#need to catch it. with a net maybe. like those ones that they always show ppl catching butterflies and junk with on shows. pspsppspspspspsp

[s-sextape]

i am writing an accidental haiku to attract haiku bot

[lessi-lover]

teenage drama II k.cooney-cross x russo!reader ~

(did you miss me cause i missed you) maybe a series 😉 ... but you'll never know? #even pests need love!

★ teenage drama II k.cooney-cross x russo!reader

your sister smirked cheekily as she expertly dribbled the ball past your much smaller legs, slotting it effortlessly in the net a laugh falling from her curled lips as she turned back to see you flinging your head back in defeat.

"lessi please can we play something else? football is so boring!" you groaned, tugging on your sister's arm before she went to collect the ball to play again. "i dare hear those words come out your mouth again! or you'll be banned from movie night, you hear me!" she threatened with a wag of her finger.

the blonde knew just how much you loved movie night, lately it had become one of her many threats to her easily gullible enough sister once she realised how she could manipulate so simply. she didn't really have that kind of power but it was fun for your older sister to feel as high and mighty as her older brothers seemed to be.

your older sister who would make you run around the garden until you both collapsed on the ground in tired smiles, your mother calling out from inside that dinner was ready, the older woman chuckling as she watched you finally catch a breath.

your older sister who would pick your tiny frame off the ground and into her arms as she carried you inside to the table, shaking you out of your sleep as you dozed of in her hold. your older sister who would beg you to join the games night after dinner she had planned for weeks only to fall asleep in your bed the second you dragged her off to your room.

it was safe to say being the youngest russo was easily the most dangerous spot at the table, although your older siblings always argued that the love you recieved as the last grandchild was surely enough to make up for the countless unwanted tackles and jabs you copped from them.

being dubbed as "the nice one" you tried your best to stay out of the russo family wrestling matches, seemingly always the first to attempt breaking your older brothers out of quite literally clashing each others heads together, your older sister only spurring them on as she cheered from beside a worried you.

"go gio go! watch out for his arms you git!" she would squeal moving to jump on top of the sofa quickly out of the way as luca grabbed his younger brother in a headlock, the both of them rolling around all over the floor.

sure you and alessia fought not much differently to your brothers and not much differently to those of your friends, when the older girl would force you to play football with her for hours on end, as she sliced the ball past you almost taking your head with it.

and sure the england forward could make you think twice before telling her your weekend plans to see some of your mates when she would then proceed to show up with her own friends blasting the loudest music you'd ever heard. a shout from her car that "your lift had arrived!" embarrassing you to no end as she cheekily waved you over.

it was not long after that incident that you got your finally your own car three years later and suddenly your lifts from the older blonde were not required, so the blonde had decided you now needed to have a coffee date every sunday to catch up with her younger sister.

although a childhood friend of hers always tagged along and that saved you enough to not have to hear her boastful stories in your ear ever five seconds, though you claimed the older girl hyped herself up just to get on your nerves.

and even if the clumsy girl could be the biggest pain in your ass on a good day, you really did love your her and people would say the two of you would do anything for each other, to the ends of the earth they would say.

but she really could be a pain in your ass.

~

like right now.

"alessia i know how to be an adult! i don't need you on my ass every five seconds!" you seethed. crossing your arms moodily over your chest, ignoring her offer of a piece of gum and focussing on the cars speeding past.

"helicopter parent you are." you mumbled under your breath, smacking away her attempt to give you a hug with a huff. "i heard that!" she whined, giving you an amused smile as she continued driving home.

you sighed looking out the window, your eyes following the curves and edges of each familiar house as you drove past. "okay i'm sorry. can you forgive me!" she grinned with a pout, gripping your wrist over the console as she dragged out her words.

"fine but only because i owe you a coffee and this will cover the cost." you answered begrudgingly, pinching her arm to let go as the blonde let out a cheer and turned the volume of the music up.

you had never enjoyed football growing up, you knew your interests lay elsewhere from a young age. so whilst your siblings played rough house with each other in the garden, you preferred to spend time on your own. tucked away inside with a book often whilst your mother made dinner, the older woman listening to any and every thought of your for hours on end.

and as your siblings weekends began filling with games and tournaments, you now sat in the crowd still buried in your book, head lifting every so often when you would hear your father's loud cheers. different matches every saturday, travelling to the far ends of the country to support your siblings, but no matter how far you were always there for them.

when your sister had made the move over to states, you'd missed her greatly and if it wasn't for your brothers convincing that you needed to focus on your studies you were confident you would have nearly failed your last exams.

it wasn't long before you finished your final exams that you made the decision to move over to london to start your career in the business world. suddenly things began to become clearer, you knew your path lay elsewhere from your siblings.

your passion for business and entrepreneurship had been a driving force throughout your studies, and the opportunity to start your career in london was too good to pass up.

you'd of course settled in easily to the busy life of living in london, smoothly finding your feet as you were quick to immerse yourself in the fast work environment, joining a large company which offered you the chance to learn from experienced entrepreneurs.

now back to present day, you still hadn't taken your older sisters advice to finally take being part of a footballing family in your stride and you were still adamant that your days of kicking footballs with the blonde in the garden were long behind you.

it was through your company that you were able to secure a job at adidas by leveraging your experience from your previous company and network in the business world.

your reputation for innovative thinking and partnerships caught the attention of adidas' acquisition team, who were seeking fresh individuals for their corporate division. it was only after a series of successful collaborations which drove impactful projects, you were offered a high role within the company.

however things looked a lot different now, your sister had now finally moved back from the states and moved through the ranks to what she described as one of the top teams in europe, her training grounds only a mere fifteen minute drive from your apartment.

but given your new company's strong connections with many football teams, you found yourself collaborating with arsenal, or more familiar to you; your sisters club.

failing to realise how much of a pain your sister still was you had offered to help coordinate an event for the team, told by your marketing director to bring your skills to the table.

"right we're here grumpy pants, do you want my jacket in the back? bloody freezing this morning." she grumbled, zipping up her own jacket as she turned the engine off.

"no i'll be fine thanks." you replied, giving your sister a cheeky smile as you stepped out of the car. you pulled your scarf tighter around your neck and looked around at the different fields.

"you look so funny!" you giggled, tugging on your sisters clothing all branded by her club. "oh shush." she hummed, playfully swatting your hands away with a smile. "you're just as annoying as i remember!" she grinned down at you, the blonde easily a few feet taller than you.

"can't say i don't remember younger you at all!" you said sarcastically. pulling up your phone to show her your lock screen, your background a photo of the two of you in the backseat of the car, probably driving off to one of her games out west.

you laughed all the way into the building, unable to contain yourself when the forward pushed on a so clearly labeled pull door and smashed into the glass, causing her to almost topple over.

"less! are you alright?" you questioned, trying to stifle your laughter as as a red mark appeared on her forehead, your sister with a pout on her face. "oh less." you chuckled, watching as your sisters frown deepened.

you reached out to inspect the mark, still trying not to laugh as much as you wanted to. "stop laughing!" she whined, looking a little embarrassed as she made eye contact with her teammates coming through the entrance. "it was an accident okay! my heads sore now."

"okay sorry, i'm sorry!" you apologised, finally able to suppress your giggles. "do you need ice or something?" you asked, pulling the clumsy girl off the floor. "i'll be alright, come on let's go inside."

"well good morning miss russo times two!" you bumped into lotte as you arrived, all of you entering the building at the same time. "lotts!" you squealed, jumping into the older girls arms as she lifted you off the ground.

"tiny! haven't seen you in ages, how's london treating you then?" she asked. the three of you fell into conversation as if no time had passed since you'd seen your sister's best friend.

"but i won't forget the time you made me pick you and gracie up from the dock, the two of you were completely shit faced!" she laughed, reminding you of the time you and a couple of friends maybe not so accidently drank way too much at a party and drunkenly called lotte to uber you home.

"my learning curve was thinking beer and liquor would mix nicely." you winced, thinking back to the hours after the party that lotte spent holding your hair back as you emptied your stomach. "fun night that was." in hindsight it probably wasn't the best start to your last year at school, but it was an easy excuse to not ever get that drunk again.

"yeah pretty fun night until i was woken up in the middle of the night to you and lotte at my window." your sister grumbled, clearly not as amused by the memory as you and lotte. she shrugged her jacket off up in her locker whilst you sat down on the bench.

"oh don't be a grub. can't forget when you and tooney had big night down in london." you chuckled, referring to the time her and the mancunian came home at four in the morning after having taken their first night out in the city.

"mum's got the patience of a saint." the two of you shared a look at that before bursting into a fit of laughter. pulling yourself up from the bench to grab your sister into a tight hug, your bond ran so deep. "i missed this tiny." she spoke into your hair, not missing beth's smile over your shoulders.

"oi russo who's the new lass?" a girl you recognised from your sisters instagram walked over, as you broke away from the hug. "katie meet my sister, she's here on behalf of adidas for a marketing event." the blonde introduced you as a few more girls floated into the locker room.

"nice to meet ya." she smiled, her accent thick as ever. "likewise." you answered, easily falling into a conversation about what you did at college, the irish girl interested in your role at the company.

lotte and alessia shared a look as they too fell into check as katie sat down with you. you watched as katie grinned over your head, clearly smiling at another teammate as you heard them behind you. "look who finally showed!" she chuckled as three girls entered the room, one of them tucking themself into her side.

you couldn't help but let your eyes draw to the youngest of the three as they put their stuff down, there was something captivating about her energy and you couldn't quite place it. that or the fact that she was easily the closest in age to you and downright the most beautiful girl you had ever seen.

caught in your thoughts, you barely even noticed the look that your sister and lotte shared over your head. "awfully chipper this morning, love." she joked as the girl grumpily rested her head onto katie's shoulder, seemingly not have had a great sleep last night. "not my fault dean was away and steph can't handle the pest on her own." she mumbled tiredly, glaring at a younger girl who you gathered was sitting next to steph who looked equally as tired.

"this is cait, arsenal superstar, australian international and most importantly my girlfriend." katie explained, kissing the top of caitlin's head before a hand pushed her face away. "shut up," caitlin giggled as she pulled herself closer.

"hi i'm caitlin nice to meet you, you're alessia's sister aren't you?" she spoke and you nodded back. "yeah that's me." you smiled, shaking her hand as she extended it. "less hasn't stopped talking about you all week, think she's more excited i'm here than i am," you chuckled.

"only good things i hope!" katie said back as your sister sat back down next to you. "mostly good things." you teased as alessia swatted your arm. "tiny best get a move on before those two show you a washing demo!" lotte said, patting your head hearing you laugh.

"not a pest." the younger girl grinned as she came back, arms firmly crossed as she moved across the room, flicking both katie and caitlin. "such a pest" caitlin groaned, as she winked at you.

"you must be kyra." you deduced, recognising the unmistakable australian accent, your sister having described the girls when you met for coffee earlier this week.

"one and only! you're less' sisters aren't you, been looking forward to meeting you." she smirked and caught off guard you couldn't help but blush at her forwardness, but before your cheeks could redden further you caught katie's eyes as she grinned.

but your attention was quickly elsewhere as kyra pulled steph's bun out of it's elastic before grabbing her in a headlock. "quick take it!" kyra shrieked as steph tried to grab her, her hand brushing yours as she tried to give you the elastic.

the australian so easily drew you in like a moth to a flame as her touch lingered on your hands sending a shiver down your spine as you heard her laugh, you couldn't help but wonder if she had done it intentionally.

you felt your breath get caught in your throat as your cheeks once again reddened and you struggled to stay focussed on what your sister was saying. kyra grasped for help with her attractive smile as steph took her down on the floor, the blonde begging for your help as your connected hands brought you both crashing to the ground.

pulling yourself off the blonde you sat up against the wall, herself with a smug grin as you were left alone on the ground. steph having been fed up and walked off the rest of the girls still conversing after a long two weeks apart.

"well, seems we have made friends with the floor." she giggled and you knocked your arm against her with a smile. "seems so." you agreed, the two of you falling into conversation.

perhaps it was the blondes cheeky smile that lured you towards her, or maybe it was the way she seemed so eager to meet you, or even the way her fingers so easily grazed over your own or the warmth that disappeared with them.

~

[murdrdocs]

(this isn’t a req i’m just throwing an idea at ur head the way one would one of those sticky jelly hands at a wall bc i need to get this idea out into an internet void) i luuuuv the idea of finnick trying to be all cool for a district 4 mentor that’s maybe a year-ish older than him like a puppy crush. maybe they won the games the previous year at 15 or something and he’s like omg wouldn’t that be sooooo funny if we held consecutive victories and then also held hands ahahahah omg what if u promise me a victory date ahahahahaa 👀….. puppy love that becomes a capitol favourite ship (when katniss n peeta debut their love story the capitol viewers are like ugh they’ll never be the real same district young loveOTP)

oh my god this is so cutesy

like finnick sees them around the town and he's suddenly finding a flower that they have to have or maybe he's showing off some fucking net he just tied or something. headcannon that young finnick was one of those boys who go fishing and show off the fucking massive fish they caught so he's always making sure they somehow either hear about it or catch a glimpse.

they're neighbors, too, and finnick constantly tries to find ways to go to their house. suddenly his family's out of sugar. or his mother cooked too much (finnick just ate a little). or something so he can knock at the door and impatiently rock on his heels until he sees their face.

then they're in the capitol at the same time, just separately. but they have the same escort, and they won the games back to back, so it makes perfect sense that their trips are combined, right? it makes total sense that they go to parties together and dinners together, right? and it's perfectly normal and mundane and platonic when they suddenly have a free schedule on the last day and finnick casually suggests they go shopping and see a play and grab dinner, right?

[bookworm551]

Take the Edge Off | Part 9 | Stitches

Summary: After a failed mission, Miguel needs to patch you up.

A/N: well, new year, new chapter (finally). I’m getting real close to finishing up this series, maybe 2 more parts. This took forever bc I needed a filler and had no idea what to do, and this is also the longest part so far. At least I know where to go from here, so I should have the next part up relatively soon 💀

Warnings: smut (duh), canon-typical violence, wound care

10.2k words

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 10

You had grossly underestimated how difficult catching Ghost would be.

The main issue was finding him. He was smart, and he seemed to realize that anytime he spent too much time in one dimension, you and the team would pounce, and like water in your hand, he always managed to slip away. The closest you came to catching him was about three weeks after your bet, and it was an absolute shit show.

"Fuck me," you grunted under your breath when another explosion knocked you into the wall. Ghost came from a universe with hammerspace, and every new dimension he traveled to, he managed to store away more and more dangerous equipment. Now, you were there in some alleyway, half your team missing, fighting off a barrage of missiles, bombs, and sharp projectiles.

Across from you, Ben was tangled in a net trap, and Malala was groaning on the floor as she recovered from an intense electrical shock. Clenching your jaw, you leapt off the wall at Ghost. You were getting aggravated by how difficult this was. Why couldn't he be a regular villain and let you catch him?

Anticipating your move, Ghost jumped out of the way. You webbed him and yanked him toward yourself. Rather than fighting your pull, Ghost flew at you and pounced on your form, knocking you flat on your back. He drove his fists into your ribs, and you cried out as electricity coursed through your body. He held his fists, adorned in makeshift gauntlets, to you as you lay paralyzed by pain.

"Where's the big guy?" He asked you, his voice low and silky. "He's always a good time." You weren't even able to breathe from the shocks pulsing in your ribs, but before you would've been able to answer him, your attention was captured by the sight of a yellow portal to your right.

For one dreadful moment, you thought it was Ghost's escape. His slippery nature was due to the watch he had stolen from Ben all those months ago, and it seemed almost impossible to keep him in one dimension long enough to catch him.

To your tremendous relief however, Miguel's muscular form flew out of the portal, knocking the anomaly off of your body. You took a ragged breath as the two men tumbled to your side. "Oh! Here you are!" Ghost laughed, pushing himself off the floor to face Miguel. "We were just talking about you."

Miguel turned his head for a moment to assess your form still gasping for breath. "You're late," you wheezed to him as you rolled onto your side to stand up again. You'd been here fighting alongside Ben and Malala since the alert from Lyla had gone out, and Miguel was only just now showing up. You didn't even know where Jess and the others were.

Seeing that you were well enough to give him sass, Miguel turned back to face Ghost, shooting a web that Ghost easily avoided. "You missed," he teased, but he was quickly eating his words when Miguel yanked the dumpster he had webbed instead and slammed it into the arrogant anomaly.

While Ghost was still recovering from his hit, Miguel threw his containment unit device at Ghost’s form. It slid right next to him, but a microsecond before it deployed, the anomaly rolled away, causing the orange force field to envelop nothing.

"Interesting," Ghost stated, sounding genuinely fascinated as he observed the glowing orange cage. You huffed in irritation, finally managing to sit up now that your muscles weren't spasming anymore. As much as you usually enjoyed banter with your enemies, you were not in the mood.

Miguel lunged after Ghost, who pulled another weapon seemingly out of nowhere and fired a spray of spinning razors at him. Miguel began twisting through the air, managing to evade every blade with expert precision.

Unfortunately for you, your screaming muscles weren’t able to move quite as fast as you needed. You leapt through the air to try and dodge the razors, but midair, one clipped you right in the shoulder, cutting deep from the front of your shoulder down almost to your back.

You cried out in pain, slamming hard into the ground as you fell. The wind was knocked out of your lungs, and you lay there struggling to breathe while hot pain blossomed in your shoulder.

Hearing your pained cry, Miguel froze, his body automatically turning to find you. You lay there a moment before moving to roll onto your good side. You pushed yourself up with a groan, and you were surprised to find Miguel at your side and pressing you back down to the floor. “Don’t move,” he urged as he gently held you down.

Even though his face was hidden, you could see he was examining your wound. “I’m fine,” you grunted, moving to sit up again. Miguel must’ve seen that you weren’t too terribly wounded and watched you carefully while you sat up off the ground before finally saying, “Okay.”

Together, you turned back to face Ghost. He was standing with a curious look on his face and an unsettling smile on his lips. “Now, that is interesting,” he said. Before either of you could move at him, Malala came swinging in a blur and knocked the anomaly off his feet. “I’m getting real tired of his gabbing,” she muttered, sounding as aggravated as you felt.

Ghost didn’t stay down for long. “It seems I’ve overstayed my welcome,” he observed. He quickly typed something into his watch, and a portal opened up beside him. “No!” Miguel snarled, leaving your side to lunge after him. You also stood up, grinding your teeth in pain as you leapt after him.

To buy himself time, Ghost threw down two small capsules that flashed brightly, making you balk. When the sun spots faded from your eyes, there was still a thick cloud of smoke around you, causing you to cough weakly. Your eyes scanned the alley for your rival, and you found him scooping up the containment unit device Miguel had thrown.

You flung yourself at him, trying to web the device from his hands. Hitting his arm, you pulled him forward with all your strength. He flew at your body, but when you raised a hand to hit him with your bad arm, pain flared from your shoulder and caused you to stumble, and you only managed a weak punch.

Seeing your pain, Ghost pulled a knife out of who-knows-where and severed the line between you. Scrambling away, he jumped for the portal and fell inside it just as Miguel tried to catch him, and within a breath, the portal to an unknown dimension closed.

“No!” Miguel shouted in frustration, his fist punching the wall where the portal had been mere seconds ago. You let out an aggravated breath. This was the closest you had ever been to catching Ghost, so frustratingly close that it made your chest burn in anger.

There was a tense second where nobody spoke. You could see that Miguel was breathing hard. At your side, Malala stood up with a heavy sigh and moved over to help Ben who was still entangled in a net.

Miguel whirled on you. “What happened?!” Miguel shouted at you. You gaped at him incredulously. “You’re asking me?!” You shot back angrily. “Where the hell were you when the alert went out?”

Miguel’s mask retracted to reveal his scowling face. “We had him!” he snarled, ignoring your question and directing his anger towards you.

Your frustration boiled in your chest. Not only had Miguel been late to the call, but his accusatory words were some of the first that he had spoken directly to you since he added you to the team. It had been weeks since you had spoken to each other. It seemed as though since your last encounter, he had been avoiding you. Your interactions had been brief and relevant only to the mission, and you hadn’t even spent any time alone together since you had been added to the team.

