#not to mention that newfound confidence absolutely gets her so far with the ladies

[luisaenjoyer]

I can just imagine Luisa getting her time to relax and reclaim her freedom… and then start to gain confidence and be so charismatic, charming, and realizing it’s okay to take what she wants and be her own boss

She stands prouder, yet more relaxed, she takes up more space, speaks with more confidence and pride, and just accepts whatever good comes her way because she finally (truly) knows her worth

Instead of being the workhorse of the village, she directs others and acts as a coach for fixing their own problems and only does the heavy lifting when absolutely necessary. Otherwise she’ll give them a hard pat on the back, a “you can do this,” and goes about her day

[sugar-petals]

sub!Yuzu | nsfw alphabet

🌹 NOTE ⇢ content for our fave figure skater, the legend himself. mr. yuzuru hanyu is 1000% dom candy and i’m here to honor it at length ⛸

— WORDS. 5k

tags + warnings. dom/sub dynamics, femdom!reader, role reversal hc, smut, kinks, cum play, spanking, sex toys, very freaky yuzu, kitten play, mdlb, crying kink, food play, prostate orgasms, bondage, some deeper stuff & angsty bits, asthma mention, aftercare

  A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

Once the cat ears come off, who is Yuzuru Hanyu not to remain in character for a while. For the shits and giggles, and because it’s cozy. Once a catboy, always a catboy, it’s the law of the land. Curling up, kneading at you for the head pats and massages, you know the programme. 

Also: Yuzu is famously soft-spoken and always finds the right thing to say. So, stimulating conversation for the cooldown. This is literally so nice. He’s unafraid to reflect everything in detail, say what he preferred, what you could change up together, what he wants to try next. The afterglow is not just physical, as in you give him something to drink, it’s 70% verbal which is very important to him as a consistent habit.

Of course, not to forget: Always gotta have a Winnie Pooh plushie ready. He embraces it readily and, as we know him, does some roleplay right then and there. Yuzu, professional cutiepie he is, is the kinda sub who treats all plush and pillow stuff as alive and breathing. You as his domme are in on the play and also treat his things as holy as they are to him. That Yuzu lets you into that world is the biggest compliment you can possibly get. 

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

We all know Yuzu’s godly ass and thighs. Or the staggering waist and beautiful black hair that makes him a total bombshell in his classic comb-back styles. His face is soft and expressive and so damn unique, his legs muscular and long, his back and tummy chiseled, the list goes on and on. Jesus, he has so many great features. All body parts a masterpiece. That are all capable of god-tier contortionism on top of that, gotta mention it in passing. Just so you know if you haven’t seen him bend his every limb into directions you wouldn’t believe are humanly possible. 

Interestingly though. If he chooses, Yuzu picks his feet: They are his most important instrument and weak spot. His ankles are where the magic happens. So, you taking care of them a little would mean the world to him, imagine a candle light massage. Not to worry, no-gross-alert. Yuzu has perfect and cute feet. That’s gonna be a Victorian moment, oh my god I saw his ankles. For his partner, short and simple: He likes a shoulder to lean on. He loves being touchy in general, all body parts are amazing to him. Being in a profession that’s all about the physics, Yuzuru knows about the wonders of the body.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

Certified king of cumsluts, doesn’t even hesitate. The more, the merrier. If he’s not covered in sticky stuff, Yuzu would be underchallenged. It’s less about the taste, texture or any degradation, for him it’s the playing around with his tongue. Somebody wants his mouth preoccupied. Give the cat his milk. Feed him his own cum mixed with yours. He’s gonna lap at it and swallow.

Since Yuzu’s dream is a mommy domme baking him something, he just loves the smell of dough and hazelnuts and cinnamon and everything — you know what’s coming: Imagine the food play. Nuts indeed. Anything that even remotely looks like a creampie is something he wants to get his lips on. And Yuzu is not the type to be a foodie at all, let that sink in. Sexual-looking food is just too big a temptation, though. And you spoiling him that way... oh my. Surefire way to end up in bed right after. 

D = Dirty secret (pretty self-explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

Has a butt plug collection. Once almost went on the ice with one in. The more you know. Also— this guy is the kinda type fantasizing to get absolutely railed on a bed of plushies. He has troubles suggesting it to you because he doesn’t want them to get actually dirty. But the idea gets the two of you kind of horny. Sometimes, a thought is better as a fantasy than actually executing it. You can use it for riling up’s sake, whispering it to him during dirty talk. How you’ll bounce on him and ruin him and milk him while he’s splayed out so innocently on your bed. I smell corruption kink. 

Another secret Yuzu keeps is just how much he changed his mind about wanting his partner to control everything in bed. He grew up with a pre-defined ideal type of a cute, nice skater girl who’d let the reins very loosely around him, who he can speak Japanese to because he had problems with English, who is small and someone he will protect. It wasn’t something based on experience and trying things out: It was simply expected of him. People wanted the domineering Yuzuru on ice to be that way in private, and make use of his power, be a man, savior, boss. 

The reality being: He never felt truly as tough on the ice, nor was he gender-conforming in person. In fact, that is what he became famous for, and it reassured Yuzuru very often how people would accept and actually celebrate this side of him. Which is so refreshing, and a sight to see. The side that was dorky, clingy, childish, gorgeous, and cute has always been there, but now he embraces it more as his comfort place. He has to know what he’s doing in his skating programme and show competitive spirit to achieve his dreams, but that’s where it stops.

His former ideals are something people wanted to hear, it was an adaptation of the environment rather than thinking it through on his own. So, years later — oh boy have things changed. Yuzuru no longer defines his ideal type that way, saying whoever he likes is someone he’d be with. What was a fantasy template and filter is now gone and adapted to his newfound, own preferences. Yuzu is comfortably open-minded rather than being a copy to mainstream. He found fun in speaking English, opened up to the world at large, had more girls around him who he could befriend, grew more confident in his stature, and is well aware — turns out he’s the cute one. Who needs to be taken under a wing. He likes strong-minded girls and says if he had a wife, she’d dominate him. Yuzuru secretly wants her to be in charge entirely, she owns his body and soul. Not in daily life where things are just normal and everyone goes about their business. Sexually, where he surrenders instead, and is taken care of.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

The tale of an introvert. What he knows — he hides it well. Has eyefucked a whole lot of people and is the type to lust like mad from a far distance, and nobody will ever know. Crushes harder than peppercorns in a mill. If he loves someone, it lingers in his mind every split second of the day, may god have mercy on him. And if you know him: Yuzu aims too high to keep it light and easy and clumsy. He hates being an amateur, he’s terrified of starting out something. He dreads not knowing what to do, how exactly to behave, talk, touch, breathe, respond, negotiate, prepare. That’s a hundred percent like hell to him.

Ironically, he has a natural feeling for it and he’s literally amazing in bed, has a sense for social interaction is all the way cute with something valuable to say. But what he believes is something way different. Yuzuru is a diehard, nervous perfectionist. He can only think of it as a rated performance since his mind usually has to work that way to skate well. His esteem is on a knife edge depending on how well he thinks he does. So, the inevitable: He will shy away from sex altogether. He draws immense skating passion from staying celibate, in fact it’s his success secret, but it still eats him up from the inside and makes him frustrated beyond measure. Not even for the pleasure, since he’s so ambitious that’s almost forgotten about, but for being told he did well. 

That’s how much he believes sex is a drill and capability test. And it’s sad that he thinks it’s like his skating career, racking up points for the impossible things judges want and being in a deadlock when it comes to showing his artistic side. He feels thrown into cold water if he doesn’t know everything beforehand. If he ever works up the courage, which probably won’t happen, he will pay an expert to learn from rather than let something all over the place happen with a random person or even someone he might like. 

Yes, you heard that right. He’d rather see a sex worker than ‘mess up’ his first time according to his sky-high standards. So, Yuzu’s experience remains limited since he’s so 100% do or die, and so anxious, and so torn about social interaction, he doesn’t get how his peers can be playboys and get married and flirt with someone they like and all that. He sort of has an easier time with guys, but girls... he can’t approach. To top it off, he also feels like he’d burden his first time one somebody or embarrasses himself, so he will reject and avoid suitors. Those are usually not the people he crushes so hard on to begin with. It’s bound to be one-sided and he knows, so he will abstain and focus on career and use the cheers of his fans as a substitute.

Truth is, he feels helpless and distant from sex sometimes, especially with his practice-heavy lifestyle and hyper-smart mind, Yuzuru has an intelligence that exceeds what most people can grasp. He’s alone on the ice and Brian as a coach is often the only reference person who truly gets him, and leads him well without being controlling. But that’s professional life. Sexually, Yuzuru is metaphorically: coachless. He surely observed it well when Javier (the #1 ladies man, his opposite) was still active and a social butterfly helping him fit in, but Yuzu would always be worried about his extreme fame and spotless image when introduced to someone fangirling over him. He’d rather prefer someone who comes across as a mentor and solid, loyal-to-death person to look up to. So he would do anything to have someone benevolent like that. Most girls would expect him to be the sex god and expert, but he knows that’s only half of the story and based on his characters on the ice. Yuzu crafts these to counterbalance how he really is — withdrawn and indirect. 

Yuzu is extremely calculating and selective, he scans suitors well, protects his reputation, and is mortified of failure. So, he’d rather learn it by the book and from someone he’s not emotionally attached to. In a one-night stand that might also be the case, but he doesn’t know what to expect, and he’s absolutely terrified of sudden sexual vulnerability. He himself often says he values his own struggle between feeling so weak and being strong again 

Besides: He’d have problems squeezing hookups into his schedule and lifestyle, he’d have to cut down on things and create a double life. Plus, Yuzu is famously inept with social interaction up close, he flees the noise and unpredictability. So, it’s better to have a long-term partner. If he doesn’t know something yet, he has it down in one day like the single axel. Definitely counts on his partner teaching him.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

We know Yuzu’s signature move is the lean-back Ina Bauer. So, whatever position allows for an arch is the real deal (cough, taking the strap — oh my god his ass is made for it). But anyway, he can pull off anything with that stellar flexibility and core strength. 

If I think about it. Yuzu might like sitting on your lap very much. I know it’s not a sex position, I mean it can be once his inner lapdancer awakens or you use a strap-on, I rather mean... just for some sweet moments and making out. But yeah: Fathom Yuzu gyrating on your like that. Not in an outright lascivious manner or Chippendales style. The Hanyu way, with embellishments and all the grace. This is gonna be a huge turn-on and perfect foreplay position.  

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

Not much to elaborate here: Yep, Yuzu is true goofball indeed. Really flustered and clumsy when eye-to-eye in missionary, and yet: He’s ultra serious towards the end, there’s gonna be an aggressive staredown before cumming. The feeling gets pretty intense, his duality between silly and ‘yeah, give it to me’ is no joke.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

Would probably die from inflammation if he shaved clean under those tight suits and did all these chafe-heavy skating routines. Doesn’t have a lot of body hair to begin with, but for pits and pubes, it’s alive, wild, and decently long. Out of all people, Yuzu cares particularly about aesthetics, but in this case pragmatism will prevail. He doesn’t care too much about it either as long as it doesn’t get in the way of something. Having sex with Yuzu tends to be well um well all about a hundred types of friction so any stubble would be a bad idea.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

You haven’t seen a guy in love like that. It’s a figure skater thing for sure. Since he works to portray these sentiments on the ice daily, hardly anybody can play up feelings so delicately and palpably like Yuzuru. Emotion is what his entire career is built on. He knows how to express himself directly, appropriately, intimately. Couldn’t be any more romantic. Yuzu can’t go without it. 

Very passionate, ‘for your eyes only’ kind of atmosphere. Yes, he shows off on the ice, it’s his job (although of course, that word doesn’t really sum up what skating means to him). But private Yuzu is someone you can claim as yours. He will make it clear, he wants to belong to you, he’s yours, dedicated, devotion is the entire point. Less with a slant of what some subs like, very hands-on ownership of a mistress. It’s more emotional. He’s really attached and all smitten. Your private little haven is everything to him. 

Talking about little: Yuzu can be quite a pillow prince sometimes. At least when the initiative doesn’t go back and forth as it frequently does, you often alternate with suggestions and ways of tweaking an ongoing play session. You blindfold him or tie his wrists, He might be standard tired from practice or just fascinated to watch you work your magic on him. 

He also likes music to set the tone for intimacy, who’s surprised. Prepare: Yuzu likes dramatic classical music all the way. He’s probably one of the few people who can make it more than ‘classy’ and definitely more than cringe. He selects pieces very well. This is gonna be a practice template to cum together when the music reaches its peak. Makes the whole thing full of adrenaline.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

Lots of fun to him. Would beat it 24/7 if the ice wasn’t calling him. Drowns himself in lube. This guy’s me-time is so rated R, Cardi B would be inspired to remix WAP to wet ass penis as an anthem just for him. A dry dick is a ruined day for Yuzuru, as is a session without teasing his prostate in whatever way he currently fancies. Once he tried it, he never went back. The intensity knocking him out is something that Yuzu thinks about all the time. Strokes like a pro, does all these little moans, can do it forever, loves the feeling, chases the high. Adrenaline junkie on the ice? No different with his hand around his cock. 

Will masturbate everywhere in the house and has to really get his head in the game to make sure he won’t ruin any carpets. So, he always has at least two towels with him. In the kitchen, in front of the TV, in the shower, the bed. Watches his fair share of eclectic porn, he gets really desperate. Especially before you started dating, Yuzu would shut himself in until the lotion ran out. Can jack off to something romantic (he starts crying) or something extreme (he loves shocking himself and ). 

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Very curious about sadomasochism. Googles a lot of things that make him hard during the day. Often jawdropped by his research, but once he tries things out with you, nothing can really shock him anymore. Absolutely wants to be collared, it’s his biggest fantasy. Another little secret he has, Yuzu is decked out in skating gloves, right. He wishes he could feel you wearing them, or he keeps them on for sex himself, the lacey transparent ones. Looks especially pretty when his wrists are tied so, major photograpy material. Oh yes, Yuzu likes the camera, he can work it. The guy is photogenic in any position and can strike any angle you want. Your phone background is a new Yuzu snapshot every week already, imagine your gallery, 5800 kinky pictures.  

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

I’m gonna say it. The frozen lake out of town, late at night, condoms and lube with you. A quickie that will leave your genitals frozen. Yuzu might get stuck inside you because it’s -15 Celsius. Call that fantasy on ice. Jokes aside: Come on, Yuzu is the biggest ever hermit homebody. The couch will have a bunch of indents after your week-long fucking sessions after he comes home training. Also, at his desk while he does work for university. You ride him, Yuzu studies. Double the ambition. His dick is completely sore. The lake out of town thing might go down, but without sex. Just skating together under the stars, Yuzu doing amazing spins and spirals around you, very very romantic.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Yuzu is a crazed Sagittarius. Have you seen these men? They just want it all. Must be the influence of Jupiter. Zeus was definitely vibing that way. And yes, Yuzu has borderline unhealthy gold medal thinking in bed. He wants to be not just good but damn good with pleasing you. If you don’t have a good time and head home without an orgasm, he’ll consider himself a failure. Yuzu won’t cut himself any slack there. You’d have a hard time changing his ways into something more chill and moderate. Instead, you will see the benefits of rolling with it once you see how improvement fuels him and does make sex really mindblowing.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Couldn’t do things like slapping you, spanking. Yuzu makes for a terrible daddy dom, it’d not suit him.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Cum-dripping oral mess, Yuzu is the brave kind. Totally into it, and can’t resist a good blowjob. Will act different afterwards, there’s a lot of erotic tension. “This evening again?” is what those eyes are saying.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Outstanding kinesthetic intelligence. Every inch of his body follows his intent, and yours if you have him take on certain ways of kneeling. Yuzu can do it all, whatever you want. Tantalizing, moderato, overwhelmingly fast. He can take it, he can portray it. And knows the value of a pause like a true connoisseur. Not just when he wants to prevent cumming early, also just because the moment is right. That’s why cockwarming is a staple, as well as you having him wait patiently for kisses. To top it off: If you give him a blowjob, building up the tension by doing nothing is damn effective. The ruined orgasms you’re gonna give him... delicious.

Everything’s gonna have nice transitions as well, no awkward climbing and rolling and tangling limbs. If he gets something from another room that you need, no slouching. The university course as good as the extracurricular activities. Being inconsistent with any subsidiary details? Not in the Hanyu household, he’s keeping it classy. Yuzu feels like if he makes the bridges to new positions even remotely messy, the feeling is killed and it’s as if he’d break character mid-skate. Although he’ll have to practice and refine and test a lot of things because he’s not super experienced and adapting to your own movements is an individualized thing to do, he’s a masterclass of quality, period.

Even when things get fast and heated, nothing feels off. Having that kind of body smartness also means: Yuzu learns by touch, whatever you do. He knows by the way you pull his hair what comes next. How much saliva drips off your tongue when you suck at his neck, he knows how hard you’ll to ravage him in five minutes. This guy observes things you aren’t even conscious of because his physical understanding is just so fine-tuned.

The sense of rhythm, and every skating programme of him will showcase that, unbeatable. Unless his mood is really impacted by something severe, your guy feels it in every bone. He’s an artist, after all, he listens to music all the time. Dissecting rhythms to turn them into movement is what his line of work is all about. The pace will always fit the mood. Everything is precise, but never crude. Instead, the way he moves is dictated by an inherent flow. With little accents that match right with any thrust, like putting his hands on your sides when you’re on top of him.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

Hit it Shakira: Whenever, wherever! He seemingly carries an entire condom factory with him. Or, to be more exact: At least three of them.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

This one’s a complicated case. Yuzu being reckless on the ice may or may not mirror in your private life. He might need some downtime, so bring out the soft domme stuff. No trial and error stuff, just going through a routine of things you love the most. On the other hand, he always gives it all. This guy’s endurance at your hands is amazing. Advanced kinds of BDSM he will not feel deterred from at all. Rough toys, anal hooks, sounding, whips, why not is Yuzu’s motto. But then again. He has such a confusing mix of innocence and feeling like he’s completely hardcore. You might end up experimenting a lot, but also not daring the leap sometimes because the mood is different. And then rather go for softer hours, where Yuzu will be all shy shy and more bursting with excitement than ever. A good, interesting mix is what I’m saying.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

Yuzuru, once he gets a bit of practice to gauge the situation... Viagra on two legs, absolute unexpected powerhouse. You might end up pondering to work out a little and go for a run because this guy is in a consistently outstanding shape to say the least. Olympic athletes are literally hard to fuck with. And since Yuzu is starfishing sometimes (which is very adorable), or he’s in bondage for some time, that presents a further problem: For a second round, he’s full of energy, while you already spent energy. So, you alternate with who’s active, and the other leans back entirely. He has to remind himself since his body is programmed for it: This is no contest — the point is feeling good.

You might ride him reverse cowgirl all the way while you watch TV, and after the overstimulation fades he will eat you out ad nauseam, full course slobbering, sweeping the whole menu. That way, it’s less about keeping up with him, which would be hard for most people not doing sports at his galactic level. He understands, Yuzu knows he’s not normal in that regard, you don’t have to worry. Some exercise still doesn’t hurt, just to further increase the quality of sex anyway.

Then again: Why go jogging and do some laps wasting valuable together time when Yuzu’s lap is the best workout? And running doesn’t guarantee your stamina in bed is perfect even if it does help. You rather wanna manage how to draw out the arousal. It’s a self-control thing, with the goal of having you match up in every aspect as good as you can. In which case, you can count on him to pull it off: Have you seen Yuzu doing jumps side by side with a bunch of female skaters? Copy paste. This guy knows how to synchronize with the ladies.

Something that has to be mentioned beside that, though. Yuzu has asthma since 2 years old, and it’s often a mind thing to him still these days. He doesn’t let it stop him from sleeping with you because as always, he’s not letting anything get in his way. He has learned to live and thrive with it. But you both have to mind the possibility of an attack, he prevents it with inhalers, and the mood plays a crucial role. Yuzu being comfortable and confident is so important to his breathing, and keeping a good rhythm rather than being chaotic in bed. So, you will plan most of your sexual activities rather than improvising. 

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

Would stuff an entire sex shop into his every available orifice. Yuzu is a toy freak, he wants to try everything. Motto: a new one every day. Well, almost. But he can afford it. Buys stuff he uses solely on himself, things you use on him, things he uses solo and you use on him, and as the cherry on top, every possible high end vibrator on the market for you. Any size, too. This bitch will browse through the latest innovations, prepare to get off. He’s obsessed with seeing you use it on yourself. Yuzu owns a separate phone just for videos of you buzzing your clit, and him fingering you for minutes and minutes. 

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Extremely so. Loves to be a total brat only to get put into his place. He does it so you’ll pull the chin grab on him. He likes getting choked out as a punishment as well. Yuzu also tends to be very around the corner if you will when it comes to soft subbing, he lays over expecting cuddles but doesn’t say so. Buds his head against your chest, nuzzles, and so on. Lighter forms of teasing come to him very easily. Loves to prompt. Roughhousing, banter, favorite thing.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Moderately loud because his voice is very very light, but unsurprisingly — he’s just beautiful. What a nice tone. Gorgeous whimpering sounds. And when you go hard on him, voice cracks! And really heavy breathing. What’s gonna be the most striking though is his expressiveness. We know it from the ice and interviews, and he can really amp it up even further. No need for screaming, that face will speak the volumes.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

You’ll be blessed with him if you have a huge crying kink. Yuzu definitely opens the waterworks every other week in bed. Happy tears, horny tears, relief tears, aftercare tears, orgasm tears, masochist tears, romantic tears, subspace tears, he has it all. He also begs for the type of pain that makes it stream down his face for minutes. He’s touchy-feely all the way and feels like he can really connect with you that way.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

His ass twitching is kind of a spectacle, but I don’t have to tell you, do I. Yuzu has muscles for the gods in there. So voluptuous, you can’t call it any other way. Big booty boyfriend, Jesus you can show him off, he loves it. Around the house, he will flaunt them big ole athlete buns in particular, acting like it’s unintended. Um, Yuzu, those are joggings. Smack it, he is sure to moan. 

And may I respectfully mention as well — this guy has some major big ass balls figuratively and literally. How else would someone be motivated to jump a triple axel like it’s nothing. Not kidding, they’re big and round and ugh. His love for tight pants doesn’t help. He knows what your eyes like and dresses just to flex the goods. Screams for more spanking and pinching if you ask me. Yuzu is definitely serving it. Well-endowed, you lucky girl.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Mega horny, ready when you are. On a scale from zero to hundred? Breaching into the 90 percent right there. Yuzu’s hormones are literally insane. On paper he’s 26, but his dick wants the 18th birthday party. Jesus is he gonna be clingy when he’s in the mood. All wrapped around you in a backhug in the kitchen or when you iron a costume of his, and that’s sexy of him. He’s not gonna hide what’s filling out those sweatpants. He’ll desperately grind up against you like it’s Christmas.

Paired with his puppy eyes and little “Do you have some time... I’ll iron this tomorrow” — instant pounce. He’s admittedly a bit hard to keep up with sometimes, though. The reason: With that level of exercise, he has major pent-up energy. That machine is definitely running. Heavy sports changes your hormones, nervous system, and especially blood flow. Now take that to the scale of his performances and regimens? That equals a firework of horny. No wonder he masturbates all the time.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Takes some time. He cools down, sweats it out, chugs water. However, don’t underestimate how tired Yuzu can already be. His daily routines and competitions have a toll on him. Ironically, he’s not a deep sleeper, however. Yuzu might toss and turn and have sudden energy bursts, or ideas, or gets hungry. So, he needs his plushies, he needs a weighted blanket, warm pajamas, a hot cup of his favorite warm drink, a light snack, and you by his side. Spooning him excessively and sometimes even humming to him. Yuzu looks like a certified angel on his pillow, his well-deserved rest from everything is so important, too.

NOTE - hope i could indulge you, thank you for reading!

© 2017-2021 submissive-bangtan. all rights reserved. no reposts allowed. depictions fictional.

[bandaigaeru]

a spell for you - hwang hyunjin

→ synopsis: he had spontaneously chosen you as a victim, leaving you with nothing but the desire to return his motives. → word count: 11k → genre: hogwarts au, enemies to lovers → pairing: slytherin!hyunjin x gryffindor! gender neutral reader (feat. jihyo (twice))

→ warnings: one mention of the reader's period (it's not necessary for context, but just know that it is there) → author's note (super quick haha): i feel like i could have done a lot better with this, so perhaps there will be a rewrite in the future if this one disappoints you. happy, slightly belated, new year!

i.

His hair catches the light with a shimmering pang. He brushes a hand through it, tucking a pestering strand behind his ear. Intently, he watches beside him, where his friends are shoving each other and threatening a fight. His lips are parted, threatening a smile.

"Stop trying to steal my potion," Changbin shoves, his grip on the glass bottle tightening as Seungmin reaches for it.

"You're the one who took it from me!" Seungmin whines, defensively hitting the inner elbow wielding his potion.

"No fighting in my classroom," Professor Nam breathily warns, leaning back in her chair defeatedly. She found it too difficult to try corralling them anymore.

You scoff.

Hyunjin turns to you, a smirk pulling the corner of his lip. "What? Got a problem?"

You roll your eyes. "Your presence is breaking my concentration. Why don't you go fight with Seungmin and never come back? That sounds perfect."

"What're you even concentrating on? The test you're gonna fail anyway?" Hyunjin jabs, puffing out his bottom lip in fake sympathy.

"Says the one who has worse grades than me."

He drags his chair closer to your desk, robe trailing slightly behind. His heavy breath casts a warmth against the back of your hand. "That's no way to talk to a superior."

"Superior?" you glance up, laughing. "Slytherins will never be superior to Gryffindors."

"Why is that?" Hyunjin cocks his head, a small, amused smile playing on his lips. His eyebrows jump with curiosity.

"Because snakes will only ever stay in the grass. Lions can at least jump."

He nods. "True. But a snake can kill a lion with its venom, and then your jumping is pointless."

From the seat in front of you, Jeongin groans. "Shut up already. Ravenclaws are the best and it's time you all admit it."

In unison, you and Hyunjin mutter, "Never that."

You look to him, his eyes in the same amount of shock as yours. You slam your textbook closed, shoving it into your bag. "Gross."

As you're standing from your chair, he coos, "If you're going to the common room, you should change."

"Why would I change for you, Hwang Hyunjin?"

"Because there's a stain on your pants," he smirks.

You grimace, tossing a dismissive wave over your shoulder as you leave the classroom. Nam doesn't care. She's too busy filing her nails and trying to keep Seungmin and Changbin from decapitating each other. You know, a normal day in her classroom. Plus, the bell is nearing its drone.

The hidden entry shifts for you as you approach. "Thank you, madam," you shout to the portrait above you.

The lady hums. The cement crackly replenishes itself behind you as you relish in the abandoned common room. Everyone is in classes, or should be, at least. You rush up to your room, tossing your bag and immediately changing into a different set of pants.

Sure enough, on the butt of your previous plaid ones is a small brown splotch. It can't be your period, so you slowly get closer to look at it. The waft of chocolate tickles your nose.

"Hwang Hyunjin," you grumble. He's probably sitting in that classroom still, snickering with his friends at how gullible you are. But hey, at least the stain kind of blends in.

ii.

The idea of revenge had seemed a waste of time in your formative years. Until your eyes locked with Hwang Hyunjin's in your first year. Those beady little pupils that followed every move you made. Tactical. Always ready to sink his fangs.

His first prank had been a simple fart joke (as fresh teenagers love). With the wave of his wand, he summoned a low groan right behind you. His acting skills were put to use as he brought a hand to his nose. "Ew, Y/N farted!"

Your cheeks flushed as you confusedly turned to him. You snapped, "No, I didn't."

Though, his choir of laughs had drowned your defense and left you with the heat of shame. He smiled back at you as he sat down, his dark wand still poised in his fingers.

Now, as you sit in the dining hall with hyperactive attention and a dismal pull for hunger, the target enters. His blond hair is pulled back into a ponytail, with a few straying pieces. There is a quirk to his lips as he talks to the friends at his sides. You can feel the bass of his laughter in your shoulders.

"Hello? You in there?" Changbin waves a hand in front of your dazed eyes.

"What?" you turn back to him as Hyunjin takes a seat in his usual spot.

He sighs. "You scouting him again?"

"I have to get back at him," you mutter, picking up your fork before you stab the noodles on your plate.

"Y/N," Changbin whines. Your steely eyes look to him, and he immediately softens, caving in on himself.

"You're a Gryffindor," you start, twirling the noodles, "better start acting like one."

"Are you saying I can't be friends with both of you?"

You shake your head. "Never insinuated that. I'm standing my ground, and you shouldn't be preventing me from doing that."

