#not quite like a wedding photo but the same idea

[demonprince26]

They definitely have this picture hanging up in their house or on their nightstands.💙💚

[rockethorse]

The basegame wedding dress has a pregnancy morph??

[neverthebabysitter]

Adding to this post, imagine them being famous in the future.

Eddie becoming a rising star as soon as he gets out of Hawkins, his band corroded coffin entering the music scene and having massively popular songs. People are getting more intrigue for his past murder charges, but he gets easily defended once he gets a solid fan base (and the fact that he was absolved of those charges).

And Steve entering the acting scene at the same time, him and Robin being just some extras in a movie for the extra cash, but the director falls in love with the sibling-like duo, making them a cameo where Steve acts like a buffer, making the male character jealous so he can make a move.

It was a simple role, just a few minutes of screen with one-liners of dialogue, but to the surprise of everybody—except for Robin—Steve killed the role. Maybe it was his eyes that enamored everyone, his kicked puppy look or his smile, but he became the nation's sweetheart. 

After that, he got cast for more minor roles, and little by little established himself as an actor, to the point of being the lead more frequently. 

With that, the two of them are well established in their own fields, working hard and being well-known. So it's not rare that at some point they end up in the same event.

It could be anything, a festival, some awards, just a party of famous people—the point is, they are in a public space, surrounded by people that have no idea they know each other, and like an instinct, they act like swore enemies.

Their minds are so used to associate:

"being in public" + "hide true relationship and have fun" = "fake hate each other"

Becuase years of pulling that stunt in their teenagehood that like reflex they spit second-hand insults. 

Like– they lock eyes on each other and instantly looked up and down in the bitchiest way possible. Honestly, at this point it has become their own weird way of flirting, the more vicious the comment the more they will drive the other crazy.

Of course, neither of them realize what they were doing until they both were making out in the bathroom, squirreling away from the vent, going to the closest hotel and waking up the next day with friends/acquaintances from their own jobs field asking for the latest gossip of the industry.

The way Robin would laugh her ass off, only to act like a toddler, pointing fingers and giggling at the two dinguses when they realize what they have done.

It was not intentional, and now everyone who was in the event thinks they hate each other's guts like old times.

The public doesn’t know yet, the reporters still not hearing about this until well-respected journalist, Nancy Wheeler (who has already written about each of them, one for Eddie and one for Steve), makes an article about their long complicated story.

(No, she isn't being petty, Mike, she just thinks it’s funny, and it’s not like she is lying, they do have a long and complicated story, it’s just a little to the left, she just isn't saying some things)

The next time someone interviews one of them, they are asking about the other, why they hate each other, if there’s some drama, why they didn't know they knew the other, etc.

Long story short, they pulled the same bit they did in school, but now by accident and to the whole country (and the world when they start getting more international).

They tried to clarify but fell on deaf ears, people thinking is just to safe face or keep appearances, after all the habit doesn’t quite go and they always ended up flirting with insults in every event they are together.

They definitely start to enjoying it and play along after a while.

Not only that, but they enjoyed it even more when years later, in a random day, they posted their X years wedding anniversary photos with their family.

Everyone lost their shit after that.

[holmesianlove]

Chapter 6 - Snowflake

After a long interview with wife number two, a follow up interview with the best friend (who also happened to know spouse three - the husband) and a visit to a restaurant in the neighbouring town which had been the source of many of the victim’s dates and dealings, John and Sherlock found themselves walking back towards Baker Street. The tube had been delayed due to track works and there was not a cab in sight, so an evening stroll was in order.

“The husband seems genuinely devastated,” John said. “At least according to the friend’s account. But how does one sit comfortably with knowing two of the spouses and not… Do you really believe she didn’t know?”

Sherlock walked for a moment, quiet in thought. “It’s possible.”

“Possible but not likely,” John scoffed. “Do you think the victim seems the type to get married without an audience or without at least a photo?”

“Plenty of people in this world don’t feel the need to document their every meal and bowel movement, like some do,” Sherlock retorted.

“No. I agree but their wedding?” John argued. “Do you think they each married the same man, two of them also shared the same supposed best friend without ever knowing there was a connection to the very same man?”

Sherlock stopped walking to look at his friend. “I think there’s a great many things friends don’t really know about each other. Don’t you?” he asked. He gave John a probing look.

Something had been bothering John for days. It seemed apparent - when he was green - that the source of his frustration lay in the predicament he has been in thanks to his irresponsible flatmate and friend. However, as the colour faded from his skin, and as the case became more intriguing, it only seemed to irritate John further.

“What’s really bothering you, John?” Sherlock finally asked.

“What? Nothing. No.” John glanced up at Sherlock and then at his feet.

“You haven’t been yourself all week.”

“I was green remember, Sherlock?” he replied.

“You haven’t been green for days, John.” Sherlock levelled a look at him. “This case has really bothered you.”

“I just think marriage is more sacred. More special. It should be shared with the one person that means the entire world to you. It should be about committing to the one person who understands you and loves you despite all your flaws.” John swallowed hard.

“Did I miss a memo? Did the government send a decree? Is that not what it is now?” Sherlock asked.

“He married four people!” John cried out.

“But why does that make you angry?” Sherlock pressed.

“I don’t know. Some people are never lucky enough to have that. We all grow up instinctively expecting to find the one. Assuming that at some point the planets will align but it’s not actually true is it?” John said bitterly. “Sometimes that doesn’t happen and people end up alone all the time, yet we still behave as if we will eventually find our way there.” He sighed heavily. “I’m old now. And I’m certainly not getting any closer to meeting the kind of person who would…”

Sherlock held up a hand to stop him talking. He looked towards the sky. “It’s snowing.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” John huffed. “It’s too early for snow.”

“And yet,” Sherlock began.

He was going to argue with John about the weather but he didn’t need to. A large snowflake fell from the sky and landed on John’s cheek, right beside his nose. It was crisp and beautiful and sat there against the skin without the slightest sign of melting. Sherlock couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face.

John looked at Sherlock, his eyes widening at the realisation and then tried to looked down at it. His eyes began to cross as he looked down and Sherlock had to try hard not the laugh. It was quite simply adorable. He wished he could read John’s mind, wished he could understand what John was thinking, why he was so angry about this case.

John was so important to him, always had been, always would be but it pained him to see John grappling with the idea of being alone, as if he didn’t recognise that Sherlock was right in front of him.

Sherlock reached down and lay his palm on John’s cheek. John froze in surprise, his eyes searching Sherlock’s in confusion, completely unsure what was happening.

Sherlock looked at John’s face. At all of it. The beautiful shade of blue of his eyes, lost and searching for meaning in Sherlock’s behaviour, his blonde grey mix of hair scruffed up from all the activity of the day, with more snowflakes also balancing precariously at the front, threatening to add to the one perfect snowflake on his inner cheek. His jacket was all askew and it took a lot of self control from Sherlock to only make this one move. He knew he had one opportunity and then John was likely to bolt in fright. There was something about men together that panicked him.

“John—“ he said so very gently and he allowed himself the slightest lifting of a smile on his lips as John closed his eyes.

The sound of his name said so gently, clearly elicited a response from John - whether he would acknowledge it later or not. By the time he had opened his eyes again, Sherlock had returned his expression to a neutral, passive gaze. But now, he used his thumb to gently wipe back and forth over the delicate skin beside John’s nose, where the snowflake had landed, his thumb accepting the cold ice and collecting against his skin instead, removing it from John’s cheek.

John closed his eyes again and the most delicious little blush rose on his cheeks that delighted Sherlock.

“Mmmm?” He hummed in question so softly, Sherlock wasn’t sure he had made the noise at all.

“Come on, let’s go home,” Sherlock suggested quietly. He couldn’t help taking one last look at John’s flushed face before walking on ahead. The moment safely catalogued in his mind palace to enjoy later.

——

Thank you for following along! Let me know if you want to be tagged

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[it-happened-one-fic]

Bridal Visions: Photoshoot #1. - Mondstadt Bridal - Rain or Shine

Summary:    Modeling bridal clothes with Kaeya, of all people, for the well known designer of Fontaine’s Chioriya Boutique was bound to be an experience to say the least. Especially when you weren’t even a model. The overcast weather that threatened rain really just added to the mix.

Type: Female reader/ 800 Followers Event/ series/ sfw/ fluff/ flirtation

Bridal Visions Series Masterlist

Word Count: 1220

I glanced over, my eyes meeting Kaeya’s almost immediately, and I felt myself frown as a grin crept across his face.

Though, to be fair, this was the third time I’d furtively glanced his way.

But, in my defense, I wasn’t used to seeing him in a suit. Much less a white one with a blue rose tucked into his pocket that made him so obviously look like a groom for some lucky bride.

But then this was a photo shoot of a pair of bridal clothes with him as the groom and me as the bride, and both of us all dressed in white.

I had to fight the urge to not make a face at him as I turned to look back at the two women in front of us. One was the designer of our current clothes, Chiori. The other was the photographer. Charlotte, I believed her name was.

Both stared at us with differing levels of analytical expressions, and I felt myself shifting awkwardly.

We’d already tried several different poses that had apparently come out unsatisfactorily. Though whether that was specifically our fault or the fact that it was getting steadily darker and more overcast remained unseen.

It was enough to make me even more uncomfortable modeling wedding clothes, of all things, with Kaeya when I wasn’t even a model.

I was just the person Traveler had picked to recommend to this designer alongside Kaeya.

For some unknown reason.

“Nervous?” Kaeya had barely leaned over, but I nodded at his far-too-amused-sounding whisper readily.

“Unfortunately, I’m not a natural at posing like you are,” I heard him snort slightly at my sarcasm, and out of my peripheral vision, I could see him shake his head.

After a brief moment though, I followed his gaze to the darkening skies overhead that promised rain, “Of course that sky is also worrying….”

I glanced back over at Kaeya at about the same time he looked my way, matching my stare with an amused expression paired with a life of his shoulder in a half-shrug, “Rain’s supposed to be good luck at a wedding.”

I rolled my eyes at his teasing tone, “Not for a photo shoot though.”

I looked back over to the two women, who were now frowning at the photos we’d already taken. Obviously discussing the rejected pictures and what to do next.

I could hear snatches of their conversation. Enough to make me curious.

“...quit smirking.”

“...obviously have good chemistry.”

“.....were recommended by Traveler…..”

My nose wrinkled as I felt the first drop of water hit me, and Chiori let out a sigh almost immediately.

“Umbrellas,” She called in a tired-sounding voice, and someone came rushing over with umbrellas in tow, causing my eyebrows to lift at exactly how quickly her response came.

But then, even with just the short amount of time I’d worked with her, Chiori didn’t strike me as a woman to be trifled with.

But even she couldn’t control the weather,

“I guess that’s it for our photoshoot,” I glanced over at Kaeya with a half-smile as I accepted an umbrella from one of the men with a soft thank you, but he shook his head. Taking the umbrella from me and opening it over our heads in one smooth, flowing motion.

“I wouldn’t say that. We just need to make use of this. After all, you know what they say. Rain or shine…” I blinked at his words as he grinned at me before turning to look over at the photographer.

