kitchen, whipping up your coffee and setting it beside you along with the TV remote.

"Honey?" Jaehyun started almost nervously, "I love you."

You sipped your coffee happily, "I love you too!"

Jaehyun wasn't sure he'd get used to the mood swings that came with you being pregnant, but luckily they wouldn't last that much longer since you went into labor just 5 hours later. This of course brought a whole new wave of you cursing him and screams- but at least at the end of it all he got to welcome your beautiful baby girl.

[daenysx]

Hey, I'm loving the sleepover so far!

Can I request a Remus Lupin x pregnant!fem!reader?

:))

thank you!! i hope you enjoy <3333

remus lupin x pregnant fem!reader

cw; pregnancy, morning sickness

"feel any better, dove?"

you might feel better, but you are exhausted, so you stay silent. your head makes a slight nodding movement without your control and remus relaxes. his thumbs draw loving half circles on your waist.

morning sickness is not enjoyable, not in the least. you still try to accept it as a part of meeting your baby. your eyes are droopy, you clean your mouth with a napkin and dream of brushing your teeth as your head falls back to remus's shoulder.

"i'm okay." you whisper. you're okay, you're just tired and you hate forcing yourself to leave the bed almost every morning to end up kneeling in front of the toilet. remus always follows you, he has his hands all over you to give you bits and pieces of comfort that you desperately need.

he kisses your head soundly. "you're okay." he says. you're okay and he's in this with you, you'll never be alone. he's trying to be less excited sometimes but the idea of being a dad is amazing. a tiny replica of both of you. remus imagines waking up to little squeaking noises and a small body in bed between you two. he's gonna kiss the hell out of your baby's cheeks a few months later, after the birth.

"are you ready to go back to bed?" he asks, gently. you nod, sitting a few minutes here to collect yourself is always a good idea, but your legs go numb after a while.

"i'll come after brushing my teeth." you tell him. "you go."

he does as you say after pressing another kiss on the side of your head. leaving for the bedroom, he lets in some fresh air in before you come here. it's not too cold, but he keeps the windows close mostly to stay warm inside.

you walk in with slow steps. you look better, with a clean face and a mostly genuine smile. remus makes room for you in bed, you're glad to be back to lying down. the pillows are fluffy under your head, you settle down next to him as his one arm wraps itself around you.

"we got through another morning, i think." remus says.

"what time is it?"

"almost 8." he answers. "you can sleep some more if you feel like it."

you don't know if you want to sleep more, you think just lying here and resting would be okay. remus's sleeping shirt has that scent of comfort, you put your nose on his skin and take a greedy breath. not to be weird or anything, but doing this grounds you so well. he pulls you closer.

"you're not being late for work, are you?" you ask him with your eyes half closed.

"no, baby." he answers. "i texted sirius that i'm gonna come around noon today. it's all good."

you nod. lying on your back, you stare at the ceiling with a loopy smile. remus puts his hand on your belly. he has warm hands.

"i can't wait to see our baby." he whispers.

"boy or girl, do you think?"

"i'm not sure." he replies. "what about you?"

"maybe a boy." you say. you don't know, you haven't got that information yet. the mystery is nice.

"sirius will insist we should name the baby after him." remus snuggles until he gets a kiss.

"and if james insists the same thing, we're gonna have to come up with a creative game between them." you say. "whoever wins gets to name the baby after himself."

"do you actually want that?"

"i don't know." you laugh. "it'd be funny to watch them fight over it, though."

remus agrees. he'll probably tell them it was a joke after their fight, but that's just for his own amusement.

dreamer girl sleepover ♡

[dejareves]

hearth cakes

for Bellara Appreciation Week 2025, day one: elven traditions, magic. Davrin crashed the party, hope she won’t mind

1.8K words | One bad word, otherwise G | Bellara & Davrin

It's the smell that gets his attention first. Warm, a little sweet, a little char. Considering his room usually smells like sawdust and dander, it's not a bad change. And… familiar, but he can't place it. He ignores it at first—Lucanis has been on a bread kick lately. It's probably some version of that roll he's made with dinner a few times recently. But after twenty minutes, half an hour, curiosity gets the better of him. And hunger.

"Be right back, boy," he says. Assan, sprawled comfortably by the fire, cracks an eye and doesn't move. Yeah, yeah. Maybe he's tired because he was up squawking for food at fuck-o'-clock in the morning. Who woulda thought?

The smell gets stronger as he nears the dining hall. He was wrong. It's too sweet to be the rolls. But he knows it. What is that?

It's not Lucanis in the kitchen when Davrin swings open the door, but Bellara.

She's got her head down, eyes focused on the stove but mumbling to herself the way she does when she's splitting attention between what her hands are doing and what her brain is. And the smell. Two steps in, and it hits him.

"Hey," he says, and she jumps. Whoops. Probably should have seen that coming.

"Oh! Davrin. Hi! Sorry. I didn't hear you come in. I was making these for later but… you want one? The ones on the plate over there are probably cool enough to eat, by now."

It's not a big pile, yet. It looks like most of her dough is still in the bowl. But on the plate, unmistakable: hearth cakes .

"Lucanis and I were at the market this morning and one of the stalls had this enormous basket of raisins, and I just…" She glances up at him, smiles faintly, shrugs. "I don't know. Just felt like a taste of home, I guess. Did your clan make them?"

"Yeah." Weekly, at least. The hahren and a few others around the fire, making enough to wrap in leaves for the hunters' packs before they left the next morning. Good luck. Be safe. Come back. They looked a little different than these. Bellara's got a large skillet over the flame. Back home, they used to flip the lid of a stew pot, and it had taken some abuse over the years, so there were always a few spots just a little softer than the rest. But otherwise… yeah. Just the same.

"We usually used cranberries, if we could get them. In Orlais, I mean. They were my dad's favorite and he made them the best so he got to pick." She's still working as she goes. Plops a dab more butter into the skillet and swirls it around, another mound of dough that starts to sizzle on contact. "Cyrian was so weird about it, he hated cranberries—who hates cranberries, right?—so he'd pick all of his out and give them to me. We, um…" Her easy smile falters. She holds the back of the spoon against one edge that's spreading a little too far, keeps it in place until it starts to set.

"Anyway. I saw the raisins and I just thought, well, close enough! So. Hearth cakes. I hope everyone likes them."

"They'll like them." Well, they might not taste like not much to Taash. They'll probably have to cut Harding off, though. Rook, too.

Bellara flips the cake. Davrin inhales through his nose. Vanilla. Cinnamon. Butter.

"We used whatever," he says. "Didn't get cranberries too much. But raisins, apricots. I always liked the dried apple best."

She blinks up at him, attention briefly caught. "Ooh, I've never tried it with apples! That sounds really good though. If these come out okay, maybe I can try that next time."

"It is good."

Flip again. Done. On to the plate. More butter. More dough. "You don't want one? I made a double batch, there should be plenty. If they come out, anyway. We'll see." She watches the dough spread, slow, start to settle and form up from the outside in.

"They look right to me." Davrin works one out from a little further down the pile. Still warm in his hands, but not enough to burn. Smells right, too. Feels right. Just the right amount of crisp.

Bellara's face scrunches up, a sheepish grimace. "We don't have the halla butter, obviously. I just used regular. It seemed kind of silly to go all the way out to Arlathan to ask Irelin if I could have butter but… well, I hope it doesn't change the flavor too much.

Davrin wouldn't have thought it was silly, but… yeah. Okay. "Next time I visit Eldrin, I'll ask him for you. Bet he has plenty."

"Oh, thanks! That'd be great. It's just… I mean, it's not a huge difference, but it's not the same, you know?"

He knows.

Flip. Hiss. Sizzle.

Bellara is watching him, expectant. "Well?" she prompts. "Try it! I mean if they taste alright to you that's pretty much it, right? It's not like anyone else is gonna know. We can just tell them it's supposed to taste like that!"

He's… not sure why he's hesitating. It's a hearth cake. Flour, sugar, salt, milk. Same all over Thedas, apparently. He never really helped make them, but he remembers watching. Remembers how impatient they all used to get, waiting for the dough to rise. Felas'gen'adahl, the hahren always told them. Cool it. At the time, she'd been the oldest person he'd ever seen. He can't decide, now, if she really was that old or just…old to him.

Bellara—still waiting. Eager, weight up on the balls of her feet and bouncing just a little, lips curled in on themselves like that's what's gonna hold back the question again, if he doesn't get moving.

He gets moving. Takes a bite. And just like that—like some kind of magic—he's home again. Ten years old. Underfoot, impatient, bored to tears by the same old stories but not so much that he won't ride them out for the snack waiting at the end.

She makes it… ten seconds? Fifteen? "Soooo?"

Davrin chews. Swallows. Clears his throat. "They're good."

"Great! Whew, okay. I mean, it's not like they're hard. How wrong can you go? But it's one of those things, right? It never tastes the way you remember it unless you make it exactly the same. I was really worried about the butter."

He can actually taste the difference, with the butter. It doesn't matter.

The one on the skillet is done. She slides it onto the plate, dampens the fire with a wave, sets the skillet to the side, wipes her hands on an apron dusted with flour. "I was gonna wait until they were all finished, but since you're here… I mean, might as well appreciate it with someone who gets it, right?"

She's quiet for a few minutes, tugging one out from the bottom of the pile with two careful fingers, leaning back against the table next to him, chewing. He'd been expecting a review after the first bite, but Bellara’s far away.

"It's my dad's birthday," she says, eventually. She looks out towards the door, not at him. "Tomorrow, not today, but when I saw the raisins, they just reminded me so much of him and…"

Davrin takes another bite. A small one. He doesn't want to rush it.

"I hope the letter I sent got there in time. I miss being there, for things like this. Not that it's not amazing, everything I've seen in Arlathan, but—"

"You give stuff up," he says.

Bellara looks at him now, a quick glance sideways. "Yeah."

"My clan did this thing, when the hunters were going out. A couple of the elders would make a big batch to wrap up and put in their packs while they were gone."

Her smile is warm and wistful. "That's really nice. To remind them of the clan?"

"And bribe them to come back. They were good."

Davrin's mother had been…furious, when he'd made up his mind to leave. Not surprised—he didn't think anyone was, by then. But so angry she could hardly look at him for the days leading up to it. She'd made a point to leave with the rest of the hunters in her group before the sun was up that morning, so she wouldn't have to watch him go.

That was fine. The way she'd said goodnight the evening before, he'd kind of expected it. She'd always been like that. His father had been dead for years, by then. It was Eldrin who'd walked him as far as the nearest trade road, winding west out of Tantervale.

He'd gone until he felt like his legs were going to give out that first day. He'd had a plan: Hasmal first. Find some work, enough to buy passage up the river to Hunter Fell. Then—Orlais? South. Probably south. Maybe it wasn't a particularly comprehensive plan, but it was a plan.

He'd made camp a little ways into the woods, far enough from the road to stay out of sight. Unrolled his bedroll, fished around for the bundle of jerky he'd tucked in the middle so it'd stay dry—

—found the hearth cakes, nestled in beside it. Wrapped in leaves. Four days worth. Just enough for one hunter's pack.

Good luck. Be safe. Come back.