“Yeah, we had him,” you repeated angrily, your own mask retracting. “We had him until you stopped going after him.” His face contorted into a scowl, and his figure towered over you. “You had plenty of time to incapacitate him,” he argued.

You scoffed. “Yeah, I had plenty of time waiting for you to show up,” you shot back. “And as soon as you do, you turn your back on him.”

“You were hurt,” he stated sharply. His eyes fell to your shoulder, and you thought that some of his anger dissipated from his face. “You are hurt,” he corrected himself, his voice still sharp but a bit less angry.

You almost scoffed again, but when you looked down at your shoulder, you grimaced. Your suit had retracted around your cut, exposing the deep slice in your shoulder. In your adrenaline-fueled state, you had only briefly felt it, but now, seeing it slowly oozing blood, the pain was suddenly very noticeable.

"Shit," you sighed under your breath. You were used to dressing your own wounds, but this one was in a spot that was going to be difficult to treat. "I'll be fine," you said dismissively.

Miguel seemed to compose himself a little bit. He closed his eyes with a deep sigh before looking back at your shoulder. "You need stitches," he said.

You rolled your eyes. "I said I'll be fine," you repeated firmly. "Don't be stupid," he replied in a flat voice. "And don't try to tell me you can do it yourself." You closed your mouth and huffed. That's exactly what you were about to say.

"Fine, I'll get Jess to do it," you stated in exasperation. "Happy?"

"Like hell you will," he muttered, typing something into his watch. A portal opened beside you, and Miguel looked back at you, irritation still evident on his face though perhaps not so much as before.

"What?" You asked expectantly. He shot you an impatient look. "Go," he told you sharply. You shifted your stance defiantly, stubbornly remaining where you were. "I don't want to go with you," you argued. He sighed in exasperation. "Would you stop being so damn stubborn and go through the stupid portal?" He snapped.

You stared up at him in contempt. His demanding tone and harsh mannerisms made you feel resistant to accepting any of his help. After ignoring you for weeks and snapping at you during this failure of a mission, he was the last person you wanted seeing you in pain.

You both continued staring at each other, each refusing to look away first. You felt blood oozing down your back, and the pain was really starting to radiate in your shoulder. Miguel stared at you with a deadpan expression, knowing it was only a matter of time before you would give in.

You realized with a wave of aggravation that he was going to win your staring standoff. With a sigh, you grit your teeth together and looked down in defeat. "Fine," you muttered sourly. Pushing past him, you walked into the portal and didn't bother looking back to see if he was coming.

You weren't quite sure what you were expecting on the other side of the portal, but you were somewhat surprised to find yourself standing in Miguel's room. It was just as you remembered it from weeks ago— simple, neat, and barely used.

From behind you, Miguel stepped into the room, not even sparing you a glance before heading to the bathroom. You hesitated for a moment before reluctantly following after him. He pulled out a large black bag onto the counter space filled with all sorts of medical equipment. He was laying out materials for suturing as you walked in.

"Sit."

You scoffed in annoyance. "I know you know how to say please," you grumbled. He didn't respond, turning to his sink to wash his hands rather than answering you. If you had been in a pettier mood, you wouldn't have moved until he asked nicely, but you were in pain and ready to get it over with, so you pushed yourself up onto the counter by the sink and waited for him.

Miguel pulled a pair of gloves over his hands and inspected your wound carefully. "Your suit," he said flatly, indicating that it was in the way. Sighing, you let your suit retract just enough to reveal half your torso for him. It didn't matter that this man had seen you completely naked on several occasions, you weren't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing you undressed now, even if he was only going to stitch you up.

Miguel began with wiping away the blood from the skin around your wound. You flinched hard. The pressure he used was light but still painful, and you closed your eyes to fight the grimace that was trying to show. It took you a second to realize that this was the first time he'd touched you in weeks.

Despite your irritation towards him, you couldn’t help but notice how closely he was standing to you. From the corner of your eye, you watched his face as he worked diligently to take care of you. His eyebrows were slightly scrunched as he focused his attention on your skin, and there was only the sounds of his soft, steady breathing in your ear.

When he was satisfied with how your skin looked, he sprayed antiseptic on it before asking, “Do you want something for the pain?” You considered it for half a moment before shaking your head. You had managed stitches before, and it wasn’t as painful as some other shit you’d experienced before.

He waited to see if you’d change your mind before lifting the threaded needle with his forceps. Despite your resolution against painkillers, you ground your teeth as the needle punctured your skin. "Sorry," Miguel murmured softly as he pulled the suture through your skin. He was obviously trying to work as gently as possible, but pain was inevitable with suturing.

Taking a deep breath and closing your eyes, you tried your best to ignore the pain, but with how slowly he was going and how thick the tension was, you knew you were going to need a distraction.

"Are you sure we couldn't have just used butterfly stitches?" You asked sourly as he pulled the thread again. "Yes," he replied firmly. "This is deep. You got lucky, too. If it had been just a few inches over, the blade would've hit your neck, and you'd need a lot more than sutures."

"It wasn't luck," you replied pointedly. "It was skill." Miguel gave a disbelieving snort as he pulled the thread tight. "If you really had skill, it wouldn't have hit you at all," he mumbled.

You huffed indignantly. "Oh, please," you began, "don't pretend like you haven't had to take a few hits before. It's practically in the job description."

Miguel didn't reply as he pierced the needle through your skin again, causing you to wince at the pain. You thought he was going to make some sharp bullshit retort about how he didn't get as hurt as you, but instead, he just sighed.

"This was too close," he murmured at last.

Your defensive attitude softened considerably at his words. Studying his face closely, you realized that he wasn't being critical, he was being protective. With your new understanding, you almost felt bad for being angry at him.

"I've had closer," you told him wryly. He frowned. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" He asked in a dull voice. You gave a small huff in amusement. "It's supposed to show you that you don't have to worry about me," you explained earnestly.

He didn't say anything to you as he continued sewing up your cut. The sting of the needle caused you to wince again, and you tried to think of something to talk about to distract you from the pain.

"At least I don't have to fix up my suit," you said at last, hoping he would pick up the conversation. Miguel hummed before replying, "It's almost impossible to destroy unstable molecule fabric."

You raised an eyebrow at him. "Well if it was impossible to destroy, wouldn't it protect me from even getting cut?"

"That's not how it works," he told you flatly.

"So then how does it work?"

He gave a short sigh, indicating to you that he was not in the mood to entertain your curiosity. Nevertheless, he did. "The molecules work almost as a form of energy," he explained. "They assess the host molecules and change with them. The suit learns your body and reacts with it."

Another stitch was added, but you didn't feel it quite as much as before.

"When you were cut, it didn't destroy the suit," he continued, "it interrupted it. Your skin was damaged, and the suit left it exposed because your wound isn't the default for the molecules."

You studied his face as he spoke, a smile slowly growing on your lips. When he had finished explaining the science of the suit, he seemed to feel your stare and glanced down at you, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Nerd," you said at last.

That seemed to pull him out of his grumpiness somewhat, and he turned his attention back to your shoulder. "You asked," he mumbled, but the sharp edge that was in his voice was gone.

"So then how does the suit retract into my web shooters?" You asked, genuinely interested in knowing more about the fascinating technology you wore everyday, and it definitely helped distract you from the pain.

"Since the suit can take on an energy form," he explained, "it can be stored in the web shooters as a form of data." You stared down at the web shooters on your wrists. It was amazing that such an unsuspecting piece of technology housed such powerful energy.

"They look just like my old pair," you noted. Miguel nodded, his eyes never leaving your shoulder as he worked. "I know, that's what I was aiming for," he said, "but I was thrown off by the web cartridges you use."

You smirked. "Pretty cool, right?" You said proudly. "I built a system that condenses the water in the air and converts it into a hydropolymer to supplement my web supply. It's not as strong as my original formula, but it saves me from having a web block."

Miguel's eyebrows lifted somewhat as he listened. If you hadn't known better, you could almost say he was impressed. He must've noticed your staring because he turned his eyes to meet yours, and his face softened.

"Nerd," he said.

You smiled in return and rolled your eyes. "Whatever," you mumbled playfully. His lips widened fractionally, and his eyes returned back to your shoulder. You felt more relaxed now. The anger and irritation you were feeling before had disappeared as soon as you saw him smile.

"How's it looking, doc?" You asked after a moment, trying to turn your head to see his progress. “Don’t move your head,” Miguel said and nudged your face with the back of his wrist. "And you're not going to be doing any swinging for the next few days.” Your eyes snapped up to look at him. "It's not that bad," you argued weakly. "I'll be fine."

Miguel gave you a stern look. "In your shoulder, it is that bad," he said. "If you tear this, it's going to scar even worse than it's already going to now."

You rolled your eyes again. "Well, you know better than most that this isn't my first or worst scar," you argued, "and it probably won't be my last." It was true. Your body was covered in scars large and small, old and new, and this was just another addition to your collection.

Miguel didn't reply to you. He had worked steadily from the back of your shoulder to the front, but the closer he got to your neck, the worse the pain felt. You did your best to remain neutral, but you couldn't help the small grunt of discomfort that sounded in your throat. Miguel heard it and asked gently, "Do you want something for the pain?"

You shook your head in response. "I have my own stuff," you told him before a crooked grin pulled on your lips. "But you know what I've heard is a natural pain killer?" You added slyly.

Miguel heard the mischief in your voice, and he looked back at your face with suspicion. "What?" He asked carefully.

In a sweet tone, you answered, "Kissing."

Miguel gave you a disapproving look, but you caught the ghost of a smile on his lips. "I told you not until we get the anomaly," he said pointedly.

You weren't discouraged by his assertion. "I just want to see if it works," you told him innocently. "It's an experiment."

"With an ulterior motive."

"The motive is to get rid of the pain."

He still wore a skeptical look, so you tried again. "It's for science," you explained, batting your eyes at him. After weeks of not touching him, you longed to feel his body against your own.

Miguel was unconvinced. He gave an unimpressed hum and pulled his needle through your skin again. It seemed he wasn't going to budge. Heaving a large sigh, you continued, "But if you don't want to participate, maybe I'll find someone else who does."

Miguel pulled his stitch tight, making you wince. "I bet you think that's funny," he said in a flat voice.

"I bet you don't," you shot back.

"Because it's not."

"Well," you began slowly, hesitating as you wondered if you should even start this conversation with him. You’d thought a lot about him the past few weeks, and barely seeing him for weeks now had made you realize that being a casual fling wasn’t what you wanted anymore. "I know you've expressed many times that this isn't a relationship,” you said carefully, “so I don't really see what the issue is."

Your heart was beating a little faster now. Your words opened the door to a conversation that you were both eager and terrified to have. You wanted desperately to know how he felt about you, about whatever this was between you. You were also nervous that he didn't feel what you felt or want what you wanted.

At your words, Miguel's face darkened. He stayed quiet for a second before he resumed suturing. "If that's what you want," he muttered at last.

There was a tense silence that settled between you. You stared up at his hardened face, trying to determine what he was thinking.

"It's not," you replied quietly, "but being on this break got me thinking."

"About?"

"About how I feel about this whole arrangement."

The tense silence returned. Miguel's eyes were fixed determinedly on your shoulder, and his eyebrows furrowed as he listened to what you said.

"You want to end it?" He asked, his voice level and neutral.

"No," you said a bit too quickly. "It's just..." you trailed off, trying to think of the best way to tell him what you wanted. Doubt nibbled at your mind, and you wondered if this was even a good idea at all.

Miguel noticed your apprehension, and he stopped sewing your wound to give you his undivided attention. His dark eyes met yours, and he was so close to you that it caused your heart to flutter.

You looked away to regain your thoughts. "I know that this is supposed to be a casual thing," you began slowly. "And I know what you said about time and relationships. I just..." you sighed, shifting uncomfortably on the counter. "I don't want to be just a diversion for you, a mindless distraction that you can pick up or put down as you please."

Your face burned as you spoke, and you couldn't bring yourself to look at his face. Miguel murmured your name softly, and you closed your eyes to keep from seeing his reaction.

"If that's still what you still want, that's fine," you continued quickly. "I'm not trying to force you into something you don't want." You sighed as you opened your eyes again. "That's just how I feel," you finished quietly.

Silence enveloped you, suffocating, nerve-wracking silence. After a couple heartbeats, you forced yourself to look up at Miguel. He was still staring at you, but instead of wearing an awkward or even condescending expression as you had expected, his face was soft, almost thoughtful.

You stared at each other quietly for a moment longer before he finally turned his gaze back to your shoulder. Picking up his hands again, he began working on your sutures without reply.

Your stomach tightened anxiously at his silence, and you felt a wave of disappointment wash over you. You didn't feel the pain of your wound anymore now that your mind was racing with what you just said and Miguel's utter lack of response.

"It's not that I don't want it," he said at last. "Because I do."

Your eyes shot up to his face as he spoke. His gaze was still fixed on your stitches, but you could see clearly that he was thinking about what you just said.

"Then what is it?" You asked quietly.

Miguel took a moment to respond, his hands never ceasing their work. "I built my whole life around what we're doing here," he began slowly. "When I say I don't have time for a relationship, it means I can't give you the time you deserve." He glanced over at your face briefly before returning back to your shoulder, his eyes growing distant.

"The last time I let myself get close to someone, I hurt a lot of people," he added quietly. "More than I could ever make up for." He paused for a moment and sighed. "I just don't want to see that happen to you," he said softly.

Your heart ached. You remembered what he told you, how his actions triggered the destruction of a universe. The burden of his past still clearly weighed on his conscious, and you didn't know what to say to him to comfort him.

In the silence following, Miguel tied off the last stitch. With a pair of scissors from the kit, he snipped the line. You looked down at the neat row of sutures that held your cut closed. His work was precise, and you knew it was miles better than what you could've done by yourself.

Miguel was cleaning up his materials, clearly trying to avoid eye contact with you as he did. You watched for a second before taking a deep breath.

"You know, I've learned a lot of things since I was bitten by that stupid spider," you began, breaking the silence around you. "First, pain is unavoidable." You pointed to your shoulder's fresh stitches. "Case in point," you said wryly.

Miguel didn't react to your weak joke. He continued packing his materials away, but you could tell he was still listening to what you were saying.

"My second lesson," you continued, "was that I would always be alone."

Miguel paused, and his eyes turned back to your face. "There was nobody who knows what it's like to be me," you explained. "Nobody who knew what I've sacrificed. I had nobody to trust with this secret life, and the longer I did this, the more I regretted being Spider-Woman."

You stared down at the web shooters adorning your wrists as you contemplated your own words. You had never told anybody this before, not even the other Spiders. You had suffered so much by yourself, and only now for the first time did you feel like you could share your life with someone.

"But when I came here," you continued quietly, "it all changed. Suddenly, I was surrounded by people who did understand, who also felt how I did." You paused again, and you finally looked up at his face. His eyes were watching you with a look of understanding and sympathy that made your throat tighten unexpectedly.

Your eyes broke away from his stare again, and you stated quietly, "When you offered me a place here, I wasn't alone anymore."

Miguel nodded softly. "That's what I wanted," he replied. "A community for people like us." You tilted your head up at him and studied his countenance. "Then why do you still act like you're doing it alone?" You asked.

He sighed uncomfortably, crossing his arms in front of his chest and leaning against the sink counter. "In a lot of ways, I am doing it alone," he stated quietly. "Everyone here enjoys doing the missions, seeing all the new dimensions, and meeting new Spiders. I'm the one who has to do all the damage control, the recruitment, the dirty work." He sighed again and muttered grimly, "I don't always like what I have to do."

You raised an eyebrow at his melodramatic statement. "You know, it would probably be more enjoyable if you actually interacted with the other Spiders," you told him with a pointed look.

Miguel huffed a short breath. "I'm not trying to get close to anyone," he stated firmly. That made you pause and tilt your head in interest. "Then what am I?" You asked, a curious smile pulling at your mouth.

His gloomy expression lifted somewhat as he looked at you. He uncrossed his arms and planted them on the counter on either side of your body, and he stared at your face thoughtfully. You stared back, waiting for an answer.

"You," he began slowly, "were a distraction to take the edge off." You hummed thoughtfully in response, wrapping your legs around his waist to bring him closer. "And now?" You prompted, your eyes falling to his lips.

"And now," he echoed, "you're the person I bring back to my room to stitch up because I don't trust anyone else to do it."

You smiled at him, and your stomach fluttered at how close he was to you. You wanted so badly to kiss him. Your lips yearned for the feeling of his mouth against yours.

"I guess that makes me pretty special," you replied smugly.

A glimmer of reluctant amusement shone in his face, and he tilted his head in mock consideration. "I think 'special' is a stretch," he stated coolly. You placed a hand over your heart dramatically. "Ouch," you gasped. "And you wonder why I joke about going to other people."

He raised an eyebrow at you. "I don't wonder," he stated. "I know exactly why you do it."

"And why is that?" You asked coyly.

Miguel shot you an unconvinced look. "Because it gets under my skin, and you know it," he replied. You smirked, unable to deny the truth in his statement.

"If that's true, then that would make me a horrible person," you told him.

"You are a horrible person."

Your smile widened, and with your good arm, you raised your hand to his chest and let it slowly wander up to wrap behind his neck. "Then why do you like me?" You asked innocently.

Miguel was looking at your lips now, and there was a hint of playfulness in his face. "'Like' is a strong word," he said thoughtfully. "I think 'tolerate' is more accurate."

You rolled your eyes with a smile. "Damn, is there anything in the first aid kit for a broken heart?" You joked. He couldn't stop himself from smiling softly at your theatrics. "You're ridiculous," he said.

You hummed, pulling him closer to your face. "You love it," you insisted. His nose brushed against yours before he repeated, "I tolerate it." You chuckled and gave a careful shrug. "Same difference," you said before pulling his lips down against yours.

You couldn't resist smiling against his lips as you kissed him for the first time in weeks. You were savoring every sweet second of his body against yours. His mouth moved slowly against your own, and he snaked an arm around your torso, making your face glow with a faint blush.

His words echoed in your head. It's not that I don't want it. So, he did feel the same way you did, or at least, to some degree he did. The thought alone made your stomach flutter, and you ran your fingers through his hair while trying to memorize how his lips felt against yours.

When you finally broke apart, you still wore a smile on your face as his forehead rested on yours. "Oh wow, that does help with the pain," you commented. The pain had subsided considerably when his mouth was pressed against yours.

Miguel chuckled and kissed you again briefly. "Consider your experiment a success," he said. You hummed thoughtfully. "I would be an irresponsible scientist if I didn't repeat my experiment to prove its validity," you argued, earning a smile from him before you pressed your lips to his again.

It felt so good to kiss him, especially after the shitty failure that was today's mission, and the warmth of his body melted all your troubles away from your mind. You didn't care about the mission or your injury. He was here with you, everything else could wait.

With your fingers still running through his hair, you grabbed a fistful of jet-black strands and deepened your kiss, pushing your tongue into his mouth with a sigh. His hand on your waist tightened while he grunted softly into your mouth.

Breaking away from your lips, Miguel murmured your name in a low, warning voice. "Hmm?" You replied innocently, looking up at his dark eyes through your lashes. "We had an agreement," he said.

"Yeah, when I was on the team," you told him. "But you just said that I need to lay off for a few days..." you gave him a pointed look, "...which means I'm technically off the team for a few days..." you pulled his face back down to yours, "...which means that our agreement is null and void."

With that, you pressed your lips to his in a deep kiss before he could argue back. It was a weak argument, and you knew it, but you didn't want him to challenge it. You wanted him to want you.

His grip around your waist tightened as he pushed against your tongue with his own. You couldn't help the small moan you gave as his passion began to show, and all the longing you'd been feeling for Miguel the past couple weeks began welling up inside you.

Your lips separated for a moment. "Treacherous," he murmured breathlessly against your skin. You hummed, blinking your eyes open to look at him. His face looked restless, and you knew he was hungry for more.