“If you ladies don’t mind, I have an idea for our picture,” At his call, both the photographer and Chiori looked over. One with slightly widened eyes and Chiori with raised eyebrows even as I tapped Kaeya’s arm.

“Kaeya… What are you doing?” My words were hushed but perfectly urgent as I looked at him.

I felt myself frown at the way he grinned over at me and winked before looking back towards Chiori, who finally shrugged, “Go ahead then.” 

She gestured our way lightly, and Kaeya nodded with a grin before looking my way, “Can you laugh on command?”

 I felt my eyebrows arch at his hushed question, and I crossed my arms even as I grinned at him, “Realistically? Doubtful.” I paused, tilting my head at him before as I continued with a spreading smile, “I’m sure you can manage to whip some sort of joke to amuse me if you really need me to laugh though.”

He chuckled at my teasing, giving a slight shrug as he adjusted his hold on the umbrella so that it better covered both of us, “I always have felt more effective in the rain.”

I outright snorted at his words, largely ignoring the way he wrapped his arm loosely around my waist, “That’s just because you have a cryo vision.”

He frowned at me in faux-disappointment, but I could clearly see the glimmer of his dark blue eye as he held my gaze, shaking his head slightly, “And here I always thought I looked good drenched in rain.”

I laughed aloud. Throwing my head back slightly and dramatizing the motion for the sake of the picture even as I laughed freely. Kaeya, for his part, tugged me closer. The motion causing the short, loose sleeves of the gown to flutter around my arms.

And even without looking, I knew he was grinning at me like a fiend as I rested my palms on his chest and let laughter come bubbling out of me even as I straightened to look towards him..

Distantly, I heard the shutter of the camera click as the photographer took our picture as my gaze met Kaeya’s and he grinned back at me smugly.

“One thing about our little job here, I know when we get back to Mondstadt I’m going to get to make all of the guys at the Knights of Favonius jealous with these pictures,” Kaeya winked at me as he spoke softly. Half-whispering his teasing words even as he let go of my waist and stepped back as I shook my head at him fondly.

“Not as jealous as I’ll get to make all the ladies buy flowers at Flora’s,” He grinned at my hushed words even as I turned to look towards Chiori, only to find her nodding her head approvingly.

She looked up, her eyes found us almost immediately as she looked away from the camera that no doubt displayed a picture of me and Kaeya together, “It looks good. Great job. I’ll send your payment and a copy of the image through the Adventurer’s guild.”

We both nodded at her words before turning to go, even as I quietly wondered exactly what our picture looked like since it had at long last been approved.

At the very least I would get to see it, though I wasn't sure if I was going to look forward to that or dread it.

Kaeya adjusted the umbrella's position over us before he held out his arm to me with a grin that had me snorting slightly even as I looped my arm through his and walked back to where we were going to change back into our normal clothes.

The perfect image of a bridal couple walking away from the venue in the rain.

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[aures-fantasy-nook]

okay so i just had this idea. Harry with a Hufflepuff reader and she loves to take pictures. Like polaroids. Of everything. And there's candid pictures of him in a chunky sweater and stupid smile like kaknsnenejh

omg okay i never saw this but this is so cute! thank you anon!!

also i have another request im going to be working on soon :3

Harry Potter with H!s/o who loves taking pictures

I feel like before he even approached you he liked to see you walk around taking pictures of things

seeing you laughing with friends while trying to get them to pose in Hogsmeade

he loved how you wanted to document your happy moments

so when yall got together for real he knew you probably wanted to take pictures of him and stuff

didnt know how much

i feel like Harry is kind of camera shy

like he sees the camera pointing at him and he forgets how to smile

because of this he notices you start to take candid photos

he sees them laying around like "i remember this moment but when tf did you take my picture"

sometimes will do the same to you

likes to take photos of you while you read or work on things

theres plenty of photos of you in pajamas laying around

i feel like theres also moving photos of you reaching for the camera back, your smile widening as Harry backs up laughing

the adoration on your face at that moment

a lot of selfies of the two of you

sometimes you sneak up on him and will snap a selfie

theres also quite a few photos of the whole group

if were talking hogwarts days then you often give him a ton of moving photos for holidays

like over the summer you constantly send him letters with photos in them so he doesnt feel so alone

you probably also go to the burrow for christmas and they love that you take pictures

molly is all over it

she wants copies of them so she can make a scrapbook

honestly she probably is working on gifts for your wedding already

[joosthead]

I'm sorry for my disappearance. I didn't mean to be gone for so long. I sent an ask after you replied to my first one, but I guess the ask box ate it. 😅

In my head, I also imagined them as a one and done couple, but I love this so much more.

I was right!!!!! Lil Laurens was already there and they had no idea ❤️. Too precious 🥹. Now I imagine all of their friends doing the math after they announce the pregnancy soon after they got married and going 🧐🤔❓️⁉️

They got married in Friesland?!?!? Stop it!!! I love that so much. I imagine an impromptu "Just Married" photo shoot in various fields and landmarks in the area. Maybe taking place at some of Joost's old stomping grounds from when he was young.

Also I looked it up because I was curious and courthouse weddings are a thing in The Netherlands!!!

I love the names you picked out for the kids!!! Juna has to be my favorite.🩷 They sound like little angels I'm sure. 😇😇/j 😈😈 heheh I love the thought of Joost and Reader being like "We need to be an united front against the kids! It's 2 on 2. We can maintain order." then at the same time being like "What if we have one more?? On purpose this time." (I assume lol)

Yessss. Girl dad Joost also makes so much sense to be.

Juna sounds like all she has to do is bat her white eyelashes at her papa and she'll get away with anything. I cannot wait for the father daughter(s) dynamic between Joost and Juna and later, Sanne. Also mother son between Reader and Laurens.

What is the dynamic between Laurens and Juna with Sanne? How did they handle having a new baby sister?

"trust when you guys see the rest of normal au it will literally be such a surprise with even more future information" - WHAT DOES THIS MEAN!?!?!? Tell me what you know!!! I need to know!!! 😫

I'm so excited to see what you have planned especially after seeing the state of their relationship in the snippet you posted. I love all the glimpses throughout time.

Your response to my latest ask made me so happy after an awful couple of days due to you know what happening. 😮‍💨 Thank you for that. - family anon (I feel so special. I have my own tag now :3 )

family anon ... i am so very sorry i didn't respond to this sooner </33

the ask box ate the first one but this one is definitely on me!!!! i mustve read this in the middle of my school haze and responded to it in my head </333 completely my bad!! it has been quite a while my friend </3 i hope o see more asks from you because i love your mind so so much !!!!

and i also love talking about family era normal au (also any era normal au tbh but especially family au because i don't see myself writing any formally written fic for this part of their lives :')))) unless....??)

rpf ahead do not read if anti-rpf, dni if anti-rpf

they were soooo so surprised but also not surprised considering ... for your troubles i will literally just outline how it is in my head... i feel like after everything that has...happened in 2024 with their lives (if you know what i mean) reader decides to take months off of work to travel with joosti for europapa tour :''')

because im crazy and self inserty they conceive in LA the night of the first LA show (because thats my show yerrr) and then find out in july-augustish!! LA is also really important to their story for....several reasons that i cannot spoil but they had a very relationship defining turning moment in LA :)) laurens is a capricorn teehee

DEFINITELY!!!! lots of pictures around landmarks and where he grew up in britsum :''') i imagine it is very healing for both of them!! after hearing about the story of joosti when he was in preschool i thought soooo much of family era normal au hahah

im glad courthouse weddings are a thing because i don't think they'd have it any other way for the first tiem hehe

juna is also my favorite because it's one of my favorite songs hehe !!! they are definitely little rascals but normal au reader keeps them in line for sure hahah they doooooooo have sanne on purpose !! definiteky on purpose if u know what i mean,,,, they are crazy. it takes a bit longer to have her so she's a very wanted and welcome gift alongside the older siblings :))

laurens and juna are literally born in the same year so maybe the break was a little welcome ! LOL (as in ... january 2026 laurens and december 2026 juna [please suspend disbelief about how long it takes to recover from pregnancy cuz realistically they really would be a one and done couple])

MAJOR GIRL DAD!!!! tea parties and getting his makeup and nails done and playing house -- laurens and juna are super partners in crime here but sanne becomes integral to playtime when she's born

all 3 are definitely sort of spoiled because joosti cannot say no to those precious faces ... reader i imagine tries to stay strong but fails cuz they are just so so cute !! babiesss !!!how could they deprive the three of anything honestly.... if you have any specifics you'd like to hear dynamic wise i am all ears :)))

laurens and juna are 6 and 5 when sanne is born so i think it's quite a bit of an adjustment for them when it's just been the two of them for their entire lives!! but i think reader n joosti take so many precautions to make sure they're ready for a baby and especially a new sister in the dynamic :'') i can imagine normal au joosti gets so teary eyed when reader says that juna won't be the youngest anymore haha

i think for all 4 of them it's a huge change cuz they've all been so used tojust having each other!! but laurens and juna fall in love w sanne because they realize she is a great prop for their playing pretend <33 LOL she's like barely a few days old and they insist joosti making a silly voice for her and pretending she's a member of the tea party when it's time

when she's older they are the 3 musketeers -- lots of exploring outdoors and making mud potions and elixirs in the backyard :'') they love each other and i don't think there's much difficulty in having them adjust

LOLLLL i wanna write normal au backstory soooo bad but you guys keep giving me such great ideas for present day normal au debauchery... but lets just say they have like 1.5 breakups and it takes so long for them to get together ... they might consider the night they met their anniversary but that is DEFINITELY not when they got together as a couple!!

i have so much planned and i really hope i get to it -- normal au is such a labor of love and my favorite thing i've ever written and published !! can't believe it's like 30k words in all now ?! that is crazyy work ... anyways

family anon i hope your days have been brighter since then <33 the future is so uncertain i know but we will stick together after... you know what... someone needs to insert knife emoji here that man :/

you are so special !!! family anon you are the greatest !!!

[anonymous-dentist]

Okay am I crazy or something because why do I see people referring to qQuackity as qWilbur’s husband like genuinely seriously despite:

Quackity not marrying Actual Wilbur and instead marrying Photo Wilbur

Quackity marrying Photo Wilbur during Festa Junina, which is known for its fake weddings

Wilbur hearing about the wedding when he came back and going “Well, I don’t feel married”

Quackity’s feelings toward Wilbur regarding the ‘marriage’ basically being him projecting after Tilin’s death and while watching everyone around him find happiness where he could not, specifically Roier and Cellbit and possibly because Roier had just lost his own child but didn’t seem to be having all these problems Quackity had

Like if you go back and watch Q’s streams from this time, he even subtly admits that he doesn’t love Wilbur when he spoke to SOFIA

Wilbur wasn’t even his first choice! Etoiles was!

Wilbur not even knowing if he loves Quackity. He feels Emotions towards him, but he’s always refused to look any deeper because of his Issues (similar Issues to those he has regarding Tallulah, which is that he’s always going to be away on tour and can’t be there to love and care for his family the way they deserve to be loved)

And, lest we all forget, Quackity still might not entirely remember who Wilbur is because of his amnesia. (Granted, a lot of that seems to have been fixed by Spooky Cucurucho in Hell, but we don’t know the extent.)