Bellara's watching him, head cocked. Curious, but also maybe a little knowing. She's got her cake still held lightly in her hands, half eaten.

Davrin clears his throat, swallows the rest of his in one bite. "These are good too," he says, after. "Really good."

Her smile is kind. "Good. I'm glad."

"Thanks for making them."

"Any time." Her own bite, now. Small. Chews. Looks thoughtfully at the dough still resting in the bowl, the streaks of flour and sugar across the tabletop.

And then: "Oh! Did your clan make mushroom soup? That was, like… every other dinner for us in the fall."

"I hated mushroom soup. Tasted like dirt."

Bellara laughs, head tipped back. Lets out a heavy, wistful sigh. "It did," she says. "It did always taste a little bit like dirt. Okay, so maybe I won't make that one."

"Maybe not," he agrees. Davrin nods his chin towards the bowl. "The cakes, though."

"So good. Yeah. I definitely want to try the apples next time. Oh! Or remember that fruit Taash brought back a couple weeks ago, the mango?"

He's not much of a chef, unless you count campfire oats and strip jerky. But he stays anyway, keeps Bellara company, helps her clean up when she's done and the plate is wrapped up for later. Grimaces when she brings up some forest stew that apparently started with bugs. Not a Marches thing.

"Thanks for this," she says to him on their way out, for some reason.

"For eating your food? Hey, if I gotta.”

"For talking. Nobody else gets it, and sometimes it's just… nice to remember where we came from. You know?"

Not always. But today—yeah. He knows.

- - -

Notes:

Felas'gen'adahl = slow (tree) roots. Made up with the help of the Elvhen Project Dictionary. Used to mean “be patient” (not ‘chill out’, Davrin.)

Hearth cakes are from Dragon Age: Tastes of Thedas.

[fairyhaos]

seventeen as teachers

requested by @weird-bookworm ! it's a little to the left of what you asked but i hope it's alright anyway ><

masterlist

seungcheol

architecture professor. kind of thanks to physics!cheol anon for this idea but he really encourages hands-on learning especially for his subject, and he draws big diagrams on the board and gestures wildly with his hands as he's explaining why the models work and what do the students think of it? also he definitely gives vibes of someone who high fives the students when their models withstand his shaking tests, but also laughs and claps when they fall apart. because it's all about learning, isn't it? and he's with you to help you learn every step of the way. 

jeonghan

kindergarten teacher. cannot for the life of him handle kids older than that because then they get too tricksy and talkative for him and he gets tired too easily to deal with that. actually really good at handling the toddlers. he's also very pretty so all the kids unironically hang onto his every word, basically making him the god at keeping children in line. when he gets too tired of running around after them he just goes “kids :((( jeonghan is tired :(((“ and they immediately settle down to do something else

joshua

music teacher (1). he's a total department crush (and even school-wide crush) amongst the other teachers because he's so pretty and so kind, always and accidentally keeps making teachers fall for him bc he talks to them so nicely w that pretty smile of his. renowned for his ability to compose melodies on the piano on the spot, and always has students wanting him to help (cough compose for them) parts of their composition work. no one knows what he does outside of work, though. it's like he disappears into thin air after school finishes. 

junhui

gives me eccentric uni professor vibes. sits on his desk with his feet dangling and asks all sorts of strange and irrelevant questions to the students that are, actually, not strange and entirely relevant. has everyone walking out of his lectures feeling like a changed person because he either a) managed to get horribly off track or b) made them rethink their entire life choices. loved by all, and maybe a bit too much. poor guy definitely had an obsessed student try to follow him home before he got lost himself and so they both ended up in the middle of nowhere

hoshi

chemistry teacher. no other reason other than i think he'd look great with a pair of goggles on his forehead pushing his fringe back at funny angles whilst he grins maniacally and goes, “hey, kids, today we're gonna set things on fire!!!!”. so passionate about teaching these things to the students, and rambles on like he only has 5 minutes left on earth and he's gonna use every second to cram in as much chemistry knowledge into the students’ brains as he can in that time. it works, too. his passion inspires so many of them to take chemistry further up in the school. 

wonwoo

history teacher. all the students want him for their teacher when they take history because he's actually, like, competent and knows stuff. known for taking no shit when it comes to doing assignments on time because he sets reasonable deadlines and if you can't make them, then that's on you, not him. students love him. also super duper helpful if you have any questions and is always free at lunch to help bc he'll do anything to escape the hyperactive claws of mr. kwon and mr. wen who are always up to shenanigans

woozi

music teacher (2). mans life literally revolves around music and i can't imagine him doing anything else. department ace. conductor of both the symphony and concert orchestra, and rearranges all of the parts himself when the students find it a little too difficult. also do Not engage this man in a conversation about anything to do with music theory because he will rant for ages and any quick question turns into half of your lunch break being missed. he means well, though, and always gets ridiculous amount of thank-you presents at the end of the year. 

minghao

art teacher (1). dresses like one, too, and has been voted as ‘best dressed teacher’ for the past 3 years in a row. all the art students are kind of afraid of him because if you ask for feedback, there is a 50/50 chance that he'll rip you a new one whilst explaining what you did wrong. there's never any true cruelty to his words, though, cuz hes always actually giving genuine advice and he's always right in what he advises, so students either love him or hate him for his criticisms, though mostly it's the former. he's pretty, too, and his works are pretty, so that's a plus

mingyu

teaches business studies to the older students, purely cz i think he gives maths-adjacent vibes. he teaches a “special” subject that's not available to the younger kids and he's ridiculously handsome so he's kind of like a legendary figure in the school. even if he's a bit silly and adorable at times, he's also super good at holding intellectual debates with his students about current economic and political affairs. can be found bickering with mr. yoon bc the kindergarten teacher wants him to help with his taxes.

dokyeom

art teacher (2). smiles brighter than the sun at all hours of the day, and when the senior students are drowning in coursework and artist research deadlines, he's like the one and only guiding light that helps them get through it because of how endlessly optimistic he is. half the seniors take art solely because of him, actually. also a firm believer that all art is good art and there's no such thing as a “non-artist”. scolds minghao after work when he feels like the other teacher was being too harsh to the students

seungkwan

part of the senior leadership team. takes his position veryyy seriously, strides briskly around the school with a jingle of w set of keys he managed to procure from…somewhere. is always on top of uniform inspections which is always annoying for the kids, but he's also melodramatic and smiley so they love him anyway. the students are always try to recruit him for teacher quizzes and events bc he makes everything way more fun. 

vernon

classics teacher. this might seem odd but hear me out!!! dude loves ancient history and Will do deep dives on old artefacts and cultures that interest him, and i think that passion can definitely be transferred to him teaching kids about latin, ancient greek, old civilizations. known for sharing nothing about his personal life but also being able to talk for ages about something that happened over 1000 years ago. the students all find him super cool and also super endearing. 

chan

the guy who's hired externally from some sports club to act as the teacher to students during after school clubs. teaches martial arts, mainly, but he supervised an impromptu dance club one semester and the students loved it so much that they managed to bring the dance club onto the permanent schedule. everyone loves him. his sports club is 10000% sure that half the children who come to them were recruited through chan's lovely personality alone. 

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[crystalandbow]

APHRODITE MESSAGES 💌

Hi!

Let's dive into your messages from Aphrodite

Intuitively pick a pile 👇🏻 and check the corresponding message to it! & I hope you enjoy the reading

FREE TAROT

PILE 1

1212, " I am sexy, I am divine", "affirm"

Y'all are fucking kings and queens and princesses. Just shut up, y'all pretty (inside out) asf.

PRIORITISE YOURSELF AND YOUR NEEDS.

Y'all be settling for bread crumbs and shit but stop! Like self worth where?

Stop hurting yourself for petty things/people and start to enjoy life. Celebrate yourself.

You could have a talent for natural healing powers so make use of it. The upright Queen of Pentacles can also signify someone involved in a nature religion such as a white witch. It can be an indication that you may have an interest in or a natural talent for Earth magic such as creating potions using herbs.

Connect with Aphrodite if you want to add more peace and calmness into your life. You might also have some (green flag) suitors that want to make you theirs.

" Confident " for some it is asking you to be more confident while for some it shows that you are confident in yourself & your abilities

Hope the reading helped. This is a general reading so Only take what resonates. bye see you next time!

PILE 2

"pours out their heart to us"

A change is coming your way.

What change you may ask,

You are now on the verge of releasing all that has been holding you back, you are now realising the value of something (your own worth, value of a person, time, effort, anything) and this is going to bring in a new flow of motion.

New love, new feelings or new passion could be anything but it's good!

You might be going through some tough times but you are very brave and standing high. And this new thing is your reward for trusting the universe. Keep slaying and working hard💪🏻

Hope the reading helped. This is a general reading so Only take what resonates. bye see you next time!

PILE 3

Y'all could be feeling tired, disturbed, pissed at everything (or something specific) we actually have very similar cards to pile two.

you have a new opportunity being presented to you rn / soon. this opportunity is brought to you by the divine itself. GRAB IT BITCH! this thing is important for you, it has a potential to grow and get big/ successful. depending on what the thing is it will show you its benefits/pros. it will likely bring you in contact with the right people/ your soulmates/ soul family.

how will you recognize it though? one sign could be your desire for wanting to go for it, you could be naturally talented too.

another message could be that you need to give out to people, help people, be a provider. this could be you providing guidance to people or money or hope/motivation, basically anything.

for some who have been thinking about sharing content online, this is your sign to do it! (and tag me/jkkkk)

Hope the reading helped. This is a general reading so Only take what resonates. bye see you next time!

PILE 4

Y'all seem confused and stuck? Like everything "looks" alright but doesn't intuitively feel right. You are unsure if it's you whose the problem or the other thing, something around those lines, yk?

not here to scare you but yall better be careful. Your intuition is on spot especially with that one thing/person.

If something/someone is giving you weird vibes and you can't figure out why then it's the universe trying to speak to you through your intuition. your intuition needs to be addressed, try to dig in deeper with "why" you've been feeling so.

Just be a Lil cautious, that's it ig.

Hope the reading helped. This is a general reading so Only take what resonates. bye see you next time!

[phyrestartr]

Those Ghosts We Cannot Burn | Dabi x M!Reader

w/c: 1k cw: past trauma, canon-typical Todoroki family, mentions of child abuse, canon-typical violence, graphic language, difficult relationships #Eventual NSFW, bl, dunno who is top/bottom yet lol, hurt/comfort, angst, drama, reader is yakuza, reader and dabi have history, sorta enemies to lovers?? Notes: AAAAH short little snippet but I wanted to post anyway!! I need to get drafts out of my system or I'll go mad lmao...they're all just clogging up my google docs...it's so bad dude OTL so many WIPs

(ALL tags): @kamote-kuneho @tr4nnie @silvern1006

1. Hello, My Past

The bodies of his victims hissed and burned with a life only fire could leave in the path of destruction. Dabi knew it well–he was made the same way, after all. But they'd go on to simply disappear, their ashes fluttering away with the Autumn breeze while he continued to conquer his fate. 

“Hey, you're the one they call ‘Dabi,’ right?” 

The man in question paused, ears perking at that shitty, monotonous tone. Hah. It pissed him off. It made his heart hum, too. Weird.