"So I've been told," you replied smugly as you moved your lips down to his neck. Miguel gave a deep sigh at the feeling of your kisses on his sensitive skin, skin that felt warm and soft to the touch.

In your growing desire for him, your teeth gently nipped his bare flesh. Miguel sucked in a sharp breath at the sensation, his fingers gripping your waist tightly as he whispered your name again. You smiled deviously as his reaction, and your legs wrapped around his hips to bring his body flush against yours.

"Give me more," you mumbled against his skin. Miguel took a second to respond, his breathing ragged as he tried to keep his composure. "You're hurt," he argued weakly. Based on his strained voice, you knew he had all but given in to the craving of your touch. You raised your head up so that you could look him in his dark, restless eyes, noses brushing gently as you were both panting lightly in anticipation.

"Then make me feel better."

That was all you had to say before he kissed you with the hunger of a touch-starved man. He pulled you off the sink in one swift movement, holding you upright with your legs still wrapped around his waist, and walked out of the bathroom to where his bed was waiting for you both.

Finally, you thought. The tension between you these past few weeks had been torture. Seeing each other around HQ after your last encounter and not saying a word in passing was aggravating, and you had been longing for the moment when you could wrap your arms (and legs) around him again.

When his legs hit the side of the bed, he lowered you carefully down onto it. You still had your good arm wrapped around his shoulders, and when he placed you on the top of his bed, you hissed in pain and clung to his body. The edge of your stitched-up wound had touched the comforter, making it sting. 

"Maybe not like this," you said with a light chuckle.

A flash of concern crossed Miguel's face when he realized your pain, and he moved to roll off of you. Still holding yourself close to his body, you rolled with him and found yourself straddling his lap.

With a smirk, you hovered your face over his. "Much better," you stated smugly. Miguel was still assessing your face for any traces of discomfort. "Are you sure you're up for this?" He asked. You shot him a look. You would've thought he was trying to find a way out of it if it weren't for the fact that his fingers were unconsciously trying to move your hips against his hardening cock.

"I've been craving you for weeks," you whispered against his lips. "It would take more than this to keep me off of you." His face gave way to a smile at your words, a true smile that filled his whole face. Fuck, he looked so good. The way he lit up with you knocked the wind out of you, and you could've stayed there forever just admiring the beautiful smile he had before he raised his head to kiss you.

You leaned into him, growing hot with desire. Your suit, so attuned to what your body wanted, retracted all the way back to your web shooters. Miguel's hands traced across the skin of your torso as his tongue slid against yours, and his suit also disappeared from his body.

Feeling his skin against yours set your heart racing. His fingertips felt electric as his hands wandered up your back to unclasp your bra. Careful not to hit your new stitches, he removed it from your body, taking in the sight of your bare body with a lustful expression before lowering his head to take one of your breasts in his mouth.

You sucked in a sharp breath as he moved his mouth sloppily over your skin. Leaning into him, you ran a hand through his dark hair and grabbed fistfuls of the strands. You missed this, the feeling of him exploring your body. It was so much more than taking the edge off now. It was almost like a form of worship.

"Feeling better?" He murmured, tilting his head up to watch your enraptured expression. "Mhmm," you hummed, a lazy smile pulling at your lips. "But don't you dare stop."

Miguel smirked. "Wasn't planning on it," he replied in a low voice. As he spoke, his hands slid down your body and began pushing your underwear down over your ass. Leaning forward, you lifted your legs to allow his hands to remove your last piece of clothing.

You were breathing hard in anticipation now. You placed sloppy kisses on his chest, his neck, practically any of his tanned skin that you could reach. From his throat, the softest little moans sounded in response to your touch, and each fueled your desire. In your desperation, your teeth grazed his skin again.

His breath caught in his throat, and his fingers dug into your skin. You smirked, enjoying his reaction to your teasing. "You like that, don't you?" You observed slyly. Before you could give him the opportunity to respond, you bit down on the muscle at the base of his neck, not enough to be painful but enough to leave a mark.

He moaned loudly, an unrestrained sound that demonstrated the power you had over him. You released the skin between your teeth before moving them up his neck and biting him there, gentler than before. You were fairly certain he stopped breathing for a moment as you bit down on his soft skin. When the moment passed, you let go again, moving your mouth up and nipping his earlobe.

Miguel was practically paralyzed by your touch, and you could feel his heart racing wildly under your hand. He was completely at your mercy, unable to stop you even if he had wanted to.

But you knew he didn't want you to stop.

Still holding a fistful of his hair, you pulled firmly and tilted his head back to expose his neck to you. Letting his earlobe slip out of your teeth, you moved your mouth to his jaw, placing a kiss on the skin there before gently biting it.

He groaned your name. There was a desperate edge to his voice that made your cunt ache for him. When you moved your lips up to his, he kissed you with such fervor that it was less like he was kissing you and more like he was trying to devour you, like being completely pressed against you wasn't close enough.

"I need to...be inside you," he gasped, his lips still trying to kiss you as he spoke. He sounded as breathless as you felt, and when you opened your eyes to look at him, his eyes were hungry with his desire for you.

Maybe if it hadn't been so long since you'd been together, you would've prolonged the teasing, exacerbated his frustration, but you found that you were also desperate to feel him inside you. Every inch of your body burned for him, and you knew he burned for you, too.

Settling back down slowly on his lap, you allowed Miguel to guide your hips to his cock. Your forehead rested against his, and you gave a small gasp when you felt the tip tease at the entrance of your pussy. Giving Miguel another messy kiss, you lowered yourself down his length.

God, he felt good.

Your head lolled back as he stretched you out so perfectly for the first time in weeks. Miguel released a hot breath against the skin of your neck, his hands holding your hips tightly as he slid into your tight cunt.

"Oh, fuck," he whispered. "I've missed this."

If you had been in a clearer state of mind, you would've pointed out it was his own damn fault for making the stupid rule in the first place. But right now, the only thing on your mind was that you needed to move your body against his.

Raising your hips up again, a loud groan spilled from your lips. You'd almost forgotten just how big he was. His cock was buried deep inside you, setting every nerve on fire. Every muscle in your body tightened with the feeling of his dick sliding out of you, and your hands, one still in his hair and the other holding onto his back, curled tightly as you clung to him.

You moved back down again, your eyes closed tightly with the sensations of riding him. Miguel's hands gripped your waist tightly, his fingers digging into the soft flesh as you moved slowly up and down the length of his cock. His breathing was shaky, and so was yours. Neither of you said anything as you took the time to reacquaint yourselves with the feeling of each other's bodies.

You soon grew impatient with the slow pace you were keeping. You raised your hips off of his lap with greater need, grinding your pussy down hard against him as you did. Miguel's reaction was immediate, and you heard a growl deep in his throat. His hands encouraged your pace and eased some of the effort off of your knees.

The sound of your ass smacking against his lap filled the air, and combined with the sounds of his heavy panting, it only fueled your lust-crazed mind. Blinking open your eyes, you looked at Miguel and found that he was staring up at your face. A shimmer of sweat gleamed on his forehead, and his lips were parted as he breathed hard.

Your eyes locked with his dark gaze. Even as you continued to move along his length, you couldn't help but feel utterly paralyzed by his stare, so brazen and intentional, completely in awe of you. It made you feel powerful, revered.

Loved.

You managed to break out of your paralyzed stupor and crash your lips down on his. Now, you were the one who felt as though you couldn't be close enough to him. Even with his cock pumping in and out of you with ever-increasing speed, you wondered if there was anything that could satisfy your need for him.

Your pace was uncontrollable now. Small, whining moans escaped your mouth with every rise and fall of your hips. Miguel's fingers dug into your waist tightly, and he grunted as he pulled away from your lips.

"Wait," he gasped quietly.

Your eyes snapped open, and you froze. Was something wrong? Were you doing something he didn't like?

Miguel's face struggled to compose itself. "You need to slow down," he finally said. You stared at him for a second before you understood what was happening.

A wicked grin grew on your face. "Why?" You asked deviously. Miguel shot you a glare, his chest heaving. "You know why," he grunted. "Just slow down."

Still wearing your devilish smile, you started moving your hips again. "I don't want to," you told him, your words sounding almost childish as you choked back a whine. Miguel cursed under his breath, squeezing his eyes shut as he fought against the pleasure your cunt brought him.

"Wait, wait," he groaned again, trying to hold you still. Now, this was a power trip if you'd ever felt one. You knew you were only a few moments away from causing him to unravel. Now, he was begging you to ease up because he knew he couldn't last against you.

You grabbed his jaw in one hand, forcing his face to look up at you. "Why should I?" You demanded to know. He was panting hard, and his eyes seemed hazy and unfocused.

"I need to take care of you first," he managed to breathe. You huffed an amused breath. He never failed to get you off, and despite the fact that you were more than happy to finish him off in record timing, you were inclined to let him take over for you.

Miguel placed a soft kiss to your lips. "Let me take care of you," he pleaded in a whisper. "Let me taste you."

The thought alone of what he could do with his tongue was enough to make you moan. Instead of replying, you kissed him hard before lifting your hips up off of him entirely. You felt a twinge of regret from the loss of his cock inside you, but when he slowly rolled you over, the rush of anticipation quickly replaced it.

Miguel pulled you to the edge of the bed, careful not to cause your stitches to hit the comforter. With your good arm, you were propped up by your elbow while he slowly moved down your body. He placed tantalizing kisses on your throat, your collar, your breasts, your stomach, practically every inch of your body he could see. With every kiss, you felt like your body was slowly being set on fire, and you moaned impatiently as he slid off the edge of the bed and wrapped his arms under your thighs the way he loved to do.

When his mouth finally landed over your pussy, you nearly fell back against the bed. A cry of pleasure tore from your throat. The hand you weren't leaning on came up and grabbed his hair while you squirmed in his grip. His lips were sealed over your pussy. He was alternately sucking at your clit and circling it with his tongue. You struggled to breathe as he continued working at a careful pace.

"Miguel," you gasped, your thighs flexing beneath his hands.

Miguel moaned against you, his movements growing faster and faster. His head pressed firmly against you. Your heart was pounding furiously in your chest as you tried to keep your arm from buckling. His tongue moved expertly against you, lapping hungrily at your swollen clit. You tugged at his hair as you tried moving under his arms, but his grip kept you in place.

Your head fell back with a long whine. You knew at the rate he was going that you weren't going to last long. He was all too familiar with the way your body worked, and he knew exactly where to focus his efforts to get you off.

Lifting your head up again, you blinked your eyes open to look down at him. Half of his face was blocked by your arm, so you released the hold you had on his hair, letting your hand trace the edge of his face. His dark eyes were gazing up at you intently, watching your every reaction.

Letting your hand fall away from his face, it rested on your thigh as you let out another high-pitched moan. Without stopping his tongue, Miguel released his grip on your leg and took your hand in his. You looked down at him and squeezed his hand while he continued swirling his tongue over your pussy.

"Don't stop," you panted, your stomach tensing from his movement. He tightened his grip in two quick pulses, and even though his mouth never left your cunt, you could practically hear the words he was thinking—I won't.

Your legs were shaking now, and you barely had the strength to keep yourself up off the bed. Pleasure was taking over your body and coiling at your stomach. Miguel knew you were close by the quickening of your breath and the tightening of your grip, his tongue maintaining its steady pressure.

Finally, with a loud cry, your body began trembling under his touch. You squeezed his hand hard as you came against his mouth. The feeling of ecstasy burned in every part of your body while you struggled to breathe from the pleasure that had now completely overwhelmed you.

Miguel eased his pace to lazy circles, his eyes alight with smug satisfaction. You writhed under his mouth, growing restless from the overstimulation you were beginning to feel. "Oh, fuck," you gasped, moving your hips to escape his warm tongue. He let you move away from his face, releasing his grip on your hand and thigh.

Miguel pushed himself off the ground and began crawling over your body. "See?" he said in satisfaction, sounding out of breath. "I'll always take care of you." You moaned again, still trying to recover from your high. "Careful O'Hara," you managed to say. "Don't make promises you can't keep."

He smirked down at you, his lips and chin glistening with your wetness. Pushing forward, his body forced yours down. You wrapped one arm around his shoulders, clinging to him to keep from laying on the bed. "Not like this—my stitches," you whispered.

Miguel froze for a second before placing a hand behind your back to help you up. "How do you want it?" He asked quietly. You took a second and bit your lip as you considered the myriad of ways he could fuck you.

"Like before," you decided finally.

His subtle smile returned, and he rolled off of your body and onto the bed. Pulling yourself up, you straddled him again, though perhaps not so fast since you were still hazy from your orgasm. His hands guided you back down to where his cock was waiting for you.

Miguel rested his head on your good shoulder as you lowered yourself slowly back down on him. His hot breath fanned against your skin as he groaned at the feeling of your wet pussy around him. You let out a strangled gasp, feeling yourself stretch out again for him. You moved slowly, still halfway stuck in the stupor his mouth had left you in, and everything was still so sensitive for you.

Gradually, you began moving again. Miguel's arms wrapped tightly around you, pressing his body up against yours. His skin felt like fire—burning, consuming, enthralling. You rested your head against his as his strong arms helped lift you up and down his length.

"You feel so fucking good," he grunted quietly against your cheek. "You don't understand...what you do to me." Your nails dug into the skin of his shoulder as he spoke. The movement of his cock inside you made it difficult for you to formulate a response, but you managed to choke out, "Tell me. Tell me what I do to you."

He groaned softly. "You drive me fucking crazy," he muttered. "I can never focus when you're with me—," he groaned again, "—but I can never stop thinking about you when you're not." His arms were moving you up and down faster as he spoke, and you could tell he was fucking out his frustration. "The way you smell," he continued breathlessly, "the way you feel, the way you look when you're cumming all over my cock."

You gasped sharply, the combination of his words and his increasingly desperate pace rendering you speechless. "I want to have you every second...of every day," he murmured in your ear. You were panting hard against his skin while his cock continued driving deep into your aching cunt.

"Then have me," you whispered so quietly that he wouldn't have heard it over the lewd sounds of your fucking if it hadn't been said directly in his ear. "Have me every day."

He groaned, and turning his face, he captured your lips in a kiss. The taste of your pussy still lingered on his mouth, and you moaned softly against his lips. Everything felt so good, and when you broke away from your kiss, you looked deep into Miguel’s eyes and whispered, “I’m yours.”

And just like that, Miguel's body tensed, and with a long moan against your skin, he came inside you. You stilled as he held you tightly against his body. Beside the sound of your heart beating furiously in your ears, there was only your heavy breathing to fill the silence between you.

You could've stayed like that forever, feeling his strong arms wrapped around your body, hearing his breath against your ear. Your body still buzzed with pleasure, and there was nothing in your mind except that cursed phrase you fought so hard to ignore, the one that whispered to you constantly in the back of your brain every time you looked at Miguel.

I love you.

Over and over, it echoed in your mind, begging to be spoken. You'd heard it nagging in your heart for a while now, and you had tried your best to ignore it. Even after weeks of next to no contact, your feelings hadn't wavered for him.

Now, as you sat there wrapped in each other's arms, you felt those words ringing louder than ever, and for one dreadful moment, you thought you might say it out loud.

No—no, you couldn't. A bolt of fear yanked the words off your tongue. You couldn't jeopardize this. It was too precious to you. Even if this was all you could have, the occasional fuck, sleeping together knowing that he would always have to leave for something more important than yourself—wasn't it better than nothing? Wasn't it better than before when you were all alone? Especially now that he admitted to feeling something real for you, you couldn't ruin it with those three words.

Miguel finally moved when he turned his head toward yours. Your noses brushed against each other for moment as you both gasped for breath before your lips pressed down on his. You moaned against him softly. Still holding your body to his, he leaned back against the bed, bringing you down with him so that you lay on his chest.

After your breathing began leveling out, you shifted, allowing his cock to pull out of you with a groan. You slid off his chest onto your good shoulder with your body still pressed against his. You lay there like that for a while in comfortable silence, enjoying the feeling of each other's warm skin.

"It's been too long," Miguel sighed, finally breaking the silence. You smiled. "And whose fault is that?" You asked as you looked up at him. A small smile formed on his lips. "You were the one who swore you'd catch Ghost," he pointed out. "Is it my fault for believing you?"

You scoffed. "It's your fault for making that stupid rule in the first place," you argued. There was a quiet chuckle that rumbled in his chest. "It's called compromise, sweetheart," he said smoothly. "I can't let you have everything you want."

You tried to keep a straight face, but his snark caused your lips to quirk upward. "And why not?" You demanded to know, propping yourself up onto your elbow to look deep in his eyes.

Miguel looked at you with a subtle smile still adorning his face. "Because then everyone is going to complain about how I favor you over everyone else," he replied evenly. "And then, one by one, they'll all leave until it's just you and me."

You hummed thoughtfully. "That doesn't sound so bad," you said, settling back down next to him. "Just you and me against the multiverse."

He hummed as well. "Just you and me," he repeated, and in his voice, you could hear him imagining it, the two of you together across every universe.

You had imagined it before, too. You and Miguel, together, always, through everything. It was such a sweet dream, and yet the truth was the bitter chaser that always followed your longing—different dimensions, different lives. What future could you have together?

If Miguel was thinking the same thing, he didn't say it. He seemed content to just lay with you in silence while his fingers gently caressed your arm.

After a moment, you sighed. You could feel Miguel's head turn to look down at you in curiosity.

"You know, I meant what I said before," you told him softly.

"Hmm?"

"About being more than just a fling you can ignore outside of the bedroom," you explained.

"Ah."

You felt his head turn back up to stare at the ceiling, but his fingers still brushed against your skin. "I mean, is that what you still want?" You asked, lifting your gaze to look at his face. "Be honest."

There was a beat of silence before he quietly answered, "No."

You waited, hoping he would say more. He sounded almost reluctant in his reply, so you could tell there was more to it.

It was Miguel's turn to sigh. "I don't—I don't want this to be casual either," he began slowly. "I want it to be real, but I can't give up my work here. I won't. And one day, you'll hate me for not putting you first."

You scoffed lightly at those last words. "I could never hate you," you told him. There was a slight pause before he muttered, "Don't be so sure."

It could've been a joke, but the way he said it was so serious, it made you pause, and looking up at his face, you found there wasn't any traces of humor. You pushed yourself up a bit to face him better. His eyes moved back to you, and you held his stare for a moment.

"I could never hate you," you repeated in a soft, earnest whisper. Miguel didn't respond, he only watched you carefully before a tiny, sad smile pulled at his lips, looking as though he wanted to believe you.

"Careful," he murmured. "Don't make promises you can't keep."

You smirked at him and leaned in close. "I'll try my best not to," you said before closing the gap between your lips. He kissed you gently before pulling away to say, "And I'll try—about what you want, I'll try."

Your heart leapt, and there wasn't anything you could do to contain your smile. "Thank you," you whispered before kissing him again. You could feel him grinning against your lips, and his arms pulled you close. When you broke apart, you settled back down next to him.

"If they all start complaining though, I'm blaming you," he said. You chuckled. "Fair is fair," you replied. "If they don't like it, they can leave." He huffed in amusement. "Until it's just you and me?" He asked.

"Until it's just you and me."

[rhetusperiander]

Just watched Suzume today now that it's out on Netflix and I have a lot of thoughts about Souta and his story of grief and sacrifice that I haven't seen many other people talking about. Maybe because his suffering isn't always expressly stated but is more subtle? Idk. This is going to be long, a little all over the place, and spoilery.

Souta is so quick to help others but rarely does he ever look inwards. In the first scene of him and Suzume closing the door, he keeps telling her to turn back and leave. It doesn't matter that he can't do it alone, it just matters that she isn't in danger. And when the rocks start falling, he's quick to move Suzume out of the way, even if it means injuring his arm. Souta refuses to go to the hospital for his injuries. His grandfather is in the hospital but Souta refuses to go to the hospital for himself. Suzume has to push him into getting help for his wounds.

