#not to mention that doodling helps with concentration (at least usually)

[starangel96]

Medical university is a very serious thing for very serious people

there is no place for those who fill their notes with gnomes

and snails, I can't get over how cool are those to doodle

of course if I was a person doodling during lectures, who I am not, considering how serious person I am

very serious student. Future doctor. Take notes

[writingrenna]

Jacq x GN!Reader

"Learn to Love (Pt. 3)"

Jacq orders you to stay in Mesagoza to take a break from training for a while after your accident, which you agree to. He keeps an eye on you and Cap during this period, so you decide to take this chance to get to know Jacq personally.

Tone/Ending: Fairly Relaxed, Jacq is an awkward dork, you're a shy dork

Warnings: I am NOT good at Spanish, I'm so sorry

Continuity: Part 3 of this story, and some lore from "May I Have A Word With You?" returns

Word Count: Slightly more than 7,000

_\V/_

"Hello, hello! How're you feeling today?"

He told you to come join him in the biology classroom while you got breakfast. Saguaro was kind enough to carry your tray for you since it seemed like you could barely stand. You had slept for about 16 hours, but you were mentally exhausted. Not to mention, you somehow got more tired sleeping for so long. But still, you respond.

"Eh, feeling...? At least?"

He smiles, eyes closing in contentment, seemingly satisfied with this response. Cap and Mimi had their own tray, which Saguaro put down first. The two jumped off his shoulder, Mimi excited to hand-feed Cap (who surprisingly didn't seem to mind much). He was certainly lively as usual, but it seemed like something was... off. Like he had mellowed out, having a lot on his mind, operating at a slower pace than usual despite his usual personality burning as bright as ever.

As Saguaro got you settled (he couldn't help but arrange everything on the table for you), you sat down, thanking him with a yawn. He left the two of you alone, Jacq signing some stuff you didn't know as you munched on some toast, half-asleep. It was nice, the only sounds being the children doing who-knows-what outside, the occasional trill of joy from Mimi as her brother ate, and Jacq's pen gliding across those papers of his as he went through them.

You sniff, reaching over to drink from your cup of... whatever you got yourself, you assume you poured something you like. You look up at him as you do so. He's occupied of course, but the moment actually gives you enough willpower to sit back and... observe him. He's concentrating so hard, but there's a softness to his features that tells you he's genuinely engrossed in his work and not simply filling out whatever. It might be some data collected from his students or... something? He doesn't talk about his work all too much aside from Pokémon research or occasionally mentioning the terastal phenomenon.

Watching him purse his lips in contemplation, head tilting back a little as he looks out into space gives you a warm feeling in your core, somewhere between your stomach and chest...

You absent-mindedly point to yourself at said area.

"Hey, Jacq?"

He looks over to you, smiling.

"Yeah?"

"...this is the liver, right?"

He cocks an eyebrow before responding.

"Yes, I believe it is."

"Ah, neat, thanks."

You go back to eating your toast, now a bit more lively than before, as you'd gained the strength to sit up. You start looking out the window, but he notably continues to stare at you, eyebrows now furrowed at your strange question. The soft smile from before still remained, however. He just found the whole interaction vaguely peculiar. When he realized that was really it, he simply shrugged and went back to work.

After finishing the toast, you turn to look at your Pokémon. Mimi was feeding Cap a bit of yogurt, which he seemed neutral towards, but Mimi was simply thrilled he was eating at all. Was he... eating it for her sake...? Huh.

Well, back to your own breakfast you guess. You aren't quite sure why you're here, but he's busy at the moment, and you'd feel bad asking him another question. So, you take out your phone in order to doodle a little while eating. Your current home screen was the generic one, as you only had the time to do a full-on drawing for the lock screen (the image of Mimi blepping would not leave your mind until you did), but you saw no reason that shouldn't change. This time, it'll be of Capsakid, because you wanted to. It was about time you did more than doodles and sketches of him.

This little distraction actually occupies your mind quite well, getting really into it by the time you laid his pose out, which was the hard part. Your first idea... didn't really work out, but your new one was a bit more visually interesting anyway. It wasn't perfect, but you got the idea out there, which was far more important for a piece like this where you were simply doodling your Pokémon in its element. You paint in the sky and decide to make that your stopping point, as once you start adding in the details, you can't stop until you're absolutely satisfied (or give up).

Looking up, you saw Jacq was already looking in your direction, although he wasn't turned to you, just glancing. You wondered if you did anything, but the look was thoughtful, as if he were in the process of having a revelation. You look back down, staring at your drawing before mustering up the courage to say something.

"Hey, sir?"

He seemingly snaps out of it, blinking a few times, shaking his head a little before properly responding.

"Yes? How may I... uh... how may I help you?"

You look up at him, a bit nervously.

"I... I'm almost done, if you had any plans for the day."

He blinks.

"Oh. A-actually, I didn't really have any... specific plans..."

"Really?" You ask, tilting your head.

"Yeah! Honestly, I just wanted to keep an eye on you."

You gasp. You can't help it, but you gasp. He timidly smiles, biting his bottom lip just a little before responding.

"Heh, sorry. I was just really worried last night. I was off today anyway, so I thought, 'Why not!'" He shrugs as he says this. "G-guess I should have- asked first, though..."

You weren't really upset at the action, but something about him deciding to watch you made you feel kinda... small? Young? It was hard to put into words, but you really weren't as upset as he seems to think you are. Plus, any excuse to hang out with him wa- well, scratch that. Most any excuse, some would probably be less welcome. But today, you could finally talk to him for normal, non Capsakid-related reasons.

"Hey, whatever you want, we can do it, sound good?"

You open your mouth to respond, but all that comes out is a short: "AHH-H-"

Your hands immediately shoot up and cover your mouth, mortified. Your Pokémon both chirp to each other in surprise, turning to look at you. Jacq himself actually jumps in his seat a little before raising an eyebrow.

"Woah! You okay there?"

You feverishly nod your head.

"Yeah, just-" you put your head down and whimper.

'What. In the FUCK. Was that?'

You feel the gentle pats of a Pawmo on your head, similar to the first day you got her. She chatters questioningly, basically asking if you're alright. You mumble a little before finally looking up... only to see a baggy stripped shirt in front of you.

"Eee-!"

"Oh! Sorry, just making sure you're all right."

You look up beyond the purple shirt- oh my gods, his shirt collar is so stretched out, does anything he's wearing fit? For some reason, the idea that nothing does is... kinda cute? You cry out a little, overwhelmed by your... overwhelming attraction to him. Why does he have to be a genuinely good guy as well? That doesn't really help in ignoring it.

At this point, he's backed up a bit.

"Ah, I really should have talked to you about this idea beforehand."

'Stop overthinking it and respond...' you say to yourself before clearing your throat, looking back down.

"Yeah, that sounds nice, thank you."

He seems relieved all at once.

"Oh, good! I won't do anything like that again, promise!"

You nod, still not looking up at him. This catches his attention. You don't see his face, but his tone is soft.

"Eh, you don't have to say yes, rea-"

"Nono, please, I do wanna... say yes."

Gods, this was a mess. You sit up, swallowing hard, but you still don't meet his eyes.

"I... don't mind you looking out for me. And yeah, it'd be nice, just... hanging out."

He grins.

"Ah, good! Whatever you want, okay?"

_\V/_

You pull down a book. You had decided to take it easy that day, so Jacq had given you access to the little private area of the entrance hall behind the front desk. You're very interested in a book on prehistoric Pokémon. Jacq himself is looking through a book on terastal energy.

"Hey, I have a weird observation, can you confirm or deny it for me?"

"Oh, sure! I'm all ears."

You turn to a specific page, looking at it instead of him.

"I've noticed, that... Grafaiai's 'prevo' Shroodle is kinda like a basal primate, right? Like instead of fully branching off like other primate Pokémon, it keeps hold of its roots."

"Correct."

"And like, Girafarig usually doesn't evolve in other regions because it's too cumbersome, but it still evolves into Farigiraf here."

"Also true."

"So like..."

You hold the book up a little more, as if studying a specific note.

"I've always kinda wondered, is there something about the environment here that makes it like, a safe haven for Pokémon that go extinct elsewhere?"

He thinks for a moment.

"Huh, that's a very interesting observation, actually. I, uh, I believe they may have never died out because they get all their needs met as-is. It IS a bit of a mystery how Shroodle's been able to hang in there for so long, given their place on the evolutionary family tree, but I believe us having plenty of resources and wide-open spaces kept Farigiraf going strong, and I'm glad it did!"

You nod, trying to think of more examples as you flip through the pages.

"I see, hm..."

Jacq seems a bit antsy, but in an excited sorta way.

"Hey, I didn't know you were into this kind of stuff..."

You momentarily look up from staring at a page about Cetoddle.

"Oh, yeah, heh, I am. Paleontology is neat, and it's double neat how this region seems to be, uh, holding onto these prehistoric Pokémon. Makes me wonder what other ones are out there, y'know? How they... adapt to modern times and all that jazz."

He chuckles, thinking your response over as he leans on the table, propping his head up using his arm.

"Ah, so you were always into Pokémon, eh?" His voice is very charmed, finding this side of you endearing.

"Yeah, they're really interesting to learn about. I dunno why I never caught or trained one before now, though."

He smiles a little.

"Well, you don't need to own any Pokémon... but I'm glad you took a chance on Cap and Mimi."

You can't help but uncontrollably smile. Those two really changed your life, eh? You take a moment to enjoy those fuzzy feelings when suddenly, you recall something else you had sat up at night pondering.

"Oh! I just remembered something!"

"Yeah? What's up?"

"Do you think you could find any interesting fossils in the crater?"

Silence. You continue, completely focused on wording it right.

"Like, I know there's a chance any surrounding fossils may have been obliterated on impact, but if you went down and dug in any direction, surely you'd find SOMETHING eventually, right?"

Turning to him, he looks slightly pale as he stares at you, frozen in place.

"Oh! D-did I say something wrong-?"

He shakes his head.

"No, I just... sorry, I was..." he clears his throat. "The crater may be a bit unstable, but it's an interesting thought."

You stare at him. This time, it's him avoiding eye contact, eyes darting away with a worried look on his face. You change topics.

"Well, uh, y'know, that's not ALL I'm interested in. I- actually find speculative evolution to be fascinating, too. I'm no biologist, though. Do you ever wonder how Pokémon will look in the future?"

He still isn't looking at you, but his face becomes somber.

"I... don't know... the future is... unpredictable."

Darn. You feel like the second you mentioned fossils, he checked out of the conversation, and you haven't said anything right since...

"Ah, understandable."

You turn away, putting the book back on the shelf. You hear him shuffle in his seat before saying something.

"Mmm, but uh, we do know about someone who helped us in expanding our Pokémon knowledge over in Sinnoh!"

"Oh?" You perk up a little, turning to him.

"Yeah! I-I don't know if you've ever heard of a Professor Laventon?"

You think for a moment.

"Oh! Oh, wait, didn't he document all those evolutions and regional variants that are basically all extinct? Like Ursaluna or Hisuian Goodra?"

"Yes, him! We uh, were lucky enough to have... found- a really well preserved photograph of him. I scanned it for Raifort to use during her classes, but the actual physical photo is still with me..."

He looks away, then back up to you.

"...you wanna..." His hand flies up to rub the back of his head. "...wanna see?"

He looks at you. His eyes were calm, but you could sense a bit of hope behind them. It would be cool seeing a photograph of THE Professor Laventon, taken when the likes of Basculegion existed...

"Sure!" You smile, emitting a little laugh.

He perks up as well.

"Nice, can't wait to show you!"

_\V/_

The two of you split up, you going back to the classroom as he went somewhere else, as he had to retrieve it first. You do as you're told, humming and drumming on the desk a little as you look around the room. Your mind wanders back to your Pokémon, who were in their Pokéballs strapped to your hip.

A part of you wanted to let them out, but he had already been so accommodating in never telling you to recall them while indoors during this whole process. You knew he didn't really mind all too much, but you still wanted to be considerate of his wishes.

You hear him make his way back from down the hall. He's panting, not that hard, but enough to let you know he had sprinted at some point in his journey. How he managed to do so in sandals would forever elude you. He finally rounded the door, excitement evident on his face as he smiled widely.

"Sorry! I- I keep this book back in my dorm! I didn't want to misplace it while at the library, that's why I sent you back here. Hope you don't mind."

You can't help but chuckle.

"Hey, no worries! Keep that thing safe."

He comes over, pulling up a stool. He's so giddy he kind of fumbles around trying to get to the right page, but when he does...

"Hah, here it is!"

He holds the book up to you. It has a picture of Professor Laventon on one page, along with some notes and a pressed flower on the other. A part of you is wondering what kind of significance the flower holds, but another part of you is too busy just staring at the picture of the professor. For some reason, seeing him sparked some questions in you, questions you were unprepared to untangle. It was lightly existential, but it would be kind of nice to just sit there for a while to think and put things into perspective.

"Hm, anything else in this book?"

His eyes light up.

"Oh! Yeah, lots of stuff. Lemme juuust..."

He turns a page, showing off some pictures of what is labeled "Jubilife Village", as well as a few other pictures and sketches of some old style Pokéballs. After showing you the rest of the pictures, diagrams and notes related to Hisui, he turns it back to himself to flip through the pages, face scrunched up in deep concentration before growing slightly more concerned. He then carefully closes the book, a blank look on his face.

"Huh, thought I had more stuff in this book. Guess not."

You tilt your head. The page dedicated to Laventon seemed to only be about an eighth of the ways in, give or take, and the rest that he showed you barely made a dent. But he did say they 'found' it, maybe the rest was work related.

"Hey, it's okay. We should probably take our Pokémon out for some exercise anyway." You say, eagerly grabbing the Pokéballs from off your belt. He watches this action before looking up at you, breaking out into a grin.

"Sounds good! I have to put this book away, but you can head outside ahead of me if you like."

_\V/_

Jacq had finally come outside, where you were waiting with your two Pokémon. You turn when you hear the large doors open, before shyly looking away.

"Hey!"

"Hello, hello! I'm ready now, have anywhere in mind?"

You think about it. You don't want to leave Mesagoza, but you also want his Pokémon to have enough room to stretch their legs. Turning around to try and jog your memory, you remember a place.

"Eh, um... OH! Maybe that empty area over there?" You ask, pointing slightly east.

"Oh, I know where you're talking about, that little hill next to a tree?"

You nod, hands on your hips.

"Yup! That way, all our Pokémon can run around."

You turn back to him, only to notice he seems to be watching something, lips pursed and nodding in approval as his eyes dart from side to side, head moving ever so slightly. Looking down, you see a tiny Capsakid running past you. Raising your arms up, you balk.

"Cap!? What are y-"

He runs by again. You then realize he's running circles around you. You look up at Jacq, one eyebrow raised as if asking 'w h a t'. He's looking at you with an amused expression on his face.

"Ah, don't worry, Pokémon that are waiting for walks tend to do that. They just kinda... get excited like that."

Huh. Feeling excited for your walk. Noted. It's weird, considering he always ran away from you before.

"It's quite cute seeing him with such a pep in his step, eh?"

You keep watching him. He's chirping, running around with his tongue out and a smile on his face. Mimi is watching, too, tracking his movements with a wide, open-mouth smile. You can't help but chortle.

"Yeah, it is pretty cute."

_\V/_

Cap eventually stopped running circles around you, only to yawn and plop down right where he stood. You picked him up and carried him to your destination. The second you placed him on the grass, however, he stood up and started running around.

"Uhp-"

You watch as he runs off to bother Jacq's Mudsdale, who seemed to take extra care not to squash the little guy, backing up and tilting her head to get a better look at him. He jumps up and chirps, which causes her to snort a little and whip her head around before looking at him again, leaning in slightly more this time. This repeats a few times, each time their delivery changing just a tad bit until Mudsdale huffs in defeat. This prompts Cap to chirp and bite onto one of her dreadlocks, with her allowing him to shimmy his way up and stand on her head, crying out in victory.

You and Jacq had been sitting on the ground, watching the entire interaction. You were sitting up, leaning in to keep an eye on Cap, with him leaning back, balancing on the palms of his hands. You want to say something, but you can't find the words. This doesn't stop you from trying, however.

"...huh..."

You turn to Jacq, who then turns to look at you a second or so later. You give him a playful glare.

"Explain that, professor."

He stares at you before actually starting to laugh a bit, thankfully understanding the joke. Turning his torso and leaning in a bit closer to you, he points toward them using his thumb.

"Hahah, y- you know I can't explain THAT! What!?"

You try to keep the same playful expression, but seeing him like this makes you snort, and then break out into laughter as well. The two of you have a laugh over the bizarre scenario as the Pokémon around you get some well-needed outdoor time. Mimi is even invited over to stand on her head with him, and she reluctantly does, most likely to keep Cap safe, as she holds onto him while Mudsdale carefully sits back up.

You feel confident Mudsdale won't do anything to hurt them, but you still stay alert just in case. You were their trainer, after all. Plus, you weren't exactly over almost...

Huh. You almost lost Cap. That's weird.

You don't want to think about it, this is your day to relax your mind. So, you grab Jacq's hand.

"Huh?"

His head whips down to look at your hand in his, before looking up at you.

"Something up?"

You immediately lose steam, whatever spontaneous idea you had... spontaneously fizzling away. Still, you didn't want to seem like you lost your mind (your plan's the only thing lost here), so you keep holding it. He seems unsure about what you're doing, eyes darting away, then back at your hands. The both of you then abruptly turn to Mudsdale when you hear a loud squeal.

It's Mimi, paws on her cheeks as she stares at you two. Her eyes could perfectly reflect the entire galaxy with how excited she is. Even Cap stares wide-eyed before laughing. It's that same darn mischievous laugh of his.

You could be pondering why Mimi reacted like this. You could also be questioning why Cap's now seemingly on the same page of whatever she's reading here.

But man, it just hit you how much you adore that laugh. How long had it been since you last heard it? Maybe it was just so normal to you that at this point, you stopped noticing it. Either way, it brought a warm smile to your face.

"Ah, he laughs like a Scovillain," Jacq idly said, snapping you out of your thoughts. Turning to him with questioning eyes, he turns to you and takes it as a cue to continue.

"It's pretty normal for evolutions to sound like each other, so no worries there."

He pauses.

"It reminds me, though. Have you considered evolving him soon?"

You frown, furrowing your eyebrows and looking up at Cap.

"Hm, I guess I haven't thought about it lately. Why? Should I?"

Jacq turns to him, too.

"Well, at some point, a Pokémon will become too strong to evolve. Their body will start storing too much energy to safely do it, so you should evolve him before he gets to that point. He... he's getting there, Seed Bomb is a pretty advanced move for a Capsakid. Plus, he'd be able to try some pretty neat ones he can only perform as a Scovillain."

"Hm, I see..." you say, looking down as you think. You want him to live life to the fullest, but you weren't sure just yet. Turning to him, you hesitantly ask something.

"Would... it reset our progress?"

He smiles.

"No, don't worry, he can actually evolve whenever he likes. He'd need a fire stone, but he wouldn't gain any experience from it."

Alright, that sounds good. You make a mental note of that. You remembered the method, but you were worried he'd be extra defiant afterwards. Now, how does one find a fire stone...? You'd look it up later.

"Okay, I think I will when we're done with this whole obedience thing. I dunno, I want a little more time, I guess..."

Despite what happened the day before, you want to be totally in-sync with him. You didn't need to battle a lot like the other students, but when in a pinch, you two had to be on the same page. Mostly for his sake though, you didn't really get into trouble like this before you two met.

He flashes you a toothy smile.

"Sounds good!"

You nod, looking at Cap, who is now trying to get Farigiraf to bend down to his level, probably so he can get up even higher. Mudsdale looks unamused, but Mimi looks terrified, furiously shaking her head 'no' at Farigiraf whenever Cap can't see her. Farigiraf herself seems conflicted.

"Ah. Of course," is all you say to this.

