#love get up but since it’s only an interlude

[fall0utmind]

Medical leak AU pt 7

It's 11pm, have 5k words of whump from Vale's POV.

Chapter 7 - Vale's Interlude - A03

Parts 1-6 on the #medical leak au tag

Usual TW apply (suicide, abusing pain meds - no graphic details)

LMK what you think

Ever since the news broke, Valentino had been overwhelmed by a myriad of confusing feelings.

He first heard whispers in the paddock on Friday morning. He was walking past some journalists and had noticed the excited murmuring that usually accompanied big news. It wasn’t until he heard Marquez’s name that he stopped, pretending to be busy so he could eavesdrop.

Although he liked to pretend Marc was no longer important, he could not deny his interest in the man. Marc had ruined his untarnished career; it was only normal to feel such intense rage whenever he was reminded of the man. It was the reason he still spoke about him, he needed the world to understand the injustice, to feel his hatred. Because that was what this was all about. Hatred. He knew the boys would call him obsessed, but really, he was just getting a better idea of the enemy, for Pecco’s sake. He scoffed when he figured out what the journalists were talking about, the apparent breaking news– yeah, as if. He continued walking, amused by the idea. It was preposterous, all Marc wanted was to beat Valentino, to take his records. He wouldn’t have given up on that. The one thing Marc loved more than anything else was winning. He shook his head; Marc was never so weak.

It wasn’t till later, when he sat watching the press conference, that a sliver of doubt crept in.

He considered himself an expert in Marc. The way he calculated every action, how he performed every expression. Everything was a persona with him. But after the first question, it all crumbled. He watched pure fear cross Marc’s face before he could school it. The press constantly brought up 2015, it usually made Valentino feel slightly vindicative, the way Marc always had to paste on his media smile. This time, though, he only experienced a creeping sense of dread. Marc was trying to get them to move on from the topic, with limited success. Valentino observed the way Pecco was staring at Marc, concern and bemusement unhidden in his countenance. It made Vale frown. The atmosphere in the press room was tense, even through the screen.  

It only got worse.

Marc was staring into the distance, looking at something off-camera, his expression alarmed. The next question was worse, shaking Marc out of his daze. He watched in fascination as Marc’s façade fell apart, sweat glistening on his brow, his face carefully blank to the casual observer. Valentino flinched when his name was mentioned, and his stomach dropped at the sentence that was uttered.

Marc? Suicide? No way. No, that wasn’t possible.

Valentino was clenching and unclenching his fists, his brow furrowed as he intently stared at the screen. He thought he might be having a heart attack.

Jesus.

He was fixated on Marc’s face; Valentino saw the horror dawn on his face as understanding settled and felt his own nausea rising in response. He watched as the Marc on-screen flitted his eyes to the other riders on stage, he followed the younger man’s gaze. Pecco looked wrecked, fear shining in his eyes. The others didn’t look much better. The silence was deathly; Marc was frozen in place – a rabbit in headlights.

Valentino blinked. Marc shot out of his seat, sending it clattering to the floor. He watched in horrifying confusion as Marc fled. There was a second of quiet before the media room exploded. The three remaining riders looked bemused, staring after where Marc had bolted, before they too rose to their feet, trailing out of the room in a daze. Valentino had to close his eyes for a second. This could not be happening. Seriously. This had to be some elaborate joke, a media ploy from Marc’s team. He simply could not believe that happy, carefree Marc had done this. He settled slightly, yes, of course. It had to be false. Marc would never give up, no matter how bad it had gotten.

*

Thoughts of Marc were still on his mind when he found Pecco later. He wondered what had happened and why Marc had reacted in that way. A part of him thought this must have been some elaborate ploy to gain sympathy.

Pecco was sitting despondently on the settee in his motorhome, deep in thought. Vale once more cursed Marc Marquez, of course, Marc couldn’t just leave Valentino alone, he had to fuck with his students too. Anger rose within him; he shoved it down. Right now, he had to focus on Pecco. He sat down, their knee knocking as he did so, and sighed quietly.

“Are you okay?”, he asked.

“Ah, I do not know. Cazzo, that was hard to watch”, Pecco replied.

Valentino cocked an eyebrow, there was more anxiety in Pecco’s voice than he had anticipated. He had hoped that it wouldn’t have affected his student as much, Marc was clearly fine, wasn’t he? He said as much to the other man, who scowled in response.

“You’re joking, Vale. You should have seen him after, he was a mess, throwing up in the toilets, almost crying. It was horrible”, Pecco snarled. It raised Vale’s hackles, Pecco didn’t know Marc the way that he did.

Marc was a manipulator; he changed that narrative to suit himself. He would do anything to win, including betraying people he claimed to love. He got people on his side by any means. The way he’d convinced Ducati to hire him for next year still baffles Vale. Sure, he was a good rider, but putting him in red was a bad move, stupid if you asked Vale. Marc was dangerous, and unpredictable. Ducati was Italy’s pride, and they had gone and put enemy number one on their bike. Valentino’s frustration had nothing to do with his title record and his own failure on the Ducati machine.

Nothing at all.

Valentino tried not to consider it too hard, how much he thought of Marc. In his weaker moments, he allowed himself to reminisce on what could have been. He hated to admit his former soft spot for Marc, the way the younger looked at him as if he had hung the moon and the stars. At his worst, he let himself imagine sharp cheekbones and pink lips, of loud laughter and warm brown eyes. Marc should always be smiling; even going through tragedy, he smiled. The thought of him in pain made him shudder. But he was not in pain, because it was a lie. It was abhorrent to think of it as the truth. It could not be. It went against the very fabric of the universe. It was a bit like this: he hated Marc Marquez, and Marc Marquez was a smug bastard who was always infuriatingly happy. These were two facts that he clung to desperately.

He turned back to Pecco, who had gone stiff beside him. Valentino had heard that Alex Marquez had swept Marc back to their motorhome after the press conference, he tried not to think too hard about that. Clearly, it had shaken Pecco, and Vale didn’t like that one bit. He settled a hand on the younger’s back, ignoring his own thoughts for a minute.

“Pecco, you cannot let this get to you”, he said. “Let Marquez deal with his stuff, it will blow over soon enough.”

Pecco did not look settled by his answer, but Vale did not have anything else to say, instead, he changed the conversation into a practice debrief, easier territory for them both.

If only he had been correct.

*

Marc got pole position in qualifying. It made Valentino grit his teeth in frustration, wondering how the hell the Spaniard was beating the others on a year-old bike. He had been watching Marc carefully in his box, noting his slightly subdued manner. It made an unnamed emotion swell within him. He pushed it down. His stomach soured when he caught sight of Andrea Dovizioso in the Gresini garage, looking at Marc with unconcealed fondness. He was all over the Spaniard, the two of them laughing together like children. Surely nothing was that funny. The ugly feeling only grew when they walked past whilst Vale and Pecco were chatting in the paddock, the older whispering to Marc. Valentino couldn’t help but stare, as he always did when it came to Marc.

Valentino didn’t notice the man until it was too late. He watched it happen in slow motion- the cruel words and Marc’s heart-breaking reaction. The ‘fan’ was brutal, viciously attacking Marc. It was hard to watch the way his face broke, his eyes going shiny with tears. Valentino’s world stopped at the hurt he saw. By the time his brain came back online, Pecco had gone, stalking over to the incident. He followed closely, grimacing as Pecco began to shout at the man. Marc was being dragged away by Dovi,  Vale tried to shove down the misplaced discomfort at seeing the two together, it almost felt akin to jealousy. But that was impossible. He had nothing to be jealous of.

(Nothing).

He re-focussed on the way that security was hauling the man away from them and towards the exit. Valentino tugged Pecco’s sleeve, wanting to escape from the public as soon as possible. He swallowed down the feelings which threatened to rise at what he had just witnessed.

“Come on, let’s go, it’s not worth it”, he sighed, pausing briefly before continuing, “you are upset, it is not worth staying and watching, we will make sure he never comes back. I promise.”

Pecco relented. His face was distraught, his anguish clear. By the time they reached the Ducati motorhome, Pecco had fully retreated into himself and asked to be left alone. Valentino accepted the request despite his concern. He did not really want to abandon the younger man but felt he had no choice after he had almost screwed up that morning.

Being alone gave him time to think, as uncomfortable as it was. He was surprised by the venom that had laced the man’s voice as he spoke to Marc, it made Valentino wonder if that was usually how people addressed him. He could understand Marc’s reaction to such horrible words, and Pecco had always been a kind-hearted person. Dovi’s intentions were still unclear to Vale. He let his thoughts drift back to Marc- his sad eyes and blank face. It couldn’t be easy to be hated so viciously. To make matters worse, a quick look on social media told him that a lot of people had said similar things. He thought back to his interview this morning, where he had suggested that they disregard thinking about Marc’s life from 10 years ago. It was, after all, pointless. The past was the past. Clearly, he was alone in his views. He pointedly did not lament the fact that Sepang and his 10th were a decade ago too, because that was different. He closed his eyes, pushing away the mental image of Marc’s shattered face.

Instead, he focussed on his anger. The way Marc had practically fallen in Dovi’s arms as if he was anything but a lone wolf, an outsider in the paddock. He had heard whisperings in the paddock that Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo were in Gresini today too. It seemed like Marc was inviting all the retired riders to watch. He did not analyse the feelings too much, but let the indignation rise within him. Marc’s stupid games were affecting Pecco, it was unfair. Vale frowned at the thought, it would not do, he would have to tell Marc to cut it out. Make sure that Marc knew that Valentino knew the truth.

It wasn’t too difficult to catch Marc before the sprint. The younger had, predictably, taken the quiet route through the motorhomes to get to the garages. What was more unexpected was the tense fight that occurred. Valentino had expected to call Marc out and be met with annoyance and maybe an admittance of guilt. He had not anticipated the stone-cold fury in Marc’s voice, nor his own rising emotions, made worse when he spotted Dovizioso’s stupid jumper. He tried to keep his temper under control but the thought of Marc lying to the media, making everyone feel bad, only to be doing that, with Andrea of all people, left a sour taste in his mouth. He was meaner than he intended to be and was met with blazing anger from Marc. There was startling hurt in his voice. It was only once Marc had turned on his heel and stalked away that Valentino realised that the younger had had tears in his eyes and that he had sounded scarily like he was telling the truth. He watched him leave as regret welled up inside of him.

Merda

*

When Marc crashed out of the sprint race, the guilt and regret increased tenfold. His heart had stopped when Marc had collided with the ground, nausea rising when he did not move after. He could not stop thinking about the look on the younger’s face as he had called him an attention seeker. It hurt too much. Suddenly, ten years of anger seemed irrelevant. To make it worse, now people were talking about more leaks, something about Marc and painkillers. Valentino wasn’t sure he really wanted to know. He was beginning to question why Marc would do this to himself.

Afterwards, Valentino tuned into the stream of the media pen, not wanting to go down in person. Pecco had won the race, and Marc had gotten back to his feet, scoring no points but alive. Valentino could only watch in horrified fascination as the press continued to hound Marc. He had never seen it so bad. The way the journalists watched Marc like they were hunting prey made him shiver. He didn’t think he had ever seen Marc look so ruffled. A distant voice told him that this was his fault. The aftermath of Sepang flashed through his head, he steadfastly ignored it. It was not his fault the media had broken into Marc’s house. He had not caused the fallout or the hatred, if Marc had not ruined his title chances, there would have been no issues. Valentino scowled at the thoughts.

His momentary distraction ended when Marc once more stalked out mid-interview. It left Vale feeling slightly dumbfounded. Why would Marc keep having such strong reactions to the news if it was planned? As much as he hated to admit it, his theory was beginning to show cracks, splintering at the edge. He chose not to consider the other feelings that came alongside that revelation. Instead, he turned off his phone, hoping the boys would provide some distraction when they came back.

The boys came pouring into his motorhome an hour later, after their celebrations and debrief, as was usual for the academy on a race weekend. Luca and Bez were first, talking between themselves about the race, making Valentino smile with their rehashing of the events. When Franky entered, he was complaining about how long his debrief had lasted, making Valentino grin as he reminisced. Long debriefs were always painstakingly boring. Pecco and Cele eventually stumbled in half an hour later, the older still buzzing from his win. Vale tried to let his awkwardness from earlier show as a round of cheers sounded. He congratulated Pecco warmly, and let happiness fill him at the sight of Pecco’s beaming smile in return. Things would be okay.

Valentino drifted in and out of the conversation after that, his thoughts elsewhere. He nodded at appropriate times and tried to look interested whilst his mind whirled. It was inevitable, really, that someone would bring up Marquez eventually.

 “Did you see Marquez’s crash?”, Bez asked.  

It prompted a round of affirmative hums from the others. Luca flicked his eyes over to Valentino, his eyebrows furrowed.

Pecco looked contemplative before he responded, “I am worried, he would not look at me on the grid. Then he crashed. He was distracted. I think the media are being too harsh. And the fans. They are being cruel. The things being said...”

He trailed off, deep in thought. Luca bumped their shoulders together, smiling gently when Pecco met his eyes. Valentino had the distinctive feeling that he was missing something.

“Did you hear about what happened in the press pen?”, Cele asked.

Pecco frowned at him, tilting his head to signal that he should continue.

“Apparently, he froze up completely when they asked him about the pain medication. Aleix and a few others basically carried him out. I saw it happen; I’ve never seen him like that before. It was horrible”.

His eyes flashed to Valentino as he spoke the last bit as if he feared being chastised. It made him feel distinctly uncomfortable, was he really so obsessed with Marc that his boys were afraid to mention him?

Bez looked on in confusion. He turned to Cele,

“What do you mean pain medication?” he asked. “I haven’t really looked at any of the articles, I thought it was bullshit? Or some kind of a joke”.

Pecco huffed slightly, scowling at Bez as he did so. The younger touched his arm in apology, and yet again Valentino felt out of the loop.

It was Luca who pulled out his phone, bringing up one of the many articles which covered the news.

“Here”, he said. “Yesterday his medical records were leaked to the press. There were a whole bunch of appointments and hospital visits documented. The main bit was at the end of 2015 and onwards. He had been to A&E twice, there was a lot about suicide attempts and Alex saving his life. Apparently, he had tried to overdose, it's unclear what happened the second time. His heart stopped I think.”

Valentino blanched. Luca grimaced slightly before continuing.

“From there, there was a whole bunch of stuff about his mental instability and risk. It looked pretty bad, even as a non-medical professional. Then today, more of it was leaked, this time about his crash in 2020. Apparently, he was abusing the painkillers prescribed to him. He would race through agony, causing more issues with his arm, and then just take a load of painkillers after to mask it. Again, Alex ended up getting him help. No wonder they are so close. I think there was a lot of concern about him using the pain as a form of self-harm or something, then it was so bad he just kept taking medication.”

Pecco spoke up then, his voice strained, “I just don’t understand how no one noticed. One of the most prominent drivers on the grid and no one noticed his declining mental health or his use of painkillers. It’s ridiculous.”

Valentino was barely listening, transfixed instead by Luca’s words. He took the phone out of Luca’s hand without asking, staring down at the article. There, in black and white, were pages and pages of clinical medical records for Marc Márquez Alentà. Valentino felt a bit sick. He couldn’t stop reading. There were blocks of gruesome detail about his A&E visits. The medical terms flew past Valentino, but he got the gist. It was bad. Page after page after page of horrific detail about every bit of pain Marc had gone through across the past decade. His eyes glanced over words, his mind conjuring the images to life. He could see 22-year-old Marc’s face, heartbroken and desolate in Sepang, and then blank afterwards. Fuck. How had he not noticed?

He wanted to stop. He couldn’t. Panic was rising inside him; he clamped it down. It was a lie. A lie. This couldn’t be true. He tore his eyes away. It swelled within him. He was going to be sick. He was losing it. Marc. He had missed it, how had he not seen it back then? The thought of his Marc like that broke him. The thought of him being the cause made him choke. He squeezed his eyes shut. Where was this coming from? Why did he care?

Vale spoke without thinking, his mind a million miles away.

“Why would he do that?”, he asked. Luca shot him a sympathetic look. Valentino had a suspicion that his face was betraying his emotional turmoil.

He choked over his next words.

“It’s not true. It can’t be true. Marc wouldn’t do this. Marc loves winning. He couldn’t win if he was 6 feet under. No. No. It must be a lie.”

Valentino knew he was now ranting like a madman. The boys were staring at him with wide eyes full of fear. He felt like he was going crazy and yet he continued.

“Why would be so selfish? Why would he do something like that? He was so young. He had so much to live for. What about his family? His brother. It’s not fair. It’s so selfish. I hate him. Bastard.”

Valentino was on the brink of tears, clutching at his hair. He didn’t notice the way Pecco’s eyes had turned hard and cold. He didn’t see the way Bez had frozen, clutching Pecco’s arm. The others were silent, shocked at his words.

Valentino looked up. He met Pecco’s eyes.

The younger man stood and stiffly walked to the door. He opened it and looked back towards Vale.

“You do not get to say things like that when you were part of the cause. Don’t you dare call him selfish. You are the bastard here”, he whispered, his words scalding. Before Valentino could respond, he was gone. Bez leapt out of his chair to follow, slamming the door behind him.

Valentino shot Luca a questioning look. His younger brother sighed,

“You are so obtuse, Vale. His sister also went through similar. She almost died. He is hurting seeing Marc this way too.”

Vale found himself full of outrage. How was he meant to know? Of course, he felt bad for Pecco, but this was Marc they were talking about. He said as much to Luca, who just shook his head, looking angrier than Vale had seen him in a long time.

“You need to wake up Valentino.”, he said.

“You do not hate Marc; you are obsessed with him. Yes, you were angry, but that was a decade ago. Surely you are over it by now. If I were you, I would consider what all your feelings about Marc really mean. Before you fuck it up even more.”

With that, the rest of the boys filed out of the motorhome, leaving Vale to stew in his anger and his guilt. He did not want to think about what Luca had meant about Marc. Instead, he would find Pecco and apologise, it was, after all, unfair to bring the boys into it. It was not his finest moment; Marc had always had that effect on him. He scowled at the thought. No one had ever been like Marc, he doubted anyone ever would. For Valentino, Marc was like a drug, inherently bad but at the same time addictive. A strange paradox for someone he hated.

Vale locked the door of the motorhome behind him as he headed out to find Pecco. The wave of anger had receded, and the guilt came crashing back down, threatening to drown him. He had to make it right.

Pecco wasn’t in his own motorhome; the lights were off as he went past, the door unanswered. He tried the Ducati garage but still had no luck. The staff had not seen him since earlier, after the sprint. Bez’s motorhome was similarly empty. He was running out of ideas and worry was beginning to engulf him.

One last idea struck him, and he walked slowly toward Marc’s motorhome, the lights were on. As he approached, the dread he felt threatened to engulf him. It was like a premonition. A war between guilt and anger was waging inside him. He heard Luca’s voice, followed by Bez’s, and the fury took hold. He threw the door open; it hit the wall with a resounding bang. He took in the scene before him, the remorse souring in his stomach, turning to resentment.

“What the fuck is going on?”

*

In hindsight, he could have handled it better. He had seen red. The thought of his boys running to Marc. Then he saw Marc on top of Dovi and Lorenzo.

He lost himself.

It wasn’t until Marc addressed him directly that he felt like he could breathe again. He returned to his body. The more Marc spoke, the more his fury faded to irrelevance. But then Valentino had spoken without conscious thought, once more putting his foot in it.

The realisation had taken his breath away. Marc had been crying. Marc had been vulnerable; he hated being perceived as weak. Marc was angry, no, he was furious. Marc had just had his deepest secrets announced to the world. He was receiving more hate than Valentino had ever seen.

He hadn’t been lying.

Why the fuck did Vale ever think he had been lying? The evidence had been right in front of him, but it had been too scary to really look at. Valentino hadn’t wanted to admit what he had done. He realised what Luca had meant then. He didn’t hate Marc. Yes, he had been angry about his tenth world championship slipping through his fingers. Yes, he had partially blamed Marc. But alongside the hurt, the anger, the pain, was pure devotion. He had lost the championship and blamed it on the nearest person to save his ego. Although Marc had done wrong, he had never deserved this. Sure, Valentino still thought he was dangerous, pushing the bike to stupid limits. But Marc would never hurt anyone on purpose. It was like falling 50 feet and hitting the ground, the realisation crashing into him. He was jealous of Dovi, that he got the Marc that smiled and laughed, the Marc that Vale used to have. Before everything had gone to shit. Valentino thought that maybe he had loved Marc for 11 years and that somewhere in his head, love had become confused with hate. He had never hated someone like he hated Marc; he had never loved someone like he loved Marc. It was all-consuming. He was obsessed. He thought about him all the time. He was always angry, scared, and jealous when it came to Marc. He couldn’t pretend he was ambivalent, not when he consumed every waking thought. Not when he still went on podcasts to talk about the younger man. Every insight was like a punch to the stomach.

He thought Marc was stupidly pretty, with his cheekbones, his bronze skin, his wide eyes and plush lips. He wanted Marc next to him, under him, above him. He wanted to kiss the stupid, smug smirk he always wore on his face; he wanted to kiss away his tears. Valentino wanted to bring Marc breakfast in bed, make him laugh, and make love to him. He wanted Marc on his track again, taking off his helmet after with wild eyes and messed up hair. He wanted to fuck him on every surface of his house, in every position. He wanted Marc in every way that he could have him.

Oh god, he loved Marc and all he had done was fuck up his life for a decade.

Valentino panicked.

He scrambled, pleading with Marc, distantly aware of the horror on everyone’s faces. He had been kicked out. Marc had shouted at him, and then Alex had shouted at him. Pecco left and Luca was disappointed.

He deserved it all. If he could take all of Marc’s pain, he would. Instead, Valentino was left with a yawning pit of desperation and want, devastation and pain. His anger was gone.

He thinks about the way the younger man used to look at him. He thinks about the adoration that he had brushed off as hero worship. He had broken Marc’s heart. The look on his face in that press conference. The way Marc would look away during Vale’s jokes about them together. He had assumed it was awkwardness, now it seemed like someone had hit too close to the truth. Now, Marc barely glanced at him, brushing off every comment Vale made to the media in a desperate hope for a sliver of attention. It destroyed them both.

Standing there, outside the motorhome, Valentino realises just how much he has fucked up. He isn’t sure there is any coming back from this. Certainly not with the way Dovi and Marc look at each other. But damn it, he will try. He will spend the rest of his life on his knees grovelling if he has to. He has spent too long with his vision clouded by misplaced anger. It had taken him 11 years to work out his love for Marquez, he would spend the rest of his life loving him, and every day trying to prove it to him. Even if it killed him.

[seoulmatez]

omg newjeans album is out ૮꒰ྀི⊃´ ꒳ `⊂ྀི꒱ა what’s your favorite track?? :3

[canthelpit0]

Innocent

Pairing: NotInnocent!Matt x Reader

Wordcount: 2.7k +

Summary: Matt was always seen as the innocent triplet. But being quiet doesn’t always mean being innocent. And Matt certainly is not.

Warnings: Smut, fwb, use of y/n, language, semi public (school bathroom), oral m!Receiving, fingering, teasing, edging, pet names, degration & praise, short

(A/N: this was so fun to write lmao. hope you guys like this.)

You’d been teasing Matt all day.

You were friends with benefits, sorta. Well you only hooked up a few times before.

Matt was always the quiet triplet. He was always more shy and reserved, more introverted than his extroverted brothers.