When Chika loses the oranges she's delivering, it's Souta that jumps into action to grab the net and help her. When Chika asks about it, Suzume says she just has quick reflexes to hide the fact that her magic Souta chair was the one to leap into action, but her saying that shows how instinctual running to help others is for Souta. At Chika's house, he literally spend the whole time facing the wall and speaking to no one. He does it to not draw attention to him (considering the whole magic chair situation), but just imagine that. He jumps to help this girl and is just as quick to sit in the corner alone.

This is also the point where he realizes he cannot eat. (This also feeds into how the movie beautifully uses food and eating together to connect others. From Suzume and Chicka bonding over eating oranges and dinner together, to Suzume's aunt checking on Suzume alone in the car saying that Suzume should eat something as she must be hungry. This is a whole other aspect of the movie that deserves its own analysis and I can't get into everything here, but I will touch on a little of it where it applies.) Earlier in the movie, Suzume offers food to Souta in his chair form and he says he's not hungry, later offering the food right back to her. Suzume on the boat was so concerned for him and how he must be hungry, but it wasn't until much later at Chika's house that Souta even thinks about himself and realizes he must not need to eat as a chair. As Chika and Suzume bond over dinner, Souta realizes that he is physically incapable of doing so.

At least, that is until later at Rumi's bar. In the car with Rumi's kids, Souta is with others again but remains silent. Talking would gain them too much attention and create a lot of questions, but fundamentally it disconnects Souta from those around him and makes him alone. Rumi's kids starts moving him and such but Souta will still not talk or move. It isn't until Rumi's kids are eating and placing food on him that he moves to make sure the kids don't drop anything. He can't act to make himself known but he can act to make sure these kids don't drop their food. He cannot eat, something so fundamental to humans/humanizing and important to forming connections within Suzume's story, and has to stay silent as these kids literally set food on top of him, almost like some kind of sick cosmic joke, but he will still make damn sure these kids don't drop a single bit of their food. Even when Rumi's child drops the food on purpose to test him, Souta moves to catch it. Souta only makes himself know later when Suzume is struggling to care for Rumi's kids. He sees Suzume struggling and goes against his desire to lay low so he can help her, even if that means he'll now be sat on, roughhoused, and yelled at. He wont make himself know for his own sake, but he will for others. At the dinner in Rumi's bar, Suzume makes sure to incorporate Souta in the meal. He can't eat, she makes sure he is still included. She does sit on him during this scene, which is all funny and meme-y, but I think this whole scene is a good juxtaposition to the prior meal scenes. In Chika's house he was left alone in a whole other room, and in the car he was treated as a table and tested, but here Suzume knows him fully and wants him to be included. This is especially shown at the end of the scene, where everyone at the bar dinner takes a photo together and Suzume holds Souta up into the photo.

At the fairground, Souta stops pressing Daijin for answers to save Suzume and help her close the door.

It isn't until what I would say is about the third act that we start truly learning more about who Souta is. Sure, we've know he's a closer, but for a lot of the movie we're never really told much about his life. It isn't until late in the movie that we're told "oh, yeah, btw I have my own apartment in Tokyo and a dream of being a teacher that I've had to neglect for now." This man just will not make any aspect of himself know until it becomes relevant and necessary.

It is also in this part that we see more of his interpersonal relationships. Suzume and him are in similar family situations. Suzume has her aunt and Souta has his grandfather. We know more about Suzume's family history but Souta's is more ambiguous. Souta has a close friend in Serizawa. We know that they're actually close. In his introduction scene he says that he stopped by Souta's place because he was so concerned about Souta missing his test that it made him also fail his test, but in the same intro Serizawa then deflects by saying he actually only stopped by Souta's place because Souta owes him money. We know Serizawa cares, and his care is only further showed by how far he'll go to find Souta, but does Souta know? Between this and how Souta responds to how the downstairs grocery clerks talked about him, Souta seems to me like a guy who genuinely doesn't know that people care about and think about him. And maybe it's just a translation thing, but isn't it weird the very first thing Souta's grandfather brings up is Souta's failure. What a strange word to default to, "failure."

Keep in mind, this whole time, Souta is a chair. He is the chair that Suzume's mother made for Suzume. This whole adventure he takes the form of an object that is the physical representation of *someone else's trauma*. He is quick to help others, even at the expanse of himself. He spends his time and risks his health to be a closer, saving everyone from harms way for nothing in return. A task he is ready and willing to do alone. He is fundamentally so alone, yet cares so much for others. The whole story he lives, dies, and is bound to spend centuries as a keystone in a form not his own, but a form relating to someone else's grief.

His grandfather calls him a sacrifice and says going back for him would disrespect the sacrifice Souta made, but isn't Souta more than that? More that just a sacrifice for others? Suzume is willing to believe so. She tends his wounds and gets him food not even considering if he can eat, just that he might be hungry. She is so kind, considerate, and makes so many sacrifices and takes so many risks for others too. She is willing to travel so far to bring him back to life. When she pulls him back to life, she pulls him back as he truly is, his own person in his own form.

They both wanted to die, now they both want to live.

Like I said at the very start, I feel like a lot of Souta's story of grief and pain is kept more subtle and implied instead of directly stated. It's shown in how much he is willing to do for others and not for himself.

[honey-minded-hivemind]

hi I hope you can you do a yandere mermaid parents gambit and rogue x child reader.

Aaaaawwww! Okay, I'll see what I can do! Let's do it, but as headcanons-

• Rogue and Gambit as mers would be rather colorful. Bright tails, shiny scales, and they barely wear much besides what is colorful or pretty and covers the important parts, as mers don't need to really wear much clothes... Now, give them a kid, mer or human, and they're over the moon-

• Gambit as a parent is gentle, but also pretty fun. He loves showing Reader new things, showing them little tricks and magic, and catching food for them. He can be protective, but is mostly laidback. What does he have to fear? His petit is safe, chere loves them, and only a fool would take what's Gambit's or his mate's... But if anyone were enough of an fool to do so, they'd be met with sharp claws and a hypnotic voice dragging them under to their doom...

• Rogue as a parent would be very loving. Doting, even. She gets to have a kid, a child, one she can call her's, and they won't ever have to leave (not for many many decades at least; mers age rather slowly)... She can show them how to swim, she can play with them, and she can hug them as much as they (and she) want! Plus her mate also likes them, so of course that means they're keeping their little guppy. If anyone tried to hurt them, a human or shark or other mer, she'd shred 'em to pieces! There wouldn't be anything but chum left of 'em if they hurt her baby, and she'd let them know how much she despised them the entire time she's killing them off...

• Those two would be gifting Reader so many different things: bits of broken coral, different kinds of shells, various shards of sea glass, necklaces of seaweed and pearls... Even sunken treasure, such as ages-old mirrors or sand-covered coins or little gems plucked from old jewelry... And they'd want Reader to wear it, or have it with them, at all times. They realize they can't always have every thing they gift on them, but they appreciate it when Reader at least wears one pearl necklace or has a piece of sea glass with them. It makes them feel warm and gooey inside, knowing their kid likes their presents...

• If Reader was a human, they likely met the two by accident, possibly helping them after they got caught on a net against the rocks of the beach, or maybe Reader heard them at night and went to investigate. Either way, a child no older than nine and no younger than four is now visiting them, and they don't know what to do. Do they keep them? Do they send them home? Do they tell anyone about them?

• They figure it out when Reader one day says they have to go, and won't be coming back for awhile, and the two realize they're attached to their little human child. This is THEIR kid, not some random humans' who can't watch them for five minutes! THEY are the ones who have been keeping an eye on Reader. THEY are the ones who keep playing with them and singing them to sleep when they're tired. THEY have kept grimy, horrible people away from them, so their kid is safe when they go along the shore! So Reader is THEIR'S, NO ONE ELSE'S!

• It doesn't take long for Rogue to ask Reader to play in the water with her, nor for Gambit to tire them out, swimming circles around them... And it doesn't take much longer to lull their little guppy to sleep, a hypnotic song echoing across the waves... Their kid doesn't need to worry or wake up right now... They can relax in their Mama and Papa's arms, like a little otter clinging to its mama... Just relax and let the waves rock them gently to sleep...

• If Reader was a mer, they were likely an egg or guppy laid/born to the two. And as Reader is their only kid, Rogue and Gambit are very protective of them. They don't let Reader go anywhere without one of them, and Reader isn't allowed to leave their sight (unless it's hide-and-seek, but usually one of them will just hide with Reader, then)...

• Both like to show off to their guppy, be it by finding the largest pearl, hunting the funniest-looking fish, or showing off their strength and skills. Neither one wants to let Reader down, and neither one of them wants to lose to the other, either (but they wouldn't mind, as long as their mate and their little guppy are happy). Those two hope Reader inherits some of their traits, be it their eye color or scale patterns or possible magic...

• If Reader got hurt, those two would go from worried to mad to murderous. Anything that harms their guppy, their little one, is torn apart. It doesn't matter if it's a human or mer, they'll rip it into pieces and have it for dinner if it laid a finger on Reader. And if Reader ever got lost, both of them are sending out long, echoing clicks and wails, trying to contact their missing baby. If all else fails, they get Uncle Wolverine to help track their kid down, and then they're hugging them, not letting ghem leave their nest for days...

• So it doesn't matter if Reader is a human or mer, because Rogue and Gambit will love them either way. But as a human they're limited to what they can and can't do, having to rely more heavily on them, while as a mer, they at least have a wider world to explore...

[nat-1-whump]

🌊 Whump for mermaids

Fantasy whump ideas no. 3

(Both because it's Mermay and to celebrate finally finishing AP exams. I'm using the word mermaid as gender neutral here.)

Mermaid Whumpee gets caught in nets or garbage. Maybe they got captured, maybe they just got tangled up in something floating around, but either way, they're stuck. It restricts their movement so they sink, pinning their tail against itself. They become more vulnerable to Whumper. They panic and start desperately thrashing, but they can't get out, possibly injuring themselves in the process. The thing they're trapped in can cut them, block circulation, suffocate them, etc. Caretaker tries to free them, but they might end up making it worse.

Continuing with nets, getting captured by sailors and getting pulled up onto their boat. Maybe one of the sailors is kind to them and tries to help, but the others treat them like a prisoner, excited to show off their rare catch when they get to shore. Mermaid Whumpee is mistreated horribly, locked in a tiny crate of stale water, fed nothing but whatever scraps the sailors don't want.

Underwater dangers. Mermaid Whumpee can get bit by a shark, scraped on underwater rocks, stung by venomous jellyfish, and more! Since they can't go onto the land to get help, they're stuck trying to treat themselves in the water. Their hands shake as they try to wrap seaweed around their injuries.

Or, if they somehow do end up getting help on land, medical whump (TW for blood). Caretaker tries their best, but they have no idea how to treat a mermaid. Mermaid Whumpee ends up in a little tub of water with barely enough room to move. Blood leaks through the soggy bandages and stains the water red.

Getting beached or washed up on the rocks, struggling to breathe as they frantically try to scramble back towards the water.

Tanks. They get put in a tank that is much too small and gives them no space to hide, putting them on display for Whumper. Whumper taunts them by getting them one of those little fish houses that is much too small. They try to escape by jumping or climbing out, but soon they find that they can't open the door to the room Whumper is keeping them in, and time is running out.

Scales. Mermaid Whumpee's tail is covered in beautiful scales, which Whumper occasionally plucks out to torture them. Their scales might also make them a target for sailors, other mermaids, etc.

Freezing. Since Mermaid Whumpee is pretty much always in water, it's not super hard to freeze them solid. Maybe someone else accidentally turns them into an ice cube while using some ice-related magic too close to the water, or maybe Whumper freezes them in there on purpose. (Look I just really like cold whump okay.)

Actually, just temperature whump in general. Some types of fish need super specific temperatures and can die if the water is too hot or too cold. Whumper can use this to their advantage, threatening to dial up the heat or drop ice into the water depending on which would hurt Mermaid Whumpee more.

(Feel free to add on! Mermaids are more whumpable than I expected lol.)

[biffhofosho]

Hot Girls _____ | Chapter Two

Word Count: 7.9k

A/N: I've had this done for days. Life is so mean not to give me the time to publish. :( Please enjoy!

Cvr | 01 | 02

It was late afternoon by the time the pair arrived at Gossamer, a boutique store in Gastown that Vi had found online. It was far hipper than any place she had ever shopped, and she would have found it too intimidating to enter if her best friend hadn’t been at her side, hands in his pockets and shrewd eyebrows up.

Everything inside was pink or black—pink walls, black racks, pink chandeliers, black couches. One wall was studded with pink neon signs with sassy sayings like “Bad Bitch” and “Flex on Your Ex” and, below them, they featured full-length mirrors and sample outfits. The racks were color-coordinated and tarted up with nothing but dresses and bodysuits, each one chicer and more daring than the last.

It was exactly the right vibe. Unfortunately, Vi brought the world’s pickiest critic.

“I know it's your personality,” grumbled Changkyun from his chair across from her dressing stall, “but would you please quit trying to floor it? Go the speed limit for once.”

Vi scowled, knuckles whitening as she gripped the hem of the current dress’s miniskirt. “What’s wrong with this one now?”

He tilted his head, his temple resting on his fist as he propped up his arm on the bolster. His tongue raced over his teeth behind his lips before he let out a slow breath. “You don’t have to show a ton of skin to be hot, Viola. I mean, okay, sure, it doesn’t hurt, but what you really have to show is confidence. I need you to start thinking about this like a fisherman.”

“Like a fisherman! What the hell does that mean? You want me in a slicker and boots?”

After twenty minutes of shooting down every damn look, Changkyun rose from his chair and approached her. Vi got the uneasy feeling that she wasn’t a fisherman at all but the bait for the sharks as he circled her, hands in his jean pockets. He sized up the gaudy royal blue chainmail fabric, the too-low cowl neck, mirrored thigh slits, and, finally, her exposed back, but his face revealed nothing as usual.

“Think about it,” he said in his low gravel. “You need the right gear for your intended catch, but you have to know what you're fishing for. This dress is a net, Viola. It's going to pull in everything, including the stuff nobody wants.”

Her best friend’s aura was always intense, but right now, his condescension took over. Viola’s bare back bristled. “What are you talking about? I saw this exact dress on a girl you took home.”

He snorted. “Yeah, okay, maybe, but the one thing she had that you lack is experience.”

“Low blow, man,” Vi pouted and stacked her arms across her chest.

“I'm not talking about sex even though you're the one who said as much the other night,” he pointed out. “I'm talking about one-night stands. She knew how to pick out the bites she'd like best and throw back the ones that would disappoint or, more importantly, be dangerous. You haven’t learned those things yet.”

She rolled her eyes. “Sounds like you’re just giving yourself a backhanded compliment.”

“Viola.”

Changkyun’s stern voice penetrated the quiet salon’s air. Her hands fell limply to her side at once.

He narrowed his eyes. “You get my meaning now?”

“Yeah, I get it.”

“Look, we can work our way up to this. Remember what I said. Baby steps. You don't think this was the dress that girl chose for the first time out, do you?”

“How should I know?”

“Exactly,” he said with a pleased smile. Suddenly, Changkyun turned and as he walked back to his chair, he said, “Don't get me wrong, you look incredibly hot in it.”

“Really?”

He smiled at her again, but this time, there was something different in it, and once again, Vi was reminded of that shark. “Absolutely, and if you weren't my best friend, I would one-million-percent approach you in the club, but I would be one of a hundred guys, and most of them won't see you in the dress. They'll see an opportunity—a checkbox. So until you learn how to spot the users, we’ll find you something that will make you feel hot and secure. Besides, a little mystery is good.”

“Hasn’t worked for me the last 25 years,” she quipped.

“No offense, Viola, but you are charmingly easy to read.”

“Well, I don’t like keeping secrets…”

Changkyun pressed his lips together. After a moment, he nodded. “I know. I know. But I’m not talking about keeping secrets. We’re just talking about one-night stands, right?”

“Right.”

“So you don’t need to know everything about each other. Maybe you won’t even know each other’s names. Does that bother you?”

“N-no.”

“You don’t like secrets, remember, and I won’t let you have them with me for this to work. You know that.”

Changkyun was right—this dress exposed far too much, but Vi had nowhere to retreat except behind her crossed arms. She chewed her bottom lip before she answered again, “Yeah, I know. I’m really fine with it. I guess it just hits different when you say it.”

“Okay,” he said. “Just know you can back out at any time if you need to.”

She huffed. “Is that what this is? Are you trying to make me back out of this?”

“As if I could.”

“Good,” she said, her arms at last dropping to her sides, her chest thrust out as proudly as her chin. “Because I’m not going to back down. I’m going to take this all the way.”

“Then I’ll stay by your side like I promised.”

Something about the way his chocolate eyes met hers made Vi’s heart shift in her chest. She glanced at her sandaled feet as she replied, “I know. Thanks, Kyun.”

Changkyun sighed and rubbed his palms along the armrests. “Okay, then let’s get you into something else. You need something that makes you feel hot while looking mysterious.”

She scoffed. “This is way more strategy than I thought. Fine. You pick something out for me.”

Her friend nearly did a double-take. “What?”

“You don't like anything that I've picked, so why don't you pick something? Just remember what I'm going for here. Not something I might have worn before but something I need to wear now.”

“Viola—”

“We’ll be here for another three hours if you don’t,” she warned.

With a sigh, he stood up and paced the racks, his calm eyes scanning a rainbow of mini dresses. After several minutes, he came back to the dressing room, a perfectly blank expression on his face.

“One dress? Really?” she said with an eyebrow popped.

“The dress,” he corrected.

“Cocky.” Vi was about to head into the room when she furrowed her brow. “Kyun, this is something my grandmother would wear.”

“You know I know Grandma Viv, and I love her, but nobody wants to see her in this dress.”

“Hey!” Changkyun stared at her and, finally, Vi relented. “Fine, maybe not, but come on, this is like a parka compared to what I picked.”

“And your point?”

She scowled. “I’m trying to get laid, remember? I’d wear something like this to a wedding.”

“First of all, you would not. I’ve been your date to a dozen weddings by now, and I’ve never seen you wear something like this. Second, this dress will one hundred percent get you laid. I guarantee it.”

Vi turned her gaze back down to the tangerine number in her hands. It was the same stretchy bodycon material as many of the things she’d tried on, but apart from a halter neck and some satiny ribbons at the back tie, it looked about as plain as something in this store could get. She looked back at her friend dubiously, but Changkyun was unrepentant as he returned to his chair and sat down for what he clearly considered the last outfit of their fashion show.

“You seem awfully sure of yourself,” she said.

“I am. Look, the color will make your skin tone shine, and the cut will flaunt your assets.”

“Which are?” she prodded with a cheeky smile.

“Your assets, Viola,” he repeated stubbornly, but his eyes slid to her curvaceous hips and thighs, and she grinned, victorious.

“Fine, I’ll take your word for it, but I still think it’s a little boring. There’s no cleavage at all, and there’s a freaking bow at the back. I’m trying to get away from cutesy, remember?”

Changkyun folded his arms in a way that smacked all too hard of an unswerving CEO. “I promise you, you will look anything but cute in it.”

“I’d better.”

“Put it on, Viola,” he ordered, and it made her mouth go dry.

She retreated behind the saloon door and reluctantly swapped her “open 24/7” dress for what she was convinced would be more “help wanted”, but after she’d shimmied the vibrant fabric over her full thighs and fuller hips and then tied the bow behind her neck, she turned toward the mirror and her jaw dropped.

Damnit. He was right.

She looked hot. She looked damn hot.

The orange did amplify the exotic warmth of her skin and, like a buttercup beneath the chin, reflected attention to her face. A little notch on the skirt she hadn’t noticed before gave a sultry window to more thigh, and though there wasn’t cleavage on display, the snug of the dress across the curves of her chest was just as provocative.

She pivoted and glanced over her shoulder to find her ass looked just as round as a tangerine itself, and her back was far more exposed than she expected, allowing the halter ribbons to sway tantalizingly against the bare flesh there.

Vi smiled at herself, once in triumph before she tested out a few other versions that ran the gamut between coy, seductive, and hungry—or perhaps they all looked the same. She’d have to practice a bit more before she was confident she was nailing the hot girl vibe.

