#my PMs are for fanfic purposes only

[sunnylighter]

I'm so annoyed!

Is anyone else who still has a Fanfiction.net account getting a sudden flood of PMs from "people" (I'm not convinced they're not bots or scams) trying to bum commissions off you? I've gotten five in the last month and I'm really starting to find them annoying. Not to mention, it's not allowed on FF.

Never mind the fact I'm an artist and can do my own art for my fanfiction. If I wanted a commission from someone, I would seek them out myself. It's irritating to open a PM on FF expecting to see someone either want to talk about my works or ask for Beta Reader help, but instead see some stranger claiming they want my money.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE when people do fanart of my stories. It warms my heart that what I wrote inspired someone enough that they brought it to life. It makes me so happy every time I see it, and it's fun to do it myself. But these "people" I seriously doubt have read even one of my works. They probably just saw my name on a list and sent a stock sales pitch.

So yeah, fanart of my fics is very welcome, but if I want a commission, don't come to me, I'll come to you.

People who are trying to solicit me, Fuck Off!

[hunnylagoon]

Birthday Girl

A/N This is my first tumblr fic. I’m a retired Wattpad warrior, I only wrote this bc the Ellie tag is over diluted by smut, we need some angst and fluff to balance it out. My credentials are that I used to write Game of Thrones fanfic and I was blocked by Noah Beck on Twitter. Apologies in advance for any spelling errors or confusing sentences, bc I was high off my ass when I wrote this.

Summary

Jackson’s resident Baker works herself tirelessly to take care of everyone on their birthday and ensure they get something nice to brighten their special day but who is there to take care of her?

Birthdays are like brilliant gems in the kaleidoscope of time; they are the times when life's symphony crescendos into a celebration of its children. As the sun circles the earth once a year, we are given a day to celebrate our own journey, a day that whispers stories of victories, laughter, and the sweet notes of resiliency. You had always loved birthdays, who didn't? The look of joy on someone's face when they open a  gift you spent weeks looking for, the uncontrollable smile and pure serotonin that took over even the grumpiest of people. Everyone had a special day designated to them, of course, it was a cause to celebrate. 

You worked in the town bakery with very few other people, from five am to twelve pm on Monday to Friday every single week you were hustling around in a humid bakery, hell, you ran it like the navy.  Every morning, walking into the bakery is like stepping into a fragrant paradise where time seems to slow down to the sound of ovens buzzing to life. The first two hours were just for you before you let anyone in, The comforting routine of donning a flour-dusted apron and tying back unruly hair precedes the artistry of crafting pastries and breads. The almost therapeutic rhythm of kneading, rolling, and shaping becomes second nature: the soft crack of eggs, the calculated pour of sugar, and the clouds of flour hovering in midair. 

There wasn't much creative freedom while working in the Jackson bakery, it really just consisted of making dozens of bread loaves daily and then carting them over to the 'Barbecue Place' Which was once a restaurant though it had been refashioned into Jackson's mess hall.  However, you were able to dabble in some fun and were able to make cupcakes daily and a large batch of miscellaneous pastries every Friday. The cupcakes were very dear to you, you had to beg Maria when you were thirteen to approve the idea and eventually, you were green-lit.

As you step into the bakery you are greeted by the creek of wooden planks which are a testament to decades of busy activity; the dance of innumerable bakers has worn away at their shiny surfaces. The aroma of baked goods still hovers in the air from the previous day and all the days that came before, taking you to a more peaceful time. Sunlight streams through old lace curtains, illuminating worn, mismatched tables and chairs that have served eager clients for centuries though they no longer serve guests in the bakery. Deeply patinated wooden shelves support a variety of ceramic jars, each containing a treasure trove of hidden ingredients. Fading photos and yellowed newspaper clippings decorate the walls, telling the story of the bakery's illustrious past. There are copper pots and pans strung like time capsules on strong hooks, and an old-fashioned cash register sits on the end of the counter past the empty glass displays, it no longer serves a purpose but you have fought bravely to keep it around as it makes you think of what life had been like before the world fell apart. 

You look at a beat-up calendar on the walls, sitting in the place of an old picture frame that had been knocked down and shattered by none other than yourself when you were fourteen and had the bright idea of having you and your friend toss a bag of flour at each other to see who was strong enough to last longer in the odd game of catch. Surely, Ellie threw the five-pound bag a little too hard, you ducked to save yourself but it smashed into the framed photo of the family who ran the bakery before the apocalypse. It not only was smashed into little fragments but the bag of flour exploded and covered the dining room of the bakery as well as yourself in white powder, it looked like it had snowed inside. The calendar you were checking held the birthday of every person in Jackson, it was messy and hard to read as you usually had to cram several birthdays into a single day which was only a small square, it was hardly legible, there was almost no one else who could read it. Every day when you walked into the bakery, the first thing you did was check the calendar to find out whose birthday it was, then you began your bread dough or carried on with the sourdough started the day before, while the dough rose, you made cake batter, adjusting the recipe according to how many you had to make. After finishing work for the day or sometimes when you were midway through it, you would give each person a cupcake to celebrate their special day.

Even if no one else remembered their birthday, you were always there to make it a little bit better.

Today there were two birthdays on the calendar, Sean Casey, a man who was turning sixty. The second birthday marked down in the little square was yours. 

That's what made that day so special, you were ecstatic to see what your friends had planned for you later. Last year Ellie promised that she would go above and beyond for your next birthday and you were going to hold her to that. There was already a nice start to your morning by having your dad wake you up with breakfast in bed which you found truly impressive as he usually slept in till at least ten, on top of that he had scavenged a stand mixer for the home. You grabbed your apron off of the hook putting it over your neck and tying it tight around your waist. Everyone had a couple of designated aprons to rotate through throughout the week, yours consisted of two plain white ones, a red gingham pattern, one of forest green, and another made of a fabric covered in hyacinth flowers, their colours diluted like paint. Today you wore the apron your father gave you last year on your birthday, it was your favourite colour and the neckline was embroidered to say '(y/n)s kitchen'. You could tell your dad did the embroidery himself, the stitches were loose and uneven in some areas while being extremely tight in others, that's why you loved it so much, it was the thought and care behind it.

With a gentle hand, you pulled each of your necessary ingredients along with equipment out to begin your day. You preheat the ovens and in the quiet pre-dawn hours, the bakery comes alive with the hushed sounds of industrial mixers. The heady scent of freshly milled flour dances in the air as you measure the precise alchemy of ingredients, your hands moving with practiced grace. Kneading the dough becomes repetitive, muscles working in harmony to transform a mound of humble ingredients into a soft elastic texture. As the dough rests and rises, the anticipation builds—the promise of crusty loaves and soft, pillowy interiors. You slipped the pans of dough into the industrial ovens, the heat attacking you the second you opened the door; making sure to place the pumpernickel, rye, sourdough, brioche and wheat loaves all sorted on different racks in the respective ovens.

By the time you put the loaves in ovens it had been two hours from when you began, even with preparation the day before and dough starters, it was a process. You quickly washed your hands before unlocking the door for Juno as well as anyone who wanted to come in to visit. 

The clock read '7:09', because of the passthrough you were still able to look outside via the glass storefront, you could see people walking along the streets heading to whatever job they worked to contribute to the community, no one got paid, it was a commune after all, you couldn't imagine a world where everyone was so dependent on money and so obsessed with over-consumption. Part of you was waiting for one of those people to come in and wish you a happy birthday, but you shook the thoughts from your head.

You began to make the small portion for two of cupcake batter, remembering distinctly how four years ago you sat next to Sean at the Fourth of July party and he went on and on about how much he hated vanilla, it seemed like one of those crazy old man rants but you found delight in it. Never had you seen a man so passionate about cake flavouring. He said vanilla was nothing special, flavourless; you had come to learn that he was a chocolate man, every holiday event filling his pot belly with chocolate, when you had brought assorted sweets for a Christmas party he dove straight for the brownies. So it was easy for you to make up your mind on what flavour of cupcake to make.

After years of this cupcake tradition you had memorized each ratio to make, a double serving of chocolate batter consisting of 1/4 cup of flour, 2 1/2 tablespoons of white sugar, 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/4 tablespoon of baking soda, a dash of salt, 2 tablespoons milk, two tablespoons canola oil, 1/4 tablespoon vanilla extract. You treated baking like it was a science and recipes were your formulas.

As for the frosting, you had a stockpile of plain buttercream that you took small servings from and flavoured according to said person's preference. All you had to do was whip it up and add some cocoa powder to make it fluffy and creamy again.

The bell above the doorway rang, signalling the arrival of someone, you looked up to see Maria. "Hey, there," You smiled, turning off the stand mixer so you could hear her.

"Hi, (y/n)," She greeted and you quickly wiped whatever was on your hands onto your apron before coming around to the service counter to speak with her. "I have something to ask of you."

"Yes?"

"I know you already do your little cupcake thing but we are throwing a surprise party tonight for Sean and I was hoping you could make a cake for him?"

You nod with a smile "Anything for the town chief."

"Great, then how about a simple vanilla cake?"

"Sean doesn't like vanilla," You answered quickly.

"Okay, well I trust you with it, his party starts at eight tonight in the town square and he's turning sixty so it's a big one, I'll see you there around then?" 

"Definitely," You grinned at Maria, waiting for her to wish you a happy birthday and reveal that she was only pretending to forget but she didn't. She thanked you and walked out, leaving you in a flour-covered apron with a tinge of hurt in your heart. It wasn't like you weren't close with Maria, you had Thanksgiving at her house every year.

Nonetheless, it was only a blip in your soon-to-be perfect day. Just as you had frosted the two cupcakes, putting chocolate chips on Sean's and breaking half of a double fudge cookie and sticking it into the thick icing. Rainbow sprinkles cascade like confetti, adding a whimsical touch to the miniature confection. The bell rang again calling for your attention, this time you didn't leave the kitchen instead just moved to look at whoever it was by the passthrough.

"Hey, kiddo!" Tommy greeted, clad in a red flannel tucked into blue jeans. He walked into the bakery as comfortably as he would his home.

"Howdy, Tommy," You said, moving out of his sight for a quick moment to put the two cupcakes in the fridge to prevent the buttercream from prematurely melting. 

"So, it's Sean's birthday today and I was wondering if you could bake a cake for his party-

"Maria was already in," You answered "Don't worry, I'm on it."

He smiled "Of course, you're always so on top of it," He leaned over the counter slightly, trying to get a look inside the kitchen via the passthrough "Say, have you got anything back there for me?" You opened the box of double fudge cookies you made the day before and scooted around the passthrough to hand him one, boots clattering on the ground. Tommy loved to visit the bakery as you always had a sweet treat for him and he would never get sick of the aromatic embrace of fresh bread. "Thanks, kiddo, I'll see you around." 

This was the moment you were almost convinced that they were planning a surprise party for you, sure Maria could forget about your birthday, she was a busy lady but there was no way Tommy would. He was good buddies with your dad and was over at your place for beers a minimum of once a week. You always baked for him when he came over and he constantly joked about you trying to fatten him up. 

The bell sounded again though you didn't bother to look up, you knew who it was by the time of the clock, Juno was starting her shift. As usual, she tied her mousy brown hair into a sleek ponytail then grabbed her apron and stuck a baseball cap on over her head so there was no chance of her hair coming loose. "Good morning," She walked into the kitchen, heading over to the sink to wash her hands.

"Mornin'," You answer.

She looks you up and down with a slight smile "You're wearing your favourite apron, must be a special day."

“Sure doesn't feel like it."

♡

Your birthday wasn’t panning out great but you didn't want to lose hope.

You had walked over to the greenhouses after your shift to find Sean, he loved the cupcake, he even hugged you which was nice albeit a little odd. You walked through town a bit after you had stopped and talked to everyone on the street for not a single one to say the words you've been pleading to hear all day. Taking it as defeat, you grabbed a sandwich for lunch from the mess hall and began the desolate walk home.

Nestled at the end of a peaceful, tree-lined street, the charming but battered house had a certain charm that cut through its worn yellow exterior. Tentacles of ivy wrapped about the crumbling outside walls, their green tones infusing the dilapidated building with a hint of the natural world's tenacity. The worn-out yet friendly doormat and weathered rocking chair on the porch told of years spent taking in the changing of the seasons. The wooden frames of the windows, adorned with faded drapes that seen innumerable sunsets, spoke tales of laughter and time passed.

The house's coziness unfolded inside like a time capsule, with worn-out rugs covering creaky floorboards and a fireplace in the living room that was adorned with vintage tiles that were mismatched and provided warmth in more ways than one. The rooms had a lived-in comfort despite the peeling wallpaper and chipped paint, and each mismatched piece of furniture seemed to tell a story of its own. Despite being tatty and ragged around the edges, the house exuded a calmness that invited guests to enjoy the beauty concealed in the flaws of a place that had aged gracefully and with character like most homes in Jackson. The living room was always your favourite, there was a spruce bookshelf pushed behind the gray, L-shaped couch, and the rug was once a maroon colour though it's clear that it's been well-loved over the years. Pillows and throw blankets were carelessly scattered over the couch from when you and your dad had watched '21 Jumpstreet' the night before, he kept saying it was a shame the outbreak happened before they got to make a second one, though many of the jokes didn't land with you, you loved to see your dad laugh so hard he snorted. The room was illuminated by a warm glow from the fairy lights overhead that your dad scavenged years prior, a small stack of books piled up on the coffee table which had been hand-crafted by Joel.

You popped 'Mean Girls' into the DVD player, just to have some background noise and went to the kitchen and started on Sean's cake. As much as you loved the bakery, you wanted to be somewhere a little more close to comfort. 

As you measured each ingredient with care, you couldn't shake the bittersweet feeling that lingered in the air. Sifting the ingredients into the bowl, you had wished your father was home from patrol duty, all you really wanted was a hug but instead, you slaved away at a black forest complete with layers of moist sponge, decadent frosting, and a profusion of vibrant decorations.

As you delicately frosted the cake, your mind flitted between thoughts of the celebration and the poignant fact that everyone seemed to have overlooked your own special day. The kitchen, usually a sanctuary for you to escape to, now harboured the weight of unspoken emotions. Your heart, though excited for Sean to get a nice surprise on his Birthday, held an unnoticed longing for acknowledgment.

The aroma of the baking cake filled the kitchen, mingling with the scent of disappointment that you couldn't quite shake.

As the cake took shape, you couldn't help but think back to the calendar at the bakery, where the date circled in red seemed to mock you. Your own birthday, usually a day filled with surprises and the warmth of laughter, had slipped through the cracks of everyone's awareness. Though the night was still young and Ellie had said that she was planning something incredible.

Finally, nine was about to roll around, you changed into some clean clothes that hadn't yet carried the memories of your disappointing day, just a white top and some jeans. The sun had set, and your dad wouldn't be home for a good while so you walked over to the town square alone. 

There was a table full of food and a long banner that read 'Happy Birthday Sean!' strung between two street lamps. There were twinkling fairy lights illuminating what would have otherwise been a dark night. 

"There she is!" Tommy smiled, doing that awkward little dad jog over you. "Wow, that cake looks incredible, mind if I take it off your hands?"

"Go ahead," You held out the cakeboard. Tommy gingerly took it away from your grasp, his forearm underneath to support and his other hand held the side of the board for balance.

"I owe ya' kiddo," He winked before taking the cake away to show a group of adults.

You stood around awkwardly for a moment, unsure of what to do with yourself.  You turned your attention to the moon, wanting to believe that it shined so very bright just for you, because the moon, unlike everyone else recalled how important this day was to you-

"SURPRISE!" Everyone erupted in cheers as Sean walked up to his party, his daughter had her arm linked with his. He had the biggest smile on his face it almost made you forgive everyone for forgetting because at least Sean got something thoughtful.

"Lord, I was thinking everyone forgot my birthday!" Sean laughed, pulling Tommy in for a hug.

"(y/n)!" Dina yelled, you turned your head to follow her voice. She was sitting at a long picnic table beneath an awning with some friends "Over here," She motioned for you to sit down and you obliged, taking a spot between Ellie and Laila. "What have you been up to? I feel like I haven't seen you all day."

"That's because you haven't," You said with an awkward smile. "I've just been baking, like always."

"You're always working so hard, I swear you live in that bakery and when you aren't in there your busy busting your ass around town to make sure everyone gets something on their birthday," Dina sat across from you and put a hand onto yours "You look out for everyone, but who's looking out for you?"

"My dad?" You glance at Ellie who isn't tuned into the conversation in the slightest, she has her arms crossed in front of her on the table and her head resting on them. 

"Aw, that's sweet-" Kayla moves to look at you but in doing so, she spills a glass of juice onto you. "I'm so sorry," She slaps one hand over her mouth, her eyebrows furrowing. Kayla stood up from the table, her ginger curls rustling with the breeze "I'll get a cloth or something-

"Don't worry about it," I wave her off "It's just clothes, I'll grab some napkins." You push yourself away from the table, walking over to the table adorned with food, you see a small stack of Christmas themed napkins (it must've been hard for them to come by regular ones) and grab a handful, bunching them up in your hand in an attempt to soak up some of the juice that had already indefinitely stained your clothes. 

You feel some eyes on you from the other side of the table, to look up and see Joel, he doesn't say anything though his lips are pressed together tight.

"You're back," You say, a spark of happiness rekindling inside of you "So my dad's back from patrol too?"

Joel nods "Too tuckered to come out, said he was just heading home," He uses tongs to put a couple cuts of chicken onto his plate "Oh and happy birthday, you've probably heard that a whole bunch already, lord, it's all your old man would talk about on our last couple of patrols."

"What did you say?" You look at him with furrowed eyebrows, unsure if he said what you really thought.

"I said happy birthday, shame you've stained your clothes on your birthday," He absentmindedly added some mashed potatoes onto his plate. The words hung in the air, a moment that transcended the boundaries of their usual exchanges. You, momentarily taken aback, met Joel's gaze. It was a simple, earnest wish, uttered with the spontaneity of someone who had remembered a small yet significant detail in the whirlwind of festivity.

"Thank you, Joel," You replied, your voice carrying a mix of surprise and gratitude. In that fleeting instant, the isolation that had surrounded her seemed to dissipate. A connection, however tenuous, had been forged in the acknowledgment of her existence amidst the collective celebration.

"No problem, kid, I'll see you around," He left with his plate leaving you to stand alone at the table. You continued to dab at the juice on your white top, and though you knew it wouldn't come out you proceeded to rub it; the best exchange of your day, no more than eight sentences suddenly turned from joy to frustration. The only two people who remembered your birthday were your dad and a fiftey-eight-year-old man who practically raised the girl you had spent years crushing on, not the girl herself, but her father figure. However, you thought, maybe if Joel remembered, Ellie had aswell and she actually did have something planned.

Amidst the lively chatter and laughter that reverberated through the night, you stood in the midst of flickering candles and colourful decorations, your eyes cast down to the ground. The atmosphere of celebration enveloped her, but a palpable sense of solitude hung in the air like a heavy mist settling upon your shoulders. It was a birthday party, yes, but not your own. Forgotten and overlooked, your heart echoed with a quiet ache, the irony of your situation casting a shadow over the festive scene.

The square was adorned with streamers and balloons, a tapestry of colours that seemed to dance in rhythm with the joyful voices around her. The community gathered, their faces lit by the warm glow of the fairy lights and street lamps, each one caught up in the merriment of the moment. Yet, for you, the celebration felt like a distant spectacle, a scene from which you were detached.

It was your birthday too—a fact that no one cared enough to recall. As Darla (Sean's daughter)  calls guests toward a decadent cake adorned with candles, which you had made, you couldn't escape the bitter irony of the situation. You watched as the room erupted into a chorus of "Happy Birthday," the song meant for another soul, another moment of joy. You joined in, lips forming the familiar words, your voice harmonizing with the collective melody. But within the depths of your being, the celebration rang hollow, a stark contrast to the cheer that echoed around you.

Throughout the evening, you navigated the party with a forced smile, concealing the invisible weight of your emotions. Conversations buzzed like bees in your ears, no- it grated like a fork in a blender, but you found yourself on the outskirts—a silent observer amidst the numerous connections. The laughter that erupted like fireworks, the clinking of glasses, the embraces of old friends—it all seemed distant, an echo from another realm where she once belonged.

The party unfolded as a series of snapshots: a group photo with smiling faces, a toast to Sean, and the opening of gifts that weren't meant for you. Each moment, though vibrant and filled with the warmth of shared camaraderie, magnified the silence that enveloped your own celebration, forgotten and left to dissolve into the shadows.

As the night carried out, seeming like the celebration would never cease, you cut yourself a slice of cake, grabbing one of the half-melted candles that Sean had already blown out, they sat in a frosting-covered pile next to the cake. You took your favourite colour out of the rainbow assortment of candles and stuck it into the piece of black forest cake.

With your cake you sat back down by Ellie at the picnic table where she still returned to after conversing, everyone else had gotten up to dance. You reached for the lighter in your pocket and struck it to ignite, sparks flickered around the end of it, you struck it again and a flame arose, you carefully brought it to the wick of the partially melted candle.

The flickering flame cast a subtle glow as you made a silent wish for understanding, for the beauty found in selflessness, and for the recognition that sometimes the most meaningful celebrations are the ones we craft for others, even in the quiet echoes of our own unacknowledged birthdays. Ellie turned to look at you as the candle's flame danced in the darkness, before you could blow out the candle to solidify your wish a little girl climbed up onto the bench and blew it out, you looked at her and all she did was smile up at you, the gap in her teeth prominent, her deep chocolate hair braided so intricately you had to believe that it must've taken her mother hours.

As much as you wanted to deck that little girl in the face for ruining your moment, you didn't because it would be wildly inappropriate. "Do you want this?" You sighed, holding out the plate to the girl, she smiled and nodded enthusiastically, taking the cake and scattering away "Hey, Ellie," You pushed back tears in your eyes, forcing a smile on your face "Got any plans later?"

“Yeah," She said, short

"Oh, what are they?"

"Not to sound like a cunt but I'm not really in the mood to talk, I had a shit patrol and all I want to do is go home, smoke a joint, watch a movie, maybe read a comic, and pass out on my couch, the only reason I'm here is that Dina dragged me out and Joel said I need to be more involved in the community."

Your smile dropped, you couldn't hold it in anymore, realizing that this wasn't the elaborate setup of a surprise party but Ellie genuinely forgot it was your birthday. "Are you serious?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Do you know what day it is?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember what's happening today?"

"It's Sean's birthday," She gestured to the party around her.

"You're fucking serious," Any amusement that had been in your tone was gone, replaced by a subtle anger boiling up inside of you

"Are you going to cry?" Ellie gave you a weird look "What are you so mad about?"

"I can't believe you," You laugh bitterly "Actually I can, this is so like you, I need to stop building it up in my head that you're going to surprise me with something great. But hey, at least you never fail to let me down."

"Jesus," She scoffed "There's always something going on with you, can you go one day without finding some irrational reason to be upset?"

"Irrational?"

"Yeah, irrational," She reiterated "You always come to me when something sets you off in the slightest then your problem becomes everyone else's. You're so fucking draining and I'm sick of it."

"Fuck you, I hope your comic catches fire from your joint and you burn your place down." You stand up from the bench, wiping tears away from your eyes. Your boots clattered against the cobblestone. You stormed past the dancers, some stopping to look at one another with concern. Dina leaves Jesse to ask Ellie what happened.

The walk home might've been the loneliest you had felt in your life, the harsh wind of the night bit at your nose. The feeling of the sticky juice soaking through your clothing was borderline unbearable, were just about ready to scream. There wasn't a single person out and about as everyone was either at the party or cozied up in their own homes.

Arriving at your doorstep, you fumbled with the handle, the metallic clink resonating in the quietude that enveloped the house. The door swung open, revealing the dimly lit foyer, still no surprise. Why do you still think there is going to be a party? No one is coming.

You wandered into the living room, the TV was lit with the options screen for 'Mean Girls' that you had put on hours earlier.

Sinking into the worn-out couch, You let the weight of the day wash over you. A single tear welled in your eye, and as it escaped, a floodgate of unshed sorrow burst open. The first teardrop traced a silent path down your cheek, leaving a glistening trail of heartache in its wake.

The tears you cried weren't silent and dainty but violent sobs that burned your throat each time you cried out. As you wept, it felt like someone had stabbed your gut with a thousand needles, you cried and cried, to no one in particular, maybe the moon glistening outside the window though the moon seemed to absorb your tears, offering no solace in return.

The soft tick of the clock on the wall echoed in the quiet room, marking the strike of midnight, your birthday had ended. There was no secret party or a prank where everyone was only playing an act, only the emptiness of the house echoed the howls soaked in your tears.

