#moments like this remind me that choosing to be very patient isn’t so bad.
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everheavenly · 1 year ago
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my design finally getting approved and praised by a fussy and critical client is so rewarding — just what i needed in the midst of this hectic week.
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cozage · 1 year ago
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Hi. How are you? Congratulations! Can I please have an option 1? How about Law, Zoro, Sanji, Luffy, Sabo and Ace (feel free to pick and choose) teaching a s/o (preferably female) how to fight? Like Zoro teaching the reader to sword fight or Sanji teaching his to use black leg. Thank you 💙🤍💙🤍
Omg girlie hey!!! How have you been?!!? Good I hope <3 
Send me an event request!
Characters: gn reader x Ace, Zoro, Sanji, Luffy Total word count: 650
Teaching Moments
Ace
Literally so patient and such a good teacher but works you to the bone. He forgets that you are new at this and he has been training since he was born.
Hand-to-hand combat isn’t necessarily your strong suit, but he figures out you're quite good with a pipe. 
He is also very good at fighting with a pipe (is there anything this man is bad at?!?!)
He won’t pull punches or go easy on you just because he loves you. You will crawl away from your training sessions with bruises and cuts all over your body.
After your sessions, he’ll walk with you to Marco to get healed up, and then he’ll give you a really nice, warm massage to loosen up your muscles. That alone makes your training day worth it. 
You sometimes feel like you’re not making any progress, but when you start fighting people who aren’t Ace, you realize you’re much better than most of them. Fighting the best of the best really has its perks.
Zoro
Zoro is a good teacher…most of the time. 
He gets frustrated easily when you don’t follow instructions, and expects you to come in with basic sword skills, but you don’t have any. 
You have to remind him that not everyone grew up in a dojo, where they learned about swords morning, noon, and night. After he learns that, he takes you back to the beginning, teaching you in a new light. 
He returns to the bamboo stick and the formations, and suddenly he becomes happier, laughing more with you and telling you about his childhood at the dojo. Every skill you learn is paired with a “Well when I was a kid…” story, and it warms your heart. 
He takes you to a store to get your own swords. He definitely believes that you need to pick your own sword. He gives you pointers and advice, but he mostly leaves it up to you. He knows how important of a decision it is, and he won't interfere with fate.
He takes it easy on you. He can skillfully decipher just how much he needs to pressure you to get you to continue to grow.
Zoro doesn't understand much in his life, but he does understand two things: swords and you.
Sanji
Sanji. Bless his heart. He is not a good teacher. 
He goes too easy on you and treats you like you’re too fragile.
It actually begins to put a bit of a strain on your relationship because it feels like he doesn’t think you’re capable of fighting the way he does.
In reality, he just doesn’t think a lady needs to fight. And he certainly doesn’t want to hurt you during training. He can’t hit a lady, even to defend himself.
He wants you to learn, and you know he’s not being rude or malicious, but in order to save your relationship, you end up finding another fighting instructor. 
Instead of fighting, you help him prepare meals. And thankfully, he’s more than happy to let you help him do kitchen prep. 
Luffy
Luffy is…Luffy. 
Your training sessions always start out strong. He’s surprisingly good at giving you pointers (“raise your elbow” or “a right hook would’ve been better than a direct attack right there”)
Sometimes he forgets that not everyone has gum-gum powers. He’ll advise you to fling your body towards your opponents and you’ll just kind of deadpan and wait for him to realize his mistake, which always leads to a fit of giggles from you both. 
Training sessions never last long. You guys always get distracted by someone or something, or you all get hungry or start chasing each other around, laughing and playing another game. 
It’s always fun, you’re just never sure how much you’re actually learning. Sometimes you get irritated and think neither of you are taking it seriously, but Luffy’s way of life is “if it’s not fun, we shouldn’t do it”. 
Little do you realize, he’s actually training you through the games you all play, and the mischief you guys get into. He’s a pretty good teacher overall. 
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syncopein3d · 9 months ago
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The Warm One Part 5: Would You Say No
Part 4: Silk
CW/relevant tropes: living weapon, lady whump, magic whump, traumatic restraints, implied past injury, off-screen whumper, off-screen emesis, servant caretaker, other species caretaker (Orc), pedestrian nudity.
The Wrath of the King awakens from a nightmare of pain, shivering with cold. This is not new. Her skin hurts all over, but that isn’t new either, and it’s not so bad now. What’s new is that she is on a soft mattress, loosely wrapped in a silk sheet, instead of in a pile of shoes on the closet floor. She definitely didn’t crawl this far. A sleepy fumble at the back of her own head reminds her that her hair hasn’t been brushed out. Now she remembers her Orc, her manservant for perhaps two months now. Aldo has put her here, patient with her fidgeting and complaints.
The room smells like hot oats. The weapon squints crusty eyes open. There’s a little table with a tray on it next to the huge bed. It looks like porridge and tea, with little pitchers of milk and honey and a sugar bowl. The oatmeal is still steaming.
“I thought it might be easy on your stomach,” says a now-familiar deep voice. Also enters her view belly-first. He always keeps his velvet tunics very clean and neat. She wonders if it’s because he’s self-conscious of how much fabric it takes to clothe him. One of his garments would make a tent for her.
“Shall I help you, Milady?”
The weapon scoots upright, reaching back to drag pillows behind herself. “I can manage,” she croaks hoarsely, arranging herself cross legged. “Thank you. Can you find my robe?”
He sets the tray carefully across her knees.
“Of course, Milady.”
She starts with the tea. It’s lavender and pineapple weed today. She wonders if Aldo is deliberately avoiding giving her the black tea the Master of Sorceries makes her drink on social occasions. Perhaps surprisingly, for someone yanked from the lowly vocation of carrying wood, he does seem to be getting on fine with the other servants. There’s no saying what he does or doesn’t know at this point.
She pauses to shrug out of the silk sheet and into the soft, worn gray robe. Aldo smooths her ratty hair out of the way and prevents the tea from spilling. The weapon shuts her eyes for a moment. Now that the worst lingering pain from sorcerous punishment has faded, the warmth of his hands feels very good, smoothing aches away.
“Mrem,” she says, or some articulate half-purr like that, and sips her tea.
“Shall I work on your hair after breakfast, Milady?”
The weapon nods, turning with the fragile teacup in her trembling hands to look at the big windows. The curtains are drawn back, admitting a weak light. Something about the paleness of it on the rugs suggests snow to her. It’s still early morning.
“Has it snowed?” she asks. They’re on the second story, and from the bed she can’t see the ground. The fire crackles quietly in the comfortable space between her question and his answer.
“Yes. No walk today, probably,” Aldo says.
“Even when I’ve been bad, he gives me the day after a Ceremony to myself,” she says. She snorts. “For practical reasons. He can punish me if I fall, but I might still tear something expensive. A lot of the clothes are two Wraths old.”
“Is that why they’re too big?” Aldo asks. She’s never told him to speak only when spoken to. He does it automatically when the Master can hear, she’s noticed, but otherwise he doesn’t seem bothered.
“No, that’s because they were altered from the last woman right after a campaign, when I was in better flesh,” the weapon says. “I think he chooses girls just so he won’t have to have new clothes made.”
“Are his new?”
“Of course they are. Silly Aldo,” she says. She can see him mulling over her remark about the campaigns as he carries the tray away. She ate about half the porridge with honey and drank all her tea plain. She turns her back to the side of the bed as she sees him return with the hairbrush. A careful hand stops her tipping into the indentation he makes in the mattress as he sits.
He begins untangling the knots with his fingers first, ever so gentle. She sighs, shutting her eyes. Nothing has ever felt better than this, she is certain, this feeling of big warm fingers working on her hair. Pleasure, gentle and harmless and undevouring, beguiles her for some minutes. Only when he’s done brushing and is braiding her hair loosely does the weapon rouse sufficiently to ask, her voice soft:
“Aldo, if I asked you to do something you didn’t want to do, would you say no?”
“I think I would,” he said. “But I also don’t think you would ask that, Milady.”
“If I asked you to rub my back and my neck, would you wish to say no?”
“I would not wish to say no.” There’s no particular hesitation.
“Are you afraid for your life?” she persists huskily, looking back over her shoulder and up at him. He gently pats her jaw to get her to look forward, and she obeys without thinking and afterward wonders why. His hands are steady with the brush as he answers.
“No, Milady. I don’t think you mean me harm. But if you were to be in so much pain the bracers didn’t work, if you were to strike me down by accident, I would not fear that end.”
“Why?” she asks.
“If you lie on your stomach, will that hurt?” he asks, instead of answering.
“Yes,” says the weapon.
“On your side, then.”
He helps her so that she doesn’t just flop down, easing her weight into the mattress. She slides her arm under the pillow where her cheek rests. The aching scar that covers the front of her torso is draped in soft wool. She loosens the robe’s belt a little more. “Why?” she persists, slightly muffled. She can hear him set the brush aside.
“I’ve lived well enough. Married, had a child, been to war.” His tone is thoughtful as the big hands come to rest on her shoulders, covering a lot of her shoulder blades. Warmth seems to radiate clear through her even through the robe. “I enjoy my life, but I would leave it without regrets. No one depends on me.”
“I have done only one of those,” she says. “I suppose I am glad to leave… no one alone…” The hands on her back begin gently kneading, careful. They stop at her little groan.
“Does it hurt, Milady?”
“It makes the pain less. Please don’t stop.” He resumes. The weapon is silent for a while, in thrall to the relief brought by touch and radiant heat. When a huge hand closes around her throat from behind, fingers stopping before they close around her windpipe, it doesn’t occur to her to be afraid. And she doesn’t need to be. His calloused fingers knead very gently, middle knuckle resting in the hollow at the lower back of her skull under her new braid.
She wonders, half-awake now, how long it will be before the Master threatens to take him away. She knows she’ll give in. She would go to the Ceremony again tomorrow if it meant there was a chance this could happen again.
“Aldo,” she whispers after a while.
“Yes, Milady.”
“You can go, if you like.”
“Are you cold?” he asks. He stops, but his left hand rests lightly on her shoulder.
“Yes.”
“Did I scare you?” he asks. It’s not a mocking tone. It’s almost neutral, but there’s something else there. She’s heard the Master try to do it. He just wasn’t real.
“No,” the weapon says. She laughs a little. “You’ll never scare me. But it’s wrong that I chose you. Wrong that I keep you here.”
“It’s less wrong that it’s me. I don’t mind keeping you warm,” he said. He doesn’t say ‘Milady.’ She notices that. Because now he isn’t answering as a servant.
“All right, then,” she says. “Help me get under the covers.” He does, as carefully as always. As she listens to the sound of him removing his shoes and belt, she says, “All of them think you’re swiving me.”
“You didn’t seem like you wanted that,” Aldo says, sliding in opposite her. He still has his velvet tunic and trousers on, and she still has her robe as she edges in toward him. He lays an arm around her under the covers as she burrows in closer to his belly. A bony knee curls up between them, protecting her scars. He pats her back reassuringly.
“I don’t,” the weapon says. “But I like this. I’ve never been this happy.”
“Even though it hurts?” Aldo asks.
“It always hurts. Until now I was alone.”
“Well,” Aldo says. “You’re not alone now. And neither am I. Go to sleep, Milady. Everything is all right.”
No one’s ever said that to her.
Everything is all right.
Maybe for a while, it will be.
Part 6: Spring Campaign
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kimnjss · 4 years ago
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uncharted territory | kth
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⤑  series: kinda hot
⤑ pairing: campus flirt!taehyung x sweet girl!reader
⤑ genre: lmao i don’t even know... angst? smut?
⤑ rating: explicit
⤑ word count: 7.5K // unedited.
⤑ warnings: use of alcohol and weed, cursing, dirty talk, slight hair pulling, over-the-shirt nipple play, dry humping, ruined orgasms.
⤑ A/N: hihihi! just here to remind you how much i appreciate all of you guys reading this story nd getting as invested as you are!! don’t hesitate to let me know what’s on your mind - no matter what it is ., feedback is my favorite!!
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JANUARY 30TH, 2021 | 19:07
Hoseok is leaning handsomely against the side of his car when you're stepping out. Arms crossed over his chest as his teeth nibble on his lower lip, eyes seeming to sparkle when he's looking at you. The shine only getting brighter when the corners of his mouth lift into a smile. Body lifting from the side of the car to pull the passenger's door open, gesturing to it with his hand.
“Ooh, check out the gentleman,” You're teasing with a laugh, ducking into your seat as he rolls his eyes. Jogging around the front of the car until he's sinking into the spot beside you, taking another moment to let his eyes travel over your body.
Nodding slightly to himself before he's grinning, “You look hot,” His warm hand landing on your thigh to give it a little squeeze before he's pulling from his parking spot and onto the road.
Compliments from Hoseok came sparingly, wasn't really one to gush over your appearance with mere words. He was more of a show-er than a talker in that sense. So when he was paying you a compliment, it was never anything all that deep. Never once compared the brightness of your eyes to the sunlight or whatever Shakespearean shit he could muster up. He was just going with what he thought and you appreciated that.
It kept things from getting confusing between the two of you. If he was constantly dotting on you and telling you how amazing he thought you were (and you were amazing, no doubt about that), but if he was telling you.. it would definitely put a damper on your whole arrangement. You were a simple girl to be completely honest. Words got to you, you'd be head over heels in love if he was calling you beautiful every chance he got.
Hot was good. Hot was fine. Hot was safe. Because catching feelings for Hoseok? You'd be better off standing in the middle of the road waiting to be run over. And then getting the driver to put it in reverse. Hoseok was brutal when it came to girls and relationships, didn't waste time on feelings or the overly emotional.
A bit of an asshole, but that was why you liked him. He knew how to keep things fun and exciting, loved being surrounded by people. But he wouldn't hesitate to tell someone to fuck off if the circumstances called for it. He was cool. To put it simply. A very cool guy taking you out on a date. Anyone would be giddy about that, it was Jung Hoseok for crying out loud!
“What you got a taste for?” His eyes don't move from the road in front of him. One hand steering the wheel while the other keeps its hold on your thigh. Skin easily warming under his touch, you force yourself to focus on what he's saying.
Having to keep yourself from suggesting, (for the first time in person but the eighth(?) to him) skipping dinner and going back to your place to make proper use of your time. You bite that down. He wanted to take you out to eat, so you planned to humor him. Eat with him so he can eat you out. Simple.
“Anything, really. You like pasta. Should we just go to that Italian place?” With a slight nod, he's directing the car toward the restaurant. The smile on his face lets you know that he had been secretly hoping to get to eat there tonight. It was his favorite place to go, knew the menu like the back of his hand.
So he's pleased that you're suggesting it.
The car ride is filled with soft music and playful banter about whatever comes to mind. He's challenging you, saying things that he knows will get under your skin just to hear you argue why he's wrong. Laughing as you outline all the reasons why mints and chocolate should be far away from each other.
He keeps a gentle hand on the small of your back as he leads you into the restaurant. Still egging you on with why he thinks you're wrong, laughing at the way your face twists up at him. Pausing only briefly to get your table, but the debate is in full swing the moment the two of you are settled across from each other.
There's a subtle type of competitiveness in his tone, paired with the playful smile on his face. Not even a full hour here with him and you were starting to see what Jimin was talking about. Being out with Hoseok, talking beyond where you should do it next, was something you never considered. 
It's nice.
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JANUARY 30TH, 2021 | 19:59
Conversation between the two of you doesn't die down even after your food is being set down in front of you. You're only now noticing that you never really talked to Hoseok before. You were friends, of course, that's what the 'F' in FWB stood for, but you were more like group friends.
Never really hung out alone until some months ago when you were starting this whole thing up. And fucking didn't really account for all that much talking. You knew nothing about him aside from the fact he was Taehyung's asshole womanizer roommate. No idea how witty, how animated, how attractive he could be.
It made you want him even more.
He's in the middle of explaining the King Henry VIII drama he had seen the other night, which is also surprising. He almost seemed 'too cool' to be this interested in a period piece starring Natalie Portman. But he's speaking so excitedly, that you can't help but hang on to every word from his lips. All until your phone is flashing on the table beside you, Taehyung's smiling face lighting up the screen.
The buzz steals both of your attention from the conversation, your brow furrowing slightly. A part of you knows that he's only calling for nonsense, probably in the midst of a fight with his girlfriend and he's calling for you to tell him he's right. It's hardly ever an emergency when he's calling you, so there should be no problem with letting his call go to voicemail.
Especially this close to the end of your date, you'd be heading back home with Hoseok in no time. Plus he could just text you if it was something important. There was no reason to answer, and yet, you can't keep your hand from reaching for the device. Shooting an apologetic smile over at Hoseok.
“He knows I'm with you... he wouldn't call if-,” The nod of Hoseok's head cuts you off, waving you away with a smile to take your call. And you're excusing yourself quickly, pressing the phone to your ear once you're far enough away from the table.
He better have his dick caught in a mousetrap or something to justify interrupting your dinner. “Tae. What's going on?” You listen, for any telling sounds of things being out of the ordinary. All you hear is the hum of the TV and his heavy breathing hitting the line.
“Yn, you've gotta get over here.” There's an urgency in his voice that has the hairs on the back of your neck standing. “Why? What's going on?” It's probably something stupid, it usually is when it comes to Taehyung. But curiosity has already set in and you find yourself thinking of how to tell Hoseok you have to go. 
“I can't just tell you... you have to come,”
Groaning into the phone, your hand lifts to pinch the base of your nose. A deep sigh leaving your lips. “Tae. I'm out right now. If this isn't urgent-”
He's quick to cut your words, “It really can't wait.” He almost sounds serious, which has the slight annoyance you feel melting away. “Okay, okay. I'll be there in a minute,” Quick to hang up the phone and head back over to the table.
Hoseok has his head bowed, full attention on the plate of lasagna as he shovels forkfuls into his mouth. Reaching for his glass as you slip back into your seat, gulping down his water. And you're two seconds from telling him that you have to go when he's reaching for his napkin, wiping the corner of his lips.
“Taehyung needs you to rush over?” How he was able to just guess that is beyond you, but you're nodding your head a sheepish smile taking over your features. “He says it's urgent,” You genuinely feel bad. Even though things between Hoseok weren't any deeper than hooking up, you still had agreed to come out with him. To stay out with him.
To leave in the middle of it (not to mention before you could wrap everything up and go back home) felt shitty. You were having a good time getting to know him, but if you didn't go see what was going on with Taehyung, you knew it would bother you for the rest of the night.
Despite everything, Hoseok seems to understand. Insisting you finish the rest of your risotto before he's paying the bill. He even keeps up with the bubbly conversation from earlier, enjoying the sound of your laughter all the way to the car. Guiding you in with a gentle hand on the small of your back.
He lets you choose the music and hums along with the songs you play. It's not long before he's pulling up in front of his house, car staying on as he steps on the brake. You wait for him to put the car in park and when he doesn't, you're shooting a confused look in his direction.
“You're not coming in?”
He's quick to shake his head, fingers tapping against the steering wheel. “I'm gonna go see what's up with those girls in building E.” Oh. Right. You almost forgot for a second who you were dealing with. Jung Hoseok, notorious fuck boy. If he wasn't sleeping with you, then he'd just find someone else to do it with.
Feeling bad for cutting your date short was useless. “See you later, then.” He meets your words with a nod, waiting patiently for you to get out of his car. Spares a moment to lift his hand in a wave before he's speeding down the road.
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JANUARY 30TH, 2021 | 20:21
Taehyung is sat on the couch when you enter the house. Hunched over a bowl with chopsticks in hand. Torso bare and hair falling in a ruffled mess around his face. He doesn't budge at the sound of the door, too focused on pushing long strings of spicy noodles into his mouth.
He could've at least put together a fake emergency if he was going to call you over like this. Pretended his arm was broken or something, instead of coolly sitting on the couch trying to gulp down his beer around the mouthful of Ramen.
“Hey! What's so urgent? Why are you half-naked?” Your loud voice startles him, droplets of beer falling from his lips and rolling down his chest. He swallows, reaching forward to grab up a napkin, using it to wipe at his well worked on pecs. 
Your eyes follow the movement of his hand, long fingers brushing the droplets from his tanned skin. It must be the anticipation of getting fucked tonight because you're finding it hard to tear your gaze from the ripples of his stomach. “I'm in from the gym,” He explains the no shirt, the tightness in his arms that have fallen victim to your greedy stare. Flexing obviously as he reaches for his drink again, taking a few sips before he's picking up his bowl. His chest tenses with the movement.
Has he always been this... wow? Quite literally staring in the middle of the room, greedily enjoying the sight of your best friend without his shirt on. Yet, it's not the first time you've seen him sans shirt. Countless sleepovers and pool parties, but his bare stomach seemed different now.
Seriously. Did he always have abs like that?
You're forcing yourself to look away, face grimacing at the loud burp he lets out. Enough to snap you from your thoughts, wherever they were going was uncharted territory. And you had no interest in exploring that, especially when you were supposed to be annoyed with him!
“What's the problem? Why'd you make me rush over?” Wearily, you step closer to him. Eyes scanning over his body in a less pervy way, trying to detect any sign of injury. Maybe even a paper cut a little too deep. “Are you okay?” Your face inches from his, still searching.
He's laughing, hand lifting to rest on your forehead, pushing your head back slightly. “I'm fine. Want some?” Taehyung lifts the bowl between the two of you. And your gaze drops to the spicy scent. And normally you'd be letting out an excited whoop, accepting his generous offer and plopping down beside him.
But right now, all you are is annoyed. Annoyed and frustrated. If it wasn't for him, no doubt you'd be off somewhere with Hoseok, minutes from having your eyes rolled back, nails scraping against his skin. Instead, you're here, no emergency in sight. You shaved for this! Matched your lingerie for this! What a waste.
“Are you fucking kidding me!? I was out with Hoseok, Taehyung.” As if he didn't know. And he had the audacity, to sit there, slurping his noodles as if he wasn't at fault for this annoying ache in the pit of your stomach. Something that would've been long taken care of if it wasn't for him.
His shoulders lift in an uninterested shrug, jaw falling slack as he shovels another mouthful into his mouth. “Well... now you're not. It's extra spicy. Your favorite,” He's offering more food up to you and all you do is roll your eyes, letting out a frustrated huff.
“You're fucking ridiculous,” You scoff, hands rummaging through the contents of your purse until your fingers are catching onto your phone. “I'm calling Hoseok,” You announce for no real reason, especially because he acts as if he hasn't heard your words. Attention back on the hot bowl in his lap.
He's being weird and you don't know what it is. Noticed it in doses these past few days and assumed it would just blow over... but he just seemed to be acting more and more out of character the more time passed. It confused you. And you hated being confused.
Part of you was convinced that it had something to do with him now knowing that you're sleeping with his roommate. The side comments, inadvertently trying to cock block, and now this being proof enough. But there was another part of you... a much smaller, poorly trained part, that was convinced these were the actions of a jealous man.
What would he have to be jealous of, right? It wasn't like he wanted to be the one sleeping with Hoseok. Well, debatable... but seriously, the way he's been acting lately has led you to believe that there was something else going on that he wasn't telling you. Tae's known the guys you've fucked around with before and never has he acted so... stiff?
Something changed. Something was different. And you can't help but wonder if the picture incident had something to do with it. Highly unlikely, as Joon said, he has probably already forgotten about it. But, nothing else made sense.
Hoseok doesn't answer. Not like you actually expected him to. He went to 'see what's up with the girls in Building E'. No doubt busy with that, why would he answer his phone? “Come on, Yn.” Taehyung is beside you now, you're not sure when he stood up, but you can smell the sweetness of his body spray. Even after the time, he spent in the gym.
“Listen, I'm sorry I interrupted you.” His hand is reaching to lower your phone, halting your request for an Uber. “...but you're here now. Just stay. Relax.” Flashing that breathtaking smile of his and it's becoming apparent how he gets away with so much. This boy knew how to use his looks to his advantage, there was no denying that.
But, you're not easily fooled. “You can't just interrupt my dates because you're lonely,” Some of the bite is gone from your tone. Not entirely sure how upset with him you really were. Of course, calling you out when he knew you were with someone else was shitty... but it was Taehyung!
A terrible reason, but the best one you could come up with. There was no way staying mad at him was an option, when he has done the reverse many times with you involved. He's smirking at you, picking up on the anger melting away from your features. “So it was a date. You told me it was just dinner,” He teases.
Not entirely pissed at him anymore, but that didn't mean you'd just let his stupidity slide. This was the second time he's interfered with your much needed Vitamin D and it was about time he heard something about it. “Just dinner. A date. A fucking square dance. Taehyung, you can't just cut in because you want.” He's looking at you funny, this dazed expression that you've never seen directed to you before. From him.
It makes your heart stutter, so you ignore it. “What if I did the same with you? If you were out with Ailee and I called you up with some stupid excuse?” He doesn't even hesitate, dark eyes glued to yours. A stare so intense, you feel the heat rising to your cheeks. “I'd come running,” The deepness of his voice and the seriousness of his tone has your breath hitching.
There was no way this was happening. You were used to flirty Taehyung, got pretty good at compartmentalizing your feelings when it came to the Taehyung that you dealt with on a day-to-day basis. But this... this was different. Uncharted territory, indeed. The way he was looking at you? Talking to you? Nothing like you've ever handled before when it came to him.
No idea how you were supposed to react, so you decide to just leave to keep from making a fool of yourself in front of him. “I'm leaving. Goodnight, Taehyung. Call your girlfriend.” A halfhearted request, you're really just reminding yourself that he has one. And while 'The Other Woman' was a great song, that wasn't you.
“She broke up with me like an hour ago,” Again? You want to say, feigning disbelief. Their routine breakups were far from surprising and they always ended up in the same way: them back together and holed up in Taehyung's room for days on end. Only to end in a pointless fight that would repeat the cycle.
They were always broken up, but that didn't mean they were done with each other. It never meant that. “Please, stay.” He's pouting obnoxiously, so you're confused why you find it so cute. Fingers laced with yours as he lightly shakes your arm. “I miss hanging out with you,” Puppy dog eyes aimed right at your heart.
He's not wrong. It's been a little while since the two of you just hung out. Lounged around in sweats, ate, and watched bad TV. And it was very unlikely that Hoseok would be returning your call. Jimin is surely busy with Jungkook or something. You'd just be going home to sit around and do exactly what you could do here.
“Fine.” Eyes rolling to exaggerate your annoyance. “Go make another packet while I change,” Soft hair bounces as he nods his head, turning to pick up his half-empty bowl from the coffee table, carrying it into the kitchen.
You're halfway up the stairs before he's calling out to you, smiling when he sees your head poke around the corner. “I'm really sorry I ruined your date. That was not cool,” There's sincerity in his tone and in his eyes, every last bit of annoyance or frustration you felt dissipating at the sight.
“It's fine,” The prettiest smile he's ever seen pushes onto your lips, nearly stealing his breath away. “I'll just have to text Hoseok and explain your issue with separation,” Giggling at your own lighthearted joke and he's matching the sound. 
Silently praying you hurry upstairs so he can get his heart in check. So he could think. Something he's been skipping out on that since the moment he picked up his phone and decided to call you.
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JANUARY 30TH, 2021 | 21:43
You're wearing basketball shorts. His basketball shorts. Paired with a sports bra that you must've left here for one reason or another. It takes everything in him not to zero in on the jiggle of your ass as you pass him. The pebble of your nipples pushing against the fabric. You always complained about how cold his apartment was.
He tries not to stare as you stretch to pull a bowl from the cupboard, laughing out loud when you realize that he's already taken one down for you. Thanking him as you move to stand close. Your cheeks are red and irritated from the quick way you removed your makeup with the dried-out wipes you left in his bathroom. Hair let out of the tight ponytail, cascading down your back in pretty waves.
It's not until you're pinning him with a furrowed brow and an upturn of your upper lip, does he realize he's literally gawking at you. With this unmistakable love-struck look in eyes. “Why are looking at me like that?” Spoken while plucking a piece of meat from the pan and pushing it into your mouth.
Caught and he doesn't even think of trying to backtrack. With a shrug of his shoulders, he's turning his attention back to the food in front of him. “I don't know. You just look beautiful or whatever,” He can hardly look at you as the words leave his lips, afraid you'll catch the blush on his cheeks.
“Or whatever?” You joke with a laugh, ignoring the flip of your stomach at the compliment. Instead, you move to the fridge, retrieving a couple of eggs while chastising him on forgetting the best part. Not sure what was up with him, but you refuse to let yourself get carried away.
You've spent so long accepting that he has and only will see you as a friend. Best friend, even. And just because he was throwing a few compliments your way didn't mean that everything all of a sudden changed. Nothing has changed. The two of you were still in the same spot you had been two years ago.
 Taehyung serves you with a smile ten minutes later, fingers lingering on yours for a moment longer than normal. Not long enough to be weird, but definitely long enough to get the wheels turning in your brain. And then he's plopping down across from you like nothing, head ducked as he takes the first steamy bites of his food.
It takes everything in him not to profess his unclear feelings. Trying to limit how often he looks at you, censoring his thoughts as they teeter between mushy and cringe. It's hard with the way you're joking between bites the way you always do, he can't help but notice how pretty you are.
He felt lucky to have you like this. Even if it wasn't truly having you. Just the fact that you were comfortable enough around him to be like this. Even if it had been years, it felt different now somehow.
Everything felt different since he's started to notice little things about you that he failed to see all along. Your cute habit of flicking and tossing your hair as you spoke, more often with how animated you got. How your eyes lit up when you were excited. That tiny dimple at the corner of your mouth, which only made an appearance when you were laughing really hard.
On top of it all, he was noticing how obvious you were. Not exactly sure when it clicked in his mind and it could very well be his ego talking, but he was starting to feel like he wasn't the only one keeping a mental scrapbook. The more attention he paid to you and your little mannerisms, the more he picked up on the fact that you were doing the same.
Whenever he'd bite his lip, rest his cheek on his palm, angle his head in a certain way – your eyes would follow. And how could he forget the lust-filled look on your face as your eyes devoured him, it hadn't even been a full ten minutes since you got there and you were so obvious.
A wonder he didn't notice it before, but now that he thinks back... all of the signs were there. Everything that he missed has been screaming at him for the past-however-many years. And as much as he wanted to do something about it, he knew he had to be careful.
Extremely careful.
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JANUARY 30TH, 2021 | 23:52
Right now, you had your legs in his lap – ankle inches from his junk, but that's the least of your concerns. You're more focused on tucking every last crumb of weed into the paper, eyes flickering between your fingers and the TV screen. 
“How is she this oblivious?” You're commenting with a wrinkle of your brow and Taehyung has to act like he's been following the plotline all along.