Jacq lets out a breathy laugh, rubbing your hand with his thumb a little without thinking about it. Oh, right, you're still holding hands. It feels kinda nice, though, so you don't bring attention to it, simply looking away to hide your bashful expression.

_\V/_

The two of you parted ways after coming inside, as Jacq had some stuff he needed to tend to. Thankfully, Cap came back unscathed, but he was exhausted. Even Mimi was starting to let out tired little warbles, stretching and yawning as you wrapped up outside time. You decide to let him take a little nap, carrying him inside as Mimi took her usual place on your shoulder, determined to stay awake for whatever reason.

Placing him inside a beanie once you got back to your dorm as a joke, you can't help but find it funny just how tiny he really is. He barely even weighs the thing down, and he fits so comfortably in it. You could easily carry him around in it, but you decide to let him rest in your room, putting the hat on your pillow and letting him basically use it as an oversized sleeping bag. Mimi sits on the bed nearby, watching over him so you can go to the school store for a little supply run.

Coming back, you see Mimi has fallen asleep, too, laying on her stomach as if she just passed out and fell forward on the spot. You huff in amusement, rolling your eyes lovingly at her as you shake your head. She tried her absolute best (even though you really didn't need her to do anything at all), and that's all that mattered. You put your newly acquired items away before making your way to your desk to finish off that drawing from earlier.

You get in the zone, adding some little foreground details before you even know it. You take a second to look at it, before deciding to just let it be, making a mental note to look at it again later with fresher eyes.

It's a nice Sunday evening, sure, but you didn't really have any more ideas on how to pass the time, especially considering your mental exhaustion. You still want to feel productive, however, as you sorta... lost a bit of yourself after catching Cap. It's like you've been so consumed in this stuff, you kinda forgot who you were in the process. Weird, as it's only been a few months. The mind can get stuck in the swing of things pretty quickly, you suppose.

You turn to your Pokémon, who are still fast asleep. You then look around your room, looking over all the little things you put up around the place. So much has changed, and quickly at that. You almost want to cry at how different your life is now.

You now have two Pokémon. You left your home to attend an academy specifically because a little green pepper kept messing with you. You don't know anyone, and you only really talk to your teacher because Capsakid makes it easy. And now... of course you become infatuated with the only person you consistently interact with outside of class. He's cute and he doesn't judge you. That's all it really takes for you sometimes...

Blech. Stuck in your own head again. You need a distraction, and FAST. But you don't want to leave your Pokémon here alone, so you resign yourself to scrolling endlessly through your phone, at least for a little while.

_\V/_

Clubs...?

You honestly, legitimately forgot there were clubs. You were here to do one thing, so any deviation wasn't considered when enrolling. You (usually) preferred alone time anyway, but checking it out didn't seem too bad. You see one that was "come as you please" by default, as in, no members, just getting together as a group if you want to do... whatever. You decide to go to that one, loosely grabbing the beanie's brim and holding Mimi in the crook of your arm where she curls up, unconsciously getting ready for the ride.

When you get there, there's a group of people of different ages around the room. Some were in front of the TV on the opposite side of room, speculating amongst themselves about the show that was on. Some others were drawing and writing together at a high table next to the door, seemingly working on a project despite how dark it was. You couldn't tell what else was going on before the group leader approached you. Speaking in a hushed tone, they warmly greet you.

"Ah, welcome! First time around these parts?"

You nod somewhat shyly, looking down and to the side after your eyes dart away from theirs. They nod back.

"Ah, I see. Well, make yourself comfortable. You came in on a great day, tonight's theme is "Chill Hangout at Home." So uh, pretend you're at a friend's house!"

You nod, although you're not sure what would be appropriate. Looking around, you see more people. Some were playing boardgames. Some were sitting around a small play tent as their friend told stories inside, holding a flashlight and laughing maniacally. Some were seemingly sharing music with each other... it looks like everyone's grouped-up. Man, it's already sorta awkward-

"'Scuse me, comin' through!"

You jump, moving to the side as a kid riding a Skiddo comes in, holding a bag of some sort.

"We got more snacks!"

The group leader beams at them.

"Geráneo, Glade, welcome back! Let's go see your haul!"

The three of them make their way further into the classroom, leaving you alone with just yourself and your Pokémon. Looking down, you notice Mimi is starting to wake up. Conscious, but not making a move yet. Cap is still snoozing soundly, however. You walk towards the TV, only to spot an empty pet bed in front of the couch. You decide to set them both down in it, but you're unsure if that means you should sit with the anime kids or not. It makes sense, sticking next to your Pokémon, but you're not sure what it is they're watching. They seem to be talking about the very specific arc currently going on as well, which means you might make a fool of yourself commenting on anything and being wrong.

You sigh. Only one of them is physically on the couch. The rest were sitting around it, so you carefully make your way over to sit down, awkwardly shuffling between some of them to get there.

"Eh, sorry... just gonna... sit. Apologies..."

You do as you said you would. The guy on the couch glances at you before going back to watching the show, but otherwise, nothing embarrassing happened. You put Cap in the bed before looking down at Mimi, who simply stretches in your arms. Smiling, you stroke her back before looking up to try and figure out at least the loose plot of the show.

_\V/_

...you... have never been so confused. You can't help but whisper under your breath when you struggle to remember a character that was mentioned.

"...Melanie...?"

The guy leans in.

"Maroon hair, bob haircut, owns a female Hippopotas and a Pawniard."

He then casually sits back up. He didn't even take his eyes off the screen while he told you, and you can't help but smile a little at that. Maroon-haired Melanie, got it. The show seemed interesting so far, you think you last saw Melanie in a dark, grungy city making a deal with someone, but you weren't sure what the context was. Her Hippopotas didn't seem to trust the guy, seemingly ready to fight, but Melanie herself looked confident. Both her and the guy did, actually, as if this were just a regular occurrence for them.

Were you... actually kinda into the show already? You didn't remember the exact name, something about order? And you don't even really know who the main character is, but you'd like to pick the show up sometime. It's got you hooked! You can't help but wonder, though. Would Jacq know what this show is...?

You lift up your phone, opening the camera, waiting for the right moment. The scene is on three members of the main group (according to the intro, you think) in a sunny field, obviously far away from the deal makers. The shot settles on one of the group members. It's of them holding a finger up as they say something with a stern yet reassuring tone, occasionally wagging said finger. The tiny Ekans draped over their shoulders is looking somewhat sad as it listens to them. Perfect.

After snapping the picture, you shoot him a text.

[Hey, can I ask you something?]>

You look back up. It seems like this character is trying to keep the boys calm as the deal is going down, but the two are kind of losing it. You still can't tell what the context is (who is Warden? You have a feeling that answer would require a MASSIVE rewind.) It didn't really matter, though. You were here to pass the time and maybe find some stuff to do outside of class.

Your phone vibrates. That was faster than you expected, but you're grateful nonetheless.

<[Sure thing! Ask away.]

You attach the image and start typing.

[Watching this show in a club, the last episode was halfway through when I got here. You know what it's called?]>

He reads it right away before starting to reply just as quickly.

<[Oh, yeah, that's "Ode to Order"! It's, well, complicated. But it's pretty fun!]

Vague description, but helpful answer.

[Thanks! I might actually watch it in my freetime, seems cool]>

For some reason, the fact that he responds again catches you off-guard.

<[I recommend it! Fun fact, I have the entire series on VHS, it came as a box set 📼]

Hm. He uses emojis? That tickles you for some reason. You respond with one yourself to mirror his tone.

[Oh really? Interesting, you do seem like the VHS type... 🤔]>

Fuck, was that too much?? Apparently, it wasn't to him.

<[Hah! Yeah, I used to collect them all the time. My most recent addition was sometime last month, actually!]

Your stomach does a flip in your... stomach... cavity? Wherever it is, you felt all those Vivillon flapping their wings, getting some exercise. He's actually so cool?? Why didn't you talk to him like this before? Now you feel like "panicked trainer" you missed out...

[That's neat! Collectors and the like have always fascinated me, how many do you have?]>

He responds again.

<[Oh boy, that sure is hard to gauge. Come back to me in like, a month for an accurate answer 😅/j]

Oh! Tone tags, too? You feel like you're starting to really know him, which is a thought you immediately brush off because he is your TEACHER-

[Understandable 😂]>

You get an idea. Feeling bold, you shoot him a double text.

[Oh! Weird question, got any drawing ideas for me?]>

It takes him a moment, but he replies.

<[Like for you to draw?]

[Yup!]>

<[Oh!]

You assume he sent that last text to let you know he wasn't ignoring you, because he didn't respond right away. He did after a brief pause in responses, however.

<[Not sure, maybe an Arcanine? Low on ideas at the moment, sorry.]

Oof, you feel worse than you probably should...

[No, don't apologize! Arcanine definitely works!]>

You see he starts to respond, but then he stops typing and doesn't continue for whatever reason. You decide to let the conversation end, but not before reassuring him one last time.

[I'll probably do that next, so get ready 😈]>

He seems confused by your response, as he replies with:

<[Is that a bad thing?]

Hah.

[Oh, no worries, just hyping it up]>

<[I see. Well, then! Looking forward to it? 😯]

You laugh to yourself at his bewilderment, before sending a simple "good". This honestly felt like you were being shown his intricacies up-close. It was nice, like seeing him in more detail.

Oh Gods, don't say it like that, brain...

Looking back up at the show, the trio in the field are all yelling at some people who are also featured in the intro, who you assume are some more antagonists other than Warden. You use this absolute lack of context as your chance to take a restroom break, leaving Mimi and Cap in the pet bed after telling her you'd be right back.

It wasn't long, but it wasn't super quick either due to how far away it is. When you get back, the group leader was at the door.

"Oh, hello there! Um, your Pokémon, I think they went looking for you!"

What?

"Why?"

"Your Capsakid woke up and started crying, I guess he thought you left them. I tried to comfort him, but after I thought they calmed down, I got a bit too occupied with something. I didn't notice they left until they were already gone, I'm sorry!"

...crying...?

Your heart dropped at this, but outwardly, you simply nod.

"No, I'm sorry. I, uh, might've forgotten to tell her where I... actually went... she must've gotten up to help him try to find me. Sometimes she leads him to me when he's up to something."

The kid from earlier approaches. Geráneo- you believe?

"No worries, I can help you look, Glade is GREAT at finding grass types."

You nod before turning around.

"Okay, thank you! They probably went back to my dorm, but I don't think they know this area of the school very well."

Geráneo nods before mounting the Skiddo.

"¡Arre, chico! Find that pepper!"

The Skiddo happily levades, bleating before taking off with Geráneo in tow. The group leader calls out to them.

"Don't go nuts, ya hear me!?"

You're very much caught off-guard, but you go with it.

"Wha- wait!"

You follow the best you can as Skiddo gallops and jumps around, seemingly following Cap's path. His movements are coordinated, yet jerky, as if Cap was wildly running throughout the school. Sounds about right.

At one point, he goes down a random hallway for a few feet before turning and running back out to the main hallway. He then bleats and hops up before booking it down the main hallway for a bit. You follow, bewildered, before the goat skids to an abrupt stop, almost drifting like a motorbike.

"Woooah, hey, careful there! You can't ride Skiddo indoors!"

Jacq?

Geráneo seemingly ignores this in favor of completing the task. Hopping off, he bows.

"I believe you'll find your buddies in there."

Geráneo holds an arm out to the side toward the biology room, where you didn't even realize you ended up. Skiddo proudly sits next to him with his head held high. You thank the two, bowing in return as they walked right back from where you came from towards their club. You then poke your head in, only to see Cap standing on Jacq's desk, obviously distraught over something when he spots you.

He chirps loudly, hopping down and running to you, immediately rubbing his head on your leg before looking up, crying out. You're honestly stunned, unsure of what to do other than pick the little guy up. Jacq walks over towards the two of you, smiling wide.

"I'm so glad you found them, your Pokémon came running in here like they were lost!"

You nod, staring at the little pepper, who just seemed relieved to be seeing you again. Pawmo had since come over, tenderly hugging your leg. She knew you were ok, but it was probably stressful for her, too.

"Wha- what happened, guy?" you ask the kid as he stares into your eyes. He quietly chatters before falling silent again. His eyes seem... soft, almost. Isn't this how a Pokémon looks at an owner they...?

"...I don't know what I'm doing," you abruptly say, holding Cap close to your heart.

Jacq raises an eyebrow, confused.

"In what regard?"

You shrug, chuckling just a little.

"I dunno... I don't even know what I don't know, honestly..."

You had finally realized why this journey was so frustrating. It wasn't Cap (a revelation that relieved you), it was not knowing what obstacles would be in your way before you got to them. You had to basically jump into every situation blind. You certainly had a lot more progress since joining the academy, however.

You sigh. Then you lower Cap a little bit, getting another look at him. He looked so sweet, so innocent, so full of joy. You then looked a bit further down at Mimi, who responded by chirping at you. You bend down, careful not to drop Cap as you lift Mimi up to hold them both. Your babies. Your pride and joys.

"...I'll do the best I can, for the two of you. Well, for us, really."

The two of them chirp in unison, Cap letting out some quick little chatters as Mimi warbles out a happy little squeak. Basking in the glow of the moment, you feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. However, the moment ends when you suddenly remember Jacq was there. Looking up, he appeared to be looking through some papers in his hands, expression somewhat thoughtful. He glances at you before sitting straight up and smiling. It seemed like he was giving you your space.

How sweet...

"Thank you, Jacq. Really. I wouldn't have gotten this far without you!"

His smile turns wobbly, face turning a shade of pink as his eyes dart away from you. His hand shoots up to rub the back of his neck as he folds his other arm behind his back, still holding the papers.

"Hehe, don't worry! I'm more than happy to h-help!"

He had to force the last word out, you saw him physically hesitate and jerk a bit to finish as if the word got caught in his throat. Interesting. You pretend you didn't notice, instead walking a little closer, avoiding eye contact as well.

"I, uh, think I'm gonna... um... I- I had a point, I swear-"

He chuckles a little.

"Oh yeah, happens to the best of us. Don't sweat it!"

You smile. Things being so different could offer a newer, better normal for you. You can tell just being with these three that you were happier than you'd ever been before.

_\V/_

A/N

I already warned you, but I think I need to apologize for if the Spanish Geráneo spoke was bad... in my Kofu fanfic, I used Portuguese for that expy, and since my best friend is Portuguese, I was able to ask him to translate for me. But since Geráneo is Spanish, I wanted to translate it myself since I know that despite their similarities, about 10% of their language is different, so I specifically translated the words "giddy up" and "boy". I uh... don't know if the sentence structure was correct, so PLEASE let me know if I was wrong!! I promise I'll learn more and find someone to translate in the future!

This is probably the chapter that was the least planned ahead, but that's because I massively changed one particular scene. The one where you find Cap after he runs off to be comforted by Jacq after his nightmare was supposed to have you think "if you can't even come to me when you have a nightmare, then why are you even my Pokémon?" or something like that. It made sense to me. You're still shaken up about the whole ordeal (which I tackle in the next part), and one scary moment won't radically change your dynamic like that. I wanted to add more turmoil, and him STILL not looking up to you would trigger something in you, even if you later admit it was the exact wrong way to think about it. He went through something traumatic, you can't control what he needs to cope, and you can't force him to come to you! But like... I couldn't do it, at least not like that. I changed it at the very last second to be you realizing he really wants you around instead of taking it as him prefering Jacq (he was always going to be relieved you came back, it was him seemingly turning to someone else first that made you upset. The scene was going to be longer as a result). Now you have a calm moment of reflection with them for really the first time in the story. You're more aware of what's bothering you inside, and you're able to articulate it in a way that kickstarts the final stretch of you gaining Cap's respect on the battlefield

Also, that club scene is connected to my Clavell fanfic. Baby Wrangler Expy, Geráneo, and Skiddo return! Hooray! Those scenes actually came out better than I thought because I like the vibes going on, lmao. It isn't perfect, but the "awkward vibes where you slowly grow used to it and also Geráneo is shown to be improving/enjoying life with Skiddo" vibes are N O I C E. Would I rewrite it if given a chance? Yes, but mostly because I didn't really plan the meat of the club scene before jumping in. But all the story beats are OK other than maybe the group leader not handling Cap and Mimi leaving in the best way, lmao. I imagine Mimi acting like the big sister she is, but still. The scene played out SO DIFFERENTLY when it was you almost giving up on him that a chill "they left to go find you" is really all I could think of when improvising

Also, YES, this takes place long enough down the timeline that Geráneo is a student, so uhhh... 4 years after the events of the game? Which I imagine takes place in mid-late 2022? Since the Clavell fic is 3 years post-game. So this story takes place in like summer/autumn of 2026. Keep that year in mind 😉

The cutest part/finale for this story coming next, gamers. Then I can finally start a SEQUEL, BAY-BEEEE, YOU THOUGHT THIS WAS OVER, BUT IT AIN'T

That's why I'm opening requests, lmao. I can write my weird grand narrative with lore and Jacq fluff/angst and you get the content you want in-between chapters

[kindred-spirit-93]

@xixovart it aint much but its honest work! ft. nico hilal & dadpollo :D

first arrives at camp when hes about 4 years old

life on the road with naomi wasnt what she wanted for her beloved son, especially since she was starting to gain traction

hes the baby of the apollo cabin

lee and micheal are his primary caretakers; lee being the camps paediatric is in charge of his well being and overall health etc

micheal however showers him in love and affection (very much away from the eyes of everyone else lol). will follows him around like a little duckling

he adores being held like the lil baby he is, it helps that he is a teeny tiny child too lol

has luxuriously long hair (cuts it off and burns it when lee and micheal die (not my hc)), loves making & wearing flower crowns

his strengths and abilities are predominantly health related, music isnt his strongest suite but he has a low & soft voice, perfect for lullabies

oh and his music taste is straight trash (as per nico and anyone with cochleas). idk just go with it

hearing aids will is canon in my heart and no one can ever tell me otherwise.

the only person he trusts to take of his hearing aids around are hilal & later on nico.

on the days he chooses silence he sits outside, usually in the strawberry fields, and feels the sun on his face, the breeze in his hair, and if he concentrates enough, his mothers hands holding his face.

he also goes to a small spot by the water, sort of hidden by some big rocks, where the water is shallow and cool. he dips his feet and watches the waves and feels life around him

he adores bugs and enjoys watching them make their homes and patrol their little enclosures. boys will be bugs anyone?

he writes and doodles about the insects and creatures he sees and collects leaves and flowers and dries them with hilal and they glue them on their respective journals/ scrapbooks

has a bajillion bracelets and trinkets. he has a special one where he likes to twist the beads and roll them under his fingers. he and micheal had matching ones.

has that surfer dude seashell necklace lol

absolutely despises sea food. no idea why

favourite drink: banana milk (heathen)/ fruit: peaches/ snack: goldfish crackers/ allergies: only when hes absolutely spent and his immune system peaces out. eats tomatoes like apples (heathen)

broke spaghetti that one time and nico almost broke up with him

selective sweet tooth! not a fan of southern sweet tea and wont go anywhere near gummy candy, but adores nutella cake drowning in custard, apple crumble and vanilla ice cream. hilal is more than happy to oblige lol

he helps her bake spins around in the chair and talks her ears off about his favourite bug or new star wars lore and absolutely insists on doing the washing up. hes a sweet kid.

hilal protests very much till he points out her worsening contact dermatitis (from the soap). rude.

quickly picks up languages (speech patterns, accents and pronunciation at least) and once surprises hilal by sarcastically commenting on something in arabic and she loses her shit

pushing the sassy af will agenda. my boi is a menace

comebacks trash talking and one liners to put persassy to shame

nico opts for a more deadpan delivery of the most foul insults to tear you from the inside out. also italian swearing hehe

hilal is somehwere between the two. shes way too calm to actually lose her cool like ever, but when she does its a storm of arabic and english (she doesnt curse) and a death glare that actually kills.

back to my sunshine boi

all children of apollo are prohibited from consuming energy drinks because thats just asking for arson.