The oak staircase creaked, and your dad turned the corner, peering into the living room. "What's wrong, honey,?" He shook the sleep from his mind, focusing on what was important, he sat next to you on the sofa. "I thought you said you were going to be out all night with your friends?"

You shook your head, breathing shaky breaths alone, hardly able to get a word out "They forgot," You felt the harsh sting of desolation hit you all over again "Everyone forgot," You grabbed his grey t-shirt burying your face into his chest. He wrapped his arms around you, cradling you gently like you were a child who had just scraped her knee not someone who had just turned nineteen, "Except for Joel, so be nice to him, please."

"I'm sorry, baby, it was probably just a mix-up," He rubbed one hand on your back to comfort you. "I should've been there with you, I'm so sorry."

You couldn't get the words out of your mouth, all you could manage was to shake in your father's arms with sobs until you cried yourself to sleep.

♡

"Happy birthday, Jasmine!" You smile brightly, presenting a lemon-raspberry cupcake to the woman. She was serving breakfast in the mess hall, the early morning light streaming through the many windows, blinding those trying to enjoy their meals.

"Aw, thank you, love" She took the cupcake "That's real sweet," She wore a hairnet, despite having short cropped hair. "I just realized I don't even know when your birthday is."

"It was yesterday, actually."

"Aww, how was it?" Jasmine smiled, her white teeth contrasting with her dark skin.

"It was nice, it was quiet too, I just spent it by myself."

A frown replaced Jasmine's smile and she lowered her tone "Did your friends drop the ball?"

You wave off her question "Oh no, loads of people remembered, I just wanted some time to myself, it was nice."

You could tell Jasmine didn't wholeheartedly believe you, she was at Sean's party last night and saw you rush out with tears building in your eyes "If you say so," She shrugged, taking a bite of her cupcake "This is really good."

"Thanks," A small smile plays on your lips.

"God bless you, sweetheart, you deserve the best." She said, every bit of truth behind her words. She took another bite of the cupcake, savouring the sweet and sour taste "And I mean that."

You were too caught up in conversation to notice Jesse ahead of you in the service line right away, he grabbed a glass and filled it with water from the dispenser, trying to play cool and not have your attention drawn to him. With a shaky hand, he put the glass on his tray and hurried over to the table where Ellie was eating with Dina. "Guys, something not that great just happened."

Ellie furrowed her eyebrows looking from Dina to Jesse "What?" She asked through a mouthful of scrambled eggs, she swallowed them down and spoke back up "Please tell us what terrible thing has happened in the time it took you to walk to the service line, get your food and come back?" Sarcasm dripped from her voice.

"We forgot (y/n)'s birthday," He said quickly, Ellie and Dina looked at each other with wide eyes, thinking back to the night before and the way they had both behaved. Dina was extremely ignorant and Ellie got into an argument with you, though Jesse didn't speak to you at all.

"We're awful friends," Dina says quietly, scraping her mind for any way they could salvage the situation and play it off like they hadn't forgotten. "We could change all of the calendars in town and make it seem like her birthday is actually today."

"Be serious, Dina," Jesse said, though he was considering her idea. "I think the only way we can fix this is by making it up to her."

"How would we do that? We can't make it up to her, she remembers every single person's birthday in this town and gives them a cupcake, even people she doesn't like, do you remember how she planned all of our birthday parties for the last four years and has never let us down?" Dina and Jesse nodded "And how we always scramble something together last minute? Like last year, we only remembered two days before and we threw her a subpar movie night, we watched Star Wars and she doesn't even like Star Wars."

Dina sucked air through her teeth "Yeah, not our best moment."

"You think?" Jesse asked, sarcastically. "And Ellie didn't make it any better by yelling at her yesterday!"

"You yelled at her? You told me you didn't yell at her,"  Dina whipped her head to look at Ellie, the smallest glimpse of judgment in her eyes. "Shh, she's coming!"

You were making your way to the exit lugging the cart that had held loaves of bread on it before you dropped them off to the kitchen, still in your flour-covered apron, hair pinned up messy, baby hairs flying away. Clad in jeans, a green T-shirt and beaten-up boots, clacking against the hardwood floor, you still looked beautiful to Ellie with red eyes and a puffy face from crying all night. "Watch this," Jesse murmured to the group before turning around and flagging you down. "Hey (y/n)!" He smiled brightly, his words catching your attention "Did you enjoy your birthday, yesterday?"

"Jesse, I know you heard me talking to Jasmine." You said and Ellie couldn't bear the disappointed look on your face. At that moment, the guilt hit her all at once. You had been the first kid her age that she warmed up to when she arrived in Jackson, trying your best to include her in everything. You invited her to hang out with your friends even though she didn't particularly get along with them, she went anyway because she just wanted to see you. On her birthday the previous year, you had scoped out an old comic store hours away just to bring her there for one day.

Jesse's smile fell and you had walked out the door before he had the chance to push a lie through his teeth. Last night's conversation echoed through Ellie's head over and over again, she cringed at the memory, god, why did she even say that?

Dina reached over the table and gave Ellie a harsh smack on the arm "Why did you even say that?!" 

"Ow," She flinched, rubbing the spot that had been assaulted by Dina "What are you talking about?"

Dina looked at Ellie like she was just about ready to scream "What you said to her last night, what was going through your head?"

"Not much, apparently," Jesse answered for her, earning a death glare from the Auburn girl.

"I'll just apologize and it'll be water under the bridge," Ellie said, leaning back.

"That's not going to work," Dina replied quickly.

It, in fact, did not work. Ellie had shown up at the bakery where you promptly ignored her. "(y/n), I'm really sorry I forgot your birthday and said those things to you." Nothing Ellie said could get you to even look at her.

She had later stopped by your house, it was your dad who answered the door and Ellie sheepishly asked if you were home. He called for you to come down, the moment you saw Ellie, you shut the door in her face. There was no way she could defend herself, she couldn't say that she said those things because she had a bad day (even though she did), and that would just make her seem pathetic. She really wanted to say that she was scared of how much she liked you, she didn't want to ruin a good thing, you both had spent years playing the role of each other's best friend until Ellie started to distance herself from you and you ended up enwrapping yourself with work to distract yourself from the fact that she was drifting away.

Ellie didn't know what to do, if she didn't act fast, it would be too late and she was going to lose you.

♡

One week later

The sun was just beginning to set as you were already preparing to settle into bed and read a book, just about to change out of your floor-length sundress and into one of your dad's old shirts. However, your plans were interrupted when you heard your dad screaming downstairs, it was blood-curdling. You dropped everything, pulling your bedroom door open and rushing down the stairs, tripping on a step and stumbling before quickly regaining balance and moving with haste "Dad?" You called out, worry running through your head. 

"SURPRISE!" People practically screeched, the volume so loud that you jolted back in fear. The chatter only grew as you looked around you and realized what was happening, this was your belated birthday party. 

You were pulled in suddenly for a hug, squeezing you so tight you thought your eyes would pop out of your skull was Tommy "I'm so sorry, kiddo, I was being a real shithead on your birthday."

"It's okay," You choked out, nearly gasping for air. Much to your relief, he released you and you took a deep breath.

"Happy belated birthday!" Dina sang, placing a fat box in your arms. Many people followed after her, piling gifts on top of the initial one, you were quickly losing balance, so you stumbled into the living room and put the gifts onto the coffee table. There was so much life in the living room it was almost hard to believe that just a week before you had been crying alone, bathed in moonlight. 

There were streamers strung throughout your house and odd dangly decorations that hung from the ceiling. Some balloons were taped to the walls while others bounced around the ground.

The lively hum of conversation, the clinking of glasses, and the melodic strains of birthday wishes filled the room as the party pulsated with energy. Colourful decorations adorned the walls, and the air was charged with the festive spirit.

 You had the biggest smile on your face while everyone joked and jeered. Shoving their gifts into your face, trying to get you to open them first. It had made you forget about how awful your real birthday was, though you did try to dodge awkward apologies of people fumbling over their own words to make up excuses as to why they missed your real birthday.

"Happy birthday to you-" A voice began singing, and soon enough the entire crowd joined in, harmonizing into an off-key rendition of the birthday song. They made way for the person carrying the cake which had been none other than Ellie herself. The song ended off and Ellie placed the cake in front of you on the coffee table. "Make a wish."

You blew out all of the candles, and no punchable little girl around to steal your thunder, the room erupted into applause. The celebration continued with the living room becoming a dance floor, laughter echoing through the corridors, and conversations flowing freely. The cake itself reminded you of the embroidery your dad had done on your apron, it was sloppy and imperfect but you could tell it was made with love, the icing had been put on prematurely and had partially melted off the cake. It read 'Happy birthday' with 'Sorry for being a dick' written smaller beneath the first bit of text.

"Thank you, Ellie," You smiled softly up at her.

No one else was paying attention to you anymore, aside from those who wanted a slice of cake. Ellie nervously fumbled around with her hands "Do you want to dance?"

Ellie invited you to dance as the opening notes of the song floated through the air and she held out her hand. With a gentle smile, you accepted and you moved into the middle of the living room to form a makeshift dance floor. The soft aroma of fresh flowers blended with the scent of vanilla candles created an ambiance that enhanced the moment's sensory magic.

To the gentle beat of the song, your bodies moved in unison. Your hand settled comfortably on Ellie's shoulder, and her hand wrapped around your waist. Your bond transcended the material in the living room dance, an unspoken language of mutual feelings and unknown depths.

You both danced, recklessly, so much so that you were nearly a hazard for the swaying couples drifting around you, moving faster and not hurriedly as the tempo picked up. With each step, the living room's walls became silent witnesses to a romance that was developing on the plush carpet under their feet. The muted rustle of your clothing and the melodic notes of the music were all that could be heard to your ears.

The two of you took great pleasure in the dance's exuberance, laughing at the imperfect nature of it. In the noise of the living room, your eyes, locked in a dance of their own, spoke volumes. You were embraced by the dim lighting's vulnerability, which freed you from the burdens of the outside world to fully enjoy the moment. 

Ellie guided you in a soft spin as the song went on, your moves were not fluid and elegant but Ellie could've sworn that looking into your eyes made it feel like there was liquid sunlight coursing through your veins

You and Ellie drew closer in the song's last moments, your bodies pressed together in an embrace that went beyond the material. As the last notes of the music faded, they held each other for an extra moment, relishing the warmth that they shared and the unspoken promises that danced between them. You wished that you could've stayed in Ellie's strong embrace for centuries.

You let go of Ellie, taking a step back with a smile, "Why didn't you tell me you were such a good dancer?" You tease, almost out of breath.

"I didn't know I was," She grinned, taking the sight of you in. Your cheeks were flushed and your hair had become messy, she thought you to be beautiful all the same, if not more. Her eyes raked over your body, your floor-length sundress and mismatched socks "And here I was thinking it was too late for sundresses."

"It's never too late, Ellie."

[smellslikechahnspirit]

Can you pwetty pwease write a fanfic where reader finds out they are pregnant but is scared to tell Chan???????? And but like, Felix helps bc it’s taking a toll on them and it’s really stressful

Oh. And they find out it’s triplets later on?

Hah…

Pwetty pwease with a poinapple on top?

Itd be good for the economy 👆

Chaos - part 1

[You found out you're pregnant, but are too scared to tell him]

BangChan x Reader

🕸🤍 read guide lines in Masterlist!

THIS IS (OBVIOUSLY) ALL FICTION AND IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY! THIS IS MY PERCEPTION OF HOW I THINK SKZ WOULD BEHAVE IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS AKA, NOT REAL.

02:56 PM

You sat down on the toilet with the pregnancy test still in your hand. Fuck. You coulnd´t believe you were actually pregnant. This wasn´t the right time...you thought to yourself. How was I gonna tell him this? Your boyfriend has had such a stressfull few weeks already. Not only the comeback, but also the move. He had just moved dorms again and now lived with his maknae alone in a dorm. Due to the moving, he had been sleeping at your house a lot. And due to his stress, you gave him some extra quality time during these last few weeks. You wanted to make things a bit easier for him. You cooked all of his meals, you did his laundry and at night you would always give him a bit more attention then he could give you in return. He was exhausted. When it came to intimate stuff, you wanted it to be easier too and then you remembered...you two were unsafe a lot of those times. You tought it wouldn´t matter too much since you keep very close track of your ovulation...guess not. You decided to text Felix. You couldn´t face Chris right now. Not yet.

03:15 PM

You heard the front door open. As you walked out of the bathroom Felix dropped his bag in the hall and walked towards you with a concerned look on his face. What´s going on y/n? You gave him a tight hug. He hugged you back but after 2 seconds he pulled away from you, only to make you look at him. Tell me, honey. You hesitated for a few seconds, but realised you had to tell someone very soon anyways, might as well be him. I uhm, know that I should be telling this to Chris first. But I can´t. Not now with everything going on. Something uhm, happened. He grabbed your arms soflty and stroked them up and down. Tell me, please I´m getting worried now. You should be, you thought to yourself. Well, it is....just that....I kinda....just found out...that I´m pregnant. You spoke and hid your face in your hands. He stared at you like a deer in highlights. He was shocked. You being serious? You nodded and started to cry. Still hiding your face and plopping down on the couch. It took him a second to really take it in, but then quickly he sat down next to you, comforting you by holding you close and saying sweet nothings. After what felt like 10 minutes he finally spoke. You realise you have to tell him eventually right? You nodded slighlty. But not yet! I can´t have him have even more fucking stress. Not now. Maybe now is the perfect time honey. Perfect time for what? Chris suddenly walked into the room. Nothing! Hey baby how was your day, you´re a bit early arent ya? He looked at you with a slight surprised look. You´re excited today aren´t ya? He hung up his jacket, still looking at you, who now had jumped off the couch ready to meet his embrace, while he had his arms wide open for you to hug him. Hi love, what´s going on, why is Felix here? We were just chatting for a bit. He nodded, not showing too much curiosity at this point. He walked over to the fridge grabbing a drink. Opening the can and walking back into the living room. He and Felix talked for a bit while you just sat there fidgiting with your fingers and laughing along with them, looking slighlty nervous. He noticed ofcourse, but not wanting to put you on the spot, he didn´t comment on it. Imma go pee real quick be right back. He got up walking towards the bathroom. Suddenly you realised you had let the pregnancy test on the counter in there. Wait! I need to go first, please! You said while running past him very quick and closing the door behind you. He looked surprised at your sudden protest. What´s up with her, she has been acting weird... Felix hated being caught in the middle between you two. I can´t say anything. Then you walked back into the room with them, hiding the test in your sleeve. You looked at Felix with big eyes, angry. Not say anything? About what? What´s going on y/n? Nothing he´s being weird. Should we go for that walk now, Felix? You made up a lie, so you could get out of here fast. But Felix knew how you played these kinda games. He figured this wasn´t smart, espescially about these kind of important big things. But in the end it was your decision on how to tell Chris. No, and I´m going home. I love you y/n, but this isn´t up to me. He wanted to leave but also had to pee real quick first, so he went into the batroom that seemed to be ocupied a lot today. Up to me? What is baby? I don´t like being left out. Chris got a bit frustrated now. Crossing his arms while looking at you. Well? At first you got angry. What? I can´t have secrets now? Chris looked surprised, not understanding your sudden change in attidude. Babe wha-. Then you got sad. Not that I ever want to keep secrets from you ofcourse, but that´s not the point. He noticed you pacing around looking at the ground. Instead of frustration he now felt concern. Baby calm down, all I want is for you to be honest with me. He walked closer to you, wanting to hold you, but you refused. No, no. I don´t need to calm down. I need you to mind your own fucking buisness. He was so confused by the way your moods were swinging. This whole situation was so stressfull and it made him have a whiplash.

Part 2

...Masterlist...

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☁︎⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☁︎⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☁︎

© 2022-2024, smellslikechahnspirit • No posting on other sites or platforms, rewrites, or translations

[ashleyh713fanfics]

Dazai X Odasaku!Sister Ch10

Chapter 10: "Maybe With You, This Could Be Home"

Summary: A power struggle between the fifteen year old boy and the demon that lays within him. Which is the truth, and which is a fabrication?

Warning: pm! fifteen year old dazai, dazai self destructing, Odasaku death mentions, dazai torturing himself and everyone around him, manipulative behavior from both sides, mori mentions and grooming themes, underage drinking, talks of suicide. I gave Oda's sister a name but you can imagine it as y/n.

(This is chapter ten of my fanfic "Timeless" which is now on A03. It carries on from the three part intro I posted a couple days ago. I'll link it below to fully understand the story. Oda's death has been moved up to when Dazai is fifteen for plot purposes. Asagao's ability is to stop time for up to six seconds.)

Three Part Intro Here: (just cause the first chapter is so long)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

A03 Version Here:

Word count: 8k total

One Year Ago

Sitting across their usual spots at Bar Lupin, Ango and Oda waited patiently for their other friend to join them only for the glasses-wearing informant to break the silence first. “I still don’t know what to make of that boy..” 

Odasaku only raised an eye though, his fingers reaching around the golden colored alcohol in front of him without a care in the world.  “Who, Dazai?” 

Nodding once, Ango frowned. “Yeah, that kid is like an enigma. I can’t ever understand what he’s thinking. What about you, Odasaku? Do you understand him?”

The red haired man paused then, his head lifting up the ceiling in order to think about his question. He had known Dazai for a couple years now, ever since he had shown up in front of his doorstep covered in blood. 

He could still picture it like it was yesterday, the events that brought him here. “Well, I don’t think anyone could ever truly understand him, but I have a couple ideas..”

Leaning forward in interest, Ango coaxed. “Please share..”

And for a moment, Odasaku’s mind traveled back to a certain red haired girl that he had known maybe just as well as the boy. Perhaps that is how he could come to these conclusions, because he was drawing experience from somewhere else. 

Pushing his head down to stare back at his liquor, Oda spoke honestly. “He's sharp witted with a mind like a steel trap..”

Stopping himself then, the man pushed his lips in silent thought. Yes, that was common knowledge, something even he was sure Dazai knew already. He was a port mafia executive after all, the youngest in the history of the organization. 

But there was something else, something that not even the boy probably realized. Something that he tried to hide, and yet would always be buried deep underneath. 

 “And he's just a child━a sobbing child abandoned in the darkness of a world far emptier than the one we're seeing.”

------

Present

Hours. 

Dazai spent hours with his victims, his fingers sticky with blood as he finally threw the descared knife on the ground of the unmoving and unrecognizable man. He had done what Mori had requested, what he was designed to do with his own horrible monstrous hands. 

He had slashed his knife through every single pathetic whining baby that Mori had brought in front of him and made them talk one by one until there was no more.

All the information was received, and now there was nothing left but to stare blankly at the dead body in order for the heart crushing disappointment and guilt to quietly suffocate him with each breath. 

He didn’t feel like a man or boy. He didn’t feel any sense of humanity anymore, that fleeting feeling back in Mori’s office now completely and utterly dissipated. Now there was only the demon, the monster that laid beneath it all. 

Numb, empty, a hollow shell that’s all he was. 

He vaguely heard the sound of footsteps only to feel his boss’ hands grace his shoulders from behind, eyeing the work with satisfaction. “I knew you could do it. Good job, Dazai.” 

The boy didn’t respond though, his body unmoving at Mori’s fingers clawed deepered into his jacket with ease. “Oda was a fool to treat you like a child. In fact, it was wrong to assume you could ever be one. You have been and will always be so much more than that.” 

His tone was cruel and mocking, like he was proving some kind of sick point and Dazai knew that’s why he did this. The boss was proving to the executive that he was right all along, that he didn’t deserve the term “child” not when it held the connotation of innocence and naivety. 

That he could pretend, he could wish for himself to be a fifteen year old boy but in reality that would never be the case. Odasaku’s gentle manner towards him was a lie, that's what Mori wanted to get across. 

And he had, he really did, because looking down at the mutilated body and bloodied clothes stuck to his skin, Dazai didn’t feel like anything else but a monster, a demon prodigy and an inhuman machine. 

He had desecrated his best friend's final wish, he had mocked Odasaku’s sister’s kind words, he had disappointed and betrayed both of them in the worst way possible. What was wrong with him? Why was he like this? Why couldn’t he change? 

Death was the only thing that he deserved now. He deserved to be wiped from this earth completely without a single trace. But even a sweet release seemed unworthy from his grasp now. 

Feeling the hands fall from his shoulders, Mori then took a step back before allowing his puppet to be swallowed by the darkness completely. “Now, have a wonderful night. Dazai. You’ve earned it.” 

The next few minutes were a blur, the brown haired mafioso robotically moving to the nearby sink in order to run the scalding hot water on his skin to rid of the blood before slowly undoing his bandages around his arms in order to clutch the metal sides with silent despair. 

He couldn't even bring himself to look into the mirror, already knowing what he was going to find. A disappointment, a traitor and a lifeless corpse staring back at him. No, he didn’t want to see, he didn’t want to come to terms with such a sight. 

Silently re-wrapping the hideous sight with a new batch of gauze, Dazai then stepped back with a sigh. And though the blood was physically gone, he could still feel it. Coating his skin, corrupting his mind like some sort of punishment. 

He couldn’t just simply erase what he had done here today. 

The world wasn’t ever that kind. 

Muscle memory then seemed to bring him back to the familiar apartment buildings he seemed to always slump back to, the demon’s steps slow and silent as he passed by hoards of faces he couldn’t care enough to recognize or acknowledge. 

And as the elevator sounded, Dazai knew what he’d find when he stepped into his sad, pathetic and suffocating apartment. 

It was the same as always. He knew that he would probably drink himself to sleep, or some sort of equivalent of that while sitting inside his dark isolated space without a single sound. 

Always wallowing, always drowning. Nothing more and nothing less. 

Pushing open the door to the entryway, Dazai’s blank and clouded body then reached for the black jacket on his body in order to throw the object onto the floor without a single care and fully step inside the place. 

And then he was alone, standing in solitude like he always was. 

Yet that’s when his foot couldn’t help but tap against something on the floor in front of him, the mafioso stopping for the first time since arriving only to register a small sleeping body curled up into herself. 

The move caused her to stir though, groaning before her drunken and sleepy coated expression lazily gazed up at the boy in order for her to yawn through her words. “Oh, you’re back. Sorry, I don’t know how I got here. Guess I got a little sleepy while waiting for you. But look, I’m here as promised!” 

Dazai then watched as the red haired girl then scrambled to her knees in order for her lips to curve upwards in adoration for his very presence. “Welcome home, Osamu.” 

At the sound of her voice, the boy felt the numb constraint on his body dissipate.

Oh. 

That’s right. He wasn’t alone. Oda’s sister was here. He had left her here and she had promised to welcome him back. What a foolish and stupid little thing, and yet she had honored it even so. She had even gone as far as to sleep in front of his door like this so she wouldn’t miss him. What an idiot. 

He then watched as she pushed herself back to her feet, stumbling a bit in the process in shaky unreliably before beaming happily. “Oh! Now that you’re here, I gotta show you my surprise! Come on, take a look!” 

Reaching forward in order to grab onto his hand, Asa then felt herself freeze before she made contact in order to reel back with an apologetic smile, almost like she had forgotten about his fear of touch in her excitement. 

 She recovered quickly though, simply skipping away from him in order for the boy to look down at his hand and close it in response. She was always so considerate of him, even while drunk. 

Yet, the second Dazai stepped closer into his apartment, the boy couldn’t help but freeze at the sight before him. Gone were the blank and empty walls, replaced by the warm glow of string lights, the sight almost like tiny little fireflies as he couldn’t help but move even closer. 

The tables in front of him were filled with various candies and unhealthy junk food, covering the entire surface along with a giant blanket fort in the center of the room, the sheets revealing dozens of pillows and cute stuffed animals inside. 

Pushing herself back in front of his vision, Asa then clapped her hands together. “Ta da! It’s a sleepover! I’ve heard about these things from people at my school and I’ve always wanted to try it! Look, there are snacks and pillows and we can even watch movies or tell scary stories!” 

Dazai couldn’t help but scoff in disbelief at what she was suggesting though. “You’re inviting a port mafia executive to a sleepover?” 

She only laughed at his negative response though, already hurrying over to the small opening just a couple feet away. “Yeah! I mean, why not? We are still kids, you know. Gotta enjoy this stuff before we become boring old grown ups. Now, come on! There is plenty of room in here!”

Kids.

 There was that word again. It was like the universe was mocking him with it, taunting him with a term he could never attach himself to. Tonight had proved that. 

How dare she, didn’t she know what he did? Didn’t she know about the phantom blood that was coating his hands even now? What a ridiculous statement she had just uttered. 

And looking at this display, the warm and welcoming aura was literally the exact opposite of the cold and dark port mafia basement that he had drowned in for the last mind-numbing hours. He didn’t know how to take it, this sudden whiplash and change. 

