#love laptops like that /gen
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so I got a Sony Vaio and I wanted to show off its sheer SIZE but I don't wanna post myself here so have this fuckin. artistic recreation ft. my real arms. I'll post a video of its boot jingle in a sec it's got such a lovely jingle
#moom makes bullshit#digital art#art#Sony Vaio#Vaio#Vaio computer#retro computing#retro laptop#Windows XP#WinXP#I LOVE MY VAIO SO MUCH#IT'S SO LOVELY (AND SO HEFTY)#IT'S LIKE 3 TO 5 KILOS AND IT'S A BITCH TO CARRY IT AROUND I LOOOOOVE IT#its name is The Thick Boy Season Spectacular- Beloved Aibo Healthcare Device#Thick Boy for short because it's funny#it's fucking huuuuuuuge#and runs like a furnace#love laptops like that /gen
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Don't get me wrong, I love having a smartphone but... there was something about this era of cell phones that was just so... texture
đ.đ||đ.đ||đ.đ
#I know they still exist. I know i could still buy one and use it. I get that#But now... a smart phone isn't just something fancy you can have anymore. Not on a campus setting anyway. It's a necessity#If a teacher decides to throw a QR code out. puts something on the board and says 'take a picture if you need to'#If they decide to do do a Kahoot game. If you wanna follow along with their powerpoint and don't have your laptop/doesn't fit on the desk#When I got my first tracfone other kids had smart phones. but I didn't feel like I NEEDED one. I miss that.#I was so grateful for that phone. I loved it. The way it fit in my hands. The feel of the buttons. It's litle screen.#I miss when that was all I needed to get by. But now we're expected to have more. how could i live without my smartphone now... oh dear#cell phones#old cell phones#y2k nostalgia#gen z life#millenial nostalgia#nostalgia#nostalgic#nostalgiacore#memorycore#childhood#childhoodcore#gen z things#2000s nostalgia#early 2000s#90s nostalgia#90s kid#90s kids#2000s kid#2000s kids#old tech#y2k#y2kcore#retro tech
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farewell, my idiot sonâŠ
#(aka my switchâs internals got fried so the repair shop had to format it to revive it: the tragicomedy)#(wait no on further inspection they seemed to have just given up on fixing it and gave me a whole other switch instead. lmao.)#(i wonder what happened to my old switch thoughâŠ)#(farewell to all of my save data⊠thank heavens i didnt transfer anything over from past gens of pkmn)#(but aaaaaaaaa this shiny goo was a christmas present from a former acquaintance⊠rip squish you wouldve loved kimikawaii mv)#man⊠these past couple of days have been a *l o t*.#shoutout to [job recruitment company employee] who sent me a âhey the job wants you :)â message#at the exact same time that i submitted a job application form for another company. it truly was a strange coincidence i thinkâŠ#but⊠ehe⊠the⊠the job that wants me is offering $1k more than the monthly base salary i asked for⊠is⊠is this really okâŠ?#nothingâs confirmed yet. but. yâknow. s t i l l . is it really ok for me to get paid so much for a job that lets me skip the morning commute#and while im still reeling from all of yesterdayâs happenings⊠squish my dear shiny goo will never be seen againâŠ#switch save system my b e l o a t h e d#so. long story short. take good care of your gadgets and gizmos guys.#then again. maybe im not the best person to say this⊠i mean. iâve bricked like. 3 personal laptops in my lifetimeâŠ#and a phone sim card. and 2-3 nokia phones. and 3 android phones. and a tablet. andâ#so. yeah. uh. itâs a good idea to take care of your stuff. especially if theyâre fragile.#anyway. in memoriam of squish my idiot son im gonna try to find another shiny in sv this time. i hope i can find anotherâŠ#but aaaaa the map in sv is pretty huge. um. i got lost like 10 times before even making it to schoolâŠ#the friends are all just. so. friend-shaped. though⊠i like the sandwich pal. he has priorities.#looking forward to seeing how this story unfolds thoughh. i saw spoilers on twt but i need to know how the story even unfolds bc aaaa#ok thatâs it idol sengen tl is now on an extended hiatus (ch 35 has just 7 pages left to go) till i complete this game. whenever it may be.#see yâall then~~~~~~~~~~~
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fwiw with the intel cpus apparently intel is saying it's caused by voltage problems and they will be pushing out a microcode update, which if they're correct should help any computers that haven't begun to degrade already. Of course this is assuming theyre not just blowing smoke out of their ass
#eureka moment#this is mostly for me since i bought a 13th gen intel cpu laptop like a month ago#please dont blow up badly. i love you so much baby
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ive been making my win 10 computer look like win 7 for the past few hours
saw my life flashing before my very eyes when it took more than 3 seconds to boot up
#pol gen#this has been the scariest experience of my entire life#like holy shit what if my laptop explodes#please dont do that laptop i love you
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using screens that dont have light filters on them
#at work and we have bigass desktops and after like an hour im like MY FUCKING EYESSSSS#ive had night light filters on my phone and laptop for literally like 5 years now i cant live without them#sometimes i accidentally turn them off and it feels like im being flashbanged#im usually fine using other ppls devices but at work im sitting like 6 in from a foot and a half wide screen#ugh maybe i should just change the color of epic to be a darker color but i love the light purple..... maybe sacrifices need to be made....#gen considering also downloading a filter app on my phone bc sometimes its still too damn bright#phones should have better light settings i should be able to set it to basically a paperwhite kindle screen or BLINDING for outdoor use
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okay i fear i enjoyed writing about older!sevika too much so hereâs more i guess!
sevika x fem reader
cw: fluff and a tiny bit of smut, age gap, modern setting, sexting, sevika is old bless her heart
older!sevika is so bad at technology itâs insane. sheâs gen x, okay! she didnât grow up with it like you did! it takes her forever to figure out apple carplay in her truck. once she does she plays the playlist you made her every time she drives.
she has no profile picture on spotify and her username is âSevika123456â. youâre her only follower.
older!sevika gets so awkward when you take pictures of her. sheâll turn her head away or cover her face whenever you get your phone out.
âbaby, no pictures please. i donât wanna be on your snapchats or whatever.â
âitâs just for my camera roll, sev, relax. smile for me, handsome. so cute!â
older!sevika has a framed picture of you two in her office at work. (thank you to my friend who said modern sev would be a psychologist bc im obsessed)
one of her clients asks about âthe girl in the pictureâ after a session. she goes twenty minutes overtime gushing about you to her client who literally doesnât care at all.
older!sevika still has cable and refuses to get rid of it. CNN is the default channel of her tv. she doesnât understand paying for a million streaming services even though she pays for likeâŠso many channels that she doesnât even watch.
âlook, sweetie. i recorded all the episodes of your favorite show for you. can netflix do that?â
âyes, sevika. netflix absolutely does that.â
older!sevika doesnât understand any of your niche internet references. if youâre hopelessly chronically online like me, you are constantly quoting the most random shit.
she tried on a suit for some event for you once. you looked at her and said âwho is the diva?â and poor sevi was so confused :( she has no idea what all that means.
older!sevika has a piece of masking tape over her laptop camera because sheâs convinced that the government is watching her.
when she gets an add for something online that she was talking about the day before, sheâll immediately tell you that the government heard her.
older!sevika freaks out when you start sexting her randomly. sheâs hella confused at first but sorta gets it after a while.
âiâm touching myself thinking about u sev :/ i miss ur body so muchâ
âWow! đ„đ€€ I will be home soon.â
âwere the emojis really necessaryâ
in conclusion older!sevika has my fuckin heartđ€ iâm so in love with her itâs insane
#sevika x you#sevika smut#sevika arcane#sevika#sevika x reader#sevika x reader smut#arcane#arcane smut#arcane x reader
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WEIRD QUIRKS BATBOYS HAVE IN A RELATIONSHIP ââ .âŠ
A/n: I canât stop thinking about batboys who have gen z humor in relationships like pleaseđ RELEASE ME. Like imagine these fighting crime then laughing while watching TikTok on a random Sunday?? (Tags: batboys x fem!reader weird quirks)
© dollishmehrayan â ( all rights reserved to me. These works cannot be reposted, translated, or modified. Thank you for understanding dollies! )
DICK GRAYSON ââ .âŠ
Emotional Support Golden Retriever BF: Dick will send you a random âI love youâ text with 15 heart emojis and the rainbow hearts in one line (ugh DISGUSTING đ€ą) followed by âI miss youâ five minutes later⊠even if youâre in the same room. (STUPID MILLENNIAL.)
Chaotic Selfies: Heâs the type to send you selfies with the dumbest captions like, âWhy am I kinda hot tho?â or âBabe, if you leave me, youâre blind.â
Random Dance Breaks: Dick will randomly break out in TikTok dances in the middle of your conversations. Youâll be arguing about what to have for dinner, and heâll just hit this (here) saying, âCanât be mad at this, babe.â
His Comedy Bit: Anytime you trip or stumble, Dickâs like, âAre you falling for me again?â Cue your eyeroll as he grins like he just invented comedy.
JASON TODD ââ .âŠ
The "I Hate Everyone but You" BF: Jason sends you TikToks that scream âusâ energy. Think of the âgrumpy bf, sunshine gfâ trope in meme form.
Trash-Talking Together: He doesnât even pretend to like people. âHe looks like wind whistles through his head,â heâll whisper to you about someone in a coffee shop, and youâll lose it laughing.
Petty King: He sends screenshots of your arguments back to you like, âTell me I wasnât right tho.â But heâll also say, âWeâre not fighting, I just think Iâm funnier.â
Affection, Jason Style: If youâre cold, Jasonâs like, âYou shouldâve brought a jacket,â then gives you his. But only after making a snarky comment like, âThis makes me look good, doesnât it?â
TIM DRAKE ââ .âŠ
The âI Canât Sleepâ BF: Tim sends you memes at 3 a.m. with âthis is usâ captions. Then he sends another an hour later saying, âNo fr, we need to sleep.â
Weird Intellectual Tangents: Tim will randomly look up from his laptop and ask, âWould you rather fight one horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses?â Youâre too used to it at this point.
Social Media Detective: He likes your posts so fast itâs suspicious and always is the first comment with ââ€ïžâ . âHow did you see that in two seconds?â you ask. He shrugs. âI have notifications on.â
Soft Nerd Energy: He makes playlists with names like âthinking about you in the Batcaveâ or âlate-night snack runs with you.â
DAMIAN WAYNE ââ .âŠ
Blunt Affection: Damianâs the type to say, âYou look ridiculous,â but if anyone else says it, heâll glare and be like, âSheâs perfect.â
Random Acts of Service: Heâs not into grand gestures, but suddenly your favorite snack is waiting on your desk, and heâll just mutter, âDonât make it a big deal.â
Reluctant Meme User: He pretends heâs too sophisticated for memes, but youâll catch him smirking at one you sent. âItâs not that funny,â heâll insist, but you know better.
Sass King: If you call him cute, heâll say, âI know.â But if you ignore him for too long, heâll sulk like, âI donât require your attention. But also, why havenât you looked at me in 10 minutes?â
#jason todd#jason todd x reader#dc#batboys#dick grayson x reader#dick grayson#nightwing headcanon#nightwing x reader#nightwing imagine#red hood imagine#red hood x reader#red hood headcanon#red hood#jason todd imagine#jason todd headcanon#jason todd headcannon#dc comics#tim drake x reader#tim drake headcanon#tim drake#tim drake imagine#red robin headcanon#red robin x reader#red robin#damian al ghul x reader#damian wayne x reader#damian wayne#damian al ghul#bruce wayne x reader#bruce wayne headcanon
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Talking w my mom about her helping me to buy a new laptop.... I got a lot of commissions all of a sudden so I could reasonably do it if I sell a couple more and keep that money to the side
#rambling#I'm providing all the money ofc lol all she'd help me with would be just using her credit card to pay in installments#Been researching and the Lenovo Legion looks p good...#Good IPS panel screen; 10th gen intel core i7; 1tb HDD & 256gb SSD; gtx 1650 ti; i think 16gb RAM? Could also be 8gb I can't remember#The laptop i have rn has a 1tb hdd + gtx 950? ; 8gb RAM; 5th gen i7#It's a good few years old and honestly it's held up very well#But for working and gaming? It's falling behind more and more with the years you know#I can't draw stuff in canvases that are too big on CSP or else it starts freaking out on me lol#Animating there is also kinda pain#I'm very excited at finally being able to upgrade#If any of you have read this far and you have legit gaming laptop recs I'd love to hear - preferably w an intel chipset and not AMD#Nothing against AMD but since i also like doing art animation and video editing I'd prefer a chipset with broader reach#Also no I'm not gonna build a desktop pc the current economic climate here makes that pretty difficult lol
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IS WHAT LOVE IS ? | GEN NARUMI.
+cw.â omegaverse au ( alpha!male x beta!reader ) + roommates au + college / university au, gen narumi x f!reader, fast burn ( we don't appreciate it enough ), world building, angst & hurt, smut, mentions of alcohol, bullying, blood and physical injuries.
+syn.â When college got busy with upcoming internships, classes became hectic, sleep schedule got fucked up and exam stress piled on: gen narumi sought blissful comfort in your presence. However, the same can not be said about you.
+wc. â5k ( dw I think I'll often talk about this in my main.)Â
+playlist. â affection by between friends \ no love in L.A by dutch melrose \ fire by jvke \ is this what love is by wasia project.
+notes. â one of my favourite things to get things done by challenging myself so please be kind to me if you feel my writing is little off or not fitting my general pattern. thank you, enjoy reading. | redirect to blog navigation.
+tags. â into the omegaverse collab by @goxjo + other tags : @sukirichi @to-eden @stunie @interstellar-inn
[ one. ]
"We should fuck,"Â Narumi announces walking into the dorm room half-clad in the towel and boxers freshly showered, clusters of hair falling onto his face, wet and aromatic opening the door with a bang. Still, it failed to startle you like it generally does. His arm is still holding the door open as you try immersing yourself more into the university website that is spread open on your laptop attracting a fair amount of attention. A barely visible deft amongst his eyebrows arises as his presence remains unbeknownst to you even after he clears his throat. Are beta's senses that dull?Â
You take the bluetooth earphones off your ears. "Did you say something?" you pose the question as if you are aware of his presence just now.Â
Letting his fingers skim through his wet hair he grumbles, "We should fuck," with pinnable irritation in his voice not that you would know why he is being cranky.Â
It is your turn to be silent. Your eyes switch over to the calendar hanging on the wall right beside him. It is still two weeks for Gen before he starts to show the bare minimum signs of an approaching rut. Besides, he has never been this ridiculous. "Did the summer heat finally take your sanity?" you exclaim with a scoff returning the annoyance right back at him but respectable enough to look at him as you spoke. Your phone chimes followed by a vibration and Narumi is forced to cover one of his ears with the arm that has been holding the door all the while; his other ear suffers the damage.
"How many times did I tell you to tone it down a few notches?" He gets inside finally closing the door. All you could spare for response is nothing but a glance of unease. Who is he to tell you what to do and what not? You put your notebooks and a few things in your bag as his whistle finally blows off. "It's been two years already. when are you going to finally give in to my alpha charms, huh? I know that you are no strangers to the modern ideas of mating. I mean you are quite active so why don't we just celebrate the last year of graduation being fuck buddies rather than just roommates?"Â You roll your eyes when you are still facing his back to him. You turn around to tuck your hair behind your ears making the bluetooth earphones visible. Holding up your fisted right wrist in his direction you tap on the watch two times and fist out your palm with all five fingers and Narumi just squits his eyes. Before he could make full sense of what you are conveying, you are already out of the door and Narumi knows better than anyone that you love listening to music at high volumes without interruption. Maybe you do so because you are a beta or you are sad or annoyed about something. It couldn't be him, could it? Sometimes when the surroundings get too quiet and you are listening to music he can hear what song it is.Â
Not that he is a fan of your music taste but he has rather expressed in preposterous ways to exhibit his distaste for your tastes, likes, and dislikes, sometimes even unasked for one and you were fine with it. You were fine with his obnoxious, rude, and rough behavior. Even in his class, he has a hard time getting along with his batchmates. Every once in a while he would come up with bloody knuckles or a bleeding nose, scratches in his face sometimes and you would have no other choice but to tend to his wounds. You never bothered to ask how he got hurt or why he hurt others and he never decided to divulge. Being at the top of the university has prevented him from getting expelled. The professors are fed up with him but are willing to put up with him only because he is sincere in his studies. And, he is surprisingly good at it given his nature. Sharing a room for almost more than two years with an alpha like Gen Narumi is not a cakewalk, especially for a beta like you. Even before moving into the dorm room, you knew that you would either be paired with an omega or an alpha. You knew what you were getting into and with the advancement of medicinal chemistry cohabitation with other species of your kind has become easier than before yet the primal urges never really fade, do they? After all, what is more dangerous than an unmated alpha?Â
You check the time. You are so early for someone who has an interview for the first time. You sit with the other candidates without a slice of panic in your body. Thanks to Gen for nuking your attention into something that you would never expect in nightmares or another universe. Like what the fuck was that? What kind of question was that? Was that even a question? As for a fact, an alpha's desire is too innate to ignore. And with the amount of patience stored in Gen Narumi's body if anything was possible it would have happened in the first few months of college year. Wait a minute! is he finally asking you out after trying to hide it for almost two years? If yes, that would certainly explain why one time he gave you cologne on your birthday which would complement his scent too. Not only that, it would surely explain how he snuggles to you during movie nights, or on liquid nights he would almost spoon you when his ruts were approaching he was too broke to buy video games. But at the same time, you can not completely claim those actions as an act of pursuit of seeking a potential mate in you since it was just an extremely rare occurrence.Â
You remember the time when both of you just came from an exam semester party being too drunk, high, and happy to change or freshen up. Both of you just passed out on the nearest bed to the door of the room and you swear you felt a graze of something sharp upon the nook of your neck. But you swiped that thought at the back of your mind thinking it as a dream or some bad alcoholic effect. That night you woke up with Narumi in your bed sleeping like a log, a loud log to be specific. You have always given him space during his ruts since it works better that way; rather than arguing to come to a truce. That's how you have always been. That's how betas had to be. You would always find him buried under a futon with bloodshot with a game controller in his hand, and a lot of junk food packets all around the room yet you chose to give him space because that is how you avoid alphas like him; the more you indulge with him, the greater the chances to be under his target radar.Â
"Y/N L/N is next. Be prepared." the mic announces breaking the pensive silence and your reverie of thoughts for a mere blinking moment.
On the first day when you moved in you clearly stated that you would file a complaint if he ever tried to scent you, mark you during his ruts. He just joked saying, "So, it's okay when I'm not in a rut?" but you would not budge or answer him so he mentioned in a sing-songy tone, "Oh don't worry. Betas are hard to influence. You should know that darling. Plus, you are not exactly my type." with a smug so loud on his face that you wished you could throw something at his face but engaging with him would give him a crack to widen the gulf, explore and test waters. . .you know better than that. But since unlike other alphas, he listened to it, he abided by it, he sustained itâ- well tried to or he was just poking the bear for fun. He often does that when he is out of video games.Â
That is how you have always maintained a boundary between him and you.Â
Gen Narumi finds it impenetrable. You think all the things he does, he does it out of respect which is not exactly true. There is respect but just a pinch. Sharing a room with a beta wouldn't be too bad. That's what he thought when he came to know about you. He did mention in his admission form that he would not like an omega as his roommate but he did not expect it to be beta. It could have been an alpha or a zeta, someone either loud or too mute. Mediocrity has always been a foreign concept to him. And what's up with "do not scent me or mark me." as if he would be interested in such things. He is not like other alphas. Some alphas spend their ruts giving in to their urges while some take suppressants. Gen Narumi belongs to neither of them. He spends his ruts eating junk and playing video games. works both ways actually. It has always been like that since he was expressed as alpha in society. What would he do to a beta? or that's what he thought.Â
This morning when he said, well, suggested that you and him should fuck he was possessed perhaps. Why on earth would he say that? It does not make any sense because never in two years he has thought or even looked at you with a splotch of romance. Most of the alphas in his batch have already found a mate or maybe were forced to. He might be the only unmated alpha in this university which is why lesser potential omegas approach him. An unmated alpha is always seen under the lens of threat. And, if they came to know how he spends his ruts, they would not even acknowledge him as an alpha. At the start of the college year, he would often end up bullied by other alphas because of that. The last thing he wants to do is to use his pheromones on others. Why would he waste it on others? He doesn't exactly know for what or whom he is saving it. He would come to the room late whenever he got into a fight. One time he was so tired of all the bullying that he did not even try to defend himself or scare them away. By the time he reached the dorm room, he was too hurt to breathe properly. That night Gen Narumi came to know that even a beta can calm an alpha, and nurse them into good health if needed. He was too hurt to protest or say anything, all he could do was to imbibe your scent while you were taking care of him. Even betas have a smell. Did you do that on purpose? release pheromonic signals to calm him? Would it be so hard to believe if he were to say that most alphas took their roommates as mates? He can certainly try, at the very least he will get a good laugh out of your reaction. If you did that on purpose he has a chance to show other alphas that he is actually an alpha not that he cares what they say but since you showed your interest in him in a puzzled way he would certainly try to match your level. wouldn't this be a win-win situation if he fucked you? For you, for him, and others as well; it certainly would. That's right. This morning you did not pay enough attention to him so he will say it again just so he can reject you. That's what an exceptional alpha would do. He is exceptionally good at gaming and studies though so he can not see why he should let this opportunity slip through his hands like sand.