angry will sets things on fire/ makes things melt or crack with the heat (the wrath of nico or hilal brings the room to subzero temps which may also fracture things.. if its serious any fire around them turns green, not to mention the rot and decay that comes with it)

will sad boi hours makes the room slightly darker.. not like shadows rather in the way the sun is hidden behind clouds.

he lets off steam in the forest sometimes, afterwards hilal makes him some tea and honey to soothe his burning throat.

infirmary shifts are brutal esp after a game of capture the flag. demigods seem to be testing his patience sometimes

the threat of being fed to cerebrus does the trick however

plenty of campers are taught basic first aid in case of emergencies and such, but the infirmary never really quietens. not really

paperwork sucks. he makes it suck less by adding stickers and writing notes and diagnoses in glittery gel pens

more sillies:

apollo visits often and they have family game nights (the whole camp does but he spends quality time with his kiddos more)

apollo is no longer allowed to play scrabble because he 'cheats' with long words/ technical terms/ other languages. not fair

talent show. nuff said

P I C N I C S

apollo is a good dad (most of the time)

an ideal date idea for nico and will is them lying on the ground holding hands. just chilling there. its therapeutic guys try it. lol

they nap a lot too. cant blame them

again when will decides its time for peace and quiet he walks barefoot by the beach holding hands with neeks, leaving his hearing aids at camp

they also chill in the kitchens while hilal works. theyre the only ones allowed to do so actually. 'taste testing for quality assurance purposes' she calls it. she just dotes on them

hilal loves her baby brothers. nico being her actual brother and will she knows since he was about 8.

i cant not mention that he had the tiniest crush on hilal but it died out quickly lol. he holds her in high regard and they joke about it a lot after he starts dating nico much to his horror. its made 7 times funnier after his whole persephone thing. hilal straight up dies

bi disaster will solace takes after bi disaster apollo what can i say

also will solace hates guns. yes ik hes texan but still. hes a brilliant marksman but only when he absolutely needs to. his mama however...

his hands are very steady and his sutures are flawless. hes absolute shit at finding veins tho so hilal does that lol

look at my baby boi!!

shameless fanart ;)

will solace before bed yipee

[joonsdragoneyes]

We’re live [Gamer!Jungkook x Reader][M]

Pairing: Jungkook x female!reader

Warnings: Smut, profanity, semi-public sex, protected sex (reader is on birth control), mentions of reader needing reading glasses, oral m receiving, drooling, handjobs, orgasms male and female, f and m orgasm denial/edging, big dicks, body worship (kinda), tattoos/piercing's, mentions of sex in other locations, minor hair pulling, mentions of disapproving families/hiding things from parents, mentions/descriptions of reader having a large chest, reader is kind of bratty, usage of the word cock, voice kink if you squint

Genre: Smut, some angst, streamer/youtuber au, college au if you turn on a blacklight

Word count: 4.7k

Summary: You and Jungkook have been living together for a little over a year now, a big decision after your previous several years of dating. He, of course, brought his job with him- a full gaming set up, which you happily let him set up in a spare room. Your boyfriend was a pro-gamer. This job usually kept him busy, his focus on his screen rather than you for a majority of the day. You normally didn’t mind this at all, since you were usually out during that time anyway. Today, however, was different. You were home, attempting to study as he worked in order to give him the space he needed. Except, you were missing him in a way you hadn’t in a while, and the only way to get rid of this frustration would be to get him away from his work. 

{A/N: This work is completely unedited, so apologies for any typos.}

----

You could hear him yelling through the door.

The laptop sitting in front of you was beginning to dim from lack of use, the loud shouts from the room a bit down the hall further ruining your already destroyed concentration. Your glasses slid down your face as you lifted, the feeling causing you to pull them off. Flopping tiredly against the back of the chair, you took one final look at the multiple windows you had open on the screen as the screen finally went black, leaving you with nothing but your reflection on the screen. Your hair was messily tied back, strands and chunks falling around everywhere from where they escaped from your hair tie. You looked away from the sight of your own face, burying your face in your hands as your elbows came to rest on the shiny, hardwood table; you slamming the device shut as your hand lowered, your fingers pulling the skin down along with it. You sighed in frustration, letting your head flop back against the chair as you slid down, your butt now hanging off of the seat.

His voice practically bounced off the walls, each full-concentration shout of sudden frustration ringing through the house. Each time caught your attention, snatching you quickly from your exhausted daze. He seemed to be having fun in-between moments of what you assumed was either interacting with the chat or moments where it sounded like he lost- or rather, almost lost. You could already hear him coming out in a few hours, bragging about he remained undefeated in a game you couldn't remember the name of, a large, bright grin present on his face, his own pulled back hair messily sprawled in every possible direction.

You sometimes watched his streams and videos while you worked, at least you used to. It always ruined your concentration when you did, as it was now, but they were admittedly entertaining. He never knew you did, you showed little interest in his job, and you'd rather keep it that way.

Sitting up, you lifted your hands to adjust the straps dangling uncomfortably down your shoulders, adjusting the rest of your top in the process, pulling it up from where it slid down, at this point revealing almost everything. It appeared to have shrunk given how tight it was and how easily it slid down, but it wasn't like it would be anything your boyfriend hadn't seen before in the instance you failed to notice and flashed him. The tank top you had on usually did well with covering everything, but knowing that lately, for some reason, it wasn't, made you frown. It was comfortable and nice to wear around the house; you just felt irritated adjusting it constantly.

You stood up, moving toward the various loud sounds coming from the room. The door clicked as you turned the knob, pushing the large wooden object open, the many lights strung on the walls greeting you as you stepped inside the large room. The whiteboard he had hanging on the wall was full of writing and multiple expressive doodles- a few piles on the floor from a few other random activities. It was dark aside from the many lights hanging from the walls and ceiling, your boyfriend well illuminated by the glow from the multiple monitors sprawled in front of him.

Turning to face him fully, you closed the door behind you, leaning against it for a moment as you paused. He hadn't noticed you yet. You felt odd about walking in like this. You had never interrupted him while he was working unless he needed something, in which case he usually just came to get you. You honestly didn't even know if any of his fanbase knew he was in a relationship at all-; you both usually just kept to yourselves. Aside from him eventually coming upstairs to meet you in bed to sleep, coming out to eat, or the occasional 'date'- which was just running errands together or him coming with you to watch a movie you were pretty much already leaving for- you both didn't really spend a lot of time together. At least you hadn't recently.

The sight of his wide eyes and pouty expression made your heart melt, and you couldn't help but smile. He was sitting in his much-bigger-than-him gaming chair, his legs crossed with his knees near his chest as he leaned forward, his expression serious despite the generally cute nature of everything else about him. His way too big shirt swallowed him easily, and it was only at this moment that you realized he had borrowed one of your hair-ties. The pale purple band was more than familiar, and there it was, tightly holding his long black hair neatly in place.

"Jungkook-" You started as you moved close, his head instantly lifting in order to meet you, his serious expression quickly growing soft. He seemed a little confused seeing you in here but still happy about it nonetheless.

You suddenly panicked slightly, watching the screen nervously in the hope you didn't appear in the camera too much, mostly attempting to keep your face out of frame. Gently, you leaned against the back of the chair, his teeth quickly appearing in a wide, excited grin. "Do you need anything?" He asked, his bright, wide eyes meeting yours. You could feel the excitement radiating from him, his lips and cheeks pink in the light from the lamp as he spoke. "Just missed you." You admitted, crossing your arms against the back of the chair as you leaned slightly forward.

The chat on one of the monitors suddenly sped up, you noticing it from the corner of your eyes. A loud mix of emotes and words in all caps filled the screen, zooming by before you could read any of them. You watched Jungkook slide his headphones off, letting them rest on his neck as his legs uncrossed, his socked feet flopping against the carpet. "Here, you can sit with me and watch." He chirped, quickly pausing whatever game he was playing and scooting over to make as much room as he could. You shook your head.

"No, I..." You trailed off, pouting a bit as you lift your arms, moving your hands around your face in a way you hoped emphasized your unwillingness to be on camera. You knew they could see your body just fine, but you were on your computer all day and hadn't slept well, so showing your face was definitely out of the equation. Jungkook simply let his head fall slightly to the side in confusion, letting out a small "But you look fine.".

You pouted, watching as he quickly stood up, the chair rocking slightly as he slid out of it. "Here, I know just the thing." He quickly shuffled near the back of the room and over to the closet doors, pulling them open. You watched quietly as he began to shuffle through a box, the already present pout on your face growing stronger. You recognized that box. That box was from your senior prom. You already knew what he was looking for.

He quickly pulled out a black mask, the very one you had worn years ago. Why he had kept it this long, you didn't know, but you still found yourself sighing as you realized it would still work. You didn't really want to remember that masquerade themed prom, especially considering neither you nor Jungkook had fun during a majority of it. It had its moments, but you had hoped you wouldn't have to go near that specific costume again.

"Sorry, it's all I've got." He whispered, gently placing it in your not-very-eagerly awaiting hands. Taking a deep breath, you slid the mask onto your face as Jungkook scoot past, flopping once again into the large chair, his voice loudly sounding as he began to interact with the apparently very excited chat.

Once again adjusting your top, you moved over to where your boyfriend was sitting, plopping down next to him as one of his muscular arms wrapped around your waist as you settled against him, your thighs touching. You shuffled, wrapping your arm around his waist as well, your legs bouncing from where they hung off the seat as Jungkook pulled the chair forward. You felt the tension in your crossed legs relax as you realized you'd only be seen from slightly above your waist.

His hand slid around you, grabbing onto the controller resting on his thighs. Your arms flopped to the side, resting against your boyfriend's thighs in an attempt to keep them out of the way. Your fingers gripped tightly onto his sweatpants, your head coming to rest gently on his shoulder. Jungkook grinned, his teeth shining through his lips the more comfortable you became.

You could feel his voice vibrating against you as he spoke, the sound making you feel warm inside, a soft tingle running from your head to your thighs. "What're you playing?" You questioned, leaning against his strong shoulder, enjoying his warmth. His face slowly contorted slightly in thought, a pout forming on his lips as he noticeably racked his brain for the answer. "Astrotech." He finally responded, his expression moving quickly back to the way it was, his cheeks noticeably a bit pink.

Various loud booms and screeches flooded from the headphones around his neck, which he had turned up for you to hear. You didn't know what was going on it, but the sight of him expertly doing whatever objectives or maneuvering the obstacles in the game was somewhat fascinating to you.

He suddenly squirmed under you as you adjusted yourself, the sudden movement surprising until you realized your hand had just accidentally rubbed along his thigh in the process. Your lips pressed together in thought, realizing just how sensitive he seemed to be. Deciding to see if that was truly why, you cautiously ran your hand along his thighs, feeling him once again squirm under you. The barely audible groan of protest as you slightly ruined his concentration made something in your brain just click.

You knew why you were so distracted earlier.

Slowly, your hand moved along his leg before sliding inwards towards the warmth where they met. Before he could squirm again, you gave a soft squeeze to his strong thighs, enjoying the slightly surprised noise that escaped. He seemed annoyed that you were attempting to distract him, but his lack of any indication for you to stop or any sort of 'no' from him gave you the willingness to continue.

Your hands moved further up, sliding along the space between his legs and up towards his stomach. He had stopped moving aside from the slight tremble of his thighs as you made your way along. His legs slightly parted, allowing you to continue on your way, the outline of the package you were searching for soon starting to appear in his sweat pants. You licked your lips gently, tracing the outline with your fingers, enjoying the sighs you heard from his weak attempts to keep quiet.

"Alright, well, I guess I'll see you when you're done." You suddenly spoke. "I just came to visit because I missed you, but you seem pretty busy with work." You added, pulling your hand away as you stood, sliding out of the chair as you moved quickly towards the door. Thoughts ran through your brain as your hand grabbed the doorknob, opening it before gently shutting it immediately after. You turned to look at your boyfriend still sat behind you, biting your bottom lip in thought.

Slowly and quietly, you dropped down to your knees, crawling on the ground over to the desk as you swiftly slid under it. Leaning forward, you grabbed the tops of his pants, slowly pulling them down as you felt your eyes grow wide at the sight. You had seen it before, but it was still a pleasant surprise each time.

Your hands moved along his legs, swiftly grabbing the still mostly soft length, pumping them quickly as Jungkook once again squirmed under you, his legs spreading. You could feel him continuously growing under you as you moved, the sight and feeling causing your thighs to tingle.

Licking your lips, you moved forward, licking the tip of his eagerly awaiting cock, listening as he tried to stifle a pleased hum. Before he could fully react, you took the full length in your mouth before sliding down, bobbing your head with vigor, enjoying the soft noises that escaped as a result of your movements. Your hands continued to slide quickly, making up for what you couldn't reach.

Your boyfriend sighed above you, doing his very best to act as normal as he possibly could. The soft clicking and tapping from his controller continued, you only drooling as your head continued to lower, taking in as much of the steadily hardening length as you possibly could. Pawing at him for the bit you had the chance to seemed to work, not quite in the way you had hoped, but you were fixing that just fine. A soft slurp sounded as you suddenly lifted your head, the noise causing you to pause as you hoped no one had heard the sinful action going on under the desk. The conversation between him and the on-going chat seemed to be normal despite his occasional deep sighs. His fingers ran through your hair, giving a slight tug as you continued, closing your eyes as you attempted to savor the moment- still being careful to make as little noise as possible.

A sharp tug to your thick hair pulled you upwards, your breasts practically in his lap as your arms lifted, grabbing onto his thick black hoodie in an attempt to keep yourself steady. You hummed a bit in surprise, the action causing his strong hands to increase their grip on you as your head only continued to bob. He was gasping now. Loud pings and sound effects rang from the screen from what you assumed was possibly the hundredth donation of the night. You increased your speed, enjoying the strong but more gentle tug that followed with each movement of your salivating mouth.

You were only wondering how he was managing to hide this so well.

Your gaze slowly moved upwards, checking his expression. His face was flushed, his teeth on display as he bit his lower lip in a last attempt to keep quiet. His expression was otherwise unchanged aside from his noticeably dilated pupils, his face still stern with concentration.

With a loud pop, you finally pulled away, quickly using your knuckles to wipe away the strand of saliva that followed. Swiftly pulling his pants back up, you shuffled from under the desk and over to the door. That would be enough for now. After all, you didn't actually want to get caught.

You could feel him watching you as you stood up and quietly opened the door. How upset he was that you didn't finish could be felt from where you stood, but you knew he'd get you back later. He always did. It didn't matter if you just ate his food or if you pulled a small prank, he always got you back, and this time you could say you looked forward to it.

---

The door flew open with a loud bang, you jumping with surprise at the sound, nearly dropping your phone in the process. Your head lifted to meet the sight of your boyfriend standing in the doorway, his hair messy as he loomed over you. "What was that about?" He questioned, his eyes darting to take in your form.

"What was what about?"

"You know what."

You felt your cheeks warm but decided to continue pretending you didn't have a clue what he meant. "No, Jungkook, I don't know what."

His lips pressed together, his eyes narrowing. He stepped forward, closing the door behind him, a soft click sounding as he slowly locked it. You watched quietly, biting your lip as you knew what would happen next. He wasn't usually this quiet.

"Thankfully, I was able to continue normally without much issue." He plopped on the bed next to you, the weight of his larger form causing the mattress to sink under him. The force was almost enough to cause you to slide along with it.

"But you must think I'm a fool if you think you'll get away with sneaking under the desk like that."

By then, he had leaned close, his voice low as he spoke. His tattoos could be seen poking from under the dropped neck of his shirt, your eyes slipping down the closer he leaned. You flopped forward, your gaze meeting his as your hands came to rest on top of his own. "And what are you gonna do about it?" You teased. This wouldn't at all be your first time with each other, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

"You're not even ready. I could hear you taking care of it yourself before you came up; you're not as quiet as you think."

His hand lifted quietly, curling under your chin as he held your head still. "Alright, smartie, what're you gonna do about that?"

"You're usually the horndog in this situation. What am I gonna do about it?"

You were suddenly shoved against the bed below, the thick blanket warm under your body. He placed a soft kiss on your lips, his hair draping around his face as he leaned over you. "You'll have to wait to find out, huh?"

"Damn, you must really be upset." You teased without even a second of hesitation. "Man, I really wonder what you'll do. Oh, how long must I wait? Forever? Years; Centuries of waiting just to punished in the end! Just end me, as waiting is its own punishment." You whined dramatically under him, your arms lifting as your hand sprawled against your forehead, your eyes closing as your head flopped back in exasperation against the mattress below.

Jungkook laughed. "No, you won't have to wait very long. You know I wouldn't do that to you." He grinned, his teeth bright and shiny behind his lips. "Remember when we were younger, and I still lived with my parents, and you came over to study?" He asked, his noticeably strong hands trailing over your body, their attention quickly focused on your chest. You opened your mouth to speak, only to get interrupted as he continued.

"We waited until they left to run some errands, and we decided to try and be super quick." He paused to laugh to himself, you barely listening as you bit your lip, your nipples beginning to poke through the fabric his hands continued to glide over. "We started getting way too loud near the end and almost got caught because we didn't hear them pull in. The only reason we were able to clean up and everything was because you happened to finish before they walked in and could hear what we were doing. Man, what an adrenaline rush that one minute was as we scrambled around listening to them slowly come up the stairs."

By then, you were moaning under him, the fabric rough against your extremely sensitive chest. His strong fingers continued running along, teasing the hardened nubs as he moved on with another story, seemingly unaware of what he was doing. His hands snuck under your shirt, his hands warm as he grabbed as much of your breasts in his large hands as he could. "Sorry, I was talking." He apologized, taking the moment before you responded to swiftly yank your shirt over your head.

In your moment of distraction, you had become so hot and bothered that you hadn’t even noticed how long he had been rambling. You could hardly hear his reminiscing over your increasingly more desperate moans. The feeling of the cold air hitting your already erect nipples made you squirm slightly, you only coming back to reality to a soft warmth on your neck. Your hands lifted, gripping with white knuckles tightly onto his thick hoodie.

You lowered your gaze, the sight of his face resting on your chest greeting you. His hair messily covered his eyes, the deep brown underneath shining in the light of your bedroom. His lips were pressed softly together into a pout, his tattooed arms lifted to lay across your shoulders, wrapping under your head. “You’re not paying attention!” He whined, continuing to pout as he shuffled to lean over you, the mattress squeaking ever so slightly as his knees rested on the bed.

He paused to pull the thick fabric free from his body, letting it thump to the ground as he leaned over you once again, the thick ink on his arms dancing as his muscles flexed in the process. Your eyes widened as his face approached yours, your noses quickly touching, the pout still present. “You didn’t hear my story.” He whined again, softer this time, the shine still present in his wide eyes despite the shadow he was casting over you. “You weren’t even listening.”

“Honey, you were rambling.” You responded, hoping he couldn’t feel your racing heart. He flopped down, his hips straddling your own as he sat up, his strong arms causing the bed to sink in as he continued to lean over you, your thighs tingling at the slight bounce that followed as he grew comfortable on your hips. 

“I was telling a story.”

He lowered himself, his lips coming into contact with your own, your hands lifting to grab on the thin white t-shirt that remained. His teeth ran softly over your lips as he pulled away, his hands once again moving to slide under your head. Your thighs burned and tingled with each movement he made. 

You were beginning to sweat as you continued gripping him tightly, your hips wiggling to wrap your legs around him. His lips once again moved into a pout, the shine is his eyes disappearing as his head came to rest on your chest once again. He definitely felt you move.

His legs slid around you, his knees moving under your hips to lift them up, pressing his now noticeably tight sweatpants against your shorts. He once again lowered to kiss you, more gentle this time as his hands lowered to remove his sweat pants, leaving nothing between you but your shorts- which already barely covered anything. Your own hands lowered, grabbing onto the hard length poking between your legs, pumping slowly as he sighed into the kiss. Your shoulders ached as his hands pressed against your shoulders, pressing you into the mattress. You sped up your wrist movements, listening as he groaned into the continued kiss.