So much so, Dazai felt his unstable mind start to falter, his fingers twitching in response before falling back into the old habits that were familiar and safe. He needed to, he needed to show Asagao that he couldn’t have what she was suggesting. 

He didn’t need it. He was far too tainted for it. 

Reaching his hands forward, Dazai’s fingers then roughly wrapped against Asa’s wrist before purposely swiping her drunken feet underneath her, the girl falling back onto the waiting pillows only for the boy to appear above her just like with any other whore that wandered into his place. 

Asagao’s eyes couldn’t help but widen at the gesture, now finding the bandaged captive holding her down by her wrists, the distance barely breathable between the two. 

The executive then smirked deviously in order to twist the tips of his fingers around the longest strand of hair he could find. Anything to corrupt this seemingly innocent construct she had built.  “Oh sweetheart, I’d much rather continue where we left off in that elevator.” 

Leaning forward, Dazai’s cruel gaze then locked with her confused little eyes before forcing his knee into the space between her legs, pulling them just slightly apart in a tease as he pressed himself deeper into her. 

And though he had no plans to actually go through with anything, he needed to get it through her thick head how wrong she was for saying that stupid little phrase. “I mean, you didn’t seriously think that this is what I meant by you spending the night? Oh how innocent you are, darling. So defenseless against a man like me. I guess I have to show you what I mean firsthand. Hmm?” 

Then to prove his point, Dazai shifted his head to the left in order to teasingly blow a breath of hot air into her ear before his tongue just barely grazed the side as he felt her chest constrict in surprise at the motion. “Calling the demon prodigy a kid, how wrong you are. Well, tell me. Does this feel like something a kid would do?” 

That was it, now she would see that he couldn’t fit in that innocent box she had foolishly built. Just a little more to get his point across, then she would learn her mistake. 

As if on cue, he then heard the girl in question whisper, the sound just barely audible, like she was desperate for something. “Osu..” 

And because of their position, Dazai assumed it was because of his touch, the boy’s head pulling away cockily in order to look back at her with a small tease. “What is it, love?” 

Yet that’s when the two locked eyes as Asagao’s anxious hands moved against his handmade chains, almost like she wanted to touch him. “Did something happen?” 

Then all at once, Dazai felt his carefully crafted exterior start to crack ever so slightly. She sensed his distress? No, it couldn’t be. He had hid it so well in his womanizing ways. There was no way she knew about the disgusting thoughts of self hatred inside his head. 

Forcing himself to remain calm, the boy then gave her a signature smirk before purposely pushing his hands even tighter around her wrists in order to slam her back into the floor. “Whatever do you mean? I’m just excited to play with my favorite girl.” 

And yet, Asagao didn't take the bait, her lips twisting together in conflict before sadly replying.  “It’s just...it seems like you're forcing something..” 

Forcing something? No, of course not. What could he be forcing? This is who he was. He was just trying to prove to her that he wasn’t a child. He was trying to show her how much of an adult he actually was by seducing her. That’s what he did for everyone else. 

For a kid, growing up in the mafia meant no restrictions. It meant killing and drinking and sex and following the lead of everyone else in the organization.

It didn’t matter if he wasn’t old enough for any of it. That didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except forcing himself into the adult box that everyone else around him conformed to easily. 

And Dazai did it all. He brought woman back and fucked them just because it was what he thought he had to do. He learned how to seduce and flirt in order to get information for the mafia. He did everything like it was a textbook list in order to seem more grown up and mature and fit into the mold. 

It wasn’t about what or desire. 

It was a necessity, a skill to use in order to pretend to be a man. 

No, he was a man .

He had to be. Since he couldn’t be a child that was the only option. 

Feeding her another one of his rehearsed lines, Dazai tried to brush off the accusation. “Well, I can be quite forceful…”

Asa only frowned though, her voice just as sharp as before. “You know that’s not what I mean. How am I wrong? I thought we were both the same age..”

Laughing back at her ridiculously naive statement, he shook his head. Just because they were both fifteen didn’t mean they had the same luxuries and freedoms. “We may be the same age but we are worlds apart, love.” 

Asa raised an eye in reply. “How so?” 

And at that, Dazai felt his eyes close in that same suffocating shame that he had felt back in the port mafia’s basement. She was so stupid, if only she knew the things he did tonight, if only she saw the way he utterly disregarded Odasaku’s plea for change. 

Then she would know why he had to force this right now, why he had to hold onto the routine that he had always fallen back on. Because if he broke out of that now, the boy knew he would break down completely. 

Because of that, Dazai decided to be cruel, to unveil his entire evil heart to her in hopes that it would finally get her to understand why he needed to keep that mask on. “Would a kid skin something alive tonight? Would they watch the life leave their eyes, break all their bones and dismember each of their limbs until they were hardly recognizable? I don’t think so.” 

He could still feel it, the blood on his fingers, the screaming shouts of his victims to stop and the sound of them choking on their own death over and over again. Whatever imagine she had conjured up in her mind about him was not reality. 

And for a moment, he watched that happen, Asa’s eyes widening in shock at his gruesome and horrifying explanation before Dazai forcibly let up on her wrists so that she could run away or slap him for the betrayal. 

But even so, it seemed the girl was frozen to the spot, her body and arms unmoving as Dazai cruelly finished above her. “Perhaps you should think twice before you call the demon prodigy something so innocent like a child..” 

It was just as Mori had said. Anyone would be foolish to correlate those words together about him. He didn’t deserve that kind of title. He never did. 

Yet, that's when Asagao spoke, her voice small and curious. “Why can’t it be both?” 

And for the first time at night, Dazai was clueless by her words, his head turning in pure intrigue. That’s not at all what he thought she’d say. “Huh?” 

Pausing for a moment, Asagao then thought about her words before blinking her eyes in pure unruly innocence for the situation before her. “You say it like it can only be one or the other, but why can’t you be both the demon prodigy and a kid?” 

At that, Dazai felt himself scoff in absurdity 

Both? What an idiotic way of thinking. Someone couldn't be a devil and yet an angel, they couldn’t be black and then white. That was impossible. Didn’t she know that those two terms were polar opposites, like fire and water? 

Shaking his head, Dazai then leaned back into her body, his fingers latching onto her cheeks in order to pull her closer with a glare. “Don’t be stupid. There is no way those two things can exist in the same universe. They contradict themselves, they are..”

Asagao only smiled though, her words far too honest for him to handle. “You. Both of them. I’ve seen it firsthand. Your goofy/teasing smirks, your carefully thought out scripts, the way your face lights up when you see a letter from my brother, the way you manipulate and take control of every single situation. They are a contradiction yet they are all you, Osamu, and I’ve never seen anything wrong with that.” 

And that was something Asa believed wholeheartedly. She had read about this boy for years after all, she knew everything about him and now that she had actually spent time with him, Asagao knew that Dazai wasn’t a simple man. 

Yes, he was cruel and controlling with little to no boundaries but there were moments, brief cracks in his exterior that showed another side to him, a softer one. And whether he realized it or not those tiny fractures had shown her glimpses of who he really was. 

It was hard to pinpoint exactly with all the masks he wore but pretty quickly Asagao had realized that her claim about Dazai when they first met was no longer valid. She had read him wrong this entire time. 

She called him open and real but that wasn’t true at all. No, from the three weeks they had spent together she had learned that the boy was fabrication, a professional shapeshifter in the most impressive form. 

He could be so many things at the flip of a hat, going into so many roles that fit his desire. He could be a brutal port mafia executive, a cruel controlling conman and yet a gentle and sensual lover. 

But none of those were actually the real Dazai Osamu, not really.

They were just fragments, pieces of him sure, but he had never allowed himself to paint an entire picture.

Perhaps he didn’t know how to, perhaps he had acted and pretended so much that he didn’t know his true self anymore. 

But as selfish as it was, Asagao wanted to find him. She wanted to uncover the mystery that was Dazai Osamu and admire him for who he actually was. 

Even if it turned out to be a sad, scared little boy that had built up walls to keep himself safe. 

It didn’t matter, she would cherish him even so. She wanted to, simply because her big brother had done the same. Brother, did you know the real him? Did you figure out who he was underneath it all? I’ll never know, but if you did..I want the same..

Feeling his hold loosen on her jaw, Asa then continued her explanation, her gaze catching on the self made blanket roof above the two of them before softening. “Just because you grew up in the mafia doesn’t mean you still can’t be a kid. You can still allow that part of yourself to come out, you know. I mean, I get not wanting to show it at work cause you gotta put up a front but don’t think it’s all bad..”

She then turned back at him with admiration, recalling the goofy and child-ish reactions he had given her throughout these past few weeks. 

And although she knew that wasn't completely genuine, she wanted him to know how much happiness the fragment had brought her. “Because when I get to see it, I love it every time...” 

Dazai couldn’t believe what he was hearing though.

Love? She loved his pathetic weak side? She loved that he was a contradiction of fire and water? What was she saying, of course being a kid was bad. He couldn’t allow such a thing. 

Seriously, why couldn’t she just be normal, why couldn’t she just hate him and be stupid like everyone else. Why did she have to read him to his very soul every single time? He hated it, he hated how he could never hide with her. 

Of course there was something wrong with it. He was an amalgamation of broken parts, forced to be shoved together with the flimsiest glue in the universe.

But the way she was speaking, the way she looked at him with so much admiration and passion, he couldn’t help but feel his stomach twist and turn with mixed emotions. 

Whatever he did, it really didn’t bother her, did it? He could really just murder, torture and explain the darkest parts of himself and still she wouldn’t ever bat a single eye. He knew she wouldn’t. 

Now did that make her insane or just way to accepting? That was still up for debate. 

But either way, Dazai felt his lips twist upwards into a disbelieving chuckle, his arms growing numb in order to turn and collapse next to the stupid girl with a sigh.

He gave up. Her thinking had stumped him again. “Idiot...you’re a real idiot, Asagao.” 

She didn’t seem to mind though, the sound causing her to smile as well, in order for the tense atmosphere to disappear. “Believe it or not I’ve been told that before.”

Dazai only nodded though, not surprised at all. “Oh, I believe it.” 

The air was quiet then, coating the two with silence only for Asa to speak first, happy to change the subject.“So, what else did you do tonight? You know, besides the torture.”

She said it so comfortably, like she was talking about the weather and Dazai wondered if she had seen and/or done the same kind of thing when she was a hellhound. That would explain her unbothered air to everything.  

Pushing his bandaged arm up in the air, Dazai sighed. “Not much, had a boring talk with Mori and then played around with my dog a bit..” 

At his sentence, Asagao felt herself perk up, her eyes practically giddy at the memory of the ginger haired boy that she had encountered just hours ago. “I met him tonight, your dog.” 

Then all at once, Dazai felt his entire body turn on his side in disbelief. Hold on, did she just hear that right? She had met Chuuya? 

Well, that was unexpected. “What, really?” 

Nodding, he then saw as the girl beamed back, pointing an excited finger towards her nose with a goofy smile that filled up her entire face. “Yeah, it was great! He hit me in the face!” 

Although that’s when she watched Dazai’s eyes lower into a more dangerous expression, as he felt his throat tick with anger. What did she mean he hit her in the face ? 

Just what was that stupid dog doing? Hurting his precious little darling, that guy had a death wish for sure, and not the fun kind. 

Reaching his hands up, the boy then placed them on either side of her cheeks before inspecting every inch of her skin. “He hit you..?” 

Although that’s when Asa quickly perked up and finished the sentence. Ah, that sounded bad, didn’t it? Sorry, Chuuya. “Oh I mean, accidentally of course! And then he helped me stop my nosebleed.” 

The explanation was better, but not by much, the boy softening just slightly when he realized that there were no marks on her face. Chuuya was lucky there wasn’t any too, or else he knew he’d have to have a word with him about it. A very violent word.

Allowing her skin freedom, Dazai’s hand then reeled back before shaking his head with a scoff, still not okay with how things played out. “That idiot, he never looks where he’s going..” 

Asagao couldn’t disagree with that though, knowing that Chuuya was distracted when his hand accidentally connected with her face. It was both their faults really, but she was sure Dazai didn’t want to hear that. 

So instead, the girl allowed another quiet to overtake them in order for her to recall the kind ginger haired boy that had taken care of her. He was so sweet, cleaning up that blood for her. She kinda wanted to meet him again, to talk to him some more like Dazai did all the time. 

Taking in an anxious breath, Asa then began to play with the ends of her skirt in order to turn towards the bandaged boy with a hopeful whisper. “Hey Osu, do you think he’d wanna be friends with me?”

Dazai only twisted his lips in disgust for the idea though, his opinion very known. “Why would you ever want to be friends with that slug?” 

Asa only shrugged her shoulders though, recalling the conversation the two had shared in the bathroom's waiting area. “I don’t know, I just figured that if he could handle you then maybe he could handle me.”

It was something that crossed her mind ever since Chuuya had mentioned Dazai’s name. And it was no secret that her and Osu’s mindsets were rather similar in style. Perhaps in some way, she hoped that she had finally found someone that wouldn’t run away for once. 

Wishful thinking, she knew, but it was worth a shot to ask. 

The mafioso only scoffed though, his feelings not mutual on the subject. “You don’t need to befriend that idiot. His stupid will rub off on you, and you already have enough of that as it is.” 

And yes, a part of his answer was because Chuuya was in the mafia which meant another dangerous tie to Mori but that wasn’t completely the reason why Dazai had shut the idea down. 

It was insecurity, it was anxiety that the ginger was a much better man than him, and if Asa knew that then she would abandon him for Chuuya without a second thought. Anyone with a brain would do that. He was normal, and Dazai was not. 

Sighing heavily, Asa then frowned at the disapproval. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I just know I’m a lot to handle and most people can’t really understand it. I just thought that maybe since he already knows what you’re like then there was a chance that..” 

The rest of her sentence disappeared due to nerves, and yet her mind finished it even so. Maybe there was a chance I could finally have a friend, that someone could tolerate me enough to finally stick around. 

Dazai’s lips couldn’t help but pout at that though, his fears of being abandoned and left behind showing in a jealous and bitter whine. “And what am I, Asa-chan? I understand your twisted little mind better than anyone, especially better than that stupid yapping dog. Trust me, you don’t need him.” 

At that, Asagao felt herself smile under her breath. Did he really think she would forget about him? Osamu was and would always be the most important person to her. Even more than a friend, he was her lifeline. 

Not wanting him to feel left out, Asa then turned on her side to meet him, her soft gentle gaze meeting his anxious one. “That’s true, you’re plenty enough for me.” 

And with that, Dazai’s shoulders began to relax ever so slowly, his breathing retreating back to normal before looking up at the blanketed sky above them. This looked like a lot of work, it seemed to take hours at least. 

He could even picture her drunken little stumbles as she carefully crafted each aspected of her little surprise. What a silly little thing she was, doing all of this. He didn’t deserve it. 

Feeling his voice come out far more uncertain than he had planned, the bandaged boy whispered apprehensively. “Did you really put all of this together..?”

The rest of the phrase was lost in the air but it was obvious even so. 

..for me?

Did she seriously put all of this planning and hard work together just for a pathetic little boy like him? He had never had that before, he had never been surprised with good intentions. He had never had anyone think about him or care about him in this kind of way. 

Asa only nodded her head though, like the answer was obvious. “Of course, I wanted to make you happy, like you do for me. So, did it work? Are you happy? Did I make your home a little more fun?” 

Happy? 

What did that feel like, to be happy? And was that what he was feeling now? He wasn’t sure, but Dazai did feel a strange tumble inside his chest, the feeling so warm that it was almost too nauseating to process. 

It was a foreign sensation, one that the boy couldn’t understand in the slightest. How was one supposed to react to that question? He didn’t know. 

But what he did know was how utterly wrong she was with that little sentence of hers. She kept calling this place a home, and he knew that wasn’t accurate at all. 

Forcing the warmth from his chest, Dazai then narrowed his eyes in order to focus on correcting her absurd sentence. “This place has never been my home. It’s just a building with rooms, that’s all.”

Asagao wasn’t surprised by that though. She had gotten that much from her very first inspection. A home wasn’t supposed to be that sad and lonely after all. That’s why she did all of this in the first place, so he would feel better about coming back here. 

And because he had shown her a bit of vulnerability, she wanted to do the same, even if it was hard to talk about. “I get that. Oda’s place doesn’t really feel like home either. So I can understand how you feel, coming back to somewhere that doesn’t feel right, like you're a stranger in your own house..”

Someone else’s place, someone else’s bed, it never did feel right for her to be there, especially since she never knew the previous owner. Maybe if she knew Oda then the walls wouldn’t be as mocking but that wasn’t a luxury she was given. 

Dazai remained silent at that, almost like he had wordlessly agreed with her as Asagao closed her eyes in simple thought. Tomorrow their little “freebie” would be done and they would go back to the strangers they were before. 

And although it was far past what they had decided, Asagao didn’t want that. 

She didn’t want them to go back to being strangers, not after she had gotten a taste of who he was. That lonely, sad and suffocating feeling, she never wanted to go back to that again now that she had found someone that had understood her.

Just a little bit more, that’s all she needed. That’s all she wanted from him. Perhaps it was impossible, but she would never know unless she tried. 

And using her drunk confidence, the girl did just that. “Osamu..I..uhh..”

Stopping her failing tongue, Asagao then took a heavy breath before pouring out her feelings. “I know the specifics of our deal are already made and everything but these last two days have been really nice. I’ve never had this before, and I wanted to thank you for it. For giving me Bar Lupin, for showing me that photo, for bringing my brother back to life, and for allowing me to be myself without judgment. It means a lot to me..really..”

It was something she would never forget, the kindness he had shown her tonight. She somehow felt closer than she had ever been before to her big brother and it was all because of him. 

Pausing for a moment, Asa then squeezed her eyes shut with anxiety before shoving the words out before she could change her mind. “And I just...I want you to know that if there is a day that you don’t want to come back here, then you can come to me..” 

Oh god, she said it. She really said it. Hold on, that sounded creepy, didn’t it? She didn’t want him to think she was creepy. Quickly Asagao, explain yourself before he laughs at you. 

Pushing her hands up, Asa then stuttered through her embarrassed pink cheeks, the room suddenly feeling way too warm “I-I don’t mean that in a weird way or anything. I know you’re still gonna come over for the letters but that doesn’t have to be the only reason we have to see each other if you want to. You could always just stay the night and leave right after or hang around the place, or even sit in complete silence if you just need to be near someone. I don’t mind, really.” 

Finally taking a much needed breath, she then forced her mouth closed before a small smile crossed her lips. She did it, she had taken a step forward and pushed herself out of her comfort zone. 

Speaking mostly to herself, the girl then finished wistfully imagining a perfect world where her dreams could be. “In fact, I’d actually really like it if you did that. Because then, maybe with you, that place could be home.”

And maybe it could, maybe with Osamu there, Oda’s apartment could feel like home, like she could belong there. She had seen small glimpses of it when he came over for her brother’s letters. Perhaps the house could be that lively all the time. She hoped it could. 

A heavy silence then appeared between the two, causing Asagao’s head to turn towards Osu only for her eyes to widen at the sight before her. 

Because for some reason, the scary port mafia executive, the demon prodigy, looked like the embodiment of a ghost, his skin sickly pale and unmoving as his eyes stared into what seemed like absolutely nothing at all. It was almost like the boy had ceased to function completely, his mind unable to process the offer that Asa had given him. 

All at once, Asagao leaned forward in concern, her voice laced with anxiety and fear in order to try and snap him back out of whatever state she had put him in. 

Oh no, what had she done? Did she offend him? “...Osamu?”

Yet, before she could process it, Dazai’s fingers had quickly found the edges of the blanket she was laying on and lifted them up in order for her entire body to flop around like fish as the boy beamed happily. “Alright, time for bed!” 

Gasping out a squeak in surprise, she then felt her entire body start to get constricted by the blankets in order for Osu to comically roll her up until just her head and wiggling feet were showing. “Whaaa, wait Samu, what are you doing?!” 

He only laughed though, picking up the poor wrapped girl before throwing her over his shoulder in order to move over to his bedroom with an over the top air. “I’m making an Asa-chan burrito so that way you can’t escape!” 

Asagao then felt her entire body plop onto his bed in order for her to whine in disappointment. “But what about our sleepover? I worked so hard.”

Dazai only placed a finger to her nose though, stopping her self pity party with a teasing smirk. “But isn’t sleeping also a part of a sleepover?” 

Nodding apprehensively, Asa frowned. “I guess..” 

Reeling back in finality, the boy then clapped his hands goofily before already walking away, almost like he needed to leave this conversation sooner rather than later. “That settles it! Now come on, my drunk princess needs her beauty sleep or else she’s gonna regret it in the morning.” 

But as she watched him go, Asa couldn’t help but call back in concern. “What about you, where are you going to sleep?” 

She had taken up the entire bed after all, and Asagao didn’t want Dazai to have to sleep on the sofa or something uncomfortable like that. Hell, if she wasn’t tied up like the giant sushi then she would’ve offered to move. 

Although that’s when Dazai paused, his overconfidence dropping for a millisecond in order to glance back at the girl with a more genuine, less happy smile. “Aww, don’t you worry, darling. I’m naturally beautiful. It would be impossible to lose my good looks.” 

Then before she could argue, he was gone, leaving Asagao to slump against the pillows with a heavy sigh of defeat. He didn't answer her question, now and back under the fort. But what did that mean? 

And why did he look so sad when he turned back to her?

------

Carefully closing the door to his bedroom, Dazai waited until he heard the soft click of confirmation before his happy go lucky and cheery exterior dropped away into nothing, leaving only a placid and sunken expression. 

He had run away. 

One push from Asagao and he had retreated into himself so quickly, it was almost like second nature. Her request to get closer to him, to have him rely on her past their original agreement, just what was she thinking? 

Of course, he wanted that. 

He wanted to have somewhere he could call a home, he so desperately wanted something to stop the crippling loneliness that he felt whenever he returned back to these sad and hollow walls and floors. He wanted it so badly that it physically hurt him to even think about it.

To have a family, to have a friend, to have something to hold onto when life abused him and kicked him down over and over again. He so desperately wanted someone to hear his cries and reach out their hand so that he could collapse safely and never leave again. 

But, Dazai knew that he couldn’t, because he had already done so before. 

And it had ruined him. 

He had let his walls down around Odasaku, and for a split second, the boy thought that he could have those things too, but then they were taken from him. Just like that, in a blink of an eye, they were gone, leaving him in the dark once more. 

What was the point of it all, why did he even do that? Why did he try? It’s not like it mattered in the end, if anything it made everything worse. Because now that he had gotten a taste of companionship, it was like a drug, never leaving him alone.  

And Asagao was the worst kind of drug of all. 

One that he couldn’t allow himself to indulge in, to addict himself so heavily like before. No, he had learned his lesson, he wouldn’t get his hopes up and destroy himself a second time. 

Because it never changed anything, and Dazai knew in his sick little twisted brain that the moment he crumbled and closed their distance, she would be taken away from him as well. 

No, he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t lose someone like that again. 

That’s why it was better to never know what that warmth was, what that path felt like. Yes, it was better to never know then to find out and have it ripped away in the end. 

Moving over to the large window by his living room, Dazai then leaned against the cool glass, allowing it to chill his entire soul.

 It would be easier to just let her go completely, to cut ties with Oda’s sister before he was tempted with more. 

But just the very thought caused his entire body to tense in response for even thinking about such a thing. No, he couldn’t. He couldn’t let her go, not when she was close to his dear friend, not when she had brought him so many wonderful things. 

Even Dazai knew he wasn't that kind. He was far too selfish to give her that kind of mercy, to completely lose her in his life.

 And though it was dangerous, though he realized he was walking an extremely thin line over a cavern-like pit, he couldn’t help still balance on it. 

Standing still from the distance they had but never taking a step forward, that was the fate the boy that resisted himself to, and he was determined to keep it. 

It didn’t matter if that result left him alone, it didn’t matter if twisted his heart and shoved his invisible needs down, it didn’t matter if that result left him screaming in the dark like he had always been, this was the only path for him now. 

And he would walk it, simply because he had to. 

Taking out his phone from his pocket, Dazai then pushed a very familiar button before he heard the singular ring inside his ear.

 And then, after two little sounds, Ango’s voice picked up, just as panicked and anxious as he expected it to be. “Dazai? What is it?” 

The mafioso only hummed though, his fingers trailing the glass in front of him. “Oh nothing, I just thought you’d be interested to know that I found our little lost princess.” 

Almost immediately, the voice jumped up, the tone growing louder. “Wait, you did? Where is she? Tell me the address and I’ll come over right now..” 

