#my life is crumbling before my ehes

[itsalittlebitchilly]

How do I tell my parents I think I have avoidance anxiety

[snekdood]

i dont think ill ever turn on asks again. if someone wants to bother me so badly about something thats so, so important they can make a fake account and message me. yes i Am gonna cuck your effort to try n humiliate me on my own blog <3 suck a dick tyvm

[villain-enthusiast]

heyy i don’t have something specific in mind but can you please right something about a morally grey villain and a civilian. make it romantic and flirty and stuffff

Civilian was going to die.

The explosion from the bomb had obliterated half the bank within fractions of a second. The blast was far enough from their office that they weren't directly affected, but evacuating the actively crumbling building could easily kill them.

Rubble rained down as they desperately ran down the dusty hallway to the stairwell. Why did they have to be three stories up? Would they even get all the way down before the place collapsed?

Boom!

Civilian barely had time to react before they were thrown off their feet from the force of the blast that had detonated from the room beside them. Their back smacked into the opposite wall, pain and shock rippling through them as they hit the ground, rendering them helpless.

They couldn't move. This was it. They were going to—

"Oh, sweetheart."

Civilian jerked their head up to see someone standing over them, not a single speck of dust visible on their impeccable black clothes. Not the uniform of a co-worker or a rescue team member, Civilian realized with dismay.

The person crouched down in front of them, head tilted. "I could've sworn I got everyone out in time. I guess you're just a little elusive, huh?" They smirked and ruffled Civilian's hair, wildly playful considering the life-or-death situation they were in right now.

Wait.

The realization struck them like a brick to the head. “You set the bomb off,” they wheezed. “You’re Villain.”

Villain gave them a mock salute. “Nice to meet you too."

The floor wobbled dangerously and Civilian squeaked in fear, trying and failing to prop themselves up. "Please...please don't kill me," they blurted.

"Wow, who do you think I am?" Villain placed a hand on their chest in mock disbelief. "Eh, besides, you're too cute to murder. Or leave for dead,” Villain added as the building groaned, swaying on its foundations.

Civilian flushed, not sure if they should be flattered or absolutely terrified that their whole fucking workplace was about to collapse and that this bastard was trying to flirt with them—

Villain scooped Civilian up without warning, hoisting them into a bridal carry. They yelped in surprise as a block of cement crashed down onto the exact spot where they were laying just seconds ago.

“See?” Villain grinned at Civilian, bearing in close. “Too cute to leave behind.” Their face was near enough for Civilian’s eyes to flick down to their lips. Their grin widened in acknowledgment.

Villain turned abruptly and ran down the hallway towards the stairs, throwing the door open. Three flights down stared back, seeming infinitely long, too long.

But Villain was still smiling like they were gonna make it out of the bank on time. They looked down at Civilian, who had unconsciously fisted their hands into the lapels of Villain’s jacket.

“Yeah, just like that,” Villain said, winking at Civilian.

Civilian blinked, their mind flailing for footing. Just like what—

“Hold tight!” Villain whooped, and instead of booking it down the steps, they jumped onto the railing and slid down, handless.

Holy fucking shit. Civilian squeezed their eyes shut and held on so tight onto Villain’s jacket, stomach lurching. If the bombs didn’t take them out, then this would definitely—

They felt the Villain jump onto solid ground before they could even finish their thought. Oh.

“Aren’t you a scaredy-cat,” Villain teased, that shit-eating, infuriatingly charming grin back on their face. “Ever been on a roller coaster before?”

“No, I’ve never had fun in my life before, actually,” Civilian snapped back sarcastically.

“Hm,” Villain made their way out of the stairwell, casually walking towards the entrance as if the bank wasn’t crumbling around them. “Well, they’ve been saying amusement park dates are all the rage. Maybe this is my sign to take you out.”

Civilian fumbled for a response. Why was this criminal so good at rendering them speechless?

“You’re not saying no…” Villain murmured, exiting the building seconds before it promptly collapsed, throwing onlookers into chaos and allowing them to blend in with the crowd. The timing was almost comedic.

They slipped into an empty alley, Civilian still in their arms.

“I’m not putting you down until you say yes,” Villain urged, eyes glinting with playful mischief.

Civilian, despite themselves, rolled their eyes. “Aren’t you supposed to be a bad guy? What happened to ‘Now I take you back to my spooky dark lair and lock you up and torture you until Hero comes and I fight them to the death’?”

Villain smiled, but it was warmer, more genuine this time. “I guess I prefer it when people look at my lips and clearly want to kiss me instead of looking at me like I’m a monster.”

Civilian paused, dissecting the layers of that statement before—damn them—glancing again at Villain’s perfectly kissable mouth.

Villain ran their tongue over their bottom lip, clearly toying with Civilian, but fuck, it was working.

It was the nearing wail of police sirens that shook them out of their trance. They groaned, stupefied at how they almost fell for the person who just blew up their workplace. “Please put me down.”

“And here I thought I almost had you.” Villain sighed and set Civilian down on the ground. “Unfortunately, the authorities tend to annoy me a bit, so this is where I take my leave. It was nice meeting you, sweetheart.” They bowed to Civilian and began to make their way down the alleyway.

Fuck, the way the nickname made Civilian’s stomach flutter. Fuck fuck fuck— “Disneyland, this Friday, 10 AM,” they blurted.

Villain stopped in their tracks, and although they didn’t turn around. Civilian could feel that stupid little smirk on their face.

“See you then.” Then they disappeared around the corner.

As it turns out, roller coasters really weren’t so bad when you have someone doing it with you.

[ink-n-shadow]

[ GONE BAD ] 𝜗𝜚 the one where you meet mafia!ghost

𝜗𝜚 pairing: mafia!Simon "Ghost" Riley x police officer's daughter!reader 𝜗𝜚 cw: alternative universe, mentions of police, tw! for creepy guy, allusion to dark!ghost (only if you squint) 𝜗𝜚 note: new au, new ideas (don't hesitate to send me requests :3)

⤷ ever since you were a little kid, your dad was a member of the police force in manchester. you were a daddy’s girl through and through. hell, you wanted to be just like him when you were little—catching bad guys and keeping people safe. 

⤷ but something shifted when you were a teenager—and suddenly, the daddy’s good little girl was gone. you were sneaking out, partying with friends, skipping school to go smoke cigarettes underneath the crumbling cobblestone bridge by your secondary school. 

⤷ it only got worse once you graduated and enrolled in university. this time, though, you weren’t under your father’s thumb anymore. you were in your flat, with your own roommates, doing whatever you wanted to do. that’s how you found yourself in some dingy new pub that opened up in the city. 

⤷ you had dipped outside of the pub for a quick cigarette, stepping into a dimly lit alleyway and leaning against the cobbled wall to puff away at the tobacco stick. it was almost peaceful—that was until a group of drunken men stumbled by and one of them took a liking to you. 

⤷ “aye, pretty thing. y’look lonely standing there all by yourself. mind if i join you? take a little puff of that cig?”

⤷ you tried to come up with some sort of excuse, eyes frantically searching for a way out—but the alleyway you were in was a dead end. the lit cigarette fell from your trembling hand, rolling across the wet asphalt. you thought you were goner until you heard an exit door from the pub behind you screech open, a hard voice rumbling like a thunder storm. 

⤷ “what the fuck’s goin’ on out here? you botherin’ this girl, eh? at my fuckin’ pub? get the fuck out of here before i bury you underneath the concrete you're standin' on.”

⤷ you caught your breath as the man harassing you scrambled off quickly, turning your head to see who the gravelly voice belonged to. he was a looming figure, dressed in a steam-pressed three piece suit and tie along with shiny leather oxfords. his fingers were covered in tattoos and rings, his neck adorning two thick silver chains. His face, however, was obscured by a black mask with a slick skull face attached to the front. he looked menacing. the gun holstered to his hip didn’t help. 

⤷ “you didn’t have to—”

⤷ “don’t sit there and tell me you would’ve handled it. that fucker would’ve torn you to bits if i hadn’t stepped in, lovie. too prideful to say thank you?”

⤷ having lived in manchester all your life, having listened to your father’s rants about the organized crime running rampant in the streets, you knew exactly who the man in front of you that night was: ghost, the faceless leader of the organized crime syndicate which ran manchester under an iron fist. you should’ve expected him to be here—this was his pub, after all. 

⤷ you couldn't speak, but that was alright. ghost didn't mind—he was used to people keeping queit about him. that's why he felt so comfortable leaning against the wall of the alleyway, balancing a cigarette between his lips and igniting the paper.

⤷ "next time you're at my pub, make sure you stay with a friend. pretty little things like you have a tendency to get snatched up right quick out here. can't guarantee i'll be here to save you next time, lovie."

⤷ but after that night, ghost seemed to always be there to save the day. your car breaks down on the side of the road during rush hour traffic? ghost's suv just so happens to pull up behind you. you get a little too drunk out at his pub one night? ghost has one of his men drive you and your friends home. you know deep down that it's way past just coincidences now—but that added to the thrill of it, to the taboo nature of it all.

⤷ other than that, ghost might as well have been a figment of your imagination. he never gave you a phone number, never told you an address, never really stuck around much after helping you out time after time. he was almost unreal until he came out from the shadows. it took almost an entire year before ghost finally asked you to get drinks with him.

⤷ "c'mon—you gotta say yes. y'know how rare it is for me to ask a girl for drinks? usually, the girls come crawlin' to me. not you, though. that's what i like about you, lovie."

[akazzzaa]

Ohhhh how about this? akaza, muzan, kokushibo and douma with a reader who's parents disapproves of them dating a demon so they forcefully make reader marry someone else. but knowing these demons i bet they might rescue their lover during the ceremony, eh? adds drama and flair!

Thank you for the ask! I really enjoyed writing this!

Summary- Readers parents don't approve their child dating a demon so arranges them to marry a normal human. Demons Interrupt the wedding.

Genre- Fluff// Angst

Warnings- Forced marriage/ Death/ Blood/Gore

Muzan

Muzan Kibutsuji, the most powerful demon of them all, had fallen in love with a human who had inadvertently caught his attention. She was beautiful, kind, and possessed a heart that Muzan had never seen in any other human. They had been secretly dating, their love growing stronger with each passing day, but there was one problem: your parents disapproved of your relationship.

So they found a husband for you. One that any other woman would be glad to have.

As your wedding day approached, you where filled with dread and despair. Your love for Muzan was undeniable, and the thought of marrying another man was unbearable. You knew that you had to find a way to escape this terrible fate and reunite with Muzan.

On the day of the wedding, as the ceremony began, Muzan couldn't bear to stay away any longer. He had been watching from the shadows, hidden in plain sight, and when he saw the you walk down the aisle with tears in your eyes, he knew he had to act

Muzan burst into the wedding venue, shattering the doors and sending the guests scattering in all directions. Blood and limbs everywhere. Your parents where shocked, but there was a fierce determination in Muzan's eyes as he made his way to the altar. He grabbed your hand and pulled you away from the crowd of corpses. "Let her go!" your father shouted, trying to stop Muzan, but the demon's power was overwhelming.

Muzan held you close, his crimson eyes locked onto his. "I won't let anyone take her away from me," he declared.

With a wave of his hand, he unleashed a burst of power that sent your parents and the chosen suitor flying backward and killing them on impact. The wedding venue crumbled around you both. Both of you escaped through the chaos, leaving a trail of destruction behind.

Once you were safe, Muzan embraced you, vowing never to let anyone come between you again and forced his hand through your chest and grabbed your heart. Before you could die, he turned you into a demon.

Kokushibo

One fateful night, your parents gathered the family to reveal their decision. They had chosen a wealthy and influential human suitor for their child, intending to marry them off against their will. You where heartbroken and conflicted, had no choice but to comply with their wishes, for fear of causing them pain.