But being an introvert didn’t necessarily mean he was innocent.

But most people confused it as such.

You were in history class. You had group tables of four.

You sat next to Matt, Nick and Chris in front of you guys.

You’d known the triplets ever since freshmen year, and you quickly became close to them.

The group table was all the way in the back.

And when you had gotten bored with history, you drowned out the teachers voice, opting to focus on something else.

You sneaked your hand on Matt’s thigh. He didn’t react at first. Since your love language is touch, he just assumed this was innocent touch.

He quickly realized it wasn’t tho, when your hand started to trail up to his crotch.

“Y/n” he scolds under his breath.

He was giving you a warning glare.

“What’s wrong?” You ask, your words menacing to their core. Nick and Chris’ eyes trail to you two as they also wait to hear Matt’s answer like the noisy fucks they are.

Matt glances at his brothers then Back at the table. “Nothing.”

He says under his breath. He doesn’t see your victorious grin, but he knows it’s there.

Chris and Nick avert their eyes again. Not bothering to think much of it. After all, what bad thing could Matt, out of all people, be doing?

Your hand trails further up his leg, finally meeting his clothed crotch.

He lets out an irritated sigh.

You start to gently palm him through his jeans, your eyes staying locked on the teacher at the front.

nothing about the way you were sitting was suspicious. Nobody was bothering to pay you guys any mind.

You were facing the teacher, all the way at the back of the classroom, your table was positioned in a way where people couldn’t see a thing, and Nick and Chris were shielding you.

You feel Matt become harder under your hand. You hear the way his breathing gets shakier and he closes his eyes a few times trying to keep himself together.

From the way it feels you know he should be at least half-hard by now.

He huffs trying not to groan at the slight stimulation. He grabs your wrist making you stop your movements.

Matt wasn’t going to let you finish him off into his boxers. And especially not in front of his brothers, let alone a whole classroom of people.

Your eyes meet his again, questioning why he stopped you.

To you this was all just fun and games.

He squeezes your wrist warningly.

You were being a brat, and he’d be dammed if he didn’t do anything about it.

Even if Matt seemed innocent because of how introverted and quiet he was, that did not mean that he actually was.

You know from first hand experience that Matt has a good dick, and he knows how to use it.

That one time you were a brat to him, he had made you cock warm him for what felt like hours while he kept doing his homework. And then afterwards he railed you until you were a crying, overstimulated, mess.

You don’t stop though. You start to rub his thigh right under his crotch.

He lets out a frustrated sigh, but eventually finally takes his hand off of your wrist.

You were in school, what was the worst he could do, really?

Fuck you in a locker room or something?

★ ★ ★

After class was finally over, Matt excused you and him from his brothers.

While you two walked he kept you in front of him to hide his bulge.

You got all the way to the highest floor where barely anyone was. After all it was lunch break now and everyone was all the way downstairs in the cafeteria.

He guides you into the men’s bathroom after checking if it’s empty.

All bathrooms in school had multiple stalls in them. Except the ones on the highest floor. It was just two rooms, one for the girls and one for guys, with only one bathroom.

So you stepped in and Matt locked the door behind you.

He closed the toilet seat not even bothering to do anything else before he was unbuckling his belt.

“Knees.” He demands. He was standing in front of the wall. You walk over to him and kneel in front of him.

You look up at him through doe eyes.

You look so innocent like you’ve done nothing wrong. And all he wants to do was fuck that expression off of your face

He finally undoes his jeans and slides them down along with his boxers.

His hard dick springs up eagerly. No need for foreplay, after all you teased him enough already.

You glance down at his length before your eyes meet his again. You try not to look too amused and pleased at the sight but he knows you are.

“Go on y/n, solve the problem you created.”

He huffs still staring down at you, his expression stony.

He was getting pissed off the more he had to wait, he just wanted his dick sucked.

You chuckle. Your manicured hand wraps around his cock, but you don’t do anything yet. Just admiring your nails and the way your hand looks around him.

“Don’t my nails look good? I just got them yesterday.” You say trying to hold back a laugh at his irritated scoff.

He grabs your wrist getting your hand off of him.

“Hands on your knees.” He says dimly and you do as he says.

He gently slaps your face. Enough for it to sting, but not hurt. “Open your mouth.”

You do as he says. And before you realize it, he’s standing up straight again, sliding his dick into your mouth.

He starts to gently thrust into your mouth. You keep your hands on your knees. Every time he retracts you suck and swirl around his dick. Matt thrusts in you hollow out your cheeks just letting him face fuck you.

Matt puts your hair in a makeshift ponytail. He was gently pulling on your hair to hold you in place while he thrusted into your mouth.

Your hands go to his hips as he starts to become rougher. You try hard not to gag too much, tapping his thigh to tell him to stop.

He roughly pulls out of your mouth. You keep your mouth open, sucking in a harsh breath. You close your eyes for a second.

“Christ, chill out, we got the entire lunch break.” You scoff your breath still ragged. You close your mouth pursing your lips as your eyes finally meet his again.

“Oh we do pretty girl.” He huffs. His one hand stays tangled in your hair holding your head up. The back of his other hand going to gently rub over your jaw.

“But you just had to be a slut and tease me.” He huffs, the words coming out in a harsh whisper.

He holds his length with his other hand sliding his tip over your lips. You keep your mouth shut though, not budging.

That is until Matt huffs. He grabs your cheeks squeezing them together making your mouth open slightly.

He slips just the very tip of his length between your lips.

“Come on sweetheart, open up.” He demands and you finally comply.

He pulls on your hair again to keep you in place. Matt starts to thrust into your mouth again, feeling the way you lick around him.

Your muffled moans were sending pleasure through his body, and he was holding back from groaning at the sight.

You, his best friend. His brothers best friend. On your knees for him, your plump lips wrapped around his cock. Choking on it.

“So pretty” he says under his breath before starting to thrust again.

He keeps thrusting in and out of your mouth at a fast pace. Occasionally slipping out fully to let your breathe for a second before going right back.

You were deepthroating him, letting him fuck your throat. You try not to let tears well up in your eyes at the constant hit to the back of your throat.

You listen to him praise and degrade you. While also telling you to not cry, as to not ruin your ���perfect make up’.

After a while his thrusts get more erratic and uncontrolled. Until you suddenly feel it hit the back of your throat again, this time he stops moving though, the spurts of his release shooting down your throat.

You choke on it slightly, breathing in harshly through your nose.

He soon pulls out with a pop, watching the way your lips look all plump and swollen.

You swallow, some of his release running down your chin.

Matt lets go of your hair, his hands going and grabbing your cheek. He swipes the cum from your chin, pushing his thumb between your lips.

You suck on his finger, swirling your tongue and licking his release off of it like you had done to his cock previously.

“Good girl” Matt whispers. He pulls his thumb out of your mouth with a pop.

You groan under your breath licking your teeth while you keep your mouth closed.

He leans over picking up some paper towels and cleaning himself up, before he pulls his boxers and pants back up. He buckles his belt, while you don’t bother moving.

“Get up.” He demands.

You do as he says standing up on shaky feet. Your legs felt sore from kneeling on the ground.

Matt grabs your arm pulling you to the mirror. You lean against the sink to steady yourself, your ass out for him.

You knew he wasn’t going to fuck you, he’d already pulled his pants back up, but you wanted something.

You whine lowly closing your eyes briefly.

He scoffs a laugh watching how needy you are. He leans over your back, his arms going around you to undo your jeans before he swiftly slides them down.

Your jeans pool at your feet, your pantie covered self on display for him.

You normally wouldn’t wear a thong, but with these tight flare jeans, your ass just looked better in a thong.

“Wearing thongs to school now?” He questions. Matts hand starts to kneed your ass gently, pulling your cheeks apart and watching the way they move back when he lets go.

“Fucking slut” he huffs under his breath.

He squeezes your ass harshly making you hiss at the pain of his hard grip.

His hand trails from your ass to trail over your thong, teasing your covered hole.

You moan under your breath.

To with Matt just puts his other hand over your mouth and pulls your head back slightly.

“Stay quiet y/n/n. You wouldn’t want anyone to hear.” He says leaning over your back and whispering in your ear menacingly.

You stare at him through the mirror, feeling a bit of drool run down your chin.

He grins, a Cheshire like grin. His eyes droopy and sharp.

Your eyes were half lidded, your hair slightly messed up. Your mascara slightly smudged. Your eyes looked lust filled, you felt so overwhelmed by him giving you just the slightest bit of pleasure.

“Pretty girl.” He mumbles leaving a short kiss on your neck. His hand stays firmly on your mouth, his other hand still teasing you.

Until he finally pushes your panties aside and harshly pushes his middle finger in.

You moan at the sudden movement. Your moan gets muffled by his hand, sounding more like a whine.

“Sh.”

He starts to thrust his finger in and out of your tight hole. You were practically aching around him, begging him for more.

“Be quiet baby.”

You let out a shaky sigh at the words trying to keep your whines at a minimum.

Before you notice it he’s slipped his ring finger in too. You don’t realize he had, until he starts to scissor his fingers apart to stretch you even more.

You let out a harsh whine at the way he finger fucks you like that.

Out of instinct you try to let your head fall forward, but since he still has his hand clasped over your mouth that doesn’t work.

You whimper into his hand your eyes closing tightly.

“Keep. Your. Eyes. On. Me.” He emphasizes every word, thrusting his fingers in harshly after every word.

You groan against his hand trying to mumble an agreement. Until Matt makes you shut up. Once again reminding you that you’re in the school bathroom. Your eyes roll back in your head as you try to keep your focus on Matt.

“Shut.”

“Mhm.” You mumble into his hand. your eyes stay on his pale blue ones. He licks his lips and you watch him through the mirror.

You feel the knot in your stomach get even tighter threatening to snap at any time.

You breathe out shakily.

And it seems Matt notices too by the way you clench around his digits.

Suddenly he pulls his fingers out, and takes his hand from your mouth. He takes a full step back, biting back a smirk.

You borderline collapse against the sink, relying on your arms to halfheartedly hold you up. Your lower stomach pressed into the sink.

You breathe harshly. Your eyes closed, feeling yourself ache at the sudden loss of his finger in your cunt.

“Matt.” You groan in annoyance finally picking your head up to look at him through the mirror.

He actually snickers at the sight.

“Clean up.” He shrugs, leaning back and crossing his arms.

You lick your lips. You want to snap at him, but you actually knew he would do this. After all, you had teased him before knowing, he couldn’t do anything about it.

You take in a harsh breath your eyes meeting your own through the mirror. You lean back, standing up more straight feeling your legs shake slightly.

You huff at the sight. Your mascara only slightly smudged since you’re wearing a waterproof one.

Your lips are plump and swollen, a bit of drool running down your chin.

Your eyes are heavy and glassy. You just felt so sexually frustrated.

You lick your semi dry lips and then look back at Matt through the mirror.

“Go on y/n. Either you get yourself off or you clean up.” He shrugs nonchalantly.

Realistically you know that if you were to get yourself off, that Matt would get hard again by just watching you.

But you also knew that you didn’t have enough time to have a whole session right now.

You keep your eyes locked on Matt while you pull your thong back into place and pick up your jeans.

You watch as he can’t hold back his smile anymore, breaking out in a huge grin, closing his eyes briefly and shaking his head slightly in amusement.

He knew you were not satisfied. But he also knew he could’ve finished you off.

You pout dramatically, while you button your jeans again and pull up the zipper.

He chuckles lowly coming up behind you. His arm wraps around your waist. You watch through the mirror as he leans into you kissing your neck and holding you close to himself.

“Sorry, sweet girl.” He says sounding not so sorry.

“I’ll fuck you later. Now wipe that frown off of your face.” He chuckles. And his low laugh makes you smile slightly.

★ ★ ★

You two make it to the cafeteria for the last few minutes of lunch.

When Nick asks where you guys have been, Matt lies fast, saying that you two were in the library.

And everyone believes it.

It wasn’t that Matt was extraordinarily good at lying. He just pretends that he actually had. He wasn’t sweating or nervous or anything. He simply said it like it’s a fact.

And considering most people think that being innocent and introverted are the same thing, nobody questioned it.

Because Matt couldn’t have just gotten sucked off by his girl best friend in the school bathrooms.

After all he is way too innocent for that.

So nobody even bothers to question his reasoning.

Yet you would know better. You know how Matt is far away from innocent though.

You know first hand.

Masterlist

A/N: tbh i feel like most people always mistake being introverted as being innocent, so that's where the idea for this came from. Also, I’m so sorry if I couldn’t tag you I tried 😭

‼️please don’t copy my work/idea‼️

Taglist: @muwapsturniolo , @sturnad , @iluvm4ttsturni0l0 , @evie-sturns , @me09love , @fratbrochrisgf , @spideylovin , @chrissgirlsstuff , @stunza , @whicked-hazlatwhore , @sturniooolos , @ecliphttlunar , @orangeypepsi , @klaus223492 , @char112244 , @sst7niolo , @slut4chriss , @mattsturniololoverr , @th3-3d3n-g4rd3n , @st7rnioioss , @t1llysblogs , @nonat-111 , @blahbel668 , @rockstarchr1s , @sturnsintrouble , @nayveetbhh , @tillies33ssss

[arthenaa]

nocturne (interlude) — mizu x f!reader

synopsis: it seems as if you've always managed to bump into your father's regular in untimely situations. it also can't be helped that you think he's absolutely handsome.

content: reader is a daughter of a medic and an apothecary, golden retriever x black cat trope, might contain historically inaccurate terms (not that well versed in the edo period or japanese culture. forgive me), mizu will be referred with he/him pronouns, mizu being emotionally constipated ig, slight mention of violence and gore, fluff, pre-relationship, meet cute, sfw.

a/n: heyaaa :D its been awhile since ive posteddd. considering this as a break from comms and sch!! ill try to be more active in posting as my xmas break is approaching hehe <33 current hyperfixation is mizu from blue eyed samurai. (I HIGHLY SUGGEST WATCHING IT !!!) enjoyy part 2!! (my love mine all mine)

You can still remember the first time you met him.

It was quite easy to recall the memory with ease. It was after all one of the nights where there weren't many customers fluttering about to avail your father's services in medicine due to idiotic accidents and miscalculated duels. You watched your father pull out herb after herb, vial after vial, stitch after stitch as more and more swordsmen of all ranks came in and out of the shop.

You were quite well-known around town as the daughter of the medic—often smiling and huffing about. Some say you were too naive to be comfortable and accommodating to your father's customers but others also claim you were elegant and a ray of sunshine due to your approachable and easygoing nature. None of that mattered anyway, not when the field of medicine was your only focus in life.

Your father doesn't like to call you his apprentice but you knew you were his. After all, with all the knowledge he's passed down unto you, you might as well run your own apothecary but alas, you still had much to learn.

It was also a quiet agreement among men that no one pays too much attention to the daughter of the skilled medic and apothecary. You suppose it's because of your father's standing and reputation that most men would rather cut off their arms than get on the bad side of one of the only medics who can actually do a decent job in life-threatening situations.

Which brings us to the current topic at hand.

It had been a cold winter that night. Your father had been busy making fresh medicine at the behest of a high lord in one of the rich provincial states up north. It was up to you to man the front and be alert in case any wanderers might walk in asking for help.

The harsh breeze of that winter night was your first cue. The doors had swung open which left you scrambling off your seat then a second later, a man with a lean stature stumbles his way through—arm clutching the side of his stomach.

Your breath hitches as he props himself against the wooden pillar. He looks up at you, blue eyes clear and intense that it left you speechless from where you stood.

"I-I," He gasps for air, eyebrows scrunching from the pain. "Help-I need—"

You wasted no time in aiding him as you took wide strides to his injured form, arms holding out to keep him steady as he began to wobble back and forth. You scream for your father, worried that the man before you would pass out at any moment.

Thankfully aware of the situation, your father prepares the receiving area. You look back at the injured patient with worry in your eyes as you further assess all sorts of damage on his figure.

However, you can't help but find yourself entranced by his clear blue eyes. Despite being on the brink of utter exhaustion, he has managed to keep himself awake perched up on your shoulder.

He locks eyes with you, blinking slowly, and just as you begin to get lost in those blue hues of his, his body begins to fall.

"Sir, wait—!"

Then he's out like a light.

The next time you met him had been purely coincidental.

After that night, the man left quietly like the leaves falling gently along the stream. He left quite a hefty sum of money on your father's desk and kept the bed clean at his departure. It's safe to say that your father was overjoyed by the payment.

Your father had sent you on an errand to town to gather some supplies from a supplier he trusts. He had been busy attending to patients and manning the counter to be the one to get the package himself.

"You have nothing better to do anyway, might as well be useful to your old dad," Your father scrunched his nose playfully as he placed a bag of money on your palms. "And if a man approaches you, remember to use that knife I gave you and make clean perforation at the jugular vein—"

You had stopped your father right there.

It didn't bother you that much and this also was an opportunity to get some leisure time. You did as you were told and saved a bit of money for window shopping.

Stumbling upon an artisan selling hair ornaments, your eyes immediately dart toward a golden hairpin with imitations of sakura leaves. Upon reaching out to inspect it, a hand collides with your own causing you to let out a gasp.

"Apologies—" Your eyes dart up to look at the stranger but is met instead with familiar blue eyes, this time under the disguise of orange tint sunglasses. "Oh! It's you."

The man furrows his eyebrows in confusion. "Are you Mr. Gojo's—?"

"Daughter?" You perk up with a smile. You shift from heel to heel at the intensity of his gaze. Somehow, you're feeling quite nervous with this gentleman. "Yeah. I caught you that night."

"Ah," The man nods, awkward in his stance before turning back toward the array of ornaments in front of him. "Thank you."

"I-It was no problem," You stammered, hands smoothing out the fabric of your kimono. "It's what we do after all."

There's a hum of response coming from the man before silence ensues between the two of you. He had gotten back to analyzing other items that the vendor was offering and you could only stand there, discreetly watching his every move.

You didn't have the opportunity to take a good look at him besides his eyes that night. Your father seemed like he had recognized the man before you and ushered you out of the room before you could have the chance to offer help. Though, now, you could see that he had a proportionate height—a few inches taller than you but still tall nonetheless. His shoulders evoke confidence with every move of his body but his face talks of the mystery hidden under the guise of his kasa. He was pretty, yet... handsome. You've never come across a man who could embody both sides of the spectrum.

"Do you need something?" His voice had startled you out of your daydream causing your cheeks to flush. He raises his eyebrow with his ever-perpetual glare. You give him a sheepish smile.

"I've never gotten your name, sir." You purse your lips, tilting your head as he squints his eyes at your request.

"My name? Why?"

Your mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water at his response. Why? What does he mean why? This man was truly cynical, you think.

"Well, I saved you, didn't I?"

"Correction. Your father did." The man deadpans. You giggle at his tone, eyes crinkling in amusement.

"Alright, no need to get so philosophical with me," You jest, trying to get him to lighten up to you. You take a step closer, trying to gauge his expressions as you give him a lighthearted smile. "Is getting to know people a crime now?"

The man sighs before looking at the array of hair ornaments to your right. He then grabs the hairpin you were looking at and tosses a bag of coins toward the vendor. He places it within your palms before adjusting his cloak. You flinch at the sudden gesture, unaware of his intentions.

"It's Mizu." He says before turning and leaving without further explanation. You stand, agape as the man further blends in with crowd with each step he takes away from you.

This man—No, Mizu, surely is interesting.

This next meeting was one you were thankful of.

Now, it wasn't as if your meetings were solely limited by chance. He became a regular after your father's incredible work on him. You watch him arrive usually at the end of every week, either looking to restock the medicine that your father gave him or get himself treated for an unwanted injury.

You tried interacting with him during his visits but Mizu always either cut the conversation short or grunted in annoyance. He never tried to entertain much of your whims and only left you grasping at straws for whatever possible chance of interaction he might give you.

Although, despite being cold towards you, he still has the heart to help you in mundane tasks whenever he encounters the chance. For instance, upon seeing you struggling with the basin, he immediately walked over and carried to where your father is with ease. He also grabbed your freshly bought basket of fruits and guarded you on your way back home. He even thumped the back of your head lightly with his hand on his way out while you were fixing up the front.

He was an enigma. A puzzle you desperately tried to solve but always failed.

The thought of his gentlemanly actions had always left your heart thumping faster and louder within the confines of your chest. Wanting to know him, get closer to him, see the corners of his lips upturned—anything to see a version of him only you can keep.

It also seems that your father is familiar with his master. You hear talks between them, asking about the well-being of a man named 'Master Eiji', the one whom Mizu calls his swordfather. You ought to know better than to eavesdrop but somehow your attention has always been led towards his very existence.

Your father had always been strict about you ever since you were but a wee girl. He had expressed the importance of having a fruitful marriage with someone who is of your deserving. He, after all, was in a true love marriage with your mother and was together for at least 25 years before your mother succumbed to her illness at the age of 45.

It also didn't help that you were deemed the sunlight of the town, often getting several interested looks from promising men. But all your suitors couldn't take the intensity of your father's expectations. It's safe to say that you won't be getting married for awhile.

"Just stay here, my daughter," Your father sighs as he serves you seconds of your favorite food. "Who the hell cares about marriage anyway."

You laugh, reaching out to pat your old man's hand. "It's going to look bad for you if you don't marry off your one and only daughter, y'know?"

"That's precisely why I don't want to do any of that," Your father grumbles, taking a sip of his soup. "Work here, eat, sleep, go have fun. That's what your mother would've wanted anyway."

You were grateful for your circumstances, yes, but you've always wanted to help out as much as you can for your dad. His reputation as a skilled medic can only take so much before others will come to expect more. So as long as you're in his care, you try to help out around his shop as much as you can.

Although you wonder if your father would allow him to—

Ah, forget it. Convincing your father was a lost cause.

Back to the current task at hand, your father had tasked you to gather some herbs from the forest near your humble abode as it is less taxing for your finances when you have easy access to one nearby. Gearing up for the coldness of winter, you stepped out of your house in pursuit of such herbs. With a hop on your step, you wish to finish your task sooner than later to prepare for a certain gentleman possibly visiting later at night.

The only you thing you didn't account for was the possible danger you'd be encountering.

"Listen, I-I don't want any trouble," You slowly backed away as a group of men began surrounding you. It was uncommon to encounter bandits around this area as this was situated near the town. You're not so sure as to what prompted this criminals to stage a robbery in broad daylight.

"Oh, c'mon little miss," One of the bandits chuckled. He twirled a knife in his hand as he approached you menacingly. "We just wanna know what you're up to."

Your breath speeds up as one of his companions playfully advanced with a jump in his step. You flinched back, heartbeat thumping as the crunch of leaves around you signified their slow advance towards your figure. You clutched the knife your father gave you within your hands, ready to use it in case one of them tries something.

Jugular vein. Neck. Neck. Vein. Keep it fast. Right side.

"Perhaps we could do something fun, darling? I'm sure you'd love it." Wide grins and loud laughter erupted from their lips.

Vein. Lethal point. Could head straight through the liver. Artery. Perforation.

Your head had begun to ramble, your father's words echoing within the depths of your mind. Just as you adjusted your grip on your knife and one of the bandits had began to finally get whatever they aimed for in the first place, a breeze of wind suddenly alerted you of a new presence.

You shut your eyes in fear as one of the men at the far back screamed.