Suddenly, his hands shot down, levering your legs open and lifting his hips to practically rip your shorts free of your body as he finally broke the kiss. His legs slipped off the bed and onto the floor with a loud thud, swiftly yanking you close to the edge. His fully flexed arms caged you in, his lips coming into contact with your exposed neck, his breathing soft and warm against your skin. 

“Roll over.” He huffed, moving to kiss along your chest and shoulders. His face was now a soft pink, lifting to watch you intently as you rolled onto your stomach, letting out a noise of surprise as you were yanked yet further off of the bed, your feet now touching the floor. Kisses once again returned to your neck, an occasional moment of cold causing you to shiver with delight as his tongue traced over your warm skin with each mark he left behind. Your still erect nipples dragged softly over the sheets under you, the cool mixture of the sheets and his tongue piercing causing you to moan loudly under him.

Your face slammed softly against the mattress below, his strong arms pressing against your shoulders to hold you in place, your hips lifting in the process. Of all the times you’ve done this, he wasn’t usually this rough, but you’d be lying if you said it wasn’t exciting. 

“Fu-” You moaned, burying your face in the mattress at the stretch that followed. “-ck.” Your hands gripped onto the sheets, the feeling of his teeth and tongue reaching every inch of your neck making you whimper. He had always been taller, but it wasn’t until now that you realized just how much stronger- and bigger than you he was. You could hardly move with the grip he had on your shoulders, your head the only thing able to move freely. He had you where he wanted you, and it’d probably be a while before he’d free you.

Each thrust ruined your hopes of being quiet, drool beginning to fall from your lips as he continued- each thrust more intense than the last. Your eyes were soon rolled back, your mouth open as saliva dripped from your parted lips, the sharp tugs to your hair adding to the overall ache. Your legs, hips and shoulders were growing more pained with each lewd slam into you, each second bringing you closer to the edge. You were silent, the ache taking your breath away, a loud gasp escaping as he freed your shoulders, yanking you upright by your hair.

His arms wrapped under your chest, freeing you from the bed entirely as he held you in place, your arms contorting behind you to hold onto his now moist t-shirt. You were trembling, your chest burning as you gasped for air. “Jungkook...” You managed, your voice hoarse as your head flopped backwards against his muscular shoulders. You could feel the mess you were already making in your excitement, awaiting the finish you were mere seconds away from, only to groan as you felt him stop, your chest bouncing as he adjusted you. 

“No...” You whined in complaint, taking the time to catch your breath only to catch yourself moaning with each exhale. You continued shaking as he kissed along the back of your shoulders. “Don��t stop...” You continued, wiggling your legs slightly to get him to continue. He groaned with your wiggles, grabbing your thighs to keep you in place. “Stop moving.” His voice was soft and gentle, your head rolling around on his shoulder as he placed another kiss on your aching neck.

“You’re so pretty.” He complimented, letting you fall forward with your hands hitting the mattress, his arms firmly gripping your thighs to stop your hips from moving from their position. The little eyeliner you had on had started to run, your hands gripping the sheets in anticipation as you wondered what about you with messy makeup was pretty.

You cried out, your voice still hoarse as the edge approached faster than before. After a minute you were trembling under him again, the ache returning as you tipped closer and closer to the edge. You were reduced to a shaking, squealing, moaning mess in a little over a minute, your legs struggling to hold onto him as they shook. 

Your face once again slammed into the mattress, a loud groan felt against your back as his hips sputtered slightly, his large hands grabbing onto your hair once again as he attempted to keep himself steady as he finally tipped over the edge. His breaths were rough and quick against your back, you too busy attempting to catch your own breath to notice his hands had lowered. 

You gasped, pleasure coursing through you once again as his fingers moved with renewed vigor. “Ju-Jungkoo-” You pleaded, struggling to even get his name out as his strong hands made quick work of your clit, you finally reaching your release with a sudden, violent shake. He pulled away, the emptiness that followed allowing you to fully fall against the bed, your legs weak as you attempted to stand. His arms wrapped around you, gently laying you down. 

“Too much?” He questioned, taking in your exhausted form, his voice dripping with concern. His eyes widened slightly at the black smeared along your cheeks, pouting as he gently wiped it off, not seeming to notice his still wet fingers. “Too much.” He lowered to place a gentle kiss on your forehead, running his fingers through your messy hair. “Definitely too much.”

---

[A/N: Sorry that this came out so much later than I promised. Hopefully it was worth the wait.]

[classic80sand90smovieloves2]

A study date with Blane would include~

(Not my gif)(Requested by anonymous)

- Spending time with you; regardless of what the two of you are doing, is top priority for Blane so he never really minds doing things that some may consider boring; himself included. 

- Blane isn’t a huge fan of studying but he’s happy to help whenever you need him to. He might not be a genius but he gets decent grades and is terribly clever so he can teach you a thing or two every now and again. 

- And on that note: none of his friends ever really study or are willing to sit and help him so he finds it really nice that he can go to you whenever he’s having trouble. 

- He’s definitely more of a helping you memorize things sort of study buddy rather than a tutor. Like, he can try to teach you something but he’s much better at just reading from a paper and letting you know if you got something wrong; it’s less stressful for him too. 

- He’s probably tried explaining something or doing a math problem with you and just got it completely wrong. Then he just stood there looking embarrassed and furrowing his eyebrows at the equation, telling you that he “doesn't think he’s very good at this”, prompting you both to start laughing. 

- I’m pretty sure that Blane’s an only child, and he’s obviously got a big house, so if you want a quiet place to study; one where no ones gonna bother you, he’s got you covered. 

- And, as opposed to many houses in the 1980s, his house has it’s very own computer! So, rather than sitting in the school library and praying that nothing goes wrong, you can sit in the comfort of his home and type up that paper you have to finish; with a boyfriend on hand to help with any technological problems. 

- His notes are pretty average so yours are probably either significantly better or significantly worse than his. He’s also pretty used to Steff and some of his other friends bumming notes or papers off of him so he doesn’t mind you; his girlfriend, doing it. 

- Speaking of notes, Blanes pretty popular so he can almost always get a copy of whatever papers the two of you may need. 

- Most of your study sessions are going to be light; for lack of a better word. He doesn’t take things terribly seriously and neither do you so the two of you try to have a little fun while you’re together.

- He doesn’t like just sitting in silence for a whole afternoon so he’ll usually make a comment every now and again, maybe making a joke or starting a short conversation to try and break up the monotony of shuffling through papers. 

- When you’re distracted, he tends to sneak glances at you or doodle things on his paper; sometimes doodling you if he’s got a good view of you. You’ll catch him repeatedly looking at you and you’ll ask him “what are you doing”, watching as he smiles and shakes his head, insisting that its nothing while he continues to draw or write. 

- If he’s really not into something, he’ll try to get you out of working and say things like “hey, why don’t we take a break?”, oftentimes in the middle of you explaining or saying something. Because of this, he usually winds up apologizing while laughing a bit awkwardly, telling you that his head is spinning or something similar. 

- When it comes to actually studying or him teaching you something, your best bet is with math or, as I said before, something he can just help you remember. His best subject is math so; even though he’s not guaranteed to know everything, he at least has a pretty good grasp of it. 

- He says things like “Yeah, I know it’s stupid” whenever you don’t understand something, trying to make it seem like you’re not alone; even though he usually doesn’t or didn’t have a problem with it himself. 

- He also likes telling you that you’re gonna do fine whenever you groan and say you’re gonna fail, redirecting your concentration to whatever it is you’re doing and trying to find a better way to explain it. 

- As we all know, study dates don’t always turn out to be actual study dates so I should probably mention that Blane really doesn’t care either way. If you didn’t actually want to study, he doesn't mind, and if you actually did, he doesn’t mind either. 

- He’s sort of clueless when it comes to your ulterior motives. He’s never going to suspect that you were only using studying as an excuse to get him to come over or go to his house. He’ll always just legitimately think you needed help studying. 

- That being said, he gets all bashful and smiley whenever you come up and lean your chin on his shoulder or wrap your arms around him or kiss his neck or slide your hand onto his thigh or whatever other move you try to use on him.

- He’ll keep clearing his throat but he won’t be able to clear the smile from his face and it won’t be hard to tell that he’s quite pleased with this turn of events. 

[h2bakugou]

crush-contact | katsuki bakugou

summary: you’d been crushing on bakugou for a while, and well, to be honest, he’d never even looked at you. up until bakugou bumped into you, sending papers flying onto the ground, he had no clue who you were, and he realized he was in for a hell of a ride.

all characters aged 18+ au!!

a/n: this idea is terrible please forgive me, feel free to requests stuff, smut takes a little more time than fluff but I’m down to write it. this is also really long i get carried away with the plot sometimes

key: (y/n) - your name / (f/n) - first name / (l/n) - last name / (e/c) - eye color / (h/c) - hair color / (y/q) - your quirk

warnings: swearing, smut, fluff

word count: 2,827

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»»————-　★　————-««

Class 1-A was decent sized. You sat in the back, with no intention of being noticed. You barely spoke to anyone, besides Uraraka and Midoriya. They were nice.

You were crushing on Bakugou. You couldn’t help it. He was attractive, no doubt, and there seemed to be so much more to him than he let on.

For years, you watched him grow, his attitude rarely changing. And now you were all older, but you still felt like a little kid with a crush.

And you knew it would be the death of you if he ever learned, he’d probably make fun of you until you switched classes and never saw him again unless you were really unlucky and ran into him in the future.

- - -

You were doodling again. It helped you concentrate. You doodled little pictures and wrote notes beside them. It helped you organize your thoughts, putting what you were learning into little comics essentially.

You’d ended up drawing Bakugou again. You thought it seemed weird, but the topic seemed to fit more towards him anyways.

“You dropped this.” A soft voice spoke. Todoroki’s hand placed your eraser back on your desk and peeked at your drawings.

“Thanks.” You whispered quietly back to him. Todoroki pretended he didn’t see a beautifully drawn doodle of Bakugou. 

Todoroki glanced at Bakugou and smiled. One had caught on to your secret, and you didn’t even realize it.

The class was dismissed for lunch, and you headed toward the door with your notebook.

Mr. Aizawa stopped you, the rest of the class had left to head to lunch.

“You keep spacing out in class, do I need to move you up to the front or is someone bothering you?” Mr. Aizawa glanced at Bakugou’s desk.

Two had figured it out, unbeknownst to you still.

“No, I’m sorry if it seems like I’m spacing out, I doodle to stay on track, despite that sounding like an excuse.” You defended softly.

“You do good on all your assignments, I’m just curious what you do all the time.” Mr. Aizawa laughed.

“I could give you an example I guess.” You open up your notebook to one of your doodles that weren’t necessarily of Bakugou.

“It seems silly to draw it out, but it's almost like reading an action comic book.” You smile.

“Whatever helps you better understand, get to lunch before there’s nothing left, kid.” Mr. Aizawa smiled, watching as you left out the door.

Lunch was pretty normal, you ate, and carried on with your usual schedule, coloring your doodles, and re-reading over your notes in case Mr. Aizawa wanted to through a pop quiz at you.

“Hey (l/n)!” Uraraka sat down next to you, Midoriya following afterward.

“Hey, guys.” You smiled. Midoriya looked away to Bakugou who was sitting next to Kirishima.

“How long have you liked Kacchan for?” Midoriya asked. Your cheeks burned red as your eyes shot up to look at Midoriya.

“Keep your voice down! And how do you know that I like him!” You shushed him, watching Uraraka smile.

“Todoroki, he mentioned you drawing him and how you seemed very caught up in him, and well putting together basic knowledge, it seems like you’ve got a crush on-”

“Shhh!” You placed a hand over his mouth as Asui walked by, giving you a look.

“Sorry.” Midoriya apologized looking over at Bakugou.

“He’s never even looked at me. I don’t think he knows I exist.” You say quietly, accepting defeat, one you’d hoped you could overcome.

“You don’t know that-”

“It’s been years, he’s never spoken to me, or looked at me, or even breathed in the same general direction of me. He has no clue who I am.” You interrupted Uraraka.

“I have a stupid crush on someone I have no chance with.” You huffed, resting your head on your notebook.

“Don’t give up now, besides, have you tried talking to him?” Uraraka questioned.

“I-no. I haven’t but do you think he’d talk to me even if I did?” You asked, looking back up at your friends.

“You never know until you try!” Midoriya encouraged you.

“Yeah, I suppose.” You smiled, the tiniest feeling of hope rushing through your veins. So you were going to try talking to him.

But lunch was over now, so you had to head back to class.

- - -

You saw the door and made your way through the sea of students. You entered the door but a strong force knocked you down.

“Kirishima you asshole!” Bakugou grunted, rubbing his head, looking around. He’d bumped into someone due to Kirishima messing around.

He looked down and saw a girl, you.

You were dazed nonetheless, but not hurt. Just trying to become un-dizzy.

Bakugou took note of you. You had (h/c) hair and bright (e/c) eyes. He’d never seen you before. Were you even in his class? Come to think of it, he didn’t even realize you were standing in front of him.

He noticed a few drawings poking out of your notebook. Realization settled in, noticing they were of him.

“I’m sorry! I should’ve been quicker I got in your way!” You apologized, quickly scurrying to your feet. Bakugou bent down and looked you in the eyes before snatching one of your drawings.

Your eyes widened.

Bakugou wanted to cause a scene, but he felt kind of bad. That was rare. Why was he feeling so giddy all of a sudden?

“Who-Just- Watch where you’re going next time.” Bakugou shoved the piece of paper in his pocket, your eyes following his movements closely, your head nodding up and down uncontrollably.

He’d taken one of your doodles.

You dusted yourself off after getting back on your feet and hurried to your seat.

Bakugou looked back at you, but you were too embarrassed to lift your head up. He pulled the paper he’d taken from you out and examined it. The doodle was good, no great.

You were talented, but he doubted it had anything to do with your quirk. Hell, he didn’t even know what that was. He felt bad. Like really bad. How long had you been in his class? How long had you been admiring him? How had he not noticed you?

He didn’t even know your name. He looked to the top of the page and spotted it. In neat handwriting, (f/n) (l/n) was printed with a few lines surrounding it.

Bakugou couldn’t get you out of his mind for the rest of the class, and it was making him angry. He couldn’t focus. You were distracting him and you weren’t even doing anything. He couldn’t last five minutes without turning to look back at you.

You didn’t do much for the rest of class. You kept your head down, and jotted down a few notes, worried that Bakugou now thought of you as some creep who stared at him all the time.

You just wanted to go back to your room and sulk. It seemed like the best option.

- - -

The air was crisp, you could tell it was winter. The day had finally ended and you were able to head back to your room.

Bakugou was following you, in the least creepy way. He had no clue who you were, or else he’d be in a different situation.

He definitely wasn’t going to ask anyone about you. He’d just figure it out on his own.

Bakugou trailed behind you, worried you’d find out. But that worry disappeared when you stopped to look out the window.

Snow had begun to fall outside. You smiled and watched as the flakes fluttered to the ground outside, coating everything in white.

Bakugou was so caught off guard, he didn’t notice the trash bin in front of him. He bumped into it and caused you to look over in his direction. He quickly ducked behind it, hoping you didn’t see him.

“Hello?” You called out looking around you. The trash bin moved but fell back into place.

“This is how people die in horror movies, but I see why now.” You say quietly, causing Bakugou to almost smile at your choice of words. You began your investigation.

You made your way over to the bin and jumped when you saw Bakugou sitting behind it.

“W-were you following me?” You questioned, freezing in your spot.

“Why are you so damn curious?!” Bakugou retorted, standing up, avoiding your gaze and question.

“I’m sorry.” You apologized. You looked past him back out at the snow.

“I-uh, You took one of my pages of notes, and I was hoping I could get it back, the content might be on a test and I wouldn’t want to do bad on it, I hope you could understand-”

A folded piece of paper landed in your palm. Bakugou sighed and looked at you.

“If you tell anyone about this you’re dead, you hear me?” Bakugou threatened, taking a step closer.

“Yup!” You swallowed the lump in your throat.

“How long have you been in my class?” Bakugou questioned, his cold stare not giving up.

“Since we got accepted into UA.” You said softly.

“You’ve been here the whole time?!” Bakugou raised his voice.

“Shh! You’re gonna get us in trouble if you’re so loud.: You placed your hand over his mouth almost out of instinct. You registered what you’d done and wanted to recoil but you were frozen.

Bakugou was frozen too. He glanced down at your hand covering his mouth. 

“I-” Bakugou smirked, peeling your hand off of his mouth. Bakugou pulled your arm, pulling you into him.

“Don’t get in my way.” Bakugou threatened. His grip on you was soft. He didn’t want to hurt you, but he was serious.

“I won’t.” You assured him, shaking your head in confirmation. Bakugou leaned in, his face mere inches from yours.

“And staring is rude, just so you know next time.” Bakugou grinned, letting your wrist go.

He walked off, leaving you frozen in the hallway. His breath ghosted on your lips, your eye twitching.

He was so close to your face, he most likely saw your blush.

After Midoriya and Uraraka, he ranked in at number five to have found out how you felt about him.

He knew.

- - -

A week had gone by, and you’d stayed out of his way like he’d told you too. But Bakugou was furious. He was frustrated, in more ways than one. You were driving him crazy. And he couldn’t take it anymore.

The class was let out early today, due to holidays and such.

You had made it back to your room, but an aggressive knock startled you. You opened the door and Bakugou marched in, closing the door behind you.

“What’s your deal? Do you want me or something?!” Bakugou dug his pointer finger into your shoulder.

“What are you talking about?!” You protested, a blush spreading on your cheeks.

“You like me. Are you trying to tease me by avoiding me!? You’re driving me insane (l/n)!” Bakugou raised his voice before pressing his lips to yours.

Your eyes were wide open before they shut, melting into the kiss. Bakugou’s lips were soft. And you could’ve sworn they tasted like cherries. Was he wearing chapstick?

Bakugou pulled away and looked you in the eyes.

“Do you want to fuck me?” Bakugou questioned. Your face burned red.

“Y-Yeah, but what are you talking about? How am I-”

“You keep avoiding me, and then teasing me, thinking I wouldn’t notice, wearing that damn skirt.” Bakugou growled.

“I’ve worn this for years!” You frowned, looking down at the ground.

“Let’s get this over with.” Bakugou had already pinned you against the wall, all he had to do was drop his pants, and your skirt.

Bakugou’s hand traveled up your thigh, sending chills down your spine. This was happening. Like really happening. You were about to fuck your crush.

Bakugou yanked your skirt down, pulling your underwear down with it, the clothing pooling at your feet.

“I can’t believe I never noticed you before.” Bakugou muttered to himself. He wasn’t sure fucking you was going to get him off his mind. He’d hoped it would, but he wasn’t really sure. He couldn’t deny himself forever, and if he did like you, he sure as hell wasn’t going to let anyone else get their hands on you.

Bakugou ran his fingers between your folds, your legs shaking. 

“I haven’t even done anything-”

“Shut up!” You whispered yelled, placing your hands on his shoulders. Bakugou grinned, noticing how much of an effect he had on you. He’d barely touched you and you were already wet.

Bakugou slipped a finger inside you, his thumb rubbing circles on your clit. You moaned softly, biting your bottom lip.

He slipped another finger inside you, watching as your legs weakened. Bakugou moved his fingers inside you, bringing you to a climax. 

“If I can make you cum with just my fingers, you should be worried.” Bakugou smirked, pulling his fingers out of you. He licked them clean and caught you as you fell forward into his arms.

“Jesus.” Bakugou mumbled, helping you over to your bed. He laid you down and watched as you looked back up at him.

“Stop looking at me like that.” You said softly.

“Like what?” Bakugou questioned, undoing his pants.

“Like you’re so...”

“So...?”

“I don’t know.” You blanked. Bakugou’s expression softened. 

“Sor-” Bakugou cut himself off. Did he really want to apologize? He was just looking at you. He didn’t want to flat out say he was admiring you, how you looked.