From what he was able to pick up with your brief summary of the plot and the way you talked over every scene with backstory, the main character was set the be married to a man with much more experience than her. In life. In the bedroom. The scene playing in front of you right now she was just finding out that he had been lying about not being able to have children.
You had suggested starting from episode one, but he denied the offer. There was something about watching you explain a show while getting frustrated about the scenes that played out before you that he found endearing. Not a new feeling, but holding a new meaning now.
He can hardly hear what's being said because you're in the middle of a rant on how there was no reason for her to be so clueless and sent into a marriage. And how her mother should've gone into the nitty-gritty before shipping her off. And how her husband was just a compliment douche bag for taking advantage of her ignorance.
Taehyung is positive he looks like you just agreed to go riding off in the sunset. Leaned back against the couch and watching you with this dazed-dopey expression that you sum up to him just being high. You were working on rolling the second joint you'd share.
His eyes follow as you lean forward, hovering over his lap as you reach for the lighter on his side. Not even thinking to ask him to pass it over, not that he's complaining about the closeness. Elbows holding your body up as you fiddle with the spark, bringing it toward you when it stays.
You catch his stare as you exhale, handing the joint off to him before moving back to your end of the couch, legs falling back in his lap. He doesn't pull his gaze from you, letting the weed burn out between his fingers. “What?” You're asking with a soft laugh. He's hissing out a breath, bringing the smoke to his lips and inhaling.
“You're fucking gorgeous, it's annoying.” He says with a shake of his head, a thick cloud of smoke leaving his lips. “You're always talking shit,” Speaking through a burst of laughter, but he doesn't entertain the thought any further. Extending his hand to pass it over, eyes flickering up to the screen.
There had been something that he had paid attention to when you first turned this show on. The conversation that was being had on the screen about best friends and getting married and falling in love. And how that's how you should do it. Marry your best friend and it would work out.
No matter how many porn-like sex scenes appeared after that, he was still stuck on that one conversation. And the thought that if you looked so pretty next to him right now, there was no telling how much prettier you'd look done up and dressed in white. He has to laugh at himself, though.
Blaming his raging thoughts on the half-empty bottle of liquor on the table and the green you're handing back over to him. Which is why he doesn't bother to stop the question that slips out next. “Do you think that's really the key?”
Half forgot that even though you never left his mind, you couldn't read it. So you have no idea what he's talking about. “Key to what?”
“Being happy in a relationship?”
He hardly ever really talked about his feelings being with Ailee. You just knew what he told you and that was very limited. She annoyed him, but she was sometimes funny and knew what she was doing. That was pretty much it.
So you're a little shocked that he all of a sudden was bringing this up as if you knew their relationship from a hole in the wall. “Are you not happy with Ailee?” Someone who fought with their significant other as much as Taehyung did, couldn't really be happy. But you could be wrong.
“I'm sure I could be happier,” He's looking at you with those eyes again, flicking the ash off with his finger before bringing the joint back to his lips. “Do you think falling n love with your best friend is the key to all that?” He pauses, the blurts the last part out like he's lost control of his tongue. “Like you and me,”
You're letting out a harsh cough that has nothing to do with the smoke cruising through your lungs. Eyes tearing up while your back shakes. “Me and you?” You manage, letting out a gasped breath. “Like me falling in love with you and you falling in love with me?” Finger used to point between the two of you, just to be sure.
Taehyung nods his head, unphased by your dramatic reaction. “Yes, that's exactly how that would work. A money-less transaction,” You're letting out a laugh and a shake of your head, pushing the thought from your head. He was only joking, talking shit for whatever reason.
“Yeah, no. That would never work out,”
His words chase yours, “Why not?” You don't miss the small pout of his lips, as if he's actually asking. Wondering why you thought the two of you together wouldn't work out.
“I know too much. You know too much,” Going with the first reason that pops in your head, one that you've used countless times with convincing yourself. “There's gotta be some mystery,”
Taehyung is rolling his eyes, “Oh, come on. We're not the Scooby-doo kids, Yn. Mystery is overrated.” He's really pushing for this and you're not sure why. Most likely entertaining the thoughts that pop into his foggy mind, so you don't allow yourself to think too hard on his words.
Or what they could mean. “It's perfect,” He continues. “You meet someone, become best friends, decide to fall in love and now you're married to your best friend. That's the dream,” He says with a grin. And you're not sure if he's actually talking about you or if he's just talking.
“That's lazy,” Either way, you attempt to get the race of your heart to slow down. No matter how much closer he was to you now, backs of your thighs pressed against his. You're nearly seated in his lap and you just now noticed the mindless way his fingers drag over your knee. “You can't pick off from your existing friends. You meet someone, fall for them and then you become best friends,”
His laugh rings through your ears, then your entire body. Just the sound has you feeling warm all over, something that you were sure you had gotten under control a long time ago. “You just said the same thing as me, except you changed the last two steps,”
“It makes a huge difference,” It did. One was the two of you and the other could be any two strangers on the street. For the sake of you, your version was the one you'd go with. Anything else and it would be hard to talk yourself out of it.
But Taehyung has been a lot more attention, putting the pieces together as they appear. And one thing he was always good at spotting (except when it came to you for some reason) was when someone was into him. And judging from the subtle changes in your demeanor throughout this entire conversation, you were so into him.
With caution on his mind, he's shifting focus. Hand lowering to discard the dead bit in the ashtray. Leveling you with a squinted eyes and a purse of his lips. “What's the real reason you didn't want me to know about Hoseok?” Sort of had an idea of what this might be, but he wanted to hear it from you.
“What do you mean? I already told you,” You're reaching for the bottle on the table, taking a swig to keep your hands busy. And to keep you from having to look at him, no doubt the unfiltered thoughts in your mind would be slipping out with one glance. 
He doesn't pull his gaze from you, though. “No, you said you didn't want things to get awkward. I think that was a lie,” His face is much closer to yours now, you can clearly see the faint beauty marks scattered against his skin.
Just a simple stretch of his leg and you're pushed further on to his lap. Back resting against his arm now that he has his hand is pressed against the armrest. He's close, but not suffocating, has left enough space for you to get up and move if you wanted to. But that's the farthest thing from your mind right now.
“Wanna know what I think it is?” Voice so low he might as well be mumbling. His eyes flicker down to your lips, noting how soft they look. And he finds himself wondering just how they'd feel pressed against his. “What?” You sound breathless like you had been thinking about the same exact thing.
He's smoothly moving his arm from you, guiding the way your back falls against the couch. “I think you're into me, like how I'm into you... and you didn't want me to know because of that,” The risk of fucking up your friendship takes the backseat because he knows he's right. Took his time and put the signs together.
“Yeah, right.” You laugh it off, but he's learned how obvious you are.
A grin spreads over his features, hand dropping to your hip. “You're making the face you do when you've been caught,” The heat of his palm spreading from your side to your entire body. And you've come to terms with the fact that you've lost control of your heart. Wrapped up in the moment where Taehyung, Kim Taehyung, your best friend and former crush revealed he was into you.
His head bows, nose nudging against yours. It's embarrassing the way your lips instantly pucker, eyes falling shut as you wait for the soft press. Eyes fluttering open after a moment of waiting and receiving nothing, catching the devious smirk on his lips. 
“You're into me, aren't you?” While he was sure, positive after seeing how ready you were to have him kiss you, he needed to hear it. Needed to be sure that he wasn't missing something, he's been doing a lot of that lately.
The nod of your head is answer enough, followed by your warm hand reaching to rest on the back of his neck. Not sure who moved first, if you were pulling him down or he was lowering himself and you really didn't care. 
A tiny moan escapes from your lips as he shifts above you, the sound being sent straight to his crotch. His mouth is pulling from yours, brows raised and eyes wide as he stares down at you – surprised by the fact that you could actually sound like that. Before he's given a chance to comment on it, you're pulling him back down.
Kissing you is everything he's imagined it to be and more. The soft push of your tongue paired with the deliberate scrap of teeth on his lip. Your hummed moans fill the room and stir him on, his grip falling from your hip to your thigh. Easily pulling your legs apart to slot himself between them.
Fingers tangled in his hair and heavy breath hitting his lips each time you pull away, only to dive right back in. Mouths moving over each other messily, Taehyung can barely ask the groans that die on your lips. Free hand pressed against his chest, you can feel the hammer of his heart.
Thighs squeezed to his hips, bodies so close the thinnest of papers wouldn't fit. So it's no wonder you feel it. The twitch of his cock hardening against you, so enticing you can't help the way your hips lift to meet his just as he's dropping down to press into you. A hissed moan falling from your lips at the contact.
“Fuck,” He's groaning, a switch seemingly turning on inside of him. Mouth breaking for yours and hand moving up the toward your chest. His thumb brushes over your hardened nipple through the fabric of your bra as he rolls his hips into yours.
Just the heat from pressing against you like this was enough to rile him up, mind reeling with thoughts of what it would be like to really fuck you. And the sounds you'd make. You sounded so pretty with the simple rolls of his hips, what if he was actually buried deep inside of you.
His head drops, mouth latching onto the crook of your neck to suckle at the skin there. Your senses are fogged with nothing but him. The smell of him, the feel, the taste. Still lingering on your lips and hitting your taste buds as you lick them. There's a definite heat growing between your legs with each drag of his covered cock, angled perfectly that he's just barely tapping your clit.
You want more. So much more and it's making you delirious. Needy. Hips rolling up to meet his and he's pushing you down every time. Teeth scraping against your skin and fingers pinching at your chest. “Taehyung,” It sounds more desperate than you intend it to. He's groaning back in response, face lifting from your skin to admire the red mark he's left behind.
Tongue dragging over it, soothing it with a simple swipe. Hands re-positioned on either side of your head, his gaze drops to watch the way your hips move in order to meet his, a smirk pressed on his lips. “Fuck, look at you... such a mess.” He's pushing forward, cock meeting your clit perfectly.
Strained whimper ripping through your throat as you brace your hands on his side, back arching into him. “Grinding that pretty pussy all over my cock, didn't even let me get undressed. You're so wet, huh?” Now you knew what the boys were on about when they clowned him for being mouthy. Had laughed along before, but having his words directed to you was no laughing matter.
You knew what you were doing. You could feel the effect of what you were doing but something about having him point it out in that breathy tone of his was hot. What you didn't expect was for him to want you to talk back, but the slow of his hips is quickly warning you of your role.
“Don't stop,” You're gasping, hands reaching out to him. “I could cum like this,” Your whispering, cheeks heating up at the admission. How embarrassing, losing it over dry humping, you half expect him to laugh it off as a joke.
But he doesn't, instead, he's lowering his body back onto yours, the movement of his hips picking up in speed. “Me too,” He breathes out, fingers tangling in your hair as his tongue teases against your covered lips. “Wrap your legs around me,”
His words are muffled, but you understand him enough to lift your legs, ankles locking behind his back. He drives into you like he's balls deep inside of you, pulling gasps and moans from your lips. Nails pressed into his skin as you beg him not to stop, chanting your near release. And just as you feel it bubble up in your stomach, his low pants of your name getting to you. Just as you're about to be knocked over the edge you've been teetering on, Jin's voice is breaking through.
His loud laughter bleeding through the door behind you, followed by the low grumble of Joon's voice. The jingle of his key is what snaps Tae out of it, body freezing as his head lifts to glare at the door.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” You're quick to push him off, looking away as he adjusting the throbbing bulge in his pants – leaving you to wipe at the slobber-dampened mark on your chest. Jin and Joon are stepping in just as you're rushing upstairs for a shirt. Their laughter filling the downstairs as you rummage through drawers for something to pull on.
All while shoving your raging thoughts out of your mind. Still in shock that that actually happened... whatever that was. Taehyung was into you. He had said it and then kissed you. God, he kissed you. Would've been to be able to fully enjoy it if you weren't so damn greedy.
Just one taste and you were wanting the whole thing and from the look of it, he was willing to give it to you. But what if it had been a fluke. A one-off because of whatever happened to Ailee and the fact that you were there. Into you, but what did that really mean? Would that change anything?
You dare to hope, even though you're sure you're wrong. There was a lot going on tonight. Him fighting with Ailee, you being torn away from Hoseok before you can do anything properly. You were high! Still, high to be honest. Would he still be into you when he was sobering up?
Finding out is the last thing on your list. Fitting yourself as his best friend after your quiet crush was one thing. Doing that after he's taken back being into you was another. You didn't want to think about what a disaster that would be, you'd rather just go home and sleep.
Jin is turning to happily greet you as you make your way downstairs, while Joon makes room for you on the couch. Taehyung doesn't look up, cheeks flushed and eyes glued to his knees. You'd give everything to know what he's thinking.
“Yn! Tae said you were here. We're gonna open Monopoly, wanna play?” It's an invitation from Jin that you'd usually be jumping at. Claiming your designated money bag piece without a thought, so he's shocked when you're shaking your head. “Think I'm gonna just head home, turn in early.”
Tae looks up at the sound of your departure, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. He had hoped you would want to stay, so he could have a chance to talk to you properly. Tell you how he was feeling even if he didn't fully understand it yet. He wanted to tell you that he liked you and he wanted to hear you say it back.
Let you know that he wanted to try to be good at relationships because he wanted to try with you. He's standing with that in mind, shrinking back when you're looking at him. There before did he feel nervous around you, but with all this weighing on his chest, he doesn't know how else to feel.
“Let me walk you home,” He offers, it's a twenty-minute walk across campus. Enough time for him to talk to you... or just be around you for longer.
You're shaking your head, though. Pushing an easy smile onto your lips. “It's fine. I texted Jimin,” It's a lie and he knows it is, but he doesn't call you on it. Obvious that you didn't want to be around him. Most likely regretting the whole thing.
Nodding as he plops back down beside Jin. He watches as you pull your shoes back on, throwing a quick goodbye over your shoulder before stepping out. Not even sparing a proper look in his direction. A huff leaves his lips as he sinks into the couch, hands tugging through his hair.
He really screwed up.
>> PART TWO COMING...SATURDAY.
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— you’ve always been cute, soft, tiny in taehyung’s eyes. but that’s changing one night when you’re accidentally sending him a naughty picture. forcing him to realize, maybe his best friend is kinda… hot?
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ayamturd · 4 years ago
Text
bisexual│mcyt hc
warnings: small mentions of hate, fluff
prompt: (requested 1 & 2) “Hello uh I saw one of your posts about the dream smp reacting to you coming out so I was wondering if you haven't already done it can you do dream smp reacting to you coming out as bisexual?” 
“Hello yamturd so I was wondering if maybe you could do tubbo, Tommy and Ranboo reacting to reader coming out as bisexual or lesbian if you haven't already done it :)” 
pairings: irl platonic! dream, ranboo, tommy and tubbo ; c!technoblade
a/n: if i offend or misinterpret anything in this hc, please feel free to message and correct me otherwise. i will always try to correct or delete this post if asked so <33
sending my love to all those who identify as bisexual <33
wc: (1.5k) - m.list
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dream - 
considering his prideful personality sometimes, you probably wanted to play with his ego and drop subtle hints
not anything too obvious, but enough to make him kick himself when he realizes
though it was admittedly difficult since he plays into the dnf ship so much that he thinks you’re also joking more than half the time 
imagine you two were in a voice call one evening and randomly discussing the recent fanon and what would be funny to turn into canon (to mess with the fandom)
you’ve been recently shipped with two other content creators, both of opposing female and male gender, separately and together
“Honestly, I wouldn’t mind hitting that.” “Which one?” “Both.”
He’d laugh, but you didn’t.
“Wait, you’re serious? You actually identify as…?” “Bisexual. Yeah, I’m pretty sure anyway.” “Y/n, that’s amazing.”
takes pride in the fact that you trust him, but would feign being upset that you messed with him for as long as you did
be jokingly offended if he found out someone knew before him
“Wait…” “Yes?” “You told Bad??” “Yeah, he was one of the first.” “W— Why??”
It was your turn to laugh while he gawked in disbelief.
“It’s Bad! Of course I told him.” “… Fair enough.”
hate is a given, and he’ll always be there to support and defend you
he’ll always ask your permission before taking any action, however, because he respects you too much and knows you can fight your own battles
dream is someone will show relentless support, whether that be through words or moral support, he’ll always be there for you 
c!technoblade - 
i honestly feel like you never officially came out to techno
as you began to recognize yourself as bisexual, you slowly expressed yourself around him more openly to the point where he unconsciously knew
it’d probably would have hit him in the most random moment after months of assuming he knew
imagine you’re in the midst of battle when techno paused entirely with wide eyes 
“Y/n!” “What!?” “Are you gay??”
you would tease him when discussing your love life in one-sided conversations with him; him basically choosing to ignore you when you talk to him
“Honestly, Techno, how could you not want to hit that?” “Please, just stop.”
(i’ve written this before but will stand by this that) he truly doesn’t care for your sexuality
you’re a friend, someone he trusts and relies on, he doesn’t need to consider who you’re attracted to since he sees you for your skills and friendship
the only, and only time he is mindful of your sexuality depends on others unnecessary comments about it
the smp is a known judgement free land, but there will always be someone with ignorant opinions that he is always quick to shut down (or kill)
nothing much can be said besides the fact that you’ll always be y/n to him: a loyal friend and someone he would fight the world for
ranboo - 
oh sweet ranboo, dear ranboo
considering how openly supportive and kind he naturally is, you didn’t question the idea of telling him
i’d like to imagine that unlike most where you planned or waited to tell, the moment you knew, he would know soon after
imagine you called him before he began his lore stream to hype him up
you both were talking about more mundane things to calm his nerves as people joined when you brought it up
“Oh actually, before you start, I wanted to tell you something.” “Sure, what is it?” “Well, I— I’m Bisexual.” “…You’re tELLING ME THIS WHEN I’M ABOUT TO START MY STREAM??” “Y/n! I’m so happy for you, that’s amazing!”
he’s incredibly patient concerning how you wanted others to know or when you were ready to be completely out
similar to c!techno with the same beliefs you’re still y/n, and nothing has changed besides you coming out as yourself
he’s your go to when days are rough, because he knows how to help you understand you’re still loved as the same y/n and nothing less
“Hey, hey, listen to me. I love you, y/n. We all do, and you’ll never be alone when things get rough, alright?” (love /p)
knows how to silently deal with hate in his chat unless it becomes evident enough to address it (doesn’t want to bring attention to meaningless words until it becomes serious)
ranboo’s your rock and makes show that he’ll never believe anything other than that you deserve love
tommyinnit - 
as someone who took pride in defending the LGBTQ+ community, you had no hesitation when coming out to tommy
if any, your reluctance would come from accepting yourself to the point to be open with other people
it’s not as if he didn’t accept you, he could never imagine doing so in the slightest, but he probably wouldn’t know what to say initially
imagine you both were in the midst of playing bedwars together in a recording for a video
he had been busy gathering emeralds while you remained at the base, and the comforting silence gave you the confidence to blindly address it
“Hey Tommy?” “What, y/n? I’m in the middle of something right now.” “Oh, um, I’m pretty sure I’m bisexual.” “…” “…Tommy?” “…” “T— Tommy?”
it’d be dead quiet for a few seconds before you heard the noise of him rustling in realization
“Wait wait wait, you’re serious? You’re bisexual?” “Haha yeah, yeah, I am.” “WHA—!”
he was happy for you, to say the least
tommy loves to joke, and one he loved to make would be your attraction to both genders
you like women? pog!
you like men? a shame, honestly
if you were publicly out, his favorite bit would be to include you in his obnoxious swooning
imagine he was streaming while talking about his love for women
“Boys, honestly, the ladies just can’t resist me.”
The ding of discord notified you entering the call, the sound of your laughter immediately coming through.
“I agree, Tommy, I definitely agree.” “Y/n! You are attracted to women, and I am also attracted to women. You can agree women are amazing, yes?” “I can, Tommy. Women are indeed amazing.” “Good lad!” “Tommy, you do realize I’m not only attracted to w—” “Shush, we don’t speak of that.”
he showed his support by normalizing your sexuality, his acceptance quick and easily integrated into your lives
(this is getting long but—) tommy was well aware he lacked some knowledge when being in the LGBTQ+ community, but openly voiced his ignorance as a sign of awareness itself
he was always quick to correct either himself or others, he refused to accept slander of any type in his streams
would probably try to keep it light heartedly, but scold nonetheless
tommy was your figurative cheerleader, always there to include and uplift you, whether that be through the smallest gestures or loudest cheers
tubbo - 
poor tubbo
since he wasn’t the most careful with secrets, you probably withheld telling him till you were ready for most to know
this isn’t to deter anything of not trusting him, he’s still supportive and loving tubbo that wouldn’t dare do anything purposeful against you
if anything, you might have forgotten that he didn’t know when you were casually taking about it within a group
imagine you and Ranboo were trying to get him to sleep one early morning but gave up
you started talking about personal stuff and the topic of your love life came up, specifically the attraction to someone of the same gender
“I don’t know, Ranboo, I mean, I think I like them but at the same time I’m not sure.” “That’s fai—” “Wait, y/n. You’re gay??” “Bisexual, actually.” “WaAA—”
his very sleep deprived state was extremely happy and emotional for you
he’s like the little duckling with a knife, like he loves you completely but will try to hurt anyone that offends you
like tommy, he has no personal knowledge when being in the LGBTQ+ community but will solely learn for your sake
whether you’re younger or not, tubbo never fails to remind you that he looks up to you
he gives his all and won’t hesitate to provide in any way he can if needed
“You matter,” he’ll always say, “you’re important and no one else’s opinion matter.”
is proud to be your friend and expresses his platonic love in full, for you’re you and are so brave to be yourself despite all
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choosing not to tag my usual taglist just cause its a headcanon with a specific request <33 (huge ty to @basilly​ and @inniterhq​ though for the advice/motivation to finish this)
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a-small-batch-of-dragons · 3 years ago
Text
Perfectly Fine
Prompt: Hi! I would love to read something from you featuring asexual Remus! - anon
it is project onto fictional characters hour my dudes
Read on Ao3
Warnings: discussions of the reality of being a sex-repulsed ace in a very allo world, nothing explicit
Pairings: none you heathens
Word Count: 1358
It takes them longer to figure it out than it should have and honestly, that’s on them.
But Remus is Remus, and that's perfectly fine.
It takes them longer to figure it out than it should have and honestly, that’s on them.
So it’s no secret that Remus’s particular sense of humor is equally as derived from what he finds funny and what makes the others the most uncomfortable. Logan did an analysis of it once and the results were 49%-51%. Which one is which varies but the quantities are incredibly consistent.
The trick is figuring out that the balance applies to Remus too.
And sure, the idea of Remus being uncomfortable is…difficult to remember sometimes, given that, you know, he’s Remus, but it’s there! It’s worth remembering! He’s a Side too! But considering his metric for ‘uncomfortable’ is wildly different from everyone else’s, it’s easy for them to overlook it. Maybe he gets some excitement out of grossing himself out too, maybe there’s a sick thrill in seeing just how close he can get himself to vomiting, honestly, who knows. Remus is Remus and that’s perfectly fine.
So here’s the big one that, again, took them way too long to figure out.
Remus is asexual. Not just asexual, sex-repulsed asexual.
Let’s reiterate: Remus is Remus and that’s perfectly fine.
It just…took them by surprise, is all.
“Wait,” Logan says, adjusting his glasses, “you’re asexual?”
“Those are the words I used,” Remus says, his head hanging off the couch.
“I—I heard you, I am…simply surprised,” Logan settles on, closing his notebook and setting it aside. “I would not have guessed that Thomas’s Sides would have different sexualities or romantic orientations.”
“What does it matter, Pocket Protector?”
“It doesn’t, it’s interesting to me.”
“Does that mean that all of us could potentially have different sexualities?” Patton’s head pokes above the counter as he digs for the good muffin tray—not the one Janus swiped three hours ago, of course not—in the cabinets. “Or no?”
Logan shrugs. “I imagine it would be possible, though I find it likely that at least some of us share Thomas’s.”
“My ears are burning,” Roman announces, plopping onto the couch next to his brother, “what incredibly gay thing are we talking about now?”
“Yeesh, Princey,” Virgil mutters, recovering from flinching horribly into the chair, “don’t do that, you scared the hell outta me.”
“Sorry, Virgil.” Roman taps Remus’s leg, hanging up over the back of the couch next to his head. “Why’re you upside-down?”
“Why’re you right-side up?”
“Remus…prompted a discussion on sexualities,” Logan says carefully, sparing a glance at Remus, “and we were debating the question of if we, as Thomas’s Sides, all have different sexualities.”
Remus kicks Roman in the head. “Told them I’m ace.”
“Oh, that makes more sense.”
“Really, and here I thought Remus beginning a complex introspective conversation was the height of character accuracy.”
“Payback,” Virgil sniggers as Roman startles horribly as Janus appears from behind the couch. “All jokes aside, I’m with L, I, uh, didn’t expect Remus to be ace.”
“Why not?”
Janus scoffs. “Couldn’t be the number of sex jokes you make on a daily basis, not at all.”
Remus shrugs.
“I think it’s just surprising considering how comfortable you are making the jokes, kiddo.”
“The fuck makes you think I’m comfortable with them?”
“Lang—what?” Patton’s head pops up again.
“A wild Patton appears!”
“Has Thomas…ever been interested in Pokémon?”
“What do you mean, comfortable?” Patton tilts his head, focused entirely on Remus and not the others making Pokémon jokes. “Are—are you not comfortable?”
“Remus isn’t exactly known for his ‘comfortable’ sense of humor, Padre,” Roman says, leaning back on the couch to make eye contact around Remus’s legs.
“But—but that—hold on.” Patton stands up—“ah! More Wild Patton!”—and puts his hands on the counter. “Remus, why would you make jokes that make you uncomfortable?”
Remus eyes him from upside-down. “Why does anyone do anything?”
“Sheer, absolute boredom, yeah, yeah, we get it,” Virgil sighs, “but it’s a good question, Remus.”
Remus just shrugs, only for it to dislodge him from his precarious position and slide toward the floor. Roman watches him collapse into a graceless heap and rolls his eyes, lying down on the couch.
“Hey! You stole my spot!”
“You’re the one who moved. Hey—!” Roman squawks in surprise as Remus throws himself on top of him. “You’re squishing me!”
“Too bad for you.”
“Remus,” Janus says softly, “are you…does sex make you uncomfortable?”
“Like maggots are crawling through my bones!”
The living room is quiet for a moment, enough to make Remus push himself up and stare around at them.
“What?”
“Sex isn’t something shameful, Remus,” Patton says patiently—and wow, isn’t that a surprise— “I promise.”
Remus rolls his eyes. “I know that, it just makes me want to rip all of my skin off and start over.”
“Why?”
“It’s bad enough I have to live in this meat sack,” he grouses, flopping back down and eliciting a soft ‘oof’ from Roman, “don’t need to be consciously reminded of it.”
“...‘meat sack?’”
“Oh, sorry, Lolo, ‘flexible container of mostly water.’”
“That’s not—well, yes, I suppose that is more accurate,” Logan says as he adjusts his tie, “but why would you choose to refer to your body as a meat sack?”
Remus shrugs. “’S not like I’d choose to be in this fucking thing. Evolution fucked up when it made us this way, at least we aren’t fucking horses. Oh, hey—“
“No,” Roman interrupts, “no jokes about that.”
“Spoilsport.”
“Remus?”
“What do you want, Snake-Face?”
“Are you…uncomfortable with your body?”
“Every day! It’s awful! I wish I didn’t have one!” At Janus’s muffled noise of heartbreak, Remus cranes his neck to look up at him. “Oh, relax, I’m fine, discomfort is part of my existence.”
“But it shouldn’t have to be.”
Remus huffs a sigh when he realizes that everyone else is looking at him with a similar amount of concern. Well, except Roman, but Roman gets it so that makes sense.
“I may or may not be being slightly dramatic, I am fine.”
“Can confirm,” Roman hums lazily, “comes with the Creativity gig.”
“Look, I just don’t like that it’s—it’s—“ Remus’s gaze lands on Patton— “look, Cookie Monster over there is allergic to cats, right?”
Logan frowns, glancing back and forth between them. “Yes, what does—“
“He’s not gonna die from it and he can still be around them, he’s just hyperaware of when there are cats and he can’t spend a lot of time around them without being really uncomfortable, right?”
Logan blinks in surprise. “Yes, I understand what you’re saying. Very clever analogy.”
“I am Creativity, you nitwit.”
He rolls his eyes fondly. “Of course.”
“So,” Virgil says cautiously, waving a hand at him, “you’re…good?”
“Yep. Goody-goody gumdrops, that’s me.”
“As long as you never say that again, fine.”
Roman gives him a hug. “I’m proud of you, Re, coming out is hard. Especially when you have to give people a vocabulary lesson when you do it.”
“Thanks, Ro-Bro.” Remus’s grin widens. “Does that mean I get to pick the movie for tonight?”
“What? No! It’s my pick! Hey! Hey!” Roman squeals as Remus starts to poke his belly. “Don’t! Dohohon’t!”
“Let me pick!”
“No!”
“Boys,” Janus sighs, reaching out and using his six arms to separate the twins, “that’s enough. Roman, what movie are we watching?”
“Pacific Rim.”
“Hey, wait, that’s what I was gonna pick!”
“See? There you go.”
Logan perks up immediately. “Does this mean we finally get to watch a movie with no romantic subplot?”
“And batshit physics.”
“We can overlook the batshit physics.”
“Whoa, L, what happened to you?”
“I…may have a greater appreciation for the cinematic depictions of the machinery.”
Patton just rolls his eyes and gets back to searching for the muffin pan. No movie night is complete without fresh baked goods. Ah, there it is, although he could’ve sworn he looked there a few moments ago…
Anyway, they end the conversation in the same place it started.
Remus is Remus, and that’s perfectly fine.
General Taglist:@frxgprince @potereregina @reddstardust @gattonero17 @iamhereforthegayshit @thefingergunsgirl @awkwardandanxiousfander @creative-lampd-liberties @djpurple3 @winterswrandomness @sanders-sides-uncorrect-quotes @iminyourfandom @bullet-tothefeels @full-of-roman-angst-trash  @ask-elsalvador @ramdomthingsfrommymind @demoniccheese83 @pattonsandershugs @el-does-photography @princeanxious @firefinch-ember @fandomssaremysoul @im-an-anxious-wreck @crazy-multifandomfangirl @punk-academian-witch @enby-ralsei @unicornssunflowersandstuff @wildhorsewolf @thetruthaboutthesun @stubbornness-and-spite @princedarkandstormv  @your-local-fookin-deadmeme @angels-and-dreams @averykedavra @a-ghostlight-for-roman @treasurechestininterweb  @cricketanne @aularei @queerly-fluid-fan @compactdiscdraws @cecil-but-gayer @i-am-overly-complicated @annytheseal @alias290 @tranquil-space-ninja @arxticandy @mychemically-imbalanced-romance @whyiask @crows-ace @emilythezeldafan @frida0043 @ieatspinalcords @snowyfires @cyanide-violence @oonagh2 @xxpanic-at-the-everywherexx @rabbitsartcorner @percy-07734 @triflingassailantofmyemotions @virgil-sanders-the-gay-emo @cerulean-watermelon @puffed-up-bees @meltheromanstan
If you want to be added/taken off the taglist, let me know!
