#mine is that I really dislike 4 walls by f(x) and think it's one of their weakest/least captivating and enjoyable title tracks

[hyoyawns]

what's your most scandalous (translation not actually scandalous but fun scandalous) kpop opinion?

[crescentsteel]

Keeping a Secret - Part 3

pairing: Tsukishima x f!manager of Sendai Frogs genre: sexual tension/crack/fluff/slow burn warnings: lots of swear words, tsukki being a a closet softie wc: 7.3k (Ill just stop apologizing for this long chapter updates at this point)

[a/n]

Let me know if you want to be part of the taglist uwu

AO3

Part 2 || Part 4 || masterlist

��Remind me again why are we here.” Tsukishima tells you as soon as he steps foot inside your room. 

He scans the room and immediately notices the mess that it is, particularly the top bunk of the bed which he doesn’t doubt must be your share of it.

On the wall on the left side of the room are posters of seascapes and sea animals of different varieties while the desk bolted under it are framed photos of Sendai Frogs. He recognizes them all;, one was taken from the first win of the team on the first year you joined as the manager. The second is a photo of the team at the gym with the new members that year, including Kyoutani who had just recently joined. The last one is a selfie of you on the bus doing a peace sign and winking at  the camera while everyone was sleeping.

He kinda feels bad for your roommate now. You’re practically hogging the whole room.

You put down your bag on the floor and shoot him a confused look. “To do our project?” 

When you told him to meet in your dorm, he agreed because he thought you meant the common area. After all, he had no reason to think you’d invite him to your room. You two may have disregarded the club incident, tucking it away as a sordid memory from a night of insanity, but that doesn’t mean it is forgotten. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case with you as you appear to genuinely find nothing wrong with the current situation. 

You seat yourself at your table, taking out your laptop and notes from the trip last time.

“Go sit, Tsukishima,” you say without even looking at him as you spread out your notes on the table’s surface as your laptop boots up. 

“We could’ve just done this in the library, or at least in the lobby,” he says as a matter-of-factly.

“True, but I also don’t see any problem with doing it here,” you answer passively, still occupied with arranging your papers. 

He was right. It really does not bother you at all. So, he shouldn’t be bothered with it either. This way, at least, no one would see you and him together. You’re a person he doesn’t want to be associated with hanging around with anyways. 

“Do you always invite your groupmates to your room?” He asks out of curiosity since it didn’t seem like anything for you to just invite him in, as if you didn’t care much about your privacy. 

“Hmm. Depends,” you answer. 

He takes out his own laptop, but still eyes you as he prods further. “On what?”

The curve of your lips tugs up slightly as you sit up straight and lift your gaze away from the notes you took out and finally turn your attention to him.

“I welcome those who won’t get handsy with me.”

“Even if you’re the one who’d get handsy with them?” he boldly counters.

You cock your head to the side with hints of amusement playing across your features, which vexes him. The question was supposed to tear your composure, not entertain you. 

“Alright, let���s get the fucking elephant out of the room since it bothers you so much,” you announce with levity. 

If you’re going to be honest, the kiss still finds its way to your mind sometimes. You just keep pushing it off so that you won’t get stressed out by it. What you find interesting is that he still keeps shoving that fact that you kissed him as if you wanted to do so.

Well, you literally did kiss him, but it’s not like you sought for it prior to the incident. 

It just … happened.

“I’ll come clean, good sir, if you’ll allow me,” you declare sarcastically before setting a more serious tone. “I admit it. It was one hell of a mistake to kiss you. But I didn’t mean to. As ridiculous as it sounds, I really didn’t. It was just one of those stupid, off-the-cuff things people do.” 

Your voice takes an accusatory note when you ask, “And why do you sound like I harassed you or something? Hmm? ‘Cause if I remember correctly.”

You cross your arms and look up, pretending to be deep in thought before facing him again with a fraudulent shock. “Oh right!” you exclaim exaggeratedly. “You kissed me back,” you add in almost a sing-song manner.

You put an elbow on the table and rest your cheek on your palm as you hold his glare with a snide grin. “How about that?” 

He continues shooting daggers at you but you don’t falter. Quite soon enough, he lets up and returns to the passive, apathetic face he usually wears, which signals your victory for the argument. “Like you said, it was one of those dumb on the spot whims.”

You nod agreeably. “Alright, great. Now that that has been established, let me reassure you. It’s never ever gonna happen again. Ever.”  

Your eyes are devoid of any humor while your words drip with firm resolve. Yet, he finds it off that you’re not asking him to do the same given that you both just agreed that you are equally accountable for that imprudent act. He is almost just as guilty. 

“Aren’t you going to ask the same from me?”

Your somber expression breaks into a humored one as a laugh rumbles from your throat. You shake your head in comical delight while you look at him. “No, I won’t. Actually...” you drift off as you scoot closer to him until you’re right beside him. “Give it your best shot.”

You close your eyes and tilt your chin up. Did you really just dare him to kiss you? Kiss those stupid lips and have a repeat of that appalling night? 

Should he?

He would do it just to erase the smug off your face, just to prove you wrong. But similar to that night, he can’t bring himself to do it. He hates the idea of instigating such a thing. 

Even more so now that he’s already had a taste of those lips. Those lips that felt too exquisite that it infuriated him. Those lips that took away his logical thinking. With you offering those lips to him so generously, you make him hate them even more. That pretty face and that playful smile of yours do nothing but add to his fury. 

“Can you get your face away from me?” 

You peek one eye open before bursting into laughter, making his displeasure towards you skyrocket. Why the fuck is he always your laughing stock?

“See? This is why I don’t mind you coming over, Tsukishima. I bet if I strip naked right now, you’d walk out in a heartbeat.”

His scowl deepens. The mental image of your unclad body is very much unwelcome and unappreciated. “Bring that up again and I really will leave,” he snaps. 

Even with your smile intact, your humored expression dissolves a bit and is replaced by a curious guise.

“You know, everyone likes me except you,” you say with no shred of diffidence.  

You really are full of yourself. You might be ‘likeable’ for a lot of people, but that doesn’t mean every single person you meet actually likes you. He’s certain there are people who you rub off the wrong way -- people like him. 

“Isn’t that a bit too conceited, even for you?”

You shrug your shoulders indifferently. “Maybe so. But you’re the only person who shoves your blatant dislike on my face.”

“You didn’t seem to have a problem with it for the past three years,” he replies as he flips his laptop open and boots it up so he can turn his attention somewhere other than you. 

“I didn’t need to work with you like this for the past three years.”

He doesn’t know where you’re going with the conversation so he doesn’t respond anymore. He’s certain you know why he finds you a pain in the neck. You constantly get on his grill with every opportunity you get. Maybe if you didn’t, he could actually tolerate your topsy turvy persona. But it’s as if it’s your personal mission to aggravate him.

“I’m putting the deal I offered during the trip,” you announce.

“What deal?” he asks as he starts typing bullet points of what should be done today so he can go home already.

“Forget I’m the annoying manager when it’s just us two. And I won’t deliberately piss you off.”

He types the last bullet point before returning his attention on you. “Then what? I suddenly become nice to you?”

“Hell no! I’m not asking for a fucking miracle. It’s not like you’re ever nice to anybody. Geez!” you explain derisively. “I just want us to have a conversation where you’re not giving me death glares.”