Bakugou stroked his cock, positioning himself at your entrance. You gave him a nod, reassuring him that it was okay.

Bakugou thrust his hips into you, sending your head back. You felt like your dreams were coming true. And your dreams weren’t the only thing cumming.

Bakugou bucked his hips into you, his cock hitting your g spot. You were overcome with pleasure. Bakugou leaned down and pined your hands above your head.

“Fuck, you’re so tight.” Bakugou groaned, pressing his head to your neck. He fucked you at a steady pace, his lips connecting to your neck.

He licked the skin near his mouth, beginning to suck and bite at your skin, forming a hickey.

“B-Bakugou!” You moaned, your legs instinctively wrapping around his waist as he thrust into you.

"Say my name again.” Bakugou groaned, feeling himself get closer and closer to cumming.

“Bakugou!” You cried, the feeling of Bakugou inside you driving you up the walls. He was thrusting into you just right, his pace steady and making your legs tremble.

“Fuck.” Bakugou grunted, cursing himself for getting so close. He came inside you, you cumming shortly after him.

“B-Bakugou.” You moaned softly as he pulled out of you. Bakugou sunk back, bringing his head in between your legs.

Bakugou dipped his tongue inside you, getting a better taste of you than before. You ran your hands through his spikey blonde hair, pulling him in closer to you, allowing him to eat you out more.

Bakugou smirked and pulled away, watching as you frowned.

“Don’t mention this, I wouldn’t want this to get ugly.” Bakugou cleaned himself up, tossing you your clothes.

“I-I won’t.” You said softly, still frazzled by the whole experience.

“So you got some crush on me?” Bakugou turned away, buttoning his pants back up.

“It’s obvious now isn’t it?” You stated, pulling your underwear back on.

“Are we going to do this dating thing?” Bakugou turned and looked back at you.

“Is that your way of asking me out?” You raised a brow.

“Do you have a problem with it?” Bakugou stared daggers at you.

“N-No!” You shook your head. 

“I’ll go out with you then.” Bakugou confirmed. Your cheeks turned red.

“Wait really?!” You hopped to your feet, Bakugou smirked.

Your lower body hurt, and your legs were weak. He was powerful in more ways than one it seemed. Bakugou caught you before you stumbled to the ground.

“We’re going to have to work on this. I can’t just carry you around everywhere after we fuck.” Bakugou grinned.

“Y-yeah.” You laughed shyly.

- - -

Bakugou had admitted his feelings. He felt better, now that he was dating you. You weren’t so much of a distraction, in the sense that he couldn’t stop thinking about you. Well, he couldn’t do that now either.

You and him had spent most of your time together, alone, behind closed doors until Kirishima walked in on the two of you making out in his room.

Kirishima was laughing about how Bakugou had gone all soft for you, but he was still just as firey as always, though he was a bit of a teddy bear.

Bakugou also took note whenever you were doodling in class, that it was of him. He’d catch you looking at him and he’d just smirk at you, causing your cheeks to heat up.

Sometimes all it takes is a little crush-contact.

»»————-　★　————-««

                masterlist

[lunaticpuppetmaster]

  My contribute for Konoha Simps server collab! 

Trying to do both drabble and an art was a poor decidion as i am a lil bit late. 

Special Thanks to @pfreadsandwrites who beta-readed this drabble!

Title: Lost and Found.

Pairing: Kiba Inuzuka x OC (Tsubasa Yuki)

Summary: Everyone knows that everything you lose will end up in your soulmates possesions. Some people go crazy trying to find their destined one with practically no information. Tsubasa was never interested in finding hers and there is a chance she would never be able to.

Warnings: Angst, mentions of death, hurt/comfort

Word count: 6907

   When the first symptoms of the family curse appeared, Tsubasa already knew she was doomed. The sickness was rare and there wasn’t much information about it in the Yuki clan library even before the genocide, while after it…  well, no information survived. To be honest she did not have much hope at the beginning when her ice-natured chakra just only started to act like a parasite, eating her body and breaking thin bones.

But her sensei had. Mei had always been protective of her pupils, acting like a big sister even after the trio passed the chunin exam. So, when the worst happened, she used all her resources in order to save one of them. Unfortunately, even Kirigakure medics famous for their body knowledge were unsuccessful. The only hope was the best medic alive, Tsunade-hime herself.

Tsubasa did not know how she convinced Tsunade to help or what she promised to her (probably rare Kiri herbs), but the sannin agreed to work on her case. She didn’t promise a cure. To the girl’s pleasure, unlike her sensei, the 5th hokage was rational and she stated right from the start that the chances of recovery were very low and more likely she would just extend the Yuki girl’s agony. It was hurtful, but honest. Tsubasa always respected honesty… and her sensei. She had no other choice, but to promise Mei that she will fight till the end even though she did not want to.

“Maybe you will find your soulmate there,”- said Mei before her departure.

Mei was one of those people who always wanted to find their soulmate, however that was not the reason why she said it. She appreciated different manifestations of love: between friends, parental, sisterly and etc. She also knew that Tsubasa was a pessimist and even the love of people who were close to her was not enough to restore her will to live. At least if she were deeply in love with her soulmate, Mei hoped that Tsubasa could finally find the strength to fight.

Soulmates were always a bone of contention between different social groups: commoners, nobility and shinobi. Especially the last one. Missions and loyalty towards the village must be a number one priority for a ninja. But with soulmates everything became much harder.

Still even the biggest soulmate deniers tried their best to ‘lose things’. Even though little was known about soulmates nature, over the years people were able to learn a couple of useful things:

1 - Every item you lose will end up in your soulmate’s possessions.

2 - You cannot send a letter or any kind of writing this way.

3 - You cannot just throw away a random thing in the air or leave it intentionally on a park bench. So, you must really lose the thing to make it reach your soulmate.

The world was never peaceful. Neither for commoners nor shinobi, so desire to help for so called “true one” was understandable. People tried to tie various useful items with slim strings to their clothes like meds and water. When it came to shinobi they usually tied small scrolls to their bags or jackets hoping that during fights the thread would be cut or ripped and the item lost. Such scrolls were usually filled with food, kunais or ninja pills. Supplies that suddenly appeared managed to save some shinobi on the verge of death more than once. So even soulmate deniers had an opinion that it was practical to help the soulmate and very rude to ignore it. Help for help, life for life, nothing more. Tsubasa was one such person.

Of course, every skilled shinobi could tell from which village the lost item appeared.

Yuki’s soulmate for example was from Konoha. Her teammate Hiroto recognized a specific plant in a found ninja pill. So, she had some chances to run into him during her stay.

But Tsubasa did not want a soulmate. She did not need some stranger. She wanted to stay in Kiri and spend her last days with people she loved with all her heart and soul. Hadn’t she suffered enough? It didn’t look like it.

This was how she ended up in Konoha; or rather in a spare room of Yamanaka-hime’s house. Although Tsunade made efforts, in Yuki’s opinion, she clearly did not have an intention to heal her, but to collect information about how the disease proceeds under various factors, in order to save other unfortunate ones… Tsubasa could tell it from her students. Tsunade put her under the care of somewhat inexperienced newbies, ones who could crawl into her head and feel the patient’s condition themselves. Tsubasa did not blame her for that. She would be happy if her death could help someone. The girl rather felt sorry for distracting Ino from her more important patients. The hime herself was cheerful and sunny person, but in moments that required professionalism she could turn cold and focused with the flick of a finger. “She would be a perfect clan leader one day,” Tsubasa thought.

To be honest Yamanaka’s jutsu was useful for more than just therapy. When they first met, Yuki just simply let Ino read her mind and see her past. It was much faster and easier, plus all the secret information she knew as an ANBU was sealed. In order to get it, they would have had to use much stronger and more traumatic jutsu (and of course torture). Moreover, she was going to die soon, so did it really matter how many people knew her story?

Though when Tsubasa saw the girl’s blank face after reading her mind, she felt guilty. The blonde stayed silent for a few seconds before giving her a hug. She did not need words to say that she will do her best.

    Ino was easy to befriend. She also was good at distracting from negative thoughts. Between her regular Tsunade checkups and preparations for missions (It was important to monitor the development of the disease in the field, and all missions would be related to information gathering about the Yuki clan) they were chatting, watching movies and sometimes working in the flower shop. Thanks to Tsubasa’s honey-coloured hair most people mistook her as a distant relative of Yamanaka, so no one asked questions.

Once they ended up talking about soulmates. It started when Ino found some spilled ink on her carpet one day. Hime did not know much about her soulmate except he was really… an artistic type. Through the years she collected various brushes, pencils, erasers and doodles. Once she even found a whole sketchbook (unfortunately half torn)! But there was one thing that made her upset. He never “lost” anything to help her like the majority did.

“Maybe he is from a strict ninja family or a specific ANBU team”, she said with a sad smile.

If Ino’s soulmate was artistic, Tsubasa’s was… quite “special”. Because only a “special” person would end up losing a 6-kilo bag of dog food. Even now, after seven years Tsubasa sometimes wondered ‘how?’.. It was not a pen or a trinket which could be easily left on an academy desk, but a giant bag of dog food! No, he was a good soulmate who was “losing” supplies for her (that once saved her teammate’s life) unlike Ino’s, but still… Even when the blonde heard about it, she could not believe it and then started to laugh hysterically. After such silly small talks Tsubasa felt like she wasn’t fully alone in this foreign village. It almost felt like she had found a friend.

Unlike the other forced teammate.

Every village had a system of having at least 3 people in a team. Moreover, Tsubasa was suffering from her disease and Ino concentrated on helping her. They needed another member.

Tsubasa did not like him from the start. He was loud, narcissistic, clingy and insolent. The kunoichi was easily fed up with his behaviour. She spat out what exactly she thought of him to his face before going back to the Yamanaka estate. Only when she was alone in her room, she understood all her stupidity. She shouldn’t have acted so idiotic and lose her cool. It was essential for a ninja. She also understood why he was chosen among all of the shinobi. As a member of the Inuzuka clan he had a ninken who was already big enough to carry a man. It would be useful in case she became unconscious due to the illness. But she could not help it. A lot of bad things were going on in her life. She felt useless and helpless since she was banned from using her ice chakra. Mei also banned her from using anything that would hide her emotions. She thought that Tsubasa finally needed to learn how to speak and deal with new people. Babysitting was not helpful, so she wanted to try something more radical. Tsubasa understood, but understanding wasn’t enough to cope with the stress. Now she was sitting in the corner of her room shivering. Usually, she would take her father’s mask – the only thing left after his death- and put the cold material close to her forehead thinking what he would say or do. She couldn’t do it any longer. Some of her belongings and a mask were lost during a powerful chakra release at the beginning of the disease.

A few minutes passed before she started to feel better. A sudden knock on the door took her out of thoughts. Tsubasa went to open it thinking it would be Ino. Unfortunately, it was him. The cause for today’s bad mood and their third teammate – Kiba Inuzuka himself. She sighed and looked at him through the door, hiding most of her body behind it. The young man in front of her hesitated and looked a little bit strange or uncertain.

”Listen, I came here to apologise.“

Tsubasa raised her brow. Surely she should have been the one to apologise?. Plus, the boy looked like someone who would rather make a bunch of excuses and snap back than accept he was wrong.

“Well, I shouldn’t have invaded your personal space in the first place.” He scratched the back of his head and looked away. Judging by his behavior, the girl started to understand what actually made his behavior change.“And …uhm, Ino told me about your case so…”

“Showed you,” said Yuki her guess as a statement.

”She d-did not show me much!”

”That’s okay. I don’t mind and Ino knows that.”

“Anyway, I want to start on a clean slate. Here, take it. It’s a half mask and a bottle of blue paint so you can customize it with your clan symbol.”

”Actually…”

“I know that you are not allowed to use anything to hide your emotions, but it is a half mask and I made the holes for eyes bigger so your emotions will be perfectly visible. This is not technically breaking the rule and you will definitely feel better due to your um… well, habit. Just enjoy it, okay? I have to go now, bye!

“W-wait! I cannot…”

But the boy already left, forcing the girl to accept.

After that, though the relationship between the trio smoothed out, it was far from perfect. Tsubasa preferred to act more as a solo player despite her health condition, Kiba was still too loud and tried to act like the leader he never was and Ino … Ino tried not to go crazy in this whole mess called a team. However, overall, their missions were rather calm. Perhaps the three of them needed time to get used to each other before they could accept the others’ faults and learn to compromise. The tension completely disappeared at rest time, when tired teenagers passed time by talking to each other. Often they talked about soulmates. Someone was consulting with others about what would be more useful to seal in a tie-down scroll, the other one was looking through a travel bag for new supplies (or accidentally dropped useless things), another was thinking about loud who their soulmate might be. On one of such days, all of a sudden Tsubasa discovered earrings in a sealed scroll. They were simple and consisted of three deep blue feathers each. The girl looked at them in surprise, not knowing how to react. But, on the contrary, Ino reacted too happily.

“These are so cute! And they match your eye color! Quite a nice present for a soulmate that has never seen you.”

“This must have been a mistake.”

“It was in a scroll. How could this be a mistake? Looks like your soulmate really wishes to meet you and…”

“I don’t need a soulmate, Ino! Like, I don’t believe in perfect matches made by spiritual forces or some sort. I never wanted to have him in the first place! I have a dream to achieve, a family in Kiri. No way if I survive, I will leave it all behind because of some questionable romance! That’s ridiculous!”

Ino sighed and Kiba remained silent. The conversation came to an end. But not the attention from Tsubasa’s soulmate or their mission.

One of those days, when all sorts of cute things and sweets instead of standard ammunition began to show up in Tsubasa’s scrolls more and more, their group stumbled upon really strong opponents. The longer the battle continued the more obvious it became that they were not going to win. Unless Tsubasa broke the rule and used her clan’s abilities. Mei’s order, both as sensei and as Mizukage, always stood above many moral principles for Yuki, but now it was a completely different case. Neither Ino nor Kiba with the sweetest and bravest Akamaru should have been involved in this from the very beginning. They were not supposed to die or risk their lives because of some terminally ill girl from another village and a questionable contract between their Kages. They must live, survive and Tsubasa made up her mind. At first, she managed to eliminate a couple of ninjas and slightly injure the rest using the element of surprise. She was incredibly lucky, because the disoriented opponents were much easier to finish off for Kiba and Ino. Tsubasa by this moment had already lost her eyesight from the tension and saw the battlefield only as a set of white and light gray colors. She lost her breath and her strength to stand upright. But it was nothing compared to the pain that washed over her seconds later.

     The kunoichi screamed in pain as she felt blood filling her mouth and an ice crust covering her internal organs. She fell on the cold dusty ground, heart-rendering screams leaving her lips with the blood pulsing her temples, ice needles tearing the muscles of her arms and legs. It seemed like nothing existed except for the all-consuming pain. Through the wall of never-ending white noise, she heard the sounds of Ino’s commands and Akamaru’s frightened barking. This was the last thing she felt before passing out.

Tsubasa woke up with a heavy head and pain all over her body. She listened to her senses before opening her eyes… and it would have been better not to listen to them. Someone brazenly pressed her close to their body and sniffed into the ear. When she opened her eyes the girl immediately screamed. In general, it was a completely normal reaction when you find yourself half-dressed in the arms of an equally half-dressed man. Of course, given that she was half-asleep, her only response was a stream of unpleasant curses and swearing. At first Kiba, who was still sleepy, was happy that the girl woke up, but soon joined the exchange of curses until a joyful, but terribly tired Ino ran up to them, immediately trying to interrupt the catfight and change the topic. Kiba waved his hand resentfully and went off in an unknown direction. Ino stayed with Tsubasa alone.

“Sit down and drink this.”

“Okay, but can I ask you a question first? What the hell happened here?”

”Your disease went out of control. I could barely suppress it. This time it was… too strong. Not like before. When I was finally able to improve your condition, you were still unconscious, your temperature dropped to terribly low levels, and some ice crystals did not disappear. We didn’t risk taking you back to the village in such poor condition. At first, we tried to wrap you up warm, but that didn’t help. Your clothes were quickly soaked by the cold coming from you and it only aggravated your condition. Then we decided that we would warm you one by one with the heat of our bodies. Well, Akamaru too.

Tsubasa howled in embarrassment and Ino sighed.

“Don’t worry. I think Kiba understands what the situation looked like for you. Or he will understand. He is a hot-head, you know, and he needs some time to calm down. But he will.”

”Still, that doesn’t change the fact that I snapped at him twice for literally nothing, especially the last time when I should have said ‘thank you for trying to save my dumb ass’. I feel terrible.”

The blonde girl patted her dejected friend on the shoulder and then said, “ Drink the medicine or, I swear to God, you will regret that you woke up.

The group’s return journey took place in silence. Despite the fact that Tsubasa apologized to Kiba and he accepted the apology, the kunoichi was still tormented by her conscience. She needed to apologize to him properly. Stealing a glance at the still visible ice crystals on her hand, a thought flashed through her: “While I can still do it.”

Night is definitely a wonderful and mysterious time of the day. Too bad that not everyone can enjoy its beauty, but there are also some who would be glad to miss it. For example, some unfortunate souls from the Inuzuka clan. It just so happened that a heightened sense of smell was not the only animal trait some clan members shared. Heightened hearing, too. In battle it was somewhat useful while in everyday life - irritating. During the day, in a mixture of noises, it did not cause much discomfort, but at night, when all the sounds disappeared, a can kicked by a drunk felt like a hit in the head. It is not surprising that such “lucky” clan members often suffered from insomnia and generally lived in the rhythm of night owls, which was very difficult for the shinobi world, where everyone was entirely early birds.

So was Kiba. However, tonight it felt different. His day was active and the sounds on the street did not disturb him, still he could not sleep. It seemed that the whole atmosphere of the house became more and more oppressive with every second spent inside, and the inner desire to walk through the village at night became stronger with every minute. He just wanted to go outside and run. He did not know where, but somewhere, where it was important for him to be now. In the end, when he accepted the fact that he obviously would not sleep today, the young man called his faithful dog and quietly left the house. The night was calm and fresh from the recent rain. Perhaps even too much, but it did not bother Kiba. He gladly wandered through old village streets, breathing in deeply the cold night air until he found himself near the playground. Or better to say, found someone.

Tsubasa sat on the swing all hunched up, almost motionless like a statue, and although this time her face wasn’t hidden by a mask, but her honey hair, Kiba knew that the girl was clearly not radiating joy.

“May I sit?,” he asked. Tsubasa didn’t even flinch.

“Yes.”

Kiba looked at the girl. When they first met, she was strong, cold and impenetrable. A true warrior. But now things were different. As a shinobi, he was not afraid to die on the battlefield, surrounded by dead and, possibly, even rotting bodies. But seeing a person fade like this, when they were unable to do anything about their state, when they burned out like a candle, turning with every second into a pale copy of their former self is what really scared him. At first, he didn’t care much what would happen to Yuki, but now, when her life glimmered on a candle stub, saving her was important. Either she will survive, and he will get rid of animal all-consuming fear, or her pale face, disfigured by illness, in the tongues of the funeral flame will haunt him till the end of his days.

Akamaru rested his head on Tsubasa’s lap. Still lost in her heavy thoughts, Yuki let her hands go of the swing chain and started to mechanically stroke and scratch the ninken behind the ears.

”Hey Tsu, I know that you are that type of shinobi who tries to follow the code perfectly. But we are not made of steel. You are not made of steel. You are feeling bad and tired. It’s unlikely that I will hear something that Ino did not show me or did not hear from you. Sharing pain as a shinobi is hard, but it’s even harder to keep your cool when you are on the verge of being broken by your own emotions. Even though I talk too much, anything you tell me tonight will stay here, I promise. So, tell me what’s eating you.