So, with all this in mind, why do I see people getting legitimately upset when someone doesn’t include Quackity in Wilbur’s family as his husband?

And we’ve got to keep in mind that Wilbur’s only canon family is Phil, who he adopted as his father on the train, Tallulah, his daughter, and Chayanne, his half-brother. Techno and Tommy are family irl (because irl Wilbur Soot collects found family members like they’re Pokémon cards.)

So why do I see stuff like this?

ElQuackity isn’t a canon brother, Q is quite possibly ElQ’s clone (or something like that.) Tilin always seemed to prefer the idea of Luzu being their father, and people have got to remember that Luzu IS canonically Tilin’s other parent. Pepito doesn’t even know Wilbur exists. And what about Quackity’s other son, Richarlyson? (Oh, wait, never mind, Richas is Brazilian, and a lot of the English fandom does Not like associating Quackity with the Brazilians on the server.)

Honestly, this all gives the same vibes as “Omg Wilbur can teach Q how to read again and they can live happily ever after with their ONLY CHILD Tallulah 🥰” and “Wilbur would know Quackity was replaced by ElQ immediately and he’d rescue Quackity because they’re in love and married” when that ignores actual canon dynamics

Anyway, this is all to say that you can ship what you want, but don’t let your fanon get in the way of everything else. Fanon is fine, but don’t get pissy when people say it isn’t canon, and please stop messing with the wiki to make it canon because it isn’t. And don’t harass people saying it isn’t canon, that’s fucked up

[alicerosejensen]

I already read everything you have published and I love it.

Following up on your previous post, how long will it be until Leon feels ready to propose to his girlfriend, and if she says yes, would they like a big wedding or something more private? Also, how would things be before the wedding?

One last thing, what is your native language?

We will consider this a continuation of part 3, which I am still translating.

It's all good. I receive all requests and will definitely answer them, but since English is not my native language, I do it quite slowly.

The text mentions a song by Lana Del Rey (sorry, I just love her music).

I take pictures and gifs from Pinterest.

It's been a good three years of relationship. It was funny how an ordinary interest turned into something more serious, which Leon cannot refuse, preferring to keep safe and with him like some kind of diamond.

And that diamond was you. The diamond who was sitting at the same table with him, with both legs thrown on the next vacant chair, while your hands were flipping through a new book about the Incas or the Maya? Leon didn't listen too closely, preferring to just admire you in the morning sun, forgetting about his cold coffee.

It was natural that two people who know each other well enough and have strong feelings for each other decided to legitimize their relationship, but a number of problems arose: 1) His work does not seem to forbid, but also does not understand the presence of a family. There are some D.S.O programs to protect the data of their agents' families, but Leon has never been interested in them. 2) Your age difference. Leon was almost forty and you're still too young. Yes, college will soon be left behind, but you are unlikely to want to start a family so early, despite the fact that it was somewhere in your plans. Just not now. 3) Despite the fact that he deeply loved you and knew that the feeling was mutual, Leon had no idea if you saw him as your husband.

Besides, the last thing he wanted was for you to get hurt. More precisely, he didn't want it at all! But he loved you so much that he partly began to understand Glenn Arias in his madness because of the death of his wife.

It has nothing to do with the case, but Leon really wanted you to put a ring on your ring finger and become Mrs. Kennedy. However, he has not yet fully decided on it himself.

How can he carefully find out from you what you think about this? Leon gave you a worried look, but you didn't even notice it, too absorbed in reading. He had already turned his back to you to pour the coffee into the sink, and immediately froze as soon as he suddenly heard you quietly humming some strange song to yourself. Cacciatore? Some Salvatore? Limousines? Leon didn't comment on it in any way, just made sure that you didn't talk to him. "I just wanted to sing the chorus of my favorite song."

A sudden impulse, but then a message came to your phone and you reached for it to read it, and then showed Leon a couple of photos of your young friends from their honeymoon.

Leon regarded this as a great opportunity to carefully find out your attitude to marriage without giving himself away.

"Don't you think they got married too soon?" - You shrugged indifferently as you typed an answer to your friend.

"It's none of my business."

While you were carefully looking at the photos of friends in love from France, Leon stood still not knowing how to choose the right words. He rinsed the mug in the water, putting it in place and decided to start carefully "attacking" again.

"If you were choosing a place for your honeymoon, where would you go?" - It was risky, although you just looked away somewhere to the side, tilting your head to the side like a child, thinking about the question. - "Paris too?"

You were hiding like you ate something very sour.

"Paris is banal. I would have thought of something more interesting."

"For example?"

"Don't know… maybe Spain?"

Leon coughed. Not the most pleasant memories. For some reason, he imagined you wandering around Salazar's castle in search of various trinkets and trying to ask Ganado about their history, while he drags you everywhere by the hand, trying to shoot infected Las Plagas with a shotgun and pistol.

And then he will find you drinking tea with this same Salazar, talking sweetly about some abstract topic. The pictorial art of the fifteenth century, for example? At least this thought and the image that appeared before his eyes lifted his mood with its absurdity.

He rewarded you with a half-smile and dismissed the idea of marriage indefinitely. Until college graduation.

Until next week, actually.

Leon was just going into the store to restock some groceries when he accidentally bumped into a fellow agent. The conversation would not have gone beyond greeting if a little boy of five or six years old had not hit Leon's legs. He didn't even apologize and just ran on through the store until his father called out to him.

"You should apologize! Go up to Leon and apologize for pushing him!"

The child looked excitedly into his eyes, but still obeyed, slowly approaching an unfamiliar man.

"In fact, it's not necessary…"

"They need to learn to be polite. Do you have any children Leon?"

It was a strange question. Of course, before the outbreak of the G-virus in Raccoon City, Leon had some kind of plan for the rest of his life after graduating from the police academy. And in this plan there were two Kennedy babies, a house with a pool and a golden retriever, and of course a charming wife. Only Leon personally hammered the last nail into the coffin of his dreams.

Leaving your wife alone with a child in this dark world where every day there is a chance that another psycho terrorist may take it into his head to arrange another zombie apocalypse? That's not what he wanted.

But he still annoyed Hannigan with his questions. As if assessing the risk, Leon stared at Ingrid while she wiped her glasses.

"Is there a specific reason why you are interested in this topic?"

"No."

"Then stop wasting my time!"

Fair. Despite the information he obtained, Leon continued to walk like a gloomy ghost around his own house occasionally looking at you strangely. You caught those looks every time you asked him what was the matter, but he waved it off.

And then he asked you about that wedding. Then you had already separated and you were a bridesmaid without a couple. However, you had a good time without it, cherishing the hope that you, too, will someday have a beautiful wedding with a honeymoon.

Leon nodded, taking a sip of Jack Daniels from his glass. A beautiful wedding… with a bouquet of flowers, gifts, guests, a sweet cake and a magnificent white dress. A wedding in the best traditions…

That's what he couldn't give you. An important day in your life (if you agreed to marry him) is likely to become a normal weekday with the receipt of a marriage certificate. You deserve what you dream about, and he probably deprives you of it feeling boundless guilt.

Leon doesn't want to let you go. He hates the idea that you will leave again, leaving him in this empty apartment. however, he does not want you to suffer through his fault. Leon has long admitted to himself that he wants to come home to his family - to you and at least one Kennedy baby. But fuck, he's almost never around because of these missions! And you didn't think about motherhood as such at all. He's almost forty, not you!

But he decided to try again the attempt of careful questioning when you laid him on the bed so that he lay on his stomach to get a light massage before going to bed.

"So Paris is a bad idea?" - Leon thought when you frowned, sitting on his lower back and gently kneading his back. - "What about the Eiffel Tower? The Petit Trianon at Versailles? Those famous French delicatessen cafes? I thought you said you'd like to visit the Moulin Rouge sometime."

"Well, maybe someday. Paris is beautiful just not right for my honeymoon."

You said you wanted something original. So you ended the conversation and continued the massage in silence. And at night felt through a dream how Leon's palm touches your cheek, and then goes down to your neck, collarbones, all the way to your stomach, until he hugs you tightly, pressing you to him. Yes, it woke you up, but maybe he had a nightmare again? Leon wasn't sleeping, and you knew it, so you turned around and put your head on his chest, falling asleep again.

I don't care if you guessed about his thoughts or not, but after much thought, Leon still decided to try his luck.

Life is too short not to try to at least become a little happier.

He bought a cute diamond ring, trying to find something not boring and at the same time not pretentious. However, after tiring the consultant, he finally gave him an entertaining idea: if you don't like what Leon chose, you can come here again and buy any other ring that you like more.

You brought him such relief and comfort after meeting with all these viruses and parasites that Leon saw no problem in buying another ring in case you didn't like it at all. Of course, you can't tell him about it, but he knows his girlfriend's emotions too well.

Leon also ordered dinner at home, considering that due to your workload in college, you didn't sleep much, completely devoting yourself to the last academic year. Besides, he didn't invite you to the restaurant because he still wasn't sure of your answer. Positive or negative? If you do not want this, at least the home environment will not create severe discomfort.

And here you are sitting in your home clothes, calmly eating your favorite food, watching some action movie with your boyfriend, not knowing about the blue velvet box in his jeans pocket.

You can see that Leon is very nervous, scolding himself for the fact that it would be better to rehearse the speech in advance, but you are so absorbed in the film that you do not pay any attention to him at all until exactly the moment when he takes the plate from your hands and puts it on the table.

It took a few seconds for the tired brain to figure out where the dinner had gone.

Your palms immediately find themselves in his warm hands and it looks so cute when women's palms seem so small against his background.

You can admire this endlessly or until the moment when Leon silently, with obvious anxiety in his eyes, in horror, hands you a velvet box, waiting for a reaction.

For God's sake, say something, but don't be silent!

"Is that what I'm thinking or am I wrong?" - You open the lid looking at a charming ring matched to your finger size. And despite the fatigue of the gyrus, they understand that this is an unusual gift.

This is a marriage proposal!

"If you're not ready… fuck… I remember you told me that one day you would want to start a family, and I'm actually the worst option as a husband who is often not at home, although I try, sweetheart…"

"Do you want to start a family with me?" - In his opinion, you looked at him like he was crazy. But in fact, you were trembling slightly and were ready to lose consciousness if he answered in the affirmative now.

"I understand that it's probably too early for you. Understand, I'm not saying that if you agree now, then we will immediately go to the bedroom to make a mini Kennedy. You still have to go to college… damn it, how difficult it is… It's just a suggestion. I want you to be with me as my wife, I want at least one child from you, if you don't mind. You know, Hannigan told me a little bit about these programs to protect the families of agents… they're not bad."

Leon stumbled over every word, sweating profusely, once again afraid to turn to you. Suddenly you are frozen in horror at what is happening, despite the fact that he is actually calmly trying on an engagement ring, carefully examining the carat. You can't say you didn't like it. But because of your admiration for the new decoration, you practically did not listen to what poor Leon was talking about.

"You know, I'll understand if you've never considered me as a husband."