You open the door with the help of keys while holding your bag in one hand and your cell phone in the other. Gen does not leave his seat to hold the door rather graces you a glance and goes back to whatever he is doing.Â
âYeah. Iâll definitely call you back, Hoshina-san.â you disconnect the call and Genâs eyes are on you. He does not look away so you took it as a cue to explain something, anything. He just needs some info to be fed so that he does not start again. âHoshina Soshiro is gonna be my supervisor if I get the job. The interview wasnât so bad but I donât wanna get my hopes up. He is one of the best and doing an internship under his guidance would be a great start. â
âStay away from that guy,â Gen grumbles looking back at his desk. It is unusually neat today. Not to mention his futon bed is folded and kept on his bed in a side enough that one can sleep peacefully without any problem. You would have said something to him if your attention did not keep faltering . . .Gen rolls his revolving chair in your direction, one of his legs is touching the wheels of the chair while the other is stretched creating a huge gap. His left-hand travels under his t-shirt and it hooks on his right shoulder. "we should fuck," he declares, inept and inert.
"oh god! Not again" you let out a groan and sit on the bed near to you. Your head is in hands not because of what he said or what he did, not even because your patience is thinning with each tick of the clock enough to not to put up with this anymore but because of what is about to come out of his mouth the next.
"So, you heard me the first time ?" he barks while leaving his chair. You just wave your hand nonchalantly in a gesture to dismiss him but he locks his hands in his chest taking a stern stance in front of you.
You tilt up your head looking him in the eye, "You know Gen we shouldn't do this," your elbows rest on your thighs as you start to scratch your index finger with the other.
"don't you mean can't? you can't do this?" Is he serious? Isnât he joking? Oh God. Why isnât he joking like he generally does? Maybe a reaction would keep him quiet but what kind? A yes? A no? Or a laugh?
"you know better than others that I can fuck, literally too sometimes." You exclaim hoping to judge if this is really serious or just some sort of prank. If the latter, then it's not funny. If the former, then you might have to consider moving out. You get up from his bed to grab towels and bathroom needs."Why do you ask?"
"I don't know. Maybe I need to prove to someone that I'm an alpha." Gen regrets saying that. Your hands have stopped as you look at him which rarely happens. You never do one thing at a time. Fuck! Youâre still looking at him. Gen unlocks one of his hands and scratches his jaw.Â
"well, you chose a very wrong person to fuck, to prove then. I despise alphas. I would be much happier if you weren't one," Thatâs a little harsh, even from you.Â
"as if a beta like you could get me hard." You keep the shampoo and conditioner bottle on the desk with much greater force than needed. Here it comes. . .Oh okay.
"Well, have you been with Beta before?" Gen tries to dodge the bullet because this is not the direction of conversation he wants to go. "that's exactly my point-"Â
"an omega?" you pause and take a few steps towards him "An alpha?"Â Â
âWhaât? Whatâre â you talking â about?â Gen blabbers. He does not step away as you come closer but he has the urge to do so.
"god. Please find someone else to lose your virginity." You turn around the moment you finish deciphering his goal. Gen starts to growl underneath everything that comes out of his mouth now. "me being an alpha won't affect you being a beta if we were to fuck. and I don't wanna hurt an omega or alphaâHis patience is thinning out too. This really isnât the way he wanted this to go.
"But you'd hurt me?"
"That's not what I meant,"
"Are you a virgin, Gen Narumi?"
"YesâI mean no." He glitches and now he can not look at you.
"Which is it?"
". . ."Â
"I'm too tired to think about it now," you express with an exasperated sigh walking towards the bathroom.
"Is that a yes?"
"maybe be,"
"forget it." His tone is too sharp, demanding for someone who was begging you to fuck.
"What?" You stop before entering the bathroom and turn your head to him. "forget it" He repeats. You tilt your head, "But you just said. . ." you are starting to understand what this is really about. He does not want to fuck you neither want to lose his virginity or whatever he is trying to protect. It is his alpha ego acting up. He wants you to say yes so that he can reject you so that it strokes his alpha-nature. Thatâs it.
Your face distorts in disdain in his dense thought process.
Gen Narumi squints his eyes and then blinks. When he opens his eyes you are in front of him. You push him onto the nearest bed, your bed, and sit on his lap, legs folded and creating a dip on the mattress under the pressure of it, thighs grazing his pelvis.
"what're you doing?" Gen gasps as you let your palms touch his chest. He is gonna explode. His heart is beating so fast. You can feel it. Oh My God. You didnât think this through.
"Well, let's see if a beta can get you hard or not."Â
You undress your top. You are not an omega. There is no stench. But your scent is so muted that he has to either influence you to emit some or get closer to inhale. The first option is a no-no because he would not like to anger you while you are on his lap. So, he has to get closer. Wait, closer than this? The smell from that night threatens his senses and memory. Before the realization fully hits his brain, his hand moves in your direction but you stop him. Did you do something wrong? Both hands are now aligned with his. You notice how your hands are different from his. His fingers are rough and raw. Yours are at least, well-maintained. You slowly interlace his fingers with yours folding his hands at the back. He could easily swat you away but he is not doing that. You lean into his face and he does not move away so you take that as a yes to lick from his collarbones up to his chin and immediately pull away.Â
Narumiâs eyes are closed, head still tilted. Without giving him a moment of reprieve you let your lips graze on his, just barely, and pull away just a little, wet yours and thereby skimming at his bottom lip in the process. He opens his eyes, slowly looks at you, and then your lips. He is breathing like a tired puppy. He inclines, perhaps for a kiss but you sway your head giving him access to the side of your neck. As you graze your cheek against his jaw, his hands that are still at the back are held by you but it is slowly getting lithe as you feel his lips on your shoulders, hot tongue on your skin, and then a sharp graze of his fang from your shoulder up to the back of your ear. You tip your head down for a moment feeling goosebumps arise on your skin barely allowing him any moments of reprieve, only permitting a rare moment to breathe. You watch Narumi intently, unafraid to make things awkward, but Narumi is too distracted by his inner crisis to notice the amused stare mere centimeters from his face; studying him.
The tip of your tongue curls slowly but forcefully, tracing the plump of your bottom lip before sliding across Genâs own and trailing the roof of his mouth. Eyes watching intently. Controlled. Curious. Amused. But then you abruptly pull away, lips shiny and wet. Before Narumi can ask why, your lips curl in on themselves, hiding a smug smile. It looks like you canât catch your breath â like if you do, you will erupt into laughter. But a lopsided grin finally breaks free, tugging at your lips, when your eyes flash down to Narumiâs torso and back up.
Narumi freezes, heart, hammering in his ribs.
Heâs hard.
âThat was fast,â You smirk â and you stand. âIâm going to shower now.â you release your grip from his hands and get off his lap. Gen watches you go into the bathroom and looks down at his boner biting his bottom lip; a click of his tongue follows as he checks the time. It is too late to go out now.
when you come out of the shower he is not there. A part of you worries if he got into a fight or something or maybe he is with his big hot alpha friends bragging about how he turned you down. You hit the bed with a thud, exhaustion creeping up from your toe to head, slowly. You do not give a damn what he says about you to other alphas or anyone in general. A beta will always have to watch out for themselves. They can not rely upon anyone, not even their kind because most betas are dumb enough to mingle with alphas and get turned into omega with or without consent.
Look what fate landed upon your mother when she took an alpha as her mate. You let out a wry chuckle. Sleep seems like a foreign land somewhere in heaven.
[ two. ]
It has been two days since Narumi left. Some of his batchmates have started to ask you during recess and breaks between classes. You answered them the same thing every time. âI donât know.â or âhe didnât tell me before going.â or âHow should I know? Iâm not his mate who can sense it. Go find his mate.â or âhe didnât take his phone. So I donât know.â truly it had not bothered you until Professor Shinomiya showed up at your doorstep asking for his whereabouts. You politely and patiently answered him the same very thing that you have been telling anyone who asked about Narumi. For a hated unmated alpha he sure is popular.
On the third day, late at night, there is a knock on your door. You go and open without hesitation. Narumi enters wearing the same clothing he wore the last time you saw him, only a little fade. His hair is wet and it is not raining outside so he comes back after going missing for two days, freshly showered. Bloodshot eyes, hair messed up, and mayhem all over his body.
âWelcome back.â You say but Gen does not say anything but goes straight to his study desk. He has a test coming up. Professor Shinimiya said that so you would contact him if you had the means. Your day-to-day notebook is on his study table, under the stack of his books, and guess what? That is exactly what you need the most right now because without it you would not be able to work on your applications and resumes. It has all the details and info you. The moment you touch the stack of books, Narumiâs hands are over yours.
âAre youâ-? Where were you ?â You ask and For the first time in your life, you feel that something inside you went missing. When did that happen?
Gen stands up but you do not scoot away as he closes the gap between him and you. Thatâs what he likes about you. You were never afraid of him. You never considered him as a threat like others. Now, that he is closer you can smell several mixes of strong musky aromas. It is odd. You have been close to him before, but never once knew his scent. Is he in a rut? Or did something bad happen? Did he. . .? Was he attacked by a gang of omegas or alphas? It makes your stomach turn thinking about whatever the probable reason for such a state as his.Â
âOh? You can tell?â There is a few inches gap between his face and yours. His palm is still intact on yours. The grip is lithe yet you donât move your hand away.
âGen? What? OH. God.â You had to swallow since tears threatened your eyes. âAre you okay?â A trembling whisper is all it takes for him to finally say something.
âLeave.â
âWhat?â
âJust leave for a few days. Go to some friendâs house or something,â He is still sitting, his eyes are on the open book now but his hand is still over yours.
âWhy? What did I do?â You ask trying to move away your hand but in a swift moment, he grabs your wrist and pulls you closer as he stands up.Â
âIâm â in a rut. So, I need you to stay away from me.â
âBut â Iâm a beta. You donât need to worry.â
That is funny. It is because of you that he is such a shipwreck now. It was your pheromones that fucked him up. It was you who calmed him with scents when he came home injured. It was you who had no control over pheromones when drunk. It was you all along and despite that, he can not bring himself to hate you. Why canât he hate you when he wants to? He even took a whole bunch of suprresants before coming back here. Gen laughs at your naive sentiment so blaring that you take a few steps back but he yanks you back to himself, a little too forceful than he intended to be resulting in you on top of him sprawled on the cold floor.
âOhh? Why do you think I rub my fangs against your neck? You donât think I do that for fun, do you?â You are still trying to get away from his grip but he is strong. He is stronger than you have known all these two years. âAre you too dumb to know that if I bite and knot you enough times you will turn into an oâ
Thwack!
Narumiâs head is tilted away from yours. The exposed side of his cheek is red, his ears are thrumming and he has to force himself to keep his eyes open. Fuck. Youâre strong. That was one hell of a slap.
âI know that. Iâve known that all my life. You donât need to tell me that,â you yell looking down at his t-shirt. A cry is at the brink when you see a few drops of water fall on his top. You try your best not to fall apart in front of him but it is just too much. Hearing such a thing what your mother went through and then slowly becoming a victim of it is nothing but a slow poison. You refuse to live the life your mother led. You refuse to owe your existence to an alpha.Â
Narumiâs lips form a crescent but it is quickly clouded when your body starts to shake. You cover your face as you start to crumble like Rome in front of him.Â
Folding his legs he sits up. His hands rest on the floor to support himself as he whispers, âHey, stop crying.â His voice is calm, pupils back to normal, not red anymore. âPleaseâ He insists. âIâd hate to use my pheromones on you, especially nowâÂ
You slowly look up wiping off your tears with your hand.
âTell me y/n have I ever used my pheromones on you?âÂ
âNo. Never.â Your hands fall on his chest. âBut I still hate you. Why would you say something like that?â You stifle a sob and continue. âI know. Iâve never opened up to youâ-â Your voice turns up, anger laced underneath. âBut never did you. You think I donât knowâ- that alphas bully you? Oh please! I know better than anyone what an alphaâs beating looks like.â You inhale a long breath, âI mean I have known that my entire life. Iâve seen my mother all my lifeâ and I canât see someone else getting hurt because of me . . . your voice breaks into a cry again and you inhale so as not to cry anymore but what good that would do now that he has seen the core of vulnerability in you that was tucked inside carefully with layer upon layer.
âWell,â Narumi starts to speak. âSave me then. Save me from this torment.â
âWhat?â
âYou heard me.â Narumi jocks down to meet your gaze. âBe my God and I will be your devotee.â
You try to get on your feet. Genâs eyes follow you, each of your movements until you are standing on your own. He is still sitting on the floor in the same stance, laid back and amused. He is sure you will say no. He has done this before. Back then you thought he was speaking out of delirium but that night when you saved his life he felt like he found a God to worship. He remembers saying, âI think I love you, Y/N L/N.â and you scoffed at him saying in no world an alpha like you would feel that about a beta like you when there is a bevy of omegas around him.
âOkay.â You murmur.
Genâs mouth is parted. His eyes are big in surprise. âBut just so you know, Iâm hard to please,â you mumble with a sniff getting out of the room to make a call.
#ê©â interstellar communications#gen narumi smut#gen narumi x reader#narumi gen x reader#narumi x reader#narumi smut#kn8 smut#kaiju number 8#kn8 x reader#kn8 x you#kn8 x y/n#gen narumi#tw a/b/o#alpha x beta#omegaverse smut#alpha beta omega#narumi gen smut#kn8#monster no 8#kaiju no.8 smut#kaiju no. 8 x reader#kaiju no. 8 x you#kaiju no. 8#kn8 fanfic#light angst#smut and angst#gen narumi x you#a/b/o#a/b/o dynamics#tw bullying
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Third Time's the Charm
Request: Hii,if your request are still open can i request something for Gen V?Can you write something where Jordan and fem reader are childhood best friends and Jordan had always been in love with her but they feel insecure because they donât know if reader will like them in both forms romantically?So when,in ep 3,Jordan dad goes like âY/n and Jordan will be husband and wifeâ reader goes âMaybe we will be wife and wifeâbecause she loves Jordan just like they are?
AN: Reader wants to be the first supe president (just to explain why theyâre at the gala), I changed the timeline of the ep a tiny bit. I have another request about meeting Jordan's parents but that one might be more angsty.
CW: fem!reader, kissing, no beta, Jordan's parents are just their warning. The start is all flashbacks so I may have slipped on the tense a few times, no beta
WC: 2.0K
Jordan Li was your first kiss. Twice. The first time was in kindergarten, when they tried to kiss you and you smacked them with your Queen Mauve lunch box. Your second first kiss (the one you consider your actual first kiss) was done by you while playing truth or dare at 14. After picking a dare, you were asked to kiss the best-looking guy in the group. You shrugged and picked your best friend - Jordan.Â
At age six, they were there when you broke your ankle trying to see if you could fly (you couldnât). When you did get powers, they were the first person you told.
When Jordan came out to you as bigender, you did an internet deep-dive, trying to understand as much as possible.
Jordan listened to every interaction you had with your high school crush while quietly dying inside, wanting you to be happy. When your high school boyfriend cheated on you and then dumped you for the girl he cheated with, Jordan was there, ready to sink hours into their Xbox to keep you distracted.
The worst week of your life was when you didn't speak to Jordan for 9 whole days. You got into a petty argument where you called them self-absorbed and they called you clingy. The fight snowballed into yelling arguments and ended with you receiving a cold shoulder from Jordan.Â
When Jordan got their wisdom teeth removed, you camped out in their room, snuggled under their duvet with them to watch Property Brothers for two days straight. You even made sure they took their painkillers on time and used ice packs.
Every fight with their parents, you were outside in your car ready to pick up Jordan to stay with you. Once you showed up at their house at 6:03 am, eyes blurry with sleep and still in pyjamas. Jordan was crying, bob haircut looked messy from sleep. You drove them to Vought-A-Burger, still half asleep and ate greasy breakfast sandwiches in your car until Jordan stopped crying.Â
Jordan was even your date to prom, taking photos with you in their masculine form to get their parents off their back. Once their parents were happy, you snuck them back to yours, where you stashed their prom dress.Â
You both even applied to God U together. Too nervous to check your acceptance, Jordan checked yours and you checked theirs. Sitting across from each other on your bed you both log in before giving the laptops to each other.
âOkay, three, two, oneâŠâ you counted down, opening Jordanâs laptop. Your eyes scanned for any promising words like congratulations, or welcome. "Accepted" was the first word your eyes caught but you need to fuck with them.
âJord⊠Iâm so sorry.â You start. Their face falls, and you feel like a dick for doing this. But the opportunity is too good to pass up. âThat you believed me! Because you got in!â
They lunged across your bed to see what the screen says. You saw Jordan's eyes scan the same letter you just read, picking out the same words.Â
âYouâre such an asshole!â they told you, rolling their eyes, gently hitting your arm with the back of their hand
Youâve never been shy about showering Jordan with compliments. Saved in screenshots never to see the light of day, Jordan has kept some of them.Â
You: OMG!!! Jordan youâre so pretty. Iâm so lucky to call you my friend.Â
You: Youâre so handsome!!! I love your hair slicked back! If she doesnât agree you need to drop her.Â
You: ur a solid 9/10. Lost a point for not giving me a sip of your drink yesterday lol
Jordan Li has been in love with you since age 16. Probably earlier, if they want to admit that to themselves. Youâve only ever expressed interest in men so they kept their feelings to themselves, not wanting to make you uncomfortable, figuring it was better to have you as a friend only than not at all.Â
In your first year, you were even roommates. While Jordan flourished in crim, you bounced between majors before settling into politics.
Every time you brought some frat guy to your shared dorm, Jordan died inside. Trying to get over their long-standing crush, Jordan did the same.
When Jordan made number 2 on the top five, you celebrate with them. Maybe a bit too hard that night.
You were there when their ranking dropped after the death of Brink. A man you only met twice, but you would do anything for Jordan. Especially given how hard you fell for both versions of them last year.
âIâm going to try to tag team with your dad, get some points for you and keep him engaged, yeah?â You ask over your shocker. Jordan is behind you, ready to help with zipper duty for your dress.
âYou donât have to.â
You let out a small scoff. âDude. Iâm doing poli supe. Schmoozing with rich people is like half our courses. Zip me up please.â
âHow long have you known Jordan? You seem to be a good couple.â The man you and Jordan's dad suckered into a conversation asks. He's sitting beside Jordan's parents, while you and Jordan are on the edge of some fancy pit or table.Â
âWell, these two have known each other pretty well over the years. Jordan tried to kiss her when they were kids, and she hit him with her Black Noir lunch box.â
âIt was a Queen Mauve lunch box, actually.â You say with a laugh.
âAnd she called him âJojoâ for probably the next two years out of spite.â Kayla laughs. It's a special embarrassment when your parents tell stories about your childhood. All the stories are about you but it's been so long ago you canât remember any of it. Jordan looks worse off, slouchy posture against the banister, while you sit next to him. Part of you wants to tell him to sit up straight, but you figure you can play the grief angle better this way.Â
âOh, and remember when Jordan got his wisdom teeth out? You guys were inseparable. I think I still have the photo of you two passed out watching TV!â Kayla gushes, reaching for her phone to find the photo.
âWe all thought you two would be president and First Gentleman.â Dad insists. Your smile is fake and tight, knowing if Paul pulls out prom photos, you would have to quietly fling yourself out of a window.Â
Maybe you drank a bit too much liquid courage. Maybe the tension between them and their parents was getting to you. To give Jordan some space, you took their parents for a tour of your classes, knowing theyâll be talking to your family when they go back to Rochester.
Jordan shifting doesnât even cause you to raise an eyebrow, the subtle sound just blurs into the background.
âOr president and First Lady.â You blurt out, four pairs of eyes darting towards you. âFirst supes in the Whitehouse? It would be political dynamite.â
âYou like this version of Jordan?â Dad asks with bewilderment.