Changbin looks to the other faces listening in, but all of them are little help. Jisung catches his eye, shaking his head. Defeated, he sighs, turning back to his meal. He drowns the words on his tongue with water.

The dinner session ends rather quickly (thanks to your rambled thoughts). Students bustle to return to designated common rooms for the night. Your eyes are glued to the back of Hyunjin's head. He's in no hurry, evidently, because he is still seated at the table, eyes crinkled with laughter. The cold wood of the wand is a familiar feeling in your palm. It's comforting. It reminds you of a time where Hwang Hyunjin was merely a classmate. How simple life was.

The hollowness he had claimed in your stomach deepens when he finally stands. You

point your wand at him carefully, suddenly grateful Changbin isn't here, and whisper, "Confundo."

The trademarked confident stride caves in on itself as the boy shrinks. He glances around. Upturned eyebrows and lost eyes. You rush to walk past him, a small wave and a smile. He doesn't seem to recognize you.

You can't help but laugh.

iii.

Your head is held high as you're walking to your first class of the day. Last night hasn't stopped replaying in your head, and the smile has yet to fade. He looked so lost. His eyes were wide and puppylike, and it even sent a jolt through your heart. Finally, he'd gotten a piece of his own medicine.

A barrier stops you from going further. It tugs you back by the sleeve of your blazer, leaving you to stare back into the somewhat lost eyes of the boy you had terrorized.

"What do you want?" you mumble, glancing down the hall. If anyone were to see you two, this close, they'd know something was up.

"What spell did you use? I can't shake it. I've been awake all night trying to get rid of it."

You chuckle and shrug. "Well, it's already lost some of its oomph. Only time can cure you."

You try to continue your path, but he grabs your shoulders and spins you back to look at him. He leans close to your face, and your breath chokes you. His eyes are no longer wide with innocence. They hold a knife back at you. "What spell did you use?"

"Confundo. Why, do you think I cursed you?" you scoff, squirming beneath his palms. "I'm not that mean, Hwang."

He lets go of your shoulders, staring at his shoes in defeat. You stumble a little. "Dumbass," he mutters, "We have an exam today. I can't concentrate on something like that, especially since I was up all night. Why would you do this?"

A sprout of something dizzying scratches your chest. You lean onto your toes as you whisper, "Should have thought about that before you started this mess."

You continue your walk to class with newfound guilt. Behind you, Hyunjin mutters, "I'll get back at you. Big time."

Your day had always been thwarted by the presence of Hwang Hyunjin, for he was always in every class. But today, he's not there. You presume he's caught in the Slytherin tower, curled in a ball as he tries to dispel his confusion. Mayhaps he's even sleeping. In a way, you kind of miss his antics. The way he tossed his head back and let his hair cascade at the fate of gravity simply for the muse that it 'helped him think.'

You found yourself smiling at your exam packet, and you instantly recoil. Hyunjin's an asshole, and he deserves everything he gets.

Changbin nudges you. You glance at him and he begins to fight a laugh. "What're you thinking of in that pretty little head of yours?"

You look back to your test in alarm. "Nothing," you whisper, warily glancing at Professor Nam, whose eyes wander up and down the aisles.

"Is it Hyunjin?" he leans toward you.

You shake your head, hissing, "Absolutely not."

Professor Nam skips over a row to you. "No talking. I'll take points if I catch you two again."

Changbin settles back into his test, leaving you with thoughts of your own. As you aimlessly bubbled in answers seemingly obvious, you thought to Hyunjin. Maybe you were a little out of line with the confundo incident, but it was your turn for revenge. You glance up at his empty chair when you finish the test. In the far corner of your head, you swear you can hear his obnoxious laugh and breathy, "I told you so."

Overhead, the bell rings. It dismisses everyone from their classes and momentarily dismisses Hyunjin from the warmth of your thoughts. You pass your exam forward, quickly scavenging your things together and following the pack into the halls. Nam's class is the last of the day, and it's Friday. Your weekend is free ahead of you, and you consider inviting Changbin and Jisung to a picnic or something.

A hand claps down on your shoulder before a deep laugh shakes in your ears. "Y/N! I heard what you did to Hyunjin. Genius, I must say."

You glance to the owner of the voice, meeting the glimmering eyes of Kim Seungmin. He looks down on you with a warm smile. So unlike a Slytherin.

"Thank you," you straighten your posture as you continue walking.

His hand doesn't move from your shoulder. His breath is hot against your ear as he whispers, "But if it's just between you and me, you're gonna wish you didn't do that."

Shivers trail the back of your neck to your wrists. When you look at him, he's still harboring that welcoming grin. "Ciao," he removes his hand to wave at you. Then, he starts in the opposite direction, against the wave of traffic.

You walk the rest of the way with your eyes glued ahead. A Gryffindor does not back down. They are brave, you remind yourself.

The Fat Lady allows you entry into the common room, but the hallway is backed up. You stretch your neck to try and see above the crowd, though nothing but heads of hair taints your view. There's a pit in your stomach, and before you can shove through, you already have an idea what's going on.

The Gryffindor common room has been plagued with the stench of Hwang Hyunjin's mischievous antics. It is drenched in a potion of Nidore, resembling the smell of untreated B.O. Han Jisung plugs his nose as he glances around. He catches your eye, muttering, "Do you smell this?"

Your eyes are lazed with irritation. Curtly, you nod. "Yeah. Hyunjin did this. I'm sure of it."

Jisung whines, tapping his foot impatiently, "Why can't you two just keep your tricks in class? This is violating school rules. He shouldn't be in here. He's a Slytherin!"

You bite on the inner piece of your lip as heeled steps echo closer. The presence of a tall woman sends anxious goosebumps down your spine. You turn to her, though you're sure you look pitiful.

"What is the meaning of this?" she shouts, looking among the students for any clue.

Jisung nudges your arm.

"We have reason to believe it was a Slytherin's doing, madam," another professor slips into the room, promptly covering his nose.

"Do we have a name for this Slytherin?" she crosses her arms and purses her lips.

The professor shakes his head, looking to his freshly shined shoes. Faintly, he wonders if the smell will ruin them. "No. Not yet."

The headmistress sighs, waving her hand. "Gryffindors are to report to the dining hall immediately until this mess is covered. Start an investigation at once."

"Yes, ma'am," the professor's head falls as he pushes back through the crowd, which is now graciously evacuating. Those simple words were all they needed.

You feel bolted to the floor. All you can do is stare at the bun atop the headmistress's head. Hyunjin had gone too far, but you had triggered this. Jisung grabs your wrist and pulls you out.

He takes you up the hall, into the bathroom. He closes the door behind you.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he whisper-shouts.

You shake your head, a rock lodging its way into your throat as you avert his sharp eyes. "I fucked up."

"Obviously."

Han Jisung is standing with his hands on his hips, his eyes looking like they're about to bulge from his head. He must be disappointed. "What're you gonna do about this?"

"I'm gonna have to tell McGonagall."

Jisung sighs, taking a long look at you. "If you think that's what's best, go on." He opens the door for you.

You trudge back to the Gryffindor common room. The Fat Lady grants you entrance, though she says, "It sure smells in there, love. I wouldn't stay long if I were you."

When you reach the end of the hallway, McGonagall is no longer there. Instead, there's a blond boy who laughs quietly to himself. He looks back at you. "I knew you'd come back."

"Hyunjin, what the hell do you think you're doing? You went too far. You could get expelled over this, you know?"

He shakes his head. "I won't get expelled. My family's donated too much to this school. You should have seen the look on your face, though."

You blink as he stands. "Have you ever stopped to think about other people for a change? I'm nothing without this school."

Hyunjin sucks his teeth. "Should have thought about that one."

You open your mouth to retaliate, but overhead a voice takes over. "Y/N Y/L/N of Gryffindor and Hwang Hyunjin of Slytherin, please report to the headmistress' office immediately."

Hyunjin wraps his arm around your shoulder, the tips of his fingers trailing a path along your collarbone. "Shall we?"

iv.

"I can expel you. Is that what you would like?" McGonagall inquires, pushing her glasses up on the bridge of her nose. Around her, papers float as she pointedly looks for one in specific.

"No," you mumble.

Hyunjin tips his head back, allowing his hair to fall back. There is a menacing curl to his lips.

"Your antics have been going on for how long? Nearly six years?"

Your gaze is locked on your shoes. They need a shining, you note.

Hyunjin begins chuckling. "You're not actually serious about expulsion, right? My family would never let you hear the end of it."

McGonagall plucks a paper from the air, looking at it. "No, Mr. Hwang. But keep up your attitude and I'll make the remainder of your time here a living hell."

You look at Hyunjin, whose eyes wait for yours. He smiles, offering a sharp pierce to your heart. Your eyes shoot back to the floor. The toe of his shoe pierces your vision, inching to nudge yours.

"What I think is appropriate," McGonagall starts, plucking another paper. "is that you two seek a middle ground. I am requesting that wizardry chores are to be saved for you two, and you will perform them together. I am uncertain on the duration, still, but I assure you it will not be comfortable."

Hyunjin scoffs. "You're gonna make us do laundry or something?"

McGonagall sighs, looking up at him. She offers a pitying smile. "It'll be much, much worse than that, Mr. Hwang."

"Thank you," he sarcastically remarks.

You look up to McGonagall, bowing your head gently. "Thank you for not resorting to expulsion."

"You two are immature wizards, which is incredibly dangerous in today's society. I need to knock sense into you, not allow you the means to rebel."

You don't dare look at Hyunjin, but you're sure he has smoke billowing from his ears. Because nobody, not even the headmistress, should talk down on him. "A Slytherin," you recall him saying, "is the top of the food chain."

"Now," she claps, sending a jolt through you. "Your first task is to remove the potion from the Gryffindor common room. That should be fairly easy for you, Mr. Hwang."

He grimaces, starting out of the office. He swears beneath his breath, and doesn't even make fun of you when you trip and nearly faceplant. Instead, he offers a glance back at you before continuing on his way. Not even a single sly comment.

When you return to the common room, Changbin waits outside. He pushes off the cement walls, arms crossed against his velvet robe. "Oh? Are you two finally allowing your love for each other to blossom?"

You shoot him a warning look, but it amasses to nothing when Hyunjin grabs him by the collar and pins him against the wall. "Watch your mouth."

He throws him to the ground before hesitantly entering the hallway.

"Who pissed in his Cheerios?" Changbin scrambles to stand up again. He seeks you for answers, but falls short when all you offer is a secured gaze on the floor.

The Gryffindor common room is still oozing with stench, but in the center of it is Hwang Hyunjin, the mastermind. He seems more bothered by McGonagall's comments than the smell. He raises his wand of Blackthorn, chanting an unknown spell. The odor vanquishes, leaving you only with the other elephant in the room.

Hyunjin starts out the door, bumping into your shoulder on the way. "Just stay out of my way and we won't have problems."

You huff, staring at the back of his neck, "Be mature for once."

He stops, his head slumping. He slowly turns back to you, venom laced with his words as he says, "You're the reason we're in this mess. Stay out of my way so we can get this over with, okay?"

Ice builds up your ankles. You cannot move. You cannot speak. You're left to watch as he storms out of the room. So much for a stable weekend.

v.

Things truly began with doing the laundry. Muttered remarks fluttered from Hyunjin's lips, though he does not speak directly to you. Nor does he even offer a spare glance.

Then, you had a trip to Hogsmeade. Though, under strict supervision by Professor Kim, whose gaze never left your necks. "Isn't the grocer that way, Mr. Hwang?" he had said. Hyunjin tensed, dark eyes looking back at the old man. Though, he did not speak. He simply moved on his way.

After that, McGonagall had sent for you two to clean the Slytherin dungeons. "Real Slytherins aren't this piggish," Hyunjin grumbled, scrubbing harshly at the moss buildup.

Hesitance built in your veins every time he was around. Though, his gaze has not crossed your skin once. His words, too, were never meant to travel over your robes. He treats you as though you are an imaginary friend who he vowed to erase from his life.

You release a shaky breath.

"I won't be at dinner," you warn your friends for the sixth day in a row. A setting sun peeks through the broad window panes.

"You serving time again?" Minho manages through sips of scalding coffee. For a Ravenclaw, he didn't always live up to the stereotype.

"They're not serving time, per se," Changbin counters. "But close enough."

Chan tugs at your sleeve, pulling you away from the crowd. "Are you okay?"

Tears prick the corners of your vision, but you nod. "Yeah. I'm fine. I just kinda wanna get this over with."

Chan offers a small, sheepish smile. "Okay. Just let me know if you need anything. I may be a Hufflepuff, but I can beat his ass if you want me to."

You giggle, bringing your sleeved arm to brush against your nose. "Thank you."

At the end of the hall, where it halts with the choice of the dining hall or the potions branch of the school, you take a left while everyone else turns right.

Today, McGonagall needed you to clean the bathrooms. Hyunjin, of course, was not looking forward to it. He didn't look forward to anything, you realize.

"Hey," you greet, gently setting down your bag outside the bathroom. The door is still closed.

Hyunjin looks up from his phone. He doesn't say anything, but at least he acknowledges you by slipping his phone into his pocket. His hand encases the doorknob before he pushes it open.

Disgust twists his face as he gags. "What the hell? Have these ever been used?"

"Evidently," you remark, peeking around the doorway to see a pile of green sludge accustomed to the floor.

Hyunjin sighs. "I guess we better get started."

You nod, picking up a mop that awaited. You work in silence. Hyunjin curses under his breath, grunting as he works. When you steal a glance, his face is reddened and there are beads of sweat threatening to drip from his brow.

The sludge, you presume, is mutated moss. It's actually quite common in castles like this one. Nonetheless, it's gross to eliminate. And the smell. Just thinking about it would send shivers down your spine.

On Hyunjin's end of the bathroom, behind the protection of a wall, there is a gurgle and an accompanying shout. "You're joking," he whines.

He steps out from the stall, the white of his undershirt blotched with green and orange. It looks like vomit, but it smells much worse. You don't have time to laugh, for he's gathering his things. "I'm tired of McGonagall making us do her stupid errands. Doesn't she have servants for this? I'm done!" he offers you one last glance before he leaves.

Silence was more comfortable when he sat in it with you.

vi.

You jolt with the realization. Certainly you weren't starting to enjoy Hyunjin's company. That's outright impossible. If anything at all, you were merely starting to see him as a comrade or acquaintance.

But you were not, absolutely not, starting to feel something for him.

The sun starts to leak through your curtains, portraying your sleeping roommate like a silhouette. You sigh, falling back onto the pillows. The ceiling stares back at you with an intimidating uncertainty. Hyunjin wasn't going to be doing the chores anymore, so it would be pointless in talking to him about it. So long as McGonagall doesn't find out that you're working solo, things should be okay.

You travel with the crowd, accepting breakfast alone. Your friends were probably still sleeping. Minho might be awake, but he's likely locked in the Ravenclaw chamber, hiding from the outside world on his rest day.

McGonagall's wishes for today, as delivered by Professor Kim, was to visit Hagrid's hut and obtain a dragon egg. The reason, she did not state. Probably official school business that you had no intention, nor desire, of searching into. If Hyunjin were with you, that'd likely be a different story.

You leave the castle at quarter to noon. It's chilly outside (you probably could have used a jacket) but the sun is held central in the sky. You take a deep breath, admiring the traveling scents of blossoms and lilies. The gravel path crunches beneath your shoes. A bright pink azalea catches your eye. It hangs on the edge of the forest, serving a bookmark among the green. You step off of the path, taking careful steps toward it.

"Wow," you mumble, bringing your palm to it. It's soft against your skin.

You wonder if Hyunjin likes flowers. A smile cracks your lips. "It'd be funny if he did," you whisper to yourself.

A squealing cry causes you to flinch. You turn in the direction of the noise, spotting a pig running for dear life. Its little legs overworking themselves in a blur. Close behind is a hippogriff, tall and muscular. It walks with leisure, for its legs equate to nearly thirty of the pig's.

You gulp. They're bigger than the textbooks lead on. You take a wary step back. A stick crunches beneath your weight. The hippogriff's gaze sways toward you. It cocks its head curiously.

You wished you paid more attention in Care of Magical Creatures. Stupid Hyunjin and his stupid distractions. Why did he even begin picking on you in the first place? Was it chance? Did he know you were a Gryffindor and simply nod and declare you were the one? For whatever reason, it has brought you here.

A Gryffindor shouldn't cry in a situation like this. They should stand tall and tame the beast. Fight if they have to, but that's a shrugging matter. You're not like other Gryffindors, though. Who are you kidding? You're a lousy one.

So you cry. If death is upon you, all you really can do is cry.

The hippogriff opens its beak and lets out a shrill cry. Its heavy footsteps echo into the trees, shaking birds from branches. It poises its hind legs in a crouch, preparing for the hunt. Like any predator, it expects you to run.

You shake your head, glancing to the pink azalea beside your head. You close your eyes, bracing yourself for the impact. You hear its footsteps drawing near.

"Alarte ascendare!" a voice yells. There is a boom and a crash.

Hesitant, you open your eyes. The hippogriff is laying in front of you, bloodied and gasping for breath. A wave of heat washes over you as you dizzily fall to your knees. You try to look for the source of the voice, but your vision is hazy.

Arms wrap around you. They steady you. You look up. "Hyunjin?"

"Shh, it's okay. I'm here," he pulls your head into his chest, resting his chin atop your head.

"What're you doing here?" Your mouth is dry. Any moment, you feel as though you might fall. Through the earth and into an abyss. But still, Hyunjin holds you.

"Same goes for you. Why're you out here unsupervised, huh?" his voice is in a calming whisper. His fingers trace repeating lines through your hair.

"McGonagall wanted us to go get an egg from Hagrid," you tell him, removing the detail of the flower. You didn't need him calling you stupid for straying from the path.

He sighs. For once, he's speechless. He just keeps playing with your hair, occasionally glancing to the hippogriff, who has since long stopped breathing.

vii.

Behind the large wooden doors of the infirmary, you hear a droning voice. "Slaughter of a magical creature on school grounds can be charged with expulsion. Are you aware of that, Mr. Hwang?"

The following voice is much quieter, though you don't have the energy to strain yourself. Your head is pounding, and there's a bandage around your ankle. Your eyes fall on the door. A nurse has her ear cupped to it. Heavy eyelids take their reign over you. The voice fades into the darkness, leaving you cold and lost.

When you finally open your eyes again, there is a face hanging over you. You slowly blink.

"Sleep well?" McGonagall inquires. Her glasses hang low on the bridge of her nose. You're afraid they might fall on you if she stays much longer.

You nod. "What time is it?"

McGonagall steps back, bringing her wristwatch into frame. She tilts her head. "Around 2:30. It's Thursday. You've been here nearly twenty-four hours, you know?"

You fight to sit up. Imaginary weights drag you back. "Don't expel Hyunjin," you find yourself saying, though the words seem foreign. You're not even sure you spoke them in your native tongue.

"Sorry?"

"I said," you pause, taking a deep breath, "Don't expel Hyunjin. It's not his fault."

McGonagall juts out her chin, pursing her lips. "And why shouldn't I?"

You sigh, as though you cannot believe that you're defending Hwang Hyunjin. "I was careless. I strayed from the path to Hagrid's because I saw a stupid flower. If it weren't for Hyunjin, I'd probably be dead meat."

She hums, removing her glasses and pointing the golden frames towards you. "So my plan, it worked?"

"What plan?"

"Of getting you two to mature and see each other as equals."

"I don't know about the whole equals thing-"

"Hush, I don't want to hear it. You two will meet in my office Saturday morning, I expect. I'll send a reminder tomorrow evening," McGonagall huffs, turning to leave. Her heels clobber against the tile all the way to the end of the hall.

Within no time, the nurse is at your bedside, offering you a glass of water and a blonde potion. "Can I get you anything else?" she asks, interlacing her fingers and resting them on the pocket of her apron.

You glance at your ankle. "What happened?"

She offers a weak smile. "I wouldn't be able to tell you. Ask that blond boy who brought you in. I'm sure he knows. Or at least, he'll be able to point you in the right direction."

You slowly nod. "Thank you."

"Yes, dear. Oh, and you should be able to return to your dormitory as soon as you're ready. Take it easy."

When she's disappeared into the office by the set of doors, you sigh. What mess did Hwang Hyunjin get you into? More accurately, what mess did you get yourself into? You can't even find it in you to be mad at him, though logically you should be. Especially with the way he stroked your hair before you fainted. At that moment, he seemed like an angel. A blond-headed angel, whose blood was tainted with the venom of snakes.

Even so, none of this would have happened had he not stormed off. And you'll remind yourself that every time an endearing thought crosses your mind. He may have saved you, but he had essentially set you as bait. Indirectly, but still.

Near dinnertime, you leave the infirmary to freshen up. Your hair was matted and there was dirt smudged on your cheeks. After a quick shower, wary of your wrapped foot, you hobble to the dining hall. Before you settle with a questioning Seo Changbin, you glance at the empty spot of the infamous Slytherin section. The setting sun failed to cast a glow on blond hair, for he was not there. Perhaps he had been pulled from school, and McGonagall has yet to hear the news. Or maybe he's punishing himself for even going after you. Regardless, a swollen hole burns through your chest. It sparks irritation as you push around tonight's meal with the tip of your fork.

"Hey, what happened to your ankle? Did Hyunjin do something? Why aren't you answering my questions? Why are you sulking?" Changbin racks off. "Hello? Anybody in there?" He nudges your shoulder.

"I don't know what happened. I need to talk to Hyunjin about it," you simply say, finally forcing yourself to eat the food. Despite not eating for nearly two days, you felt no sense of hunger. In fact, you felt as though you were about to explode. As if you had eaten too much.

"Ah, I see. You're sulking because you have to talk to Hyunjin."

"I don't think it's that," you sigh, slumping as you look back to his spot. Still, it's empty.

"Then what's the problem?"

You think hard about what you say next. You can't tell him about this weird concoction brewing in your chest, for he'll run with it and send the school into another Battle of Hogwarts. "I just feel off. I don't know."

Jisung nudges your shin from beneath the table. You look up to him. He mouths, slowly and deliberately, "Are you okay?"

You nod, half-certain.

Changbin continues to pester you, despite the lack of responses. Even when you stand to return your tray, he follows. All the way to the common room, he sticks close, leaning over you to whisper more questions. You can't even fathom how he hasn't run out yet.

He grabs your shoulders, spinning you around. "Look at me."

Your eyes feel slow as they scan for his. He continues, "I don't know what's gotten into you, but if you need to talk about it, I am here for you. If it's about Hyunjin, I won't run off to tell him, okay? Family before friends."

"Thanks, Binnie," you force a smile, before breaking away from his grasp and closing the gap to your room. You gently close the door before plummeting onto your bed.

viii.

Hyunjin fails to appear to any class other than Professor Nam's. His seat, though filled, holds a barren figure with bags pulling at his eyes. He spares you a small smile when he catches your stare. He even offers a spare remark about your shoes. "Don't you think it's time to retire those, Y/N? They're all shabby."

But that's all he can bring himself to say. When he turns back in his seat, he slumps a little. Seungmin whispers something to him, and his head barely shakes in response.

You try not to stare at the back of his head. Even it seems to have lost some kind of sparkle to it. The bell blares its dismissal, and the class evacuates immediately. You take your time, for Hwang Hyunjin appears to be in no rush.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" you block his way when he tries to pass without a single word. "Don't you need to get your quota of insults in? The week's over, bud."

He looks at you like he's never met you. "Oh. Sorry."

He pushes through, brushing past your shoulder. Gently. Not the usual brash interaction.

You huff, stumbling after him. "We need to talk."

"Go ahead."

"Not if you're gonna be like this. C'mon, I wore my ugliest pair of pants to try and get a rouse from you."

He spares a glance at the bright plaid trousers. "Nice."

You smack his shoulder. "What is the matter with you?"

He shrugs. "I don't know."

You stop walking, merely watching as he continues down the hall. There's no point in this, you realize. Arguing with this Hyunjin is like talking to a brick wall encased by another brick wall. Things will resume to their normal pace in due time.

You pull yourself to the Gryffindor common room, barricading yourself in your room. The moment your head connects with your pillow, a single tear falls. It's hot against your cheek.

At quarter to six, you decide to skip out on dinner. You're not sure what you'd do if you saw him sitting at his table, drawn back from the usual conversations with Seungmin.

A card slips under your door, scraping against the hardwood. You sit up to retrieve it. On the front, in large, careful cursive letters is your name. A small letter is inside, reading, "Do not forget our meeting tomorrow morning. 9:00 A.M. sharp. If you are not here, I will have someone fetch you."

You begin laughing. McGonagall's going to have a fit when she sees you and Hyunjin. A vivacious boy with a tongue for quips turned hollow and you, a Gryffindor with a newfound fear of facing him.

ix.

The back of his neck is marked crimson by the amount of times he scratches it during that meeting. His gaze averts yours, even when you know you've burnt a hole in his cheek.

"I'm sure you're aware why I've called you in," McGonagall sighs, crossing her arms as she leans against her desk.

You force your gaze to rest on her, slowly shaking your head.

"I have no choice but to dismiss our project we had."

"You mean making us do chores together?" you question, sure Hyunjin would be proud of you for such a comment. When you glance at him, he doesn't even spare a blink out of routine.

"Well, if you view it as such I'm afraid I can't change that," she nods. You know that if Hyunjin had said that, he'd be getting yelled at. Good day to hold the Gryffindor title, you dejectedly admit.

She scans Hyunjin's face for any sign of life. "You in there, Mr. Hwang?"

His head shifts upward toward her. "Yes, sorry."

"You're awfully quiet," she mentions. He shrugs, returning his eyes to his lap. He fidgets with the dark wood at the tip of his wand.

"Well, if there are no further objections, you are free to leave."

Hyunjin runs with these words, taking his bag and rushing out. He barely even offers a polite quip. You follow him out, a few distancing steps in between. He heads for the Slytherin tower. For a moment, you consider calling out and inviting him to lunch. But you don't. Instead, you go back to the Gryffindor common room, nestling in for a game of chess with Changbin. He's not very good, but at least it serves as a laughing distraction.

The sun falls over the horizon rather slowly, as though someone tugs it back on a pulley system. Changbin wishes you goodnight a bit past eight, leaving you with a distant desire to study. You shuffle to your dorm, preparing to stare absentmindedly at a textbook, when your eyes fall over the emerald robe.

Hmm, you think. Should I? Or should I not? Well, he has been very weird. And you're overly curious. It's swallowing your life.

You sigh, picking it up and swinging it over your shoulders. You pull the hood up, slipping back out into the common room. The students continue their nightly games of Mafia. Not a single set of eyes shoot at you.

Breaking curfew is punishable by copious amounts of detention. Good thing you're invisible to the guard wandering the halls.

Sneaking into the Slytherin tower is rather easy, given the circumstances. The cobblestone corridor leads you to a darkened room emblazoned by the crackle of fire. A blond boy lays on the gray carpet, his eyes vacant as he blinks at the ceiling. His friend sits on a leather couch, shrugging as he says, "I don't know man, you've just been so weird lately."

Absently, the boy on the carpet mumbles, "Sorry, I guess."

"C'mon, talk to me. I'm your best friend, Hyunjin," Seungmin sighs. He rubs a distressed finger across his brow.

Hyunjin shakes his head. "There's just this weird feeling in my chest."

"What?" Seungmin leans forward on the couch, dangling his hand close to the boy's face.

He leans out of the way as he sits up, resting his palm on his heart. "I can't explain it. I feel full all of a sudden?"

"How long have you been like this?"

"Ever since the hippogriff situation."

Seungmin falls back against the plush of the couch. His mouth is agape until a smile creeps upon him and he laughs. "I hate to break this to you, Hyunjin, but I think you've developed a crush."

Your heart catches in your throat like a rock you're incapable of swallowing. It thrums louder than the conversation unfolding. Hyunjin's lips are loose as he glances around the room. His eyes sit on you a little too long, and you slowly back into the corridor.

What do you do with this information?

x.

A harsh sneeze interrupts your slumber. You glance around through tired eyes. It's still dark in the room. Your roommate is snoring lightly.

You rest back onto the mattress, trying your hardest to dismiss a quiet cough. A bead of sweat trickles down your neck. Just what you need, you think as you shut your eyes. Maybe this is karma for sneaking into Hyunjin's space.

You hate the euphoria you experienced when you settled into bed that night. Heart a fluttering mess and cheeks pummeled with heat. Changbin would kill to hear this. Both ends. Regardless, though, you feel way too guilty to talk to Hyunjin. Some crushes are best suppressed, you think. A Slytherin-Gryffindor duo traditionally doesn't end well.

By the time you fall asleep, the sun has begun to rise. Then, by the time you wake up, the sun is ready to fall. You moan when your roommate asks if you're feeling alright. Her shivering hand comes in contact with your forehead. "Oh my God, you're burning up!"