"It just always seemed to me that you needed a mistress and not a wife. You never said you wanted kids. "

You intertwined your fingers with him to calm him down a little. How grateful he was now for the support provided.

"This is problematic. Because of my job. I love you, but I wouldn't force you to do anything. I'm still a little scared of what I'm saying. Some agents have kids, hell, the B.S.A.A guys quietly start families because they get paid well, but when they die… what's the use of a hero father if he's dead? The choice is yours. If you ever carry my child, then I will do everything so that he lives in a safe world, at least on an island of tranquility without bioweapons and other shit. I may often not be around, but I'm willing to try. I no longer want to lose my happy future with the woman I love because of the bastards who think they are the rulers of the world."

Confusing and at the same time understandable. Leon has conveyed to you his thought, his dream, leaving you the right to choose. He was so afraid to look at you that he was surprised when, instead of fright or horror, he saw the serenity of a real angel holding his hand.

"What do you think?" - He asked, and you giggled merrily.

"I think you should wear a bulletproof vest." - Frank laughter rang through the apartment. And you moved to Leon's lap with the grace of a cat, touching the sensitive skin of his neck with your lips while he held you under his hips. - "I don't want to become a widow, but you'll have to run away from my father's bullets when he starts shooting at you with his hunting rifle."

Leon smiled cheerfully, putting his arm around your waist and forcing you to look at him.

There has not been a single boyfriend of yours who has passed a strict paternal check regarding the future spouse for the only daughter. It was a fucking test that no one could pass because you were still considered a little girl.

"We will resolve this issue. Your father is hardly more terrible than a Tyrant." - of course, you had no idea who it was. - "Can I take your answer as an agreement to become Mrs. Kennedy?"

"Perhaps." - You hung on his neck, admiring the two blue pools, and touched his lips with your feather-light kiss. - "But that means we won't have a big wedding, right? Like it's dangerous, I'm a big government agent about whose personal life no one should know, even the president himself. - You merrily parodied the timbre of his voice, realizing how ridiculous it turned out, but you both liked it."

"Yeah"

He was so vulnerable stroking your thighs. The realization that he can't give you what you want…Leon felt a stone of guilt fall on his shoulders, crushing him painfully. All he needs is for you to be happy and then he will be too.

"Well, it's not scary at all!" - You still continued to wrap your arms around his tense body. - "But you didn't just ask me about the honeymoon, did you?"

"This is what I can give you. I am not sure that it will last a whole month, but we will take everything from it."

All the light from the lungs seemed to have disappeared. Your joyful face can bring a dead man back to life! And Leon really came to life feeling like shit a little less.

"However, if you have deprived me of a bachelorette party with sexy strippers and a wedding cake - although no, we will order it anyway - I reserve the right to choose the place of our vacation on my own!"

"Anywhere angel. Even to a remote village in Spain"

Your eyes sparkled cunningly foreshadowing an exciting journey. Leon needs to listen more carefully from now on about your new hobbies.

______________________________________________________________

Claire laughed out loud as she turned over the card, on which Leon's handwriting had written one:

"When I agreed to a honeymoon in Peru, I did not think that I would spend hours looking at the Maya and the Inca skulls! Marital duty is not a soft bed in an expensive hotel, but a trip in the style of Lara Croft and Indiana Jones!

P.S while I'm writing this, I have to keep an eye on my wife so she doesn't break her neck climbing the fucking pyramid."

[nilletellsstories]

The Ruined Clothing - A 911 drabble

Author's Note: This was written in like 10 minutes time, spurned from a conversation with @bidisasterbuckdiaz .... and yes Tommy is a part of this!

As the dinner portion of the wedding ended, Maddie and Chim being guided into yet another photo session by Karen, Athena keeping an eye on an overtired Jee, and Hen leading Bobby, Eddie, Ravi and some of the other firefighters from the 118 in clearing an area for dancing, Buck felt a tug on his sleeve.

"Come along?" Almost a whisper, not a command, but a suggestion. Tommy, with a wide grin and mischief twinkling in his eyes, held out his hand and nodded towards a quiet alcove-like area of the wedding venue.

"Buck? You wanna help?" Bobby called over at the same time, still keeping an eye on the guys clearing the area that were to become the dancefloor. With a quick glance back and forth, Buck smiled to the man... his man in front of him and took his hand.

Second later, Buck felt the lips of Tommy against his and his back pressed against a wall. Even now, weeks after their first kiss, Buck still felt the excitement, the curiosity, he had felt that time. Even Tommy's gentle fingers pressing against the pulse point in his neck had the same tingle as that first time.

Being more confident now, both in himself and in them, Buck let his fingers run the short hair on the back of Tommy's head, pushing his lips harder against their counterpart, even letting his tongue begin it's teasing.

Even now, Buck still had trouble describing just what exactly this former army, muay thai fighting, rescue pilot made him feel, but he knew that this was right and this was good.

Yes, good was exactly right. Especially as Tommy's hands were on his hips, pulling him even closer towards the older man. Feeling exactly how Tommy was feeling in that moment, them been pressed together like that, made Buck gasp and of course, being the opportunity seeker that he has found Tommy to be, Tommy deepened the kiss, letting their tongues start a newly, familiar play and their hands wander both over clothing and teasing the skin under.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

"Hey Eddie, you know where Buck is?" Bobby asked as he were carefully carrying a table away from the dancefloor area together with Ravi.

"No, maybe he's been roped into more photos?" Eddie answered with a shrug. He was carrying a tray, filled to the brim with table decorations, flowers, half-filled wineglasses, and for some reason, lit candles.

"Or maybe he pulled Tommy away for some Q time," Ravi added, having learnt not to say the Q word. Still, Ravi hadn't quite learned subtlety.

"Yeah, okay," Bobby rumbled as they carried on with the table.

Eddie went off in the direction Hen had said to bring the tray he was carrying. What he had not expected to stumble upon were Buck and Tommy going at it up against a wall.

Silence.

PLONK!

"Seriously?!"

Flowers, decorations, wine, glass, candles. All went flying. Buck and Tommy jumped apart. Eddie jumped on the spot. And as if a certain god of mischief had a finger involved, a lit candle hit a stack of napkins and ignited.

It was like watching a chain reaction.

It was a chain reaction.

It ended with Buck, Eddie, and Tommy all covered in half burnt clothing, dirt and wine, and small scars from small shards of broken wineglasses.

Here we go! It was my first story in quite a while. I hope you all liked it! Thanks once again, @bidisasterbuckdiaz, for the idea!

[nichirinpen]

Flame in His Heart

Rengoku x Reader

Part 1 (AO3 link)

Synopsis- An arranged marriage, a horrible father-in-law and a husband who seemed content ignoring you. Can you weather the larger storm brewing? Will Kyojuro ever open up to you?

Content Warning- AFAB reader descriptions, slow burn, mentions of alcoholism (not the reader), strangers to friends to lovers,  dark themes

~Minors DNI~

You weren’t sure what you disliked more, his perpetual loudness or the fact that the man never seemed to blink. You sat, stewing as you tilted your head back again, glaring at the new addition to the library. The wedding photo that sat framed above you looked like it was a piece from a tacky haunted house. Its golden frame glittered in the warm light of the room, the light spilling across the walls. You took in the photo with distaste, its garish colors clashing horribly with the calm brown of the library. 

In it you looked miserable, the ridiculously frilly pink and white dress practically swallowing you whole. It looked like someone had stuffed you inside a cake, just your face and hands visible in the sea of silk. Your husband was also partially covered by the dress, his wide eyes and stiff smile dripping with fake happiness. 

In the ten months you had been married you couldn’t think of a single instance in which he blinked. It wasn’t like he looked at you often, quite the opposite. And honestly you went out of your way to avoid his gaze. His odd deep orange eyes unnerved you, the unblinking gaze adding to the sense of something being off. It was like he was a bird of prey you decided. Like an eagle, lording over his domain with a sharp gaze, missing nothing. 

Except he did miss things. Your husband seemed oblivious to how uncomfortable you were. At the work parties he dragged you to, in the shared moments that were unavoidable as a married couple, your obvious discomfort seemed unobserved by the man. Or perhaps he just ignored it. The marriage wasn’t his idea after all, the man probably disliked the situation as much as you did. His cold behavior seemed to indicate as much. Not that you blamed him.

An agreement between your parents. A “good look” as his rather crude father had put it, the stench of sake rolling off him in waves. “Marrying below his social status” so that when Kyojuro eventually became the CEO of his father’s large company, it would be seen favorably. After all, successful men have “homely wives”. Plus the huge dowry that had been paid was more than enough to shut up any protests your callous parents had. They had smiled so large, shook hands with cheery voices, while you sat consumed by dread. Your tears later that day had been met with pleading, a check shoved in your face, the many zero’s pointed at by insistent fingers. But how dare you cry? Your parents had shifted their pleading to beratement, expressing disappointment at your silent sobbing. After all, look how much money that had paid for you. Look at how much your life had been deemed worth. 

It was sickening and you had relented. Why refuse and stay with parents who clearly found money more enticing than you? And why run? You had nowhere to go, no one to turn to. You were alone. And besides, how bad could it be? Being a richman’s wife, his arm piece. The silent companion with dazzling smiles and hidden emotions. 

And so you were a good little wife, following him like a dog at one event or another. A silent arm piece who looked on with a pretty smile. Nodding when appropriate, laughing at each tacky joke. Standing with rapt attention, pretending that the words thrown with importance were heard. It was all an act, and you could tell your husband did the same. The both of you had the faces you put on for the crowd, the perfect image. But every now and then, he slipped. You could see parts of his genuine self come out when he laughed with old friends or coworkers, but it quickly was hidden as soon as you were alone with him. It was like being married to the loudest ghost.

A joke honestly, you thought, snapping your book closed with a sigh. You couldn’t focus on reading, couldn’t focus on much these days. The anger and discomfort you held didn’t seem to be dissipating, if anything it was growing. You felt trapped, the estate you had moved to a shiny birdcage. You wanted out. Needed out.

The large house was silent like a tomb, per usual. No footsteps, no chatter of staff. It was like the outside world didn’t exist, the silence of the house a veritable void sucking joy from its surroundings, you hated it. Hated the shiny, always clean rooms, the smell of cleaner always lingering. You hated the fact that everything had a place and if it was moved, a servant was quick to correct. It was like living in a perfectly tied corset, no breathing room allowed.

Sliding the book back on the shelf, you stretch, back popping with the action. The sunlight that streamed in through the tall windows tinged slightly golden. It must be close to 5, the day once more slipping away in solitude. Your husband would no doubt be home soon, provided his schedule was normal. The after work dinners and drinking you weren’t invited to had been taking place more and more often recently. Leaving you in this cold estate alone and miserable. Perhaps you were the ghost, wandering the halls aimlessly. He did come home though, late at night when the sky was at its darkest. Slipping in soundlessly and sliding next to you in bed with no words, no touches. Had you been in love with him you might have thought he was having an affair.

Stepping out into the hallway, you left the quiet warmth of the library. You could almost feel the heat that radiated there being replaced by the ice chill of the hallways. It was the most human feeling of the rooms, the smell of books stronger than cleaner. Even the books themselves, worn with age, so different than the shiny newness of the rest of the house. It wasn’t a tomb like the other rooms, at least not entirely. 