”You’re right. I am tired. I am weak, although I’ve tried to prove myself otherwise for my whole goddamn life. Even when I felt bad and thought that everything was lost, I clung to a few good things that I had. What does not kill makes us stronger, and the world, even drowning in war and blood, is still too beautiful to give up, especially the little things that everyone forgets. That’s what my father taught me. My path has never been covered with rose petals. Well.., for most people, actually. Still, I didn’t stop fighting for the people I love. Only when the clan curse showed itself… I was really scared. I felt completely helpless. And after the recent events… Fuck all my experience, knowledge and even more ranks. I am useless. I… I must accept the truth. I will die soon Kiba and I do not want to die here.”

Her previously smooth and still voice started to crack. Her shoulders shivered slightly.

“You, Ino and your friends are wonderful people and in general I like Konoha, but it will never be my home, and you will never replace my family. I hate to break promises, but I really don’t want to keep the one I gave to sensei and friends. I just want to give up and go back to Kiri. I miss them so much and want to see them one last time. Besides there is also one thing that bothers me…”

Mei was not that wrong when she said that Tsubasa might fall in love in Konoha. She actually did, but not with the soulmate destined by the stars. She fell in love with an eccentric, slightly arrogant and silly boy who may have not really known her, but still tried to help. Simply because he did not lose faith in her or their team, because he acted friendly with her and could cheer her up even in her darkest moments. For the fact that he could knock on the window at one in the morning and invite her into the forest to look at the fireflies. Just like that. It wasn’t like love at first sight, or a long courtship. With each passing day her feelings grew stronger washing over her like waves. Unfortunately, there were few “BUTs” that Tsubasa could not ignore:

She was from another village and even though there were many bad things in the hidden Mist, she was not going to betray it or move anywhere. She promised herself to help Sensei make the village a better place, and she was not going to give up on her dream either. Kiba was also too loyal to his family and friends. He would never leave them for some Kirigakure girl.

Moreover, Tsubasa felt guilty about her soulmate. Yes, she never saw him, but that did not stop him from taking care of her and obviously dreaming about their meeting. It would be wrong just not to care about his feelings.

Most importantly, that applied to both Kiba and the unknown “true one” - she was dying. She was a weak sick girl who had a month left to live at best. Of course, she could confess her feelings to the boy next to her right now, feel loved and die with a drop of happiness… But was it fair for Kiba who would have to live with this burden until the end of his days? Definitely not. She couldn’t do that to him. That’s why she would rather stay silent, burn out from her feelings, because at least she would not let him suffer.

“I just don’t know what to do… I feel lost.”

She lifted her head, blue feathers of her earnings blowing in the wind. Her face was emotionless and her body calm, yet uncontrollable tears were streaming down her face.

The boy took her freezing hand and pulled her into a hug. Tsubasa bit her lip, burying her face in his shoulder and soaking his jacket with tears.

”You lost only because you gave up right away as soon as you found out about your diagnosis! Stop thinking about the fucking disease! Focus on something else! Not on the loved ones, since it causes you so much pain. Focus on your dreams! On your soulmate!”

“Why are you so obsessed with the idea of soulmates?”

“Why are you so disgusted with the idea itself?”

She let his hand go and exhaled. There was no trace of her emotional outburst except for her bloodshot eyes. Tsubasa grabbed the swing chains, thinking for a second.

“I do not believe in fairy tales about gods, who loved each other and were separated, that blessed all mortal couples with a secret connection, in revenge to the rest of the pantheon. Why did everyone suddenly start to think that it was a love connection? What if that bond means a strong friendship? And how can finding lost things help my soulmate find me or specifically, my body? The only variant I see is where you tattoo the coordinates on your hand and lose it in battle. An ‘excellent’ plan! Moreover, where are the guarantees that soulmate couples will be happy? Give me one example.”

”Ino’s parents are soulmates.”

Both of them suddenly turned silent.

”As far as I know, Mrs. Yamanaka did not even know our language when she arrived here. She was from another country, with completely different customs, still she risked going into the unknown. And I don’t know any stronger couple.”

“The way you talk about it… Your parents aren’t soulmates either, are they?”

He nodded.

”Don’t get me wrong, I love my mother. In fact, my father left when I was one year old, so she and my sister raised me. But… My mother is a very difficult person. As far as I can remember, it was always important for her to be the first and she never cared about the feelings of others. This is good for a warrior, but not for a family member. She could easily say things that will hurt you, including the ones she said on purpose, as a joke in order to please her ego. When you tried to talk to her about this and ask her to tone it down a little, she pretended to listen at first, but soon forgot about it. As for my father, he was not from our clan, not even from our village. He was a stranger and ended up being at the very bottom of the clan’s hierarchy. My sister said that he could stand a lot of things, but not the betrayal and disregard towards him from his once loved one. Of course, this was not the only reason he left. After that, looking at how Ino’s parents perfectly understand each other and always try to find a compromise, on how strong their union is… I want the same kind of family. Yes, I can act like my mother, be short tempered and impulsive. I think you noticed it when we first met. I admit I behaved horribly, but with people close to me, whom I don’t want to lose, I try to control myself and work on it.”

“That’s… amazing Kiba. And despite the fact that you mostly act like a jerk -” he snorted and a small smile formed on her lips- “I have to admit that after knowing you better, I have respect for you. You don’t try to please everyone. You give all of yourself and your warmth only to the ones that are close to you. Only to those who, in your opinion, deserve it, disregarding the rest. This is right. I share the same point of view. But since you really want to find your soulmate, have you ever thought that you might end up being the one to leave your home? Are you ready for such a sacrifice yourself?”

Kiba fell silent. At first it seemed that he was deep in thought, but in reality, everything was different. He was frightened and listened to the silence of the night trying to find out if someone was eavesdropping on them. For a moment, the girl even thought that he used ninjutsu to sniff out strangers and make sure that there were no one near them.

As white as a sheet, he took her hand and ‘wrote’ his answer on the inside of her palm with a finger:

“Yes”

She glanced at him. His actions spoke louder than words.

“Your father is dead, isn’t he?”

”Were you born in a clan or joined it later, you cannot leave it.”

”I understand. After all, in Kiri, a lot is happening inside our clans too.”

They both sat in uncomfortable silence.

“When you said that my parents are not soulmates, you also said “either”. So..?”

“You heard right. You know that before Terumi-sama, Kirigakure was overflowing with nepotism and bribery? Well, people were willing to do anything to move up the career ladder. My mother really wanted a higher position in ANBU, so she made my father fall in love with her and convinced him that she was his soulmate. As you understand, it was also important for my father to find ‘the true one’ but when he realized that he was fooled it was already too late. He comforted himself with the fact that he seemed to love my mother even without that spiritual bond, plus he loved me with all his heart and soul. But in fact, the love between my parents was one-sided… and because of the special treatment to the Yuki clan, my father was never at home. So… when you start looking for your destined one, please be careful, okay? I do not want the same fate for you or for anyone else.”

Okay, let’s change the topic” - he waved his hands in a playful defensive gesture “You mentioned that you have a dream. So, what kind of dream?”

“Well, you chose a bad one to distract me, because my dream is deeply connected with my family. You know about the genocide of the Yuki clan?”

“Mmm, sorry, to be honest, not really. Only that when the Uchiha clan was massacred, the elders whispered with each other that it could be the same case as it was with your clan, where it was the Kage’s order or some sort.”

“The Yuki clan was once considered to be one of the most powerful clans in the village of the Hidden Mist. And of course, quite dangerous, especially for the past Mizukage, or rather, for the one who controlled him. So, one night, the entire main branch was killed and the clan’s library burned down. The Yuki clan was officially made part of a lower caste. Some clan members managed to escape, while others were often sent on dangerous and suicidal missions. Now from the once large clan, only 30-40 people remain in Kiri, and most of them are elders and children. For comparison, grandfather Naoki had four children, the same age as my father, and only one daughter remained alive. As you know, my frightened and repressed clan avoided communicating with each other. In fact, in my childhood, it was as if the clan did not exist at all. Childhood in Kiri was not easy, but the other children at least had a clan, a large family that stood up for them. I wanted it too. I wanted to be a part of a clan and before my illness I dreamed of reviving the Yuki clan, regaining lost knowledge and finding all the relatives lost around the world, whom, as far as I heard, were not liked by both ninjas and civilians. But now after that illness… I must find every single Yuki alive to make sure that no one will be alone while fighting the family curse and that no one will go through the same pain as me, giving them a chance to be cured. And I will do it, no matter what… If I survive, of course…”

“It’s … A great dream to achieve-,” he scratched his head not knowing what to say- “And I am sure you will! Just don’t be so pessimistic! “

”I am realistic.”

“Pessimistic.”

“Realistic!”

“OK, OK!” he chuckled.“Looks like only realists like you, who talk about how bad and terrible everything will be, turn out to be chuunins.”

“What? Kiba, I don’t… urgh forget it! Arguing with you on any topic is simply useless when you are stubborn as a mule.”

“Said another mule!”

She laughed. Warmly and sincerely, for the first time this evening, and perhaps since they returned from that ill-fated mission.

”By the way, if your life in the hidden mist was so bad why do you hate the idea of moving to another place? Like here, to Konoha?”

“First of all, my life in Kiri is perfect now. Secondly, when people will learn that I am from the hidden mist they will hate me. The only thing that saves me now is that commoners think I am a distant relative of Ino.”

“Why do you think that?”

“You never heard why Kiri women are hated so much?”

“No.”

“Well let me tell you,” she grinned sinisterly. “One year, in our village, due to hunger, disease and war, there were practically no men left. Then the women decided to fill this gap by stealing men from other villages. But then they questioned themselves, how to transport healthy and adult shinobi without harming them? This is how the world-famous art of Kirigakure ANBU was born, thanks to which we can immobilize even the most powerful warrior,” she chuckled as a senbon she used in some missions appeared from nowhere, - “With the combination of many factors, but still. Well, those poor souls who ended up in Kiri … they essentially had no choice, but to marry ladies there if they wanted to live.”

“Are you joking?!”

“I’m not! In fact, my great-grandfather was kidnapped from the village hidden in the Stone. So, be careful Inuzuka Kiba! Who knows, maybe my illness is just a part of a secret mission and I’m actually here to pick up suitable candidates… And you might end up being one of them! You may turn out to be a good third husband for me, you know?”

He laughed.

“Oh really? Well, I would die to see how you would try to steal me with such an amazing guard as Akamaru!”

“Oh darling,” she grinned and hugged the huge white dog,” I would find a way to make that adorable boy my partner in crime! “

Akamaru happily barked in agreement and both teenagers burst into laughter, almost falling off the swing.

“By the way,” she said after a small pause, “I have to admit that fireflies are much more beautiful in Konoha. Thank you for letting me enjoy such beauty…”

He bit his lip and took her hand in his. The Ice crystals were still showing from her bandage returned them both to the dreadful reality.

“You will survive Tsu, I promise you, and you will see many more fireflies. Not only these.”

She looked at him with a faded, crooked smile. A smile that only gravely ill and very tired people have. Kiba returned her a look and his heart squeezed painfully in his chest, skipping a beat.

“Don’t make a promise that you can’t keep.”

”I’ll keep it! You will see. We are close to finding the ancient temple of the Yuki clan, and there definitely should be information on how to cure you. And after the next mission is completed, we will go to a grill bar! In the land of water there are only sea creatures and practically no normal beef. I cannot let you go back to Kiri without letting you know all the delights of good meat.”

She chuckled.

“If you say so.”

But there would be no grill bar or any next time. They found information about the temple location, but at the cost of everything else. The disease turned out to be unstoppable at this point. Luckily, they managed to reach it in time and save Tsubasa’s life.

Three months had passed since her miraculous recovery. Representatives of the Mist village appeared in Konoha the next day and took the girl with them, not allowing her even to say goodbye to her new friends. Still, their paths will cross in the future.

Upon returning to Kiri, Tsubasa began to communicate a lot with Ino through letters, which made the Mizukage almost ecstatic. She hoped that friendship with the clan princess would turn into a possible strong political tie in the future. One way or another, Mei was going to make her children, if not a future Mizukage, then those on whom the village could rely. Sometimes Mei was so happy about the benefits that Tsubasa had a feeling that her illness and departure to Konoha were part of Sensei’s plan to improve relationships with the village from the very beginning. However, she thought it was too weird and silly to be true.

She also sent letters to Kiba. Feelings for him that suddenly flared up in her heart were not planning to disappear, but she still had no intention of getting into his personal life. He wanted to find his soulmate, and she respected that wish. This was the least she could do for him. “Besides,” she thought while drinking peach tea in the evenings and remembering how he was trying to warm her drastically freezing body on their trip to the temple, “it is unlikely that we would have succeeded even if there would be no soulmate. We are too loyal and attached to our villages and clans. None of us would move to another village for the sake of other. Only a soulmate had such privilege.“

Therefore, she was happy to be his friend at least, send the boxes of tangerines and dried seafood snacks on special occasions, help with advice on everyday problems that all teenagers went through, regardless of which shinobi village they were born in, and just talk about all sorts of nonsense.

At six am, there was a loud knock on the door. Tsubasa was just getting ready for the training and she had no idea who would need to see her at such an early hour (her teammates were waiting for her at the training field, so it could not be them).

A familiar figure was standing outside of the door. Tired from the road, a little nervous, but smiling. Holding a medium-sized flat box under his arm.

“Kiba? What are you doing here, especially this early?!”

“There were reasons,” he said giving her a box, “may i come in?”

“Of course, you can, I’ll make you some tea and something to eat for you two.”

The girl moved away to the side, letting the boy and his dog into the apartment. Akamaru immediately stretched and laid himself on the carpet of the living room, while Kiba took a seat in the kitchen.

“So, what’s the reason you came here?”

“Open the box,” he said with a smile.

Tsubasa raised her eyebrows skeptically. She put the box on the table, thin fingers gripping the blue lid and pulling it up. Her father’s mask with its cold material was staring right into the girl from the inside. Frozen in complete shock, looking at the once-lost thing dear to her heart, she did not notice how Kiba approached her from behind.

“I just felt lost,” he said in a soft voice, while tucking a loose strand behind her ear. Their faces were only a few inches apart, “And desperately wanted to be found.”

[creek4lifeman]

One of those days

Here’s another Creek fic for you guys that I made art for.

Title: One Of Those Days Rating: T Pairing: Tweek X Craig Characters: Craig Tucker, Tweek Tweak, Mrs. Tweak Tags: Canon Complaint, AKA they’re in 4th grade, Craig POV, Mild Language, Mentions of Anxiety and Mental health issues, Coloring books, Fake Tattoos, Fluff, Dorks in love, One shot, Tweek’s parents are clueless, Art in fic Summary: Tweek is having a bad day and Craig goes to visit in order to be there for him.  Even if that just happens to be coloring and giving each other fake tattoos. 

Read below the cut

Craig knows it’s going to be one of those days when Tweek doesn’t show up to school. Craig’s used to it at this point, but it still never sits well with him whenever the desk next to him is empty. He’ll never admit it out loud, but it’s days like these that unsettle him the most and he finds himself missing the sound of his boyfriend trying his best to keep quiet or the way he can’t sit still to save his life.

It’s the consistency mostly, Craig tells himself or at least that’s the conclusion he’s come to. He’s just plain and boring Craig, who lives by schedule and likes to keep it that way. When Tweek can’t go to school, they don’t meet up at their locker in the morning so that they can hold hands to the cafeteria for breakfast and when that happens, well, Craig’s whole day is then thrown off completely.

The only constant on days like these are that if Craig doesn’t get detention, which chances of that are much higher on the days Tweek isn’t in school, then he immediately heads to his boyfriend’s house as soon as he leaves the building. 

Today, it’s Mrs. Tweak that answers the door.

“Well, hello Craig. Are you here to see Tweek?”

Of course he is.

No matter how often he shows up on days like these, the Tweaks always stare at him in awe when he shows up. Almost as if they wonder why Craig would show up when Tweek is like this. Which only pisses Craig off even more at how terrible his significant other’s parents are.

“Yes, ma’m. Is he okay?” Craig manages to ask between gritted teeth. He already knows what her answer is going to be too. But if it’s the best way to get permission to enter, then Craig’s going to put in the effort.

“Oh, he’s fine honey. Tweek’s just going through one of his usual fits. Nothing to worry about,” she says with her plastic smile.

Craig clenches his fist but carries on. “He is? Then can I go up and see him?”

Mrs. Tweak hestates, like she always does. As if she’s afraid to be caught in her lie. Craig doesn’t know why Tweek’s parents act like everything is always fine, when it’s not. Maybe they are ashamed of Tweek and his bad days. He will never know and maybe he’d have been turned away if he was any other person. 

But he’s Tweek’s boyfriend, and the Tweak’s absolutely adore Craig for making their only son a homosexual. As if Craig had any say in that. A gay son made Tweek more interesting and by that reasoning, made the Tweak’s more interesting. So now Tweek Bros Coffee gets more business and because of that Craig will always have special privileges, such as being invited in on a bad day

“Come on in Craig. I’m sure seeing you will make him snap right out of it.”

Mrs. Tweak opens the door wide and Craig has to pinch his leg to keep himself from snapping at her that it doesn't work that way.

Unlike the Tweaks, Craig has done his research on mental illness and while he’s come to accept that he can’t fix everything, It took him a lot of hard days to realise that as well, at least Craig knows a few techniques he can try.

Taking the steps, two at a time, Craig makes it up the stairs in no time. He reaches the room with a guinea pig poster, an anniversary gift from Craig, and knocks in a familiar song like pattern before opening the door. It their way of communicating to each other that they are visiting each other’s house. That and it prevents Tweek from panicking when the door suddenly opens.

“Nnnngh!”

His honey is bent over in concentration at his desk, a crayon in his hand sweeping across a booklet he doesn’t recognize. Tweek mutters for a moment more before screeching and tossing the yellow crayon across the room. 

Wild eyes turn to face Craig and it takes the boy only a few seconds to access the situation. Tweek waits for Craig to say something, anything. Craig knows better though. Tweek doesn’t need Craig to tell him everything is going to be fine. He doesn’t speak. Instead, Craig opens up his arms and it’s so worth it when his boyfriend smiles, even shakingly, and then throws himself across the room to wrap his arms around Craig’s neck in a warm embrace. 

“Hey Babe, I missed you in school today.”

“S-sorry Craig, I just couldn’t today,” Tweek groaned as he slumped further into Craig’s shoulder.

“It’s fine dude. You don’t have to apologize for that.”

It felt nice having his boyfriend in his arms. It didn’t exactly make up for missing him all day but it did come super close.

Tweek leaned back and reluctantly Craig let him go. 

“It was those damn underpant gnomes man! They kept me up all night trying to explain their profit system again and I-”

“Tweek,” Craig interrupted and after saying his name twice, his honey paused mid sentence to gape at him.

“Relax. You don’t have to explain,” he assured Tweek but then remembered that sometimes talking is exactly what Tweek needs, “..unless it helps?” 

“I-it does, but now it’s too much pressure to explain,” Tweek replied after taking a moment to consider Craig’s words. 

Craig didn’t pressure him though. Instead, he grabbed Tweek’s hand and led him back to the desk he’d been furiously working on. 

“Okay babe, then how about you explain what you were doing before I came in?”

Craig reached out towards the book spread open with different crayons littered all over it and saw that Tweek had been coloring in stars and planets. 

Is this…

“A space themed coloring book?” Craig ended up saying out loud.

“Y-yeah, I was trying to color before you got here. My therapist said it could help, b-but I can’t seem to stay in the lines."

True to his word, Tweek had gone off and messed up in some areas, but Craig didn’t care. He was too entranced by the fact that Tweek had doodled them standing together on a planet while holding hands. That and well, what’s more awesome than a space themed coloring book?

“C-can I have this picture when you’re done?” Craig practically whispered but there was no denying the need in his voice. He never wanted anything more this moment.

“What!?” Tweek shrieked, “Why dude? It sucks!”

“No it doesn’t,” Craig immediately defended the piece of work. It may not be perfect to Tweek but to Craig it was. “I like it, so I want it.”

“Ngh, I don’t know man...”

Tweek reached out for the coloring book and Craig let him have it. Not wanting his selfishness to lead to a panic attack In fact, he had an idea to help him convince Tweek.