“Who's askin'?” He drawled, tucking his hands in his pockets as he turned to face you with languid steps. When he caught sight of you in that alleyway, he almost remembered something, but couldn’t find the will to dwell on it.

“I am, on behalf of Shie Hassaikai,” you said, adjusting the cuffs of your jacket. “You've been torching our men, y’know?”

Dabi smiled. “And? You want an autograph or somethin’?” 

You quirked a brow, looked him up and down, and scoffed. “You got a pen? Or, even know how to write in the first place? Don’t look the type.” 

“Oi–”

“Anyway,” you continued, “You wouldn’t be willing to stop murdering ours while our respective leaders discuss their deal, hey?” 

Dabi clicked his tongue. Annoying. “Their deal's got nothing to do with me.” 

“Guess you're not as high up as they said, then.”

“You're a real pain in the ass, y'know?” 

“It's kinda my job.”

“Maybe someone should relieve you from duty.”

A torrent of blue bloomed and crashed through the alley with the vicious hunger of a tsunami. Sparks exploded and flames lashed against stone and concrete, engulfing sky, earth, and all in-between with his show of firepower–a show he never grew tired of, one that never failed to remind him just what he lived for, what he–wait.

He squinted. What the hell?

A bright silhouette stood in the centre of the violent cleansing, wholly unmoved by the villain's flame. It wavered like a candle tousled by the night breeze, but it did not fade away with the light, nor with the wane of fire. And in the aftermath, once the alley fell quiet and dim once again, there it still stood, staring his way with a light that might rival a god's true form.

“You done?” You asked, voice crackling through a veil of blue. 

Thousands of questions and thoughts rushed through his mind–what the hell was that? Who were you? What was your quirk? Why was your fire blue, too?--but he couldn't settle on one, not long enough to spit it out, anyway. 

“I'll consider that a yes,” you decided. Your form re-materialized with a small flourish embers, and you breathed in deep. 

Dabi tried not to let on how bothered he felt. “What the hell was that quirk?” 

“Does it really matter?” You hummed, smiling. “The only thing you need to know is what you just saw–you can't get rid of me. Not with those flames of yours.”

“Hah. You sure about that, pretty boy?” His fingers twitched, eager to try his hand again. “I could crank the heat up for ya, see just how much you can handle.”

“Maybe another time,” you said, half-distracted as you checked your phone. “For now, remember what I said. Our bosses are trying to work together. Don't make this difficult.”

You turned halfway through your thought, showing Dabi your back without a care in the world. You must've really thought you couldn't be hurt by him. You must have really thought you were better than him. You must have. 

But the sirens roaring toward the alley ruined his chance at demolishing you. He could take them on, but he'd rather not deal with the headache that'd follow–heaven knows he'd get reemed by some of the other villains for taking the PR crap too far. 

Fucking prick, Dabi seethed silently. He'd have to kill you some other day. 

–

“Touya,” you called, voice quiet.

The boy next to you, the one you squished into that single bed with whenever nightmares found him, stirred. Only your voice seemed to pull him free from the lull of dreams and nightmares, oddly. 

“Yeah?” He whispered, clearing his throat, grimacing again at the scratchy stiffness to it. 

“Once the doc helps you,” you started, sounding too serious for your age, “I think we should leave.” 

“What?” Touya rubbed sleep from his eyes the best he could without tearing stitches and skin grafts apart. “What the hell is–”

Whatever else he had to say died in his throat when he caught a glimpse of you in the filtered moonlight; your calm, passive look of day had shifted come the night. Your face was kinder, exposing flickers of forbidden thoughts for none but one to see and soon forget, come the beckon of sleep. 

“What the hell's your problem?” Touya breathed. 

Your brows furrowed. “I don't want to be here,” you answered. “Have you even considered trying to go to your family? We could–” 

“I did go back. Nothing's changed.” He smiled, bitter. “Those fucking sheep abandoned me already.”

“I won't abandon you,” you promised suddenly. “We can talk to them. Together. Come on, Touya–” 

Touya laughed a pathetic, little sound. “Are you serious? They don't give a shit about me, they're not gonna give a shit about–do you think you're better than me? More special?” 

Your eyes grew round. “Wh–I never said that.” 

“But you think they'd listen to you, and not me,” he hissed, something igniting the hollow paths of his nerves and revving him back to life. “You think I'm not–”

You covered his mouth with a quick hand, and he held your wrist with a weak grip. “Shut up. You don't know what I think, so–so just shut up.”

I know what you think. And he was determined to prove you wrong, one way or another, even if he had to rip himself apart to do it--but you saw through him so easily. You always did; you always knew how to push his buttons then reset the system before he blew up.

And when you leaned in and kissed the back of your hand, the one still clasped over his mouth, he did indeed reset. Completely braindead once again, he was.

“Forget I said anything,” you huffed, turning your back to him and settling back in. 

And Touya tried to forget, even though his mind buzzed and his heart thudded against his ribs. He tried, and he tried, and he tried.

[simplyraeblue]

King and Captive

(Hunter and Hunted Spin-Off) read here

modern au a chance meeting with Sukuna quickly turns into a nightly routine you can't escape. as the lines between game and something more blur, you start to wonder—how long can you keep playing, or will Sukuna make you his next conquest? !Sukuna x !femreader

chapter warnings/tags: swearing, drinking, mild angst, new character appearance!!, nothing else this is pretty basic A/N: I promised myself I wouldn't leave you guys with the angst for too long (• ᴗ -) BUT that also doesn't mean it's gonna be an easy road from here for our gentle reader (hehe) and our dear Sukuna. also I had literally dreamt about their next interaction and how Sukuna would be acting... thus, sweaty and panicked Sukuna was born.

index part seven | part nine

part eight word count : 4,143

The next two days passed in a blur. You weren’t sure if it was the exponentially horrible hangover you had the morning after everything went down, or if your mind was simply protecting you from a harsher fate. Either way, you functioned on autopilot—work, home, sleep, repeat.  

Even Sukuna seemed to understand something you didn’t—his texts and calls had stopped within twenty-four hours. That silence should have been a relief, but instead, it felt like a hollow weight in your chest.  

By the third day, you were barely holding it together. Work felt like wading through wet cement, your mind constantly drifting despite your best efforts to stay focused. Everything around you seemed to move at normal speed while you felt stuck in place, every noise too loud, every task taking twice as long as it should.  

You kept your head down at your desk, ignoring the buzz of office chatter and the occasional concerned glance from your coworkers. You didn’t want their sympathy, didn’t want their questions. The last thing you needed was to explain why you felt like a walking corpse—why you hadn’t been able to sleep, why food tasted like nothing, why your stomach twisted every time you so much as glanced at your phone.  

The lack of messages from Sukuna should’ve made things easier, but instead, it gnawed at you. He hadn’t tried to reach out again. No texts, no missed calls. Just silence.  

Maybe this was his way of giving you space. Maybe… maybe he had finally decided you weren’t worth the effort.  

That thought made your chest ache in a way you hated to acknowledge.  

“Hey,” a voice broke through your daze, snapping you back to reality. You blinked up to see one of your coworkers—Mai, standing next to your desk with an arched brow. “You good?”  

You forced a tired smile. “Yeah. Just… long week.”  

Mai didn’t look convinced. “It’s Wednesday. You look like hell.”  

“Thanks,” you muttered, rubbing your temples.  

She leaned against your desk, arms crossed. “You’ve been weird the past few days. Not sleeping?”  

You sighed, debating how much to say. “Something like that.”  

Mai studied you for a beat, then shrugged. “Well, if you need to get some air, take a break or something. You’re not gonna get much done in this state.”  

You wanted to argue, but she wasn’t wrong.  

After a few more minutes of staring blankly at your screen, you finally caved and pushed away from your desk, grabbing your coat and stepping outside.  

The cool air hit you like a slap, but it helped—if only a little. You leaned against the wall of your office building, inhaling deeply and trying to shake the exhaustion that had settled into your bones.  

Then, almost out of habit, you reached for your phone.  

No new messages. No missed calls.  

Your chest squeezed. You’d thought maybe—just maybe—he’d break first.  

But he hadn’t.  

And somehow, that hurt more than you’d expected. 

Mai found you outside barely five minutes later, hands shoved into the pockets of her blazer, a knowing smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. “Wow,” she said, stopping next to you and leaning against the wall, “you really are spiraling.”  

You let out a slow breath, watching it mist in the cool air. “I’m not spiraling,” you muttered, tucking your phone away before you could refresh your notifications for the hundredth time today. “Just… needed a break.”  

Mai scoffed. “Sure. And I needed a break from the incredible amount of work I’ve been avoiding.” She side-eyed you. “C’mon. I know what heartbreak looks like.”  

You stiffened at the word. “I’m not heartbroken.”  

Mai let out a sharp laugh, tipping her head back against the brick. “Uh-huh. Then why do you look like a walking funeral? And don’t tell me it’s just because of work—I know you, and I know that’s not what’s got you acting like a ghost.”  

You groaned, tilting your head back as if the sky might offer you some relief. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”  

“Yeah? Well, tough shit, ‘cause you look miserable, and I’m not gonna let you drag your sad ass through another eight hours of work looking like you just got hit by a truck.”  

You sighed, giving in because, really, Mai was relentless when she wanted to be. “It’s just…” you hesitated, rubbing your temple. “I had a thing with someone. It got… complicated. And now I don’t know where we stand.”  

Mai hummed, unimpressed. “Lemme guess. Some emotionally unavailable jackass who you thought had a soft side, but surprise—he’s just as messed up as you feared?”  

You groaned. “Not just messed up. He’s…” You hesitated, choosing your words carefully. “He’s someone with a past. A bad one. And I didn’t know how to deal with it when I found out.”  

Mai studied you for a beat. “So you bailed?”  

Your stomach twisted. “Not exactly. I panicked. I left before I could say something really stupid. And now…” You gestured vaguely at your phone, still sitting in your coat pocket like dead weight. “Now, I don’t know if I should reach out first, or if I just let this whole thing fall apart.”  

Mai clicked her tongue. “Alright, first of all, if he gave a shit, he’d have tried harder by now. No offense.”  

You winced.  

“But,” she continued, “I also know you, and you wouldn’t be this torn up over some random guy. So the real question is… do you still want him?”  

Your breath hitched.  

Did you?  

God, you wished the answer was easy. It would be so much simpler if you could just move on, pretend none of this mattered. But the ache in your chest, the way you still checked your phone, the way his absence felt wrong—it all told you the truth you were too scared to admit.  

Mai must have seen it on your face because she let out a sigh, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, okay. That’s what I thought.”  

You frowned. “That obvious?”  

“Painfully.” She shoved off the wall, brushing imaginary dust off her sleeves. “So here’s the deal. You either text him and get it over with, or you stop acting like a lovesick idiot and move on.”  

You swallowed. “And what if I’m scared of what he’ll say?”  

Mai shot you a pointed look. “You should be scared if this guy is as bad as you say he is. But if he’s worth the trouble, then you also have to be brave enough to face him.”  

You exhaled through your nose. “I hate that you’re making sense.”  

Mai grinned. “It’s a gift.”  

She started toward the building, tossing a glance over her shoulder. “You coming?”  