âOf course. I like Jordan because of how smart and driven they are. I like Jordan because of their weird sense of humour. It doesnât matter what they look like.â you say, trying to prove it to their parents, but also to them. Youâve picked up on their crush many times, too kind to say something that would embarrass them or hurt them. Itâs only recently how much you found yourself staring at fem Jordan and wanting to kiss her too.Â
âIâm going to go and mingle some more.â says the man, Brad or Rob maybe. You forgot his name right after you met him. His words are like a bucket of cold water was dumped over you. You donât confess your feelings to Jordan just to Jordan, but in front of their judgy parents, and a possible donner. You need to go.Â
You stand and straighten out your dress.Â
âIâm going to go too. Other donors to talk to. Go Jordan!" You finish with an awkward laugh and even more cringy go team! gesture by yourself.Â
You didn't lie to Jordan and their parents. You did go and talk to other donors but it twists your stomach every time you bring up how amazing their grades are, or how skillful they are at fighting. After donor number three gives you an answer that technically was âweâll seeâ but heavily implied to be "yes for Jordanâ you went to hide in the bathroom. You have enough battery left on your V-phone to keep it going for most of the night. Tomorrow you can talk to Jordan and hope you donât fuck it all up.Â
You barely look up when the door opens, already have done too much for the day to care who it is.Â
âHey, can we talk?â You snap to attention at the voice. Of course, you know that voice. It's Jordan, still feminine presenting.Â
âFuck, Jord, Iâm so sorry, I shouldnât have spring that on you. I promise Iâll just go back and try to get you some votes, youâre going through a lot.â You say, in a rush to get the words out, desperate not to fuck up youâre friendship. The rim of the sink is hard against your back but you canât help but shrink into it.Â
âDid you mean it?â They ask, still keeping a distance from you.
âYeah, of course, I donât want to ruin this friendship.â
âNo, what you said in front of my parents.âÂ
Oh right. Your confession. Fuck. It's already out there, might as well keep it going.Â
âI may, uh-â you curse yourself for leaving your drink outside the bathroom, wanting something in your hands to stall. â-have a crush. On you. My best friend.â You twist your hands together, wishing Jordan didnât look so pretty. If your heart beats any faster you may go into cardiac arrest.Â
It's Jordan that indicates your third first kiss. It's gentle, and fast, like the second one. She pulls back quickly, but you run your fingers through her hair and pull her closer. The intensity from the first first kiss is still there, only this time you both share it. Her hand smooths up to your face, thumb stroking your cheek in a silent invitation to open your mouth. You comply, and tilt your head into her palm. Her tongue sweeps into your mouth and you can taste the champagne they were drinking.Â
The sound of the door opening makes you both jump.
âStall?â You ask, voice low and hushed. You squirm out from where she has you between the sink and her. You push the door open to the nicest-looking stall, desperate to keep kissing Jordan. They follow your lead eagerly, one hand wrapped around your shoulder to keep you near.Â
Dipping their head, they softly kiss your jaw before moving onto your neck. You silently thank the other two women arguing in the bathroom so that your gasp goes unnoticed. Giving Jordan's hair a small tug, you pull them back up to you. The shit-eating grin they flash you makes you want to almost get caught again.Â
Your free hand moves to their waist, trying to get as close to them as physically possible.Â
You pull back slightly, wanting so desperately to get lost in the moment, but the commotion in the other stall is distracting. Plus youâre nosey.
Jordan frowns when you pull away, eyes scanning your face for something they did wrong. You shake your head and tip it over to the stall.
âThe fuck?â They mouth to you, hand still around your shoulder.
You gently push Jordan against the door to give yourself space to squat down. You see two pairs of feet in the stall across the wall. You hear the voices quiet down, before the sound of someone peeing. You frown slightly, weird fetish to do at a memorial gala but you hear rumours about students into more fucked up shit.Â
âWe should get outta here.â You whisper to Jordan.Â
âWeird place for our third first kiss.â Jordan whispers back. You reach around them to unlock the stall door. Third first kiss. You replay the words in your head, a warm feeling blooming in your chest.Â
You gently push them out of the stall, trying to keep your laughs quiet as you both scurry past the other couple in the stall.Â
#I read it once for spelling and flow then released it to the world#jordan li x reader#jordan li x y/n#jordan li imagine#gen v x reader#gen v x y/n#gen v imagine#whew this got out of hand#time to talk about jordan
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hii dropping by to say i love your works sm !! since you mentioned abt narumi requests, id like to make one :3
how aboutt narumi randomly feeling hungry during his game night and when he goes to find food he sees reader! so they end up making/getting food tgt all domestic and fluffy (if youâre cooking bro is definitely not thinking abt wifing u up uhhhh), feel free to create any setting youâd like for the scenario hihi
(also this might or might not be an excuse for me to ask u to become moots aha)
Food Impact! (Oneshot)
narumi gen x reader â pure fluff, more fluff, and even more fluff! sweet and gentle narumi, established relationship, the kitchen staff are eavesdropping on them, spoiler alert: they made a mess in the kitchen.
Author's Note: Readers, please search up the food name references I included here to get the entire picture of what they're trying to make <3
Author's Reply: hi, rye! I think we're already mutuals (at least, it's what my notif bar says? i know im already following u tho! i love your works too <3 it inspired me to write and post too, to be honest) thank you for this request i totally had fun writing it and helped me with my writer's block (â ïœĄâ â Ïâ â ïœĄâ )â ïŸ id love to interact more too!
Cross-posted on ao3. Ask box is open, and masterlist can be found on my pinned. Have fun reading, everyone!
The sight that greeted Hasegawa has an unusual factor.
Stacked yamazon boxes, check.
Littered cans and bottles, check.
Neglected blankets and pillows, check.
An unbothered Captain on his futon playing his BS5, gone.
Or maybe he's just being dramatic. Narumi is actually there, albeit not stuck in front of his huge ass TV for once. Rather, he's shockingly seated behind his office table, adorning a serious expression while giving his laptop an intense focus.
His Vice Captain is rendered speechless. Was he seeing things? The First Divisionâs Captain⊠is actually doing work?
âHasegawa. What is it? Iâm busy here.â he said, hands busy on his laptop.
Oh, he's been staring at him for the past 5 minutes, mouth agape. Regaining his composure, he stated his business. âYour presence is requested for an interview. I believe I sent you the notice first thing in the morning.â But is it right to be disturbing him when heâs finally workingâa rarer than once in a blue moon occasion?
âRequested, not required. Don't care, won't care.â
â...Then Iâll ask her to do it in your stead.â
âDon't. She's helping me with my work.â
Sighing, Hasegawa turned around to leave, surprisingly not picking Narumi up like a helpless cat to make him attend the interview.
Once Narumi heard the door click, the corner of his lips turned up, unable to stop the smug, triumphant grin from forming. âHah, too easy! Iâm busy working alright, my ass is practically burning from sitting here all day!â
In truth, the laptop Narumi specifically requested when he was promoted as Captain is a gaming laptop. He had somehow convinced the higher ups that its specifications are far greater than anything most officers can handle and is fitting for his position as Captain. Not that they know what it really is, of course.
He has been playing Jenshin Ympact the moment his office shift started. You had practically begged him yesterday to grind for you, saying that youâll handle his paperworks worth a weekâs job as long as he gets your desired character and weapon. âWhy wonât she just top-up on this game? We have all the money to get every single character. What a bummer.â
Not that he understands why youâre willing to shoulder his paperworks over playing a game. Nothingâs enjoyable about paperworks at all! But you complained that your back was hurting from grinding, and who was he to reject such a good offer? That means a grumpy Hasegawa would appear less on his doorstep.
Complaints can be heard from him as he speedruns a side quest, mumbling about how the NPCs are too helpless. âWhat the⊠why do most NPCs ask for food here? What kind of adventurer doesnât bring any food with them?â
Karma seemed to have hit him, his stomach growling too loud for his liking.
Ignoring it, he continued, still insulting every single unimportant character here and there. âBoo. Shut up. Don't like you. Go away. I hope you get eaten by a slimeââ
And an even angrier sound came from his stomach.
âFine! Iâll grab something to eat.â
What he meant by grab something to eat, is grab you to get the both of you something to eat. He refuses to eat anything without you, finding it more enjoyable doing mundane things with you around. His stomach has been empty since morning, wanting to get an early start on his grind.
He sulkily made his way towards your own room, knowing that you've been just as cooped up as him in your respective offices.
Not bothering to knock, he calmly opened the door, instantly finding you still working on his paperworks, desk situated across your door.
His familiar presence caught your attention, eyes lighting up in joy at the sight of him. âGen! What brings you here? Do you need anything?â
Without a word, he gently grabbed your wrist and pulled you up, making you drop your pen in the process.
Confused, you tried calling him again. âGen?â
âMhm⊠heard you. Just come with me.â
âAlright.â You smiled, his uncharacteristically calm demeanor endearing you. He was often like this with you, as if your very existence is his source of peace.
A comfortable silence lingered as you let him lead you to his your destination. Halfway there, you finally recognized the route to the cafeteria.
âOh, he's just hungry.â you thought. âBut wouldn't he prefer instant meals or deliveries instead of going all the way here?â
But instead of going straight to the self-service counter, he turned and made his way to the kitchen instead. Wait, are you even allowed there? Sure, he's the Captain, but he's not a cook!
He finally let go of your wrist, unceremoniously opening the large door, earning shocked stares from the kitchen staff and making them pause their job.
You pulled at his sleeve. âGenââ
âIs there an available cooking station here?â he asked.
The staff looked at each other, obviously baffled. âUhm, Captain Narumi, sir; there is. But it's at the far end of the KitchenâŠâ a cook said, pointing towards the station.
âGood. Weâll be using it undisturbed.â
Gen continued making his way forward, with you holding the cuff of his sleeve to ease your nerves. You offered an apologetic look at every person you made eye contact with as you both made your way through. He still hasn't said anything as to why you're here of all places, confusing you further.
He came to an abrupt stop once you reached âyourâ station. It's time to get to the bottom of this.
âGen, did you say we'll be using this cooking station? Are we actually cooking?â
He faced you, his arms crossing. Suddenly, he looked a bit bashful. âYeah. That's what I said.â
Raising your brow, you tried prying more information from him. âAnd what exactly are we gonna cook?â
âAhem. So I saw this food while playing Jenshin YmpactâŠâ He pulled out his phone, showing you a screenshot of the food.
Invigorating Kitty Meal.
Giggles threatened to spill from your lips. No wonder he wants to make it yourselves.
He swiped the photo to another screenshot. âAnd there's this other one. You love mushrooms, I thought you'd want something simple to eat.â Milky Mushroom Crisp Tower. How cute, he was also thinking of you!
âThey look pretty fun and easy to make. However⊠Both of us don't know how to cook, Gen.â you frowned.
âBut you just said it looks easy to make. There's two of us, that should be good enough, yeah?â he pouted.
Fondly, you sighed. Heâs being too adorable right now, you just can't say no to him. âAlright, weâll try. If it turns out good, youâll marry me, won't you?â you joked.
He brightened up at this, pushing his hair back, determined to make his kitty meal. âConsider it done.â
After thoroughly examining the screenshots, you personally approached a few people stationed in the kitchen, asking them which ingredients would best suit your planned meal. With a couple of pieces of advice here and there, you and Gen started to put the plan in motion.
He passes you a rather large bowl full of rice, busying yourself with shaping it to form a cat, filling its inside with mayo tuna. He tasked himself with (trying) to cook the steak while watching the eggs boil, which you doubted at first, earning you a complain from him (âHey! You're on the same boat as I am; can't cook, can't question!â)
Cooking the steak is quite the task, so you decided to handle your mushroom toast yourself.
You poorly sliced up the mushroom and tossed it in a small pot filled with a cup of thick cream and easily melted cheese. Not hard at all!
You leave it be and checked on Gen, who you find struggling with not burning the steak. âNeed help?â
âIâm fine! It's just that this is totally not beginner friendly, that's all!â
â...Gen, the eggs are overcooked.â A series of curses left his mouth as he hurriedly took them off the boiling water, and his nose scrunched up on the smell of something burning.
âYour mushroom! The heat is turned all the way up!â Now it was your turn to panic.
After a couple of errors from both your ends, it was safe to say that you've finally reached the final task of your newly found skill.
You were carefully carving some seaweed, cheese, and ham as the final touches to his rice kittyâs facial features. Gen was standing behind you, arms wrapped around your waist as he watched your art, humming to himself. He seemed pleased despite the mess you both made.
âLet's cook again someday.â he said.
You snort, âSpeaking too soon? You won't say that if this turns out bad.â
âNahh. Not if Iâll marry you.â
You laugh, taking it as a joke. You feel him perch his head on your shoulder, face turning into a frown. âI wasn't joking! Here, have this.â
He took your hand, putting a seaweed ring on your finger. You giggled again, your heart can't take him sometimes. âI didn't mean to laugh at you. You're being too adorable today! Let's eat these right here before they spoil.â
He looked too sad to see the kitty get devoured, sulking despite how good it surprisingly tasted. And yours wasn't too bad either, glad that you were able to salvage whatever was left from the burnt mushroom sauce.
â âM definitely gonna marry you someday.â he suddenly said.
Your head whipped towards him so fast, only to find him munching on his meal, face serious. âFood so good it got you saying that again?â
He shook his head. âDon't you want me as your husband?â he whined.
You felt your face flush, suddenly aware that he meant what he said. âGo put on a real ring on me first. Then I'll take you as my husband.â you teased.
Looking thoughtful, he hummed. âI can wait just fine. It arrives tomorrow.â
Wait. What?
âWhat arrives⊠tomorrow?â
âThe ring.â he said, matter-of-factly.
You faced him fully, mouth wide open. Heâs dropping this information way too casually!
Sensing your stare, he also turned to look at you, food still in hand. âWhat? If you're worried about the size, I got it covered.â
âYou're crazy. When did you purchase it?â
âHmm⊠a couple of weeks ago. When I heard you scolding Hasegawa for disturbing me, saying I needed rest for carrying No. 1âs eyes on a daily basis. No one dares to scold him like that! So I decided to promote you as my wife!â he proudly said.
You tug at the front of his clothes, pulling him closer. âI want to kiss you right now.â
He set his food down, placing his hands on your waist. His eyes seemed to sparkle with mirth. âThen, as the Captain of the First Division, I grant you special permission to kiss me.â
And with that, you closed the distance between you, feeling the both of you smile in your kiss.
Bonus:
Unbeknownst to the both of you, the kitchen staff were eavesdropping the entire time. Who wouldâve thought that this is how good their Captain's romantic life is?
You two were so absorbed in your own little bubble, failing to notice the suppressed squeal from a staff that was tasked to spy on you when you kissed. Seems like you forgot there were other people around you.
The staff went back to the others, meeting their expectant gazes. Wordlessly, they gestured their ring finger and acted out a kiss. It was comical, but the message was well-received nonetheless. It became an unspoken rule to keep what happened that night amongst themselves, wanting to respect your and the Captain's joyous moment.
#kaiju no. 8#axia writes for fun#kn8 x reader#kn8 writing#gen narumi#kaiju number 8#narumi gen x reader#narumi fluff#narumi x reader#narumi gen#narumi gen fluff
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Not That Kind of Guy
Part Fourteen: Stalker!Anakin Skywalker Ă femme reader series
Warnings: stalking, weirdo behavior, psychotic/delusional behavior, possessive/protective, sexism/misogyny, sexual content/fantasizing, pervy behavior, panty/scent kink, mask kink(Ghostface), gaslighting/manipulation, public/semi-public, spitting, cumplay, nude vids/pics, masturbation, oral, PIV, dick piercing, forced orgasm, bondage/blindfolds, biting/slapping/spanking/cutting, rape kink, NONCON/DUBCON/CNC, Somno, blood, knife, gun play, GEN. SMUT [all possible tags, not necessarily all apply]
Info: Ghost is whiny, Heâs feeling petty, he told you so!![diary entries from Ani] extremely not proofread. Stalker!Anakin Character art (as Ghost) MDNI 18+
Diary Entry: September 2nd
I lied. I said I wasnât mad at you, but I am.
Itâs not like I tell you no to anything, so why wouldnât you just ask me first? Are you just desperate for a moment away from me and too nice to tell me that? Running from your problems wonât help especially when your problem is me.
I did what I shouldâve done a long time ago. A new software has been installed on your phone, very similar to the screen cloning software linked to my laptop. Only this one is active all the time, a constant feed of live audio that Iâve taken the liberty of flagging a few words within the code.
Anakin, hate, love, Ghost, annoying, angry⊠so on and so forth.
The software flagged several sections of audio within the timeframe of your drive to the cabin. I must say, Iâm surprised about the things the two of you talk about, Iâm never going to be able to look Han in the eye ever again.
I also lied to you about something else. I donât work tonight, or tomorrow. I switched up my schedule with April for you, cause I have a little something planned for you. A little thing Iâve had tucked away, actually never intended on getting it out and doing anything with it really. It was a gift from Cliegg after there was a murder on the college campus last year.
Donât worry, it wasnât me that time.
Anyway, I think it might be fun. For me at least.
âOkay but I donât get it.â Luke said, propping up his feet on the dash while you drove.
âWhat about it donât you get?â You snorted, slowing to a stop at a traffic light. âI think itâs pretty self explanatory Luke.â
âIâm sorry, I didnât come equipped with a cooter and Iâve never, nor wanted, the opportunity to see one.â He crossed his arms and tilted his head back and rolled his shoulders. âI just donât see the benefit.â
âFirst of all, itâs pretty.â Holding a finger up and adding a second, âsecond, it feels heavenly.â
âI am a gay man.â Luke scoffed, âDicks arenât very pretty. A little jewelry canât fix that.â
âHow does it even work? Does he have to take it out to piss? Thatâs inconvenient.â
âNo!â You laughed, covering your mouth as you turned the dial to quiet the radio. âNo, he doesnât have to take it out. To answer your other question, itâs the metal balls on either end of the jewelry. Thatâs the point of the piercing you know? It rubs up-â
âOkay thatâs enough, thoughts have been thunk.â He covered his ears and did a dramatic shiver of disgust.
âYou asked!â
âI didnât know youâd be so descriptive!â
âYou described in great detail all about the massive ingrown hair on-â
âOh my god! I told you never to mention that again!â Luke reached across the console and whacked you up the back of the head.
âIâm driving!â You squealed, your hand shooting out to the side and shoving his shoulder. âNo, donât you dare touch that radio! For fucks sake if thatâs-â
âItâs ABBA.â
âGo to hell.â
ââââââââââââââââââââââââ
After two hours you reached the small lakeside cabin that was to be your home for the weekend. A cute little place with a loft and two small bedrooms. The kitchen was⊠lackluster; a fridge and a stove with a whopping number of three cabinets. The living room however did have a pool table, which in Lukeâs eyes made up for the fact that your sister beat him to claiming the loft room, because sheâd driven separately and arrived before you.
You chose the room to the left of the living room and Luke chose the one on the right. The view from your window was beautiful deep forest green, leaves and moss and huge tree trunks. While Lukeâs was the deep blueish green lake water, the occasional white wake following a boat zipping past.
After tossing your bag onto the floor in the general direction of the nightstand you jumped onto the squishy and super cheap springy mattress on the tacky ârusticâ log bed. Pulling up Anakinâs contact you tapped the call button and listen to it ring on speakerphone.
âHey pretty baby.â Anakinâs rich timbre flooded the line.
âHi Ani.â You smiled despite him not being able to see you. âJust got into the cabin and picked my room.â
âOh you got to pick?â He said curiously, âyou got the loft didnât you?â You could hear his grin.
âNo, my sister did.â You scoffed, âI thought Luke would have a cow over it but he decided the pool table here would offset his disappointment.â
âPool table hmm?â Anakin tskâd.
âHot tub too.â You grinned.
âA fuckinâ-â he groaned and let out a loud huff, âa hot tub?â
âYes sir.â
âHmph.â He snorted, âsomeone finally taught you some manners huh?â
âW-what?â You asked nervously, bringing the phone closer to you and hopping off the bed to shut the door. âManners?â
âYou just called me Sir didnât you?â He laughed. âBeen taking some etiquette classes?â
âOh shut up.â You breathed out a sigh, a breath youâd almost choked on. Your guilty conscience was really beginning to steam roll your daily life, even on your mini-vacay you canât escape your wrongdoings. Ghost was still haunting you all the way out here.
âJust teasing doll.â He snickered, âAnyway, whatâs on your agenda?â
âNothing for tonight, probably gonna sit on the dock and have some drinks, do a little bonfire, hot tub maybe.â You told him, beginning to relax again.
âDrinks? Be careful baby. Itâs not exactly safe to drink and get into a hot tub.â He chided, âIâm serious.â
âI know.â You sighed, rolling your eyes.
âGood girl.â He said, pleased enough with your response. âSo what room did you say?â
âOh! I didnât actually oops. I got the one looking out into the woods, itâs real pretty, Iâll send you a picture after we hang up.â You said, shifting your weight to sit more comfortably.
âAw thanks babydoll.â You could hear his little smile through his words. âWell, I should probably let you get back to it huh?â He sighed.
âIf you wanna talk more-â
âI always wanna talk more but I donât want to keep you from your fun.â He said a bit quieter. âUh, just donât forget to call and leave me a message before bed okay baby? Iâd love to hear your pretty voice when I get off work tonight.â
âOkay Ani,â nodding even though he couldnât see you. âIâll talk to you soon then⊠I miss you.â
âI love you too.â He made a kissy noise and hung up quickly, leaving you with a frustrated, pinched brow that you reached up to sooth with the heel of your palm.