You give him a smile, one that lacks your usual haughtiness. Still, he can’t tell if you’re being serious or if you’ll actually manage to hold the deal you’re proposing. Truth be told, he wants it. He can’t handle you being your usual if you two have to meet beyond training hours and, even worse, in private. 

If this keeps up, he might end up cursing this subject by the end of the semester, which would be a waste because likes this subject way too much for you to taint it with your idiocy.

“Deliver your end of the bargain. Then you’ll have mine.”

Your eyes twinkle with glee at his semi-approval. “We have a deal then.” 

You go back to where you’re seated a while ago and proceed to start discussing at hand.

--

With the start of the game season, training has become more intense. Coach Mira had the team work on the weak points she identified with the help of  the data you tallied from last season’s games.

“Kyoutani! Do not lower those arms just yet. Keep those elbows up when you block,” Coach yells at him, as Kogane spiked from the other side of the court.

She looks over at the other players practicing their jump serves. She furrows her brows at something. Following her line of sight, you see that it falls on Tsukishima. 

On his next serve, the ball spins ferociously but is of low height that it hits the middle of the night. 

“Y/n,” Coach calls out. She didn’t have to say anything else as she cocks her head to Tsukishima’s direction with a telling expression on her face. She’s asking you to handle him, and you know exactly why. 

Before he can toss the ball for another jump serve, you yell out merrily which you know will definitely catch his ears, “ Tsukki!! ” and jog to where he is. His blank expression turns into a scowl when you reach him. 

“Can you stop calling me that?”

“You’re so mean. Aren’t we close enough for me to call you ‘ Tsukki ’?.” You ask with a dramatic pout and exaggerated false woes that he visibly cringes after hearing it. 

He doesn’t respond to your pretentious act. “Why are you here?”

You instantly lose the cheeky act and get to what Coach Mira wants to let him know. You’re just going to twist the words a bit to his ‘liking.’ 

This is the problem you noticed with Tsukishima, one worse than his rotten way of interacting with the team. He can be incredibly unmotivated at times, and when he is, he only gives the bare minimum amount of effort. 

It’s the one thing you can say you truly dislike about him because he’s a professional athlete for crying out loud. It doesn’t matter if he’s unmotivated, uninspired, or doesn’t feel like trying. He should be disciplined enough to push himself to put as much work as he usually does when training.

“You’re not going to get those serves in with that half-assed attitude of yours,” you say sternly while you eye him with a threatening stare. 

His face scrunches in utter displeasure. He’s well aware that he’s not feeling his best today and he’d rather do blocking drills for the whole raining than do ten consecutive jump serves. 

“Since enthusiasm is the answer to everything else, why don’t you try it?” He bites back, which you obviously weren’t expecting. He’s always irritated when you point out his mistakes, but thus far he has always stayed silent. 

Maybe the amount of time you’re spending together outside the gymnasium has made him reach the limit of his patience… which isn’t even a lot to begin with.

“Are you serious?” you ask incredulously.

Of course he wasn’t. You might have some sort of experience with volleyball (although he doesn’t know to which extent), but jump serves are difficult. The coordination of the toss and the run up to hit it at the right angle is aggravatingly hard to pull off, especially for him since jump serves need tons of practice.

He detests the practice for it; he needs to run, jump, and swing his arm over and over. It is boring and tiring for him because it is purely based on physical prowess, compared to practicing blocking where he’s actually thinking. 

He thought you’d leave him alone when you stepped away. Instead, you come back with a ball in your hand. You dribble it off the floor with unbendable focus as if you’re trying to recall something.

“Are you serious?” he’s the one who asks this time. He was just fucking around. He didn’t expect you’d actually respond to his provocation.

“Yep,” you answer with your full concentration on the ball in your hand as you spin it vertically. Some of the players notice what you’re up to and briefly stop what they’re doing to watch.

You close your eyes and take a deep breath. You bat them open with burning determination before you toss the ball. 

Instead of watching the ball, he watches your form. There’s no trace of awkwardness in your movements, almost like you’ve done this frequently before. The three-step approach is nearly perfect as you propel yourself up to jump. 

The sharp sound of the ball hitting your hand causes the rest of the gym to look at you. The ball spins ferociously at a height he’s not sure is sufficient to get over the other side of the court. He wishes it won’t. That would be the second worst thing you could ever do to him, the first one being that certain occurrence he’d rather not think about again. 

You falter on your feet when you descend from your leap but you immediately look up to see if your serve makes it. Everyone else, including him, is on the edge as they watch whether the ball will get in or not.

It roughly scrapes the edge of the net, effectively thwarting its velocity. Still, it bounces off and lands inside the opposing court, causing the rest of the team to cheer you on as the ball hits the floor.

You seem to forget for a short while that you did it to spite him as your face beams with inexplicable joy while his contorts with ire. 

Even if the momentum of the ball was broken, you still managed to get it over - the one thing he hadn’t been able to do from his last eight attempts. Meanwhile, you did it on your first. 

You definitely had a lot of experience in high school. No beginner can manage to do a jump serve like that, even if it was flawed.

‘Shit,’ he silently curses when you face him with a cocky grin disguised as a pleasant one. 

“Who knew that my experience being an outside hitter and captain of my high school team would still be useful as your manager?” you ask as you slowly walk towards him.

He doesn’ expect that your knowledge about the sport came from first-hand experience. He thought you’re manager of another team previously or just a crazy volleyball enthusiast.

You pick up another ball and softly push it against his rib as you look up to him with contempt. “Don’t tell me I can do better than you,” you spur him on with squinted eyes.

He snatches the ball away from your hands and steps back from the serving line. He spins the ball one time and tosses it high. Instead of a three-step approach, he makes it a four to increase his vertical jump. He tosses it high enough and channels all his rage for you at the ball. 

With how high he jumped, the ball easily goes over the net. Its trajectory curves when it crosses over and hits a spot a little bit just beyond the end line.

He clenches his fist at his another failed attempt despite exerting more than necessary effort for that shot. He avoids looking at you for he’d be put in an even worse mood if sees that taunting grin of yours. 

But of course you had to make yourself seen and intentionally go in front of him with an impressed look in your face instead of a condescending one. 

“That was great! Holy shit. It was just a smidge out. Wow.” You applaud him earnestly, and as much as he despises it, it makes him a little less bad about that missed shot. 

“Can you leave me alone now?” He drives you away to fend off the stupid feeling. He’d rather you just walk away and don’t say anything. “Not like that serve mattered,” he mutters in annoyance.

“What are you talking about? It was awesome!” you yell out with your eyes shining with flagrant admiration, which annoyingly strokes his ego. 

“Just a bit less and it would have been in a spot difficult to return,” you remark as you pat his shoulders approvingly before heeding his request to leave and go back to where Coach is. 

“Sorry, Coach. I distracted everyone else,” you scratch your head with an apologetic smile when you return. 

“I’d tell you off, but everyone seems more motivated now, so good work I guess,” she commends you with a satisfactory tone.

“He looks really pissed though,” Coach Mira adds as she glances at the blonde middle blocker.

“More than you know, Coach,” you reply with a wide smile as he serves another ball and gets it in this time. 

--

Prior to your meeting with Tsukishima today, you proposed to finish the project as soon as possible so you can both focus on other other uni subjects on top of training hours. He immediately agreed, which didn’t surprise you because even though it’s not game season, you’re pretty sure he can’t wait to stop having to see you.