As the wedding day approached, your heart grew heavier. You knew that marrying someone else would mean giving up on love and living a life of lies.

Unknown to you, Kokushibo had been informed of the impending marriage. Determined to rescue the one he loves, Kokushibo devised a plan to save you from this forced union.

On the day of the wedding, just as the ceremony was about to begin, Kokushibo arrived to the venue. The demon's presence filled the air with an eerie tension, and the guests, horrified, began to flee in panic.

Kokushibo's cold voice cut through the chaos, "I will not allow this unholy union to take place. You, my beloved, are not meant for this human." With incredible speed and precision, he swiftly cut your fiancé in half.

With a mixture of shock and relief, you looked into Kokushibo's eyes. "Kokushibo... you came for me?"

With a soft smile, the demon reached out his hand. "I will not let anyone tear us apart. Come with me, and we will be together, no matter the odds."

Filled with emotion, you took Kokushibo's hand, and left the scene of the disrupted wedding together. Both of you had defied your family's wishes and society's norms, choosing love over tradition.

As you both disappeared into the night, your love remained as strong as ever, and kokushibo knew you would face many challenges, but you would face them together.

Douma

Douma had found an unexpected connection. His heart, once consumed by darkness, was now inexplicably drawn to you.

You had a fierce determination and a compassionate heart that could pierce through even the darkest of shadows. Your love was pure and passionate, yet tragically forbidden. Your parents couldn't bear the thought of their daughter being with someone they considered an enemy of humanity.

So your parents decided to take drastic measures. They arranged for you to be married to a young man from the village, someone they believed would provide safety and security. The news of this arranged marriage was a devastating blow to both you and Douma.

Douma's multicoloured eyes gleamed with a mix of sadness and despair. "Y/N, I won't let this happen. We'll find a way to be together, I promise."

As the days went by, you and Douma hatched a plan to escape the arranged marriage. The night before the wedding, you decided to flee, seeking refuge in a remote, hidden location where you could both live together in secrecy. But you would abandon your old life, family, and name to escape the constraints of human society.

On the fateful night, you where supposed to be dressed in you bridal attire that your parents prepared for the wedding, you escaped from your room, with Douma waiting in the shadows. You both slipped away into the night.

Akaza

In a small village a secret love story was flourishing. Akaza, a feared demon that have killed many warriors, had fallen deeply in love with you, a kind-hearted human. Your love transcended the boundaries that separated worlds, but it was a love that was hidden, cherished only in the secrecy of night.

As the months passed, your love grew stronger, and you both began making plans to be together openly. Akaza had already proven his unwavering devotion to you, and together you both believed they could overcome the prejudice and fear that kept you apart.

However, your parents remained stubborn in their opposition to the relationship. Fearing for their child's safety and the consequences of such a forbidden love, they hatched a sinister plan. One evening, while you where away, they made a deal with a wealthy family from a neighbouring village to arrange a marriage between you and their son. It was a grim decision made out of love, or so they told themselves.

Your heart shattered as you tried to protest, explaining that your heart belonged to Akaza. But your parents would not hear of it, and they were blind to the love that had blossomed between the two of you.

The arranged marriage took place, and your life would be forever changed. In your heart, you continued to yearn for Akaza, who was unaware of the tragic twist of fate that had befallen his beloved. you where forced into a loveless marriage, trapped between the love you cherished and the obligations you could not escape.

On that night, you where in your room, your husband trying to court you. Meanwhile, Akaza had returned from his mission early, sensing that something was amiss. He used his supernatural abilities to track you, and what he saw through the shadows confirmed his worst fears. He saw the ceremony outside, and you in a bedroom with a man, looking utterly devastated.

In a swift and silent motion, Akaza infiltrated the house, hidden from human sight. In the midst of the commotion, Akaza reached out to you, pulling you close to his side. He spoke with a voice that demanded respect and conveyed his unwavering love. "You will not take what is mine," he declared, his eyes burning with intensity. He covers your eyes from the view as he kills the man.

[watermelonsugacry]

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT88wQvS2/

Did 1d!YN and Harry ever have a slip up like this?

of course. because they're idiots.

In 2017, YN was doing an interview to promote her first solo album where she answered fan asked questions from a fish bowl. Picking another strip of paper, she reads out loud, "What was something that made you laugh recently?"

She takes a moment to think about her answer, staring off in the distance before a smile overtakes her face.

"Oh, I know. So I was recently hanging out with a friend who I quite fancy the other night. It was a movie marathon of sorts and it was my turn to pick the next film. Anyone who knows me knows I'm a big horror fan, so I picked one of them Insidious films—" A bubbly giggle erupts from her chest at the memory.

"I know I shouldn't have been laughing but it was quite cute to see him try not to be as scared as he was. But don't worry, I think I did a good job at um," YN cheekily clears her throat with a smirk. "Distracting him."

She doesn't elaborate on what she meant, letting fans who watch the video begin to spiral knowing that she's currently single and has been shipped with her old band member since the start of One Direction.

So after crumbling up the thin piece of paper and playfully throwing it at the camera, she sticks her hand back in the fish bowl to pull out another question.

Then in 2022, Harry did a small interview through Zoom to promote Harry's House. There's no way that YN wasn't going to be brought up—whether it be that she was one of the main producers for his album or for being the love of his life (and secret fiancé at the time).

"Yeah so, when YN and I first starting dating, we couldn't really go out much for dates so we would stay in and just binge on movies."

"Ah, being quite a romantic by slipping in some rom coms, eh Styles?" The interviewer wiggles his eyebrows.

"I tried to be!" Harry defends with a chuckle, his dimpled smile appearing. "But when it was her turn to pick a film, she always picked a scary one. Which are her favorite so I'll watch them, you know? But like—" He waves his hands in front of him. "I'm the one who was supposed to be protecting her from the monsters on the screen, not the other way around."

[shxtodxroki]

𝙾𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝙺𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚘?

Summary: A gossip session with Utahime at your favorite café accidentally crumbles your calm, cool facade and reveals your crush to the man himself.

Flufftober Day 3 Prompt: “Wait, you love me?” “I always have.”

Warnings: Vague mentions of injuries, mentions of food

Pairing: Kento Nanami x Gender Neutral! Reader

Word Count: 2.1k

Check out my full Flufftober masterlist here!

“Oh my god, there you are!” You hear Utahime call out to you from a few tables away, causing you to jump slightly and lift your eyes from your phone to meet her gaze. “I thought you were late, I couldn’t see you anywhere. Next time, don’t pick such a secluded spot, makes it hard to find you.” She gently chides you as she sits down in the seat across from you, before flashing you a friendly smile as she finally settles in.

“Sorry, this is where I always sit when I come here by myself. Old habits die hard, I guess.” You mutter softly in response, offering you a soft smile of your own. “Did you already order yourself a drink?”

Your question draws Utahime’s eyes to the drink already sitting in front of you, barely touched as your hands remain idly wrapped around the cup. She quickly nods in response to your question, though a shared glance at the lengthy line tells you that it’ll be a while before her drink is finished and her name is called, giving the two of you a few minutes to settle in and begin catching up beforehand.

“So, how have you been?” She asks to kickstart the conversation, swiping your drink away to steal a quick sip before smiling sheepishly and placing it back down in front of you. 

“Eh, I’ve been alright. Been taking on more missions than usual, I’m trying to save up for the holidays so I haven’t done much outside of work lately.” You admit with a laugh, taking a sip of your drink before turning the question back on her. “How about you?”

“Things have been going well over in Kyoto! All of the students are doing great on their training exercises right now, and Miwa and Mechamaru have been spending more time together lately. I always catch them together during breaks, my bet’s on them getting together by the end of the month.” she grins, clearly thrilled to see her students so happy and performing so well. Utahime truly was a great teacher, it was clear how much she cared for and connected with each of her students and wanted them to succeed and that attitude of hers always seeped through into your conversations together.

However, after a moment she raises her eyebrow and shoots a mischievous grin your way, immediately clueing you into what she's about to ask before she even opens her mouth as you pre-emptively glare at her. “Speaking of romance, how are things between you and Nanami?” You can’t help but roll your eyes at your friend’s need to know all the gossip about your love life, though the sudden heat radiating off of your skin betrays you and makes your unspoken giddiness clear to your friend as she looks at you with a questioning gaze. The aforementioned man has been flooding your thoughts like a virus as of late, clinging to your mind and leaving you in a land of fantasy and romantic daydreams whenever you have a moment to yourself.

“....I mean, it’s not like anything special’s happened or anything.” You mumble, trying and failing to bite back a lovestruck grin. “He’s friendly whenever we see each other around or go on missions together, but he’s so polite all the time, so it’s hard to tell if he means anything by it or if I’m just being delusional and seeing signs that aren’t there.”

Utahime’s curiosity is not placated in the slightest by your words, a fact she makes starkly clear as she swipes another sip of your drink and shoots you a disbelieving glare. “Oh come on, that doesn’t tell me anything! Give me more details, what do you mean by ‘friendly’?” She pushes, though you can see that it’s all in good fun and that she would stop pressing the second you asked her to.

Fortunately for her, you obviously want to gossip about your crush no matter how hard you try to seem unbothered by the matter, so you take the bait with another poorly concealed grin as her prying only eggs on your fantasies. “Well…. I guess just small things, like how he always checks to see if I’m injured before worrying about his own injuries on missions, or how he always stands in front of me when we’re dealing with a curse, or how he always buys me a drink whenever we’re walking home together.” Utahime can practically see the hearts in your eyes as you talk, though you’re doing your best to stay grounded in reality. “I know he’s just an amazing guy, and he’d do those things for anyone, but that doesn’t stop my heart from going all haywire whenever I think about those moments.”

Of course, your friend is insistent that these are in fact signs that your crush returns your feelings, giggles falling from her mouth as she smiles mischievously at you. “Oh come on, Y/n! Okay, maybe him trying to keep you safe on missions could be passed off as him just being nice, I could see that. But you’re telling me he goes out of his way to get you a drink every time you walk home together, and you think that’s just him being friendly?!” She looks at you with wide eyes, clearly trying to get you to see what she thinks is right in front of you. 

“.....Sometimes he even buys a small treat for us to share, like a pastry or something.” You admit bashfully, feeling your face heat up once more. The gasp your friend lets out only makes you shrink into your seat a bit more, overwhelmed by your own feelings and vulnerability in this moment.

“He totally likes you, Y/n!” Utahime looks at you incredulously as she speaks, restraining her volume just enough to not be yelling across the store, though she’s still speaking much too loudly for such a sensitive subject matter. “You know how Nanami is, he’s genuinely a good guy. He’s not gonna be super obvious and flirt with you in a way that could possibly make you uncomfortable, these are clearly his way of hinting at his feelings.” She seems desperate to get you to finally do something about your crush, positively convinced that she’s correct.

“....I dunno. It’s not like the thought hasn’t crossed my mind before…. But I’m just not sure, and I’m afraid that if I get my hopes up and actually confront him about my feelings, I’ll just end up looking like an idiot and making things uncomfortable.” Your voice sounds dejected and somber, causing Utahime’s face to fall in concern and sympathy as she listens to your concerns. “We get assigned on missions together pretty frequently, and I don’t want to make him uncomfortable or put innocent people at risk if I can’t focus thanks to my hurt feelings. I try so hard to act calm and collected around him, and I don’t wanna mess that up and seem like an idiot or upset him.”

Your fears cause Utahime to pause for a moment, searching through her mind for a way to comfort and reassure you. Before she can find her train of thought and speak up, though, a barista utters three words that cause both of your blood to run icy cold. 