You hiss, trying to pull your covers over your head. She tugs them back down.

"You should go to the infirmary," she says. "I'll help you there."

Hesitantly, you sit up. There's a sour taste in your mouth that burns the back of your throat. A quick palm jumps to your lips as you rush to the bathroom.

"Here," Jihyo comes close behind you. She offers a Ginger Ale.

"Thanks," you say, rubbing your mouth with the back of your hand. You take a quick swig of it, swishing it around before spitting it into the toilet.

Jihyo leads you out of the room with an arm around your shoulder. The common room is empty, aside from a few who sit behind vast textbooks. "Everyone's at dinner," she informs.

You don't have the energy to nod. It's hard enough trying to keep a straight path, even when you're leaning against her shoulder.

"Welcome back," the nurse jokes. You try to smile.

She takes your temperature after Jihyo tells her your situation. "Ooh. 101. Thank you for bringing them, sweetheart."

You take to a bed, slowly leaning to sit on it. Jihyo leaves shortly after, telling you to seek her if you need anything.

"How's your ankle doing?" the nurse asks as she offers you a cup of pills (a fever reducer and an anti inflammatory).

After you struggle to swallow them, you say (through a crackly voice), "Good, I guess. Still haven't gotten the story to it."

She presses her lips into a line, "That boy. I'll have to talk to him."

A strange light feeling punctures your heart. She pushes gently on your shoulders, forcing you to lie down. "Get some rest, dear."

Sleep comes very naturally. There's only a few moments where you struggle to return to it. The next day, the nurse brings you a cup of pudding for breakfast. You ask her what time it is.

"It's around 10. Monday."

You sigh. "I'm missing classes."

"I'm sure your professors won't mind, given you're still feverish," she checks your forehead with the back of her hand.

You eat the pudding in solidarity, watching the small TV across from you. It's displaying The Desperate Housewives of the Wizarding World. It's on all day, which is fine by you, since you're not leaving anytime soon. The final dismissal bell jumps you from your daze.

Only a few moments pass before the large doors swing, followed by the pattering of feet. "Y/N!"

Jisung rushes toward you, his burgundy robes trailing behind him. He pushes his round frames up. "Are you okay? I heard from Jihyo."

You nod. "Yeah, I feel a bit better now."

His hand finds your shoulder and he shakes you gently. "You're not going to believe this."

Your thoughts jump to Hyunjin and your eyes widen eagerly as you wait for him to continue.

"Hyunjin was whining all day about you. He was all 'where are they?' and stuff. Did something happen when McGonagall started that chore thing?"

You fight a grossly parasitical smile, shaking your head. "No. Nothing really."

He stays a little longer, telling you things you missed from the classes you share. As he's departing, you stop him. "Hey, Sung, I got a question."

He turns back to you. "Shoot."

"Can I borrow that magic note passing thing you bought on vacation?"

The good thing about Jisung is he doesn't ask questions. So long as you're not harming anyone, he'll do just about anything for you. He simply returns ten minutes later, gently placing the notepad on the table beside you. "You just write your note and address it. It should be sent immediately. Oh, and the other person receives a pen too," he informs, passing you a normal looking pen.

"Thank you, I owe you."

He waves his hand. "Nah, it's no big deal."

You pick up the pad of paper. It appears no different from normal paper, though it smells rather lemony. You rethink the words over and over before you finally settle. In the center of the paper, you write: I heard you missed me :)

Then, you address it before you can find a reason to regret this.

xi.

You cannot find yourself an ounce of sleep, so you stare at the television screen. It's still playing reruns. A paper fizzles into your lap, the corners materializing before the center. Your note reads back to you. You flip it over, where a new pattern of ink lay.

To Y/N: I'm going to murder Han Jisung.

Your laugh echoes in the large, empty infirmary. The nurse has gone to her quarters, now that the sun has set.

You write back, He has cool magic though!

Not only because it's true, but because you would like to keep this conversation going for just a little longer. Even if it is useless and greedy to want something like this from him.

Few seconds pass before the paper returns. To Y/N: I will give him that. I didn't even know this was a thing. Can we meet up in the Charms hall?

You bring your hand to your forehead. After Jisung's visit and your nutritious dinner of pudding, you feel much better. Like normal, even. Plus, the nurse had told you it's up to you when you want to return to daily life.

So you gather your things and return to your dorm. "Hi, Jihyo," you say quickly before rushing to shower. She is left in a dismal state of shock, staring at the bathroom door.

"I'm meeting up with someone, don't wait up for me," you inform as you pull a sweater on.

"Who?" she asks, bouncing her wand as she jiggles a paper midair.

You glance at her as you pull shoes on. "Classified info."

"Just say it's Hyunjin," she starts. "I can read you like a book."

You giggle. "Then fine, it's Hyunjin."

"Don't set the school on fire, please. I would like to finish my seventh year in peace."

"I don't plan on it."

"Be safe!" she calls as you open the door.

"I will."

You shuffle through the common room and out into the halls. Curfew was nearing. Maybe you should've grabbed your invisibility cloak.

In all honesty, you weren't sure why you were doing this. Until the glimmer of blond hair beneath the moonlight pierces your view. Knowing fills your chest, warm fairies dazzling your skin.

He looks up to you, a smile rushing onto his face. "I thought you weren't gonna show."

"Well, I suppose you're in luck."

He grabs your wrist when you're in reach, "Come on, I wanna show you something."

You allow him to pull you out to the courtyard. A little way's past the quidditch fields, there is a flower box. Filled to the brim with peonies and lilies. There's even a couple pink azaleas.

"Tada," he says, opening his arms to the post.

"You snuck me out of the castle to look at flowers?" you laugh.

"Not just any flowers," he points, crouching down to look at them. "Healing flowers."

"Really?" you inquire.

He looks up at you. Beneath the moonlight, his hair shines and his eyes twinkle amongst the stars. "Yeah. They heal everything."

"How do you even know about this?"

He shrugs, looking into the stamen of a certain peony. "My mom's a flower nerd. When she called most recently, she told me about this spot."

You crouch beside him, "Did she plant these?"

"Some of them. I think she likes azaleas, so probably those."

Your heart skips a beat. "Do you like the azaleas?"

"I-"

From behind you, a voice shouts, "Now I can't keep you away from each other?"

In sync, you look back. McGonagall is standing at the top of the hill, her arms crossed against her silk black robes. "Come on, you two, it's past curfew."

You dawdle up the hill, slightly limping on your ankle. You suppose you should have asked him about it.

When you meet McGonagall, she whispers, "By the way, I'm getting more eyes on you two. No more late night meetings."

xii.

The moon takes its reign in the sky, passing time as though it never wants to leave the throne. There's a waft of nutmeg traveling through the vents. Felix must be baking again.

The lamp on your bedside table clicks on. You look over to Jihyo, who is very much asleep. Her mouth hangs open and her limbs are flailed in varying directions.

A piece of paper forms against your chest. To Y/N: I'm sorry for getting you in trouble.

You shake your head, heart taking fire, as you search for a small piece of room to write: It's okay, I willingly went with you.

You wonder why he's awake. More importantly, why he's apologizing. He's never been one for owning up to anything, so why start now and here?

Within minutes, you receive the paper. To Y/N: I guess she can't police these notes haha

In return, you write: I hope not. Can you smell that nutmeg?

To Y/N: YES IT KEEPS TICKLING MY NOSE!!

To Hyunjin: It's probably just Felix, so I'm letting it slide this once.

To Y/N: Even then, I'm still considering killing him.

To Hyunjin: Same time you're gonna kill Jisung?

To Y/N: Yeah, actually. Thank you for reminding me.

You stifle a laugh, cautiously looking at Jihyo. She releases an abrupt snore, which stands in solitude.

To Hyunjin: Hey btw, do you know what happened to my ankle?

A few moments turn into minutes of twirling your thumbs for a response. The nutmeg retracts its intensity, leaving room for the Sandman to tarnish your eyes with the temptation of sleep. You grow tired of waiting, turning off your lamp and settling into the covers.

Morning comes, but the receiving message does not. You prepare for your day, following the stream of students to the dining hall. Hyunjin is already there, and his eyebags prove his late night. He looks up upon Seungmin's pointing, offering you a wave and a grin.

Nice Hyunjin is so weird.

You smile back. Changbin waits at the end of the food line by the time you get there. "Hey, heard you got caught with Hwang last night," he nudges your arm, raising his eyebrows.

"Nothing happened," you assure.

He nods, though he's not sure he believes you.

You grab a muffin and a carton of orange juice before following Changbin to Jisung, who is nursing a bowl of burnt oatmeal.

"How can you eat that shit?" Changbin grimaces.

You steal a glance in Hyunjin's direction. He's playing a rather intense game of rock, paper, scissors, with another Slytherin. After several rounds of ties, he finally beats the other with scissors. He pumps his balled fists into the air and laughs. His hair falls over his shoulders when he throws his head back.

He looks beautiful.

Maybe you were succumbing to the greed of this desire to be near him. So what if he was a Slytherin? He could be a Hufflepuff and no one would care if you two began seeing each other as more than friends. So why should anyone care if he's a Slytherin?

Jisung presses the tip of his wand against your cheek. "Hello?"

You hastily turn back to him, nearly redirecting his wand into your iris. He flinches back. "Zoned out much?"

"Sorry," you mumble, peeling the wrapper from your muffin.

"It's all good. I was asking if you're coming to Hogsmeade with us this weekend."

You tilt your head, as if the answer is teetering to one side of your brain. "I don't know."

"Come on," Changbin whines. "You've been so disconnected from us recently."

"Plus," Jisung adds, "This is gonna be the last weekend until April."

It's October. You sigh. "Fine. I suppose I'll tag along. But you guys are paying for butterbeer."

You probably would have gone anyway, despite how little you showed interest. Hearing their pitiful whines was just too fun.

"Good. Invite your boyfriend," Changbin nods to Hyunjin, who is walking down the aisle to get breakfast. He marks your gaze, turning a bit to come talk to you. A heat jumps to your chest, slowly rising to your face as he claims the seat beside you.

"Hi," he simpers, his eyes squinted and his teeth glimmering beneath the drowning sunlight.

"Hi," you return the expression. Not because you have to out of politeness, no, but because it's so hard not to.

"Are you going to Hogsmeade this weekend?" he asks, the smile quickly dissipating when he realizes Changbin is just over your shoulder. Eyes of a hawk, that one has.

You open your mouth to speak, but Changbin has already gathered his words. "Yes. They're coming with us."

You thrust your elbow back, nailing right between his ribs. He wheezes, doubling over. "Yeah, I'm going," you tell Hyunjin.

"Good. Meet me at the sweet shop around one," he pauses, turning to Jisung, "I won't keep them long. Promise."

Jisung shakes a free hand as he pools oatmeal onto his spoon, "No, it's fine. Take as long as you need."

Hyunjin smiles. "Nice. Okay, I'll see you later," he stands, patting your shoulder as he walks by.

"What a nice guy," Changbin manages with a smile, though he's still clutching his chest.

xiii.

His gaze is tilted upward as he watches the chocolate dragonflies dart to and fro across the ceiling. There's the faintest hint of a smile at the corner of his lip. It twitches ever so slightly when a dragonfly threatens to sit on his nose.

"Hey," you greet. He jumps a little, turning to you. The chocolate bug has vanished, fluttering up to its haven.

"Oh, hi. I didn't think you'd get here so quick," he laughs.

You glance at your wrist. "It's 1:05."

He shrugs. "Aren't Gryffindors normally late?"

"Aren't Slytherins not the type to wait around for a Gryffindor?" you retaliate.

He nods, pointing a finger at you as his eyebrows furrow. "Touche."

He buys you a chocolate frog, despite your complaints that you could pay for your own. "No, no, it's on me," he insisted, shoving his money into the cashier's palm before you can say much else.

You perch atop floating stools, staring at him as he tries to wrangle his frog. His mouth hangs open with anticipation as he tries to guide it there. There's a tug at your chest that compels you to smile.

"So why'd you want to meet with me? I thought you were still in your sulky phase," you tease.

He looks up at you. There's a film of innocence to them. For a moment, you forget his reputation. He blinks, summoning a twinkle to the corner of his right eye. "I wanted to ask you for some advice," he finally says, rather confidently. His posture straightens and a cocky smile finds his lips. The Hyunjin you know.

"You didn't knock a girl up, did you? Because I will not be helping you get out of that one. You may be cool, but not that cool," you ramble.

His frog jumps from his palm, hopping away into the niche of chocolate animals with a poised ribbit. Hyunjin rolls his eyes, though a contradicting smile forms. "I was looking for this spell."

You lean closer, interested. "And? Which one?"

"Amortentia."

You pull back. That's a love potion. "Why would you need that?"

He sucks air in through his teeth, glancing away as he informs, "Well, I wanted to use it on you, but I thought maybe it's best not to drug you."

You laugh despite the thundering of your chest. Your fingers find the corner of a Wizard

Card, routinely picking at it to distract yourself. Hesitantly, you mumble,"What are you trying to say here?"

"God, Gryffindors are so dense," he throws his head back, a bubbling laugh bursting into

the air.

"No, I just want to hear you say it."

He groans, gaze slipping back to yours, "I like you a little bit."

"A little bit?" you challenge, recalling his fit in the Slytherin common room.

Hyunjin rests his arms on the table as he leans closer to you, your noses nearly touching. "It sounds like someone told you something. You don't seem very surprised," he hesitates before adding a quiet, "or appalled."

His lips are so close to yours. You can smell his green apple chapstick. You find yourself at a loss for words, for his lips keep your gaze. Oh, what the hell. You close the gap between you, allowing your lips to mingle for a few seconds before pulling away. There's a small giggle to your words as you say, "You're not good at hiding your emotions, Hwang Hyunjin. Aren't Slytherins supposed to be good at stuff like that?"

He scoffs. "Aren't Gryffindors supposed to be noble? You snuck into the Slytherin common room!"

"How'd you know?"

He chuckles, "Your shoulder kinda slipped out of the cloak."

This takes a minute to process. It seems like your usage of the invisibility cloak will now be put on hold. You can only look at the oak table, lips pursed in a disappointing defeat.

You rotate your ankles in small circles when you remember. "Hey, by the way, why was my ankle all messed up? You never answered my letter."

"Seungmin came in," he grabs your hand. "But when I was carrying you back to the castle I may have been a little careless and let your ankle run through a bush of thorns."

You smack his arm with your free hand, mouth agape. "You what?"

"It was an accident! I'll make it up to you," he promises.

"How so?"

He draws your lips to his for a quick peck. "What do you want?"

You think, squinting. "Hmm. I can get anything?"

"Within reason," he declares. "I'm not buying you a unicorn or anything."

You shake your head, for what you want is much more simple. "Can we go on cute dates?"

He hums, interlacing your fingers. "Of course."

"Oh! And we have to go to the Yule Ball together-"

"Sure."

"But we're wearing Gryffindor colors."

He drops your hand, pulling away as if your fingertips scalded him. "Absolutely not."

"C'mon, you owe me."

"Not that much. Your ankle will heal. My pride, however, will not."

You sigh. "Fine, we can settle for non-house colors."

"Deal."

xiv.

"I saw him playing with your fingers," Changbin shakes you vehemently after you sit down at the dining table.

"Why won't you let this go?" you ask.

"Well, you see, when a guy who traditionally hates someone randomly asks them to hang out, their friends should be a little concerned."

You look to Jisung, who is more interested in his soup. "Did you watch us too?" you ask.

He barely looks up. "No, I was at the book shop—I think."

You turn back to Changbin, though he's already shaking his hands in defense. "No, the difference between me and Jisung is-"

"That Jisung's smarter than you?" Hyunjin appears, sitting on the bench beside you.

"Yeah, I think it's that," you nod, sharing his smirked gaze.

"No," Changbin defends, "Jisung is only concerned for physical wellbeing after the fact. I care prior to the event happening."

"If we all lived your way, we'd be sheltered," Jisung adds, twirling his spoon.

They dive into a heated discussion bordering an argument. Hyunjin wraps his arm around you, and the sounds of Changbin whining fades to black. You look up at him, "Shouldn't you be sitting with Seungmin?"

He shakes his head. "I got banished for talking too much about you."

You roll your eyes. "Don't sacrifice your friends because of me."

"Hey, you're the one who makes me this way. If I could not be 'Y/N would like this' every time I saw anything that even remotely reminded me of you, trust me, I would."

"Do you really do that?"

"Any time I see flowers," he sheepishly admits. He catches glimpses of the flower beds every day, nearly four times. Sometimes five if he sneaks out to see you.

You chuckle. "Just say you're in love with me, geez."

"I don't want to inflate your ego," he kisses your temple.

A stray comment from Changbin floats into your bubble, "Gross!"

"Speaking of egos, do you have your suit for the ball?" you ask, pushing your spoon into the sea of spinach and kale.

"I guess I should tell my mom about that," he mumbles.

"Hyunjin! The ball is in a week!"

"Yeah, and I also need to tell her we're dating," he laughs dryly, suddenly absorbed with something down the aisle.

You shrug his arm off of your shoulder. "What? It's been nearly a month!"

He looks back at you as if you're arguing over spilled milk. "Life at the Hwangs is very hectic, okay?"

"He's lying," Changbin says. "They only see each other, pay the kids, and leave."

Hyunjin looks ready to punch the sly grin off of his face. Instead, he pats your thigh. "I'll call her tonight."

xv.

He calls to you from across the bustling room. You stand in awe as your eyes lay upon the black velvet of his blazer. In the chest pocket is a red and gold handkerchief, folded to perfection.

"You look great," he simpers, eyes slipping from your exposed collarbone down to the dark green fabric that expands out from your blanketed feet.

He wraps an arm around your waist, whispering, "You're wearing my color."

Butterflies take reign over your stomach, swarming out in packs. You grow shy as he pulls away.

"You look stunning," he presses a soft kiss on your lips.

He drags you over to Seungmin, who chats with Minho in carefully structured quips.

Seungmin takes a long look at your gown, smiling as he comments, "Slytherin colors."

"You know," Hyunjin turns to you, "I was going to get a red suit but they were incredibly ugly so I'm settling for a handkerchief."

You smile up at him, "It's okay, the sentiment is there."

Minho dismisses himself when he spots a cat swaying between dancing feet. Its eyes are wide with fright as it stares up at the unfamiliar faces in search of its owner. Seungmin smiles fondly as he watches the boy pick up the cat, delicately taking it out of the room.

"Where are Thing One and Thing Two?" Hyunjin inquires, leaning against the bar.

You scan the hall. "I'm not sure. Changbin said he'd be here. Jisung might skip out."

Seungmin laughs unexpectedly, receiving a few confused glares in return. He soon clarifies after taking a sip of water, "I was thinking about Changbin having a date. Weird."

He certainly doesn't have a date. When he arrives, the ball is nearly over and his tie is messily made up.

"Did you get dressed in the dark?" Seungmin stares as he approaches.

"Yes, actually. Long story."

A slower song comes on. It's a change in scenery from the previous publike songs. Hyunjin offers you his hand, dramatically asking, "May I have this dance?"

Your hand slips into his, "You may."

He guides you to an empty spot near the edges of the dance crowd, swiftly tucking his arms around your waist. You nestle yours around his neck. For a few seconds, you stare into his big brown eyes, watching as the twinkle shifts in the light. You fight a smile.

"What's the smile for?"

"Nothing," you say, pressing your cheek to his chest so you can grin in peace.

He sighs, though a vibration in his chest tells you he's also laughing. "I know we tease each other a lot, but I love you."

Your heart skips a beat and your breath clogs up in your throat, though your smile never falters. Each day that has passed, it has grown harder to fight saying those words. When you return them, you feel lighter. As though you have relinquished thirty pounds from your shoulders.

"Don't tell anyone I'm getting sappy with a Gryffindor," he fake gags.

"Same to you, snake."

You smile in these moments. With music guiding your feet and a boy who warms your heart, despite his stereotypically shivering attributes. He rests his chin atop your head as he repeats those cursed words, grounding you with him more and more each time. He's yours. And you're his.

Perhaps it's always been that way.

[greenygreenland]

Dream A Little Dream of Me Pt. 2: Norman x Reader

-part 2 requested by anon

-kinda spicy??? because yeah but u can always skip that if u don’t like that stuff

-CHARACTERS AGED UP (so don’t call fbi on me lmaoooo)

MANGA SPOILERS/BRIEF MATURE CONTENT (at end)

WARNINGS: spicy/18+ (near the end, so you can SKIP if you’d like), arguing, death mentions, MANGA SPOILERS, etc.

Summary: It’s time to talk to Norman with Emma and Ray. Only issue is, he's not there yet, and his 'squad' is occupying his office.

PART 1

Time waited for no one. Its hands constantly ticked back and forth, once, twice, until you couldn’t recall how long you’d been staring at the clock. 

The first thing you did this morning was shoot out of bed and gulp down your breakfast. There wasn’t time to idly chat or greet every single one of your family members. You had a job to do, and that was to convince Norman that this 'Seven Walls’ plan was better. 

The office door stood before you like a timed bomb. It towered over you, made you feel small and helpless. What if you were too late? What if there was nothing you could do?  

An uneasy smile twitched on your lips. You had to stay solid for Ray and Emma. They relied on you, and you couldn’t let them down. “Ready?” 

Their eyes were bright with resolve you didn’t seem to have. 

“Yes.”

“’Course!”

Why were you so nervous? Just look at them, they were so confident that Norman would listen. But of course your Norman would listen, right? He wasn’t the type to brush you off or act all high and mighty. He was sweet, considerate, and wonderful. 

You sucked in a sharp breath to steel yourself. “Nor--?”

Three heads turned to stare as you opened the door. One was a woman with curly hair, another a tall guy in a suit, and the last one, a guy in a military vest.

Norman wasn’t at his desk.

The three strangers sat sprawled throughout the room. Two on either couches, and one in the back. Crumbs lay on the coffee table where stray pieces of wrapping fluttered about. A tea cup sat a little ways away from the wrappings, still steaming and piping hot. They had to have been here for quite some time. The lady raised a brow and glanced at the tall guy behind her. “Who are they?”

You and Ray kept straight faces. 

“Nice to meet you,” he said. “I’m Ray.” Emma tried for a wobbly smile. “I’m Emma and this is (Y/n). We come from shelter b-zero-six-three!” You glanced at your companions, then back at the three adults in your path. The lady turned to the guy behind her again and asked another question, but you weren’t listening.

What were they doing here? Most importantly, were they dangerous? Sure, Norman trusted them (they were in his office after all), but was that enough reason for you too? He was revered as a god here, you reminded yourself. It wouldn’t be out of the park if he acted differently around these people. 

“Where is...the ‘Boss’ at the moment?” you respectfully inquired. The guy in the vest adjusted his position on the couch. He swung his feet off the coffee table dramatically and said, “The Boss is out of the office right now. He’s on urgent business.” 

You frowned. That didn’t sound good. “We’ll come back then. Talk can wait.” you decided. “Let’s--”

The vest guy stood up and the lady followed. Your chest tightened as he slowly turned to meet your eye. “No, wait a second.” He placed a hand on Ray’s shoulder and the lady set a hand on either side of you and Emma. They smiled, but it wasn’t a nice smile. “Why don’t you stay for tea?” the lady inquired. They steered you over to the couch and plopped you all together one after the other. 

You didn’t like where this was going. Urgent business? What could be so urgent that Norman would decide to leave so early in the morning? You folded your arms over your chest in thought. 

It's been taking me a little longer than expected to set it in motion. 

Norman mentioned a bit about his plan last night, but not in full detail. You recalled the brief mentions of a poison, as well as the obvious portion of genocide and degeneration of demons. But what else did he say?

I've decided to officially start tomorrow.

Your frown tightened and your fist clenched. Of course he would go out of his way to start the plan as soon as possible. He didn’t need distractions, much less people against his will. You remembered the smile he forced onto his lips. It was wry, and hollow, and fake, and everything that he wasn’t. 

Fortunately, I've always been pretty good at getting what I want.

You wanted to be angry--no, livid--yet the aching in your heart said otherwise. Norman did everything in good faith. All he wanted was to save everyone without spilling a single drop of blood. But did he realise the guilt he’d have to carry once his plan was complete? Did he realise how much blood would stain his hands?

You heaved in a subtle breath to compose yourself. “So,” you began. “What did you wish to speak about?” Vest didn’t seem to welcome your presence. He planted an arm on the coffee table and leaned across with that stare that could burn straight through you. 

The lady, on the other hand, sat at the edge of the couch with that giant piece of meat in her hand. You wondered if that was actually some regular type of meat. It was far too large to be a pig, much less a wild animal.

Was it just you, or were these guys kind of creepy?

“I’m Cislo,” Vest firmly announced. “That’s Barbara. That Egghead over there is Vincent.” The tall guy, or Vincent, poured three cups of tea. He silently made his way over and set them on the table. You politely nodded his way and picked up the cup, taking a good, long sip. 

Until you were sure these people could be trusted, you decided it best to stay quiet.

Cislo leaned farther over the table. You instinctively took another sip of tea. “Emma, Ray, and (Y/n), right? From Grace Field?” Ray was about to answer, but Cislo interrupted. “We’re escapees too y’know!” He hastily jumped up and planted a firm foot on the coffee table. “And for the record, our escape was way better. We kicked that farm’s ass!”

You slowly nodded with false amusement. “Is that so?” Vincent adjusted his glasses almost apologetically. He was the calmest out of all his companions, as well as the most polite. “Right.” He sounded distasteful. “You guys feel the need to childishly compete all the time... Please, accept my humblest apologies.”

Ray rolled his eyes. “Nah, you guys are amazing. Absolutely incredible. Show-stopping. It’s not like we could have done better, bra-vo.” You snickered behind your teacup and fist-bumped under the coffee table. He was trying to make you smile because he knew you were tense. And it worked. 

You took another sip of tea and glanced over the rim. From the corner of your eye, you spotted a mark peeking out at the top of Barbara’s tank top. Norman had the same one right on his chest. These three weren’t normal people, weren’t they? 

“Excuse me,” Emma said with a bright smile, “thank you so much for yesterday!” Oh right, you thought. Vincent was the the guy who treated Cristy and Dominics. “Yes,” you added. “Thank you, Vincent.” He returned Emma’s smile in a calmer manner and nodded. “The boss let me know about that. I wish the best for them.”

Emma’s smile brightened like the sun. “Thanks!” 

The back of your neck tingled uncomfortably. Barbara’s stare was creepy, and it didn’t help that Cislo had joined in. Ray and Emma inched closer to your sides.

“That’s well and all,” Barbara started, “but we’d like to know!” Cislo eagerly nodded. He leaned farther across the table and you inched backward into the couch. “Yeah, how about you tell us? What you wanted to talk about with that guy...” 

You raised a brow. “’That guy’?” 

The air thinned out as quick as one could say ‘Quidditch’. A bashful grin broke out on Barbara’s lips and her face went red as a cherry. “The boss of course!” she cried. “Minerva James!” She said ‘Minerva James’ like he was a god. Cislo mimicked Barbara’s bashful expression. “What did you want to talk about with...Nor--‘Norman’, is what you guys called him?” 

You didn’t have the strength to be question them. 

“Even if you try to hide it, you idiots love the boss.” said Vincent. Barbara rolled her eyes. “Shut up! You love everything he does too!” Vincent turned to you, Ray and Emma. “Because you’re long time friends of the boss, they can’t stop themselves from being nervous.”

Ah, so these three were Norman’s fan club. You scoffed to yourself.  

Cislo rounded on Barbara and Vincent with a newfound energy (seriously, where did that come from?). “I mean, aren’t you curious?” he inquired, clenching a fist in the air all dramatically. “When we came back from morning patrol, they were all making a fuss upstairs. Yesterday, the boss was a totally different person!” He clasped the sides of his head with a shout. “I thought, ‘what’s up with that’! I got super curious, and turns out, you guys are super good friends!”

Cislo stamped a foot down on the coffee table again. “What kinda guy is this ‘Norman’?” Barbara mimicked his elated expression. “Yeah, tell us!”

You glanced at Emma and she smiled as amiably as always. “Well, he hasn’t changed that much since back then.” She elbowed you. “Tell them!” You knitted your brows in confusion. “Tell them what?” She giggled and Ray playfully smirked. “That you’re his girlfriend.” 

“GIRLFRIEND?!” Cislo and Barbara screeched. 

You sent Ray a subtle glare, to which he smugly shrugged off. It was clear that he purposely said that to get a kick out of Barbara and Cislo. What a total--

“So you’re his girlfriend?” Vincent questioned, casually pushing his glasses up. “I didn’t think the boss would be ‘that type’.” You raised a brow. “What do you mean by that?” Vincent smiled and it was almost playful. 