Although that’s when Dazai cut him off completely, a suppressed laugh inside his throat. “Oh, that won’t be necessary. You see, Ango. I’ve taken quite a liking to her. I think I’m gonna keep her.”

And from the other side of the phone, Ango felt his face drop. No, this was the worst result he couldn’t ever have imagined. “K-Keep? Dazai, you know you can’t do that. It’s too dangerous. What if Mori..” 

Yet that’s when Dazai responded, his voice serious. “He won’t.” 

Catching the agent completely off guard, Ango couldn’t help but twist his eyes in confusion. Where was that cruel teasing air he had been using? It had disappeared completely. “What?” 

The bandaged boy only narrowed his eyes though, clutching the phone between his fingers before allowing his voice to ring with soft honesty. “Mori won’t find out about her. Odasaku wouldn’t have wanted that, so he won’t.” 

And for a moment, Ango felt himself freeze. Was he saying that he was going to protect Asagao, that he was going to keep her safe from Mori and the port mafia? No, it couldn’t be. Dazai wasn’t that kind of man, well at least that’s what he thought. 

It was surprising to say the least, suggesting such an out of character thing for him. Was it because of Odasaku, was that why he was going out of his comfort zone? Ango wasn’t completely sure but from his tone of voice it didn't seem like he was lying. 

But with Dazai, he could never really tell. 

Because of that, the man was still apprehensive. This was such a precious thing they were talking about, this was their friend's dear little sister. He couldn’t let up on such a thing. “I don’t know, I just don’t think that she should..” 

Yet that’s when the boy cut him off again, a sharp threatening edge to his voice. “Ango, if you continue then you’ll be my enemy. You know what that means, right?” 

And for the first time since their conversation, Ango felt his eyes widen. 

Because he knew exactly what that meant, he knew the death sentence that was implied by being labeled the misfortune of the enemy of port mafia executive Dazai Osamu. 

But could it really be true? Dazai was threatening war with the government just to keep her? He wanted to risk that much? Perhaps he was wrong, perhaps Asa did mean more to the boy than just a simple plaything. 

Could it really be, had the brutal mafia executive finally grown a heart? 

He couldn’t really tell for sure but the lethal threat was enough to make Ango close his eyes in unsaid defeat. If Dazai was really that serious about defending her then he knew he couldn’t argue. 

But that didn’t mean he was going to let up if that changed. “You better keep  your word, Dazai. If anything happens to her, just know Odasaku would never forgive you, and neither will I…” 

And just like that, the line went dead, causing Dazai to drop the phone to his side in silent confirmation. 

Ango didn’t need to worry about that. He would protect her, from Mori, from the world, but mostly from the most dangerous threat of all. 

Himself. 

---

(It's been a month since I've started this fic! Thank you so much for all your support and love on my first bsd story!)

I call this chapter "let Dazai be a kid" because in most fanfics I've read a lot of authors focus on either the "fifteen year old boy" aspect of Dazai or a "brutal executive" side of him and although none of them are wrong, in my mind I think he's really a mix of both. The line that Odasaku uses to describe him in the novels really inspired this chapter in order to show both sides of the complex boy. We see this in the expectations and the box that he tries to put himself into to seem more adult (the drinking, the pressure of seduction) but in reality it comes across from of a child playing dress up than the truth.

[other-fan-fiction]

Down to the memory line.

New chapter of RED SANDS is here!!!  Raph// F!Raph-centric fanfic SUMMARY: Raph is the ONLY ONE who didn't die. He promised Mikey he will not end himself. So he tried, he really tried to make Krang to do it. But of course , the universe hates him, so he develops a new power and is able to kill all Kraang Prime and single handedly win the war. But is he happy? Nope, because who cares about the word that is so empty.Is it possible to teach an old warrior to find a life purpose with the help of a new family?Or- Future Raph is torn out of his reality and meets the Rise family. Will they be able to extinguish the fire that has burned his soul for centuries? ............................ Do you like my art? Wanna support my work and help me create? Or maybe You want me to make something for YOU?PM me :) Target for my funding- new graphic tablet (  HUION KEYDIAL KD200) PLEASE help me develop my skill and create my content <3 Here I invite you for coffee. Song for art:   What If I Forget Your Face ~male cover~ Jacob Sutherland

[maraariana01]

[ ITP: Happy Ending AU ]

The Encounter

• Author's note: After about a month of writing (with breaks and A LOT of procrastinating) the fic is finally done!! I believe this is now my longest fanfic so far :] which I'm pretty proud of! Anyway, for those who are new, this fic is for my Into The Pit AU, where basically Spring Bonnie (NOT WILLY AFTON) finally gets to be a dad like he wanted and everyone is alive and happy <3 (things are a bit more complicated than that but shh). But enough talk. Hope you enjoy!

Oswald decides to hang out with his new friend, but things go awry when an uninvited guest shows up to crash the party.

CW: descriptions of blood, dead bodies and implied gore and/or body horror.

Drip...Drip...Drip...

The last droplets of rain made their way onto the cold pavement as the weather finally seemed to settle. The afternoon sky was still cloudy, and the air was still chilly, but the smell of freshly poured autumn rain was very inviting.

Oswald made his way outside, careful not to step into any puddles— which were in abundance.

"I'll be back by five, I promise!" he announced, turning back towards the house.

On the other side of the door stood a lone, yellow bunny in a trench coat. Standing slightly stooped and with lowered ears, Spring Bonnie slowly nodded and waved goodbye to the boy.

He looked worried. Oswald took notice of this and gave the bunny a reassuring smile.

"Nothing ever happens in this town, anyway." he pointed out. "We'll be fine! You worry too much."

Hand on the door, Spring Bonnie watched as the boy ran across the concrete path, once again wary of the many puddles formed on the ground, until he disappeared around the corner.

"You worry too much." Oswald's words echoed through his mind. The boy was only going to meet up with a friend at the library. Why was he so worried?

He stood and thought. Gabrielle. That was her name. Oswald mentioned her before. Apparently, they didn't talk much, but they got along quite well.

He'd like to meet her someday.

-------------------------------------------------

After a bit of rummaging through the old library, the two children each managed to find a book to enjoy. They didn't want to stay inside and read them, though. Gabrielle mentioned that she usually likes to read outside. Oswald, too, admitted that he would prefer the fresh air rather than the musty, stifling smell of the old library. Eventually, they settled on going to the nearby park.

The cold weather didn't show any signs of changing, appropriate for the last remaining weeks of November. The sidewalk was decorated with a diverse color palette of fallen leaves. Unlike the puddles, Oswald sought to purposely step on those as he roamed the streets, only to be mildly disappointed that none of them were audibly crinkling under his feet. They were just wet. Despite that, he kept trying until they finally reached the park.

Oswald looked behind him. Gabrielle held her book open, already engrossed in whatever story she was reading.

"I'll go find a good spot for us to sit and read, okay?" he decided.

Without looking up from the book, she nodded in agreement.

The boy wandered around the park, his new friend following behind him at a slower pace, careful not to trip over something as she continued to read. All the benches were still wet from the rain, so he didn't have much of a choice. He picked one, deeper in the park, and started wiping it with a few napkins he had in his backpack. He took out his phone and checked the time. 2:37 PM. They still had plenty of time until five.

Waiting for his friend to catch up with him, he sat on the bench and placed his book aside. Adjusting his cap, he listened. Listened to the sound of the wind gently brushing against the treetops. The sound of the remaining leaves slowly falling onto the ground. The sound of rustling and... whirring?

A shriek escaped him as a pair of giant, animatronic arms suddenly wrapped around him and swiftly pulled him back. Not the ones he was familiar with, though. They weren't yellow or fuzzy. Realization quickly set in.

It wasn't Spring Bonnie.

Not very far behind, Gabrielle heard the commotion and immediately closed her book and ran towards where the noise was coming from.

"Oswald?!" she called out.

But instead of getting a response from the boy, a completely different voice rang out, accompanied by laughter. Stuttering, glitching, robotic laughter.

"Finally got you, little ocelot!"

Gabrielle froze in her tracks. The sight she was greeted by terrified her.

A tall, white, broken down animatronic bear held tightly onto Oswald with glowing, bright blue eyes and a deranged grin on his face. His right hand seemed to be missing, only wires sticking out from what remained of his arm. He didn't seem to notice her. She could only watch as the boy desperately squirmed around in the bear's grasp, but to no avail. It only served to make the bear laugh even more. He tried to cry out, but, once again, to no avail. The bear had already plastered his hand over the boy's mouth.

"You're not going anywhere! We're going to play a little game!" he proudly announced as he turned away, disappearing behind the numerous trees in the park.

-------------------------------------------------

Gabrielle shook her head and finally got herself to move again. Her eyes darted all over the place erratically, trying to figure out what to do. Soon enough, her gaze landed on something small on the ground.

Oswald's phone.

She immediately made a run for it and, with trembling hands, she picked it up. Opening the contacts list, she desperately began to search. His parents' phone numbers had to be in there somewhere. Thankfully, he didn't have that many contacts. Through shaky button presses, she managed to find the phone number of Oswald's dad. She quickly selected it and waited.

"Please...Please pick up..."

-------------------------------------------------

An eerie silence engulfed the house. Not a single movement could be heard. Spring Bonnie sat on the couch in the living room, lost in thought. He had just finished vacuuming all around the house as a way to distract himself from the feeling of uneasiness that refused to leave his body.

The distraction worked. At least, for a while. But now that he found himself having free time again, the feeling returned, even stronger than before.

"You worry too much." he remembered Oswald's words once more in an attempt to calm himself down. The children were fine, surely.

He reached for the remote. Maybe he could watch some TV to get his mind off of his worries, but his train of thought was soon interrupted. Before he got the chance to turn on the TV, his ears perked up at a distant sound that unexpectedly broke the silence. He recognized the sound. It was a song. An old, country song, accompanied by a quiet buzzing. It came from somewhere down the corridor.

Abandoning the remote, Spring Bonnie stood up and went to investigate, his heavy footsteps echoing through the hallway. The song was coming from one of the rooms, where a phone sat forlornly on one of the nightstands. The phone in question belonged to Oswald's father. His human one, that is.

"He forgot his phone..." he thought.

Leaning towards the device, he glanced at the screen and saw a name displayed. "Oswald". Oswald was calling.

He stood there for a moment, unsure if he should pick up or not. The phone wasn't his, after all, and he wouldn't be able to talk anyway. But he didn't want to just leave it like that either.

He might as well try.

He fumbled a bit while trying to answer, his big robot hands being a little too big for the small phone. But, eventually, he succeeded.

"H...Hello? Is this Oswald's dad?" the shaky voice of a child stammered through the phone's speaker. It wasn't Oswald. He didn't recognize the voice, either.

Spring Bonnie wished he could answer. But even if he could, the voice didn't wait for a response.

"Please, if anyone can hear me I...This is Gabrielle...I..."

The poor child sounded frightened, struggling to find the right words.

"It's Oswald...He was...Something took him away, I-I don't know what to do...Please...I'm at the park right now, they went...I-I know where they went...You need to come here...I'll call the police too...But please, hurry..."

Then she hung up, letting the silence take over once again.

The grip he had on the phone tightened as he felt himself start to tremble. Black liquid began dripping— no, pouring from every socket and joint in his body. The feeling of uneasiness quickly turned into terror. Overwhelmed by emotions, he found himself unable to move. His mind flooded with thoughts. Horrible thoughts. Horrible possibilities.

"Oswald..."

He had to leave immediately.

-------------------------------------------------

Oswald kicked and twisted in the bear's grasp. He was able to free one hand and began to push the robotic arm away. Or, at least, tried to. But, to no one's surprise, it didn't budge a single inch. The bear was far more powerful than him.

"Quite a squirmy one, aren't you?" the animatronic loudly inquired. Oswald flinched at the sound of his earsplitting voice. He wished he had both of his hands free so he could cover his ears.

"If only I was able to put you inside..." the bear continued, giggling to himself. "That would have made things a heck of a lot easier! But, sadly, that seat is already occupied!"

Oswald stopped wriggling and stared up at the bear with wide, dread-filled eyes. What did he mean by that...?

"W-who are you?" he somehow managed to stammer.

The bear turned his head towards the boy with a somewhat surprised expression.

"Well then! Since you were so nice to ask..." his voice glitched halfway through the sentence. "They used to call me Funtime Freddy!"

Oswald certainly didn't feel like he was having a fun time right now... but he dared to ask one more question.

"What are you going to do with me?"

Funtime Freddy chuckled.

"Only what we were created to do."

That response only served to make the boy even more confused.

Why was this happening? What did this animatronic even want with him? Hundreds of questions were swirling around in his mind. He wasn't even paying attention to where he was being taken anymore. He lost track of time and couldn't remember for how long they've been walking. He couldn't focus. He couldn't think. He was panicking.

Click.

The sound of a door handle. Oswald didn't even notice when they arrived in front of an old, abandoned building. Was it a warehouse? It didn't matter. By the time he managed to gather his thoughts again, they were already deep inside the facility.

-------------------------------------------------

Spring Bonnie ran and ran. Ran through bushes and twigs, across puddles and leaves, below branches and trees. He frantically wiped at the dark liquid that was pouring out of his eyes like a waterfall, hindering his vision.

Gabrielle said they went north. That was his only lead. He prayed and begged that that would be enough to find them.

"Please be alright...Please...Please..."

-------------------------------------------------

Carried through the dark, decrepit corridors, Oswald sat helplessly in the clutches of the animatronic bear. He looked around in hopes of finding...something. Anything he might use to help identify where he was. Anything he might recognize. Pointless, as it turned out. He's never seen this place before. The whole building looked like it was falling apart at the seams. There were a few windows, but they were so dusty and dirty that he could barely see anything through them. Just a few trees, brushing their leafless branches against the glass.

"Here we are!" the bear eagerly declared.

The room they entered was bigger than the rest, from what he'd seen. Yet, still just as decaying as all the others. Cobwebs hanging all around them, tangled wires on the floor... A few metal shelves decorated the walls, standing almost as tall as the ceiling. They were mostly empty, save for a few dusty looking machines and toolboxes that sat there, forgotten by time.

Using one of his legs, the bear kicked the door, effectively closing it.

"The acoustics are pretty great in here, huh?" Funtime Freddy said jokingly, listening to the echo of his own distorted voice.

Oswald wanted to say something in response, but before he even had time to attempt to open his mouth, he found himself slammed against the wall.

With Oswald held firmly in his grasp, Funtime Freddy brought the boy to his eye level.

"It's been a while since I got someone as lively as you to play with!" he admitted. "I'm going to enjoy every second of this."

As the bear stared directly into his eyes, Oswald tried his hardest to avoid eye contact. But he couldn't look away. He was stuck like a deer caught in headlights. The boy tried to close his eyes, but even so, he still felt the piercing gaze of the animatronic's glowing, blue eyes. Summoning all his willpower, he somehow managed to tear his eyes away from the bear's face for just a second. Time enough to catch a glimpse of something. He didn't notice it up until then, but there was something reddish trickling down from the bear's abdomen. Was that...?

Oswald didn't want to know.

"Now..." the bear continued. "Shall we—"

Funtime Freddy suddenly went uncharacteristically quiet. His ear twitched as he waited and listened. Oswald listened carefully too. They both just stood there, in complete silence, for a couple of seconds.

"Strange. I could have sworn I heard—"

He didn't even have time to finish that sentence as a tall, dark figure rose up from behind him and, with their arm raised up in the air, aimed and swung directly at the bear's head, successfully and violently knocking him to the side and making him lose the grip he had on the child. The boy dropped to the ground, landing on his rear end.

Funtime Freddy stumbled back as his head spun around a few times from the force of impact, only stopping when his head clicked into position, facing the opposite way from where it was supposed to.

Oswald shook his head and looked around. What just happened?

That question was very soon answered when he looked up, where a familiar looking figure stood right before him, with long ears pointed upwards.

"Springs!" the boy couldn't help but smile and sigh in relief, even if the bunny did not look down at him. He was focused on something else. Or rather, someone else.

Spring Bonnie glared at the bear, who still stood there, twitching and glitching, with his torso forwards and his head backwards. But before long, through a cacophony of whirrs, clatters and clicks, he promptly spun his head back into its original position, staring directly at the uninvited guest. His grin widened.

"How cute..." he teased.

The bunny stared back at him with pitch-black eye sockets and glowing, blue pupils, but instead of displaying his usual grin, his jaw slowly unhinged to reveal multiple rows of razor-sharp fangs. He stepped in front of Oswald, acting as a shield between him and the bear. The dark liquid was still abundantly leaking. Meanwhile, a faint, but distinct sound could be heard. It was emanating from the bunny. Was he...growling? Oswald didn't remember hearing him make that sort of noise before.

"You came to play with us too?"

Funtime Freddy stepped forward, confidently. Spring Bonnie stood his ground. The growling only intensified.

"Let's have fun, then."

Without any warning, the bear charged directly at the yellow bunny. In response, the bunny also launched himself at the bear, somehow unhinging his jaw even further. They both managed to get a hold of each other, pushing and clawing at their respective opponent in hopes of immobilizing them. Spring Bonnie leaned forward and attempted to take a bite out of the bear's face, but was unsuccessful, as Funtime Freddy kept his head at a safe distance from the bunny's snapping mouth.

The scuffle continued and showed no signs of stopping. Oswald could only watch as the events unfolded before his eyes. Two giant robots going at each other's throats. It looked like they both had an equal chance of taking the other one out. The boy couldn't help but think this all looked like some kind of scene from a sci-fi movie. He would think it was kind of cool if he wasn't currently scared out of his mind. He kept his eyes on Spring Bonnie, cheering for him in his head, but unable to actually get a single word out. He watched in awe as the bunny somehow managed to get the upper hand, grasping the bear with all his strength and slowly pushing him back, step by step. That's when Oswald noticed something on the floor.

The wires. The many, tangled wires that slithered along the floor. A few of them even extended from where he was sitting, all the way to the opposite side of the room, going straight through the wall. He got an idea. He wasn't sure if it would work, but he had to at least try. He quickly got up to his feet, grabbed a few of them and, gathering all the strength in his body, he pulled. The wires straightened out, hovering over the ground. Just enough for the bear to step right into them.

Funtime Freddy inevitably lost his balance, causing him to fall on his back, violently clanging against the floor.

Before he even had the chance to process what happened, he felt his whole face being grabbed, yellow fingers making their way right into his eye sockets and keeping him in place. Spring Bonnie snarled as he loomed over the bear, tightening his grip while dark, viscous matter started dripping all over his hand and trickling down onto the bear's faceplates. Funtime Freddy attempted to lift his hand to push him back, but the bunny was quick to lift the bear's head off of the ground, before slamming him right back down against the cold, hard floor with all his might. He did so again, and again, and again, the thunderous sound of heavy metal clashing against concrete filling the room.

The bunny had no intention of stopping, but the bear has had enough. Between crashes, Funtime Freddy extended his arm and managed to grab the bunny by the neck— something that caught him completely off guard as he became way too focused on crushing the bear's head— throwing him to the side.

The two animatronics quickly got back up to their feet at the same time, both shaking and twitching. But there was something different about the bear. For a moment, his grin faded away and got replaced with a frown. His usual demeanor was a little different, too. He seemed mad.

A deafening screech emerged from the bear and reverberated through the room as his faceplates sprung wide open, revealing his rusty endoskeleton. When he closed them back up, one by one, his face was back to his regular, deranged expression. With his broken down arm swinging, he launched himself at the yellow bunny once more and aimed to strike him. Spring Bonnie was able to stop Freddy's attack with his own hand, grabbing onto the bear's handless arm before it could reach his face.

But that's when the bear stopped. His grin widened even more and he just stared him in the eyes.

Something wasn't right.

Click.

Spring Bonnie felt some kind of metallic object emerge from the bear's broken arm, poking him directly in the palm. He barely had a split second to think before sparks began to fly.

Oswald covered his ears at the sound of Spring Bonnie's earsplitting screech. A screech unlike anything he had ever heard before. He couldn't describe it. He's never heard Spring Bonnie make that sort of sound before, either.

The yellow bunny was writhing and shaking uncontrollably as electricity flowed through his entire body. By the time it stopped, he was unable to do anything. He could barely move. Weakened, he stumbled back and fell to his knees. To end things off, the bear kicked him down and watched as he twitched helplessly on the floor. Despite his pain, he only had one thing on his mind. "Oswald..." He had to get back up. He had to protect his son. He had to...

After glaring at the bunny for a few more moments, Funtime Freddy giggled and turned away, towards the boy.

Or, at least, where the boy was supposed to be. The grin on the bear's face started to disappear ever so slightly.

Where was he?

He stopped and scanned the room from top to bottom. Oswald was nowhere to be seen. He did notice, however, the entrance to the room. The door was wide open.

Funtime Freddy wasted no time and immediately went for the door, leaving behind the twitching bunny.

With shaky hands, Spring Bonnie struggled to roll over and tried to get up, just in time to watch the bear leave the room and slam the door behind him.

Clumsily getting up and trying his best to remain stable on his jittery feet, he rushed to the door and desperately rattled the handle.

It was locked. Either that or something was blocking it from the other side.

Panicking, he kept pushing and pulling at the door. He banged his fists on it, he kicked it, he slammed his whole body into it, but it did nothing.

The bunny turned around and frantically searched the room. There had to be another way out. And as his eyes darted around, he finally set his sight on a possible exit.

The window.

-------------------------------------------------

Oswald sprinted as fast as his legs could carry him.

"Exit...Exit...Where's the exit?!"

As he dashed through the dilapidated maze of hallways and corridors, he felt like every turn he took was useless. Everything looked the same. He could have sworn it wasn't like that before. Did the building somehow grow bigger? It didn't look that big from the outside. As he ran, he found numerous doors, but none leading to the outside. Some were locked. Some opened, only to reveal even more forgotten rooms with no escape.

Being faced with dead end after dead end, Oswald eventually stopped in the middle of the hallway he was currently traversing. He felt his vision start to blur as a feeling of dread began to creep its way throughout his body. He couldn't find the exit. He didn't even know where he was anymore. The building felt so massive, yet he felt so claustrophobic in these narrow, endless corridors.

But he didn't have time to ponder. A sudden noise made him snap out of his trance.

A voice. A distant, stuttering voice, calling his name. He knew this voice all too well by now. The voice grew nearer, now accompanied by heavy, metallic footsteps, rapidly approaching.

Oswald spun around, searching for a place to hide.

A small table stood behind him with its damp, moth-eaten tablecloth still mostly intact on top of it. Next to it, a single chair stood collecting dust, untouched for decades. Probably a small resting area for the people who used to work in this place, he guessed.

No time to waste.

-------------------------------------------------

Funtime Freddy turned the corner and glared down the hallway. Still no child in sight.

"Up for a game of hide and seek?" his voice box glitched again. "Oh, how fun!"

The white bear slowed down his pace, now scanning the corridor. His head whirred and clicked loudly as it turned around persistently.

"I have to warn you, though!" he continued in a strangely playful tone. "Whenever I'm seeker, I always win!"

Oswald sat trembling under the table, holding his breath when he heard the animatronic's footsteps approaching. He held both of his hands pressed against his mouth, trying to stop himself from making any noise. He barely managed to stifle a scream when he felt something crawling across his face. The underside of the table was filled with cobwebs, as expected. So spiders had to be present too, much to Oswald's despair. He shut his eyes tightly as he waited for the footsteps to fade down the corridor. He felt the floor beneath him vibrate as the animatronic passed by the table. If he opened his eyes, he would have definitely seen him stomping by through the holes in the tablecloth. He started to feel lightheaded, he lost track of how long he's been doing this. Just a little longer...

...

He couldn't hear any footsteps anymore.

Oswald finally let himself breathe again. He took a deep breath, but instead of air, it felt like only dust and spiderweb made their way down his throat. He tried his best not to cough too loudly.

But it seemed like his efforts were in vain.

Mere moments after that, mechanical whirrs rang out nearby and, shortly after, the table got lifted into the air. Not only that, but it was also effortlessly flipped over, revealing the one responsible for it.

"Found you!"

Funtime Freddy towered over the boy, grinning as ominously as ever.

Oswald stumbled to get back on his feet, just in time to avoid the metallic arm that plunged after him. He slithered his way right between the bear's legs and bolted through the hall in whatever direction he saw first. There was no time to think. And it's not like he knew where he was going, anyway. He just needed to get as far away from the bear as possible.

"Slippery little brat." the bear sounded slightly annoyed, but it didn't seem to bother him too much, as he was still grinning widely. "You'd rather play catch instead? Fine by me!"

Oswald heard the animatronic stomping behind him at an alarmingly fast pace. He didn't think that he was able to run this fast, especially after the tussle with the bunny.