After snapping a quick picture of your view through the bedroom window, you rejoined your trio in the living room where Luke was teaching your sister to play pool. You stood and watched for a moment, seeing them bicker like they were just reminded you of how much you loved summer trips with them.
Growing up with a sister close in age to you was fun, except for when it wasnât. She went to school before you did, made friends before you did. Of course you were only two grades behind, but there is a big difference between kindergarten and 2nd grade. She had always been happy to play with you until then.
So when she was meant to be paying attention to you, or at least making sure you were alive, while you were both outside⊠she was busy on the swing set in your backyard. Which is how you found yourself with scraped knees and (surely, most definitely) a broken ankle from your scooter.
A new family had moved in across the street from you not too long before the summer started, you hadnât met them, didnât even know they had kids, until you were being pecked on the shoulder by another childâs finger. After that, Luke was found wherever you were; glued at the hip was an understatement, your families were convinced you were soulmates, that youâd grow up to be married.
Jokes on them.
His sister Leia was outgoing and confident in ways that Luke lacked, so during that first summer she gravitated toward your sister. The twins became a binder, something that held the four of you together. Bridging the gap perfectly between kindergarten and 2nd grade as 1st graders.
It stayed that way, for the rest of your school years and after.
Your parents got along swimmingly, the four of you floated between the two houses. Nights often ending up with a pair of kids asleep in the floor, where one of those children did not belong. A quick phone call to the house across the street to make sure your sibling was there, then all was well and your parents would scoop Luke and you up and tuck you in.
You were seven the first summer your parents had the grand idea to spend a week on the lake. It was a tearful goodbye, kids who spent every possible waking moment with each other are not easily pried apart.
Your parents drove the full two hours to a cute lake house theyâd found online and within the first 30 minutes of being there your father had enough of the sniffles and whines. By dinner time Luke, Leia and their parents were sitting around fire pit with you.
Thus your annual tradition was born and kept even after the horrid aftermath of Lukeâs unexpected outing. Sans parents of course. Your father supported your mother even if his views didnât fully align with hers. He was a âbe gay, just donât be gay in front of meâ type of person, while your mother was more of the âsend him to conversion camp, heâs tainting my childrenâ type of gal.
That didnât really jive with the whole âlove and positivityâ approach that the twins parents had about the situation. Which leaves you where you are now, reminiscing on those happy childhood memories before everything got complicated, before you discovered the world outside of your safety net, before the consistent visits from your uninvited house guest.
A loud clap broke you out of the fog and suddenly you were hyper aware of your sisterâs nose right in front of your face.
âLauren!â You gasped, your eyes wide before softening into a grin.
âYouâve been staring into oblivion for a solid minute,â she giggled, âI thought about sticking my finger in your mouth but I was afraid youâd bite it off.â
âMy mouth?â You asked confusedly.
âYeah youâve been catching flies, looking like a mouth breather.â
âEew! Donât call me that!â You scoffed, standing up and following her over to the pool table to discuss your evening plans.
ââââââââââââââââââââââââââ
Anakin watched your little blue dot travel back and forth from the cabin to the dock, he listened the chatter between the three of you as he drove the two hours out to the pine forest your weekend getaway was taking place. The mile long gravel driveway was perfect to stash his car off to the side of, no one would be coming in or out of the drive all weekend.
He walked through the woods, backpack slung over his shoulder, his hood up and mask on. It was 9:57 and the three of you were still on the dock. He could hear you talking about getting into the hot tub through the Bluetooth earbud he had in, that new software was really paying off.
He hadnât planned to do this next bit, but he couldnât help himself. He purposefully got his left shoe dirty, twisting his foot side to side in order even dirt for a proper footprint. Then he left his mark on the first step up to the front porch.
*ping*
âHaving fun?â
You laughed, picking up your phone and leaning back in your chair as you crossed one leg over the other and switched the sound off. Youâd only had it on for when Anakin texted, and now he was. Or you thought he was until you realized the text came from your own number.
âNo. Donât engage. Heâs not going to know where you are, how could he possibly know?â You thought to yourself. âI planned this in person, I told Anakin at his place not mine. All Ghost knows is that youâve left for the weekend.â
You swiped the message away and let out a huff, deciding to take the opportunity to walk back up to the house and call your boyfriend.
âGuys Iâm going up to the cabin, gonna call Ani.â You said, standing up and taking your hard lemonade with you. âNeed anything?â
âNope, weâre about ready to head back anyway.â Lauren answered, waving you off. âWeâll be up soon.â
With that you walked away, taking the worn dirt path back up to the house and dialed Anakinâs number, waiting for the voicemail to pick up your call.
âHey Ani.â You smiled, crossing one arm across your chest to rest your other elbow on while you talked. âIâm probably not going to bed just yet, but I am going back up to the house. I just wanted to fill you in a little bit I guess.â
Once your shoes hit the gravel you absentmindedly kicked a larger rock off to the side, swinging out your leg and shifting your position to walk backwards, looking down at your sister and Luke on the dock.
âWeâve been just hanging out all evening, made some sandwiches and had drinks by the water.â You pivoted again as you neared the porch and looked down to ensure your footing before taking the first step up. âWeâre going hiking tomorrow morn-â
You scrunched up your face and took another look before backing away from the steps completely, your eyes scanned the porch and saw the cabin door was still shut.
âSorry, thought I saw somethingâŠâ you muttered into the phone, spinning slowly in a full circle to take a better look at the tree line. âI- okay, anyway. Going hiking tomorrow⊠probably swim too. Thereâs a canoe moored down there so maybe weâll try that out.â
Off to the left of you behind your sisters car you swore you heard gravel crunching underfoot, but when you looked toward the dock, Luke and Lauren where still sitting there. You marched over to the opposite side and saw nothing, going so far as to look under her car and yours.
âOkay wellâŠâ You were certain now that someone was outside and you were not alone, your phone buzzed against you ear and you pulled it away to swipe away the message, not even registering the sender before holding your phone back up to your ear.
âUh alright well Iâll talk to you in the morning,â you quickly walked back over to the porch steps and side eyed the footprint as if youâd expected it to disappear by now. âGoodni-â
A strange feeling passed over you, the hairs on the back of your neck stood up and a chill ran down your spine like a drip of cold water. You were almost afraid to turn around.
âI gotta go, Miss you bunches⊠goodnight.â In your panicked state you didnât have the same thought process you normally would, youâd simply ended the call and whipped your head around, expecting to find someone, something, that mightâve caused that hair-raising fear. There was nothing.
Breathing a sigh of relief you laughed at yourself. It had probably just been a rabbit, maybe youâd startled it and it kicked up some gravel. The footprint⊠it could have been there when you arrived, it couldâve been made by one of your group, including you.
You checked the message youâd swiped away and your blood ran colder than ice. Your rational explanations were bulldozed in seconds.
A picture of you, standing in the drive way, taken from behind your sisters car.
The breath was stolen from your lungs. Your sight was locked into tunnel vision, all you could see was the front door as you ran to it and pushed it open. Colliding with something solid and warm as you stepped inside.
Something living and breathing that gripped your hair and cradled you to its chest, something that kicked the front door shut and pressed a cold, blunt object to the temple of your head.
Something that made you want to scream.
Diary Entry: September 2nd continued
I have time to kill and nothing to do while I wait for you. So I figured Iâd write alittle bit.
Iâm currently sitting under a tree, watching you and your cute little ponytail swishing around while you giggle. Youâre so beautiful. Everything you do is beautiful. Iâve never seen something as exquisite as you.
Maybe thatâs part of the reason I want to ruin you so bad. Leading you, my innocent doe, down the path of corruption could quite possibly be my lifeâs work. How would you like that sweetheart?
You wanna be my magnum opus?
Though of course we do have the one small identity issue to take care of. I need to get my shit together and figure out what the fuck Iâm going to do. Itâs not like I can tippity tap it into Google: âhow to tell my girlfriend Iâve been stalking her for almost a yearâ.
No thank you. I donât trust WikiHow with the fate of my love life.
Letâs be for real. I donât even trust myself with the fate of my love life because Iâve already managed to fuck shit up. Iâm continuing to fuck shit up. What Iâm about to do? Itâll fuck the fuck out of the shit.
What can I say other than love makes people do crazy things?
âGhost.â Your voice was wobbly and unsure. âIs that a-â
âGun? Absolutely.â He grunted, pressing the barrel into your skull.
âWhat are you doing? Theyâre gonna be back soon, you canât be here!â
âI came to chat.â He said simply, leaning his head down to put the cheek of his mask against your warm skin. âI missed you.â
âDid you miss me? Is that why you left your boyfriend back home? Wanted to let me have you all to myself for a weekend?â
âNo!â You snapped at him, twisting your head away from his.
âHeard you on the phone.â He cooed, âstill canât say the L word? Whyâs that?â
âIf Luke sees you⊠my sister- theyâll call the cops, you know that.â You pushed against his chest and felt it rumble with a low laugh beneath your palms.
âStop deflecting, answer my question.â
âI told you I wasnât going to talk about Anakin with you!â The whisper left your lips tainted in unease.
âIâm aware. Thatâs why we arenât talking about it. Youâre going to tell me.â He barked, holding you close to his chest and walking backwards toward your chosen bedroom.
âN-no, I wonât. Thatâs not fair.â
âItâs not fair?â He scoffed. âI donât care if you think itâs unfair.â
âHow did you find me?!â You wriggled from his arms the moment he closed the bedroom door.
âI know everything about you baby.â His voice low and much too confident for you to believe anything otherwise. He looked relaxed in the way that he reached behind himself and locked the door, leaning back on it and crossing his arms, one long leather finger running parallel to the barrel of the pistol.
âI just wanted one weekend!â You shouted taking off your sneaker and throwing it at him, he gave you no reaction and it only pissed you off more. âJust one!â
âOne weekend away from you! I know you can see everything on my phone, you see and hear everything I do, why do you think I wasnât the one planning this trip? I didnât want you showing up here!â Yelling at him in a way you never had before as you stalked toward him with your other shoe pointed at him. âI donât want to talk about Anakin with you! I donât want to tell you how I feel!â
âDo you want to know how I feel?â He asked calmly.
âI donât give a shit!â You chucked the shoe at him and he batted it away easily.
âI think you do.â The gun raised up to his mask as if he were scratching his forehead with the barrel. âI think you care a lot and thatâs why you wonât tell me.â
You didnât answer, because he was right. You did care and you did care a lot. Youâd been avoiding telling Anakin you loved him to spare Ghost the hurt of having to hear you say it to someone else.
âNo.â You stuttered, hesitating and hating the taste of the word on your tongue.
âDonât lie to me.â He barked, holding out the pistol and motioning for you to move. âKneel. Now.â
âGods, seriously? Put your arms down, you idiot.â He scoffed as he watched you lift your hands and put them behind your head like you were being arrested as you knelt down slowly.
âWell Iâm sorry. Iâve never been held at gunpoint before.â You snapped, scowling up at him.
âIâm so lucky to have to honor of being your first then.â He grumbled, tucking it into the back of the waistband of his jeans while pulling the pink silk from his pocket and tossing it at you.
âWhat the fuck are you looking at?â His voice gruff as the toe of his shoe tapped your knee. âPut it on.â
Ghost shook his head, undoing his belt buckle, the tail end of the leather now forever imprinted with your teeth marks. You did as you were told and heard his pants unzip along with a soft grunt.
âHow many fingers am I holding up?â He asked, holding his flat palm out to the side to make sure you couldnât see, rearing back to slap you.
âHow should I kn-â *smack* âow?! What the fuck?â
âJust making sure.â He snickered, taking off his gloves and putting them in his hoodie pocket.
âAsshole.â You mumbled.
âWhat was that?â He asked with a playful tone. âYou want me to fuck your asshole? Is that what you said?â
âShut up. You know thatâs not what I said.â You muttered, unable to keep your lip from curving upward just a fraction of a centimeter.
âAh well, the offer still stands.â He chuckled, tapping the side of your jaw with the cold metal barrel of his pistol.
âYouâre making me nervous waving it around like that.â You huffed, jerking away from it.
âGood.â He snorted, âopen your mouth.â
You did exactly that, thinking youâd feel the warm weighty head of his cock hit the tip of your tongue. Hoping for a taste of the salty precum that wept from his cockhead. You werenât expecting something small, cold, metallic and pellet shaped.
âDonât swallow; this is the only time youâll ever hear me say that so you better listen.â You could hear his smarmy grin. âRoll it around, you feel that?â
âMhm.â You nodded, feeling the smooth metal and the grooves carved into it, opening your mouth again and he plucked it off the tip of your tongue.
âYour initials, or well⊠what your initials should be.â He mumbled the last bit.
You hear a series of mechanical and metallic noises, followed by the unmistakable sound of a firearm cocking back.
âYou did not just-â
âI did.â He snickered, holding the gun sideways and pointing it directly in the center of your forehead. The blunt edge digging into your flesh and pressing down against your skull.
âSpread your fingers.â
âWhy?â You asked as you splayed your hand.
âDo you have to question everything?â You felt thick metal circle your middle and ring finger, dropping to the base of each digit, barely making any contact with your skin on its descent. It really put in perspective just how much bigger than you he was.
Even more so when you felt his warm, calloused fingertips weave their way between yours and squeeze gently. The tender gesture did nothing to quench the fear sitting heavy on your chest. A loaded gun, a loaded and ready to fire gun was about an inch from your brain.
âCâmon, you donât want to talk? Not even like this?â Condescension dripping from his lips. âLoaded gun to your head and you still wonât talk about your feelings.â He tskâd.
âItâs not your business.â
âSee thatâs where youâre wrong. Weâve already had this discussion havenât we?â He crouched down in front of you, air rushing past from the quick motion. âIt is my business. You were mine first.â
The curved edge of the barrel traveled down your forehead, across your cheek and rested heavily on your bottom lip.
âGive it a kiss for good luck little doe.â Ghost spoke low and steady, almost monotone. Considering your situation you did as you were told once again.
âGood girl.â He stood back up and pushed the waistband of his boxers down by hooking his thumb beneath the elastic. âNow get to work, bitch.â
His tone had changed again, now a sharp and hard edge that smacked you like a cold wind. Emotional whiplash was to be expected in every encounter you had with Ghost, but none so far was as bruising as this.
Heâd never brought a gun to a knife fight before.
You hesitated for a moment longer than he was willing to wait, so he dropped your hand, the small bit of comfort heâd allowed you to have. Grabbing the back of your head and forcing his swollen cockhead past your lips, cool metal returning to the center of your forehead.
You gagged and spluttered around his length, the hot and leaky cockhead bruising the back of your throat. Ghost seemed to love the sound, loved feeling you cough and try to gasp for air, his hand tightened in your hair as he let out a loud and gravely moan.
âYou suck cock so much better with your life on the line.â He laughed, pulling you away from him and releasing your hair. He watched you cough and wipe drool off your chin and neck with the back of your hand.
âReady to talk?â He asked, his breathing heavy and uneven.
âFuck you.â Spitting the words out with venom.
âSorry sweetheart thatâs not on the agenda tonight.â You felt the rush of air before his palm made contact with your cheek, your hand immediately lifting to cradle it and feel the heat radiating from the irritated flesh.
âCâmon doe, I donât have to be mean about this.â He barked, âJust use your big girl words.â
âL-Lukeâs gonna be back up here any minute.â You stuttered, lifting your head in the general vicinity of where his would be.
âYou realize youâre only making this more difficult for yourself right?â He asked, not giving you the opportunity to answer when he fisted your hair and forced your lips to meet the tip of the barrel of his pistol.
*shk* *click* **click** nothing.
Before you had time to process the fact that he had just pulled the trigger of a loaded gun in your mouth, you were being choked and not given any hope for breathing. His forefinger and thumb tightly clamped over your nose and his cock lodged in your throat as he fucked your face. Instinctively you tried to draw in a breath, accidentally breathing in saliva, making you cough so hard that Ghost had no choice but to back off.
âGhost...â You dry heaved on your hands and knees. âIâm n-not gonna tell you.â
âWhatâs it gonna take huh?â He asked angrily, you could hear the sound of clothes rustling just before he lifted you up and shoved you over toward the bed. âWhatâs it gonna take for you to admit that you love me?â
âI donât!â You yelled, taking off the blindfold and tossing it aside.
âI didnât say you could take that off.â He snapped at you while pulling his gloves on, snatching the ring off your middle finger and shoving it down in his pocket. He whipped his head around toward the door suddenly.
âShit.â He shoved the gun in the back of his waist band and grabbed his bag without explanation.
âWhat?â You asked sitting up on the bed.
âGotta go.â He grumbled.
He grabbed the blindfold and slipped it back over your head, grabbing your jaw and tilting your head back, his lips met yours in a soft embrace. His tongue piercing gliding across the slit between your lips before pushing past them slowly, the taste of cigarettes and gum flooded your senses. He hadnât tasted like this last time he kissed you.
He took one of your wrists in a gentle grip and brought it to his cheek. Ghost kept a loose grip on your wrist but he allowed you to feel the smooth skin beneath his eyes, your fingertips collecting the smallest amount of moisture in the outer corner of his eye.
He was crying.
He broke the kiss, your lips begging to stay connected to his. As much as you hated to admit it to yourself that kiss felt like home. The fact that he was shedding tears was unsettling, the car crash that was this relationship had officially gone beyond whiplash and into âtrapped inside, in need of the jaws of lifeâ territory.
He took the same hand and pressed it to the center of his chest and left it there to put both his gloved hands on either side of your face, pressing his lips to your forehead. Their warmth left your skin and you immediately wanted it back.
He took the blindfold back off and smoothed out your hair quickly, putting the silk in his pocket and putting up his hood. The mask back where it belonged, those black pits where his eyes should be held an emotion that was pouring from every inch of his being. You felt like he was staring through you and straight into your soul. He stood beside the window with his bag slung over his shoulder. Who knew such strong emotion could be felt⊠seen, without ever laying eyes on the person emitting those feelings.
âLock your window back.â He nodded toward you and promptly climbed out just as you heard the front door opening, he was gone before you even had a chance to get a second look as he ran off.
You did as he asked and locked the window before checking your appearance in the mirror, a mess was reflected back at you. You looked as if youâd been lost at sea. Tangled hair and ashen skin covered in streaked makeup. The churning in your stomach only rocked the proverbial boat more.
After a deep breath you brushed your hair and pulled the makeup wipes from your bag to clean up with.
âHey!â You heard a sharp knock on the bedroom door and answered it while still wiping away at your face.
âWhatâs up?â You asked your sister as she pushed past you.
âJust checking on you before I went to bed, Lukey and I were out there for longer than we meant to be.â She shrugged on her way to jump on the bed, âOw! Fuck.â She winced and picked up her bare foot, rubbing the sole with her thumb as she picked up the offending item.
âWhoâs ring?â She asked, holding it up for you to see.
âOh itâs just Anakinâs!â You lied, laughing anxiously and plucked it from her fingers, encasing it in your own hand. âProbably just fell out of my bag.â
âHe has such a weird taste in jewelry. What even is that?â She pointed to your closed fist, and watched as you peeled back your fingers and exposed your palm.
It wasnât a lie, it was Anakinâs.
âA centipede.â You swallowed, staring at the hunk of metal. âIt- he always wears this one. I donât⊠Iâm not sure how it ended up in my bag.â
Your throat felt dry, your palms started to sweat. You felt like you might be sick. Why did he have Anakinâs ring? He hardly ever takes it off.
Diary Entry: September 3rd
I should have never taken those fucking rings off. I had to lie to you. Itâs stupid I know but lying about something little like that is almost worse than the big secret you know? Cause I donât want you to think Iâm untrustworthy, I am. Iâm very trustworthy.
You just let me shoot what you thought was a loaded gun in your mouth. Iâd say that means you trust me quite a bit. Ghost, not me I mean. You trust Ghost with your life, but you canât trust Anakin enough to tell him you love him?
Date
September 3rd (1:45 am)
Anakin jogged to the end of the driveway and hopped into the front seat of his car, taking off his mask and gloves. With the steering wheel in both hands he leaned forward to rest his forehead on the back of his hands. Keeping his grip at the top of the wheel with one hand he leaned back again, looking up at the roof of his car, his other hand going to pinch the bridge of his nose as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly.
He nearly jumped out of his skin when his phone started ringing, he quieted himself and quickly strategized a set of half truths and full lies that he might need to use before answering the phone.
âHey princess.â He sounded cheery as he picked up the phone, âlucky you, I was just going out to smoke.â
âOh?â You asked, feeling relieved to hear that he sounded fine. Maybe ghost didnât chop off his finger after all. âSorry, I- I have a weird question.â
âI love weird questions.â He snorted, you could hear him flip open his zippo lighter and snap it shut after a long inhale.
âAre you missing any rings?â You asked, hoping he said no and that this was just a very odd coincidence.