“Well?” Barbara expectantly inquired, resting her chin in her palms. “What’s he like? As a boyfriend I mean?” 

You thought for a moment. Norman was kind, sweet, and gentle. He knew how to cheer you up when you were down, and he was a great cook. Sometimes, he thought too much about the little things, or became secretive and changed the subject. Sure it could be troublesome to bother with that, but it was just who he was. 

And you loved him for him.

“Norman is so soft and kind,” you began, “he’s smart too and smiles so sweetly. I’ve never met anyone else like him in my life.” A fond sigh left your lips that hung in the air. Just by looking at you, everyone could tell how unconditionally your love was. You were more than just his girlfriend, you were two halves of a whole. 

“He smiles sweetly?” Barbara echoed. Cislo blinked in disbelief. “‘Soft’?” They glanced at each other before bursting into a fit of laughter. You knitted your brows together questioningly. “Is he that different?”

“Stiff.” said Barbara.

“Cold.” answered Vincent.

“An emperor.” added Cislo.

That wasn’t a surprise to you, but for your siblings, it was earth-shattering. Ray spat out his tea and Emma let out a ‘WHAAAAAT’ that could have reached the heavens. Then Ray chuckled, and that turned into a stifled snicker. 

“So he’s stiff and cold?” you muttered, placing a hand to your chin in thought. Barbara nodded. “Yeah, kind of like how you were before we started talking about the Boss.” 

You almost chocked. Was it plausible that Norman took after your rock-solid façade while running this revolution? Logically speaking, it was normal, smart even, to make yourself known as an unshakable being. That was why you walked into this room full of strangers as quietly as you could. It gave you time to observe and figure out the little details in untested waters. 

And because you stayed headstrong and cool, others followed your example. 

Sometime in the conversation, Ray shared embarrassing stories about Norman with the occasional pitch from you or Emma. Seeing Ray and Emma smile over the old memories made you relax just a bit. It was refreshing to think about something other than fifty ways to save the world. The trivial, the peace, the mundane. Yes, you missed that.

A smile etched itself onto Barbara’s lips. “So even a long time ago, the boss was cool.” she noted. “Thanks, it was nice to hear so much about him.” You almost smiled at her. She and Cislo were nice to be around when they weren’t all up in your personal space. 

“He’s a good man.” Vincent stated. “He cares for his companions.” A grin broke out onto Cislo’s lips. “Not with a sweet smile or softly though. For the sake of all of us, he works without sparing any time to sleep. He saved us and made use of this ‘power’ we all have.” 

You carefully watched the way he and his companions shifted. As Cislo explained his time in Lambda, silence fell upon everyone’s shoulders. Lambda was far worse than any hell. Mass production was commonly practiced, and it worked to the benefit of the demons and doctors who worked there. Experimentation day by day. New medicine. New pills and syringes.

The very thought of that place made your skin crawl.

“He was a twleve-year-old brat,” Cislo stated. “But it was like I saw a god.” 

There was that word again. 

“The boss constructed a plan,” he added. “And the four of us, including Zazie, executed it. Until now, all five of us have been destroying and freeing the farms. It’s like I told you! We’re amazing.” His eyes carried a dark glint you didn’t like. “You don’t have to worry.” 

Oh, but you did worry. Not just for Norman, but the world he wanted to make reality. That look Cislo shared with his companions didn’t help. It was bloodthirsty. It was dark and filled with a deep hatred that sent shivers down your spine. They wanted this revolution, this chance for revenge, and they wanted it now.

“With the boss’s perfect plan and our power, victory will definitely be ours.” Cislo stared off into a horizon you didn’t care to see. “I can’t wait to kill every last one of them.” He broadly grinned. “Every time I kill a demon, I get this real nice feeling in my chest.” Barbara stared at the bare bone in her hand. “Me too. Whenever I eat meat from demons we kicked, this nauseous feeling just goes away.”

You stared at the bone with wide eyes. That wasn’t a ridiculously large leg without a reason. Demon meat. It was demon meat.

Ray followed your gaze uneasily. “Uh...then that meat you just had was demon meat?”

“You must be surprised!” she exclaimed. “I wonder if it was an employee from that mass-production farm we slammed the other day. It makes me sick, us being cattle to them. Even now, I still can’t forget.” She gripped the bone so tighty that her knuckles turned white. “Their eyes...that pain...that agony every. Single. Day.” 

She stood straight and bared her teeth. “Everyone here has the same enemy, but just killing them isn’t enough for me. I’ll slaughter them all and the Ratri clan!”

Emma pursed her lips together with wide eyes. Everyone in the room could see the blatant fear etched in her bright eyes. She worried, not just about the chaotic way Barbara pranced around with the bone, but for what was yet to come. If everyone else in the hideout were like Barbara, then would any of you stand a chance with fixing Norman’s estranged plan? 

The woman’s gaze sharply flickered from yours to Emma’s. “What’s with that face?” she demanded. “Are you sympathising with the demons Emma? Aren’t you happy?” 

Barbara leapt on the table. Her heel dug into the wood with an inhuman amount of strength. “I find it hard to believe that you wouldn’t want to kill the demons. You’re cattle. They don’t care about you!” 

She ripped her gaze from Emma’s and met your own. You kept a straight face and stared right back with stone-cold eyes. “Oh, and that ‘talk’ you wanted with the boss.... I bet you were going to spew something like ‘change the plan’, weren’t you? How dare you betray us like that? If you think you’ll change his mind just because you’re his--!”

“Barbara!” called Cislo. “Stop it, you’re breaking the table.”

“--I don’t care who you are. Demons should be exterminated! Every single one of them until we’re the only ones left!”

“Barbara!” Cislo’s eyes were cold and dark. “Stop it.” His goal wasn’t to save anyone from unnecessary conflict, only to protect the poor table under Barbara’s boot. You eyed the table uneasily. Chestnut wood splintered and peeled against itself, burying the thick demon bone in broken chips. When Barbara begrudgingly stepped off the table, a clear dent sat where her boot had been. The poor table was helpless.

Just like you. 

Would convincing Norman be enough? If his followers didn’t see eye to eye with your ideals, then a new plan risked ripping the whole resistance apart. 

You steadily rose from the couch and smoothed down your skirt. “Thank you for the tea and the pleasant conversation.” Your voice was silky smooth. “I think it’s time we got off your backs.” You turned to leave.

“If you’re still thinking about changing the Boss’s plan, then I believe it’s time to reconsider.” Vincent announced. “You can’t stop it, it’s too late for that.” 

You paused in your step and glanced over your shoulder. For a moment, you were unrecognizable. You weren’t (Y/n) anymore, or that Grace Field kid from bunker B-zero-six-three. You were another player, another great mind in this sick game of chess. 

“Is that so?” you coolly inquired. “Well it so happens that working until the very last minute is a special skill of mine. The ‘Boss’ decided to hasten this ‘perfect’ plan, yes? Where is he?” 

The way you looked at everyone rubbed Vincent in the wrong way. It was like you were on a completely different level, cattle or not. You didn’t care what position you stood in because you would get it done, and for that reason, you were on a pedestal higher than Vincent and the rest. 

“The Boss went to meet them,” he slowly replied, “the demons.” 

You nodded in thanks. He knew that look, the one where your eyes glinted and shone with a quiet roar. There was only one other person whom you shared that look with, one other man who had those same, calculating eyes.

Yes, Vincent thought. You had the same eyes as the Boss.

-----

You hated waiting. After being on the run or constantly fighting to walk step after step, it didn’t feel natural to stand around and wait the day away for Norman to arrive. And so you sat in the hospital wing with Ray and Emma, staring at the sleeping face of Christy, who had yet to wake up.

Waiting was excruciating.

“Are you okay (Y/n)?” 

You met Emma’s worried eyes. They watered with unshed tears, as if she already knew the answer even if you wouldn’t acknowledge it yourself. You forced a comforting smile to your lips and gently squeezed her hand. You had to be strong. “Don’t worry,” you said, “everything is perfectly fine.” 

Ray snorted to himself. “You’re a really bad liar.” You shifted in your chair uncomfortably and slowly met his eyes. “No I’m not.” Ray huffed. “If you’re a good liar, then why did you act so cold around Vincent and the others? You only do that if you think it’s necessary, like the time we first met Yuugo.”

You shrugged absentmindedly. “Sometimes, it’s to let people know I mean business. The way Barbara talked to Emma wasn’t okay, but if I started an argument it would’ve made things worse.” Emma knitted her brows together. “So you acted distant instead?”

“Precisely.” 

Ray huffed again, this time more dramatically than the last. He was about to say something else, but a voice cut through the air. Norman was back. Norman was back.

In no time, you three caught up to him in his office. 

“Sorry for bothering you as soon as you got back.” you half-heartedly muttered. Ray sent you a curious glance you shrugged off. Norman kept his gaze to the window behind his desk and removed his heavy cloak. You watched the way he shifted from foot to foot. There was a sluggishness in his step so subtle that if you blinked a second too soon, you wouldn’t have seen it.

“You wanted to talk?” Norman inquired, keeping his back to the window. Emma made her way over to the couch with a nod. “Yeah, about a lot of things.” You and Ray followed, settling side-by-side. A ‘lot of things’ had to be the biggest understatement you’d ever heard. There were a few points in your new plan that needed to be addressed, and you were sure a five-minute talk wouldn’t suffice.

Ray folded his hands together. “But before that (Y/n) and I would like to know...” He sharply stared at Norman’s back. “What kind of plan do you have to ‘exterminate the demons without losing a single person’? Is it a civil war?” 

Norman whipped around and snapped his fingers. “That’s right!” he exclaimed. “You both always catch on so quickly.” The way he smiled in congratulation reminded you of your time at the House.

You were eleven again. Grace Field’s forest surrounded you on all sides, and Norman and Ray stood only a little ways away from you. They were arguing about something you couldn’t quite hear, and that was because you weren’t meant to hear it in the first place. Ray had yanked Norman by the collar so harshly that he stood on his tippy toes.

You didn’t understand why Ray had been so angry. Norman was just trying to figure out the best path to safety. It was for the future of not just you, Ray, and Emma, but for your family. All of them. 

Everything suddenly clicked. Ray had been angry at Norman because he had done something stupid just like now. Sure, it was smart, but was it worth the risk? Was it worth all the trouble to reach the goal he wanted?

Norman’s lips moved, but you couldn’t hear him. 

Objectively speaking, his plan was genius. A civil war utilising the demon clan Giran? There wasn’t a flaw in sight. No rips to break and no disruption between each consecutive step. The Giran clan didn’t care for humans, and the humans didn’t care for the Giran. It was an equivalent exchange. 

According to an old book you read, ‘humankind cannot gain anything without giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value had to be lost’.

In this case, that toll was the Giran clan. They would face their demise as soon as they clashed heads with the Regent Homes, leaving Norman and his team time to poison the helpless citizens of the Neverland.

But that wouldn’t work, not when demons like Mujika and Sonju existed.

“Norman,” you said. “Do you know about the demons who don’t regenerate despite not eating human flesh? If your plan succeeds, then you’ll have to find a way to deal with them.” Ray nodded in agreement. “Yeah, if there are a lot of demons out there who don’t need to eat humans, your plan will fail from the onset.”

The room went unbearably quiet. 

Norman placed a hand over his face in thought, and it was then that you realised just how desperate he was. “How...how do you guys know about that?” You frowned. That wasn’t an answer you expected. “Why do you say that?”

Norman began by explaining the differences in demon social statuses, then the whole ‘hunt’ for this ‘Evil Blood Maiden’, or Mujika. “They don’t know how we’ll revolt,” Norman thoughtfully said. “And it would be trouble for them if we got caught by the Ratri clan since you know their whereabouts.” 

He paused. 

“We need to track down and kill them.”

Your heart stopped. Kill Mujika and Sonju? You couldn’t do that. They saved your family when you all could have been left for the wild demons to eat you alive. They taught you all how to survive and thrive when you were all alone.

“Wait!” cried Emma. “Sonju and Mujika are our friends! They’re fine--they're our saviours--our friends! If we used their blood, then we wouldn’t have to worry about...about...” You placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and turned to Norman. His eyes danced with a dangerous light. 

“I agree with Emma. Not just because they haven’t done anything wrong, but because they could be the solution.” You wrung your hands together. “Your plan is perfect, I admit. It doesn’t have a single flaw, but it’s not...right. We’ve thought of something that could work, something that doesn’t involve killing everyone.”

That look in Norman’s eye intensified. It held a quiet flame, yet burned brighter than any fire could. “Who’s to say what’s right and wrong?” he slowly inquired. “(Y/n), you know full well that this world isn’t as simple or kind as any of us hoped it to be. They’re demons, right?”

You saw Cislo and Vincent and Barbara in his eyes. They all had that same look, that same hatred for their hunters. But if only they saw what you saw. If only they hadn’t been to Lambda and met Mujika and Sonju instead.

“Don’t you think we should close our mouths and watch them go extinct?” Norman grimly added. “Do you think you can forgive them for what they’ve done?”

No, you couldn’t forgive them. Not after seeing Conny’s body in the back of the truck. Not after what happened to Yuugo and Lucas and all your other friends. The demons made you and your family suffer. 

Your throat constricted. 

You almost died by their hand more times than you could count too! But how could you blame them? How could you hate them all from the bottom of your heart when you saw the vast majority for what they really were?

Your fist clenched.

Demons had families too. Just like you. They struggled to survive. Just like you. They did nearly anything to make sure their kind lived to see another sunrise. Just like you. Most demons ate to live. Just like you. 

You shot out of your seat and threw a hand out. “You can’t kill a whole race!” 

Norman’s eyes widened. It was rare for you to lose your cool, much less, shout during a conversation. This time, you couldn’t do that, not when Emma’s eyes were sad and glossy, and not when Ray relied on you to make the right decision. 

You paused and thickly swallowed, gingerly fiddling with the hem of your skirt.

“You can’t just...you can’t just kill a whole race.” you echoed. “That’s genocide. Will you be able to sleep knowing that your hands will be stained with the blood of thousands? Millions?! History always repeats itself no matter where you go or what world you escape to! Why do we have to take vengeance when we could be the bigger people? Genocide won’t bring back the dead and it won’t solve anything either!”

“(Y/n),” Norman muttered, intertwined his hands with yours. “Has this been on your chest the whole time?” You nodded and he looked at you like you were far away. “Even if we do give the demons their blood, what guarantee will we have that they won’t come eat us anyway? The king and nobility have been doing this for the past seven hundred years, the same goes for Giran.” 

He released your hands and averted his gaze to the splintered coffee table. “If you were told not to eat (f/f), would you say, ‘understandable, have a great day’? You might have that self-control, but the demons don’t because they can’t sympathise with us. We are the prey, and they are the hunters.”

You heaved in a deep breath to steel yourself. “Then let’s run away, all of us beyond the Seven Walls to reforge the Promise!” Norman’s jaw went slack and he stared at you, baffled to silence. “Even though we don’t know what the human world has to offer? We don’t know if they’ll accept us or if we’ll have safe entry. How can you bet everyone’s fate on that?” 

Norman eyed the way you tightly gripped the hem of your skirt. He sucked in a sharp breath, as if what he was about to say would be the hardest thing he’s ever. “(Y/n),” he softly said. “You have to think realistically. Genocide or not, the world doesn’t care about what’s right or wrong. You, more than anyone, should know that.”

He was right again. You knew how cruel the world was because you were able to keep needless emotions from rushing to your head. You were cynical. You were tough. But that was only because you needed to be for your family. They looked up to your strength and your decisive decisions that always led them to victory. 

“If we don’t wipe out the demons,” Norman stated, “there won’t be a future where our family can smile.”

You firmly shook your head. “No, that’s no true. Ray said the same thing when we were at Grace Field, didn’t he? He thought only you, Emma, and I would be able to escape, but in the end, we took all the older kids with us. We survived this long, not because we cared about probabilities, but because we saw the path before us!” You needed him to understand--no, you were begging him to.  “It’s there, so why can’t you...why can’t you see what I’m seeing?”

Norman silently stood. His gaze left your own as he placed a hand to his chin in thought. “I don’t see any hope in this plan,” he honestly stated, “but for the sake of this argument, let’s concede and say that we can cross over to the human world and so on.” 

You heaved out a relieved sigh. At least he was considering. 

“Even then, the part about the Seven Walls is unclear.” He continued to explain a few different points, some you could dispute and others you had no answer to. But by the end of it, you were feeling great. There was hope.

“We’ve already found a way to reach the Seven Walls a year and a half ago.” you matter-of-factly said. “We have everything we need, and when the conditions are met, we can go at anytime.” Norman’s jaw dropped. “You--you found it?”

You nodded. “Yes. But like you said, there are a lot of uncertainties, so if you still need more constants before stopping the plan, then I’ll go and figure out the rest.” Norman’s eyes widened. “Wait, what?”

You intertwined your hands with his and gave them a good squeeze. “If I come back and reforge the Promise, then you will have no choice but to stop the extermination of all demons.” He knitted his brows together in alarm. “Wait a minute.... What is this about ‘if’ you come back?”

“Regarding the risks,” Ray noted, “right now, we’re only aware of two things. We know how to get in, but not how to get out. It appears that most who went there never returned so--”

“WHAT?!” Norman cried, staring between you, Emma, and Ray. “What kind of crazy--that’s too dangerous!” You gently patted his cheek. “Well, if I don’t go, then you’ll have to carry a burden too big for your weak shoulders, right?” You giggled and it was like music to his ears. “We talked about this yesterday, and we’re all ready to go.” 

Norman gave your hands a shake. “How does that make it okay?!” You offered a comforting smile. “If the first Ratri did it, then so can we. Even though we don’t know it now, we’ll find it. We want to stop this extermination, right?”

Emma and Ray nodded. 

“So let us carry a bit of your burden.” A brief frown settled on your lips that didn’t slip past Norman’s line of view. “I told you this once and I’ll say it again: You don’t have to be a god and you don’t have to do everything on your own either. We’re here, right? So rely on us.” 

You wrapped your arms around his middle and pulled him close. “And for the record,” you whispered, “I know you’re hiding something.” Your breath fanned across his neck and he shivered. “You’re such a naughty boy, you know that?”  You pulled away. 

Norman’s wide eyes narrowed deviously as a soft smile rose on his lips. He made his way over to Emma and Ray, patting their shoulders amiably. “Be careful. I can count on you all to take care of each other, right?”

“Of course.” said Ray. 

“No duh, Norman.” Emma added.

“What she said.” you pitched in. 

Norman’s smile warmed as he led Emma and Ray towards the door. “That’s great to hear,” he said. “I promise to bring (Y/n) back before dinner.” Ray’s brows shot up. He let out a small ‘oooo’ and steered Emma out of the office at the speed of light. “We’ll stay out of your way then.” 

The door creaked close and the lock clicked in place. Norman slowly turned to meet your eye. “What was that you said earlier?” he lowly inquired, loosening his tie. “About me being a ‘naughty boy’?” It was hard to fight the heat spreading throughout your body when he looked at you like that. Like you were a glass of water to quench his thirst. Butterflies rose in your stomach and your breath caught in your throat. 

He was so alluring, so freaking hot that it made you freeze in place. Norman’s lips twitched up into a sly smirk, and it was then that you realised he was enjoying this.

Norman liked the way you got all flustered. He liked the way your cheeks flared up with red. And he loved the way you struggled to keep a straight face. There was mischievous glint reflecting in his eyes as he placed his tie on the couch and strode right over to you. 

Gosh, you wanted--no--needed him. Now.

You were practically panting for air and Norman hadn’t even laid a finger on you. He set your heart ablaze with a single glance and knew how to make you feel all lightheaded in the best way possible.

You paused in your step and your back hit the wall. Gosh dang it, why did you fall for that again? 

"You can't think straight." Norman noted, caressing your cheek. "But that's okay. You're always in good hands." Your breath hitched and Norman chuckled. It was low, it was attractive, it was hot. How could a cutie like him act like this when you were alone? Not even you could have expected this type of unexpected, not that it mattered though. After all, Norman knew how to treat you right.

“You’re so adorable.” he said, resting a cool hand on your thigh. “I wonder what will happen if I...?” You shivered under his light touch. How dare he act so cool. How dare he make you gasp and lean further back into the wall. His touch made your cheeks burn and your lower regions go warm. He gave your thigh a squeeze just to watch you gasp again. 

"N-Norman..." you moaned.

He smiled.

"You like that, don't you." His breath fanned across your cheeks. "You won't be able to stay quiet for long. I'll make sure of it." He leaned into you and your lips connected. The kiss was sweet and warm, but far from innocent. The bastard knew exactly how to make your knees buckle and your breath hitch. Somehow, it made you want more of him.

He bit at your lip and you yanked him closer. Kissed him harder.

Norman found himself snaking a hand under your shirt. He trailed over your sides with a gentle touch that made your back arch and your insides tingle. You liked it--no, you loved it. To have his hands on you and his body practically glued to you...

What more could you ask for?

Norman placed a hand on the top of your collar. "May I?" You nodded and he skillfully unbuttoned your shirt. As he pulled it over your shoulders, you squeezed your thighs together. You were wet. That much you just knew.

"Am I that irresistible?" Norman inquired. He didn't let you respond. Instead, he undid the clasp on your bra and gave your breasts a good flick. Norman watched the way you breathily inhaled.

You were so, so beautiful. An absolute masterpiece.

He experimentally fondled your breasts, squeezing and groping. If it could get any hotter in here, then you were sure it would've been a hundred degrees.

He didn't seem to mind though. Instead, he sucked in a short breath with a satisfied smile, as if your moans were the only thing he wanted to hear.

Norman's lips slammed into yours. He licked your bottom lip and you moaned. Moaned. Norman's cheeks reddened. He suddenly realised just how far he had gone. In the heat of the moment, none of you were able to register the fact that you were half-naked, or that Norman was dominant as fuck.

Don’t forget to reblog (do it for Norman!)

"You have such a gorgeous voice,” Norman slyly said. "Can you do that again?"

PART THREE

TIP JAR

[satsuki2406]

OPEN SKY Bakugou Katsuki x Reader

“…And never, ever forget that, your dreams are the wings that’ll help you fly.”

(L/N)(Y/N) has always been forced to live according to others’ expectations. As a member of the powerful and influential (L/N) Family, she has had to live with the heavy weight of seeing others write her destiny with no choice but just obey. But when (Y/N) finally decides to risk it all to take the only opportunity to regain the control of her own life, everything ends up going horribly wrong. Surrendered and disappointed, she receives one last chance to prove to herself and to U.A, along with some unexpected help that this was not a crazy and meaningless waste of time.

Maybe this plan could work after all…

PAIRING: (Bakugou Katsuki x Reader)

GENRE/WARNINGS: Romance, Fluff, Angst, Mentions of sex (nothing explicit tho), dark themes, My poor attempt of comedy, family dysfunctionality, toxic relationships, Strong language (Courtesy of King Lord Explosion Murder 💥), Manga Spoilers.

STATUS: On going

Masterlist \(￣︶￣*\))

5-Let's Get Things Straight

“Well, enough of this awkward little chit chat, let’s get to the point, shall we?”

You immediately tensed at hearing her words, nerves twisting your stomach. Kaguya propped her elbows over the table and interwoven her fingers to lean her chin over them. Her violet eyes, cold and unperturbed landed over your trembling (E/C) ones.

Your grip in the carte tighten just like the muscles in your throat making it hard to gulp the lump forming in your suddenly dry mouth. Seconds felt like hours and for a moment you could feel the air being knocked out of your lungs out of sheer uncertainty.

Although inexpressive, Kaguya’s gaze was intense and petrifying, making sweat accumulate around your collar by the second. You kept like this for a couple of seconds until her stoic expression slowly morphed into an amused one as her eyes slowly squinted and a smirk formed on her plump, glossy lips.

“My, my, are you afraid little cousin? Am I making you uncomfortable in any way? My deepest apologies, I’ve been said that I can make people a little… wary.

“Of- Of course n-no, or is there a reason I should?” You mentally scolded yourself for stumbling on your words, biting your lower lip to keep it from trembling.

“Absolutely not! You shouldn’t! The simple fact that you think I’m remotely capable of attempt to harm you in any way certainly pains my poor heart little (Y/N)~” Kaguya admitted while making a dramatic pose clenching the left side of her generous chest and posing the back of her hand over her forehead to accentuate her ‘hurt feelings’.

“But, you know…” She pondered, her voice taking a more low and dark tone, a harsh contrast to the honeyed voice she used before.

“…There’s a reason why people say that ‘if you own nothing, fear nothing’ don’t you think?”

“What are you trying to imply Kaguya? Stop batting in the bush already.” You snapped trying to hide your fear with impatience and irritation in an attempt to reassure yourself that you still had control of the situation on hand, or at least you tried to.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, calm down (Y/N), I’m just playing with you, believe it or not, I have a playful side, no need to overreact that way, unless…You have something to hide? Hmm? Oh! I’m dying to know! Is goody-two-shoes (Y/N) tangled in some scandalous event that none can know about? Is it a boy? Did you overdraw your credit card or… did something in your academic life happened recently?”

At this last statement, your breath hitched and your blood ran cold. ‘No! Why did she know?! How?! No way!’ You slowly looked up to Kaguya again, a smug expression on her face, she had you cornered, just where she wanted, deny it was useless at this point, your reaction had sold you immediately, at this rate there was not so much that you could do. You were not willing to let her have her way with you, if you really wanted to flip the tortilla on your favor, you’ll have to be bold. So, this was the game she wanted to play? Then two can play as well.

You looked down again, your eyes covered by your bangs, and a little smirk forming in your lips.

‘Smile, and your enemy won’t know what you’re thinking about’

Kaguya noted this and her mischievous smile flattered a little.

“As scandalous as have an affair with your bodyguard and being overheard while performing such lewd acts by a big number of my house’s maids during the Charity Brunch that my mother organized last summer, no, I can assure you nothing of this nature is happening with me. And I may confess that although that bathroom was thoroughly cleaned, I haven’t been able to use it since you ‘christened it’ it results really inconvenient to go all the way to next washroom.”

At this point, Kaguya’s snarky expression abandoned her face completely being substituted by one of shocked disbelief. Her eyes trembled and you could hear the clatter of her teeth.

Before she could retaliate your ‘outrageous accusations’ Hiro reentered the patio where you were, pushing an elegant looking cart carrying a silver platter, a pitcher, a couple of crystal cups, and fine-looking silverware.

“Sorry for the delay ladies!” Hiro said while he put the cups on the table and poured water in them, Kaguya and you kept eye contact the whole time, she was visibly livid, with her arms crossed over her chest, her fingers tapping frenetically over her forearm waiting for the waiter to leave. Lastly, he served the plater in the center with some colorful looking canapes and smaller plates for each of you.

“To begin, I brought one of the newest additions to our menu, Salmon and Caviar Crostini, we started with our fabulous homemade French Baguette grilled to perfection, slightly brushed with high quality Spanish extra virgin olive oil, Norwegian smoked salmon, fresh avocado slices, a little dollop of Crème Fraiche topped with 100% authentic Beluga Caviar and a sprinkle of thyme and dill to perfume and decorate. I hope you enjoy them, now, would you like to begin with some drinks before you order?”

“White Bordeaux, Cheval Blanc 1942” Exclaimed Kaguya.

“Sure thing, one cup of White Bor-”

“No, the whole bottle, something tells me I’ll need it” She sneered, her eyes always fixated on you.

“O-Of course, and for you (L/N)-sama?” Hiro asked with a nervous smile now conscious of the pretty evident tension in the room.

“Umm, do you have Thai lemonade?”

“Yes of course! Would you like it iced or frappe?”

“Frappe please.”

“Alright, a White Bordeaux and a frappe Thai lemonade…” Murmured Hiro while he finished scribbling on his notepad. “Please, enjoy your appetizers, your drinks would be ready soon” And just like that he took the same bar cart he came with and strolled away as soon as he could from what seems to be the eye of a hurricane.

“T-Thank you” You shyly muttered while you saw him disappear in the hallway. When you turned again to glance at your cousin, her face was now bent over, her expression unreadable and the upper part of her face shadowed by her hair. The aura she emended was dark and dense.

You gulped, noticing her now obscure presence, you fidgeted your fingers over your lap thinking how to approach the situation now. Did you go too far? If she knew about the U.A situation it wouldn’t be a good idea to be on her bad side, should you apologize? Maybe it would be the best approach since-

“You really like to run your mouth, don’t you?” She suddenly whispered; it was barely noticeable but you could hear it clearly as it interrupted your ramping thoughts.

In the blink of an eye she abruptly studs up from her seat charging towards you, her left hand was slammed against the table for stability while the other one quickly found a place over the soft skin of your cheek with a resonant slap. Before you could start to process what just happened, she gripped your bangs bluffly bringing her face closer to yours.