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prof-peach · 4 years ago
Note
My old, disabled grandpa needs a pokemon in the house to keep him company after his wife passed away and to take care of some basic house chores for him. My parents don't know anything about Pokemon so they're letting me choose the pokemon for him. What do you recommend? (For reference, he's all there mentally, he just needs a wheelchair to move around the house)
OK! se we had a brief chat about what Gramps likes to do, and what stuff he enjoys, which has narrowed the list a little. 
Most would say get him a Mr.Mime or Audino or something traditionally used in the care industry and be done with it, but the suggestions I am about to make are a little more unusual and fun, BUT depend entirely on a pokemon with the right personality. ALL species can be hyper, difficult, rambunctious, naughty or even flat out fussy, not something you'd want for a companion. You are looking for a slower paced, patient and caring individual, who will be happy to take on some household roles to help their trainer. 
So heres my choices, and bare in mind they're just suggestions, and something far more appropriate may come along and surprise you both. 
Geodude: overlooked as care providers and helpers, they're tough, often patient, with versatile bodies and skills, they can carry shopping with ease, push wheelchairs if need be, and in the wild take pride in their home being quite tidy, being found cleaning the areas they frequent regularly, so not adverse to a little tidying or a few household jobs. Of course they come with a lot of different personality types, but also they're not rare, so finding a good match personality wise might be far easier than if you had to hunt down say a Chansey or something far more difficult to find. They're usually good natured, and have no issue bonding to trainers who give them tasty snacks and show them some love. 
Miltank: Overtly loving, they are easy to domesticate, simple to care for, and strong enough to do jobs, push chairs, and keep up with a busy man wheelin’ bout town. This species has a fondness for quiet moments, naps in the shade on hots days, and lounging about. They can be very dozey and sweet, and he’ll enjoy their entertainment, they can be a little ditzy after just waking up. Ive seen many entrust a great deal to Miltank, and the species handles tasks with skill and surprising adaptivity should things go awry a touch. 
Grumpig: often seen napping, generally lounging about, and overall being very slow paced, this pokemon is a good match to those who like a laid back way of life, and they also have the added bonus of strong psychic abilities, to get Gramps up stairs should he find himself unfortunately blocked without disability access to somewhere. They can be a little lazy, BUT they will use their telekinetic powers to do jobs for them, and despite their usual ways, they do enjoy a trip to a local park or quiet river to sit and take it all in at their own pace.
Bronzor: Kind, energetic, loving, durable, and even more so when evolved. This species, its whole line really, is a great match, needing no real feeding, and the occasional bit of care with a good dust or scrub. they're smart enough to perform tasks, and have skills with their psychic abilities, meaning they can help with household work AND with mobility should an issue arise. They also don’t need exercise to be healthy (though of course they do enjoy a good walk or bit of work) so hanging about the house a lot isn't a bad thing for them so much as a fleshy more ordinary pokemon.
Reuniclus: I mean, I cant say enough about this line, the pokemon within it are superb for care work, no need for feeding, no need for training, they're just super clean, super kind, and also very smart pokemon, capable of helping a number of people, let alone one with all his wits about him! they also make for very fun companions and enjoy partaking in any activity that involves their trainers time and attention. You could get this pokemon from a younger age and it’d do just as well, and bond to Grampa no doubt a little faster.
Diggersby: Tough, easy going, functional in the home, capable of running errands and also ding jobs around the home. They have varying personality sure, but are very functional and robust day to day. They also keep good time, so reminding their trainers about lunches, taking medicines, or otherwise doing tasks is easy stuff for them.
Oranguru: Hyper smart, often understanding and kind, with patience galore, they're overlooked often enough on all fronts, but i think they make excellent companions and care givers. their skill set means they're dexterous, capable of understanding a lot of human speech and more subtle hints and nods to how our languages work (ie sarcasm or hidden feelings aren't lost on them, they just get our language really well). They’re known for their skill with flavours, so cooking with Granpa may be a fun task they could share, and learn new things together.
Indeedee: Gaining energy from gratitude, they're happy to help others often enough, and mean well in all of their actions. They have a strong sturdy nature, good bodies that can perform many tasks, and adaptable learning skills, meaning they'll be able to tackle new or unusual task with a fair amount of logic and wisdom from prior experience. They may even enjoy a good story if their trainer would read them one. 
one of these may suit, but its the personality that means everything, so get both Gramps and the pokemon to meet, so they can see if they get along. Getting out and taking in fresh air is so vital at all stages in life, but that your fam use to enjoy going out, and doesn't so much anymore, is a saddening thing to hear. With luck they regain company, and can go back to taking time out in the local parks, read a book in the sun, or simply pop to the shops with their new partner, with confidence that nothing will stop them, or get in the way. The pokemon chosen will want to get out, so even if he stays at home, make sure they get time in the fresh air, and days off from working, so potentially two working on shifts would work best for this situation. Everyone deserves a day off, our darling pokemon carers included. Good luck, hope this leads you to finding the right pick, and don’t forget to check the local shelters, some pokemon get handed in with lack of a trainer (who may have passed away) and have no issue other than wanting company, just like your family needs now. That may just help bond the two, it wouldn't be unheard of. 
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tartagilicious · 4 years ago
Text
little light > gojou satoru
→ synopsis | a man who can see far too much is in love with a woman who can see nothing at all. (blind!reader)
→ genre | angst + fluff
→ word count | 1.5k
→ warnings | descriptions of blood, ptsd
→ note | I binged this show in two days and the only things I retained are that curses are bad and gojou is hot. this is my first time writing for him so I hope he’s in character enough !
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“look at me."
his voice is gentle, patient with the distress that paints your features. blood runs over your skin like sweat, leaving a gruesome sheen as you grasp unsteadily for him. gojou gives you his hands without a second thought. the sight of you so frightened leaves him breathless.
“look at me. please.” he repeats, urging you on as your lip quivers. your entire body shakes as you say,
“i can’t."
your sudden sob startles him, hands gripping yours tightly. the words confuse him. he means to ask you, but the moment you raise your head, any question he might have had dies in his throat. for the first time, gojou satoru is left completely speechless.
dark blood pools unforgivingly into bright irises, physical evidence of your bad run-in with the special grade curse he’d just dealt with on your behalf. but as he stares at the way the red covers the expanse of your eyes, he feels hopeless. something in him breaks as your fingers tighten around his.
you wail softly as your nails leave angry half moons in his skin. he doesn’t mind the pain.
“...i can’t see you."
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almost a year after the battle that had cost you your sight, your eyes had settled into a cooler gray tone, the vessel that had originally bursted settling low — useless for all but a story.
you tell your tale as one of advice, a lesson to someone who could perhaps benefit from your mistakes. a preliminary caution to anyone that might ask why you wear two eye patches. but gojou doesn’t miss the way your shoulders square, nor the way you take a few seconds too long to catch your breath every time you inevitably share it.
as someone who had stayed close to you during your recovery, gojou believed he could tell it just as well on his own by now. though the story still never ceased to make him sick; to bring up the image of your shaking form and blood-soaked face; to remind him of how it felt to lose a part of someone, a feeling he’d tried so hard to forget.
but there were things neither of you could truly forget, impacting your lives in ways that were simply unavoidable: not only as a human, but also as a jujutsu sorcerer. while handy with your usual method of choice, there was an undeniable disadvantage you had when faced with the threat of a curse.
instead of throwing yourself into the fray as you once had preferred, you were now forced to succumb to a disability that impacted the very things that grounded your soul.
but it’s with gojou’s guidance that you’re still able to hold a weapon at all.
it’s his voice that finds you when you begin to panic, to let the frustration of blind get to you.
“you fight with that thing on willingly when I don’t have a choice?"
“that’s not fair! you know the blindfold is just a cosmetic choice, don’t you?"
you can hear the way his lips purse in the playful tone of his voice. his footsteps pad lightly on top of the dirt of the training ground as he takes a step back, giving you a chance to loosen the grip on the weapon in your hand.
you resist a groan. of course you know it isn’t, but you choose not to say anything.
“I’m waiting for the day someone comes and knocks you off your pedestal, satoru. unless you enjoy the feeling of fighting blind?"
he hums. “thrilling, isn’t it?"
you let out a laugh of disbelief. “masochist."
it’s his rough fingers that intertwine with yours that keep you grounded in moments you feel like letting everything go.
too many nights do you find yourself sitting awake in a cold sweat, the residual shapes and colours from your dream fading as a vast nothingness takes its place. the frustration is heartbreakingly fresh as you silently beg for another moment of clarity, only to receive no response.
a sob bubbles up in your chest as you try hard to suppress it. the world feels as if it’s suddenly crumbing around you before you feel a limp hand reach over to catch yours.
gojou doesn’t say anything, but you know he’s awoken and looking at you.
carefully, you let your opposite hand find his shoulder as you twist to lay into him. he takes you without qualms, holding you close with one hand on your back while the other doesn’t leave yours.
after a few minutes of quiet cries, a finger trails up and down your back in a soothing nature.
“nightmare?” he asks.
you shake your head, letting out a strained breath.
“..I dreamt that I could see again."
gojou is silent at this. his hand squeezes yours tightly.
“I don’t—“ you cut yourself off, pursing your lips as to fend off another onslaught of tears. “I-I keep… I keep forgetting what your eyes look like—"
a sob tears from your throat as you curl around him. in that moment, gojou is almost glad that you can’t see the forlorn expression he wears.
but above all, it’s his unwavering support and will to stay by your side. had he not been there in that moment, there’s a part of you that doubts you would have found the will to make it out at all.
“i think i want to wear a blindfold.” you speak quickly, as if embarrassed, but the words pique your boyfriend’s interest immediately. gojou covers his cerulean eyes for his own reasons, but the idea of extending his odd custom to you is exciting.
hearing him sit up straighter next to you, you shift away, face heating just imagining the expression on his face. it’s exactly as you think ��� the grin stretching his lips is so wide it transcends the boundaries of nature.
“ah,” gojou hums, the child-like laugh that escapes him as he rises infectious. gojou carefully lends you his hand. the simultaneous absence and ever-flowing presence of infinity from beneath them mind numbing.
“you’re a good student, you know;” he gushes as he normally does, but the small hint of sweetness that lines his voice is like a quirk reserved for only you. “to follow in your teacher’s footsteps."
“think what you want, but do you know how hard it is to put on two eyepatches while blind?"
you say this, but can’t resist a laugh as he pulls you forward into him. gojou lands a chaste kiss on your forehead as he sets a comfortable pace you rely on him to keep. you trust him more than anyone to do so, just as you always have.
“well then,” he lets go of your hand when you reach your destination, recognisable as his office by the warm smell of wood and spring breeze through a cracked window. “allow me to be the one to make it easier."
gojou takes your wrist and puts what you assume is a blindfold in your hand. you poke around at it clumsily for a moment, trying to find the opening in the pool of fabric. when you can’t, he doesn’t become impatient. instead, he teases you and takes your hand in his, guiding you to the right places.
from there, you’re able to discard the eyepatches you wear, baring your eyes to the daylight. your innate senses don’t seem to pick up the way gojou stares at you, gaze swimming between glancing from your smile to your eyes. he’s prideful in the notion you’re able to smile in such a way again.
as you slip the fabric over your eyes, it bunches around your ears and fits awkwardly at the neck. but your smile is dazzling nonetheless, as if you couldn’t be happier.
“this will help, I think.” you say, still busy adjusting the fabric as you think aloud. “with my sight completely restricted like this, my other senses should be able to grow even stronger."
perhaps you’d never noticed, but goujou is already well aware of the way you’d adapted in the recent months. whether in the way you immediately resort to touch to identify things, or how you’re able to hear virtually anything — it sets a small buzz of hope aflame in his chest to have been able to witness such changes.
“stronger senses, huh?” gojou’s tone is suggestive as he pulls you in by your waist, head tilting down into yours. “does that mean what I think it does?"
when you laugh and string your arms around his shoulders, he smiles along.
“pervert."
anyone only listening to the conversation might assume you’re losing patience with the man in front of you, but the grin on your face is unmistakable. what your eyes can longer show seeps through in the gentle way you pull him down for a hug, and is returned in the arms that hold you tight.
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not-me-simping-for-blasty · 4 years ago
Text
I Melt With You - Bakugou Katsuki
All Parts:
Part 3:
“Okay, so that’s about it.” You smile brightly, pressing a band-aid into the  boy’s skin. “Thanks for being so brave for me!”
“Mhm. I’m the bravest!”
The child before you beams, all teeth gaps and kicking legs as he bounces in his seat. You’d just given him a few routine vaccinations, and true to your praise, he had been very brave about it. All he’d done was sit there, holding his breath until his face went red, and trying not to grimace. It reminded you of someone else you’d recently treated- someone else who was currently blazoned in all his snarling glory on the little boy’s shirt.
“Oh, I’m sure! Just like Dynamite!” You agree enthusiastically, gesturing to his clothes. You turn your head, catching his mother’s eye from where she sits next to him. “Isn’t that right, mom?”
“Oh, not if I can help it.” She smiles something a little exhausted, but ultimately fond as her son starts making explosion noises. “Not if I can help it.”
If you’re being completely honest, you sort of agree with her. Just a little bit- actually, on second thought a lot.
“If that’s everything and you have no other concerns for me, then we’re about done here.” You say gently. “Do you know where you’re going? I can point you toward reception again if you need it.”
“No, we’re alright, thank you!” 
You nod, holding the door open for them as they leave. 
When the door closes, and you’re swept back up into silence, you can’t help but think of that interaction as just more proof- more proof that no matter where you were, no matter what you were doing, you absolutely could not escape Bakugou.
When you weren’t actively thinking about him, then you were seeing his face everywhere. He was on television, and he was on the cover of newspapers, and as evidenced, he was printed in perfect grumbling, snarling accuracy on children’s t-shirts. It didn’t help either that every day brought another civilian who was saved by him, and every night brought another small-time criminal who was beat to hell by his fists. You swore he was responsible for a solid 70% of all of your hospital’s traffic- it was pure insanity when you really started paying attention. 
You quickly come to realize that Bakugou is a plague; and a horrifyingly effective one at that. You’re not sure how you never noticed it before. 
Still, you can’t help but find yourself worrying a little bit. When you think of him, all you can see is his face covered in blood, the pallid hue of his skin under the hospital’s sterile lighting, and the deep-set bags under his eyes. You remember the way he practically fell asleep, laid out and injured on a hospital table. The way he was drifting while you were digging a needle and thread through his skin. 
Thinking back on it always makes you a bit sick. No one who wasn’t absolutely exhausted would ever fall asleep in a hospital- especially not in the middle of being sewn up. When you match that to the anger and terror you’d felt, that very first night you’d ever met him, it doesn’t paint a pretty picture. You come to realize that even if Bakugou was an asshole to you, you still wouldn’t wish that kind of mental torture on anybody. 
Your rest of your week goes by quickly after that, and by the time Saturday rolls around, you’ve gathered quite a few bones to pick with him. It seemed the amount of criminals you were patching up was only increasing, and their injuries were only getting worse too. Each passing day only brings more lowly criminals and thieves flooding into your hospital, all covered in the same scorch marks, broken bones, and dark bruising. It was overkill, plain and simple, and you knew exactly who the culprit was. 
You began to think that, even if it was Bakugou’s job, he really shouldn’t have been digging graves for people who were just stealing purses. There was a massive difference between a super villain and a petty thief, but he didn’t seem to understand that. Dynamite punished everybody just the same. You saw that first hand.
Still, you try to shake off those lingering frustrations. You were on your way to take out his stitches, and you didn’t want to accidently bring them up. Bakugou only mildly tolerated you the last time around, but you were sure that generosity would cease the moment you criticized anything about him. True to his quirk, Bakugou had proven himself to be a teetering powder keg- just a little bit of friction, and he’d explode on the spot.
“On your way to help his majesty?” Your superior remarks, smiling sardonically as you pass her. “Good luck, I’ll be praying for you! Try your best to come back with your head still intact, yeah?” 
You nod, smiling uneasily, but your stomach turns a little bit. 
That had been another reoccurring theme that week- jokes about how your impending doom was imminent. Apparently, Bakugou had been making a name for himself for years now- a name that was a lot less loved by your hospital then it was the rest of the outside world. You’d been hearing horror stories for days now; tale after twisted tale of nurses and doctors getting chewed up and spit out by his bad temper. It always read as a little strange to you though; in every story you’d heard, he was either hardly injured or on his death bed- no in-between whatsoever. You figure that it didn’t really matter though, the result was always the same. Relentless, explosive anger. 
Which you sort of begun to think you were in for, when you opened the door to his scowling face.
“Hey!” You greet unsurely, trying to walk into the room with a confidence you didn’t really feel. Moving past him, you rinse your hands, drying them and then slipping on a pair of latex gloves. You then pull the medical cart over to him, taking out the blood pressure cuff. Just like his last visit. “You ready to get those stitches removed?”
“Yeah. Obviously. Why the fuck else would I waste my time here? Witch.”
Yep. There it is- just what the other nurses and staff were warning you about. His attitude.
“Oh. Okay, so I see we are still using that nickname. Great.” You mutter wrapping the cuff around his arm. You fall back, crossing your arms as you wait to jot down his vitals. There’s angry tension rolling off of him, and you smile uneasily, trying to discharge it with a subject change. “On an entirely different note, though, I did want to congratulate you.”
Bakugou just scoffs, turning up his nose. A beat passes and then he folds, minutely nodding at you to continue.
“You’re not covered in any blood this time! Congrats!” You say breezily, unwrapping the cuff from around his arm. “Guess the third time really is the charm for us, huh?”
Bakugou just looks away, hardly even acknowledging you as he rolls his eyes. You think you see his lip twitch though- just a bit, and it only lasts half a second, but you count it as a success.
“So, any worries about the stitches? You been cleaning them as instructed?” You ask, gently taking his forearm in your hands. You remove the bandages and gauze with feather-light touches. “Wow, you must’ve been. They look pretty good to me.”
When you look up at him, he’s got that same prideful smirk you’d seen before; it doesn’t distract you from his condition though. His skin somehow looks paler than before, skin purple and darkened under his eyes. You see the cut on his head, still hardly healed and scabbed over. He’s overworking himself, but you didn’t need to have any medical background to see that.
“Obviously they look good. You think I’m fuckin’ stupid?” He says.
“No, but I really did think you would’ve exacerbated them by now. Especially with all the hero work you’ve been doing. Which, believe me, I know is a lot.”
“What- you stalking me now or somethin’?”
“Not exactly. Me or somebody else here always end up treating all those people you save.” You tell him, setting his arm down on the empty surface of the medical cart. You try to keep your voice light, keep it entirely void of anything accusatory, but you can’t help your next words. “And every person you beat into the ground.”
Bakugou’s eye twitches when you look at him. He breathes deep, eyebrows creasing.
“Oi- somethin’ you wanna fuckin’ say to me?” He utters, eyes glinting like blistering wildfire. He leans forward, flipping his palm up towards you as it begins to crackle. “Better choose your next words real fuckin’ carefully.”
It’s his tone that catches you off-guard.
You knew it was a stupid move, your comment, but the pure poison in his response surprises you anyway. His voice is dark and angry, smoldering like a low heat as he stares you down. The words are vicious thing, a gripping threat that drips from his mouth, seeming to bite back around his teeth as he speaks it. It makes you shrink. You think that it would probably make even the strongest people shrink.
“No. It’s- I wasn’t. I’m sorry.” You apologize professionally, pasting on your best appeasing smile even as you fight off the anxiety. There’s nothing left to do but try to defuse the situation- so you turn away from him, busying yourself with grabbing a discard tray and your stitching kit. “It’s really wasn’t my business. Shouldn’t have said anything. Sorry.”
Bakugou just huffs at that, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. He somehow looks even more annoyed than before and you don’t know what he wants from you. Doesn’t he know how intimidating he is? Why does he even bother acting surprised when people fold for him? Especially if he chooses to address them like that?
You wish you were the sort of person who could stand up to him- the sort of person who could put him in his place. After all, there was no room for arrogance in a hospital, and you’d always thought egotism to be a selfish waste of valuable time. But, even so, you just couldn’t be that person this time. There was a lot you could power though, but you’d never seen hot-and-cold anger like his before. He wasn’t like any of your other difficult patients- none of their threats ever sounded like promises. 
There’s tense silence as you start removing the stitches, only the sound of your scissors and Bakugou’s own breaths. You try to keep your hands steady, try to keep focused, but you’re finding it hard to keep still under his intense gaze. You feel he’s looking right through you again, waiting for any excuse to blow up again.
You’re almost done removing them entirely when he huffs, rolling his eyes as he shifts uncomfortably.
“You’re so fucking sensitive, you know. It’s pathetic.”
You stiffen.
There’s a lot you’re willing to put up with- being underappreciated and overworked was pretty much your entire job after all- but Bakugou was really wearing on you. He wasn’t the first patient to insult you, and his comment was far from the worst thing you’d ever been told; but it’s something in the way he spits the insult. Sly and challenging like he knows something you don’t. It makes you look up at him, and all you see are his sharp canines. His smirk and the way he looks down on you.
He’s picking a fight, but there’s no threat. He’s testing you.
It makes your blood boil.
“If you don’t like me, and the way I do my work,” You bite out, staring right back and speaking through own clenched teeth. “Then you shouldn’t have asked for me. No one made you come back.”
“I told you, witch. No cutting corners. You put the fuckers in my arm, you take them the fuck out.”
“Why are you fighting with me?” You ask, swallowing as you try not to shy away from his glare. “I told you last time, if this works better for you silent, then just say that.”
He flares his nostrils at that, setting his jaw. When he goes silent, you go back to snipping away his stitches. At this point, you just wanted to finish as quickly as possible.
“Silent is fuckin’ boring.” He grits, flexing his fingers. It makes the skin on his forearm shift, throwing off your work. When you look at him in frustration, you can see he did it on purpose. “It’s wimp shit.”
“Pardon?”
“I said-” He leans in close, voice low and venomous. It feels like he’s trying to paralyze you with his stare alone, sitting up straight until he’s glaring down at you. “Silence is boring. You’re fucking boring.”
You’d had a long day- you’d had a very long day and he was being extremely rude and your patience was wearing thin hours ago. That’s why you let him break your careful composure- at least, that’s what you tell yourself.
“Oh yeah, I’m boring?” You ask in frustration, entire face warming in fury. “I’m boring? Really! At least I don’t spend my entire day blowing things up and beating people half to death!”
Bakugou blinks. He blinks, sucks a breath, and then you watch his smirk crawl slow and sure across the entirety of his face. He got you. He got you to break, and he won, and he knows it.
He knows it and he settles back on his good hand, leaning away to get a better look at your flustered face. He cocks his head to the side, studying and analytical for a moment. He nods.
“There. We’re fuckin’ even.”
“Excuse me?”
“Even. You shouldn’t have fuckin’ pried around in my head and not expected me to pry in yours.”
“That’s what this is about?” You sigh incredulously, putting your scissors down on the medical cart. “Really? You’re still on that- how- how does this even tell you what’s in my head? You’re just insulting me. It doesn’t!”
“It does.”
“It doesn’t.”
“Then why are you so fuckin’ pissed right now? Hah?” He squints his eyes, voice smooth and dripping with arrogance. “It’s cause I’m right. You’re so fuckin’ boring when you play nice all the time.”
“Play nice? What the hell are you even on about? You don’t know me.”
“I know that you piss me the hell off bein’ fake. If I fuckin’ irritate you then say so. Don’t put on your fuckin’ kid gloves and try and be professional. It’s weak.”
“No. It’s how I keep my job. Which you know, you wouldn’t understand, because you literally pick fights for a living!” You huff, pushing the medical cart off to the side and stepping back from him. “Actually- you know what, no. I’m done with this. This conversation. Your stitches are out, and you can leave since you obviously can’t stand me and would rather be anywhere but here.”
You watch him flare his nostrils again, a snarl ripping from his mouth. He slams his closed fist down on the hospital bed, eyes like blazing conflagration. Bakugou looks pissed, but more than anything he looks vulnerable. Worn raw.
“I can’t.” He grits.
“Yes! You actually can! Just walk out! Literally just walk out an-’
“God, you’re so fucking dense! I can’t leave without figuring out how the fuck you do it!”
“Do what?” You nearly scream, your owns hands beginning to clench into fists.
“I need to know.” He repeats again, hopping off the hospital bed.
His feet hit the ground, steps like rolling thunder as he nears, broad shoulders and muscular arms casting an intimidating shadow. Bakugou looks like an angry bull storming toward you. Like he’ll obliterate you given even half the chance.
“Take your fucking gloves off.”
You’re scared now, eyes darting over to the door. You knew nobody was doing rounds in the luxury wing right now, and sound didn’t pass through walls that were made to ensure silence. Heart racing in your chest, you size him up, try to think of a way to escape but he’s so close to you and he’s built like a linebacker and-
“Jesus christ. Not like that. Fuckin’ idiot.” He growls, hand pinching the bridge of his nose. He stops a few feet in front of you, sneering. “You’re not my fuckin’ type, so don’t flatter yourself. Now, grow the fuck up and take them off before I do it for you.”  
You’re not sure what makes you listen, maybe it’s fear, maybe it’s something else, but either way you listen. You pull a glove off, just barely dropping it on the counter before Bakugou speaks again.
“I’m gonna touch your hand- but do not use your quirk. Don’t even think about using it. Just fucking stand there. And don’t freak the fuck out and put up a fight about it. You’re just gonna waste time.”
You nod, hand shaking as you extend it. Bakugou seems to roll his eyes at that, but he surges forward anyways, fingers meeting yours. 
You feel it almost immediately. Your heart speeds up, but just slightly, beginning beat against your chest where it had just barely been grazing it before. You breathe deep, close you eyes, focus in on the buzzing of your skin- the way your bones sing of subtle fire. It’s barely there but it feels like warmth. Reminds you of that night, with Bakugou, when you were burning alive. Reminds you of how your bones felt too large and your skin felt too small and there somehow wasn’t enough room in the entire world to hold the weight of your rage.
“You ambient fucking bitch.” Bakugou swears under his breath. When you look at him, he’s fluttering his own eyes open, dropping your hand like it burned him.
Then he steps back and you’re gasping for air. It’s not entirely back again- but it’s reminiscent. There’s an inkling of that bone-deep exhaustion. That weariness that so often stole the air from you lungs and the ground beneath your feet. 
“Your quirk. It’s ambient. Through your skin.”
You shrink back even more, blinking owlishly up at him. 
“What? You didn’t fucking know? Jesus, how clueless are you?”
“It’s-I-” You drop your head, running a hand through your hair. “I never- I always wear gloves. Always. And long sleeves. Since I was little. Never wanted to take the chance- how did you even know.” 
Bakugou seems to turn his nose up at your question. He steps back, further and farther until his back hits the hospital bed. There’s distance but somehow he keeps the air just as charged, averting his eyes when he speaks next.
“Went to sleep. A week ago. When I saw you-”
“What? Bakugou that doesn’t- you’re not-”
“If you’d let me fuckin’ finish,” He glares down at you again, trying to beat you into submission with eye-contact alone. It works and you fall silent, holding your breath as he resumes. “You put me to sleep. Then and three months ago. I haven’t slept peacefully like that in fuckin’ years. So obviously you used your quirk on me. It’s easy. A fuckin’ moron could’ve figured it out.”
“No- but I didn’t touch you! Well, the first time, yeah, I did, but not a week ago. I was wearing gloves and I-”
“When I told you to do the splint over, the sleeve of your coat rode up.” He grits out, cheeks slightly flushing as he averts his eyes. “Then I almost fell asleep. Not like the first time, but still. Asleep. So obviously it’s your fuckin’ skin.” 
Suddenly, the ground is ripped out from under you.
Your entire life you’d always been tired. Day in and day out, constantly dragging your feet like you could never get enough sleep. Like there wasn’t enough hours in the day for you to live and be rested. 
Was it your quirk this entire time? Were you somehow ambiently draining people of their pain- even if you just accidentally brushed their skin with yours? 
You don’t know how you never realized it. How you never put two and two together. 
You’d spent your entire life purposefully using your quirk to help people-  had then sacrificed days and weeks of your life afterwards tucked away in bed and sleeping off the exhaustion. When you used your power on purpose, depending on the severity of someone’s pain, it would debilitate you. But you still did it- over and over and over again because you wanted to help people. Because you knew you could and that became the only reason you needed. 
You’d always just assumed your constant exhaustion to be aftershocks of how often you used your quirk- you never even considered the possibility that it was something you were doing unintentionally. That you were draining yourself with every hug and handshake and high-five that should’ve made you feel better.
You’d always sort of disliked being touched. Somehow always walked away with your skin prickling uncomfortably for as long as you could remember. You just never knew why until now. 
“Oi- I thought I told you not to freak the fuck out.”
“It’s- how the hell am I not supposed to freak out about this?” You gasp, hands braced behind you on the counter. “I didn’t know! My entire life! And you met me like, what, twice and you figured it out and- Are you falling asleep right now?”
In your spiral Bakugou had somehow ended back up on the hospital bed. He was still sat up, but his shoulders were completely slumped over and his eyes were half-lidded. He looked completely drained of all previous anger, swaying slightly as he blinked himself back to perfect alertness.
“Yeah. Probably.” He grumbles. “It’s your fuckin’ fault.”
“You barely touched me! How the hell is-”
“Don’t ask me, you fuckin’ leech.” He yawns, hand closed into a fist as he rubs at his eyes. “You’re the one with the stupid goddamn quirk. Not me.”
“That’s- sorry. I didn’t know. Holy shit,” You curl arms around your stomach, eyes widening. “Have I been doing this shit to everyone? My entire life?”
Bakugou groans. Audibly. Loudly.
“You’re the stupidest goddamn idiot on the face of the planet. Swear to fuck, I don’t get paid enough for this shit.”
“You’re not helping!” You exclaim. “It was rhetorical question! Excuse me for freaking out right now- I’m sure you’d freak out too if you suddenly found out you were osmosis-ing people’s emotions your entire life!” 
“Heh.”