Finally ready, she swung open the door.

“That’s the one,” her best friend said, those cat-like eyes thin and stealthy as he regarded her from his seat.

“You think?”

Before Vi could step out of the changing room, Changkyun was out of his seat and in the dressing room beside her, the door swinging shut behind him. Trapped in such a small space with her best friend made things… weird. Through the thin fabric, should could feel his body heat, and it carried with it notes of leather and vanilla. She had spent much of her life by his side, but she swore she’d never smelled his skin so clearly.

“Do you love it?” he asked.

Vi bit her lip and nodded sheepishly. “I love it.”

“Mm.”

He surprised her by grabbing her bare shoulders and whirling her around so she faced the mirror, him behind her. His sharp chin hovered near the crook of her neck as Changkyun continued, “Do me a favor.”

“Uh, okay?” she hedged.

“Close your eyes and picture the man you want to fuck.”

Her head whipped back as she readied to argue with him, and she realized too late that it all nearly ended in disaster. With his face so close, only a piece of paper could have fit in the space between their lips. Vi recoiled. He did not.

“Im Changkyun!” she scolded as she hurried to return her attention to the mirror.

“You said you’d listen to me,” he reminded matter-of-factly, and her temper evened out.

“Yeah, okay, fine.” She was all too happy to close her eyes now anyway.

“Picture him,” he said lowly. “Everything about him. Not just his looks but the kind of lover you need him to be.”

Resentfully, Vi squeezed her eyes shut. It took much longer than she expected considering she’d been fantasizing about this exact thing night after night for months, but she blamed it on Changkyun’s use of the word “lover.” Finally, though, the haze of her mind began to solidify into a silhouette. The shadow man moved closer, and though she couldn’t make out any of his features, his body began to take shape. Lean, defined, strong. There were tattoos there, though nothing specific besides the fact that there was a sheen of sweat glazing all of them from the hard work he’d been putting in to please her. His movements were confident and intentional from plenty of expertise.

A sliver of light illuminated a pair of lips. Soft. Delicious. The bow just a bit sharp to hint at how wicked they could be but the bottom fuller and smoother with the promise of the sweetest finish.

Vi licked her own lips.

“Good,” hummed Changkyun, and the ice water of reality washed away her fantasy.

“What’s the point of all this, Kyun?” she said both exasperated and desperately eager to move on.

“I want you to see how a dress like this will do more for you than those other ones from before.”

“Okay, but why?”

“When you know what you want and how to get it, you won’t settle for less. Dress for the fuck you want.”

Vi scrunched her nose. “You wouldn’t think it to look at you, but you also go from zero to eleven real quick, man.”

“You have no idea.”

Now she was scrunching her eyebrows.

“See,” Changkyun continued, directing her gaze back to herself in the mirror, “no man’s going to miss this dress even in a crowded club. Everyone knows how sweet a tangerine is, and they’re going to want a piece.”

“Man, you silver-tongued—” Vi cut herself off with a shake of her head. “Okay, yeah. Fine. I’m feeling you now.”

“Good because that dream man you just pictured? This is how you reel him in. There’s no shortage of selfish, lazy fucks out there, but you need a man who understands and appreciates a woman’s body. A dress like this will make him appreciate it. It’s a tease. He’ll have that sweet first taste, and he’ll find himself imagining what more is waiting for him. See the way it cinches your waist? It’s inviting hands to grab right here.”

His hands hovered at the first swell of her hips. Through the fabric, Vi could feel his residual heat like a steam from a mug, but Changkyun kept his distance, and after a moment, they fell back to his side.

“So, you’ve changed your mind about this dress?” he said with a smirk.

“You were right,” she admitted sulkily.

“Mm. And you were worried you’d only be cute… See, with the bow, now you’re something special to unwrap,” he said as he swung her around again, back to the mirror, his fingertips glancing across the tails of the ribbons and, inadvertently, her spine, “but if he’s too desperate to manage that, it’s a short detour to pleasure no matter where you end up.”

Vi imagined for a split second that her best friend’s fingertip had grazed the back of her thigh where the hem hugged beneath her ass, but she knew that had to be a byproduct of the image he’d painted. After all, Changkyun had always been good with words, especially for the kind of sultry music he wrote.

“So we’re done here?” he prompted.

“Yeah, teach.”

“Perfect. Now, take it off.”

It wasn't like the order he had given her to put it on. This—this was quiet… breathy…

Eager.

But when he spoke again, he added flippantly, “I want to get going.”

Vi crashed back down to earth like a payload of bricks. “Fine, then get out.”

She shoved her friend bodily through the door and let out a heavy breath the second she had the space back to herself. She hadn’t realized how heavy and close the air was until she was alone again.

Fast as she could, Vi dressed back in her shorts and oversized hoodie and returned with the orange dress on her arm.

“Okay, okay, we’re done,” she said.

“Actually, not just yet,” corrected Changkyun.

She popped a lush eyebrow. “I thought you didn’t even want to do this part. What else is there?”

He hummed. “I want you to start thinking 4D.”

“As in ‘four dicks’?”

“Jesus, Viola. I mean dimensions. Four dimensions.”

“Well, I don’t know! After all that ‘dream lover’ talk or whatever, I wasn’t sure what channel we were on.”

“Your dream fuckboy has four dicks?” Changkyun asked with a smirk.

“Oh, shut up. I’m eager, but I’m not that greedy. What the hell does four dimensions mean anyway?”

“There's a beauty store around the corner. I'll show you.”

Vi bought the dress, both associates eyeing her and her friend suspiciously, and the realization that they assumed something had happened in the changing room made her wince, but if Changkyun noticed, he didn't acknowledge it.

He took her bag and headed out the front door with her in tow. Her best friend was rarely chatty—usually he left the course of conversation up to her—but Vi had run out of things to talk about. Though it had always been the point of this mission, her mind was fixed on the fantasy Changkyun had ruthlessly conjured, and she couldn't unstick it.

She was so busy riding that sweaty, shadowy tattooed man that she ran right into her best friend's back as he stopped.

“You all right?” he asked.

“Sorry. Daydreaming.”

He studied her for a second before he shifted his attention to the sleek display featuring a rainbow of bottles in the window. “We're here.”

“Hey, this place is fancy,” Vi observed as she looked up at the black-and-white Parisian awning over a gilded double door. “How did you know about it?”

“I buy my cologne here. Here's your next lesson: if you want to be a lure, make yourself a sensory experience.”

“A sensory experience? And you call me a nerd.”

“That means it’s not just visuals, Viola. Your smell, your skin, your—” Changkyun stopped. His lips mashed together as he considered, but after a rough swallow, he continued, “—your taste… this is what will ensure you have the best time because he’ll work harder for you because he’ll want to.”

Vi quirked a brow. “Damn, Kyun. Sometimes it sucks that you're my best friend.”

“It does?”

“Hell yeah. Otherwise, I’d be all over you.”

While Vi fiddled with a few bottles, Changkyun watched her. After a minute, he blurted, “Viola—”

“Can I help you two find anything?” An elegant blonde woman sidled up behind them with a polished smile that twisted into something much more seductive when her eyes caught Changkyun’s face. “Oh, it’s you. Didn’t think I’d see you again so soon. How are you?”

He nodded and gave the other woman a polite smile. “Good, thanks. We’re all good.”

The associate’s smile faltered as she glanced to his companion before she echoed his polite nod and retreated behind the register.

Vi leaned up to her friend's ear and whispered, “Do I spy the next Mrs. One-night-only? Am I going to get to study the master in the wild up close? Ooh, I feel like Steve Irwin.”

“You know my rules,” he replied as he picked up a bottle and idly sniffed it.

Oh yeah, she thought. No familiar faces. No sleepovers. No repeats. How could she forget, especially after her disastrous go at Henry?

Changkyun had a lot of rules for his personal life and perfectly logical reasons for most of them. He wasn't shy about sharing them either. In fact, he laid them out for every woman he'd been with so there were fewer misunderstandings when their time was up. The only thing he refused to explain was why Vi had never seen him with a girlfriend—their entire lives. She had probed plenty of times, but the only thing he'd ever said on the matter was “There's no point.”

Unsatisfied, Vi said, “What if you ran into her at a club first and then saw her here?”

“If I did, you know I’d have to stop using this store.”

“Man, Kyun, I forget how strict you can be sometimes. Am I expected to do that, too?”

“These my rules, Viola. I don’t expect you to follow them the way I do, but you should consider some of your own. If you want to stay unattached, you need rules and the determination to stick to them.”

“You’re right. But I’m not letting some guy run me out of a store I like.”

Changkyun hummed. “That’s my girl.”

Vi returned her attention to the shelves and, more specifically, the price tags underneath. “Oh, man, these are expensive.”

“Real perfumes are,” he replied. “Don’t worry about it just yet, okay?”

“Guess my Vicki Secrets Honeysuckle Apricot body mist isn't cutting it anymore. What's wrong with my signature scent?”

“Nothing,” he assured. “It's perfect for making a man fall in love with you, but that's not what we're going for, is it?”

“Falling in love? Hell no.”

Changkyun smiled that special tight smile, the one that always told her he was holding something back, but it also meant that even if Vi asked, he wasn't going to tell her what it was.

Instead, she directed her attention to the array of glass bottles spaced far enough apart that it drew the eye one by one. Each bottle was an experience, though she expected that came with the price tag. Some were faceted like jewels and others were shaped elaborately like high heels or hearts or even hot air balloons. “Okay, so what is my cheap ass looking at here?”

“Think of the bottles the same way you thought of your clothing,” said Changkyun. “They give you a hint of what’s inside. Dark and seductive. Bright and lively. Deep and powerful. Let your eyes guide you the same as they will in a club.”

Vi looked up and down the rows where four bottles caught her attention. She wanted to grab the quirkier sculpture bottles, but she remembered her best friend’s lessons from the dress shop, and she decided she needed to think more sophisticated. She went for bottles of ruby and sapphire, black and gold, and she lined them up in front of her.

“Okay, now what?” she asked.

Changkyun appraised her choices, though his face didn’t reveal whether she’d done a good job or not. He reached down the line to little cotton strips propped up in a dish and grabbed several. He chose the ruby bottle first and brought the nozzle close to the strip as he said, “We'll spray them on some paper first to see if you like them.”

A quick spritz and then a brief fan of the paper in the air, and he offered it to Vi. Before it even got to her nose, she scowled.

“I don’t like it,” she said.

“Why not?”

“Ugh, it stinks?”

Changkyun shook his head. “No, what’s the note that you don’t like?”

“Kyun, I live my life in fruity body sprays. What do I know about this?”

He glowered at her. “Too flowery? Too powdery? Too masculine?”

“No. It smells like an old lady.”

Changkyun brought the paper to his nose now and breathed. His eyes rolled back as he considered before he said, “Mm, hints of iris and amber and definitely some rose. You’re right, it’s not the scent for you.”

It was Vi’s turn to glower at her friend. “You know, you really know how to flex without looking like it.”

They tried the sapphire bottle next, but this time Vi was clear on why she didn’t like it.

“Too flowery,” she blurted as she recoiled and rubbed her nose.

Changkyun smiled. “You’re a quick learner.”

Unfortunately, neither of the next two bottles were a fit either, and Vi was startling to feel a little defeated. If the goal was for her to be able to make the right picks to reel in the right guys, she was failing miserably, first at the clothing and now at the scents. All her planning showed how little she really knew about the waters into which she was trying to dip a toe.

“You’re doing fine, Viola,” Kyun said, reading her instantly. “It’s not a test. It’s a new experience. You can’t get it wrong. You can just learn from it.”

“Easy for you to say.”

Her best friend studied her furrowed brow and, when she didn’t shake herself out of her funk, he suggested, “How about this? I’ll pick three scents that I think might suit you, and you tell me what you think.”

At this, Vi perked up. Curiosity overwhelmed her as she wondered how Changkyun could possibly sum her up in a fragrance. Only he would propose such a thing.

“Yeah, okay,” she said. “Bring it on.”

He nodded and headed down the row and then another and, in a blink, came back with three bottles as though he knew exactly which ones to grab.

She squinted at him. “That didn’t take very long.”

“Just try them,” he said dismissively.

Vi stared at him a minute longer, but he wasn’t budging and her curiosity was only increasing. She crinkled her broad nose and relented.

The first bottle was shaped like a poison apple, and after a quick spritz, her eyebrows raised. “Okay… Yeah, I actually like this one. It’s got some fruity notes. You know I like those.”

“I do,” Changkyun said with a smile.

“What is that I’m smelling? It’s sweet.”

“Vanilla. That’s a favorite scent for a lot of men.”

Vi bit her lip. “Tasty. I dig that.”

“Leave the paper there for a minute while you try the next. It’ll give the scent a little time to unfold. A good perfume changes over time.”

“Damn, okay, Mr. Nose. I’ll come back. Now, what’s this one?” She picked up a much less dramatic rectangular bottle in a translucent cherry red. It wasn’t one she would have picked up herself, but on first spray, the burst of cherry and almond hit her immediately, and she hurried for a second whiff. “Oh, this one smells delicious! But it’s not like my usual fruity stuff.”

Changkyun nodded. “This one’s darker. That’s the liquor in it.”

“Ooh, yeah? I like that. The guys will want to take a bite.”

Her friend didn’t respond, but he didn’t need to. Another whiff of the paper, and this one had definitely moved to the top of the list for now.

“Give it another minute,” he said and reached for a bowl of coffee beans sitting nearby. “Smell this.”

Vi popped an eyebrow. “Why?”

“It resets the nose. It’s easy to get the smells confused after a while.”

She shrugged and huffed the beans only to find it didn’t smell nearly as strong as she expected, but on second sniff, the coffee scent came through clearer.

“Ready?” Changkyun asked, and she nodded.

The last bottle he’d chosen was shaped like a diamond laying on its side. The black bow and smoky liquid inside gave Vi speakeasy vibes, and something about her drew her in from first sight. She sprayed a fresh paper strip, but she could smell it before she even brought it to her nose.

“Wow. Okay, wow.”

In a rare flash of brightness, Changkyun leaned forward and beamed from ear to ear. “You like it?”

“A lot! Definitely feels like nighttime. Maybe it’s ‘cause of the coffee beans, but I smell coffee in there somewhere. And there’s lots of fruits, too. And flower? Rose maybe? Okay, I don’t know what I’m talking about, but it’s super sexy.”

“Mm. If you want to know if it's a good match, you have to apply it to your skin though,” he said. “Fragrances wear differently on skin. It may smell good on paper, but there’s only one way to know if it will smell the same on you.”

Her friend grabbed her wrist and lifted it up, turning it over in his hand so the back of hers rested in the palm of his, his tan fingers curling around her toffee skin. Changkyun grabbed the bottle, the sultry liquid sloshing inside the glass facets, and he spritzed briefly across her pulse point.

“Give it a minute to dry down,” he instructed.

The first few seconds ticked by quickly, but somehow the next ticked by slower and slower, as though time itself had been trapped in molasses. Maybe it was because she was eager to smell her skin. Maybe it was because Changkyun was still cradling her hand and he’d never done such a thing before, and it was new.

In fact, today, things just felt a little weird between them. Most likely, it was the strain of their mentor/mentee relationship. They’d never had a dynamic like that before; not to mention, Vi had been out of school for several years now, so she hadn’t really planned for assignments and exams and, well, obvious failures of both this late in her life. It was more stress than she’d anticipated, even if her mentor was the person she trusted most.

But Changkyun remained just as unbothered as he usually looked. When he judged the time right, he raised her wrist to his nose and inhaled. Vi waited for him to comment, but he said nothing. Instead, he pushed her hand back toward her and said, “Here. What do you think?”

He guided her wrist to her nose this time, and she breathed in deeply, once, then twice. She closed her eyes and breathed in a third time.

Suddenly, she wasn’t in a store at all, but a crowded club. Strobe lights winked, skirts rolled up thighs, steam wafted off rolling bodies. It was intense, warm, and incredibly intimate all at once.

“Mm,” she murmured, “there’s the fruit and the rose again, but there’s something deeper. Reminds me of something from college. Incense, maybe?”

He hummed. “Patchouli I’d guess, yeah. I’m getting a lot of creamy caramel, too.”

Something about the way he said it made Vi’s brain flatline same as it had in the changing room when he was coaching her. This was the hardest she’d worked on anything since college. No wonder she was stressed out.

She sniffed her skin again and scowled. “You think it's a little strong for me?”

Changkyun stared at her. “Viola, you can pull off anything you want to. You just have to want to. A fragrance like this will give you that aura of confidence that you want.”

“You think?”

“If you let it,” he insisted. “Do you like it?”

“I do.” She paused. “Do you think guys will like it?”

“Without a doubt, but it’s important you love it, too. Just make sure it doesn’t give you a headache. You come first, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Changkyun narrowed his eyes. “I mean it, Viola. Deep-ending things can drown you.”

“I know, Kyun.”

Vi sniffed her wrist again and smiled. She smelled powerful and alluring, and she felt it, too. Her best friend was right. At the end of the day, this was about her and the woman she wanted to be, and she’d never been more grateful to have a man like Changkyun in her corner to remind her of that.

“But it's only for night time, okay?” he said abruptly, and it jerked her out of her thoughts. His back was to her as he returned the other bottles to their sections, though he said over his shoulder, “Don't go wearing that to work.”

Vi laughed. “Why not?”

“Just… don't.”

“Okay fine, man of mystery,” she agreed with a smile.

“Again with the sass,” he scolded. “I’m not trying to be mysterious, you know. I thought I was being pretty transparent.”

“Nothing about you is transparent, Kyun.”

He returned his attention to her long enough to study her face, and then he let out a sigh. He held the bottle in his hand, his thumb polishing one of the facets as he said, “This perfume? It's a love spell. Cast it wisely.”

“I thought we were avoiding love?”

“Different kind of love,” he clarified. “This kind only lasts as long as this scent does.”

“Sounds like you've got a new song in the making,” she teased.

But he remained serious as said, “Don’t waste it on your coworkers.”

With that, Changkyun turned toward the register and the lengthy blonde waiting behind it, who perked the second he headed toward her. Vi hurried to catch up, and when she got there, the associate was already in the back fetching a fresh bottle.

His card was already out of his wallet as he said, “I’ll buy it for you.”

“No, Kyun,” she said waving her hands, “you don’t need to—”

“You weren't expecting to buy it, so I'm not going to make you.”

“But I already owed you dinner to thank you for today.”

“You can take me out another night this week.”

Vi’s eyebrows scrunched. “What about band practice?”

“It’s not every night. Besides, I have to eat, right? You could just swing by one of the nights. The guys would like to see you, too.”

“Okay, fine. I can bring Chicken Box for them,” she suggested.

“And what about for me?” he said with an uncharacteristic pout.

Vi laughed. “All these years, and I’ve rarely seen you jealous. It looks cute on you.”

“I wasn’t going for cute,” he retorted. “I was going for hot.”

She snarled and gave her best friend a shove to his shoulders. “You ass. Maybe I’ll just feed your friends, and I won’t bring you anything at all now.”

“Fine,” he said, hands on his hips as he leaned in with a smug smile. “Then you’ll owe me a private dinner later.”

“Fine,” she responded just as childishly.

For a minute, they stared each other down like it was high noon in the Old West, but Vi broke first, the corner of her lips twitching, and then her best friend followed until they were both laughing as the saleswoman returned.

As soon Vi’s perfume was bagged, Changkyun paid the bill and nodded toward the door. “Come on, let’s get going.”

“Kyun, no more, okay? I don’t know how other people do this much shopping. I’m exhausted.”

“So am I. Now, I’m just hungry.”

At this, Vi perked. “Good. What do you want to eat? The ramen shop Hoseok’s always rambling about is a couple blocks down if you want, or we can get some Vietnamese or Indian. It’s my thanks to you, so it’s your call, but nothing too greasy if you don’t want me falling asleep at the table.”

“Ramen’s good.”