You gave her a brief glance when you felt her scalding breath on your face, even with the thick layer of tears distorting your vision, the terrifying scene was bright and clear, her eyes were livid and insane, you always knew she had a temper but this was a completely different level.

“You really must be feeling gutsy, today don’t you?! Do you think you can smart mouth me? Yes, I’ve been having sex with Soichiro, and?! Like I was the first or last to have a liaison in this family or this so-called elite circle. Unlike my stupid, stupid father I know how to handle my personal life, do you really think the hag cares who I get into my bed? You really are naïve or just straight up​ stupid if you think you can threaten me with such a weak move like that.”

Her tone was abrasive and mocking, agitated at some parts but in a whole, confident. Simultaneously, you gripped her wrist in a poor attempt to loosen her iron grasp in your now sore scalp.

“You on the other hand are immersed in a really big pile of shit, and the most comical of all is that you put yourself in it! Did little (Y/N) wanted to play hero? Being just like that showoff media clown All Might? Ha! How amusing!”

“-ver…” You mumbled.

“Huh? Talk properly when you are addressing me brat!” In cue, your hold on her wrist tighten up and your foggy eyes looked at her with newfound courage.

“Never dare to talk like that about All Might! The only reason you and all of us can have this peaceful and safe life is because of him.” You clenched your teeth furiously to the point you thought they would break. “So, spear me your bull and shut up already.” You both kept an intense starring contest until Kaguya’s hard expression broke and stared at you with an amused and more relaxed expression, she pushed you to your seat, finally releasing your abused locks. You carefully pated it down trying to relieve the pulsating soreness in your scalp.

“Well, well, well, who would have said that you could have a bite on you, huh? You’re not the spineless puppet I thought you were after all.”

Now your attention was directed towards the sound of approaching wheels, probably belonging to the same cart that Hiro brought minutes ago. Hastily you tried to accommodate your hair and uniform the best you could, the last thing you wanted was more rumors or gossip going around speculating nonsense like usual. Quickly you gave a glance to your cousin who quietly munched on one of the canapes and sipped on her water cup.

Hurriedly, you took a couple of the overpriced pieces of toasted bread on your plate and took some gulps of water to calm your nerves.

“Oh! I see you are enjoying the hors d'oeuvre!”

“On point as always Hiro, thank you.” Kaguya said while she delicately cleaned the corner of her lips with her napkin. “I’m pleased to hear that, what about you little lady?” Hiro addressed you while he poured the exquisite golden liquid inside the wine bottle in Kaguya’s awaiting cup.

‘Little lady?’

“O-Oh, really tasty indeed, my compliments to the chef.” You just had a bite of it, it was well balanced and everything, but…simply not your piece of cake. You preferred something less complicated and more…homey.

“I’m sure that he’ll be happy to hear that, now, are you ladies ready or you need more time?”

“I’m ready, but, I’m craving something different from what I usually order, what can you recommend?” Kaguya said. Their words at this point transformed into white noise as you got lost in your own thoughts, to be honest, you weren’t even hungry at this point but you were sure you’ll regret it at 2 am when your growling stomach won’t let you rest quietly. But beyond that, what actually concerned you was that in fact, she knew. So, what was her propose? Blackmail sounded the most plausible, but what could she actually get from you?

“(L/N)-sama? Are you ok?”

“O-Oh! Yes, I’m ok! Can you repeat yourself please?”

“I was asking you if you were ready to order?”

“Right! The food! Can I…umm…the-the seafood fettuccini please.”

“Alright! A roast quail in truffle sauce and a seafood fettuccini coming! If you need anything please press the red button on the right side of the table and I’ll be glad to assist you.”

You both nodded as he retracted in the hallway once more.

“So,” Said Kaguya while sipping on her wine. “as you can imagine I didn’t bring you here out of my good will. Apparently, some little audacious punk decided to throw any precaution overboard and apply to Japan’s most prestigious hero school, instead of following the way that her family already had arranged for her, a guaranteed place of work, a generous wage, an empire already constructed for her to take and keep her cushioned, pampered life. So, tell me, make me understand dear cousin, why throw everything to the wind and complicate everything going the hard way knowing your percentage of success is of less than one in a googol?”

“I’m doing what I feel is the right thing for me, following my own dreams and ambitions, not what is convenient or easy, as you said, I do not pretend to be a spineless puppet like the rest of you.”

“Ok, ok calm down. I’m going to humor you for a second about this illogical, dream nonsensical gibbering you are talking about. You apply to this U.A school, and become a hero, help people and all those unnecessary details, you make your dreams come true and you live happily ever after beating up villains with luck enough to don’t die in the process, the end.” Kaguya slowly swirled the cup in her hand while she talked to you not breaking eye contact.

“But tell me, how in the hell do you pretend to even start this little dream of yours if you don’t even have your mother’s or even better, grandmother’s approval? As you already know she has control over everything that happens with every single one of us. Chess pieces that she plays according to her own convenience, do you think we would be what we are today if everyone would have done what they liked and follow their own passions and ambitions? I think you know the answer.” She took one last sip emptying the cup and placed it on the table to fill it again. “Yamashita Takahiro, does that name ring a bell to you?” Kaguya asked.

“Yes, he was an ancestor of us, the one who started everything, the first doctor.”

“Precisely, he was really famous and reputed back in the Meiji period, he even was one of Ogata Kōan’s last students before he passed away in 1863. After that, his son became a doctor, and his son, and the son of his daughter, and so on.”

“In 1939 they founded a small clinic in Yokohama that grew with time extending and expanding in different locations throughout Japan, out shadowing all the other small hospitals and health institutions with their outstanding service and effective methods. We were the first ones to offer free treatment to poor people who couldn’t afford decent health care. That of course is still being reflected in all our foundations and payment help systems like the (L/N) Foundation and The Healer Charity, just to mention some." Kaguya said matter of factly.

“Yes, I already know that, grandmother made sure to drill it inside our heads as soon as we could walk, not to mention that it is part of Japan’s history as well. So, your point is?”

“My point is, we are huge, (Y/N), we have over 160 years in business, even before quirks appeared over 120 years ago. It gives us credibility, reputation, experience, and medical and moral authority above all the others. An image that grandmother exploited to transform us in what we are today, and reach our own Golden Age. But, some rumors have been circulating in the media recently. More like a leak of information.” Kaguya murmured with a sour but serious expression.

“You mean…?”

“Yes.”

“Well, they aren’t rumors, they are truth. Grandmother has forced us to do what she saw fit in order to keep the party going; a multimillionaire, successful, and pretty lucrative party. As you said we are chess pieces that she moves according to what the situation requires. And force us to study medicine and control our lives in every way possible is definitely one of her master moves.”

“Yes, but the general public does not need to know that, the right pressure would bring that party down. It, of course, started as something really mild, insignificant even. Some little urban legend running down on the internet brought to light by some blogger on 4chan or Reddit user. But it has been getting out of control the last week." She said irritated.

“So anyway, because of this problem, grandmother decided to make some exceptions, she would maybe make a couple more in future years, it depends.” You immediately stopped mid-air when you were about to take another sip of your lemonade.

“What do you mean with exceptions?”

Kaguya smirked mischievously at your reaction, delighted that she pushed the right buttons so easily.

“Well, I think you and I know what I mean (Y/N), Your so wanted chance to be a hero, without no one to stop you, not your mom, not the bossy hag, all to the contrary! They would be the very ones to encourage it, giving you the wings to reach what you wanted all your life! But for that to happen, you’ll have to work with me, we only have 3 days to prepare, so the time is an important fact in this.

So, my dear sweet cousin, do you accept or not?

.

.

.

🏷Taglist:

@bakasbitch18  

@alex-sulli​

[fortheloveoffanfic]

Taking Chances 2/4

Keanu Reeves x Reader (A/n- Switching perspectives without clear divisions cause why not)

1 2 3 4 

Warnings- Brief mentions of smut, cheesy romance stuff 

Ayiana and Mark had left when the rain had slowed, and Keanu had insisted that they take the rented car back, after agreeing with Y/n that they could fend for themselves. After the couple had left though, tipsy and all over each other, the rain, as predicted by the forecast, had grown heavy again. Though, as the night waned on, most patrons, drunk and tired, had opted to bare the worst of the storm, leaving the pub scantily populated, with Keanu and his newfound friend cozied in a booth near the back, where the lights were lowest, beer bottles and empty glasses laid out on the table. By then, Y/n’s clothes were mostly dried, as was her hair, now in messy curls framing her gorgeous face. “Wait,” drunkenly, Y/n giggled, leaning in so Keanu could catch a whiff of the alluring remnants of her perfume mixing intoxicatingly with the scent of alcohol, “Say that again.”

“Okay, okay,” her fit of musical giggles were contagious and Keanu could help but grin wider as he realized how absolutely breathtaking Y/n was when she smiled, “I got up to check the air, and just like that this lady rear ends me.”

“And the bike slides out from under you?” She finished, eyes wide and her soiree interrupted by her gaping in shock.

“Basically, yeah,” Keanu nodded, “It was insane!” He laughed a bit louder, not caring how much attention they attracted, only quelling the sound when he finished off his latest drink. They’d had so many by then, that they’d both lost count and Y/n and Keanu could both safely say that they were way past drunk.

“But you were okay right?” And just like that, her glassy eyes were sparkling with genuine worry, and again, Y/n leaned in a tad bit closer. The nearer she drew, the harder it was to ignore how plump her lips were, how much Keanu wanted to kiss her. It was so strange, they didn’t know each other very well, and Keanu knew that Y/n would probably be gone by the next day; but he thought he could listen to her for a lifetime, her laugh, her voice, even her silences were enjoyable. She was so unlike anyone he’d ever met, funny, intelligent, confident, but also so very shy at times, blushing when he least expected and laughing at his worst jokes. It wasn’t forced or fake laughter either, it was real, full bodied and melodious.

“Yeah,” Keanu’s smile softened as he reassured her, still surprised by her unexpected concern, “I was standing, so everything turned out fine.” They broke into a bout of silence, a brief one, which Keanu broke, "So, what brings you to Luxembourg? I mean, you're definitely not from around here."

At that, Y/n blushed, thinking back on how she'd messed up the accents on very simple words earlier, "I'm not," she chortled quietly, they'd just been equipped with fresh drinks, and as she thought of her answer, mind to blurry to work out all the details, she spun the glass in her hand, eyeing the whiskey inside with broken focus, "I'm actually here for…...inspiration. I thought some kind of spontaneous trip would somehow get the creative juices flowing, I'm a writer, or at least, I'm supposed to be," she chuckled dryly, "I used to be a journalist."

"Career change? You didn't like it?" Keanu furrowed his brows, holding his chin in his palm, elbow planted on the table. He wanted to know everything about her, willing to listen to anything she'd say, and based on their interaction, he could tell she felt the same. 

"I did," Y/n took a sip of her drink, staring off to the cleared tables ahead wistfully, "I traveled sometimes, but usually I'd be in Washington, covering press conferences and that kind of stuff. It was pretty boring," frowning, Y/n tried to put her thoughts into words, "I always wanted to be a writer, you know, write a novel or something that people would read even when I'm gone."

Like she had back at the bar, though with the moment feeling far more intimate, Keanu took Y/n's hand, curling his fingers over hers, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles, her skin silky smooth. Her plight resonated with him, the burning desire to leave behind a legacy, make his own unique mark in the world sometimes haunted him too sometimes. "But?"

"But?" Huffing with a faint smile, Y/n shook her head, taking another lengthy sip of her drink, "But I don't know how. I mean, what am I even supposed to write about?"

"Whatever you want," Keanu chuckled with a new enthusiasm. Untangling their hands, Keanu rummaged through his pocket for his wallet, eventually producing enough cash to cover their bill and more, before standing and offering Y/n his hand, "Come on."

Confused by his erratic behavior, Y/n's lips hung agape, finding it hard to formulate any semblance of a sentence, "What're…..what?"

"Trust me?" His plea was half a question for her to actually do it and half an inquisition to gauge how much she actually trusted him.

"Trust you?" Y/n shot back incredulously, though still taking Keanu's hand, their fingers interlacing easily, feeling as if they were made to fit, "I don't even know you!" Already, they were already at the front door, and Keanu was pushing it open, pulling Y/n along as he stepped onto the slippery, wet sidewalk. The sound of the downpour, accompanied by the claps of thunder and occasional burst of lightning welcomed them. Heavy drops hit the street and pavement, splattering upwards, in some areas creating huge puddles. In an instant, even though they were still under the guard of the under-croft, their feet were soaked, water clinging to the hem of Y/n's tea length sundress and soaking her wedged sandals, while Keanu's boots were completely saturated, as were his jeans. "Is your plan to get us sick?"

"No," Keanu flashed her a mischievous grin, the act enough to add a distinct boyishness to his rugged features, despite the evidence of salt in his trimmed beard, "You're here for inspiration, so let's find you some. You know what they say about experience." 

Squaring up to brace the weather, Keanu gave her one final glance to ensure Y/n was ready too, and when her eyes complied, he led her out. In an instant, they were drenched, cold rain water matting hair to their skin and  making their clothes cling to their bodies. Y/n barely had a moment to even be concerned with how wet the contents of her bag would be, or even the fact that she was still holding Keanu's hand when there was someone at home waiting for her. All that mattered then and there was the glee on Keanu's face, how contagious it was and how much she wished they could stay like that forever. "Well where are we going for this experience?"

"This is the experience!" Keanu laughed giddily, stopping when they were stood in the middle of the deserted street to look up at the sky, "You can't tell me you've ever walked through a foreign town, with a complete stranger during a storm in the middle of the night."

It was an oddly specific situation and Y/n without even thinking of it, resigned to sharing in his excitement, "No!" It was a strain for her soft voice to combat the sounds around them, "I can't say I have." They were walking down the cobblestone street, following the gentle slope downward, occasionally stumbling as a result of all the alcohol they'd had. It was cold, though neither of them noticed; the company was warm enough, and as they walked, Y/n looked around, closed stores looking vastly different from what they were like back home. There weren't bright lights embedded in the showcase, meant to display products even during closing, and everything just seemed so beautifully vintage, straight out of a forties film noir. 

"Tell me something about yourself," Keanu broke her thoughts as they grew further and further from the pub.

Briefly, Y/n turned to him, biting her lip at how enthralling he looked like that, so picture perfect, as if a snapshot from a movie had been plucked out of a television and placed right next to her. Keanu was nothing like Noah, he was enigmatic and fascinating because of his unpredictability. He laughed easier and much louder, he was shy and bold at the same time and much to her surprise, they didn't have any sort of awkward "getting to know you" period, they'd just lapsed into familiarity in merely a few minutes. "What do you want to know?"

“Anything,” everything. Keanu grinned broadly, knowing that he’d likely be content with listening to her for the rest of his time, without ever growing tired. “Just say anything,” being with Y/n, staggering through the rain, the sound of her kitten heels on cobblestone muted by the weather and her palm warm and right in his, couldn’t be anything other than the optimum of perfection. He’d never felt that at ease with someone, so ready to bare his soul to a stranger, “And I’ll listen.”

For a brief moment, Y/n glanced at Keanu, her smile faltering, softening, as their eyes met. Part of her knew it was wrong; the way she was feeling. If she were sober, then maybe things might have been different, but Y/n’s speech was slurred and her vision was blurry. Her mind was cloudy too, bombarded only with thoughts of Keanu; how much she was enjoying having his hand in hers, how devilishly handsome he was, how desperately she wanted to kiss him. Abruptly, with a pink hue, hidden by the darkness, spreading on her cheeks, Y/n turned away, “Lets see,” she deliberated, “My favorite book is The Great Gatsby, I moved to Washington for college when I was eighteen,” she thought some more, “And I love eighties music!”

Throwing his head back in wild euphoria, Keanu gazed at her, “Were you even alive in the eighties?”

“Nope!” Y/n giggled, almost tripping, only to be caught by Keanu, who took the initiative to pull her closer. Her laughter sobered, and in the back of her mind, Y/n knew she should pull away, tell Keanu the truth, but his embrace was warmer than anything she’d ever felt, and when she stole another glance at him, only to find him gazing down at her, his expression illuminated by the flickering street lamp, all she could see was a face that seemed strange and oddly familiar simultaneously. Then it hit her, she didn’t want to tell him, Y/n wanted to live like that with him, even if just for the rest of the night. It was out-rightly selfish, and utterly wrong, but she had a feeling that Keanu was worth it. Her heart hadn’t fluttered like that in a long time, and it had been ages since she’d done something so spontaneous. 

Keanu hadn’t noted that he’d been leading Y/n in the direction of the hotel that he’d been staying at until the elegant building came into view, yellow lights glittering through the screen doors leading to individual balconies and the valet’s station vacant, possibly due to the storm. “Where are you staying tonight?” Keanu inquired as they floundered towards the front doors.

“I…..” Wide eyed, Y/n stuttered, “I have no idea,” despite her distress, she was still smiling faintly, I guess I’ll get a room here.” Already, they’d stepped through the door, greeted by the middle aged doorman who warmly welcomed the two with French salutations. Easing her hand from Keanu’s grip, moving some soaked hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear, Y/n twisted her body to rummage through the contents of her handbag, searching for her purse, in hopes that the hotel would have an unbooked room.

“Or you could just stay with me,” Keanu blurted, causing Y/n to stare up at him with a perfectly surprised expression, “Come on, it’ll be fun, we can have some more drinks, get to know each other better, it’ll be fun.” Holding his breath, Keanu hung on to the hope that she’d say yes; he really wasn’t ready to lose her company yet.

Internally, Y/n debated Keanu’s offer. It seemed appealing, and she wanted to say yes, to just go for it and see where the night took them. But she was engaged, and maybe going up there with him was taking the fun too far, she already felt like a cheater anyway. Not because of what she’d done exactly, you could hold anyone’s hand and it would mean nothing, no, the guilt had bubbled up like a broil in the pit of her stomach because of how she’d felt. You shouldn’t feel the way she did about Keanu when you had someone waiting for you to come back. To come home.

But Paris wasn’t home, and while she’d tried to make Noah her home, like he’d done with her, Y/n knew she was straying, far, far away from what was ordinarily familiar. She didn’t want familiar that night, she wanted Keanu, the thrill, the loud laughter that she’d easily sunk into, the feeling of getting lost in his whiskey eyes and the insurmountable comfort that came from simply holding his calloused hand. Y/n had the burning urge to know him, learn him, hold on and not let go. The feelings swirling around in her chest weren’t ones that Y/n thought could be built so quickly, yet there they were, and all she could say to his offer was, “Let's do it.”

Stunned by her willingness, Keanu’s features brightened tremendously, and he swore he’d never smiled so hard, “Great!” Taking her hand again, they trotted towards the elevator, leaving the deserted lobby behind, squinting at the bright lights and foggy reflections that dazzled their eyes as they entered the metal contraption. It took a minute or too, his eyes squinted and his stocky fingers fumbling until he found the ‘15’ button, hitting it harder than he should have. As they went up, they found that the air in there was colder than it had been downstairs, and when a shiver ran through Y/n, Keanu, without thinking of it, wiggled his fingers out of hers, proceeding to drape his long arm over her shoulders, reeling her in.

Instinctively, Y/n nuzzled into his side, reveling in the warmth that radiated off his body despite his soaked outfit, swallowing tightly as she tilted her head upwards, only to find that Keanu was studying her, his expression soft, though wanting. No one had ever looked at her like that, not even Noah; like she was everything that mattered, all wrapped up in one person. Like she held the clarity to every unanswerable question in her eyes. Like love could be simply contained in a stare. Love? Love. For probably the first time since they’d sat down in the pub, Y/n stopped smiling, though, it was only because the giddiness had been replaced by something more…….consuming. Thoughts of drinks and a chat late into what remained of the night dispersed, and the lump in her throat only thickened. Tell him, one voice urged, while the more careless one pleaded with her to just let things unfold. One night with a man who’d made her feel like she was the only woman in the world couldn’t be so bad, could it?

As if it were fated, their faces gravitated towards each other, just as Y/n turned slightly in Keanu’s embrace, cocking her head to the side. His lips were barely a hair away from descending upon hers and she could readily smell the alcohol on his breath, mixing with the scent of the rain and a long smoked cigarette. Altogether, it was alluring, and Y/n wondered if the next day she’d be able to go back to a life without it; if she’d be able to leave Keanu behind. She didn’t want to find out. As he came closer, her breath hitched, the soft sound contained in the hollow of her throat, and right as it was about to happen, right as she was about to finally break a sacred promise, the elevator dinged, the doors sliding open, ready to the deposit the pair on the sleepy hallway of the hotel’ fifteenth floor.

“We should…..” Keanu trailed off, not able to quite shake off the feeling that had prompted him to try to initiate a kiss in the elevator, though still leading Y/n towards his room, down the end of the hall. Secretly, he hoped that the moment could be rekindled when they reached their destination, it would be a lie if he’d said he hadn’t wanted to kiss Y/n since the moment they’d met. The thought had bounced around in his head all night, hope building in his chest every time their eyes locked, but the time never seemed as right as it had until they were in the elevator. Clumsily, he shoved his key card into the designated slot, swearing under his breath when he’d gotten it wrong the first two times, the mood only lightened by Y/n’s incessant giggles at his plight from nearby. When Keanu finally got it right, he was the first to enter, though she was close on his heels as he slapped the light switch near the door. 

Still laughing, Y/n barely noticed the kink in the carpet in the threshold, getting caught in her shoe, resulting in her stumbling forward and right into Keanu’s arms. Luckily though, he caught her, his hands planted on her waist, bunching up the fabric of her pleated, dusty rose colored dress, beneath her cropped leather jacket. Even when she was steadied, Keanu’s grip remained, only loosening to slip to her hips. Feeling the air around them grow electric once again, Y/n took the tiniest step forward, only just registering how close they’d already been. Once again, Keanu was staring at her, the way he had been during their moment in the elevator, “He looked at her the way all women wanted to be looked at by a man,” she quoted breathlessly, not quite sure why she’d felt the need to do that, her lips already ghosting Keanu’s.

“What?” Keanu knitted his brows, his arms moving again to circle Y/n’s waist, his tongue hurriedly darting out to moisten his lips as she stood on the tips of her toes to reach him better. 

Raising her hands, Y/n tangled her fingers in his shaggy, wet mane, when the other hand cupped his neck, feeling his scruff tickle her thumb. Barely, she registered the low twinkle of her engagement ring, occasionally made mute by the bursts of lightning that brightened the suite. “Nothing,” Y/n leaned in. Heartbeat to heartbeat, quick breaths in sync and minds only focused on one thing, they finally let it happen. Hot lips, meeting, taking a minute to feel each other out, slow and sweet as Y/n tasted him for the first time, though, growing passionate when their tongues warred. Better judgment was never going to prevail, and when Keanu found the edges of her jacket, pushing it off, she let him, thoughts of anything and everything that was outside of their bubble, fade away.

******

Tagging- @harrisongslimited @magnificentclodpiebanana @keandrews @greenmanalishi  @rdjloverxxx @danceoftwowolves  @planetkt  @iworshipkeanureeves​

[heythatpenguinhere]

Marry Me

*Hello again friends! Here’s another Eleteo fanfic to make you sob. This is by far my most emotional and personal story to date, with good chunks of it being inspired from my very own life. Enjoy! Give it a like and let me know if you cried too. 

Off in the distance, bells chimed in cheer. The whole kingdom was celebrating the momentous day that awaited them and especially the royal family. The Crown Princess, recently Queen, had chosen a suitor and husband-to-be. The union would cement two kingdoms together and bring even more peace and prosperity throughout the realm. The citizens were smiling and dancing around as music filled the streets. Merchants were selling flowers and visitors from far and wide had come to join the festivities that were sure to last the weekend through. The joy was infectious to all it would seem...but the very bride to be…

The sun shone through the balcony doors into the royal suite of the Queen of Avalor herself. Handmaidens bustled to and fro bringing different items to pamper the Queen with in preparation for her big day. The Queen sat on a chair in front of her vanity as two ladies busied themselves with taming her thick curls into a gorgeous up-do, woven with orange Avaloran flowers. Another maiden sprinkled the Queen with scented perfumes that smelled of the very same flowers she adored so much. She sat poised and composed, staring into the mirror at the work being down around her. 

“Oh mija, they brought your dress!” Abuela squealed as another lady came into the suite with a large bag. This caught the Queen’s attention and she turned around as the same woman began to open the bag and unveil a dress. Multiple gasps filled the room as they took in the sheer beauty before them. The dress was delicate; ivory colored lace was placed throughout the top bodice and flowed into the corset design. The sleeves were off-the-shoulder and they too were covered in a lace pattern. The skirt was a full ball gown that glowed with lace and beading at the trim, attaching to a magnificent train that cascaded in length. Securing the waist, a bright red ribbon with beading to match; the Queen’s signature color. 

Elena felt herself gasp too and yet she could not bring a smile to fully reach her eyes like everyone else in the room. She didn’t know when it started exactly, but the illusions revolving her wedding day had begun to turn more bitter as the days passed. 

Prince Eliseo was a wonderful young man. The two had met in passing at several balls and been formally introduced doing a key trade agreement between their two kingdoms. The Prince had taken the plunge and approached the princess after admiring her from a distance for some time; they had clicked and formed a lovely friendship over Avaloran chocolate and several mutual interests. To anyone watching, it seemed like the stars had aligned.

Elena, for her part, thought he was a very sweet man. Prince Eliseo was a caring man, respectful and noble in his intents. He was charming with his words and with his looks as well. No one could deny his attractive features and yet he was not cocky; or at least until you really knew him. He was very intelligent and that was where he could become a bit conceited at times; though it was quite easy for Elena to knock his ego down if she had to. At the beginning their small adventures were fun… and then she had begun to bore, though she would disclose that with no one. 

He had taken great care into planning the proposal to include her family and friends, even the things she enjoyed the most. She had known of the plan when she wasn’t supposed to however and had to act surprised. Her tears had been real, as she faced an overwhelming amount of emotion in the moment at the fact that someone would go through such effort to share their affection and desire to spend their life with her. Those emotions soon fell mildly flat when she realized that everyone she loved was in attendance, except a certain pair of hazel green eyes. 

He would later claim his mother had been ill and he could not leave her alone, but the fact remained; he wasn’t there. On one of the most important days of her life, her dearest friend hadn’t been there and perhaps the impact that had on her had begun to turn the wheels that would lead her here today. 

He was part of her court, one of those who would stand by her side as she spoke her vows and celebrated her new life, and yet...something was terribly off. As she gazed at her dress, she couldn’t help but think back to a conversation she had with her royal wizard months before. 

“Are you sure you are ready Elena?” He had asked her as they sat together in the garden. It was during another royal celebration where the two friends had snuck off to get some air when she had mentioned to him of how she had caught wind of the proposal plans. 

Beaming she had looked at him and said, “Of course I am! Eliseo is a wonderful partner. He cares for me and my family loves him as well. He would take care of me and the kingdom; I know he would.” 

If she had looked more closely, she would have noticed Mateo’s face fall, echoes of pain flash through his usually playful eyes, but she didn’t notice; she was lost in a daydream. 

“Then if you say you are ready, you know I’ll be right by your side. I’ll be there always.” He had said with deep emotion behind his words. Emotions she would seemingly never know. 

She smiled as she hugged him, “Thank you so much Mateo. I don’t know what I would do without you.” 

And months later, another conversation was spoken. 

“You’re...you’re leaving?” She said nearly speechless. 

Mateo nodded, “I have been offered a chance to deepen my magic skills along some seasoned wizards in Enchancia. I-I’ll be leaving right after your wedding actually.” He said, not meeting her eyes. 

If you could have heard it, you’d have heard the sound of the princess’ heart tearing in two. 

“I-I don’t know what to say Mateo… That, well that would be a wonderful opportunity for you. You’d learn and grow so much. I, I just wish it wasn’t so far away from here honestly…” She struggled through the words to convey a sense of happiness for him. It was incredibly painful however and it would dash her emotions for the rest of the evening. 

Gazing at the gorgeous dress in front of her, she saw her absolute dream come true. Everything she could have asked for and wanted was coming to place, so why wasn’t she... happy? She was truly perplexed and today was NOT the day to be dealing with deep confusion over her emotions and plans. She was getting married. 

-

If her emotions had been confusing before, they multiplied when the dress was actually on her. She could now see herself fully, ready to give herself to someone and spend her life with them. She felt sick. She feigned smiles with those around her and began to move into the separate suite to meet with her court before beginning her journey to the chapel. She could have honestly bolted right then and there as she recalled that she would have to face those hazel eyes she had been thinking about in mere seconds. 