“God, and just what the hell are you laughing about? This isn’t funny!”
“Osmosis.” He reiterates, mouth drawn up into a shit-eating grin. “Change your quirk name. To osmosis. Alleviate is shitty and stupid and it makes you sound fucking dumb.”
You bristle again, suddenly shaking any and all tiredness, rounding on him as you seethe.
“You- you are a goddamn asshole! You know that?” You start, stopping just a few feet in front of him. “You come in here, and insult me. Call me boring! In my own fuckin’ workplace! While I’m literally taking your stitches out! And then you tell me how my quirk works- somehow have the audacity to be fucking right about it, and now you’re insulting me? Again?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re just sitting there, completely fine, smiling like there’s something funny! This isn’t funny! I’m not funny! This is my life- which you literally have been bulldozing through for months now- are you falling asleep? Again? No! No! Not in my- wake the fuck up! Asshole!”
You’re snapping in his face, just inches away from his eyes, and Bakugou hardly even blinks. He just sits still, calm and sated as you seethe just inches away from him. You huff in absolute hatred and that finally shocks some life into him. He smiles. Tiny and barely-there, but he smiles.
“See, not so nice anymore. Knew you weren’t. Fuckin’ liar.”
You want to scream. You want to tear your hair out and maybe take Bakugou’s too, and scratch and claw until you’re bathing in all the rage you’d accidentally stolen from him. You can’t though- you can’t because suddenly the sun starts to set. It falls behind the horizon line, seeping the gold from his skin and drowning him in sterile, white, artificial pallid-ness. His skin goes translucent and the only color in the entirety of his image are the bags under his eyes. Well, the bags under his eyes and the stark red of the barely-healed slice on his forehead. 
You curse your own heart. Nearly collapse under the weight of your own sympathy. Bakugou was an asshole, an absolute, irredeemable dick, and you still wanted to heal him. Help him. Somehow. Miraculously.
So then you’re centering yourself, rubbing a hand down your face to soothe your wound-up features.
“God, you actually do look pretty bad.” You say, all attempts at grace and keeping it professional completely gone. “You really weren’t kidding about needing to sleep, huh?”
“No shit. Leech.”
“Oh. Yeah. Sure. That’s fine. Trade one mean nickname for another- I mean, hey, at least this one’s accurate right?” 
Bakugou does actually exhale a laugh at that remark, limbs a flurry of chaotic movement when he throws himself back on the bed. His head hits the pillow and it’s only seconds before he’s shutting his eyes.
“So, what, you’re just, like, sleeping now?” You ask, rolling your eyes.
“Yeah.”
“You can’t.”
“I can.”
“This is a hospital, Bakugou.”
“Yeah. Whatever.” He mumbles, yawning into his hand. “‘m fuckin’ Dynamite. I’ll do whatever the hell I want.”
“I’m sorry- do you, do you actually think you can ego your way out of rules? Seriously? You can’t sleep here! Not unless you’re critically injured and need like, round-the-clock care.” 
He stills, breath evening and you think he’s fallen asleep. Then he’s lazily bringing a hand up, pointing it loosely at his head.
“I’m critically fuckin’ injured.”
“No- you’re not. That’s a cut and it’s already healing and-”
“I need round-the-clock care.”
“Oh my god, are you kidding me?”
“No.” He grunts, flopping as he turns away from you. Then he’s facing the wall, nuzzling into the pillow. “I’m tired.”
“It’s-” You start, but then you’re once again falling victim to your own empathy. One look at his translucent skin is all it takes. “Fine. You know what? I don’t give a shit. Do what you want, I guess. Nobody else is using these rooms.” 
“Okay. Leave.”
“Excuse me?”
“Get the fuck out.” He slurs, cheek pressed up against the pillow as his eyes flutter beneath his eyelids. “Bein’ too loud. Leave.”
“Fine. Enjoy your sleep. Jerk.”
“Leech.”
You nearly punch him in frustration- until you realize that would probably only relax him more; because apparently this really is Bakugou’s world and you were the unlucky one just living in it.
He’s out before you’re even finished packing up. You’re wiping down all the surfaces either of you had touched, just about to leave, when he starts snoring. It’s a soft, almost kitten-like sound, just barely audible over your own breathing. It pisses you off. Boils your blood in your veins because it’s so goddamn humanizing even when he acts like the anti-christ with an even worse temper. It’s stupidly endearing and ridiculously sobering and incredibly, incredibly irritating. 
That stupid sound is why you double back upon leaving the room. Why you’re suddenly choosing to reverse instead of moving forward, why you’re suddenly reaching into the cupboard instead of shutting the door behind you. 
When you carefully unfold the blanket, settling it gently over his sleeping form, there’s only one thing on your mind.
Fuck being an empath.
--/--
taglist:  @fluffyviciousbunny @definitelynottrin @imsuperawkward @i-need-air @ahbeautifulexistence @brennabooz @jazzylove @flattykawadoorusmilkbread @katsuki-bakubabe @sorrythatspussynal @bakugouswh0r3 @cloudsgathering @un-limit-edd @thekatsukisimp @pollayra21 @the2ndl @officialtrashbusiness 
251 notes · View notes
proxylynn · 3 years ago
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Your Boyfriend: Stalk-home Syndrome (Day 4)
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Chapter #4: TUESDAY HEARTBREAK
[WARNING: Because the internet needs more romantic visual novels where you try to win the hearts of your senpai, right? WRONG! Your Boyfriend is a visual novel, yes. But this is anything but a love story. Your Boyfriend is a game where you deal with a man's unhealthy desire to have you, no matter who gets hurt. And he's not afraid to leave the body lying around for you to find either. Imagine a cat bringing you dead mice or birds to your doorstep, except he had brought the corpse of the person you talked to the other day. It's a choose your own adventure story, so be careful with how you react to those around you, especially towards him. This game deals with themes that might be disturbing for some audiences, such as murder, gore, drug use, kidnapping, non-consensual intimacy, strong language, and nudity.]
So what better thing to do than write fanfiction about it?! Enjoy my descent into madness. I regret nothing!! Sincerely with crazy sleepless love, your friendly neighborhood author, Lynn~♥
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[...You're not a very good listener are you, Lynsie? I told you not to alter anything more than you have already. Yet, here we are. You know what? I think this is an opportunity to teach you a lesson. This isn't a story you're meant to enjoy. Peter isn't supposed to be your love. It's time to remind you...This is my world, you are merely another player, and YOU are not in control.]
*beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep*
Ugh...Damn alarm...Why did I mount that thing across the room? Oh, right, so that my ass had to get up to turn it off.
My eyes struggle to open and refuse to do so. I try to roll over but can't make my body move. This is weird considering the more pills I take usually have this kind of effect...I only took two. Something doesn't feel right.
I'm stuck like this and the alarm is driving me crazy.
*click*
"Rise and shine, sweetheart!"
Lucy thankfully turns my alarm off. I hear her snicker moments later.
"Heh...Doing yoga in your sleep now?"
The hell are you talking about? Do not take pictures or I swear I will break your phone!
"I guess this is what happens when you spend most of the night fighting your pills. Honestly, what were you even doing to be so noisy?"
...The fuck? I went to bed just before midnight. What was she hearing? I mean, she was high, maybe it was all in her head.
"...Hey? You awake? You don't normally sleep this long into your alarm."
I feel her shake me.
"Lynn?"
I try to speak yet all that comes out is a dry garbled groan. Okay...Talking isn't an option.
"How many did you take?"
Can I move my...I can! I put two fingers out.
"Weird. Two shouldn't mess you up like this."
My point exactly! This ain't right!
She pushes me over and I feel her hand on my forehead.
"Jesus! You're burning up."
She moves away.
"I wanna feel bad, but this is what you get for leaving this damn window open."
...But I didn't. I know damn well I locked that window shut.
I hear her shut my window and then take something nearby.
"*groan*"
"Hush. I'm doing you a favor."
I can hear dial-up sounds. She's on my phone!
"Yo, TK. This is Lulu, Lynn's roomy. ...No, nothing so crazy is wrong. Our girl has a fever and, let me check real quick...Can you move?"
Every inch of my body is numb. I try to lift my arm yet all that I can muster is my hand, I groan at this.
"Nah, she can't move much either. Girl looks like shit. I don't think she'll be able to make it in today. ...Yeah? ...Oh, no worries. I'll play nurse and make sure she doesn't keel over. Not like she could move to do so."
"*growl*"
"Seems my patient also has a case of bitch-itis. *sigh* I'll let you go. And I'll text you later if she gets better or worse. Uh-huh. Okay. Take care."
She hangs up as I barely get an eye open, only to hiss as the sudden brightness causes intense pain to my brain.
"Don't press your luck. You've finally pushed things too far and your body is making you chill."
I wouldn't have had to if you did shit around here.
"Come on. Let's get you to the couch. I can watch you better from there."
She drags me to the edge of the bed...where I fall to the floor harder than a sack of potatoes.
"Don't dead weight on me."
Like I can help it.
"*grumble*"
She does her best to at least get me to be supported on her shoulder and I weakly shuffle my feet to move. She eventually gets me to the living room and I crash when she drops me off on the couch.
"Geez...How are you so heavy?"
I don't do drugs that suck me dry and my body retains what little food I get at this point. Why you gotta call me out like that? At least my lovely lady lumps still be banging.
"Don't move. I'll be right back."
Is that a joke? I can not move! Wait...So...I'm off with a sick day? I can do what I want? Kind of?
She comes back with a pillow and blanket.
"Can I get you anything?"
I look off in thought. Then mouth some words.
"Slower. I can't...Oh! Cell phone. Give me a sec."
She wanders back to my room and comes back rather fast.
"Why do you need this?"
I motion typing with my thumbs.
"Clever girl."
She slips it into my hands and I begin texting her.
[I have some questions.]
"Yeah? Like what?"
[What did you mean by the yoga comment?]
"You had your ass in the air like you were doing downward facing dog. Honestly looked like were reemed in your sleep."
That...That doesn't sound pleasant.
[That isn't normal. I don't sleep like that.]
"Again, you shouldn't fight sleep meds. Messed up shit happens."
[I didn't do that. I passed out around midnight. I also didn't have the window open. I locked it.]
"You did tell me you tend to open things when you sleepwalk. Maybe that's what happened. I mean, what else could it be?"
I don't like the ideas coming to my mind. Best not freak her out till I know for sure. This could just be the paranoia talking.
[Yeah. I'm probably overthinking it. Sorry.]
"Girl, don't be sorry. You're not feeling well and the fever has your head in cation mode. It's fine."
A sudden draining feeling has me dropping the phone and nearly doubling over into the coffee table with my face if Lucy hadn't caught me.
"Wow, I got you."
She shoves me back and my body limply crashes like a felled tree to a lumberjack. She puts my phone on the table and covers me for rest.
"If you need anything, just text. I'll come get you, okay?"
I nod and she walks away. ...Huh. Guess I can just sleep some more. I need to gain some energy. I need to be able to return to my room for inspection. But for now, I give in to this drained feeling and blackout fairly quickly.
"...Kid?"
A gruff voice and slight gosling have me stir. My eyes slowly open with not too much trouble...So there's some progress. But I don't see Lucy. Who I see...is my Landlord.
"Hey, kid. You doing okay?"
"Let the poor girl sleep. She needs the rest."
A second voice gets my attention. A soft motherly tone...Gotta be my neighbor and TK’s step-mom, Brenda.
"If she sleeps all day, how can she take these pills?"
He makes a good point. I turn my head away from him and cough into the cushions. My head is throbbing.
"See?"
Brenda huffs and I hear the oven being opened. Lovely woman is making something. Bless her heart. But I can't blame her, Mr. Williams isn't an easy guy to get along with, stern and strict yet he does have his nicer moments. Mr. Williams has a gray body with really nice buff features, in my opinion at least for a man in his 40s. His rectangular-shaped chiseled head is topped with brown hair that has lightly dulling streaks on the side along with thick brown eyebrows and deep brown eyes. He also has some facial and exposed chest hair as he's pulled the collar of his black shirt down too much in stress. From what I remember hearing, he's divorced and he kinda dresses like it. A gold watch that looks like a former anniversary or birthday gift, the black shirt is tucked into his dark grey jeans, a thick "I'll whoop your ass" dad belt, and topping it all off with a brown long-sleeved double pocket shirt that he's rolled the sleeves up to his elbows. I can see why some whisper that he's a DILF.
Brenda is no slouch in looks either, I always want to ask her age because she looks younger than she seems, I hope to age half as good as her considering she gives Lucy and me a run for our money. Her tits are bigger than ours! Lucy's a DD, I'm DDD, but Brenda has got to be F or G in size. The only thing I win is having the bigger butt, thank you Latino genes. A grey skin-toned body with a round face framed in long loosely tied back black hair that just beats mine in length by a couple of inches, chestnut brown eyes, and full come hither lips. Her body is the true ideal hourglass figure, assets popping in all the right ways that are accentuated by her form-fitting red turtleneck sweater and hip-hugging faded black jeans. She's a mama bear with big cougar appeal. Maximum MILF power for sure.
"*dry* Where's Lucy?"
I try to sit up but Don has to help when it seems I can't do it.
"She came to us for some change to get you some medicine. That was over an hour ago."
"I'm sure she's on her way back. The shops aren't so close by."
Don rolls his eyes. After three months of Lucy not fulfilling her end of the lease contract, he has no faith in her. To be honest, I'm thinking the same thing he is, she skipped out with the cash for drugs.
"Here, kid."
Don hands me a pill bottle and I take two out as he reaches over for a glass of water.
"It's not much. But aspirin is better than nothing at all."
I nod and take the meds. His hand comes to my forehead.
"You're very warm."
"*weak* Sorry..."
"Why are you apologizing?"
"*weak* She pawned me off on you."
He sighs through his nose and pats my head, taking the bottle back.
"It's fine. You're a good kid. Not like I had too much to do anyway."
"Have you checked on Ms. Greta today?"
Brenda asks and Don flinches, making me snicker. But my snickering ends as a quick blink in memory comes to me...the upper level creaking.
"*weak* Mr. Williams..."
"What is it, kid?"
"*weak* Last night...I heard something from the upper floor."
He rubs the back of his head with a groan.
"Yeah, so I've been told. I'll try to check it out later. It's on my to-do list."
"*weak* Be careful. Might be something dangerous."
He ruffles my hair with a smirk.
"It's nice knowing someone worries about my dumb ass."
Wow...He can be sweet? Hell froze over.
"I hope you've got an appetite, sugar. Because I'm making manicotti."
Oh my god, yes!
"*weak* Awesome. Thank you, Ms. Brenda."
"Heh...Please, sugar, lose the formality. It makes me feel old."
"*weak* Sorry."
I hand the water back to Don and lay back down. My head will need time for the pills to kick in. Might as well let the dark soothe me till the food is ready. I'm going to need my brain. I'm still paranoid.
"Where the hell have you been?!"
I nearly jump off the couch at the sudden outburst.
"Get off my ass! I'm back aren't I?"
Oh hell...Lucy's back.
"It doesn't take two hours to get fever medicine. Gas stations have that shit and one is twenty minutes away."
"You're not my fucking dad! I don't have to tell you shit!"
"Do you even have the medicine?"
"Yeah, I got the damn medicine."
She retrieves a bottle of nasty-looking syrup from her breasts. Ew...It's gonna be warm.
"Tell me you at least paid for this and not with the five-finger discount?"
She doesn't answer and Don takes the bottle with disgust before coming over to me. Lucy storms off to her room and Brenda looks uncomfortable. Same. I can literally feel myself regressing back into an eight-year-old...hiding with my brother behind a mattress pressed into the bedroom door to muffle the screaming...It never could suppress the sound, no matter how hard we tried to block it out. Please, stop fighting...make it stop!
"Lynsie? Hey, calm down."
I hadn't realized I've been trembling or digging my nails into my arms, pulling away shows deep welts that will bruise harshly.
"You okay?"
I nod. He pours a douse into the cup-like lid and hands it to me. I look at the reddish-purple liquid and try not to gag at the smell alone. I hold my nose and shoot it down, coughing at the bitter bits that linger in the back of my throat.
"*cough* Why don't they make this shit in bubblegum? *gag*"
He leaves the evil potion of nastiness on the coffee table and heads for the door. I don't expect him to stay here forever, he's got more important work than babysitting a tenant. Still, I need to do something and Brenda doesn't strike me as being strong enough to give me aid.
"*meek* Mr. Williams?"
He pauses.
"What?"
His tone is sour, something that always intimidates me.
"*meek* Could you help take me to my bedroom?"
A faint tint colors his face but his expression never falters. Maybe I should word things better.
"You shouldn't move. You've been killing yourself keeping a roof over Lucy's head. Take it easy while you can."
I pout but his "does it look like I give a shit" stare holds me in place.
"You got this, Brenda?"
She nods.
"You can count on me. I'll make sure she's taken care of."
Satisfied that someone competent is in charge, Don takes his leave and I guess will do stuff on his list. Brenda, with a plate in her hands of something to get rid of the bad taste in my mouth, approaches as the door is messed with for a moment. We look at it confused as the muffled voice of Don is heard and then followed by another voice...one that has me perk up. The door reopens and Don has Peter by the hood of his vest.
"Lynsie, do you know this guy? He doesn't look like Lucy's type."
Peter is glaring at Don but my landlord is utterly disinterested by the lanky fellow in his grasp. Now that they're standing together...Holy fuck! Don's slightly taller than Peter?!
"*meek* Of course I do. That's my boyfriend, Peter."
Peter yanks himself free.
"Told you."
He straightens up and smiles innocently at me.
"Hello there, darling."
"*meek* Hi, sweetie."
Don grumbles.
"Yeah...'Boyfriend'...Sure."
Don leaves again and I'm confused about what he meant by that. Peter comes over to sit with me as Brenda hands me the tasty dish.
"*meek* Thank you."
"Eat up, sugar. There's plenty more where this came from."
Such a nice lady.
"And this handsome man is really your boyfriend?"
Peter scoots closer and rests his head on top of mine.
"Yep. I'm this lovey-dovey honey bunny's one and only."
If the medicine was reducing my fever that went out the window with how much heat that embarrassing sentence is bringing to me now.
"Awwwww...A sweetheart too. What a catch."
...I am going to die. They are going to feed off sweet mush that embarrasses me and I'll be dead.
"Oh, where are my manners? My name is Peter."
"Oh, such a gentleman. I'm Brenda. I live next door."
"It's nice to meet you. Thank you for taking care of Lynsie."
Huh...He's doing better with her than yesterday's intro with TK. Wonder why?
"You had me worried, darling. I showed up to your work for our break-date and didn't see you."
I shove pasta in my mouth to avoid talking.
"Sugar here isn't feeling so well. So she's stuck at home. Sorry we didn't let you know. We didn't know she had a boyfriend and she just woke up."
Peter's arms snake around my waist in a hug.
"It's a recent relationship so it's no surprise. No worries."
That made me pause.
"*meek* Lucy knew."
Brenda pouts.
"That girl...I swear, she'd forget her head if it weren't attached."
She runs a hand through her hair.
"Anyway, are you hungry, Peter? I made plenty."
"Not right now. But thank you."
I finish eating and hand the plate back to Brenda. She leaves to the kitchen as Peter nuzzles my hair.
"*meek* Sorry about Mr. Williams. I hope he didn't rough you up."
"Nah. It's nothing to worry about. Just curious as to why he got all rough in the first place. All I said was I was here to see you when he asked who I was."
"*meek* That's on me. With Lucy's promiscuity and my paranoia, I asked him to be wary of guys that say they come for me."
"Why's that?"
I shrink in his hold, getting his attention.
"Darling?"
I put my hands over his.
"*meek* Ms. Brenda..."
"Yes, sug...ar...?"
She turns and takes note of my nervousness.
"*meek* Peter can look after me if you want to leave."
It takes her a moment to get the hint.
"Sure, sugar, no problem. You spend time with your man. I'll be next door whipping up some more tasty goodies to fill your fridge with." 
"*meek* Thank you."
"I’ll let TK you’re being fed. Though...I'm not sure how hungry you'll be with that stud muffin there to satisfy your apatite."
Or she can misconstrue my intent and piss me off.
"*meek* Thanks."
Brenda leaves, but not before blowing a kiss and winking at Peter. I don't care for that at all. I snarl.
"Weird. Why would she tell TK anything?"
"*meek* That’s his step-mom."
He takes this info and rumbles a little bit much to my confusion. So I change the subject back to why I made her leave in the first place, leaning back on Peter to get his attention.
"*meek* So...I'll tell you why Mr. Willaims was being a gate guardian, but you gotta promise to not freak out."
His face grows worried.
"This doesn't have anything to do with your family, does it?"
"*meek* No. This isn't about them. This is about my trust issues."
Sensing some heavy shit, Peter lets me go and makes himself comfortable before pulling me into his lap.
"You don't have to say it if it bothers you."
"*meek* It doesn't bother me. I'm just scared this will be the baggage that'll make you want to leave."
His arms hold me close and he kisses my cheek.
"I told you already...I will never leave you. No matter what."
I can feel a tightness in my throat from the dread of bringing this up to him.
"*meek* Do you remember when we met? How jumpy and skeptical I was about your intent?"
"Yeah."
"*meek* The reason for that and why I don't let others be close to me is..."
I can feel my eyes water.
"*meek* When I was in seventh grade, three boys attempted to rape me. And then when I was fresh out of high school, a similar event happened at a public pool. Both times, I had managed to get out of it with nothing more than shitty memories. Though the one at school was bad. Not only did I have to fight those boys off...But the school compensated me for such trauma with museum tickets. Tickets that I still have."
His fingers dig into my sides, gripping me more to him.
"*meek* Since then, I've been less trusting of people. Building up walls to keep others away or dissociating altogether just to seem unapproachable. It's probably not healthy to do so yet it's how I feel safe. I've explained this to Mr. Williams and TK. They watch out for me because sometimes I'm not in the moment enough to see the red warning flags, especially when other stuff is pulling my focus."
I wipe my eyes and look up at him.
"*meek* Sorry again that I'm so messed up."
He leans down and presses his face to mine, no kiss, only contact.
"This world has been terribly cruel to you. I'm sorry."
I give him a little nuzzle.
"*meek* I'm so glad I let you into my life."
His hands ease up and start kneading my sides apologetically.
"I promise to do anything and everything to make up for all the bad things that happened to you."
"*meek* You don't have to do that."
"I know I don't have to. I WANT to. What kind of partner would that make me if I didn't try?"
I give him a smile as he plants a big smooch on my forehead only to pull back suddenly.
"Wow, you're warm. Poor thing, you really are sick."
He looks around and spies the bottle.
"Did you take that stuff already?"
I nod.
"Hmmm...Probably wouldn't be good to take more so soon. Oh!"
He moves me off him and gets up.
"*meek* What are you...?"
"Give me a second, darling."
I nod again and he does his thing. He has me move into the couch corner, tucks the pillow behind my neck, and drapes the blanket over me. He heads into the kitchen, gets a hand cloth then soaks it in cold water, and returns to me to put it on my forehead. To top it off, he grabs the TV remote before cuddling up to me under the cover.
"Since you're not stuck at work and we're still on for a date...How about we do yesterday's idea? We just watch some movies and spend time together."
I snuggle closer to him.
"*meek* I'd like that."
He slips his arm around my neck and has my head rest on his side.
"Don't worry if you nod off on me. I'll be right here the whole time."
"*meek* Even if you have to pee?"
"Heh...Okay, maybe not the whole time."
I snicker as he turns the TV on. Finding a good movie is a little hard. A lot of shit is on TV. Thankfully he finds some classic horror flicks. Yet to say we watch them would be lying. We mostly add our own commentary. Such things are said like "The killer just said they're in the house, fucking leave, you stupid bitch!" or "Dismemberment? Really? Hydrofluoric acid would easily get the job done, and is less tacky." or "You know there are things that want you dead and can hear you, right? Why did you think having a baby was such a good idea?! They have no volume control!" and "How dumb do they think people are? You call that weak shit restraining? Duct tape and zip-ties can be broken easily and you can wriggle out of rope. And don't get me started on if your double-jointed.". We apparently get loud enough to draw Lucy out of her room and joins us in watching. This creates some awkward tension, Lucy finds it annoying we keep talking and Peter is annoyed she inserted herself into our moment. Brenda pops in every now and then, dropping off large tupperware meals while offering to feed us. Right now though, we had stumbled upon the greatest Jim Henson movie ever...Labyrinth.
"*meek* I loved this movie as a kid."
"Really?"
"*meek* I never knew the name because I'd always catch it midway in. So trying to ask my mom what the name was like a crazy person describing a dream they had. Mom! What was that movie we saw last night? You remember, right? The one where the troll is helping a girl that's trying to get her baby brother back from the guy that turns into an owl and sings a lot."
Peter covers his mouth to keep from laughing.
"I remember this being the movie that was my sexual awaking."
We look at Lucy funny.
"The hell does that mean?"
"Heh...You'll see~."
It takes a moment for it to hit me what she means. The clue that did it...the appearance of David Bowie.
"*meek* Oh! I get it now."
Peter's still confused.
"I don't get it."
"*meek* Look at his pants."
With that, Peter now sees what we do...The reason the man was coined "Lord of the Bulge".
"The fu...And this was a kid movie?!"
"*meek* Yep. You come for Jim and his muppets."
"But stay for Bowie and his massive pants python."
"*meek* Eh, that's just eye candy. He's the best part of the movie. The story is insane, Sarah's a dumb bitch, the other side characters are meh, but Jareth the Goblin King...That's the reason this movie is a classic. He's just a really well-developed character."
"Oh, he's well developed alright~."
"*meek* Get your head out of the gutter for once. Jareth is complex. He's not the basic stereotypical villain. He's proud, clever, charming, and deceiving. He displays other traits, at some points even shows feelings toward Sarah as she progresses through his Labyrinth. By the end of the film, he is desperate to win, attempting to win Sarah over by offering her everything she wants, promising to be her slave in exchange for her love, fear, and obedience. He acts as the ring leader with his goblin subjects, expecting them to laugh at his jokes and quickly losing his patience with them. Despite the fact he treats his subjects poorly, they continue to serve him and obey him without question. He appears weary of their antics and often seems more interested in following Sarah's progress in one of his crystals than interacting with them. Despite Jareth showing no signs of anger at Sarah's rejection in the film, the Return to Labyrinth series depicts Jareth as a sore loser in the wake of Sarah's victory, unable to accept his defeat at the hands of a young girl. He appears to be very domineering when given the opportunity, with his main goal following Sarah's defeat of him being able to make her forget her own dreams and bend to his will. However, due to the fact that he lets her leave to follow her dreams at the end of the series, this proves Jareth truly does love Sarah...Even if his love means utterly dominating her."
I am met with stares.
"You're such a nerd."
"*meek* And proud of it!"
"Nerds are hot~."
"*meek* Daww..."
"Wait, so there's a sequel?"
"*meek* Kinda. There is a script being made for a film. Not sure who could ever play Jareth since Bowie died. Those are some tight pants to fill. But the story has been continued in multiple mangas."
"...Do you have any?"
I shake my head.
"*meek* I wish. But I don't have the funds to splurge like that. Oh! And the Dark Crystal mangas too. Pretty much anything Jim Henson in manga form is on my wishlist."
"Sorry to hear that, darling. It's a shame you have to work so hard because you have a roommate that's taking you for granted."
The salty tone Peter uses cuts into Lucy who is none too happy about that.
"The fuck is that supposed to mean?"
"Must I be blunt, dead-weight? Little Miss 'I've spent all my money on crack, pay my rent for me again?'"
Whoa! Damn, Peter, where the fuck is this coming from? Granted, he's not entirely wrong. But still!
"Hey! Eat my ass, you little twig!"
...That was the stupidest comeback I think I've heard since kindergarten.
"No thanks. I don't eat out sluts who might be carrying something."
Okay, this is getting way too crazy. Time to stop it before real fighting happens.
"*meek* Both of you, knock it off."
"Hey, he started it!"
"*meek* Does it look like I give a fuck who started it?"
I point at Peter.
"*meek* I know what you meant and I know you care, but the way you said it was very rude."
He pouts and I point at Lucy.
"*meek* And you, without giving me any reason for why, have been making me bleed myself dry each month. That, and you know Mr. Williams isn't cool with drugs or constant night visitors, but you do both. That puts my ass on the line, not just yours."
She's offended and startled that I'm suddenly on her like this.
"Don't jump on me just 'cause your stupid boyfriend is here."
I glare harshly.
"*meek* Bitch, I'm jumping on you because I work three fucking shifts plus overtime at a shitty job where I'm treated like dirt because you won't pay your end. Fuck, all I want is an explanation. Give me one damn reason why you can't even buy us food? Because living off the kindness of others is fucking pathetic and degrading. Please, Lucy? That's all I'm asking. Just one reason."
She's flustered. I've kept my mouth shut these last three months but Peter's call-out got a ball rolling that just couldn't be stopped...not without shoving someone in the path. She sighs as she rubs her face and then grips the couch cushions.
"Fine..."
Wait, really?!
"Do you remember my friend, Vio?"
Vio? Shit! Why do I suck at remembering people?!
"*meek* Can you give me a hint?"
"Split pierced tongue and full-body snake tattoo."
"*meek* Oh! Vio! Cool dude. What about him?"
"He got into some trouble around the time we got the apartment. I've been paying off his bail since then."
My brain shuts down. Peter speaks up.
"But you don't have a job. How are you getting money to pay his bail?"
She averts her eyes from us and avoids answering.
"*meek* Lulu...Why didn't say anything?"
"I'm used to doing things on my own. My parents were assholes. Dad was abusive and mom was on crystal meth. Ever since I was a kid, I pretty much raised myself. One night they had a really violent fight and I just ran away. So when we got this place, I meant it when I signed the lease agreement to pay half. But then Vio got arrested and I didn't want to admit to you that I needed help."
Peter growls.
"So you make her work so hard she gets sick?"
"I've been trying to get a real job. For four months I've been filling out applications. I go to interviews all the time. They just never call me back. But...*sigh* You're not wrong. I've been an ass to make her carry everything because I'm too fucking scared to let a friend know I fucked up. Which is why...I'm gonna apply to work at the diner with her."
Ow! My heart!
"I've managed to scrounge up enough to pay the last bit of his bail off. Once that's done, I'm paying you back everything I've made you give."
She finally looks at me and her eyes are filled with tears about to burst.
"Can you forgive me?"
This bitch...Argh...My achy breaky bleeding heart!
"*meek* ...Get your dumb ass over here and hug me."
I'm forgiving, yes...But I didn't say I wasn't still pissed about it. She slowly comes over to me.