You hesitated, glancing at your phone again. Your fingers itched to type something, to reach out, to bridge the silence. But your heart was still pounding, still uncertain.  

“…Give me a minute,” you murmured.  

Mai raised a brow, but she didn’t push. “Don’t be late,” she said, disappearing back inside.  

You stood there for another long moment, staring down at your phone, the screen still dark and empty.  

Then, finally, with a deep breath—you unlocked it. 

The rest of the workday dragged. No matter how much you tried to focus, your mind kept circling back to the same thoughts—Sukuna, the silence, what you should do next. You hadn’t told Mai whether or not you’d texted him, and she didn’t ask. Maybe she figured you needed time to decide. Or maybe she just assumed you were still being stubborn.  

By the time the day was finally over, you were exhausted—not from work, but from thinking too much. Your nerves felt stretched thin, and the weight of everything was pressing down on you harder than before.  

So when Mai popped up beside your desk as you were gathering your things and said, “C’mon, we’re going out,” you didn’t argue.  

“You’re dragging me out drinking on a weekday?” you asked, slinging your bag over your shoulder.  

“Absolutely,” Mai said without hesitation, already heading toward the door. “You need a break, and I need to watch you embarrass yourself after one too many drinks. It’s a win-win.”  

You rolled your eyes but followed her anyway.  

It wasn’t until you stepped outside and she led you down the familiar path that realization struck.  

“We’re going there?” you asked, stopping in your tracks.  

Mai barely glanced at you, unfazed. “Yeah. What, you suddenly hate our local bar?”  

Your stomach twisted. Our bar. The one right next to your office, the one where you had met Sukuna, where he had been waiting for you almost every night since that first meeting. Where he had always been, drink ready before you even sat down.  

You swallowed. “No, I just—”  

“Relax,” Mai cut you off, sighing dramatically. “If you’re worried about running into him, don’t be. If he shows up, great. If he doesn’t, even better—you’ll be too drunk to care.”  

You narrowed your eyes at her, but she just smirked and tugged you along.  

When you stepped into the dimly lit bar, it felt like something should have changed. Like maybe there should be some visible marker of the days that had passed, something to reflect the shift in your world. But everything looked the same. The same warm glow of the hanging lights, the same faint smell of whiskey and cheap beer, the same bartender who had probably already memorized your usual drink order.  

It was both comforting and disorienting.  

Mai led you to a booth in the corner, a little further away from the bar than you usually sat when Sukuna was here. She slid into the seat across from you, grabbing a menu just for show. “So, what’s it gonna be? Drowning your sorrows or just mild regret?”  

You huffed out a laugh, shaking your head. “I think I’ll ease into it.”  

Mai smirked. “Boring, but fine. First round’s on me.”  

She waved over the bartender, ordering for both of you before leaning back against the seat. You could still feel the weight of the space around you—how familiar it was, how many memories were woven into this place.  

And yet, the one thing you were most used to seeing here was missing.  

You didn’t let your gaze linger on the door. Didn’t check for a familiar figure, didn’t scan the bar for a mop of pink hair and sharp eyes watching you from across the room.  

At least, you tried not to.  

Mai noticed. Of course she did. She sipped her drink, watching you over the rim of the glass. “So. How long are you gonna pretend you’re not hoping he walks in?”  

You froze mid-sip, then slowly set your drink down. “I’m not.”  

Mai arched a brow. “Liar.”  

You sighed, rubbing your temple. “I don’t know what I want. I just… being here without him feels weird.”  

Mai hummed, swirling her glass. “Well, you could always change that. But hey, what do I know? I’m just the work friend forcing you to drink on a weekday.”  

You groaned. “You’re so annoying.”  

She grinned. “And yet, here you are.”  

You rolled your eyes but took another sip of your drink. Maybe she was right. Maybe you did need this. To take a step back, to breathe, to let yourself exist in this space without the weight of him pressing down on you.  

You were halfway through your second drink when the air in the bar shifted. It was subtle at first—a prickle at the back of your neck, a tension you could feel before you even saw him. Then Mai’s gaze flickered over your shoulder, her smirk sharpening, and you knew. 

You didn’t have to turn around. 

But you did. 

Sukuna stood just inside the entrance, breath uneven like he’d been moving fast. His usual cocky swagger was missing—his shirt was slightly rumpled, his hair a mess like he’d raked his hands through it a dozen times on the way here. His sharp crimson eyes landed on you instantly, dark with something intense, something unreadable. 

Your heart stuttered. 

You knew why he was here. You’d texted him. 

It had been impulsive—after your conversation with Mai, your fingers had moved before your brain could stop them. Just a single message, short and uncertain: 

"I don’t know if I’m ready to talk, but if you want to find me, I’m here." 

And now, here he was. 

Mai leaned back in her seat, sipping her drink as she watched the scene unfold. “Welp,” she muttered, clearly amused, “that didn’t take long.” 

You swallowed, gripping your glass tightly as Sukuna strode toward you. You expected anger, anticipated frustration, maybe even something bitter. But when he stopped in front of the booth and looked down at you, all you saw was exhaustion. 

“You have any idea how fucking hard you were to find?” he said, voice rough, like he hadn’t spoken in hours. 

Your breath hitched. “You—” 

“I went to your office first,” he continued, jaw tight, “because I didn’t know if that text meant you actually wanted to see me, or if it was just some half-assed attempt at closure.” His fingers curled at his sides. “And when you weren’t there, I thought maybe you'd changed your mind.” 

A lump formed in your throat. 

Sukuna inhaled sharply, his shoulders rising, before exhaling through his nose. “So, I came here. Because of course you’d be here.” His lips twisted into something that wasn’t quite a smirk, wasn’t quite a frown. “This bar is the only place I haven’t fucking ruined for you yet, right?” 

The words stung, because they were a little too close to the truth. 

Mai whistled lowly. “Well. That’s my cue.” She stood up, patting your shoulder. “I’ll be at the bar if you need me. But, uh, I won’t be hovering, because I really don’t want to be in the splash zone for whatever this is.” 

You barely registered her leaving. Your world had narrowed to just you and Sukuna. 

He was still standing, his fingers tapping restlessly against the table like he wasn’t sure whether to sit or keep pacing. You took a deep breath, gesturing to the seat across from you. 

“Sit,” you said, voice quieter than you intended. 

Sukuna hesitated for only a moment before sliding into the booth. He leaned forward, arms braced on the table, eyes locked onto yours like he was searching for something. 

For a long, tense moment, neither of you spoke. The words because of course you’d be here hung heavy in the air between you. 

Finally, he exhaled, running a hand down his face. “Tell me what’s going on in that head of yours, princess,” he muttered, voice lower now, almost tired. “Because I’ve been going out of my fucking mind trying to figure out if you still want me in your life or if I’m just waiting around like a goddamn idiot.” 

Your chest tightened. 

Because despite everything, despite all the frustration, all the history, all the hurt—you did want him in your life. 

You just didn’t know how yet. 

You swallowed hard. “I don’t have all the answers yet, Sukuna.” 

His jaw tensed. “Then just tell me the truth.” His voice dropped, softer, raw. “Do you still want me here?” 

You gripped the edge of your glass, steadying yourself. Then, with a shaky breath, you met his gaze. 

“Yes.” 

Sukuna went still. 

Something unreadable flickered in his expression, his hands curling into fists against the table. Then, after a long pause, he exhaled—like he’d been holding his breath this whole time. 

“Good,” he murmured, his smirk returning, but this time, it was laced with relief. “Because I wasn’t planning on leaving anyway.” 

Sukuna had never looked nervous before. Not once, in all the time you’d known him. He was always sharp, cocky, unreadable—like nothing could ever shake him. But now, sitting across from you in the dim glow of the bar, he looked wrecked. 

His fingers tapped restlessly against his glass, his jaw clenched tight as he stared at you like you might disappear if he blinked too long. And maybe, in some way, he thought you would. 

You had been quiet since he'd sat down. Since he'd told you he had been looking for you. Since he'd made it clear that the second he saw your message, nothing else mattered. 

But none of that changed the reason you had left him behind in the first place. 

You inhaled deeply, bracing yourself. “I know what happened,” you said, your voice quieter than you meant for it to be. “With her.” 

Sukuna stilled. His fingers stopped tapping, his smirk—what little there had been of it—faded entirely. 

For a moment, he didn’t speak. Didn’t even move. 

Then, finally, he exhaled sharply through his nose, tilting his head like he had already resigned himself to this conversation. “Yeah,” he muttered. “I heard that you did.” 

You felt something tighten in your chest. “That one night, you slept with her.” 

Sukuna’s eyes flickered to yours. He didn’t nod, but he didn’t need to. The answer was there, clear as day. 

“It was nothing,” he said, voice low, rough. “Just a one-time thing.” His fingers curled into a fist on the table. “I didn’t mean to hurt her. Didn’t even realize I had at first.” 

What did that mean? Your fingers curled around your glass, knuckles turning white. “But you did hurt her.” 

Sukuna exhaled heavily, running a hand down his face. “Yeah,” he admitted. “I did.” 

The confession sat heavy between you, like a weight pressing against your ribs. You had tried to prepare yourself for this. You had told yourself you needed the truth, no matter how ugly it was. But hearing it—actually hearing him say it—made something crack inside you. 

“She was in love with you,” you murmured. 

Sukuna scoffed. “She was in love with an idea of me.” 

“Does that make it better?” you shot back, your voice sharper than before. 

His gaze snapped back to you, and for the first time that night, you saw something flash across his face—something that almost looked like shame. 

“No,” he muttered. “It doesn’t.” 

You stared at him, heart pounding. Your emotions were a mess—anger, sadness, confusion, everything tangled into a storm that you couldn’t sort through fast enough. 

Sukuna must have seen it, because he leaned forward, his voice steadier now. “I never did it again,” he said. “Not before. Not after. Just that once.” His fingers drummed against the table. “And I regretted it the second she told me how I’d made her feel.” 

Your stomach twisted, bile rising in your throat. 

“That’s the part no one tells,” he continued, his voice rougher now. “That I did feel like shit. That I knew, the second it dawned on me, that I had fucked up. That she looked at me like I was a monster, and I couldn’t even fucking argue.” 

Your hands trembled. "Did you ever apologize?" you asked, voice barely above a whisper. 

Sukuna’s expression flickered—something complicated, something raw. His jaw clenched, fingers drumming once against the table before he answered. You were scared to hear the answer. 

"I did." 

Your breath caught. 

"I went to her," he continued, voice rough, like the memory itself was something he had to force out. "A while after it happened. She didn’t want to see me. I don’t blame her for that." He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "But I needed her to hear it. Even if she didn’t give a shit, even if she hated my guts—I needed her to know I was sorry." 

You swallowed hard. "What did you say?" 

Sukuna stared at his hands for a moment before meeting your eyes. "That I was a fucking idiot. That I hurt her, and I had no excuse for it. That it wasn’t just a mistake—it was a choice, and I made the wrong one." He inhaled, slow and measured. "That she didn’t deserve it. And that if she never wanted to see me again, I’d live with that." 

Your throat tightened. 