You heard rustling on the other end of the line while Anakin frantically searched his pockets, coming up one ring short.
âYeah I am actually, why?â He answered clearing his throat nervously.
âWhich one?â
âMy many legged lad.â He answered, instinctively flicking his cigarette ash with anxiety, the miniature embers floating down to his jeans. He quickly swiped them away and tried to remain focused. âI took it off to shower at your place last night.â
âI figured the cat knocked it off the sink or something.â He shrugged to himself, hoping it was enough of a lie to convince you that maybe Ghost snatched it off the sink.
âS-somehow it ended up in um, my bag I guess.â You said, turning the jewelry over in your palm, placing it on the nightstand beside the bed.
âHuh, well thatâs fucking weird.â He chuckled, âI donât know, babe. Just keep it safe for me til you get back I guess sweetheart.â
âI will, Iâve got it on the nightstand right now.â You answered, licking your bottom lip.
âThanks babydoll, listen, I gotta go back inside.â He grumbled, sucking air through his teeth the way he always did on his last drag of his cigarette. âI love you doll. Sleep good.â
âNight Ani, text me when youâre home.â
âYou got it baby." Anakin answered, his voice low and smooth.
A perfectly normal conversation. A perfectly normal explanation on his part. A completely plausible assumption that Ghost simply took it from Anakin. Though youâd never known him to be brazen enough to come around with Anakin there and awake.
A perfectly dreadful whisper floated in one ear and out the other.
âââââ-
Date
September 3rd (2:27 am)
Anakin walked circles around his car, desperate to find an escape, an excuse, an explanation. Something, anything to help him backtrack. He couldnât go back to your cabin tonight. Heâd made you lock the windows and he knew Luke would quadruple check that the front door was locked. He didnât know your sister or Lukeâs sleep habits so he didnât feel comfortable picking the lock.
He would have to tough it out until tomorrow night.
You were very much in the same boat as him. Waiting anxiously to see if he would come back, to see what would happen.
You wanted to call Anakin again, just to hear his voice, to listen to the calming comfort of it. To affirm that all was well, he was safe and fine. That was the only reason. You just wanted to make sure he was safe. Anakin was perfectly capable of handling himself, but to your knowledge he didnât own any weapons that he could defend himself with. As far as you knew, Anakin Skywalker was sweet and kind and soft. He was loving and gentle. He was the perfect man, the most wonderful thing to walk into your life.
Anakin loves you and you love him. You love him so much, so much that it hurts. You love him so much that youâve refused to say it. To protect him, to protect yourself, to protect Ghost from the hurt of it.
Thatâs just it though, there is Ghost. Heâs there at every corner, heâs the creak in the floor boards at night, heâs the figure you see in the corner of your eye, heâs the creepy feeling of being watched, the voice you swear you hear saying your name.
He cares for you, and he cares deeply. You know without having to hear it from him that he believes youâve hung the sun and the moon, he knows all the stars in the galaxy twinkle just for you and he believes you should be treated as such.
For all his wrong doings heâs done something right, not the helpful little things nor the occasional softness heâs begun to show.
No itâs something else.
Itâs a feeling so oddly tangible that you can feel it in your throat each time you swallow. There isnât a name for it, no term that youâve ever heard could properly define it. You know that much to be true.
Itâs a pull, a strong and undeniable tether. Like a child and their security blanket. Visible or not, where there is one there is always the other.
Youâd miss him if he were gone, much like youâd miss the comfort of a fresh from the dryer blanket. The fuzzy warmth that wraps you up so tightly, the feeling of being tucked away from the world in safety.
That heat fades quickly, just like he does. Heâs present one moment and the next heâs left you alone and you have to start the cycle all over again. You stare at your reflection and watch the world tumble around you and he watches you from behind the glass until heâs ready to come out again.
You want to fold him up and lay him across the end of your bed. Within reach at all times, you donât want the dryer door between you anymore. You donât want the few moments of heat from the fabric.
You want consistency.
Anakin can give you consistency in a way that no one else ever has. You never have to worry about him leaving or being disloyal, you never have to voice your feelings or opinions if you donât want to because he just knows. You never have to worry about anything. Except for Ghost.
With Ghost you know that you are without a doubt the safest person alive. You donât have to think, you can just be and know he is there to do anything and everything for you. You never have to worry about anything. Except for Anakin.
ââââ-
Date
September 3rd
Hiking had never been your favorite summertime activity, but youâd come to realize it wasnât because of all the walking or the bugs, it wasnât even because of the horrid, atrocious memory of the time youâd walked through poison ivy.
You didnât like it because it gave you too much time to think. That was exactly the opposite of what you needed right now. Right now you needed nothing, you needed the cold emptiness that comes along with burying yourself in something that took up all your brain power until there was none left to dwell on your troubles.
By the time youâd reached your destination you were drenched with sweat in the most uncomfortable way imaginable. Your shirt stuck to you, the cups of your bra were damp and itchy, your shorts had ridden up and you werenât entirely sure that you were wearing shoes instead of walking barefoot in a bog.
âLuke.â You grumbled, taking a long drink from your water bottle. âHow long have we been out here?â
âAbout two hours.â He replied casually, not nearly as winded as you and your sister. âLetâs eat and weâll head back.â
âAre we lucky enough to be on one of those trails that the start is long but the loop around is short?â Your sister asked, wiping her forehead with the inside of the collar of her shirt.
âYouâre both wimps,â he scoffed and rolled his eyes, passing out sandwiches and chips. âNo, the way back is the way we came.â
âYouâre joking.â You complained with a scrunched up expression.
âNo maâam.â Luke responded and thumbed over his shoulder at the overlook youâd made the journey to see. Yes it was beautiful, but worth the blister forming on the back of your ankle? Definitely not.
âUnless youâd like to take a dip off the cliff edge.â He snickered, knowing damn well that youâd rather gnaw off your fingers than jump from this height. âItâd be a couple minutes swim to shore and youâd be at the cabin.â
âNo way really?â You said, standing up and biting into your sandwich as you walked cautiously closer to the edge. Gazing down you saw the dock, your eyes traveling up the tiny- hardly visible- dirt path until you reached the cabin.
He was right, you tracked your hiking trail up the curve of the incline youâd suffered through, it was a massive arc. Leaving you staring at the comfort of the cabin, so close but impossibly far away. You looked for a moment more, the lake sparkling like glitter in the bright sunshine. A few boats disrupting the water as they sped past, far off the shore.
You snapped a few pictures and scrolled through them, nearly choking on your food as you spotted something youâd missed with your naked eye. Only seeing it now that you were scrutinizing the photos quality to decide which one youâd keep.
âJesus, you alright?â Lauren asked, watching you thump the side of your fist against your chest. Breathing heavily through your nose while chewing the food to swallow it and chase it down with a gulp of water.
âMâfine.â You coughed, looking back down at your phone and then to the landscape below to see if he was still there.
You shouldâve expected to find him, expected the way he made himself at home on the porch, rocking in a rocking chair. The scene was still jarring, even more so when you realized he wasnât wearing his hoodie.
His bare arms on display, his chest and abdomen covering by a loose black tank top. You frantically tried to zoom in with your camera. But of course all you could see was a fuzzy blur of inked skin.
What luck.
He was there, in broad daylight without a staple piece of his ensemble, one he didnât remove in front of you. Now you understood why he told you heâd be recognizable if you were to see his skin. He was covered in tattoos.
And itâs your unfortunate luck that despite being so close to him, itâd take an hour to get there. Your great luck that heâd left himself vulnerable to your gaze at a distance that would prove impossible to decipher his identity. He was doing this purposely, there was no doubt about it. Why else would he do something so risky?
Ghost was baiting you.
Like the stupid little fish you were, you nibbled on the hook until he was able to reel you in.
âI see youâ You texted him,
âCreep.â He texted back, standing up from his rocking chair and walking to the front porch steps. He waved dramatically, the sun shining down on him and catching on the white plastic of his mask, making him plainly visible. You watched through the zoomed in and grainy image of your phone as he moved, hoping maybe it would clear up and you could see something identifying.
Suddenly you were reminded of something youâd learned in school, a book youâd read⊠maybe Nancy Drew? Signaling using a mirror or something reflective to catch a personâs attention, sometimes used as a means of communication in Morse code. Though this wasnât nearly as sophisticated.
He had pulled out both his knives and flipped them, the sunlight refracting off the shiny silver blades erratically until it became one concentrated beam as he crossed the sharp edges over each other. Forming an X to direct to light straight at your face, promptly blinding you.
âFuck.â You winced, stumbling backwards and causing your sister to gasp.
âChrist, what the hell are you doing?â She asked worriedly, standing up and walking toward you but not daring to move as close to the cliffs edge as you were.
âA- a bug or something.â You lied, rubbing your eyes to clear up the imprinted flash of light you saw each time you let your eyelids fall shut.
*ping*
âSee me now?â
âAsshole.â You mumbled under breath, looking back over the cliffs edge to see that heâd managed to get out of sight in the time it took for you to recover.
âAlright, letâs go back. Iâm hot and sweaty.â Luke said, standing up and stretching. He packed away our trash and then shoved Lauren forward when she complained.
âIâll push you off the edge if you donât shut up and leave me be.â He snorted, dodging her water bottle that she swung by the handle at him.
âCâmon letâs go before you kill each other.â You said with a laugh, feeling better now that Ghost was -probably- gone for now.
After another hour of hiking back down the steep incline youâd just traveled up, you were grateful to collapse on the cold wood floor of the living room and bask in the cool air supplied by the window unit nearby.
ââââââââââââââââââââââââââ
Diary Entry: September 3rd
Iâm so jittery waiting around for you guys to get the hell out of that stupid cabin. I have shit to do and youâre gumming up the works. I need to get your bathing suits, I scouted out around the lake last night when I couldnât sleep. Not in my Ghost mask, I used a bandana. I think itâd be real unfortunate to get the cops called because Ghostface is roaming the pine woods.
Anyway, your bathing suits. Iâm taking the ones I disapprove of. Did you know thereâs a cabin full of jockey college boys right across the lake from you? You better not have planned that. They have a perfect view of the dock youâll be swimming off of. Which means they were probably watching you last night when you were having your drinks.
Iâm the only one who can watch you like that. Especially when youâre gonna be prancing around with that fucking ass of yours on display. âAni, Iâm just gonna wear it to tan in!â Yeah alright. Thatâs the only reason doll? Thatâs the reason you brought a thong bikini to the lake? With a cabin full of testosterone waiting to catch a whiff of you from across the way?
I canât believe youâre so stupid sometimes. I love you but damn do you have no self awareness? Iâd let you wear it when Iâm around. But Iâm not. Not the way I want to be at least. I want to be there fucking you with my eyes and smacking your cute ass every chance I get. If Iâm not standing there watching over you then those idiots might get the idea youâre wearing that shit for them and not me.
They donât know youâre tanning, making that banginâ fucking body sun kissed for my viewing pleasure when you return. They just see ass and tits and drool. I might drool yeah⊠but itâs only for you. I love you. I have eyes only for you and I always will.
Those dick-wads donât know you or care about you. They lust over every bitch they see. You donât want to make it easier for them do you? No? Thatâs what I thought. I know you didnât do it purposely little doe. You canât help it. Youâre used to me being by your side and keeping you safe, used to wearing whatever you want when Iâm around because you know Iâll fuck shit up if someone looks at you wrong. Youâve gotten used to it and didnât use your little girl brain to make adjustments for the fact that Anakin wouldnât be there for you.
Just another reason you shouldâve brought me along.
đ€đ€đ€đ€đ€đ€
Oh my fucking god itâs so fucking hot outside. What the hell is wrong with Luke? Making you walk up that MOUNTAIN. I totally wouldâve followed but Iâm actually busy trying not to fucking drown in my own sweat. Thereâs a bunch of reasons Ghost is mostly nocturnal. This is one of them.
I was being baked alive.
Anywho, I showered and now I smell like you, so Iâm gonna wander about, have a wee little snack. By the way, Iâm really sad you forgot the mustard.
đ€đ€đ€đ€đ€đ€
Baby, donât be mad I didnât mean to almost make you trip. I just thought it would be a little funny. I was right. But Iâm still kind of sorry.
I wish I couldâve seen your face.
âOh my god! His shoulders are out!â Scandalous.
Risky? Yes. Worth it. Yes, canât wait to hear you whine about it when I fuck you again.
ââââââ-
Date
September 3rd
âOkay, letâs get ready for the lake.â Luke stood up and clapped his hands together once, a loud *pop* resounding through the living room.
âAlready on it.â You huffed, throwing yourself forward into a sitting position and hopping to your feet.
You entered your room and noticed two things immediately: 1) the ring is gone 2) your red one piece swimsuit is on the bed. Upon further investigation you discovered a note laying on top of it.
Written in quick scratch was a short note from Ghost.
âDoe,
Iâve taken the liberty of making adjustments to your wardrobe.â
âAdjustments?â You thought, grabbing your bag and dumping it out on the bed.
The only things missing were your other bathing suits and your shower stuff, quickly grabbing the red suit you rushed to the bathroom and locked yourself in to change. Pushing back the shower curtain you saw your body wash and shampoo, the walls still wet from his shower. You couldnât help but let out an annoyed huff.
Your phone vibrated on the side of the small bathroom sink, sliding across the porcelain and falling into the sink basin. You quickly fixed the straps of your bathing suit and retrieved your phone before the leaky tap could wet the screen.
A video message awaited you from ghost, the image from the thumbnail made you laugh in a choked kind of surprise. He was outside giving you a leather thumbs up, your hot pink string bikini on overtop of his black hoodie. As you pressed play the video was mostly silent other than the nature noises of the background until he flipped the camera around and zoomed in.
A low modified whistle left his lips as his camera focused on the bathroom window, your bare back in the frame for a moment before he shifted the camera slightly to get the mirror in front of you, showcasing your breasts as you changed into your swimsuit.
You swiftly spun around going to the window to scan the area, he couldnât have possibly gotten too far away. Throwing open the window you stuck your head out and looked to the left and then to the right where Ghost had suddenly appeared, inches from your face.
âOw! Fuck, agh-â You yelped, whacking your head on the window pane while he laughed at your expense.
âHey! You okay?â Luke banged yelled from the other side of the bathroom door.
âY-yeah!â You shouted back, turning to look inside the bathroom again before turning back around to see Ghost had crouched down, out of view if you were to open the bathroom door.
âWhat are you doing? Youâre takinâ ages.â
âUh- sorry. Wardrobe difficulties.â You squeaked out, glancing back at ghost who was still wearing your hot bikini bikini top, sans bottoms⊠which was honestly a bit disappointing. You heard Luke walk off, yelling to your sister that you were probably âon the throneâ.
âWho is he? The Queen?â Ghostâs mechanical voice came from beneath the mask.
âClose enough.â You shrugged your shoulders and watched as he stood up to his full height, his knees cracking upon the ascent.
âWhy did you take my shit Ghost? I wanted to wear that!â Whisper shouting at him while you hung the upper half of your body out the window.
âThatâs why I took it.â He said plainly. âI donât want you looking like a fucking slut out there without me around to keep other eyes off you.â
âWho the hell is gonna see me out here!? You shouldnât have even seen me out here!â You pointed angrily.
âShut up, I know youâre happy Iâm here.â He snarled, getting right in your face, reaching up to grab your chin. âI heard you last night.â
âI donât know what youâre talking about.â You scoffed as if you hadnât done exactly what he was insinuating.
âI donât want the girl who moans for me to be ogled at by some fucking frat guys.â He barked, shaking your chin and digging in his leather fingers.
You turned bright pink. You couldnât argue with his statement. You did moan for him. Under him, over him, even without him.
âWhat frat guys?â You stuttered, avoiding acknowledgement to the first half of his sentence.
âAcross the lake.â He pointed, flicking out his knife to gesture in their direction. âBig group of âem. Paid them a visit last night just to check things out, you know I worry about you.â He said in a quieter tone, bringing the blade of his knife to your bottom lip and tapping it with the flat side.
âI wouldâve never known they were there if you hadnât told me.â You narrowed your eyes, speaking carefully as the knife rested against your lip.
âMaybe.â He shrugged. âOr maybe not.â
âWhatâs that supposed- shit, why?â You flinched and brought your hand to your mouth touching the nick heâd left when he quickly jerked the knife away.
âSo youâll think of me when youâre yapping to some no-count bitch boy from across the way.â He snapped back. His leathered thumb came up to spread the blood across your bottom lip and past it onto your tongue.
âItâs just a bonus that you bleed so fucking pretty.â He pushed your tongue down with his thumb, rubbing the crimson liquid into the squishy muscle, then curling the same thumb behind your bottom row of teeth and shifting his cock in his jeans with his free hand.
âClean it for me baby?â His modified voice lower than usual.
âNo, use your mouth doe.â He chuckled when you reached out to grab the knife from him to rinse in the sink.
âWhat?â You furrowed your eyebrows but opened your mouth anyway. He placed the blade on your tongue and nodded at you.
âNow suck it.â He grumbled, affectionately patting your cheek twice before using two fingers to push up your chin and close your mouth around the cool steel.
ââââââââââââââââââââââââ
âWhat happened?â You sister asked, touching the scabbed line that traveled up your ass cheek and disappeared beneath your swimsuit.
âWell, I just fell.â You muttered, pulling the hem line to cover more of it. âDonât really know what cut me but it happened a little bit ago.â
âYou need to be more careful.â She shook her head, finishing up her job of rubbing in your sun tan lotion. âI swear youâre worse than my toddler.â
âOh shut up, I am not.â You scoffed, âthereâs a difference between something you donât have any control over and choosing to shove a pebble up your nose.â
âI- that was only one time! When will you let that go?â She asked grumpily. âWhat am I supposed to do, carry around a fucking periscope so I can see behind me?â
âIâm not- I was kidding.â You sighed, shoving her out in front of you, making her stumble.
You clicked the lotion shut and shook it up, slamming it down on the heel of your hand before putting a generous amount in your palm. You slapped it onto her back and rubbed it in, ignoring the hissing sound she made when the wet glob of sunscreen in your palm smacked her flesh and splattered messily across her skin.
âCaleb is just⊠an explorer.â Lauren said, trying to make it sound better than it was.
âI never shoved anything up my nose.â Luke chimed in from behind his sunglasses, sitting up against one of the dock posts. âLauren, you know I was an âexplorerâ.â
âNo. You were a bug boy.â You snorted, looking over at him with a little smirk.
âSo what? I liked⊠like bugs. Theyâre cool okay?â He grumbled waving them off.
âRemember when you had Ants on a Log with actual ants?â You giggled, Lauren crouching down as she let out a guffaw.
âI was seven!â He said defensively, crossing his arms.
âCaleb is two. He can shove a pebble up his nose and it can be excused.â Lauren snorted, catching her breath. âYou were seven, you knew better. You have no room to talk.â
âOkay mom,â Luke huffed, you knew without a doubt that he was rolling his eyes behind those glasses. âAt least I donât still pick my nose.â
âHey! Sometimes you just gotta get up in there.â Lauren pointed at him, a scowl on her face. âDonât lie, you pick your nose. Everybody does!â
âUh⊠I mean I technically pick my nose. Just with a tissue.â You said, supporting your sister in your useless argument.
âSo youâre both gross then.â Luke gagged and grabbed his stomach dramatically.
âIf Iâm gross, so are you.â You said, getting settled on your towel. âLaurenâs right. Everyone picks their nose.â
âYouâre both horrible.â He grumbled, shaking his head before standing up and lowering himself into an inner-tube so that he could float on the water.
You all had a peaceful first half of your day, it was refreshing after the hike to relax in the sunshine, letting the heat lull you into a state of calm and the opportunity to think of nothing save for the concentration of singling out different nature noises just because you could. Cicadas, the occasional grunt of a bullfrog, Whippoorwills calling out to each other in the trees, the gentling lapping of the lake against the dock.
None of the city sounds that clouded your head and made it feel cluttered.
It was cleansing, a nice reset for your mental state. Exactly what you needed, exactly what you were so happy to be here for. Now if only you could get some clarity on the difficulty youâd return to after your weekend of being at ease.
Even in peace times nothing is perfect.
The gentleness of the world youâd drifted into was being infiltrated. The distant sounds of a boat zipping through the water at much higher speed that it shouldâve, especially with the water skier attached to the towline. What could make it worse? Two jet skis flanked the boat at a good distance away, though it was clear they were all in one group. Shouting and laughing like drunken fools, which you were sure they were considering the way they were behaving.
You licked your bottom lip, reminded of the small nick Ghost had left you with. These must be the âno-count bitch boysâ he was referring to earlier. You had to admit, he was definitely right about that. Wrong about your willingness to speak with them though.
You huffed and stood up, deciding now would be a good time to take a refreshing break in the water. The liquid enveloped your skin, the heat of the sun having beat down on you had your flesh soaking up the warmth so much that the water felt cold. In involuntary shiver tickled your spine as you swam over to Luke where heâd floated a way from the dock.