The project’s deadline is in three months, but you believe you can finish it in less than two if you meet up at least twice a week to work on it.

It should be okay, given that you both agreed to have a truce of some sort from the usual dynamic of your relationship. You actually think that it’s not going to work out smoothly, but you still suggested it with the hopes of decreasing his animosity towards you. Yes, it’s fun and amusing most of the time, but outside the gym where you’re just a classmate and not his manager, it’s kinda draining to deal with it. 

“Won’t your roommate mind if there’s a stranger in your room?” he asks as he sits down and rummages through his bag. 

“Oh.” You thought he already figured it out because he didn’t ask about it on his first visit. “Didn’t I tell you before? I don’t have a roommate.” 

His eyes immediately go to your bunk bed that you didn’t bother getting replaced because it’s convenient when you’re too tired. You usually just mindlessly throw your stuff at the top bunk for a later clean-up.

“Wanted the whole room to myself,” you add.

“Spoiled, little rich brat, aren’t you?” He really doesn’t have much basis for his statement. He just wants to say something nasty and sneer at you because he wants to get back at how you called him out during training the other day.

When he meets your gaze, you raise an eyebrow at him, reminding him about your agreement while working on the project. He purses his lips to the side and returns to his passive expression without saying anything. You roll your eyes in response.

“Well if being a scholar while working as your manager is being a spoiled rich brat, then by all means. Do consider me one,” you answer before looking back on your screen. 

He would have never thought you were a university scholar. You don’t look like the type. You’re way too carefree and all over the place. He would’ve thought it was a joke, if not for the tiny offended glint he caught when he said you’re a spoiled brat.

That’s exactly the reaction he wants to get from you, yet it didn’t feel satisfactory. On the contrary, it’s making him feel like a prick. He is being one, but he doesn’t expect to feel like one, especially towards you who does nothing but get on his skin. 

Still, hell would freeze over before he apologizes. Instead, he prods on the topic.

“Why would you even work as a manager if you’re already a scholar?”

It doesn’t make sense to him. You don’t need the work if your university fees are already waived. It will just pile on to the academic requirements you will need to maintain. 

Your hand stops scrolling on your mouse as your eyes soften, still  remaining on your laptop. “Cause I love it,” you utter like it’s the simplest thing in the world.

The look in your eyes is instantly replaced by mockery when you lift them to meet his. 

“Someone’s being inquisitive today.”

He gets his headphones out and plugs it to his laptop. He really is curious why you chose you to be their manager, but you just had to be an obnoxious bitch and break the agreement you offered to him just the other day. 

He knows you’re too much of a chaos to actually pull it off, so instead of wasting his energy by being irritated by you for the day, he’d rather pretend you’re not there.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” you say loudly with a wide smile, yet he can see the sincerity of the apology through the slight panic in your orbs. You must have realized he’s had enough of your shit. “My bad. Old habits hard.” You laugh nervously. 

You speak again when he puts down his headphones on the table. “I may have quit the sport, but I still love it. I love taking care of players like you guys who have the same passion for it.”

“Doesn’t seem like it’s worth it,” he comments with unheld honesty. You could have a lot of time off of your hands if you quit being their manager. You don’t even need the job.

You plant your hands on the floor and lean back as your gaze drifts to the photos of the team displayed on your desk.

“You might be right. A marine science student dedicating her time on sports even though she’s not an athlete? It does sound impractical. But,” you revert your eyes back to him as you continue on, “it makes me happy. That alone makes it worth it. Even if I don’t get paid, I’d still do it.”

Your face glows with pride and joy with your last statement, completely undeterred by his earlier cynicism. If anything, you look even more convinced that you’re doing the right thing. 

He can’t tell if he finds it admirable or disturbing. Probably the latter.

“There’s more to life than just sleep, study, and survive, don’t you think?” 

It was a rhetorical question that he would’ve still refuted if someone told him that years ago. Back in his freshman year in high school, he thought overzealous passion was stupid. Unless an individual is some sort of prodigy, it wouldn’t get them anywhere even if they keep trying to death.

Still, he put in a lot of work -- more than he should -- when he was playing in Karasuno. What was just a club became entirely something else for him, which, up until now, he still hasn’t put quite a finger on. 

When he graduated from Karasuno, he wasn’t sure what to do. He wanted to continue playing, but there was a nagging feeling behind his head that he shouldn’t. He thought that that part of his life was already over and while it was good while it lasted, it was time to move one. 

Yet, when he was handed out an application form for the university’s college team, he found himself grabbing the sheet of paper. 

He didn’t have any reason to pursue it beyond high school. He knows he’s good, but he’s not that good. He was at university already. It was time to focus on his future and ignore the itch to hold the ball with five other players on his side of the court.

What’s even more absurd was the next day, he submitted the application form and tried out for the team. He said to himself it wouldn’t hurt to go on playing until he has finally had enough. He’d just ride it out until he got tired of it. 

In his sophomore year, he was scouted by Sendai Frogs and that’s when he knew that the unreasonable passion he has for volleyball is not going to go away. Even now in his graduating semester, he’s still not ready to give it up.

He won’t admit it in your face, but, in a way, he can agree with what you just said. Life is more than just getting by and surviving. That’s the only reason he can think of to justify his choice to continue volleyball: so that he wouldn’t have this constant dissonance that pursuing the sport is a vacuous path he’s treading on. 

“Anyways, back to work now, yeah?”

You smile briefly at him and return to the research you’re tasked to do. He puts his headphones back in his bag and gets back to his own task as well.

He thought all is well and you won’t pester him until you both finish what you’re supposed to accomplish for the day. Unfortunately, he thought wrong. 

You suddenly close your laptop and start whining. 

“Tsukki.”

As usual, he does his best to not acknowledge your existence. 

“Tsukkiii, ” you whine louder. 

For the love of God, you sound the most annoying when you use his nickname. Even though you’ve used it several times now, he’s still not used to it. In fact, he does not believe he will ever get used to it. Shimizu and Yachi not even once called him that, and they were more respectable managers than you are. Sort of. It doesn’t matter that you’re more active and hands on when managing the team.

“Tsuuuk -”

“What?!” You successfully manage to get his eyes off the screen.

“I’m bored,” you pout. 

He glares at you unbelievably. What are you, a five-year-old? 

“And that is my problem, how?” he asks with disdain. 

“Aren’t you getting tired?” you ask back, unfazed by his blatant irritation. But then again, you never are. 

He is getting tired too, but he’d rather drag his brains and eyes out than rest and extend the time he’s going to spend with you. 

“Let’s take a break, please, ” you cry out with pleading eyes. 

“I don’t care what you do. Just leave me out of it.” He puts his attention back on his laptop and looks for the journal article he found significant among the other tabs he opened. 

“I’ll feel guilty if I see you still at it while I goof around,” you admit. 

He really couldn’t care any less. None of what you’re blabbering about is any of his concern. If you keep at it, he’ll just take out his headphones again to drown out your childish whining. 

“I know!” You suddenly perk up. “Let’s review for our quiz,” you suggest eagerly. “We have one tomorrow, right?”

He almost smirks at your suggestion, but he manages to suppress it. He’d rather not let you see that he’s pleasantly amused with your suggestion. 

He didn’t expect that that was your idea of taking a break. He thought you were going to propose something completely absurd like watch stupid videos online because that’s something he could totally see you doing on your free time. 

But yeah, he can definitely use a review. It would be a productive break from the strenuous researching and writing you two have been doing. 