"She yelled at me for about an hour" he murmured. "I took every bit of it. In the end, we both agreed that’d we’d made mistakes. And with her being in love with my idiot half-brother, we wouldn’t be able to avoid each other forever – so we settled on just being friends." His fingers curled into a fist against the table. "And that was that." 

You let his words settle, feeling the weight of them press into your chest. It didn’t change what he had done. It didn’t erase it. 

But it meant something. 

You pressed your fingers against your temple, exhaling shakily. "I don’t know how to process this," you admitted. "I don’t know how to sit here and just pretend this isn’t… awful." 

Sukuna nodded once. "I don’t expect you to." 

Silence stretched between you, heavy with everything left unsaid. Your hands trembled slightly as you wrapped them around your glass, grounding yourself in the sensation of condensation against your skin. 

"I should leave," you murmured. Sukuna went still. 

But you didn’t move. Because despite everything screaming at you to run, you weren’t sure if you wanted to. Sukuna didn’t say anything at first. He just watched you, his crimson eyes scanning your face like he was trying to figure out what you were thinking. Maybe even trying to prepare himself for the moment you finally got up and walked away.  

But you didn’t move.  

And maybe that was why, after a long, tense silence, he exhaled and did something you hadn’t expected.  

“There’s something else,” he muttered, voice lower now, almost like he wasn’t sure if he should even be saying it. “Something no one else knows.”  

Your brows furrowed, waiting.  

Sukuna leaned forward slightly, his fingers tracing patterns against the table, his gaze shifting to the side. “After it happened—after I saw the way she looked at me, after I realized what I’d fucking done—I didn’t just sit with it.” He hesitated for only a second before continuing. “I started therapy.”  

You blinked. “You what?”  

His lip curled, like the word itself tasted bitter in his mouth. “You heard me.”  The tone in his voice betrayed his feelings on the matter.

Of all the things you expected him to say, that wasn’t on the list. Sukuna—the man who carried himself like he was untouchable, who acted like the entire world bent around him—had gone to therapy?  

“For how long?” you asked cautiously, unsure of how to process this new piece of information.  

Sukuna let out a low breath. “Still going.”  

Your fingers tightened around your glass. “And no one else knows?”  

“Just Uraume.” His jaw worked slightly. “Not because I’m ashamed of it. I just…” He hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. “Didn’t want it to feel like some kind of performance. Like I was only doing it to prove to people that I changed or some shit.”  

You studied him carefully, trying to pick apart his expression, to see him. This was the most vulnerable you had ever seen Sukuna — the most... human.  

It would have been easier if he had just been a monster. If he had denied everything, if he had refused to take responsibility, if he had been the irredeemable person you had been trying to tell yourself he was for the last few days.  

But instead, he had been quietly carrying this weight. 

“Why are you telling me this now?” you finally asked.  

Sukuna met your gaze, his own unreadable. “Because if I didn’t, you’d always wonder if I really changed. If I’m still that guy.” His fingers drummed against the table once before going still. “And I needed you to know that I never want to be that person again.”  

Something in your chest squeezed. Sukuna had changed. Maybe not entirely, maybe not perfectly, but he wasn’t that same man anymore.  

And now, sitting across from him in the dim glow of the bar where everything started, you weren’t sure what scared you more—accepting that, or figuring out what came next.  

You swallowed, voice softer now. “I don’t know where this leaves us.”  

Sukuna gave a small, humorless smirk. “Me neither.”  

For a long moment, neither of you spoke. The tension was still there, thick in the air between you, but it wasn’t the same as before. It wasn’t anger. It wasn’t fear.  

Finally, Sukuna sighed, leaning back in his seat. “So,” he muttered, glancing at your nearly empty drink, “you gonna let me buy you another round or what?”  

A slow breath escaped you.  

And for the first time in days, you didn’t feel like running. 

⊹. ݁˖ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁₊

taglist : @mangiswig @sorahatake @osohchoso @clp-84 @sterzin @csolya @emochosoluvr @aldebrana @ravester @marie-is-in-the-dark @makingtimemine

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

One (☝️) freebie plz. For whatever verse your heart desires (or a new one if you have an idea)

"You never have cash," Vanessa mused, watching you pay for a couple pairs of new pants and a new dress with now straightened out bills.

"Not usually," You hum, "Logan handed it to me this morning and told me to do something with it- I'm assuming that was his not-so-subtle way of telling me he can hear me struggling with my jeans in the morning."

She snorted, "Not like I want to give him credit, but he probably didn't notice. Or he's too distracted by your boobs. He probably just knows there's stuff you want to buy and haven't yet."

"Probably," you take the bag and your change, "I just don't even know where to start."

"Not telling your mother," she recommended, pulling you towards a stand that sold smoothies. "God I'm thirsty, my treat. Can't let you get scurvy or something."

"As long as it doesn't have bananas in it," you say, crinkling your nose. "Ugh."

"I told Wade NOT to bring the banana bread," she laughed, "I don't think he really believed that you were gonna puke."

"Well- he found out." You lean your head on her shoulder and look at the menu, "The peach one sounds good."

"And hopefully won't make you puke."

"Peaches are fine. As long as they aren't canned."

____________

Logan let himself into your apartment cautiously. Feeling better now that he was clean and in clean clothes. Construction was hot, dirty work, but it paid. And that was important.

There were some new baby things, carefully put away in the corner where you'd been putting them until you could organize it all and he could smell something beef based and savory cooking in your crockpot. But it was quiet.

It made him feel weird as he walked across the floor.

But then he peered over the sofa and smiled a little. You were snuggled into a blanket and asleep. Trigger eyed him warily and Logan pressed a finger to his lips as he walked around the sofa and knelt to kiss the side of your head. "Hey, Princess," he murmured, stroking your arm.

"Hm?"

"Tired today, huh?"

"Wasn't even trying to go to sleep. Just settled down to watch a show," you tell him, yawning. "Was waiting to hear back on some stuff."

He smiled a little and stroked your hair, "Must've needed the sleep, just didn't want to scare you poking around in the kitchen."

"It's beef stew. There's bread in the oven and I made brownies," you hum, stretching.

"No wonder you needed a nap," he chuckled.

"Brownies just sounded good. And it's cold out today. Figured you were tired of Wade's chicken experiments and would probably want something hot."

"Thanks, sweetheart," he said, feeling himself blush. You thought about him? He didn't think you poisoned it either. "Kid's got a sweet tooth, huh?"

"At least I know they like brownies. And not banana anything."

Logan snorted, "I owe them a pony on their 5th birthday for making you throw up on Wade when he shoved that bread in your face."

"I couldn't even stop it-"

"Better than it comin' out your nose. And I bet he won't just shove shit in your face again."

"There is that." You sit up slowly and rub your eyes, "If you gimme a second I'll make some plates and-"

"Just stay there," Logan said, "I'll get it. Do you want water or-"

"Ice tea, please."

"And a brownie."

"Or like 2. Two is good."

[igglemouse]

It's Friday and for some reason it feels a little peculiar, a little off. The air is a buzz with some kind of weird energy and I don't know why but I have feeling today will be a very memorable day. Just a feeling!

I told you today would be an odd day as Candela, yes, that Candela, texts me? My heart skips a beat as I read the message, confused at what I'm seeing as uncertainty kicks in. Could it be her? I thought I'd never see her again and while she's always been a close friend I wonder...do I want it to be her? Do I want that piece of my past dipping back into my life? Would I want her back in my life? Definitely, but I worry about how much of the past she might drag into my current mostly happy life. I tried to call her but I got nothing back. Maybe that is for the best.

I was ready to dwell on it maybe investigate it further but Pascal comes sweeping into the room, angry about something, likely his kick ball thing. It's always about futbol with him isn't it? I'm proven correct the moment he opens his mouth.

"It's the manager," he starts and his whole face is tinted with his anger. "I keep telling him he plays me too deep, I need to be up more, attacking more! We would have won if-"

"Pascal, my dear, I have no idea what you are talking about," I really have no clue.

"I'm trying to win games here and I'm not sure what he's trying to do? Prove a point? He claims we win the ball more when I play-"

"Pascal!" I reach out for him, my hands finding his shoulders and arms, squeezing, getting a handle of him because he is really worked up about this. "You are speaking another language right now!" I joke, hoping to add levity to our conversation.

"Right," he calms down at once, settling down just enough so that he could think clearly. "You are right. I just wanted to vent, can't vent to the team because that could cause issues you know-"

"Oh," now I feel slightly bad. I have been meaning to learn more about this sports ball game he plays but I've been so busy and tired and pregnant. "Well, yes, you can vent to me! I just want you to know you might have to do more explaining is all!" He really seems to like that and I love that I calmed him down!

Pascal goes off to work and that left me here cleaning which is fine since I feel like I'm really just passing time. I don't have a food stand anymore so for now I have shifted into the more domestic kind of role. I'm sure once I do officially become a mama I'll have less and less time so maybe I should just enjoy the time I have right now!

Despite my feeling that something special might happen today nothing does. It plods on as a normal day but at least Sara decides to stop by and has a new hairstyle as well? I think she looks amazing with it! I wonder if this is because of her new mysterious boyfriend in any way?

"I love it! It frames your face perfectly!" Doesn't it? I can't help but gush about her new style and the smile on her face tells me she's happy with it too.

"Yeah, I was skeptical right after but waking up in the morning and seeing my reflection? Yeah, yeah, I look good, don't I?"

I beam my approval, she does, she's always have. She would struggle with her confidence but you know ladies sometimes a new hairstyle is all you need. "Is the new mystery guy the motivation or?"

That question makes her look a little doubtful and maybe even slightly offended? "No, no, I think he liked my old style to be honest? I just felt like...it was time to change something up?" She seemed uncertain about it, maybe the change was just a whim she had and went with it. Sometimes you have to go with the flow.

"A change is all you really need sometimes!" I chime in to reassure her and she gives me a small smile. Just then, it felt like the right time to dive into her love life or more particular this mystery guy. I was just ready to open my mouth when she beats me to it.

"What about you and Pascal?" She asks, curious as always. "He's been having a rough time out on the pitch lately."

I'm ready to ask what's wrong but she's eager to explain, taking a long breath. "I think they just haven't found the right spot for him, the right space. Chemistry issues. He started the season blazing hot but has slowed down some. I think the defenses are starting to key in on him, getting rough with him, frustrating him-"

"Oh," and I was listening intently but again, she's speaking a new language to me, one I haven't even tried learning. "I wish I knew what you were talking about."

She chuckles and waves it off. "Ah, it's just a kids game, but I guess it is taken a little seriously?" She then looked at my belly which is now hard to ignore. "You are huuuuuge!"

"Yeah, I'm just ready for her to come out at this point," I give my belly a few pats and she responds with a kick, maybe she's ready too.

"I'm definitely not looking forward to that whole process myself!"

"Oh?" My eyebrow raises because I think this is the first time she's talked about becoming a mom. "Are you and ummm, your mystery guy, you two are serious then?"

"I...maybe? It feels right, you know? It just feels...right. He's a good man, dedicated, attentive, driven. It feels right."

I nod, even though I'm not sure I fully understand. This pregnancy was unplanned for me. I'm not saying I regret it, far from it, but life is certainly coming at me fast. So I find that my only reply can be "Sometimes you have to listen to your gut," but I also realize this is my chance. "This guy, who is he? Can I at least get a name?"