Slowly but surely the boat along with its entourage weaved its way across the water to your side of the lake, you pushed Lukeâs inner-tube back toward the dock to give -them- yourself some space.
âThanks babe.â Luke said, dipping his hand into the water and flicking it at your face.
âHey! I was trying to be nice!â You scowled, reflexively sliding your hands beneath the tube to dump Luke out of it.
âI couldâve drowned!â He gasped as he resurfaced, taking off his sunglasses so he could wipe the water from his face and shake out his hair.
âOh whatever, donât be whiny.â You grinned.
âMe? Youâre telling me not to whine?â Luke tossed his glasses up onto the dock and made his way toward you quickly. âAll I did was flick you with water and you tried to drown me!â
âI did not!â Squealing as he lifted you up and tossed you farther into the water. How such a scrawny little guy could do such a thing was beyond you, but you had no time to contemplate.
You only had time for revenge. Squinting beneath the murky waters you made your way to Luke, hearing him call out your name in garbled syllables.
Ever since youâd known Luke, heâs had an irrational fear of the tiny possibility that there may be an alligator in any body of water. Didnât matter how far from the wetlands of the states you were. There was always a slim chance, to him at least.
Holiday Inn pool? âBut itâs outside, it couldâve crawled in! Will you just check it?â
Tiny dollar-store-bought blow up pool in your backyard? âBut the creek! The creekâs back there⊠Iâm not going in till you do.â
It got to the point that it was so severe his dad had to come up with a âgator gaugeâ which was really just a hand-held tennis ball launcher heâd spray painted green and put a âgator freeâ sticker on the back of so he could prove it was safe. Top-notch, high security, military grade âgator gaugeâ that doubled as the lazy way to play fetch with their dog.
It was mean. Maybe a bit cruel⊠but he deserved it. So you swam behind him and put the heels of your palms together, spreading your fingers and creating jaws. Youâd disappear from sight for long enough that a hypothetical alligator couldâve dragged you off and you heard Luke call out for you again.
Your lungs started to burn and you knew it was time to enact your plan. Luke stood on his tiptoes in the water, the perfect opportunity to press your fingers and nails into the muscle of his flexed calf. He screamed and thrashed about, you let him go and backed up so you could resurface. You popped up and sucked in a deep breath that turned into a choked laughing fit.
âYou little bitch!â He yelled, splashing as he swam at you, pushing you under the water by your shoulders. He quickly pulled you back up and shoved your shoulder. A pink tint to his cheeks from embarrassment, he huffed and splashed a wave of water at you.
âI couldâve drowned!â You mocked him, pretending to cough.
In your short time of distraction the boat and its occupants had cut the engine and let the momentum carry them closer. The jet skis now tethered to the back, the ladder down in the water. Despite the safer option a group of five guys jumped over the side and made themselves at home in your space.
âHey! How are you ladies?â One of them asked, completely ignoring that Luke was right there with you.
âNo soliciting, thanks.â Your sister popped her head up and shook her left hand to show off her wedding ring.
âWhoa, didnât mean anything like that!â He laughed and his friends agreed. âJust wanted to say hello, see if you guys were up for a drink.â
âI think weâre just fine.â Luke spoke up from behind you.
âI wasnât asking you.â
âAlright, letâs go.â Sighing you turned around and swam until you were able to touch the lake bottom, walking the rest of the way to the shore.
âHope youâre going to get some mixers.â A different guy shouted.
âGoing to get a restraining order if you donât leave.â You shot back over your shoulder, earning a round of laughs from them, the opposite of what youâd hoped for.
âCâmon. Donât be like that! Just give us a chance. Weâre good people.â
âGood at ruining my day.â Luke mumbled, following behind me and scooping up his stuff and getting ready to leave.
âYouâre going? Serious?â One of them laughed.
âYou came over here uninvited, youâre not entitled to our company.â You said, turning around and walking toward the house.
âThat may be true but youâve certainly made up for it by jiggling that ass.â His friends snickered and one smacked his arm.
You reminded yourself that you were here to have fun. Not to argue with a man who has half the brain capacity of a drunk squirrel.
Deciding you couldnât let them win, you figured youâd beat them in your own way. You continued on without another word, pretending you hadnât heard them, instead pulling out your phone and sending a simple text message.
âYou were right.â
The answer was an immediate: âI know.â
Diary entry: September 3rd
I hate to say I told you so. But I will.
I. Told. You. So.
I was having a great time watching you, it was reminiscent of how I used to watch you have dinner and Iâd eat with you. Youâre so cute and playful⊠I love you so much. I know that Luke is super gay, thatâs not why Iâm jealous. Iâm not worried about that. Iâm not stupid and Iâm not paranoid, I know better. Iâm jealous because it shouldâve been me that you were playing around with.
Iâm jealous cause you didnât invite me. Iâm jealous that you got to swim and Iâm sitting in a tree, soaking my shirt with sweat. Iâm jealous that Luke had a beer. Iâm jealous that your sister took a nap. Iâm jealous that those shit-for-brains tried to talk to you. (I love your sisters fucking comeback though.)
Iâm jealous that they got a better look at your sweet little ass than I did too.
Iâm pleased that you were so off-put by their behavior that you texted me little doe. What a very good girl you can be, but, oh so good at being bad too. Youâre just like me. Maybe Iâm making it worse, maybe better. I donât know, I donât really care either.
Iâm just excited.
My little doe is feeding that flame of deviancy hanging out deep within your stomach. I knew you had it in there somewhere, gods youâre just so fucking perfect. Iâve never felt more lucky. âGhost, Iâve got one more day here. What if they come back?â
What if indeed.
Men can be unpredictable. A woman is safer in a pit of snakes that being alone with a man she doesnât know. Which is why I try so desperately to protect you especially in situations like this. That delivery guy? He seemed harmless. But I dug a bit deeper and well, he wasnât so harmless after all.
Now, these boys might be disgusting pigs who prefer to wallow in the squalor and bask in the glory of their custom made beer can wall. They donât deserve anything too harsh. Also; Wow. Itâs amazing how theyâve managed to drink that much and none of them have been hospitalized for alcohol poisoning. But back to business, I personally donât feel like killing anyone. I know for a fact you donât. I also know that even if I did feel like it, I couldnât because youâd definitely know it was me. Then what the hell would I do?
You had no good ideas. Which is not your fault, you just canât think about these things on your own. You need guidance and thatâs what Iâm here for. So, I settled on something youâve never done, I havenât done in a long time, and itâs not technically illegal here⊠just heavily frowned upon. I hate their shit attitudes, theyâre gross and theyâve disrespected you and thatâs unacceptable. So a nice little bit of property âdestructionâ is in order. Middle school memories, how sweet.
TP the cabin? Absolutely. Destroy their beer can wall? Definitely. Silly string their vehicles? Duh.
Fuck you before and after? Yes. Always.
Part Fifteen
Tag-List:
@wickedtactics @tsugumiholic @kingdomhate @burnthecheshirewitch @exquisitcorpse @arzua10 @bby-imasociopath @depressed-kay @aliciaasky @naty-1001 @mrsmikaelsxn @bunnylovesani @ausskywalker @angelsadmired @slut4starwars @chocolatepalacecloudhoagie @starkiller419 @hearts4mitski4 @lethargic @allhailbuckybarnes-blog @shadowhuntyi @mortalheartache @fallinlovewithevil @sythethecarrot @chaoticantihero r @vadersslut @luvvfromme @anakinsbaee @sweetcheesecakesblog @luvskywxlker @angelsadmired @kaminokatie @anakin-pilled @graveyard-stray @chiaraanatra @jediavengers @zapernz @lunalitva @salted-snailz @queenofchaos99 @ellie-luvsfics @dazednstars141 @hopesworlld @lonaah @guiltycherries @syralix @doblasftcisco @demieyesore @hemmoxloser
Thanks to @rottencandyblood and all their loveâ€ïž
THE TAGS LIST IS FULL! But if you want to be tagged I will comment ur username for you. Love you all so many.
#anakin skywalker#star wars anakin#anakin skywalker x reader#anakin smut#anakin x reader#star wars#anakin x you#sw anakin#darth vader#darth vader smut#hayden#hayden christensen x reader#hayden christensen#anakin skywalker smut#anakin skywalker x reader smut#anakin imagine#anakin skywalker fanfiction#anakin fanfiction#anakin#anakin skywalker x you#stalker!anakin#ghostface#darth vader x you#james kelly
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melo waffled in her friends dms but it came to 1000 words .,,, sorry anton!!
you just needed to pee!! didnât know sungchan was in there let alone in the shower fucking his fist ., the door unlocked (heâs the only one who doesnât lock the door) you both freeze a little when you enter you not knowing what to do but your eyes linger on his body because heâs just so attractive⊠arms and and tensed form the pleasure, water droplets falling down his skin, cheeks flushed and eyes heavy. swollen lips ⊠you think heâd stop but he doesnât,, probably goes as far as to hold your eyes as he does it,.. cumming so quickly and so hard bc youâre watching him .,,
nothing happens that night but you end up going back to antonâs bed soaked with images of sungchan in your head and sungchan ends up fucking his fist all over again bc the whole thing made him hard .., this time with you in his head
you fell bad and wanna tell anton about what happened but you canât ., you like the fact itâs a secret between you and sungchan. but you donât expect your little secret to become more!! not when itâs just you and anton in dorms. .. anton has to go to the company to do soemthing and kisses you softly saying heâll be a few hours but he wnats you to stay so you do !! but whilst youâre there sungchan comes back and the tension between the two of you is through the roof.,, especially because youâre alone together, you donât mean for anything to happen but when youâre alone in the kitchen, his fingers so close to your skin, you have to cave for him and let him press you agaisnt the counter and kiss you,, have to let him bend you over it and fuck you there with his hand in your hair and his lips by your ear. heâd be so vocal, moaning into your ear, telling you how wrong this is because he knows you shouldnât be doing it but you just feel so good squeezing around his cock he canât help it. âfeel so bad for anton fuck but it feels like he doesnât even fuck youâ. youâre just squeezing around him so tightly.,, his cock sliding so nicely inside of you bc of how soaked you are :(( he feels like antonâs never even been inside of you with how youâre reacting to him.
he finds out anton doesnât fuck you !! when he says that you just whimper out that âhe doesnâtâ and it just sets something off in sungchan.,, he groans into your ear, fingers moving from your hair to wrap around your throat âfuck a pretty little thing like you needs to be fucked every dayâ he rambles a lot during sex.,, everything that comes to his mind comes out his mouth and he just slips out a âif you were mine iâd leave you unable to walk for the next weekâ
sungchan fucked you full of his cum then took you to the shower just to press you against the wall and drop to his knees to eat it out of you, hooking one of your legs over his shoulder, pressing his face right against you, letting you pull at his hair.
anton comes back probably half an hour after sungchan is finally done with you.,, itâs late so itâs dark out., not unusual for you to be in bed when he gets there and when he comes in and sees you he can tell youâre a little worn out and he asks if youâre okay but you jsut say you spent the hours studying and staring at your laptop screen for so long made you tired :( doesnât know the real reason is because sungchan is fucking you dumb, left you needing rest and relaxing because of it. sungchan probably stay with you till he hears the door open, just so youâre not alone but as soon as the front door opens heâs gone, not needing anton or any of the others to know he was with you
anton loves his sungchan hyung so much !! he trusts him with you, knows heâd help you if you needed someone when anton wasnât around. you go to the same gym as the boys., going the same time as them so anton can help you but even anton gets his own schedule it cuts into the time he goes so he canât :( wonbin also ends up too busy to go so anton says itâs okay !! you can go with sungchan so you donât have to go alone !! he genuinely thinks heâs just being a good boyfriend and helping you so you donât have to go to the gym alone, doesnât realise heâs basically sending you there to get fucked silly every night youâre there
would probably get to the point where sungchan finds it funny that anton basically sent you to get fucked without realising it. sungchan spends his whole time working out fucking you with his eyes and he knows youâre doing the same with him. the gym has private changing rooms, basically enabling the two of you to fuck whenever you want however long you want when youâre there because you wonât be caught !!! until seunghan started going to the gym with you two again.. hes not that stupid.. he knows sungchan is fucking you on the low⊠he wants his own turn !!
sungchan usually fucks you against the wall in the showers but seunghan wants his turn and you canât turn him down at all. thought of seunghan who fucks you agaisnt the wall with your legs around his waist, isnât shy of looking at you whilst he does it, makes sure your eyes are open and youâre watching because sungchans stood next to to you, head against the wall, hair wet against his face, tugging at his cock as heâs watching you get fucked bc the sight is just so fucking hot. but also you whoâs getting a little too loud from how seunghan is splitting you open so he tells sungchan to kiss you and he does ofc he does but seunghan tells him too just so he can thrust that little bit harder into you and make you struggle to kiss sungchan ..,
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đž out of my mind ! đż track four: a conflict of interest
guitarist!ino x drummer!reader
summary: it's the annual battle of the bands at the fix, your college campus's iconic live music bar, and this year you're taking the stage as the drummer for indie rock group cursed technique. you know the competition is strong, but no part of you is ready for lead singer and guitarist takuma ino. you lock eyes at the edge of the stage, and something startsâsomething that might make you feel alive even more than the beat of the drums.
warnings: language, MIDTERMS, alcohol, PTSD/trauma, panic attack, naoya, discussion of car crash (not directly described), mention of deceased parent, literal wholesome sleeping together. || sfw. 8.4k words.
YOUâVE ALWAYS LOVEDÂ fallâthe sharp, cool note that tacks itself onto the breeze, the crunch of leaves beneath the wheels of your longboard, the early sunsets over the shapes of the campus skyline. Usually, a week this beautiful would find you outside enjoying it. But for the same reason that you havenât gotten Takuma alone since Saturday, youâve been cooped up indoors, frying your brain.
The problem is midterms.
The week is a blur of class and homework and reporting and rehearsals, and you hardly ever see Takuma, or really anyone outside of your classes and rehearsals, save for the brief comings and goings of your housemates at strange hours of the day. Youâre all drowning in work, and any wish you have of talking to Takuma without the rest of his band present washes itself away in an avalanche of assignments and emails and post-it note to-do lists all over your desk.
When you see him with Megumi and Yuji and Kirara, the both of you dance around all the things you want to say. Because you have to. You donât have time to flesh this out, put a label on it.
You and Toge spend hours wrapping up your project story. Your comp midterm is eight to nine double-spaced pages of hell, excluding citations, and on top of it youâre balancing media law case studies and your elective comparative lit class.
And this is one of your lighter semesters.
Your housemates donât have it any easier, Yuta and Maki wrapped up in senior capstone proposals, Nobara grinding her way through the rest of her gen. eds and practicing marketing presentations in the mirror, even Toge scrambling to get work done.
Between cramming and writing and squeezing naps in wherever you can, you and Takuma orbit around the unspoken truth of your kiss on the roof, borderline flirty but never crossing that line. Not over the phone.
you:Â how goes the algorithming you:Â or whatever the fuck takuma:Â IâM DYING takuma:Â KM GOING CROSSEYED takuma:Â havent touched grass in days. eons even you:Â :( same you:Â weâll touch grass when this is over takuma:Â if it snows i will literally dig it up for you istg
You laugh despite yourself, sighing as you lean back in your desk chair, looking out the window. God, you want to kiss this boy again. Fuck school, fuck your busy schedules. Christ, you canât believe itâs only Wednesday.
you:Â aw for me takuma:Â anything for youđ«Ą
It shouldnât make you blush so furiously in the privacy of your own room, but it does.
A soft knock on the doorframe draws your attention, and you spin in your chair to find Yuta leaning there. His dark hair is a mess, like heâs just taken off a hat, and his cheeks are red with the bite of cold air. He mustâve just gotten home.
âYuta!â
âHey.â He grins, holds up his phone so you can see the time. âYou eaten yet?â Itâs a rhetorical question. You shake your head, recognizing the call to action for what it is, and close your laptop, joining him at the doorway. You need a break, anywayâyou just wrapped up a draft of a paper, and you need to do something else before you look it over with fresh eyes.
âWanna make stir fry?â you ask, and Yuta lights up.
âRead my mind.â
The kitchen is cast in gold as the sun sinks over the rooftops, and you smile at the little hello, my name is stickers on Yutaâs plants in the windowsill. As the two of you grab bowls and pans and ingredients from the fridge, you realize you havenât really spent one-on-one time with him in a while. Youâve missed it.
âWe havenât done this in forever,â you say, tossing a green pepper over your shoulder. He catches it with one hand and puts it on the cutting board.
âI know,â he laughs, gentle in the same way that everything Yuta does is gentle, and youâre suddenly struck with the horrible thought of how much youâre going to miss him next year. âI feel like we havenât had any one-on-one time recently. But Iâve been meaning to, uh⊠well, I should thank you, for giving me that time with Maki. I donât know that Iâd have made a move if not for you.â
âSo youâre the one who made the move?â You grin, elbowing him fondly. âMaki wasnât very forthcoming with the details.â
âI wouldnât say I made the first move,â he admits. âI started making dinner, and then she started scribbling on something over by the plants. And I was so confused, and then I realized sheâd bought these.â He gestures to the plant name tags, a fond smile on his face. Half the handwriting is Yutaâs loopy scrawl, and the other half is Makiâs more jagged counterpart. âShe knew all their names. Which is crazy. Sometimes I barely remember.â
You move to the cutting board and start on the peppers while Yuta fires up the stovetop. âThatâs sweet,â you say. âYou guys are good together. Iâve only been waiting for like, an entire year.â
Yuta chuckles and looks over his shoulder at you. âI asked how she remembered all the names and she said something along the lines of did you know people actually listen when you talk, and Iâve never been particularly good at hiding my facial expressions.â You snort, because you know that better than anyone. âAnd then I said Toge definitely doesnât, and she rolled her eyes and said I kept missing the point.â
âOh, smooth.â You move over so Yuta can reach into the cabinet above you for the seasoning. âAnd then you asked what the point is?â
âMhm.â Yuta hip-checks you lightly as he moves back to his place by the stove, and you relish the familiarity of it. Heâs one of your best friends, and youâve missed doing this with him, cooking with him, talking to him. âShe said the point is Iâm an oblivious dumbass who should just shut up and kiss her already. So I did.â
You have to put the knife down as your laugh bursts out, shaking your shoulders, because thatâs the most Maki thing youâve ever heard. âAnd youâre together now?â
âMhm.â Yuta flushes a little. âSheâs great. I wasnât really gonna say anything⊠ever? Sheâs out of my league, Skip.â
It should maybe feel like a bigger deal that Maki and Yuta are finally a thing, but in a way, itâs like nothing has changed. Theyâve always been close, and youâve always known theyâre perfect for each other. It felt inevitable, and now itâs happened, and it feels right.
âYouâre both out of everyoneâs league,â you correct, turning to lean against the counter, crossing your arms over your chest. âAnd neither of you think you deserve each other, which is exactly why you do.â He smiles, shy and small, and your heart warms in your chest. âIâm happy for you, Yuta.â
âThanks.â He ducks his head a little, his tell-tale sign of embarrassment, like when Takuma scratches the back of his neck. God, why does everything remind you of Takuma?
Like he can read your mind, Yuta says, âYour turn. You and Ino? I know everyoneâs in the loop except me.â
The next half hour or so passes with you explaining the details of your night with Takuma yet again, the smell of stir fry eventually drawing Toge out from the cave (his and Yutaâs bedroom) around the same time Nobara sweeps through the door with Maki in tow. Itâs the first time the five of you have been in the same room outside of rehearsals all week.
âOoh, my god,â Nobara sighs, smelling the stir fry. âThatâs the good shit. I owe you my life.â
âYou can do the dishes,â you suggest, and she deflates as she unwinds the scarf around her neck and tosses it on a hook with her coat.
âIâve made a fatal mistake,â she says.
âHowâre midterms?â Maki asks as she brushes past you, tossing her jacket onto a chair, and you shrug. In response, Toge puts his head face-down on the counter, and Maki looks to Yuta, waiting for his answer. Itâs like they donât know how theyâre supposed to interact in front of you all, now that the whole band knows.
âYou donât have to dance around each other anymore,â Nobara points out, blunt as ever. âWeâve watched you do that for years. I honestly think Iâd rather watch you be gross.â
Toge raises a brow. âCareful what you wish for.â
âLetâs break the ice! Letâs talk about it!â Nobara crows, grabbing you by the elbow. âReenactment, Skip. You be Yuta.â She leans dramatically over the plants, pretending to write on the name tag stickers. âThis one is Pikachu.â Yuta definitely does not have a plant named Pikachu. âYouâre an obtuse asshole, Yuta Okkotsu,â Nobara says in a truly horrendous impression of Maki, turning around and grabbing you by the shoulders. âNow kiss me.â
âOh my god,â Maki says flatly. âI hate you.â
âShe didnât call me an asshole!â Yuta says indignantly.