“Lady Rengoku.” A servant bowed as she passed and you smiled politely in response. She was new, something you had unfortunately grown accustomed to. While this was your husband’s estate, his father was the one to fire and hire staff. And he did so frequently, to the point where learning everyone’s name wasn’t a feasible task despite your many attempts. The never ending line of new staff was isolating. No one was around long enough to become your confidant, a trusted assistant. No, instead they were all hired for such a short period that it felt as if your home were constantly invaded by strangers. As if you lived in some odd closed street, passing new faces every day. It irritated you greatly, a tiny bitter part of yourself wishing you too could be fired. To leave this cold passionless marriage. But alas, Shinjuro’s drunk dismissal rampages did not extend to you, though you had heard plenty from the safety of your bedroom.

The click of your heels echoed in the hallway, the sound reminding you of how alone you were. Your parents were across the country, content to never speak to their daughter. Your husband was only home in the evening and even then that was interrupted by frequent dinner parties and business outings hosted by his father. Thoughts of the older man roiled in your head, your anger building.

Shinjuro dictated everything, from wardrobe, to eating habits to even the brand of toilet paper kept in the house. He had a tape measure he would whip out to measure new curtains, the carpet installations, even silverware placement. The man had to touch everything, look at everything. And always, ALWAYS, only comments of distaste fell from Shinjuro’s lips. No matter how hard you or the staff tried, it was NEVER enough. It was insufferable. Suffocating. 

You supposed it would be like this with everything, any pregnancy, child rearing, everything under his gaze. Old Man Shinjuro’s hands always meddling with and groping every aspect of your life, like some twisted drunken god. Hell, even your death might be planned out by him at this point. The thought was distressing and you shook your head to clear it. 

You stopped at a crossroad in the hallway. You could continue forward along the marbled hall, up the two flights of stairs, take a bath and dress “appropriately” for dinner. A routine you followed diligently every week night, sitting quietly alone at the dinner table until your husband was home. When he bothered to be home.

Or, you could turn right and continue to the main foyer of the house. No one had ever stated out loud you couldn’t go out on your own, it had just been implied that you shouldn’t. In the ten months you had been here you were always accompanied by your husband or his father. Like irritating body guards, guarding you from having fun. From being yourself.

You tapped a manicured fingernail against your wedding band, the clicking sound reassuring. Thoughts twisted in your mind, the anger from earlier tangled with the fear of retribution from Shinjuro. It's not like you could get in trouble, you were an adult after all. Plus you weren’t psychic, how were you supposed to know going out alone was against the rules? And what's the worst that could happen? Being late for dinner wasn’t the end of the world. It wasn’t like your husband even acknowledged your presence. 

You bit your bottom lip, straightening and turning right. Your steps were quick so as to not lose resolve. So eager were your steps that you nearly slipped, wobbling as you righted yourself. Snagging your purse from the small side table, you quickly yanked the front door open and slipped through. 

Outside was warm, the last threads of summer hanging on as autumn began. A breeze brushed across your face and you smiled. It smelled good outside, you could tell it had recently rained, the smell refreshing after the stuffiness of the estate. The warmth of the sun invigorated you, made you feel alive again. Sunlight streamed over a perfectly manicured lawn and the privacy hedges. Well nearly perfect, the birds Shinjuro so hated were persistent in their nesting. You smiled at the sight, a tiny victory for nature.

“Ma’am!” You blinked at the voice and turned, it was Genya, the young man employed as a driver. He alone was one face that never changed among the countless rotating staff. You supposed your husband had some way against his father. It seemed to only extend to keeping the young man employed. The massive teen bowed awkwardly, mohawk flopping in his face and you smiled, waving the formal action away. Formalities made you sick to your stomach, no one, not even your husband could be informal with you when out and about. You so wished for once that someone would break the cycle.

“No need to bow Genya. I'm not royalty.” You chuckled at his shock at your response. The boy was red in the face, clearly unsure of how to respond. It wasn’t your intention to make him uncomfortable and yet you had, as you seemed to do to all the staff. Being friendly was met with distrust. Understandable given their employer's attitude. 

Walking down the front stairs you paused in front of a familiar car,  “You didn’t drive Kyojuro to work today?”

The teen shook his head, “No ma’am! He drives himself on Fridays.” 

Good to know. You tucked that little fact away for later. Perhaps on Fridays you could sneak out rather than rot in the cold estate. Perhaps you could sneak away and never return. A nice, but silly thought. Smiling, you motioned to the vehicle you stood next to, nail tapping the handle. “Well would you mind driving me?” 

His eyebrows shot up and you took note of the slight opening of his mouth before he snapped it shut. He was going to say something, you could see the internal fight in his eyes. Now you were completely sure that you weren’t supposed to be leaving the house alone. No doubt a rule was told to the staff of the estate and probably with the added, ‘She can’t know.’

 You smiled at him, tilting your head innocently and wiggling your fingers. “I need to get my nails done.” 

It was a lie. You only got your nails done twice a month. The appointment was always scheduled by Shinjuro and each time you had the misfortune to meet whatever woman he was “courting”. Much like the staff, his line of beaus changed so frequently that you didn’t bother learning their names. Although unlike the staff, you had a sneaking suspicion they all got tired of Shinjuro first rather than him getting tired of them.

Genya visibly relaxed, smiling and nodding as he opened the door of the car for you. “Can do Mrs. Rengoku!”

You settled into the back of the car, the creaking of the leather seats music to your ears. The car smelled of men’s cologne, the scent one you knew too well. You wonder briefly if you were sitting where Kyojuro always did. The leather was certainly worn as if it was his spot. Wrinkling your nose you decided not to breathe the scent in. No point in giving into girl-ish whims.

Genya slid into the driver's seat and quickly started the car. You noted that this car was set up in a way that would make it difficult to talk to him. The odd partition between the back and the front was a disgusting reminder of how Shinjuro Rengoku viewed other people. No matter, you sat silently, watching as the estate faded away behind you. For just a moment you could pretend that you were leaving forever. A silly dream, but it made you feel better.

Closing your eyes you settled back in your seat. The drive was quiet, different from the eerie stillness of the estate. The quiet hum of the engine paired with the noise of passing cars was welcome. A white noise that you wish existed in the estate. You opened your eyes, looking down at your nails. They were perfectly fine, french manicure per Shinjuro’s preference. Asking to be taken to the salon was just on a whim, your brain unable to think of anywhere else. Perhaps this could be your little attempt to push the boundaries. See just how many of the unspoken rules could be broken. You clenched your fist, nails sinking into your palms as you turned and looked back out the window, mind set on making a change.

It didn’t matter to you that there was an event tomorrow night and you had to look perfect. You wanted to look like you. Or at least close to it as you could. Although you hated to think about it, you weren’t sure who you truly were anymore. In just a few months the person you had been was scrubbed and reshaped. But whoever you were, it wasn’t this perfect quiet woman.

The itch to scream and shout had been boiling in your heart since the wedding. Fear of what would happen to you if you opposed him quickly waned when you realized weeks ago that there was no escape, no matter what. Shinjuro viewed you as something he had bought and he was going to make sure he got his money’s worth. You were tied to your cold unblinking husband for life. A prize cow so to speak. 

So maybe a little rebellion as a treat, just for you. It wasn’t like you could ask Genya to just drive anywhere and not go back. As much as a nice long drive would be, it was unrealistic. So new nails and perhaps a new set of rules, ones only you knew. You chuckled quietly at the thought.

The car was slowing down and you sat up straight as Genya parked at the nail salon. Its small parking lot was squished next to it, overshadowed by a ugly glass building. Unlike everything else in the area the salon was a simple shop. No multiple floors, no glass walls and no overpriced items. It was like the place you would treat yourself to at home. 

It stood in stark contrast with the other stores that were gaudy, touting luxury services and ridiculously snobbish staff. You hated the town, its snobbish patrons who screamed at the slightest inconvenience. The women who you knew from Kyojuro’s work frequented the shopping street. A mindless group who would tut and giggle at your lack of designer brand knowledge, it reeked of entitlement. You missed the politeness people of your so called “lower” social status had.

Shaking the thoughts from your head, you exited the car. Genya stood at attention, clearly unsure of what to do next. Fishing through your wallet you pulled out a small wad of cash, handing it to the teen. “I have no idea how long I’ll be, why don't you get some food. It's nearly dinner time.” 

Genya put up a hand, mohawked head shaking furiously “I can't take your money ma’am!” 

You sighed, putting one hand on your hip and pulling a line you hated to hear from the other women, “It’s my husband’s money Genya. I can spend it as I please.” 

The boy looked at your face, the money, then your face again. He seemed unsure, brow pinching in worry as he thought it over. Finally, he took it slowly, pointing down the street. “I’ll be in that alleyway, there's a neat little noodle shop.” 

You smiled nodding, turning swiftly to the nail salon. Genya was quick to depart and you relaxed. For a moment you stood, pondering if you should just start walking. There was a train station a few blocks away. You had cash, it would be as simple as asking for a ticket. Your resolve teetered and you shook your head. Shinjuro would find you if you ran and make you pay dearly somehow. You shuddered at the thought, quickly grabbing the salon’s door handle.

Entering you were seated swiftly, they knew you by name of course. Your father-in-law had immense influence in the area. You shivered slightly in your seat as another wave of disgust rolled over you. Just because he had “made” it in life, it meant he could trample the world around him. You tried not to think about it, your nose scrunching as memories of alcohol soaked breath. Sighing you smoothed your expression, who knew who could be watching, reporting back to Shinjuro. Best to look calm and composed.

You smiled as Kanao, your favorite nail technician, sat down across from you, a soft smile on her face. You relaxed slightly, wiggling your fingers as she set up her station. The woman was methodical and quiet. She didn’t poke and pry like other technicians did. You weren’t prodded for ‘juicy’ details or pulled into mind numbing gossip when she did your nails. Her quiet attitude was refreshing.

“Hello Mrs. Rengoku. Just a touch up?” She gestured to your nails, they clearly did not need a touch up but you knew why she asked. All you ever got was the plain french tipped, not too long, not too short, always a square shaped tip. Just like Shinjuro wanted.

You thought of the next night’s event, you were to wear a black evening gown. It was off the shoulder and floor length. The jewelry for the evening was soft gold, no jewels or baubles. There was no color scheme to pair with it. The idea of just plain black polish didn’t feel right either. It didn't feel rebellious enough. 

“Kanao, I was thinking of mixing things up.” The girl blinked, leaning in as you spoke. “You know my husband's hair, the red tips? Can we color match that and maybe do an almond shape for the nail?” 

You bit your lip as you watched her face, wondering if she would reject it. Had you thought wrong, was Kanao also in Shinjuro’s pocket? 

The woman blinked, turned and pulled a color chart from the nail station, pointing to a little square of paint on the chart. “I think R16 might be it?”. You nodded at her words, a massive grin forming on your face. Kanao was a gem and you knew unlike Kyojuro’s coworkers, she would never turn around and tattle to Shinjuro. She didn’t know it, but she was the closest thing you had to a friend. Genya too you thought, leaning back as she began her work. You had a feeling that the teen would not speak of this outing unless pressed and that you might be able to pull off a few more. Baby steps of rebellion, you didn’t want anyone to get in trouble because of you after all. 