Even though he still hasn’t verbally agreed, you continue on. “To make it interesting, there’s a penalty for every wrong answer.”

He sits up straight, pushing his glasses closer to his face as you successfully gain his full attention. “What penalty?”

Your smile widens when you realize that he’s finally acknowledging your idea of taking a break. 

“Okay, okay.” You rub your hands together in excitement before you clasp them together. “For every wrong answer you get, you need to say something nice about me. And of course vice versa.”

He scowls at the idea. “I prefer the opposite. Get the answer wrong and you get insulted. That sounds more of a punishment.”

You shake your head with your lips pressed into a thin line from disapproval. “Nope. If I get even one wrong answer. I’m sure you’ll get into a litany of rude shit you piled up against me over the years. And I’ll just sit here uncaringly receiving your fury. Does that excite you?”

Hell no. It will infuriate him even more if he throws something at you and you just take it apathetically. But he still doesn’t agree with your initial mechanics. It’s not fair to him.

“No, it doesn’t. But the consequence of a wrong answer is too easy for you.”

You place a palm on your chest and gape at him. “Me? Too easy for me ?” 

You break into a boisterous laugh while still maintaining eye contact with him. He just stares back at you stupefied with no idea what you found so hilarious.

“Tsukishima,” you say after recovering from your disparaging hoots of laughter. “I can think of literally one nice thing about you. Maybe two if I tried hard enough,” you explain with your face still crinkled with the laughter you’re trying hard to contain. 

If you’re trying to provok him to take on your challenge, you definitely succeeding. “Fine,” he hisses. 

Your laughter is completely thwarted when your eyes widen with delight as he succumbs to your plan. 

“Great! Okay, two more rules. One, objective questions only. Two, we can’t say anything that involves Volleyball. For example, you can’t tell me that I’m a great manager, because I’m very much aware of that already, okay?”

His frown only deepens from your conceitedness, only to realize that that’s the only aspect of you he’d consider complimenting you about. 

“But there is nothing else nice about you other than that,” he says without any trace of sarcasm or ridicule, only stating what he considers the truth. 

But you don’t take any offense in his statement. You’re expecting as much. That’s why you added two more rules to push the both of you to take the review seriously.

“Better not get anything wrong then,” you counter easily because it’s as simple as that. It’s a review just for a quiz after all. He shouldn’t be that worried.

“Thirty minutes to review. Then let’s start the quiz?”

You take that he’s fine with it since he closes his laptop and gets his set of notes from his bag.

You get your phone and set a thirty minute timer. You do just as he does and focus on your own notes, skimming over the last two chapters covered during lectures. You concentrate on your learning materials but the alarm sets off after what seemed like ten minutes to you.

You frantically check your phone to see if you put the wrong time, but you didn’t. Thirty minute have indeed passed. 

When you glance at Tsukishima, he’s already looking at you with crossed arms and a self-satisfied smirk. He must have finished before the timer went off. He wouldn’t have that smug expression if not. 

Even though you haven’t fully gone over the last parts of the lesson covered, you can’t help but be enlivened at how competitive he is. He must really hate losing. 

You notice it too with the way he plays volleyball. He might look calm on the surface, but you know he wants to crush his opponents. And right now, that opponent is you. 

His muted excitement affects you. Even though you’re not totally prepared, you’re confident with your own wits. 

“Ladies first, so go ahead, Tsukishima.”

He clicks his tongue, his usual habit when he’s irked with something, but this one was forced to make it appear as if he didn’t like what you said. But you can tell that he doesn’t give a shit about that and he actually can’t wait to ask away just to so you can get it wrong.

Unfortunately for him though, you two are just exchanging questions when your mini game starts. He answers your questions without hesitation and you do just the same since most of his questions are in your own list that’s supposed to be for him.

“What’s the movable membrane found on the eyes of amphibians?” It’s his sixth question that has you racking your brain for the correct answer. When you don’t respond immediately, he sniggers like he’s already won. 

But you do know the answer, or at least the first letter of it. It's the letter N. N-something membrane.

“Nictaling membrane,” you answer unsurely. 

The spread of his wicked smile immediately tells you you’re wrong. “It’s nictating,” he corrects you. 

“Oh come on! I’m just one letter off,” you strongly reason out.

“Yeah, and that would still be marked wrong in the actual quiz,” he refutes.

Damn it. He’s right. That one letter makes a whole lot of difference your professor will definitely not let go.

He places one elbow on the table and rests his chin at the back of his hand, keeping his eyes trained on you as he silently anticipates for you to pay the price of your penalty.

You bite your lip disquietly when you realize the rule you set was a double-edged sword for you can’t also think of anything nice to say about him. There’s that terrible attitude of his which is usually your source of fun, but not exactly something you can call nice. 

You have something in your mind, but your pride won’t let you voice it out. 

He starts tapping the table with his fingers. “You’re wasting both our time, y/n.”

You accept your defeat and tell him anyway. “Fine. I think you’re smarter than me,” you confess. 

You expect him to agree unanimously, but instead he looks at you stupefied, blinking a few times without saying anything. 

“But you’re a scholar,” he remarks. You’re not sure if he just disagreed with you or he’s just putting that fact out in the open. 

“Well, yeah. But I’m just really good at studying and have good time management. You’re actually smart. You’re critical with stuff,” you explain. 

You cheated a bit with your answer since most of your basis is from volleyball games. Although your trip last time is also proof of that. He provided really good input on how you should go about with the project. 

“Okay! Moving on,” you proceed before he can comment further on what you just said and milk it to his benefit.

You ask another question, which he also knows that correct answer to. Originally, you just wanted a fun but effective way of reviewing, but now you kind of want him to get at least one question wrong so you can get even. 

“What do you call the structure the lower vertebrae of anurans is fused into?” he asks another difficult question. 

You rub your palms on your face, your frustration clouding your mind from recalling what it could possibly be. You push your hair back and sigh when you realize that you’re not getting this one either. 

“I don’t know,” you surrender. 

His current expression is the most lively one you’ve ever seen from him outside volleyball games, but it isn't a pleasant one. He looks like a villain whose evil master plan is coming to fruition. 

Maybe you should’ve just agreed with his earlier suggestion to get insulted when you get it incorrectly. You would’ve just sit it out and brush it off afterwards, not make your brain hurt even more from thinking about non-existent good traits from the guy across your table. 

You look around as you desperately try to think of something remotely nice about him.

“Oh,” your eyes meet his right the moment you recall that instance, and form a genuine smile as you remember it once more. 

“It was real nice of you to let me lean on you on the way back to Miyagi last week.”

He removes his elbow from the table and fixes his posture, losing the lax and confident aura he had two questions ago. 

“You would have woken up face down on the bus floor if I didn’t,” he says defensively as if what he did needs that explanation for it to be acceptable. 

You honestly thought he’d rather let you fall flat on the floor. You’re about to ask him back then if he was sure, but you just accepted his angry, yet generous offer which you didn’t expect to come from him.

“I know. I just didn’t think you’d let me rest on your shoulder, so thanks,” you say earnestly, not a trace of your usual cheekiness present. 

“It felt nice and comfortable” you add reservedly. You’ve been wanting to thank him but you didn’t know how to bring it up without being awkward for you’re only used to dealing with grouchy Tsukishima.

It’s only then you realize that despite his palpable dislike towards you, he’s not a complete asshole and still cared enough for your welfare that time.