"What the fuck?!" The leader bellowed as he watched his man crumple to the ground, holding what was left of his dismembered arm. The other bandits begin turning towards the new opponent, swords ready as they watched him step over their comrade.

You open your teary eyes, locking gazes with the familiar hues of blue hidden under orange tint. There's some sort of hardened glare as Mizu looked at you up and down, assessing your well-being within a matter of seconds.

"This is Takayama's jurisdiction," Mizu's deep voice bellowed as he placed his hand on the scabbard of his sword. "I suggest you leave."

The leader lets out a scoff as he widens his shoulders to appear more menacing to him. Mizu only looks at him under the guise of his kasa.

"You are outnumbered, samurai," The man smirks. It might've been intimidating with the number of men that surrounded Mizu but you were well aware of his prowess as a swordsman and completely had faith in his abilities. "Your talks of dominance do not affect me."

Mizu chuckles, one hand reaching up to push back his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"We'll see about that."

"Thank you," You smile widely, eyes crinkling as you grab his extended hand.

The bandits groaned in pain as they crumbled to the ground. Some have even passed out from the harsh hits that Mizu had inflicted. You watched him twirl and move with elegance, slicing and hitting with precise angles that left you in awe at his performance.

It took at most 15 minutes for him to finish all of them and another 3 minutes for you to pick your jaw off the floor and fix yourself up.

"It's no problem," Mizu nods at your gratitude. He holds your hand firm as you wobble back and forth to stay back in balance. "Although, I advise that you venture towards areas within the town vicinity. This area is bordering outside of Takayama, thus the bandits."

"Ah," You let out a soft laugh. "There were more herbs here. I thought it was safe."

Mizu doesn't reply back as he gazes at you from the comforts of his glasses. You flush at his stare, still not being able to handle its intensity. You look down to busy yourself with, staring at your conjoined hands before finally taking notice of a scratch on the side of his hand to his wrist.

"You're injured," You whispered as you pulled his hand close to yours. You hear Mizu's breath hitch as he stumbles slightly at the pull of your hand. You look up at him as he furrows his eyebrows.

"I-It's fine, it doesn't hurt." He tries to reason with you but your grip on his hand remains steady.

"You saved me so I'll repay you by treating this. Alright?" You give him your best smile and suddenly the samurai doesn't have the heart in him to say no. At the sound of his reluctant silence, you enthusiastically pull out your satchel filled with medicinal tools. It was handy that you always kept your tools with you no matter where you went.

You applied antiseptic, brushing it with a clean cloth along the wound. Whether Mizu felt the pain or not, he only remained as still as a rock while you worked.

"You're early today," You try to make conversation as you clean his wound up. Mizu stays silent for a few seconds before replying.

"I had free time," He says. "I... was also out of medicine so..."

You hum, nodding along his words as you make gentle strokes to ease the pain (if he ever felt it).

"If you ever need to go out like this again," He picks up the conversation making your heart skip a beat. There's a pause of silence before he continues. "Let me—If I'm there, let me know. You don't need to endanger yourself like this."

You let out a quiet laugh as you finally wrapped his wound with a white strip of cloth. You look at him with softened eyes, reveling in his slightly flushed cheeks and gaze dulled by sincerity. There's a pause of comfortable silence between the two of you, only lost in each other's gazes.

You slowly reach out, hands pausing as you communicate a request for consent. Mizu only gives you a small nod before you reach out to pull off his glasses. Those same beautiful blue orbs stare back at you as you revel in their gaze.

"You're more handsome like this," You whisper as you take a step closer to him. Snow gently falls around you, cascading in gentle flow as you breathe out puffs of air. Mizu tilts his head with an upturn of the corner of his lips.

There it is.

You flush in his gaze as he reaches up to brush a stray hair away from your face. "You're jesting," He says with a quiet tone.

Your gaze at him doesn't waver. "I'd say yes if you asked me to marry you."

Mizu let's out a chuckle, eyebrow raised at your bold response. "You are one dangerous lady, Y/N. Does your father know that?"

You roll your eyes at him. "How could he know when all he does is keep men away from me," You tilt your head playfully, "Although, I do wonder why he often keeps you close. Perhaps, he's found you to be worthy of a man."

Mizu laughs at your praises, shoulders shaking as the two of you stand close to one another, basking in the soft breeze of the winter sky. He lifts his hand up and flicks your forehead. You flinch back, holding your forehead in pain as you give him a glare.

"Ow?!" You frown as he looks at you with a smirk on his lips. "What a way to turn off a lady!"

"You're too adorable to be a lady," Mizu teases as he crosses his arms over his chest. He tilts his head as he looks at you with squinted eyes in thought. "Kind of like a.... puppy."

Your jaw drops at his comparison causing him to release a few chuckles. It wasn't fair that he was out here causing poor things to your heart and raised by a father who was direct and determined to achieve the things he wanted in life, you didn't allow yourself to back down.

With wide strides, you easily reach where he stands before standing on your toes and grabbing his face as you placed a chaste kiss on his cheek.

"Wha-?!" His face flushes a deep red as he moves back holding his cheek. You flash him a cheeky grin as he looks at you with wide eyes.

"I'll be waiting for your proposal, Mizu," You giggle, swaying back and forth with your hands tucked behind you. You put on his glasses before leaning slightly forward with eyes squinted playfully. "Or shall I be the one to propose, hm? Seeing as your blushing from just a kiss on the cheek."

Mizu takes a few seconds before collecting himself. There's an unreadable look on his face before makes careful steps towards you. You watch him, curious as he stops in front of you—hand reaching out to pull his glasses off from your face. You expect him to start berating you for invading his space but what you received after was certainly something you never took into account.

He leans down and gingerly places a kiss on your lips. Your breath hitches as he presses himself close before pulling away all to fast. Your lips tingle as you watch him put on his glasses back with a smile.

"I'm no coward, Y/N," He adjusts your cloak as you remain speechless in front of him. "I don't make promises I can't keep."

And just as he enters, he walks off with quiet footsteps, leaving you grasping at whatever was left of your brain after what he just did. Your face flushes a deep red as your fingertips touches your lips with shaky movements.

Did this man just—

"Are you coming?!" He calls over from the dirt path back to your house. You stumble in your footing as you rush over to him.

"I-I'm coming!" You stammer as you gather your things and rushed towards him. He greets you with a smile and this time with his glasses tucked away. Blue hues greet your flushed form and suddenly an overwhelming realization washes over you.

Oh, I'm definitely not going to let this man go.

a/n: MY WIFE MIZU MY WIFEEE,,,,, planning to make a pt2 idk lemme guys know if u want one. will also fix my archive, tumblr's getting messy. NOT PROOFREAD but will fix if ever i do go back on this after my finals. HOPE YALL ENJOYED THIS!

[mcondance]

lovely

“You say things with your mouth, cobwebs and flies come out / I hear a second voice behind your tongue somehow / Luckily, I can read your mind, flies and cobwebs unwind / They will not take you down, They will not cast you out”

Or, you’re fine. And whatever other words hide behind those four letters. Spencer sees what a piece of you wants to hide from him.

notes fluff (mcondance writes fluff??) but still MDNI, reader is neurodivergent this is for my baby girls (audhd spencer reid kissers), inspired by those lyrics from lovely by twenty øne piløts, do not listen while you read. this is what having a dual tøp-spencer reid era does to a writer. gif from pinterest. also guys please i’ve been experimenting with layouts for my works for like… months now if this layout is ugly just ignore it please please. mcondance capitalizes ?!

word count 1.1k+ (closer to 1.2k hello i am proud)

You lie still on your back in the middle of the bed as you watch Spencer close the door and set his cardigan down on the chair by the dresser. He floats through the dim room, momentarily lit up by the interludes of soft moonlight wafting through the windows. He takes his place beside the bed. Your music pauses.

“You okay?” He asks quietly.

“I’m fine.”

You’re lying. Spencer knows you’re lying; it wouldn’t take a genius to deduce that. It’s in your voice, most obviously. But it’s in the other details that only Spencer would notice, too. Not because he’s a genius, but because he’s your Spencer. 

The room is dark. Which wouldn’t be much of a problem, if you didn’t sound so bleak and tired when you spoke. You have your big headphones on, which, again, wouldn’t be so bad if you’d have pulled one back when he walked in, or even just told him that the song’s almost at the good part, and then after it hits you’ll take them off.

The room is bathed in moonlight. The moon, and your Spencer. Two shoulders for you to lean on. Three, actually, with the music you were just listening to. 

But all of the shoulders just aren’t enough to block out the bad feelings you’re having right now.

Overwhelmed. Sad. A little depressed. Whatever. 

“I don't think so, honey,” Spencer speaks softly from where he stands in a split of moonlight, hands in his pockets as he shrugs.

He glows in a silver streak. You sniffle. Fuck.

He allows silence to ensue, obviously giving you time to get your thoughts together. The bed dips to the left as he sits down beside you and props his leg up. A part of you wants to laugh at the common knowledge that if you had the will to look down you’d see an interesting sock and a Converse, but you don’t have the energy to do anything but what you’ve been doing since you let your playlist roll into its fifth run— lay down and alternate between staring out into the blackness of your room and the backs of your eyelids.

“It’s nothing,” you obfuscate. But it’s obviously not nothing.

Again, he lets his silence give you comfort instead of pushing you to talk. You take it gratefully, as it gives you the time you need to collect yourself and try to put words to what’s going on in your head and all under your skin.

You breathe in.

“I'm just… irritated.”

You breathe out.

A bit of weight lifts off of your chest at your short admission, but the elephant in the room continues to perch tall and proud on you, crushing you and leaving very little room for you to exist.

Still, Spencer is silent. The quiet puffs of his breath and the dip in the mattress are enough. Anything else would be too much, and he knows that. So he lets you lead him into the dark with you, he stays still and lets you guide him into the cavernous deep of all that you feel right now.

The fan whirs and cars pass outside the window. The stillness of the night almost laughs at the chaos ensuing in you.

Another breath, deeper this time as you gather the courage to try to express what it is you’re feeling.

“I don't know,” you blurt. “Everything's just too loud and my friends are all annoying and nothing on YouTube is interesting and I feel like I'm gonna explode and crumble all at the same time.” Those tears are bubbling up under the surface of your skin again and threatening to spill out of your eyes. 

And now that you’ve spoken and some of the tension in the air has dissipated, Spencer feels it’s appropriate for him to talk.

“It’s okay, baby. You’ve been working a lot lately without many breaks and now you’ve run out of steam, and that’s okay. It happens. You’re just burnt out.”

Horribly, his sweet words inflame a mean, hot part of you. You scoff, finding the strength to wipe a stray tear as it falls. Spencer knows you don’t mean it, that something up in your brain has just had enough and is now denying you of any feeling but solitary petrification.

Burnout. You hate that word. You wish it didn’t happen to you. You wish that you were normal and being stressed didn’t mean paralysis and staring at the ceiling like it’ll change and morph into an answer or a semblance of comfort. 

In the dark, you strain your eyes at his form. You can just barely make out the wisps of hair flying in all directions away from his face. His posture is terrible. You can tell he’s looking off to the side of you so you won’t feel overwhelmed under his eyes. Perhaps he was made for you.

The air softens, and you do too. The facade of anger slips away as quickly as it reared its ugly head. You take a shuddering breath and let your head fall towards him.

He moves closer and a beam of moonlight illuminates him as he takes you in with warmth etched onto the comfort of his face.

Something up in your brain has just had enough and is now denying you of any feeling but solitary petrification. 

Fortunately, Spencer won’t let that happen. 

How grateful you are for this man who won’t let you get the aloneness that some tired part of you craves. He’ll stick beside you and sit in silence for hours upon hours if it meant you wouldn’t feel alone. He has done that before. He’d do it again in a heartbeat.

With him smiling softly at you even in your cocoon of darkness, that sweet quirk of his lips that is ever-present when he’s looking at you, you feel a little better. Now, he can touch you. Before that thought even registers, he reaches out for your knee and rests his hand there, rubbing his thumb up and down over your skin.

It doesn’t cross the line of overstimulation, and it doesn’t feel like not enough. It’s just enough. Spencer can read you as well as the surplus of books he reads daily. There’s no push to get up, to take your headphones off or turn the light on.

Spencer wants only for you to breathe, and to know that he is here. When he hears your breathing become easy again, and he feels just a bit more of the discord you’re swathed in slip off of you, he knows you know.

His hand on your knee won’t nurse you back to your functioning form. And it’s not what he’s striving to do. 

And as you look through the darkness into his moon-bathed eyes, you know you’ll have him here with you every step of the way, by some divine power that put him in your life. And that’s okay. You won’t be okay for a while, but you have him to lean on. You’ll always have him to lean on. You feel the love he has for you radiating off of him, pushing into your skin as he caresses it slowly.

Getting out of bed sometime later sounds a little easier, now.

[pinkie-quinns]

(posting some old twitter threads here for posterity's sake)

rocker eddie actor steve fame au p1 | p2 p3 p4 p5 interlude p6

Steve follows Eddie out to LA. Indiana’s home, sure, but Eddie’s got dreams bigger than the both of them. And Steve loves him, wants to be there with him the whole way through.

He does odd jobs to pass the time, nannies a lot, works on sets. Extra work pays the best, quick easy cash, so he dances to click tracks in cut scenes of teen shows and pays for their groceries. 

A producer on one of the bigger jobs picks him out on set, tells him he has a good screen presence. He gives him a contact for a proper agent. Steve books the third thing he tries out for.

It's a small role on a pilot that hasn't been picked up yet. He's excited but doesn't think much of it. Mostly he’s just happy for the paycheck. Corroded Coffin's really struggling to break through. They just got dropped from their tiny indie label and Eddie's really bummed.

And Steve uses some of the money from his big, SAG-approved paycheck to try to cheer Eddie up. Make him feel better about the whole thing. But it does the opposite. Eddie keeps acting resentful. 

It only gets worse when Steve's show does get picked up.

Turns out he tested really well with audiences. So the writers rewrote him into the main cast, extended his two episode arc into the whole season. And Steve's really grateful for it, figures they both should be. Eddie's not really working and they need the money.

Corroded coffin is still labelless and basically broken up by the time the show comes out. 

It's a smash hit. Steve's character is a fan favourite. Overnight, he finds himself within the throes of fame. He gets a manager and a PR team and a personal assistant.

He's away from home a lot, doing the media circuit to promote the show. People start prodding into his personal life. His manager, his team, and the network all advise him to appear single and available. 

Eddie makes it easy for him. He leaves without saying a word.

Years down the road, Steve is settled into his fame. He's done a couple movies (some hits, most misses). His show is heading into its final season. He's dated a lot, mostly other celebrities.

Then he walks into a CVS on Venice & sees a name he's been trying to forget for 7 years.

Right on the cover of NME. Eddie had gone to London, apparently. Finally broke through there. Was releasing his debut album later this month. 

At least that's what Steve could tell from looking at it. He doesn’t buy the magazine. He hops into his car and drives til he’s out of gas.

He used to do that back in Indiana. When everything got too loud. Used to do that with Eddie, once they finally got their shit together. Just drive until the tank is near empty & then pull up to some blinking gas station. Head home.

Steve strands himself in Santa Barbara instead.

He sleepwalks through the next few months. The town is buzzing around the impending arrival of Eddie Munson. His album, Penitence, debuted to solid numbers & has only been gaining traction since. He's promoted it in London, New York, done Glastonbury & the late festival circuit.

It's gotten to the point where it's big enough that its hit single is even terrorizing Steve's local grocery store. He knows the first three notes really well. Knows cause that's his cue to leave. 

He hasn't listened to the album. He hasn't read any of the interviews.

In his head it's a good kind of revenge. Eddie left without a trace. Steve should respect his wishes, right? That's what Eddie wanted so badly that he couldn't even call. 

He should respect that too, be staying dead instead of haunting every busboard like a poltergeist.

But he's Eddie so of course he doesn't. So instead Steve spends all his free time thinking about when he'll inevitably run into him. Will it be the VMA afterparty? Will it be the CBS lot? Will it be the whole foods he keeps running into Michelle Pfeiffer at? (Probably not that)

In the end, it's a knock at his door.

Eddie came straight from the airport. Big duffel at his feet. He looks a decade older but his eyes are the same. He doesn't say I'm sorry, or I fucked up. Doesn't get down on his knees & beg. He just asks:

"Did you listen to the album?"

There's a part of Steve that wants to throw a fit. Be big and loud and start lobbing things at Eddie. He'd seen a movie star do that on set once. Over a PA bringing him the wrong brand of flavored water. But he's not Wahlberg, so he invites Eddie inside. 

And they sit and listen to Penitence.

It's an apology. A long one. Fifteen tracks though Eddie always used to be a real asshole about albums that were longer than twelve. 

And it covers everything. All the regret and resentment and the ego that clouded him when fame happened for Steve and not for him. When Steve didn't even want it. It's sorry over and over and over again. It's I fucked up and please take me back. It's ego death. It's disgust and guilt and self-flagellation. 

And when it's over, it dawns on Steve, who feels just as heartbroken as ever, that it's not enough.

[sanguineterrain]

Your writing is so damn good, you execute every request perfectly 😭

Could you maybe write something where Dick's insecure partner wants to break up with him because their self-image is getting worse cause they feel they can't catch up to the Golden Boy reputation, superheroes, billionaires and so on?

hi, thanks for the request! I hope I did it justice :) a brief interlude from jaytodd before we return to our regularly scheduled program lol

dick grayson x gn!reader. low self esteem, an almost breakup, reader feeling insecure, threatened, sad. happy ending! 2.1k words

****

You've been tugging at your outfit for ten minutes. At this rate, you'll have to concede that this is as good as it's going to get.

"My love, you almost ready?"

You sigh and watch your reflection fold its arms.

"Yeah," you say softly. "'M ready."

The door opens. Your heart swoops.

Dick is beautiful, as usual. Your boyfriend can do a lot, including fill a suit. Both your and his outfits were tailor-made because that's one of the perks of being the son of a billionaire.

Over and over, you'd insisted you could wear off-the-rack, and over and over, Dick had said that was silly, that Bruce wouldn't mind.

And it's true that what you're wearing flatters you better than anything from Macy's or Marshall's would've. But you know it won't help tonight. Not in a room full of Gotham's elite.

"Just as I suspected," Dick says, immediately draping his arms over your hips. "You're gonna steal the show tonight."

He's lying.

That voice in your head has gotten louder recently, and you don't know how to turn it off.

You kiss him instead of responding. Dick enthusiastically reciprocates, always delighted when you touch him. You used to think it would be enough.

But ever since you found out that not only are you dating a billionaire philanthropist with a face that makes angels weep, but that said guy is also arguably the most beloved hero in Gotham, maybe second only to the Batman (who's his freaking dad?!), you've begun to have doubts.

You pull back. Dick's tie perfectly sets off his eyes. They're bright as they look at you.

"Everything okay?" he asks, brushing your cheek with his thumb.

"Uh-huh," you say, trying to smile. "Just nervous."

“Hey, it's alright. I'll be by your side all night. I'll save you from any and all small talk, promise." He winks. "And we can duck out early, get hot chocolate from that place you like. They won't care."

Dick's always doing that. Always catering to you. You're just some nobody who happened to stumble into the best relationship you’ve ever had with a golden god.

Dick never reminds you of that. That he could do better. He doesn't have to—you know it all on your own.

You swallow. “Okay. If you're sure. I... I would like to leave early, Gray."

“‘Course, baby,” Dick says, attaching his cuff links. "Anything you want."

You turn back to the mirror, wondering if you can reinvent your personality before you go and remind everyone what a mistake Dick Grayson has made in choosing you. 

****

The party is tasteful, though a little stuffy. You're only here because Dick is going to give a speech, and he asked you to come support him. And while you know it's better for him to go without you so you won't dull his shine, it seems Dick hasn't quite figured that out.  

You hold onto Dick’s arm as he makes his usual rounds. Dick doesn't enjoy these events, you know that, but he's fluid in his interactions. There is no doubt he’s Bruce Wayne’s prodigy. With his suit, his hair, his easy posture, Dick is almost unrecognizable from when you woke up with him this morning. 

He's in his element. All you can do is peer in and watch. 

Dick leans in and slips a hand around your waist after the fourth interaction with a donor. A donor who, again, acted like Dick may as well have been dragging around a coat rack with how intently they ignored you. Not that you give a shit about what the one percent have to say about you, except sometimes they say a lot of mean things, things you're pretty sure they don't let Dick overhear, and sometimes you start wondering if Dick is the only person who can't see truth in what they say, and sometimes—

“Hey.” Dick leans in to talk in your ear. He's warm and solid. You wish that was a comfort. “You okay?”

You're exhausted. 

“Uh-hmm.”

He is going to wake up one of these days and realize he can have it so much better. 

Dick moves like he's about to say more, pull you closer and permeate your senses with his gold.

“Dickie!” 

Sweet, tinkling laughter echoes across the room. The crowd parts for this new woman, an obvious socialite, dressed to the nines and gorgeous. 

Her dress matches Dick's tie. You feel sick.

When she reaches you two, she wastes no time grabbing Dick and kissing his cheek. He extricates himself from her, like he's done a million times before with everyone else who thinks they're entitled to a piece of Dick Grayson. He shoots you an apologetic look. You look away.

“My God, it’s been what, ten years?” she says. Then she sees you. “Oh! Where are my manners? I’m Caroline Banesbury, Duchess of Middlesworth. I heard the Dickie Grayson was going to be here, and I had to come.”

“Been a while,” Dick says, smiling blandly. “How are you, Caroline?”

“Spectacular! Father just bought another castle. You should come and see it sometime.” She plucks a flute of champagne off of a passing tray and smiles behind the rim of the glass. 

“Dick and I go way back,” she says, gaze roving over him. “I hear you're transforming Blüdhaven. Taking a page out of Bruce's book, hm? You always had a big heart, Dickie.” 

She grabs his arm and links it with hers. You sigh and take a sip of your own drink. You half-wish Poison Ivy would come in and gas the room or something.

Dick clears his throat and maneuvers out of her grip once more, letting go of her with a light pat. He returns to you, snugly holding your shoulders.

"This is my partner," he says about you.

Caroline hums, looking over you. "I see. Pleasure."

You nod. She turns back to Dick.

“If I can be of any help to your project, you let me know,” she adds, glancing down at where her empty arm now hangs at her side. “Anything.” 

“That's generous of you, Carrie.” 

Dick and I go way back.

Oh. Right. You're stupid. They've dated. 

“We should have dinner,” she continues. “Catch up. I'm dying to know what Gotham's darling has been up to.”

“I feel sick,” you announce. 

Dick and Caroline turn to you. Caroline looks perplexed, like you've just said you like to chew concrete. 

“Oh, I'm sorry to hear that,” she says, hardly sparing you a glance. "Perhaps you ought to lie down."

You feel Dick's eyes on you. If you don't leave soon, he'll know you're lying. Possibly the worst part about dating Batman's protégé.

Suddenly, leaving this hall is the most important thing you've ever had to do. You feel like you'll die if you don't.

Your feet start moving.

"Baby—"

Anyway, this is Caroline's chance. She can swoop in with her trust fund and while you think Dick can do way better than her—he can always do better—anyone is better than you. For Dick Grayson, who has been a master acrobat since he was a child, son of Batman, leader of the Titans, indubitably intelligent, capable, beautiful, the best goddamn guy you'll ever know—

You've lost your way. You're out of the gala, away from duchesses and doom. And you meant to get your coat but this hall that Bruce rented is enormous. You've no idea where you are. But you're alone.