As he felt the bear catching up with him, he spotted another door. It was already half open. He couldn't remember if it was him who opened it earlier in search of the exit or if it was always like that. It didn't matter. He got in and immediately searched the door for a way to lock it. It had a latch, thankfully, albeit a pretty flimsy one, but it was better than nothing. He reached for it and promptly locked the door.

The boy backed away slowly. He knew the latch wouldn't hold out for a long time, so he had to think of what to do next and fast. When he took one more step behind, he bumped into something. He couldn't help but shriek when he felt himself being grabbed by the shoulder. He spun around and yanked himself from the grasp of whatever just touched him.

But the fear soon vanished once he spotted who was actually behind him.

A familiar yellow bunny in a brown trench coat stood there, kneeled down, with his hands held out in front of him as if to gesture that he didn't mean to frighten the boy. He looked down at the child with lowered ears and unblinking eyes, yet there seemed to be a certain gentleness behind that gaze. Oswald never thought he'd feel so happy to see another animatronic in his life. Without a second thought, he wrapped his arms around the bunny and held him tight, burying his face in his coat. Not long after, he felt the arms of the animatronic slowly wrap around him, returning the hug.

Bang.

It seemed like the moment of tenderness had to wait until later.

Funtime Freddy began to bang on the door, each knock rattling the latch and loosening it. It looked like it was about to fall off.

Spring Bonnie rushed to the door in an attempt to keep it shut with his own body, but right as he got to it, one final knock sent the latch flying across the room. A white, handless arm slithered its way into the room. He recognized the limb. The exact same one that shocked him not too long ago.

The yellow bunny held the door against the flailing arm, not letting the rest of the bear get in. He tried to shut the door, but he knew that it would be impossible with the arm in the way. He slammed his whole body into the door, hoping it would do something.

Crack.

"...?"

The noise was coming from the metal arm.

He slammed himself into the door again.

Crack.

This was it.

Spring Bonnie continued to slam against the door, each hit causing the arm to make more cracking noises. He kept doing it until...

Clang.

The entire arm detached from the bear, crashing onto the floor and rolling away. He was finally able to shut the door all the way.

The disembodied arm rolled towards Oswald, who stepped away from it. He saw what that arm could do. He wasn't going to get anywhere near it.

As he stepped back he felt something on the floor. It made a small splashing sound. He looked behind him.

At the back of the room, there was a rather large puddle of water. Most likely rainwater that seeped its way through the decrepit ceiling over the years. It was quite deep.

He glanced down at it, then back at the arm standing in front of him. Then he looked back up at Spring Bonnie, who stood with his back against the door, trying his hardest to keep it shut as the bear continued to bang on it from the outside. The missing arm didn't seem to stop him.

The bunny also noticed the arm, as well as the puddle behind Oswald.

The gears were turning in their minds— perhaps quite literally in Spring Bonnie's case— as they both seemed to envision the exact same plan.

-------------------------------------------------

Funtime Freddy was starting to lose his patience and began slamming into the door with all his force.

To his surprise, it finally opened, revealing the boy standing alone in the middle of the room.

Using his leg, he shut the door behind him, maintaining eye contact with his target the whole time.

"Nowhere to run now, little ocelot!"

Oswald stared back at the bear with wide eyes, but he didn't move from his spot. He felt his heartbeat start to accelerate again.

The bear launched himself at the boy— hand extended and ready to grab— but the boy was quick to sidestep out of the way. Before he even had time to make his next move, the bear felt himself being pushed from behind by a force as equal as his, causing him to fall face-first into the puddle of water. For a split second, he noticed something else standing in the water right beside him: his own detached arm. In the next split second, it was already too late.

Spring Bonnie and Oswald watched as Funtime Freddy started twitching and writhing in the electrified water while sparks began to fly once again. To their dismay, the bear attempted to get back up, despite his pain.

The bunny quickly picked Oswald up and got out of the room, keeping the door shut. They could still hear the agonized screech of the animatronic bear behind the door, but only for a few more moments, followed by the sound of something powering down and crashing against the floor.

Spring Bonnie carefully placed his son down as far away from the room as possible. Then he slowly opened the door and peeked inside.

The bear was collapsed on the ground near the door, showing no more signs of movement.

-------------------------------------------------

An uncomfortable silence took over the entire building.

They both stared down at the motionless animatronic, still processing everything that happened.

"Is it over..?"

Spring Bonnie turned around to look at his son. He wasn't sure how to answer. He had a feeling this was far from over. They might have been able to decommission the bear, if only for a while, but surely that wasn't the end of it.

"Can't we...I don't know..." the boy continued. "Turn him off somehow? For good?"

He hoped that an animatronic would have more knowledge about this than him. There had to be a way to deactivate Funtime Freddy permanently, right?

From the look of the bunny, he wasn't quite sure himself. But they might as well try.

Spring Bonnie dragged the unmoving body of the bear out of the room and propped him up against the wall.

The two pairs of eyes scanned over the robot from top to bottom, wondering what to do. As they searched, Spring Bonnie's eyes landed on something that stuck out.

The bear's abdomen. It looked like it was some sort of door. He didn't notice it before since it was closed tight. But now it was ever so slightly open. It looked stuck, but it was sticking outward just a little bit. It must have come loose after all that happened.

Spring Bonnie kneeled down in front of the bear and grabbed the metallic door, attempting to open it. He struggled a bit but, at last, it swung open.

A foul, putrid odor quickly overtook the damp smell of the room and the silence was finally broken by Oswald's horrified scream.

Spring Bonnie also froze at the sight of what he just found.

A young girl sat crammed inside the bear's chest cavity, motionless. But she looked...wrong.

Her clothes were covered from head to toe in what they could only assume was dried blood. The same could also be said about the inside of the cavity. The walls were smeared with a similar color.

Her body was contorted in ways that shouldn't be possible, her skin rotting and decaying.

But most of all, her head...Her head wasn't where it was supposed to be...

Oswald turned away and gagged.

How long has she been in there...?

-------------------------------------------------

Red and blue lights danced between the branches of the trees.

The yellow bunny and the boy waited patiently outside the building. Many voices were coming from inside, but they couldn't make out what they were saying. They guessed it was probably about the dead body they found. Or about the freaky animatronic bear that housed the corpse.

Oswald was crouched next to Spring Bonnie, using a stick to draw in the mud. He wasn't drawing anything specific, he was just mindlessly dragging the twig through the mud and making lines, most likely attempting to distract himself from thinking about what just happened. Still, the bunny watched him intently and curiously, tilting his head to the side.

"Oswald!"

The bunny's ears twitched. The voice of a woman called out from the distance. Oswald looked up, instantly recognizing it.

Two figures were fast approaching. A woman with blonde hair, followed by a scruffy looking man.

"Mom! Dad!"

Oswald eagerly sprinted towards the two and greeted them with a hug. The woman kneeled down and quickly wrapped her arms around the boy, refusing to let go for the next couple of minutes. The man joined in from behind.

"We heard what happened, I..." she attempted to speak but began to stammer.

"We came as fast as we could." the man continued in her stead.

"Thank God you're okay..." she managed to get her voice to work again, squeezing the boy tighter. She sounded like she was holding back tears.

"Thank him." Oswald whispered.

The woman finally let go to look at where the boy was pointing.

Unsurprisingly, the tall, yellow bunny was not far behind him. He slowly waved at them.

"He protected me."

The woman glanced at her husband, who shrugged and smiled at her, then looked back at the bunny. She also gave him a gentle smile.

"Thank you."

-------------------------------------------------

Yellow police tape surrounded the area.

Even hours later, people in uniforms were still inside the building, gathered around the white animatronic that was sitting slumped against the wall. The inside of his storage tank was now empty.

"So what the hell even is that thing?" one of the men dared to ask, glaring at the bear.

"Hell if I know." another one answered.

Neither of them knew what he was or where he came from. But it didn't matter, they thought. What mattered was what they found inside of him.

"We've identified the victim, sir." a woman in uniform stepped in and joined the conversation. She carried a few documents in her hand. "Millicent Fitzsimmons, 14 years old. She went missing almost a year ago."

She held out a picture of a young girl with dyed, black hair. Her brown roots were beginning to show. She was wearing a purple hoodie with black sleeves.

"Poor thing. So young, too..."

While they were examining the picture, a small noise was heard nearby. The woman looked around, trying to identify where it came from. Her eyes widened.

"Did it...always look like that?"

The two men looked to where she was pointing.

The bear's eyes stared directly at them.

[xaeethebaee]

The Light in his Dark World

Minors DNI! 18+ Folks ONLY!

Synopsis: You're relentlessly pursued by the infamous blood-thirsty gangster by the name of South Terano, and you cannot figure out why he's so smitten by you.

Black Reader x South Terano

A/n: A while back, I did reblog a post and the OP explained they want to see a story like this, and I volunteered. This is my first time writing for South. Actually, it is my first time writing a slow-burn fanfic so let me know how it was. @sukunasbabymama Sorry it took so long.

Word Count: 7,270

Warnings: Mentions of brutal violence

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rokuhara. An infamous bar located deep in the slums of Rio De Janeiro. On the outside, it looks like the typical run-down shack adorned with rusted shutters and somewhat rotted wooden door frames. That is not the case upon closer inspection of the establishment. Almost every night, many people are drawn to its walls, and it is not because of the cheap beer and sexy bartenders. Once getting past those flimsy entrance doors, and down the derelict stairs that seemingly lead into a dark abyss, a whole new world has been opened up.

Over a hundred Rio De Janeiro residents gather around where the real fun is happening. A makeshift boxing ring lay as the centerpiece of the basement. Spotlights shine down on it, illuminating dried-up blood stains on the material and a pair of violent men trading harsh blows with one another. Rokuhara hosts one of Brazil's most intense underground fight clubs and this is where you begrudgingly call your place of employment.

There is not much opportunity to flourish in your poverty and crime-stricken city, and being from a financially struggling family, moving somewhere else was not a feasible option. You’re essentially making the best out of your unfortunate home life though you find that serving bottles of liquor to drunk men who enjoy watching other men beat each other to a pulp is a much better job than selling your body as a prostitute which is also a common practice here. Also, the tips you earn are a lot more than anyone could imagine which does allow you to live slightly more comfortably than many other people in your area and have savings for when you eventually decide to call somewhere else home.

Essentially, every night between 10 pm and 5 am, you witness brawls between different gangsters from hoods across Rio and even other parts of Brazil. Your primary purpose is to prepare and serve drinks to the rowdy guests during these optimal hours and tonight is no different. Men and women alike crowd around the ring, yelling obscenities, and betting hundreds - sometimes even thousands - of Brazilian reals on the fighters. It is not the kind of environment you enjoy being in and seeing these unsavory individuals take pleasure in this savagery causes you to lose more and more faith in humanity. Again, you press forward as there are not many options.

After placing the bottle of beer on your tray, you way through the thick crowd of patrons and towards a small flight of stairs. It’s a relatively quaint platform that’s only reserved for the VIP guests of the establishment. VIP guests often include unsavory business Mongols, gang leaders, cartel bosses, and in this particular case, a man with a spine-chilling reputation as being the most brutal fighter of Brazil’s underground world.

For the most part, the patrons and fighters are all faceless and that even includes the regulars for Rokuhara; however, this particular individual is different. You know him all too well. Because of his massive height, he easily dwarfs everyone he comes across which adds to his intimidating aura. Although reluctant, you put on a brave smile as you approached the scary man, who is sitting quietly as he observes an ongoing fight. You vaguely make out a smug smile on his face while he leans back in his leather chair with his long legs manspreading, obviously entertained by the violence before him.

You can hear your heartbeat pumping in your ears once you’ve arrived at his table. Nervously, you set the bottle of beer down next to him, attempting to avoid eye contact with him.

“Here’s your drink, sir.” You muster out.

Quickly, you turn your heel and begin to walk away, but you did not get to make it far when you feel your arm being grabbed, preventing you from leaving. Looking down, you notice a large hand wrapped around your arm, though it was not tight enough to cause you any pain.

“What did I say about the formality, sweetheart?”

His deep voice sent shivers down your spine as you slowly turn around to face him. What you see is the man’s piercing yellow round eyes and his grin that is now being directed at you. He has blonde hair that is being kept in a bun and despite wearing a white button-down shirt, his Brazilian tribal tattoo design sticks out from the rightmost side of his chest and runs up his neck. It is not surprising that many people shake in fear when they are in the presence of this man. Sighing, you gently try freeing your arm from his grip.

“I’m working right now.”

You mumble but the man nonetheless heard your soft voice. He can see the uncertainty in your eyes therefore he hesitantly lets go of you.

“I told you this before. You don’t have to be so scared around me.”

He says with a tone of voice that contradicts his outward appearance. You can hear the gentleness in his deep voice in addition to slight concern. You’re still not at much ease as you are fully aware of what this man is capable of.

It is not the first time you have come face-to-face with him. In fact, you see him almost all the time either in Rokuhara as one of the fighters or in the streets of Rio De Janeiro taking on gangs of hoodlums. Each and every single violent encounter with this man always lead to someone being fatally or mortally wounded by him. His strength and violent streak easily triumph over everyone he comes across, and he is even not above murder if it means he keeps his dominion over others.

Despite your many encounters with him over time, you somehow end up unscathed. On the contrary, you are often on the receiving end of the man’s rare instance of friendliness. You’re still unsure why you seem to get special treatment from him especially since you know that he knows you aren’t fond of people like him. You’re seemingly the perfect victim for him to play around with and destroy but in reality, the man treats you almost as if you’re a porcelain doll. You can’t even recall a time when the man has even said something mean to you.

“I am working, South.”

You repeat, this time uttering his name with a bold expression. Your assertiveness is felt by the man named South who just takes a sip from the beer bottle you brought him. After feeling refreshed from the sip, he just nods and then says with the same gentle tone:

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” You quickly follow up.

Once again, you try leaving him to his drink, but what he says next stops you in your track.

“So have you decided on going out with me?”

An audible sigh past your lips before you swallow some of your fear. You turn back around to look South back in the eye.

“You asked me that at least five times this week.” You point out.

“Yeah, I know.”

Although you were anxious, you still proceeded to reject him in the friendliest way.

“I told you before. I am not looking for a relationship right now.”

South goes quiet, momentarily thinking over your response as well as his future response. There is no doubt in your mind that he is going to say that he understands how you feel and then reiterate his eagerness to take you out on a date. This has been the norm for the last few encounters you two had, and just as you predicted, he states:

“I get it. You don’t wanna date a guy like me who kills people for fun. It’s just you’ve been the only light in my dark world, and I can’t miss out on losing that light. I wanna keep you safe and happy, sweetheart.”

Desperation laces his tone; however, you’re unfazed by it. It is no secret to either of you that you find this man absolutely terrifying. You actually witnessed him at his most violent, and he knew you were there.

The sight of him punching a man’s face until it became a bloody pile of mush still haunts your mind, and South had the nerve to rationalize it by stating the man had ill intentions for you. You can’t deny that it was clear you were about to be attacked by the creepy man and South did come to your rescue but that does not change the fact that you saw the blatant enjoyment on his face. South claims he wants to keep you happy, but murdering people in your presence is certainly not how he should go about it. You’re mildly annoyed by his insistence but it obviously does not overshadow the fear you harbor for him. South can see it in your face. He can see you shaking with anxiety before you realized it yourself.

“South, I-”

You start to speak but a sudden uproar of cheering cuts you off. You’re then reminded of the environment you are in, seeing the crowd of people screaming and yelling as the match has reached its conclusion. South momentarily gets distracted when the winner gets announced, which gives you the perfect opportunity to slip away. He immediately noticed your retreat but just decides to take another sip from his beer.

You return to the bar to take a deep breath. For a moment, you did not realize that a group of people was waiting to place their order with you. One older man just clears his throat to get your attention.

“Ma’am?”

He calls for you though it was unusually quiet. Looking up, you see the faces of the people and you resume your work.

“Oh! I’m so sorry everyone! I’ll be more than happy to assist.”

You put on a brave face before proceeding with your duties as a bartender. You tried your best to fulfill each order promptly, but with the state that you are in and the time crunch you are on, it was inevitable that you made mistake after mistake after mistake. Though you are quick to fix these mistakes, no one bothered to mention them to you. You’re fully aware of how irritable people can get when their orders aren’t correct or when service is slow, so you expected someone to call you out. It did not happen, however.

Rio De Janeiro is a massive city but when it comes to infamous people like South Terano, words about them travel fast amongst the communities. That means your encounters with him are no secret. People noticed how differently his demeanor has changed when he is around you. Even a blind man can see how soft he is when it comes to you, and after everyone heard about him killing a man just to protect you, an unspoken rule was established. No matter what, nobody is allowed to bring any harm to you whether it be physical or emotional.

You did not realize just how much influence South has over your life. You’re off-limits for any and everyone, despite not having a single violent bone in your body you’re just as feared, and you unknowingly have dominance. It’s the reason why you can work in such a violent environment without so much as a single threat being thrown at you. In the eyes of the residents of Rio, you are South’s girl therefore you are being treated as such.

It took several minutes but you’ve finally finished fulfilling everyone’s orders and even made a sizable tip in the process. You take a moment to catch your breath, leaning on the bar counter and reflecting on your interactions with South. You know how dangerous he is. He’s a ferocious man who takes every opportunity to fight and kill. Not to mention his short temper which causes him to lash out at anyone who provokes him, but somehow, you’re his soft spot. You’re someone who brought light to his dark world but how? Where did these feelings for you come from? You nearly strain yourself trying to figure out why South is so smitten by you.

“Ma’am? May I have another bottle of Guinness?”

The same quiet man from earlier asks you, although he was nervous. Sitting up and presenting him with a smile.

“Of course!”

You answer back, grabbing another bottle of the requested drink from the refrigerator. After handing it to the man, you suddenly make a realization.

“That was the drink South ordered when we first met.” You think to yourself with a sigh.

Even before you two officially met, South’s name has already been circling around. Even before seeing his face for the first time, you knew just how dangerous this man is and when you two met, you felt your veins run icy cold.

You explicitly remember being behind the bar, cleaning up the dirty wine glasses. This night was any typical night with the rowdy patrons yelling obscenities at the fighters before them. It is a sound that you were starting to get used to since starting your job as a bartender. Almost immediately, everything went silent, and the atmosphere changed entirely, and you’re initially confused.

That is until you peer up and immediately see a massive man making his way to the boxing ring. He has a wide grin on his face as if he is thoroughly entertained by the fear that is radiating throughout the room. No one bothered to say anything as this man takes off his shirt, revealing his toned upper body and tribal tattoo. He indeed needed no introduction.

He stands opposite another man who presents a cocky smile on his face. Everyone is silent, too terrified to utter a single thing. You’ve heard countless stories about the destruction and chaos this man has caused since he was a child. South Terano: a name that strikes fear in the hearts of many and you’re no different. You had every reason to be afraid of him.

Finally seeing him in person feels like your nightmare has come true even though you should’ve expected that he’d make an appearance eventually. You do work at an underground fight club after all and all South does is fight so it was inevitable that he’ll show up. Too stunned to steady your breathing and shaking hand, you failed to realize the glass you were holding is starting to slowly slip from your grip.

Nevertheless, you watch as the fighters begin stretching as they prepare for their upcoming match. South’s grin never falters as he cracks his neck and due to the silent room, you heard every bit of the popping sound. With bloodlust in his eyes, he heaves out a breathy chuckle before stating with an amused tone:

“This is gonna be fun. You’re gonna regret challenging m--”

He’s suddenly interrupted by the sound of glass shattering on the floor. All eyes are on you as you stand motionless and embarrassed. The man’s grin dropped a bit upon seeing you struggle to gather your words to formulate a sentence.

“Sorry!”

You quickly shout before hurrying to a nearby broom. With the room still silent, everyone - including South - can hear your frantic sweeping. As soon as you’re finished sweeping up the broken glass, you’ve used the dustpan to take it over to the trashcan. Quickly, you opened the lid of the trash can before discarding the glass into it. Throughout all of that, the room was still silent save for the sounds of you cleaning up the mess.

Looking back up, you’re still the center of attention. The onlookers have fearful expressions on their faces while South remains to have his grin, amused by what he just witnessed. Overwhelmed with embarrassment, you just give an awkward thumbs-up before announcing:

“I’m finished!”

After that, you back away into a corner in shame which allows the match to officially begin.

Both fighters get into position and in no time, the referee signals for the match to begin with the sound of his whistle. Hastily, South’s opponent rushes to him and despite the obviously massive height difference, the man nonetheless reaches high enough to punch South in the face. The hit; however, only felt like a light touch to the large man who just laughs.

“Try again weak shit!” He taunts with laughter.

The smaller opponent grunts and then takes the opportunity to punch South again, this time on his abs but that hit was proven futile as well. In shock, he looks up only to find South’s prominent grin peering back at him. The man realized his mistake too late once the bigger opponent leans forward.

“My turn.” He simply says.

Before he knew it, he feels a punch that is equal to the strength of Hercules. That punch shatters his facial bones, resulting in the man stumbling backward and falling onto the cold and bloody floor.

“That’s it? You just wasted my fucking time!”

He yells before stomping the unconscious man’s chest, no doubt breaking his ribs and damaging his internal organs. A horror-stricken gasp escapes your lips due to witnessing his brutal savagery. That gasp did not go unnoticed by South who looks directly at you with the same amused grin.

“Did that scare you, sweetheart?” He directs his taunting to you.

You can feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as the terrifying fighter walks out of the ring and through the crowd of people. In no time, he’s at your bar, looking down at you as if you’re his prey.

“I asked you a question.” he reminds you.

Taking in a deep breath you respond sheepishly:

“Yes.”

“Don’t be scared. I won’t bite.”

South says as he reaches out to run his fingers through your hair. On impulse, you back away before his hand could make contact with you. You can hear audible gasps from the crowd when you rejected his advance. You can see the grin on his face drop ever so slightly, convincing you that it is your time to die.

The scary man just leans forward, resting his elbows on the counter as he checks out your body. He notices the way you nervously stand while also shaking like a scared puppy. Additionally, he notices your uniform perfectly accentuating your curves and the way your melanated skin glows from the basement lighting. Your e/c eyes look back at his yellow ones, nearly enchanting him.

“What’s your name?” He asks.

You think about his question for a few seconds, caught off guard by his sudden cordialness.

“Y/n.” You reluctantly answer.

“Cute.”

He simply says, showing a very subtle spark in his eye like he just realized something. The man just smiles more before requesting a drink.

“Guinness.”

Although you’re plagued with fear, you comply with his request. Immediately, you grab a bottle of the drink and hand it to him with a nervous smile.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” You muster out.

Everyone is still looking in complete shock at you two’s interaction.

Thinking back on that day, you even noticed that he was nice to you then. You think to yourself when did South actually start to have a crush on you, and you’re having a hard time understanding why. You live a very unremarkable life, you cannot think of many special skills you possess, and you don’t think you’re the prettiest girl in the world - let alone the city.

So what made him so infatuated with you? Are you the only girl he pursues? Why won’t he give up his pursuit? So many questions in so little time. You’re stressing yourself with all the overthinking, so you decided to take another deep breath, purging your mind so you can relax for once tonight.

That brief moment of relaxation did not last long, however. The noise from the crowd seizes almost instantaneously and the tension rises once again. At this point, you are already aware of who has decided to approach your bar without even looking up from your spot.

“Sweetheart?”

His voice pierces your eardrum like a spear. You can feel his presence getting stronger and his footsteps getting louder as he goes through the crowd of scared people. With the help of his long legs, he reached your bar in no time. The people that were already sitting there immediately scurried away as if they were roaches when the light has been turned on. Just like when you two first met, the onlookers watch - some in fear while others with intrigue - your upcoming interaction with South Terano.

The very large man leans on the countertop, resting his elbows as he watches you hurry to the refrigerator to grab yet another bottle of Guinness. Swiftly, you set the beer down in front of him without bothering to acknowledge his presence.

“Sweetheart?” He repeats while cracking open the bottle. “Look at me.”

He demands softly, but you remain stubborn, adamant that maybe if you ignore him long enough, he’ll leave you alone. South’s stubbornness, on the other hand, is more potent than yours. His unwavering pursuit for you will not stop even if you don’t speak to him for the rest of your life, and you are fully aware of this. He’s a patient man indeed as he just sits and waits for you to finally give him a response. Your tenacity soon starts to falter after several minutes of dead silence. South is still leaning on the countertop as he finishes the bottle of beer.

“The end of your shift is approaching isn’t it?”

He asks, prompting you to look at the nearby digital clock. It’s just a few minutes away from hitting 5 am, thus you take the time to start cleaning. You’ve made sure to clean your entire bar except for one particular spot. The man just lets out a chuckle once he sees that you finally noticed his empty beer bottle and your reluctance to approach him.