She chuckles softly. "Oh, yeah sure, I guess that isn't big deal! It's Simo-"

"Sara?!?!" I cut her off, I wanted to know, I did but... "I-it's go time! C-can you drive?!"

I am thankful Sara was there since I doubted Pascal could make it home in time. She was steady and serious and once at the hospital things really started to just...happen. Needles, nurses, doctors, all in a flurry. All moving in a practiced ritual and moving a sone as if they were a team that had done this hundreds of times before. Maybe they have. I knew I was in good hands but still that wouldn't stop the fear. What if something goes wrong? What if she's not...whole? What if she comes out wrong? What if...

"Don't worry Miss Varela, your vitals are good, everything is fine, she's going to be beautiful," the doctor tells me. I take a deep breath and calm down.

After the 'pre-game' it was time for the first kick. I'll be honest and say it was not fun. All I remember from it was pain and the mantra of push and breathe, push and breath, push and breath, push and breath, push and breath, push and breath, push and breath...

For a moment I wondered when it would end. Hours had passed, how many I could not be sure, but eventually magic begun and after crying and wailing and pain and blood and tears I was holding her. She wriggled and screamed her lungs out, my little Florencia.

Frida Varela - Next Episode 8.5

[thornofthelily]

I have a theory about why the Redacted vampires can't go out in the sun.

All the other vampires powers and quirks can be explained by a corrupted, unexpected consequence of Sovereign tampering. The blood-drinking was an attempt to get them dependent on a specific food supply like daemons were to them (except they needed human blood not Sovereign arcana.) Increased physical ability, healing- better to serve the Sovereigns, be more durable to handle more tasks. Invocation as a method of control. Not aging, just like the Sovereigns themselves so they can serve eternally. Even trancing could have been a means of control, to manipulate other humans. But sunlight? I mean sure that could have been some random weird consequence too, something they didn't intend and was just part of the magical tampering, but I think there's an even simpler explanation.

I believe Vincent once said vampires can actually go in the sunlight, for brief periods. It may be painful, and too much sun can kill them, but it's not instant smoking death like some other vampire stories. We all know sunlight is pretty bad on all our skins, that UV radiation is pretty harmful no matter your skin type. What if the danger isn't necessarily the sun, but the vampire's own natural healing? A vampire goes into the sun and their vampire core immediately start trying to heal the skin from the radiation, constantly working reversing the effects all over their bodies. It quickly drains them, exhausts them, and staying out too long overextends and outpaces their healing, until their cores are expended and their healing gives out and they just... die of exhaustion, in a way. Kind of like how a demon can die from using up every drop of their magic, which would make them even more like their demonic cousins.

We don't know how long is too long for vampires to be out, and maybe a few minutes of sun exposure isn't enough to overwhelm them, but that's the conclusion I've kind of settled on for the aversion to the sun. Besides, and this is mostly my opinion, it seems the vamps aren't necessarily deathly afraid of sunlight, but view it more like an inconvenient allergy than a deadly one. Something to avoid exposure to otherwise you're gonna be tired and worn out and feel like shit for a while after, so just better to avoid it when you can. After all, how the fuck can William start a successful real estate company if he can never go view a property during the daylight hours when most humans would be looking at them?

[s4psh]

For all coffee lover girlies, this one's for you.

Hope you'll enjoy this 🩷

i cant sleep (heeseung ver)

⠀ ˖⋆࿐໋ᯓ★ ˖⋆࿐໋

you had tons of assignments to complete, coffee was your only source of energy. 3 cups of strong coffee was the only thing you needed to complete your assignments.

Later in the evening heeseung came over and surprised you with your fav cheese fries and cherry coke. As he stepped in he pats your head says

"Way to go, princess! You worked hard on those assignments and you deserve a reward" a soft gentle blush crept your face, as if his words are the only thing you need. "Come on lets eat i know you haven't eaten yet" he said. You guys ate while he rants you about his group members weird habbits.

After the dinner he asked

"Can i stay at your place? i promise i'll make it worth your while" *smirks*

"i would love that, lets see how good you are at keeping your promises"

*he smirks, a mischievous glint in his eye*

"is that a bet?"  he asks *stepped closer, his body inches from you*

"it is now" you murmured. Your breath caught in your throat as he moved closer. You like to tease him, but the consequences are *painful* you walk away from him "i should go and keep the dishes in sink" you said "excuses ahem" he said in a husky voice

you blushed

Later on, you enter your room and saw him on your bed. You felt a flutter in your chest as he stood up and approached you, his arms encircling your waist.

"come here" murmured, his voice low and seductive

"i need to hold you" you melted into his embrace your body perfectly fitting against his, pulling you down on top of him as you guys settled for a cozy cuddle session.

He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you close against his chest. "You look tired," he murmured, his chin resting on top of your head.

"I am," you admitted, nuzzling your face into the curve of his neck.

"Then come here," he said, gently guiding you down onto the bed. "Let me hold you while you sleep."

You sighed, melting into his embrace. "Mhmm, that feels good," you murmured, your eyelids growing heavy.

At 2 am

you stirred from your sleep, your eyes fluttering open in the darkened room. You glanced over heeseung lying beside you who was still fast asleep, and sighed. "I can't sleep," you whispered to heeseung. His eyes slowly opened. He propped himself up on one elbow and looked at you with a sleepy but concerned expression. "Can't sleep, huh?" he mumbled, his voice raspy from sleep.

You nodded reluctantly, a small frown on your face. "Yeah," you said, sighing. "I had too much coffee this afternoon, and now I can't seem to turn off my brain".

He chuckled and said "We could try something else to help you relax."

He leaned in closer, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Like gaming," he suggested, his voice low and playful. "It's a great way to unwind and forget about anything that's keeping you up at night."

"Sounds fun and exciting but whats the use? because i cant compete with you in gaming" you said with a cute baby voice

He smiled at you, his expression affectionate. "It's about having fun and enjoying each other's company. And besides... I think you're cute when you use that baby voice." He leaned in and planted a soft kiss on your forehead.

He stretched out his legs and relaxed into the couch, spreading his legs wide apart in a casual manner. He patted his lap, indicating for you to come closer. "Come here," he said, his tone soft yet commanding. "Take your seat princess"  he said, his voice low and sultry. "I want you right here, nice and close to me".

You moved closer to him, As you approached, he reached out and pulled her onto his lap, positioning you so that you are facing him, your legs straddling his hips. You could feel the heat of his body through the thin fabric of their clothes, and you could smell the faint musk of his cologne.

He wrapped his arms around your waist, explaining about the game rules. He caught you staring his lips, "You're not even paying attention to what I'm saying, are you?" he teased, his arms still wrapped around your waist. "Your eyes keep drifting back to my lips. You want a taste that bad, huh?"

"i cant help it, they just look so... inviting?" you said

"Well, don't let me stop you." He murmured.

He leaned in closer, then without any warning he captured her lips in a deep, passionate kiss.

Comment down snippets you liked the most.

Thank you so much for reading.

[13as07]

Parasite #1

(Shino Aburame)

[Art work is not mine! Credit to Doomcaster]

Requested by: Myself

Word Count: 3,971

Warnings and/or Pre-Notes:

Shino throwing (empty) insults every other breath

———————————————————————

"Shino!" I call, slamming his bedroom door open as I storm into his room. "I was talking to your dad and - "

"Get out."

"He was telling me all about the butterfly field thing coming up soon!" I continue, ignoring Shino's request.

"They're not fields, they're trees," Shino corrects looking at me unamused from his desk. Today is a good mood day for the simple reason that Shino isn't wearing his sunglasses, giving me the rare sight of his eyes. They're almond-shaped, like a cat, and slit like one as well as he glares at me.

"Fields, trees, same thing, Kitty Cat," I tease, slipping out of my house slippers before settling on his bed. Chief Aburame bought them for me and started keeping them by the door during our school days. Since then, the Chief has replaced them as needed; his mediocre way of showing he cares and likes me around the house. The same mediocre care Shino inherited.

"Don't call me that," he says, a hint of irritation in his voice.

     "Just so you know, the answer is yes."

     "The answer to what?" He asks, turning away from me to go back to the lord knows what.

     "To you asking me to go to the butterfly thing. Your dad - "

     "Be respectful."

     "Chief Aburame said the clan camps out to watch it and do your weird insect things."

     "Exactly. The clan camps out. Not the clan and my personal jewel beetle," Shino grumbles, glancing at me over his shoulder before focusing on his work again.

     "Jokes on you," I start, climbing out of his bed before settling behind him. I rest my arms around his shoulders, chin on his head, and body weight fully pressed against him. "I've seen a picture of a jewel beetle and they're very colorful so I'm taking that as a compliment."

Shino mumbles under his breath, shaking his head in disagreement with himself. "You're not coming with me," he says, shaking his shoulders to try and get me off of him.

I do as he wants, pulling away before I settle on sitting on his desk, covering some of his papers. "Well, your dad - "

"Be respectful," he groans again, sighing in disapproval.

"Chief Aburame," I mutter, rolling my eyes at the moody boy. "Already said I could go if you want me to - "

"I don't want you there."

" - so I'm going," I finish, smiling at the bug boy.

"You are a parasite," Shino says slowly, tugging one of his papers out from under my legs.

"Well, you're more kikaichu than man so I don't see how one more parasite could hurt," I tease, leaning forward to check out what Shino is working on.

He sighs again, lips pursed as he looks at me. "What is it that you want?"

"I want to spend time with you," I mutter, picking up the scroll unrolled on his desk. Most of it doesn't make any sense to me but I get the jest of it; bla bla bla, butterflies, bla bla bla, medical aids.

"I am busy," he mutters, loosening my fingers from the paper before taking it from me. "I don't have time to spend with you."

"Well if you're busy, I can just chill here," I answer, leaning closer to read over the scroll alongside him. "What do your papers say?"

"Can you not read?"

"I can read!" I huff, crossing my arms and glaring at the bug boy. "I'm not a big bad shinobi like you. I'm also not an Aburame like you so I don't understand your bug shinobi science stuff."

Shino sighs again, face scrunching and fingers clenching his nose. "If you're not going to leave, can't you nap like usual?"

"I could," I answer, a smug smile on my face. "But I'm more hungry than tired."

He glares at me, huffing again. "If we get food, will you leave?"

"Nope."

Another groan, this time paired with his hands sliding up to rub his eyes. "What is it that you want?" He asks for the second time today, turning back to his work.

"I want," I start, jumping off the desk and shaking my head around in victory. "To go to a sit-down dinner, eat, and then a minimum of forty-minute nap together."

"Take out and dine together, then you leave."

"Sit down restaurant and thirty-minute nap," I counter, a wide smile on my face as I look at Mr. Hard To Get.

"Take out together, five-minute lay down, and then you leave."

"Take out together, twenty-minute nap, and then I nap alone so you can work."

Shino falls silent, looking at me blankly. "Fine."

"Yes!" I cheer, pumping my hands in the air at my victory. Shino knows that's what I originally wanted, just as much as I do. It's the same chess game every time I come over, and every time I get what I want from the annoyed bug master. Regardless, he never changes his counters and always gives in.