Bruce must've known too, how unfit you are for his son. And why wouldn't he tell Dick? Unless Dick ignored him, because Dick, for all his smarts, is stupidly in love with you, thinks you're where he should put his heart, is certain you won't fumble and drop it.

Warm, callused fingers catch your wrist and you remember, suddenly, Dick telling you once, after you'd nearly stumbled into the street, that he'd never let you fall.

You meet his eyes. Why does he look at you like that? Who gave him the right to look at you like-like you—as if you could ever deserve—

"Hey," he says, squeezes your hand. "Hey, hey. What's going on?"

Dick Grayson is not a trusting man but he trusts you and good God, you're about to break him.

"I need to break up with you," you blurt.

"What?" he breathes. "What—why would you say that?"

You wish he'd give you the slip he gave everyone in that room, gently separate your arm from his hand. You never learned how to evade Dick's touch.

"Because it's true. Dick, please understand—"

"No, I'm trying to understand. Because yesterday—no, tonight, you were fine—"

"No, Dick, I wasn't fine! I haven't been fine in months!"

You wrench your arm away. He looks like you slapped him.

"You know anybody I talk to in there means nothing, right? You know that, honey." He's pleading.

You curl your fist into your eye. "It's more than that, Gray."

"Then tell me what the problem is," he says desperately. "Tell me and we'll fix it. I promise we can fix it."

"You can't!" you say, voice cracking. "You can't fix me."

Dick shakes his head. "I don't—"

"Why can't you let me break up with you with a little bit of dignity?" you ask. "Do you have to be better at this too?"

"I don't want to break up," he says, tugging at a handful of his hair. "This doesn't make sense. We're happy. You're happy, aren't you? Don't I make you happy?"

"Of course," you choke out. "Of course you make me happy. But you don't see I'm bad for you. You're wonderful and perfect and golden, Dick. And I'm a stain. I need to be scrubbed away."

"Wh—that's not true!"

"Everywhere we go, people see me with you and are immediately confused. I'm not a superhero, I'm not royalty, I'm not a socialite, and yet somehow I've managed to snag Gotham's darling. This is a mistake. I'm trying to do you a favor and wake you up!"

Dick's face is hard with anger. How could you have thought this would be easy?

"I don't need to be woken up! What is it that makes you think I have no agency over the people I choose to spend time with? Everyone I meet thinks they're entitled to touch me, demand me. Everyone but you. You, the person I chose to love, who I love everyday. Do you think you pulled the wool over my eyes and you're snapping me out of it? Is that what you really think?"

And isn't this the most puzzling thing? That he's not sad or gently accepting; Dick is mad.

"I just—" He runs a hand through his hair. "I don't mean to yell, but really, I can't bear it if you see me as some god on a pedestal, unattainable and inhuman, like everyone else sees me. I love you on purpose."

"You're so accomplished, though," you say weakly. "You're..." You wave your hand over him. "You're fucking Nightwing, D. You were Robin, you have superheroes for friends, Batman for a parent, you're beloved by, like, all of Jersey—"

"My love, you know those are just parts of me. You see all of me. You know me. And that's not a one-way privilege, okay? I'm so damn lucky to know you, to love you, to be with you, to fight with you. To fight for you. Knowing you isn't something I take for granted."

"But I'm boring," you say, tears spilling over. "Jesus Christ, Dick, I'm plain and untalented, barely a dime to my name, so painfully ordinary that—"

"Listen to me," he says, taking your face in his hands. "Flying around or shooting lasers out of your eyes, sure, it's cool, and it's helpful for taking down an alien dictator. But I don't need you to do any of that, honey. I don't need nor want you to be anyone but you. I wasn't tricked or swindled into loving you. We caught each other halfway, just like we were meant to."

You let him pull you into his arms, let him press your tear stains to his silk pocket square, let his hair fall around you.

His embrace is solid, firm, but when he inhales, his shoulders shake.

"Do you—" He swallows, throat against yours. "Do you still want to break up?"

His heart beats against your cheek.

"I'm just afraid you'll get tired of me," you whisper. "Bored. Annoyed."

"I won't," he whispers. "You're the least boring person ever. It's never boring to be loved."

You squeeze your eyes shut. Dick's warmth encloses you.

"No, I don't want to break up. I'm sorry."

He holds you tighter, and you realize you never had to match Dick's tie. Not when you've got his heart.

[ketaundkrawall]

hi girlie! idk if yr taking requests so feel free to discard it but i was listening to agora hills by doja cat and the idea of reader being famous artist and joost being the fan just didn’t leave me alone😭🌀🩵

thank you for the request 🫶🏻 i hope you guys enjoy it <3

Stargirl Interlude ☽｡⋆ Joost Klein

Summary: you’re a famous singer meeting one of your fans

Warnings: none, just fluff and two fangirls meeting each other (maybe smut in pt. 2 bc this ends in a cliffhanger kinda), not proofread, afab!reader, no use of Y/N

WC: 1.1k

A/N: guys pls lmk if i should do a part two (i will) 💫

What you loved most about your job was seeing the happy faces of your fans whenever you came on stage. Well, it wasn’t really a job to you, it was your destiny to stand on stage and make people happy.

You loved when the crowd chanted your name, absolutely making every stage performance of yours better when they sang the lyrics. It made you proud. And it was everything you dreamed of when you were a child. Seeing people happy and being able to help them with your music somehow.

Nonetheless, every time you went on stage you were nervous. It was a feeling that accompanied you ever since you started your career.

Today you performed in a club in Amsterdam. You’ve never actually travelled to the Netherlands before so you were really excited. Not only to perform but also to explore the city, since it was your last tour stop you were doing at the moment.

Right now you were getting all set up to go on stage. You could already hear the people outside waiting for you to come out and start the show. “You’re going to kill it babes.” Your best friend, Tommy, said as he came to a stand beside you with a drink for you which you accepted with a thanks and sipped on it. “I really hope so.” Smiling you gave him the empty cup.

Tommy always travelled with you. He has been there for you since the very beginning of your career and never left your side, always calming your nerves before the shows started and you were so fucking thankful for him. “Jeez stop being so nervous! You’re a bomb you know that and now go out there and fucking show them what you got!” He cheered you on and you laughed. Giving him one last hug and taking a deep breath you ran out

“AMSTERDAM ARE YOU READY?! LETS GET THIS PARTY GOING!” You yelled and instantly felt happiness and relief flowed your body as the crowd screamed and just went completely crazy.

And so you started your show, loving the way all the people singing with you. It really filled your heart with joy. After an hour or so you were out of breath and just needed some water. Your hair was sticking to your sweaty forehead but honestly? You couldn’t be happier. Looking throughout the crowd you smiled. “Gosh we’re having some really good looking guys here tonight done we?” You grinned and the crowd screamed.

And with ‘good looking guys’ you meant one particular one that caught your eye since the beginning of the show. Of course you knew who he was. You saw him on your TikTok the whole time, liking way too many edits that popped up on your For-You-Page.

Eyes roaming the crowd again they stopped at him for a short moment but you were sure he noticed. “Never thought an Eurovision candidate would be a fan of mine.” You now grinned at the blonde, walking towards the front of the stage and kneeling down. “Joost mother fucking Klein is listening to my music guys!” You screamed and the crowd cheered again. Eyes darting to him, you saw him laugh. It would be a lie to say you didn’t listen to his music, even though you didn’t understand a word.

Walking to the back of the stage to your DJ you said something to him and soon the melody of Europapa was blasting through the speakers and you and almost the whole audience did that silly little dance and you saw Joost laughing and cheering, definitely liking it.

After the song finished you kept on going with your show, watching Joost sing along to all of your songs. Something you never thought would happen. You played your last few songs, totally forgetting the time and soon everything was over. “THANK YOU AMSTERDAM!! I LOVE YOU!” You screamed into the mic, your eyes finding the blondes again, before walking off stage.

“Jesus babes that was amazing!” Tommy practically yelled and hugged you, making you giggle. “Thanks Tommy, hey, could you get Joost backstage?” You asked in your sweetest voice possible, bashing your lashes at him and he grinned. “Uhhh.” Scoffing you hit his arm earning a huff from him. “I see what I can do.” And with that he was off.

Walking back to your dressing room you flipped down on the couch, taking a cup with whatever liquor was inside, and opened your instagram. Your DM’s and notifications were flooded with messages, pictures and videos of what just happened. People already shipped you and even had a name for the both of you. You giggled and went on TikTok, notifications blowing up on there as well. Being so concentrated on your phone you didn’t hear the knock that was coming from the door.

As you finally did notice tho you quickly yelled a “yeah?” and the door opened. Joost standing in the doorway.

Sitting up straight now you smiled widely. “Hey.” He breathed out like he couldn’t believe he’s finally meeting you. “Hi.” You smiled back and got up to hug him. “Can’t believe I’m finally meeting you.” Joost chuckled and you smiled, pulling away. “Really?” He nodded. “Been listening to your music for a while now actually.” He confessed and it made you really proud somehow. “Well thank you.” You giggled.

Both of you sat down and started to chatter away and you couldn’t stop yourself from noticing how he was smiling the whole time as he was excitedly talking to you about everything. And you got along so well. The time flew by so fast and soon it was 4 in the morning.

“I should get going.” Joost said as he looked at his phone. You just nodded. “Yeah I’m so done. Need a lot of sleep now. Long day tomorrow. I want to do some sightseeing.” You smiled, pulling your knees to your chest. “Hey uh.” Joost started and scratched the back of his head nervously. “How about I give you my number and you hit me up? I can show you around if you want.”

Your eyes lit up as you nodded. “I’d really like that you smiled as he dropped his shoulder. You didn’t even noticed how nervous he actually was to ask you that question. Handing over his phone you quickly typed your number down along with his name. He smiled as you gave it back to him. “Then good night I guess. I see you around then.”

And with that he walked out of the club, not being able to stop the smile that was forming on his face. Taking his phone out he looked at your contact and chuckled.

You saved yourself on his phone as ‘Stargirl Interlude 💫’, your stage name.

[loganhowlettshousewife]

animal

chapter 2.5

friendly reminder that i am not a writer, i'm just a girl who loves logan howlett and wanted to write something exploring his animalistic side since i so rarely see it done. my first language is also not english, so please do not be rude when giving me any feedback.

warnings: mentions of killing, logan’s pov, this isn’t a full chapter it’s more like an interlude

series masterlist │my masterlist

logan doesn’t like the room you put him in. the scent of you lingers but only faintly, and he grows restless without it to calm him. he misses you, the pretty girl who washed him and fed him. you were nice to him and you smelled safe, like home.

he hasn’t had a home in a long time. he knows that, the way he knows so little else, the way he knows how to breathe and how to walk, the way he knows his name is logan. you had spoken his name and he’d felt it, like a physical thing, a pounding emptiness in his head paired with a relief that punched him so hard he thought he might fall over.

he whimpers, shifting his position as though he’ll be able to better pick up your scent somehow, but no matter how much he squirms, the comfort of your scent still doesn’t appear.

he growls and leaps out of bed, onto his bare feet. this is ridiculous and he won’t deal with it any longer. he’s going to find you.

he sniffs his way towards your bedroom, where your scent is the strongest, though it lingers around the whole house, soothing and perfect in a way that makes him want to stay here forever. he opens the door, copying how he’d seen you do it earlier, and he’s pleased with himself for making note of it, since it’s coming in handy now.

you’re asleep, eyes shut and mouth parted just slightly. your body is covered with layers of fluffy fabric that he wishes weren’t there so he could see all of you better, but he knows you’re not like him, can smell it on you, and that means you run colder. but right now you’re warm under the covers and peaceful as you dream. good.

logan settles down on the floor, somewhere he can watch both you and the door, make sure no one comes in to hurt you. you took care of him, so now he’s going to protect you. it’s what he’s made for, strong and ruthless. 

he’s killed before, though he can’t remember doing it, can’t remember the faces of those he killed or the way they stared at him in fear or anger as they died. it’s instinctual, a violent craving for blood, and he’s ready to do it again, to do it now, for you.

she would be a good mate, logan thinks.

you can do all the things he can’t. you’re soft and sweet and manage to calm his restless mind through only your presence. you’re clearly a homemaker, would be a good mom to raise his pups. 

but this means he needs to prove himself to you too, means he needs to show you that he can be a good mate. so he vows to protect you. it’s something he can offer you that you don’t already have.

he doesn’t need to sleep, not as much as you do. it’s in your scent, all the parts of him that don’t apply to you, things that you need that he doesn’t. and he can make sure you get everything you need, he can make sure you’re always healthy and happy and don’t need to worry about a thing. 

you will sleep, rest so your body is refreshed for tomorrow, and he will stay up and keep watch.

taglist: @mystiquesvendetta @raeinyourdreams @babey-fruit-bat @meetmypointlessaddiction @kneelforloki @deaky-with-a-c @hypermarvellove @littlepeanut03 @the-ruler-of-death @aliengutzstuff @misscrissfemmefatale @mynamesstevenwithav @teaganthemorningstar @blackkatzz @leryg0 @fries11 @forksloree @i5uckersblog

if your name is in white it means i couldn’t tag you for some reason. i’m very sorry :(

[lincolndjarin]

Best Kept Secret ☆

A MANDALORIAN SERIES MASTERLIST

[ COMPLETED ]

✩ a bodyguard!din x princess!reader fic ✩

series summary :

Married off to a prince on a planet that you hate? New husband doesn't know you, and doesn't want to know you? New husband gifts you a personal Mandalorian body guard as a wedding present? Mandalorian is a wiseass who won't leave you alone? Lucky you.

18+ mdni

do you like kitschy, campy romance novels? if you're reading this, I hope so.

behind the scenes & chapter notes + other extras (spoilers) :

chapters 1-5

chapter 6-15

spotify playlists

Lysa & Elaine information

the bks screen adaption

bks q&a

bks what if's

reader is generally not described past being picked up a few times, and having hair long enough to be put up

✩ chapters containing smut!

chapter one : honeymoon (6.7k words)

[ Absurd.

That is the only word that comes to mind as you stare at yourself in the mirror. “His favorite color is blue.” ]

chapter two : silent treatment (7.4k words)

[ Something is wrong. You bolt up from the pile of blankets that you call a bed and your eyes dart around the closet as you furrow your brow trying to discern why you feel so much different. ]

✩ chapter three : the smitten paladin (4.6k words)

[ You’re starting to think the planet isn’t the reason you’re so hot all the time.

You had woken up this morning feeling a bit better than you thought you’d be, your stomach is full of butterflies but you're still standing and considering the night you had you’re gonna take that as a win. ]

chapter four : sarad'ika (6.8k words)

[ Sarad'ika. 

You won’t forget it this time, you can’t. So you write it in your book, just under Mando’s favorite color you write the two little words that have been keeping you up at night. ]

✩ chapter five : lunar interlude : just a man (5.0k words)

[ Absurd.

It’s absurd how much the job pays. Din’s not even sure he should take it at this point because it’s too good to be true. ]

✩ chapter six : torment (5.1k words)

[ Okay, maybe you didn’t think this through. 

You didn’t think he’d actually come in and now suddenly the door is shut and you’re alone with him. ]

✩ chapter seven : just friends (3.1k words)

[ Maker it feels like it’s been an hour and you’re both just laying here. He was just inside of you; it shouldn't be so hard to find something to talk about at this point. ]

chapter eight : solar markets (5.3k words)

[ It’s nice to wake up excited again. 

You wish you could say that it happened more often but hopefully it will from now on. It’s going to be your first time leaving the castle grounds since you got here. ]

✩ chapter nine : shuk'la rules (5.6k words)

[ You need sex.

Normally you would be satisfied for quite some time after getting off but for some reason with Mando it was different. But it’s only been two days and you need more. ]

✩ chapter ten : lunar interlude : briikase gote'tuur (4.1k words)

[ He’s grateful for the break from you, even if brief. 

That’s not to say that he doesn’t enjoy every moment he gets to be in your presence but the more time he spends with you the harder it gets to remember that this isn’t real. ]

chapter eleven : he loves me not (4.6k words)

[ Something is wrong. 

All day it’s been wrong. 

He’s different. Distant. ]

chapter twelve : pretend (4.4k words )

[ Two days.

That’s what you’re willing to give yourself. Two days to get over it. One to get it all out of your system and one to pull yourself together. ]

chapter thirteen : lunar interlude : vercopa (3.5k words)

[ He did it.

He did exactly what he knew he needed to do.

So why does he feel worse than ever? ]

chapter fourteen : condemned (4.9k words)

[ You’re having trouble sleeping. 

You have no problem falling asleep, it’s mostly staying asleep. There’s a million different things that consume your thoughts and everytime you drift into unconsciousness you find yourself jolting awake, barely able to stay asleep for more than an hour at a time. ]

chapter fifteen : two tea parties (5.4k words)

[ “What did you do to her?”

Her voice breaks through his sleepy haze as he sits up properly. 

“Excuse me?” ]

chapter sixteen : absolution (4.6k words)

[ There’s a visceral sense of dread when you wake up, for several reasons. 

The glaring obvious culprit of your discomfort would be the fact that today’s your husband's birthday. ]

chapter seventeen : the apostate’s cabin (3.5k words)

[ Just Din. 

It’s sinking in as you walk in silence, holding his hand tightly as he pulls you towards his home. ]

chapter eighteen : portrait of a man (5.4k words)

[ It’s deliciously warm when you wake. You can feel his heartbeat and you can feel the soft traces of sunlight dancing along your back. You stretch in his arms slightly but freeze up as you feel him nuzzle his chin into your hair, planting a kiss against your hairline. ]

✩ chapter nineteen : reverence (7.3k words)

[ You really want to. 

You couldn’t possibly want to more than you currently do. 

It’s actually a bit mean. That he’s left you here in this state. ]

✩ chapter twenty : like real people do (8.4k words)

[ Mando and Din. 

All you can think about right now is how there must be two of them. 

You’re playing with his curls. ]

✩ chapter twenty one : te mirci't (9.0k words)

[ “It means I love you.” 

You aren’t entirely sure how long you stare at him, looking rather silly with your jaw practically on the floor. ]

✩ chapter twenty two : it’s you that i lie with (11.3k words)

[ Naboo has several trading ports. 

You could get him on a cargo ship. That would be the most inconspicuous form of transport. It would help if he was willing to ditch his armor. ]

✩ chapter twenty three : lunar markets (15.0k words)

[ Sneaking out of the castle gets easier every time you do it. 

It only takes a few minutes and you’re walking outside towards the forest trail, Din’s hand in yours, still giddy. ]

✩ chapter twenty four : lunar interlude : riduur (7.8k words)

[ He doesn’t deserve this.

How could he possibly be deserving of you? Yet somehow you make him feel as if he is. With your soft touch and the way your eyes get just a little bigger when you see him. ]

✩ chapter twenty five : wedding bells (11.7k words)

[ Four days of Leo. 

You were upset that Din was leaving you but you got over it rather quickly with the promise of his hasty return. ]

chapter twenty six : crucifixion (12.7k words)

[ “My room is too big.” 

He bursts into genuine peals of laughter and you gently smack his arm.

“Don’t laugh, it’s a serious issue! My room is enormous.” ]

chapter twenty seven : the apostate (6.0k words)

[ Silence.

That’s all there is in his brain. 

It’s hard enough as is for him to hear. It doesn’t help when he’s been beaten half to death. ]

✩ chapter twenty eight : a place for us (8.4k words)

[ You’d spent the better half of the day trying to get on top of him. 

Every time you managed to get close he’d simply set you down on the nearest surface with a kiss on the cheek and go back to doing whatever he was working on. ]

chapter twenty nine : the best kept secret (epilogue) (6.1k words)

[ The morning sun is warm against your face, you bask in it, unmoving and only half awake until you feel a tiny hand slapping your cheek. The illusion of tranquility is immediately shattered as you softly laugh. ]

[xoluvx]

en la pichi interlude; b.eilish y me digas to' lo mucho que you miss me

The sight of your face on the little screen was daunting. There was a pang in her chest as she stared at the phone. The face familiar yet haunting. Lingering since the day you left. Since the day you both exploded, the spark too strong for either of you to handle anymore.

Biting the inside of her cheek, she clicked on your profile. She'd been completely erased from your life and your feed. The only photo that showed she'd ever existed was the one with the dark grey hoodie. She sighed and locked the phone staring off into space. Her icy blue eyes glazed over as she pushed her body back on the couch, crossing her arms in a pensive state.

"Can I borrow this?" you asked walking into the living room. You hadn't waited for her answer, the hoodie already clung to your body as you cozied your hands into the sleeves, smiling. She opened her arms inviting you to fall into them. Into her. You did so happily. Nuzzling your face into her neck, inhaling her scent. Completely drowning in it.

"He's the worst," you scoffed flailing your red vine at the tv screen with a disgusted face. You were practically laying on her. Her legs outstretched on the ottoman, your head on her chest feeling the soft rise and fall of her beating heart. She simply laughed cupping your jaw turning your face so you were looking at her.

Her eyes traced the curve of your nose. The way your lips were slightly turned downward in confusion. Brows furrowed. She was completely enamored by you. Wanting to live in this moment forever. The sound of your voice, the way you looked in her hoodie. She wanted this every day.

She pulled your face closer and you happily obliged leaning in to kiss her. The kiss tender. Lips molding so perfectly. You tasted of candy and love. She melted into your touch when you brought your hand to her cheek, caressing her skin. So soft and gentle until you were straddling her waist and her hands were under the hoodie and you weren't wearing anything underneath.

Your whimpers sunk into her neck, tongue tracing hearts on her skin as you swayed your hips. She moaned when you took off her beanie, fingers lacing in her hair pulling gently until her lips were parted and your noses were brushing. Your eyes watching the way her lids fluttered. You grabbed her hands pulling them up higher. The hoodie coming up with them until she was sliding it off your body.

She held your naked body. Hands cold on your skin as you kissed again. Fingers tracing swirls on your back. You felt the chills coursing through your body; nipples hard and needy longing for her touch. Her hands came around to cup your breasts as you swayed your hips getting off from the friction created by your clothes.

Billie snapped out of it. The same beanie she'd been wearing rested on the coffee table. Her phone next to it. Reaching for it, she put it on then slid the phone in the pocket of her jeans as she got up heading for the door.

The night swallowed her as she pulled out of the driveway. The moonlight offering some comfort as she drove with the music low. She didn't need directions. She had them memorized by heart. The route so familiar, it was like muscle memory when she pulled up to your driveway.

Grabbing her phone, she stared at your picture. So small in the screen that held you captive. She bit her lip contemplating her next move. It was either call you and beg for you to see her or put her car in reverse and pretend none of it had happened.

"Hey, um-" she cleared her throat leaning her elbow on the car down.

"-I'm outside. Are you home?" her voice was shaky as she heard rustling from the other side of the phone. The static in your voice made her insides flutter and she bit her lip listening to your feet shuffle on your wooden floors. She got out of the car, door closing as she heard you curse under your breath tripping over something.

Then she was standing at the door, phone still pressed to her ear. Free hand tucked into the pocket of her jeans. Eyes fixed on the door that opened abruptly.

The hoodie. You were wearing her hoodie.

Your eyes locked. The spark burning in your irises. Lips curling upward in a small smile as you opened the door a little wider letting her in.

Free to walk back in your heart.