Finally, you decided now or never to reach for his bottle, but that was the moment South took his opportunity to make his move. In a move too fast to back away from, South grabbed your arm and pulled you slightly closer to him. You released a surprised gasp upon the sudden movement. Shocked and terrified, you freeze up as you look up to see South’s soft expression.

“Just one date. It’s all that I ask for.”

“No.”

You quickly answer; however, that isn’t enough to discourage the strong man. He just squeezes your arm slightly harder than usual, prompting you to feel more petrified. Through a shaking tone, you muster out:

“I-I-I told y-you. Not interested in a r-relationship.”

At that moment, you did not realize tears are starting to roll down your cheek. You’re scared of this man, of course, but you’re feeling a slew of conflicting emotions at the same time. In spite of knowing everything about this man, there is a part of you that is very intrigued by him. That feeling of intrigue is also accompanied by attraction as the man before you is very easy on the eyes. It’s those feelings in addition to your fear that got your mind in a swirl. Now that he’s much closer than you are comfortable with, you are only able to ask one simple question.

“Why do you want to be with me so badly?” You ask with a cracking voice.

Seeing your emotional state, South uses his free hand to gently caress your cheek while simultaneously wiping the flowing tears.

“I told you already. You’re my light. You were the only person who gave me comfort.”

Confused by his answer, you shake your head in denial.

“All I-I did was tell you I wasn’t….interested.”

“Is that all you think you did for me?”

He asks you with a facial expression that tells you that he is unconvinced. You search through every facet of your mind trying to figure out what South means but the only things that come up are all the times you rejected his advances.

“You seriously don’t remember, do you?” He asks.

“Remember what?”

The man lets go of your arm, breathing out a disappointed sigh. For the first time, you can visibly see his grin drop from his face. Leaning up, South puts his hands in his pockets before he starts walking towards the flight of stairs essentially leaving alone at the bar.

“I’ll be waiting outside for you when you’re finished. Don’t try to escape.”

He demands, sending shivers down your and everyone’s spines. You only got to see South when he’s enjoying his life but now this is a mood from him that is completely unfamiliar. The terror within you goes nuclear because of it. You can feel the pitiful eyes being directed at you as you finish closing your bar.

Once finished, you take off your apron and hung it up on a nearby hook. You take in a deep breath before releasing it slowly in an attempt to calm your firing nerves. Anxiously, you walk toward the stairs feeling every single eye of the people on you. Turning around, everyone just gives you a sad nod, convinced that this is their last time seeing you alive and well. Seeing their reactions gave you no comfort whatsoever; however, you nonetheless ascend up the flimsy wooden stairs and into the raggedy above-ground shack.

Almost immediately, you see the extremely tall man waiting just outside for you. Having no other choice, you press forward through the entrance and out into the humid world to face Brazil’s most dangerous man. It’s still relatively silent as you notice him slowly getting on the motorcycle that has been behind him.

“Get on.”

He says to you however you stand there confused as you’re trying to process the odd request. You can see the annoyance in his eyes while he breathes out a sigh. Quickly, he grabs your arm again but he is very careful not to hurt you. South guides you to the vehicle and has you sitting in front of him.

“W-Where are you taking me?” You ask softly.

“My place.” He simply responds with a rougher tone than usual.

That answer made you feel more fear in your bones therefore you try getting off the motorcycle. Immediately, you’re stopped when South cages you in with his large arms as he grabs the handles, engulfing you with his massive body. You did not have time to process what is going on or even register his body heat when the vehicle turns on. The motorcycle revs, scaring you into being completely still.

“Hold on to my hands and stay still.”

He commands and since he is so close to you, you can feel the vibrations in his chest and abdomen due to his deep voice. Nevertheless, you comply as you’re afraid to make him more pissed off and you do not want to fall off the vehicle.

South gently accelerates and the vehicle moves though, he is mindful of the speed he’s going in. Therefore, he goes at a leisurely pace as you two traverse through the littered and cracked streets of the slums. You’re as comfortable as you can get while having a firm hold on the man’s hands, noticing just how large he is compared to you.

Though it is still dark outside, you can still see your poverty-stricken community. Houses are ransacked - some are even destroyed, graffiti line the stone walls of the buildings, and trash litter the streets. With you only spending most of your time either at your apartment or at the bar, you forget just how rundown your community is. Seeing that makes you feel sad.

That’s just from the appearance. Crime plagues your city. It is so bad that Rio De Janeiro persistently shows up as one of the world’s most dangerous cities by many different news organizations. One of the biggest perpetrators of the violence that is rampant is the man who you’re currently riding through the city with. That same man who spent a considerable amount of time trying to get you to go on a date with him. Well, he finally got his wish as you’re both on your way to his place.

You’re nervous to see what his living situation is like. You can imagine a large compound that is surrounded by his followers, a foul stench of death lingering in the air, and piles of trash thrown about. To your surprise, you see the downtown district come into your view. Lights from the bustling city and its skyscrapers leave you in awe once you’re reminded that not all of Rio is the slums. As a matter of fact, it’s one of the most beautiful cities in the world that boasts terrific nightlife and is home to many stunning beaches. It’s too bad the city’s natural beauty and rich culture are overshadowed by violence.

South continues to drive the motorcycle towards the downtown area, leaving you more perplexed and nervous, knowing the downtown area is typically home to more wealthy individuals. You want to question the man about where exactly is his home located, but the words are stuck in your throat.

Besides the loud revving of the motorcycle, there is still an awkward silence between you two. No doubt, there is a slew of things South Terano wants to say right about now, and you’re no different. Instead of speaking, you continue to gawk at the sheer difference between the downtown area and the area you call home. Poverty isn’t around every corner and the streets are significantly clearer.

Soon enough, you start to feel the vehicle decelerate as you two arrive at a high-rise building at the epicenter of the city. South turns into an underground gated parking and after inputting a code into the security panel, the large metal gate opens up. Inside are numerous high-end vehicles lining the parking lot, and South goes to a designated spot next to a massive black SUV. The man parks his motorcycle in front of and perpendicular to the vehicle before turning off the engine.

“Follow me.”

He says, getting off while simultaneously grabbing your hand, interlocking fingers with it. The sudden and intimate move catches you off guard momentarily which is the reason why you did not utter a single word as you’re escorted to an elevator. South puts the same code into another security panel and before you know it, the doors closed and you can feel the elevator ascending up the building.

Again, silence as you two stand in the somewhat cramped space with the only thing preventing you from hearing your pounding heartbeat was the classical music playing from the speakers. Though, that did not stop you from vaguely noticing the much larger man subtly moving his head in the same rhythm as the piano melody.

Deciding not to think much of it, you are caught off guard when the elevator stops at one of the highest floors of the massive building. As soon as it stops, the metal doors open up to reveal a long hallway. Casually and while still holding your hand, South walks, and after he passes by a few doors, he stops at one with a prominent 906 on it. After putting in the same code one last time, a clicking sound was heard letting both of you know that the door has been unlocked.

Entering, you’re immediately greeted by the most beautiful and luxurious apartment that you could ever imagine. Expensive furniture is throughout while stunning paintings adorn the perfectly painted walls and there is a massive piano towards the corner of the living space. All of that is also complimented by a large window that gives a magnificent view of Rio De Janeiro. You’re so in awe with the place that you did not notice South letting go of your hand. He just watches with a soft smile on his face as you continue to admire the apartment.

“Like it?” He asks.

Slowly, you turn to him. Your fear has simmered down somewhat which means you finally have enough courage to speak full sentences to him.

“It’s beautiful. This is really your place?” You asked with curiosity.

South chuckles at the sparkle in your eyes.

“Yes. It is. Being a gangster has its perks.”

Hearing those words quickly made you think of the worst. You imagine the malevolent things this man could’ve done to get such a beautiful place. How many people did he have to step over and kill for him to live in such luxury?

“Sweetheart, I signed the lease just like any other person.”

Almost like he read your mind, South just chuckles after giving that brief explanation. It did not do much to settle your nerves enough especially after it finally dawns on you that you’re completely alone with South - the very man you’ve been horrified of for a long time. Unsure of what to do, you just stand in the middle of the living room while holding yourself.

“Sweetheart, I-”

He starts to speak but is quickly cut off by you.

“What are you gonna do to me?” You ask.

“Nothing.”

He says while approaching you. Not wanting to be too close to him, you just back away but you’re once again reminded of South’s long and quick arm. Gently, he grabs your shoulder before taking you over to the couch. Your mind goes haywire as you think of what he could be planning. If he chooses to have his way with you, you know that there is not anything you can do about that as he’ll easily overpower you. So instead of trying to fight a battle that you have already lost, you do not try altogether, figuring it’s better than being brutally killed.

Sitting you down, the man just smiles making a breath get caught in your throat. He’s still sensing your fear, so he just softly caresses your cheek again. For some odd reason, the action calmed you down slightly as you’re reminded of just how gentle he is with you. Just as quickly, he removed his hand and then he goes to grab the seat that is in front of his piano before placing it in front of you. That allows him to sit, letting him appear less threatening.

“I’m still really fucking pissed at you.” He suddenly says, completely catching you off guard.

“Why? What did I do?”

Your question comes out a bit shaky although it is clear that you are unknowingly becoming more comfortable in South’s presence.

“You still haven’t realized why I want you so bad, huh?”

He crosses his arms.

“I can’t imagine there’s anything about me that you’d like.”

“Really?”

His questioning is accompanied by a raised eyebrow and the same facial expression from earlier returns. You start to feel a cold sweat break out from the compromising position you are in and the fact that you’re still confused about what South is referring to.

“Think harder, sweetheart.”

He tells you and once again you try very hard to come up with a sufficient answer as to why he’s so smitten by you. Of course, there is no luck. Nothing. Absolutely nothing comes to mind. Feeling defeated, you shake your head, afraid of disappointing South again.

“I don’t know.” You muster out through your cracking voice.

“You’re the light to my dark world.”

He gives a slight hint but it still leaves you with more questions than potential answers.

“How when all I ever do is reject you because of how terrifying you are?”

South lets out another chuckle, confusing you even more. You’re wondering why hasn’t he lashed out after so many attempts to get you to answer his question.

“You have shit memory.”

His chuckle turns into a full-blown laugh, at this point. Seeing your confused expression as well as your attempts to find the answer has left him thoroughly entertained. You, on the other hand, are still feeling confused and now that he’s laughing in your face, you also start to feel irritated.

“Did you bring me all the way here just to pick on me?”

You ask him, and it was enough to simmer down his laughing fit just enough so he can provide an answer.

“No, sweetheart. I brought you here as part of our date.”

“This is a weird date, South.”

He lets out one final chuckle before returning to his serious expression. Doing that essentially caused the entire mood to change significantly. Grabbing your hand and rubbing his thumb over it, he asks you:

“You seriously don’t remember?”

“Remember what?”

The room falls silent and the only thing you hear is the man before you heaving out a sigh. Suddenly, he stands up while letting go of your hand. Your eyes follow his movement as he just walks away and towards the hallway of the apartment. You’re left completely alone, unsure if you should use the opportunity to leave or wait for South to come back.

You opted for the latter option, so you sat patiently as you twiddle your thumbs. You have no idea what to expect once he returns as there are so many possibilities. One final time, you try digging into your memory to at least find something that may be related to what South is talking about but once again, your mind draws a blank. Giving up, you just look over in the direction he went in, anticipating his return.

A few minutes later and you can hear his heavy footsteps getting louder meaning he’s coming back to you. What you did not expect was for him to be holding an object in his hand. Sitting back in the chair in front of you, he presents you with the object, which turns out to be a stuffed animal. A ping of familiarity sparks in your brain as you reach for it.

“It looks familiar, right?”

He asks, allowing you to hold it. You wasted no time examining the plushie, feeling slight nostalgia for your childhood. While doing so, you answer his question.

“Yea. I used to have one just like this when I was a kid. I named him Bubbles, and I remember Bubbles had my name stitched on the bottom of his foot…”

You pause once you look at the bottom of the stuffed animal’s foot. To your surprise, you see ‘Y/N’ threaded neatly.

“…just like that.”

It is silent momentarily as you try to process the fact that you are holding your childhood stuffed animal. Although you had many, Bubbles was your favorite as he brought you comfort.

“Where did you get him?” you ask South.

“You gave him to me a long time ago.”

Your body freezes up upon hearing his response. You gave Bubbles away many years ago and you remember that moment so vividly.

“I remember giving him away to a crying kid who just lost his mother.”

You follow up with your response as you think back to that day many years ago. You remember seeing a crying child who was upset about his bedridden mother dying. You remember offering Bubbles to him stating that the stuffed animal always helped you when you were upset. You remember the moment when that kid gave you a soft smile upon being comforted by you. You remember seeing that kid’s eyes, and despite being red and puffy from crying, you can see the yellow irises. Thinking about it now, those eyes look eerily familiar to the orbs of the man sitting in front of you now. Looking up, you see South staring back at you, and you finally notice those very same eyes.

“You remember now, sweetheart? Now you see what I mean when I say you are the light in my dark world?” he asks you.

For the first time since being in South’s presence, you smile.

“You were the only person who’s ever been kind to me. Not even the man who became my father figure brought me the level of comfort that you did. I couldn’t forget what you’ve done for me, and I’ve always wanted to properly thank you for it.”

“South, I-I am sorry for not remembering, but why did you keep him throughout all these years?”

You ask him as you’re confused about him holding onto a stuffed animal. You found that to be odd considering the kind of man he is. Nobody would expect a dangerous gangster who takes pleasure in fighting and killing would keep a teddy bear that was given to him by a stranger when he was a child. So again, why would he do it?

“So I’ll never forget you. Plus, I have plenty more in my bedroom. You were right, stuffed animals are comforting.”

He responds though you see red dusting his cheeks and the tips of his ears. Despite feeling embarrassed about his collection of plushies, South stares deep into your e/c eyes, finally getting lost in them. Everything goes silent once the tension between you two rises, and you’re unsure about how you should feel.

“South?”

You breathe out however, you barely had enough to process the man leaning forward. In no time, he presses his lips against yours and never in a million years did you ever think his lips would be so soft. The revelation and the sudden action made you forget about everything this man has done, and the kiss sent sparks throughout your entire body. Almost immediately, your hands found their way to his broad shoulders, touching him for the very first time.

Although you still fear him, you can’t help but admire him at the same time. In addition to being a very attractive man, you have to admit that he has also been the only person to show you kindness. Despite his murderous antics, you somehow feel safer with him than with any other person in the city as you know he would never hurt you. It took you this long to finally come to terms with that.

With the kiss getting deeper, you can feel your body heating up and South feels the same. Though it is difficult, he quickly separates from you, resisting the urge to ravage you on the couch. Instead, he opts for the slower approach, holding his hand out to you.

“Consider this as us making things official.” He chuckles.

You smile as well before setting Bubbles down on the couch. Without hesitation, you accept South’s hand standing up and quickly going onto his lap. Your face rests comfortably on his chest as his arms wrap around your much smaller body, engulfing you.

“Now that you’re finally mine, I want you to stay with me. I want to keep my light.” He says, rocking you back and forth slightly.

“I’m still scared of you.” You reply.

“I know but I promise I won’t hurt you.”

Sighing, you just hug him a little tighter, finally feeling content in his presence.

“There are a lot of things you need to work on if you want me to stay.”

Looking down, he smiles again feeling true happiness for the first time since meeting you. Although he’s a bit unsure if he’s able to comply with what he thinks you’re going to ask of him, South Terano will try his damndest to keep you happy no matter what. Having you in his arms made him realize his new resolve and that is the be the best man that he can be for you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Scene!

Again, this was my very first time working on a slow-burn story so I am really curious about what you thought of it.

As for any future projects, I do have another one that I am working on. It is a slow burn as well. Toman will share their wildest sex stories, so if you wanna be on the taglist for that, let me know.

[shinakazami1]

Nobody is gonna read this prob but I today wrote some The Beginner's Guide snippets to kinda try to see if I like this style for a fanfic I plan

Short one here, more under the cut:

In a way, he knew what he was doing. Deep down, not even he could hide that his intentions were not just a pure concern and worry. But, just like the Coda he made in his mind, he himself had nobody to look for help for.

Maybe that's why, in the room full of people he knew and kept saying he loved and cared for, he couldn't bring himself to say a single word. Because the moment the eyes looked at him again, he knew he had to keep the act going.

'But there is no act. It's just me.'

It's just me and my depressed friend's games.

And I'll get him out.

Because nobody else will do that for him.

---

Davey stared at the wall and listened to the clock ticking. It seemed the mechanism was not a typical one - there seemed to be a small delay, making the rhytm uneven. Pam, pampam, pam... it did match his breathing pattern. In, hold for a second, out and quickly in again. Or maybe, he matched the mechanism.

It was hard to tell what inspired what at this point. Everything blended into one shape, no matter what creator of either intended.

Everything had a purpose in a way that maybe nobody even desired.

But that would be sad, wouldn't it be? For your work to grow up from the idea into a grotesque fleshened out monster of what it was supposed to be?

Was it what it was to be a creator? A loving embrace of a child you'd never be able to look at, that will never grow up to an image of itself that it was never supposed to really reach.

He didn't notice that he stopped breathing until he coughed out.

It was four pm. He still had three hours left.

And it felt like waiting for the guillotine to fall. For the choir to stop singing, for the last scene, when the director would say, cut.

Was he cut out for all this? He didn't know and he didn't dare to question it. He knew that from some spirals, he couldn't get out.

So how did Coda do it? How did he just, leave his creations, to die, to never be appreciated and seen? To be able to tell others of what it was supposed to be?

Why couldn't he consider the feelings of his creation?

Why couldn't he appreciate the code?

And why did he invite Davey over, for the first time?

---

20092311_230320.mp4

"I still don't get it. It's supposed to be a self expression but why would you self insert in a way that's supposed to be accessible, supposed to be PLAYED if you don't give it to others? Video games show a story in many ways. Sound, sight and most importantly - interactibility. So what's the point of a language when you keep it to yourself? We would not go far enough if-"

Hearing some knocking on the door make him pause the recording. He hated that - he typically picked an hour when others were away just so he could have a moment of peace to write everything down with his voice.

Davey sighed and turned around, asking his brother to come on in.

Whatever was the topic of the conversation was probably not important, as Davey didn't mention it in the recording at all.

The last time he mentioned anything beside game making was around a year before.

The game jam wasn't a start - it was only an aftereffect.

Just as what was going to come next.

---

"(...) It's Friday already. And I still have 23 more games to check. He had to hide an easter egg somewhere, right? It's not just a hundred of copies of the same room. He always shows some nuiance in routine, in the whole madness.

It's... 2:33 now. I have to wake up in 4 hours.

But I won't be able to fall asleep until I find the key.

The puzzle IS here. It's in here, somewhere, and I am probably not seeing it correctly.

Ok. Just, maybe five more games. And I'll try to look through the code.

Davey, out."

20091301_052330.mp4

"It's me again. I don't know what I am missing. Probably some coffee. Just two games left, it's probably in there.

I'll take my laptop with me to work. They shouldn't mind, I did stuff like this before, I'll just pretend it's work related.

I'll crack the code until midnight. And I'll show him I've done my job correctly.

Now, I have to pack and hope the vending machine works.

Davey, out."

---

"Consumption is for consumers, not for the actual food enjoyers. But the enjoyers only are up their own theories of what the flavours really represent."

"But we're talking about game develo-"

"Which one are you? Do you enjoy food?"

Davey was not prepared to be put on a spot. Coda rarely asked him anything, or even said hi back - so, such forward question was not typical.

He wasn't dumb - he knew it was all a metaphor. And he wanted to just start his point showing that it isn't a perfect one. Now, he only had one true option to choose from because there would be no resets.

Or so he thought.

He heard a sigh and looked up at Coda as the man already turned his back.

"It was an illusions of a choice."

One that Davey once again couldn't make.

---

[saintseiya-zone]

We’re happy to announce the next SSZ Zine!

The theme will be Asgard and Atlantis-focused and you can participate with fanarts, fanfics, photos and cosplays. Stay updated by joining our Discord!

Sign-up timeframe: 4-18/Jan/2023 (extraordinary sign-up 19-25/Jan)

Sign-up form: here

Character Confirmation list: here

Reference list: here (to check which characters are still available)

Deadline: 21/March/2023 11:59PM Costa Rica time

Description (in text) and FAQ under the cut

[About the Zine]

Description: Among the Saint Seiya factions, Asgard/Bluegraad and Atlantis are often side-lined, so this is SSZ's homage to them. Let’s explore these together!

Participation: You will submit one (1) original, new fanwork (older/already published work is not accepted) to be compiled into a zine. Please do not share your final work until the zine has been properly published by SSZ (you may, however, share WIPs, previews, and/or close-ups as you work on it)

Type: The final compilation of all fanworks will be a free, digital PDF file (no physical versions will be made, no money will be earned or paid)

Character: restricted to one (1) main character per submission for art (other submission types are not restricted). The max. amount of fanarts per applicable character is two (2). Check the Reference list to see who is still available.

The Character Confirmation list will be updated daily at 7 PM (Costa Rica time) until the sign-up period is concluded. We appreciate your patience while this occurs. Once you are added to the list and your character is confirmed, you may start working on your submission.

** Please note this zine does not review/approve/reject sign-ups, everyone is welcome to take part in the activity as long as they sign-up. If there are any issues, we'll get back to you.

Submission: Send via email to saintseiyazone@gmail.com. The email subject should be "Asgard & Atlantis Zine, [Creator], [character/fic name]", and the file name should be:

Visuals: [Character name] - [Creator]

Fics: [Creator] - [Fic title]. Writers, please also include a 400x400 px image you want us to use in the credits page

Examples

Email Subject: Asgard & Atlantis Zine, El Cadejos, Alioth Fenrir

Fic file: Zeuse - “Encallar”

[About the Submissions]

Art/Photography Canvas size: 300 dpi, JPEG 

2480 x 3508 px (portrait orientation) OR

3508 x 4960 px (landscape orientation)

Fics: docx file, prose, it doesn't have to be in English. You must include a title (please keep it short), but it won’t be considered towards final word count

Word count: 2,000 OR 3,500 words (no in-between), as exact as possible

There must be spaces between your paragraphs.

Allowed

Age reinterpretation (e.g., an adult character as a child)

Alternative Universes

Other applicable characters (including OC), please check FAQ

Not allowed

AI-generated content of any kind

Characters that do not belong to the Asgardian/Bluegraadian or Atlantean settings

NSFW/Explicit content (contact staff for case-by-case reviews)

Genderbend

Crossovers

[Frequently Asked Questions]

May I draw whichever character I want? The purpose of this zine is to focus on Asgard/Bluegraad and Atlantis, so only characters that belong to these settings are allowed. There are more applicable characters than you think! Take a look here!

May I submit more than one work?  Yes, you can participate with a maximum of two (2) fanworks of different characters, but we’ll confirm case-by-case after the sign-up period is over.

May I include other characters in my submission? Yes, as long as they belong to Asgard/Bluegraad/Atlantis and there is a clear hierarchy where your chosen character is the main focus. Original Characters (OCs) may also be included as long as they follow this guideline. There is no problem if those secondary characters are already taken, or if the mix of characters would not make sense in the official material (for example, Alexer interacting with Hilda).

Which Original Characters (OCs) are applicable? If you have an OC that is a Marina, a God Warrior, an Asgardian/Bluegraadian (in general), or serves under Poseidon (in general), they are welcomed in the zine. However, Saints, Specters, or members of any other factions in Saint Seiya cannot be included.

Saga, Hyoga, Aiolia and Camus can be referred to, but not appear in the fanwork. For example: ✅ Isaak looking at a picture of Camus / Isaak remembering a conversation with Camus ❌ Isaak and Hyoga during training with Camus / Isaak talking to Camus

The sign-up timeframe already passed. Can I still join? The extraordinary period is 19-25/Jan. Please check the Reference list first to ensure the one you want is available, fill out the form, and contact staff (El Cadejos, Zeuse) so we can add you to the list. After this extraordinary period, sign-up will be officially closed.

May I use spinoff characters? Sure! All characters officially included in the Saint Seiya universe for Asgard/Bluegraad and Atlantis (refer to list previously provided) are applicable (except those without an official visual design, like Odin). Please note that even though there are characters with different versions across the franchise (ex: Isaak), they are not counted as different options for the Zine, so if said character is already taken, no other version of them will be available.

I changed my mind about the character I chose, and the new one is still available. Can I switch? To prevent confusion and misunderstandings, all character selections are final and cannot be changed/traded.