“Order for Kento?” Your heart stops. You’re sure of it, you’re sure you’re not breathing in this moment. Your eyes are frantically scanning around the small cafe, praying that it’s just a coincidence, just someone with the same name. You don’t make it far before your eyes land on a familiar head of blonde hair at the table just beside your own, and you can practically feel your soul leave your body as you immediately glance away to Utahime in shame and refuse to meet his gaze. There goes your collected, responsible facade, you doubt you'll ever recover from this sheer embarrassment.

She looks back at you with a pitiful, remorseful expression as the man in question walks up to the front to collect his order. Utahime’s name still hasn’t been called, prompting you to realize that he’s most likely been here since before she even arrived, and has subsequently heard everything the two of you have been saying about him.

Maybe it wasn’t too late to run, make a mad dash out of this little cafe and simply do your best to never cross paths with him again.

Before you could decide for certain, Kento returned with his drink and set it on his table, before turning his chair so that he was facing the two of you. “Y/n, Utahime, it’s nice to see you.” He nodded at the two of you, and you were barely able to muster up a tiny nod in return as you fidgeted with your fingers beneath your table.

“I apologize for eavesdropping, I promise it wasn’t my intention.” He begins the awkward conversation that you were hoping to avoid, and you finally bring your eyes up to meet his with an apologetic gaze. “When I arrived I saw you sitting here and was hoping to chat with you, Y/n, but you seemed very busy with something on your phone, so I figured I would wait and say hello when you were less busy. But then I heard my name, and I couldn’t help but listen in. My apologies.”

Of course Kento was being a complete gentleman about this. You shouldn’t have expected anything else. Still, no matter how kind or polite he was about it you knew the sting of his rejection would pain you more deeply than you'd like to admit, and you attempt to steel yourself emotionally in preparation for the hurt as you open your mouth to apologize to the man for gossiping so blatantly about him.

“I have to admit, though, that your friend is right. I’m a bit surprised that you haven’t caught on about my feelings yet.” He adds on, immediately lighting up Utahime’s face in a victorious grin as your jaw drops and you stare at him wide-eyed. Even with the background noise of the cafe patrons, you feel as if you could hear a pin drop in this moment with the tension bleeding through each one of your pores at his sudden confession.

“....Huh?” You ask, oh-so-eloquently making your way into the conversation once you collect yourself enough to speak. “Wait.... you like me?” You can’t seem to finish your sentence, still too afraid to seem foolish if you’re somehow misinterpreting his words. 

“Yes, I always have.” Though he remains as composed as ever, if you look closely you can spot the small grin gracing Kento’s lips as he tries his best to fight it back. “I wasn’t sure if you reciprocated, so I tried to make my feelings clear while also giving you an out if you felt uncomfortable. You’ve always acted so put-together and calm whenever we’re together, so it was difficult to read your emotions and I didn’t want to be too overt with my advances. It seems like I wasn’t obvious enough, though, so I’ll make myself clear now.”

Your head is spinning, you feel dizzy as your feelings suddenly overwhelm you. You can feel them swirling around in your stomach, hot air inflating you like a balloon as you do your best to focus on what he’s saying. “Now that I know you feel the same, I’d like to ask if you’d be willing to go on a date with me?” His questioning gaze is only for show, as you both know what you’ll say, but it calms your nerves a bit that he still has the courtesy to ask so politely.

 Utahime violently shakes her head ‘yes’ from the corner of your eye, giving you the courage you need to speak up despite your pounding heart and the sudden dryness in your throat. “I’d really like that, Kento.” You agree without a second thought, as the tension bleeds from the air completely and both of you smile softly at one another. “You’re welcome to join us now too, if you’d like.” You offer, glancing at your friend to ensure she’s okay with this as well before pulling out the seat beside you.

Kento smirks at your offer before nodding gratefully, standing up and setting his drink down on your table before taking the seat you had offered. “I’d love to, thank you for the offer.” His arm hovers near your waist, silently waiting for your consent, and once he sees you nod giddily he wraps it carefully around you, scooting a bit closer to you as the three of you begin conversing altogether. And despite his typical straight-laced, put-together attitude, he even manages to send a few subtle winks your way, meant for your eyes only, as the three of you catch up, and you instantly know that this man is going to be your forever and always as you relax into his side and enjoy your drink.

Request - Anonymous said: Could you do nanami x reader who is calm but get caught simping on him for flufftober please😍

A/N: Aaaaa this was so much, sometimes you’ve just gotta be a little silly and delusional and gossip about your crush :> It really is healing for the soul imo and I do NOT think it should stop once you become an adult, and I think this was perfectly fluffy and cute for this Flufftober! If you can’t tell, I’m having a lot of fun with this entire event so far lol, and I look forward to seeing your guys’ reactions to each of these as I post them! I hope you’re enjoying Flufftober as much as I am so far, and my requests are open rn so please feel free to send any requests you have over to my inbox! :D

Taglist: @flufftober

If you’d like to be added to any of my taglists, you can fill out this form here! Thank you for your support <3

[smilingangel582]

Wind breaker, here I come! I couldn't watch the new episode yet due to some minor issues! Well... I wanna see more fics from others, but I'm too impatient 😤 so I'm writing one again!

Can't think of a better lee than Sakura, so... im gonna put a switch, Nirei and Sugishita! Totally ler Suo and Umemiya!

The other characters aren't gonna be part of the fic because... I never read the manga but ik bits of spoilers from it... soooo imma skip them till the anime introduces them... yeeet imma add some of the teeny tiny bits I was spoiled from the manga!

My spelling sucks ik and I'm a faster writer, so... I tend to make a lot of misspelling stuff as I type fast. (It's not ADHD or anything special... I'm just a hyper person in real life... hehe)

ENJOY!

Warning spoilers from the anime and perhaps manga "my imagination after episode 8"

The big man himself

Sakura Haruka, an outsider, but everyone in this town accepted him as family as quickly as Sakira pummeled five dudes in an instant whiff.

What the hell is this town...?

His thoughts are often reserved and well kept to himself. Even as he walked through the hallways, he noticed familiar faces greeting him as grade captain and respectful gestures. Sure Sakura can take in most and yet...

"Omg! He's the first year grade captain who beat shishitoren second in command!"

"His look is so cool!"

A small blush crept up to his cheeks, he just grunted in response, leaving them mid-praise towards him.

It's almost like an attack mechanism to Sakura, like compliments are his weakness, and the opponent strikes it mercilessly till he's crumbled.

Honestly, Sakura hates that about himself.

"Sakura-san! We need your help!"

Hearing Nirei's voice in front, he looked up, his bangs lifting at the sight of Suo and Nirei...

And Sugishita???

"What the hell do u want?" Sakura grumbled.

Suo's calmly allows to explain themselves, "Now Sakura-kun, us first years have a job to do... its specifically by Hiragi-san"

Straightening himself, Sakura nods seriously, "OK... sure"

Suo stares for a moment before chuckling into his hand, this made Sakura frown, "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing... I just thought how cute it is that you actually listen to your senpais..."

Sakura got flustered and began to sputter angrily, "Q-Quiet! I don't respect... well, uh, I m-mean... ugh, never mind. What the heck do we need to do anyway?"

Suo noticed in amusement how Sakura faltered in defeat, then he replied, "Oh nothing... Sugishita-kun and Hiragi-san over-watered one of Umemiya-san's precious tomato plants..."

Sakura blinked.

Eh?

"And... whats the issue?"

Sugishita snapped, grabbing Sakura by the shirt, "It's a big problem dumbass!"

Sakura gritted his teeth in fury, "Who you calling dumbass?! Dumbass!"

Sup calmly separated them and began to run over what they should do, "So... the big issue is... they are a special gift from his -I quote 'Kotoha-chan'"

Now that made sense. Sakura pinched the bridge of his nose... no wonder they dragged him to the roof when Umemiya isn't around.

"Now what should we do?" Sakura asked folding his arms.

"We have to distract Umemiya-san, and make him forget about that plant" Nirei said, sweating buckets throughout their whole conversation. Sakura stumbled in surprise. He really forgot Nirei was actually there...

(Ps. I did, actually... teehee ^w^)

"Oh..." Sakura said blankly, putting two and two together. He turned now, "So good luck... its not my problem anyway"

"Waiiit!" Nirei clung yo his jacket, "You are out grade captain! Dont abandon us pls!!"

"Sakura-kun, we told u the story so... basically you are involved" suo shrugged nonchalantly, Sugishita glared daggers as if he's blackmailing Sakura, "You better help..."

"I could care less!"

Before anyone could pass out any words through their conversation. Sakura heard the door on the rooftop open, Umemiya came.

Oh shit.

"Ah! My cute little underclassmen!" Umemiya rushed towards the group with joy and then without warning ruffling everyone's hairs.

He specifically embaraced Sakura, showing he's a favourite.

"Ahhh! Sakuraaa" a childish cry of bliss came from the leader's lips, as he almost squashed the first year.

Sugishita glared and growled like a rottweiler, Suo claimed he's a jealous puppy further angering him.

"Well, well! What brings you lot to my humble paradise!"

Sakura squirmed out of his grip, grumbling, "Trying to protect that stupid plant of -hmph!"

He forgot... he forgot... Sakura luckily closed his own mouth before digging his own grave... and yet... Umemiya looks like he already got a shovel close to him.

"Hmm..." Umemiya smirked, now flicking his forehead, "Sakura.... When you lie, I can tell that your ear turns red"

He got flustered "I-i do not! I'm not lying!"

Sakura noticed Nirei seemed anxious, Suo with a calm and an unapologetic smile and Sugishita totally ignoring him. They all abandoned him... he was bait after all...

"Oh no~ Sakura-kun," Umemiya sang playfully, suddenly stepping forward with incredible speed, "You shouldn't shift your attention to something irrelevant when your opponent is right in front of you"

Sakura gasped when he felt Umemiya grab his waist instantly. Without realising he was pinned to the wall, he slid down when those fingers made a funny sensation over his sides...

Wait... is this... tickling?

Resist! Resist! Resist damn it! Come on, Haruka! U have to!

Sakura felt his own thoughts fighting the urge to laugh as mad fingers scurried up his ribcage instantly. He struggled and kicked in reflex, surprisingly arching is back like a flexible sprig when Umemiya skillfully tickled his lower ribs.

"G-gah!" A squawk left him. While Suo and the rest awkwardly saw what was happening, the eye patch guy had to comment, "Oh wow... Sakura-kun are you ticklish?"

Umemiya grinned at that, "Oh, he is... how cute, little bro... but be careful. Your big bro is a biiiig tickle monster!"

Sakura suddenly jolted when Umemiya traced his waist beneath the shirt. The tingling sensation on his bare skin was insane. Its perhaps because Sakura never felt tickling before that he actually felt it like something so strong and unbearable.

How embarassing... he's giggling like a four year old.

"Shihihihihit! Hahahaha, whyhehehe whhhyy hahaha??!" Sakura squirmed, now twisting on his stomach, trying to escape.

Why is this man even tickling him?

"Why?" Umemiya grabbed his sides, pulling him closer to him, "Because you are obviously hiding something from me... aaaand... your are too cute!"

"Dahahahahamn ihihiiiiHIHIHIT! NOHO!" Sakura's laughter kicked an octave when Umemiya traced his armpits - not even tickle - just gentle featherlight tickling he never expected to tickle so much!

But...it feels good... it's the first time someone ever touched him so playfully...

Not cruel jabs that sting like poker sticks or burning hits from harsh punches... just mild subtle ticklish jolts like electric shocks.

"Suo, Nirei, can you grab him for a moment?"

Hearing this, Sakura snapped into reality. Huh? Why? Why are they restraining him?

Suo grabbed his wrists up above his head, the warm concrete floor beneath him, giving his wishes before his doomsday, Nireo sitting on his shins... and Umemiya on the side with a wide grin.