"You're obnoxious," he mutters, following after me as I scramble through his house.

"Mr Dad!" I call, Chief Aburame's head popping up from his work.

"Be respectful," Shino mutters again, sliding on his shoes and sunglasses.

"We're going to get takeout. Do you want anything?"

     "I'd appreciate it. Grab me whatever Shino gets," the Chief answers, sending me one of his rare smiles before turning back to his work.

"You need to be more respectful," Shino lectures, tugging at my ankle. My balance shifts, causing me to grip his shoulders to not fall. "You take too long to get ready," he continues to grumble, sliding my shoes on before dragging me out the door.

—————————————

     "Get off," Shino groans, trying to unlatch me from himself. He tugs at my arms, trying to get me to loosen my hold on his shirt. "It's been twenty minutes."

     "Five more minutes," I whine, snuggling my face into his neck deeper. I tighten my legs around his waist as well, an added measure to make it harder for him to drag me off his chest.

     "You are a nuisance," he sighs, attention shifting to unlocking my knees from his sides. "You asked for twenty minutes, I gave you twenty minutes. Get off or leave."

     "You're mean," I pout, rolling off the bug boy. I keep a hand clung to his shirt sleeve, hoping my pouting will get me what I want.

     It doesn't. "You're needy," Shino grumbles, wiggling his fingers under mine to unhook them from his clothing. "It's displeasing."

"Maybe I wouldn't be so clingy if you paid as much attention to me as you do your work," I shoot back, the sentence dipped in fake jealousy. I like Shino's work, I like learning about the bugs his clan cares for, and I like learning the medicines they make from them.

Shino stays still, fingers tangled under mine as he stares at me. "You are - "

"Beautiful? I know."

" - empty-headed. My work is very important to our village."

"And I'm very important to you," I answer, wrapping myself around the half-seated shinobi. I settle into his lap, knees clenching his sides again. Unlike our nap, I rest my head against his chest and my arms around his shoulders.

"According to who?" He asks hands back to trying to unlatch my knees from his sides. "You might want to check your sources because they are wrong."

"Twenty more minutes," I beg, propping my chin on his chest so I can look up at him.

"I have work to do. We agreed on twenty minutes, and I obliged. Now it's your turn to oblige. Let go," Shino answers in his usual manner, irritation hinted in his words.

"Fifteen?"

"Five."

"Ten?"

Silence, and then a defeated sigh. "Fine." I wiggle around on his lap, a small victory over the usual business-ethical man. Shino flaps down on his back again, shaking me up as he moves. "I'm being serious, ten minutes and we're done," he lies, knowing full well he's not getting any work done until I fall asleep and he has the chance to escape my grasp.

"Ten minutes and we're done," I echo the lie, curling up on his chest again before snapping my eyes shut.

"You're a parasite."

"No, I'm a jewel beetle, remember?"

Another sigh comes before hands settle on my back, adding gentle weight to my body. "You're heavy."

"I know."

"And a nuisance."

"I know."

"Go to sleep."

"I will."

—————————————

"Are there going to be blue ones? I want to see a blue butterfly!" I ask, squirming on Shino's back as he carries me.

He insisted I was walking too slow, so after a one-sided argument, I ended up on Shino's back with his arms wrapped under my knees. "I don't know," comes his repeated answer. He doesn't seem to know a lot of things today.

"How about a yellow? Yellow is a pretty color too."

"I don't know," he repeats, a sigh following his answer. "Please stop talking."

     "When do you think they're going to come out of their wraps?"

     Another sigh, and a shift of my body so Shino can stretch out one of his arms. "They're cocoons, not wraps," he corrects, stretching out his other arm before they're both back snug around my legs. "And I don't know."

     "What do you know?"

     "That you're a parasite eating away at my energy."

     "I'll walk if you put me down," I mumble, resting my head on my arms hung around Shino's shoulders.

     "No," the answer is short and empathized by him tightening his hold on me. "You walk too slow. You're going to slow us down."

     That's a lie, partly because I don't walk slow, and partly because we're at the back of the pack. The Aburame Clan has their travel plans figured out. There are two main groups of shinobis, the one leading commanded by Shino's dad, and the one on the end, commanded by Shino.

     Between the two groups are scientists and medics of the clan, along with any member who wished to join. Shino said more shinobis are littered among the 'common folk' but I can't tell if there is or not.

     "Hey, Shi-Shi?"

     "Don't call me that."

     "How big is your clan?" I ask, scanning over the people I can see.

     "I don't know the exact number. Somewhere between five and six hundred."

     I sit on the number for a while, mostly because it surprises me. I know the Aburame clan is one of the main clans in the village alongside the Yamanakas, Hyugas, and a few others but that's a lot of people. "How many came today?"

     "Four hundred and seventy-three. They're not all Aburames though."

     "No?"

     "No. Some are doctors or scientists from other clans and some are freeloaders coming with a Clan member, like you."

     "I'm not a freeloader," I mutter the new insult sting, unlike the ones I'm used to. The normal ones don't bother me, they've lost their sting over time.

     "I know." The reply is short and just as monotone as always, but it's Shino's way of apologizing.

     "So, this is like a big thing then," I utter after a couple of minutes of silence.

     "Over five thousand butterflies are going to leave their cocoons. It's the best and easiest time to collect them for our medical and other research. Plus, people enjoy watching it so a lot of clan members come every year to see it."

     "Shi-shi?" I call out, a thought circling my head during his little speech. "I don't think I saw a tent in my bag."

     "Don't call me that, and no, there's not. Why would there be?" He asks, glancing over his shoulder to look at me. Even with his glasses on, I know he's looking at me like I'm the dumbest person in the world.

     For once I'm the one sighing. "This is why I should have packed my own bag," I mutter, laying my head back down.

     "You would have forgotten something."

     "You forgot to pack me a tent," I hiss, gripping his head and shaking it around.

     "Why would I pack you a tent?" He asks again, making me second guess his IQ. "You'll end up in my tent anyway. Whiney about the frights of the forest or whatever other excuse you can come up with. It's a waste of time setting up a tent that won't get used." Maybe Shino isn't as dumb as I thought. That doesn't make my predictable-ness any easier to take though. 

     "You don't know that for sure," I grumble, burying my head further in my arms.

     "Jewel beetle, we have gone camping together twenty-six times. Everyone ended up with you in my tent. Twenty-seventh time is not the charm."

     Shino's attempt at a joke falls flat but still tugs a smile on my face. "You don't know that."

     "Yes, I do. Now, please stop talking. You're giving me a headache."

—————————————

     "I'm going to get you and Kiba leashes," Shino sighs, poking out from behind a tree.

     "Why would you do that?" I ask as a few of the Aburame women giggle at him.

     Shino got busy doing... something with his dad and some of the scientists. He was too busy to explain the conversation and personally having every other word fly over my head wouldn't have been enjoyable. So, I left to do something else and ended up helping the women of the clan lifeguard the bathing children.

     "You disappeared," he continues to grumble before walking away. "Come on," he orders, stopping for a beat. I wave goodbye to the ladies before scurrying away.

     Shino's hands wrap around me once I'm in reach, picking me up. My back is rested again his chest, legs dangling as his arms rest under my butt and legs to support me. "I don't get why you keep carrying me around. I'm more than capable of walking."

     "You walk too slow and I wish to bathe before the sun goes down," he mutters, leading me to lord knows where.

     The walk is quiet, Shino in his head about whatever as I watch the river between the trucks of the trees and the other brush of the forest. The only sound filling the space is our breathing and the soft tapping of his bag bouncing against his side as he walks.

     After a couple of minutes, Shino shimmies us out of the brush, setting my feet on the river bank. The space is empty, nothing but us, the river, and the greenery. "I will be back," he mutters, setting down his bag.

     "Where are you going?" I ask, messing with the loose sand on the water's edge.

     "Environment check," he answers shortly before walking away.

     I roll my eyes at the man. Everything is business when it comes to him. We could be deserted somewhere and he'd still do an environment check. Shino even does a check of his home if his father isn't there when we get back.

     While he's busy, I empty his bag, laying out his clothes and bathing products. As I half expected, a pair of my sleep clothes and my products are tucked away in the messenger bag as well. As prepared as ever, a piece of wood is tucked away in the bag as well; a floating device for the needed soaps.

     I busy myself, getting ready to bathe while Shino is gone despite the lecture I'm going to get for 'not being safe'. My hair is tugged undone and my clothes are discarded by the bag before I slowly walk through the water. It's chilly, making me shiver as I sink into it.

     "You should have waited for me to get back," comes the start of Shino's lecture by the time I'm shoulders deep into the river. "What if someone would have been around? What if the water wasn't safe? What if you drowned?"

     "You worry too much," I mutter before dipping myself into the water.

     When I pull myself back up, hair soaked now, I'm still being glared at. "You are irresponsible," Shino mutters, focus flickering from me to the space around us.

     "And you're too paranoid."

     "I'm not paranoid, I'm prepared," he calls back, attention back to me. Shino's focus stays locked on me as I swim around, my body slowly growing used to the chilled river. "We're bathing, not swimming," he grumbles, motioning towards the shampoos and soaps forgotten on the sand.

     "I'm swimming, you're bathing," I mutter back, dunking myself again. I keep myself under the water for a while, slowly blowing bubbles out of my nose as I enjoy the water that's counteracting the heat that's soaked into my body today.

     This time when I resurface, Shino is in the water, a pace or two away from me, focusing on the water as he searches for me. His usual swarm of kikaishus have abandoned him, choosing to buzz around instead of drowning in the stream.

     "Come here," he grumbles, shifting towards me despite the order. I met him halfway, standing in the water instead of paddling around like I was originally. "We are taking a bath," he repeats, his pretty eyes exposed and focused on me. They're soft for once, instead of the usual glare I get.

     "Alright, Shi-Shi."

     "Stop calling me that," he utters, focus torn from me as he looks around. I find what he's looking for before he does, the wood floating around with our bathing products. When he finds the board, he leaves me long enough to pull it towards us. "Turn around," he orders, but again turns me himself before I can.

     Shino is a bit awkward when we bathe together, never wanting to get too close, hands never touching me anywhere but my waist, and always insisting - ordering - to wash my hair for me. As expected, his hands go to work, gently rubbing shampoo into my scalp, rinsing it, and then redoing the actions with my conditioner.

     "Jewel beetle," he mutters, hands falling to my waist under the water.

     "Shi-Shi?"

     He falls quiet, the usual path of conversation offset by the lack of demand to not use the nickname. "You are - "

     "Pretty?"

     " - a parasite... and time-consuming."

     "I know," I mutter, leaning my head backward to look at him. Shino's eyebrows are scrunched together, his shiny black eyes squinting from the sun as he looks at me. "Your eyes are pretty."

     "You're..." his reply falls short, nothing following the word but a head shake. "Time-consuming," he repeats, hands leaving me long enough to grab a rag and suds it up. "I do not have a lot of free time," Shino continues, hands grabbing for me again.

     "I know," I repeat, watching him with interest. He's not the best at emotions but I know what he means, what he's trying to say. It's Shino's weird way of reminding me I'm important.