Am I allowed to change certain aspects of a character’s official design? It depends on the aspect, and should be reviewed case-by-case.

Example 1: as a Latin American, Io could differ in skin tone to the one seen on the official materials. However, characters like Hagen and Krishna, who have darker skin tones, should not be given lighter tones.

Example 2: if due to a personal headcanon, you believe a character has a certain scar or marking that is not seen in official materials, it can be included, but once again, please reach out to Staff for a case-by-case review.

I’m a writer! What is an acceptable image for the credits page? You can send an official StS work, fanarts (as long as it is made by you, gifted to you, or commissioned by you), or a picrew-generated image (as long as the picrew allows that use)

May I include a watermark on my submission? Yes, we encourage you to submit already watermarked fanworks to the zine, but it is not mandatory.

Do I have to send something for the check-ins?  Nope. Our check-ins act as reminders only so you know exactly how much time you have left to send your submission.

[multi-kpop-fanfics]

Betcha

pairing: designer!Baekhyun x fem!reader (ft. Chanyeol)

genre: fluff, comedy, best friends to lovers!AU

warnings: alcohol and food consumption, mild nudity (no smut), reader is drunk af

repost from my old account!

Author's note: I decided to start reposting the stuff from my old account with a bit more proper editing <3

©multi-kpop-fanfics, 2023. No reposting allowed. No translations without permission allowed.

“Oi, Baek, where are you?!” You yell at your friend through the phone, “I’ve been standing here for half an hour now! And it’s freaking cold too!."

“Yah, Y/N, don’t shout! I’ll be there in 5 minutes, can’t you wait a bit more?” Baekhyun gives a relaxed reply, as if he hadn’t stood you up at all. 

It was 10 PM, you (he) had booked a nice restaurant to eat with your best friend Baekhyun, in celebration of his new collection launch. The waiting line was quite big though, since the restaurant was pretty famous. You were also worried you might lose your reservation, simply because the one who made it in the first place wasn’t here.

You had previously met with Baekhyun at the launch party, but you weren’t able to talk for long, because he was busy talking with celebrities who congratulated him for his successful launch. However, he wanted to celebrate with his best friend, without the noise and the crowd swarming around him, in a more secluded place.

You were always grateful to him, because no matter the difference in your lifestyles, he always treated you as his equal. Of course, you were always by his side, supporting him in all of his decisions and risks, his happy and sad moments, his shoulder to cry on. There was only one thing you couldn’t be: Baekhyun’s girlfriend. 

Your trail of thoughts is cut short by the sound of a roaring engine and you turn around to see a luxurious car parking in front of the restaurant, instantly recognizing the vehicle. The door opens and Baekhyun comes out with an air of flamboyance, his outfit different from the one he sported in the party.

The line of customers is now very noisy, as they are ogling over your best friend - and rightfully so, to be honest. However, Baekhyun pays zero attention to them and skips to you, pulling you in a tight hug. “

Sorry for being late, huge traffic.” He rubs the back of his neck with a smile and you roll your eyes at him. 

“Huge traffic huh? More like ‘I was late on purpose to make a flashy entrance’. You even changed clothes!” You mock him and he pouts.

“Hey! I changed clothes because a dumbass called Park Chanyeol spilled his whiskey on my shirt! Besides, I’m always flashy, in case you didn’t know.” He dramatically flips his hair, making you laugh. 

“Okay mr. Byun - always - flashy - Baekhyun, we have a reservation waiting for us to confirm.” You pull him by the hand. 

You make your way to the entrance and the receptionist asks for the reservation, Baekhyun gives his name and within few minutes, you’re seated at your table.

You are quietly fidgeting in your seat, your blue velvet dress now feeling uncomfortable on your body - and not because of the material. 

“Earth to Y/N calling, are you there?” Baekhyun snaps his fingers repeatedly to get your attention. 

“W-what? Is something wrong?” 

“You tell me, I wasn’t the one spacing out.” 

“Oh… Sorry, I didn’t mean to-” you laugh nervously. 

“Nah, it’s okay, I was just messing with you. Anyways, are you ready to order?” he asks with a smile. 

“Um, sure. I’ll get tortelloni a la creme.” You reply and he looks at you with wide eyes. 

“Wow, you didn’t even check the menu.” Baekhyun remarks. 

“I’m a decisive person, unlike you.” 

“Rude, but I’ll let it slide, ‘cause I’m in a very good mood tonight,” he chirps. 

“You deserve it, Baek. You worked really hard on that collection, so it was bound to be a succesful launch,” you state. 

“True, but it was all thanks to you Y/N.” 

“Oh come on, cut the flattery, I did nothing serious-” he cuts you off by putting his hand on your mouth and he starts speaking. 

“When I was down and desperate, you would always drop everything and come to my doorstep with food and stay the night. Even when I was on a designing spree, you would always add your tips and ideas to make everything better. I said it in the party and I’ll say it again: Y/N L/N, you’re my best friend and driving force for life." He finishes and takes your hand into his, the act of affection making your heart flutter.

“Awww, she’s blushing~” Baekhyun coos and pinches your cheeks.

“Hey, I’m not blushing! And don’t pinch my cheeks, I'm not a baby!” you playfully slap his wrists.

“Okay, since you are a grown ass woman, do you want to call the waiter and order some wine?” Baekhyun asks.

“Thought you’d never say it."

As the food and wine arrive on the table, you endlessly chatted with Baekhyun, gossiping about the best and worst outfits of the party, the “celebrities” who were throwing glances at you while shamelessly flirting with your best friend. Of course, Baekhyun could not possibly leave out the moment when one of his friends, Chanyeol, was clumsy enough to spill his whiskey on Baekhyun’s shirt, which was also one of your favorite pieces from his new collection - and Baekhyun’s as well.

The hours pass by, one wine glass becomes two, two turn into three and without knowing, you have emptied two wine bottles, most of it coursing through your veins and clouding your senses in a euphoric haze.

“Whoa, whoa! No more of this for you, young lady.” Baekhyun snatches the glass from your hand right before you gulped it down.

“But whyyyy~ I want -hic!- mooooreeee” you slur in your drunk state.

“Y/N, you’re piss drunk! I can’t leave you alone in this state! Wait here, I’ll go pay for the food and we’ll leave right away." Baekhyun stands up and jogs to the cashier, whips out his credit card and returns to your side. He helps you stand to your feet, your bag and coat in his one arm and he snakes his other arm around your waist to support you.

You make it out of the exit and Baekhyun carefully slides you to the passenger seat. He rushes to the driver seat and turns on the engine, driving to his home, the time now past midnight.

“Slowly now, Y/N… Left foot, right foot, left and right…Okay! We’re in!” Baekhyun says as you both enter his house and he closes the door with his foot behind him.

“Baekhyunnieeeee~ Everything is flyiiiiiing arouuuund~” You say loudly.

“Shhhhh! It’s past midnight Y/N, don’t shout!” He shushes you and you fall straight on the couch, giggling.

“Baek~Hyun~Nieeee~” you chirp, still drunk and in your own happy world. 

Shit, she’s cute like this, he thinks to himself. He lifts you in his arms and takes you to his bedroom, placing you carefully on the bed.

“Hnng, too tight-” you croak and try to reach the zipper of your dress to remove it.

“OH NONONONO-” he stops you and rushes to his closet and takes out a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt to give you. He sees you still struggling with your dress and decides to help you out of it.

“Why is this happening to me….Okay, here goes nothing....” Baekhyun takes a deep breath, unzips your dress and takes it off slowly, revealing your body in underwear and thigh-high stockings. His breath hitches at the sight.

“Damn, you’re so beautiful…” he whispers under his breath.

“Baekhyuuuun, I’m cooold,” you whine, snapping Baekhyun out of his trance and putting you in his more comfortable clothes, having taken off the stockings as well. By the time he dressed you, you had calmed down and you were nearly asleep, making him sigh in relief. When he was about to leave the room, your voice makes him freeze in his tracks.

“I love you, Baekhyun”. These four words were all he wanted to hear from you, and he couldn’t help but answer the same. “I love you too, Y/N” he says softly, but you had already fallen into deep sleep.

You wake up the next day from the sunlight hitting your face and the smell of freshly made coffee. You open your eyes slowly, your head still hurting from last night. By the time you come to your full senses, you realize you’re not in your house and you’re definitely not wearing your clothes. You smell the clothes, the scent of cedarwood and bergamot hitting your nose and making you smile - Baekhyun’s clothes.

You get up slowly and make your way to the kitchen and you see Baekhyun making breakfast, his hair ruffled from sleep and wearing clothes similar to the ones you were wearing.

“Good morning sleepyhead,” he smiles and gives you a cup of coffee with a croissant.

“Good morning, Baek.” You reply and sit down.

“How did you sleep?” he asks you and takes a sip from his coffee.

“I went out like a light, but my head is pounding like crazy…How much did I drink last night?”

“You drank a lot… and I couldn’t leave you alone, so I took the liberty to bring you to my house, the ride was shorter too-”

“Hey, hey! It’s totally fine, Baekhyun! Thank you for everything, I really appreciate what you did for me,” you smile at him and cup his cheek with your hand, “I got a question though… How did I end up in your clothes?” you look at him and his ears turn red at your question.

“I-uhm, uhh- ahem, okay. As you know, you were drunk and I took you to the bedroom, so that you would sleep comfortably. You were trying to unzip your dress but failed miserably, so I…helped you take your clothes off and gave you a pair of mine, you know, to feel more comfortable while sleeping - not that I wanted to check you out in your underwear or something.” Baekhyun finishes and scratches his head anxiously.

“Yeah, sure thing Baek,” you raise a brow at him. Baekhyun releases a breath he didn’t know he was holding. The relief was short-lived, as he was taken aback by your next words

“I don’t know if you meant the ‘I love you too, Y/N’ you said last night, but I meant it.” You tell him and your heart starts racing. 

This is it, this is the make or break moment, Y/N. It’s all or nothing- 

“I meant it, Y/N. With all my damn heart.” Baekhyun replies, his face red from the sudden confession. You start laughing and he’s frozen in his seat.

“W-Why are you laughing, Y/N? What is so funny to you?!” Baekhyun pouts in confusion and you fan yourself, trying to calm down from your previous laughing fit.

“Ha, haha, don’t get me wrong, Baek. It’s actually really funny, because I always thought you saw me as your friend, yet I wasn’t brave enough to confess all this time… Talk about real clownery,” you admit and Baekhyun starts chuckling in return.

“Honey, it was always you. Just because I’m flirting from time to time, that doesn’t mean I'm actually interested in every woman I flirt with. It was mostly to get a reaction out of you, but it seems like I failed miserably.” He raises his hands in defeat.

“Oh, and what makes you think that confessing and flirting with me now will make fall for you?” you ask him with confidence and you see a familiar glint in Baekhyun’s eyes:

“Betcha, ma girl, I met ya and you’re gonna be mine."

[vikings-archive]

Hello!

I recently moved my blog to be able to interact better with everyone. I reblog fanfics, art and gifs of the show Vikings. You can send me links to works you want to see reblogged. This account is only for reblog purpose to spread and archive creators works!

I will divide my reblogs in #vikings art, #vikings fic and #vikings video with the main character as tag added. Gifs are only reblogged when you send me the link to them, because it is an awful lot to gather and schedule in my free time. If you want to see me reblog gifs, you only need to sent me the link in my pms, inbox or as submission.

You can be part of it by reblogging your favorite fanfiction and art from a creator you like!

[lunatic-fandom-space]

since ive been really obsessed with elisabeth: das musical and I found out that a bunch of different guys from that musical made one about rudolf as well, ive been thinking about watching it but i was never really in the mood because im not much of a Frank Wildhorn girlie ngl, like his music is fine, its not bad at all it just always leaves me thinking "eh, couldve been better" and as far as I was concerned i already HAD better so why bother. BUT for some reason I was like "I dont wanna just go to bed early on sylvester like ive done these past few years because thats super lame" and I decided that I would stay up until 22:00 and then watch this rudolf musical as the new year comes in. which is only slightly less lame than what i usually do

Anyway, i did that, I dont have any strong feelings about it, the only reason im telling you all that is that I need to share a with you the moment during my watching experience where my thoughts and the musical managed to achieve perfect synthesis by complete coincidence

so ive talked before about how i would really like to read and write elisabeth fanfics but I cant bring myself to because its technically rpf and my brain simply prevents me from doing that. Well, fortunately for me my weird brain doesnt prevent me from reading fanfics about den tod, which is to say fanfics where people just plop elisabeth!death into some other fandom for the purposes of having their blorbos engage in some philosophical and/or romantic interactions with that gnc af man. And theres this one fanfic that i read, i believe it was a les mis fic (the les mis fandom loves den tod btw more than other fandoms for some reason) where this guy who always has Death sortof hangin out in his periphery for some reason thinks to himself something like "oh, hes quite beautiful, i bet it would be fun to have a little death with death ;)" and I really like that fic Im very surprised that that was the only time ive encountered a joke like that. Maybe theres more of those in the actual elisabeth fanfics idk

back to the other musical, i just got through the first act and it was fine but Im getting pretty tired because Im usually in bed by 18:30 but now its like 23 pm, so I start to zone out a little and I start thinking about that fanfic I just described to you like damn, you would think i wouldve encountered the idea of connecting literal death with the metaphorical little death before but I guess not.maybe i just need to read more idk. And just as Im thinking that, we get to a scene in the musical where Rudolf is at like a brothel or smth hangin out with a bunch of women and shitty guys and they start singing this song about sex but its also obviously a song about suicide and I am immediately at attention again babeyyyy these historical musicals know just how to reel me in

[chaos0pikachu]

Current Tag Game

Tagged by @lugarn & @forkaround

Current Time: 915 pm

Current activity: working on a client list, writing Boston fanfic

Currently thinking about: the latest episode of kiseki and if its to late at night to eat something

Current favourite song: fuck, uh, The Feels by Labrinth, Mood of the Century by Qveen Herby, and Mamma Mia by Abba

Currently reading: I just finished reading volume 1 of Dumb Husky and his White Cat Shizen and fucking christ husky IS dumb just endless "I wanna fuck him and don't want anyone else to touch him but I swear on my soul I hate him honest" gonna start Thousand Autumns next probably

Currently watching: I just finished Kiseki and loved it, I don't actually like TV shows so I'm not watching any TV right now until The Sign, Playboyy, and Pit Babe start airing I'll just stick with movies speaking of I watched Knights of the Zodiac which was hilariously awful but Macken was hot as hell so

Recently Watched: Kiseki which was awesome truly a show with no budget but so much fucking charm and genuinely good chemistry and costuming I loved every second of it I need a spin off with the old mafia men. Before that Only Friends which, well, now I'm writing Boston post series fix-it where I give him validation and Boeing an actual purpose and char bc I'm that fucking annoyed with the show (not just the ending y'all the SHOW)

Current WIP: This Boston fanfic I have outlined, I've showed some mutuals a tiny bit it's tentatively titled "Filthy" if I accomplish what my goals are for the fic, it'll be an exploration of Boston's post series life, specifically the concept of how at 22 your life doesn't end. Where Boston will find self-actualization but rather than him learning he'll be miserable and discarded by friends and potential lovers for sleeping around he'll realize he can be poly and open but he needs to be less selfish and reckless in his decision making.

He'll meet queer elders, reestablish himself in the queer community, he'll meet characters from: Kinnporsche and Love in the Air (I'm working to make it make sense b/c I'm really picky about crossovers and in general do not like them), him and Boeing are def gonna be friends with benefits b/c I like Boeing and want him to be an Actual Character rather than a Plot Device, he'll find power in his photography, the playlist for the fic so far is as follows:

Never Felt So Alone by Labrinth

Don't Ever Say You Love Me by Colde ft RM

Players by Coi Leray

Red Wine Supernova by Chappell Roan

Outro: Tear by BTS

Girls in the Hood by Megan Thee Stallion

So yeah, working on that pray for me y'all I am so damn rusty in writing fic lol

[augment-techs]

Clair

Matt Cook

Andros

favorite thing about them: She tries, she fails, she gets right back up and keeps trying. least favorite thing about them: It would be kind of nice if the writers didn’t constantly use her for comic relief until it suited their purpose for VERY few episodes. (Also that she’d the only member in her family that doesn’t have a comic version, gdi.) favorite line: “I’m through playing.” brOTP: Weirdly, I think that she would be just LOVELY and show stopping with Chip. I mean, our Yellow Ranger us everyone’s best bro, but when the Mystic and Human realm opened up to each other, he TOTALLY showed her around properly.  OTP: Clare/Leelee/Phineas feel like a perfect poly after their all going onward into the Underworld to save Udonna. Also, they’re cute; they are very, very cute, and the Purple/Purple/Orange they have going on is very tempting. nOTP: No incest. Daggeron is MUCH too old for her. And...well, Maddie is nice, but I still don’t see it. random headcanon: In the aftermath of Leanbow regaining his freedom and memories, they are a little awkward around each other because he came very close to running her through with a sword and she doesn’t want to get in the way of his wife and son getting to know him properly. unpopular opinion: …I don’t have any? She’s lovely and deserves more fandom love? song i associate with them: Cups, with Anna Kendrick

favorite thing about them: He’s fucking TRYING, gdi. He doesn’t get enough credit for keeping the secret his friends trusted him with and going through a trauma when he’s barely sixteen. least favorite thing about them: The whole silent treatment thing in GGPR was a little bit much. I could chalk it up to the writer, but this is something that would happen with a normal teenager, really. Being wounded does lead to being petty, but that was very uncomfortable. favorite line: “Bite me Warlock Madonna.” brOTP: Him and Billy, him and Zack, him and Jason. They all grew up together from little tiny things and it SHOWS. OTP: .....I have a short list of people that I am not against thinking of him kissing, but I don’t think he can really handle a FULL ON relationship at the moment. Maaaaaaaaybe a little bit with Rocky when Matt and Kim broke up and he needed someone who wasn’t going to judge him, and a little bit after the Machine Empire paid a visit. Anything else is for his twenties. (My fanfics don’t count because 1) they were prompts that I just happened to like and get into, and 2) I could pair Skull or Bulk with anyone if I tried hard enough.) nOTP: PLEASE DON’T HOOK HIM UP WITH AISHA. They are both very nice, and they are both very young, but I just don’t like Aisha with anyone but her boys or Kim, and I don’t want Matt to be straight anymore. random headcanon: He cannot sing and isn’t allowed to go to karaoke. Also I think he sounds like a mix between PM Seymour and Bobby Zimmeruski. unpopular opinion: *holds a megaphone up to a microphone* HE IS NOT A BAD CHARACTER. HE IS A TEENAGER, HE IS A VICTIM OF KIDNAPPING AND TRAUMA, HE IS TRYING HIS BEST. song i associate with them: Teeth - 5 Seconds of Summer

favorite thing about them: He’s fucking stupid without someone there to point and wave. And he’s very, very pretty. least favorite thing about them: *waves at all of him, waves at Zhane in a freezer, waves at his team he picked up from Earth, waves at The Psycho Path, waves at the whole Gold Omega Morpher debacle, waves at all the murder* I have to keep reminding myself that his sister has a higher body count? favorite line: I am very torn between, “The ones I love...Are still here.” and “TJ! We missed you!” from Countdown to Ruin or Beyond the Grid. brOTP: Due to Shattered Grid and Beyond, TJ is the voice of reason Zhane tried for but couldn’t quite reach. Also Karone, if I’m being honest, when he’s not being clingy. OTP: *tosses Zhane at him and wraps them together with gorilla tape* Kiss your fucking husband you dumb gay bitch. nOTP: Ashley is his beard and I will not budge on this. random headcanon: Tried smoking once and ended up vomiting for six hours. unpopular opinion: He needed a shit-ton of support after he had to kill Zordon and even though people kept telling him he didn’t need forgiveness because he didn’t do anything wrong, he didn’t believe them. I really don’t like how the fandom seems to think Jason or Tommy would be aggressive and mean to him in the aftermath of that. (As if Zhane or TJ would allow that.) song i associate with them: these dreams - heart

[ashleyh713fanfics]

Dazai X Odasaku!Sister CH13

Chapter 13: "Celebrating Life Is Stupid”

Summary: After reuniting and growing closer, Dazai and Oda’s sister truly realize the value of each other and the sad bandaged boy falls deeper into the dangerous fascination and infatuation that is Odasaku’s little sister.

Warnings: pm!sixteen year old Dazai, pm! sixteen year old chuuya, ginger is very angry, Suicide mentions, guns, manipulation on both sides, Odasaku death mentions, Dazai being a Simp, Dazai being the demon prodigy but also baby at the same time.

(This is chapter thirteen of my fanfic "Timeless" which is now on A03. It carries on from the three part intro I posted a couple days ago. I'll link it below to fully understand the story. Asagao's ability is to stop time for up to six seconds.)

Three Part Intro (Broken up because the first ch is so long)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

A03 Version Here:

Word count: 6k total

—-

Tapping his feet in already brewing annoyance, Chuuya pushed his phone closer to his ear as each ear grating ring pissed him off by the second. And honestly, by the third one he debated throwing the entire object into the wall next to him in a fit of frustration.

He knew that little mackerel was doing this on purpose, sending his calls to voicemail over and over again. That guy never had anything notable going on and he knew the boss was gonna have his ass if he didn’t get in contact with that little shit.

But fortunately, or rather unfortunately for him, the line picked up on the fifth ring only to hear that same happy go lucky, irritating sing-song tone he alway seemed to use.

He hated that sound more than anything, mostly because the ginger he was about to be made fun of. “Oh Chuuuuuya, what an impatient little dog you are, blowing up my phone like this. Can't get enough of me I see.”

Gritting his teeth to hold his outburst, Chuuya simply scoffed. “Shut up, it's your own damn fault for not picking up. I know you are doing it on purpose, you shitty little mackerel.”

The voice on the other hands only hummed though, obviously unbothered. “So rude, Chuuuya, assuming such things. I am actually very busy right now. Which is why your interruption is way less pleasant than usual. And that’s saying something, considering your presence is never pleasant.”

Chuuya knew better though. “Bullshit, you’re never busy. You’re probably just fucking around somewhere.”

Just then, he heard a fake ass gasp on the side of the phone only for Dazai to answer straightforwardly. “If you call “fucking around” me currently pinning down a beautiful woman then I suppose you're right about that. Isn’t that right, love?”

Almost immediately, the ginger felt bile work its way into his throat, shoving the feeling down before shouting back roughly. “Ah, you’re so fucking disgusting! I don’t wanna know about that shit.”

Oh my god, why did he have to bring up that kind of stuff?! The last thing he wanted to do was picture shitty stupid Dazai like that, especially with some nonamed whore or brain dead manipulated bitch.

That poor soul that was with him right now, the one Dazai just called love, he pitied her, whoever she was.

Forcing the idea from his mind, Chuuya then shook his head before adding. “Listen, the boss gave us another mission in a couple days and I wanna make sure you don’t try to ditch again or else I’m gonna kill you for real, got that?!”

He knew the kid’s pattern after all, Chuuya knew how flighty and unreliable that stupid mackerel really was and he wanted to make sure that he wasn’t going to get dragged into that again. The first time he flaked was bad enough.

But as expected, Dazai didn’t sound serious, he didn’t even sound remotely interested in his threats as the boy simply waved the question away. “Don’t worry slug, I’ll be there. Can’t have my dog getting lonely, now can I?”

At that name, Chuuya felt his anger spike, the boy unable to stop his outburst. What was his damn problem?! “You fuckin…I’m not a dog!!’

Dazai’s voice only came back confused though, his voice just as annoying, cheerful and mocking as usual. “How strange, all I can hear is woof woof woof so I’m gonna hang up now! See ya, Chibi.”

And just like that, the line turned dead, causing the ginger’s eye to twitch before tightening his hold on his phone before giving into the impulse and throwing the object against the wall next to him.

Watching the phone shatter to prices before his eyes, Chuuya then shook his head before grumbling out his frustrations to absolutely no one.

“I’m gonna kill him..”

——-

Closing his flip phone absentmindedly, Dazai simply smiled to himself before placing the object back into his pants pocket only to hear the voice underneath him speak out hopefully. “Was that Chuuya?”

The boy only shook his head though, pushing his foot further into the speakers chest in order to shove his enemy further into the ground roughly. “Don’t sound so happy about it. That slug shouldn’t gain such a reaction.”

His opponent only put her hands out in defense though, turning her head curiously to the side with an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I couldn’t help it. I’m just curious, that’s all.”

Dazai expected that kind of response though, his eyes moving up in order to glance around the familiar port mafia owned warehouse that they had spent the last hour or so before she spoke again.

And this time, it was far more pushy than before. “Sooo, what did he say?”