[cocomanga]

The Sweetest Beat - Set 4

Pairing: Megumi Fushiguro x Fem!Reader,

CW: Daddy Kink, Praise Kink, Size Kink, Oral, BDSM, Unprotected Sex, Edging, Drunk Sex, Aggressive Sex, Overstimulation, NPD Abuse/Trauma, Intense Feral Megumi.

READER DISCRETION ADVISED: HEAVY Noncon/Dubcon Please DO NOT proceed if that triggers you. Yes, I'm so extra. Ha! This is the Megumi I want to royally f*ck up my life honey. I couldn't find him in fics so I created him myself. Brace yourself.

Note: please block me if my work is not your cup-o-tea. I do not own any of the character art Please respect my blog art.

Reader is encouraged to listen to music mentioned for context :)

Total WC : 15K

Wanna take it from the top? Start at Set 1🎶;)

<< The Sweetest Beat - Set 3

The Sweetest Beat - Set 5 >>

TSB - Masterlist ~ AO3 | Wattpad | Playlist

Synopsis: Megumi Fushiguro is the leader of a fresh new rock band. They're currently playing covers and gaining a following at an alarming rate, skyrocketing his career as an indie artist. But when his best friend introduces him to a beautiful someone and sparks fly, he's challenged to navigate her fear of loving freely.

..... Minors: You have no business here. Love you, but please don't ....

▶ SET 4 Your Interlude – Sabrina Claudio Lung - Vancouver Sleep ClinicPrototype – Andre 3000 Lippincott - Animals As Leaders The Pretender - Foo Fighters Smile Like that – Esperanza Spalding Closer To Me – H.E.R. Double Back – Coco Jones I’m not OK – H.E.R. Thinkin Bout You - Frank Ocean Love You Like I Do – Vancouver Sleep Clinic Fall In - Esperanza Spalding

The office gave off a bit of a chill, with the exception of the body heat between Megumi and you. Most of the time no one was present there at this hour. The atmosphere was tranquil. Still and quiet, pierced through by the sound of the radio he always kept on in his office, the volume turned down extremely low for white noise, playing a familiar song:

Your Interlude - Sabrina Claudio.

The two of you rested peacefully together in these early hours of the morning, in one of his most precious spaces, somewhere important to him.

Megumi had awakened just before dawn, gently tugged out of the depths of his slumber by his consistently wandering mind. Even as he rested in his subconscious, his body, delightfully disoriented, reminded him that things were somehow not the same today.

Today, there was something very different. Something special.

You were there with him. Lying peacefully next to him. The warmth he felt was reminiscent of his childhood, waking up to a gift on Christmas morning. Your beautiful presence by his side.

You were his. And finally, in the most intimate way, completely relaxed and perfectly … vulnerable.

There was no denying how much he liked you. And yet, as of right now, unfortunately, this is a complicated position for the both of you to be in. On mornings like this, Megumi had a hard time.

His body seemed to have a mind of it's own and, of course, he preferred to tame it by something much warmer and softer than what he alone possessed.

Now, this time, he finally had someone. Someone soft. Someone sweet. Someone nice, warm, and cozy. Comfortable. Safe. Someone he truly not only wanted, but needed.

And it’s you. You’re his.

As he peered toward you, and his eyes adjusted to the dark, the shape of your face slowly came into view as slivers of light peeked through tiny openings in the thick drawn curtains. He turned his body toward you, on his soft, comfortable sleeper. It had been about six hours since you both passed out, and he couldn’t be happier to see you here, still next to him.

It felt as if it had taken so long to get you here. You are so beautiful to him. And somehow he could never get enough of you.

I knew I’d always want her. From the moment I saw her.

As relaxed as he is, Megumi’s a special type. The passionate type. The dominant type. The … insatiable type.

After taking time away from you, after getting a taste of you and you disappearing the way you did… last night? That wasn’t enough. Not even close. And seeing you like this? It was only a trigger. A trigger that quickly fired off another round in the barrel of his ravenous nature.

His heart beat heavily in his chest as his gaze rested on your sleeping face. His blood quickly warming in his veins as he took in the perfect image before him that he was sure to record in his mind. He wanted to always remember you like this. And the way he fiercely desired you. He hadn't quite told you. He wanted to show you.

I hope she knows what she’s gotten herself into…

Lung - Vancouver Sleep Clinic

began to play as you lay there, quiet and pretty, the blanket pulled over your back, your hair in a ruffled mess, strands twisted softly in random directions across your face and his arm as he lay next to you.

Your lips slightly parted, your breaths soft and slow, interrupted by tiny murmurs as your head rested comfortably on your forearm.

Megumi’s gaze hovered at your face, his desire stirring inside him, the desire to feel you all over again. To touch more. To taste more.

He gently pinched the blanket and pulled it down slowly, sliding it off of your back as he watched the fabric rise and fall over the outline of your body, unveiling your beautifully smooth skin, the side of your bare breast just barely revealing your nipple as you lay on your belly, his eyes riding each and every one of your curves like waves as they traveled up and down your body.

So fucking pretty.

He reached his large, calloused hand over toward you, his fingertips grazing across your supple skin, it's texture soft and smooth. Your tiny flinch and sleepy moan at his touch, and the contrast against his hand arousing him all the more.

His lids fell halfway over his eyes as he took in the sight of you. He couldn’t help but lean in and kiss your soft shoulder which curved upward into your arm as it supported your head.

She still smells so good.

He inhaled deeply as he pulled the blankets down more, his temperature rising steadily with every extra inch of your body that his eyes could see, until the blanket was completely removed, revealing you in all your beautiful splendor.

Megumi had a tendency to get what he wanted. He never felt the need to speak much, because he’s confident in his value. Not overly confident, but… content. If he ever had something to prove, he had no issue doing so, simply by existing at his best, which was usually excellence. That consistently got him where he needed to be.

Anything it seemed he couldn’t get, he accepted as just not being meant for him. It was what he believed in. Getting shit done meant not being complacent, not settling. Doing what’s required.

He always felt that obtaining something truly meant to be, something he needed, was a sustainable responsibility. And you, you were absolutely something… no… some one he needed.

You were his next greatest accomplishment. Not only an attained goal, but him reaching yet another level of greatness in his life. He recognized greatness. And YOU were it. Precious. Amazing. He had no reason to desire less. He wanted someone as great as you.

Many of the people he regularly met were … abrasive to say the least. Personalities riddled with anger, disregard and ulterior motives, with the exception of his band and his best friend of course. The people that seemed to travel through his life always just wanted something. To attach themselves to him, or to somehow control him to get what they felt they needed.

But not you.

From the very beginning, your frequency was high. A genuine disposition on a wavelength of kindness, your voice a gentle vibration, and a level of humility that he rarely ever saw.

Your sweetness was like an addiction to him. It dripped from you like honey, and he could smell it on you like a starved grizzly.

Ever since the first night the saw you, He craved you. Constantly.

I need more. Right now.

You stirred as he carefully lifted your hips, pushing a pillow underneath you, just enough for him to gain access.

One more should do it.

Your body was completely limp as you lay there, unconscious.

He positioned himself behind you as he sat on his knees between your thighs, one of your knees propped up around the pillows, the other leg straight. He could see between them, but only just a little. He was unable to view your entrance clearly, let alone get inside without moving you a bit more.

His heart thumped faster each second as his hooded dark blues traversed up and down your legs. Your smooth, beautiful legs, leading up to that pretty round ass.

Megumi hovered his entire body over yours, leaning into you, his hands resting on each side of you in the position of a push up, his face nestled into the crook of your neck, pressing his chest softly into your back. His arms held him up as he inhaled your scent, nuzzling into your neck with his eyes closed, planting soft kisses in different areas of your nape and shoulders.

Haah… she drives me fucking crazy.

His hardness pressed firmly between the soft cheeks of the tops of your legs as he exhaled. His face and lips followed the curves of your back as he slid down lower, lifting a hand to slowly trace the outline of your body, pressing lightly against the sides of your breasts, gliding down to your waist as he peppered your back with kisses, strands of his hair following the patterns his lips left behind.

He reached your thighs, leaning his face in between your legs, dark blues staring into your center … that sweet peach that he gets to taste, hopefully now, as often as he wants.

Megumi began to recall that night he sat in this very room, gawking into his computer at you as you were in an entirely different country, slinking around on a bed that he couldn’t join you in.

How many times had he replayed those images in his mind? The sound of the moans you made echoing in his head, torturously audible as he visualized you touching yourself, calling out his name.

How many times had he revisited that moment in his mind as he lay alone in his bed, his cock pressing against the fabric of his boxers, swelling and aching for you to the point he had to free himself of the strain, the pain of it swelling, begging desperately for release that he had no choice but to grant himself?

How many times did he need to stroke it hard to make it soft? To tame it as it’s stiff, angry head leaked when he thought of you, that sweetness that dripped from you like honey, your beautiful body. Your sensual voice. Your big pretty eyes.

You seemed so untouchable then. So far away. He wondered when, or if he’d ever get the chance to see you like this again.

And here you are.

He won't let you go again. You tried it.

And if you try again, he'll stop you.

He'll stop you every time.

… she’s mine.

He gripped your thighs, spreading them apart as you laid there, unconscious. His dick twitching at the sight, his bottom lip disappearing into his mouth.

I want… just a little taste…

Megumi slid his hands upward from the middle of your thighs to your ass. He squeezed, eyes filled with lust, observing how the stretch of your skin caused your entrance to spread open just a bit, your pretty folds blossoming like a flower. He leaned in squeezing a bit more, biting his lip, gawking at your tiny hole, wondering how he ever fit inside.

His breathing became heavier, his body tingling as a hard line formed between his eyebrows. He was growing more ravenous.

She's so fucking hot.

His eyes dart up toward you, checking to see if you’re awake.

He hissed, feeling his dick pulse, begging for entry. His brows wrinkling more as he gripped your thighs, pressing your legs open and his thumbs in, pushing outward, spreading you even wider.

He flicked out his tongue, pressing it between your folds, dipping it into your hole softly as to not startle you awake, rotating it in tiny circles as it inched further inside with each small circle, then closing his lips around it with soft kisses.

As you lay on your belly, he kissed your clit, then slid his tongue up to your entrance, pressing it deeper inside your heat, then trapping the fleshy layers between the tender part of his lips as he sucked.

He repeated each pass again, kissing your clit, licking up to your hole, plunging it inside, sucking your flesh. Again and again, opening you wider each time. Your taste driving him nearly mad.

He remembered how that night, the first time he touched his tongue to your lower lips, how sweet you were. He couldn’t wait to taste you again. He could devour you every day and never get tired.

He remembered how he damn near desperately wanted to submerge his entire body inside you and bathe in your nectar. His cock throbbed almost painfully at the thought.

Megumi moaned against your core, his pulse quickening, his thoughts growing foggy from your intoxicating scent as he licked you like candy.

He used his thumbs to widen you even more, bringing your opening more clearly into view. He was now rutting his tongue inside, thrusting, pushing harder, desperate to go in as deep as possible.

He flicked it against your gummy walls, blissed out on your flavor.

His dick jolted eagerly, calling out to you. He reached down, holding it in a tight grip, as if telling it to wait its turn while he lapped up your juices with his tongue.

You stirred from the commotion, feeling strange sensations in your sleep. Your body tingling, tremors starting and stopping in intervals.

“Mgh!..” … Is it a dream?

You thought

She’s gonna wake up

He thought

Ah … she’s fucking delicious. “Mmgh” N-Need to get inside...

“Mmmh!”... you moaned, stirring even more, half asleep.

Your eyes rolled around behind your lids, tiny moans escaping your lips as Megumi continued, keeping his screaming cock at bay as his mouth fucked and sucked on your sex.

He noticed your squirming, your hair tossing around as you writhed.

He kissed you one last time on your glistening pussy, then hovered his face up over it. He held you open with a semi-strong grip, he coated his tongue with saliva, opened his mouth and watched it fall, glazing your opening.

“Haaah fuck”

He leaned into you, his hard body over yours, his solid muscles flexing as he propped himself up with his arm, his hair falling over his fiery eyes as he looked down at your face, your eyes still closed.

He reached down, gripping his thick, hot, angry cock in his hand, pressing the tip into the wet mess he'd made.

He pressed in a little harder... his eyes fluttering, then flicking up toward your face as he waited for your reaction.

"Mmm… So tight…"

You moaned, and whimpered… a little louder than before.

He pressed in harder. Slowly…

You stirred more. Your eyebrows scrunched, “mmhh!”

what… “ahh”... what’s happening?

Harder still, halfway in, he let go of his throbbing cock, rock solid, and needing very little assistance going forward. He gripped your inner thigh, opening you up even more.

His darkened eyes watched you move around, his other arm gripping the sheets against the mattress next to your head for more leverage as he rocked his hips, thrusting his big dick further inside you, your gummy walls clenching around him.

Pressing deeper still... Megumi couldn’t contain his own whimper as he sank into your tight, hot, wet, cunt.

“mmmhh.... ~Megumi!”

Oh my god… He feels so good! “Ha-ah…”

He’s … so fucking big.

You could feel him shudder with every stroke, your voice riling him up even more, his steady rhythm wavering as he fought the urge to go over the edge, dying to cum inside you and fill you to the brim with his seed. He gripped your hips with a constraining hold so tight you’d think he was afraid you’d get away.

He’s so strong… that will... leave a mark...

He leaned in further, pressing his chest against your back, sucking hot pink blotches onto your neck and back as he continued to slide his length slowly in and out of your slick heat.

He’s… marking me… branding me.

Megumi propped himself up by his elbows as he grinded his hips slowly into you, savoring every inch of your passage that his length covered, his hands fisting into your hair after gently brushing it up off of your back and neck with his fingers.

His tongue feather-light as it glided along the line of your neck behind his wet kisses, sending shivers up your spine.

He groaned as his long shaft pumped slowly in and out, your bodies flush against each other, while he continued to color the skin on your nape with soft sucking motions, realizing you were fully awake by now.

“Can’t run from me anymore...” he hissed into your ear.

He was completely drunk on your pussy, steadily growing more feral. His body trembled, goosebumps pressing out against his skin as his dick dragged along the gummy walls of your tight heat.

More… fuck, I need more of her.

His hitched breaths wafted over your neck as he thrusted, his shaft disappearing even deeper into your core, reaching desperately for your sweet spot. “ha-ah wake up pretty girl.” his deep, raspy voice cooing directly into your ear, the warmth of his breath wafting down your neck, his jet-black hair tickling the side of your face.

“Ngh! … Me—gumi! You… you feel so good baby.” You whimpered into the pillow as your body trembled beneath him.

The feeling of him exploring you, his hands, his soft hair, his beautiful face, his deep dark blue eyes gazing over every part of your body in every secret place, his long, hot cock filling your insides, his deep sexy voice… every touch, look, or piece of attention you receive from him never failed to have you melting into slick hot puddles.

His words, and at the pace he was moving, felt so amazing, tears pricked at the corners of your eyes as you relaxed, your combined vibrations gliding beautifully along the same wavelength.

“That’s my girl”. He purred, still holding you tightly in his grasp.

You lifted your waist up a bit from the pillows, granting him easier access to you as your face mushed back and forth, your lips parting as you gasped, eyes still closed, letting him do whatever he wanted with you.

Megumi responded, releasing your head, snaking his hand down curving it around your thigh toward the front, pausing his thrusts as he began massaging your clit with his middle fingers, the sharp sensations causing you to jerk his length even deeper inside you.

Your moans became even louder, your body entranced by the feeling of this man’s meticulous ministrations.

Megumi’s thick hardness throbbed deep inside your sweltering heat as it jerked and pulsed into you all on its own. The weight of his body held you still, forcing you to take everything he gave you.

Megumi pushed out a low grunt, then hissed softly into your ear. He pulled out slowly, just a bit, then pushed back in to the hilt. “Haah... fuck, you feel so good.”

You couldn’t help but moan his name. “M~Megumi!” as you held in your release.

“Who's pussy is this, love?”

“Megumi's.”

“Ngh…” he buried his face in your neck. “that’s right… Now, I need you to go ahead and cum on daddy’s dick.”

He pressed in one last time before lifting the weight of his torso off of you, pulling you by our waist from the pillows, spreading your thighs wider with his knees.

He tightened his grip on your hips as he flattened one of his hands against the small of your back, sliding it up to the middle, pressing it down.

You responded with a deep arch, feeling his length press inside you, impossibly deeper.

Your belly felt it’s absence as his heavy shaft pulled slightly out of you, then back in, over and over as he began to move faster, thrusting and squelching and pumping in and out of your soft hole.

His mind went dumb and his mouth gaped open as he rutted into your sex, sweat dripping, muscles spasming, blissed out as he ravished you, hitting your sweet spot with every thrust, beating and beating as your soft walls massaged his length.

Your chest and head pressed deeper into the mattress as Megumi’s hands firmly grasped your hips, drilling himself into your core.

His eyes rolled back with his head as his face turned toward the heavens, the euphoria of being inside you taking over his being. “Haaah…so wet … aaah! … you make … me … fucking… crazy” he beat harder, deeper, pounding relentlessly as he felt himself peak…

You whimpered as your arms stretched out wide, your hands tightly gripping the sheets around you, “Nghaaa! … I’m.. Ugh! I'm cumming baby! …” your entire body convulsed even as you climaxed, clutching him fiercely, the sound of skin on skin slapping, echoing throughout he room.

As Megumi felt you coat him, soaking his cock in your sweet cream, he doubled over, continued to fuck himself into your messy center, his tip kissing your cervix until every drop of his hot cum was milked from him, filling your hole to the brim.

You both rode out the high, moaning together, his chest rising and falling as it pressed into your back, his hot tongue making more long strokes across the back of your neck and shoulders.

Megumi had seared himself into your body.

And god, you loved how it burned.

*~*~*~*~*

Work was tedious, and as demanding as usual.

Mr. Geto took full advantage of your abilities, as well he should, since you had more than proven your worth at this gig. However, after that last work trip you took, it seemed to be much easier for you to work up the courage to ask for compensation whenever you were expected to stretch your self thinner.

“Would you be willing to go on another one?” Mr. Geto asked as he walked into the breakroom where you were filling your mug up with your 3rd cup of coffee.

“Another… What?” you asked, pouring in cream and sugar.

He closed his eyes and flashed you a huge fake smile, jokingly. “Another work trip of course.”

“Oof…” you said, raising your eyebrows as you nearly burned your mouth on the scorching hot coffee. “Maybe hire some more help?”

“I could do that… or you could get that bag” he quipped.

You chuckled, “Touché sir. Tch”.

“Hey, look, why should I train another group right away when I have one that’s more than capable right here.” He held out his hands, shrugging his shoulders.

“I get it, but the few of us can only do so much. Have you had any other employees train for this position?”

“I have, actually. We worked together for a while just before I transferred here. His name’s Sukuna. He’s a powerhouse. Great work ethic but kind of a hard ass. He’ll be coming by this office next week.”

“Well that’s a relief. Hopefully he’ll work well with our team.” You said, with a slightly concerned look in your eyes.

“I’m sure he will. I’ll keep you updated on the details. See you later.” Geto waved as he walked out of the breakroom back to his office.

You waved back, relieved that you’ll get a break from his overwhelming expectations, but hoped a brand new leader in your department wouldn’t cause any issues.

You decided not to worry too much about it, especially since you were able to trust Geto to take care of his team.

“Three hours left” you sighed, on your way to your desk. “I’ll be glad to get back home.”

*~*~*~*~*

You walked about two blocks from your work to the train station.

The air was crisp outside, as the temperature began to fall slightly below usual. You could feel the chill just underneath the breeze, welcoming Autumn, your favorite time of year where the leaves graced the ground in their fiery shades and tints of reds and yellows.

You stood at the edge of the platform as you watched your train approach. You took out your earbuds and popped them in, playing

Prototype – Andre 3000

Thoughts of Megumi began swirling around in your head. You never seemed to have to wait too long before your mind was filled with him. Your life, and everything in it seemed easier to manage now that he was a part of it. That was a warm feeling, but one you had strangely never known before.

The way he seems to lift the weight of the world from your shoulders was far too easy to become addicted to.

It was as if you had drifted off into an alternate universe. A universe where the people who made you happiest existed.

This wonderful, adventurous life, this one, is the one you had been looking for. The one you had been longing for.

After all, it was a life you were building for yourself. You had Nobara, Yuji, and now, you could say you had him. He had practically shown up out of nowhere. Unexpectedly, and spectacularly.

Your warm heart skipped a beat in your chest as you relaxed into your seat. You held your head down, the metal grinding against the tracks piercing through to your ears past your music, while flashes of Megumi's dark blues burning through your eyes sparked into your head.

Neurons fired in your brain, triggering a tingling sensation that spread throughout your body to your core as you blushed, recalling his touch, his intensity, and the way he just took you.

You periodically snuck quick glances up at the strangers’ faces on the train, hoping no one had noticed that deep blush on your cheeks as goosebumps peaked on your skin, and you pressed your knees together.

Everything Megumi was made him unbelievably desirable, especially to someone like you. Someone who desired to be taken.

You knew that this environment, this … atmosphere, between you and him, especially considering what has already happened, was like fertile ground. Fertile enough to cultivate whatever brooding emotions were lying dormant in your soul.

What better companion to share them, to nurture them with than him? Someone like-minded, who shared your interests, desires, and tastes... someone extremely compatible with you.

The train screeched to a halt, snapping you out of your daze as you smirked to yourself while rising from your seat. You jostled through the heard of people leaving the train, headed up the stairs, emerging out of the hole in the ground and started on your journey a couple blocks from the station back home.

Megumi had taken you home that morning, waited for you while you got ready for work, and had given you a ride there, considering how much energy he'd drained from you the night AND morning before.

“It’s the very least I can do” he said, with that cute smirk. He had come up for just a second without coming inside, to grab a copy of your track so he could listen in the car while you got ready.

You can still remember how you felt as he gazed at you, leaning his head on the back of his seat while he assured you he’d be there waiting for you when you’re done.

He was all over you now. In your life, in your head, and in your heart, and you welcomed him.

As amazing as it was, It still felt strange to think you were so much closer to being an item. And even more strange to know that your feelings for him had been turned up to a level you’d never experienced before.

With this knowledge, there was one thing for absolute certain. You needed to maintain a distraction to keep your anxious attachment at bay. This was yet another “thing” for you.

Thanks a lot dad.

Trusting yourself to keep a healthy distance was a tall order, unfortunately. Needless to say, your past relationships had more than reflected that. It wasn’t something new.

Of course, you were talented and pretty, so it wasn’t like you couldn’t have ended up with a guy at some point if you really wanted to. A guy isn’t the same as your guy though.

It’s this one. He is the one you want.

Unfortunately, it was that part that scared you the most. It often felt like the one you want always got away somehow. Your clingy nature had betrayed you more than once, and you refused to allow it to fuck you over again. You had worked out a way to fight this. Kinda.

You’d decided to take your time, to relish him, living in the moment, enjoying him for who he is right now, staying as grounded as possible. That’s as good as it gets for now. Nothing is set in stone, so it’s best to relax and just be mindful.

Megumi’s beauty, his inner beauty and outer beauty was as clear as crystal. Yet it was also quite obvious that thinking he was perfect was far from reasonable.

Life is life, and you’re only human. It was only a matter of moments, minutes, seconds, before you crashed headlong into one or more of those things that make him tick, those things that you have no idea are there until they show up. Inevitably present in either him, or you.