He remains expressionless with his eyes drifting down to his notes, avoiding your gaze as he does so. “The answer is coccyx, also called urostyle,” he ushers back to the question you got wrong, dismissing what you just divulged, which you’re thankful for because you feel like fidgeting with what just dawned on you.

“My turn again then!” you said too loudly as you try to shake off the feeling and put your focus back on the review.

You read the only item left in your list, still hoping that he gets it wrong since this is the last. 

“What part of the amphibian nervous system regulates heart and respiratory rates?”

Unlike previous questions, he doesn’t answer off the bat this time.

“You’re wasting both our time, Tsukishima,” you repeat what he said to you earlier even though it's only been seconds after you uttered your question. 

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. I know the answer,” he declares with reassured confidence. “It’s the cerebrum.”

You decide to hold his gaze for two second before you burst his bubble. “Fucking finally!” you rejoice in his defeat. 

“Close enough, Tsukishima. It’s the cerebellum,” you announce all too cheerfully.

He hurriedly gets his notes and cross checks if you’re actually telling the truth. You just watch him scramble with a very pleased smile on your face as he goes rigid. 

“Fuck,” he mutters to himself. He must have seen that you were telling the truth.

You start squirming in your seat. Oh man, you’re way too excited to hear what he has to say about you. You want to egg him on, to tell him to hurry up but that might affect what he’s going to say so you force yourself to shut up. 

He raises his gaze at you while you make sure you’re not smiling too wide to annoy him even though you’re reeling from anticipation. 

He still doesn’t say anything, but you know he’s thinking based on the way he’s studying your face. 

“You have a slightly above average face.”

You run that by again in your head, not understanding what he meant by it at first. 

Above average face? Did he just say you’re pretty if translated from a socially incapacitated person’s language? Is that why he was staring so hard at you?

Of all the things he could choose to say something about, he decides to compliment your appearance? You know that you're a bit good-looking, but you don’t think he notices it. He doesn’t seem to be the type to care about that stuff.

Even when you first met, he just looked at you with a vacant expression and greeted you blandly out of courtesy while the rest of the team ogled at you. His apathetic eyes eventually turned scornful over time because of how often you pick on him, and despite that, he does acknowledge that you are pretty.

You’re used to being showered with admiration because of your face so you’ve developed a natural response to it: a gleeful smile with a spritely ‘aww, thanks!’

But with Tsukishima, it doesn’t kick in. Instead, you avert your gaze away from the unwanted fluttering in your chest. You can’t even look him in the eye as you try to collect yourself and think how you’ll respond to that without looking flustered. 

What the heck is wrong with you? That could hardly be called a compliment. Now that you think about it, it actually sounded sort of like a product review with its lack of any fondness. 

With that in mind, you manage to regain some of your composure and offer him a faint. “Um, thanks.”  

Tsukishima looks at his two remaining questions he listed and even though he’s winning the game, he doesn’t feel victorious at all. Your confessions did nothing to make him feel good about himself. They were too sincere that they made him uneasy.

He also doesn’t like that he had to admit you’re pretty. He expected you’re gonna make a fuss about it. He actually would’ve preferred that than you being uncharacteristically embarrassed about it.

Something weird is definitely going on. You’re not acting like yourself and neither is he. There had been too many opportunities to badger you, but he just let them pass by. Same with you. You could have easily teased him about letting you know he finds you attractive.

“I’m out of questions,” he lies to end the damn review. 

“Me too, actually,” you say with an apprehensive laugh.

So it’s not just him. You also feel the change in the atmosphere between you two. Your smile is uncertain and you look like you don't know what to do to remedy the situation -- that is, if you even know what’s wrong with it because he sure as hell doesn’t. 

But even if he has no idea what’s going on, fortunately, he knows how to end it.

“I’m tired. I’m calling it a day,” he says as he starts packing up his stuff. 

You seem to agree since you don’t say anything and just watch him collect his things. You only react when he stands up. 

“Oh yeah. Sure!” You stand up as well.

“I can see my way out on my own,” he stops you when you start to head for the door.  

You freeze on the spot then nod timidly. “Okay.”

As soon as he steps out and closes the door, you plop yourself back to where you were sitting. You grasp the edges of your table as you softly bang your head against it, gasping a heavy breath of relief when the air becomes undoubtedly lighter after he is gone.

“What the fuck was that?” you mumble with your cheek against the wooden surface. 

Part 2 || Part 4 || masterlist

taglist (those crossed out can’t be tagged)

@ameliaxo @suikrem @akaashisslave @tsumurai  @babythotshq @loving-unicorns106 @flairlust @geektastic84 @anaiss97 @berna-dette @just4readingfics @suteorra @xxekitten69xx @simp4tsukkii @music-is-all-i-need @keshinslittlegirl @raspberrysunshinebby @iminlovewhaikyuu @pdiddy11 @lightyagamami @sailorscout1902 @lovershaikyuu  @expectonothinfromme @mitzuya @yamigoop​

[rubywolf0201]

Fire Emblem ships that I don’t really get/ just not into it/ don’t like

I’m going to get a lot of hate for this one but this is my opinion and I want to stand by it. If you ship it, that’s fine because it’s your opinion, not mine.

But these are my opinions on the ships I dislike so without further ado, here’s my list of Fire Emblem NOTP:

1. Byleth x anybody in 3H- To be perfectly honest, I just don’t really feel for Byleth in general because not only are they just boring but any character in 3H who talks to them feels like they’re just talking to a wall. While FEH at least gave them some form of personality, it still didn’t change the fact just how boring they are.

2. Robin & Corrin x any of the 2nd Gen FE characters- Its kind of awkward as hell that you’re romancing your friend’s children and esstentially turning them into grandparents at such a young age.

3. F!Corrin x Odin/Owain- In their whole entirety of their Support (C-S), Corrin is just shown to be bothered by Odin’s/Owain’s antics and even when the Support progresses, she still can’t accept that part of Odin/Owain and in their S Support, she just walk away the moment Odin started doing his theatrics again. And no Corrin wasn’t portrayed as naive here but outright mean to him.

4. Corrin x any of the royal siblings + Azura- Probably because not is it awkward, but because Corrin (of either gender) sees both Hoshido and Nohr royal siblings as their family and I think Azurrin works better in a familial/platonic light. (Yes while I’m aware that marriages between cousins is acceptable back in ancient times where FE is set in, I still think Azura and Corrin’s relationship works better platonically)

5. Ike x Zelgius- Zelgius aka the Black Knight murdered Greil right in front of Ike back in Path of Radiance. I don’t think they would work out at all be it platonic or romantic. In my FEH playthrough, I headcanoned them to have a Teeth-Clenched Teamwork kind of relationship. Also Zelgius is older than Ike by many years and even if Ike is like in his 20’s in Raidant Dawn, that’s still a pretty large age gap.

6. Any FE villains x FE lords- Pretty sure that some or most of the villains are just plain toxic or just obnoxious in general and that the lord in any of their respective franchise won’t really date them from a canonical narrative POV.

7. Ryomarx/ Caminoka/ Leokumi/ Elisaku- Not exactly a NOTP but I’m just indifferent towards them. I also see their relationship in a platonic light (even though these four’s relationship is just cute in general)

8. Any ships that involve in*est

9. Any ships that has a huge age gap 🤢����

Thank you for coming to my presentation on the ships I don’t like or just plain indifferent to. Like I said before, these are my opinions of the ships I listed. If you ship any of them, that’s fine and you’re valid. Because you’re entitled to your opinion and I’m entitled to have my opinion as well.