"You must really be mad. I've never seen you like this before."
"*meek* I'm not mad..."
I grab her arm and pull her into an awkwardly bent hug and scowl at the back of her head.
"*meek* I'm disappointed you didn't think I'd understand."
She trembles a bit and I pat her back to affirm we're going to be okay. I look over at Peter, his stare on Lucy is one that could kill, but the second he sees me it becomes softer yet still holding some angst. I let her go.
"*meek* When are you getting him out?"
She wipes her eyes.
"*sniffle* I...I can do it tonight."
"*meek* Tell him that beasty says hi and punch his shoulder. He'll know why."
She gives a small laugh.
"Are you ever going to tell me why he calls you that?"
I wag a disapproving finger.
"*meek* A girl should never reveal all their secrets. You'll have to find out why on your own like he did."
I give a wink and blep my tongue. She heads back to her room for I guess what she needs. Peter's arm around me squeezes my arm.
"You're being rather forgiving."
"*meek* Don't mistake this as me just forgiving her. I understand her situation. After how many times I've had to lose my things to pawn shops just to give mom commissary or bail her out...*sigh* She'll be repaying me for a while. That's more than most have offered in my life."
Lucy comes back out, purse on her shoulder, and heads out the door with a thumbs up. I give her one back and wait a moment before continuing.
"*meek* You don't like her, do you?"
He flinches.
"*meek* Sorry. I don't feel well enough to beat around the bush."
He rubs the back of his head.
"It's just...You don't deserve to struggle any more than you already had to put up with. You're so nice and kind. I don't want you to be taken advantage of by some drugged-up whore that dares to call you a friend yet walks all over you."
His biting words have me looking flatly at him.
"*meek* Careful, sweetie. You're towing a dangerous line."
He holds in what he wants to say. Choosing his next words carefully.
"If I were your roommate, I'd treat you with the respect you deserve. I'd never put you through this crap. I'm stable, financially set, and loyal to a fault. If I were your roommate, you'd never have to work again. Hell, you could use me as a footstool for all I care! Just as long as I was with you and knew you were okay..."
His words peter out as my vision blurs with moisture. His dedication touches my heart.
"Shit! Darling, please don't cry. I...I..."
I silence him with a light kiss. His eyes widen as I pull away.
"*meek* Don't put me on such a tall pedestal. I'm afraid of heights."
He snorts a small laugh.
"God, you're too cute sometimes."
"*meek* Honestly, sweetie, you flatter the hell out of me."
I hold his hand, giving him some assurance.
"Just being honest with you, darling. It...It's nice being able to talk to you and know you'll hear me out."
He smiles and laces his fingers with mine. A shift in the movie's music gets my attention. The ballroom scene plays.
"Man...Looks like Eyes Wide Shut had a baby with Beauty and the Beast."
"*meek* The 80s were a gloriously trippy time. Back when kids movies would scar you for life and yet you will defend them to the death because they were so damn good."
Sarah and Jareth dance as the song "As The World Falls Down" plays. It reminds me of how Peter and I danced at the diner...minus the creepy masked weirdos and elegant setting.
"*meek* To think this film would've been completely different if they didn't manage to get Bowie to play Jareth. We really dodged a bullet in this timeline."
"Oh yeah?"
"*meek* Bowie was their first choice, they had him in mind from the start because they wanted his music and cosmic allure. But dear lord, the second and third choices for the role...Sting and Michael Jackson."
I shiver and he cringes.
"Yeah, I don't think this would be as good if they went that route."
"*meek* Ah, Bowie, truly a star the world will never see shine again."
"You have a thing for him, don't ya?"
I look at him funny.
"It's fine. I can't get jealous over a dead man."
"*meek* No. Bowie was just a really awesome dude. I will always hype him up. If anything, I dig Jareth."
"Aren't they the same person?"
"*meek* I can separate the character from the actor. Even so, I'm not like Lucy. I don't like someone based on looks. I'm into personality. It's why I usually crush on villain characters. Their more developed and have motives that can be understood. Take the main characters in Labyrinth for example. How deep is Sarah? All we know is she's a whiny brat that doesn't like her family situation, even though it's a totally fine family, and cosplays fantasy novels in the park to her dog. Jareth on the other hand, he's built up throughout the film and we see his motives change as Sarah draws closer. You want to know about him. You want to learn his story. But Sarah? Oh yeah, a moody teenager that wished away her baby bro is totally who I want to follow."
"Huh. Good point. That, and my sister's name is Sarah, so I already hate her. But..."
He pokes my cheek.
"Don't think I didn't forget you called his bulge eye candy."
I blush.
"*meek* I meant HE was the eye candy. Hell, the man sparkled like he was dipped in sugar. And not in the garbage Twilight way. *grumble* Fucking, Twilight, ruining vampires and werewolves with shitty soulless trash. Why did people like that and then thought 50 Shades of Grey, a poor excuse of Twilight fanfiction, was the pinnacle of epicness?! Argh! People have no taste!"
His lips curve in a devious smirk.
"So...What if I wore those tights and you saw my bulge?"
I pause my angst to think. Hmmm...Peter dressed as the Goblin King? Picturing it...processing...Oh, fuck! My increased blushing gets him grinning.
"I love that look you have, darling..."
He cups my cheek and leans in.
"If it so pleases you, I can be your Goblin King."
He ends that with a breathy voice and the chills that run through me at the feel of his tongue sliding across my neck are too good to be true.
*click*
"Oh my!"
Brenda walks in at the worst moment. Why does everyone have to be around when I'm with Peter?!
"S-So sorry. I was just making sure everyone was okay."
I doubt Brenda hears it, but Peter is growling lowly enough that I can feel the vibrations.
"*meek* We're good. Thanks."
She leaves embarrassed and Peter turns his attention back to me, changing the subject since the mood got spoiled.
"So...Do I have to 'find out' on my own, darling?"
Find out on your what? Oh! Right. I said that to Lucy.
"*meek* Nah, I'll tell ya. Vio calls me beasty because he heard me make animal sounds once."
His eyes cock.
"Really?"
"*meek* I watched a lot of nature documentaries as a kid and found out I have a flexible vocal range. Heh, doing so made some sounds my default for some things. Like, if I get hurt or scared I'll yelp and whimper like a puppy."
"Awww..."
"*meek* I also don't have a scream."
He looks at me funny.
"How so?"
"*meek* Don't get me wrong, I can intimate screams. But I lack my own. Instead, I roar."
His eyes widen like an excited child.
"...Can I hear it?
I hold a finger up and rub my throat. I don't do this as often as I used to so it can hurt. I inhale and let out the deep inhuman noise. It's a weird sound that reverberates through both my throat and nose. It tappers out as I go into a coughing fit. Peter has to smack my back a couple of times as I try not to hack up a lung.
"Breathe, darling, breathe."
"*coughing* Water...please..."
He bolts to fetch me a drink and I reach for the medicine bottle, pouring a dosage to gulp down. I'm coughing for a different reason by the time he returns and I chug the drink to dilute the nasty flavor sticking on my tongue.
"Better?"
A few shaky breaths calm me down.
"*meek* Yeah. Thanks."
My head is a little dizzy after all that. A chill moves through me from top to bottom.
"Darling? You don't look so well."
"*meek* I don't feel so good..."
"Just lay down. You're in no shape to push yourself."
I wobble a bit and hit the cushions with the grace of a drunken bear.
"Don't worry, love. I'm not going anywhere. I'm gonna be with you all night."
He lays with me and holds me to him, my face in his chest. That scent of his floods my senses. The haze making it hard to stay conscious. The last thing I can understand before everything shuts down are the best lines in the entire movie.
"Give me the child."
"Sarah, beware. I have been generous up until now. But I can be cruel."
"Generous? What have you done that's generous?"
"Everything! Everything that you wanted I have done. You asked that the child be taken. I took him. You cowered before me, I was frightening. I have reordered time. I have turned the world upside down, and I have done it all for you! I am exhausted from living up to your expectations. Isn't that generous?"
"Through dangers untold. And hardships unnumbered. I have fought my way here to the castle; beyond the goblin city, to take back the child that you have stolen. For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom..."
"Stop! Wait...Look, Sarah. Look what I'm offering you. Your dreams."
"And my kingdom as great..."
"I ask for so little. Just let me rule you, and you can have everything that you want."
"My kingdom as great...damn. I can never remember that line."
"Just fear me. Love me. Do as I say, and I will be your slave."
"My kingdom is great...my kingdom is great...You have no power over me!"
Strange flashes in my mind. Glimpses of things I don't recognize. A figure looming near me. Touching and clawing at my form. I call out for aid but have no mouth. This shadow is devouring me. Taking me to a place from which there is no escape. I weep but have no eyes. I thought I could see yet I was truly blind. And then...
"*gasp*"
I wake in a panic and hear startled shuffling. I only get a quick look at Peter from the kitchen haphazardly catching a knife that was tossed in shock. He comes over and rubs my back.
"Easy, darling. Settle down. It was only a dream."
My shaking slows down and my breathing settles.
"*meek* Only...a dream..."
"Let me get you something to eat. Your dietary habits probably didn't mix well with the medicine."
I nod and he walks away. I don't get dreams like that. Sure, they can fucking weird like that time I was being forced to marry Jason Voorhees when I was really in love with Michael Myers. Or that one random reoccurring one where a man in a chocolate bunny suit playing a ukulele and follows me where ever I go. Yet then there are the random ones that seem too real and then happen in real life later on. Why I can never dream up the winning lottery numbers still pisses me off. But that...That one...That felt wrong. Despite the oddness, it felt tangible. Like real hands were touching me. I...I shouldn't have brought up the rape attempts. Fucking brain made it 100% worse than what actually happened by just being creatively imaginative.
"Lynsie?"
I shake my thoughts away and try to smile for him.
"*meek* I'm okay...Just clearing my mind. Still not feeling so good."
He hands me a plate and then feels my forehead.
"You're not as warm as before. Another dosage might help kick it for good."
I nod again, just going along with things till the unease goes away. He picks up on this but keeps quiet, pouring my now third dose of yucky brew. I'm still sort of out of it, so he ends up bringing it to my lips and tilting my head back so it goes down.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
I shake my head and start eating.
"Was that bad, huh? My poor, sun spot."
He sits behind me and holds me to him.
"Is there anything I can do for you?"
I shake my head.
"*meek* You being here is enough."
He sighs but in a good way.
"*meek* Did Lucy come home yet?"
"No."
His hold ends as I feel him play with my hair.
"*meek* Why did you have a knife when I woke up?"
"Just putting things away after doing the dishes. Brenda might make good food but she forgot to clean up. And since you're not feeling well, I figured I'd help my darling out by doing a few things here and there."
He's too good to be true.
"*meek* You're amazing."
He chuckles and continues to have his fun with my hair. Teasing the scrunchie lower and lower, gauging if I'll stop him. I don't and he lets my hair flow freely.
"So long...How long did this take to grow?"
"*meek* Not long. It's only been cut maybe five times."
"Why cut it?"
"*meek* The first time was because it was too long. I'd sit on it and my neck would be pulled back if I tried to stand. The second was because it was knotting badly. The third was a normal haircut. The fourth time, my sister told me she was going to snip the tips to get rid of split ends...she cut up to my shoulders. And the fifth and last time, I did it as a symbolic way of cutting away my past."
"That's cool."
His fingers comb through my locks, taking his time to undo any knot he finds with a gentle finesse that has me barely feeling any of it.
"Must get really hot around your neck. That's why you tie it up, right?"
"*meek* Yeah. How did you know?"
"I used to have long hair too. Not as long as yours, I think it reached the middle of my back, but it was thick. On hot days it was murder. Like walking on the sun and drinking lava bad."
I tilt my head back to look at him. Hmmm...Peter with hair?
"What? What's with that look?"
"*meek* Trying to picture you with hair. But not enough detail is known to get a good image."
He blushes.
"*meek* What's your hair color?"
"B-Black."
Nope. Still can't picture it.
"*meek* Got a photo?"
His entire body tenses up.
"N-No! I mean...All those old photos were lost in a bizarre fire accident. S-Sorry, darling."
I pout and return to finishing off my meal.
"*meek* Shame. I bet you were just as cute as you are now."
A weak sound comes from him. No clue what it means. Either way, another plate of pasta fills my belly and he returns to messing with my hair.
"You don't mind me like this, right?"
I move the plate to the coffee table.
"*meek* Like what?"
"You know...Bald."
"*meek* Hair or no hair, it doesn't matter. I like you for you."
His hands comb their way to my scalp and start massaging. God that feels good.
"Are you purring?"
I nod.
"That's hot."
I giggle.
"*meek* I could get used to this."
"What's that?"
"*meek* Being happy."
He stops and I turn to face him.
"*meek* Thank you for being my boyfriend."
I lean into him for a kiss and he eagerly makes the connection.
"I can't believe this is happening. Tell me I'm not dreaming."
"*meek* Heh. Is it really so hard to believe? Am I not allowed to enjoy quality couple time with my Peter?"
His face reddens a bit and his more bashful side comes out.
"Y-Yeah. Heh...I just sometimes forget because, well..."
"*meek* What?"
"You're Ace. And I want to respect the level system you made."
Smack! This boy is too pure for my soul to comprehend!
"I know I border the line sometimes. I don't mean to make you uncomfortable just because I want a little more. But you have no idea how hard it is to be full of these feelings and urges. How hard it is to not smother you with kisses till our lips are swollen. To touch you and feel your soft skin. To hold you and breathe in your sweet scent. Seeing you makes my heart want to burst...among...other things."
He takes my hands in his, holding them tightly like they're a lifeline.
"Sometimes I get so worked up even when you're at work. Seeing you in that cute uniform...Watching you be strong and not take the bull others throw at you...God, it gets me going to the point I want nothing more than to bend you over the counter and fuck you in front of everyone, letting them know you belong to me and I to you."
I can feel all sorts of heat flooding me.
"I hope I'm not creeping you out by being so forward. But even you said trust is important in a relationship. And you have been so honest with me. Telling me things you don't let just anyone know. I owe you that same trust. I owe you my love in all its glory. Even if it's just me telling you about it."
He softly kisses my hands, a gentle and vulnerable look on his face.
"I love you, Lynsie. Everything and anything I do, I do for you and our love."
My heart is in overdrive. So much blood is being pumped that my brain locks on that last bit and loads the first thing it connects to it.
"*meek* ♪Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for. You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for. You know it's true. Everything I do. I do it for you.♫"
The look of his face, blank yet blushing, it snaps me back out of it.
"*meek* Did I just do something dumb? I feel like I did something dumb."
I blink and in the next second, he's grabbed my face then smashed his mouth into mine. Such intensity. Even now, with as much passion he's putting into it to the point my breath is stolen, he's holding back. After a good solid minute, he pulls back just enough for us to be rubbing noses.
"*lustful shudder* Darling..."
My lord, why does he sound so fucking hot like this?!
"What can we do while at level two?"
Oh...Oh shit...SHIT!
"*meek* Uh..."
Think! He's been an absolute dream. Putting up with your crap and not being scared off by your past. You owe him something reasonable.
"Don't force yourself if it makes you uncomfortable."
"*meek* I'm fine. Really. I told you before that I'm willing to try for you. I'm just...Really nervous. I've never done this before and I don't want you to have a bad time because I don't know what I'm doing."
I'm fiddling with my hands bashfully to keep composed. He on the other hand looks like he's about to lose his mind. I really need to filter how I say things.
"*gulp* W-What exactly do you w-want to do?"
I don't know how to say it in a normal way. So...I default to game speak.
"*meek* Level two, kissing perk upgrade, advance skill."
I can see the gears turning in his head. Just to make it a little clear what I mean, I stick my tongue out a little. When he finally gets it, his eyes widen and his pupils dilate like crazy.
"Are you sure?"
I don't have enough courage to speak and do this. I merely nod.
"Positive?"
Why are you asking so much? That's making me think twice with doubt!
"*meek* Peter, please..."
"Sorry, sorry...I'll stop. I just want to make one thing clear."
He grabs my waist and I freeze.
"My tongue is very sensitive. Things might get...intense."
That...That explains a few things now that I think of it.
"*meek* ...Understood."
I shut my eyes and wait, not being able to do the deed myself. The anticipation is nerve-wracking. Suddenly I can feel him kiss my nape and slowly makes his way up to my jawline. I'm beginning to think my neck is a sensitive spot because I'm trembling lightly. I peek and meet his gaze, my cheeks burning red much to his delight.
"You look so captivating, darling. Please...Don't look away."
His voice is laced with such desire that it sways control from me. I keep my eyes open and on him.
"Good girl."
I shudder when his mouth meets mine and my hands wearily rest on his shoulders. His lips, the sensation they spark in me, it's like the sweetest of tastes and realizing I'll never get enough. I try to copy his motions and it sets him off, kissing me harder, deeper, with a fervent urgent need that elitist such raw sounds from the both of us.
"*panting* I can't wait to taste you..."
He brushes his tongue over my bottom lip, requesting entrance.
"I bet you're delicious~"
"*meek shudder* Fuck that's hot."
That ego-boosting blurt out has him swelling with pride and he hungrily claims his prize. His tongue slips inside my mouth, gentle but demanding. It’s nothing like I've ever experienced, and I suddenly understand why people describe kissing as melting because every square inch of my body dissolves into his. My fingers grip his shirt, pulling him closer. My veins throb and my heart explodes. I have never wanted anyone or thing like this before. Ever. Lost in the moment, I don't resist the pull of his hands as they guide me to him, getting me to straddle his lap and pressing as close as possible to his body...and I don’t care. I don't care about any of the negativity my brain was pushing on me. Gone is the nervousness. Gone is the shyness. Gone is the anxiety. Gone is the fear. All I want is Peter.
"*moan* Oooh darling..."
"*meek purr* Yes, dearest?"
"Roll your hips for me."
"*meek* How so?"
His needy hands grip me and move my lower half as he sees fit, setting the motion that I am to follow as his own hips grind up into me. I feel him...all of him...getting harder and pressed against me. Only kept apart by fabric and respect. A strange new sensation comes of this, almost breaking the foggy trance he's put me in. His hands leave my now moving hips and are roaming everywhere they can, feeling me like the blind reading braille. And it doesn’t matter that his mouth is already on top of mine or that his long suffocating tongue is mapping every move it can make with mine, I want him closer. I want to breathe him, lick him, feel him, love him. ...I love him. I actually love this man. I love Peter.
I stop and he whimpers from the sudden end.
"Darling? What's wrong? Why did you stop?"
I release my grip on him to gently hold his face.
"*meek* I love you."
Now it is he who looks like he was smacked...love smacked.
*click*
We look at the door to see Don just barely peeking in, I guess it's his turn to check in on me. He takes one look and gets frazzled in a calm way. The silence has him shutting the door and yet we can hear him grumbling to himself from the other side.
"I need to get my freaking head examined..."
It takes a good minute for Peter to sigh a growl and try to rub the annoyance off his face.
"This wouldn't happen if we were living together at my place."
At this point, I have to agree with him. Is there a bell that goes off to summons people whenever we get just a little bit heated?
"*meek* At this point it's even bugging me."
He cocks his brow.
"Really?"
I nod.
"*meek* I mean, you'd think we could enjoy a tender moment in peace without someone walking in."
"Well...You could always move in with me."
Wait...Is he serious?
"*meek* I...Wow...No lie...Very tempting."
"What's stopping you?"
"*meek* I'm signed in for year here. If I leave before that time, that's a huge amount of money I can't pay off even if I sold everything in this place. Like, I'm talking nearly five grand."
He pouts.
"But, and bear with me, say I could hypothetically pay that off. Would you move in then?"
I have to think about this. If I were to remain here, I have to still deal with Lucy and all her crud even if she says she'll get her act together. Yet if I go with Peter...I get Peter. Argh...This is tough.
"I've been telling Rat about you. She's excited to have a mom. Someone to spend time with her while I'm working in another room."
Oh, you playing dirty now?
"*meek* Bringing the baby into this? Low blow, sir."
He snickers.
"Worth a shot. But...Would you?"
I sigh.
"*meek* That's a big step, sweetie. We've only been dating for less than a week and that sounds like a level four or, at the minimum, mid-level three type deal. And we've only just breached unlocking level three."
His face saddens.
"Oh. I guess I was asking a bit too much too..."
Realization hits.
"W-Wait! Level three unlocked?!"
I nod and he embraces me tightly, making me snicker till I'm reminded of the rather stiff rod pressing into me.
"*meek* E-Easy now. You don't want to hurt yourself."
His face reddens but his excitement never fades.
"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of that later. I'm just so happy. Not only did we reach another relationship level, but..."
He smothers me in an intensely deep kiss.
"I got to hear you tell me that you love me~."
The coo in his voice sends me into bashful mode. I hide in his neck and he pets my head.
"I love you, Lynsie."
"*meek* ...I love you too, Peter."
He purrs. And I try to ignore the poking and twitching between my legs.
"So..."
Uh oh.
"What does level three unlock? If it's okay to ask. Unless you still need to think about it, I don't want to put you on the spot or anything."
A little late there.
"*meek* I still need to think about it. I haven't had the free time to get that far in thought. Not with all the crap that's happened, you know?"
"Understood. Just take your time. I can wait."
He truly is a sweetheart. I kiss his neck and settle into him as comfortably as I can with his boner still raging. Seriously, how is he not in pain? Isn't it driving him crazy? Do I not know how dicks work? So many questions! Ugh...I shouldn't dwell on such things. I'll end up with some weird fucking dreams.
"Getting sleepy?"
"*meek* I could probably go for another nap."
I move off him and he hisses ever so faintly from the lost contact.
"*meek* Go take care of your friend, sweetie. I'll be here and ripe for cuddles when you come back."
He rubs the back of his head with an embarrassed snicker.
"Okay. But just so you know..."
He leans into my ear and speaks with a breathy sly tone.
"I'll be thinking of you the whole time~."
I hide in my hands and he heads to the bathroom with proud laughter. Damn him and his ability to fluster the shit out of me with ease!
I undo the comfy corner he made and set it up for sleep. Maybe if I let my mind wander I can think about stuff better. Wow, what kind of sentence was that? My head must really be messed up. Being sick sucks so much ass! I shut my eyes.
Maybe level three could be a more intimate level? Like touch-related stuff. It probably won't kill me to let him feel my boobs. So would that mean clothes removal would be an optional perk? I'll limit that to just the base layer and underwear stays on. Wait...So if I grant him boob access...What does mean for me? Oh...Oh shit! Uh, change the train of thought! Change it now! Stop thinking about his dick! Stop it!
I battle myself for while till Peter comes back. The power of his cuddles does wonders to put me at ease. Making it all the easier to go gently into that goodnight.
Ugh...My head...My head is killing me. I stir from slumber in the dead of night. The room is completely dark. Feeling around, I can't find Peter and just assume he's gone to the bathroom. Still, I can't wait on him to deal with this pain. Where did Don leave the aspirin? Standing up proves a poor choice, the pressure grows in intensity and just about every part of me scrunches up. I know the living room layout but still have to feel around to avoid hitting things. This has got to be the worst headache I've ever had. I make it to the kitchen when the pain gets to be too much. I'm bracing the counter for my life just to keep standing. Fuck...Fuck...Don't fall...Don't you fucking fall...Don't give in...Don't...
Sudden touches on my back have my yelp in shock.
"Shhh...Easy, darling, it's just me."
As relieving as Peter's return is I'm on the verge of tears and trembling.
"You're shaking. What's wrong?"
All I can do is whimper.
"Do you need medicine?"
I have no clue if he can see me, maybe he can what with his eyeshine, but I nod as softly as possible to avoid shaking my brain.
"Okay, uh...Let me just..."
I hear the rattle of a bottle and his hand comes to my mouth.
"Take these, dear. They'll take all the pain away."
I do as told in the hope of sweet healing. Two tablets pop into my mouth and he helps me stagger over to the sink, I shove my face in the facet stream for something to wash them down.
"My, someone's thirsty."
I pull myself from the water and shut it off.
"*meek* Thank you, sweetie."
"Think nothing of it, darling. I'm just happy to be of help."
I attempt to turn around to hug him but my body suddenly feels extremely weighted. My sense of balance is fading quickly. I know this feeling well...My body is shutting down. But this is happening way too fast to be normal. What did he give me?
"*meek* S-Something's wrong."
My body caves to whatever tablets I took. Legs giving out as gravity takes hold and I brace for impact. I'd be in worse pain if it hadn't been for Peter. His arms catch me and wrap themselves around me in a loving embrace against his body...yet it doesn't feel right. My mind is racing almost as fast as his heartbeat. Is he as freaked out as me? Is he panicking that he gave me the wrong meds? Please, let that be the reason why.
"*slurring* Pe...P-Peter..."
His arms tighten around me as my full weight drops on him.
"Don't worry, Lynsie..."
He nuzzles my cheek before kissing it and purring in my ear.
"I'm going to take good care of you~."
Realization kicks in and the exact nature of the situation sinks in completely...He's drugged me.
Panic mode kicks in and what little adrenaline I can muster is used to struggle from his arms. But he doesn't let up, not even once, he's too strong. Fear is overtaking me. Trauma coming back like it's still fresh. I fight the best I can under this paralyzing effect, punching, kicking, clawing, stomping. Clearly I'm hitting him yet my strength is utterly drained, so each attack has negative damage output. I know I'm doing poorly when he lightly chuckles and kisses the top of my head.
"Let's get you to bed, love."
I give up on fighting. I can't do anything. Everything is failing. Even my crying is weak.
"No no, darling. No tears. I'll be with you all night. Even in your dreams."
Damn it...Why? Why did you do this? I thought you cared! I thought you loved me!
"*slurred* I...trus...ted...you..."
I feel him scoop me into his arms like a bride and I want to vomit at the knowledge he's taking me to my room. I'm going to be ruined. And by him of all people. Why? Why Peter? Why did I love you?
My breathing slows to a crawl. Thought is stopping. My eyes close. And the darkness consumes me.
(He places you down on the bed with loving care)
(Admiring you as he has done for months now)
(Slowly he spreads your legs and crawls between them)
(The night is still young and he is far from done being with you)
(You are in for a very rough night)
(Sweet dreams)
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capt-spooki3 · 3 years ago
Text
By The Witch's Grace
Route Unlocked: Phil
Chapter Four: First Lesson
A Sbi "choose your own story" fanfiction
Click here for story description
Warnings: cursing, fainting
4.4k words
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Y/n stepped down the stairs on the porch, they decided on going to go find Phil because they were eager to ask him all about magic. As they walked down the last step, Wilbur hopped up with the guitar in hand and a big smile when he saw them.
“Hey! Uh Y/n, good morning, I was going to ask if you could help teach me guitar?” He held the instrument up in his hands, gently like he was afraid to break it. “You seem like you’d be a good teacher.”
“Oh, yeah, I can teach you sometime. I’m going to go find where Phil went off to, but there are music books on the shelf if you want to get started!” They smiled at him, his face falling a little and shoulders lowering before a small smile returned and he stood, looking a little too tense.
“Of course! Of course… have fun Y/n.”
They waved to him as they walked away, feeling a little guilty to leave him like that, but brushed it off as they approached the tree line and heard soft humming from within the trees.
“Why in the world does he have to be all the way in the woods- hey, Phil?” They stopped before the grass was taller and waited to see if they would get a response, but they got nothing. Right as they stepped forward to walk into the taller brush, a flicker of blue light illuminated from farther in the trees. “Using magic instead of words… of course.” They couldn’t help but smile and scoffed but continued forward into the forest.
A few paces in and they spotted him sitting in a clearing they were sure wasn’t there before, just watching a floating blue light right above the palm of his hand. There was a thin line of blue light that shone dimly around the area of the clearing. He almost seemed to be actively ignoring their presence until they took a step into the circle and he turned to them just before they tripped on seemingly nothing. Losing all sense of balance in an instant, they fell forward flat on the ground. They slowly opened their eyes up, groaning softly, but quickly realizing they weren’t in the forest anymore. The circle he had been sitting in had turned into a pasture on a small hill that overlooked an overgrown piece of land and instead of being morning, it was night now. Crickets sang softly and lightning bugs glittered the area and even the air smelt of dew and coldness of the night.
“What the hell…” They got to their feet slowly, looking around in awe while Phil watched in silence. They walked forward but stopped at the softly glowing, blue circle that seemed to be the same area of the clearing they saw before stepping in. “What is this… Phil?” Turning to him, they watched his hand enclose around the blue light he was holding, and it burst into little blue embers before disappearing before he stood up to join them at the edge of the circle.
“Peaceful isn’t it?” He spoke softly so as not to disturb the quietness around them both. “It’s magic in case you couldn’t tell, I’m surprised you couldn’t feel it before you stepped in.” He said with a little laugh, quietly surveying the area with a smile.
“What do you mean?
“Hm?”
They gestured aimlessly with their hands.”What you just said- the.. ‘couldn’t feel it’ bit. What does that mean?”
“Oh! Right, my bad mate” He laughed at himself, taking a moment to sit down again though beside them this time before he explained. “Let’s see, how can I explain this in a way that would make sense… so magic has a feeling when your soul is in tune to it, you’ll have a sixth sense in a way once you work on being able to feel it. When you get close to a magical area or even a person that uses magic, your soul will react.” Y/n looked at him like he was crazy when he said that but his smile just grew wider. “It feels warm like you’re standing near a fire on a cool summer night. I’m sure you’ll get a hang of the feeling quickly though so don’t worry. You know what! Let’s start on that now.”
He turned himself to face them and crossed his legs, patting the area in front of himself as he looked up at them to urge them to sit. They took another look out at the millions of fireflies that simply mesmerized them before sitting in front of him with their legs crossed as well. He reached over and took both of their hands in his and held them gently. Y/n just watched, confused but incredibly interested. They didn’t say a word and just watched him. 
Phil closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath and blowing it out. Slowly, his hands began to emit a gentle yellow that glowed the brightest in his veins nearest to his hands. The color started to crawl onto their hands around where he held onto them like it was a tiny fire spreading from his hands onto theirs. As his light grew slightly brighter, they felt a comforting warmth begin to bloom in their chest. Just like Phil described, it was like a fire was surrounding their chest but it didn’t burn it just protected and warmed.
“Do you feel it yet?” He opened one eye at them while they stared back, eyes wide and gleaming from the dim magic.
“You feel this all the time?”
“Not all the time, just sometimes. Like when we first met you, you were very warm, I could sense the magic from your home before you even opened the door. I swore you’d be able to feel my magic too, but I guess it makes more sense now that you couldn’t.” He slowly let their hands go, the glow falling away from their hands as well as his shortly after. “Is the warmth gone yet?”