"I would've resorted to other easier methods, but I guess you like being tickeld. Eh Sakura?"

Blush, Sakura yelped, "N-no! Obviously not! Ugh, y-you bastard... and -" Sakura turned to the other three."Are you guys ditching me????"

Suo gives a gentle grin, "Sorry, but you are strong enough to handle this unlike us, plus..." Suo gives a teasing scribble under Sakura's armpit, making the latter jolt in surprise, "Umemiya-san said you like it"

Sakura exploded, "I NEVER SAID THAT -AAAH!"

Umemiya launched his tickles instantly before Sakura could express anything. Sakuta couldn't even focus his priorities as multiple spots are being targeted.

"Saakuraaa~, what's the juicy secret you're keeping from me?"

Gosh... the others guys are supposed to be on his side! Did they all deviate from the plot just to mess with Sakura? Unbelievable!

Sakura panicked with a squeak when Umemiya kept lingering around his stomach. He felt a plunging sensation in his gut as Umemiya poked his naval.

"D-Doho nohohot pohohohoke thahahat!" Sakura shrieked, now bucking himself tryinf to shake them off but they all remained resilient.

"Wow, Sakura-san, you really are sensitive" Nirei unconsciously squeezed his kneecaps making it worst despite his feigned innocence.

Sugishita watched with an unreadable expression his face was so judgemental, and Sakura hoped it didn't mean 'cute' to the taller guy.

Suo leaned towards Umemiya now, not even bothering to lower his voice through Sakura's booming laughter, "His armpits seem pretty sensitive too, boss"

It's bad... though Sakura has never been tickled before, his alert senses are tingling mad. Its bad...!

"Oh...?" Umemiya slowly crawled his fingers up the boney ribs and finally into the light muscular armpits, "Here? Is Sakura sensitive under there?"

Squeal. To say Sakura let out such an embarrassing sound was not a lie. He wanted to crawl it yo a rock and die right now for making such an absurd noise like a squeal.

"EEEEEH! NOOO! IHIHIHI GIVE I GIVE HAHAHA SLOHOHOHOW DOHOHOWN!"

"Ehh? Already? Wow, that didn't take long?" Suo teased, and Umemiya winked back, stopping gradually as he persisted, "Tell me, kid~"

"Ahahahahaha ohoohohohok ohohohok! Ihihihits yohohour duhuhuhuhumb plahahahant thehehe ohohone Kohohohotahaha gahahave yahahaha!"

Sakura confessed... all it took was a tickle to his armpits to spill the milk.

Umemiya stopped instantly. Uh oh... all of that may be fun and games but Nirei realised that they were suppose to keep him distracted not make Sakira confess...

Umemiya sigh, scratching the back of his head, "Well I wanted to make Sakura confess about liking to be tickled... I almost forgot why I started this..." he smiled now ruffling Sakura's messed up hair and his still blushing face flowing more red.

"Well im glad you kept your comradeship safe sweet brother" Umemiya grinned.

Sakura blushed to the tips of his ears, huffing, "Not like I did anythjnf but be a victim..."

It was all OK...

"So... what's this about my plant?"

Or... It wasn't

"Did I hear you say it was Kotoha's plant?" Umemiya's smile darkened, sweet to bitter ...its bad now.

Sakura gulped but suo being the rescuer instantly grabbed everyone and scurried away before the leader of Borfurin could catch up.

Sakura couldn't say he hated his day but he really wondered what happened to the tomato plant Hiragi said he was gonna replace...

No one will know the depths Hajime Umemiya would go to cherish what Kotoha gave him.

Sakura shivered... a bigger tickle monster is lurking inside the leader.

The end was rushed, ik! Ik! It came too cute, too, so the plot was messy! Sorryyyyy my badddd also don't blame me! It's so late, and I'm hyper from caffeine! Byeee

[anjelicawrites]

My dearest love, can we have a thing of when Aemond realises he loves osferth and confesses to him about it when resder isn’t at home. AND OSFERTH ONLY JUST SMILES AND SAYS,ITS ABOUT DAMN TIME!

The whole process had been more complicated, the way life is most of the times.

Osferth, being the good person that he is, clocked on Aemond being a broken man, under the posturing, his temper and the old money, to the point that Aemond scheming to woo reader, flew all over his head! His own feelings for Aemond? They got muddled with Osferth simply caring for Aemond, because that's the good Christian thing to do!

Did Osferth find Aemond pretty? Yeah. That had happened with other guys in his life, that doesn't mean he's in love with Aemond, right? Eh, wrong, wrong, wrong, Osferth!

They slowly become closer and closer as Aemond's defenses crumble, until he realizes he's in love with Osferth, as well as with reader. It all feels so natural, so normal and just right, that he stops the questioning the horrid voice in his head is ready to fire, in order to poison him with doubts. He's in love with two people and there's nothing wrong with it, even though he's panicking when he tells his therapist first, reader second. He doesn't say a single thing to Osferth, because he doesn't think his feelings are reciprocated and doesn't want to make things weirder with the other man.

As for Osferth, his own feelings fly so high over his head, they might as well be residing in the stratosphere.

Until one afternoon when he's home alone, in his workshop to finish a project, when he almost breaks his own hand with a hammer, the second the realization strikes him and he loses his aim mid-movement.

He immediately calls reader, who is at work and almost gets an heart attack, because Osferth never calls when he knows she's busy, the only time that had happened was when Osferth got hospitalized, therefore she answers the call afraid that something bad has happened.

As soon as Osferth confesses to her, she tells him he's denser than a brick wall, the same way Aemond has been so please, she has work to do. Anyone but him and Aemond was able to see the love between the two of them, no big deal. Only love and respect matter here.

There's no actual verbal confession, just this long, slow kiss they share on Osferth's workbench one Sunday, before Osferth has to leave for Mass.

He goes to Church with this lovey dovey smile plastered on his face but not before telling Aemond it was about time they were sincere about their feelings.

[hehearse]

i see we're sending song suggestions again! i sent a few orv songs a while back, but it was before you'd finished the novel (which i had not realized at the time), so i want to try my hand at it again (plus with some sctir songs since you're into that now). there's gonna be a lot so please don't feel pressured to listen to them all at once (or at all!)

for orv:

everything in the dear hunter's all is as all should be album, but specifically the right wrong for yjh & all is as all should be (the song) for either sp or 51% kdj

reset me & take this lonely heart by nothing but thieves (yjh, arguably also kdj for the latter)

stories by lilli furfaro (The Themes)

icarus & apollo by ripto (yoohankim...)

mephisto by queen bee (this one goes SO hard. yjh)

for sctir:

always gold by radical face (this is The han brothers song to me. i love doomed siblings.)

against the kitchen floor by will wood (this one is primarily focused on the relationship yoohyun & hyunjae have with yoojin, and how that relates to their relationship with their humanity. the first verse/chorus is yoohyun, the second is hyunjae, and the rest of the song is yoojin. This one makes me so ill you have no idea)

honestly i'm still holding back but i don't just want to list out my entire playlists ... i hope you enjoy these ones!

HAPPENS TO THE BEST OF US NO WORRIES!! apparently i blended in well. :D

oh that's gonna be long. breaking it apart for structure purposes and also a read more cause feels appropriate FDSFCVS

-> orv

the right wrong by the dear hunter...

yeah checks out. yjh, always watched by kdj in one way or another. always remembering all his mistakes, letting them cling onto him as he goes through one regression after another. and then going back again and again, attempting to get rid of people who are yet to wrong him. yes yes... /crumbles/

all is as it should be. that's yjh. that's plotter. to me. gah.

is there even a need to elaborate. the cycle of regression, his self moving further and further from the patient zero if you will. the crash of stepping back into the first moments of that loop. watching his own self afterwards, wading through the 3rd turn. dooming himself in the 999th turn. something something biting his own tail and i am weak to it.

Nothing But Thieves - Take This Lonely Heart

this one is also. self explanatory isn't it. the story ended but yjh did not. what else is there to do. his purpose gone, his constellation gone. star-shaped hole in his chest aching, but the world is no longer the one that could fill it. there is comfort in the end of the world, you know what to do at any moment of your life, don't you? prevent it. save the world. but once you're done. what then huh. ehe. <- on the verge of death

Nothing But Thieves - Reset me

i hear you but consider this: yoohankim. first kdj - carrying the end in his pocket (literal) - the edited version of ways of survival, if you will. changing their luck - also literal. you know the drill then yjh - carrying so many ends (pardon the implications). carrying the pocket watch too - why not. carrying his sponsorship that leads him to his end etc etc then hsy of course - carrying wos for years and years, bringing forth the end of the world, the usual ^^ and they all attempt to look after each other, don't they? carrying each other's names and faces to the end of universe and back, bringing each other to life (or back to life). self explanatory i think.

lilli furfaro - stories - that one you are correct. the themes. orv in general. ehe. (<- sobbing)

ripto - icarus & apollo well.

something something. han sooyoung paving the way for yoo joonghyuk. and kim dokja leading him astray (to the epilogue). and him going back still. bangs my head against the wall. yoohankim....

queen bee - mephisto

consider this: yjh talking to kdj. reciting his own words at times. ehe... <- shaking but absolutely. yoo joonghyuk risking his life by making that regression his final one (liar). while kim dokja becomes something else in front of his eyes . ^^ almost leaving his turn for the 1863rd. salvation in form of betrayal. isn't that a love on shape of a lie? very kdj truly. ^^

-> sctir

ALWAYS GOLD ABSOLUTELY i think it cropped up before and you are very correct. that's them, the doomed siblings of all time.

will wood - against the kitchen floor

yeah there is nothing to add. you are correct. yoohyun first, hyunje second, yoojin in the end. and hyh and shj both changed due to love. i had a whole essay somewhere on them attempting to humanize their love for yoojin, but dooming him by doing that. and yet still being loved back. head in hands. and ogh yoojin as quicksand? yeah checks out. with all the s classes drowning in his love mhm. sounds about right. (and of course the overwhelming guilt for existing in others' lives.)

[sandcobangevent]

Clutch

by @sealbug and @iwantthatbelstaffanditsoccupant

“They really are beautiful. Pristine.”

“Erosion.”

“Hmm?”

“That’s what keeps them pristine. These cliffs are eroding far too rapidly for any colouration, let alone vegetation, to take hold before they crumble into the sea. This whole cliff is degrading beneath our very feet.”

“Hopefully not too fast, eh?” The words landed lightly enough, but if Sherlock had lifted the scarf John had tightly wrapped around his face to ward off the steady wind, he would have seen all levity had faded long before the sentence ended. “Look, can you… Can you just look fast so we can get out of here? I’m freezing my bollocks off.”

“Just a moment.”

“You’re sure about this?”

“I’m not at all sure about this. That’s why I want to investigate. His wife and his insurance agent, however, are a bit too sure about this.”

“It is the most common spot for suicides in England. Right up there with that spooky forest in Japan—”

“The Aokigahara Forest of Mt Fuji.”

“Yeah, the…Okahara Forest. And the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.”

“You’ve been researching on Wikipedia again, Watson.”

“So they’ve got it wrong again?”

“Not wrong exactly. Just, misleading. It’s a prime spot for jumping, certainly— 162 metre high cliff. Jumping from a height, however, is not exactly a popular method for ending one’s life. Roughly two percent choose that method, and only 23 people annually are found to have killed themselves at Beachy Head. Compare that to the close to 50 who do so in the Underground and you can see why I am not convinced. I believe he merely sought out a quiet seaside holiday. Ask any resident, and they will speak of the millions of visitors who do not have dark intentions.”

“I always thought insurance wouldn’t pay out if it was suicide.”

“They have an exclusionary period from the date the policy is signed—generally between one and two years. His underwriter was Royal London, which has a one year hold. We passed that threshold last week.”