Kanao worked quickly and before you knew it you had new shiny red nails. You admired them, twisting your hand side to side to admire the high gloss of the color. She had done a fantastic job, the acrylic nails looked flawless. But also a stark contrast to what you had been wearing. It was nice. You felt brand new, just a little bit. 

“I charged Mr. Rengoku’s account so you are good to go.” She smiled gently at you, wiping down the station. You thanked her, pressing a cash tip into her hand. Per usual she tried to protest but you insisted, skipping quickly out of the store before she could give it back.

Once outside you were hit again with the urge to just keep walking. Your feet could carry you to freedom if only you let them. But no, you shook your head, turning back to the car. And you were glad you did so, Genya was leaning against the vehicle, phone held to his ear as he nodded to the conversation. You noted with a sinking heart that he looked upset. His brow furrowed as he spoke, eyes narrowing at whatever was said. Noticing you, he smiled at you, lifting a finger as he straightened. You smoothed your hands on the sides of your skirt, trying not to show your anxiety.

“We are leaving now. Yes. I’m sorry. Yes.” His side of the conversation made your heart sink further. It was either your husband or father-in-law on the other end. You hoped for his sake it was Kyojuro. Your fingers tapped nervously against your thighs as he said his goodbye. Slipping his phone into his pocket, Genya sighed, comically slouching before straightening. 

“That was Mr. Kyojuro. You are late for dinner he says.”

You relaxed at the words, a wave of irritation rolled over you. 6pm on the dot every night. Except when he worked late, or had business trips or stayed out with friends. You didn’t call or nag when he was late. No comments were ever directed at him about not coming home till the next day. Though you supposed he hadn’t expected you to be out. The doll didn’t leave the dollhouse without him after all. You shook the bitter thoughts from your head. It didn’t matter, it wasn’t like the man spoke to you past hello or goodnight.

Sliding into the car, you crossed your arms, trying not to think of what awaited you at home. The silence, the cold. Your chest tightened at the thought, the ache heavy. It really was the worst part, the isolation. Your fingers bit into your flesh, your grip unconsciously tightening. Loosening your grip you sighed. Your shoulders slumped as you slid down in the seat, eyes drifting over to the outside world. The golden light of the sun had dulled, the purple of night billowing forth, bringing with it a sliver moon.

The ride back to the estate went by far too quickly. Your stomach churned with anxiety, thoughts twisting like snakes in your mind. Tapping a red nail on your wedding band again, you took a deep breath. It would be fine. You would be fine.

The car jolted to a stop and you sat up, hand resting on the handle. You had to get out, walk into the house and sit at dinner. This you knew. You had broken the normal routine and now you had to fix it. Sit in silence while eating for about 30 minutes, then up to the bedroom to sleep. Rinse and repeat tomorrow.

Stepping from the car you were surprised to find Kyojuro at the front door. He stood in his usual attire, black slacks, a button up and today a red tie. His large hands were tucked away into his pockets and he watched unblinking as you walked up the steps. You covertly took his appearance in, noting the slight strain of a few of the buttons. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t handsome. The man was very much attractive to you. You could see the firm muscles in his forearms peeking just below his rolled up sleeves. Your eyes trailed over his form, meeting his piercing gaze. Despite the odd color of his hair and his eyes, it suited him. His eyes were like pools of flame, burning as they stared out at the world. You could feel the heat of his gaze, not from any lust or emotion, just because of how he was. Shifting your gaze as you took the final step, you noted that his hair was not partially tied up as it usually was. His flaming locks fell softly on his shoulders and for just a moment you wondered what it would feel like running your hands through his hair.

“You're late!” And there it was, the loudness. The man seemed to have one volume and it was cranked all the way up. It grated on your ears and nerves constantly. You winced slightly, nodding as you followed him inside. The heavy front door was closed firmly, the sound of it echoing slightly in the main hall. You fought the urge to kick your shoes off, an old habit from before the marriage. Instead you opted to set your purse on the foyer table. Kyojuro walked past you, loosening his tie as he made his way to the dining room. You trailed after him slowly, taking your time to wind down the hallways. It wasn’t putting it off, not really. There just was no hurry in your step, the nervousness you had felt the first few weeks of this routine long since crushed. 

The dining room was blessedly empty, you had half expected Shinjuro to be there. Your shoulders relaxed, dinner would be at least peaceful. Shinjuro had a tendency to visit unannounced, especially when drunk. And always around dinner time. You sat at your normal place, the chair to the right of the head of the table. The chair creaked slightly as you shifted, the antique wood showing its age. The seat placed you at Kyojuro’s right side, a little close for your tastes. But you were grateful, this seating meant not having to look him in the eye all the time. 

Your hands rested in your lap for a moment as you took in the spread before you. A fish entree of some sort, it looked interesting to say the least. Your stomach churned as you picked up your fork. Fish was not something you liked, but you were also not one to complain about it. With your luck you'd make one dinner suggestion and the entire kitchen would be fired. 

“Delicious!!” Your husband barked after his first bite and you sighed. Initially his habit of ‘announcing his appreciation’ had startled you with nearly every meal. You had nearly jumped through the roof at your wedding, the loud shout scaring you half to death. Now it was just another part of the routine. You could appreciate that he enjoyed his food, but you so wished he would do so quietly, or to himself. Taking a bite you found the dish pleasant, not overly fishy as you hated. Whoever the chef was, you hoped they would survive Shinjuro and cook a bit longer. You ate silently, trying to finish quickly but not so quickly to be noticeable. The clinking of silverware filled the room, the sound the only noise that passed between the two of you at dinner. Taking another bite you wondered what would happen if you didn’t eat with such care. How fast was too fast, would Kyojuro even say anything? Probably not you mused, the man seemed to not care what you did.

“Your nails are different.” 

You paused, eyes wide, fork halfway to your mouth. Staring incredulously at the man, you nodded once, unsure how to respond. It surprised you he had even noticed. You realized your mouth was still parted and you closed your jaw with a snap, brow furrowing slightly. Just a month prior you had burned your wrist. It had happened when you had tried to use the godawful hair straightener Shinjuro insisted was part of every woman's routine. Kyojuro hadn’t noticed the burn on your palm then. Or maybe he had, he just didn’t care. 

You set down your fork, looking at your red nails. Perhaps like his father, this was something he disliked. You had strayed from the norm without asking either man after all. Shifting your gaze to meet his, you thought carefully on how to answer. You wanted a reaction from him. Anything that was different from the blank stares.

“I wanted my nails to match your hair. For tomorrow.” You clasped your hand neatly in front of you on the table, staring into his fiery amber eyes. His large dark eyebrows shot up and you swore for just a moment his pupils dilated. The shock that was written across his face was very different, it made you nervous.

Kyojuro extended a large hand and you nearly flinched, startled by the action. He didn’t seem to notice you tense, taking your right hand gently and lifting it to his face. His amber eyes took in your nails, flicking up to glance at your face and then back again. You held your breath, waiting for him to speak. The tempo of your heart picked up, skipping a beat as he rubbed a thumb over your knuckles.

Kyojuro paused, then put your hand on his chest, fingernails aligning perfectly with the red tips of his hair. His hair was soft to the touch and warm. This was the most you had ever touched him since the wedding night. You felt your face flush bright red, painfully aware of the warm muscles beneath his white button up. Your husband paid no mind, eyes trained on the nails. His large hand kept yours caged against his chest. Part of you wanted to pull away, snatch your hand back to safety. But another part of you reveled in this small act. It was the closest thing to affection he had ever expressed. Even the wedding kiss was colder than this. Thoughts of the mechanical kiss, the cold venue flooded your mind and for a moment you were frozen.

“Perfect match.” The words were murmured and for a moment you sat, confused. It had pulled you from your thoughts, yet was so quiet surely you had imagined it? Kyojuro had spoken softly, something you thought the man was incapable of. You sat frozen, heart beating in your throat. Against his chest your hand trembled, the warm lock of hair beneath your fingertips rustling lightly. Kyojuro made no move to release your hand, instead looking up at you and smiling. His hand was so warm against yours, eyes piercing as he stared at you. The expression on his face was foreign to you. It was genuine, the large grin warm and inviting. 

“Thank you.” 

You blinked. Why was he thanking you? It made no sense and it ignited anger in you. This little act of rebellion was appreciated. For some reason it infuriated you. This is what it took to get a warm reaction from him. Why? You hadn’t even done it for him, you had done it for you. Your hand was still shaking, but now due to anger. The warmth of his hand no longer felt inviting and instead had an oppressive feel to it.

Anger boiled in your blood and you did your best not to show the emotion. You withdrew your hand, placing it in your lap as you turned back to your food. Internally you seethed. You felt stupid and childish. His approval upset you greatly and you couldn’t place exactly why. Part of you had wanted him to get angry, but he hadn’t. 

‘Because he doesn’t really care.’ 

The thought was small and ugly, but you knew it was the truth. Just like you he was under his father’s thumb. Kyojuro was an adult on paper only, every aspect of his life was planned out and scheduled much like yours. He followed a nearly identical set of suffocating rules. Much longer than you had, you mused, and now he just didn’t care. You supposed you wouldn’t care either if you had no control from birth. After all, what was the point?

The rest of dinner was silent, you spent the entire time shoving your food around on the plate, appetite gone. Your fork clinked lamely against the plate, its noise feeling much too loud. The silence between the two of you was heavy, you felt it pressing down on you. Kyojuro stood, signaling he was done. You watched as he left the dining room, lips pinched as you set your fork down with a clatter. He was no doubt headed to his office to spend the rest of the night. No parting words, nothing had been spoken after that thank you. The cold feeling of loneliness filled you again and you bit your lip, trying to ignore it. Your chest ached, the well of sadness normally so tightly shut spilling forth for just a moment. Biting the inside of your cheek, you let out a small breath through your nose. Crying got you nowhere and it would be reported back to Shinjuro. You leaned back as servants entered the room. All of them poorly masking the fact that they were trying to observe you. 

What did he tell them? ‘Watch my daughter-in-law and report back?’ or perhaps, ‘Tell me if she acts anything but perfect.’

It was weird and obsessive. You hated it. Clenching your fist you let your nails bite your palm, the pain clearing your mind. Standing, you smoothed your skirt, nodding to the staff as you left the dining room. They barely acknowledge you, their faces reflecting the inner stress you had felt when you had first entered the manor. You trailed your hand against the hall wall, the smooth pale green wallpaper clashing delightfully with your nails. The sound of your heels echoed as you entered the main stairway, the large space cold as ever. Your eyes trailed over the gaudy chandelier, the monstrosity swaying slightly, softly clinking. If it fell it would crush you completely. You pondered for a moment, head tilted back, how long would you have to stand here before it fell? It glittered like an odd beetle, crystal appendages reflecting their light onto the walls like twisted starlight. 