Anyways have a great day.

[1358456]

Dex Holder Preference List, New-VI

It’s been over 7 months since the last one. There haven’t been too significant of a change, but some changes have been made in the mid-to-low ranks.

Top Favorites

Platinum (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1) 晝夜長川, ���志一貫. This one is probably never going to change. She’s cute, smart, very kind and sweet (post development), very strong especially with a team overhaul, and is the staple of most of the important character bonds in all of my stories. And best of all, she had character development to reach this point in her personality, so her sweetness is not boring! And with a relatively new “discovery” that she had canonically blushed in DPPt... expect more of that sweetness in future chapters!

Y (2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2) The XY arc really kind of... f*cked her in terms of... well, pretty much everything. Got no Flying types except for the one she started with, didn’t even fully evolve said bird, caught the NPC Mega which is horsesh*t, Xerneas which is amazing but a temporary capture, uses a Rhyhorn which isn’t hers and is not for combat, and worse of all, the arc did not allow her to have a character development. But suddenly, overhaul her team and then put her in as a junior Dex Holder who does not have to shoulder all the burden by herself and now there are a lot of more interesting character progression possibilities! Y has a bit of a temper, which can lead to a bit of an aggression. Her overhauled team is very aggressive, which certainly adds to it. She’s also probably the most physically agile while making sense, which makes her very fun to use. Working with Platinum, Y can serve as her fist, pretty much, becoming the vanguard of the group, being the sword to Platinum’s shield. ... Again, with Generation VIII coming, I need to use a different comparison...

Red (3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3) With the other guy banished into the void for eternity, the Dex Holder leader role naturally falls upon him and Blue, but with Blue more reluctant to be in the lead, it’s up to Red. But he’ll be working with her at all times anyways, for a joint-leadership, basically. And this is quite better than having just one guy being in charge. Red takes the part of commanding respect and admiration, basically, as he’s quite a nice guy overall, and... well, he’s freaking Red. He works well with pretty much every junior, and given the sheer amount of junior Dex Holder focus I give, he’s naturally involved quite a lot being nice and helpful to them.

Blue (4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4) The one of two Dex Holders whose personality and background is pretty similar to mine, so a lot of my own traits have gone into her. The other Dex Holder being Platinum, but it’s like 80% Blue and 20% Platinum, so... mostly Blue. In that joint-leadership thingy with Red, Blue takes the role of... the brains, pretty much. She’ll do most of the thinking, and guide Red in the right direction, and she’ll do her best to support him. With an overhauled team, she’d fare much better in said support, and even when doing something solo. Now, she’s ranked below Red because of the junior focus. While Blue is very kind in her own way, she does have a bit of... darkness to her complexion/personality, which does not work too well with a deeper senior-junior relationship. In short, some juniors might be a bit scared to try to get too close.

Light Preferences

Moon (5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5) ... I should look for a USM portrait soon. ... Anyways. Moon lost her place in the Top Favorites, but not her ranking number. It’s because... well, SM/USM... is not really that... good? In short, I sense an impending disaster for that arc. Disaster as in “why the f*ck did the creators do this meaningless bullsh*t?” Now, while that may not have anything to do with Moon, it serves as a factor in what may lead to her decline in preference. She currently doesn’t have a lot holding her in place here. Her personality is... well... not really that fun to use. Her bond with Platinum is currently just a headcanon that may be shot to hell shortly which is very bad for her preference ranking, her team is weird at best, hasn’t caught a single new thing, or evolved anything on screen, etc. The biggest factors for her ranking is the fact that she may have a canon bond with Platinum, and that she’s the only healer that makes sense, and is the youngest junior, therefore the weakest, and thus the furthest from being “invulnerable”. It’s much more interesting to write with characters who are struggling with what they have to deal with, instead of “no problem, I can do everything”.

Emerald (6, 7, 6, 7, 6, 6) Even though MANY people don’t like him, Emerald is... quite good and fun to use. He’s cunning and a damn good battler, made even better with a team overhaul that sacked his bullsh*t repeat Pokemon. Now he should be much more useful in combat, which is great, since the other two Hoenn Dex Holders... I’ll get to that in a bit.

Diamond (8, 9, 8, 6, 7, 7) Admittedly, Diamond’s personality is quite... boring. The only thing holding him up here is the fact that he’s just such a sweet guy, especially to Platinum. And now, with his team updated, he should fare much better in protecting her, and will actually accomplish something in said protection. He’s not worth much if Platinum can protect herself better with her overhauled team. He will serve as her shield... er... ... portable wall? ... Why did Generation VIII have to be called Sword and Shield anyways? Blech. Anyways, he’ll protect her at all costs, and will even be useful as someone Platinum can lean on for emotional support.

White (7, 6, 7, 10, 8, 8) ... She’s cute and sweet, sure. But that’s pretty standard for the Dex Holders, and White doesn’t have much character development in that regard. She’s more accepting, I suppose, after “slipping” off of the Ferris wheel in an “accident”. But she’s still absolute sh*t at battling, using the crappiest Dex Holder team outside of Yellow’s. So she’s like a detriment in combat situations, which... is quite nice story wise, as it creates more tension! ... The biggest thing holding White in this spot is the fact that she’s a staple in the Black & White pairing that I like so much. ... More specifically, the pairing that I like hammering so damn much. Besides that pairing moment, she’s kind of... well, a filler. She doesn’t do much in the Junior Trio/Quartet. I suppose she serves a bit as a... mediator of sorts? White is the one most suited for handling other people, given her job. So she’d know the best way to talk to other people with vastly differing personalities, which is something the other Dex Holders (especially Platinum) may not. So... there’s that, I guess.

X (17, 17, 10, 9, 10, 9) He climbed a rank! Yay! ... Right now, I feel that X is a bit hard to use. If Y was with him, then it’s not as bad. But by himself... I think it’s because he was such a... douche for so much of his only arc, and his character development pretty much happened in the last two pages. I just don’t have enough information on what he’d be like post character development, so it just feels awkward using him in various chapters. Maybe as time passes, he can develop his own solid role in my stories, like Y did. ... For now, he’d start by just being super nice and friendly with Y, and be the ONE junior male Dex Holder who’s respectful to Platinum (since BW2 cast still won’t exist in my stories).

Pearl (RB, RB, RB, RB, 13, 10) What a climb. He how has his team overhauled to better suit his personality/ability, getting rid of some of the random ass additions that he never really used. And even though Heart as a story may be like a dud, its effect in making me like this guy a lot more is quite profound! Among the Morning Sound trio, he’ll serve as Platinum’s swo... ... er... ... lead pipe. He’ll protect and support Platinum in his own way, which is to take action and clearing a path, so to speak. In the end, even if Platinum does not notice his crush on her, he’d have been just as important as Diamond.

Low Preferences The name of this “tier” has been changed to make a bit more sense. I mean... what in hell is a “dead zone”, and why is it not the worst thing?