“Maybe he waited till it passed. So his wife could get the money.”

“It is possible. But it is equally possible his wife waited the year to rid herself of him so she could get the money.”

“Yeah. Same difference, I guess. Well. Not really.” John paused and surveyed the landscape. There was no doubt the rolling hills leading to a sheer, chalk white cliff overlooking a surprisingly turquoise sea was beautiful, on the face of it. But John couldn’t help but feel a little queasy. “It’s still creepy, mate. Chilling.”

“I did warn you about dressing for the seaside climate.”

John considered clarifying that that was not what he meant by ‘chilling’, but decided against it. “You said a beach. Beaches are…warm and...lovely...and have Ferris wheels sometimes and Victorian prominades and such. This…is not a beach. This…is a cliff.”

“True. But that…” Sherlock gestured a full 162 metres downward, “…is a beach.”

“I don’t mind strolling along a beach. Bit of the ol’ sand between the toes.”

“Gravel.”

“Bit of the ol’ gravel between the toes. I wouldn’t mind being down there. But I don’t much care for being up here. And…could you not… Could you not lean over the edge like that? If you want to go examine the actual beach part of Beachy Head, I am more than happy to do so, Sherlock. Sherlock?”

“Hmmmm. There’s something down there.”

“Good, good, let’s go down there. Let’s go down there and have a closer look, shall we? I don’t— Sherlock!”

John watched as Sherlock plopped upon his belly and began moving, snake-like, toward the edge.

“Just a little hint of a hesitation…here.” He pointed to a divot in the grass. “Correct size shoe. Dragging slightly. He may not have been fully conscious. Drugging is a distinct possibility. Far too many people picnic here for us to determine if they had done so as well, though it is always possible a local shopkeeper might recall this particular couple grabbing a takeaway. And a…just a minute...”

“Sherlock! What are you doing? These cliffs are…Look you said yourself they aren’t stable, so can you please stop teetering on the edge of them?”

“Not going to teeter on the edge, Watson. Just want to get a closer look at some of the marks over here.”

John took a deep breath. Sherlock was, after all, flat on his belly, and somewhat unlikely to fall off. He’d seen him climb out of windows, onto rooftops, and up trees as confident as anyone could possibly be, but still, Sherlock and heights were simply no longer a good combination.

When he was a child, John had climbed a large oak and perched in the very top.  He had hidden there, laughing when his mum came outside,  puzzled as to why his friend was in the tree alongside the house but John was nowhere to be seen. She thought for sure she’d heard his voice moments before. ‘Where’s John?’, she’d asked, and his friend replied by pointing upward. Carol Watson’s eyes followed the path of his finger and finally spotted John in the sparse branches far above the roof. She grasped the doorframe tightly as her fear transformed into anger and told him to come right down for supper this instant. John hadn’t noticed how the branches had bent under his weight, even as an only moderately pudgy eleven-year-old. He had never been afraid of heights. What’s the danger in being high up? It’s not as if simply being high up means you’ll actually—

Fall.

John closed his eyes and breathed deeply, but all he could see behind those lids was Sherlock falling. He hadn’t seen it happen, of course, back then. He had been busy helping a young hiker hobble to their hotel on a twisted ankle. He had handed over his microphone, when Sherlock had insisted on recording “the ambience” for the podcast while John headed back, only to find it lying abandoned at the edge of the falls, red light still flashing. It had recorded only rushing water and an intermittent bit of Sherlock’s voice, indecipherable, and John was left to imagine the rest, which he did with surprising clarity. 

John saw him fall. As clearly as if it had happened before him. John saw him fall, over and over again, every night for months on end. In his dreams, sometimes he was battling a fierce monster, eyes blazing with fire, failing to vanquish the beast and save his friend. Other times, he was right behind Sherlock and stopped to tie his shoe, or to get an ice lolly from a magically-appearing truck. Always some absurd distraction, and he arrived too late to stop it but never, never too late bear witness. Not once did his mind spare him from the sight of watching Sherlock fall.   

Even now, as he closed his eyes in a futile attempt to calm himself, the image ‘greeted’ him. So much for quiet meditation. John quickly opened them in an attempt to remind himself of the here and now— a brief deescalation technique he had learned long ago. You had to look around, notice things, connect to the present using all your senses and concentrate on each one in sequence. He listened to the steady eb and flow of the tide, not the endless rushing of a waterfall. I am in Sussex. He smelled salty air, not a pine forest. I am in Sussex. He saw—

He saw Sherlock’s fingers, gripping tightly to the edge of a cliff. 

And then—almost as if he had imagined them—he didn’t see them anymore. 

John stared at the spot where chalk met grass, where Sherlock’s fingers had been gripping the edge less than a second before. He was rooted to the spot. Frozen. Unable to take a single step. To make a single sound. The scenery grew hazy and he heard a voice from far away.

“Watson? John? John?!!”

Hands reappeared on the edge of the cliff, followed by a foot, and then the rest of the strong and lithe body of Sherlock Holmes swung up over the edge and rolled onto the grass. 

John still did not move.

“John!!! I was wondering why you weren’t taking the threads I was extending to you. I… I thought perhaps someone else was up here— one of those patrolling Samaritans who try to dissuade jumpers— so I… John?”

Something finally broke the spell which had gripped him and John spoke, his voice breaking like the waves upon the rocks below. “Sherlock. It’s… It’s fine. I…I didn’t hear you. Sorry. Sorry. Was just…thinking about…something else for a bit there. What did you…What did you find?”

“Never mind that. What happened just now? What were—”

Then suddenly it all made sense. He couldn't believe it. He forgot. He forgot.

Sherlock had so many things he wanted to say. That he had peered over the edge and saw a small landing below. Not especially large, true, but one that would easily accommodate him. He needed only to swing toward it, to land neatly upon it. There was something there. Some fibres which resembled the scarf the insurance agent had been wearing. Perhaps enough to place him at the crime scene, perhaps not—but worth investigating. It was only a small jump. Not even a jump. Just. A drop. 

He forgot. He forgot.

And some of it… Some of it, he’d resigned himself to never knowing. That was fair. It had to be. John insisted Mariana not discuss any of it. She hadn’t told Sherlock about John’s request, but it had been obvious.

The message he left explaining The Plan had been sufficient. Had it? Did you explain? Or did you simply think you left that message, think you had told him, but had not. Flashes from Victor’s case invaded Sherlock’s thoughts. You believed you had told them your plan, but you had not. You cannot trust your memory. 

Memory. It was not just tricky, it was downright villainous at times. When John had failed to arrive at their rendezvous point, Sherlock had assumed he was still angry at the last-minute nature of it. One should always take advantage of such unforeseen moments, if they happen to arise naturally, to avoid a missed opportunity. One seldom gets a second chance.

It was not until Sherlock had returned to London that he had been able to reconnect with Wiggins, get back on his feet, and finally listen to the podcast. To know his message (it provided some relief that he had indeed left one) had never been truly received. Garbled, useless. How to explain what had happened without it sounding like an attempt at justification? An attempt to minimise the damage he had brought about. Impossible. 

John had broadcasted what he referred to as his Final Adventure, intending to end the podcast, but some listeners had convinced him to do otherwise. He occasionally released older cases, ones he had not yet edited. He had said they were ‘in the can’. Some were short and even lacked a complete solution, and these were difficult for Sherlock to listen to for more reasons than one. Occasionally, John would divert from the true crime format and interview vets— his original plan before Sherlock had derailed his life. Mariana was still there, though Sherlock sometimes wondered how long that could last before he cursed his stupidity for ever thinking Mariana would ever vanish once the cases were gone, or even if the entire podcast ended. Hearing both their voices was somehow equally comforting and distressing.

When he eventually decided he could no longer bear staying away, Sherlock managed to accept as an undeserved gift the genuine joy John had shown in discovering he was somehow alive. How that joy still existed, alongside the occasional, but dwindling, flashes of betrayal and anger, was something Sherlock was far too afraid to examine, lest it disappear in a puff of logic. He had clung to the hope that, in time, John might even forget. But no. It was Sherlock who had forgotten. Had forgotten what it would be like, to watch him disappear over the edge. He had ignored how John had been uncomfortable from the very first, doing his best to bury his feelings beneath a pile of babbling words and trite observations about the weather.  

But this moment, perched on a cliff in Sussex, was an opportunity also. A sort of second chance. A rewrite of the narrative, though Sherlock hadn’t considered it as such. He had only instinctively pulled his friend into his chest, feeling John grip his shirt as tightly as he himself had gripped the cliff’s edge moments before. But Sherlock was not about to let go this time, even as he felt a drop within his stomach. John burrowed into Sherlock’s shoulder, finding in his body a natural resting place, a shelter. 

So much he should say, all racing through his brain without any real form. Still, Sherlock only stood there, one arm across John’s shoulders and the other at the base of his neck, tucked beneath his scarf. John’s skin was so warm there. Warm and comforting, and he could feel John’s pulse beating against the edge of his own wrist. They stayed like this until neither of them felt the cold air surrounding them. Only the warmth in each other. 

“I’m s—”

“Love means never having to say you’re sorry, Sherlock.”

“What kind of a stupid phrase is that? Love means always having to say you’re sorry.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess it kinda is a rubbish film.”

“I’m sorry, John. For not thinking about how you’d be affected. And for having made an impulsive decision and assuming that decision could ever have made sense. Though I did attempt, with limited success, to—”

“I think…” John raised his head. “I think they meant love is never having to explain all about how you tried to fix things by leaving an inaudible message on a dodgy SD card and didn’t check up on it later. Clearly, that’s what Jenny meant to say.” John took a deep breath. “I’m sure you did. Try. It didn’t work and it doesn’t matter. I mean, yes, it matters. That you tried, matters. That it still hurts matters, too. What I mean to say is, I forgive you. And, what you went through, after? It must have been difficult for you, too.”

“Sneaking on the Shatabdi should have been a highlight of my life. Instead, it was absolutely miserable.”

“Good to know.” John rewrapped his scarf, placed his hand on the small of Sherlock’s back, and guided him back onto the path back to Eastbourne. “What’s a Shatabdi?”

“Train to Nepal.”

“Nepal. Sounds like quite the adventure.”

“No. It was a task. An unpleasant task. I only have Adventures when I’m with you.”

“How does ‘The Adventure of the Warm Fire and Sunday Roast’ sound? Inn’s down there somewhere.” John gestured with his head toward the path ahead rather than the cliff behind. “Onward?”

“Yes. Onward!” And Sherlock placed his hand on John’s back as well.

____________

Check it out on AO3 too!

[soapyghost]

EMBERS

Firefighter John Price x Fem! Reader

I constantly have Price brain rot so like have my horny thoughts. Hear me out- firefighter price. EH? EHHHH?? Ok fuck you im doing it :) Anyways- this is dedicated to my local fire department cuz they are FINE AF (i see yall at the grocery store how u doin)

So I’m planning on making this a series. A lil slow burn. Idk how many parts. Enjoy the ride. Lmk if you want to be put on the tag list.

Warnings: eventual smut!!! Fluff, fire, mentions of injuries, angst kinda? Use of Y/N. Let me know if I missed anything.

Tag list- @southernbluebellereader (thank you so much for letting me vent about this work ily)

Funny how the worst night of your life would lead you to the best night of your life. Waking up the the blaring sounds of an alarm, you roll over and blindly grab your phone. It couldn't be 7am already can it? You tap on the screen to reveal it's only 2:47am and that sound was not your alarm. It takes you a moment to realize the ear shattering sound is coming from the fire alarm in your kitchen.

Without thinking you fling yourself out of the embrace of the covers only to be met with thick, choking, black smoke. Sputtering you being to cough and eyes filling with tears as you drop to the ground. Crawling to the door on all fours you slowly make your way across the hard vinyl flooring. Again, you mindlessly grab the door handle only to immediately fall backwards onto your back at the searing pain now flowing through your hand. A scream escapes your mouth as you look down, and even in the dark of the room you can see the charred flesh of your hand.