Though Vi was decidedly more extroverted than Changkyun, she loved their easy silences, especially ones like this one. They strolled down the sidewalk under breeze-shaken maples, cars ebbing and flowing like the English Bay. The sun was warm between the skyscrapers, and nearby, silverware clinked in cafes. Sometimes, she would randomly lose her walking partner only to find him stopped somewhere behind her, squinting through storefront displays at Balenciaga or Burberry. Changkyun never said why, but she like to imagine he was dreaming about what he would buy if he made it big with his music someday. He'd always had expensive taste though he rarely splurged.

They stopped at an intersection a block away from the restaurant when a car pulled to a stop at the light, blasting some club pop remix as the driver and passenger scream-sang the lyrics, and a light bulb lit in Vi’s head.

“Hey, that reminds me,” she blurted as she swiveled to face her friend. “What’s the timeline on this mentorship because Tara texted me this flyer that on Wednesday, there’s this DJ—”

Her friend shook his head swiftly. “Wednesday? Viola, no. You’re not ready. You’re nowhere near ready.”

“Not ready? Kyun, we’ve got the bait,” she said as she waggled both handfuls of bags. “Now, we just need a fishing hole.”

“Look, do you just want sex or do you want good sex?”

“Obviously the good stuff…”

“Then pump the brakes,” he said, exasperated. “I feel like you’re not listening to a word I say.”

“That’s not true. I’ve listened to at least five of them,” she replied with a smirk, and Changkyun rolled his eyes.

Just then, her phone rang, and she groped through her hoodie pockets for it. She didn’t have the number in her contacts, but she could have sworn she’d seen it before, so she answered.

“Hello, is this Viola Flowers?” said a rich baritone on the other end.

“Yeah, this is. Who’s this?”

“Oh, hello. This is Son Hyunwoo, from your room. Oh, apologies,” he said immediately. “I mean, I’m the one who looked at renting your spare room.”

Vi pulled to a stop, a big smile on her face. Changkyun stopped, too, watching her with squinted eyes.

“Oh, hey, yeah! I was just talking about you last night,” she said, and her friend tipped his head like a cat unraveling a curious sound. “I’m glad you called. I thought it over, and, yeah, the room’s yours if you want it.”

“Really?” Hyunwoo asked.

“I mean, Minhyuk tried his best to ruin it for you, but if you help me keep his unannounced visits to a minimum, we’re on.”

“I think I can manage that. That’s exactly why I need to move out of his townhome actually. He thinks he’s the lord of the land. I have no room in my life for it.”

Hyunwoo’s tone was so even and serious, it took Vi a lot longer to process his words, and when she did, she brightened. “Was that—was that a pun?”

“I just mean some time apart is meant to be,” Hyunwoo continued unflinchingly. “I need a new sublease on life.”

“I guess it’s not normal wear and tear on your nerves, huh?” Vi prompted, and she could hear the man on the other of the line let out a short, friendly laugh, which made her burst out laughing. She bit her lip to temper her laughter before she trumpeted, “I knew it! It was a terrible pun! And then another? And another? Wow. Just wow. Bad puns are my life blood, but some people don’t really appreciate them.”

She cast a pointed side-eye to her friend, though Changkyun was decidedly unamused. In fact, something about his naturally sharp body lines looked cold and wicked as the steel of a blade.

Vi forced her attention back to her caller and said, “It’s nice to meet another aficionado for the craft of world play. So, you still want to rent the room, right?”

“I do,” Hyunwoo said. “My lease goes through the end of the month here, and I know last time we talked, I said I wouldn’t know if I could even move to the end of the month, but now I’d need to be out by then. Is that okay if it’s a month sooner than I expected?”

“Sooner’s better for me anyway,” she replied.

“Good then. If you have a sublease, can you email it to me so I can review it?”

And he’s responsible to boot? Vi thought to herself, relieved. This was a huge step up from her last disaster of a roomie.

“I’ll send it over when I get home,” she said, and her eyes narrowed. Changkyun had out-paced her now by half a block, hands in his pockets, iris tattoo flexing restlessly. “Hey, Hyunwoo, I’m out right now, so I’ll message you later once I’ve sent the lease, okay?”

“Sounds good. Have a nice day,” said the older man. He had a way of saying things as though he were twenty years older than she was instead of just five.

They said their goodbyes, and Vi jogged lightly to catch up with her best friend, who had already pulled up at the entrance to the noodle shop.

“Okay,” Changkyun said when she got there.

Her brows pinched. “Okay what?”

“Okay, let’s go to this thing on Wednesday.”

Vi dropped her bags to hug her best friend. “Really? Hell yes! Thanks, Kyun.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” he mumbled as she crushed him in her embrace. “We're going to have to work through a lot between now and then to get you ready for the real thing, and I’m warning you upfront that you will not be ready by Wednesday, but we'll go and at least practice.”

“Okay, yeah, that sounds good,” she said as she let him go.

“But we're only doing it if you commit to it this week. We've got a lot to cover, so we'll have to meet up most nights.”

“I can do that, but can you? What about your practices?”

“We can work around them.”

“Yay!” Vi squeaked and then quickly tempered when she remembered the whole purpose of today. “I mean, yeah, sure, sounds good.”

Her friend popped one cool eyebrow.

“We can use my place while it’s still just mine,” she suggested as breezed by him into the restaurant. “Oh, yeah, that reminds me. Hyunwoo said he'd take the room. Sounds like he’ll actually start moving stuff in toward the end of the month.”

“That’s faster than you thought,” said Changkyun. “Didn’t you say he wouldn’t even know if he could move before the end of the month, and now, he’s already moving in?”

“Yeah, but at least that means I won’t have to pay the full rent again next month. My bank account will be happy.”

He hummed and returned his attention to the menu.

After they’d ordered, Vi asked, “So what do you want to cover this week?”

“Priority is safety. It always is,” Changkyun replied immediately.

“Of course,” she said though her annoyance was clear in her voice.

Her friend watched her carefully. “I know that's not the fun stuff, but we have to do it, Viola.”

“You sound like my dad,” she pouted. “But there's lots of other fun stuff on my list.”

“I know, and I'm sure you have it all organized in order of importance.”

Vi squinted at him. “Sass is my thing, not yours.”

“Is it sass if it’s factual? I’ll bet you have it typed up in your phone notepad, too.”

“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. How’s that for mystery?” she said coyly. Changkyun raised a brow, and she sighed as she pulled out her phone again. It only took her a second to pull up her “hot girl” list, and she read, “We’ve covered the clothes and accessories. I won’t need you for the other day-of prep, so I guess what’s left is logistics and technique.”

“Technique?” he asked through a slurp of noodles.

“You know, the sexy eyes and dancing and dirty talk stuff.”

Changkyun choked and thumped his chest with his fist before he gulped down some water. After he recovered from his cough, he said, “You expect me to teach you how to dirty talk?”

“I didn’t say that. You asked what’s left. I’m telling you. I’m not going to make this weird for you. I’ll just learn some lines from porn.”

Thankfully, this time, his chopsticks were halfway to his mouth, and he was spared a second round of choking.

“Please don’t,” he said. “I don’t want you picking up insane or bad habits.”

“Well, what am I supposed to do? You know this is not my wheelhouse, and I want to learn. I don’t want to embarrass myself.”

Changkyun smiled at her in his gentle way, his soft parentheses dimples bracketing it. “I understand, but what’s wrong with just trying a few new things at a time? If it’s a little awkward, so what? It happens. Sex isn’t perfect, Viola. Embarrassing stuff happens. Bad dirty talk isn’t a big deal compared to some of the stuff I’ve seen.”

At this prompt, Vi propped both elbows up on the table and set her chin on her fists. With big eyes, she asked, “Really? Like what?”

He frowned lightly and looked down at their food. “I don’t know if this is—”

“Come on, man, you can’t start a thought like that and not finish it. Make me feel better.”

“Fine,” he relented but lowered his voice. “One girl sneezed right into my mouth when she was riding me.”

Vi reeled back, barely missing knocking over her bowl as she cringed. “Oh my god!”

“And another was deepthroating me, gagged herself, and threw up on me.”

“That’s possible?” she squealed.

“Shit happens,” he said with a shrug.

“New fear unlocked, holy shit.”

Changkyun shook his head. “It was messy, yeah, and kind of gross, sure, but I still got them off before they went home.”

“Are you serious?” she gaped. “How are you so calm about that? I’d die. I’d probably never attempt sex again.”

“Like I said, shit happens. They were working hard for me. I had to make them feel better.”

“I swear to god, Kyun, there’s no other man like you.”

“You’d be surprised what a guy can forgive for the sake of sex.”

Vi deflated. “If there’s anything to make me want to stick to your code to the letter, it’s this. I could never see a guy again if I threw up on him. Catch me under a river rock, bye.”

Changkyun resumed his soup slurping as though he hadn’t just traumatized his best friend for life, leaving her to gnaw on the edge of her lip.

“Food’s getting cold,” he nudged as he took another drink.

“I’ll never eat again,” she swore.

“Hot girls eat well, come on.”

“I can’t stand you and your cool guy schtick. Okay, fine,” she said twirling some noodles into a bite. “So this week, I guess I’ll let you be safety officer first, and then maybe you can point out some hot girl dances moves at the DJ thing? You can be my living mirror.”

“Living mirror?” he echoed.

“Yeah, you know. You can reflect my successes and failures. Point out stuff other girls are doing and then give me tips when I try.”

“If that’s what you want.”

Vi nodded as she gulped down a bite.

“And what about the dirty talk lessons?” he asked.

At this, she pursed her lips. “I’m really not trying to overstep your good will, man. There’s, like, Cosmo articles and shit, I’m sure.”

Changkyun laid his chopsticks across his bowl and narrowed his eyes at her. “No, Viola, I know you. If I don't help you, you'll help yourself, and I don't need you shouting ‘Choke me, daddy’ to a stranger.”

It was Vi’s turn to choke. She banged her fist against her collar bone and downed her entire glass of water.

“Shut up,” she hissed, eyes scouring the restaurant. It wasn’t too busy, but that only made it feel that much louder. “I’m not trying to ruin everyone’s meals.”

“Then I suggest you accept my help.”

Vi glowered at him. “All this time, I didn’t realize you were a blackmailer at heart.”

“Comes in handy in the bedroom, too,” he added.

“I have so much to learn, sempai.”

Changkyun smiled that secretive smile once more. His voice dropped in octave as he promised, “Good because there’s so much I want to teach you.”

[whiskeysmulti]

"What I honestly think of you? Hm… such a vague question that has so many answers." Haru hums. She wasn't saying any of that in jest either, "You're really smart, but sometimes you say things that make me question if you think before you speak."

"You're very honest, and that makes you trustworthy. Though, sometimes it comes off as a bit abrasive and mean. I know you mean well and you have a soft side that you reveal sometimes that makes you feel special if you're the recipient." There is something special about when you catch Gokudera in a sweet mood.

"You look like a yankee and talk like it too most days, but you're a gentleman at heart and-- a nerd. You seem to like hiding it, and I don't know why. Maybe you're just being shy? A shame, because I find it cute."

"We may fight a lot and you get under my skin, but you always make up for it later by being sweet to me. I can tell how loving you are through your actions and it makes me happy to know that you're mine. I feel lucky that I somehow got your attention, you know?"

"My only real complaint, setting how you are with Lambo-chan aside, is the fact that you don't rely on others as much. I want to be able to support you and help you. I want you to feel like I'll be there for you rather than worrying that i'll get tired of you and leave you one day."

What else is there? She taps her chin in thought. "You severely underestimate how much I love you and need you, but if you still have doubts, then that just means I need to try harder to make you believe that." ((Ooc: Fiore may not want to speak her thoughts but Haru pushed me aside. She'll say her own thoughts, thanks. Ofc for Gokudera))

Tell my muse what your muse honestly thinks of them. Be long and descriptive or as short and sweet as you want- accepting!

Normally this was the point where he would start to argue, but he stopped himself this time and listened to what she was saying. He couldn't argue that sometimes he spoke before thinking, damned hot temper and fast tongue of his would be his end one day. But as much as he wanted to cut her off, he didn't. His hoodlum persona was something he prided himself on. It was a safety net for him, he'd had to toughen up quickly for his safety when he was on his own, and the fastest way to do that was to become intimidating. No one would take a mere pianist seriously on the streets and he had to find a way to protect himself. He was the one who was lucky to find her when he didn't think he'd ever find anyone. Most girls ran at the first sign of his temper and it was easier that way. It weeded out the bad seeds and led him to her. However, it was hard to just let his guard down and let others help, when he'd gotten so used to handling it on his own because he had no one before. He let her finish her little soapbox speech and hoped she wouldn't see the red on his cheeks. She needed him? If only he had the words right now to tell her he needed her too. The 10th might have saved his life and spared him, but she saved his heart and he owed her for that.

Those three words were becoming easier for him to say around her the longer they were together. The deeper their relationship got, the more he realized it was okay to show his feelings. "I love you, Haru. Thank you. I needed to hear that."

[xexiar]

Keep Watching. Ch 2

Chapter 1 Ao3

---

Chapter 2

After hanging out at the local park, we all finally headed home. It was then I learned that Izuku lived nearby. How did we never cross paths before? At the corner, before heading home, I asked him if he wanted to go bug hunting with me. Usually, Kato and Saito always turned me down. But maybe Izuku was different. "I would love to!" Hearing that made me so happy that I couldn't stop smiling.

"We'll meet here tomorrow morning." Izuku nodded, and he went home. I watched him for a while and saw how he entered the apartments across the street. So, that's where he lived. I wonder what it's like living in one of those. After all, I lived in a house.

The next day, I felt nervous as I waited at the corner for Izuku. I wasn't sure why, but that's what I was feeling. And when Izuku showed up, I was kind of confused. He wore the same shorts from yesterday and a shirt that seemed too big. Not to mention the shirt had a few holes. Was that normal? "Good morning, Kacchan." He wore a big smile as he ran up to me. As I got a closer look, he looked like a mess.

"Good morning, Izuku. Let's go to my place to get my bug net and containers." Izuku nodded, and I grabbed his hand while I pulled him along.

"You got one of the unlimited collectors All Might bronze age poster! You're so lucky, Kacchan!"

I looked over to Izuku as he smiled and commented about my room. My face felt somewhat hot as he kept praising everything. Even saying nice things about my comic book collection. Not to mention talking endlessly about my action figures. That's when I remember the second All Might figure I had gotten from my grandma. Maybe I should give that to him after we were done playing.

We soon went to the park, where Izuku held both bug-holding containers. We spotted a dragonfly flying over our heads as we neared the park. We both laughed as we tried to chase after it. I got my bug net ready, but the dragonfly was too fast and high. "Hold on, Kacchan. I need to catch my breath." I looked behind me and saw Izuku holding his knees as he seemed to struggle to breathe.

"I'm sorry, Izuku. I didn't mean to outrun you."

He quickly stood upright, held his fist in front of his chest, and shook his head. "I'm fine, Kacchan. That dragonfly was just too fast." Even though he was smiling, tears were sliding down his face. I started to walk over to him, but he began to step forward. "Come on, Kacchan. I wonder what bugs we'll find. Maybe we'll come across another dragonfly." Why did this feel so familiar?

But before I could say something, Izuku kept insisting we enjoy today. "Is everything ok?"

"My mom is at work and doesn't know I'm not home." I was in complete shock. "Come on, Kacchan." Izuku's smile made me worry. "It's ok. Mom just works odd jobs." Before long, we were in search of beetles and other bugs. Izuku's laughing and cheering almost made me forget what he had recently said.

…

Since I first spoke with Kacchan, it has been one adventure after another. Form getting the same All Might card to him giving me a matching limited edition All Might action figure. The action figure I had to hide from mom, or else she would have taken it away from me. Which she does whenever I get something she didn't buy me.

I even got to hang out with Kacchan instead of spending my days alone at home while mom worked many jobs. It felt amazing to have a friend. Especially one that was so amazing and is like my hero. We would explore the nearby parks almost every day, or I would visit his home. Sometimes, Kato and Saito would join us at the park, but they often ignored me. It didn't matter to me as long as I spent time with Kacchan.

All though, the only thing we didn't do was spend time at my home. Even more so when mom was home. Maybe I should invite him over when mom would be at work and wouldn't get mad at me. Mom doesn't scream or hit like Kacchan's mom does, but I knew when she was mad. Mom cries a lot, but I knew the difference between angry and sad tears. I don't like either one and would try to avoid them.

I eventually did tell my mom how I had a friend. At first, she didn't react. But when I mentioned how Kacchan invited me to a sleepover, she started asking questions. "Come on, mom. You won't have to worry about if I'm ok while you deal with your double shifts. And you'll be able to sleep in."

"Fine, Izuku." She then got her purse and took out her wallet and a notepad. I watched as she wrote something and then ripped the page out. She then took out a few bills from her wallet. Handing me the money and paper, I was confused. "That's my number. Make sure to give it to your friend's mom."

"Yes, mom." With that, I went to my room. I closed the door and went to my secret hiding spot, and grabbed the gift I got for Kacchan. When I learned Kacchan's birthday was coming up, I saved as much of my allowance as possible to get him something. I may not have eaten anything besides the daycare's meals, but it was worth it. I then packed my bookbag and ran out of the apartment.

When I got to Kacchan's house, I started feeling nervous. Not like I haven't been here before. But today just feels different. I was surprised that it was Kacchan's dad who answered the door. Usually, it was his mom. As I took off my shoes, I faintly heard screaming. Was Kacchan and his mom arguing again? They do this a lot.

Walking into the living room area, I saw how Kacchan's mom looked angrily down at Kacchan. I watched how Kacchan's dad tried to get in between the two. It's always like this. It would often start over with something so small like Kacchan saying something under his breath. That's when she looked up and saw me. Auntie Bakugou smiled at me before telling Kacchan that I was there. "You boys, go play while I finish cooking dinner. And Katsuki, remember what we talked about."

"Yeah, yeah." The way Auntie Bakugou looked at Kacchan scared even me. But thankfully, she went over to the kitchen. That's when Kacchan walked over to me. I could see that he had tears going down his face. As much as I want to ask, I know better. It always makes him more upset. "Do you want to watch a movie or play?"

"We could watch a movie! Oh," I handed him the gift. "I'm sorry I couldn't have given it to you on your birthday. But I hope you like it."

As I watched Kacchan unwrap his gift, he slowly smiled again. But his smile grew when he saw it was an All Might doll. "Thank you so much!" Watching him hug his doll made me happy. I'm so glad that I did this.

As we watched the latest All Might movie, it was so much fun. We spoke about how cool All Might was and pointed out all his incredible moves. It was fun finally having someone else to talk about All Might with. We even ended up acting out the movie after dinner. I don't ever want this night to end.

…

It felt like summer ended too soon when daycare started again. But it was so amazing all that time with Izuku. As we walked, I couldn't stop smiling. Even though I also hung out with Kato and Saito, neither came to my house. Either way, I had so much fun with Izuku, which matters the most to me.

Especially since when Izuku came over after I had a fight with my mom, he would cheer me up. I was shocked when I finally went to his home. His place felt so empty. Even more, knowing his mom was barely home. That's when he told me things, and I watched him painfully cry. I then promised him that he'll never be alone again.

His mom reminds me so much of my mom. I love my mom, but she doesn't ever listen to me. I'm very grateful to have Izuku by my side. Somehow, he just makes everything seem better. Kind of like he was my hero. But I'm too scared to tell him. What if I stop being amazing in his eyes?

"Is everything ok, Kacchan?"

I looked at Izuku and suddenly realized that I was crying. I quickly wiped away the tears, smiled, and gave a thumbs-up. "I'm ok."

"You don't have to lie to me, Kacchan. Is it something about what your mom said the other day?" How does he do that?

"It's nothing like that. I was just thinking about stuff."

"Ok?"

When we arrived at the daycare, I did my best to put on my bravest face. We had a new sitting this year, and I was somewhat surprised that Izuku was placed behind me. Now I won't be able to see him. Maybe this is a good thing because my focus is always on him.