“Then how about this, I color one for you and you finish coloring this one for me?”

Tweek’s eyes widened in shock before staring back down at the coloring book and pulling it close to his chest. “Oh jesus, you really want this that bad?”

Craig rolled his eyes at being called out like that but didn’t say anything to deny it either. “Don’t act like you don’t want one of mine either.”

“F-fine!” Tweek squeaked, his cheeks turning pink and a small smile crawling up his cheeks. “But you have to cut out the page so that I can finish and so that y-you can pick out whatever you want, man.”

“Okay.” Craig easily agreed. He grabbed the pair of scissors stored in the cup full of other writing utensils before carefully cutting out Tweek’s page. They each set up a coloring station, aka Tweek at his desk while Craig took the floor, with crayons, color pencils, and snacks that were brought up by Mrs. Tweak.

Craig flipped through the pages until he got to the center and found that there was a sheet full of space themed stickers. No wait, he was wrong. These were those fake tattoos that applied to the skin with water.

So cool!

Craig cut them out for later and continued searching until he settled on an awesome rocketship shooting through the sky. Immediately he drew a version of himself and Tweek in the window. It wasn’t as great as his boyfriend’s depiction of them, but it would have to do. After that, he picked up a blue color pencil and began to fill in the area around the ship to make it look more like outer space.

After a couple of minutes, Tweek stopped what he was working on to turn to Craig.

“Thanks…”

Craig paused as well to stare at his boyfriend. Unsure of what exactly he was being thanked for. Maybe his confusion is written all over his face because Tweek continues.

“For coming over to color with me.”

Oh.

Craig tried his best not to smile.

“No problem, honey. Is it helping?”

Tweek swiveled back towards his page to avoid facing him with what Craig assumes is another blush on Tweek’s face before nodding towards the wall.

This fills Craig with joy as they spend the next couple of minutes coloring in a peaceful silence.

That is until he hears his boyfriend groaning again in distress. It starts off with a couple noises here and there but then it turns into full on frustrated growling after ten minutes.

“Babe? You okay?”

Craig looks at his boyfriend in concern, only to see him snapping a purple crayon in half.

So, not okay.

He gets up and calmly collects the broken pieces from Tweek’s hands and places his free palm against his boyfriend’s cheek.

There’s tears in those emerald eyes and it immediately makes Craig’s heart fall.

“What’s wrong honey?”

Tweek shoves the paper as far away from him, almost practically ripping it in two before glaring holes in the now bare table in front of him. 

“I just can’t gah get the color to look right dammit!”

Craig frowns before using his palm to turn Tweek’s head to face him.

“Alright, then how about we take a break and come back to it later?”

Tweek blinks at him before replying.

“And do what?”

This time, Craig doesn’t hold back his smile at the adorably curious but pouty look his boyfriend gives him.

“How about we give each other Tattoos?”  

Tweek screams.

“Craig! We can’t ngh give each other tattoos! We don't know how or have the right tools! What if I get ink poisoning? That’s a thing right? Or worse! Infected!”

Wait what?

Craig is at a loss of words until it hits him what Tweek is actually talking about. 

Real tattoos.

He literally has to grab the tattoo sheet and show Tweek what he means in order to get him to calm down. When he finally understands that the tattoos are fake, Tweek takes a deep breath and stops shaking so hard.

“All better, babe?”

“Y-yeah.” Tweek stutters as he takes the sheet and looks over the options. “You want to wear these?”

Craig scoffs, “Uh yeah, they’re space themed. Of course, I do.”

Tweek giggles before pointing at a space helmet tattoo. “You should do this one.”

“Because I’m Spaceman Craig?”

“Yep,” Tweek nods before reaching for his scissors to cut out said tattoo. “Where do you want it?

“Hmm, how about on my face?”

“Okay!”

Tweek stands up and leads them to the bathroom so that they can wet a towel with warm water to use as a compress and make the tattoo work. As soon as they are done with Craig’s, the helmet comes out perfectly, it’s Tweek’s turn.

“Can I pick yours?”

“Uh maybe?” Tweek says sounding unsure, “What were you thinking?” Craig looks over the sheet before settling on a rocket. Just like the one Tweek keeps in his room and points at it.

“That one.”

Tweek smiles before agreeing and points to his own cheek so that Craig knows where to place it.

They go back and forth, placing fake tattoos on each other until Tweek points at a pair of stars and suggests, “We should each get one in the same place to match.”

It’s cheesy but it’s also the most romantic thing Craig’s ever heard of and he agrees without missing a heartbeat.

They both decide to wear their matching star in a place that can’t wash off so easily. This just happens to be on their upper arm. 

They spend the rest of the day covered in tattoos and coloring. When Craig has to go home and shower, he makes sure to avoid rubbing off the star tattoo.

When the next day comes and he finds Tweek at school showing off the star tattoo to Token, Jimmy and Clyde, Craig can’t help but feel a swell of pride in his chest and the hope that one day in the future they can get a permanent matching one.

End

[nsheetee]

Wifi

Pairing: Renjun x Reader Genre: Roommate AU || Fluff, slightly crack-ish Length: 2k Warning: one mention of an adult theme, implied female reader Summary: You and Renjun have been rooming together for a while, not knowing of your hidden feelings for each other. Surprisingly, it’s the bad wifi connection in your room that brings you together.

〈〈〈━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━〉〉〉

You sigh for what seems like the umpteenth time that evening, your fingers angrily keyboard smashing on your laptop when the wifi bars at the top of the screen show only one small, weak bar barely hanging on.

Ever since you moved in with your new roommate Renjun, you’ve noticed how every once in a while around 11pm, the wifi in your room goes weak. Being a creature of the night that always gets their homework done during this time, it frustrates you that you have to take small breaks every few minutes for your computer to catch up with the internet connection.

Finally fed up with waiting for your computer to load, you pick up your supplies and march over to Renjun’s room, which is the closest room to the apartment’s wifi router. You knock on the door and after hearing an affirmative, you walk into the room. Renjun is buried under a pile of blankets on his bed with his hoodie pulled up to his lips and the hood over his forehead. The only light in the room is coming from his laptop and he hisses when you turn on the room light.

“Good God, turn that off before you blind me. What do you need?” You turn the light back off and instead turn on Renjun’s desk light, setting your stuff down on top of his abandoned homework.

“Can I finish my homework in here?”

“What’s wrong with your room?”

“The internet’s being dodgy again.” You explain and Renjun silently nods, shutting his laptop and putting his airpods into his ears as he looks through his phone. You sit at his “organized mess” of a desk, open your computer, and sigh contently when the wifi works smoothly.

Renjun peers over his phone to look at you. You’re concentrating hard on whatever paper you’re writing; your pajama shirt is so big that it covers your shorts and your hair is only held in it’s messy bun by a couple of pencils. He can’t see your face, but admiration pools in his chest.

He’s been lovesick for you ever since you interviewed to be his roommate. When you introduced yourself and answered all of his questions in your own quirky way, Renjun just about handed over the lease for you to sign then and there and called off all the other interviews he had that day. Since then, his small crush has grown bigger, but seems to be unnoticed by you. Renjun, instead of doing the obvious thing and confessing, decided to help you find out about his feelings “by yourself.”

Renjun found out that he can manually decrease the bandwidth of the apartment’s wifi just by logging into his internet service provider account online. So, he began to weaken the wifi every few nights around 11pm, when he knew you were doing your homework. Like clockwork, he’d hear your groans of frustration for a few moments before your feet pad over to his room and knock on the door, asking to do your homework in his room.

Was Renjun being ridiculous? Maybe… Was he going to stop this game he has you unknowingly playing? Not until you realize he has feelings for you or he gets enough guts to confess. Renjun sighs dejectedly when he thinks about the likeness of either of those events happening anytime soon. He sinks down further into his nest of blankets in an attempt to stop the feelings from taking over his chest, but to no avail.

Renjun has a total, major, embarrassing crush on his roommate.

〈〈〈〉〉〉

You knock on Renjun’s door once again, sighing when he tells you to enter from inside. You walk in with your books and pens in your hands, your computer haphazardly balanced on top of it all.

“What’s wrong?” Renjun asks from his spot on the floor. His project for his biology class is spread out on the floor; some sort of visual presentation that involves a lot of paper cut outs and glue.

“Internet’s bad.” You look over his work, “Are you actually doing your homework? I didn’t know that was possible.” Renjun glaces up from gluing paper to his presentation, a blank stare on his face. He didn’t manually decrease the bandwidth of the wifi tonight. Are the internet gods smiling down on him and bringing you to him through their own will? He hopes so.

“Those are bold words for someone who needs internet and the only place to get it is in my room.” It’s your turn to give Renjun a blank stare as you drop off your supplies on his desk. “Come here.” He commands. You sit down criss-cross applesauce across from him and he hands you a thick permanent marker.

“Write this here.” He points to a small passage in his notebook and a blank space on the presentation board before moving to glue a different piece of paper.

“Why? I’m not going to do your homework for you in return for wifi. I live here, I pay with this wifi.” You point the marker tip at him but he ignores you, too focused on gluing a piece of paper to the cardboard.

“Once again, this is my room.” You sigh at his stubbornness, deciding to help him just this once. You take time to look around; although you’ve been rooming together for a few weeks now, this is the first time you’ve casually been in his room. The wall above his bed particularly catches your eye; his drawings, the quick doodles that he seems to be proud of, are hanging over his bed. Some are of people he’s seen at the coffee shop he usually hangs out in, some are of your house plants that you bought for the window sill in the kitchen.

Your heart softens when you look back at Renjun; he seems to be hyperfixed on gluing a particular piece of paper to the cardboard, his lips open in concentration and his eyebrows slightly furrowed. You feel courage build up in your chest and your gut fill with fearlessness. This is it. You’re going to confess your feelings for your roommate right here and right now.

“Nice drawings.” You mumble out instead, cursing to yourself in your head when the courage fades.

“Really?” Renjun asks, looking over his shoulder to the drawings. “They’re just doodles…” He tries to sound humble, but you can see the tilt of one side of his lips as he tries to hide his smile.

“Yeah, golden hands, they’re good.” You roll your eyes, deciding to feed his ego. It distracts him long enough to allow you to stand up and escape to Renjun’s desk chair. You start your own homework, a yawn leaving your lips. Maybe tonight isn’t the time to confess your crush on your roommate, but you hope he’ll be able to see the little hints you give of your feelings.

Renjun once again can’t help but stare at your back as you work, not minding that you’re not helping him anymore. He hates that your small, seemingly insignificant comment about his artwork makes his heart pound. He wishes the wifi could stop working by itself more often so he could see you naturally, like he did tonight.

〈〈〈〉〉〉

You don’t knock this time as you enter Renjun’s room, throwing up a peace sign as you close the door behind you and walk to his desk.

“Hey,” He raises his voice. “I get you have homework to do and the internet is weird, but at least knock. What if I was… masterbating in here or something.” He mumbles the last part and you snort.

“I still need to use the internet. So if you’re gonna masterbate anytime soon, please go do it somewhere else.”

“This is my room.” Renjun whines, throwing the drawing pad he was using before you barged in next to him and flopping onto his bed.

“Or so you keep saying.” You tease some more, setting down your supplies on his desk.

Renjun hasn’t touched the wifi bandwidth in weeks for fear that his meddling has caused the wifi to actually turn bad in your apartment. His wish came true: the wifi kept breaking and messing up in your room, all by itself. Now, you were constantly in Renjun’s room doing your homework and although Renjun likes you (literally), he doesn’t like how you welcome yourself in.

You surprise him by laying down next to him; you’re both facing the ceiling, hands on your stomachs and sighs escaping your lips every few seconds. Renjun can’t tell what you’re thinking, he’s too afraid to look at your face for the fear of not being able to quit looking. He doesn’t know if you’re as affected as him by your arm meeting his every time you breath, or if you can sense his thoughts racing at 1,000 miles an hour in his head. He tries to breathe evenly when he catches a whiff of your moisturizer, the one he said he liked a few weeks ago and that you’ve been using everyday since.

“Aren’t you here to do your homework? Why are you laying down?”

“No.” You gulp at the words that are about to leave your lips. “I’m here… for you.” You hold your breath after you finish talking.

“What.”

“The wifi has been working fine for weeks. I’ve been coming here to spend time… with you.” You can’t imagine how Renjun was dense enough to believe that the wifi has been poor almost every night for the past 2 months, but you hope it has something to do with him liking spending time with you. You got tired of waiting for Renjun to pick up your hints and stopped waiting for the wifi to cut out in your room to join him in his-- it’s not like he would ever know if the wifi is actually being dodgy on your side of the apartment.

You’re still nervously waiting for Renjun to say something or to tease you and kick you out of his room and tell you to find a different place to stay and then you’re going to be homeless and then you’ll definitely never have good wifi and then…

Renjun sits up and you don’t let your eyes meet, instead pulling your hood over your head and tightening the strings to hide away from your indirect confession. Renjun untightens the strings and pulls the hood off of you; he looks like he’s about to laugh at you and it makes you nervous.

“You’re a fool. I was the one that was cutting out your wifi.” His words make you sit up straight. Your jaw unhinges as embarrassment floods you. You thought you were only going to confess your feelings tonight, not the fact that you’ve been sneakingly lying to Renjun to hang out with him every night.

Renjun starts laughing and in your flustered state, you pick up his forgotten drawing pad and hit him with it. Renjun only laughs harder at your reaction, clutching his shoulder. He’s partially laughing because of the dumb situation you got yourselves in, but also out of joy because you just confessed your feelings to him.

“You! Do you know how angry you made me? I couldn’t get any of my work done for weeks.” You yell. You’re sure the neighbors could probably hear your mixed voices, but you don’t care. “Why did you purposefully cut out the wifi?” You groan.

“Because I knew you would come to my room if I did.” Renjun confesses, leaning back on his bed with his hands. Your heart soars at his words; it’s what you’ve wanted him to say to you for so long. You raise the drawing pad to hit him again but he catches it, fingers covering yours as he stops your second attack. You let him pry the pad out of your hands and he drops it to a different corner of the bed.

“C’mere, dummy.”

“Who are you calling a dummy?”

“You. Now get over here so I can finally kiss you senseless.”

[brytmoon]

i feel like i'm being really annoying about it to ppl so i'm gonna vent here about struggles i have that might be undiagnosed adhd symptoms since i don't have a very big following except for two close friends (sorry y'all)

1. hygiene, such as brushing my teeth in the morning and showering, is hard. it's been hard my whole life but even now, i'll stare at myself in the mirror or scroll through my phone as i try to convince myself to brush my teeth. (this may or may not be related, but i hate going to the dentist, too.) with showering, it's hard to find the time. i always make sure to shower as often as possible (which is every other day, usually) or i make sure i don't smell if i haven't because i'm scared of having b.o. with both, i have to motivate myself to do it with fancy toothpastes and mouthwash or nice-smelling shower gels and lotions. I'm guessing this is executive dysfunction???

2. I've been incredibly disorganized my whole life. i once thought i had adhd when i was younger because of how disorganized i was. I've always had a super messy backpack and a super messy room (it's really messy rn) but i always know where everything is. i had a ds for at least ten years but lost it a couple months ago in the middle of playing it. where did it go???? i have no idea bruh. and i lose my phone all. the. time.

3. i'm terrible with procrastinating. turning in projects and essays at 11:59 after bullshitting it either all day or mere hours before the due date??? a constant. having failing homework grades and having ntis in every class, no matter how much i enjoy it??? a constant. i once did a whole project i hadn't started on until the morning of the due date. i worked on it while in other classes and at lunch and turned it in 3 minutes before the dropbox closed. anything that's not what i enjoy or zaps the fun out of what i enjoy, i procrastinate with. I've sat in front of the computer screen and almost cried so many times because i couldn't get myself to type up a scholarship essay, which OBVIOUSLY would greatly benefit me as a broke college student, but it doesn't matter bc my brain thinks it's boring so why not push it off?? because i procrastinate, i tend to overwhelm myself so much that i break down at least once when an assignment's due because I've formed a terrible habit of pushing myself to overexertion to get a project done that's meant to be done gradually.

4. bouncing off that last point, I'm terrible with time management and remembering events/due dates/assignments to complete. I've tried using schedule apps and alarms. I've tried to plan out my days. I've tried forming routines and habits to get things done at appropriate times and it doesn't work. that schedule app i downloaded and spent so much time filling out? completely forgotten in a week or two. i swipe away the notifications and pay no attention to them. since everything's virtual now, there have been important college information zoom calls, but i forget about them and miss them. i can't remember events, due dates, or assignments if i don't write them down. since i meet every other day or sometimes once a week for a specific class in college, i can easily forget something mentioned earlier that week that's due the next week over the weekend. i have to remember to write in my agenda in order to remember to do something important, which can be stressful and convoluted 🙃🙃 so my bad time management results in further procrastination and missed opportunities, which makes me feel awful about myself late at night when all i can think about is what i should've done better or differently.

5. chores and hobbies are... interesting. when i do get the energy or motivation to clean or draw, i will hyperfocus on them. if i finally feel like cleaning, I'll skip breakfast and/or lunch and won't take care of myself until I'm done. same happens with drawing. and as stupid or funny as it sounds, i find getting up to go pee so annoying!!!! I'm in the middle of doing something i FINALLY want to do and then i have to get up to go use the bathroom. i don't want to break my concentration bc it's an inconvenience. then with hobbies (y'know, things i want to do and enjoy) i procrastinate!! I've been trying to watch atla since everyone loves it and i like it too, but i put off watching it and other shows like crazy. i play instruments and love to do so, but don't practice very often and spend a couple hours doing so when i do because i remember how fun it is. when i do laundry, I'll remember to put the clothes in the washing machine and start it. but then I'll forget to either put them in the dryer, take them out of the dryer, or fold them. i often have to rewash loads because I'll forget they're in there or I'll have a pile of clothes sitting on my bed for days because i procrastinate with folding them and putting them up.

6. i am the most motivated and have the most energy at night. over the summer, I'd stay up until 4 or 5 am on a regular basis. I'd be the most productive during that time but my sleeping schedule would be so off because of it.

7. so people with adhd crave things that produce dopamine, right? well i snack on candy all the time. and i mean it when i say it's ALL THE TIME. my favorite one is red hots because they're crunchy and spicy. eating candy helps me focus and is probably a form of me seeking more stimulation, but it's bad because of my teeth hygiene issues and me hating to go to the dentist. i also can't do tasks quietly. i have to be listening to music or watching a video while working on something and there are times when i want to do both while working??? so now when i watch something or listen to music without working, i tend to need something to do so i scroll through Instagram while having the show on even though it makes me miss what's happening sometimes.

8. i don't really fidget much i don't think?? but i do weird stuff while listening to someone talk. in school, i often doodled on my worksheets and got in trouble for it. I'd draw eyes in the margins, characters I'm fixated on, squiggly lines, and would color in my o's. or while listening to a family member vent, i dance around or listen while scrolling through Instagram. i also have a baaad habit of picking at my skin (dermatillomania). I'd focus on picking scabs for a really long time when i was alone and bored and have scars on my face and legs from doing it. I've picked at my face since i was a kid and absent mindedly do it every day.

9. i can get quite distracted and have to ask for directions to be repeated because i won't hear them?? like my brain won't process what someone said until they say it again when i'm actually fully paying attention. my mom will ask me to run an errand for her and she'll need to repeat it to me because i'll get distracted while she's explaining or i'll forget what she said after walking away. i get off track in conversations a lot and can't really listen well when there's a lot of other noise going on, like in cafeterias. i'll be talking to one friend and hear another interesting conversation down the table and pause while speaking bc my attention shifted. i also can lose my train of thought quite easily when waiting to speak and forget what i was saying and not be able to remember it for the life of me. so I'll interrupt sometimes so i don't forget

10. when talking to friends, i feel like i talk about myself a lot. i like to use my personal experiences to connect with what they said and be empathetic to them, but i worry this comes off as being conceited. i heard that it might be an adhd thing i do to keep myself engaged in the conversation.

i think that's all of them??? I'm so sorry to anyone who has to scroll through all this jgjrjrj but i guess it's good to make note of this stuff in some way because i articulate my feelings better when typing instead of speaking. and this'll be helpful to reference when chatting with a future therapist which i will hopefully get soon! and if anyone sits through this and has any advice, I'm all ears!!