This is it, you think, swallowing hard. This is how you go. Scared and alone in your shitty one bedroom apartment in the same shitty town you were born. They're going to find your body on the morning news, charred and nearly unrecognizable, wearing nothing but an oversized t-shirt and panties. You let out a sob as the tears begin to fall from your eyes, mixing with the soot in the air. The burning only adds to your hysteria. Curling up into the fetal position and rocking back and forth you wait for your end.

Suddenly the door to your bedroom is smashed open, wood chips flying everywhere. You scream again and fling your eyes open. Before you stands a giant, a monster. You let out another scream and begin shuffling backwards to the corner of the room. The large creature begins moving towards you and scoops you up like you were nothing. You'd come to terms with dying and becoming a crisp but not dying to a shadow. Squirming you try to get out of the iron clad grasp holding you bridal style. "I got one, she's alive" a voice comes from the monster. Its not until you're out in the hallway that you finally notice, its not a creature, not a monster, but a man.

Piercing blue eyes look down at you from the inside of a yellow hood, crinkling into a small smile. "It's going to be ok, shhh" the thick British voice says, muffled by the gas mask protecting his face. Gulping and holding back tears, you simply nod before putting your face into his chest.

Cold air hits your thighs as you breach the exit of the apartment complex. A gasp escapes your throat and goosebumps immediately cover your body. A small chuckle escapes the figure holding you. He sets you down on the grass, far out of the reach of the fire engulfing your home. You open your eyes to look upon your savior as he kneels down to remove his mask. When he does, the world seems to move in slow motion like one of those stupid commercials.

He's simply breathtaking, from his perfect blue eyes to the well groomed beard that graces his face. "You alrigh' luv?" he asks, reaching out a gloved hand to your shoulder. His voice shakes you out of your daze, back to the harsh reality that you are half naked on the grass outside the crumbling building you used to live in.

It's such a simple question, but after everything you've just been through, it hits like a ton of bricks and tears begin to well up in your eyes again. "Thank you" you hiccup out between sobs, holding tightly onto the hand on your shoulder. He grabs you and brings you into a tight embrace. The world stops, there's no more yelling, no more burning buildings, no more sirens. Its just you and him.

"Cap? You good?" a voice breaks through your fantasy, and you whip your head around to see yet another beautiful man. This one sporting a mohawk and beautiful hazel eyes. "All good here Soap, go." your savior commands. "Soap?" you croak, a huff of a laugh escaping you. Looking back to the man holding you together, a soft smile crawls upon your lips. "Ha, yeah. Long story. You never answered me luv, you alright?" he asks, pulling away slightly to look you over, suddenly realizing just how exposed you were.

Immediately he takes off his jacket and lays it on you, offering you some small form of coverage. "'M alrigh" you respond, breathless. Truth be told, you were far from alright, but that was all you could muster. The man smiles at you and begins to get up, but before you can think you reach out and pull him back, "please... please don't leave" you whisper. His eyes widen ever so slightly, before he holds you back. "Alrigh' luv I won't leave you, cmon'" he smiles, scooping you back up and taking you to the back of the ambulance.

Setting you down in the back, he readjusts the jacket to cover your lower half before looking back up into your eyes, "Names John" he says. You look up into the eyes of the man who just saved your life, "John" you say, testing out the feeling of his name on your tongue. "That's it luv, don't wear it out now ya 'ear?" he murmurs into your ear before finally untangling himself from you. A small whine escapes your throat at the loss of contact, and a blush rises up your face as you realize that he definitely heard it. He chuckles, "alrigh' love, I need to go back to my team, will you let the paramedics check you out?" he asks, looking deep in your eyes. You swallow thickly and nod, "will you come back?" you whisper, your face growing redder by the second. "Of course, luv" he says before cupping your cheek and smiling. He drops his hand, offering you one last smile before saying, “take good care of her eh Gaz?”. He turns his back and jogs back to the firetruck.

The paramedic begins to check you out, tending to your hand. He’s also good looking; tall, muscular and sporting a baseball cap. You notice he also has a slight accent. As he grabs the gauze to wrap your hand he says, “so you didn’t pay attention in school huh?” The remark catches you off guard and you simply blink in confusion at the man, did he really just ask you that? “You shouldn’t grab metal in a fire” he chuckles, finishing your hand and giving you a pat on the shoulder.

“Guess not huh” you respond sheepishly. Not only were you almost burnt to a crisp but now you’re getting chastised for not remembering elementary school training. “Ah, we all forget things in the moment. You’ll be ight” he smiles, placing his med kit back in the ambulance. You look down at the jacket covering your bare legs, it reads in all caps “PRICE”. John Price.

Johns smiling face rounds the corner just as Gaz finishes cleaning up, “how she lookin’ kid?” he asks, looking at you. “Ah she’ll be ight cap” Gaz responds, taking the unspoken hint to slip away and leave you two alone. You absentmindedly flex your hand, the feeling of the gauze on your hand unfamiliar and coarse.

“You alright sweetheart?” John kneels to be closer to your height, his eyes looking deep into yours. “Much better now. I don’t think I’ll ever forget to not touch metal” you laugh weakly. His laugh surprises you, deep and rich. The wrinkles by his eyes deepen as he laughs.

Now that the immediate threat of dying was over, you began to notice just how attractive John was. His muscles rippling underneath the tight long sleeve made your head spin. Or maybe it was the smoke inhalation. You could make out the salt and pepper greys in his beard and hair. And to top it all off, his beautiful blue eyes. You could get lost in them, you were lost in them.

A hand waves itself infront of your face and snaps you back to reality. You’d been caught and you blushed feverishly. “Luv?” John asked, “I asked ya a question.” “Oh ah uh. Sorry. Adrenaline” you answer, eyes darting to the concrete below, trying desperately to hide your face. “I asked if you got somewhere to stay?” He questions again. “Oh. Uhm. Yeah I can get a hotel.” You say, not quite sure how you’ll afford it but you really don’t have any option. “Well then, we’ll take ya” John smiles, holding out his hand.

You grab his hand and move his jacket so it’s resting on your shoulders. He leads you back to the fire truck where the rest of his crew is waiting. “Cap?” A man in a balaclava asks. “Were just taking.. hmm didn’t catch your name luv” John looks over to you. “Oh it’s Y/N” you say, blushing once again. “Beautiful. We’re dropping Y/N off a hotel” John states, recieving nods from his crew.

The ride there is quiet, John driving, the smell of smoke suffocating the cab of the truck. All the men looked exhausted, the one they called soap dozing off. But the man in the balaclava never took his eyes off you, never waivered. You found him odd, his stare unsettling you a bit.

When you finally make it to a hotel Soap wakes and opens the door for you, where John is waiting to help you down. He leads you into the lobby and before you can speak he says “one room for the lady please” to the receptionist. The woman behind the desk smiles and says, “sure thing John” before sliding him a key.

“But wait- I need to pay!” You exclaim. John simply laughs and extends his hand out again to lead you to your room. “No need to worry luv, this is on me” he smiles. You could get lost forever in that smile, would do anything to get to see it. The walk to your room seeming all too short, he drops your hand to unlock the door and holds it open for you.

“Get some rest alright?” He says, looking down at you. All the adrenaline has evaporated from your body and all you can think about is how comfortable that bed looks. You look up to him and whisper, “thank you.” He smiles again, before gesturing you inside. “Sleep well, luv’” he murmurs before closing the door and leaving you in the darkness of the hotel room.

You don’t even remember crawling into bed or even falling asleep. When you wake, you’re comfortably in bed still in John Prices jacket.

[a-very-bored-blogger]

loved.

pairing: johnny 'soap' mactavish x afab! reader

word count: 1.28k

genre: angst, hurt to comfort? insecurity speaking??

notes: this was supposed to be for secret Santa for @kitkatscabinet!! i love you so much and I am so goddamn sorry if this sounds so fucking rushed right now!!! ill update it soon because I do plan to make it longer!

You didn’t know what you had witnessed. Everything was crumbling apart. This was not how things were supposed to go. You never expected things to go this way, and yet it did. 

You have been together with Johnny ‘Soap’ Mactavish for a couple of months now, and knowing how terrifyingly difficult his job is, you knew that you shouldn’t ask much regarding his work or what it is he does. 

Yet every day spent with him forces a thought to linger around your head, making you question whether or not you’re good enough.

The thought swallows you whole.

“Love, you alright there?” his eyes averted to yours as he gently picked up your palm. He takes it, putting it against his cheek, leaning to the warmth of your palm. Your confused look immediately turned into one with a smile. 

His cerulean blues looked back at you, an almost puppy-like smile staring down at you. Innocent as he is, his feelings are deep and real. You were his safe anchor, his escape from all this ratched madness whirling in his life. You can’t ruin his safe haven. You need to be perfect for this man. 

So you gobbled up those thoughts and sealed them away in a box.

 “I’m alright. Just some thoughts on my mind. Nothing to worry about.” You uttered, a slight gulp erupting to your throat. A fake smile still lingers on your face. 

He moves closer, leaning against your body on the sofa. The soft, warm lights illuminated his features, his scruffy beard, his messy mohawk, and his shit-eating smile. God, he was fucking perfect.

Or so you thought.

September 4th- was your boyfriend’s birthday. You have organized a party just for him. A surprise and everything. You do know about his killer sweet tooth,  so a chocolate cake with vanilla frosting was ordered from his favorite bakery. You invited his mates and some of yours to help you organize this beautiful celebration.

Everything was coming together so well.

The lights were off, and soft, sudden footsteps were heard from outside the door. You hid underneath the table before hearing a familiar jangle of keys.

“Surprise!” you all chanted in joy. The absolute shock in his face was shown as you slowly came up to him to welcome him in a tight embrace, capturing him in a tight-locked kiss. It was beautiful passionate, and everything stood still for a second. You could hear the chants and cheers of everyone else coming from the background, yet you both couldn’t care. Your love for each other was unstoppable.

Your boyfriend broke open the kiss. He smiles solemnly before chanting out. "Thanks, love. You're the fucking best, eh?" were what he said before being swooped over by a crowd wishing him a very amazing birthday. 

You laughed and snickered. On your right hand was a glass of wine, swirling through the cusps of your fingers as you laughed along with your coworker. 

Your brain got a bit fuzzy, having to excuse yourself to the bathroom after too many drinks. You gasped as you could not believe what you were seeing.

Behind the curtains of the living room was a silhouette of a figure with a mohawk, similar to your boyfriend’s, caught in a locked kiss with a long haired woman.. Your eyes couldn’t believe it. You rushed out, tears falling, puffy red cheeks and all. It was a horrid sight. You couldn’t take it any longer.

You ran back to your old flat, keys jangling, before jumping on to the couch, bawling your eyes out. Your suspicions were true. You weren’t good enough for him. He chose someone else- you are not what he wants. You knew that someone loved you for once- it all felt too good to be true.

You opened your phone, your eyes darting onto the small red text that writes out:

“10 missed calls from ‘Johnny <3’.” 

You didn’t care anymore. All your feelings warbled into one as the only thing that came out were more tears. It was over between you two; it doesn’t matter anymore.  He has made his choice- you weren’t good enough for him.

A few days passed, endless amounts of coffee cups stacking on top of each other on your kitchen sink. The circles beneath your eyes darkened. You have almost completely ignored your Whatsapp entirely, coming close to anger every time you see Johnny’s contact call or text you for what seems like the millionth time. 

He wasn’t wrong though- you deserved nothing, after all right? You try to shove those thoughts out, tell yourself that he’s the jerk, he’s the asshole for betraying your trust, stabbing your heart and ripping it to shreds just like that. Your inner demons were eating you whole. 