During recess, something amazing happened. As Izuku and I sat under the tree, my hands started to tingle. When I looked at my hands, I noticed they were very sweaty. It almost smells like my dad's palm sweat, with a hint of moms quirk. I wonder.

I stood up, put my hands in front of me, and snapped my figures. Just then, it felt like something had popped into my hands. And it burned. When I looked at my hands, sparks were popping in my hand. It was almost like fireworks. "That's so cool!"

"I know, right!" I looked at Izuku, and he was smiling. "Now all that's left is for you to get your quirk, and we can start training to be heroes."

"I can't wait, Kacchan!" With that, the bell rang, and we returned to the building.

When we got to the classroom, I told our teacher that I got my quirk. "Would you like to share with the rest of the class?" I quickly nodded, and everyone surrounded me. Trying to remember how I activated the reaction from earlier was easy. "Oh wow. That's a very strong quirk. You're going to be super amazing as a hero."

…

What is Kacchan not able to do? It was so amazing to watch how Kacchan got his quirk and how everyone surrounded him. My friend was so cool. And as I watched him show off, his quirk reminded me of his dad's. Either way, it was so cool. I wonder when I'll get my quirk. Maybe it'll be just as impressive as Kacchan's.

Once we were allowed to head home, I noticed the mean boys were talking with Kacchan again. And for some reason, it was making me mad. Even though during the summer we didn't see them much. But I do wonder why they're speaking to Kacchan now. Kacchan seemed to enjoy his chat, so I waited patiently as he spoke. All while, I didn't like it. Before long, he and the others started to walk away. I quickly followed behind. What just happened?

The walk home was strange, almost like I was forgotten. Kacchan only spoke with the other boys. He even showed off his quirk. That's when I remembered that the other two had already gotten their quirks. Now, I for sure felt left out. This wasn't far! Maybe mom would know what to do.

This wasn't possible. At that, why did it have to be me? It didn't help with how mom reacted to the doctor's words. She had an emotionless face before crying, just like the day she told me about dad. "Your son will never have a quirk." No! I won't believe it. I need one to be a hero. What about my promise to Kacchan?

That night mom's words repeated in my head. It didn't help with how she looked at me before turning around. Then thoughts on how Kacchan would react when he finds out. Even recalling how he slowly started to ignore while playing with everyone else. I became angry again until I looked at my All Might doll. He always smiles. He never shows any other emotion. That night I cried myself to sleep, wondering what I should do.

While I slowly made my way to the daycare, I spotted Kacchan at our usual meeting spot. Do I tell him? Would he treat me differently once he knew? While we walked, I couldn't even look at him. But I listened as he excitedly told me how his parents gave him help with his quirk. I tried my best to keep a smile as I enjoyed the joy he shared. "Why didn't you show up yesterday?"

Why did Kacchan have to ask that question? Should I even say it? I tried my best to keep smiling as I looked at Kacchan. "I went to the hospital about my quirk."

Kacchan ran in front of me and had this big smile. Seeing him like this always made me happy. I don't want to ruin that smile. But what am I supposed to do? "So, what quirk do you think you'll have?"

"Aren't we going to be late?"

Kacchan turned around and started to run. "You're right. Let's hurry." He looked behind him. "And then you can tell everyone about you having a quirk!"

[katblu42]

I posted 816 times in 2022

That's 242 more posts than 2021!

65 posts created (8%)

751 posts reblogged (92%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@gumnut-logic

@janetm74

@gaviiadastra

@soniabigcheese

@the-original-sineater

I tagged 147 of my posts in 2022

#thunderbirds fandom - 33 posts

#thunderbirds fanfiction - 28 posts

#thunderbirds are go - 22 posts

#virgil tracy - 17 posts

#thunderfam - 14 posts

#thunderbirds - 14 posts

#youtube - 13 posts

#australia - 9 posts

#ask game - 7 posts

#flashfictionfridayofficial - 7 posts

Longest Tag: 98 characters

#i am virtually placing my ice-cold fingers on the backs of each of your necks to cool you all down

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Leap of Faith

I know it's technically too late, but this is for @flashfictionfridayofficial this week. (Stupid work stealing all my time!) Very short.

Thunderbirds fandom Approx 328 words.

“John, we’re out of options, and out of time.” Virgil’s tone brooked no argument as he checked one final time that the boy’s safety line was securely attached to his own harness.  “Scott?”

“F. A. B.” was forced out from between Scott’s gritted teeth, as One’s engines strained in the background.

With one solid plant of booted feet on rockface, Virgil pushed off the side of the mountain and activated the quick release mechanism on the now useless winch cable.  He held tight to the child clinging to his chest as they plummeted.  Even through the helmet he could hear the grinding screech of metal on rock as the weight of the Pod violently shifted at the sudden loss of their weight.

He turned himself in the air and curled his body protectively around the boy in the vain hope he could shield him from impact if the worst were to happen.

Then the welcome scream of engines filled the air and they were no longer falling.  Caught by the cargo net stretched out in front of Thunderbird One’s nose cone.  Virgil adjusted his position, keeping one arm wrapped around the terrified little boy, and taking a firm hold of the cargo net with his other hand as his big brother slowed his ‘bird and began to ascend away from the jagged rocks of the canyon floor below them, heading for the safety of the plateau where he had needed to leave Thunderbird Two.

“Thanks, Scott,” Virgil panted out in sheer relief.

“Any time, little brother.”  The confidence in the commander’s voice was laced with a fair share of relief in return, and something else Virgil wasn’t sure he could identify.  “On second thought, maybe don’t try that one again in a hurry.  You’re right.  It’s not fun watching a self-sacrificing idiot brother make a move like that.”

“I knew you’d catch me, Scott,” barely above a whisper.  “I had faith.”

“Just like I have in you.”

37 notes - Posted September 10, 2022

#4

Not having a significant other at this time of year has had me pretty fed-up with all the pre-Valentine's Day advertising, but it got me thinking that I really want to show some love to all of you for being such a lovely community.

40 notes - Posted February 14, 2022

#3

It's here, it's here, it's finally here!

My months of regularly trawling ebay for one of these finally paid off. Even had a last minute bidding war to win it in the end!

And the best bit . . .

See the full post

47 notes - Posted December 2, 2022

#2

Like Your Father

For @flashfictionfridayofficial prompt #176

With a prompt like this, how can it be anyone but Scott Tracy?

Fandom: Thunderbirds Are Go Word Count: approx 886

He’d been hearing those words practically all his life.  Almost always in a positive light.  When he was little it was invariably a reference to his smile or his eyes – or Grandma commenting on his tendency to want to get everywhere fast, or his infatuation with all things flight related.

As he grew he found himself wanting to emulate his father in so many ways. So, by the time circumstances unexpectedly thrust him into Dad’s shoes as a young man the comparisons were practically inevitable.

In Scott’s role as CEO of Tracy Industries it was so common for people to comment on the likeness that with every face-to-face meeting it was now expected.  Well, at least from board members, executives, competitors, clients and prospective collaborators who were old enough to have met the great Jeff Tracy in person. 

Sometimes the words went unspoken, but the way a person’s eyes would linger on Scott a moment longer than strictly comfortable while shaking hands said it anyway.

“You’re so much like your father.”

Most of the time it made Scott proud.  After all, it’s what he strived for – the result of the inner mantra that kept him asking himself “What would Dad do?” in any situation.  He wanted to be like Dad, to make him proud, to live up to the legacy.  And there was an undercurrent of fear there at times that he would never be able to live up to that.  So, hearing people remind him that yes, he was indeed a lot like his father was a reassuring comfort.

Usually.

Today’s meeting had started out ordinarily enough.  He and Virgil were in New York to meet with Nathan Twiner in order to discuss his proposal for a project he thought Tracy Industries should support.  The eager and over-confident inventor had given Scott that look as introductions were made.

“I had the pleasure of meeting your father once,” the greasy-haired, middle-aged man commented with a toothy smile and a firm handshake.  “He was a great man.  Such an inspiration.”

“Yes, he was.”  Scott returned the smile and deftly resisted the twist the older man tried to enact to literally get the upper hand grip in the shake.

From there it had all gone downhill.  Twiner’s idea was all hype and very little substance.  Virgil had politely pointed out a number of the many flaws he’d spotted in the designs and blueprints.  Scott himself could see some of them, and both Tracys had expressed their safety concerns when Twiner had tried to suggest the ways in which experimentation would find the solutions for any shortcomings in the design. 

But the main issue Scott had with Twiner’s idea was the fact that the end product would have no real benefit to society at large.  It was a grand idea which would need a great deal of time and money poured into it just to make it viable.  Scott agreed with Twiner that the finished product would likely sell, but Tracy Industries were not in the business of making things that amounted to little more than big toys for rich grown-ups to waste their wealth on.

Finally getting the message that Scott and Virgil were showing him and his idea the door, Twiner’s thin veil of friendly familiarity was abandoned.  He stood, he scowled down on Scott who remained seated across the table.

“This place has obviously gone to the dogs since the demise of the Great Jeff Tracy.  He was a man who knew a profitable idea when he saw one.  An adventurous man who wasn’t afraid to take risks.”

Virgil may have sensed what was coming.  A subtle shift in his position beside Scott brought his knee to rest against his big brother’s thigh beneath the table.  A small, simple gesture that served as a reminder that Scott was not alone here, and to keep calm.  Although Scott was managing okay without the gesture, he was very glad of it when Twiner delivered his parting shot.

“You are nothing like your father, and he’d be greatly disappointed in you.”

Scott rose slowly to his feet, keeping his voice steady and his fingertips lightly on the table.

“My father, in life and in business dealings, knew how to weigh up the risks and benefits of any situation he was faced with.  He took calculated risks, but his goal was always to help people, and to improve the world we live in.  Everything I know about running this business I learned from him, and thus far it has served me and Tracy Industries very well.” 

Scott’s glare was deployed with the desired effect, as Twiner’s self-assuredness seemed to melt away and he took an involuntary step back.

“Thank you for your time, Mr Twiner,” Virgil said pointedly as he rose from the table and strode over to open the door.

“You’ll regret this,” Twiner mumbled as he left.

Virgil closed the door again and turned back to his big brother in time to see him sag back into his seat.

“Scott?”

“I’m okay, Virgil.  I know what you’re going to say, and you don’t need to say it.”

Virgil waited a moment, knowing that while Twiner’s words had hurt, his big brother would be able to shake this off. “So, you don’t think he’ll take his idea to Fischler?”

47 notes - Posted November 12, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I need you all to see this amazing artwork @godsliltippy did for me!! It's absolutely beautiful and has such wonderful details in it! And I totally didn't expect when I commissioned it that it would be completed so quickly!

Cannot stress enough how much I absolutely love it! Thank you Tippy!!!!

The song he's playing/singing is Now I've Seen You from the musical Honk!

51 notes - Posted August 25, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[ashlee-bonfamille-lyons]

A Final Pinky Promise {Tiny Dancers}

Ashlee says goodbye to Nemo.

@justkeepdancing-nemo

Date: A couple days after the showcase.

Ashlee

So this was it. Boxes were moved into a truck and the movers were heading out. Juniper was asleep in her carrier by the door. Her room felt empty, even with some of her items left, even with it being a place she could come back and call her room, it was still just a fraction of the life she had created in here.

It was empty, it was scary.

She was leaving everything she considered her safety net.

She was leaving the first place she ever felt safe, she was leaving one of the people that made her feel so safe.

And even though she didn’t want to think that far ahead she couldn’t help it.

She had to because this was it. 

Staring at her room one more time Ashlee took a deep breath.

“I’m not sure I’m ready.”

NEMO: 

Ashlee was leaving. 

Ashlee was leaving. 

No matter how many times Nemo had told himself this to prepare himself, it never really felt real. Not as long as he saw Ashlee around – going to Hatter’s for coffee and tea, or meeting up in the uni dance studios to mess around. It’d been a really good summer, honestly. It was a summer of dance. A summer of laughing. A summer of Nemo-and-Ashlee.

But today, Nemo had woken up to a chill in the air, the sign of coming autumn, and he knew that the summer was over. And Ashlee was leaving. Here he was, in her doorway, staring at her empty room and for the first time, he started to believe it.

Nemo felt his throat get a little tight, but he was determined to be wrong. That’s what he needed to do for Ashlee, yeah? As her partner, Ashlee was supposed to rely on him - to know that if she jumped, Nemo would catch her.

“Aw, I’m sure you are!” Nemo said with a bit of mock cheer. He grinned brightly, trying to make Ashlee grin too. “It’s gonna be amazing! Maybe a little scary at first, but just think. Soon you’ll have all kinds of cool shopping around, and like, ten different coffee shoppes to choose from. That’s nutty. In a good way!” 

Ashlee

Ashlee did smile at him, but for once she didn’t need him to be her cheerleader. This was sad, and while it was going to lead to good things and she was proud of it, she was also sad she was leaving her dance partner behind.

Who knew what the future would hold for them? Would they get time to meet up and practice and make routines like they did before?

She hoped so.

“You’re going to be able to experience it too you know. Maybe not as often as we like but you’ve always got a place to stay and you can see all the ten different coffee shops in walking distance.” Ashlee mused nudging him once.

NEMO: 

Ah, yeah. That was true– but also felt so unrealistic to Nemo. He knew that he was probably being silly, but London felt just as far as Paris to him. Or Seoul. Or anywhere else where his friends had gone off to, and then forgot him.

No, no, they didn’t forget him. But… it had never felt the same, after they had left. 

Would things change with Ashlee too? 

Yes. Yes, he knew that it would.

His smile softened a bit, and Nemo wasn’t able to hide some of the worry that crept in. “Ah yeah– yeah, I guess I’ll have to save up and come visit you sometime, huh?”

Ashlee

Ashlee moved to rest her head on his shoulder just for a moment, she would miss moments where she could do this. She wasn’t sure she would ever trust anyone the way that she trusted Nemo. “Exactly, and then I can show you all around the place and dance in some of their studios. It’ll be fun.” 

But even she was having a hard time making that sound upbeat and joyous. 

NEMO: 

Yeah, it would be fun, if it happened. It was just that now Nemo was used to life happening. Everyone had to pick priorities and a lot of the time those priorities didn’t involve fucking around with friends, having sleepovers, going to parties– or even dancing just to dance, with no show to practice for. He couldn’t resent Ashlee in case it happened with her too. If she got busy, if she made new friends, if she forgot him– as long as she was happy, that’s what mattered. Or, that’s the kind of supportive friend that Nemo wanted to be. So he smiled again, though Ashlee couldn’t see it since she was still leaning on his shoulder. “Yeah, that sounds awesome. And– you’ll be back here too, right? Maybe– for Christmas?” 

Ashlee

“Yup, I’ll come back for holidays. Whichever ones I can make it.” She was too sure considering performances but she would make it work.

Holding out her hand she took Nemo’s in hers giving it a tight squeeze. “I’m not gonna disappear okay? This is my everything and my safe place. You’re my safe place and I’m not giving that up any time soon okay.”

NEMO: 

Nemo was trying to be breezy. He was trying to be bright. He wanted to be a beautiful last memory for Ashlee– something she could look back on and smile about. He didn’t want to make her feel guilty or make her cry or anything like that–

But she knew him too well. And so of course her words made Nemo’s eyes fill with tears, and before he could stop it, they slipped down his cheeks. 

It was just so, so hard to say goodbye. 

“I–I know,” he said, voice wobbly. He sniffed. “Sorry, I– I just– you’re my safe place too. I– I dunno what I’m gonna do without you here.” 

Ashlee

Ashlee’s bottom lip wobbled as Nemo’s voice wobbled, she didn’t know how she would do this, but she knew she had to. So she would power forward. 

“You’re going to be Nemo, and you’re going to excel, One way or another.” Ashlee stated sternly. She believed it too. He deserved it, he had racked up so much good karma that she believed life has to work out for him.

“And I promise, I’m a call away, a text away if you ever need anything, if you ever wanna gossip, just hit me up, okay? I still wanna know everything.” Ashlee offered lifting her head and with her free hand wiping away any tears that wanted to fall. 

NEMO:

Nemo wanted to argue. Just look at him so far – look at how much he struggled, how hard everything was when he didn’t have his friends to lean on. He didn’t know how to excel, not really. He only knew how to mess up. He needed Ashlee around to make sure he didn’t mess up. But Nemo knew how selfish that was. He was almost twenty now, and he couldn’t lean on Ashlee, or use her ambition to push him ever forward. He had to reach down deep inside himself and find that drive for himself. He knew that he had it. That’s why he and Ashlee got along anyway– because as different as they seemed on the surface, deep down, they were the same. They were ambitious. And they loved to dance. He just had to love dance without her.

Nemo swallowed again. “I–I will, I promise. Probably more than you want me to.” He sniffled again, another tear sliding down his cheek. He smiled though. “You’re gonna think I’m so annoying, I’m gonna text you so much.” 

Ashlee

Ashlee shook her head, that’s what she wanted, what she needed. She needed to be able to stay connected to this town, to the people here. “You underestimate how much I want that. You’re going to get all the drama from my side too.” Ashlee stated simply before wrapping her arms around Nemo in a tight hug.

She didn’t want to say goodbye but they only had so much time left and she was going to make the best of it. “I love you, okay? Never forget that.”

NEMO:

Nemo put his arms around Ashlee and hugged her back. He shut his eyes, and pretended this wasn’t goodbye at all. 

It was. It also wasn’t. Realistically– he’d probably see Ashlee sooner than he thought, right? He’d definitely talk to her sooner. He could almost imagine it. In a few hours, his phone would light up with pictures from her new flat. In a day or so, she’d send him a video of herself practicing, and ask him for tips. In a month, his phone would ring and ring and Ashlee would wish him happy birthday. He’d miss her, but he’d also always be connected to her. There was something about the two of them that was– meant to be. Nemo couldn’t explain that, but he did believe it. Nemo pulled back then, put his hands on Ashlee’s shoulders and smiled through his tears. “I love you too, Ashlee. Thanks for being the best dance partner I could ever have. Let’s– promise each other that we’re gonna dance together again someday, okay? Even if it’s just for fun.” He held up his pinky. “Cuz all I wanna do is dance with you.” 

Ashlee

Ashlee blinked back tears but she nodded. That was an easy promise, something that Ashlee wanted with her whole heart. Nothing would stop her, after all both of them were stubborn and resilient as hell and if they wanted it. They would get it.

Holding up her pinky she locked it with his. A finale suited for both of them, with promises to the future.

“I promise- we’re going to dance together again someday.”

[itstheendofthegoddamnworld]

Genshin Men and Where You First Meet Them

This is my first time writing Genshin Impact, so please bear with me if I don’t get their personalities right. Includes using a haiku in Kazuha’s that I found on the net because I couldn’t be asked to write one myself.

Pairings: Kaeya, Childe, Diluc, Zhongli, Ayato, Kazuha, Thoma x fem reader

-

Kaeya had been someone you didn’t think you would hold a conversation within such a bustling party, the extravagant man was so very noticeable even amongst the crowds. you bumped into whilst at the bar, ordering for your friends whilst he was waiting for his to be made, accidentally bumping shoulders with you, intrigue lighting up his face, “Oh~ I don’t think I’ve seen you before.” the rest of the evening was spent ignoring each other’s friends, found in a secluded corner in hopes of getting to know one another better

-

When you first met Childe, he was like any other person training at the gym, easily doing pull-ups on the bar, a sight to be seen. broad, muscular back on show through the measly tank top, the main character moment he knew of when all eyes were on him. you could only bet he could see or even sense you watching him, occasionally locking eyes with you as he flashed a dazzling smile and flirty wink, and he coming over when he spotted an ego lifter trying to hit you up, discomfort written all over your face. he didn’t have to say much when he came over to get the guy to leave, calmness washing over him like heavy waves from the ocean, “I’m sorry he had to get up in all your business, Girlie. If you ever need help, you know who to call~.”