Footsteps sounded down the hallway and you let your chin drop. Servants scurried towards the kitchen and you sighed, taking the banister with one hand. Moving slowly, you made your way up to the third floor where your shared bedroom was. The walk was annoying but you would be damned if you would step foot in the ridiculous elevator that lived on the other side of the manor. You shook your head at the thought, eyes rolling at the absolute waste of money. But that was Shinjuro for you. The price of convenience was never too steep.

Your heels hit the carpet of the third floor, steps muffled as you made your way left to the large ivory doors that held your bedroom. Like the rest of the house, this floor also suffered from the extreme luxury Shinjuro demanded from his decorators. To you, it looked tacky. You frowned as you placed your hand on the doorknob in your room. It was new, the shiny gold cold beneath your palm. This wasn’t a new occurrence, Shinjuro didn’t bother to inform you when things were being replaced or redone. 

It deepened your anger, the door creaking slightly as you yanked it open. Slamming the door, you sighed, slumping down on the floor. Here in your room, for just a moment, you could be free. There were no prying eyes, no silent husband. Just you.

But for how long you didn’t know. Standing you sighed, kicking off your heels. Picking them up you entered the walk in closet, slotting them carefully back in their spot. Your clothes quickly slid off and you tossed them in the hamper kept in the ridiculously sized closet. Tugging a nightgown from its hanger, you frowned at the lace. All of them were made of silk and dripping with lace or ribbons. It was obviously a ridiculous attempt on Shinjuro to ‘wrap’ you up for his son. A disgusted shudder shook your shoulders as you slipped the nightgown on. 

You had yet to consummate the marriage and you intended to push it off as long as you could. As it was, Kyojuro seemed incredibly disinterested in you. And you planned on keeping it that way as long as you could. Shinjuro’s little comments about needing grandchildren before you “dried” up were enough to convince you to never have children as long as he was around. 

You padded from the closet, making your way to the fluffy over sized bed. Tugging back the layers of blankets, you slipped into the silken sheets, the bed nearly swallowing you. It was much too soft, the hoard of blankets cocooning you. The mattress sank slowly beneath you, the plush foam acting as if it were trying to absorb you. It was more of a nest than a bed. The fact irked you even more. Your anger burbled beneath your skin like a beast, howling to be let out. Flipping onto your side you glared at the empty spot next to you, letting out a frustrated sigh. Silence washed over you, the emptiness louder than anything your husband could shout.  You would swallow the anger as you always did. You would not give them the satisfaction of breaking you. You would keep the anger, hold onto it as tight as you could. Sleep began tugging at your mind as the anger fizzled out. Your eyelids growing heavy as the softness of the bed pulled you into sleep.

Kyojuro quietly entered the room, the sound of the door alerting you to his presence. You didn’t bother to acknowledge him, half asleep as you turned away. As he slid into bed with you, sleep finally succeeded, sending you into dreams of vast empty spaces and the ache of loneliness.

Next Part: 2

[rifki16]

Tadaima, Okaeri Episode Seven Light Analysis :)

Photo Credit: Tadaima, Okaeri Twitter Promotional Account

A very nutritious, yet simple and ready-to-eat onigiri ball.

The show was quite quick compared to the episodes before. However, it didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the episode. I would like to divide the recap article into two sections. Before moving to the two sections however, I want to just share my elation of the episode as it has a same-sex wedding ceremony, a pretend one, yet still very cute. I haven’t watched that many BL anime shows before, however, a lot of people on Twitter said that Cherry Magic the Anime was the first anime show to feature a same-sex wedding, even though that it was literally an epilogue form of a show and lasted barely 2/3 minutes. I would like then to point out that this anime is the first child friendly anime to feature a same-sex wedding ceremony. Hikari acted as the officiant. It was the cutest wedding recemony I have ever seen in a BL manga, so far (I’m looking at you Sasaki to Miyano future possible subsequent seasons).

a). [Continuation] Growing up around worried, yet well-intentioned, parents.

I think in my episode 6 review, I was quite shocked as to what omega people were expected of in their universe. The very fact that omega people were supposed to just be locked up away in a tower or sent away to a convent, just because of their supposed frailty, really chilled me. I understand the fact that omega people are unable to control their hormones and hence more susceptible to sexual assault, but to just keep them away seems too far to me. Side note: Why are omega people being blamed for the assaults as their inability to maintain their hormones is not their fault? More importantly, aren’t the other secondary sexual identities the ones who assault omega people who are in heat? But aren’t alpha people always taught to breed among themselves and always shown disgust by the sight of an omega person? And aren’t beta people the ones who can always control their hormones? So, which secondary sexual identities keep sexually assaulting omega people?

Setting my confusion aside, I think Masaki’s parents parenting technique is just irrational. However, in this episode, we saw the cynically-minded cousin, Kazuhiko, met with Masaki and Hikari and thawed his behavior and perception of Masaki. I was so glad that Hikari was there with his Ma-chan, because Kazuhiko really had no boundaries whatsoever with Masaki. As Kazuhiko was trying to caress Masaki, Hikari stopped Kazu-chan and insisted that Masaki is his and his papa’s.

Kazuhiko then tried to clear up the confusion and told Hikari that he didn’t intend to take his Ma-chan. Kazuhiko then tried to explain what was it that made him insistent about the Alabama-style inter-cousin marriage agreement. He said that he pitied Masaki. He felt like he was responsible for Ma-chan’s happiness, despite not knowing what Masaki happy as Hiromu has eluded in the previous episode. Whatever Hiromu was doing to Kazuhiku, I think, was doing well in at least making space between Masaki and his big family. The scene then ended with Kazuhiko himself realizing that Masaki was actually making the gentle smile after looking at Hikari’s smile, a smile which he had seen in his childhood – denoting that Masaki might actually be happy.

When Masaki’s dead parents Voice Over (VO) was playing over the grave visit scene, I was very sad. I think I have talked it out with my psychologist before. Many people who have homophobic or bigoted parents experience this firsthand. The idea is that this kind of parents has such a strict set of mindsets of what can make their child happy be it that their child needs to be rich, to marry and create a heterosexual nuclear family, to be the most sought-after doctor, to have the highest rank in their office, or something, and their child has to adhere otherwise their happiness will not materialize. Sadly, these parents never realize how the enforcement of their perception is the very thing that bars their child from being happy. I’m not a psychologist or a parent, but that’s my story and the many stories I have listened or read. The VO monologue of the letter by Masaki’s mom really hit me when she said:

“If I’d understood him better, known him better, perhaps things could have been better”.

As well as when she said:

“I’ve forced many things on him, believing it was the best for him”.

Isn’t that what we, as kids, all ever want? For our parents to try to understand us. I mean, most of the times, we don’t even understand ourselves, why can’t our parents then just try to come along the journey with us in finding ourselves?

Going back to what I intended to say. Many people have said that the abusive, harsh, manipulative actions by our homophobic or bigoted parents should just be brushed away just because that they mean well. I think when my psychologist and I had this discussion, I insisted on the fact that I know that my parents meant well. Yet, their perception of what well is really frightens me as an agnostic free-minded person. I think the way that we can see this phenomenon is through the humanist perspective. Yes, our parents, our homophobic, bigoted parents are parents, they were just doing their best – as eluded by Sheldon on the ep 13 of Young Sheldon – they made mistakes, they have good intentions. However, people can become monsters and have screwed up perspectives of what an ideal world is. So, no, I don’t think their abusive actions can get a pass, albeit that we still can see them as humans.

I think what the VO monologue gave me was another type of wishful vindication. The fact that my parents found their error and had hoped that they would try to understand me more than to just shove their perception of what I should be. I was taken aback a little when Masaki’s mother ended the letter by saying that she had hoped that Masaki could find someone that could make him happy, something which can make me segue to the next section easily.

b). Can you really escape the cycle?

These past two weeks have been quite physically challenging for me. I needed to move out from my old room to a new one. Afterwards, I needed to change to find a new place to live entirely, with all the hassle of finding a new place, ya know, setting parameters, finding possible places to live, surveying the possible places, and finally making the decision on where to move. Hold up, I’m not done, I also needed to move all of my entire stuffs which I have accumulated from all of the years I’ve lived in this city and setting it all up again in the new place – very exhausting. I know it’s a trauma dump, but bear with me. All of those physically demanding works really made me regressed on a lot of perceptions or points of view which I have so long tried to establish to better my mental health, something which Masaki talked about in the first scene of the episode.

When Masaki lamented that he had not progressed at all, after meeting with Kazuhiku, due to how he reacted to Kazu-san’s taunts, I really felt that. It seemed like whenever a crisis or a huge problem arises, all of my mental health progress seemed to just have been wiped away. Hiromu really answered his husband’s sadness by a very loving hug and iterated how he has seen Masaki fell, after which Hiromu affirmed that he always tried to catch his husband and reminded him of how to smile again, of the great love they both have in Hikari and Hinata.

I really had hoped that Hiromu would actually talk more about how Masaki has actually grown, and that he could handle all of the sad depressive episodes a little better whenever it appears, like what Shirosaki said to Momose in My New Boss is Goofy.

I don’t know whether what Masaki said was a pattern of codependency, or whether what Shirosaki said was something of a hyper/toxic-independence. What I think I could take from the scene was the fact that Masaki was always able to get back up again even after being kicked in the gut by life multiple times, simply by listing all the love he has in the world. I think that’s beautiful.

[cyberebel]

I found some anime photos that HEAVILY remind me and PERFECTLY represent what I imagine Jacks x Evangeline to look like. First off, I have no idea if these anime characters are preexisting characters so please let me know if they are! I just happen to hit the jackpot of how I’ve been envisioning Evajacks. Anyways, I think the anime art is so pretty and has such a soft glow and beauty to them. Although I originally picture Evangeline having short rose gold/pink curls, she looks so pretty in long hair as well! The dark blue hair guy is actually how I picture Jacks to look like. Someone who is tall, lean, and slightly muscular. I mentioned in a previous post, Once Upon A Broken Heart (my headcanon cast), about how I picture Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle as Jacks. As you can tell, there are some very similar or same physical characteristics between Howl, how I picture Jacks, and now this male anime character—who I assume also has blonde hair as well. This is quite the triple coincidence. Not sure if this anime boy is the same person with blue and blonde hair, but I’m just gonna assume it is and if it’s not, I can imagine it to be. The female anime character with pink hair seems to remain the same look with that flower headband so I’m assuming it’s the same girl in most of the photos. The blonde anime guy with the pink hair girl laying on the bed is giving me MAJOR Usagi x Mamarou vibes, and I’m totally here for it! 😭😭🥰🥰💓💞 And of course, nothing is right until I attach a wedding photo of Evajacks getting married! 😭😭😁😁🥰🥰💘💘

[scarletttries]

Kendall Roy x Trans Man!Reader Headcanons:

Pairing: Kendall Roy x Trans Man!Reader

Rating: Fluff with one NSFW thought clearly labelled at the end :)

Request: "hello! i love your works very much. can I request something about kendall roy x trans man reader? perhaps kendall's reaction to the fact that the reader is transgender? something very cute, some fluff."