As she walked through the doors to be greeted by her bridal court, she instantly locked eyes on the pair she was dreading to do so with. Mateo’s mouth dropped. As the ladies around them gushed about how beautiful Elena looked, she could only see him. He looked handsome clad in new vestments that still stated he was a royal wizard and yet were still so him; a maroon vest with gold lining, dark pants, and polished boots. His hair had been combed from it’s usual messy waves and he wore a golden bow tie to match. 

He found he could not speak. He could feel the tears pool in his eyes at the sight of the person he felt to be his soulmate. She was beyond words; she was radiant. Truly no more beautiful a picture of grace and splendor existed but her. 

“Beautiful.” He mouthed to her, with that being the only word he could say, as his eyes shined with tears and his hand was placed over his heart. 

She could feel her eyes began to water and she smiled before mouthing back, “Gracias mi amigo.” 

-

As she walked down the aisle, arm-in-arm with her abuelo, she felt as if she couldn’t breathe. Prince Eliseo stood handsomely at the altar waiting for her with a smile, conveying his utmost love. Her family wept happily from their seats as she passed and her bridal party as well could not contain their emotions at the sight of her. And then, there was him. For as hard as she tried to lock eyes with Eliseo only, she could not. Her eyes fell to her closest friend.  

He looked like he could crumble at any moment and yet, a bright smile remained on his face. But she knew him better than that. She had known him for years. They had laughed together, cried together, grown together. He knew her heart and soul like no one else that existed. Flashes of memories played across her mind from years before of all their adventures. Every hug. Every smile. Every laugh. Every moment that felt like home. And it was in that moment of not being able to breathe, that she suddenly took a deep breath… and everything made sense. 

She stopped walking. 

The crowds began to murmur in confusion and her Abuelo nudged her carefully, “Mi reina, are you alright?” He asked her. 

Eyes shining with confidence and newfound fervor, she looked at her grandfather before laughing, “Abuelo. I’ve never felt better.” She said and unhooked her arm from his before walking quickly to Prince Eliseo herself. 

The prince looked incredibly confused as she approached him; a sad smile on her face. 

“Eliseo… I am not marrying you today.” 

Loud gasps rang in the chapel and outrage was heard between the whispers. 

“Elena...Elena...why?” He said; his voice conveyed all of his heartbreak. 

Elena knew that she would never be able to erase his face and voice from her mind for as long as she lived. She had meant what she said, but she would forever regret causing the pain and suffering of the innocent man in front of her. For it was her own inability to recognize her true emotions earlier, that had lead to his pain now. She knew that there was nothing she could say or do to ever soften the blow that she had dealt him. 

"Eliseo. My friend. You have been nothing but kind to me. You have shown me great care. I will forever be thankful for that truly… But you do not have my heart. I'm afraid it's belonged to another long before I even realized it myself! For that, I am truly sorry. I hope you can forgive me and find true happiness." She said holding his hands gently. 

A stray tear fell from his eye as he closed them tightly. She tenderly wiped it away. 

"Elena. My dear. As much as it pains me like nothing else, I-I understand. I want you to be happy. I hope you both have everlasting happiness. I mean that." He said and squeezed his hands once more, before letting them go… forever. 

The prince departed in agony, but with his head held high. He knew that he would be happy one day. 

Elena took a huge sigh, feeling an elated weight off her shoulders. She was free. 

Before the crowds could fully begin to protest or her family scramble to her, she took the moment of shock to speak again. 

"My fellow friends and family, I apologize. From the deepest parts of me, I apologize for my indecisive heart. I have wounded many today. I have probably made some doubt my decision making and who I am. But I believe a greater injustice would have been to marry someone I did not truly want to commit my life and heart to. What kind of a queen and person would I be if I did that? Please, learn from my example dear friends. Listen to your heart's callings and do not wait." She spoke with the demeanor of the queen she was: strong and valiant, yet emotional and vulnerable.

Silence turned into clapping and soon people began to join in support for their queen for being so candid with them. She was not perfect, but one could never say that she wasn't honest with her people. Elena's heart soared. But now, she had something long awaited to do. 

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as the Queen then turned to her bridal court and all eyes followed her movements. Her footsteps took her to her dearly beloved best friend before anyone knew it. 

Mateo, who had been lost in an array of emotions mixed with pride for his friend, soon was gazing into her amber eyes up closely in surprise. "Elena?" he asked. 

The Queen's smile shined brighter than ever, her eyes tender and blissfully gazing into his emerald orbs. Her face shone of understanding, of peace, and of so much more. 

"My dearest friend and faithful companion. You'll have to forgive me as well, for I think I have wronged you most of all. Mateo, you have been by my side for years and years now. We started off as friends and soon became so much more. You were the person I would confide in without a second thought. Through all of the up’s and down’s that came my way, you were the one that pulled me through. You gave all of yourself so openly and never asked for anything in return. You were content being by my side however I needed you. You were never afraid to speak up and tell me the truth when it needed to be said. You were always willing to encourage me and remind me of who I am if I ever struggled or forgot. I mean my goodness, just by looking at each other we could know what the other was thinking! Your hugs are absolutely legendary and your smile so great. We’ve been through so many adventures that I’ve loved so much and I could never imagine adventuring without you. Thank you my friend for being so wonderfully, amazingly, and magically you.” Elena spilled without filter and not caring who heard. 

Mateo gazed into his friend’s eyes with deep care as his heart soared at her words, but confusion. “Elena, you don’t ever have to thank me for that. But how did you wrong me though?” he said. 

She nearly laughed and drew closer, making him go still. “I’ve wronged you because while we promised to keep no secrets from each other, I’m afraid I lied about one thing. I don’t think I can hold it in any longer either. Mateo de Alva, my dearest friend, I am irrevocably in love with you.”

As the words that had been waiting to be said finally fell, no one in the room could dare react. Mateo thought he was dreaming. He had to be dreaming. This was never meant to be more than a fantasy to entertain his mind with. It was never meant to be and yet, here it was… happening. 

Elena watched him carefully, trying to read his expression and for all the familiarity between them, she could not know what he was thinking in that moment. 

His lips parted slightly before the words spilled out with years worth of adoration and hidden love driving them, “Elena Castillo-Flores. Marry me.”

[arsenicsine]

Jealousy in red

Sylvain Jose Gautier/F!Byleth 

Fluff, Jealous, Post-Timeskip

Two requests one fic, loved writing this! You can also find this over at: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20798156

The thrumming of the music made the dance floor feel like it had a heartbeat of its own, many people dancing along to celebrate the latest victory in the war that could mean the end of it all. Nobles from far and wide in the Kingdom and Alliance were accepted inside, giving a colorful atmosphere of fancy layered dresses supported by a petticoat or two, embellished suits outfitted to the nines in decadence, but all of it was poultry compared to her; Byleth stood amongst the crowd, her beautifully mint green hair sticking out in the sea of reds, blacks, blondes and brunettes and the outfit chosen for her with the help of Mercedes and Hilda just took Sylvain’s breath away…  

Fitted white corset top that pushed her large chest to an perkier height was a sight, while the rest of the dress with a golden and blue embellished cloak that was similar to the one she always wore when fighting. Not to mention as she strode through the crowds of guests, Sylvain could briefly catch a glimpse of her signature black tights that just seemed to light a fire in him knowing despite how poised she looked, Byleth stuck to things familiar to her without a care of what others thought. Byleth was a warrior and a leader, that could never be hidden by a few fancy additions.

Sylvain ran a hand through his ginger hair as he set down the drink he had been nursing the entire night between noblewomen’s requests to dance with him, and confidently made his way to the dance floor. Weaving between people, Sylvain kept seeing that recognizable hair cutting through the crowd until it would disappear behind another party goer… It felt like he was on the hunt for the mysterious former teacher whom he fancied. The beat of Sylvain’s heart began to pick up speed as he finally broke through the crowd and saw Byleth’s calm face as she tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. She was stunning as always, her sharp eyes scanning the crowd while she gave only half-hearted replies to the nobleman beside her.

Just as Sylvain stepped out to the side of the dance floor to approach Byleth, he felt his heart drop an inch and his mood sour as Sylvain was greeted with one of the eldest son of Bergliez next to Byleth. The other man had his body resting on the wall next to Byleth, with his arm creeping around her waist and a tipsy smile on his lips as he mumbled something to Byleth that Sylvain couldn’t hear from this distance. It sparked something inside of Sylvain, like a flame suddenly turning into an inferno as he hurriedly approached the pair with no real plan in mind as Sylvain came to stand at Byleth’s side.

Sylvain was much smarter and quick on his feet than people really knew, and without hesitating he smiled at the man who had the gall to touch Byleth. “Ah, your brother Caspar is looking for you. Something about your father? He’s over at the garden.”

This got the man to quickly remove himself from Byleth and gave a short bow before quickly hurrying off to the large open arc door at the far end of the ballroom. Byleth looked at Sylvain with a brow raised, silently questioning if that truly what had happened… It was just like her to see right through him. Sylvain smiles at her and does a little bow, “Don’t fret, I always save a lady when in need…” This made Byleth chuckle a little, trying to stifle her laughter which made Sylvain smile naturally.

“So, what was the story about that guy?” Sylvain crossed his arms and leaned against the wall right next to Byleth, enjoying the subtle spice of a sweet and cinnamon perfume coming from the woman of his dreams. Byleth gave a half hearted shrug, starting to rest against the wall more with Sylvain until her head slowly slouched to rest on his shoulder. “He just came up talking to me about nobility, and the like. A little touchy, but I don’t think he meant harm.”

Glancing to the side, Sylvain felt a warm blush starting to spread as Byleth used him as a headrest… it was pleasant… but that comment about the man being touchy made Sylvain feel like his blood was boiling once again. Resting his head to the side to rest on top of Byleth, he let out a huff through his nose. “Shouldn’t let him touch you like that…”

“True, but he really didn’t look like he meant any harm.” Byleth mumbled, absentmindedly nestling into her compatriot’s shoulder.

“Do you think I could do you any harm?” Sylvain tried to stop himself from letting out a content sigh as she nestled into him, praying softly to himself that she can’t hear how hard his heart is beating.

Byleth is quiet for a moment, considering the question thoughtfully. Of course she had trained with him as a student, helped to get him to his top strength and enjoyed seeing his intelligence when it came to even the most obscure topics despite how he tried to hide it from others. After a moment, she finally chimed up. “No, not really. We’re far too close and I was the one who taught you how to fight better after all.”

With his question finally answered, Sylvain slipped his arm around her waist to pull her closer with a gentle squeeze. It surprised Byleth for a second but she settled into leaning against his chest more as a subtle blush started to form on her cheeks. Sylvain had been holding his breath in the moment, worrying that Byleth might reject his advances but when she settled into his hold, a sigh of relief escaped him.

“Much better than that guy, right?” Sylvain closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the feeling of Byleth’s much smaller but firm body against his own. She feels like absolute heaven against him, Byleth’s hand gently roaming across the expanse of his back which made Sylvain shiver for a moment. They just meshed together perfectly, like they were meant to be this close to each other more than Sylvain yearned for… “Are you jealous, Sylvain?” Byleth murmured softly, just barely audible over the crowd’s laughter and music. It took a moment for Sylvain’s brain to connect with being so easily called out on his behavior, his body rigid and shoulders hunching… Was it always so easy for her to see right through him like that? Sylvain laughed awkwardly and looked away from Byleth as he tried to relax his posture to how it was before. “Me? Jealous? Pfft… Very funny, By. It’s me we’re talking about. How can a notorious skirt chaser ever get jealous.” He was deflecting and it was obvious, everything in him was too scared to actually admit his jealousy since it meant outright confessing his feelings for her right then and there.

But it was completely true, and he was guilty as charged; Seeing that pitiful man daring to touch the elegant, strong and ethereal Byleth just had him squirming in a way that through Sylvain off his usual cool facade. How could a man like that have the audacity to touch her so openly? She was special… Byleth saw all sides of Sylvain and didn’t shy away from even his uglier parts. Byleth took time to understand him, spend time with him and actually learn the weaknesses along with the strengths he had instead of just taking him at face value. Every part of her was the kindest and most endearing woman he had ever met, not crest, standing, wealth or nobility meant anything to her… only the person’s character did. So just how could a man only interested in elevating his status think he had the right to even be near her.

While Sylvain was lost in his thoughts, he didn’t seem to realize he had begun to squeeze onto Byleth’s hip in a possessive hold that had the few who wandered close making a hasty retreat. Byleth could barely contain her amusement seeing the serious expression suddenly overtake Sylvain, since the only time he ever had such a fierce look in his eye was when he was either battling or speaking to…

A few things were clicking in Byleth’s head that made sense with everything that had been happening for the last few months. Every time a retainer or fellow former student invaded her personal space around Sylvain, he’d step just a bit closer or try to distract the other person in conversation or tasks. He’d bring her that lovely tea which had become Byleth’s favorite at least one a week, then invite her out to tea times all over the monastery when there wasn’t something serious happening… Even on the battlefield he stuck to her more than usual, and often was the one to fight alongside her.

Standing on the tips of her toes, Byleth placed a quick peck to Sylvain’s cheek which quickly derailed every thought he was having. He just looked at her wide eyed and surprised, trying his best to figure out just what to say as a new blush covered his face. “I- By- You-” Was all he could stammer. Byleth repeated this action, peppering his face with kiss after kiss until Sylvain was finally knocked out of his confusion and finally returned one… clumsily, albeit.

Actions spoke for all the questions he had floating around in his head as Byleth rested her forehead against Sylvain’s when he bowed his head down, smiles exchanged between them in this soft little moment in the crowd of unknowing people.

“You’re cute when you are jealous… If I had known you felt this way for me, I would have done something by now.” Byleth plainly stated while placing her hand against Sylvain’s cheek. Sylvain rolled his eyes but being called such sweet things by her was enough to boost his confidence tenfold. “I’ll remember that. Let me rectify this by stealing you away from this dull party to have some time, just the two of us.” Sylvain took Byleth’s hand off his cheek and gently placed a kiss to the knuckles, already starting to guide her away from the crowd without hesitation this time.

...Oh and how Sylvain reveled in that fool’s expression as the newfound couple passed him in the garden, Byleth pressed close to Sylvain’s side with the pair having dreamy smiles as they chatted about how Sylvain should have said something sooner.

[tanukirou]

Oh My My! - a JotaKak fanfic

Originally posted on AO3, if you want to stop by and maybe give me a constructive comment I’d be super happy! 

https://archiveofourown.org/users/rakshapophis

Kakyoin desperately needs a haircut and only the best hairdresser will do. Luckily, he finds just the right man for the job.

Red strands of hair fell limp over his right eye, earning a defeated sigh from Kakyoin.

He had spent the past forty minutes in front of the bathroom mirror attempting to style his hair in its usual shape. But to no avail. The lenght had increased over the last months, completely ruining the flawless form and movement he desired. Not that his hair looked ugly, per se, it just fell flat, lacked any texture it previously had. It was quite bothersome.

At first he thought it could have something to do with some hair product he was using. A mousse, a pomade or even one of his specialty shampoos. Maybe it had expired or the formula had changed? He checked all the labels, checked the lot numbers and even consulted reviewers online to check if that was the case, but nothing came up. Everything was the same as usual. He had to admit, it was the haircut.

Staring over at his reflection, he ran a hand through the vivid strands. It felt soft as always, yet the shape was all wrong. The sight was almost unbearable for someone as conscious about his appearance as he was. The red locks he cherished so much were too long, almost reaching shoulder lenght. The layered look it sported had turned almost blunt with growth, making it look like a sad bob that got on Kakyoin’s nerves. Even his fringe did not escape from such terrible fate. It kept falling limply over his eye, no hair product in the world could fix the wavy lock in place, and oh if he hadn’t tried everything already. Even the slightly wavy texture of his gorgeous hair felt out of place with all of these flaws.

Kakyoin slammed the mousse container over the bathroom countertop. There was no way he could stand walking around looking like an unkempt hipster wannabe for much longer.

He had to get a haircut, soon.

After settling on putting his hair up in a half ponytail for the day, Kakyoin strided out of the bathroom confidently, taking a turn and walking into his bedroom. His eyes glanced over quickly at his bedside table, where his phone laid charging since the night before.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he picked up and unlocked his phone swiftly, looking through his contact list in search of an important number. As soon as the bright screen showed the desired contact, he tapped his finger over it without hesitation, bringing the device to his ear. It probably took less than thirty seconds for the call to get picked up, yet the dial tone did nothing to ease his impatience while he waited.

The tone ceased to be, and in its place, a very familiar voice greeted him.

“Bonjour, mon chér! Fancy hearing from you so early in the morning!” The man on the other side of the line spoke, his french accent ever so recognizable.

“Jean, I’m in desperate need of your help.”

“Oh? Noriaki Kakyoin needs my help? Who would’ve thought this day would come!” He laughed, and even though Kakyoin couldn’t see him, he could swear he was smirking.

“In any other occasion I would hang up on you, but I really am stuck in a complicated situation at the moment.” Kakyoin muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He really lacked the patience to deal with Polnareff’s antics this early in the morning, but he would have to put up with it for now. His good looks depended on it.

“Christ, Kak, you make it sound like you’re getting arrested for murder… wait, please tell me that’s not it, is it?”

“No you absolute moron, I didn’t murder anyone! I need help finding a hairdresser!” If his brows could furrow any further, they would probably merge onto one another.

“Oooooooh, you could’ve said so from the beginning! That’ll be easy as pie since I work at a hair salon, you know?”

“Why do you think I called you, genius?”

“No need to be snarky, dude…” He could practically hear the pout in Polnareff’s voice. “Anyways, I know quite a few great professionals, what exactly are you looking for in a hairdresser?”

“Precision. I need my hair to look as close to perfection as I can get it to be, so nothing but the best will suffice.” The redhead spoke with confidence, knowing exactly what he wanted out of the ordeal.

“Precision, huh? I think I know just the guy you want!”

“Fantastic! Now, if you could help me make an appointment with said guy…”

“Yeah, I was just gonna tell you about that…” Polnareff spoke almost sheepishly. “…the thing is, I’m almost sure his agenda is full.”

“Oh, it’s ok. It doesn’t have to be today, I can try to get an appointment for another day this week.”

“No, you don’t understand. I think his agenda is full for the next three months.”

Kakyoin froze at polnareff’s words. The call was completely silent for a moment, apart from the light static coming from the phone. He must have been joking. He had to wait three months for an appointment? Who the hell was this guy and just how amazing was he that he had no time on his schedule for the next three months?

“Uh, Kak? Everything ok?”

“What do you mean his agenda is full for the next three months?! What kind of miracle hairdresser is this?!”

“Dude, you have no idea! The guy is an absolute madman! I’ve been working at the same place as him for four months and i still can’t believe how amazing the dude is!” Polnareff exclaimed over the phone, voice filled with enthusiasm. Apparently, the man had to be exceptional for the frenchman to praise him so highly, knowing how much pride he took in his own hairstyling abilities.

“Define amazing, Jean.”

“I mean, his fingers move so fast, I can barely see what he’s doing sometimes! He works so damn fast but he also looks super elegant doing it, you know? And his haircuts always look exactly like what the client asks for, no matter what! It’s almost unbelievable how good he is!”

Well, now Kakyoin’s curiosity was most definitely piqued.

“After such high praise coming from you, I can only assume this guy is a genius.” Kakyoin noted with amusement, pushing a few lose strands of hair behind his ear.

“Trust me when I say he’s the best we have. Kind of a bummer he’s always busy, huh?”

“Indeed, I was hoping to get an appointment this week…” He mused, toying with part of his fringe that he left out of the ponytail.

Silence took over the call again, only a few seconds passing before Polnareff spoke up again with newfound enthusiasm.

“Dude, I could try to get you an appointment with him within the next two weeks. The dude’s kinda intimidating, so it’s not gonna be easy to convince him. I’ll try my best though, what do you say?”

Kakyoin found himself smiling for the first time that morning. Polnareff could be annoying and even a pain in the ass, but he was a genuinely good friend, and Kakyoin admired how loyal the french was to those he was close to.

“Have I ever told you how much I love you, Jean?”

“Aw, mercí beaucoup Kak, but I’m not really into guys. You’re still a handsome man though and I appreciate the sentiment.”

And as soon as the smile came, it faded.

“You completely ruined the moment. My respect for you? Gone.”

Polnareff laughed on the other end of the line. “Don’t be like that Kakyoin! I love you too dude! Don’t leave me-“

With the tap of a finger, the call was over, cutting Polnareff in the middle of his sentence. Kakyoin’s love for his friend only went so far until he got irritated.

A sigh escaped his lips in relief. Even if he could not get an appointment for the day, he could still count on his friend to find one in the next two weeks. And that was good enough.

After a brief glance at his phone’s clock, he deemed it was time to start heading to college, but not before making himself a cup of tea prior to leaving the apartment.

Just as Kakyoin left the building his last class of the day took place in, a message entered his phone.

Jean Pierre Polnareff: Luck is on your side, Cherry Boy! Your appointment is tomorrow at 17:45 with Jotaro Kujo, you know my workplace already.

Kakyoin was cheering on the inside, glad that his friend could be such a prestative person. However, he’d never let him know about that.

He quickly typed back a snarky answer, playing around with the frenchman.

Noriaki Kakyoin: I thought his agenda was full? ┐(‘～` )┌

The answer came mere seconds after.

Jean Pierre Polnareff: Well, let’s just say your good friend here is such a charming man that Jotaro couldn’t resist making a little exception on his schedule.

A smile came across his lips just like hours earlier, as he made his way across the campus towards his favorite café. What began as a bad morning, turned into quite the pleasant afternoon, the sky a nice shade of light blue and the spring sun shining brightly over town.

“Noriaki Kakyoin? Thank you for waiting, Jotaro will be with you in a moment.”

A soft voice called from his right, snapping him out of his thoughts. A blond woman stood beside where he sat, looking strangely stoic for someone with pristine make up and dressed completely in baby pink.

“Thank you, miss.” Kakyoin nodded, smiling politely at her.

The lady smiled softly at him before turning around and heading back to her station.

It felt like ages since he had last been to a beauty parlor, not to mention a fancy one like the one Polnareff worked at. Everything looked so modern and sleek, painted monochrome and decorated with streamlined furniture. He felt oddly out of place with his vividly colored hair and green cardigan, seeing how most other costumers looked as if they were ready for a red carpet photoshoot.

He wondered if this Jotaro guy looked just as fancy and pretentious as everyone else.

“You’re Noriaki Kakyoin, right?”

He almost jumped out of his skin as a deep voice called him from his right. Christ, what was with people speaking out of nowhere and scaring the ever living shit out of him today? As elegantly as possible, he got up and straightened up his clothes, turning around to face the source of the voice.

He did not expect to find a tall guy dressed in black standing there nonchalantly.

Alright, scratch that, a really tall guy with a perfectly sculpted figure and piercing blue eyes looking right at him.

Kakyoin couldn’t help but stare a bit. The man towered over him even as he stood, and Kakyoin was not a short person. He had to be over 6’4, Kakyoin thought, as he analyzed the figure before him in awe. The man’s height was not the only impressive thing about him, as one could not skip over how well defined his muscles were. Even with the black shirt on, one could tell the guy had rippling abs and hard pecs. His hair was jet black, kept in a pristine undercut and perfectly tousled. And his face, goodness, it looked like it had been sculpted by one of the renaissance era. Now that he thought of it, the man in his entirety looked like a renaissance sculpture. Perfectly symmetrical, manly features, high cheekbones and full lips that looked oh so delectable. Not to mention those gorgeous sea blue eyes that seemed to look right through him.

God, the guy was hot.

“Is everything ok?”

Oh goodness, he had spaced out while staring at the hot dude. Not one of his proudest moments, Kakyoin admited.

“Oh, yes, everything’s ok. I’m Kakyoin, yes.” He pretty much blurted out, feeling the heat rise up on his face. He probably looked like a damn fool.

“Good. I’m Jotaro Kujo, I’ll be taking care of you today.” The man, Jotaro, extended his hand as an invitation.

Kakyoin was screaming internally.

The hot guy was the hairdresser he had an appointment with.

The hot man was Jotaro Kujo.

Holy shit.

That could only end so well for him, taking notice on how he reacted seeing the man for the first time. Either he would make an absolute fool out of himself and never be able to show up at the parlor ever again, or he would try to ignore the fact that the modern rendition of Adonis would be running his hands through his hair for the next twenty minutes.

Kakyoin would try his best to avoid the first option.

“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kujo. I’ve heard great things about your work.” He managed to regain his composure, nodding politely as he took Jotaro’s hand, exchanging a handshake with the man without looking nervous.

The man shook his head. “Just Jotaro is fine. And I’m glad you chose my services. Now, would you please follow me? We can discuss what you want after I wash your hair.”

Oh boy.

“Of course.” Kakyoin smiled, following Jotaro as he guided him towards the washing station.

They came to a halt at one of the vacant washing sinks, where Jotaro gestured for Kakyoin to take a seat at. Kakyoin gladly obliged, making himself as comfortable as possible in the otherwise not so comfortable seat. He had never liked the washing sinks much, they always made his neck feel stiff afterwards. He suddenly felt the warm touch of Jotaro’s hands at the base of his neck, sending a light shiver down his spine. He had placed a small towel around his shoulders. Of course, that’s to be expected.

What he had not expected was to feel Jotaro’s hands touching at his scalp this early on. Not even to wash his hair yet, just the plain sensation of his hands.

“Your hair color is natural, huh?” Jotaro noted, fingers running through the red locks. “Unusual to see naturally vibrant colors like this.”

They had barely begun and Kakyoin already felt like fainting.

“Yes, it has looked like this since I was born.” He spoke out, hoping his face was not as vividly colored as his hair was.

“It’s a nice color, suits you well.”

Oh boy.

“Your hair is very healthy, so we just have to wash it before cutting.” He finally moved his hands off Kakyoin’s scalp, moving away to get the shampoo. “You seem to take great care of your hair, that’s good.”

“I try to, I like looking my best.” Kakyoin declared with pride, as his self care routine was to be envied by anyone. His hair always got special treatment, after all.

Jotaro hummed in affirmation behind him, adjusting the temperature of the water prior to taking it to Kakyoin’s head. A mere moment later, the warm water coming from the shower head hit his scalp, along with the touch of Jotaro’s hand once again. The contact felt soothing, strong fingers massaging lightly at his scalp made his skin feel tingly in the most perfect way.

“Is the temperature fine like this?” Jotaro asked, massaging close to Kakyoin’s nape.

“It’s perfect.” He muttered, a soft smile on his lips as he took in the sensations created by the hairdresser’s touch.

Another pleased hum escaped Jotaro as he turned off the shower head, pouring a small ammount of shampoo on his palm before lathering up the roots of Kakyoin’s hair. His fingers moved with expertise, applying more pressure onto his scalp compared to earlier. Strong hands like Jotaro’s could easily bruise skin if enough pressure got applied, yet his touch was gentle, his fingertips rubbing at all the right spots. The warm, tinlgy sensation from earlier returned even more intensely, eliciting a pleased hum from Kakyoin. He felt pure bliss at the moment.

Sooner than Kakyoin had hoped, Jotaro removed his hands from his scalp once again, grabbing the shower head to rinse off the shampoo. The warm water came into contact with his head, along with the feather light touches of Jotaro’s hand to aid on the removal of any soapy residue.

The sound of the shower head turning off left Kakyoin slightly disappointed, as he craved much more of the fantastic sensation that Jotaro’s hands brought while massaging his scalp. With his hair washed and rinsed, Kakyoin was ready to get it cut. Jotaro brought a small towel to Kakyoin’s head, drying off the excess wetness of his hair before moving from the washing station.

“All done, now follow me to my station.” Jotaro nodded towards a more secluded room further away from the washing station.

Kakyoin nodded, following the hairdresser over to where magic seemed to take place.

The room was simple compared to the rest of the building. It was painted a dark grey, a few pictures of marine life in white frames scattered around the walls, creating an interesting contrast. In the center of the northernmost wall stood a big mirror, along with a cart full of hairstyling supplies and white styling chair.

“Take a seat, let’s talk about what you want.” Jotaro guided him towards the mirror, swinging the chair around so he could sit down.

Kakyoin happily obliged, settling down comfortably on the white leather seat.

“I was hoping to give it some movement and shape, no drastic changes.” He explained as Jotaro secured the styling cape over him. “The lenght has been bothering me lately, so shortening it would also be ideal. Specially the fringe.”

Jotaro hummed in approval, bringing a comb to Kakyoin’s wet hair. “Got it.”

The hairdresser grabbed a pair of scissors from the supply cart, studying Kakyoin’s head for what seemed like a mere second before beginning his work.

And boy, what a sight it was to see Jotaro work.