It felt like drowning once again. The feelings were about to arise once again, tears choking out of your eyes as they start to puff up for a thousandth time. 

The doorbells rings. Once or twice, ringing constantly, until you hear a constant bang on the door. Then, you hear it.

“Open up, aye! Sweetheart come on, talk to me please!” a thick Scottish accent grumbled from out of your door.

Your mind raced back, remembering what he just did, and what he does deserve- a girl like that. Yet, your heart aches, wanting to just be with him. 

Taking a deep breath, a few steps forward is what you take, before opening the door. 

And there it was- your unofficial ex boyfriend- Johnny Mactavish, out in the flesh like you expected. He didn’t look good either, similar looking eyebags to yours, a stained white shirt and some old jeans, as well as some unkept hair.

You both weren’t in the best state- and it shows. 

He looks up, and down to you realizing what a mess it is he has made.

“Tell me what it is I’ve done wrong.” Johnny states. 

You were astounded. The logic isn’t making clicking in your head. He would’ve apologized by now if he did cheat on you, but instead he’s confused. He’s guilty, as told from his apparel, and he hauled his ass to come to see you- there’s something wrong.

You gulped. “Come in. “

His eyes scanned the room, seeing the stains on your carpet, the untidy blankets and the scattered items on the floor.

You sat down on the couch, motioning for him to sit as well.

“I saw you…kissing another woman…well a silhouette of you.” You uttered, directly. 

His eyes widened, and his mouth quivered, a lost of words. Disbelief ran over his face as a whirlwind of emotions washes him through entirely.

"Love, that was my mother." He says plainly, holding out your hand, watching as guilt eats away your body. 

He was certainly not expecting the hug you were attacking him with. 

Tears ran over your face, as 'sorry's were repeated over and over again, as you hid yourself on the crook of his neck. 

"Lovie, don't be sorry…I'm here now, that's what matters." He whispered, rubbing your back in circles with his palm, pushing you closer. 

Breathing and sniffling, you took a deep breath before articulating your words. 

"I…just thought you…were making out with someone, cause I thought I wasn't good enough for you…" you uttered softly. 

Johnny sighs, closing his eyes before shaking his head. 

He puts a palm on your cheek, caressing it slowly before kissing your head lovingly. "Don't ever say that. I date you because you're the best fucking thing that has ever happened to me. " 

You wiped your tears before asking once again. 

"Really?" 

He nods. 

"And I'll show you how much I fuckin' mean it." He utters, before dragging you back onto his lap.

[conkreetmonkey]

Bug was sent to your door for trick or treating

For the second day in a row, a figure was standing before the old submarine-style bulkhead, and once again it announced itself with a knock, what would have been a loud, hollow clang muffled by a thick pair of dark brown gloves, resulting in a dull metallic clunk.

"Trick or treat!" a rough yet polite voice called out in an enthusiastic yet contained half-shout, as if trying to make up for the weak knock but not wanting to full-on yell.

This visitor, unlike the last person to knock on that door, was not looking around confused, nor was it unsure of how it got there. It had come to the old door willingly, its trick or treating intentional rather than being commited in some sort of hazy fugue state. Indeed, this person was much unlike the last, not only in behaviour but in appearance as well, not looking at all out of place in the dimly-lit concrete hallway clad in crumbling institutional tiles, foul green slime accumulating under leaking iron pipes that snaked up and down the walls like metal ivy.

In other words, the creature standing there looked like a freaky-ass mad scientist.

It stood with its heavy-gloved hands behind its back, legs straight and chest forward with a polite grin that would have been charming if its teeth didn't look like it routinely gargled with pesto. Its broad, stout frame was clad in some sort of boxy lab jacket which hung down to its knees, made from a thick material coloured in a dull, unpleasant off-yellow reminiscent of creamed corn or rotten old wallpaper glue. Splatters of snot green something-or-other clung to its scuffed surface, long since having dried into rubbery, crusted-on stains. The jackets black buttons were fastened up to the top, a large circular collar snugly obscuring the wearers entire neck. Its sleeves were tucked into the gloves, and baggy canvas pants of army green were tucked into a heavy pair of brown leather work boots. No skin was showing below the chin, and the thick, loose-fitting nature of the entire outfit made it hard to discern much about the body underneath, aside from it being of a short and stocky sort. Its stature communicated confidence, intelligence and poise.

The thing inhabiting the outfit, of course, was a complete fucking freak.

Olive green skin clashed against ginger hair, sitting dry and frizzy against the back of the neck in a shoulder-length side part and growing on the face in thick yet uneven patches. Acne pocked the orcish humanoid's face, red pimples clashing against the earthy green and copper. The eyes were obscured behind opaque black welding goggles that rested atop a large nose and were fastened with a grey strap. With a broad rounded jaw, short forehead and prominent canines, the being simultaneously looked like a mutant created in a lab and like he created mutants in a lab, and would have looked just as natural being the monster strapped to a metal platform as it would being the mad doctor who flipped the switch, bringing the monster to life.

This goblin-like creature, reeking of formaldehyde and burning rubber, stood patiently just outside the metal door, its eyes lighting up with excitement as the valve in the center began to turn. With a series of mechanical squeaks and the creak of metal hinges, the door slowly slid open, revealing a familiar freak with wild pink hair and skin the colour of a spent fuel pool. Fitting, since he was munching on a stick of enriched uranium like it was a cucumber, glowing crumbs of neon yellow clinging to his lips as his face lit up with the joy of seeing a friend.

"Eh, Bugbug! Happy Halloween!" the blue thing said, wiping dangerously radioactive flecks of pure cancer onto his shirt with his hands, it lifting to reveal a definitionless belly with a slight nuclear glow shining through it from the inside, murky shadows of anomalous organs briefly visible before a curtain of thick green fabric obscured it once more. "It's not often you come to my door looking for a tasty treat!" he joked with a slight chuckle, the entire inside of his mouth stained flourescent highlighter yellow. Bug was less than amused, but it held its tongue. It and he both knew that it just couldn't stay mad at the little scamp, no matter how often he broke into its lab to slurp radioactive waste from sealed nuclear barrels, chug unattended beakers of biohazardous ooze, or munch on Bug's secret stash of yellowcake briquettes. The guy had a good heart, it knew, and as often as Bug grabbed him by his shirt collar to scream obscenities in his face and threw test tubes at him, it knew he was just a silly little guy, a lovable goober particularly prone to the toxic munchies, and its furious reactions were all in good fun, a slapstick game of cat and mouse that they both enjoyed.

Or at least that's what the blue thing believed. It was possible that Bug felt different, but he wouldn't know. He'd just assumed Bug hadn't really meant any of it, and fully anticipated his little snack seshies.

Pinching its nose, Bug took a deep breath and regained its happy expression. It was trick or treating, and it was out here to have fun; no use thinking about all the locks it still had to replace. "Happy Halloween, Conky!" it said, its cheery grin truly genuine. "Ah, hold on, I've got just the thing for you!" Conky said, holding up one finger as he reached behind the door, set his fuel rod down on something, and grabbed something else, plopping it down in Bug's hand with an excited grin.

It was a single breakfast sausage, cooked but cold, with little bits of dirt stuck to it.

"Happy Halloween!" Conky said, before pulling his door shut and turning the valve from the inside, leaving Bug alone in the gloomy little concrete box that Conky called his front doorstep.

After staring at its small greasy "prize" for a few moments, Bug started back up the stairs.

[celestiall0tus]

Into Another World - Black Cats

Table of Contents

Cast:

Lady Noire (Miraculous AU) || Kuro Neko (Salvation) || Chat Noir (Absolution || Luka (Of Virtue and Sin) || Luka (Scions) || Cath Palug (All That Remained) || Razor (Siren's Song) || Fang (Say My Name) || Midnight (Amaranthine) || Sith (Paradise) || Chat Noir (Bloody Bug) || Felix (Court of Miracles) || Adrien (Rapture)

            Gateways in the sitting room between worlds lit up. Portals spun and people emerged from them all in various black cat-themed outfits. They eyed each other suspiciously when Lady Noire gasped.

            “Oh my, look at all the other black cats!”

            The others eyed Lady Noire suspiciously as she circled each of them. Scions Luka furrowed his brow, then widened his eyes.

            “Oh! I remember all this, but I don’t remember you,” Scions Luka remarked.

            “I wasn’t there, but my boyfriend was. A ladybug called Lord Bug.”

            “Oh! I remember the little twink. He was with the giant bee lady.”

            Lady Noire nodded. “He showed me the pictures he got of all of you. I’m so excited to talk to you guys. Come, come!”

            Lady Noire and Scions Luka took a seat. The others shot glances at each other before they took their seats.

            “I must say, I do remember meeting your little Lord Bug. Would that happen to make you Marinette?” Rapture Adrien asked.

            Lady Noire nodded. “We had switched miraculous because he was turned into a murderous monster while transformed. So, we switched so we could avoid that, and to give him some time to, y’know, recover mentally. It was… it was really hard on him.”

            Fang grinned, sat on the other side of Lady Noire, and put his arm around her. “Marinette, eh? Say, you have nicer legs than mine. What time do they open?”

            Court of Miracles Felix, Sith, and Kuro Neko moved to stand when Lady Noire decked Fang in the face. Fang yowled, stood, and backed away. Lady Noire stood and kicked Fang in the groin. Fang let out a guttural scream and crumbled to the floor.

            “Maybe once you learn to treat a person with more decency, then we can talk,” Lady Noire hissed as she took a seat.

            Scions Luka laughed and clapped Lady Noire on the back. “Wonderful job, lass. I was a little worried your guard cats would have to handle him.”

            Lady Noire tilted her head as she looked at Felix, Sith, and Kuro Neko. “Is everything ok?”

            “Just… not used to seeing Marinette, well, a Marinette I suppose, being so… aggressive?” Felix remarked.

            “Yeah. I mean, the Marinette I know can stand her ground, but not like that,” Sith said.

            “I’ve seen my Marinette played into a corner and forced on a leash for a horribly, manipulative man,” Kuro Neko hissed.

            “Oh. I’m sorry that’s how your Marinettes are, but I don’t have whatever circumstances they do. I sort of need to be strong for my team. I lead it with my darling kitten, well, bug. I have to keep my head high, even if I’m not at my best. I need to be their rock no matter what. If I fall apart, I fear we’ll all fall apart,” Lady Noire explained.

            “Very noble of you. Much like Marinette. Though she is heir to the throne of an empire. Weaknesses are not allowed when all eyes are on you,” Adrien pointed out.

            “Royalty or even just being a superhero. I’ve had to deal with the public and their opinions, along with the enemy taking advantage of them. It is… well, exhausting is a gross understatement,” Lady Noire said.

            Absolution Chat Noir snorted. “Please. Handling the public isn’t that hard. Maybe you shouldn’t be in the public’s eye if you can’t handle it.”

            Lady Noire bristled. “I am a mere high school student, thrust into a double life as a superhero. My job is to protect the people and stop my enemy. I don’t have time for the public, but have to make time. Maybe you shouldn’t be such an attention whore if you clearly love being in the public’s eye.”

            “Agreed. Your job is always the people first. If you feel the need to please the public, you’re not doing your job,” Midnight hissed.

            “Oh, get off my case! I have to keep the public happy with a crazy ass butterfly running rampant,” Absolution Chat Noir hissed.

            “Oh, you think you’re fucking special with a crazy ass butterfly? I had to watch thousands of people die to mine. He would have erased everyone off the face of the Earth if not for me and Carmine. Thanks to us, and later a golden dragon, we were able to stop him. So, don’t think you’re special. If anything, you’re just a massive, whiny bitch!” Midnight yowled.