     Hands settle on me again, tugging me forward. "Close your eyes." I do as requested, eyes fluttering closed. Hands crawl down me, grabbing my thighs before I'm lifted onto Shino's torso. A hand leaves my leg as he starts shuffling around, the water level dropping as he moves us.

     I shiver from the mix of fresh air brushing my body and water no longer enveloping me. "Keep your eyes closed," Shino's tone is soft, with a hint of worry in it as he makes another request.

     "I will," I mumble back, letting myself rest against the introverted man. Shino busies himself again, the soapy rag rubbing away at me and him shifting me around to wash the day off of every inch of my skin.

     When he's done, I'm carried back to deep waters and placed on my feet again, none of Shino present against me anymore. "Open your eyes." Again, I do as requested, snapping my eyes open. His head is tilts, eyes still squinted from the sun not setting fast enough, and jaw rolling as he looks at me. "You're not a freeloader," he mutters before walking away to focus on his bath.

     I smile to myself, soaking in the memory of Shino's actual apology as I wait for him to finish his business. He might not be the best at voicing his care, but Shino sure is good at showing it through his services to me.

—————————————

“Plus, when we get back, Hinata wants to go look at flowers with Ino and me for the wedding,” I continue to ramble, filling in Shino on my conversations with Hinata from yesterday.

“Mmhmm,” he hums, eyes wandering over me as I speak. Once again his glasses are off, the private man comfortable in the confinement of our unlit tent. Despite the darkness, his eyes shine as beautifully as ever.

I’m sat on his lap like usual, legs bent at his sides, and hands tangled together as Shino lays stretched out. I unintentionally shake our hands around as I talk, the excitement of Hinata and Naruto’s wedding filtering into our laced-together hands. “Also!” I yelp in excitement, more details filtering in as I relive the brunch date.

“You’re being too loud. It’s obnoxious,” Shino says, eyes settling on my face before jumping around again.

“Hinata picked out her wedding dress! She said she’d show me once it’s tailored.”

“I don’t know why you’re excited. It’s just a dress.”

“It’s not just a dress, Shino! It’s Hinata’s wedding dress. It’s exciting. I love, love,” I sigh at the last part, tilting my head as I look down at him.

“I love you,” he whispers, eyes locked on mine.

My senses freeze at Shino’s words, the sentence ringing in my ears as I look down at him. “What?” I ask, my eyes going wide because of the soft phrase.

“I love you,” he repeats a little louder this time, slowly blinking at me. “Even if you are a parasite,” Shino adds, shifting me off of him.

I’m laid on my side, pressed against him with his arms wrapped around me. My head is buried in Shino’s chest from the movement, cutting off my sight of his sparkling eyes. I cling to his sleep shirt, processing his words. “Shi-shi?”

“Don’t call me that.”

“I love you too.”

“I know.” Shino falls quiet for a beat before pushing my shoulder, moving my head so I’m looking at him again. “I just worry you don’t know that.”

“You’re worried that I don’t know I love you?”

He sighs, eyes rolling before they settle on me. “You are quite empty-minded,” he mutters, shifting down so his nose is rested against mine. “You have a brain, use it.” The soft insult is followed by a kiss. A deep, breath-stopping kiss, full of longing and stress. “I love you.”

“You’re scaring me, Shino,” I whisper, doing my best to scan his face in the dark.

“Do not be scared, nothing is wrong. I’m just more tired than usual.”

“Oh,” I giggle out, shifting around to rest on Shino’s chest. “So the trick to get you all lovey-dovey is to get you exhausted,” I tease, brushing kisses to his neck.

“I do not have the energy to pay attention to those needs. Get off so I can go to sleep.”

“I want to sleep on your chest.”

“I can’t sleep with you on top of me,” Shino answers back. Despite the soft disagreement, his arms rest on my back, stopping me from moving off. He’ll complain about it, but Shino won’t shift me off of himself until I fall asleep. “You’re a parasite,” he mutters, shifting so he can rest his chin on the top of my head.

“I know.”

“I love you.”

“I know,” I repeat, Shino’s confession finally making sense to me.

———————————————————————

[neverchecking]

NSFW alphabet for Legend, Hyrule, & Four? If you’re too busy, you don’t have to do them, I’ve just been 🤤since the Twilight alphabet.

Nonny, you did nothing wrong, but next time just check on my request status. I try to keep my requests at a set number so I can get through them in an orderly fashion.

Also you lucky ducks get 2 tonight after getting nothing from me for like a month nogng

Legend's -> Here!

Four's -> Here!

Anyway. MDNI! 18+

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

He's a KING at aftercare. He's so soft and caring, and his touches are absolutely featherlight. Because he just wants to praise and thank you for allowing him the opportunity of a lifetime. It's so precious to him and he wants to make sure you know it to.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

On his partner? Their hands. He loves kissing your palms and your fingers, and feeling them brush against his cheeks as you tell him all about how good he feels. Even just holding your hand in his as you clench around him crying out his name makes every part of him buzz.

On himself? It's hard to say because it's proven that he doesn't have a lot of self confidence, but probably his mouth. Which sounds weird, but talking has saved his life, smiling has gotten him out of sticky situations, and he knows you love the absolute completion he can bring you to with it. He loves that you can use that part of him so freely without it failing you because he will put his mouth to work. Trust me.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

Maybe its the fae in him but he LOVES cumming all over you. He love, love, loves painting your skin a pretty white and streaking it in a reminder that your his. Loves dragging his fingers through it just to smear it all over your belly, to really sell the point you know?

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

He loves seeing you in jewelry. Any jewelry, but especially long necklaces. just watching them bounce and curl with every thrust has his eyes widening as he watches every chain link shift. Especially if there's a heavy jewel front and center. Just seeing you decked in rings, bracelets, necklaces and crowns? Oh, he loves it.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

No one wants to hear it, but I believe Hyrule fuckkked. Like in his world, money is scarce, so thanks had to have been given another way. Sex was probably one of those ways. It was on the downlow and no one ever talked about it, but he probably fucked. That being said, when it comes to you, where it comes with feelings, you would think he's a virgin. It takes some time for him to really settle and put his experience to good use.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Sixty-nine. He loves showing you his absolute devotion to your entire being while letting you do whatever you wish to him. He knows you like to return the favor even if he personally thinks thats silly. This lets him try to distract you enough while also letting you tire yourself out enough he can do whatever he wishes with you <3

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

He can do few good laughs. Like Four, if it helps loosen you up he's all for it. Probably even instigates a few jokes because he loves hearing you laugh. Soft sex with Hyrule is probably full of giggles because he just loves you so much.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

Not. Groomed. At ALL. It's bushy and it's messy but its so him you can't even be mad because look at that face and tell me you can be mad at him. I certainly can't. It's the same brown as the hair on is head and just as curly, so...good luck with that.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

Oh he's so romantic, because he's SO used to those quick pump and dumbs, he loves showing and proving that you aren't like everyone else. You are someone he so inherently wants to spend the rest of his life with and he never wants you to doubt that for a second. And Hyrule, lemme tell you bc he told me personally, can WAX POETRY like you wouldn't believe.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

He was told its a sin so never actually did it until he lost his faith in Hylia. Then he touched himself, cried, then finished the job. And from then on it was pretty rare because, like I said, sex wasn't rare to him. Of course, after meeting you that doesn't change. But instead of it being a question of what's the point it turns into why waste it? Why waste it on his hand when he can use it to paint your ass a perfect shade of creamy white.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Probably has a bit of a food kink, honestly. Like, fruits and syrups dripping all over your body for him to lick off appeases the fairy side and gives him the sugar for energy. Win-win for him.

Also probably loves having his hair pulled. I don't know if that's a kink, but its something I felt compelled to share.

Had to come back to add this, but Free use. Absolutely loves when you just pin him down and ride him like he's little more than a toy for you to use.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

Anywhere. He is down for anywhere at anytime. He's is nothing more than a lowly peasant for you to use. He is there to sing your gospel and preach your prayers. If you want him to eat you out in the middle of the street with people watching, he's already on his fucking knees.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Anything. Like I said. Anything just to show you how much he fucking loves you okay? He can't have you thinking he's gonna run off because losing you would absolutely destroy him. And he just cannot risk it. Like after a fight? That probably gets him going the most because he thinks he's fighting some invisible chain thats breaking and going to pull you away from him.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

He would never dream of calling you names. You are his divinity and he is going to fucking adore you and make sure you know it. The thought of ever demeaning you does something to him that makes him all pouty and upset because why would you ever want to think about yourself like that? He loves you so much and he wants you to love yourself just as much.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Giving. you had to know this was coming (heh, cumming). Because as I've shown, hyrule is a worshipper. And he would love to fucking worship you every chance he gets. Fuck he would spend hours giving your oral because it's just so nice for him.

A oneshot idea I've been throwing around is Reader being a Mafia! boss and sitting there, Hyrule on a leash and just having at 'er because he believes it's his life purpose to be their sex toy while their doing business. Just thought yall should know.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Anyway you want it, but he gets so sex drunk it only lasts so long before falling to his default fast and rough because he just can't get enough.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

not his favorite, but he'll do it. Again, he just wants to please you. So if you want a quick romp in the closet, his belt is already off. Of course, he'll use later to take his time ensuring that you know quick isn't his go to, not anymore, and defiantly not with you.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

He's down. It brings excitement and he does like that little rush adrenaline. Plus it keeps you interested which is a bonus. It makes you happy and that's all he needs.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

So much Stamina. He is so used to going, going and going, so he has the energy for DAYS. He is so ready and willing, whatever you want he's giving. If you're not done, neither is he. Round after round, he is still hard ready to go.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

Yes and no? So, Hyrule is half fairy which means he has some magical properties about him. I imagine his cum probably has a bit of an aphrodisiac quality to it. So that's his own little toy. other than that, I could see him liking beads and just pulling them out. One by one.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Doesn't. Like I've said, he loves devoting himself to you. Teasing just takes away from that. And he can't have that! He needs to prove that you made the right choice fucking him because there are better options (In his opinion-- which is wrong). He doesn't want to lose you because of teasing when he could've spent that time making you see stars.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

He's suck a pretty moaner. He has a perfect tone and pitch and it's just such a delight to hear. He tries to bite his lip because he'd much rather hear you, but he can't help but whine and whimper just because it all feels so so so good.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

His cum? Probably tastes sweet. Because he's half-fairy, he needs a lot of things like sugar water, fruit, candys, sweets, which you would think would make it taste bad right? Nope. It actually tastes sweet. Like it's palatable. Which is why we all wanna suck his dick so badly. Which is WHY 69 is such a good position for him.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

Hyrule has a pretty dick and I will go down with this. Like it's no bitchbreaker, but you just wanna suck it because of how pretty it is. Like a gorgeous red at the tip with soft skin and perfect balls just waiting to be fondled. He's packing pretty average, 5 or so inches, but that doesn't even matter because his dick is just so pretty.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Above average I'd say. It's not so much about the sex for him though, it's about the intimacy and proving his devotion to you. And he loves doing it. Loves reminding you just how much he loves you and wants to spend the rest of his life with you <3

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Knocked tf out. After aftercare is complete and he knows you're okay for the night, he gone. Sorry babes, fairy needs time to recharge and replenish his battery so he can devote his entire being to you all over again tomorrow <3