It was great and all to run into someone who seemed to be a perfect match, but you understood that you were just as deserving of greatness as he is, so you vowed to yourself to maintain your grip, but a loose one.

As you reached the door of your apartment, a vibration rattled inside your bag as you shuffled through all the junk in it to find your phone.

“Hey girl!” Nobara’s bright, cheerful voice was a refreshing welcome, blossoming through your heavy thoughts.

“Hey! What’s up girl?”

“Where you at?” she asked.

“Literally just making it home from work.” you opened your door to your quite messy place, things strewn about everywhere from this morning as you hurried, trying not to force Megumi to wait forever for you to get ready.

“It’s been a few days since we talked. How did everything go with Megumi that night? Are you guys, ok?”

You took a deep breath, plopping down on the sofa. “More than ok. He’s…” you looked up toward the ceiling, closing your eyes as you searched your mind for the right word to describe exactly what you were feeling about him. “…satisfying”.

Nobara’s smile slowly spread across her face. Genuinely happy to hear the contentment in your voice. “Wow.” She chuckled, “Glad to hear it honey.”

“Yeah. Thank you so much. For everything.” You said to her, loving the fullness and warmth in your heart.

“Of course. You know I love you. I’m here for you girl. I really am happy for you. You deserve this.”

Your smile seemed to spread even wider at her kind words. “The vibe is just so... nice. I really don’t wanna screw this up.”

“You won’t. I’m willing to bet that you can’t even if you tried.”

Your brow furrowed a bit as you processed what she said. “What do you mean by that?”

Nobara huffed, “Well, I don’t think that would be the case if you were someone else… Someone with low morals, or if you were a jerk or something. But you’re a sweet person.”

She continued, “What do you think I could do, as a real friend, that would cause you to never speak to me again?”

You squinted a bit, pondering. “Um… nothing really... outside of killing me. Which would suck.” You chuckled.

“Uh yeah! See?” She said. “If he’s yours, he’s yours.”

You giggled “so profound, professor!”

“Hey, I’m just saying.”

“Nah, I get you.” You smiled, “I suppose you’re right.”

“So… on another note, I wanted to let you know, someone texted me, asking where you were after you left me.”

“Who?”

“Your dad.” She replied with a snarky tone.

The heavy sigh you released seemed a little too loud. “What did he say?”

“He just asked where you were. Said you didn’t answer when he called. I assume he might've had something important to talk about since he called me. You might wanna ask.”

“Hmmm…” you frowned, “That’s weird. I didn’t see a call or text from him. Okay, I’ll reach out. Thanks for letting me know. How is Yuji doing?”

“Tch. As sweet as ever. I’ll be seeing him a little later. Probably you, too right?”

“Um… Yeah, sure?” You didn’t know what she meant by that, since you hadn’t planned anything but figured it was a general statement.

“OK cool. I’ll call you later.”

“Okay!”

“Byeeee!”

*~*~*~*~*

You hopped out of the shower feeling refreshed, having had a small meal since you weren’t that hungry. You decided to text your dad to see what he wanted, opting not to call. If you did, it was highly likely you’d end up listening to him talk for hours.

You: Hey dad. Nobara told me you were looking for me?

Dad: Oh hey daughter! I couldn’t get a hold of you at the time so I thought maybe you were with her.

You: Oh, ok. Whats up?

Dad: I have a show to do, I wondered if you had some free time to sing backup for me.

You: I’m not sure. Can you send me the details for the event?

Dad: Ok I will!

You: Ttyl!

You set the phone down on the couch next to you, slightly confused at the sudden request. It was really strange for him to ask this now, since it had been so long since you’d worked with him. The first thing you thought was that he must have had a contact fall through, or someone quit.

That was typical.

He wasn’t exactly kind to his singers. Not all of the time. Especially if he was comfortable with them or under stress. Whenever something was off, or if they got a note or understanding of something wrong, he could be pretty mean.

You figured it was a good chance for you to get your feet back into the water though. Of course Megumi is guilty of inspiring that in you. Maybe you should just warm up the old chords again.

Just then, your phone vibrated again. Speak of the hottie.

Megz: wya

You: Hey. Home. Whats up?

Megz: Come to rehearsal.

You: Really? What time?

Megz: About 6?

You: At the studio?

Megz: Yup.

You: K… See you there.

Wow. You could feel your entire body beam. A rehearsal?

So exciting. You wondered what he's like in his element, what he’d look and sound like bossing around his band mates, and now you get to see what could be an entirely different side of him.

This is his work. His livelihood. And he’s sharing it with you. Just as before, you felt like he was opening up his world to you. Inviting you to be a part of it with no hesitation. It was nice.

But what about Maki and the guys? You wondered if they’d be just as comfortable with you all up in their space like that.

Not to mention how ridiculously nervous you were about letting him hear your track. You’d talked about it before, briefly, but you were thinking since he’d played it in his car, he could just give you a quick, useful critique or something. But he hadn't mentioned it.

God forbid he plays it in front of anyone else.

Oh my god, I’ll die… he wouldn’t do that.

You couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy since, in your experience, studios are obviously the place where new music is heard, rehearsed and perfected.

He’d better not. Seriously, Megumi. Please don’t.

You mumbled to yourself as you plugged in an Uber ride and got ready to go.

*~*~*~*~*

You arrived at the studio around a quarter after, hoping you wouldn’t walk in on an important part of a song and interrupt something.

Your body was filled with curiosity and nervousness, especially considering the last time you were here, Megumi was fucking the life out of you. In his office no less. Your eyebrows wrinkled as a shudder went through you at the thought of it.

Embarrassment also crept through each of your nerves as you approached, the sound of their loud instruments and Choso’s voice vibrating in a muffled cadence against the windows and door as they played

The Pretender - Foo Fighters

Which would be performed at their next show.

You grabbed the handle pulling it open, and to your surprise, Yuji and Nobara were standing in the doorway to the control room from the foyer, hanging out as the band played behind the glass shield in the live room.

Your eyes brightened, your nerves relaxing a bit as you approached them with a smile and an excited gleam in your eyes. “Heeeey!”

“Told you I’d see you later.” Nobara beamed back at you as you sauntered over toward her and Itadori.

“I had no idea until Megz invited me! I’m so glad to see you guys!”

“Ah I see.” Nobara giggled. “Made it a surprise huh?”

Your smile lit up the room. “Hey Yuji!”

“Hey sweetheart. How’ve you been? You’re glowing like a new moon!” He replied.

“Oh my god… Am I?” You questioned with a frown, rolling your eyes, your hands swiftly moving to cover your face.

“Uh… yeah?” Nobara added, the contagion of your smile reaching her first. “It’s a good look on you.”

Itadori huffed, “Yeah, you look pretty happy”.

You nodded, your lips pressing into a thin line as you blushed toward the floor.

Itadori’s smile also widened as he observed you attempting to hide the heavy pink in your cheeks.

You elbowed him as you leaned in, pushing his arm playfully. “Gimme a break, guys.” You murmured.

Yuji wrapped an arm around your shoulder, squeezing you close to him as he kissed you on your head. “I’m happy for you, babe.”

You caught a glimpse of Megumi watching you interact with your friends as you turned toward the glass window that allowed a clear view into the opposite room where the band played.

Your lips disappeared into your mouth as you made eye contact with him, and quickly averted your gaze as the pink filled your cheeks even deeper than they had a moment before.

As usual, Megumi’s eyes remained locked on to you, staring for what felt like far too long, smirking at your adorable shy face, granting you a quick upward nod before finally drawing his attention back to the guy next to him, who was apparently directing him.

Your heart thumped heavily in your chest. He made you feel like a love crazed schoolgirl. You continued to peek into the room where he sat at his kit as the guy you didn’t know talked to him, then turned to look at you, smiled, then turned his attention back to Megumi.

You were struck with curiosity and overwhelm as you observed the atmosphere, which felt was completely different compared to the last time you were there.

Obviously, more people and instruments were present, and the entire place, was lit up. Apparently Megumi had two kits here, one in the large main area of the studio, and one behind the glass where they recorded.

The band was back there with him going over their process, deciding which parts to replay. The director was apparently a guest producer that Megumi used as a neutral party to help him get everything recorded since he spent most of his time on that side of the window with the band.

Considering Megumi’s level of talent, and his high standards, the guy had to be just as excellent at his job, if not, better.

They all played their hearts out, as per usual, while you, Itadori, and Nobara sat quietly on the couch in the “control room”. The place looked beautifully professional. And … expensive.

You’d had plenty of experience working in different studios across the city, and understood many of the nuanced practices of performing, laying down, and mixing tracks in ones similar to this, but you could tell that Megumi and his family put a lot of time, energy, and money into this place.

You remembered what he’d mentioned before about bringing people here. You couldn’t imagine not monitoring and/or scrutinizing every soul that set foot into these rooms, let alone trusting them to begin with on the outset of inviting them here.

There were multiple mixing boards in the control room, computers, a couple guitars, and two keyboards. In the live room was several electric guitars, two acoustic electrics, two electric bass’ AND every band member was inside the “live room” holding an instrument.

There were multiple professional microphones including the ones in the isolation booths, as well as foot pedals, speakers, amps … you could go on. It was nuts.

There was money everywhere in here, and it was clear that every instrument was obviously used, yet close to pristine.

The room you sat in was comfy, which had a couple couches and a coffee table for guests, away from the music as to keep you from disrupting the recording.

It was amazing. You felt so special, being granted the opportunity to see this amazing band’s process, like being let in on exclusive content. It was only a matter of time, only a little time too, until they hit it big, and you could say you were here, at their beginning, witnessing even the hiccups and re-dos, and all the times they created something spectacular right on the spot.

The guy Megumi talked to was on his way out of an isolation booth, which was attached to the control room you were in. He was handsome, had a great vibe, and a warm smile. They seemed to get along really well. Megumi even smiled a lot more with him.

“Who is that guy?” you wondered, whispering to Yuji as you watched their interactions.

“That’s another one of Megumi’s good friends, Ino.” Yuji answered. “He also went to school with them, but graduated a year before Megumi left. He studied music production there and has a studio there also.”

“Wow.” You huffed, “No wonder”.

“No wonder what?” Yuji asked, hearing you thinking aloud.

“Oh, um, I was just thinking, ‘no wonder Megumi works with him’. He must really know his stuff.”

“Yeah for sure.” Itudori agreed. “You already know. Megz doesn’t play games when it comes to his work. Ino’s the same way.”

You couldn’t help but smile, watching him direct his attention to Maki and the others while twirling his sticks around between his fingers, as Ino now addressed the entire band.

He’s such a fucking badass.

… “God he’s hot.”…

Nobara’s eyes grew wide as she turned over to you, her mouth gaping open as she started to laugh.

“Oh, shit did I say that out loud?” you gasped as you covered your mouth with your hand, giggling.

“Girl, you are so funny!” She chuckled, rolling her eyes.

“My bad, I was just thinking and it slipped out!” You smirked. “He IS though… shit! I can't fucking contain myself!” you whispered, biting your lip.

Just then, Ino sauntered over to the mixing board interrupting your girl’s moment with the most serious, yet confident look on his face. “Hey there” he smiled, looking directly at you as he sat in the fancy swivel chair in front of the soundboard.

“Hey” you said, still giggling a little.

“I’m Ino.” He held his hand out to shake yours.

You shook his hand, gladly introducing yourself, excited to meet yet another extraordinary person, courtesy of Megumi.

“You’re coming out after this right?” he asked, turning toward the board as he tweaked a few knobs.

“Out?” Experiencing a little déjà vu, you asked, “out where?”

“Yeah,” Nobara agreed. “Time for another gathering” she expressed with a jump of her eyebrows. “Aaaand this time, I’m not wasted.”

“Yet.” Itadori interjected.

You let out a quick chuckle. “So where’s the meet-up this time?”

“Of course you don’t know.” Nobara added. “We’re going to Megumi’s”.

Your heart just about jumped out of your chest. All this time, you and Megumi had still not seen each other’s places.

Well, he saw the outside of yours that morning he walked you out of here and drove you home so that he could take you to work, but he didn’t come in. He said something about it being your personal space and he didn’t want to invade it until you were ready.

Damn charmer, right?

You’ll see his personal space now. Yet another one of his personal spaces. But with your friends… and his band… so… it wasn’t like… he was making it personal for you.

Your mouth hung open a bit as you processed the idea of being in Megumi’s home. Where he sleeps every night. Where he rests his head. I mean, you definitely didn’t want just anyone wandering around in your personal space, and knowing Megumi, he didn’t decide to invite just anyone over on a whim.

His selection is always curated. Just as it is for you. And it wouldn’t be a far fetched notion to presume he had instruments there, too.

You now understood how he felt about coming into your place. But this was … fun. Exciting.

You glanced over at the clear window into the next room where he sat, only to see him, yet again, staring over in your direction. It was as if he was waiting for your reaction to the invite.

Maki called him after a few moments, ripping his gaze from you. He looked over to see what he needed just as Ino was instructing them to finish the last song.

“Ok one more and then we’ll hear the new song.”

“New song? They’re doing another one?” you asked, curious.

“I dunno.” Nobara answered.

You were actually pretty excited to hear it, hoping it was one of the originals they've been doing. It was, the one you walked in on Megumi playing the last time you came here.

Lippincott - Animals As Leaders

They all laid it down perfectly, even Choso took part even though it was an instrumental, wrapping up that ridiculously complicated song.

“Okay, you’re up”. Ino said.

You looked at him, then looked around as if there ware another person near you that you didn’t realize was there.

“Excuse me? Are –” you looked over at Yuji then at Nobara, “are you talking to me?”

“Yup” Ino said with a little smirk.

“Up?” You squinted, “Up for – what exactly?”

“Why don’t you go talk to Megz for a sec?” he replied.

You looked over to Megumi as he simpered toward you.

You’ve got to be kidding me…

All you could think was ‘this sure as hell better not be what I think it is’. He wouldn’t do that, right? Reality hitting you as you got up to go talk to him.

What the hell were you feeling? You decided it was definitely fear, mixed with some other things… you looked over to Nobara for some understanding, mouthing the words “what the hell is going on?” confusion showing up all over your face.

Yeah, that’s what it was. The extra feeling was frustration. Maybe even anger. But you weren’t sure how to place it yet so you decided not to panic.

Though that was crazy, since you were walking into a live studio with a boatload of professional performers in the middle of a place you’ve only been in once to fuck the greatest man you’d ever known.

What the hell?

You creeped over toward the door, Megumi sitting at his kit behind a shield. Maki, Toge, Yuta and Choso were all in this room as well, chatting amongst themselves while you nervously approached Megumi, freaking out.

“What is going on?” you whispered to him, genuinely confused, but also scared as hell.

“Don’t be mad.” Megumi said as you approached him.

“What?” You replied, looking around feeling like you were the last person to know what was happening.

“I just… I let Inumaki hear your track, and he agreed to play it for you. I was hoping you’d sing it while we’re here.”

“What?! Are you kidding me?” your eyes were like a deer's in headlights.

“You can say no. I promise, its ok… I just … I was hoping you’d just let me master it for you.”

You hid your face in your hand, hoping the gesture would make you completely invisible. “Yeah. I’m gonna have to pass.”

“Please… let me take care of it for you?” His voice and expression was so sincere it almost pissed you off.

“Megumi…” you whispered, a little louder than necessary, but with a nervous smile. “Out of nowhere like this? You didn’t give me time to prepare or anything. I didn’t even know you were having rehearsal today until last minute!” You finished with a grimace as you turned your face toward him so only he could see it.

“Are you sure? I mean, Ino can just…”

“No Megumi.” you interrupted. “You said I can say no,” your eyebrows raised as you looked around the room, leaning further in to him, whispering, hoping no one could hear you. “… so I’m saying ‘no’. this feels too forced. I don’t like it.”

Megumi’s big dark blues looked down quickly at his sticks, then back up at you as they squinted slightly, a small grimace forming on his lips. “Okay.’

“Can we please talk about this later?” It was as if you could feel all of the eyes in the rooms on you and him.

“Of course.” He answered, his voice barely above a whisper.

You turned on your heels, and walked back to the other room, to your spot next to Nobara, your lips pressing into a straight line as you approached the couch, sitting down slowly and leaning in to her, extremely embarrassed by that interaction.

“Is everything ok?” Nobara asked, a troubled look on her face.

“I think so… I’m not sure.” You answered with a small frown, feeling as if the room was closing in on you.

Ino looked over to Megumi who actually, for the first time, appeared embarrassed himself. His face taking on the appearance of a child who had just been scolded. He maintained that look of serious thought as he stared down at his sticks for a moment, his brow furrowing a bit.

He glanced up at Toge, who appeared to be waiting for his queue from him. Megumi quickly, almost unnoticeably shook his head, then turned his attention to Ino, who apparently understood.

“Well, um… Okay then.” Ino continued. “Let’s listen to the last take of the first song again, see if you guys are ok with it, and I think we’re done.”

*~*~*~*~*

As you sat, processing what had just happened, you remembered you had to find out from your dad about his event.

Happy to have an excuse to escape from the tense environment, you excused yourself from the room to call. You noticed there was poor reception on the phone inside the studio. Only one bar displaying the closer you moved toward the front door.

It now made sense that your dad couldn’t reach you before, since you came here after meeting with Nobara that night when you missed his call.

You gave him a call, tapping the green button just as you reached the front door. It was fine though, as you had no desire to cause any interruptions in their performance.

“Hello, Daughter.” Your dad chimes in, sounding quite cheerful.”

“Hey. How’s it going?”

“Do you have time to chat?”

“Sure.”

“Thanks for calling. Our performance is this Saturday. I was hoping you could perform your song with us as well as background on songs you already know. We’re having a quick rehearsal with the band tomorrow night.”

“Saturday? And tomorrow? So soon...”

“Well, you might have guessed, someone quit on me.” He ended his statement with a loud hearty laugh.

“Oh. Uh… Well… I have a show that I’d already planned to go to this Saturday.”

“Our performance is early in the day. It’s for a wedding, so I can’t delay it or find anyone else soon enough to replace them.”

“Oh… well… okay. I think I can manage that, as long as it’s ok that I leave by 5.”

“Yeah! I’m doing the reception also that evening, but you don’t have to be there for that. Just the wedding, since they requested that one specifically.”

“Sounds good. Where is the rehearsal going to be tomorrow?”

“It’ll be at my house. And you may not need to stay for more than an hour or so.”

“Okay”

“Are you at a show now? I can hear music…”

“Well, I’m actually at a friend’s studio right now.”

“Really? What friend?”

“You don’t know him. I met him a few months ago. He’s a great a–”

“Hey I’m gonna have to go I’m sorry, I was supposed to be back thirty minutes ago. I’ll talk to you later, ok?”

Figures.

“That’s fine. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

As you gripped the phone in your hand, you lowered your arm to your side as it swung like a pendulum. You rolled your eyes, taking a deep breath then closing them, turning your face up toward the ceiling.

Par for the course with him. The second you begin speaking about anything that doesn’t revolve around him, he’s completely uninterested, or has no time for it. It would be so nice if he’d care about or get involved in your life. Just a little.

You noticed the sound system on low as usual in this main room, the foyer of this studio as it played

Smile Like That – Esperanza Spalding

You suddenly hear the door open. Nobara walks over to you quietly, with an odd sense of urgency. She grabbed your hand, turning you toward the door.

“It’s time for you to come back inside” she said, as she let go of your hand while simultaneously turning the knob.

You entered the room, noticing Toge, Yuta, and Maki talking with Yuji, while Choso chatted at the soundboard next to Ino.

Megumi, however, still sat at his kit on the phone, smiling from ear to ear. You looked at him with a squint, tilting your head, then turned back to Nobara.

She looked back at you with a straight face, one of her eyebrows raised and whispered, “He said ‘what is it Nanako’, when he answered.” She crossed her arms, looking back through the window at him. “look, it might be nothing, but … I just thought you should be aware.”

He was sitting, slightly hunched at his kit, with one of the biggest smiles on his face that you’ve seen in a while.

What the hell is happening? Is he serious right now? What the fuck could be so funny if he’s talking to his ex?

You felt your stomach begin to turn. Along with the trajectory of this whole night apparently. You were beginning to feel a pretty ugly emotion take over. One that made you considerably uncomfortable.

You looked away from him, inexplicably disgusted for a second, down to the floor as you bit the inside of your jaw, and as your eyes made their way back up, they happened to land on Choso’s face.

“Hey singer!” he joked, as a huge smile spread across his lips.

You took a deep breath, licked your lips glanced back over at Megumi, then back down to the floor as you contemplated what your next move should be.

Choso glanced over at Megumi, then back at you, as his smile faded. He slowly stood up from his chair and walked over to you, “Hey. Everything ok?” he asked with a tiny wrinkle between his brows, His voice much kinder than you’d probably ever heard it since you met him.

Your breath hitched in your throat as you swallowed hard, taking another deep breath before answering, worried that the sound may not carry the way you needed it to.

“Uh… You know…” you looked up at Choso’s surprisingly concerned face as you smirked nervously. “I’m not sure. I think I’ll head home.”

“Do you need a ride?” He asked, a tiny frown on his face.

“Yeah, there are a couple cars here that can get you where you need to go.” Nobara offered.

“No, sweetie it’s fine. You stay with Yuji, k? I want you to have fun”. You turned to Choso. “Hey, are you having company? I don’t want to cause you trouble, too.”

“No, I’m not. And it’s nothing, don’t worry. Just let me know when you’re ready. Ok?”

You nodded a couple times, flashed him a smile, and he wandered back over to sit next to Ino.

You were pleasantly surprised at his behavior, especially his consideration toward you. It seems Yuji was right about him.

Megumi was apparently having an interesting conversation. He barely looked up from the phone. Whatever, or whoever it was damn sure had him pretty enamored.

You found yourself in the same place as in the beginning. A spot where you didn’t wanna make “it” your business. It was time to go.

You took a few slow steps over to the window where he sat and knocked twice. He looked up, his smile fading almost immediately as he caught the not-so-happy expression on your face.

You flashed him a quick peace sign. And turned around to leave, motioning to Choso that you were ready with a quick upward nod.

“Love you. I’ll call you tomorrow” Nobara said with disquieted eyes as she held out her arms to hug you goodbye.

“K.” you felt her warmth in the hug.

She squeezed you extra hard, “It’ll work itself out. Don’t worry, ok? Just trust yourself.” She whispered as Choso walked over to open the door to the main room for you.

You stepped through after waving goodbye to Itadori and the others.

Closer To Me – H.E.R.

was now playing on the system. Just as you and Choso made it to the middle of the main room, Megumi reached you. The door to the control room closing behind him.

“Hey! You’re leaving?” he asked, apparently genuinely confused.

“Yeah” you huffed softly. “I have to get up early and I uh, I have a commitment that I have to keep for tomorrow night, so…” you said as you nodded toward the door, avoiding his gaze.

Megumi glanced toward Choso, squinting as he addressed you. “I can take you if you really need to leave now.”

“Well,” you looked up at him square in the eyes. “you seem a little… preoccupied. I’d hate to be a distraction.”

Choso’s eyes dropped to the floor, then back up at Megumi, then you. “I’ll give you guys a minute.” He said, as he made his way back into the control room.

The vibe was so awkward. It was starting to annoy you.

Still, you didn’t know exactly what to say. Why would he be talking to his ex while you’re waiting for him? How could he do that while you were there, kekeing in your face with another chick?

It was … disrespectful to say the least. And flat out made you uncomfortable.