            “All this whining reminds me of Adrien,” Felix hissed.

            “Hey!” Adrien hissed.

            Felix tsked. “I’m not wrong. I hear the same bitching from my Adrien that I’m hearing right now.”

            “Ugh, same. My cousin does nothing but bitch about how his little Marinette broke his little heart. I usually leave the phone alone when he goes off on a rant of how he’ll win her back, or something like that,” Cath Palug added.

            Lady Noire flinched. “Uh, that’s, uh, interesting? What happened there?”

            “Oh, hell if I should know. Just that Marinette changed after she got the reality kwami, and then started dating Luka,” Cath Palug remarked.

            “Oh. Well, that’s… rather sad. Why didn’t she go with him and Luka? And Kagami as well?” Lady Noire asked.

            “Because clearly that Marinette has some class and isn’t some whore,” Cath Palug commented.

            Lady Noire’s pupils narrowed into slits. “Excuse me?”

            “I have to agree. If you feel the need for more than one partner, you might as well spread your legs open to invite everyone in,” Felix added.

            Lady Noire’s ears pinned back as she hissed. She took a step when Fang shot to his feet and pulled her close to him.

            “If you’re open for business, I could show you a heaven better than any other version of myself,” Fang teased.

            “In. Your. Dreams!” Lady Noire yowled.

            Kuro Neko hissed and lunged with Lady Noire and attacked Fang. The trio wrestled around the couches until Kuro Neko and Lady Noire hoisted Fang over their heads. Fang squirmed as a portal opened up. Kuro Neko and Lady Noire threw Fang through it and it closed behind him.

            “Thank you for-,” Felix started.

            Kuro Neko and Lady Noire approached Felix and decked him in the face.

            “Don’t think we forgot about you, asshole!” Lady Noire yowled.

            “What gives you any right to judge how people love?” Kuro Neko challenged.

            “Yes, indeed. What gives you such right, cousin,” Adrien cooed.

            “Zip it, Adrien. I don’t want to hear it from my version of you, or any of you. Far as I’ve learned, you’re all a bunch of whores,” Felix hissed.

            “Hey! Not all of us are in polycules! Even if we aren’t, that doesn’t mean we disprove of it,” Bloody Bug Chat Noir yelled.

            “You clearly need to get off your high horse and get that stick out of your ass,” Scions Luka remarked.

            “I think it’s time to take out the rest of the trash,” Sith hissed.

            Felix stood and braced himself. “Try it.”

            Kuro Neko and Lady Noire took a step when Of Virtue and Sin Luka grabbed Felix by the scruff and threw him out through a new portal. Of Virtue and Sin Luka rolled his shoulders, then looked at Cath Palug and Absolution Chat Noir.

            “Are we going to disrespect these young ladies anymore?” Of Virtue and Sin Luka growled.

            Cath Palug shook his head.

            “Define ‘disrespect,’” Absolution Chat Noir mocked.

            Of Virtue and Sin Luka glared at Absolution Chat Noir, grabbed him by his scruff, and threw him out. He huffed and sat down again.

            “Thank you for getting rid of them. They were, well, annoying would be generous,” Lady Noire said.

            “More than annoying. Just a pair of pompous bluebloods and whatever that sleaze was,” Razor hissed.

            “Yeah. I haven’t had to deal with someone like that since, well, since the Felix I know. Granted he’s also a serial killer and did technically kill me once, but it’s fine. I got better,” Lady Noire half-heartedly joked.

            Kuro Neko growled, scooped up Lady Noire, and sat down with her. She cradled Lady Noire while she shot warning glares at the others. Tears formed in Lady Noire’s eyes as she curled around Kuro Neko. Sith tilted her head and crawled closer, then curled up near Lady Noire.

            “My, how sweet. Perhaps we should leave the girls be. Yes, gentlemen, and lady?” Adrien said.

            “Whatever. As long as I don’t have to deal with it,” Razor remarked.

            “I have to agree with him. I’m not the best with the feelings stuff. I do better smashing things,” Scions Luka boasted.

            “Barbarian,” Of Virtue and Sin Luka hissed.

            “Why, how’d you know?” Scions Luka teased.

            “Wait, are you really?” Chat Noir asked.

            “Indeed! I am a mighty warrior and defender of my village. At least, until I was blessed by the almighty kwami god of destruction. At that point, my path was set and adventure called. Though what I hoped to call adventure is more babysitting my reckless twin,” Scions Luka explained.

            “What’s wrong with Juleka?” Of Virtue and Sin Luka demanded.

            “Oh, she just hates being doted on. I mean, what else am I supposed to do? She’s small and dainty. Prize pickings for any bandit or highwayman. I can’t even begin to count all the times she’s nearly been kidnapped because she won’t listen to reason. Made worse that she was blessed by Creation, so she’s more a prize than she ever was before. And she still looks for danger. What am I supposed to even do?” Scions Luka complained.

            “Appease her. So long as you meet her demands, she settles down,” Of Virtue and Sin Luka advised.

            “I can’t do that, because she wants me gone. And if I’m gone, I can’t keep her safe from herself. I can’t win no matter what.”

            “Maybe you should try leaving her alone?” Chat Noir suggested.

            “No!” Of Virtue and Sin Luka and Scions Luka yelled.

            Chat Noir flinched and shrank back.

            “I have to agree with the kid. No woman wants to feel like she’s constantly being looked down on. Especially one as independent as that. The more you push, the more she will too. You’re just guaranteeing that she’ll ditch you and really get herself in trouble,” Midnight commented.

            “Might as well keep her caged up in a prison at that point,” Razor remarked.

            Scions Luka hummed. “That’s not a bad idea.”

            “That’s… that’s not what you should do,” Adrien remarked.

            “And why not? At least that way she’s safe. No one can hurt her,” Of Virtue and Sin Luka added.

            “Except for you,” Chat Noir shot back.

            “Excuse me? What did you just say, tiny?” Of Virtue and Sin Luka demanded.

            Chat Noir shrank back, shook himself, then sat up. “You heard me. No one wants to be trapped. You’ll make things worse for you and her if you do.”

            Lady Noire raised her hand. “I can agree. My Adrien was trapped in his house by his father. He didn’t get better once he was out and free.”

            “And I have to see my bee and my kitten trapped with myself while we watch our bug be free,” Kuro Neko hissed.

            “And I was trapped in a country that wasn’t my home, stuck with people that barely tolerated my existence, and unable to break free until I was given a miracle,” Sith added.

            “I was stuck under my father’s thumb, unable to break free from his control or dare disobey him,” Cath Palug remarked.

            “Exactly. You can’t honestly believe keeping her trapped is remotely close to a good idea after hearing all this,” Midnight commented.

            “Sounds more like a bunch of bitches whining,” Razor muttered.

            “Excuse m-!” Midnight started.

            “I agree. If you’re willing to suffer like that and not do something to change it, then you deserve to suffer,” Of Virtue and Sin Luka said.

            “Exactly. Only the strong prevail. If you’re not strong, then you might as well die,” Razor agreed.

            “Do you fucking hear yourselves? How can you even call yourselves heroes if you hold such views?” Midnight challenged.

            “I don’t. This ring was given to me by Otso and Megalodon after they saved me. Not that I asked her to help, but she still did anyway. Not like it was her business, but whatever. But I was given it and I’m making it everyone else’s problem for everything ever done to me,” Razor hissed.

            “You dare call us whiny bitches, but have you looked in the mirror lately?” Kuro Neko hissed.

            “You know what? Fuck this. I’m out,” Razor hissed.

            A portal opened and Razor took his leave.

            Midnight snorted and turned to Of Virtue and Sin Luka. “And what’s your excuse?”

            “I’m a mob boss,” Of Virtue and Sin Luka answered.

            “A… what? How did you even get a jewel? I thought they were all supposed to be good and be used for good,” Chat Noir pointed out.

            “Not all. There are some with dastardly concepts such as animosity, betrayal, fear, sorrow, and so much more. Not all kwamis are here to help. Even those that are fall victim to the whims of their holders,” Lady Noire explained.

            “Exactly. That’s not even getting into how the kwamis can corrupt their holders as well,” Sith hissed.

            “Corrupt? I… I don’t understand,” Chat Noir said.

            “Then you are a fool to wield a kwami without knowing the first thing about it. Perhaps you should do yourself the favor and let Plagg go to the next holder that can handle him,” Of Virtue and Sin Luka hissed.

            “Wait. How can you let a kwami blessing go? You are stuck with that for life once you’re blessed,” Scions Luka asked.

            “Not all are blessed, barbarian. The rest of us wear a ring and transform to use the power of destruction,” Midnight answered.

            “Speak for yourselves. I was born with this blessing,” Adrien remarked.

            Midnight rolled her eyes. “Alright, some of us have to use jewels while the lucky princesses around here get to be blessed.”

            Adrien beamed. “Why, thank you.”

            “Princess? I’m no princess! I’m a warrior!” Scions Luka protested.

            Midnight deadpanned. “Right, well, I’ve had my fill. I’m leaving.”

            Portals opened along the walls. Midnight leapt over the couch and through the nearest portal. Cath Palug and Chat Noir slipped away through a portal. Adrien shrugged and left. Lady Noire lifted her head, kissed Kuro Neko’s check, then led them to a portal. They shared a goodbye kiss before they stepped through together. Sith shot a glare at the Lukas before she scrambled through a portal. The Lukas lingered a moment longer before they got up and left.

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[wisteriasymphony]

tell us of the failed adrientte plz

Okay, so we have to go into the TWEOS lore with this one, irrefutable fact:

Adrien and Marinette were supposed to be made for each other.

This is because, like in canon, the miraculouses work better with strong bonds and like. In canon Adrinette is brought up multiple times to be the best relation to ever ship. In TWEOS, this is basically the kwamis playing matchmaker with their paper dolls. Because, in essence, that is what all holders are to them.

This is why both Marinette and Adrien display obsessive tendencies, albeit towards different people—The idea was that they'd latch onto one person (each other), and then it would stick.

Instance 1: Marinette latched onto Adrien long before she ever got her Miraculous.

The issue: She latched onto the idea of him marketed by Gabriel. No umbrella scene whatsoever. Adrien is her celebrity crush that she loves as if she's been in a years-long committed relationship.

Instance #2: Adrien latched onto... Claudia.

The issue: Not Marinette. Very much not Marinette. Despite everything any of the kwamis (or anyone else in Adrien's life) could ever do to pry him away from Claudia, Adrien will refuse to budge. He was practically designed to be a codependent partner, and it will show.

Next point—Because Adrinette is endgame, neither Marinette nor Adrien can have a fulfilling relationship before that. So Luka, Marinette's "fake" boyfriend, is an asshole who wants to have his cake of the Viperbug celebrity pairing and also be a womanizing local rockstar. Likewise, Kagami, Adrien's betrothed, never clicks with him, and her limited perspective means she's unwilling to fully relate to him without reflecting on the ways her mother has lied to her.

(There's also parallels between Kagami and Marinette in terms of their view of Adrien, even though the reverse between Luka and Adrien isn't as strong since Adrien has never really considered Marinette as a romantic interest. —unless, of course, that's the parallel in which case we found it!)

"But Wis, Claudia and Adrien are working out?"

...............eh. I can't even safely say they don't make each other worse, just that they're not getting worse alone. Also, by the point that Claudia and Adrien accept that they're a thing (and Claudia starts to close off because she suddenly realizes her flirtations have consequences), the scaffolding is already crumbling and also on fire. It would take a miracle for Adrinette to be healthy at that point, and yet Plagg and Tikki are still trying to get the Adrinette train back on track.

But they will fail.

@nocturnal-notes , because you like when i analyze my own stuff!

(other claudrien nation tags possibly pending, if i think it'd be worth it)