Maki nudges him with a shoulder, which is probably the closest thing to PDA youâll get out of them for weeks. Nobaraâs teasing will only make them less willing to show affection in front of the rest of you. Maybe itâs reverse psychology and that is what she wants.
âTable,â Yuta says, pointing to Toge. âNobara, go sit in the corner and think about your actions. Maki, could you grab the plates?â
âGirlfriend privilege!â Nobara cries, not making any move to listen to Yuta. She grins at you and you canât help but smile back. Sheâs being obnoxious about it, but she also held in her teasing about their relationship for ages until they figured it out on their own. You know sheâs just as happy for them as you are.
âYou better keep Ino away from this one,â Maki says as she dishes up the stir fry and slides the plates across the counter to Toge, who ferries them over to the table without complaint. Nobara wiggles her brows at you in a way that very obviously says you can try, but you will fail.
When the five of you crowd the little table in the makeshift dining room, itâs honestly the most relaxed youâve felt all week. For an hour itâs just you and your best friends, talking and ranting and joking and eating some damn good stir fry, and you can forget about all the work piling up on your desk and the boy down the street you desperately need to talk to and the performance in two days thatâll decide your bandâs fate. Itâs good.
You grin at Nobara as she gestures with her hands while telling a story about this girl in her marketing class, at Toge trying and failing to steal the snap peas from Yutaâs plate, at Maki fondly watching it all unfold.
Despite her earlier complaints, Nobara doesnât hesitate to get started on the dishes, and Toge dries while you sit at the stool by the counter and chat with them. Nobara shoves a plate at Toge to try and he nearly drops it onto one of the plants, earning him a look from Yuta very reminiscent of a parent scolding their child.
"Sorry, Snorlax," Toge says to the plant he nearly attacked. "Hey, these are helpful, actually. Good job, Maki."
You stare at the name tags, something starting to grow in the back of your mind. Hello! My name is...
"Yes," you breathe. And then you launch out of your seat and grab your notebook from the other room.
You have an idea.
â
Youâre bouncing on the balls of your feet, spinning a drumstick in your right hand as The Cull wraps up their ten-decibels-too-loud set onstage. Waiting in the wings, Hakari and another stage tech linger by your kit, waiting to swap it out, and the rest of your band goes through their usual pre-performance rituals.
Maki leans against the wall, eyes closed, moving her fingers along her bass without making any sound. Yutaâs quietly checking his tuning for the thousandth time tonight. Nobara does laps around the backstage area, humming and mouthing words to herself, her guitar carefully leaning against the wall beside you.
Toge is straight up just dancing to the other bandâs music in the corner.
And youâre here, spinning your sticks between your thumb and index finger, index and middle, middle and ring, ring and pinky, back again. Back and forth, back and forth, the worn wood dancing across your knuckles.
Midterms are over. Projects and papers are turned in, exams are taken, laptops are strewn forgotten across the living room for the weekend. All your attention is here and now, Friday at The Fix, Battle of the Bands. Lifeblood might be a good word for it, you think, whatever this kind of rush is to you. Itâs electric.
The Cull finishes with a screeching of guitars and a held-out note that could very possibly be classified as a scream, and then Panda takes the stage, the techs start moving, and the other band files past you in the backstage area.
You nod as they slip by and they return the gesture, not seeming all that interested, but you donât care. Itâs time.
Sliding onto the throne, you adjust the hi-hat and pound the kick a few times. Nobara winks at you from center stage, and you make eye contact with each of your bandmates in turn, confirming theyâre tuned and plugged in and ready to go.
And then you launch into your new song, unable to help the smile spreading across your face.
It begins with a drum solo, a mild rhythm on the floor tom. You add the kick, then move to hat, and Maki comes in, then Toge, then the guitars. And then Nobara leans forward and starts to sing.
âYouâre in the corner watchinâ, at the party, Solo cup in hand. Iâm on the dance floor, one more wild girl who needs a place to land.â You glance out over the crowd, stage light blinding you from your position toward the back of the stage. You canât see shit, but itâs like you can feel his eyes on you.
âBeen goinâ solo, flying so low, meet your eyes and draw you close.â Nobara yanks the mic off the stand and belts,âYou ask my name, I tap your chest, and I say you already know!â
Power chord, two big beats, one, two, three, crashâ
âHello, my name is everything you ever asked your gods about. Hello, my name is somebody who needs a guy to take me outâŠâ
The music washes over you, thrums from the soles of your sneakers to the tips of your fingers, gets you high on spotlights and amp feedback. You wrote this song about a lot of things. On a surface level, itâs Maki and Yutaâs song, drawn from the name tags on the kitchen plants. But on another level, itâs about Takuma, and you know your whole band knows it.
âHello, hello, my name is yours if you want it,â Nobara finishes, and you finish with two cymbal hits and a kick, grabbing the cymbals between thumb and index finger immediately after to mute them. Itâs a sharper finish than a lot of your songs, punchier, and it feels good.
âWeâre Cursed Technique!â Nobara shouts, and Yuta plucks a few strings as he retunes for one of your older tracks. The set goes by all too fast, and then youâre finishing with Next Fix, the beat under your hands familiar and automatic. Youâre on my mind at two a.m., you help me find deliverance, I think itâs time I get my fix.
Youâd stay here forever if you could, just making music with your favorite people, but your set ends and you have to retreat backstage, Black Flash passing you in the wing as they prepare to round out the night.
âThat was awesome,â Kasumi Miwa whispers as she passes you, and you grin.
âYouâll be awesome.â
When Mai appears around the corner, she stops short. You glance at Maki and realize Yutaâs hand is on the small of her back, and Mai has zeroed in on it. Yuta looks like heâs about to pass out, his hand frozen a half-inch away from Makiâs back like he doesnât know if itâs better or worse to let go, but Maki seems entirely unfazed.
Instead of addressing Maki, though, Mai looks right at Yuta, a slender brow raised in an expression you arenât quite sure how to interpret. On Maki, it would be teasing, but on Mai it could be a challenge or a threat or a judgment just as easily.
But she only says, âThought you were gonna take that to your grave, Okkotsu. Been long enough.â She breezes past all of you without another word, and Yuta stares at the place where she stood only moments before, slack-jawed.
Maki shrugs. âWell, thatâs that.â The sound of tuning instruments floats back from the stage and Maki starts moving, looking confused when Yuta doesnât immediately follow. âWhat?â
âSheâwhat?â Yuta gapes, and Nobara and Toge catch up to you, herding you backstage.
âI can never tell how mad you two are at each other,â you tell Maki.
âWeâre bonded by mutual hatred of our own family. We have an understanding,â she shrugs. âShe approves of Yuta. I donât give a shit. If she didnât, I still wouldnât give a shit.â
Sometimes youâre very, very glad you have no relatives at this school.
Maki elbows Yuta lightly and he seems to relax, shrugging off the interaction with Mai.
âOn another note!â Nobara chirps. âThat was fucking awesome.â
And then you hear, of all things, a trumpet coming from the direction of the stage. Itâs a very recognizable riff.
Black Flash is covering September.
âWhat the fuck?â Toge asks. He holds up a hand and darts back to the wing, peeking out on stage. When he returns, his brows have shot up, mouth open like a fish. âMuta has a trumpet. Mutaâs playing a trumpet. Since when does he know trumpet? What the fuck?â
âMiwa. Guaranteed,â Nobara says. âMomoâs been trying to get him to learn for years, but he wouldnât even be in that band if Miwa wasnât there.â She grins. âI bet Momo was so mad when he finally did it only âcause Miwa asked.â
âThey sound straight out of a damn recording,â you murmur, craning your neck as if thatâll help you hear better. âTheyâre fucking good, guys.â Part of you wants to slip out into the crowd just to see them perform. These guys really have their art down to a science, as little sense as that might make, and you canât help appreciating it.
They segue into a new song with a wild sax solo that you know to be Momoâs, and Nobara grabs you by the hand and twirls you around backstage, some jazzy movement with no real choreography. Weâre going to lose, you think idly, but you understand why. Thereâs something infectious in this music.
Even Maki and Yuta canât stand still once theyâve put their instruments away, and eventually the five of you are jumping around like a bunch of idiots as Black Flash closes out their set with an explosive series of riffs and chords, and the crowdâs cheering floods the place, all the way to backstage.
You hear Pandaâs voice, or more so the bass-heavy sound of him speaking into a microphone, and you only really catch voting.
âSweet democracy,â Toge says. âI pledge allegianceââ
âHow about donât?â Maki drawls.
Toge nods. âMy bad. Iâm supposed to be loyal to the queen now, anyway.â Makiâs brows furrow, but she must decide itâs not worth questioning, because she turns away and starts talking to Nobara.
Has anyone actually told Toge the queen is dead?
This time around, ten minutes feels all too short, and suddenly youâre on the stage again, Black Flash at your left and The Cull on their other side. Panda is in front of you all, mic in hand, the results on his phone.
âWe have literally never had a vote this close,â he says, and the crowd draws in a collective breath. âThe difference between first and second place was two votes.â
âShit,â Nobara breathes out beside you, so soft nobody else could possibly hear. Two votes. Thatâs fucking insane.
âBut we do have a winner,â Panda says, âand the band moving on to the finals next week isâŠâ
This time, thereâs too much attention on your band for Maki to make a comment about Pandaâs dramatic pause. In the quiet, somebody shouts, âWoo, girl drummer!â and it sounds an awful lot like Kirara. You smile sheepishly.
Maybe you made it. This was definitely your best performance yet, and the crowd seemed to love the new songâ
âBlack Flash!â Panda shouts, and your stomach twists a little even as you smile and whoop for the winners. The stage explodes in movement as your band and The Cull converge on the members of the reigning Battle of the Bands champions, congratulating them.
âAmazing set,â you tell Kasumi earnestly. Deep down, you knew you didnât have much of a chance against them. Still, youâd hoped.
You think you catch Maki muttering, âYâknow, not bad,â to Mai, but you could be wrong.
After you slip backstage, Panda catches up to you. âYâall were second,â he tells Nobara. âJust thought you should know. That was real close.â
Part of you is immensely gratified that you beat The Cull. That you came that close to kicking Black Flash out of their championship spot. Youâre bummed, but honestly? Itâs enough for you.
And now Shibuya Incident and Black Flash will compete in the finals, just like last year. Takumaâs got a chance to dethrone them.
After locking up the drum kit in the back storage room (which Shoko blessedly lets you use free of charge), you head out to the floor. Toge splits off to talk to someone from a comm class, Nobara beelines for Yuji and Megumi, and you figure Maki and Yuta are being antisocial in a corner somewhere. It doesnât take long for Takuma to find you.
âSkipper!â You turn to find him grinning at you, and you canât help but mirror the expression. âThat was amazing. That song was amazing, you were amazing. I mean, are. You are amazing.â His hand drifts up to the back of his neck, and part of you wants to reach out an intercept it, tangle your fingers in his. But you hold yourself back.
âThanks,â you beam.
âMan. You shouldâve won,â Takuma says earnestly, squeezing your shoulder. You took off your bomber jacket before the showâdrumming is already a lot of movement, but the stage lights make you sweatâso his fingers skim the place where your T-shirt sleeves end and your bare skin begins, sending a spike of electricity down your spine. âYou kicked their asses in my book.â
Thereâs that warmth again, flowering in your chest cavity. Even when his hand falls from your arm, the impression of his touch stays there.
âThey were good,â you say, conceding defeat. He shrugs, like whatever you say, and youâre about to finally ask him if you can talk in private when Yuji materializes out of nowhere, nearly making you jump out of your skin.
âDude!â he crows, slinging an arm around your shoulder so aggressively that you nearly stumble, laughing. This kid does not know his own strength. âThat was so good. So good. You shouldâve won. That was insane. The new song?â
âThatâs what I said,â Takuma says, raising a brow at you, and youâre flushing again.
âIno, weâre getting Taco Bell,â Yuji says. You plaster on a smile when he turns to look at you, like you havenât been going out of your mind the entire week needing to be alone with Takuma. âYou want anything?â
Yujiâs not trying to interrupt anything. Poor guy just wants Taco Bell. You stifle a sigh. âNah, Iâm good.â You catch Makiâs eye from the other side of the room, and she waves you over. âIâll leave you to it, then.â
âHey, you should come over later,â Takuma says before you can turn away. âGotta catch me up on your midterms. I feel like I havenât seen you all week.â
Yes. There it is. Exactly what you need.
âThat sounds great,â you say honestly. âCall me when you guys get back?â
He gives you a two-fingered salute with a grin that makes your heart stutter a little. âYes, maâam.â
â
Nobara mourns the loss the whole way home, but by the time Maki pulls into the driveway she seems to have gotten all her feelings out and is back to her determined weâll-get-it-next-year self. The guys drove separately with all the guitars piled in the backseat, and they beat you home.
Youâve just sat down on the couch and kicked off your shoes when your phone buzzes, a familiar but unexpected name floating across the screen.
INCOMING CALL:Â TSUMIKI FUSHIGURO
You slide to accept the call, waving at the boys to quiet down. âWhatâs up?â
âHey,â Tsumiki says, in that tone of voice that means sheâs running on multitasking business mode. A low, static humming in the background tells you sheâs calling from the car. âSo, there was some kind of accident on 34th a couple blocks down from the science complex. I know youâre on features, but Yukiâs out of town and most of the freelancers are younger and havenât done breaking yet. Are you busy? I can try the sophomores if you canât, or I can go, but Iâm just coming from work and I might take too longââ
Youâre already grabbing your bag and your board, mouthing newspaper to Yuta and Toge, who are giving you curious looks as they dig through the movie collection under the TV. The intersectionâs not far from your place at all, or from The Fix, for that matter. Yukiâs the news editor, and if sheâs out, it makes more sense for someone whoâs already done breaking to go. Time is of the essence with these sorts of briefs. âOn it, donât worry,â you say, pushing out the front door and waving to Maki and Nobara on the way. âPhotog?â
âYeah, Iâm calling around after this. Iâll get someone there. God, thank you, youâre a lifesaver.â
âNo problem. Call you when Iâm done.â You hang up and shove your phone into your back pocket as you careen down the street, headed toward the spot Tsumiki mentioned. Now that midterms are over and youâre free of your academic obligations, you can actually take the time to savor the cool night air and crunch of freshly fallen leaves under your wheels. Hopefully the crash isnât too badâTsumiki didnât seem incredibly worried, but itâs likely she was operating on very little information.
It doesnât take long for you to hear the commotion, and you round the corner to see a few cop cars blocking off the crash site on the side of the road.
The second youâre close enough to see past the officers and their cars, your heart plummets.
Itâs a red Hyundai.
Smoke billows out from beneath the hood, but the other carâs got it worse, the passenger side smashed in. The way itâs positionedâit shouldnât have even been possible, unless the other car was genuinely driving in the wrong lane.
âNo,â you breathe, kicking your board up and running, and then youâre flashing your press card at a campus policemanâhe tries to get you to stop anyway, but thereâs no way heâs catching you nowâand youâre sprinting to the wrecked car, heart shouting in your chest. You see Yuji first, trying to brush off a concerned-looking Megumi, and then a pair of cops approaching them, and another cop arresting someoneâshit, you know him, whatâs his name? Naoya, thatâs Makiâs dickwad cousinâprobably the driver of the other vehicle, but whereâs Takuma, whereâ
When you skid around the far side of the car, Kirara giving you a surprised look, you see him leaning up against the tree. Heâs sitting on the grass, one leg pulled up to his chest and the other stretched out in front of him, his forehead resting on his knee. His shoulders are shaking, his hatâs on the ground, Kirara is beside him talking lowly and glaring at anyone who tries to get near himâ
Until she sees you.
âThank god,â she breathes. She doesnât ask why youâre here. She just guides you to sit down in front of Takuma. âCan youââ
âIs he hurt?â
âNo, I donât think so, heâs justââ
âGot it.â
She backs off to give you space, and then youâre on the ground, knees in the grass in front of Takuma. Panic attack, PTSD episode, whatever it is, youâve dealt with these before. You remember the roof, his quiet voice, explaining what happened to his dad, how he was in the car, how he hates driving because of it. Youâd bet anything Takuma thinks heâs back there.
âKuma,â the nickname slips out before you even realize it. He jerks and looks up at you, shock and confusion written all over his face. Heâs full-on trembling, and your heart shatters in your chest. âHey. Hey, I need you to breathe.â You hesitantly reach out and take his hands in yours, watching him carefully to see if he tries to pull away. He doesnât. âYouâre okay. Everyoneâs okay. Youâre safe. Can you take a breath for me?â
Heâs not fully here, you can tell, his eyes glassed over and his breath catching in his throat. You scoot closer to him, put your hands on either side of his face, blocking out the sirens and the chatter and the crowd. âTakuma,â you say. âLook at me.â
His frantic, moving stare settles on you after a long moment, and he seems to realize abruptly that he is having a panic attack. You can see the moment it clicks in his mind, that if he was twelve years old in a car crash with his father, you couldnât be here in front of him, and now itâs up to his body to get the message across.
âBreathe,â you say again, drawing in an exaggerated breath and blowing it out slowly. âCâmon, with me. You got this.â
Takuma gasps, trying to follow your instructions as you talk him through it, counting inhales and exhales and starting over every time his breath hitches. âDoing great,â you promise. The rest of the worldâthe cops, a very angry Megumi pacing back and forth, Kirara speaking rapidly on the phoneâmight as well not exist. Itâs you and Takuma and your breaths in the air between you. Nothing else matters, not right now.
All of the struggles youâve had this week, papers and feelings and not enough sleep, feel suddenly unbelievably small.
There are things that matter in a much louder way, and this is one of them.
âChrist,â Takuma breathes out eventually, burying his head in his hands. One of the cop cars erupts with the blare of sirens momentarily before stopping again, and the sound has his shoulders tense with worry all over again.
You donât even think about it. You just pull Takuma into you, wrapping your arms around him, like you can put the both of you in a little bubble away from everything else. âHey, heyââ
âIâm sorry,â he whispers, and you furiously shake your head. âJustâthe sirensââ
âNo,â you say firmly. âYou have nothing to be sorry for, Takuma.â
He shudders and you rub your hand up and down his spine. âIs the other driverâŠ?â
âA stupid fucking drunk driving in the wrong lane?â Kirara practically spits as she rejoins you near the tree. âYes.â The cop just took her statement and has moved on to Megumi and Yuji.
Youâve never seen Megumi this livid. Heâs gesturing wildly at the other car, and you remember idly that Naoyaâs his cousin too, that this is a little personal for him.
âYeah, but is heâŠ?â Takuma trails off.
âHeâs fine,â you murmur, your heart clenching for this boy, whoâs been through so much and just relived the worst day of his life and still wanted to know if the other driver was okay. Jesus. Heâs too good. âEveryoneâs okay.â
You pull back to hold him at armâs length, scanning him up and down for injury, and heâs staring at you like you just fell from the sky. âSkipâIâm really glad youâre here butâwhy? What are youâŠ?â His voice is a little hoarse. His gaze trails down to the press pass hanging from your neck, and he cracks a wry smile. âYâknow, when I told you write a story on me, this isnât really what I had in mind.â
So much relief floods you at once that you think you might actually start crying. âJesus,â you croak out, and the smile drops from his face.
âIâm okay,â he says quickly. âJustâgot the wind knocked out of me, but itâs fine. Skipperââ
You lurch forward and wrap your arms around him before he can finish, needing to feel him breathing, his heart beating. You also hear his breath hitch as he winces, and you pull back in alarm. âShit, Iâm sorry, whatââ
âItâs okay,â he says. âJust sore. Iâm fine. Really.â He leans back against the tree. âAirbags.â
You slump back against the tree too, deflated as the limp airbags in the ruined car. âYou guys okay?â you ask as the others, done with their statements, turn toward you.
âYeah,â Kirara says, but Megumi shakes his head and points to Yuji, whoâs nodding even while cradling his wrist to his chest.
âItâs fine,â Yuji insists, and Megumi looks at him, incredibly unimpressed. âWell, itâs not broken, I can move it.â
âThat doesnât mean itâs okay,â Megumi says flatly. And you look at him, his expression so familiar, and abruptly realize youâre supposed to be writing a brief.
âShit,â you mutter, pulling out your phone. âIâm working for your sister right now. I gottaâŠâ You point to the phone. Megumi winces but nods, and Tsumiki picks up on the first ring.
âHey! Done already? You find Yoshino okay? He said heââ
âUh, no,â you say sheepishly. âActually, Iâuh, okay, everyoneâs fine, but Megumiâs here. If Iââ
âSlow down!â Tsumiki blurts. âWhat? Shit. Frick. Whereâs Gumi? Can you put him on the phone?â
You wordlessly hand your phone to Megumi, whoâs looking more pained at the concept of talking to his sister about this than the accident itself.
A few cars pull upâa white one screeching to a stop that really should not have been going so fast in front of a bunch of police officers, and then a darker gray one that arrives smoothly after, neatly pulling up against the curb. Gojo practically launches himself out of the first car, looking around until his gaze locks on Megumi, who hangs up the phone with a quiet okay, thanks and then immediately groans upon seeing Gojo there. Nanami and Shoko get out of the second car much less dramatically and trail after Gojo to the cluster of you by the tree.