“What’s going on?” He asked.

“You looked away, your lips disappearing into your mouth as you inhaled, then exhaled.”

“Please look at me.”

You turned your hesitant gaze toward him.

“If something’s on your mind, I really wish you’d say so.” He said, quite nonchalantly.

“I don’t like drama, Megumi.” It felt as if your breath was leaving your body faster than you could use it to form your words.

It was like anything you said to him would sound like a complaint. You didn’t wanna speak. Not because you didn’t have anything to say, but expending the energy to do so seemed like … too much. The thought of it was exhausting.

You stood there, arms crossed around the strap of your bag and your jacket, staring into his eyes.

He stood before you, frozen, his expression blank. His hands stuffed in the pockets of his oversized grey sweatpants, the ankles at the hem almost swallowing his black and white converse, the waistline covered by the hem of his thick black hoodie.

He seemed to have all the time in the world as he waited patiently for you to say what was on your mind.

“Why … did you invite me here?” you asked, bluntly. You figured getting this over with quickly would be the least tiring route.

“Because I wanted you here.”

“To see you flirting on the phone?”

“I wasn’t flirting.”

You rolled your eyes, pausing for a moment, taking another deep breath. “Look. I’m not your boss.”

“Yes, you are.”

“What?” you huffed.

“Tell me what you need.”

“I need a ride home.”

“I’ll take you. What else?”

“I need you to not embarrass me in front of your friends, by forcing me to do something important without discussing it with me.”

“Done. He frowned. And I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to upset you.”

“Who were you talking to?”

“Nanako.”

“Why?”

“She called, asking about Ino, and whether he would be staying here overnight.”

“Is that what was so funny?”

“Were you upset that I was laughing?”

“At her? Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Because if you’re mine, you’re mine.”

You could see Megumi forcing back a smile, as he blushed ever so slightly down toward the floor.

“…it won’t happen again.” he smirked, looking back up at you.

“Are you going to answer my question?” you asked, pointedly.

“Of course. Her sister jumped on the line in an attempt to convince me to not be too hard on her, while also mocking her. I thought it was funny. I wasn’t talking to Nanako at that point.”

“Fine. But if she wants to talk to Ino, what is she calling you for?”

“To be honest, I don’t know. I’ll address that, too.”

You looked away.

Megumi’s eyes grew smaller as he gazed at your pouty face, his bottom lip disappearing into his mouth.

“Come home with me.” He asked, a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Maybe another time.”

“Please?”

“No.”

His tangible gaze never left your face as he smirked. “Okay. I’ll take you to your place … for now.”

You cut your eyes at him slightly. “Thank you.”

*~*~*~*~*

The ride home was pretty quiet. The deep blue console of his quite beautiful sleek black ride lit up your faces in the night as

Coco Jones – Double Back

played on his system. You worked hard to keep your eyes on the road, or at least on the dark features of the different people of all shapes and sizes whooshing by, along with the nightlife lights, casting various shadows as you stared out the window. The cool evening breeze glided across your skin, gently tousling your hair.

As you stole glances over at Megumi, you couldn’t help but notice how amazing he looked just driving. His long legs stretching out from under the steering wheel, his thighs resting far apart, surely providing “him” some breathing room for that beautiful bulge peeking out from under his thick grey sweatpants.

His full, long, veiny hands rested on the steering wheel as he drove you safely where you needed to go. As you approached a stop light, your eyes traveled up from his legs, to his hands, up his arms, to his face, only to find him staring back at you. As he propped his elbow up on the window, turned toward you, his body mimicked the same position he had that first night backstage after his show, when he sat next to you on the couch.

Your gaze lingered a couple seconds longer than necessary, as you pressed your knees together, rubbing the side of your neck as you turned to look out the window.

It’s so hard with him. It felt nearly impossible to rip your mind away from him. But you had to get back. Tonight was … different. And you needed some space for now.

As disappointing it was to realize, apparently Nanako is still a factor somehow, and you were going to find out exactly how much of a factor she is. Lingering exes is a “no” for you. Megumi pulled up to your door, parked the car, and got out.

What is he doing?

You were surprised to find that he was making his way over to open your door for you.

“Thank you” you said, as you stepped out onto the pavement, the cool air hitting you a little harder than expected. You hadn’t realized how hot your body was becoming, sitting next to him in the car.

He closed the door as you stepped out, looking down at you, a tiny smile playing at his lips. “Will you be at the show on Saturday night?”

“Mhm. I’ll see you there.”

“Okay. Goodnight”.

“Goodnight Megumi.”

His eyes followed your figure as you walked up to your apartment door. You fumbled for your keys for a moment, finally finding them and unlocking it.

You turned to see Megumi leaning against his car, hands in his pockets, waiting for you to get safely into your house before he got back in and pulled away.

*~*~*~*~*

You rolled around on your bed, having kicked off your thick blankets. Your mind reeling.

Ugh, what is my problem?

You turned over toward your bedside table, the small light brightly illuminated on your clock, which displayed four am.

You remembered that your bestie spent last night at Megumi’s. You wondered if she and Itadori had stayed over. Your mind wandered to what Megumi was doing, and if Nanako had called him again.

It was so irritating to not be able to keep him off of your mind. You turned to lay on your back, your eyes fixed onto the ceiling, your fan whirring slowly above you. You tossed your arm over your eyes as your Bluetooth played

I’m Not OK – H.E.R.

quietly. You sat up and slid your bunny slippers on in one quick motion to grab some water from the kitchen. Suddenly the room felt extra cold for some reason. Your hand gripped the edge of the counter, the cold sending a chill up your spine. You gulped down your water, placed your glass in the sink, and headed back to the bed. You lay there, sprawled out, facing the ceiling.

As your lids lowered back over your eyes, Megumi’s face flashed into your memory. His eyes gazing intently at you as you confronted him about his behavior. How can he be so beautiful while pissing you off? He’s always so goddamned chill.

You recalled his body as he drove you here in his sleek black car. The way he stared back at you, the feelings that rushed through you as you made eye contact.

Your hands made their way down between your inner thighs. You realized your body was hot. Your thoughts, full of him. Your hand continued to rub the inside of your legs, sliding up toward your clothed center. You slid your fingers up and down your slit, grazing across, slightly teasing your clit. You flinched, as a visual of Megumi’s long fingers and his sexy smirk crossed your mind.

Your eyes fluttered shut, your brow furrowing as you squeezed your legs closed over your hand, trapping it between your thighs.

Ugh… stop it.

You said to yourself, Go to sleep. Please.

You hand reached up to grab the side of your neck, as you thought of how thick his bulge looked under his pants. You recalled the feeling of his long fingers wrapped around your neck. Chills covered your body, your hand gliding down toward your chest as you gripped your breast, a moan escaping your lips before you bit it.

Your other hand reached up to grab the other breast, as your fingers pinched the hardened buds. An image of him looking up at you from between your legs flashed into your head. Your body trembled as your breathing hitched, your thighs rubbing together as your core clenched.

No, girl.

You moaned as your clit seemed to get more sensitive by the second, your thighs pressing against it making you flinch.

Not now. Just go to sleep already!

You peeled your hands away, curling up into the fetal position, locking your hands under your cheek. You let out a big sigh, you asked yourself why you were so uneasy. Yes, you wanted Megumi. You always wanted him.

But you didn't need to be so … anxious though. Why are you like this? You really only had one answer.

Your family had worked so much of that shit into you, it was really hard to break away from. And you could only do so much on your own. The fastest way you could think of to get past it is to dive in and face it all head on.

What you really didn’t want, is to hurt anyone in the process of you figuring things out. You cared so much about your friends that you truly didn’t want them caught in the crossfire. But what could you do?

They had already scolded you before for backtracking. “Trust yourself” that’s what Nobara said. But how, when you feel you’ve betrayed your own best interest so many times?

It was so scary thinking you’d have to sing in that environment, directly in front of such professionals when you really hadn’t even rehearsed, and wasn’t even told about it. You weren’t even sure you wanted to sing that one if at all. It really was that part that bothered you the most. Not so much Megumi asking you to do it, but how you felt doing it at all.

Did I overreact?

Maybe, but… it’s easy to apologize. And Megumi seems to be a reasonable guy. He still should have told you first, though. Your brain was turning thoughts of these things over and over in your head.

You picked up your phone, thinking you should text something to him, only to find that he had texted you at two thirty-seven a.m.

Megumi: I really am sorry for upsetting you. Forgive me.

You sigh to yourself in an attempt to calm the obvious fire in your damn loins, rolling your eyes and shaking your head to yourself as you drift back into sleep.

*~*~*~*~*

“So, how was everything last night?” You asked.

“It was amazing, actually.” Nobara replied, chomping on her snack she was having in the middle of her lunch break at work. “Well, Dori and I had a great time. Megumi is super hospitable. Had food there for us and everything. It was nice… sorry.”

You giggled “Why are you apologizing?”

She whined “I’m sorry about what happened! I didn’t mean to cause trouble. I admit, I felt some kinda way about him being on the phone with Nanako too, but it wasn’t my place to stir anything up.”

You smiled, “Its ok. Thank you for saying that, but it was my responsibility to stay cool. You know you’re my girl, and I love you. I appreciate you looking out for me.”

“Yeah, but … you know me!” She continued, “I got ahead of myself. I had to apologize to Megumi, too by the way. I felt so bad for getting up in your business.”

“Yes, I do know you, and that’s exactly why its ok. Really.”

“He said that, too.��� She huffed. “Are you on your way to your dads?”

“Yeah. It won’t take long. I already know the songs we’re doing, and there aren’t many. I have to sing one solo. I practiced a bit before work. Been drinking warm water all day and doing warmups.”

“Mmm. … Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, whats up?”

“Why didn’t you wanna sing last night? Megumi told me.”

You paused for a minute while considering it. “Scared.” You huffed. “That’s basically it. Plain old fear.” You uttered as you rolled your eyes. “Part of me was annoyed and upset at Megumi for putting me on the spot like that, but mostly it was just me freaking out. I didn’t wanna screw up too bad in front of everyone.”

“Why so worried, though? You’ve done this like a million times.”

“I know. I just… I think I’m also like, putting him on a pedestal. It sucks. I’m fucking irritating myself.”

Nobara giggled, “I totally get it. I felt like that around Yuji when I first met him. I ran from the bar every time I ordered from him, freaking out about how hot he is like some teenager.”

You chuckled, “He’s is super adorable. Can’t blame you for that.”

“You just need an icebreaker or something to help you get over it. Even though you guys have already slept together…”

“Yeah, I know. They’re just so good at what they do. I’d want to make the best impression.”

“I have an idea.” Nobara chuckled to herself, “sorry, I just said I didn’t wanna stir anything up and here I go again!”

“What? tell me.”

"Why don’t you ask him to come to the wedding?”

You pondered the idea for a second. And of course it made you nervous. “You think I should?”

“Well, you’ll already be singing, mostly in your comfort zone with your dad’s band, and if he comes, it’ll just be him and not his whole group.”

“Hmmm,” you giggled. “Really?”

“Do it. Seems like a chance for you to break the ice a bit more and relax around him. Especially while you’re essentially in the middle of doing something you love.”

“Yeah. It definitely still makes me nervous. But its worth a try for sure.” You smirked for just a second as you thought about something. “Not you and Itadori being my relationship coaches lately…”

“Girl, look!” Nobara chuckled, “Whatever works, ok? I’m here for you, and I’m sure he is, too! Go for it. We’re rooting for you guys.”

“Thank you, love. I really appreciate you guys, too.” You replied.

“I’m gonna get back to work.” Nobara grunted. “Weekend’s almost here! I’ll see you Saturday night?”

“Yup!”

“Talk to you later.”

“K!”

*~*~*~*~*

You arrived at your dads home, and as you approached the door, you could hear music thrumming from inside. You walked right in, since he usually kept the door unlocked for artists as they arrived. It was likely a knock wouldn’t be heard over the music.

Upon entry, you waved at everyone, saying hello as you looked around for a place to sit. His full 5 piece band was present, and 3 backup singers, only one of which you knew.

“Hey! How are you?” your dad asked, as he saw you come in.

The drummer, bass and guitar players were rehearsing a specific part. You found a seat, and waited patiently for them to finish as you spoke to the singer you knew.

You’d forgotten how much you loved the smell of instruments collected in a space, and the feeling of accomplishment you got, from even arriving at a rehearsal.

Being part of a group that has a similar goal, knowing you had a performance to do, and that people would be waiting to see you was always a satisfying thrill to you.

You wondered why you didn’t feel this right away when you arrived at Megumi’s studio. It’s almost as if you forget yourself when you’re around him. He’d drawn you in so much, that you forgot to relax.

The rehearsal went smoothly for the most part, you laughed and joked around with the girls, even at some of the jokes that were made by some of the band members at your dad’s expense.

Then it was time for him to teach the girls a part for one of the songs. You knew your dad had a tendency to forget things sometimes as he played. It might have simply been his old age, but he’d often play something, ask the group to execute it, change it, then get angry when it was done the original way.

It happened on several occasions, and each time, he’d take his frustration out on the musicians. Yet another reason you didn’t care much to work with him.

He taught the part he wanted you all to learn, played in C, but then changed it to C#. They didn’t quite understand how to execute it and kept singing it in C when the chord progression changed.

It was a common mistake for many singers to make, especially when one of them was consistently louder than the others, and inadvertently caused confusion.

However, the way your dad handled it was less than desirable. “Whats goin’ on here?” he asked with a frown, pacing back and forth in front of the group. “How are you not getting this?”

The girl you knew, Joy, answered, “I feel like we get it, we just have a habit of singing it a certain way and need a minute to learn the new way.”

“Yeah, but” your dad continued, “Y'all sang it once correctly but you keep reverting back to the original key! Its not that hard.” He turned to you, and asked you to do it as he sat at his keyboard.

He played the progression, and you sang it in C#. He still managed to get upset. “Why are you singing it like that?”

“What?” you looked at him in confusion. “That’s the way you just told us to do it.”

He stood there for a moment, cutting his eyes at you. “No – are you kidding me?! Y'all ain't gon’ make a fool out of me on MY stage. People are coming to see me, not y’all messing up.”

Joy looked at you, as she was the only other person singing it correctly, and all you could do was nod to her in agreement and roll your eyes at the way he was treating you all. The tension in the air was thick, and exhausting.

The entire band could see how erroneous his behavior was, and you were honestly glad that you weren’t the only one to witness it this time. When it was time to go, you were more than happy to leave.

*~*~*~*~*

Thinkin Bout You - Frank Ocean

played as you sat on your bed, exhausted after having your shower, ready to go to sleep. You thought about Megumi. He’d danced around in your head the entire time you were at the rehearsal. The difference between his methods of teaching and your dad’s were like night and day.

You decided to call him this time.

“Hello?”

The sound of his voice was like music to your ears. It was like your heart lit up, and illuminated your entire body. “Hey. You busy?”

“Hey there.” He sounded happy to hear from you. “not for you. How are you?”

“I’m actually pretty exhausted to be honest.” You said with a sigh.

“Oh yeah? Your hot date not go well?”

“What?”

He chuckled softly. “You said you had a commitment to keep tonight, right?”

“Oh, yes. But it definitely wasn’t that.” You retorted with a huff.

“That’s good to know. So, what happened?”

“I just had a rehearsal with my father.”

“Oh wow… How did that go?”

“It was … a lot” you sighed again. I’m glad to be home. And so happy to hear your voice.”

“Hmmm… well, I’m sorry to hear you had a hard time. But I’m glad to hear yours too.”

“I wanted to ask you something.”

“Sure.”

“Would you be willing to come to a wedding tomorrow?”

“Wow. This is so sudden. But my answer is still ‘yes’”

You laughed at his joke. “Not mine, silly. I have to sing a solo there, and I wanted to ask you if you’d like to come”.

He paused, for what felt like a full minute. “Really?”

“Yes, really.” You smiled. “I’d actually love for you to come if you can. I know you have your show tomo –”

“I’d love to come. Thank you for inviting me. Sounds exciting.”

“Exciting? It’s a stuffy wedding.”

“Yeah, but I get to hear you sing. LIVE. I can’t wait.”

You blushed so hard you could swear he’d see it over the phone. “It starts at 11am.”

“Can I drive you?”

“You’d do that?”

“You have no idea what I’d do for you.”

“Okay. It’s a date.” You sat in silence for a moment, feeling his presence over the phone. “And then I get to see you perform.”

“Yes. So we’ll be together all day?” He asked, excitedly.

“Is that what you want?”

“That’s what I want.”

“Okay. Let’s do it.” You agreed. “I also, would like to apologize.”

“For what?”

“I feel like I… overreacted a little last night. I still wanted you to talk to me first, but I got scared and freaked out. I’m sorry for that.”

“You don’t have to apologize. I should have asked first.”

“I also… miss you” you felt your heart skip a beat at your own admission. You both sat with the phone between you, listening to the silence on the other end as you relaxed in that moment. You were happy to have let him know how you truly feel.

Megumi took a deep breath over the phone, intentionally, it seemed, as if he wanted you to hear it. … “I miss you, too.” He replied, softly.

“Come and get me at ten, okay?”

“Sharp.”

*~*~*~*~*

You were ready by nine thirty.

Finally, your weekend was here.

You were so tempted to have a mimosa with your one waffle and one egg you ate for breakfast. God forbid you ate too much, ridding yourself of space in your belly for “air” you’d need while singing, and you didn’t want to hurl from freaking out.

You had some “Throat Coat” tea, warm but not hot, and sipped plenty of water. Hopefully not too much, since you’d end spending more time in the bathroom than you would at the microphone.

The butterflies fluttered in your belly, relentlessly tickling your insides, keeping you from settling down.

Megumi would be there any minute, and you couldn’t be more nervous. So much happening at once, a performance, a solo, one you had to do with your dad no less, it had been a while for you, and you were doing this in front of your new guy, someone you respected as a talented artist.

If you were honest, what you felt was a blend of excitement and pure nerves. It was practically like an official date, and you really missed hanging out with him, but it was all so overwhelming.

Your dress was simple, sleek and form fitting, a bodycon, black, asymmetrical neckline, while your hair was pulled back in a beautiful messy braid, the tail of it traveling down toward the middle of your back. You had all of your earrings in, four up one ear and five up the other, with a chain linking from your helix to your lobe.

Then, finally, a knock at the door.

You clicked over to it in your black 4.5” open toe stiletto’s, stood there for a moment, took a deep breath, and opened it.

You stood there, holding your breath for a minute, as a hard line formed between Megumi’s brows as he took in the sight of you.

You released your breath, a smile spreading across your face. “Hey.”

“Wow.” He stood in the doorway, gazing, his eyes traveling up and down your form as his lips parted.

As you motioned for him to come in, he covered his mouth with his hand. And turned his head to the right, grabbing his lips. He stuffed both of his hands in his pockets as he hung his head low.

You closed the door as he walked in, flattening out any wrinkles in your dress with your hands.

With his head in that position, he licked his lips and looked up at you with a smirk. “You look absolutely ravishing”.

His smile was breathtaking.

He was wearing a slightly oversized black v-neck cashmere sweater, the fabric settling beautifully on the curves of his chest, relaxed at the hem, scrunched up in the middle of his forearms. His pants were a slim fit, black, and tapered at the ankle, not his usual baggy attire, but still his style, and fit him beautifully.

His Doc. Martens were perfectly black, as was his hair, sleek and still spikey, but styled a little differently, concentrated to the left, shorter spiked strands reaching for his face on the right side, contrasting against his slightly pale skin and beautiful dark blue eyes. He looked as hot as he did the very first time you saw him. Only a little more … shiny.

“And you look… like…” you bit your bottom lip as you looked him up and down.

Megumi walked over to you slowly, his chest stopping less than an inch from your face. He looked down into your eyes. “What do I look like?”

“Like, uh…” you shook your head, at a loss for words.

His hands reached up to your neck, his fingers snaking around to your nape, his thumb pressing your chin up. His lips hovered close enough to steal breath from between yours. You leaned in, pressing your lips against his. The sensation piercing straight to your core.

It felt like it had been an eternity since you’d kissed him. It was as if you could finally breathe again.

His lips were soft and warm as they pressed gently and sensually against you, landing several kisses before parting yours slightly, his tongue requesting entry. You were more than happy to invite him inside. He slipped his tongue in, sliding it across yours.

The taste of his kiss was like receiving drops of cool water after nearly dying of thirst. Every stroke of his tongue left you wanting more, you opened your mouth wider, tilting your head back, melting into his arms as he pressed forward granting your wish.

His hand remained around your neck, as you always loved it to be, as his other hand curved around your waist, pulling you even closer. Feeling his body against yours made you weak, his stiff member pressing against the curves of your belly.

You wanted nothing more in this moment than to open up to him completely as his strong arms maintained their firm hold your body.

But he broke the kiss, trailing them along your jaw as his lips reached your earlobe where he planted a single kiss. His arm wrapped around you tighter, as his hand gripped you at your waist, fingers digging in, tickling your side. “We’d better go… before I lose control and devour you right here”.

Your heart skipped a beat, electricity surging through your veins as he spoke. What this man does to your body is sometimes inexplicable. But he was right. It’s time to go, or you’ll become extremely irresponsible in this moment.

You let out a heavy sigh, lifting your head up as he held you, looking into his eyes with a sultry gaze, suddenly feeling a surge of confidence. “Then let’s go, baby.” You whispered. Then leaned over to the couch, grabbing your bag and jacket.

*~*~*~*~*

The building was filled to capacity, the low hum of individual conversations floating throughout the beautiful, bright space. The wedding was being held in a large church, majestic and pretty, decorated with the couple’s chosen themed colors, florals and fabrics.

Love You Like I Do – Vancouver Sleep Clinic

played in the background.

The platform you were positioned on was set up high in the back of the building. The band was on the right side of the platform. Your dad at the grand piano to the left of you, the band to the left of him while the other singers were slightly behind you to the right.

Megumi was in the audience, surprisingly close to the front, having taken the seat of someone who conveniently didn’t show up. An enormous grin plastered across his face the entire time as he sat wide-eyed, watching your every move.

Every few minutes or so, you’d see him chatting with the elderly woman sitting next to him, her smile clear evidence of his charming nature. He’d look up periodically, lock eyes with you, smirk, and flash his teeth. You’d chuckle each time, rolling your eyes.

Nobara was right. You could feel some of the disconcerting tension melting away the longer he spent in your presence.

Suddenly you hear your dad, snapping at one of the helpers for not getting him a water when he’d asked. Your smile slowly fading as you saw the frustration on the face of the person he’d yelled at.

“Y/N! Can you get me one of the waters I asked for? PLEASE!” he practically screamed across the stage.

Your eyes flicked over to Megumi, who was watching you intently, his eyebrows wrinkled, and a squint in his eyes.

You looked down toward the floor in embarrassment as you got up from your seat, walking off of the stage to help them grab the waters. “I’m sorry about this” you whispered to the helper, resting your hand on their shoulder.

“Don’t apologize to them! That’s their job! They should have this stuff ready for me!” your dad yelled down from the stage.

The helper looked at you, “We had to wait until they brought them back from the grocery store. There was someone assigned to bring them, and they forgot. I’m sorry” he uttered.

“It’s okay, don’t worry. We have them now. It’s not a big deal. Thank you so much for providing them for us.” You whispered to him. You took a deep breath, and the waters, and walked them back up to the stage, passing them out to each of the band members, your dad snatching one from your hand.