Sapphire (16, 11, 11, 11, 11, 11) She’s certainly quite... charming in her own way, and is fun to use, but... it’s not that easy anymore. Her most defined tendency is her “wildness” and physical strength, which both defy reason. And sh*t that defies reason... me just no like. I mean, what are the limits to her physical prowess?? Outside of comedic scenes? Her prowess is now going to be not that much better than Y’s. She’d still hit a lot harder, but won’t be as agile. And in terms of her as a character... well, it seems that her entire being just revolves around Ruby. Her whole objective in RS was just to keep the promise made to young Ruby. And now that objective was completed... ... ???

Ruby (15, 13, 12, 12, 12, 12) See, even in here, they’re together. Heh. So Ruby and Sapphire as characters are like... Sapphire doing what Ruby is doing or had asked her to do. It’s like the “unit” Sapphire has been issued the follow command on the “unit” Ruby, and then the command console broke so she’s just following him forever. And while Ruby does independent things from time to time, he’s kind of... forced to include Sapphire now, which kind of turns it into a pairing thing, and I don’t really like this pairing all that much. I don’t dislike it, but I just don’t really care much about it. Hence both of them are in the low preferences. They’re useful together, as both of them at once are like an independent unit that can accomplish so much. ... But they HAVE to be together, which... meh.

Black (10, 10, 13, 13, 15, 13) Man. ... STILL stuck in this chickensh*t outfi... er... that rock. Freedom might be close, but so far, it seems like White was the one who got sucked into the Light Stone? ... So the reason why this guy is down here is because I haven’t seen anything new from this guy in 5 years despite him being in an active arc. Yeah, yeah, rock. But even without that, I just don’t think he’s that... good. Yeah, he’s quite smart and noticed intricate details, but only after his mind’s been cleared, which is a bothersome. As a trainer, I don’t consider him to be all that strong, as his accomplishments were forced upon by the game plot. So the only thing pulling him up is his bond with White and... that’s just filled with pain, man. Heh. ... So... once again... until he comes out of that freaking rock...

Gold (15, 13, 14, 14, 14, 14) So Gold’s team was overhauled, giving him a Houndour, Larvitar, and a candle (Litwick) on his head like a damn Kobold. “You no take candle!” ... But well... his team was overhauled so that he’d find his own style, which is more of an explosive firepower. He’d now serve much better in combat as fitting as someone who’s one of the absolute oldest. But to be honest, the overhaul was more like... chump charity? His post-Cycle personality is kind of... well, very un-Gold-like. And his Gold-like personality is... well, he’s an ass. He’s a good guy, sure. But he doesn’t act like one because he doesn’t want to be seen as one. So he’d only help out in a situation if he had an excuse in the form of a “selfish” reason, which just doesn’t work for me.

Crystal (14, 16, 15, 15, 16, 15) Crystal’s team was updated so that she’s not using horrible sh*t all the time. But... well, the proverb in Korean goes as “giving a pearl to a pig”. Like... what would a pig do with a pearl? Does it even know the value? ... No. So like... giving Crystal a much better combat team, when she herself is just crap at fighting, it’s just... a waste. And personality wise, Crystal is kind of bland. She’s just really nice and kind and smart, which... is very standard. Her role is basically just like a support to the juniors, which can be done by any other girl, and her bond with Gold kind of results in the post-Cycle Gold, which is a bit of an issue? Hmm...

Faitsu (11, 12, 16, 16, 17, 16) The girl with absolutely no development or a team, or a reason to exist. Sure, she’s super cute and fun to see, but... that’s it. There is no other purpose. And with hopes of BW2 being non-existent... she’s not going to climb any higher unless someone else falls from above. It’s all downhill from here, but others may just fall faster.

Sun (9, 8, 9, 8, 9, 17) Welcome to the double digits. You will never see the single digits ever again. Honestly, I just don’t remember why I ranked him so high before. I don’t like his personality, or appearance. He’s very objective-driven, almost like two other male Dex Holders who are just... boring. Unless SM/USM shows me something very intriguing that’s good enough, this guy is just going to fall further. He hogs the spotlight so damn much, he doesn’t really give a f*ck about anything other than his own goals, he has the story-mode invulnerability bullsh*t going on, which defies reason, and I think he’s one of the biggest reasons why I just don’t like the Generation VII arc anymore. The only reason why he’s not in the bottom “tier” is because SM/USM still has some hope, and I’m holding onto the hope that he’ll have some incredibly sweet moment with Moon. If that doesn’t happen, then f*ck him.

Rock Bottom

Yellow (RB, RB, RB, RB, 18, RB) And back here again. But do note that she’s still not on the very bottom! In fact, her ranking remains the same as last time, in the 18th spot out of 20! It’s just that “low preferences” doesn’t apply to her. I have absolutely no interest in using Yellow beyond ONE situation, and that is not a good one for her. It’s either just heartbreak and being forgotten, or SoS shenanigans. And even for those two, White just serves as a better and more entertaining target. So... meh. Also, Yellow as a whole just defies reason. Just like how Core Enforcer f*cked her bullsh*t abilities in Destiny, so shall something else do the same to her in Legacy.

Rakutsu (12, 14, 17, RB, RB, RB) The same as Faitsu, except this guy ain’t sweet and adorable. Randomly spewed out backstory that somehow made me lose even more interest in the guy, which no hope left for BW2... How much longer until I banish the BW2 cast into the void as well? Heh...

Silver (RB, RB, RB, RB, RB, RB) The only one with no numbers in the ranking history. Always been down here, and always will. Silver is just like that guy, in that his personality is just incompatible with anyone. He’s the lone, quite, brooding type guy which makes character interactions with anyone other than Blue to be... boring as sh*t. So I’ll just save myself the headache and just have him basically not exist so I don’t have to worry about character interactions.

[kaleidopewrites]

You Will Come Back To Us (Part 7)

Summary: Jefferson has decided to take up the Queens offer, and figures out a way to tell his wife

Pairing: Jefferson x OC

Word Count: 1924

Warnings: NSFW 18+ (i’m assuming), smut, all the smut, oral (f receiving), forest smut

A/N: Yeah, this one is just smut. I was testing the limits of my writing. First smut i’d ever posted, btw. You can skip this chapter if you’re not a smut reader, consider the summary just tells you the plot progress. Hope you like it :)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

It was night and I lounged in the chair by the fire, sewing away at the last few threads of my scarf. I heard footsteps and Jay walked up to me, a white rabbit in his hands. “Do you think she’ll like it?” He asked nervously, holding the patched toy in his hands. I smiled at him, a swell of affection filling my heart.

“She’ll love it,” I whispered to him. Jay smiled before leaning down and kissed my forehead before heading off to say goodnight to Grace. We changed it each night who got to tuck her in, and tonight was Jay’s night.

I was half aware of their small conversation as I finished up the scarf, holding the fabric up to any source of light so I can admire it. “It’s beautiful,” Jay grinned, appearing in the doorway to Grace’s room. I smiled as I stood, folding it gently over my arms.

“Thank you,” I grinned, tucking it away and secretly glad he loved it. It was, after all, to be his birthday present in a couple of months. My husband moved over to the kitchen, preparing to wash our dishes from dinner.

He was silent ever since coming home from the market. Occasionally he was, sometimes tired from socialising all day. He disliked crowds as much as I did. But this was a different kind of silence. He was off, something troubling his mind.

I stood from my seat and walked over to the kitchen, determined to figure out what was bothering him. “Jay?” I asked, waking him from his thoughts. “Is everything alright?” I asked. I at least expected him to lie, but he didn’t say anything, just lean against the kitchen counter.