Author’s Note: Thank you do much to the anon that sent this request in, I feel like Kendall and Trans!Reader is such a good idea and I hope you enjoy these headcanons ☺️ And thank you for your wedding ship request too, I will share the for you next week 😉 Kendall Masterlist Here 🥳

- Kendall knew it from the minute he saw you across the room at some party Stewy had thrown. He wasn't sure exactly what he knew; that he wanted to be your friend? That you were going to be someone important to him? That one day he'd grow to admire you in a way he wasn't expecting? It's like he knew all of those things at once the moment he watched you mumble a sly joke that had Stewy throwing his head back in laughter like Kendall had never seen before.

- He spent the whole night captivated by your presence; the way you held yourself like you had fought to become the person you were and now you owned your whole energy with every step, the way you effortlessly charmed every person in your path like you had an insight into them he could only dream of, the way the dark club lights danced on your delicate features. He never usually observed someone this closely unless they were a business rival or a love interest, and Kendall struggled to know which camp you fell into that night.

- Meanwhile you had grown used to being the centre of attention, whether for the right or wrong reasons, but even you couldn't miss the way Kendall Roy's eyes were following you through the crowd as you mingled and networked. Finally you had to find out quite what that interested smile on his face was hiding, buying two soda waters at Stewy's suggestion and approaching the slim built man.

"I thought you might need some hydration since you've been too busy staring at me to get a drink?" Your demeanor was even more captivating up close, a playful glint in your eye that had Kendall falling hook, line and sinker.

"And here I was, thinking i'm the master of subtly. Cheers" He held up his glass to yours, intentionally bumping his hand against yours, the spark not going unnoticed by you both.

- He'd get your number from Stewy and call you up the next day, inviting you to golf or watch a sports game or some place he thought two men sat together wouldn't get a second glance, his feelings towards you new and unsettling, but endlessly exciting all the same. It would be obvious to you from day one that these were dates, but it would take a few weeks of denial on Kendall's part before he finally invited you up to his penthouse and once safely in the privacy of his own home he'd build up the nerve to kiss you.

- It would be so slow and timid at first, as if he's not 100% sure either of you are going to go through with it. Gradually as he feels the delicate press of your lips against his, the sweet taste of reciprocated affection, then he'd be a goner, leaning in for more and smiling against your lips. One kiss couldn't erase all the years of internalised homophobia instilled by his father, but good god did it make a big fucking dent.

- You'd know from your time with Kendall that he genuinely tried to be an ally to those less privileged than him (which was frankly everyone) but that didn't mean you wouldn't be nervous to tell him your full truth once you were ready. You'd have him over to your place, a smaller and much more homely apartment that Kendall would come to adore, pulling out an old photo album and explaining the body you were born in, and your journey transitioning, and how you wanted him to know this important thing about you before you got any closer.

- Already thrown off my liking a man, Kendall wouldn't necessarily be smooth at taking the news. Don't get me wrong, he'd be so happy you told him and so proud of you for becoming the person you were meant to be, just brace yourself for a lot of "No worries dude, i'm an ally, fuck gender conformism, it's all construct put in place by people with small minds, you're stupid hot in any gender." All pouring out of his grinning lips at record pace until you finally shut him up with a kiss that he's more than happy to reciprocate, feeling incredibly lucky to be let in on this part of your wonderful life.

- Kendall would want to support however you chose to express your masculinity, but you will absolutely have to meet his tailor. This old-fashioned gentleman would take one look at you, know the perfect measurements for your build, and before you can say anything other than your favourite colours he's pulled out half a designer's catalogue in your size and Kendall is paying to have it delivered to your apartment.

- Growing up with a difficult rivalry with his own brothers, Kendall would love having another man around to do all the things he never has a friend nearby to do, especially when it's the man he's falling in love with and gets to take home at the end of the night. Prepare to have him fully invested in your hobbies, excited to gain a best friend and a lover at the same time, the lonely darkness he once existed in fully illuminated by your light.

- Connor and Willa adore you. Connor's never seen Kendall so happy, and wants to make you feel as welcome in the family as possible given you might be on the receiving of a few off-colour comments from the older generation. Roman would have a field day making slightly disgusting jokes at your expense, but given you have a much smarter retort for everything he says, he quickly gives up and sulk quietly away. Tom and Greg would both make some overly supportive comments about Kendall's newly perceived sexuality that would have even more rumours circulating about the two of them. But most of all Kendall would just take it all with a smile on his face, so content and comfortable by your side that he'll let any of their dumb jokes roll off his back as long as you want, knowing he's exactly where he's meant to be.

- That being said, if anyone is being transphobic, he will 100% ruin their life. There is no coming back from that in Kendall's mind, his love for you growing protective in a world that is so unwelcoming to the trans community, and feeling somewhat responsible given the messaging of ATN. He'll really put in the work to not only improve himself, but also his business, trying to be the change he wants to see in the world for you and everyone other trans person.

- One slightly NSFW headcanon: Regardless of what stage you are at physically in your transition, Kendall will worship your body. Feeling dysphoria? Kendall will kiss every one of your features and tell you what a handsome man he immediately thought you were that first night, and how he's only grown more attracted to you since. Ken will happily bottom for you if that what you're into, letting you take control as long as you praise how well he takes you, hearing him whimper out how good you make him feel.

[lilithfreya]

Six of Crows/Shadow and Bone Modern College AU's

Finally, is Genya and David time. Let's go!!

Genya:

She had a difficult childhood, until she was adopted by a rich and adorable couple who never had children, she goes to fashion and design college and has a promising future with her private atelier that for now only exists on her instagram and when she uses her friends of models for their looks and posts the photos that make hundreds of thousands of people want their clothes. Her best friends are Zoya and Alina, but her best crime duo is Nina, they love to get together and talk about their love lives and play matchmaker, why can't alina not understand like her best friend keeps staring at her and stops everything he's doing to hang out with her and help her always. In addition, there is also Zoya who for months has not stopped talking about this spoiled prince who keeps irritating her, and because of this she goes to investigate, I mean check her friend's well-being and is even more intrigued when she sees him talking to the nerd cute guy from the engineering department, who helped her once with her cell phone and who she likes to talk to when I feel like everything is too heavy or just because she really likes him a lot and he's so cute talking about his inventions. One day she decides to ask him out on a date and he gets all red and stutters but he agrees to go out with her and when they start dating he gives her a bracelet he made himself. She loves hanging out with him in her workshop creating different pieces of clothing and watching him work.

David:

He had a pretty quiet childhood, (I like to think David is neurodivergent and has a hyper focus on building things physically or digitally and that's why he doesn't like to be touched or hugged by strangers), his parents were very good with technology , perhaps being scientists, love hypothesis felings, and supported him when he chose to study mechanical and computational engineering. He doesn't have many friends at the beginning of college, just the lab guys and every now and then he ends up helping people who have problems with their electronics because he likes to figure out what went wrong. And that's how he meets Genya and Nikolai, he thinks Genya is very pretty when he sees her for the first time but I don't quite understand why she keeps coming back to talk to him even without having any real problems and he can't believe it when she finally asks him out that this is for real and he really enjoys talking to him or more hearing about her dreams and goals and she respects him and his needs as well as his time so he is more than happy happy when he realizes that she might like him the same way he likes her. Then one day he meets Nikolai, it was before Genya, he helps solve a lost file problem on his computer and since then Nikolai has been trying to talk to him about the company he's forming and how david would be paid very well and get everything that he wants there, but he doesn't feel that way, he was almost recruited by a company that wanted him but didn't accept his time to work and limited his curiosity so he doesn't know how he felt about it. Until Genya helps both of them and makes a contract that everyone is very satisfied with the norms and legal stipulations, so he signs and ends up meeting very interesting people and ends up getting close to several people like Nikolai and Wylan, he likes their ideas and thinking about how to put them in his creations, and also Alina and Mal, who always when Genya gets too busy with one of his projects keep him company and remind him to eat and take a walk around campus and not get stuck with his inventions in the laboratory. with the money he went on to earn he finally manages to make a wedding ring for Genya and on graduation day he proposes to her with a ruby ring he designed and they live happily ever after.

this turned out a little longer than i planned but with college that wa the best I could do by now on vaccation I have more time, I think the next chapter will be the last so, stay turned for Kaz and Inej part, xoxo.

[liiilyevans]

Louis Weasley hc??

Thank you for the ask, anon!

Louis Weasley Headcanons!

He is Bill and Fleur's easiest baby by far! Literally an angel compared to his sisters.

Fleur didn't believe the Healers when they told her she was having a boy. She was certain it would be a girl because of her Veela blood. She didn't take into account the Weasley's track record.

He weighed six pounds and five ounces when he was born, so he was also the smallest of Bill and Fleur's kids.

Dominique is two when he's born and Vic is five.

Dom hates him. She was used to being the center of attention before Louis came along and definitely does not appreciate him stealing her limelight.

It takes her two months to makeup with him, but that's only after he throws up on Bill and makes her laugh.

His best memories are of running along the beach next to Shell Cottage and collecting seashells. His mum helps him, and they keep his collection in the shed in case one of his shells ends up being a crab.

He paints his shells and rearranges them in different patterns.

When both Vic and Dom were both gone to Hogwarts, he sometimes goes into work with Bill or Fleur. The goblins never approve even though Louis is always quiet.

He is immune to the whispered arguments that would happen in the kitchen late at night.

He is sorted into Hufflepuff, which comes as a surprise to no one. He is loyal, patient, and dedicated.

He is a photographer. He spends most of his time at Hogwarts taking pictures and developing them.

He's more fascinated by still art than the moving pictures that most wizards produce. He likes capturing a moment and studying it.

Six months after he graduates, Bill and Fleur give him Shell Cottage.

He uses the cottage to develop his photos and really create his first collection. It's his happy place and he loves it. He loves his parents even more for giving it to him.

He's closest with Roxanne out of all his cousins. They're both artists between her dancing and his photography. He has a whole collection that is nothing but stills of her dancing, but he won't publish it because she asks him not to.

He is bilingual, and loves language like his father. If he had time, he'd learn a third language, but he has too much going on between art and his family to really focus on it.

He looks the most like Fleur. He has the same facial structure and the same shade of blonde hair.

He's also the tallest of his siblings.

While he's close with his dad's parents, he's closer with his mum's.

He goes to France whenever his mum does, sometimes more, to visit them and lives in Paris for six months when he's working on his third collection.

By the time he produces his second collection, he's well known in the art community and has a gallery in London.

The best piece in his second collection is a distorted photo of Bill and Fleur fighting that he took when he was sixteen. It's distorted enough that you can't tell who is in the picture, but you can still see the emotions running through the photo. It's his most popular piece and moves most people to tears when they see it.

Bill and Fleur have no idea that photo is of them.

He's closer with Vic than he is with Dominique. Dom is a very scatterbrained and flighty while Vic and Louis are more grounded.

Loves his nieces and nephews, but doesn't want kids of his own.

After many failed relationships, he ends up marrying Gabe MacMillan. Gabe's not pushy and he's sweet, which is what Louis needs after people wanting to be with him only because he's a Weasley or only because he's a famous artist.

It's a small wedding, or as small as can be considering the Weasleys have expanded quite a bit.

He and Gabe have dinner with Louis' parents every week, and Fleur usually makes French dishes for them.