They put a hand on their chest, watching it while they focused on their chest for the feeling, but it was long gone. It saddened them a little, but they looked back up to Phil and nodded. “Yeah, it went away as soon as you let go. How did you do that? What did you do?” 
“I condensed a lot of magic into my hands and boosted your aura with it. That’s the little thing surrounding your soul that lets you sense that magic, we’ll have to train yours if you want to sense magic on your own. Though…” He trailed off, holding their gaze a moment before he looked over at the star-littered sky. “That may take a while. As much as I want to encourage you to have time to spend with my sons and bond with them, this is an important part of learning. I’d have to ask you to spend most of your days with me until we’ve mastered this.”
“That’s fine!” They replied immediately, startling him as they leaned forward in excitement. “I want to learn! I’ll gladly give you all my time, I want to learn as much as I can. Like… like how to do this.” They said, gesturing to the projected area around them. “And… I don’t know, how to turn people into pigs or something.”
Phil burst out laughing which carried over to Y/n, making them giggle along with him. “Who are you? Circe?” He joked but they just ended up looking at him with confusion. “She’s a goddess who is well known for turning men to swine. Though… in all honesty, you do kind of remind me of her now that I’ve connected the dots. At least from what I have read of her.”
He left the topic on that note, not giving any indication of explaining his thoughts either. He taught them, quietly, in ways to feel natural magic. He explained to them the ways this earth held its own magic and if you were in tune with your soul, you could feel it in strong magical areas. There was even a promise to show them what he meant once they could feel his magic without aid.
Time passed while they sat together within the realm he made. It could have been hours and Y/n could have never been able to tell as the moment they were living in under the moonlight never seemed to end. The peace was everlasting and they couldn’t complain, this was the first time they have felt so at peace and safe with another person in years. Phil was patient with them in their confusion with this magic he was clearly well versed in, he calmly eased their mind when they grew frustrated and offered a new way to try and learn their soul. 
When they finally began to feel dim warmth in their chest again, he seemed much more excited over it than they were even when he was just teaching them. He questioned them on how it felt and if they could enhance the feeling along with other questions that made no sense to them as he used words that held no meaning in their mind.
“You made a lot of progress today, I’m proud of you. I think you need a well-deserved break though, we’ve been at this for quite a while.” He said to them while getting up slowly to stretch his legs and even his wings as he unfurled them, stretching them out for a moment before pulling them in to offer Y/n his hand to help them up.
They took his hand, standing up slowly as their legs ache from sitting in the same position for so long. “It feels like we’ve been here for hours.” They complained, looking up at him. “ How long… have we been in here?”
“I’d say it’s been all day.”
“Wha- hold on, all day!? Oh no, I told Wilbur I’d teach him guitar!" Y/n ripped their hand away from Phil’s when they ran to run out of the magic domain and apologize to Wilbur. They had no intention of stopping until Phil yelled out in a panic.
“No, wait- Circe!” It was too late by the time they heard him as they were already halfway out of the illusion, but as soon as they felt the chilled air on the other side, their vision darkened. The last thing they could feel was their fall being stopped by hands grabbing their arms and holding them most steadily by the waist. It didn’t seem to take too long for them to regain consciousness as their eyes settled on the treetops around them, hardly outlined against the night sky.
“Hey there, are you with me?” They turned their vision to beside them, being met with Phil’s face. He smiled at them despite the worry that was prevalent in his expression. The pounding in their head hit shortly after, holding their forehead with one hand as they groaned softly as they were pushed up into a sitting position though Phil kept his arm on their shoulders for support.
“What just happened?” Y/n mumbled out, tears were starting to prick their eyes from the pain. Phil ran a hand over their head to smooth out their hair, tending to them in a caring manner. “I assume… I shouldn’t have tried to leave that fast huh.” The realization had come slowly and he laughed softly at them, now holding their gaze.
“It was a bit too strong for you, that would be my fault. I should have warned you much earlier about that, the drastic change in magic around all around you to nothing but small traces of natural magic is enough to take anyone down especially after being surrounded by it for so long like we were.” He got his feet under him and stood up but kept a slight lean as he held both hands out to help them up. It took quite the effort to pull them up since their body still felt weak and their legs were jello, but they were standing at least with the help of holding onto Phil for dear life. “Wanna head back to the house? I’m sure Will has already started cooking and we can get you some medicine.”
They sighed, dropping their head onto his chest. “Yeah… that’s fine. I need a minute though.” Each time they moved so they could adjust their position, their legs nearly gave out so they didn’t want to risk collapsing on the way.
“Do you need me to carry you?” He offered, leaning his head to the side to see their face but they just laughed.
“No, no I’m fine.”
A couple of moments passed by and he started to push them off of him but consoled them quickly when they started to panic. “You’re fine, just let me pick you up okay?” He waited until they nodded that it was okay and slowly scooped them up into his arms since it was the easiest way to carry them other than on his back as his wings made that a bit difficult. They kept an arm around his neck to feel more secure and leaned into him a little, head resting on their arm over his shoulder. He didn’t prompt them to talk since they were visibly tired so that gave them time to just think while he made his way through the brush and trees.
They hummed softly before muttering. “Phil?”
“Yeah mate?”
“Why did you call me Circe?”
“Oh, yeah I guess I did huh?” He chuckled at his carelessness and glanced down at them though they only matched his gaze last second before he looked away to watch where he was going. “I’m sorry about that, I’ve been thinking about you and your resemblance to her since I mentioned it. I guess it fits you better than expected so I felt compelled to call you it.” He trailed off, the silence being filled with the crunching of sticks and leaves still on the ground from autumn that hasn’t had time to decompose since that year’s winter had come on too fast. They had begun to space out but snapped back when hearing him whisper to them. “I won’t make the mistake again, don’t worry.”
“Actually… it’s okay.” They moved their head a bit to watch the scenery pass as Phil walked, finally getting past the treeline “It’s endearing.”
Phil looked down at them and laughed softly. “You like it?” They nodded their head, not being able to help a smile. “Hm… I might just continue to use it then how’s that sound-” Right as he finished his sentence they both were startled by the door of the house being slammed open. They looked toward the sound to see Technoblade standing there with a hand on the wide-open door, looking slightly disheveled and worried.
“Phil! There you are!” Techno ran down the stairs and to the two, grasping Phil’s shoulders and checking him over feverishly while Phil watched amusingly. He looked Y/n over once he was sure Phil was okay. “I didn’t know where you two were, I was worried and- why do you both reek of magic? Did something happen? Are you okay? Why are you carryi-”
Phil cut him off “Hey hey, mate we’re fine! We are both okay, calm down.” He tenses up his wings and gives them a little shake before relaxing them again. “I was just teaching them and they left my realm illusion a little too fast and they aren’t used to strong magic changes like that.” He adjusted them in his arms and glanced at them. “They are just a little weak. If you want to help though, can you carry them into their room for me? I might be strong enough to carry them, but not for a long time.”
Techno took Y/n from Phil quickly and without a word, letting them get comfortable in his arms like they were with Phil. He waited to head toward the house until Phil started walking and made sure to keep to his side, he was acting just like a dog who hasn’t seen his owner for a little too long. He asked little questions on what the two were practicing and listening intently to Phil as he explained, though Y/n had to close their eyes at this point as a wave of drowsiness washed over them as they listened to the two talking. The deep rumble in Techno’s chest every time he spoke was oddly comforting, almost equivalent to that of a cat purring.
It seemed they dozed off because they were being gently laid on their bed the next thing they knew. The pillows had already been propped up so they could sit up easier. They sat back and looked at Techno once he had set them down. He gave them a light smile, patting them on the head to mess their hair up a little.
“Phil’s gonna be back soon, he’s getting you something to eat.” He said before turning away to talk out the door.
“Uh- Technoblade? Could you tell Wilbur to come here for me?” They sat up straight, waiting for a reply as he looked back at them. With a little laugh, he gave them a thumbs up and left the room with a small wave to them.
A few moments passed by while they waited, in that time Poppy raced into their room to offer nuzzles and lay on them to make everything better. They had become so focused on the cat and giving her attention that they didn’t notice Wilbur in the doorway until he knocked. Looking up at him in surprise, he waved with a smile and slowly walked over to their side with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Hey, I heard from dad what happened. How are you feeling?”
“Tired?” They laughed, watching as he sat on the side of the bed while they spoke. “I’m doing okay, I’m sure I’ll be fine by morning. Speaking of, Will I’m so sorry. I meant to come and help you learn guitar today but Phil kept me so busy that by the time he said to stop, it was night.” They leaned forward to emphasize their seriousness. “Tomorrow, bright and early, We’ll go down in the basement and I’ll help teach you okay?”
“Only if you’re feeling up to it alright?” He reached over, petting Poppy and making the cat lean into his hand and roll over to get more pets. “I don’t think anyone here wants you overdoing it.”
“I will and I promise, we can spend the whole day if you want.” They told him, glancing up when they noticed movement by the doorway again and seeing Phil with a bowl and a piece of bread.
He walked over and set it on the night table which was on the opposite side of the bed that Wilbur was on. “All day?” He asked, looking at Y/n who turned to him.
“Is that alright?”
“Hm..” Phil put his hands on his hips, dramatically taking his time to think. “I guess so, you probably want to have a day to recover from this huh.” With a small laugh, he rubbed their back lightly before heading out of the room. “Eat up and both of you sleep soon, it’s late.”
“Goodnight Phil!”
“Goodnight!” Wilbur echoed, watching him go before he looked back to Y/n. He looked like he had something he wanted to say but took a deep breath and smiled at them, getting up off the bed. “Hey you better enjoy the soup, I made it. And if I do say so myself, I did a great job on it.” They giggled a bit at him and he sighed with a little shake of his head. “You’re a really great person… I’m glad we met you. Ahem! Good night dearest Y/n and I’ll reconvene with you in the morning!” Making a show of bowing to them and standing up tall with his hands behind his back, he saluted before sharply turning and walking out the door.
They called after him with a laugh. “Sleep well, Wilbur!” Watching him go, they smiled to themself and with a few pets for Poppy they focused on eating so they could sleep and be ready for the day tomorrow.
-
“Now Y/n remember, I’m sure you won’t be using any magic but be wary alright?” Phil stood in front of them, holding intense eye contact before looking down at the eye of ender around their neck. He brought a hand up to hold it and examine it while they watched him. “I’ve been worried about this and I don’t know exactly how it’s going to affect you once we start playing with magic more. I could feel it sapping my magic from me yesterday…” He shook his head and let go of it, holding their arms. “Just… come to me if you feel off, okay? I’ll be right in my room with Techno.”
He sent them off with that, heading to his room where they assumed Techno was waiting for him. Wilbur was outside with Tommy since he demanded Wilbur come to see the sheep he has made friends with since everyone but him had seen. Y/n had Tommy tag along that morning when they went to feed the animals and he excitedly showed them how close he had gotten with some of the sheep and even a couple of the chickens. It warmed their heart to know he had something to fill the childish part of him that he wasn’t able to express when training to be in the guard.
They headed down into the basement to wait for Wilbur and decided to catch up on some reading. All of the talk of magic with Phil brought back their interest in it big time. They searched through the shelves, trying to find one that seemed like it had a lot of useful information that could help when Phil was teaching them. Standing against the bookshelf, they flipped through a book, stopping to read a page or two every once in a while until the front door closed and there were hurried steps down the stairs.
“Sorry for being so late, Tommy was telling me the names of all the sheep he named- I hope you didn’t already have names for them because he is all about this one being named Karen,” Wilbur said with a laugh as he got down the basement and looked up at Y/n who had the book in their hand, watching him. “Heh, uh hope I didn’t disturb your reading.”
They snickered, closing the book with a thump and sliding it back into its place on the shelf. “Oh, not at all.” Walking up behind one of the two plush chairs they had, crossed their arms on the back and looked up at Wilbur. “So, what all did you learn yesterday?”
“Oh! Well uh…” He grabbed the guitar up from beside the bookshelves opposite of Y/n where they kept the music books and sat over on the bottom step of the stairs. It took him a few moments of remembering out how to hold the instrument again, but once he had that down he strummed a few chords out of place before playing the standard ‘hot cross buns’ and after getting praise from Y/n he played ‘mary had a little lamb’ and ‘good king wenceslas’ which was a favorite of Y/n’s when it came to easier tunes to play.
“How did I do? That’s all I got to teach myself yesterday.”
Y/n walked over to him and knelt down where they adjusted how he held his fingers on the strings. “It’s easier to play and better on your hands this way. I think you did really well, better than I was and I learned just by listening to someone play and watching how they did it.”
He perked up at that, seeming to forget they knew how to play despite wanting them to teach him so desperately. “Do you want to play something? I’d love to see you play.” He offered the guitar to them to which they looked at it, seeming hesitant.
“Oh I don’t know, at this point, I think you’re better than me. It’s been a long time since I’ve played.” They touched the wood of the guitar, thinking back on when they last played. “I stopped making time for it when the hunters got bad. I guess I just fell out of it after that.”
“Well… maybe you can try again?” He met their eyes and pushed the guitar towards them again. “I know you’re learning new magic things, so maybe you can do something cool with that.” They took a moment to think about what he said and looked back at the instrument. Finally, they reached to take it from his hands and he seemed eager to give it up, pushing it onto them as soon as they had it.
They couldn’t help but laugh and sat back on the ground and crossed their legs as they situated the guitar, strumming a few chords and getting comfortable with the feel of it again. “Hm.. let’s see what I can remember here.” They strummed a few chords until something finally came to them. “Oh! I’ve got one, okay… I’m not sure how good this will be but…”
Humming softly as they started, they bounced their foot a little to keep time. They had to restart once with a small grumble but seemed to get the hang of it better with the second start. “Alright, so I think it goes a little bit like… I can feel it on my tongue. Brick and mortar, as thick as scripture. Drawing lines in the sand and laying borders, as tall as towers. I babble on until my voice is gone.” They sang, getting a feel for the music more as they went through as soon as they were singing the next verses they felt eyes on them. Other than Wilbur’s of course. They glanced up past him to see Phil, leaning against the doorway on the top floor of the house just listening. When realizing they were looking at him, he just smiled and waved a little before giving a gesture to tell them to continue playing. They smiled a little and gave a glance back at Wilbur then to their hands as they focused on playing.
“‘Cause like constellations a million years away, every good intention…”
___________________________________________
taglist:
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31 notes · View notes
adoringhaikyuu · 4 years ago
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when you've had a bad day 
summary: how the boys treat you after you’ve had a bad day
characters: hinata, kageyama, tsukishima, yamaguchi
warnings: none
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hinata
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sometimes hinata can be very excited and focused on a lot of things
but as soon as he notices that you’re not okay, you become his sole focus
he looks at you with wide, concerned eyes
‘what’s wrong baby?’
and his concern is enough to make you want to tear up
he just holds you and lets you cry, his hands rubbing up and down your back, playing with your hair 
even when you’ve calmed down and stopped crying, he insists on still holding you, wanting to make sure you’re okay
he listens to you when you talk about what happened, not interrupting or speaking up (which is rare for him, but he knows it’s serious so he listens)
his hands rub up and down your thighs as you sit on his lap, occasionally coming up to wipe your tears away
when you’re done ranting, he hugs you tight and reassures you that he’s there for you, apologizing for your terrible day
even though he knows he could run and be back with your favorite food in no time, he knows you’d rather him stay with you
so he orders food on his phone and cuddles with you, taking a nap if you want 
kageyama
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kageyama isn’t really good with feelings
but he does care about you
if he sees you tear up from frustration of your day, he pauses for a moment, not really knowing what to do
but he eventually stands closer to you, his arm brushing yours gently, not sure if you want him to hold you or not
‘are you okay?’
if you choose to deny it he tuts, a bit annoyed that you won’t be honest with him since he only wants to help
‘don’t lie to me y/n, what’s wrong?’
and if you can’t get the words out, he waits a moment before pulling you into his arms and just holding you, silently, patiently
when you finally speak, he comforts you, or at least he tries to 
if someone did something to you he says to not pay attention to them because they’re idiots and they’re not worth your time
he doesn’t think anything or anyone who hurts you or bothers you is worth your time
and he makes sure to remind you of this often, especially when it affects your day
tsukishima
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tsukki isn’t really open with his feelings either
but he’ll listen to you if you want him to
he doesn’t really show any emotion on his face and sometimes he’s hard to read, even for you
but you can tell when you’re in a bad mood, he’s there for you, ready to listen
he’ll make sure to tell you not to worry about your problems because they aren’t important, in the sense that if it’s making you sad, you should try to move past it instead of doting on it
he doesn’t like seeing you upset
so he often keeps one of your favorite snacks in his bag every day, just in case you need the pick me up
sometimes after you’ve finished telling him what’s wrong, he’ll just stare at you for a bit before taking off his hoodie and putting it on you, knowing it gives you comfort
you just smile up at him gratefully and he tries his best to smile back, even though he’s sad that you’ve had a bad day and he wasn’t there to do anything about it
he’ll put on your favorite show and bring you into bed
‘come on.’ opening his arms for you to lay on his chest, kissing you on the forehead as you get settled in
he’s not very good with words sometimes, but he always knows what to do
yamaguchi
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tadashi is just so in tune with you
if you’re in a bad mood, he is as well
not in the sense that he’s annoyed
but he gets a small pout on his face, a furrow between his brows as he tries to figure out what happened
he does everything he can to make you feel better
but he might freak out a little bit on his own when he realizes you’re not in a good mood, worrying that he might have done something without realizing 
he absolutely hates when you’re sad
he loves when you’re happy, he loves to see that smile on your face, the way your eyes light up and he’ll do anything to see it again
so he’ll ask you what’s wrong and listen intently
his eyes almost never blinking as he takes in your appearance and realizes how much this has had an effect on you 
then he’ll cuddle you if you want, giving you soft kisses all over your face and holding you tight
and he’ll get a bath ready for you while he prepares your favorite dinner
345 notes · View notes
radiorenjun · 4 years ago
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 I Don't Need It
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• Pairing: Na Jaemin x Reader
• Genre: Angst, Comedy, Fluff
• Na Jaemin despised the idea of soulmates, he wanted to fight against fate for choosing his soulmate for him. Even if it means his stubborn childhood best friend wouldn’t stop trying to make him accept about the similar tattoos on their wrists.
• Warnings: mental breakdowns, heartbreak, rejection, major angst, arguments, flashbacks, physical injuries, fighting, underaged drinking, panic attacks, slight mentions of death. things are going to get much better from this chapter on. Or is it?
• Wordcount : 9.2k
• Masterlist here!
• Chapters: XV, XVI
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“Oh dear Lord. Na Jaemin once listened to What Is Love by Twice and took it way to heart,” Hyuck tsked, shaking his head in disappointment, earning a few threatening glares from his older friends as they watch the lovesick boy sulk in his seat on the lunch table. “What? Am I wrong?” he asked, lifting a brow at them with an innocent shrug. 
“Fuck off, Hyuck,” Jaemin groaned, waving his friend off as he stared back at his phone screen with an empty expression. “Damn, Captain out here using the government name. What’s up with him?” Younghoon asked, walking up to the sulking boy with a towel over his shoulder, passing the cloth to Jeno. “He got into a huge argument with y/n the other day at the library,” Donghyuck explained, sighing as he patted his friend’s back sympathetically. 
“Yikes, I take it that it didn’t go so well?” Jihoon asked, wincing as he examined Jaemin’s seemingly lifeless state. The boy in question currently resembled a kicked puppy, his eyes held no emotion other than sorrow and heartbreak. Jaemin looked so ‘down in the dumps’ (as their coach had said before giving him a small time out) you could see his soul slowly leaving his body.
“No shit, dude. She told him to fuck off,” Hyuck hissed, wincing at the thought of his own soulmate telling him to get out of his life. “Ouch, for real?” Younghoon scrunched his nose, looking down at his captain who’s expression darkened as he looked down at his dirty sneakers. “I didn’t know Y/n could say that to the Na Jaemin, himself. Are you sure you aren’t just hallucinating things, Capt?” he asked once again, looking down at the boy before him. 
“He had it coming, really. Have you seen the awkward moments we had to go through because of how they keep pulling and pushing each other away? Damn, it was like I was watching a shitty anime adaptation on netflix,” Hyuck shook his head, tutting under his breath. Jaemin slowly raised his head up at the two boys towering over him, staring daggers into their souls. 
“I would very much appreciate it if you guys could stop gossiping about me like I’m not listening right in front of you and fuck off. Let me mourn for the rest of my life in peace, please,” Jaemin rolled his eyes, leaning the side of his face against his knuckles as he propped his elbow up on the table. “He’s got it bad, huh?” Chani commented, walking up to the boys and leaning his arm over Hyuck’s shoulder. 
“Definitely,” Hyuck agreed, nodding. 
“Lee Haechan, you’re not helping either,” Jeno rolled his eyes, crossing his arms against his chest. “Well what am I supposed to do, man? I gave him advice and all he did was just talk and do little things. Jaemin, listen, to win a girl’s heart you gotta go big or go home,” Hyuck advised with an enthusiastic tone, receiving nothing else but a heavy sigh from the said boy. 
Jeno gave out an annoyed groan, snapping his head around to look at his best friend. “So what are you going to do now? Are you really going to leave her alone?” he asked hesitantly, watching Jaemin’s sulking state carefully. Jaemin hummed, shrugging nonchalantly, pursing his lips in thought. “Well, if that’s what she wants then, I guess I have no choice,” he mumbled.
“What? Really?” 
“Look, what do you want me to do? I fucked up. I tried to fix things by small actions and waited for her to be more comfortable with me and I still fucked that up because I couldn’t be patient and time is running out. We’re graduating soon, I tried to talk things out and I still lost control of my emotions and somehow managed to fuck it up without the slightest bit of effort,” Jaemin snapped, running a hand through his hair and tugging on the roots out of frustration. 
“I get it, I fucked up. I don’t need to be constantly reminded that I lost my soulmate and I’m going to be alone forever,” he raised his hands up in defeat, groaning. “The least I can do right now is to leave her alone to have some time to herself. Maybe if I do that she won’t hate me as much.”
Jaemin was really hopeless at this point. He didn’t know what to do. He knew he had to do something to try and make things better, but he fucked up too much this time. He believed that the relationship you two have now is unrepairable. He screwed up his chances of making it up to you once again, and now he’s just going to sulk around until he gets over it. 
Jeno and Hyuck exchanged similar glances of sympathy, sighing heavily.��“You can’t just give up like that, dude. You just gotta try a bit harder,” Younghoon slung an arm over the younger boy’s shoulders, giving him an encouraging smile. Jaemin pursed his lips, hanging his head with his doe eyes staring holes into his shoes before shaking his head ‘no’. 
“I can’t. I really fucked up this one, you don’t even know,” Jaemin felt his heart ache at the memory of your exhausted expression that was now engraved into his skull. The way your eyes no longer held the adoration you had for him for so long. He internally wondered why he didn’t notice the sparkles in your eyes had faded whenever he came into your line of vision. Moreover, he regretted the fact that he didn’t cherish the moments when he could gaze into the adoration you held for him in your heart. 
“I made her turn into the old me. God, I fucked up bad,” he groaned, rubbing his face with his hand in distress. Younghoon sucked in his lips, gazing up at the two boys, widening his eyes and nodding at the distressed boy beside him, gesturing for them to help him comfort him. Jeno clicked his tongue, crossing his arms against his chest as he shook his head in disappointment.
“Are you really going to give up just because of that?” Jeno deadpanned, furrowing his brows. “What do you want me to do man?” Jaemin peered up at his best friend, letting out a puff of breath. “I really don’t know what to do anymore, at this point I should just fucking give up. She won’t even give me a chance, anyway. What’s the point anymore?” Jaemin claimed, his eyes half-lidded.
He felt tired. He just wanted to go back home and sleep until his problems go away. But he knew he couldn’t. He had to do something to fix this, he wanted to do something to fix this. But he was at loss, he didn’t know what he was supposed to do. He was already on thin ice, if he fucked up one more time, he wouldn’t know what’s going to happen next. And frankly he didn’t want to think or risk it. 
“No shit, sherlock.” Jeno scoffed, rolling his eyes incredulously. 
“You repeatedly hurt her for two years straight, asshole. I wouldn’t forgive you if I were her either,” he added with a heavy sigh, shaking his head at the younger boy who just gave him a glare in return. “Thanks for pointing that out, Captain Obvious. What else do you want me to do, huh? Climb the Eiffel tower?” Jaemin groaned, slumping against his seat. 
 “Then stop fucking sulking,” Jeno scolded. “You know very well sulking about your problems isn’t going to make anything better. You know that better than anyone, captain.” 
“Don’t use the ‘captain’ bullshit on me now, Jeno. I’m not in the mood,” Jaemin looked away from his friend, his eyes scanning the lockers in front of him. “Well, you better be in the mood sooner or later. The final game’s coming up, you better get your head straight before Coach actually gets serious and kicks you off the team.” Jeno scoffed, earning glares from Hyuck and Renjun. 
That finally put Jaemin back into his rightful state of mind. He had been working for the position all throughout his sophomore and junior year, he knew he wasn’t in the best state to focus on anything right now but he couldn’t give up the position he had been working oh-so-very hard for the past two years. ‘God. What the fuck am I suppose to do?’
Younghoon sighed, placing a hand on his friend’s knee, patting it. “The two of you are literally hopeless. But I’m happy that Y/n rejected your dumb ass,” he commented with a tight-lipped smile. Jaemin turned to his friend slowly, who wiggled his eyebrows at him in an attempt to lighten the mood. “I’m being serious, by the way.” Younghoon added, retracting his hand. 
“Gee, thank you for expressing your thoughts, Mr. Huang,” Hyuck chuckled, slinging an arm around the boy’s shoulders. “Hey, hear me out first!” Younghoon exclaimed, pushing his arm off of his shoulders with a roll of his eyes. “Listen, I’m happy she rejected you because it would be pretty stupid for her to just forgive you all of a sudden despite the fact that you haven’t learned from your mistakes.” He explained. 
Jaemin furrowed his brows in confusion at the boy’s words, “what’s that supposed to mean?” he retorted in an almost offended tone. “I don’t know if you realise this yet, Jaemin. But it seems that you truly haven’t learned from your stupid mistakes. She told you countless times she doesn’t want you to bother her and you did the exact opposite. You didn’t give her any time to slowly let you back into her life,” Jihoon shrugged simply, finally gathering the courage to speak up. 
“So what you’re saying is that it’s okay for her to barge into my life doing all that soulmate crap for the past two years and I’m not allowed to do the same?” Jaemin asked, raising a brow at him as a scowl stretched across his lips. Jeno groaned in frustration, raising a hand to rub his temples to keep himself from snapping at the oblivious boy. 
“See! He doesn’t even get it!” Jeno exclaimed, rubbing his forehead as he stared hopelessly at the boy sitting down in front of him. “Dude, you can’t just walk into someone’s life after hurting her twenty-four seven for two years straight, thinking that you would be forgiven in an instant. Hell, if we were Y/n we wouldn’t even want to look at you,” Jeno elaborated, taking a step back and crossing his arms against his chest. 
“You can’t blame the poor girl for being cautious. You’re supposed to be her soulmate, the one who’s supposed to make her happy. You’re doing a shitty job at doing so, if I say so myself. If anything I’m proud of her for saying no to you so kindly, if I were her I would tell you to get out of my life permanently. You’re making her lose her trust in you even more as time goes on. Get that through your thick skull, you asshole.” Jeno spat, his eyes narrowing at the younger boy with rage glossing over his pupils. 
Jaemin’s friends always considered you as their sister, they always cared about you and they always try to defend you and Jaemin whenever they can. But they knew this was getting a little bit too far. Your graduation ceremony was coming up soon. Prom was coming up. The final game is coming up. Not to mention the finals afterwards. 
Everyone was more than beyond stressed in their own problems. And the fact that Jaemin was sulking about his problems instead of doing something about it was pissing them off to no end. The fact that the two of you were visibly hurting because of it was pissing them off. They wanted things to go back to the way they used to. But they knew things can’t end that way. Not anymore. 
The least they can do now was to try and get Jaemin’s mind to think straight again. 
“By the way you’re acting got me thinking, are you actually doing this because you’re starting to like y/n or is it because you just want to hurt her even more?” Jeno asked (almost growled), his tone lowering as he glared daggers into Jaemin’s figure. 
“Jeno, wait, you’re-”
Jaemin shot up from his seat, standing up in front of his best friend with his eyes wide in shock. “What the fuck Jeno? You know very well I would never hurt y/n. At least on fucking purpose, you know that better than anyone. Why the hell are you even saying that?” Jaemin shot back, his eyes wide in shock at Jeno’s false assumption. Jeno’s gaze remained unwavering, taking a deep breath before continuing to speak again. 
“Are you sure about that Jaemin? Because it seems to me all you’ve done so far is hurting y/n. And by what you said about Y/n not forgiving you made it sound like you’re purposely doing this because you wanted revenge against Y/n for ‘bothering’ you the past two years. Tell me, Jaemin. Are you doing this because you feel bad? Are you doing this because you actually like her? Or are you doing this because you want pay back?” 
Every word that spilled out of Jeno’s mouth was like a slap from reality. Of course Jaemin likes you! Of course he feels bad! He just said those things because he was just furious with himself. Right? He was just frustrated that things haven’t been going very well lately with your relationship that he couldn’t help but make it sound like he was only doing this for revenge. 
Right? 
“Of course I fucking like her,” Jaemin shot back rather hesitantly, the anger in his eyes dissipating. Instead, sadness and confusion had taken place across his features. Truth be told, he was quite confused about his own feelings. He longed for your presence. He wanted to talk to you again. He wanted to give you soft cuddles again. He wanted to shower you with his love just like he always did back when the two of you were still kids. 
But yet again, he has been hurting you alot. No, scratch that, he’s been hurting you with every selfish step he made. Does he really feel something for you or is this his way of getting you a taste of your own medicine? He can’t possibly-
“Get your shit together, Jaemin. If all you’re going to do is hurt her, you might as well just leave her life the same way she left yours months ago. And if you want things to be on good terms again, you might want to think a bit more,” Jeno spat, walking away to his locker, leaving the boy lost in his thoughts. 
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“Well, that was surely something unexpected.” 
“I know!” you groaned, spreading your arms out on the table with a frustrated groan, covering your face with your hands in embarrassment. “I don’t know what got into me. I was on the brink of crying that day. In a library too! Thank god it was empty, oh god.” you rambled, a look of pure horror spread across your features. 
“Okay, okay. Calm down, just- repeat what you said to him just one more time,” Hyunjin coaxed, showing you his index finger. “I refuse to repeat myself, I rather bask in the cringe of my own previous words. Good day,” you gave Hyunjin a bittersweet smile before frowning abruptly and leaned your chin on your arm, jutting out your bottom as you recalled your conversation with Jaemin last week. 