“Jefferson?” I asked, the worry clear in my voice. He finally looked up at me, this conflict warring behind his eyes as he stared at me. “Come with me,” He whispered, voice husky and low as he took my hand.

He pulled me from the cabin into the night. It was dangerous at this time, especially if you delve into the woods and don’t know where you’re going. Plus, it was freezing out here. “Jay, where are we going?” I asked as he dragged me down the familiar path into the woods.

“Away from Grace,” He muttered, fog forming where his breath curled into the air. “We’re leaving Grace?” I demanded, concerned to what had gotten into him. “No, no.” Jay sighed, his hand holding mine tightened. “We’re just… just trust me.” He said, walking further and further into the woods.

Our eyes adjusted to the lack of light, the moon large in the sky to light our path as best it could. He continued to lead me further into the forest and I shivered under the freezing touch it gave out. “Almost there,” Jay assured me as he continued walking. We weren’t dressed to go walking through the forest.

Just as I was about to demand why we were out here, Jefferson stopped me and pushed me against a tree. He stood over me, looking down at me with hooded eyes. I knew this look, and it kick started my arousal instantly.

Ignoring all questions, I wrapped my arms around his neck, digging my fingers through his thick curls before meeting his lips with mine. It was a strong, passionate kiss and Jay didn’t shy away from being dominant.

He moved us away from the stump before picking me up by the waist and setting me down on the forest floor. I bucked under the cold ground before Jay’s heated skin warmed me back up again. He invaded my mouth with his tongue, not asking for permission. I would’ve given it to him anyway.

He pulled away for a second, only to start unbuttoning his tunic. I rolled up the dress, already feeling my cunt soaking with eagerness. We both knew better than to strip down completely in the forest at night. We’d freeze, even if our cores were searing hot.

Jay lowered himself to my pussy, wasting no time in pressing his lips against my soaking core. He groaned, the vibrations making my stomach do horny flips and my back to arch against him, pressing my hips to his face.

It was unorthodox, what we were doing. Oral isn’t exactly popular in our era. But we were looking for pleasure, not child bearing, so we believed that excused us from the norm. “So good,” Jay groaned against me as I pushed my fingers through his hair.

I groaned myself as he ran his tongue across my clit, lapping up my juices like he was dying of thirst. I didn’t realise how much I needed this until he dragged me out here. Then he bit down on my nub and I felt myself buckle under my orgasm, almost screaming into the forest at it’s pure bliss.

“Hmm, yeah,” Jay groaned as he peppered kisses throughout my damp core, pleased with himself that he had managed to make me come so soon. “Jay,” I groaned. My husband leaned over me, kissing my neck and jawline gently as my euphoria slowed down.

“Come on, one last go,” He grinned before picking me up. I was shaky on my legs as he gently pressed me into the tree stump once again. He kept the cold out as he kissed me, and I could taste my sweetness on his lips.

He fiddled with his trousers for a second before pushing them to the ground, his hard cock standing up to whack against me. I grinned as ran my hands under his tunic, massaging his back with my nails. I rubbed my clit against his hard cock, moistening it with my wetness.

He grinned as he kissed me, moving a hand down to rub at the nub and bring pleasure back into my groans. He then picked me up by the waist, letting me lock my ankles around his hips before lining himself up.

It only took a second for him to thrust into me, hitting this pleasure spot inside and causing us to both groan into the air. I held onto him tightly, letting my walls get used to his girth as he rested a head against my shoulder.

He started slow, thrusting gently as a warm up. He gripped my thighs and ass tightly, supporting me and yet digging his fingers into my flesh. I didn’t mind that he could be forming bruises. I let my head rest against the stump, feeling his thrusts gently get faster and faster.

“Alice,” He groaned, filling my stomach with bliss at hearing my name roll off his tongue. “Jefferson,” I retaliated, knowing he loved hearing me whisper out his name. He groaned, and it took me a moment to realise he had started to weep.

“Jefferson?” I asked, the arousal still present, but not in my voice. His thrusts continued as he looked up at me, his eyes beginning to redden. I put my hands to his cheeks, rubbing away his tears with confusion; until he hit my sweet spot and I groaned against him.

“I’m taking up the Queen’s offer.” He panted slightly, keeping me locked against him and the tree as he sped up his pace, making it difficult to focus on what he was trying to tell me. “No, no you can’t.” I argued, regardless he was filling me with pressure.

“I have to. I need to. I just want to give you the whole world.” He groaned, wiggling his hips every now and again to incite new pleasure. I groaned against him. “But you are my whole world, you and Grace!” I squealed slightly, trying not to fill the forest with my screams.

“I love you, Alice, please, you have to let me do this,” Jefferson groaned. I couldn’t respond to him, I was already at my peak for the second time that night. We silenced our screams of euphoria by pressing our lips together, Jefferson freezing rock hard inside of me.

He bit my lower lip hard, trying his best not to draw blood but I wouldn’t really mind. I was close to tearing his hair from his scalp. He gave a few last thrusts to keep our bliss going until it faded and he slid out of me.

We panted heavily, his head falling to my collarbone as I was allowed to lower my feet to the ground. He was going to take the Queen’s offer? That meant using the hat, meant going back to Wonderland where we were wanted criminals. We swore he never would go back.

But he’s desperate to go. He’s eager to give us what he’s always wanted to give us. I watched as he wavered slightly on the spot, unbalanced from his orgasm. All he’s ever wanted to do was provide for us, give us our best hope.

I stood up straight as I pushed him to the ground. He collapsed and stared up at me, his mouth hanging open in a silent plea as to why. I bundled my dress up in my fists before sliding down onto him again, my turn to be dominating. His jaw quickly shut closed.

I ran my fingers up and down his abdomen, feeling his few scars under my fingers. I felt his arousal vibrate in his stomach and he softly groaned. I began moving my hips with him inside of me, curving and wiggling so he’d hit my sweet spot every time.

“I trust you,” I said, tracing his muscles with the tips of my fingers. I spread my legs as wide as I could, until he was the deepest he had ever been inside of me. His face twisted with sudden pleasure as I continued my progressively faster rolls across his cock.

He ran his fingers up my thighs until his hands held my ass, squeezing it tightly with every movement. “Jefferson,” I groaned out his name. He sat up instantly, kissing up and down my neck as I thrust up and down him. “Alice,” My name brushed against my skin and I quivered slightly.

“I trust you to go, but you have to come back.” I said, feeling one of his hands begin to climb up the inside of my dress, grappling against my breast. “I promise,” He groaned against me, squeezing and playing with my breast to heighten my pleasure.

“You have to swear to me,” I demanded, taking fistfuls of his hair and pulling his head back to look at me, stopping my thrusts so he understood the severity of the oath. “On pain of death, you will return to me, alive and well,” I said.

Jefferson’s tongue darted out for a second to lick his lips before they crashed into mine. “I swear,” He said, lifting his hips to thrust against me. I groaned, feeling him scrape against my sweet spot. “On pain of death,” He continued, thrusting into me again and causing a whimper of pleasure to seep through my lips.

“That I will,” Another thrust and I felt his balls against my skin. “Return to you,” I whimpered, louder this time, at his thrust and I could feel his peak approaching quickly, as was mine. “Alive and well,” That did it. His last thrust sent me over the edge, groaning loudly to the point where I was almost screaming. Jefferson matched me, and we didn’t care if we work up the neighbours with our euphoria.

The world needed to know how much we loved each other.