For the next ten minutes or so, Kakyoin could only observe in awe through the mirror’s reflection as Jotaro brought the scissors to his head, working as fast as a hurricane, yet smooth as silk. His blue eyes darted around, following every swift movement of his fingers over the redhead’s locks with expertise. The incessant sound of the blades cutting around was almost deafening, little strands of red hair fell around him over to the floor, seeming as light as feathers. It was surreal, to see such a strong person handle his hair with such gentleness. Every angle at which he cut seemed calculated with absolute precision.

Time passed by in a blur, and before he knew, the sound of the scissors snipping at hair ceased to be, only to be replaced by the loud blow of a hairdryer. The warm breeze gusted over his scalp and ears, the temperature just hot enough to be pleasant without burning at his skin. Jotaro’s hand ruffled the shorter strands on the back of his head, smoothing over the gradually longer ones framing his face, his touch just as warm as the breeze created by the hairdryer.

Once more, the sound ceased to be, this time replaced by silence. The hairdresser brought a comb to Kakyoin’s red locks, styling it to the desired shape with the aid of his free hand. His fingers pushed a few loose strands behind the redhead’s ear, letting out an approving hum.

“Done.” He declared, removing the styling cape from Kakyoin.

Oh.

Wow.

Kakyoin was rendered speechless by his reflected image.

He could barely believe how amazing his hair looked. That morning, he had stared at a sad excuse for a hairstyle in the mirror, but now, he felt like he was looking at the cover of a hair styling magazine.

Like he had asked, there was no drastic changes to his signature style, and even so, it felt completely new. His fringe was shorter than he had expected, yet it framed his pale face perfectly. The hair was slightly longer on the front, gradually getting shorter as it neared the back of his head. The layered look gave it shape and movement, just as he had desired.

It was beyond perfect.

“Final thoughts?”

Jotaro’s voice snapped him out of his trance, urging him to find the right words to thank the hairdresser for such a marvelous job.

“…wow.” He sighed, smiling widely at his own reflection. “It looks absolutely fantastic, I could kiss you right now.”

Oh.

Why the hell did he say that?

Kakyoin felt his face warm up, completely embarrassed by his own choice of words. He dared not look at his own reflection again, fearing his face looked just as red as his hair. Way to go, Kakyoin.

A low chuckle escaped Jotaro’s lips, surprising the still flustered redhead.

“I get that a lot. I’m happy you like it.” He smiled (oh god he smiled), placing a hand on Kakyoin’s shoulder.

His touch felt incredibily warm, even through the layers of Kakyoin’s clothes.

“Your reputation is well earned, Jotaro. This is expert work, how long have you been doing this?” He mused, running his own hands through his hair, appreciating the hairdresser’s handiwork.

“Six months.”

Kakyoin froze.

“…what?” He muttered, shocked at the revelation.

Surely, he must have been joking. There is no way someone could be so competent at such job after only six months. He looked for any signs that Jotaro was just pranking him.

He found none.

“Wait, you’re serious?” Kakyoin asked incredulous, eyes wide in surprise.

Jotaro nodded.

“I’ve started doing this six months ago. It was just a part time job at first, but people came to like my work, so I do this for a living now.”

Unbelievable.

“Part time job? Isn’t that a teenager thing?” Kakyoin furrowed his brows, curious about the situation at hand.

Jotaro smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. “How old do you think I am?”

“…you look to be around twenty six.”

His smirk widened. “I’m nineteen.”

What the actual fuck.

“You’re kidding me.”

“Nope.”

“We’re not the same age, I refuse to believe that!” Kakyoin laughed, shaking his head in denial.

The two men shared a laugh for a brief moment, amused by the little exchange that led to this. It was strange, how at ease Kakyoin felt around Jotaro, even without ever meeting the man prior to this encounter. It just felt natural. Maybe they were close in a past life? Who knows.

Having been seated for too long, Kakyoin rose from the styling chair, smoothing his hands over his cardigan.

“Well, I must say this has been quite the amusing experience.”

“I can say the same.” Jotaro smiled.

Christ almighty, that smile made him weak in the knees.

His visit to the hair salon was shorter than expected, but much more pleasant too. Yes, definitely much more pleasant than expected. Kakyoin took a mental note to thank Polnareff properly later as he followed Jotaro to the reception counter. Jotaro murmured something to the receptionist, earning an incredulous look from the lady, but it was soon replaced by an understanding smile as the hairdresser stared her down. Sometimes a simple look speaks more than words do, and that appeared to be the case with Jotaro most of the time. The brief interaction between him and the receptionist seemed to illustrate it well.

Kakyoin approached the counter, fishing out his wallet from within his bag.

“How much for the services?”

The lady slid a small bill towards him on the counter. The price was…lower than he had expected?

“…is this really the right price?”

“Mr. Kujo asked me to apply a discount of 25% on the regular price.”

How endearing.

“How nice of him.” Kakyoin noted, glancing over at Jotaro who suddenly took interest in some pamphlets that lay on the counter. A strangely adorable sight.

The redhead picked the right ammount of money from his wallet, placing it on the counter in front of the receptionist. She muttered a small ‘thank you’ as she put it away.

Having already paid for Jotaro’s wonderful services, he turned to face said man, bowing ever so slightly in a respectful gesture.

“Thank you for the amazing job, you’re a very talented professional.”

The cordial thanks appeared to have caught Jotaro off guard, as the tall man stood there with an incredulous look before taking action once again. Giving off a chuckle, he reached out to take Kakyoin’s hand into his own in a brief handshake.

“Always a pleasure to make my clients happy.”

Even if brief, it was a tender little moment. As they parted from their handshake, Jotaro signaled for him to wait for a second, reaching into his pocket to pull out a small card, handing it to Kakyoin.

“Here’s my contact, if you ever need my services again.”

The card was simple, stating Jotaro’s name and profession along with his phone number. A small, black star adorned the right corner of the paper rectangle.

Kakyoin nodded, offering a polite smile.

“You better believe I’ll be needing your services again in a near future.” He chuckled, waving goodbye to Jotaro as he stepped out of the building, the card held tightly in his left hand.

As he crossed the street, he was already planning his next trip to the hair salon.

[meenasmoon]

Waiting for a Star to Fall Ch 2: Brand New Sun

Her first week in the culdesac passed by so quickly that it felt like whirlwind. She worked everyday at the diner so she could have the weekend open for Rosita’s party on Saturday and church with her family on Sunday. Every evening she came home absolutely exhausted, her feet pulsing with pain, and her back screaming in pain. After the first night she was beyond thankful that she had befriended Ash. The spunky Hispanic woman made sure that she made it through her shifts without straining her body more than she needed to, even going so far as to swipe heavy trays from her and deliver them to the table. Meena was beyond grateful, and she let her new friend know every night when they rode the bus home. And on Friday night, just like every other night, she brushed off her fervent ‘thank yous’ with a warm smile and a comforting arm around her shoulders.

“I gotta take care of you cariño. Can’t let you stress out these precious babies of yours right?” She chuckled when Meena just blushed and cradled her distended belly lovingly.

“But Ash I-“ She tried once more but Ash just gave her a stern glare before she could finish the sentence.

“Meena. Let me help you, cause I’m not giving you a choice.” They had shared a laugh as Ash helped her off the bus and walked her to her front door. Meena gave her a hug, trying desperately to control her yawn as she said goodby to her friend.

“Thanks again Ash.” She said softly, leaning against the door slightly as exhaustion made her limbs feel like jelly.

“Don’t mention it. Now you get some rest for tomorrow. I will see you at the barbecue, 12 o’clock sharp.” Meena nodded and the watched as Ash headed down the driveway towards her house before turning around and heading into her own house. She stopped herself from heading to the bathroom and instead opened the fridge to check on her cheesecake for the barbecue.

It had set perfectly in the fridge, the little rivers of strawberry gelatin giving it the perfect artistic touch. She smiled proudly to herself and then shut the fridge, waddling back to her room. She changed out of her work clothes and eagerly slipped into her favorite purple nightgown. As soon as her head hit the pillow she was sound asleep, little snores coming from her open mouth.

Unfortunately, her babies chose that night to get picky about her sleeping position. Every couple hours she was waking up to cramping pains and insistent kicking from two different sides of her stomach. She tossed and turned until finally she fell into a restless sleep around 5 am.

She was jerked awake an unknown amount of time later when one of her babies pressed down insistently on her bladder. She groaned and rolled out of bed, ignoring the fact that the sun was blazing in her eyes.

When she finally emerged from the bathroom and looked around she realized that something was off. The sunlight was blazing through her curtains and the light seemed somehow off. Dread filled her stomach as she glanced over at her clock, hoping beyond hope that it wasn’t as late as she thought it was.

As soon as she saw the time she practically dove for the shower, moving as quickly as she could with her belly in the way. It was 11:45.

She managed to shower in fifteen minutes and get ready in another ten. She put on her brand new dress and her most comfortable pair of sandals. Her dress was long and loose, draped perfectly over her stomach and tied with a golden ribbon just above the swell of her stomach. He dress was light purple and covered in a white and golden roses with dark purple leaves. She brushed out her hair and groaned when she saw that her natural curls were starting to appear and she didn’t have time to tame them.

She grabbed her phone and the cheesecake from the fridge and hurried next door to the big blue house with white trim and a perfectly manicured lawn. She could hear the sounds of the party in the backyard and her nerves were suddenly overwhelming in their strength. She clutched the cheesecake in her shaking hands like it was the only thing that was keeping her from losing it.

Meena took a deep, shuddering breath and slowly made her way up the stairs, her chest constricting painfully with each breath. By the time she got to the door she felt like she was going to have a heart attack or something close to it. Just when she was about to succumb to her nerves and go home to hide, she felt a barrage of kicks from her stomach and suddenly everything came back into focus.

She looked down at her flower-print covered stomach in shock and felt another storm of kicking from the active little munchkins inside of her. A small, sweet smile spread across her face and she looked down at her stomach with pure adoration on her face.

“Thanks my little loves.” She whispered, and then gathered her newfound courage and rang the doorbell.

Almost immediately the door was wrenched open by a boy with curly blonde hair exactly like Rosita’s and a giant bubbly grin. He smiled up at her through the gap in his teeth as she looked down at him in surprise. Without saying a word he turned around and yelled back into the cavernous house.

“Mooooom!! The pregnant lady is here!” He then dashed away to another room and Rosita emerged from what looked like the kitchen with an irked look.

“Casper Tenny! You have better manners than that! Use them.” She called after her son, her ‘disapproving mom’ voice making Meena’s smile grow even brighter. When she saw Meena standing uncertainly in the doorway her face brightened into a welcoming smile and she quickly ushered Meena into the house.

“Come in sweetie come in!” She took the cheesecake from Meena’s hand and led the way into the kitchen, where she put it into the gargantuan fridge that practically dominated the entire room.

“I love your house.” Meena said as she looked around the big open spaces in awe. Despite the size of the house, everything was meticulously organized and color coded. There was even an intricate chore chart and reward system posted on one wall. Meena was trying to decipher it when Rosita returned from the fridge and put an arm around her waist.

“Thank you sweetie! I’m so glad that you could make it.” Meena blushed, ashamed of her tardiness.

“I’m sorry that I was late. I had a rough night.” She looked down at her stomach and Rosita followed her gaze with a knowing look.

“Don’t worry about it honey. I know the feeling.” Meena shared a smile with her as the petite woman led her out into the backyard where chaos reigned. On one side of the yard, a portly man with plain brown hair manned the grill. He was wearing a ‘Grill Master’ apron and looked like he was in his own little world. He was most likely Rosita’s husband.

At the other end of the yard a slip n’ slide had been set up and four other blonde devils were screaming their heads off as they enjoyed the simple distraction. They were joined by a familiar little boy with a rainbow mohawk, a portly boy in a gymnastics uniform, and a little girl that looked suspiciously like Cora. Meena shook her head to clear it and resumed scanning the people in the yard, but before she could, familiar calloused hands covered her eyes.

“Guess who?” A familiar voice asked Meena giggled as she took the hands in her own and spun around so that she was face to face with a smirking Ash.

“I knew it!” Meena winked playfully and Ash pulled her into side hug as she lead her towards a group of people who were mingling around the snack table. Her grip relaxed as they got closer and she pulled her arm back, but Meena didn’t let her go without gripping her hand tightly, her accursed nerves playing up again. Ash squeezed her hand just as tight and gave Meena an encouraging look that gave her just enough confidence to release her hand and paste a shy smile on her face as they neared the group.

“Hey! I wanna introduce you mensos to our new neighbor.” Ash rudely interrupted their conversation but they all seemed used to her brash personality because they just stooped and looked at the two women.

A short older man with prematurely gray hair and a kind smile was the first to greet her. Despite the casualness of the party he was wearing a white button up with rolled up sleeves, a red bow tie, navy dress pants, and black dress shoes. Meena took his hand and gasped in surprise when instead of shaking it he leaned down and placed a little kiss on the back of it.

“Oh my!” She saw Ash roll her eyes next to her but she just giggled and smiled politely, “Thank you um… I’m Meena Jones.”

“Buster Moon.” He grinned as he released her hand and proudly straightened his bow tie, “I live a couple houses down and I’m usually the one throwing these things but you can’t really say no to Rosita, as I’m sure you’ve discovered.”

Meena giggled and nodded, her hand coming down to reflexively rest on her stomach. Buster didn’t even seem to register the fact that she was pregnant like most other people did, rather he was too focused on introducing himself and gathering up as many finger sandwiches as he could.

Before either of them could say anything else Meena felt someone gently tapping her arm. She turned around to find herself face to face with a short, wrinkled old woman who was giving her a kind of loopy smile. She was wearing way too much makeup and she was dressed in a garishly orange and yellow dress that could only be from the 70s.

“Hello Dearie. I’m Miss Crawly. I live at the end of the street with my cats.” She embraced her feline obsession with an almost naive pride that made Meena smile despite her persistent nerves, “You must come by and visit me sometime. We’ll just have a blast you and me.” Meena laughed and rested her hand over top the older woman’s.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Her words made Miss Crawly’s eyes widened and one teared up while the other seemed to stare blankly up at Meena. In a moment of clarity she realized that it must be glass and that was why it never really seemed to move or have any life in it. Miss Crawly slipped her hand out from under Meena’s, cupped her surprised face and pulled her in so that she could kiss her on her cheeks. She then proceeded to wander back into the house, muttering to herself about something that Meena couldn’t quite make out.

“Miss Crawly is a little loca but she’s sweet, and harmless so…” Ash just shrugged and Meena gave her an amused grin. Once again her attention was turned away when a lanky man in board shorts, a brightly colored tank top and jewelry that vaguely reminded her of a gangster. But his disco-era afro and innocent brown eyes assured her that he was just oddly dressed, not a threat. He scratched at his thin facial hair as he spoke, his eyes darting all over the place, almost as if he couldn’t focus on one thing.

“I’m Eddie Noodleman and that’s my son Luigi.” He gestured to an awkward looking teenager who was desperately trying to blend in with the chair that he had folded himself into. He had hopelessly pale skin, a face full of acne and bright red hair that stood out on all ends like a rats nest. He looked severely uncomfortable at this party and Meena felt a pang of sympathy for him given her initial misgivings about socializing with people.

“He’s just gotta warm up to ya. He’s a good kid.” Eddie shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets, “Anyways we live in that huge house next door to Busters with my N-“

“Aaaand this is Gunter!” Ash interrupted Eddie before he could finish his sentence and she physically turned Meena to face the chubby man who was practically dancing in place, his entire being radiating pure happiness. His golden blonde hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail and he was wearing a golden sequined track suit.

“Ja! Zat is me!” He said excitedly, his German accent thick enough that Meena had to concentrate to understand what he was saying.

“Velcome to zee neighporhood! I am zo excided to haffe ein new friend!” Meena stepped back a little when his excitement translated not only into words but also hand gestures, “You must come to mein zumpa schtutio und dance vith me!”

Meena giggled and put her other hand on her stomach, “I might just take you up on that, but we should probably wait until after the babies are born.”

Gunter let out a loud belly laugh that shook his entire form with its intensity, “Ja, ja. Ve vait.” He agreed with her easily and proceeded to pull her into a tight, awkward hug. A few minutes later when he was still clinging to her she looked to Ash in desperation, her eyes pleading for help. Her snickering friend rolled her eyes and gently pulled Gunter off of Meena.

“Okay Gunter. Let her breath yeah?” Gunter nodded happily and resumed his position in their little circle, his wide eyes watching Meena like she was his new favorite TV show.

“So, Preggo, what are ya doin’ at this shit show?” A teenager with white hair shaved into designs while his long bangs covered his eye. He was wearing saggy gray cargo pants and a black t-shirt with a skull printed on it, not to mention countless jewelry and studded bracelets. Before Meena could even be offended by his derogatory nickname, the blonde man next to him snarled at the teenager.

“Frankie! What the hell did I say about runnin’ yer mouf at dis pahty?” He yelled in a slight New York accent but the teenager just flipped him off and slunk away towards Rosita’s house. The slim man, obviously the boy’s father, turned so red in the face that Meena swore he was going to explode. Instead he just took a deep breath and turned back to the group. He took a flask out of his jacket pocket and sourly took a sip of whatever was inside, swallowing the liquid eagerly. Meena noticed that while he was dressed in a nice business suit and his dirty blonde hair was slicked back, the circles under his eyes and the five o’clock shadow on his face kind of ruined his put together image.

“Sorry bout the kid Preggo. He gets that mouth from his mom.” The man wiped away excess fluid from around his mouth and shoved the flask back into his pocket.

“Her name is Meena, pendejo.” Ash snarled and the slim man just gave her a snarky unimpressed look.

“Yeah yeah. Keep your pants on Drama Queen.” He looked Meena up and down and she cradled her stomach protectively under his gaze. His attitude didn’t make her feel very welcome but there was a hidden softening in his gaze when he glanced at her stomach.

“Names Mike. Obviously I live in dis sappy culdesac wit my boy Frankie.” Before he could say anything else a loud blaring coming from his pocket interrupted him. He yanked out the Blackberry and pressed it up to his ear. Almost immediately the person on the other line began chattering in a shrill voice and Mike’s face screwed up in fury.

“God Damn it woman I told you never to call me on my work line!!” He yelled into the phone and the person on the other side only screeched louder to combat his own yelling.

“We already talked about this! I’m keeping the goddamn house. It’s mine you-“ He turned and began to walk away, still yelling into the phone. Meena glanced at the part of the house where Frankie was leaning against the wall, blatantly smoking a cigarette and glaring at his father. For a moment his expression shifted to a deep sadness as he watched his father engage in a screaming match with his phone. Meena tried to smile comfortingly at him when he glanced her way but the familiar sullen look appeared on his face and he turned back to his cigarette.

Meena frowned but her attention was pulled back to her babies when they suddenly began to kick insistently on her stomach. She winced and rubbed her stomach soothingly at the same time that it rumbled angrily. She blushed when her neighbors laughed and Ash threw her arm around her friend’s shoulder.

“Howabout we get you some grub huh? I think that might appease those little rascals.” Ash lead her over to the grill where Rosita’s husband was loading the last of the burgers onto a tray.

“Hello ladies. Just in time for lunch.” He gave them a kind smile and led the way over to the table where Rosita was setting out the rest of the spread, including Meena’s cheesecake. They began filling up their plates as Rosita called the children over from where they were playing. When Meena say the screaming giggling hoard running towards them she was suddenly grateful that she had gotten her plate before they descended upon the table.

The little boy with the rainbow mohawk ran over to Ash and eagerly accepted the plate that she had made for him.

“Thanks Mama.” He said in a sweet little voice that made Meena’s heart ache with happiness.

“Of course mijo. This is Mama’s new friend Meena. Can you say hi?” She said affectionately, ruffling his sopping wet hair. The little boy giggled and gave Meena a big gap-toothed grin that made her fall even more in love with him.

“Hi Miss Meena. I’m Hendrix.” he shoved a ranch covered carrot stick into his mouth as he examined her with bright green eyes, “Why is your tummy so big?” He suddenly asked.

Before Ash could scold him, Meena gently took his tiny hand and placed it on her stomach. Almost immediately the babies kicked back and Hendrix looked at her in a mix of awe and confusion.

“You feel that? My babies are growing in there.” Meena said softly and Hendrix smiled up at her. He patted her stomach as he shoved another carrot stick in his mouth.

“Hi babies. I’m Hendrix.” He whispered to her stomach as if he was telling them a secret. Then he turned to his mother and proudly showed her the veritable sleeve of temporary tattoos that someone named Tess had given him. It was a mix of girly flowers, race cars, and characters from his favorite show, ‘DinoTrux’.

Ash smiled at Meena before turning her attention back to her son’s new tattoos. She gave them the proper amount of accolades before Hendrix was satisfied and followed his mother and Meena as they made their way to a nearby picnic table. Meena was grateful to finally sit down, her feet starting to ache again from standing on them for an extended period of time.

“Did you have fun with the other kids mijo?” Ash asked as she watched him devour the small pile of chips on his plate.

“Si mama.” He happily began to tell her about the game that they had been playing with the slip n’ slide. He was in the middle of his story about how a kid named Rory didn’t want to go down the slide backwards when it slipped out, “And you know why he didn’t wanna go backwards mama? Cause he has no cajones.” He giggled to himself, completely unaware of the dark look that Ash was now giving him.

“Hendrix Manson Rodriguez! What did you just say?” He suddenly froze and looked up at his mother with a mixture of fear and shame.

“I’m sorry mama.” He tried to please her but Ash’s brown eyes blazed with fury.

“Sorry isn’t good enough. You need a timeout!” She picked him up out of his seat and began carrying him inside the house so she could find a timeout spot, “Where did you even learn a word like that?”

Meena heard her ask as they walked farther away, leaving her alone at the picnic table, “From you mama. You told daddy to grow some.”

Meena snickered to herself and took a large bite of her burger, enjoying the silence for a minute as she looked around at the activity of the party.

She was watching Eddie and Buster as they chatted near the slip n’ slide, sharing mischievous looks, when her table was suddenly invaded by the Tenny family. Rosita and Norman sat down across from her and Meena shook hands with the sleepy looking man. Her children, all five of them, all blonde with color-coordinated outfits and identical plates of food plopped themselves down to fill the rest of the table.

They chatted amongst themselves as Rosita pointed out which one was which to Meena. She was reintroduced to the mischievous blonde with curly hair named Casper as well as Hannah a little girl with braided pigtails and big round glasses. Tess had her blonde hair cut short like her mothers while Rory had his blonde hair spiked, and Nelson’s was long and shaggy. Rosita fussed over them before she finally released them from their introductions to go play with the rest of the kids.

Rosita then leaned forward on the table and fixed Meena with her curious hazel eyes. Meena smiled shyly at her as she finished off the rest of her burger and wiped her mouth with her napkin.

“Soooo…. is your husband going to drop by anytime soon? We would love to meet him.” She gushed and Meena choked on her glass of iced tea, coughing slightly to clear her throat.

“Oh um…actually I’m not married.” Meena said awkwardly and looked down at her empty plate, wishing fervently that Ash was there with her to run interference. She looked up to see that Rosita’s face had fallen a little bit and she was looking at Meena with concern in her eyes.

“Oh well… your boyfriend then.” She laughed nervously and Norman looked at her with a surprisingly annoyed expression.

Meena fiddled with her dress and fought the nervousness that welled up in her throat like bile, “I don’t have a boyfriend, anymore.” She felt her heart twang painfully as she was reminded of the fact that her ex-boyfriend, Trevor, had left her alone with these babies.

Rosita’s face suddenly looked concerned and a little bit disapproving as if she was looking at Meena with new eyes, “Oh! I didn’t- I mean why would I- but why? Where is he?” She sputtered over her words as she tried to continue the conversation but before a mortified Meena could even try to reply Norman stepped in.

“Rosita! Enough. She doesn’t have to explain herself to us. Leave her alone.” Norman scolded his wife and Rosita looked at him in a mix of embarrassment and anger.

“Norman I’m just trying to make sure that-“ Rosita tried to explain but Norman just got up from the table, taking his plate with him.

“Make sure what Rosita? That she has a perfect nuclear family just like you?” He turned to a shocked Meena who had been watching the whole exchange with mounting confusion. It felt like she had stepped into an already open argument and they were just using her situation to resume it.

“Thank you for coming Meena and I hope that my wife didn’t offend you in any way.” Meena gave him a confused smile and rested a comforting hand on her suddenly rolling stomach.

“No not at all.” She said softly and Norman gave her tiny smile before glaring at Rosita and storming off into the house. Rosita let out an awkward laugh and tripped over herself as she dashed away from the table and after her furious husband. She brushed past Ash as she hurried past and Ash looked back at her in confusion before shaking her head and heading back over to Meena.

Meena smiled in relief at her and finally noticed that Ash was leading a little familiar looking little girl over to their table.

“Meena!” She called out and then hurried over to sit next to her, practically vibrating with excitement.

“Hello little ninja!” Meena greeted her and pulled her into a hug. When she released her she noticed that the little girl was wearing a bathing suit under her sundress.

“What are you doing here honey?” She asked curiously and out of the corner of her eye she saw Ash grinning mischievously and looking at something behind them.

“We live here silly.” Cora laughed and took a huge bite of the cheesecake that Meena suddenly realized that she had been carrying.

“Oh my.” Meena blushed, her heart pounding in her chest as she came to the realization that Johnny must live in this culdesac too, that he must be at this very party, in this backyard.

“’Ello Meena.” she heard a familiar heart-stoppingly smooth voice say from behind her and based on the smug look on Ash’s face she knew exactly who it was. She spun around in her seat and came face to face with Johnny in all of his glory. He was wearing a worn pair of jeans, a white t-shirt and his thick black hair was spiked up and styled perfectly. The sun cast a halo of light behind him and she was struck dumb by that crooked smile of his.

“H-hello Johnny.”

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[whataboutthepress-blog]

lit literature ~

A quote that I’ve taken interest in states that books are one of the best companions, better than people maybe. 

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”

-Charles William Eliot (former Harvard president)

Basically you can find the best book ever and it literally becomes apart of you! It is in fact a beautiful union. Imagine finding your soul in print on paper shredded from trees bond together tighter than your lips go when you read about your favorite character doing a bad deed. My list ain’t that deep; that’s not what this is. 

But what I am here for is the Summer Reading List 2 Kay Seumteen that i did promise. 

What is Summer Reading List 2 Kay Seumteen ?  

Summer Reading List 2 Kay Seumteen is a few books i read this summer of 2017 in my spare time. In between work and building other things in my life, i was able to knock out about 5 books, including a book of 4 short stories. This is nothing flashy. Probably books you've read already. But still...enjoy! There may be one that catches your eye. 

Circa June of this year, i was without a laptop and needed access to the internet. So like a regular citizen of a big city, i went to my local library and signed up for a library card. It started to be for computer purposes only, but im an avid reader (fan of recommended and passed on books) so it wasn’t very long before i made my way from the unreliable computer to the welcoming bookshelf. My love for literature runs deep! With that being said, I’m so happy to share my very first reading list, formally titled ‘Summer Reading List 2 Kay Seumteen’ . 

I began my summer reading “Faithful” by Alice Hoffman. Faithful was one of three books I checked out at my first visit (the first visit to the library that was strictly for finding book companions). During that book-blind-date experience, i also checked out a mystery fiction book that I can’t recall and some other less interesting book i misjudged due to my lack of judging books by their cover. 

Faithful not only made my summer list, but also made my ‘all time fave’ list. (Yall will never see that list because i doubt I’d ever write it.) This book spoke to me so clearly. I picked it up that day at Kendall Neighborhood library less of any expectations. It turned out to be one of the most relative pieces of literature in my life thus far. Faithful is about a young girl getting into a bad accident with her best friend in their final year of high school. The accident ends up leaving the young lady’s friend in a coma for a very long time. There are many other vital details, but i was able to relate mostly to the depression the main character endured. No, i havent never been in a life changing wreck, but i deal with issues daily that add to my depression. This book gave me hope. It lit a fire in my soul and i now feel i have an everlasting flame. Alice Hoffman spoke to me, personally, through this novel. I would recommend Faithful to anyone that is somebody. To anyone who ever wondered how deep depression goes. To anyone who’s ever felt alone in a dark world and to anyone who’s ever needed lifting. READ DIS. 

Book number two on SRL2KS is an absolute classic, and you may have already read it! The timeless “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by the late and great Ms Maya Angelou. This was a first time read for me and actually a venture from my newfound library relationship. A good friend of mine received this Non Fiction paperback book from his niece, and I began reading it before he could even pick it up. Once i began to read and learned Angelou spent many years of her childhood being raised in Stamps, Arkansas, there was no quittin’ this book. 