Speaking of Jaemin, he hasn’t made any efforts to talk to you again since then. He stopped sending you random chocolates in your lockers and small pebbles with small doodles drawn sloppily with a posca marker. He stopped trying to make small talk with you. And considering you were now avoiding him even more than you already are, you haven’t seen him much unless you pass by the school field to go to the teacher’s office to get something. 
Were you a bit too harsh with your words? This is what you wanted right? You wanted him to leave your relationship as it is before anything bad happens to ruin it even more than it already has. But yet again, what was the point? Your relationship with Jaemin now is almost as non-existent. And you didn’t know what to feel about it.
You tugged the sleeve of your sweater down to take a peek of your hidden tattoo, a small frown on your lips as your eyes scan the small drawing that lead to all of this mess. Did you make the right choice when you rejected him? Was yelling at him a bit too far? He is your soulmate after all, maybe you should’ve given him a chance?
“Stop it,” Renjun chuckled, reaching from across the table to flick your forehead 
You grimaced, looking up at your group of friends with a perplexed expression. “I’m literally just breathing right now,” you deadpanned, rubbing the spot he flicked with a small pout. “We can hear the gears inside your head, you’re thinking way too loud, y/n.” Yeeun commented with an amused smile, wrapping her arm around yours.
“Sorry, I was just thinking about Jaemin,” you sighed, giving her a half-hearted smile. “As usual,” your friend chuckled, rolling their eyes at you. You pursed your lips, “shut up. I kind of feel guilty for what happened back at the library now.” You pulled your arm away from Yeeun’s hold with a small pout on your face. 
“Why the hell would you feel guilty? You should feel proud of yourself,” Renjun furrowed his brows, opening the milk carton he bought earlier before school had started. “I don’t know, I just feel guilty? I never really snapped at Jaemin like that before. Or anyone else,” you shrugged, picking off the chocolate from Hyunjin’s dessert box with the spoon beside you. 
“Hey! Get your own!” Hyunjin exclaimed, slapping your spoon away from his box with his own. “Stealing from a friend tastes way better, sorry not sorry,” you grinned, shoving the spoon inside your mouth with a small hum. “We’re kinda proud of you for standing up for yourself like that though,” Renjun mumbled under his breath. 
You felt your heart ache slightly at the thought. “I mean,” you pulled the spoon out of your mouth and clicked your tongue in thought. “I’m not one to back out of confrontation, so I’m kind of proud of myself for saying no as well. But I just really feel guilty for doing so, is it because he’s my soulmate?” you frowned, leaning close to take another bite of Hyunjin’s dessert.
“It’s normal to feel bad. It shows that despite everything he’s done, you still like him. Whether it’d be because of the soulmate system or because of your own feelings, you still like him. It’s normal to be angry at someone and feel like shit about it afterwards. We’re here for you,” Yeeun leaned her head against your shoulder and rubbed your back affectionately. 
You looked up, watching as your friends gave you encouraging smiles, showing you that they’re here to back you up no matter what. “We won’t be mad either even if you did say yes. Because, let’s be real. If my soulmate finally realised they’re being a piece of shit, I would snap at them and forgive them when I’m ready,” Renjun chuckled, continuing on munching down his salad. “We’ll always be here to back you up, even if it doesn’t seem like it,” Hyunjin nodded in agreement. 
“Thanks guys, I really appreciate it,” you sighed, mustering up the strength to give them a genuine smile. But alas, the empty feeling in your chest didn’t disappear. Not even a bit. But it made you feel a bit at ease knowing you have someone to turn to whenever you need it. 
You missed him. It wasn’t a secret among you and your friends. You missed Jaemin even if you didn’t want to. You missed the happiness bubbling up inside of you whenever he comes into your line of vision, you missed the butterflies swarming in your stomach whenever you hear his voice. You missed how he would complain about how his tummy hurts when he accidentally drank milk at the most random of moments. 
You missed how despite how he found your affections and small antics extremely bothersome, he never failed to do the littlest things to show that he still cared about you. You couldn’t even count how many times you would fall asleep to the scent of his hoodie whenever he accidentally left it in your room. You couldn’t count how many times you wrote small love letters at the back of your notebook whenever he pops up in your head. 
You couldn’t count how many times you would crack a small smile whenever you caught a small glimpse of his. 
It hurts to think that you lost your chance of ever feeling the same happiness you did before. At least, not in real life considering you’ve been having too many dreams of Jaemin. You’d wake up all happy and hyper then in a minute your mood will spiral down like a toilet bowl when reality hits you smack on the face. Though, you knew very well that you should just move on considering college was just around the corner.
You didn’t want to think about this anymore. 
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“Hey y/n, you got a minute?” 
Your head shot up from your phone, eyes wide in surprise to see none other than Lee Jeno himself. “Jeno?” you leaned your head to the side a bit, wondering why he was standing right in front of you when he was supposed to be in practice right now with Jaemin and the others. “Shouldn’t you be at practice?” you asked, pulling the strap of your bag that was slipping off your shoulder. 
“Coach cancelled today to cool us all off before the game next week,” Jeno shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets with a small shrug. “Right, the game! Good luck with that, by the way,” you beamed, eyes wide in realization when you realized that the last game for the guys was next week before exams starts. “You’re not coming?” he asked, leaning his head to the side in confusion. 
You wanted to. You really really do. You always had a front row seat so you can see Jaemin play at a close view. You remembered how you always cheered enthusiastically for him, Jeno and Hyuck back then, handing them cool water bottles afterwards. Putting up a bright smile as you watched Jaemin stare back at you with annoyance, his eyes showing how much he didn’t want you there. You remembered pretending to be oblivious to the sympathetic looks Jeno and Hyuck would always share whenever you attempted to make small talk with him. 
“Oh nope, I’m not. I’ll probably be napping or studying since finals are only a month away,” you lied, shaking your head with a small soft smile. You, knowing yourself, you’re probably going to watch one of your friend’s lives during the game and cheer in your room so you don’t have to see Jaemin in real life after the argument that went down last weekend. 
“You know you don’t need to lie right? I can’t count how many times you complain about how you studied a day before your exams,” Jeno chuckled, rolling his eyes as he nudged your shoulder with his teasingly. “Shut up, I spend most of my time doing last minute homework. I need breaks too sometimes, you know,” you scoffed, pushing on his arm with a dramatic huff. 
“Look at the bright side, no matter how little you study, you magically ace it without effort,” Jeno joked as you walked towards the vending machine in front of your school lobby. “There’s this thing called praying. Or satanic rituals a day before the exams,” you snickered, pulling your wallet out as you examined the food displayed through the transparent glass. 
“You want anything? I’ll pay,” you asked, turning to your taller friend with a soft smile, who shook his head ‘no’ at you. You shrugged as if to say ‘your loss’ before taking out a small bill and pushing it through the tiny slot. “So, what did you want to talk about, Lee Jeno?” you asked with a rather teasing tone. “You never talk to me in private unless there’s something you want,” you commented with a small snicker, pressing on the small button on the side of the machine. 
“Well, I hope you don’t mind me talking about this. It’s about Jaemin?” Jeno asked in a rather hesitant tone, sucking in his bottom lip nervously. 
You both heard the can drop into the opening slot at the bottom of the machine with a loud ‘clank!’ When he finished your sentence, you swore it sounded way too similar to how your heart dropped into your stomach at the mention of the brown boy. “Oh,” you replied almost inaudibly, kneeling down to grab your drink out of the slot. 
‘Say no. Are you seriously going to talk about the guy you just rejected after 2 years of pining for him to his best friend?’
You gulped silently, grabbing your drink as you took a deep breath to compose yourself. You stood up and gave him a weak smile, “what about him?” you asked, wincing internally at how weak your voice became at the thought of talking about the boy you were so whipped about. “You know you don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Jeno must’ve noticed how uncomfortable you felt when he brought him up as he cleared his throat. 
“No, no. It’s fine, I’m okay. I’m okay with talking about him. It’s just Jaemin,” you shrugged, trying to appear as nonchalant as you possibly could. “You sure?”Jeno asked, furrowing his brows as he stuck his hands in his pockets nervously. “It’s really okay if you don’t want to talk about it,” Jeno gave you a kind smile, one that almost made you take back what you said, however your pride got the best of you.
“It’s fine, really,” you nodded, giving him a reassuring smile as you internally yelled at yourself for not being honest to your dear friend. 
“I don’t want to invade on your personal issues with Jaemin or anything, but-” Jeno paused, furrowing his brows as he attempted to think of a nicer way to express his statement. “It’s pretty obvious that the two of you are in a rough patch and I don’t know if you noticed but Jaemin is pretty stressed out about this,” he grimaced as he realised that his words were leading to literally nowhere. 
“I’m sure you’re pretty stressed out as well, it’s pretty evident considering the tension between the two of you is way more than obvious and-”
“Jeno, where are you going with this?” your tone turned emotionless as you let out a heavy sigh, looking down at your shoes before looking up at your friend with eyes void of emotion, rubbing them with the palm of your hand. “I’m sure whatever you want to say is important but if you can’t tell I just want to go home and sleep until I have to get up,” you explained with a small smile. 
Jeno’s eyes widened a bit, surprised at how your bright demeanor vanished in a few minutes without leaving a single trace. ‘So Mrs. Dong was right about soulmates unrequited love being emotionally and mentally draining, then.’ Jeno thought to himself as he sucked his lips in to think of a way to express his thoughts without causing you to run off. 
‘Fuck it.’
“I know you probably don’t trust him anymore or you’re probably afraid of getting hurt after everything he’s done. But if- As if to say that Jaemin were to try woo-ing you over one more time, without fucking up that is, would you give him another chance?” he asked, his tone turning serious as his eyes hardened and stared into yours as if to spot any trace of you lying. 
‘Oh, so this is what this is about.’ you thought. 
“Did Jaemin put you up to this?” you asked, rubbing your palm against your temple as you felt the emptiness in your chest being replaced by non-other than the dull ache that is heartache. “Did he not get the message to leave our relationship, whatever’s left of it anyway, alone before it gets worse?” you sighed, chuckling slightly at the thought of Jaemin’s stubborn ass asking Jeno for a favor. Grimacing at how mean you sounded.
“No- no! Not at all, I asked you on my own accords. Jaemin has nothing to do with me asking you this-hell! He doesn’t even know that I’m here talking to you right now, trust me,” Jeno exclaimed, raising his hand up and using the other to cross his heart, symbolizing that he promised you that he was telling you the truth. You smiled a bit at this. 
“Why are you the one asking? Not to be rude, Jeno, but this doesn’t concern you,” you raised your brow, taking a step back as you twisted your drink open with curiosity. “I know, it’s none of my concern but honestly watching the two of you go on trying to solve this by yourselves is like watching the Twilight series except there’s no weird fantasy creatures and a werewolf falling in love with an infant child,” Jeno blurted out, scratching the back of his head, chuckling at his own little joke. 
“Oh,” you replied, letting out a small chuckle at his joke before your smile faltered. “Well what do you suggest I do? So far I’ve only been receiving advice from people that have heard only my side of the story. Considering you’ve heard Jaemin’s side of the story, what do you actually suggest I do?” you asked, stuffing your thumb in your pocket as you sipped your drink, lowering your gaze to your shoes nervously. 
“I suggest you follow my advice earlier. If Jaemin ever decides to try again and not fuck it up, I would advise you to consider giving him a chance,” Jeno shrugged. “I’m not saying that all the things he did were okay. Hell no, if I were you I would totally kick his ass for taking your kindness and affection for granted, I assure you. But Jaemin has been... trying really hard,” Jeno explained, sadness flashing against his eyes. 
“Trying hard?” you asked in a whispered tone, looking up at your friend with slight confusion. “Yeah!” he replied with a small bright smile. “You may not know this but Jaemin spends his time now wondering about what small cheesy things he could do to make you smile. Ever since you ghosted him, he’s been thinking about you alot. It was almost annoying.” he giggled, remembering the countless times Jaemin’s face would flush red whenever he realised he was thinking about you back when he was still in denial. 
“You may not notice it considering he always does this whenever you aren’t around. Despite the fact that Jaemin was always an asshole to you, he’s always think of you twenty four seven. It’s always ‘y/n would’ve liked this’, ‘this is something y/n would hate’, ‘y/n would’ve done this’, y/n this and y/n that. The idiot was whipped as hell but his stubborn ass didn’t realise how much he actually cares for you until now.” 
“Remember how you would leave him small letters in his locker or give it to him straight up before running off because you forgot to do your homework and you needed to do it before the bell rings? I swear, he always had this lovesick smile on his face when he watched you sprinting down the hall yelling at people to get out of the way,” Jeno chuckled, recalling the moments when he and Hyuck would spot Jaemin smiling to himself in front of his locker as he read the letters you send him every time you passed his locker. 
“That’s not- I don’t believe that,” you shook your head, not believing your ears. This couldn’t be the Jaemin you knew. You remembered vividly of how his eyes held no love whatsoever whenever you came into his line of vision, the way the happiness evaporated from his pupils the moment he turned his head at your figure. The angry glares he would give you whenever you do something small yet cheesy.
“Don’t you remember? When I gave one of my letters to him in person, he threw it away without a second thought. You saw it with your own eyes, Jeno. You can’t lie like that to me, that hurts, dude,” you frowned, clenching your fists as you recalled how he gave you the sweetest smile he could muster when you gave your small letter to him at one moment. And the next moment, you saw him crumpling it up in his hands and throwing it to the nearest trash can at the corner of your eyes. 
“Well, that was kind of our fault,” Jeno frowned, scratching the back of his neck nervously. “We swear, we didn’t know he would act like that in front of you. I swear he would have those wide smiles whenever he read your letters and occasionally Hyuck and I would tease the hell out of him. Usually he would just shove the letters back in his locker or something, we didn’t expect him to throw it out in front of you,” Jeno looked down, his expression filled with guilt as he gripped the saddle of his bag. 
“If we hadn’t teased him like that in front of you, maybe he wouldn’t have done that,” he mumbled under his breath. You stared at him in disbelief, it was like you were hearing about a completely different version of Jaemin. Yet you couldn’t be sure if Jeno was telling the truth. Jeno wasn’t one to tell lies, he was always the mature one in complicated situations. But you knew sometimes he would lie for the best. 
“I’m sorry, I find it very hard to believe you right now,” you bit your lip nervously, a dull ache appearing in your heart as you realised how sad you sounded. ‘Why is it so hard to believe that Jaemin would do something that nice? Why can’t I believe it? Jeno can’t be lying, right?’ you thought to yourself, feeling your heart sink at the fact that you couldn’t bring yourself to the fact that Jaemin could actually harbor feelings for you deep down even though he doesn’t realise it. 
“Hyuck took this picture a couple of months ago, that was before you stopped giving him letters, I think,” Jeno clicked his tongue, pulling out his phone and unlocking it before opening his chats with Donghyuck, scrolling up until he found the picture he sent before handing his phone to you. You furrowed your brows, holding his phone in your hand as you read their messages closely. 
It was indeed two months ago. Donghyuck had sent Jeno a picture of Jaemin’s locker. You zoomed in on the picture, spotting a stack of letters made from the pages of your notebook with dates on them at the corner of his messy locker. You could see a few were slightly crumpled as if the textbooks had something to do with it, but you could recognize that posca yellow marker anywhere. 
Your eyes widened slightly as you felt your heartbeat pick up its pace inside of your chest. “That’s pretty nice of him,” you mumbled, you didn’t have the strength to keep up your emotionless facade as you couldn’t help but crack up a small smile. Handing Jeno back his phone, you gave him a tight-lipped smile, leaning your head to the side in curiosity. “Why are you trying so hard to convince me to give him a chance, exactly?” you asked, letting out a small puff of breath. 
Jeno shrugged, giving you the same tight lipped smile as he shoved his phone in his pockets. “As I said before, I’m tired of watching this whole story slowly leading to an end where the two of you end up being miserable simps for the rest of your lives,” he joked, scratching the back of his head as he gave you one of his iconic eye smiles. You let out a small sad chuckle, looking down at your shoes in thought for a small moment before looking back up at your friend. 
“I’ll think about it. How about that?” you nodded sadly, you weren’t lying. You really did need time to think about all this. “Of course, I guess I’ll see you later?” Jeno nodded, sucking in his bottom lip as you waved him goodbye. “I’ll see you around, yeah,” you gave him a polite smile before walking away from the taller boy to the bus stop. Completely oblivious to the fact that Jeno had kept his fingers crossed behind his back while biting his lip, wishing desperately for Jaemin to not screw things up this time.
‘Well that’s definitely uncalled for,’ you thought as you fished your phone out of your bag to check the time. You didn’t know what to feel, you didn’t know what to think of this situation. You were confused to say the least.  If the y/n from two years ago was listening to this conversation right now, you know for a fact that she’d either be over the moon or she wouldn’t believe her own ears. But at this moment, you didn’t know what to think of this. 
Maybe, just maybe, if Jeno had told you this ages ago, maybe you would’ve still kept on going. Though, if he had told you this ages ago, would you still be willing to keep up your bright demeanor just so that Jaemin can step on you a lot longer? If you still kept going back then, if you just pretended that the fight between you and Jaemin didn’t happen like you always do, would things turn out differently? Would Jaemin agree to give you a chance? 
You didn’t know. Frankly you don’t want to. It’s best that some things are just left the way they are. 
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“Honey, Jaemin’s outside of the door. He said he wants to talk to you,” your mom called you out from the front door. Your jaw dropped as you quickly placed the spoon back into your plate of your mom’s famous pasta, abruptly getting up from the couch and placing your plate on the coffee table before dusting any weird crumbs off of your clothes. 
Clearing your throat, you yelled out a quick ‘be right there!’ as you made sure to tidy yourself up to ensure that you look presentable enough to look humane and not like a body that just got pulled out of the river. Your heartbeat increased with every step you take towards the front door, your clammy hands tightened into balls of fists as your anxiety crept up inside of you. 
‘Jaemin? Why is he here? He hasn’t spoken to you ever since the fight you two had at the library. More importantly, does his parents know about said argument? The Na’s aren’t ones who would shove their noses up into other people’s business but oh dear god, what if Jaemin told his parents and his parents told yours? 
Safe to say you had a really terrible feeling about this. 
Feeling your heart ache at the memory of your argument, you felt your heart growing empty and cold. Shaking the thoughts out of your head, you took a deep breath before poking your head into the room where your mom was smiling up at a seemingly exhausted Na Jaemin. You grimaced at his appearance, feeling your heart ache even more by how much of a mess he looked right at that moment. 
His hair was messy and disheveled, as if he had been tossing and turning in his for hours. There were heavy dark bags under his eyes, signifying his recent lack of sleep. He was in his casual attire: his iconic black nike’s sweatpants and a plain baggy white shirt and some random slippers that were probably a hand-me-down from his dad. 
Nonetheless, he looked really cozy. His appearance never failed to make your heart flutter in your chest, the small smile on his lips doing things to your stomach. You couldn’t help but dart your eyes down to the small (assumingly recycled) paper bag from Starbucks in his hand, furrowing your brows at this you attempted to walk towards them as casually as you can. 
“Mom?” you gulped, walking up towards her as you gripped your fists tightly behind you to hide your nerves. “Y/n, sweetie, look! Jaemin came to pay you a visit,” your mom exclaimed, smiling widely. It’s obvious that she’s using this opportunity to make the two of you finally talk face to face, clearly as she didn’t know anything that had happened after the dinner party your families had a couple months ago. 
Jaemin gave you an awkward smile, raising his free hand to give you a small wave, in which you returned with a small awkward wave of your own. “I’ll leave the two of you to catch up,” your mother nudged your arm and gave Jaemin a kind smile before walking back to the kitchen to give you two some privacy. Sucking in your bottom lip nervously, you watched your mom walk around the corner before looking back at the boy standing before you. 
“Hey,” he greeted in an attempt to make small talk. 
“Hi,” you responded breathily, putting your hands behind your back so he wouldn’t see you clenching your fists nervously. 
“I-Can we talk? Outside?” Jaemin spoke softly, biting his bottom lip nervously, nodding towards your front porch. Oh how those three words brought you so many unpleasant memories. Is this the same anxiety people in relationships feel? The two of you aren’t even together and you’ve gotten into so many fights in the past two years, it’s almost ironic. 
Before you could open your mouth to say something, Jaemin had already beat you to it. “I know you probably don’t want to, but I swear it won’t take much more than at least two minutes. But if you don’t want to it’s-” Jaemin spluttered out, stumbling over his own words as he looked down at his shoes to calm himself down. “Okay,” you agreed in a soft tone, nodding slightly at the older boy. 
“Are you sure?” Jaemin asked, looking up at you in slight surprise, relief evidently surging through his veins as you gave him a reassuring nod. He really did thought that you’d say no to him after your fight last weekend. “Yeah, it’s fine. Let’s talk outside,” you nodded, opening the front door, gesturing for him to walk out first. 
Kissing his teeth, Jaemin walked out of the door, watching you follow him and close the door behind you quietly before leaning your back against it. “I see you got a car?” Jaemin asked all of a sudden. Your gaze shot up from your feet to the brown headed boy in surprise, letting out a small ‘huh?’ in response, only to see that Jaemin was looking at your new white car. “Oh, yeah. I got my driver’s license recently and my aunt gifted me one to celebrate,” you nodded.
“Oh, that’s nice,” Jaemin nodded, sucking his lips in nervously. There was a pregnant pause between the two of you as your thoughts jumbled up to think about what to say next.  
“I’m sorry.” 
Your eyes went wide at him, your breathing hitched as Jaemin looked down with eyes filled with guilt and sorrow. “What?” you blurted out, confused at his sudden apology. “Look, I know you probably don’t want to see me right now and I know you told me you don’t want to see me anymore. But I can’t help it but try at least one more time. I promise I won’t waste your time anymore than I already have,” Jaemin ran a hand through his hair in distress, taking a deep breath before looking back up at you with eyes filled with regret and guilt, taking you aback by his sudden bold statement. 
“I’m sorry. About everything. The fight at the library, the dinner party with our parents, the music box, the gifts, everything I’ve ever done to hurt you. You didn’t deserve to be treated like shit by someone like me. You didn’t deserve to go through the mean bullshit I put you through the past two years, and you don’t have to forgive me for it. Because frankly, if I were you I won’t even bother forgiving myself either,” Jaemin started, letting all of his words pour out of his mouth from the heart. 
“I’m sorry for constantly embarrassing you in front of our friends and families whenever you show the slightest bit of affection towards me. I’m so sorry for throwing your gifts away right in front of you whenever our friends tease us a bit too much, that was a dick move of me and you didn’t deserve to have your efforts thrown into literal waste,” he grimace at the mention of throwing your heartfelt letters in the trash right in front of your eyes in front of his friends almost a year ago. 
He tightened his grip on the strings of the paper bag, biting this lip nervously  before continuing with his apology. “I swear I’m not making up any excuses for myself. I really do feel terrible for everything I did, I didn’t realize that I was hurting your feelings this bad for two whole years. You just wanted your soulmate to like you back, I should’ve at least tried to try,” he felt his heart getting even more heavier with every second that passed. 
“You really don’t have to forgive me and here’s something to make up for all the gifts I broke or threw away,” Jaemin outstretched his arm to hand you the paper bag, looking straight into your eyes with a small sad smile as you wordlessly grab the bag from him. “I-I don’t want to pressure you or anything but I would really like it if you come to the game next week, your usual spot feels empty without you there,” he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. 
“I promise I’ll leave you alone for real if you really want me to. I know I probably don’t deserve it, but if you’re willing to give me a second chance, I would take it in a heartbeat and I would be willing to make everything up to you. You don’t have to go and you don’t have to decide right now. I just came to give you that- God, why am I so awkward,” he buried his red face in his hands for a brief moment before looking up at you with a flustered expression. 
You couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle at his embarrassed state. ‘So this is what it feels like when you’re not the one embarrassing your ass off to give a gift to your crush, huh?’ you thought to yourself with a small smile. ‘How ironic,’ you sucked in your lips slightly before looking back at Jaemin with a genuine expression. “I’ll see you later,” Jaemin waved, turning quickly as to not fuck things up anymore than he already has. 
You gave him a small wave, turning around and entering your house to walk back to your couch and finish your pasta, placing the paper bag on the coffee table as you took a large bite of your pasta and pulled the tape that sealed the bag shut. As you were thinking everything over as you mindlessly chewed on your food, you pulled the bag and leaned it over towards you to examine its contents. 
Inside were a couple bars of your favorite chocolate bar, a note folded in half, a big packet of honey flavored chips, a small gift wrapped in notebook paper tied with a red string and a small decorative box with Jaemin’s name attached to it. You bit your lip, pulling out the note first and unfolding it as you pulled out the small wrapped gift, reading it as you unpackaged whatever Jaemin had gifted you. 
‘Hey Y/n. I don’t know if you’re going to be reading this or not. But if you do, I just want to say hi just in case you didn’t want to talk face to face I would at least ask your mom to give you this so the letter could convey my apologies way better than I actually would in real life.’
You pulled the red string off slowly, placing it carefully on the table as you slowly peeled the paper away to reveal a small familiar porcelain figure that was no bigger than the size of your palm. Your eyebrows raised in surprise at this, this porcelain figure was the same figure that came along with the music box your grandmother gave you before she passed away. You turned it around to inspect it even more, spotting the same crack on the edge to conclude that it was indeed the porcelain from your old music box. 
‘I know you might be wondering how the small doll was still intact considering I broke the whole music box to the point it was unrepairable, but trust me, I was hella surprised to see that this little thing was still intact. Maybe my carpet floor had softened the impact? I don’t know it was still very pretty and I wanted to give you back something that was previously yours. I know, you gave it to me but I really want you to have a piece of your grandma left with you, so don’t fight with me on this one, y/n >:(’
You couldn’t help but grin at the small smiley face he drew on the edge of the paragraph, letting out a small giggle as you placed the porcelain doll gently on the table beside your plate, taking a spoonful of your food before digging your hand back in the paper bag to fish out the decorated box. It was quite heavy considering you had to use two hands to pull it out. 
With a small huff, you place the box on the couch beside you. Crossing your legs over the other and placing the letter on your lap, you pulled the lid off of the box and placed it beside the paper bag before looking back inside the box, shock coursing through your veins. You felt your heart warm up at the contents of the box, feeling your stomach do somersaults in your body as you slowly picked up the contents one by one. 
The box was filled with nothing but your childhood polaroids the two of you took throughout your whole youth, some aesthetic pictures Jaemin took of you without your knowledge or consent during your freshman and sophomore year of middle school and high school (hell you didn’t even know he still took pictures of you). There were a few polaroids decorated with small doodles and hearts with sharpie markers. You spotted a few old post-it notes you had used to give Jaemin cheesy pick up lines, but this time they had small responses. 
‘Hey Jaemin, are you a camera? Because every time I look at you I smile. :D’
‘Hey Y/n. You better check the mirror, you’re the reason why I’m smiling right now :D’
‘If I had a genie that could grant me three wish, I would use them all just so you can be with me’
‘Well I’m here now, what are you going to do with the other two wishes?’
‘Your hand looks heavy, let me hold it for you, Jaemin :D’
‘My heart feels heavy, can you hold it for me?’
Your grin grew inevitably wider with every pick up line he wrote, heart fluttering as your stomach swarmed with butterflies. Rubbing your face to keep yourself from combusting as you dug your hand through the box to see the old letters Jeno had been talking about. You opened one of the dirty letters which was covered in small stickers and doodles. (which you assume was Jaemin’s doing, considering he has a clear eye for aesthetics)
‘I knew you liked really cheesy romance stuff and considering I watch a lot of k-dramas and shows in my free time, you know very much I’m going to put my romantic expertise into good use. It felt nice being the one giving gifts, no wonder you like giving me stuff so much, this is actually fun. I hope this isn’t too much for you. I know this probably isn’t going to make up for all the damage I’ve done in the past two years but at least I tried my best.’ 
You liked to write the dates on your letters just in case things like this happen and you would have the opportunity to look back and cringe at your own cheesiness and mediocre writing. You honestly couldn’t believe your eyes or Jeno when he said Jaemin had kept your letters in his messy void of a locker. But now that you had a living proof that he actually cherished your letters. You couldn’t help but feel some sort of comforting hope in your chest.
Your heart no longer felt empty or void of emotions, it felt full again. Though, not completely filled, it was better than feeling complete nothingness. You were still very much scared of trusting Jaemin with your own heart again, you were still very much scared of getting hurt again. But there was something inside you that was begging you to trust Jaemin again and let him back in your life. It has been telling you to do so ever since you saw how genuine he was being. 
‘I probably didn’t tell you this when we were talking but believe it or not, I actually really really like you. And I really want to try where this all can lead to, and if you’re willing to trust me again I would try my best not to fuck it up this time. I don’t expect you to say yes or anything to me. If you decide not to come to the game, I totally understand and I’ll leave you alone just like you asked. I missed hanging out with you, Y/n. I missed my best friend. I miss having my soulmate around, and I’m sorry that it took me this long to realise how important you truly are to me’
He really isn’t giving up is he? Well, if he hasn’t given you up like you did with him. Are you willing to repeat his previous actions and stop listening to your head and start listening to your heart again? Are you willing to give him up again? 
I’m sure you know the answer to that already.
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I feel like the end is quite rushed. i’m so sorry if so. I’ve been working on this for two weeks lmfao and it’s currently two am right now so Imma go to bed hehe. This series has like... what three chapters left? DAMN ITS BEEN A WHOLE YEAR SINCE I MADE THIS SERIES. DW I HAVE A HYUCK SERIES COMING UP SOONER OR LATER LMFAO.
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janetbrown711 · 4 years ago
Note
I request the scene we discussed 😂 Lena returning after eloping with William
Important note: I’m officially making the Angelina 1 Lives alternate timeline/au thing a story, and this is technically the beginning. I’ll string the other two into the plot line eventually, but yeah XD sorry for the confusion, I tend to write what I want before I write what makes sense :P
Princess Angelina II was engaged to Sir William the Good, though it was in secret. After all, he was just a knight and she was the princess. For a moment, Lena thought their luck might be on their side when her mother fell deathly ill, but by truly miraculous means, the queen survived, which meant they had to continue in secret.
However, secrets had a cost to them, in the sense that no one else knew. This meant that Lena still had to deal with suitors coming over and trying to romance her, while she had already sworn herself to William. Needless to say, time was wearing on William and Lena more than they had originally thought. Still, they remained hopeful and patient that their time would come.