You sat back down in your stool, waiting for the announcement of the bride. I just wanna get this over with. Is all you could think, as you squeezed your hands together, and slowly breathed in and out, working to relax your mind again.

You glanced out toward Megumi. He was now sitting back against his seat, arms crossed, his eyes locked on you. A frown in his forehead and his lips scrunched up in the corner of his mouth.

Your lids fell over your eyes a bit as you observed his obvious concern. You mouthed the words “Don't worry. It's okay.” a smile tugging at your lips.

Finally, the announcer said, “May I ask everyone to please stand for the bride?”

Butterflies tickled your belly as you stood, locking eyes with Megumi again as you approached the microphone, your smile now spreading wider. It was a beautiful thing; his presence alone, knowing he was there for you, made this experience exponentially more tolerable.

Everyone turned toward the front of the church as the doors opened for the beautiful bride, Megumi being one of the only people still facing the stage, his dark blues glued to your face. Your father played the intro, you took a breath, closed your eyes, and began singing:

Fall In – Esperanza Spalding

After singing your first line, your eyes opened slowly to the very spot Megumi stood. You maintained fierce eye contact with him as his widened. Your beautiful notes filled the room, echoing off of the walls, rounding out the sounds of the notes flowing from the piano.

Megumi's face dropped toward the floor, looking back up toward you with a beautiful blush as you continued to sing to him.

Your hands reached up toward the handle of the microphone, sliding up and down the stand as you became more engulfed in the song, your chest rising and falling with your breaths. Your eyes never left his, even for a second as you sang from the depths of your heart.

As the bride made her way to her beloved, Megumi's blue eyes came more clearly into view as he stood frozen in place, his gaze growing more intense. You leaned into this moment, enjoying the effect you and your beautiful song had on him.

You felt completely in sync with him again. Your connection had always been empowering, with him always being an inspiration. But today, the feelings rooted in your heart for him seemed to dig themselves deeper, spreading out further, finding new places to settle in it’s recesses.

The intense desire to be even closer to him grew stronger. You needed more moments like this. To know him more. And to show him more of you. To open up areas of your heart for him to see that you typically wouldn’t show a soul. No matter how scary, no matter how secret.

Megumi was unable to take his eyes off you.

Likewise, you were unable to take yours off him.

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And tonight, your body will surely follow suit.

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<< Set 3 | Set 5 >>

Set 5 Preview: ... You took a deep breath and a long pause, your eyes wandering a moment, then surveying his features coolly. “Then, you’ll have to commit, too.”

He huffed, rubbing the back of his hand down your cheek, his long fingers sliding around toward the back of your neck, his thumb grazing the sensitive skin of your bottom lip as he met your gaze.

“Hmph, that’s the easy part. And … I’ll have you in my studio every night.” He purred, lifting your head as he leaned in, rubbing his lips up your neck, then laying a soft kiss on your lobe.

“Such a hard worker you are.” you moaned, his body weight and his touch, stealing your breath.

Megumi huffed, “You have no idea.” ...

Thanks for reading! ✨🥰✨

Notes: As always, I welcome any and all critiques, suggestions, and comments regarding my work, since I truly feel all of those may make me a much better writer! I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to read my little stories, and if you'd like to be tagged in releases, don't hesitate to comment below! 😊💖🎶

©cocomanga 2024 | Please do not plagiarize, copy, or distribute my work.

Fanart Art: Courtesy of @Pinterest/@Berserker049 Ombre Caution/DNI & Animated lines: Courtesy of @CafeKitsune

[genderfluid-insomniac]

Can you do Harbinger Headcannons for a reader who has a hard time with being social and recharges by being held? For example: they get overwhelmed after being out and about all day but have a very hard time asking to be held because they don't have the energy to communicate it. (Oddly specific but it's what I deal with)

A/N: I chose these by generating random numbers 1 through 11 and then choosing said harbinger by their rank. It’s purely by luck and I’m happy that Scaramouche and Arlecchino randomly got picked.

Also I had a very hard time finding anything about Pulcinella’s personality or what he’s like since we only saw him in the winter's interlude so if you’re reading this from the future and I’m wrong then I’m sorry. I tried my best.

Harbinger headcanons for a reader who has a hard time with being social and recharges by being held

Scaramouche

- Isn’t thrilled with physical affection but he does understand having your social battery being drained so you both compromised so no one would be uncomfortable and you got to lay your head on his lap while he ran his hands through your hair until you were ready to interact with others. Sometimes he also used your want to escape and get away from social gatherings because he doesn’t like them on a good day.

- Eventually he does come around and grow more relaxed about the whole thing, going as far as to hold you in more ways that you’re both comfortable in and have tea brought for the both of you. You will have to specify if you want a sweeter tea because he’s having his bitter as usual.

Sandrone

- Sandrone completely understands and often has her mechanical puppet use it’s hands to shield her from others so she’s “alone” in a sense. She is debating on making a hollow chamber in it’s chest so a person can rest in there comfortably and safely. You’re treated no different and if you aren’t sitting with her or on some part of the puppet (which almost never happens unless she’s in a harbinger meeting or called to see the Tsaritsa).

- You’ll never hear complaints or declines from her and you quickly taken somewhere else to recharge in her arms like how her mechanical puppet shields her with her arms or simply moving to another room. She’ll take you in her arms and let you rest against her chest, running a hand through your hair and cuddling with you in the hollow warm chamber if you ask.

Childe

- If it were any other person then he’d say pushing your limits is how you should live however this is someone he deeply cares about and knows that when you speak up about needing to be alone and recharge you mean it. You’re always a priority to him and fighting is a second but if he has harbinger work then he’ll do his best to cuddle with you till you’re alright. Childe will bring you along if he has easy missions that he thinks won’t injure you and make sure that you can be comfy but also safe while he balances you and his work.

- He is the best at cuddling and sis very attentive however once he’s has you in his arms you’re staying there for at least an hour or too. So I hope you don’t have anything important soon because even when your social battery is charged he’s going to be very happy with snuggling with his lover and being able to not think about work for once.

Arlecchino

- At first you’re scared to ask her at all since she’s very intimidating but since she’s very observant and perceptive it’s only a matter of time before she’ll talk to you about it. Arlecchino is very loving and soft when it involves you and she’d do anything for you. Pretty much anything that doesn’t break her rules. When you tug on her sleeve and discreetly glance at her with a tired shy expression the knave will excuse herself from the public conversation she’s having. You’ll be lead to an empty room hand in hand and placed on her lap as she runs her fingers through your hair or drawing circles on the top of your hand while you recharge.

- You both made a sign for when you feel like this and she respects it without any question and when she put the pieces together she cupped your face with no judgement at all in her expression. Kissing you softly and resting her forehead on yours. “Try to not be scared of telling me your worries or wishes because I love you no matter what, darling. Now do you want a signal to let me know or would you rather be held now and think about it later?”

Pulcinella

- You don’t need to ask him because he’s going to insist that you never need to ask for permission about anything that’s bothering you or making you uncomfortable and simply guiding you to a small empty room so you can recharge with him. He can also almost know when you’re running low on your social battery if he’s with you and ask you, normally he’s right 99% of the time. If he needs to do harbinger work then he will work on some of it but you’ll be sitting next to him in a hug or leaning your head on his shoulder.

- He’s rarely called for on missions and so you don’t interact much with anyone but him but when you do it’s usually for galas and formal events that makes it hard to sneak away to get away from socializing. He makes it work though, easily slipping out of the conversation he’s in and making an excuse of an agent calling for an urgent message while guiding you to a small isolated part of the room where almost no one can see the both of you. You cozy up to him and he’ll talk you quietly about meaningly topic if you want to be distracted or remain silent if you want it to be quiet.

[heartfullofleeches]

Determination and Dedication-

Yan Roach Hybrid + Slasher Reader

[I'm so sorry for it this- Hope you guys like Cicada the Roach. Tw for light gore]

"I stuck my penis in a toaster once."

An interlude of silence dissects the monotonous batter of metal against steel. The hack of the saw blade making contact with the table ruptures the squelch of diving tissue and the shattering of bone.

"Now, you may be asking yourself why I bring up now of all times. It's to prove my dedication to making our relationship work."

Hands swathed in the leathery flesh of victims past pry at the corpse's ribcage - bitter eyes flooded with madness upon spotting the broken fragments of bone jutting through the skin. Most of the artist's works were patchwork collages made up of what their muses left behind in death, though they still tried their best to leave the flesh unscathed.

"Did my penis get stuck? Possibly. Did I have to go to the hospital? I've been there for worse. Did I ejaculate? Yes. - Which brings me back around to my original point. I saw something I wanted to do and did it. No amount of common senses or "Cicada, stop putting your dick in holes it doesn't belong!" Will never stop me. Why do you think I'm in love with you? People say you shouldn't stick your dick in crazy. It's the only thing that gets mine hard at this point."

Picking up your scalpel, you begin work on separating the new material from its meat. The little voice buzzing over your shoulder means nothing to you. The best you could make from their skin is a cup coaster - and you have plenty of those. It's a descent distraction from your muses' screams while they're still of this world, but makes things leagues more difficult when it comes to the harvest.

"God, you're so hot when you ignore me. I could probably get some of my old buddies to visit you if you let me hump your leg for a bit. Please, baby- I love it when you get blood on your hands. I've been edging myself since I broke and crawled your window I need this bad-"

Cicada jumps as your scalpel slams against the table.

"If your hands touch me once I cut off every single finger."

Cicada sends a prayer of gratitude to their creators as they kneel at your feet.

"I can live with that."

[cyn-write]

"Heaven's Light"

Summary: Rollo has been eyeing y/n since her arrival, seeing you as the diamond amongst coals. At the Ball, his feelings culminate into a confession, but he didn't expect her reply...

Pairing: Rollo×F!Reader

Warnings: Y/n is lonely and ignored by NRC boy, first love, possible OOC, not edited, Lots of Fluff, the Rollo brain rot is real

Note: This is a lot longer than I intended! I hope everyone going through Rollo brain rot enjoys and if you are interested in reading an SFW or NSFW epilogue, let me know! If you would like to read the other parts in what I am calling my "Glomas Series" I will put links below! "She Blazes Me Beyond all Control" ft. Azul, Idia, and Malleus "I Feel Her, I See Her " ft. Riddle, Deuce, Ruggie, and Jamil

"Who might you be miss?"

Y/n gave a kind smile and nodded her head in greeting "I'm y/n, it's nice to meet you," she stayed next to Trein as she was there as his assistant.

"Yuu is our magicless perfect of Ramshackle. She will be working as my assistant throughout the trip," Trein added.

She felt Rollo's eyes scan her, and, unlike his greetings to the rest, he held out a hand. Being poilet, she offered her hand as well, and he lifted it to his lips, grazing her knuckles quickly.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, y/n. I understand it must be difficult, being surrounded by mages every second of the day. I hope you get a chance to relax this trip." Y/n blushed at the motion and bit her lower lip. All the while she could feel some of the others glaring daggers at her and Rollo.

"I-I'll do my best..." Y/n replied. Throughout the entire trip, Rollo seemed to gravitate towards y/n and used every excuse to isolate her from the group. They chatted about her difficulties at NRC and at the festival. As they chatted, she felt more and more drawn to the Student Council President

This all accumulated at the Masquerade. Rollo had given Y/n a proper dress for the occasion instead of the attire his counsel had chosen. The red fabric decadently adorned her figure and stunned the NRC boys with its beauty. But before any of them could ask for a dance, Rollo stole y/n away. He whisked her to the dance floor, and they started chatting.

It all felt like a dream, a wonderful, beautiful dream. Even though Rollo had tried to destroy magic, he was also the only person during all her time in Twisted Wonderland that she felt seen. The boys had always pushed her to the side, even when she was the only one whom the fire lotuses couldn't hurt but instead of including her in the plan, she was put on babysitting duty. Even at NRC, she was the one who dealt with the overblots, yet never thanked or even recognized as a full student.

Then she met Rollo and ever since their meeting, he treated her like a person. He recognized all she did for the boys and thanked her for her contributions. He even set aside time to show her around. Y/n never believed in "love at first sight," but ever since Rollo's lips grazed her knuckles, she felt her heart do somersaults around the stoic 3rd year.

Now, he asked her to dance. She felt like the Glass Princess dancing with her prince and just like the Glass Princess, she knew this would only last until Midnight. By this time tomorrow, she would be back at NRC. Back to being invisible.

As the song came to a close, she thought her night was over, but he must have been thinking about the same thing.

"Y/n, can I show you something?" He asked as the music quieted for a small interlude before the next song began. His face may appear as stone, but his blue eyes quivered. He was nervous.

Y/n nodded, "Sure."

Rollo, being a gentleman, offered her his arm. Determined to enjoy the moment, y/n leaned into Rollo as he escorted her out of the ballroom and up to the empty balcony on the upper level of the ballroom. The sun was set and the night sky was stunning, but what Rollo wanted to show y/n was the city at night. It was like a starry night itself as the city lamps and lights twinkled. It was stunning.

"Rollo, this is beautiful..."

"Y/n, stay here with me." Y/n turned to look at Rollo in shock and confusion, "Those fools at NRC do not deserve your purity. They treat you like a ghost. And I-" Rouge graced his pale cheeks and he looked into her (e/c) eyes, "I-I... I can't bear the thought of you leaving. You belong here. with me." He places his cold hand atop hers, "Let this be your sanctuary."

Y/n's heartbeat rose into her throat and before she could properly think what he said through, her heart spoke first, "Yes."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rollo was prepared for her to shoot him down, uprooting her heart like they did his flowers. What he wasn't prepared for her to accept.

Nothing this Halloween went as planned. His plot to destroy magic failed, Malleus and the fools at NRC destroyed his flowers, and y/n waltzed into his life.

He had read about true love and deemed it poppycock. There was no such thing. Then he saw her in her NRC uniform and his heart felt like it leaped out of his chest and into the sky. She was a pure flame burning in his chest and distracting him. He tried to ignore it, but any time he saw her that plan quickly became impossible.

He reworked his original plan to ensure she would be unharmed and fall into his arms at the same time. The first part of his plan failed, but he couldn't lose her. She was the last flame he had left.

Rollo was so sure of himself at first. He sent her a new dress, a proper one that enhanced her beauty far more than the one his counsel chose, he fixed the ballroom himself, he made sure to be her first dance, he read up on how to court a lady, prepared what he would say to her as they danced, and how he would ask her to stay and be his. Though much like his original plan with the fire lotuses, the moment he saw her. She was stunning, so stunning that he almost forgot everything he prepared. Thankfully, he regained his composer before he asked her to dance.

Now he felt his nerves resurface as it came time for him to confess. All his confidence and preparation failed to calm his beating heart. Thoughts raced through his mind as they walked to the balcony. What if she says no? What if she rejects me? What if I misread all of our interactions? he thought as they went out into the cool night air. Should I just keep my mouth shut? Abandon ship before it sinks...

Then he saw her eyes light up as she saw the city at night. The lights aglow, the soft mummer of music coming from the ballroom, and he knew he had to try.

"Y/n, stay here with me." He blurted out before he could convince himself otherwise, he decided to let his heart speak for once and not let his head take control. ""Those fools at NRC do not deserve your purity. They treat you like a ghost. And I-" he paused for a second and felt the fire in his chest grow brighter and brighter, "I-I... I can't bear the thought of you leaving. You belong here. with me." He places his cold hand atop hers, "Let this be your sanctuary."

Silence. He averted his eyes and clenched his handkerchief in his pocket.

His doubts returned and he prepared himself for rejection. He started to form a retraction in his mind, but she, yet again, surprised him.

"Yes." She said, her (e/c) eyes glimmered like stars and her voice rang like the Bell of Solace. "I-I'll stay with you."

Rollo felt his heart stop. He looked her in the eyes again and squeezed her hand. "You mean it." He removed his free hand from his handkerchief and placed it tentatively on her cheek, "Y-you'll stay?"

She placed her hand stop his and leaned into his touch, "I do." He could see tears forming in the corner of her eyes, "I don't want to leave you either."

On pure impulse, he pulled her into a tight embrace. Half of him was convinced that she would disappear if he let her go, and the other half was relieved. She felt the same as him. She wanted to be with him.

"Rollo, you're shaking," She commented as she returned his embrace. He didn't realize he was shaking so much. It must be the relief of her accepting his proposal. She looked up at him and placed a hand on his cheek. Her skin was warm and comforting.

"I guess I am..." He said and placed his own hand on top, "This is just what you do to me, my Flame."

She giggled and her melodious laugh made him respond with one of his own. "Do I?" she responded.

"Yes," He gently moved a strand of her hair away from her face and his eyes landed on her lips. Those beautiful red lips beckoned his own, "You have set my heart ablaze and it makes me want to listen to my heart instead of my head."

"And what is your heart telling you to do now?" She asks in a teasing manner.

"To do this," He leaned in and kissed her. it was gentle, nervous at first. Then as he realized she was reciprocating, he deepened the kiss. They parted for a moment to catch their breath before claiming another kiss, then another. Solidifying their love above the City of Flowers.

Rollo may have failed to rid the world of magic, but he found his new Heaven's Light.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note: Please Like, Reblog, and Follow for more! If you are interested in seeing an NSFW part 2 or any other request, please let me know! (Do not Steal)

[suhnshinehaos]

growing pains : interlude ii

series synopsis : people say that you’ll experience three kinds of love in your lifetime. the first is an idealistic love, the kind that feels straight out of a fairy tale. the second is the hard love, the kind that will leave you with lessons about yourself and the love you want and need to experience. finally, the love you never see coming. this is the story of your three loves. pairing : svt 97 line x gn!reader genre/s : non-idol au, coming of age, angst, fluff, my attempts at humor interlude two wc : ~1.1k

interlude ii  ➤  live well

" and i know it's fine to end our time be safe, be true, and i'll think of you " from palace's live well

previous  ➤  act three, part sixteen next  ➤  act three, part seventeen growing pains  ➤  masterlist

“gyu, i swear to god if you get drunk i’m not carrying you back to your hotel.”

mingyu laughs, loud and unrestrained, his head thrown back and his eyes screwed shut, and it hits you just how much you missed the sound. or really, just how much you missed him. you tilt your head to the side, a small smile creeping up the corners of your mouth as you take a sip of your drink.

“it wouldn’t be the first time.” he speaks through his chuckles, shaking his head, and his eyes meet yours. for a moment, you have the same thought, and he’s the one to actually say it out loud. “this is nice.”

and it really is.

there was once a time when you couldn’t even imagine being in the same room as him, just the two of you, laughing like there hadn’t been years of shared history between the two of you. for a second, a memory flashes across your mind; the feeling of his arm slung across your shoulders, his alcohol laced breath mixing in with his cologne, muttering a drunken string of words that you couldn’t quite make out.     

and you look at the mingyu in front of you, cheeks flushed and a look of complete contentment now settled on his features. 

“crazy how life just,” you pause, and eventually sigh out- “works out, huh?”

under the pale moonlight, in a city both of you are relatively unfamiliar with, mingyu has never felt closer to you than he does now. strangely enough, it all feels right. he nods, “crazy. everything that happened had to have happened.”

a silence settles between the two of you, but not tense nor uncomfortable, as memories of the last couple of years, and eventually the last couple of months, fill both your senses. mingyu scans your face, noting for any signs of unease from being with him.

mingyu finds none, which makes him let out a breath of relief.

cutting through the silence, you ask a question you’ve been meaning to ask him for a while. 

“are you happy, gyu?”

you didn’t mean for the question to be so loaded but, in a way,  you only knew so much. you saw him every now and then, when he came to visit you, jeonghan, vernon, and soonyoung for a couple of days. you saw his instagram stories and twitter posts, travelling around the world, meeting new people, walking runways, booking several editorials.

“i am.” he lets out a breath and you see the tension in his shoulders fall, looking up to the clear night sky then back at you. “god it feels good to finally say that out loud, and actually mean it. you know?”

you blink back at him for a couple of seconds, it seemed like it was something he was just acknowledging himself, but a smile spreads across your face. “i’m so happy for you.”

and you mean it, with every fiber of your being.

just like that, you notice how much he has changed since your college days. gone is the tense, hesitant mingyu that you had once come to know. the one that lied on the other side of your bed in your apartment in new york, the one with the permanent crease between his brows. you see him now, calm and confident, and secure in himself. you had caught glimpses of it before, but now it radiates through him, engulfing you in his light.

“you seeing someone?” the words tumble out of your lips before you couldn’t even process them. curiosity got the better of you, and before you could take it back he simply shakes his head.

“ah no, i go on dates sometimes, but nothing that ever really lasted.”

you nod, and mingyu continues.

“and that’s okay, you know? i’ve just been doing eyes, heart, and arms wide open. being honest with myself and what it really is what i want, whether it’s in my professional or personal life. if things don’t work out, at least i can say i did my best. it took a while for it to feel sincere, and not like i’m just forcing myself to do it for the sake of it, but i’m happy with myself.” 

his voice grows softer as he ends his little ramble, and you part your lips to tell him that you’re proud of him, but he beats you to the punch.

“you taught me that, you know?” he smiles, “i mean, if we hadn’t gone through what we did- not like i’m saying that you were in my life just for a lesson because i really do value you as a friend, and as a person-”

“no, i- i get it, gyu.” you cut off his rambling with a quiet laugh, noticing his eyes become bigger and more panicked. 

he lets out an exaggerated breath of relief and holds a hand over his heart. “what about you, yn? are you happy?” 

your mind briefly flashes to reuniting with your maple drive friends, to the friends you’ve made at work, being able to see jeonghan, soonyoung, and hansol more often, to the shoots you’ve done and the work you’ve accomplished.

from all the stress you’ve gone through from moving so far away from home, from struggling to book shoots when you were freelancing after graduated, to where you are now.

a wave of peace washes over you, and you think of tea in the mornings and farmer’s market runs in the afternoon and impromptu shoots at night. 

mingyu didn’t near to hear your answer, he simply just knew.

he silently raises his glass and you do the same, clinking them together and downing the rest of your drinks. 

“continue to live well, yn.” he says gently, sincerely, looking right into your eyes so you knew he meant every word. 

you reach out a hand across the table rest your hand atop mingyu’s, “you too.” 

he glances at his watch and notices the time, “i should get you back to jihoon, he was already hesitant to let you go with me since you’ve got an early flight tomorrow.”

mingyu settles the tab, ignoring your insistence to pay your share, and you walk back towards your hotel. your shoulder brushes against his, and it doesn’t make his heart flutter in the way it used to. it simply reminds him that you’re still there, walking next to him, and for all his shortcomings, you were still in his life. 

if anything, he was simply just grateful.

even more so when you wrap your arms around him before entering the elevator, hugging him tighter as you whispered, “i’ll see you soon.”

mingyu’s lips stretch into a grin as he waves goodbye and the elevator doors close, “i’ll see you soon.” 

from reese, with love <3

oh yngyu.... ngl i choked up a lil writing that "i'll see you soon" aaaah they are so dear to me. at first i didn't know if i wanted to give gyu the seokmin treatment and give him a potential new partner, but if there's something i want you guys to takeaway from this, it's that romantic love isn't the be all-end all. if you happen to find it, wonderful! bec romantic love is a wonderful thing! but finding love within yourself, the company you keep, and the work you do is just as wonderful- and i'm glad this version of mingyu gets to have that :)

thank you for reading! asks/rbs/replies are always appreciated, i'd love to know what you think <3 hope you're all doing well!