I purposely chose this version of the cover because this is the exact one that i had in my possession. This is the story of young Angelou’s childhood alongside her brother. Raised by their grandmother (on the daddy side, you know how that go) and their uncle, Maya and her brother go through much in this detailed story of stories. Focusing on the trials and tribulations of young Maya, i would recommend this book for my young ladies. This is a must read for women all over the world honestly. Reading the hurtful and happy can grant one a new view on life and a few decent quotes to live by too.

Next on the great SRL2KS, i explored more African American authors! I found, what i would consider, a short story by a young adult/youth literature writer named Ms Jacqueline Woodson. The novel titled “Another Brooklyn” is a specially written story about a young, black Muslim girls childhood. This is not a religious story nor is it a kids book. It speaks on a young girl growing up around other girls and making a close knit bond. The girls grow together and the story continues to follow the young black girl and her little brother after they begin to reside with their father in Brooklyn, New York.

Woodson speaks and describes the bond of the girls so well to me, in a way i dream of expressing my thoughts. I took note of how she talked about them loving and lifting each other just to remember to share this novel with my daughter one day. I wont ruin the end, but everything wasn’t peaches and cream. With that, I still  recommend this novel to young women everywhere (not only women of color). It’s short, so it won’t take up much of your time, but it’s still nice to knock out a book by an AA author at any given time for me. 

Completely and fully inspired by “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sing”, my next book is another Maya Angelou non fiction. “Mom and Me and Mom” is Maya expanding on her relationship with her mother, an exceptional woman mentioned in my first read by Maya many times. I too had a close relationship with my mother, so it was easy for me to pick this book up with an open heart. "Mom and Me and Mom” expands on a series of short, less detailed stories mentioned in IKWCBS. I was able to get to know Maya’s mother more and get an in depth point of view of their relationship. I can never think about this book and not think of my own mom lol.

This isn’t a must read IMO if you’ve read IKWCBS, but i still recommend this one for the lovers, like myself. If you love that warmer than fresh baked cookies feel or you absolutely admire your mom (again, meee), you’d enjoy a heartwarming story about an adventurous young woman and her ambitious mother. I loved this book!

In the summer of Seumteen, i aspired to learn. I took an interest into sign language which led to me looking into sign lit (sign language books lol) ! In the mist of it all, i did of course continue my reading *Stevie J nod*

My last and final book on my marvelous Summer Reading List 2 Kay Seumteen is by one of my all time favorite authors, Stephen King. My favorite book in the whole world was written by King under a different name. (I completely refuse to elaborate on my favorite book for future blog reasons) “Full Dark, No Stars” is just another opportunity for me to fall in love with King’s writing more. After reading this book of four short stories, I vowed to take advantage of all the Stephen King books at Ring Library, the local joint. Ring is a small facility, so it will take me no time to read the 8-10 Stephen King books they shelter. Also, things change when it comes to what the library has on shelf. 

In “Full Dark, No Stars”, King starts with a story about a man and his son in the 1920s having to make a tough decision that ends up creating a string of events you’d least expect. This story was one of my favorite of the four because it was rated Stephen King, or gruesome and skin crawling, and also humors under all the unfortunate events. The second story is a tale of a woman who is attacked while she is stranded roadside after not following her gut. In the drawn out story, the young lady seeks revenge, but the inside sleeve of this book will never prepare you for how deep the revenge goes. The third is pretty short and the biggest reach! A tale of a man who has been dealt a somewhat sad deal of cards. The father and husband is given the opportunity of a life time: to relieve his life of misery. Of course there is a condition or to this...other than the obvious cash money, the character’s genie also requests that this man allows his burdens to be placed on the one person he hates the most. The story pretty much left me speechless, in a questionable way. Lastly was my favorite of the four. An interesting story of a woman discovering the past and somewhat current life of her husband. The story has a twist that i didnt exect or regret. It really makes you wonder if you really know people too! I confidently recommend this book to readers with an imagination thats willing to get twisted. Stephen King never fails at making me grin after i turn the last page of his novels. This read was so good, i’m inspired to do a King binge and best believe a blog will follow :)

In review, take a peek at

Faithful by Alice Hoffman I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson Mom and Me and Mom by Maya Angelou Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

Enjoy, my fellow readers. And look out.

[viridian-angel]

Precious (Part 1) [Commission]

Series: Original

Pairing: Sara Reighs/Fem!Reader

Word Count: 3954 words

Rating: R18+

How long had it been? A few weeks, probably. You had recently gotten out of a controlling relationship, and instead of going out and celebrating your newfound freedom, the days had been mainly spent holed up in your apartment, binge-watching shows for the entire day and falling asleep at 4 a.m. A tough cycle to break-- one that some of your more concerned friends wanted you desperately to break. They talked you into doing something a bit out of your comfort zone; going to a nightclub. Not only that, but going to a nightclub to try and date someone new. Key word being try, but you couldn't help but feel a bit excited at the idea of flirting with an attractive stranger. That's what you were hopeful about this for, though you were mildly worried that you'd find no one to your liking; or worse, have people that are the exact opposite of your type coming onto you.

Regardless, you were here now, and there was no going back. If you did, the whole experience of getting all dressed up and feeling more pretty and self-confident than you have in months would have been for nothing. Your heart pounds heavily in your chest as you wait outside, staring at your reflection in the windows outside the club and fixing tiny, almost unnoticeable mistakes in your make-up. You were putting off going inside, of course; it wouldn't last long, as the night was cold and more revealing mini-skirt you put on certainly wouldn't help you get warmer anytime soon.

With another small moment of hesitation, you step back in the line. There isn't much wait now; the huge line that intimidated you earlier has thinned out. It also seems to have gotten quieter, as well. The heavy, fast digital bass lines coming from inside came and went, and you could just barely make out the faint sounds of piano and jazzy double bass playing.

As you reach the large bouncer at the front, he asks for your ID. You hand it to him, he returns it to you and briefly pats you down before waving you in.

A smooth, soulful voice fills the club; a woman in a sleek white and black Italian cut suit complimenting her pale skin and shimmering silver hair sits down on a stool, long fingers dancing across the ivory keys of the marble piano in front of her.

"... but please don't deceive me, and say you love me how I am... you love the way I fit some ideal; not the real woman you've yet to understand- see, love ain't all heaven, and I am no angel, but I do the best I can."

You stare in rapt silence; the tone and atmosphere of the club are set so far apart from what you were expecting it's baffling, almost comedically so. The skimpily dressed women and men of the club watch in silence or talk at a respectfully quiet volume as the woman sings. You fiddle with your skirt nervously before a delicate hand is placed on your shoulder, a reassuring look greeting your confused face.

"I'm guessing it's, like, your first time here?" she asks, giggles practically bubbling out of her lips. She looks far more like what you expected here; blonde, pretty, definitely a valley girl. You nod, and she tries to keep herself from laughing harder, shaking her head.

"That's the club owner. She comes here on Friday nights and plays for like, an hour or two. Guys seem to either like, want to fuck her, or get jealous and leave cause their girls keep staring at her. It's sooo funny--" she says drunkenly, a very embarrassed looking, imposing, a tall woman coming over and taking her by the hand.

"Come on, Summer, don't start bugging other people for drinks. Sorry about her..."

The blonde pouts and hesitantly latches onto the woman's arm, walking with her and babbling incoherently.

"... I was NOT, I was just telling her about..." she trails off.

Scratching the back of your head, you bring your attention back to the woman on stage. She seems to be finishing up.

" ... always wanted something more from my body, and said you needed something more from my loving; but all you got was me, and that's all I can be. I'm sorry if it let you down."

Gorgeous singers in sparkling white dresses back her up as she reaches a crescendo, closing her eyes and smiling brightly as she continues to sing.

" ...But I'm not gunna sit around and waste my precious divine energy trying to explain and being ashamed of what you think is wrong with me. I'm not gunna sit around and waste my precious divine energy trying to explain and being ashamed of what you think is wrong with me..."

The music fades out, and soft applause fills the room, as well as a few whistles from what seems like mainly the female demographic. She stands up and gives a few waves to the audience, sharing a few words with the crew on stage before walking off with a shot glass in her hand. You find yourself reluctant to pull your eyes off of her; her eyes briefly flicker over to you, her icy green eyes full of life and pulling you in the more you stare. Her grin is bright and warm, and she looks away seconds later; but even that small moment seemed like a few minutes at least.

You find yourself squirming in place with nervous energy. Your heart is beating a little harder, and you'd be lying to yourself if you didn't find her a little bit attractive- her eccentric appearance sticks out far more than any of the guys in the club, certainly. You stand on your tiptoes to get more of a look at her, but your heart sinks as she walks into what looks like her office and shuts the door. Maybe more luck will be had if you leave the crowd and go to the bar, you think to yourself.

The bar is far less populated than the area surrounding the stage, and it doesn't take very long until the air is filled with dense synth and heavy basslines again. You ask for a drink, preferably one that leaves you sober enough to coherently call your friends for a ride home.

The next hour is very... uneventful. You idly mess around on your phone and start to feel a bit self-conscious from the lack of interaction. You had braced yourself from some sort of gross advances from unattractive men, but it seems like the stereotype you built up in your head surrounding nightclubs and bars is entirely absent here. Even with the thumping of people jumping up and down and dancing just small distance from you, the entire atmosphere seems far more calm and relaxed, almost as if it was carefully manipulated that way. The music and exterior brought in a crowd that seems more accustomed to raves, but the interior was well-decorated, warmly lit between performances, and only seemed to have the high, pent up energy associated with most nightclubs dependent on who was on stage.

Right when you're about to get up and leave, you feel a heavy weight sit down next to you, setting a glass on the bar. You look to your left and see the singer from earlier, and she looks back at you and smiles.

Your heart skips a beat, and seeing her this close makes you realize how absolutely huge she is. She completely dwarfs you in size; she's at least a foot taller than you, maybe more, and you can see the vague but firm outline of muscle under her sleeves. The woman has an almost ghostly, ethereal beauty to her. Her whole form seems to shine as if a spotlight was placed on her wherever she went, and her silver hair sparkles like it, too. You can hear her talking, but you're so wrapped up in just looking at her and absorbing every detail it just seems to fade out and pass your ears. Her green eyes are full of life, but unusually light and almost sorrowful. They bring back the nostalgia of slow, rainy days long past, and you can't seem to place why. Her lips are a delicate and pale pink, and naturally, curve into a warm smile; you can't imagine seeing her frown. Not to mention how soft they look, like you could just lean in and...

"Woah there, hun."

You notice as she was talking you had gotten far closer, and you were inches away from falling out of your chair and into her arms. Big, warm, strong arms that could...

Shaking your head, you look up at her and feel your face light up with embarrassment. She gives you a sympathetic smile, laughing softly.

"If you keep that up, you're gunna fall you know. A sign you've drunk too much, or far too little." she teases, biting her tongue at you and chuckling. She turns to the bartender, tapping the glossy wood of the bar. "The usual for me, please. And for the pretty lady..." she trails off, looking at you and smirking. "I'm going to guess something small, or a seltzer. She looks like she needs to get herself home, but I'll let her order for herself. It's on me, though."

"What about my drink, Sara?"

A heavy, booming voice sounds behind the two of you, and you whip your head behind you to see probably the biggest man you've ever seen in your entire life. He's heavyset, though most of it looks like muscle and his beard would make a mall Santa jealous. You jolt as the woman slams her fist on the table sharply, getting up suddenly and staring the man down intensely. The atmosphere gets far more tense in a matter of seconds, and the sparse amount of people at the bar have their eyes glued to the encounter.

Seconds pass like hours as they glare at each other, before the two of them suddenly burst into laughter, play punching the other in the shoulder.

"Yeah, okay. Get this big bastard a Shirley Temple. Extra grenadine."

"Oh, Sara, how did you know?" he says in a patronizing sing-song. "You know me so well!" he continues, flicking his gaze to you and grinning.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it, come on, shoo." she quickly says, waving her hand. "We got new blood here, I don't want your ass scaring her off."

"Fine, but you owe me an actual drink for not cockblo--"

He stops once he sees the stare the woman is giving him, laughing and walking off.

"Sorry about that." she says, her voice becoming far more quiet and soft when speaking with you. "Don't pay attention to him, he likes giving everyone trouble."

You fiddle with your skirt as she takes a drink, a bit nervous but wanting to actually say something to her. As you open your mouth and begin to speak, she does so as well, and you both look at each other and blush lightly.

"Sorry, you first." she says.

"Mm... your name is Sara?"

"That's right. Sara Reighs. I'm the owner of the club, but don't let that intimidate you. It's just a side business, really. What's your name, sweetheart?"

You tell her your name, and her smile widens.

"That's a pretty one. I like it. A lot."

Sara keeps you company at the bar. She seems to easily notice how nervous you are and manages to hold up the conversation rather easily when you don't know what to say. It's not long before you're smiling and laughing with her. She practically oozes charisma, seamlessly linking one line of thought to the next, stringing you along the conversation easily, and you start to hang on every pause she makes, savoring everytime she speaks. Her voice is smooth, rich, and wonderfully pleasant to listen to. It feels like you could both be put to sleep and roused into ecstasy by her words alone.

You find yourself lingering a long while on the last thought, and it takes a while before you realize it and come to your senses again. When you do, she's still chattering calmly as nothing had happened. After a small pause in her speech, she looks at you; but the look is a bit different. It's a bit more... heated is the only word that comes to mind.

"I'm sorry, I've been talking for quite a while here. Pardon me if this comes across as tasteless, but do you happen to have, ah... a boyfriend?" she asks, and it's probably the only time you've heard her even slightly nervous.

You tell her no, not anymore. You spare her the details.

She offers a soft, empathetic smile, nodding her head.

"Well, I hate to be blunt; I'd genuinely prefer to be far more subtle about things, but I'm pressured on time right now and sort of lost myself talking to you- as much of a pleasure as it's been. Would you like to come with me to my office? It's much more... private."

The last word rolls off of her tongue with a sultry tone, and it sends a shiver up your spine. You had expected some sort of sexual advance from someone tonight, but you had no idea it would be so... wanted. You nod your head, biting your lip and pressing your legs together.

She smirks and grabs your hand, helping you out of your seat and leading you towards a room just for the two of you.

Once you reach her office, she closes and locks the door behind her, immediately flicking her hair back and unbuttoning the outer jacket of her suit and flinging it haphazardly off to the side. She loosens her tie, sitting down on the plush couch to the side of the room and beckoning you towards her. You approach nervously, but you see nothing but reassurance in her gaze, like the woman you've only just met already absolutely adores you.

Sara takes your hand for a moment and eases you down onto the couch beside her, talking quickly as she undresses. "I feel I should say, I'm just undressing already because I want to get down to it as soon as possible. If you'd like to leave, if you don't want to get involved with me, I completely understand. I'd like to tell you, though, this will only be what you want it to be. If you want to be a small fling and nothing else, we can leave at that. If you want this to be a lasting thing, well... I'd be happy to oblige."

You shake your head, nervously smiling. You tell her that you definitely want to do this; you're already getting giddy just thinking about doing something so in the moment- especially with a girl, of all people.

She giggles, taking off her inner shirt, leaving her in a tank-top and her white suit pants. You stare in awe at her skin; pale, and toned, arms and legs that she could easily break a person with. It makes the way she's been touching you so softly make you feel all the more surprising and warming.

With nothing further to say, she pushes her lips onto yours, leading you with practiced movements underneath her, laying on top of you. Her tongue easily slides past your lips and runs over yours, your eyes fluttering open and closed as you give in to her dominant advance. Her fingers skillfully unbutton your blouse, exposing your torso's skin to the air as she unhooks your bra and tosses it to the side just as quickly. You shake and shiver underneath the comforting weight and warmth of her body pressed so tightly against yours, the firmness of her abdomen sticking out in particular against your soft belly.

You whimper as she slowly pulls her lips from yours, flicking her hair back again as she sits up while straddling your waist. She smiles down at you, briefly mouthing the word "beautiful" while staring down at your chest. Your face reddens up considerably, and it doesn't go unnoticed by her. She places her hands on your breasts and smirks, thumbs rolling along your nipples in gentle circles, occasionally bringing in her index finger to squeeze and tug them very gently, eliciting a pitiful, needy whimper from your lips that heat your entire body up with embarrassment. Sara lays back down on you, mouth by your ear as she whispers in a sultry voice to you.

"I'm going to make you mine tonight. Every inch of you will belong to me, every noise you make mine to hear, and every bit of your mind consumed by thoughts of me. Are we clear?" she asks firmly, her dirty talk punctuated by the rather cute visual of her absentmindedly tucking a strand of her long hair behind her ear.

You nod ecstatically with a grin on your face, cooing with pleased surprise as she stuffs her face into your neck, leaving soft kisses and sharp bites across it. You squirm, but doing so only rubs your bodies more firmly together.

"Good girl."

Heat and moisture build in your crotch, and you moan desperately for release. This also doesn't go unnoticed; Sara's hand runs down your body, flips your skirt up, and slides into your panties. Her fingertips graze across your slit, dancing and sliding across it rhythmically. It feels good, but it's not nearly enough to satisfy the aching desire you feel; you have a feeling Sara knows this. She pulls back from your neck and her smirk widens as she catches the pitiable, needy look on your face.

She pulls her hand away and gets up, snapping her fingers and pointing away. "You. On my desk. Now."

You nod without a word, getting up quickly and sitting on her desk.

"L-Like this?"

Sara shakes her head, pushing you on your back, and pulling you by the legs towards her. She reaches up your skirt pulls your panties down and off your legs, dropping them on the ground. She sits down on her desk chair, pulling you closer and closer until you feel her breath start to roll up your legs. You gasp in surprise as she places your legs on her shoulders, elevating your body ever so slightly. She rests her head between your thighs, raising it enough so you can see her nigh predatory grin.

"Pardon me for the intrusion."

Before you can respond, she places her lips tightly against your slit, letting out a satisfied hum. Her eyes close, and you let your head relax backward as she begins to pepper your nether-lips with kiss after kiss. The sensation is warm and pleasant; not too intense, just a soft, loving pressure. Each delicate kiss leaves a tingling sensation in its absence, and she waits just enough time before each one to make you feel antsy and squirm a bit for the next.

She laughs quietly, heated breath pouring across your quivering pussy.

"You're so cute. The way you tremble so needily for me... I adore it."

You open your mouth to vocalize something, anything, but all that comes out is a sheepish whimper. She giggles, looking into your eyes with a half-lidded stare as she presses her hot, wet tongue against your slit. The tip digs in a bit, and she trails it upwards slowly.

"Mine."

As the final word leaves her lips, she closes her eyes and presses in deeper, causing you to tremble and shake as her tongue pushes into you. She parts your folds, but only for a moment, pulling her tongue back and chuckling. "Sorry, just checking something... for later."

Sara lowers her hands from your shins slowly, traveling down your thighs and softly running the tips of her fingers along them. As she does, she drags her tongue along each of the sides of your heated lips, letting out a pleased sigh as she does. The presses the entirety of her hands against your thighs now, squeezing them lovingly as she tilts her head up and pushing her lips against your clitoris in a tender kiss.

You feel your thighs trembling in her grasp, waves of pleasure rolling through your body like waves. Every time she kisses or licks you, you feel everything fade away into the background. You forget that you're in her office, on her desk over time, simply moaning and whimpering under her unrelenting stimulation.

You lose track of time, your mind fogging up and going blank as a familiar pressure builds up inside you. You can hear yourself getting louder and louder, mindlessly moaning and calling her name over and over. Now and then you can faintly hear her calling your name back and giggling; though you can't clearly make out what it is she's saying, her voice is unfairly smooth, and the way she says it is incredibly soothing. You catch yourself smiling happily and starting to laugh as she continues onward, the pressure of your oncoming orgasm building more and more each passing second.

"S-Sa--" you start, but Sara hushes you.

"Miss Reighs. We're in my office now, and you owe me the proper respect." she teases.

You pout, but you can't help but bite your lip at the idea of furthering your submissiveness to her.

"M-Miss Reighs, I'm getting clossssse..." you say weakly, the last syllable dragging off into a fluttery little moan.

"I know. Go ahead, darling. You've been a good girl, you deserve it." she giggles, squeezing your thighs harder and swirling her tongue in tight circles around your clit.

The extra bit of stimulation pushes you over the edge, and a heavy rush of a pleasure rocks you to your very core. You squirm and shake as Sara smiles down at your face and smiles proudly, letting you ride out your blissful climax against her tongue. Every twitch and shake of your hips push you against her lips, and she simply kisses it in response. You pant and squeal with delight, and she doesn't let up for a moment.

It takes a while to come down, and you can keep track of whether you've cum once or three times in the span of you needily pushing against her lips.

".... there's a good girl, relax.... good girl..." you hear her whisper, finally able to make out what she's been saying. She gently moves your legs off of her shoulders and scoops you up off of her desk, laying you down on her plush couch.

You weakly open your eyes and see her straightening herself up in a mirror near the door, stretching a bit. As you watch, you realize you can't vividly remember the last time you had been on the receiving end of oral. Or at least, nothing quite as... spectacular as whatever just happened.

"Was that your first time getting eaten out by a girl?" she asks, crossing her arms and sighing out as she continues to stretch. "Eh, doesn't matter I guess. As long as you enjoyed it."

She walks over to you and sits down, quietly running her fingers through your hair, grabbing one of your hands and placing a kiss on it. "Rest up all you need, sweetheart. I'll be right back."

You murmur contently in response, curling up as she puts on her suit jacket and walks back outside, locking the door behind her so you can rest in peace.

Everything is so quiet in her office, and you feel yourself nodding off slowly as you wait for her to come back. Without consciously realizing it, you fall asleep...

[marauder--harder]

Caramel Kissed- A Submitted Imagine

​A/N: This is an absolute gem that someone had submitted to me earlier today. I hope you all loved it as much as I did!! Thank you so much, anon. It was awesome! 

Remus was once again at his favorite candy store and as soon as him and his parents walked in, the boy went straight to the chocolate aisle. it was the week before Hogwarts and he wanted to stock on his favorite muggle chocolates as well as get some new ones to try. His eyes scanned the bars and he got some of his well known ones, quickly glancing through some he hadn’t seen yet. Some names caught his attention and he selected a few more, being careful not to go overboard otherwise his mother would never allow him to continue with this habit. 

Honestly Lupin was lucky his mom even let him keep such a vast collection of sweets, but who can say no to a boy who studied so hard and asked for nothing else in return? Thank Merlin she never got to know about the trouble he got in with the marauders otherwise he was sure he would never be allowed even a little candy ever again in his life. 

Remus had his brows furrowed, settling on a final choice between a vanilla or a mint flavored one as he was startled by an unfamiliar voice beside him. “Oh no, you don’t wanna be getting these!” Lupin looked up from his bars and was met with the sight of a beautiful girl. she had (h/c) (h/l) hair and (e/c) eyes, was dressed in a comfy outfit and had a very eye catching bracelet on her wrist, and while she was talking excitedly about her own sweet preferences, the boy couldn’t help but be completely distracted by her smile. 

He noticed that the girl had stopped talking and cursed himself mentally for not paying attention, not to mention he was sure that he looked like a fool with his dumbfounded expression and slightly open mouth. 

“Sorry?” was all that he managed to say, to which the mysterious girl giggled (a perfect sound, he must say) “I said that those you got are all artificial with no flavor, if you’re looking for something good,” she had a side smile and huge blush on her cheeks by now. 

“You should get these caramel ones, they’re just as sweet as you seem to be.” 

She smiled shyly before handing him the bar and returning to her friends side to leave the store. Meanwhile, Remus could only stay frozen in place with burning hot cheeks hating himself for not even asking her name. 

 As soon as he got home, he wrote his friends telling them about the beautiful girl he had met at the store and they instantly wrote him back beaming. Sirius called him a ladies man to which he laughed quite loudly and James just couldn’t get enough teasing about the whole ‘sweet as you’ interaction. They were quick to make all kinds of questions about her and were all equally disappointed when Remus said he had nothing more. All he had was her face, a bar of caramel chocolate and a huge crush. 

 The week passed quickly, it was already time to return to Hogwarts, and for the first time Remus wasn’t excited. As silly as it seemed, he couldn’t forget the girl’s face and he even tried returning to the store in the hopes of meeting her again but with no luck. Going to Hogwarts meant he had no chance at all to find her again and by the next summer she would’ve probably forgotten him already. Not that she would want to speak to him again, he thought, and the more he thought about how he probably meant nothing more than a playful flirt to her, the sourest his mood got. 

He met his friends and as soon as they saw him they knew something was wrong. 

“Ooh, the sweet Moony isn’t looking so sweet this morning” Sirius teased in a sing song voice, and while they all laughed, Remus resigned to just sighing sadly. 

“Please don’t tell me you’re still thinking about that girl! it’s just a silly crush Moony, you’ll be fine!” Peter tried to comfort him but it sounded more like a mock than anything. 

Sirius agreed, “Wormtail is right, besides there are plenty of ladies out there and I’m sure more than one likes chocolate.” 

Padfoot was a ladies man and so far had never had a girl mess with him like that and Peter, well, he just had better things to focus on. James was the only one to shoot him a sympathetic look and Remus knew that it was because he was head over heels over Lily Evans and probably knew what he must be feeling right now. For that he was immensely grateful. 

The first few weeks at school were uneventful, just the same routine of fooling around with his friends, trying to keep up with his good student reputation and surviving the full moon. The routine and the books Remus focused on made a great job of keeping his mind occupied but whenever he was alone he found himself thinking of that caramel chocolate bar from which he ate a piece every time he missed her, which was quite a lot. It had been almost three months by the time something changed.

The Marauders were all at Hogsmeade, at Honeydukes to be more precise because James had the brilliant idea that he was going to buy a thousand chocolate frogs if that’s what he needed to fill his card collection, and well, were they even good friends if they didn’t encourage him on his terrible decisions?

The place was absolutely crowded, people everywhere trying to get their hands on the new things, and that’s why Remus wasn’t sure of himself when, amongst the hands, he saw her bracelet. He stopped paying attention on his friends and focused on the group where he had seen it and as soon as she turned her head to the side to talk to one of her friends he knew. 

It was her. 

His heart started beating faster and his friends must have noticed where his focus was at, because before he knew James gave him a random chocolate bar and was placing an encouraging hand on his shoulder, to which Remus responded with a nervous nod while beginning to make his way towards her. 

He felt like giving up midway. What if she was seeing someone else? What if she didn’t even remember him? Remus gulped slightly and swallowed his nervousness, deciding that even if nothing came out of that, at least he would know her name. He straightened his clothes and as he got close to the girl, her friends exchanged giggles and whispers and made their way to another part of the store to leave them alone. She noticed that and turned around, and when she saw him, she gave him the most sincere smile Remus had ever seen. He nervously smiled back to her. 

“I loved the chocolate you gave me,” he started kinda awkwardly but trying to build up his confidence, “mind giving me your opinion on this one?” He showed her the chocolate bar James had given him a few moments before and mentally reminded himself to thank his friend later. 

“I’m Remus by the way” he added with a side smile to which she eagerly responded. 

 “Well Remus,” she started and he swore his heart could explode from just the way she said his name, “I’m (y/n) and,” she got the bar that he had handed her and seemed to be seriously analyzing the boy’s choice before talking again “I’m afraid this one isn’t really good either and I’m afraid I have nothing to offer you today…” his heart immediately broke, Remus was already hating himself because of course she wanted nothing to do with him and of course she was just trying to be nice and why did he even think this was a good idea in the first place? 

But (y/n) interrupted his thoughts by continuing. “But maybe you can go out with me next weekend and we can try to find you something else?” 

Remus stared at her face in disbelief and now she looked just as nervous as he was feeling. He eagerly nodded to which she responded with a relieved sigh. 

“I would love that, yes” he offered. 

 “It’s a date then!” (y/n) said excitedly and as they started talking about date and time of their meeting they got more and more comfortable with each other. 

They didn’t even noticed that hours had gone by until they announced that it was time to go back to Hogwarts. The pair walked together up until the point where they would have to go separate ways to reunite with their respective group of friends, who of course, were completely focused on them. 

 “So…” (y/n) nervously twirled her (h/c) locks in her fingers, “see you next weekend?” Remus nodded and as she leaned forward to say goodbye, a random burst of confidence got the best of him and he gave (y/n) a short and quick kiss. She didn’t react automatically and that was enough to send him to a panic. 

“I’m so, so sorry (y/n) I don’t know what got over me, oh Merlin I have ruined everything…” 

His rambling was cut short by (y/n) placing her lips on his, this time pulling him into a long tender kiss. They broke away after a while, both blushing messes smiling at each other. 

“You know…” she started, “now that I think about it I believe that I will have a hard time, because not even the sweetness of the caramels can do you justice.” She added and offered another one of those giggles that Remus would easily give all his lifetime chocolate supply for before waving and returning to her group of friends, leaving Remus Lupin with a newfound sweet obsession.