“Angelina, you have to at least accept one of the suitors. It’s better to at least not hate your future husband before marriage,” Queen Angelina the First gave her daughter a quick glare as she looked over papers. 
“I don’t like any of them, what can I say?” Lena shrugged. 
“You know, I really hoped it wouldn’t come to this-”
“Something I highly doubt,” Lena interrupted her mother. 
“Watch your tone,” Angelina warned, and Lena stepped down. 
“As I was saying... I hoped it wouldn't come to this, but since your impertinence has given me no other option, I will be selecting the suitor for you,” She said, signing one of the papers. Lena paused. 
“I-I’m sorry, what?” She blinked. 
“You’ve only done this to yourself, Angelina, I’ve no other choice. You aren’t getting any younger here,” She eyed her daughter up and down. 
“I- uh- will you excuse me, mother? I need to go,” Lena asked. Her mother looked at her suspiciously before nodding. Not wanting to be in there for a moment longer, Lena bolted out of the room and ran across the palace, all the way down to the royal stables, where William was. 
“Lena? What’s the matter?” He asked as he got off his horse. 
“My mother... she said...” Lena panted. “She said... she’s gonna... arrange...”
“Lena, you aren’t making sense. Have you been running?” William raised an eyebrow. Lena rolled her eyes and paused to catch her breath. 
“My mother said that because I didn’t pick a suitor, she’s choosing for me,” Lena explained. 
“Oh... oh that’s not good. What are we gonna do?” He asked her. Lena thought. 
“We... we need to get married. Now,” She said. 
“What- now now?” William asked. 
“Well yes, I don’t know how long I’ll have. We need to do this, and we need to do this now,” Lena said, grabbing his hand. 
“Where are you going?” William questioned.
“The underground servant's tunnels. They go all over the kingdom. If we go far enough we can find a town with a  priest and be married there. Hopefully, they won’t mind the short notice,” She explained. 
“Or the fact you’re the princess,” William pointed out. 
“...Yeah, that too,” Lena said, realizing she hadn’t thought that through. Still, she didn’t stop walking and soon enough they made it to one of the entrances. 
“So... where to?” She asked him. William read all of the signs before snapping his fingers. 
“I know a place where I know they won’t refuse us,” He winked, taking his fiancées hand. 
“Oh? And where is such a place?” She chuckled, enjoying the moment of rebelliousness. 
“Acme Falls, my home town. They love me there, I’m sure they’d love you too,” He smiled at her, and together they ran down the dark tunnels for hours, only stopping once or twice to catch their breath. Eventually, they surfaced and wandered right into the middle of the plaza. 
“So... now what?” She asked. 
“William? Is... is that you?” A very attractive blonde woman asked. 
“Heloise!” William smiled at the sight of his childhood friend. 
“William! What on earth are you doing here?” She ran and hugged him. “And with the crown princess-?! Oh my- I’m so sorry, your highness,” She immediately dipped into a curtsey. 
“Oh please, any friend of William is a friend of mine,” Angelina smiled. “If I may, you are quite gorgeous,” She added. 
“Thank you,” Heloise chuckled, embarrassed. 
“We’re here to be married,” William explained. 
“You’re engaged to the princess???” Heloise asked. “Aren’t you two supposed to have a giant wedding ceremony with the whole kingdom invited? Isn’t that how royal weddings are supposed to go? My- I didn’t even think a knight could marry a princess,” She thought out loud.
“Actually, he- can’t. Not with my mother knowing anyway,” Lena explained. “That’s why we came here- to be married in secret.”
“Oh eloping is very romantic,” She nodded understandingly. “William knows where the church is. I can get the priest and a few townsfolk if you want,” she offered. 
“That’d be great, thank you,” William smiled. Heloise nodded, and ran off. 
“I guess you weren’t kidding about this place, huh?” Lena chuckled. 
“Acme Falls is practically perfect, what can I say?” He snorted. “Shall we?” he offered his arm. Lena took it with a smile. 
“We shall.”
And so Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca II and Sir William the Good were married in Acme Falls, with the town as their witnesses, and Lena was the happiest she had ever been in her whole life. Happily, they walked back to the castle, but they both stopped right before reaching the exit. 
“Are you ready?” William asked. 
“I don’t know. Why do we have to return?” Lena questioned. 
“Because it’s almost nightfall and you’re the princess and your mother would likely send a search party and it’d be a whole catastrophe,” Willaim joked, but Lena wasn’t in the mood for laughing anymore. 
“I’m frightened William,” She said. 
“It’ll be okay, Lena. I’ll always be here for you, remember?” He said, giving her hand a squeeze. 
“Right,” Lena nodded, about to step forward before stopping herself. 
“Stay with me tonight?” She requested. William nodded. 
“Of course, my love,” He said, and they shared a kiss. 
“Let’s go then,” Lena took in a deep breath, and together they stepped out onto the castle grounds. 
And so Lena and William slowly crept their way into her bedroom, far enough apart as to not raise suspicion, and spent the closet thing they’d have to a honeymoon together. In the morning, William kissed her goodbye, and climbed out the window, and went to his training, and she missed him terribly (despite being only a few buildings away).
Therefore, their secret engagement now turned into a secret marriage; a marriage that Lena realized she was going to have to tell her mother about sooner or later before it was too late and she was already in the middle of another wedding ceremony. However- she wasn’t quite ready and preferred to hold onto her nights of paradise with William however long as possible before her mother tried to ruin it somehow. 
Except she couldn’t, Lena reminded herself. Divorce was simply unheard of, especially for royalty, so her mother would simply have to deal with it. That was the main reason they eloped in the first place.  
The good/bad news was that William had been promoted to be a guard inside the castle, so Lena would see him much more often than she used to, but it was awkward because she couldn’t talk to him, much less flirt. Plus, he often watched over her mother in the throne room, and he said that it was “the most stressful situation he’d ever been in”. 
“Excuse me, Princess, your mother said she’d like to see you,” A servant girl stood outside of Lena’s room. 
“Whatever for?” Lena asked, setting down her book. The girl shrugged. With a sigh, Lena set down her book.
“Does she seem upset?” She asked, getting up and heading out of the room. 
“No... in fact, she seems almost happy, your highness,” The girl said. 
“My mother? Happy?” Lena blinked. “This can’t be good...” she said, picking up her pace. With haste, she reached the throne room. 
“Lena, there you are,” Her mother smiled at her, “You’ve met King Benedict,” she gestured to the king standing by her throne. 
Uh oh. 
“Why, yes I have,” Lena nodded at him, sharing a quick glance with William in the corner. 
“He’s the one you’ll be marrying,” She announced. 
Shit. 
“Mother, may I have a word with you- alone?” Lena asked with a nervous smile. Angelina frowned. 
“It’s already been decided for you, Angelina. You didn’t decide and because of that-” 
“I know, but I do need to talk with you,” Lena interrupted her mother before she could think to stop herself. The queen’s eye twitched. 
“Fine.” She huffed. “King Benedict, you may wait in the grand hall,” she said. He nodded at her, then Lena, and left. Then, her mother’s focus went back to her. 
“This better be good Angelina, or so help me,” The queen threatened, and Lena felt a shiver crawl up her spine. She looked at William for support, and he gave her a weak smile. She took a deep breath. 
“Mother, I can’t marry him,” She said. 
“You don’t have a choice,” Her mother rolled her eyes. 
“I’m serious. I can’t,” Lena said again. 
“And why is that?” Angelina rubbed her forehead. 
“Because I’m already married,” Lena announced. Her mother froze. 
“To whom?” She demanded. 
“Sir William,” Lena admitted. Angelina’s eyes went to William, and he remained still as a statue. 
“Really now?” Angelina chuckled darkly. 
“It’s true. We eloped in Acme Falls three nights ago,” Lena said. 
“You expect me to believe that?” Angelina continued to laugh it off.
“Well- yes. We have certificates and everything- it was legally binding,” Lena didn’t know how else to explain such a simple fact to her mother. 
The queen leaned on her throne and thought for a minute. 
“Well, I suppose it’s a simple fix really, I could just have him execute-”
“A-and I’m pregnant!” Lena shouted over her mother, and the room fell utterly silent. 
“Y-you are..?” William blinked. 
“Yep,” She lied, laughing nervously. 
Definitely no going back on that one...
“Guards, leave,” The queen ordered, her face utterly unreadable. William and Lena shared a look of anxiety before he was forced to walk out. Once they left there was a long stretch of silence, before Angelina slowly took off her gloves, stood up, approached her daughter, and struck her across the face. 
“You stupid, pathetic, wretched child! Do you know how much you’ve just cost me?!” She shouted. “I’ve spent years upon years upon years finding eligible bachelors for you, and yet you never gave them a second thought, and for what? Some bastard from Acme Falls?!”  
“Don’t you dare talk about William like that,” Lena protested, and Angelina struck her again, this time causing her to fall onto the floor. 
“I will say whatever the hell I want because I am your mother and I am your queen,” She said, towering over her. 
“If you kill him I’ll kill myself and you’ll be left with nothing,” Lena looked up at her. 
“Of all the impertinent, aggravating, abominable things you’ve done, you’ve decided to top it all off by marrying a filthy peasant,” The queen was barely keep in her anger. “I just- I can’t believe my own flesh and blood would betray me like this.”
“Oh please, like you’ve ever treated me like ‘flesh and blood’,” Lena muttered. 
“I have done nothing but care for you. I’ve clothed you, given you a home and an education, and provided you with numerous options for your future and future suitors. It’s not my fault you’re so impertinent that you refused to consider them for even a moment,” She clenched her fists.
“You’ve never loved me,” Lena said, tears beginning to stream down her face. “If you did, you’d be happy for me.”
“You never think anything through, Angelina. Did you not stop to think about how this would impact the kingdom? How this would impact me?” She asked. 
“I hate you,” Lena glared, and Angelina hit her again. 
“You are going to pay for your actions, Angelina. The hard way,” She declared. 
“It’s too late mother. There is nothing you can do to undo what’s been done,” Lena smirked. 
However, she quickly regretted her pride when her mother angrily yanked her hair and pulled her up, and then proceeded to drag her all the way up to the tallest tower of the castle. Her mother then tossed her in there and locked the door with a key she kept in her pocket. 
“You will not be leaving this room until you have understood a fraction of the pain and agony you have caused me,” She said, before storming away.
And so Lena stayed in the cold, dark room and found herself sobbing and sobbing and sobbing and sobbing until she was sick to the stomach. 
Things were supposed to get better. She was supposed to be untouchable. She and William were married now- it was supposed to be okay. 
Instead, now she was locked away for who knows how long in a dark, cold room with a bare-bones bed, a broken mirror, a blanket as thin as paper, and a window.  
Lena picked up a shard of the broken glass, and without thinking, she chopped her hair off. 
That was one less thing her mother could manipulate...
And William... what was going to happen to him?
Would she kill him? Could she? He’s a trained knight, one of the best across all the lands, surely she couldn’t kill him “the old fashioned way”. Surely that would mean he would be okay... right?
And what if she was pregnant? Sure, she lied out there but she could be right. Oh, what terrible circumstances to be born into...
And so Lena remained sobbing, eventually setting the glass shard down, and laying on the horrible bed and holding herself, trying to get some sense of comfort. 
However, soon she felt another pair of arms wrap around her, and to her complete surprise, it was William. 
“William- w-what-? H-how-?” 
“Shh, it’s okay Lena, I’m here, it’s okay,” he hushed her. Lena didn’t argue.
“B-but how?” She asked. 
“I climbed,” He said. 
“Th-that’s like- 50 feet. You could’ve died,” Lena broke the hug. 
“Lena, it’s okay. I made it, and I’m here, that’s all that matters,” he placed a hand on her face, wiping away a few tears. Lena didn’t have it in her to argue further, so she hugged him again and continued to sob.   
“Th-things were supposed to get better,” She cried. 
“I know... I’m so sorry, my love,” Wiliam was crying too, and he stroked her head of freshly cut hair. 
“Did she do that?” He whispered. Lena shook her head. 
“She just gr-grabbed my hair a-and just dragged m-me s-so I cut it off,” she explained, trying her best not to hiccup. William hugged her tighter. 
“I’m so sorry, Lena...” He said. 
“I’m sorry too,” she said. “You’ll probably b-be killed or fired or de-knighted o-or something.”
“I don’t care, as long as we’re together,” He kissed the top of her head. 
“As long as we’re together,” she repeated those words to herself. Despite everything, they were a little comforting. 
“It’ll be okay, Lena. I-i don’t know how or when, b-but it will be okay. Someday...” he swore to her, and for a moment, Lena believed him. 
Someday it will be just she and him... maybe a few kids running around in a sunny field collecting wild flowers... and they’d be happy. Safe. Her mother would be dead and gone and they’d all be happy and safe and together. 
But it wasn’t “someday”. Lena’s reality was a cold tower far away from the ground and her friends and familiar faces, and her studies and books, for who knows how long, and she was miserable,
but at least she had William, and that made things at least a little bit better.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10
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lovetenya · 4 years ago
Text
𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝟏𝐚.
warnings: these are just headcanons mostly focused on them, but the reader is gn, of course!
note: this was suggested, and inspired by this. also, i haven’t written for some of these characters before, so i hope i do them justice!
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scenario: ua’s normal childcare professional is out sick, so you’re teamed up with another class 1a student to take care of the ua teacher’s kids while they’re at a hero banquet. all of the kids are well behaved, but most of these guys aren’t around kids much, so it’s a learning experience.
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mina ashido.
mina is great with kids because she fits right in with them and will listen to them babble about their interests for HOURS because it truly is interesting to her to learn what makes them happy
and she’ll ask you “wow! did ya hear that y/n? she just said that pelicans can turn their stomachs inside out! isn’t that great?”
she just wants to learn whatever she can from them, because she thinks that they have just as much to teach us
i feel like mina is the type of person who gently inserts self love rhetoric and feminist ideas into her conversations w the kids, because she just wants everyone to be uplifted and for them to notice their strengths without being held back by other people’s opinions
she’s always felt that it was easy to be outwardly excited and to have fun, so she’s really good at getting shy kids out of their shell and helping them to let loose, and will encourage you to open up to them a little bit and be a little warmer
she loves to dance, so she’ll host dance parties with the kids and start something goofy like a conga line and lead them around the common room, making them all giggle like crazy
tsuyu asui.
tsu doesn’t really like the loud noises that kids sometimes make, so she’s more likely to organize a game or put on a movie for the kids to watch to keep things calm and steady
she’d let em pick a nature program or an animal-related movie so that she could chime in & give little facts here & there and make them smile!
tsu is a good babysitter because she encourages kids to be curious about their surroundings, and doesn’t mind at all when kids ask questions about her quirk
she’ll show and tell them whatever they want to know, and will even leap out of excitement sometimes!! she’s so cute!!
katsuki bakugo.
contrary to what other people sometimes say, i don’t think that he’s going to be outright rude to kids or yell at them constantly. yes, i know, he was brash with them in those couple episodes, but he’s blunt—not a bad person. he’s not going to just scream at kids for no reason.
sure, he might get frustrated, but he still wants them to feel safe and protected. that’s what heroes do.
and what better way to keep them feeling safe than teaching them self defense techniques?
he’d be all serious like, “alright, so if a villain has you in a chokehold, what do you do?”
and they’re sitting in front of him, all wide eyed and starry lookin, entranced with what he’s teaching them
“who teaches kids this kind of stuff?” you think. (he does)
i also think katsuki is the kid of person who’s going to cook for them and keep them occupied in that way.
he usually likes making complicated stuff, but he has no problem making it less spicy if it means they’ll calm down for a little bit to eat
while everyone’s eating, you look over to him and see him helping a kid hold their chopsticks, before softly praising them, “there ya go. you’ve got it now.” and giving them a small high five
he’s not someone who’s going to be outwardly soft, so doing things for kids like teaching them things or cooking them meals is how he shows he cares.
tenya iida.
tenya likes to tell and read stories with kids, or help them with their homework if they’ve got any
he’ll do terrible voices for all the different characters and make all the kids laugh
he’ll sit patiently with them and will explain the stories or problems just like a teacher would
and he’ll notice if you sneak them any candy, and will call you out discreetly by holding out his hand for some and saying “what? you’re not going to give me one?”
any and all messes will be cleaned up by the kids, and they’ll be lined up & ready when the teachers are ready to come and get them
kyoka jirou.
i think she’d be better with older kids because they’re easier to maintain and entertain (in my opinion)
they don’t ask as many random questions, which sometimes overwhelm her, and they’re more likely to listen to what she has to say
i can see her being really flustered with the attention they give her, because they think she’s so cool, but she’s still pretty relaxed cuz she doesn’t wanna freak them out
she’ll let them have lots of snacks and would play music for them!!
“does anyone know what this instrument is called?”
“that’s right, good job! wanna hear what it sounds like?”
she’ll show them as many instruments as they wanna see, and tries not to blush too hard when they cheer and applaud
denki kaminari.
if you think kids bounce off the walls with energy, they’re about to meet their match with mr. denki kaminari.
he’s the kind of person to challenge them to foot races and to go way too hard in go fish
and he’d do little pranks where he let outs a little shock when they high five him
needless to say, the kids are exhausted when they make it back to their parents
eijirou kirishima.
he. loves. kids.
he thinks they’re so fun to be around and that they’re the next generation of heroes, and they’re full of endless potential!
he’s 100% willing to be a human jungle gym and will play wrestle with them to their heart’s content while making sure they’re not being too rough with each other
he’d compliment them for the smallest stuff, saying “wow! that was super manly, kiddo!” cuz he doesn’t want other people to question their abilities
he’s not the greatest cook, but he’s helpful, so he’ll help you cook for them!
he’ll encourage the kids to help however they can, and will let them stir the bowls while encouraging them!!
lots of high fives and “woo-hoo!”s
izuku midoriya.
izuku adores children’s curiosity and how their questions never seem to end
he can relate to it, because of course he loves compiling information and learning as much as he can about a topic
if one of the kids was a fan of all might??? they’re babbling together about all might’s greatest moments and they’re demonstrating how the move went and how the villain ran away pathetically
he’s very soft w kids because he knows how weird he is.
he agrees that it doesn’t make sense for someone of his size to be that strong, but reminds them that everyone’s quirk works differently, and that they shouldn’t judge people for their quirk or how it chooses to manifest
he’s so understanding and kind w the kids whose quirks haven’t manifested yet, because he knows how bad it feels to feel like you’re es than average, and assures them that it’ll come soon! and even if it doesn’t, you can still make a difference!
which is all the more reason for him to be as gentle as possible, following around the little ones like a mother hen and making sure they’re not gonna walk into something or put a toy into their mouth
would probably tire himself out trying to keep track of all of them and they would all fall asleep in a big hug pile 🥺
mashirao ojiro.
has a lot of fun with kids, because he’s used to being overshadowed by some of the higher achievers in class 1a
but kids think he’s cool because his quirk is so unique and they can’t help but be fascinated and ask a million questions on what he can do with it
he’s happy to share, because lots of people underestimate him and don’t pay attention to what he has to say
would give them rides on his tail and let them pet it (like denki does!)
hanta sero.
he just kinda lets them do their own thing and follows along to make sure that they don’t hurt themselves
would strap a baby to his chest with some tape just to keep them secure with him
and would answer a thousand questions about his quirk without tiring, because he remembers what it was like to be curious of peoples quirks, and he knows they’re not staring to be disrespectful
i think he’s another one that would cook for them, and feel really accomplished when they’re all satisfied
mezo shoji.
although he’s a badass, that’s exactly the reason why he’s the one most hesitant to deal with kids because he’s afraid that he’s going to scare them away
however, he didn’t account for them finding him to be the most fascinating person they’ve laid their eyes on
he would scoop them up in his arms and carry them around and let them use him like a jungle gym
he’s very very gentle with them because he tends to underestimate his strength and would never be able to forgive himself if he was to bring them harm, but he never does because he’s so careful
shoto todoroki.
shoto never really dealt with kids, so he’s hesitant about everything he does.
he’s seen the destruction that his quirk “causes”, and he’s horrified to thing of what could happen if he gets overwhelmed.
shoto underestimates his tolerance and patience. he’s very good with kids, and is very good at getting them to listen.
all it takes is a little flurry of snow and they’re suddenly at full attention for shoto.
ochaco uraraka.
she likes kids, but she’s not very good at being strict with them
they want to read another story? of course she can read another!
they want another snack? sure! why not?
she tries not to let them walk all over her, but they’re just so cute, and she can’t resist.
she’d make their toys float around the room to make them laugh
and they think she’s a princess because of her “magic” and how she wears pink :)
momo yaoyorozu.
momo is like a mom!
shes great at planning things for them to do and keeping them in line and occupied
games are organized and cooperative, so nobody loses!
although she’s not usually like this, she’s more than willing to give hugs and feel better kisses if someone is to bump their head :(
she would feel terrible if someone got hurt on her watch, so she’s encouraging them the be safe if they’re going to be active!
makes lots of fun little snacks for them to eat, with cute faces and stuff, and doesn’t mind to see her hard work enjoyed by such good kids!
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end!
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guqin-and-flute · 4 years ago
Text
In Your Hands--Ch. 2 [Peony to Lotus!Verse]
[Chapter 1]
[This whole fic is the second chronological installment of the Peony to Lotus!Verse]
[First Installment] [Ao3 Series]
Yanli is determined to set about evening the exchange of their gifts after she finds a little chest full of her favorite floral incense on his pillow next to her when she wakes. She would like to collect information as he does, sifting through conversation to remember errant tidbits about interests but he is as frustratingly tightlipped on the subject of himself as he ever is. Agreeable to any attempt to draw out his preferences to the point of obfuscation. “Don’t you love this color, A-Yao?” elicits a kindly, “It’s very lovely,” no matter the color in question. She thinks it might be his way of not being a bother, because he certainly isn’t doing anything intentionally. Little does he know that, in reality, it’s making things more difficult on her.
I will know you, she thinks, watching him with keen eyes as they all eat breakfast together and talk. I will give you what you want, if only I could find out what that is.
He catches her watching and tilts his head, smiling in question.
“How are your dumplings?” She asks as an excuse, gesturing. 
“Oh, very good. Would you like some more?”
This man. 
His plate holds a bit of everything on the table, including one of A-Xian’s favored spicy dishes--while it’s something, she already knows he had grown up in Yunmeng and can tolerate spice. She just doesn’t know whether he likes it or not.  
It has almost become a game, to her, if not to him--though she thinks it might be, at least a little, for she sees the flash of satisfaction in his eyes when he lets her take his arm and breathes deeply, taking in the scent of the incense she had let envelop her as she dressed that morning. “You smell wonderful,” he murmurs and she feels herself flush up her neck, even though it had been the whole point of steeping herself in it to begin with.
“Thanks to you.” When she lays her head on his shoulder--partially in thanks, partially to hide her pink cheeks--she feels him lean closer.
She wants to delight him, to see him pleased and surprised into a genuine smile. But more than anything, she truly wants to know more about him. 
There is an inkling of a clue when she buys a guan for him made of graceful silver arches that form a lotus that seems to sit upon water that is reminiscent of the hair pin he had gotten her. When she presents it to him at bedtime, he seems surprised. He lets loose a soft, “oh,” turning it this way and that in his hands. Watching him, triumphant, she slides out her own pin and twirls it next to the guan, allowing her hair to begin its tumble down. “We’ll match.”
For a moment, he simply looks between the two ornaments, one hand coming out to slide his fingertips down the beaded chain of hers. Then, he smiles at her, and it’s wide and very nearly new. “We will.” 
“You like it?”
“Of course, it’s beautiful! I will like everything that you choose to give me.”
She scrunches her nose and tweaks his cheek. “Well, that’s hardly fair! How will I know if you truly do and aren’t just pretending for my sake?”
Turning, he picks her hand up from the bed and chastely brushes his lips across her knuckles. “I will like them because you are the one who gave them, A-Li.”
And at long last, it’s something! Because she thinks it’s true. Perhaps, for him, like it is for her, it is not the usefulness, or the beauty of the thing, but the loving it was given from. She has kept the little drawings A-Xian has given her since he was young, the little carved creatures of wood and soap that A-Cheng used to whittle her (though, realistically, they are little more than blobs she was told are bears and the like. Whatever they look like, they are blobs of love.) She has them lined up on a shelf in her old room, and has brought a few over to the room shared by A-Yao. They make her smile to see because they were made for her; love in a little scene she can revisit through touch again and again. Sometimes, she simply holds them and remembers how it used to be.
This, she decides, is probably what she should focus on for A-Yao--a shelf of happy memories and the knowledge he is loved. 
So, when she is sitting in her favorite pavilion one bright and breezy morning and He Si, one of the servants, delivers a gorgeous new calligraphy set to her and informs her with a barely contained grin that her husband has sent it, Yanli sets to work. After she unpacks and marvels over shiny new things, of course. It’s all sleek and beautiful and of the highest quality.
All morning, she uses his new gift to write him notes that she spends the afternoon ferreting away into places he will find them--like in his pockets or his desk drawers or under his spare boots. Some of them are little lines of poems she cherishes, one or two are shy sketches of the butterflies that had visited and twined through the fluttering, gauzy green curtains as she wrote, and more, still, are idle little thoughts she thinks will warm him. ‘I will be pleased to see you at dinner.’ ‘Remember not to work too hard.’ ‘Have a good day.’
She even gets the joy of seeing him find one while on a walkway, tucked in between 2 delivered missives with the help of He Si’s sleight of hand. The brisk, dutiful stride to business pauses and Yanli watches his slightly bowed head as he reads, the sunlight sliding down his hair like silk. When he looks up and around, she slips behind a delicately carved pillar on impulse so that he can’t see her. Then, she peeks back around. He’s looking back down at the slip of paper in his hand, his mouth a small curl of aching fondness. This one had said, ‘thinking of you.’ Warmth spreads through her when he folds it, neatly and carefully, into his fingers and presses his knuckles to his lips, closing his eyes. It is a moment of him with no mask in sight and she would feel sheepish for intruding if it didn’t bring her such happiness just to see his own. Even after he resumes his purposeful stride and disappears indoors, she is grinning, glowing, and allows herself a moment to seek out He Si to review the heist. “Did it please him?” the girl demands, excited. “What did it say?”
“It’s a secret,” Yanli teases. “And oh yes it did.”
It continues in this manner almost daily, when his gifts allow it; he gives her a parasol and she invites him on a walk under it with her; he buys rich embroidery thread and she weaves a delicate braid for him to wear or display a pendant from. He presents her with a fine silken handkerchief that she returns only days later, embroidered and thoroughly infused with the incense he had given her, draped over his pillow. Sadly, she didn’t get to witness this discovery, but she does see him slip it from his inner pocket as he removes his outer robes, that evening. As she watches him from the bed, Yanli resists the most absurd urge to bashfully pull the covers up over her nose and asks, “You...found it, then?”
Instead of answering, he slowly sits on her side instead of his and spreads it between them on the covers with deliberate care, one side of his mouth tucked up, that dimple pressed in sweetly in the lantern-light. “A pair of mandarin ducks,” he observes, voice quiet, eyes on the handkerchief as he runs his fingertips over it.
“I stitched them myself.”
“They are masterfully done and the colors are beautiful.”
“It was the thread you gave me. I wanted....” The intentions, the symbolism gets caught on her tongue and she blushes. Husband, she has to remind herself. It’s allowed! It’s expected! A long and happy marriage is what one is supposed to want. He makes the prospect of closeness and affection all at once so mysterious and alluring, almost a forbidden thing (though the thought is a ridiculous one, she admits.) “Do you like it?”
He raises his eyes to her and they are night soft. “A-Li, may I kiss you?”
Yanli’s heart jumps to her throat in an anticipatory sort of apprehension and her hands twist in her lap. Anxious without fear; she trusts this and him. “You may.”
Though she had kissed his mouth once before, he had been still, accepting the simple press and nothing more. Now, as he leans in, his hands settle lightly on her jaw, tilting her face up to him, his lips are a sure, gentle slide over hers. It’s odd to have someone so close to her face, and it’s  warmer than she would have thought--not to mention wetter. But not bad. 
Oh no, definitely not bad. 
A-Yao kisses her with the same keen attention he gives everything else; controlled and intent. It feels as if he is slowly sampling her, sometimes the pressure feather-like and almost tickling, and other times an earnest press, inviting her along. The entirety of her skin grows hot at the realization she is being experienced and she can feel her heartbeat as if her entire chest is a drum. He makes it easy, a song that sounds vaguely familiar without completely knowing the next step. She doesn’t feel lost or stupid or silly. She feels wanted. Precious.
When he draws back, her lips are tingling--who would have thought such an ordinary part of her face could produce that much sensation? One would think she would have noticed this before!--and he is watching her carefully. His own lips are slightly pinker and without thinking, she reaches out to touch them, wonderingly. His watchfulness melts at her touch and he smiles against her fingertips--his mouth is warm, like her own when she lifts her other hand to compare. 
“That was….”
“Good?”
“Oh, it was strange but I think I liked it. I--can we try again?”
A-Yao laughs and reaches out as she eagerly shuffles forward on her knees. Yanli allows him to draw her onto his lap sideways but, this time, she reaches out and draws him down. And being the good, patient man that he is, he lets her try again and again as she wishes, moving as she does.
There is no sudden revelation or awakening as she had secretly hoped there might be with such a kiss, (how easy that would have been, if all the whispers and stories and songs had all aligned with ultimate clarity and understanding within her, if it was all at once as easy as everyone else made it seem). But it is new and oddly pleasant to simply be in his arms, closer than she has ever been before, sharing with him. He pulls away and takes her wrist, eyebrows pinched. “You’re shaking. Are you alright?”
Oh. It seems she is. It isn’t fear, but instead a sort of deep trembling that seems to originate from her core, almost like excitement or the kind of giddy terror of a friend chasing you in a game of tag. She smiles up at him. “It’s...new. I think I’m just getting used to it. You’re my first kiss.” 
Something she can’t define as positive or negative before it’s gone passes over his face and he gathers her up, burying his face in her neck, squeezing. She curls back around him, hands stroking his soft hair. “I’m so glad it’s you,” she murmurs, the ghosts of the kisses still shimmering on her lips. “You’re so sweet and kind to me. How did I get so lucky?”
Against her throat, he sucks in a deep, shaking breath before pulling back to deliver an almost perfect smile, the slight tremble in the corner of his mouth the only thing betraying whatever depth of emotion he is feeling. “Jiang-furen,” he says with playful reproach. “You simply can’t steal my lines like that. What will I be left with?”
In response, she clasps his face and leans up to rub the tips of their noses together. "Oh, you're so very clever. I'm sure you'll think of something."
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