-

Diluc had been a friend of yours since childhood, a friendship that slowly grew colder the older you got. it had rekindled like a familiar old flame when you found him working as the bartender to a popular bar, refined and stoic to all the goggling from those who snapped their drinks being made on social media, attempting to make small-talk with him. although he looked the same, the Diluc from childhood was different, cooled down from the years you knew of the boisterous yet charismatic boy. “You know, if you ever want to meet up, I’m down to know what you’re doing and finally catch up.” maybe he had always been charismatic to you

-

Unlike what you expected from a man of such knowledge, meeting Zhongli came as a surprise. he didn’t exactly follow the looks for a librarian, a striking gentleman who no one knew just how old he truly was. he had helped you collect books from the top shelf when he saw you struggling to reach them, highly intrigued in sharing his passion for the book you were wanting to read. the two of you spent what felt like hours listening to each other, the man being an entire encyclopaedia with the number of things he knew in general and of the topic of your book, “If you ever wish to speak more of this topic, I would happily spend my time doing so.”

-

Meeting Ayato had been through mutual connections. you had known his younger sister through high school and to college, always been invited to his house when it had been the two of you. you had heard tale of her brother whilst growing up to who you were today, never catching a glance of him when he would’ve been at college himself, but it had been from a business trip abroad where he had finally travelled home, finally meeting him face to face. he was as suave and charismatic as you had predicted, and when Ayaka had gone off to the bathroom, you felt his unexpected gaze on you, moving towards you as he poured himself and you a drink, “Who knew my little sister had such a lovely friend~ Let’s hope I get to see you more often.”

-

Kazuha had been a regular at the café you worked at, yet you had never had the chance to serve him. he usually came alone, a pen and notebook always attached to his hip, never leaving his side and never did you see him without it. whatever he wrote was of passions of words, your co-workers predicted it was for a lover he had, one overseas or one never intended to be his. beautiful and bittersweet. yet, when he had slipped the note to you with a warming, kind smile, you couldn’t help but read the note with fondness in your heart, “In just the right light, the cracks in his heart spell out, the word ‘beautiful’”

-

Meeting Thoma was as if life had brought the two of you together by accident, a beautiful, warming accident. taking your dog to the usual park was a treat for both of you: to inhale the present and future and exhale the past, to dispel your qualms. you didn’t think your precious little friend would go off and playfully attack another owner, ignoring his pet as she rolled onto her back for his attention only. you scrambled to grab your dog again, profusely apologising to the young man: handsome, blond, with gentle green eyes. “It’s no problem at all! I’m glad she’s eager to meet new friends. She’s just as cute as her owner.” even his laugh was warm like sunshine, and you craved to see him again one day, reminding yourself to go to the park more often

[writingtheafterglow]

holland + co. ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

here you will find all my holland + co works !!!

✎ tom holland

speechless

You and Tom share your first dance at your wedding | fluff

best kiss

You and Tom win best kiss at the mtv movie awards | fluff

aloha

You're on your annual trip to Hawaii when you run into a certain celebrity | fluff

what the hell...icopter

your partner takes you on a date to a place you would never expect | fluff

rumored breakdown

all the rumors cause you and tom to get into a fight | angst, fluff

joan of arc

you and your band mates write a song and tom takes it personal | fluff

reggaetón lento

it started with a look, and then all of the sudden you came in contact with a popular frat boy | fluff, angst, suggestive, au

enough for you

tom hates that he put you in the spotlight, so he does this... | angst

crushing on the course

tom has a huge crush on y/n y/l/n. what happens when he runs into her in the last place he'd ever expect. | fluff

think about this...

tom hasn't seen his girl in a while but, that all changes when graham norton surprises him on the show. | fluff

what a simp

tom is a simp and his instagram shows it... | fluff, au

touch

after a tiring day at work, both you and tom come home, missing each other's touch. | fluff

✎ peter parker

spider like me

Spiderwoman (Y/N) has a huge crush on her partner Spiderman (Peter). Peter has a crush on the most popular girl in school Y/N Drew. Neither of them know the others identity. | fluff, angst

spidey's girl

spidey's girlfriend finally finds out who's under the mask | fluff

safety net

y/n, the new avenger, somehow found herself in a love triangle | fluff, angst

difficult

y/n and her dad get into a fight. peter is there to comfort her. | angst, fluff

official?

you and peter have a misunderstanding | fluff, au

oops

you do a lyric prank on peter | fluff, au

love sweet love

peter tries, everyday, to show you how much he loves you | fluff, angst, suggestive

you gotta not

you have high standards, can peter meet those standards? | fluff

all the stars

peter plans the perfect date for the two of you | fluff

✎ arvin russell

bad to you

you have a love-hate relationship with the boy you tutor | fluff, angst, suggestive

why don't I?

Arvin helps you out a little with your stage fright. | fluff

✎ series

bad ones

Why do you always fall for the bad ones? The ones who always make you sad? Well that's what you did, and it ended up with heartbreak. The person you thought was the one, didn't think the same. What happens when you write an album about your experience? Could it lead to even more of a problem or maybe a happy ending? | complete

saving dustville

You've had suspicions about your hometown, Dustville, being haunted for years. There's something different this year though, it seems unusual. With the help of your childhood friend, Tom, you uncover some of the towns deepest secrets. Along the way, you start catching feelings for your best friend. What will happen? | complete

under the mistletoe

High school is brutal, especially for Y/N. Everybody in school knew her as the "less-pretty best friend". That, however, was not the case for Tom. The school's most known jock, also Y/N's ex-bestfriend. What happens when Y/N needs his help to get her crush to go out with her? Will he help her? Will someone catch feelings? | hiatus

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

[rays-of-fire-and-ice]

Oooooo maybe your top 5 zanpakuto shikai forms?

Sending good vibessssss! ✨

Ask me for my Top 5/Top 10 of anything!

Now THIS one was hard! XD Even so, it was fun to look through all the Shikai forms and rank them! Honourable mentions: Shinso, Suzumebachi, Suzumushi, Zabimaru and Senbonzakura

5. Haineko

Haineko has a pretty cool Shikai. In terms of design there isn't much to speak about (the sword basically becomes a cloud of teeny-tiny swords), but the fact Rangiku only needs to control her Shikai with her hand movements and thoughts is pretty cool, allowing her to focus on other aspects of the battle if needed. What I love most about this Shikai is the tactical range and possibilities it has. The cloud can extend to a large area and encase multiple opponents at once, injuring all of them if Rangiku so commands it. Also, neko rinbu (the tornado she used against Halibel's fraccion) was just awesome, especially in the anime! I hope in the upcoming anime they find a way to sneak the tornado in again and show what else Haineko can do.

4. Wabisuke

This one has really grown on me over the years. At first I didn't think much of Wabisuke's Shikai, and it's likely because Rangiku was able to outsmart Izuru - she just so happened to have a zanpakuto that could counteract it's Shikai ability. Having gone back and watched his fight again Abirama though, I've now solidified that this is one of my favourite Shikai forms. It definitely has some exploits/weaknesses that can make it look weak, but when Izuru manages to use it as effectively as he did against Abirama (and Lille I assume...here's hoping the anime shows this!), he shows just how cool this Shikai is. Much like it's wielder, the Shikai in design and ability has got a morbid undertone to it: Izuru strikes an opponent's weapon or person several times until they're helplessly on their knees, only able to bow their head into the curved blade and get beheaded. Great stuff!

3. Tobiume

Sometimes I'm a simple woman: all I need is a battle to have fireballs, and Tobiume's shikai has got those in spades! In all seriousness though, I actually like Momo's shikai for three reason: 1) the aforementioned fire - the explosions look awesome, 2) the design is interesting (reflecting Tobiume's name, 'flying plum tree') and I could see Momo using this design in creative ways in battle (like catching an opponent's blade between one of prongs and forcing their weapon out of their grip), and 3) it really makes me wonder what her Bankai is (does it also involve fire but it's now an inferno or does it relate more to the 'flying plum tree' name?), I like thinking on the possibilities.

I also just love seeing Momo wield it, she looks awesome and has used her Shikai in creative ways with her other strengths (the kido net she set alight with Tobiume after using it to entangle Halibel fraccion, for example).

2. Hyourinmaru

No surprises this made the list! Hyourinmaru has a powerful Shikai, able to create ice, control the weather, conjure up an ice dragon, can use some of it's Bankai abilities (the main difference being the quantity of ice produced, with the Shikai creating a smaller amount compared to the Bankai), and the Rokui Hyoketsujin technique. When I think 'the most powerful ice-type zanpakuto', these are the kinds of powers I would imagine the weapon's Shikai having. Also I love the design of this one, the chain and crescent blade are cool additions and I like the tactical potential they have in battle (for example, when Toshiro used it to entangle Gin's arm to freeze him in place during the Soul Society arc).

And of course there's the wielder himself. His Shikai really encapsulates the 'frozen passion' term that's been used to describe Toshiro, and having a strategic mind, I like how he uses his Shikai in battle (his fight against Gin always comes to mind). I know when Toshiro activates Hyourinmaru's Shikai I'll be in for watching/reading a good fight.

1. Kazeshini

When I started this list, I really didn't think this was going to be number one. I knew it would be on my top 5, but in first place?? But then I was rewatching Hisagi's battle with Findor and Tosen, and then I remembered how much I love this Shikai.

I'm a sucker for a cool weapon design, and Kazeshini definitely has that. I love the scythe-like design (in the manga, Kubo really knew how to make this one look fearsome in some panels and awesome in others), the fact it's dual wielding, and all the tactical possibilities with it. This last point is I think why it just edged out Hyourinmaru's Shikai; unfortunately, Kubo never really looked into how Toshiro's Shikai could be used beyond the [admittedly very cool] ice powers (the chain felt like a one-time gimmick as I don't remember it being used beyond the Soul Society arc). Hisagi, however, shows all the possibilities a Shikai like his has and makes it look awesome: it can be a projectile/range weapon, can be used effectively in close combat, the blades can be spun like fans, it can entangle opponents and/or either weapons, and of course there's kubikake (basically what he did to Ayon and Tosen). There's just a lot of possiblities with Kazeshini and I really like that!

There's also the unpredictability factor. Though this largely depends on the wielder (and Hisagi definitely wields Kazeshini very well), Kazeshini can be unpredictable to an opponent due just how much range and potential the Shinkai has; one minute one of the blades is coming at you, but the next the second blade is swinging up behind you and the chain attached to it is wrapping around you so you can't escape. Or better yet, you're there facing another opponent, and then next thing you know, this chain just comes out no where, wraps around your neck and you're pulled back, and next thing you know you're now facing Hisagi and the other opponent.

Finally, what also helps this Shikai is, again, is it's wielder. I've always liked Hisagi, but after reading the Can't Fear Your Own World light novels, I've come to really like him. He's like an unsung hero in BLEACH, and his arc with Tosen and beyond is underrated. He said he hated his Shikai because it looked like it was made to kill, and that's always fascinated me and made me wonder what kind of relationship he has with his zanpakuto spirit.

Thanks for sending this in (and for the vibes)!

[littlepadika]

Hi!! Can I please request 💕Din, 🔥enemies to lovers, 💅dom!reader ??? Thank you!!☺️☺️☺️

OOOH I love dom!reader with Din mwahahaha this one is hot and takes a nosedive into soft. Your fave @axshadows?

500 follower celebration

Warnings: Male receiving oral, Dom reader

Din despised you. Whenever he'd be close to catching a bounty you would swoop in and finish the job yourself, stealing his thunder. You didn't do any work yourself. Din tried everything to shake you from his trail. He tried to lay a trap, he tried to split the reward, he even tried to kill you once. Nothing worked. You always slipped through his grasp.

Your conflict was coming to a head as Karga was tired of the constant bickering.

"Work it out you two or no pucks."

"Find someone else to steal from." Din glared up at you from his seat.

"But I like annoying you, Mando." You smirked. "Fine..." You groaned dramatically. "How about a deal? We both go after the same bounty. If you get him first then I'll leave you alone."

"You'll just come and steal it at the last second like you always do." Din shook his head.

"I'll play fair. I'll even give you a head start."

"I don't need a head start." Din leaned forward menacingly only you weren't scared at all. In fact you smiled.

"Let me finish." You held up your hands. "If you win, I leave you alone. If I win, things proceed as usual and you can't complain. Do we have a deal?"

"If I win, you should give me all the credits you stole from me."

"No way. Finders keepers."

Din grit his teeth under his helmet. Your little grin made something inside him ball up tight and sometimes he just wanted to throw you over his lap and-and- he didn't let himself think those things right now.

"I want a better deal." He folded his arms.

"You're not exactly in a position to negotiate. I'm perfectly happy with our current arrangement."

You loved playing with Mando, making him stutter and sigh. It started off as a power trip, making a Mandalorian putty in your hands. He tried to kill you once but he hesitated at the last moment. You realized his hatred for you wasn't pure, it was tangled with need. You knew he would miss you if you just left him by himself and you sure as hell would miss him too.

"How about..." You saunter over to him, perching yourself on the table in front of him. You saw him stiffen immediately, clenching his hands into fists on the seat below. "If you win... you can do whatever you want to me. You could try and kill me again, but something tells me that's not what you really want." You watched as the visor of his helmet turned towards you. You felt your heart pound faster knowing you had him in your grasp. "See... you could shut me up with a bullet in my skull or with your cock in my mouth. Decisions decisions, Mando."

With you left him dumbstruck at the table.

"Karga- We've reached a deal. One puck and we'll make it a race."

"One puck huh?"

"And don't make it an easy one." You hold your hand out. Karga rolls his eyes shoving two pucks into your hands.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It was a close one. Both of you were at the same cantina spying on the target. You happened to have more natural assests that drew the targets attention. What an idiot, you smirked ready to drop the sedative into his glass. What you didn't expect was for Din to blast the idiot to hell from across the cantina.

"I win." Din cheered, strolling up to pull the lifeless body off the counter.

"We said bring him in warm!" You glared at Mando.

"We never agreed on that."

"Didn't we?" You frowned.

Mando shook his head. He lugged the body over his shoulder with ease. "Come on, let's get out of here before the imps are on us."

Outside on the street it hit you that Mando won the bet technically. This would maybe be the last time you saw him if what he asked as reward was for you to leave him forever. The warmth in the pit of your stomach hoped that he'd ask for something different.

"You won, Mando." You stopped at the end of the street. He turned, the bounty still on his shoulder. "My ship is that way. Shall I take off never to return?"

The breeze made his cape flutter, but otherwise he was a statue. Conversely it made you squirm where you stood, tugging at your shirt which now felt too tight for some reason.

"No." He said quietly, so quiet you almost missed it.

"Then what do you want?"

"Will you let me put the bounty away before we talk?"

"Fine." You shrugged nonchalantly though you were still nervous. "Lead on."

You had never been on Mando's ship before. It was dirty and breaking down but it softened him. Gave him some personality. He was less intimidating. The clutter and dusty knick knacks made him so human.

"So..." You place your hands on your hips trying to project confidence though you were becoming more and more anxious. "What'll it be, Mando?" Was this the end?

Din was freaking out. He stood on a shaky pedestal he had built to stand up to you. He had only pretended to be arrogant and capable. He played into his appeal towards you but now the game had ended. He was proud of his abilities to catch bounties, track targets, to kill, but his confidence ended there. He had no skills when it came to sex let alone with pretty women like you. You expected so much from him from the way you teased and talked crudely. Din knew he’d never live up to that. He didn’t even know where to start. His desire was bottled up in him with no clear outlet. Just a general direction towards you.

"Mando?" Your gaze softened a little. You realized perhaps he wasn’t going to send you away. You almost smiled as he rocked on his heels. The nervous tick was strangely endearing.

"I'm not going to kill you. I want-" Din struggled to find the words. "What you said in the cantina. You said I could silence you..."

You furrowed your brow in confusion. What did you say? You couldn’t remember-

"When you said I could put my-my cock in your mouth." Din felt his cheeks heat up. He felt himself harden in is pants just at the dirty word.

"Did I say that?" You chuckled. “I guess I did. Is that what you want?"

Din nodded. He waited for you to take charge, tell him what to do, but for some strange reason you were waiting for him.

"You've never done this have you?" You realized, your smile falling off your face. You felt bad for how you treated him this whole time. Maker, you probably made him uncomfortable.

"No." Din looked down in shame. "Fuck-This was dumb. Just go away."

"Mando..." You stepped towards him placing a hand on his arm. The first time you've really touched him. "I'm sorry. I wasn't judging. Most guys don’t like me to be in charge.”

Din cringed further at the mention of your copious previous experience.

“Mando… look at me please-“ and he did feeling some of his dread subside. Your warm reassuring hand felt so good. “I'm happy to show you everything. I want to make you feel good. If that’s what you want.”

“I’m sorry.” He grumbled. He hated feeling so vulnerable. He wanted to explain himself, give excuses for his lack of experience, but the truth was he hadn’t found anyone he was interested in until you.

“There’s nothing to apologize for. Now will you let me do this for you?” He looked at you, searching for honesty. There wasn’t a hint of disgust or doubt on your face.

Din nodded, feeling his stomach lurch in excitement. He felt safe with you which was another completely foreign feeling for him.

“Thank you, good boy.” The word shot through him, making him stand up straighter. You chuckled. “You like that?”

Din nodded shyly.

“Go and sit down.” You pointed at the crate against the wall. Din obeyed looking at you again for acknowledgement. You smiled kneeling down below him. “Good boy. See you’re a pro already.” Din blushed at your praise wanting to continue pleasing you. You slid your hands up his thighs slowly. “You can stop me at any point. Just say stop. My only rule is you have to tell me if I’m making you feel good. I wanna hear you.”

Din nodded his understanding. You raised an eyebrow. “Okay.” He said.

“Good boy. I know you can’t remove your armor which is fine. But can I take your cock out?”

Din nodded biting his lip. His dick was already straining against its confines. He exhaled sharply as you tugged down his waistband just far enough to pull him out. The only piece of skin exposed.

“You’re beautiful, Mando.” You cooed, stroking the warm length gently. You couldn’t wait to feel him in your mouth. A low broken cry cracked the voicecoder. “That’s it… feel good baby?” You stare right into his visor. Din swallowed harshly and nodded rapidly trying to keep from blowing his load.

“Tell me.” You reminded him of the rule.

“Yes!” He huffed. “It feels good. Please more.”

“We’re just getting started.” You promised opening you mouth and letting a dollop of saliva hit the head of his cock.”

“Oh Kriff…” Din pounded his fist against the crate. You continued your slow movements. You didn’t want to push him. He seemed lost in pleasure and you felt yourself warm at his trust in you. You slowly lowered your mouth on him, keeping your suction soft. He whined above you, his thighs flexing under your hands. You flicked your eyes up to him. His head was thrown back. You could see just a small slice of golden neck. He was sucking air between his teeth. The edges of the crate groaned under his grip.

“So-so good.” He mumbled between shallow breaths. You chuckled. He was trying so hard poor thing.

“It’s okay if you cum, Mando. I want you to.”

“But-“ Din’s hips jerked up into your hands. “What about you? I want to- I want-“

“Shh I know baby boy.” You chuckled at his eagerness. Already wanting to jump ahead. “We’ll get there but first you’re going to cum in my mouth.”

And almost on instinct he did, hunching over as ropes and ropes slid into your hot mouth.

“Oh fuck…” He croaked. It was better than anything he had done on his own. Your hot mouth and tongue had brought him so high only to let him plummet into his pleasure with no safety net. He was totally out of control. He didn’t hate it though. He loved it. He wanted more.

He came so much it made your pussy tighten longingly. His groans and sighs were gorgeous. You moaned, getting the last drops.

“Good boy…” You started stroking him back to full mast again. Surging with control and pride.

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

My masterlist

Permanet Taglist: @ajeff855 5 @what-iwish-you-knew @kirsteng42 @fan-of-encouragement t @sleep-tight1 @pascalisfairyy @ceniington, @prettypedros 🧁, @pascal-rascal424 @axshadows @prideandpascal @frenchyjuju @pedrosmustache @blackmarketmummy @idreamofboobear @pretty-brown-eyess @persephones-garden @javierpinme @mylittlesenaar @bellaorisa @elinedjarin @beskarboobs @beskar-candy

Din Djarin taglist: @a-skov @pasckles