Already feeling his lips twist into a bitter smirk, Dazai’s foot then pushed deeper into her chest, exulting double the amount of force in order for her to stop speaking. “Those aren’t the kinds of things you should be worried about, Asa-chan, considering the position you're in right now..”

Which was something that Asagao seemed to be missing in her tiny little brain considering he was currently pinning her down to the dirty and dusty warehouse floor by his foot. He clearly had the upper hand here so there was no reason for her to speak so casually.

That, and the fact that she was asking about Chuuya of all people in this sort of dangerous position caused Dazai’s sick and twisted port mafia heart to darken with malice. He was the one she was supposed to be focusing on, not that glorified hat rack.

She was at the mercy of the demon prodigy and she was acting like they were talking about the weather. He wanted her to regret ever asking about that hat rack in the first place, to apologize between his fingers for not taking his presence seriously and speaking of another so foolishly.

Then to prove his point, the boy reached into his pocket before taking out his gun in order to point the barrel straight at her head with silent warning.

It was a move that would make any one shutter and cower immediately. In fact, it was something he used a million times before to intimate each and everyone of his enemies.

But he had already learned that Asagao didn’t play by the rules of his other opponents.

Turning her head in confusion, the girl simply looked at the foot that was constricting her breathing before returning to the demon with a gentle smile of unbothered idiocy. “Oh, I’m not worried.”

And for a moment, Dazai paused, playing her game. “And why’s that, love?”

He wanted to see what she’d say, how she would justify her calm and collected behavior even though she was staring down the barrel of his gun. Yes, Asagao had outwardly said that she wasn’t afraid of dying by his hand but she wasn’t even trying to get out of it.

And he knew she could, he knew that the hellhound could fight back him if she so chose, so the fact that she was allowing Dazai to pin her down like this was interesting to say the least.

This girl, she was seconds from death and still her eyes held not one bit of urgency.

A moment later, Asagao spoke, her voice full of nostalgic memory as she reached forward in order to pull the barrel closer to her chest. “Because this is how we met, remember?”

Almost immediately, Dazai’s mind seemed to snap back to their first encounter almost an entire year ago. Huh, she was right. They had been in this position before, hadn’t they?

Back when the boy was drowning in his grief, back when he found an intruder in his friend's old place and threatened them in the same exact manner.

If only he knew how utterly life changing that little meeting had been, what kind of storm erupted from the moment he tore that hoodie off her head and looked into her Odasaku eyes.

And it was the same now, the boy looking down at her glasses free expression in order to catalog and trace the iris silently to himself. He seemed to do that a lot lately, getting lost in the emptiness as it swallowed him whole each and every time.

He was grateful for it also, knowing that the dullness of her eyes was way more welcoming then the darkness of his own soul, that by having her here he had switched the method of his demise.

Yes, drowning in Asagao was much more tolerant than drowning in his grief.

A sweeter way to die indeed, a more pleasant experience than what he ever deserved, and yet Dazai couldn’t stop himself from staring even so.

So much so, Dazai felt his lips twist upwards in familiar memory before his finger carefully cocked the gun with a dark chuckle. “Oops. You’re right, how silly of me. Let’s continue where we left off then, hmm?”

Then without a second thought, the executive pulled the trigger as a loud shot echoed through the warehouse. And most people would’ve been horrified by such a reaction, they would have regretted aiming at something he just so clearly said that he admired.

But you see, Dazai didn’t underestimate his girlfriend, not one bit.

Casually putting his hand down on his side, the mafioso then smirked to himself before turning around only to find his enemy a couple feet away, her hands on her hips. “Damn, you really tried to shoot me. I’m surprised and a little impressed, demon prodigy.”

Dazai only shrugged his shoulders though, unbothered. “Well, you told me to look at you as a threat, did you not, Asa-chan?”

It was conversation that was very prevalent in his mind, even today. Sure, the boy should’ve taken their fights easy, he should’ve sparred in a way that made sure Oda’s sister was safe but that wasn’t his style, and neither was hers.

No, Dazai treated her like a real threat, just like she deserved, he trusted that she was smart enough to anticipate his moves and counteract, like just right now.

And the fact that she had done just that also proved his theory that she could’ve gotten out his hold at any time.

What a sneaky shady little hellhound she was. He was onto her big time.

Then as if to prove his internal analysis, he watched Asagao’s face twist into that same twisted, psychotic and giddy smile that enticed him time and time again before watching her fingers twitch in unkept adrenaline just by that simple phrase.

And Dazai would never understand the power his acknowledgment had on her. That just by giving her his entire strength she was already antsy to match it. The hellhound training that had been embedded into her since she was a child, it coated and clouded every other single thought in her brain.

Pushing her fingers up to the ponytail that held her unruly crimson mane in place, Asagao then chuckled darkly before practically ripping the restraint in order to let her hair free.

And with that simple move, she had also ripped down the chains that held the monstrous creature beneath the surface, unafraid of the response it would give. “Oh Samu, you know just how to rile a girl up, don’t you? You’re right about that one, I am a threat. Now allow me to live up to your potential of me and show you how..”

And Dazai loved it, he loved that crazed beast-like look more than anything, his stance grounding itself immediately only to find that his enemy had disappeared in front of his eyes. Ah, she was using her time stopping ability. How cute.

Turning the safety off his gun, the boy then narrowed his eyes before sensing a change of wind to the right in order to let off three more shots just as Asagao reappeared millimeters from his face.

She seemed to register the bullets just in time, her body rolling to the ground in order to just miss the dangerous attacks as Dazai smirked in admiration.

And let’s be honest, should he have been pointing that gun at her like this? No. Should he have been directing his shots with the intent to kill. Also no. It was insanely risky and if she was even second too late then he would have the blood of another Oda on his hands.

Which was something the boy wrestled with internally but it seemed like his port mafia blood craved the opposite, to see just what amazing and enticing ways she could get out each deadly situation he threw at her.

And that desire, that allure was stronger than his fear to keep her locked away forever. No, she had a power, and it was too enticing to ignore, especially for the twisted mafioso who was looking for something entertaining.

He was then taken out of his thoughts as a rough hand wrapped around the barrel of his gun in order to pull it forward without fear as Asagao smirked in victory.

It didn’t matter that the chamber was loaded, it didn’t matter that his fingers were on the trigger and any slight movement could cause the end of her life.

Asa’s grip remained firm, her leg barreling into his side in order for Dazai's muscles to jump and his finger to loosen from the trigger just as she pulled it into her line of sight.

And once the cool metal was in her hands, Dazai wondered what she’d do with it, his senses on high alert only to watch the girl simply empty out the chamber of bullets with one hand, the quiet clinking of metal catching his attention immediately.

How dare she, she had the shot and didn’t take it.

Unsatisfied by her actions, the mafioso then darkened before the boy predicted her next strike in order to grab onto her fist roughly and twist it unnaturally behind her back with a huff.

No, she needed to know that she wasn’t as sly as she thought. That he was onto her little game. “Since you’re all riled up, does that mean you’ll stop holding back now too?”

He wondered how she would react to that, if she would lie about his little discovery or own up to her hypocrisy wholeheartedly? Either could be possible, considering she hadn’t disclosed to him outwardly about her watered down battles.

Asagao told him herself back in Bar Lupin that she was a prodigy just like him, that she could murder like a high level assassin and kill with the quickest of hands.

But if that was true then why hadn’t she tried that with him yet? Why hadn’t Asa displayed intent to kill with Dazai if she was so strongly in favor for believable fights?

It didn’t make sense, and he wanted to know why.

And for a moment, she felt her body still underneath his rough touch, as if she really had to think about his words. He seemed to have broken into something personal for her.

Interesting, she wasn’t denying it. But hold on, was she saying that he couldn’t handle her full hellhound side? That he was some kind of fragile little boy who wouldn't stand a chance? Did she forget that he was in the mafia, the youngest executive in the history of the organization?

She didn’t need to worry about such a thing, besides if that was the result Dazai knew he wouldn’t have opposed. So instead, he coaxed her some more. “Come on, Asa-channn. You’re no fair. I wanna die, remember?”

But even still, Asagao didn’t seem convinced, her body unmoving and eyes closing before he felt her physically shiver underneath his touch, almost like she was reliving some kind of unpleasant memory.

Something scared her, enough to cause such a visceral reaction.

Then Dazai watched as Asagao’s head slumped down into herself, her voice strained and bitter, a tone that the boy had never heard from her before. “I don’t kill anymore, I don’t want to be that person again..

Those words, they felt big, like a massive weight had just fallen on both of their shoulders. But why? What did they mean? What kind of person was she when she killed? What was she like when she truly allowed the hellhound side to fully overtake her? He wanted to ask her.

Yet before he could process that sentence, Asa used his apprehension in order to kick his shin and shift her body around, grabbing onto his forearm before flipping the skinny thin boy backwards over her shoulder.

Feeling his body slam against the ground, the girl then moved on top of him, reversing their previous position with a wave of her finger. “Besides that would be a pretty painful way to go, don’t you think?.”

His entire head began to spin instantly, both from the hit and from her change in attitude. Now she was happy, playful and just as carefree as before. There was no sign of that bitter suffocation that he had heard at all.

Which meant only one thing, she was covering it up.

But to be completely honest, every single thought he had seemed to drown out completely as he looked up at the towering force above him.

Her long messy hair was blanketed over her, shielding the two of them in a cave of her own design as she stared down with that same alluring dead eyed stare that he had admired before.

And not only that, the dim, dingy warehouse lights behind her seemed to melt around her head, bathing her in an ethereal light of some kind, something that made the boy’s heart flip unexpectedly and without warning.

God, she looked like an angel like this, so perfect, so heavenly.

Yet whether she resembled an angel of life or death was to be decided. Perhaps this was a sign from some unknown force, telling him that Oda Asagao would either be the beginning or the end of him.

Perhaps she would be the last thing he would see before leaving this world peacefully or perhaps she would carry him to the afterlife and into the pits of hell with her siren song and her dangerous words. He didn’t know.

He was playing with fire after all, selfish by staying by her side even though he shouldn’t have been allowed to. He was clouding her white light, binding her wings and making her fall to meet his level just because he couldn’t bear to be lonely.

How cruel he truly was, to not have the heart to set her free. It was too late now, the demon and the fallen angel, their fates had been sealed whether he liked it or not.

Reaching his fingers up, Dazai then ghosted across a strand of her falling hair before turning his head in curiosity. “Touché. Well, since you know so much let me ask you, love. What do you think is the most beautiful way to die?”

He wanted to know her answer, more than anyone before. Because he knew that she would answer honestly. She wouldn’t brush it off or disregard the meaning like everyone else.

Dying was a touchy subject it seemed, because although the boy craved it more than anything, it seemed whenever he brought up his little sad goal, no one ever gave him the answer he was looking for.

He didn’t want to be comforted or to hear that there was no beautiful way of death. No, he wanted perspective, real and true perspective. To see what constituted beauty for others, what that meant in terms of what he was searching for.

Because as much as he wished for peace and beauty in death, the boy didn’t know exactly what that meant. How strange it always was, searching for something so desperately even though he didn’t know the true extent of the meaning.

Waiting with bated breath, Dazai allowed her to silently think before the girl put a finger with a quiet and pensive hum. ““Hmmm, that’s a tough one..”

Then she closed her eyes before her lips curved into a confident beam of light. “I guess I would have to say a lovers suicide!”

And that light was blinding, mixing in with the makeshift halo behind her in order for Dazai to turn his head in confusion.He had never thought about that before. Hell, he didn’t even know the term. How curious. “Lovers suicide?”

Nodding to herself, Asa then lifted her pinky finger out in explanation. “Yeah, like a double suicide, you know? Because even if you deemed that the world was awful, you would still have to admit that there was at least one person that made the experience worth it, enough to want to follow them all the way to the afterlife.”

Then to prove her point, the girl simply reached down before interlocked Dazai’s pinky finger with her own, a small smile of her lips as the boy gazed at the sight in awestruck wonder.

Of course she would say something like that. Only Asagao could answer a question about death so hopefully and tragically captivating. Her desire to see the good, to twist the narrative into a positive one, they were extremely prevalent here.

But for once, Dazai didn’t mind it, he liked the idea of having someone to die with. The thought had never crossed his mind before, to have someone to treasure you enough to want to follow you until the very end. It sounded nice. Almost beautiful even, just like he wanted.

Testing out the words on his tongue, the boy whispered. “A double suicide..”

Nodding once, Asa pulled their interlocked pinkies towards her heart in reply. “Yeah! It’s romantically tragic in its own right, don’t you think?”

It was, it really was. In fact, it was so tragically perfect that Dazai knew he would’ve never had thought of such a thing himself. Simply because he wouldn't have allowed himself to think of something so nice and positive.

But now that it was spoken into the world, it couldn’t be forgotten. “I’ve never thought about that before. Do you really think someone would want to do that with me?”

Could it be, could someone really dedicate themselves to him to that extent, enough to give up everything, to walk hand and hand with him to the end of the line? No, that was impossible, no one wanted him, especially in that way.

Asa only shrugged her shoulders though. “You never know! Doesn’t hurt to ask.”

Then all at once, clarity seemed to flash in his eyes. “You’re right..”

That’s it, he just had to ask every woman he saw, then maybe one day he’d get lucky.

Reaching forward, Dazai then shifted his hands in order to grasp onto her wrist before meeting her eyes with a hopeful smile. “Hey Asa-chan! Do you wanna..”

Yet Asagao seemed to already know where he was going with his question, her hand immediately unlatching from his in order to playfully shove her palm into his face and push him back onto the ground. “Sorry Osu, I would do a lot of things for you but killing myself won’t bring me closer to my brother. The only death I’ll accept is one by your hand.”

Damn it, she had said that before, hadn’t she? Ah well, worth a shot.

Throwing his arms out with a child-ish whine, Dazai then pouted his lips at the rejection. “Boo, you give me such a good idea and then turn me down? That’s not very nice. I’m sad now.”

Asagao only laughed though, her tiny giggles taking up the space of his question before pointing a finger out in an offer of her own. “Well, we can’t have that. Oh, I know. How about we stop by the shop on the way home and I’ll buy you some canned crab to make up for it?”

And although it wasn’t what he wanted, her offer enticed him just as much, the boy’s eyes sparkling with pure joy in order to nod his head excitedly.

“Deal!”

——

Stepping through the door of Odasaku’s apartment, Asagao happily turned on the light, the plastic bag full of canned crab clinking together as she moved, only for Dazai to quickly take off his black mafia jacket and throw it on the ground.

And in the past couple weeks of them reuniting, the girl noticed Osamu's childish traits more and more, an action that made her strangely happy. Sure, she still wasn’t sure if he was being completely authentic but she couldn't deny that he at least looked more free when he did them.

In fact, their relationship had grown exponentially since the night Asa cared for him and took off his bandages. She was worried that by pushing that much she would’ve scared him away but it seemed to be the opposite, and for that she was grateful.

Now he came over whenever he pleased, without excuse, and without worry. She would make sure he ate and they would watch TV together and sometimes they would go out to spar like tonight. If anything, the two had definitely moved past the term strangers and into more of a friendship based relationship.

They understood each other, most of the time without words, and that was refreshing to both of them, considering no one else could do such an impossible thing. They were alike and yet so different depending on the circumstance. It was almost fascinating to think about.

She had never had that before, someone that understood so much with so little.

And where most people would call it invasive, Asagao saw his nosey and deductive attitude as a marvel. Although, she wasn’t sure if he felt the same way, considering she stepped out of boundaries before.

But those days seemed long gone as the girl turned back to Osamu only to pause when she noticed discolored tan stains on the bandages around his arms. Well, that was weird.

Reaching her hand up, Asagao then lightly touched his forearm, careful to keep her touch on the gauze as she inspected the source. “What is this?”

Although all she received was a boy-ish smile, filled with fake innocence. “Coffee?”

Almost immediately, something about his sentence seemed off, causing Asa to cock an eye with suspicion. “I didn’t even know you drank coffee..”

Then all at once, the boy nodded his head erratically, his lips moving at a mile a minute in order to give an over the top laugh. “Oh, yeah! I love it, I can’t get enough of it. That’s why I spilled some on me this morning. Oops, I’m so clumsy, aren’t I? Didn’t even notice it till now.”

Pouting his lips all at once, Dazai then whined to himself dramatically. “But now that you mention it, it feels really gross, like super uncomfortable. Asa-chan, you gotta save me! I don't know how I can go on like this..!”

His story was strange, considering she had never heard him speak about liking coffee before, nor did he ever choose that as his drink of choice. Usually it was just whiskey and any other alcohol he could get his hands on.

And what Asagao didn’t know was that she was completely right. In fact, Dazai had never touched the stuff before this morning. He didn’t love coffee, but the reason he had bathed himself in it was purposeful.

You see, ever since the first night Asagao changed his bandages, Dazai couldn’t get enough. He wanted that feeling back, the one that made him feel so safe and cared for. He couldn’t get it out of his head, and trust me, he had tried.

Which led him to taking matters into his own hands, aka finding ways to dirty his bandages so that he would have an excuse to give Asagao the next time he saw her.

At first it started with blood, making sure to purposely hurt his enemies in the most messy way possible in order to soil the white gauze, but then it moved to other things such as alcohol, and rolling around in dirt or dunking himself in nearby rivers.

And today’s plan involved coffee. He had gotten the idea when he saw one of his subordinates walk around the corner with one. So naturally, he ordered the guy to give it up in order to pour the lukewarm liquid on his arms with delightful glee.

Anything to get Asa to touch him like that again, to feel so important and special again. Was it underhanded? Possibly, but the boy knew he couldn’t just come out and ask for such an embarrassing thing.

Staying silent for a moment, he then watched as Asagao seemed to turn his wrist, examining the sight before she let him go with a smile. “I’ll go get the bandages. Meet you on the couch.”

And just like that, he had won yet again, causing the boy to practically skip to the plush cushions of the sofa, unable to hide his delight in song as he watched her go into Oda’s bedroom to receive the first aid kit. “Yay! Asa-chan is gonna help me, she’s gonna help me, yeah! Asa-chan is the best, she’s the very best, yeah!”

Once she turned the corner though, Asagao couldn’t help but close her eyes, already sensing his deceptive demeanor. No one spilled things that clumsily, especially Dazai. Which meant that it was for a purpose.

But because his actions didn’t seem self destructive, the girl chose to ignore them. It’s not like she minded changing out his bandages time and time again. In fact, she loved doing it, it made her feel closer to him.

Returning to the sofa, Asagao then placed herself beside him before placing the gauze on the table only for Dazai to immediately loosen his port mafia tie from his neck with one hand. “Lean closer, darling.”

So she did, the girl pushed her head closer to him so that he could slip off her glasses before unraveling the tie as she averted her gaze from his in silent wait.

Back in the warehouse she may have been able to look at him without her blurry barriers but now that she wasn’t distracted by the fight everything seemed way harder. She still couldn’t look at him head on like this, no matter how much she tried.

Dazai didn’t seem to mind though, his fingers only focused on securing the black tie around her eyes and into a firm knot as Asagao felt herself let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding.

So much better.

Then once her view was obstructed, Dazai couldn’t help but soften at the sight of her instant compliance each and every time.

He loved how she never protested to such a strange request, how she never judged him for not being able to do this without the blindfold. No, she knew that he needed this to continue and Dazai was grateful for that.

Once it was done, Asagao moved her fingers towards the coffee stained coverings before slowly undoing each bind as Dazai felt his breath hitch inside his throat at the emotionally intimate contact.

And even though they had done this exchange about a dozen times, each one felt like the very first. It never got easier, it never made his ears stop ringing and his skin stop shivering.

But like some psychotic masochistic man, Dazai never pulled away, his eyes always entranced with her careful and respectful moves, each calculated, each with a certain intent.

He didn’t think he’d ever get sick of it, the way she cherished him.

Because as scary as it was, her gentle non judgemental fingers gave him a sense of calm along with the chaos. They terrified him and yet they always soothed him in every kind of mitch matched way.

They reached down to the deepest part of his soul, the one he didn’t know existed and embraced it in a warm and welcoming hug. And though the warmth was uncomfortable and foreign, he didn’t outright hate it anymore.

In fact it was quite the opposite, the boy wanted to run to it, he wanted to jump head first into that dangerous and vulnerable place and never return. He was addicted in every possible way, addicted to the idea of being held by her forever.

This was all her fault, how could she? Making him experience such a life changing feeling, he knew this would happen, he knew he wouldn’t have been able to resist this once he had it. How dare she, how dare she make him feel such weak and fragile emotions again.

How dare she coax him into thinking he deserved such a wonderful experience like this?

Those thoughts made him want to be protected by her hands forever, and with the low murmur of the TV in the background and the sickeningly sweet sound of Asagao’s hum to break through the noise, Osamu did feel exactly that.

Protected.

Slowly and without words, Asagao then hummed to herself in order to wrap the fresh clean bandages around his arms before securing the sight and pulling down her blindfold. “Do you feel better now?”

He simply nodded, still in a daze as Asagao smiled softly in return before replacing her glasses. “Good, I’m glad.”

A soft silence appeared then as the two kids allowed it to fill the room in order to turn their attention to the screen that was playing the latest anime episode of the show that they had been interested in lately.

This was nice, just being with him, relaxing without a care in the world. It made the foreign walls of her brother’s apartment feel more personal and belonging. Hopefully it was the same for Osamu also.

Just then, the sounds from the TV snapped her back to reality, watching as the the main character clapped excitedly as the room around her revealed her friends and family, all of them wishing her a happy birthday in joyish surprise. Aw, how cute. They planned all that out for her.

The sight couldn’t help make Asagao pause though, realizing something almost immediately. “Hey, Samu. Now that I think about it, when is your birthday? My brother never said in his letters and I’ve always been curious.”

Yet that’s when she watched Dazai pause, his voice rather dead and monotone, as if he was mentally waving the question away. “Oh, it was five months ago.”

Feeling her face fell in horror, Asa shook her head in denial. “W-Wait..I missed it..?”

No, that couldn’t be. That meant that during the time they were apart he celebrated his birthday by himself? How sad. No one even knew and he just let it pass like nothing, didn’t he?

Wait. That meant that Dazai was now sixteen, didn't it? She didn’t even realize.

It didn’t matter that he never mentioned it until now, how could possibly let such a thing pass so quietly without a word? Now she felt awful. “Oh no, I’m so sorry Samu! What kind of fake girlfriend am I? I didn’t even say happy birthday to you. What is wrong with me, I should've asked sooner, I should’ve..”

Yet the boy only cut her off though, his tone clearly dismissive. “Don’t worry about it. Celebrating life is stupid anyways.”

But how could she not worry about it? That was an impossible task, one that she knew she couldn't complete “B-But..I..”

Dazai only pushed a finger to her lips though, stopping any sense of self hatred she was about to utter before shaking his head.“I already said don’t worry your pretty little head, love. Now, stop that frown or else you’ll turn ugly like Chuuya.”

Then the boy simply smiled before flopping his head onto her lap comfortably in order to turn towards the TV and ignore the conversation completely. “Now, shush, pillows aren’t supposed to be noisy.”

And when the air turned silent once more, it was far more solemn as Asagao absently moved her hand to his hair with an unsatisfied sigh.

But for Dazai, the topic had already left his mind as the soothing feeling of her hand on his hair caused his eyes to grow heavier and heavier with bliss, immediately getting lost in the soft caresses and lulling touch.

How could he think about anything when her magic had already utterly captivated him?

Feeling Osamu’s head sink further into the safety of her lap, Asagao felt her eyes soften at the sleeping boy before thinking back to her previous question.

And though Dazai seemed to forget about it, she could not, his sad little words consuming her mind all at once.

Celebrating life is stupid anyways

Closing her eyes with dissatisfaction, Asagao then shook her head, not liking the implications of his words as she wished to change them even so.

And she would change them, she had to.

“But it’s not just any life, it’s your life. ”

[darthkvznblogs]

I don't remember if you were asked this before but have you considered adding Dead End: Paranormal Park to the Kryptonverse? It's got a vibe similar to Gravity Falls (teenagers getting wrapped up in supernatural mysteries happening in a shady business)

(Also I wanted to thank you!!! You've inspired me to actually sit down and write a big crossover fanfic of my own - it's hard but I enjoy it a lot, so, thanks!!)

Yeah, someone's brought it up before! I've only watched the first episode, which was good, but didn't immediately snag me like Owl House or Amphibia. Still, I didn't quit on purpose or anything, just haven't had much time to watch a new show, so I wouldn't rule it out or anything.

And hey, thank you! It always makes my day when someone tells me they've been inspired by my work. You're right, it's definitely hard work, but it's really worth it! If you've published it or end up doing so later, shoot me a PM with the link, and I'll give it a gander :)