âMegumi!â Gojo calls as he jogs over. âYou okay?â
âFine,â Megumi grumbles, trying and failing to brush Gojo off. âWhereâd you come from? Donât you have work?â
âGeto and Utahime are closing down,â Gojo says with a shrug. âWe heard and came as fast as we could. Figured Iâd bring our resident doc. Or Nanami would, since she wouldnât ride with me,â he says loudly so Shoko can hear. She just rolls her eyes.
Megumi tosses you your phone and says, âForget the brief, youâre good.â You nod, pushing to your feet and offering a hand to Takuma.
âWe,â Gojo says, placing one hand on Megumiâs head and the other on Yujiâs, âare going to the ER.â You expect Megumi to object, but itâs Yuji who tries to wave Gojo off. Except he tries to physically wave him off with his bad wrist and immediately grimaces. Megumi swats him on the shoulder and gives him a serious look that says weâre going, donât argue. You figure Tsumiki will probably meet them there.
Shoko stops to talk to Kirara a short distance away, and Nanami keeps walking, making a beeline for Takumaâand by extension, you. It doesnât escape your notice that the second heâs within range, some of the tension in Takumaâs body seems to vanish, seeping out of him and into the grass, like the treeâs roots are taking it on for him.
Nanamiâs usually immaculate hair is a little disheveled, like he ran his fingers through it. Without his usual glasses on, he looks a lot less daunting, a lot more personable. The worry in his expression is well concealed but very much present.
âIno,â he says. âWhat happened? Are you alright?â
âYeah,â Takuma says unconvincingly. âFine. Justâyeah. Drunk driver, you knowâŠâ He scratches at the back of his neck, and this time you donât check yourself. You reach up and grab his hand, slotting your fingers between his. He shoots you a grateful look before turning back to Nanami. âIâm okay. Really. Thanks for⊠umâŠâ
âOf course,â Nanami says before Takuma can say anything more. You release his hand so he can step forward. Youâve never seen Nanami hug anyone before, but apparently thereâs a first time for everything.
âYouâre not going with Gojo?â he asks when he pulls back, hands planted on Takumaâs shoulders. It feels very paternal. Youâre not sure you should be listening in.
âNah, Iâm okay.â
âIâd feel a lot better if you got checked over,â he says, his voice firm but not unkind. âWould you let Shoko look at you, at least?â Youâre relieved when Takuma nods, letting Shoko pull him away.
Gojo leads Yuji and Megumi past you, back to his car, and Yuji stops to whisper, âNever fear, Skip, the drum set was not in the car.â
âOh my god,â you say. âYuji. Iâm more worried about you than the drums.â
âAw, Skip!â he says happily. âThatâs nice.â You roll your eyes but canât keep the fond smile off your face, and you know Megumiâs probably doing the same thing, though you can only see the back of his head as he follows Gojo. Yuji bounds off after them, still cradling his wrist to his chest but seeming very unconcerned about the whole ordeal.
Yet another screech of tires alerts you to a truck appearing from the other end of the street. Hakari doesnât even bother to shut it off, jumping out and leaving the door hanging open.
âKira!â he shouts, pushing past the remaining officers. âKirara!â
âOver here!â Kirara calls, thanking Shoko and weaving around the slowly diminishing crowd. Someoneâs already showed up to tow Naoyaâs car, and another truck probably isnât far behind. Kirara gets swept up in Hakariâs arms, her trying to reassure him sheâs fine, and you find yourself left alone with Nanami. He studies you openly, keen eyes and a calm, very slight smile on his face.
âI donât think weâve met, officially,â you say sheepishly. âIâm Skipper.â
âKento,â he says, holding out a hand. You shake it and feel abruptly like youâre talking to a business executive. As Shoko looks Takuma over on the other side of the big tree, NanamiâKentoâlowers his voice a bit and says, âInoâs told me all about you.â
The heat rises unbidden to your cheeks, and you hope the evening dimness hides it. He talks about you? To Nanami? You arenât really sure how to respond to that, but luckily, Kento spares you the trouble. âLook out for him tonight, will you?â You can tell from the tone that heâs testing the waters, trying to determine how much you know about his dad.
Hopefully the message gets across when your gaze drifts back to Takuma over Kentoâs shoulder and you say, âI plan on it.â
âHeâs alright,â Shoko announces, and Takuma appears at your side again. âNothing a good nightâs sleep wonât fix.â Something loosens in your chest at the words, something that tied itself into knots the second you saw Yujiâs car and hasnât let up since.
âHey,â Hakari calls, he and Kirara approaching hand in hand. âYou guys good?â
Takuma nods, and you shrug. âWasnât in the car.â
âWeâre gonna head back to Kiraraâs. You want a lift?â
Takuma glances at Kento, and you feel the truth of his words that day on the roof, about Nanami being the closest thing he has to a father.
âGo home, kid,â he says. âSleep it off. Call me if you need anything.â
âThanks,â Takuma says, like a breath of relief. He looks exhausted. But heâs here in one piece, and thatâs what matters. Your fingers brush his as you walk back to Hakariâs truck. Itâs a quiet ride, a short one, your board on your lap and your press pass still dangling from your neck.
âOh, Skipper,â Hakari says when he turns onto your street. âYour house over here? Or are you coming to theirs?â
You glance at Takuma, but before either of you can say anything, Kirara says, âSheâs cominâ over.â She catches your gaze in the rearview mirror with a knowing look and you manage a weak smile. You canât imagine letting Takuma out of your sight right now, honestly.
The dogs are there the second Kirara opens the door, and Takuma practically falls into them, burying his face in their fur as they nuzzle up against him. Shiro turns to you after saying hi to the others and noses at your palm until you scratch her behind the ears.
âHi, sweetie,â you murmur. âGood girl.â
Kirara nudges you with her shoulder as she brushes by, glancing down at Takuma and then back at you. You nod. I got him. She offers you a small smile before she and Hakari disappear around the corner.
âCâmon,â you murmur, tapping Takuma on the shoulder. He nods, pushing to his feet and patting each dog on the head one more time. You follow him upstairs, feeling a little out of your depth. After all, heâs not the one who decided you were staying.
When youâre both standing in his room, you shift on your feet a little, wondering how to word it. âIf you want some spaceââ
âNo,â he blurts, unexpectedly loud, and then his cheeks go a little red, sheepish. âI meanâuh. I could⊠use the company. If you donât mind. You donât have to stay, obviously, justââ
âKuma.â You laugh a little, watching him freeze, glance up at you mid-ramble. âI would love to stay.â
âOh.â He grins. âCool. Okay. Um.â He turns around and grabs a pair of sweats and a tee from his dresser, then holds them out to you. âIf you wantâŠ? Or I can ask Kirara, Iâm sure sheâd let you borrow something, or obviously you live right down the street orââ
Something about the idea of wearing his clothes makes you go a little warm all over, and you accept them without hesitating, cutting off his rambling. âThanks.â
âIâm gonnaâŠâ He jerks his thumb toward the door. You donât know if heâs just giving you the space to change or going to shower or what, but you nod, waiting until the door clicks shut behind him to tug on the sweats and shirt. The shirt is huge on you, one shoulder sliding off, a fading logo of some music festival on the front. You sit on the edge of Takumaâs bed, tucking your knees under you, and then your phone rings. Tsumiki.
âHey,â you say, pressing it to your ear. âTheyâre okay?â
âYeah, Yuji sprained his wrist but nothing else. Pretty minor, all things considered,â she reports. âTheyâre on their way back to the house.â
âGood,â you breathe, the relief evident in your voice. âThanks. Do you⊠are you sure about the brief?â
Tsumiki chuckles. âHey, not your job to worry about the press tonight.â
âI can still try to⊠write it,â you say half-heartedly, dreading the thought of it. âI mean, I saw the scene andâŠâ
âDonât even worry about it. Genuinely,â she says. âYou and I both know thatâs a conflict of interest.â You huff a weak laugh. What an understatement. âMore importantly, you sound exhausted and Iâm sure that whole thing stressed you out. Listen, the photog I had on it wanted to break into writing anyway. No time like the present.â
You immediately feel even worse, because your photographer was probably looking for you at the scene and you just left him hanging.
âStop,â Tsumiki says, like she can read your mind through the phone. âHe handled it well. Itâs fine, Skipper. Get some rest.â
âThanks,â you murmur, but sheâs already gone. You shoot a quick text to the group chat explaining what happened, that everyoneâs fine, and that you probably wonât be home tonight. Takuma doesnât want to be alone, and honestly, you donât know if you could leave him if you tried.
It doesnât take long for the texts to start pouring in.
utah:Â let us know if any of you need anything!! maki:Â keep us posted and tell megumi to answer his dumb phone nobara:Â WHAT nobara:Â OH MY GOD???? nobara:Â well iâm glad everyoneâs okay nobara:Â christ freak no. 1:Â alsjkfq qEQht
You frown at the keysmash, wondering if Toge dropped his phone or actually just doesnât know how to communicate like a normal person.
you:Â ??? freak no. 1:Â sorry SOMEONE TOOK MY PHONE,,,, utah:Â because SOMEONE DOESNâT KNOW WHEN ITâS AN APPROPRIATE TIME TO SEND MEMES, TOGE maki:Â nvm he picked up maki:Â go to sleep, skipper, we can talk tomorrow
Toge texts you privately thirty seconds later. Itâs the meme of Gru laying out his evil plan and then realizing itâs a horrible idea. The first frame says answer the phone, the second says get the breaking news like a baddie journalist, and the last frames say realize you know everyone at the scene of the crime. You laugh out loud. Toge knows you. He knows you needed this. He wouldnât have sent it if he didnât think itâd cheer you up.
A half-second later, another image comes in, but itâs just a picture of Nobara with her hands clasped together in front of her mouth, speechless and absolutely thrilled. The full image shows her swooning over a little puppy, but you long ago cropped it and started using it as a reaction image in your chats.
freak no. 1:Â me when ur okay :)
âAw,â you murmur. Toge can be sweet sometimes. You start texting back, but then another message comes in and you backspace immediately.
freak no. 1:Â me when ur spending the night with your boyfie :) you:Â i was gonna say thanks but then you kept going freak no. 1:Â me when she texts back :) you:Â goodnIGHT TOGE freak no. 1:Â me when she goodnight texts :)
Takuma knocks softly on the door before cracking it open, waiting for you to give him the green light before coming in. Heâs changed into his own pair of sweats, and his hair is ruffled and wild around his face. âHey.â
âHi.â You toss your phone on the bedside table and scoot over to make room. âYou okay?â
He sits cross-legged on the bed, and you turn to face him. âThink so,â he says. âJust⊠felt like I was back there for a minute.â His eyes go distant just for a moment, and your heart twists in your chest. You scoot forward, knees bumping against his.
âGlad youâre okay,â you murmur, and it doesnât feel like enough, but he gives you that soft, open look that makes you feel like you could say anything at all and heâd treasure it.
âGlad it was you and not some rando reporter.â
You grin, holding a fist out to Takuma like itâs a microphone. âHow do you rate Skipperâs hug on a scale of one to ten?â
He leans forward, playing along. âUh, you know, it was so long ago I might not have a really accurate rating. I would have to probably hug her againââ
You donât let him finish, surging forward and wrapping your arms around him, tackling him down onto the bed in a fit of laughter. Caught off-guard, he has no defense, and after a startled moment his arms snake around your waist, and you lie there, looking at each other with barely-restrained grins.
âWell, that one was pretty good,â he murmurs. âNine, I think.â
You gape at him. âNine?â
Another smile dances across his lips, and you suddenly really want to kiss him.
âGuess youâll just have to keep trying.â He shrugs innocently, and then tries and fails to stifle a yawn, which makes you yawn in turn. Itâs late, night having draped itself over the city hours ago, and the effects of barely snatching hours of sleep all week are finally creeping up on you, weighing you down.
âGo to sleep,â you tell Takuma, grabbing a blanket from where itâs been wedged between the bed and the wall and shoving it toward him.
âYou go to sleep.â
âBossy.â
But he shakes the blanket out and lets it fall over both of you, trapping your warmth beneath it, and sleep feels very, very appealing.
You think about the paralyzing, all-consuming fear that took hold of you when you saw the car. The thought of anything happening to himâyou actually canât even fathom it. And you think about what that means, and that youâve only known this boy for a month, but you feel like your heart beats on the same channel as his.
Getoâs words play themselves over and over in your head, Makiâs mixing themselves in until you have a chorus of phrases bouncing around like pinballs.
Your heart is not a finite thing.
You already know.
The question isnât if he likes you, or if you like him. Itâs whether youâre gonna let it play out or shut it down before it has a chance to.
If youâve got something, love it while you have it.
Geto was right. You donât know how long youâll have this for, have him for. But you better make the most of it while you do.
But Takumaâs eyes are already closing, his arm slung over your waist, seeking your warmth, your comfort. He looks exhausted, shaken. These arenât conversations for tonight. Tonight, you just hold him, and feel his breath against your neck, and revel in the fact that heâs okay.
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a/n: SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG, TEAM. i've fallen into another anime hyperfixation (blue lock) and it's killing me slowly. one part left of this fic !!
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'its just IMPOSSIBLE to not be addicted to your phone nowadays its UNREALISTIC-'
heres some advice to being less chronically online. for gen z (and younger??) who dont even know how to start thinking about it and have only heard shitty advice from older adults who just genuinely do not get it, from a fellow gen z and my experiences so far.
*these are personal and may not all 100% resonate but its still good prompting to start thinking about things! PLEASE feel free to add your own stories/advice in the notes! support your fellow humans, dont gatekeep what youve learned, lets have these conversations! and no negativity/pessimism please <3
first thing is to make it a less scary thought, a more concrete idea and not a hypothetical. it doesnt have to be all-or-nothing, cold turkey, a huge announcement and a fundamental shift in your personality. the internet will be in your life for the rest of your life, this is an ongoing relationship you are trying to make healthier thats all! and it takes one step at a time and some self-compassion, but a true effort nonetheless. 'dont you think thats a bit too serious-' if youre my age you quite literally grew up and developed online, it is literally part of your psyche the way your childhood is, it IS serious, you deserve to treat it seriously.
dont save your login info/dont stay logged in for social media accounts, having to manually log in when you want to go on like youre on some elementary school chrome book is a really healthy and clear boundary to have between being logged off and logged on.
-> bigger challenge - uninstall it on your phone in general, only log on on your laptop/pc if applicable for you!
if youre motivated to, try to work on your posture too. i only say that because most of our bad posture is at least partially related to being on our phones a lot, and when i started wanting to fix my posture, completely separately and unrelated from trying to break my phone addiction, it made it easier to lose interest in my phone since i didnt want to ruin my progress with my posture. it made me start to have a mindset like 'well if you cant do this on your phone with good posture then dont do it' and 'if youre on your phone so long your posture starts to cave in, youve probably spent too long on your phone anyway'
listen to music more. its easier for me to kinda write off my phone and do other things if i just open music or a podcast or long youtube video on it. i know we all love long video essays, but i recommend music more specifically for me at least because im less inclined to pause music or scroll while listening to it for some reason? whereas using a show or video or podcast for white noise, im way more likely to also be scrolling on my phone and that is my activity lol. music for some reason i dont want to interrupt and instead of being on my phone i can clean or do something productive on my computer etc
this one is sooo hard but try to fall asleep with some distance between you and your phone, even just a couple feet. mine stays on the desk next to my bed which isnt that far but its better than on bed like it used to be. when you wake up you probably wont feel like reaching for it right away if its far and even better if you have to get up for it because then at least you stand and move your body first thing instead of looking at your phone first thing. and try to get more and more of your morning routine done before touching your phone over time.
-> for me, i started by just trying to at least wake up a bit in bed before touching it, then stand up before touching it, then stand and stretch, then going to the bathroom first, making coffee first, feeding the cat first, etc. its surprisingly helpful to have a specific chore/task in mind that is The requirement so that everytime you do it you get a lil dopamine rush for unlocking your phone from yourself lmao. when the weather was nice i used to make my Requirement being outside first before going on it and i LOVED that. esp as it got easier and i started doing more and more before going on it and finally walking outside with coffee and my phone felt like such a pleasant little reward.
find a hobby that uses your hands. example: i really need to get back into knitting because when i did it regularly so much time that wouldve been on my phone was spent knitting with music/podcasts/shows/(even online lectures! when i felt productive lol) playing. its the same amount of physical relaxing - barely moving lol - but uses a longer attention span and a much better dopamine hit than scrolling, i literally MADE things.
-> you might be thinking, 'but mindless knitting isnt better than mindless scrolling is it?' but that mindless feeling on your phone is just that, mindless. the mindless feeling you get when doing something like knitting is actually closer to a flow state, which is actually incredibly good for you, like a fulfilling nutritious meal as opposed to 'empty calories' or whatever
get a widget for your homescreen that shows your screen time. i have one and of course it doesnt always stop me but seeing that time go up all day the more i use it and the pride of keeping it low is really helpful
practice grounding. in general.
spend more time on anonymous activities and have more privacy and less attachment with your 'persona' - what i mean by that is, i consider things like scrolling through tumblr (for me personally!) to be relatively harmless because i dont try to like,, brand myself here. if youre a tumblr regular you know the jokes - 0 follows, 0 notes, screaming to the void, moots you dont talk to, blorbo pfp and urls, fake names everywhere, and we're having fun! basically targeting the 'everyone is famous now' thing with this one - embrace being a nobody with no personal stakes here
-> personally ive never kept up with having social media accounts that are actually just, me irl - like a facebook or main instagram, like a locals account yknow? but i think it goes for that too - stop spending so much time trying to further personalize your online presence in the hopes of it representing you perfectly - because it never will, and it shouldnt, and you shouldnt aspire for that. your social media presence is lighthearted and incredibly surface-level, treat it like that! thats not me bashing social media either, having that mindset will make it more enjoyable bc youll be using it as it should be used!
do following/followers or camera roll/files or app purges. this is also a soft launch type of way to practice easing into a better mindset. aside from just literally getting rid of junk, the process of trying to judge whether or not you need something is good practice in mindfulness! even if you dont delete everything you feel like you maybe should, thats fine, youll do other purges in the future too. eventually youll get better at parting with things and realizing when things that feel good in a moment are actually bad for you. and it forces you to regularly check in on your more long-lasting parasocial relationships online and how theyre serving you or not
speaking of parasocial - for actual friends, if theyre irl, think about how much you interact with them online vs in person and why you think that is and how it affects you. maybe youll wanna see them more irl if possible (i promise its better for your friendship), maybe youll realize you dont need to keep tabs on them anymore (old high school acquaintances lookin at you). for celebrities and fandom things - try to think about the bare minimum content from them you could do with. you dont have to unstan all your faves and stop enjoying things - but do you need their notifications on? if you have designated fan accounts, are they still a source of joy or of stress? do you need them on all the platforms or just one or two? do you need to have all that saved content of them? are there aspects of this that you love that could be found elsewhere, maybe even offline? (again you dont have to stay one way forever, just encouraging checking in with yourself!)
if youre of the genre of online where you just cant help yourself from getting involved in big discussions or discourse and arguments - i recommend journaling when you get upset by something online, articulating your feelings without the idea of someone ever reading it and without the goal of 'winning' or being the most correct and logical or even the most sympathetic and morally good. take away every audience aspect of it. what is this really about for you, and why would strangers online deserve to hear your personal well-thought out opinions? why would your thoughts deserve to be simplified and misconstrued and underappreciated the way they would be in this discussion? is there even an outcome to this where you feel truly satisfied? are their people who are more worthy of hearing your thoughts who arent part of this audience? is this a conversation that is best held online where so much communicative nuance is inevitably sacrificed?
in the end these are all just practices in remembering how in control you are. and that goes for if any of these are scary or too difficult sounding too! these all become less scary if you remember that as soon as anything becomes too uncomfortable or painful, you have all the power to stop doing it, make a change, and try again later. so much of advice for quitting bad habits can be intimidating because the pressure and the shame that would come from failing scares you out of the possible benefits of trying - just go ahead and kill that shame from the jump. of course youre going to fail! you are going to have setbacks! thats part of it! you have agency in this, always. the internet is not inherently or completely evil nor good. build trust in yourself to make the calls on when it is serving you and when it isnt on a case-by-case basis, and then give yourself permission to learn through trial and error.
and remember you are worth all of this effort. i believe in us <3
#phone addiction#screen time#gen z#chronically online#i have no clue if any of these are even real tags tbh#dead internet#self care#mental health#parasocial relationships#<- very risky tag i better not get dragged into some discourse somehow#i have 0 interest in arguments resulting from this post#i am peace and love rn <3 good vibes only lol#new years resolutions#new years#this is also in honor of like literally all my friends saying 'less screen time' as a new years resolution lol#đ.txt
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