[loubuggins]

Girlfriend

A/N: This story was inspired by an idea given to me by @zuppizup. Thank you, friend! As always, please read and review! 

Summary: The misunderstanding that he was sure would have come around at some point in their relationship and here it was. The inevitable cultural clash. “Rayla, do you know what girlfriend means?”

The first time she heard the word, it had caught her off guard. She and Callum were sitting on the steps leading to the Dragon Queen’s chamber, going about their usual verbal sparring.

“There's no way me ears are that big.” She scolded him as she glared at the open pages of his journal. She looked pointedly at his latest creation, a sketch of her petting Zym in the very spot they were currently sitting in. He had been adding details to the drawing while they cuddled together, enjoying the rare moment of quiet.

“I didn’t make them big.” He defended himself. “Only pointed, because they are.”

The elf shook her head in disapproval. “Ya made them almost as long as me head!”

For added emphasis, she waved a hand beside her face, gesturing to her actual ears. The boy looked up from his drawing and studied her for a second. His green eyes darkened as he concentrated on the body part in question. His stare was a little unnerving to the girl, but he seemed to either ignore or simply not notice the way she began to squirm and awkwardly try to catch his gaze. After what felt like hours, the young artist looked back to his page. His eyes then flickered back and forth between his sketch and his muse. She could practically see the gears turning in his mind as he took her critique seriously and compared his work with the real thing.

His lips finally parted as he appeared to be preparing a retort, but whatever he was about to say was cut off by the sudden interruption of one of their friends.

“Hey, Callum!” The familiar voice of Soren, a Crown Guard, called out to them from across the foyer. In his large arms, he held baskets filled with bread and fruits. “Quit flirting with your girlfriend and come help me feed the troops!”

The younger boy blushed and sighed as he closed his book. “Duty calls.” He mumbled to her, a hint of an apology behind his words. He handed her the leather-bound pages and placed a quick kiss on her cheek before standing up to meet Soren outside. She returned his gesture with a small smile and watched him go.

It had only been a few days since the final battle against Viren and his mutated army. Many of those who had fought in the battle were still camping at the base of the Storm Spire. The Spire itself could only house so many people, not to mention how difficult it would be for Callum and Ibis to perform the special breathing spell on all those people. So they found it best to let the armies rest on the ground before they returned to their proper homes. Thanks to Callum’s new ability to sprout wings where his arms should be, it had made traveling from the top of the Spire down to the ground and back up again much quicker than taking the endless stairs. However, his skill also meant he had to be gone at different times throughout the day, which made alone time all the more difficult.

But their lack of bonding time was not what gripped her thoughts as she sat alone on the top step. Instead, there was a word that the older blonde had used that replayed in her mind on a loop.

Girlfriend?

The word made no sense. Sure it may be easier to say than “the girl who is your friend” or “your friend that happens to be a girl.” But it still sounded wrong. Besides, she was not just Callum’s friend. She had it on a pretty solid record that her relationship with the human mage was well beyond that of just being friends. Perhaps Soren was just unaware of the change in their status? It seemed hard to believe, even for someone as slow to the mark as Soren. They weren’t hiding their relationship and Callum always seemed so eager to tell people that they were now “a thing” as he referred to it.

“But why else would he call me Callum’s girlfriend?”

The question nagged at her as she left her spot and went to return her love’s sketchbook to his room for safekeeping.

~#~#~

She had honestly forgotten about the word after that. At some point in her thinking, she had finally decided that it was no more than just Soren’s playful teasing of the teenage prince and left it at that. She had meant to ask Callum about it later, but when he finally returned, the question had slipped her mind.

It was not until two days later that she remembered and this time, the strange word was used by Callum himself. It was deliberate too. The humans were preparing to leave the Spire and begin their journey back to the human kingdoms. It was her first time back on the ground since she first climbed the steep steps of the mountain with Callum, Ezran, and Zym. Callum had wanted to come to say his goodbyes and had invited her along. She did not know many humans, but she was familiar with a few by this point. She especially wanted to spend every second she still could with Callum’s brother, who had become like a little brother to her as well. So she had agreed to join him, even if leaving Zym was making her anxious.

When they had first arrived at the temporary camp, they helped with the packing. Though Ezran was a King now and Callum was still a Prince, they all still felt the need to lend a helping hand in the cleanup. As the three were working on wrapping up a tent, they were interrupted by a group of somewhat familiar-looking humans. Corvus she remembers, the burly brown man kept his confident stance beside a woman leading them toward the three kids. She could not name the woman, but her white robes and pointed look made her seem like someone of significance. On the woman’s other side was Callum’s Aunt Amaya, who Rayla probably knew best among the group. She respected the general and she was glad that the feeling seemed mutual now.

Ezran was the first to look up and acknowledge them. He greeted them with a polite smile and nod, stopping what he had been doing to meet up with them. Rayla stared at them for a moment, then shrugged and went back to helping Callum fold the fabric of the tent. She figured it was just “Kingly Business” that did not concern her. That was until the woman in white called out Callum’s name. They had just put away the remainder of the tent, so the prince moved to join the other humans. On instinct, Rayla moved to follow him, then quickly stopped herself. This was probably a human thing. Part of his royal duties. It was strange to think of him like royalty. Sure she would frequently mock his royal title, but to her, he was just Callum. An up and coming mage who loved to joke around, doodle in his book, and talk about his feelings. He was her best friend and the only person she has ever fallen in love with. He was a prince, yes, but she saw him as so much more.

She was surprised when he stopped just a few steps ahead of her and turned to give her an expectant smile. He even held out his hand to her, waiting for her to come along. She was not sure if she was actually welcomed to participate in whatever conversation the humans were having, but Callum made it clear that he would not be joining them without her. With a grin on her face, she ran up beside him and eagerly took his hand into hers.

They approached the group of adults together, stopping to stand at Ezran’s side. Rayla studied their faces to try and gauge their reactions to seeing her. Corvus looked perplexed as he stared at her and Callum’s intertwined hands, but he did not seem to disapprove. Amaya gave the young couple a knowing look instead, along with a small smile. The only person Rayla has yet to meet was the blonde woman who had called them over here, but if she was surprised to see an elf and a human holding hands, she did not show it.

“Prince Callum,” the older woman greeted respectfully, adding a short bow that made Rayla feel slightly awkward. “I am saddened to hear you will not be returning to Katolis with us.”

The boy gave her a polite nod in return. “I wish I could come back and help Ezran, but we’ve talked about it and we agree I am more needed here.”

The woman nodded in understanding. “Yes, with your new elf companion.” Her eyes fell on the elf in question. “Well, I hope you know she is welcome to return with you. Do not feel that you must stay behind to be with her.”

Rayla’s hand tightened around Callum’s and her friendly demeanor began to crack. Heat rose in the boy’s cheeks and he quickly exchanged a look with his elven counterpart.

“Oh erm uh, thank you Opeli, I’m glad to hear that. But the main reason we are staying is to take care of Zym. Rayla and I will be putting together a new Dragon Guard. I’m also going to try learning some more magic while I’m here too.”

Opeli regarded the couple thoughtfully, their discomfort clearly unknown to the advisor. “Of course. Might I add, Prince Callum, that your friend and I have not been formally introduced.”

“Oh, right!” The boy looked apologetic as he gestured his free hand over to the girl at his side. “Rayla, this is Opeli. She’s a royal advisor to the King and a member of Ezran’s council.” He then waved his hand over to the blonde. “Opeli, this is Rayla, my...girlfriend.”

He said the word slowly as if he were tasting the word on his lips and enjoying hearing the sound of it. His chest swelled and his posture straightened as he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. The silly mage was practically beaming and for what Rayla did not understand. For she was incredibly pissed.

~#~#~

“Girlfriend, eh? Is that really all you see me as?”

She had been giving him the cold shoulder since their conversation with Ezran’s royal council and Callum had been trying to fix whatever he had said or done wrong to upset her so much ever since. But the poor prince was struggling to get it out of her all day. At least until they reached her empty room in the Storm Spire, where she finally felt comfortable enough to voice her frustrations. Though Callum still wore a look of utter confusion as she glared at him with her arms crossed over her chest, awaiting his response.

But all he could sputter out was a befuddled “What?”

Rayla let out an indignant sigh. “I know us being together is weird to people.” She began as she started pacing the room. “ I know not everyone is going to approve. It will be plenty hard for me to tell Ethari and the rest of Silvergrove about us, but I wasn’t going to lie to them, Callum. I was going to tell them the truth about us, even if I'd be the first elf in history to be ghosted twice!” She came to a halt just inches in front of him and held up two fingers for added emphasis.

“Wait, Rayla, what are you talking about?” He blinked at her as his mind raced to keep up.

“I’m talking about how I love you enough that I’m not afraid of others knowing about it. And up until now, I thought that you weren’t either, but clearly, I was wrong.” She bit back as she folded her arms again. This time her angry stare came with a few tears pulling in the corners of her eyes, threatening to roll down her flushed cheeks.

Callum hated seeing her like this. He did not understand what was causing her so much anguish, but he could not stand being a part of it. He felt his own anger begin to bubble up in his chest, but it was more so at himself than at her.

“Rayla, what do you mean? Of course, I’m not afraid of that! I was the one who asked you if we should tell the Dragon Queen just a week ago! And I told Ez, and my Aunt Amaya, and Ibis, and...and...Rayla I’ve told everyone about us!” He flailed his hands in the air as he looked on to her with exasperation.

His dramatic flair did nothing to dampen her hardened glare. “Yes, but only as your girlfriend.” She stressed out the friend part of the word with the venom of a Soulfang.

Callum blinked at her, his baffled look not leaving his face. “Yes, my girlfriend. What else would I call you? Is there some Moonshadow elf word for girlfriend I should know about?”

The elf gave him an indignant scuff. “We simply call it ‘a friend.’” She bit back in retort.

The mage just stared at her and his voice dropped low. “But Rayla, you’re so much more to me than just a friend.”

Rayla’s hard stare faltered silently at the shift of his tone. She shuffled her weight and crossed her arms over her chest. With her eyes downcast, she spoke up again, softly this time, “If I am, then why do ya keep callin’ me your friend?”

Callum straightened and his mouth fell a gap. He stood there silently searching for the right words in response to her admission. Friend. How could she possibly think that she was just a friend to him? Of course, they were friends, best friends in fact! But they were also something so much more.

“Girlfriend, Rayla. You’re my girl...wait.” And then it dawned on him. The real reason this argument had come about. The misunderstanding that he was sure would have come around at some point in their relationship and here it was. The inevitable cultural clash. “Rayla, do you know what girlfriend means?”

“Of course I know what it means. I’m not daft!” She objected before quickly adding, “It means a girl who is your friend.”

Callum’s face instantly morphed with understanding, a relieved grin spreading across his lips. “No, it means the exact opposite.”

It was Rayla’s turn to look dumbfounded. “What?”

He opened his mouth to answer, but stopped short. He thought about it for a moment, trying to decide the best way for him to explain. “Girlfriend is what someone calls the girl they love.” He started, looking back up at her with an affectionate glint in his eyes. “The girl they have a ‘thing’ with.” He pointed between the both of them. “Don’t elves have a word like that?”

The elf stood astonished for a moment, simply staring wide-eyed at the human boy. Then his words finally soaked in. Her cheeks felt hot as a crimson blush crept it’s way up her neck. She quickly averted her gaze and rubbed the length of her forearms.

“Well, now I feel stupid.” She admitted in a small voice.

Callum’s grin fell as he caught on to her embarrassment. Closing the space between them, he gently ran his hands over her wrists and pulled her crossed arms apart. He slid his fingers over the back of her palms and intertwined their fingers together.

“I’ve never heard someone be referred to as a girlfriend before, but I know Ethari used to call Runaan ‘my heart’ and my parents used to call each other ‘my love.’” Rayla explained, visibly relaxing under his touch. The boy simply smiled reassuringly as he listened to her. “Calling someone yours is the most endearing you get. At least to a Moonshadow Elf.”

“I’m sorry, Rayla.”

Her head snapped up at that. “Sorry? For what?”

“I should have asked you if it was okay, to call you my girlfriend that is. I was just so excited by the idea of actually having a girlfriend and one as beautiful and amazing as you are! And everyone else was calling you my girlfriend so I guess I just started using it too.”

She nodded in understanding. “I should have asked about it earlier. But I had honestly forgotten about it until today. I don’t mind being your girlfriend, Callum.”

The boy perked up at that.

“Now that I know what it means.” She quickly added.

His smile returned and he gave her hands a loving squeeze. “Well, maybe I should call you something from your culture, my heart.” He flashed her a toothy grin.

She shuddered and shook her head. “Bleh no, that’s way too sappy.”

Her disgusted expression earned her a laugh from her prince. “Well, now I’ve got to call you that.” He teased as he pulled her closer and gave her a flirtatious waggle of his eyebrows.

She scoffed at him, yanking her hands back and taking a step back. She tried to shoot him the deadliest glare she could muster in that moment, which was only slightly scary. “Don’t.”

Her command only made him laugh even harder. The sound of his laughter filled the room and made her heart feel lighter.

“Okay, fine, but I will find something that you’ll like.” He declared with an unusual amount of confidence.

“Good luck with that.” She deadpanned as she turned to walked away, but she was stopped by the rise in his voice.

“Wait!” He called out and she paused to look back at him over her shoulder.

“What are you going to call me?” He asked as he caught up to her.

“I call you lots of things.” She offered before smirking at him. “But maybe I’ll try boyfriend.”

He blushed. “Ha, more like manfriend.” He joked while lifting his arm to show off his lean muscles that he had been building since the start of their journey.

His girlfriend rolled her eyes and nudged his side, but laughter still escaped her lips.

“Stupid Prince.”

[ryuijsakamoto]

I just would like to take a moment to talk about my fave headcanons i have for all the characters

Akira:

he is the most OVER DRAMATIC bitch on this earth

he definitely did theatre at some point in his life

after his arrest he sometimes gets really nervous and has trouble conveying his words. he stumbles over them and cant convey his point well

ann and haru like to braid his hair sometimes

when he was younger he faked not being able to see so he could get glasses, it didnt work tho

so hence now he wears fashion glasses

he had braces in middle school

there is One(1) picture of middle school akira. One

he 1000000000% believes in ghosts and has since he was a child

aliens though? not real.

takes lots of selfies when he moves back and sends them to his friends often

biggest flirt but if u flirt back with him he. Dies cannot talk his face is fully red and hes hiding behind his hands

takes every opportunity to visit his friends 

claims hes not a sap but futuba swears she saw him crying over a handwritten thank you card from ‘’that one arcade kid names the kind or smth’’

Ryuji:

when he was a kid he has a fluffy mess of hair similar to akiras and it was the cutest thing ever

he needs reading glasses but no one knows because hes embarrassed by them

he likes to doodle on papers, hes not an artist but he likes to make dorky quick drawings in the corner of his paper

he has trouble focuing sometimes and likes to tap his foot silently or draw lines on paper to help him focus

calls yusuke and akira pretty boy by habit, it started as teasing but then it just became a Habit

he keeps every gift his friends give him and therye very dear to him

he has akira help him dye his hair

when one of his friends is gone / in danger he doesnt dye his hair again until he knows theyre safe

his mom sewed his purple jacket for him herself

he likes to cook and bake

he hold his bros..bro come cuddle me...he very affectionate with his friends and casually touches like hugs, hands over shoulders, etc.

sings to himself when hes alone

Ann:

she has a pretty popular instagram account

she has really bad handwriting

like ryuji, very affectionate 

she loves beanies and wears them especially in the snow

likes to make pointless arguments with ryuji sometimes, stuff like is water wet?

likes to curl her hair over breaks, thinks it looks cute

she loves to watch sappy romance and drama shows / movies

she stress eats

hates when people attack her friends on her instagram 

she has pet fish 

she picked up gardening from haru, its only a small plants and she forgets to water it sometimes but shes trying her best

Yusuke:

he is secretly a sucker for cutely decorated sweets

he had a small anime phase, not that he told madarame, but he has a box full of his old anime drawings and he will Never show them to anyone

he, like ryuji, sometimes drawes in the corners of his papers

unlike ryuji his are more detailed n not as dorky, its usually a detailed flower pattern or something of the sorts

he straightens and dyes his hair

his room? full of art pieces and posters u cannot see his original walls

he always has his phone on dnd and forgets to check it for days sometimes

he has 5 pairs of the same shirt, each one for a different occasions (they all look the same though...we dont ask why)

when he gets too worried over his art and stuff usually his friends will drag him out of his room and make him go eat with them

his friends pictures in his phones are hand-drawn little sketches he did

when hes concentrating really hard he puts his bangs into a ponytail so they dont fall in his face

so clumsy. he trips over everything

Makoto:

got through school before highschool without having to study

is not good with change

loves cute plushies and clothes

is Tired please give her a break

when Sae notices shes overexerting herself she makes sure to leave some of makotos favorite food and a small note for makoto on her bed

she just loves her sister very much

actually really likes spicy foods

u mention around her youre having trouble in school? not getting enough rest? forgot your lunch? Mom Mode Makoto activated

when shes alone she can curse up a storm

likes to play poker

is really good at talking to people and keeping up frienships

after highschool she is always busy u wanna hangout? she has 2 available days for the next 5 months

Futuba:

she has braces. she despises them

a very picky eater

sometimes she falls back into her old habits of hiding and isolating herself, when that happens shes learned to text someone and they sit outside her door and talk to her untill shes feeling better

cries easily, especially over characters and shows

has a phantom thieves fan account

when morgana and akira move away she gets a cat plushy because she misses her friends

shows everyone so many fun online things, discord? they have s discord gc because of her

akira has to remind her to drink water and fix her posture too much

wants to cosplay

shes really nervous for her first day of school but joker texts her all throughout the day even if he got in trouble for it

surprisingly a morning person

Haru:

she Runs on caffeine

likes to spoil her friends, yusuke spent all his money again? heres enough to get home and also buy a 3 course meal 

works at a plant shop even though she doesnt really need to because she loves being around plants

plays piano and cello

touch starved pls hug her PLEASE

likes to fish

cutest laugh please protect her

also dabbled in acting, though hers was more classical stuff like shakespear

she loves golf and swimming

knows how to fight and will do so if needed

she bullet journals

Akechi (in general + if he got to stay with the pt):

actually doesnt have a strong opinion on pancakes, just was really feeling like eating pancakes that day when he overheard morgana

he loves the praise he gets but the spotlight is exhausting

shido told him long hair didnt look good on him once so now he refuses to cut it out of spite

loves to watch gordan ramsey, thinks its hilarious

Bottles up his emotions like crazy

actually really caring towards his friends, always checking up on them and making sure theyre taking care of themselves

loves shit talking his dad, esp with ryuji haru and yusuke who join him and shit talk their own father figures

he wears colored contacts

writes poetry, no one knows this though

cannot back down from a bet, tell him that he wont eat that spoonful of wasabi? hes choking it down with tears but at least he proved you wrong

kinda very incredibly petty

a big fan of mythology, he looked into it after getting his loki persona

loves movie dates with the phantom theives

[rhubarbbaby]

Strawberries and Art 2

Jihoon x Y/N

Genre: College AU, Fluff Word Count: 4,2k Summary: Like every passionate art student, you spend most of your time immersed in your drawings and paintings. The day you meet Jihoon, your everyday life suddenly gets a lot more exciting...

All chapters: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

Chapter 2

The rest of your day had passed in a blur. Time had seemingly stopped making sense after you had met Jihoon. You tried to go on with your day as usual even though the world seemed to have readjusted itself along its own axis. Love at first sight was certainly nothing you believed in but the question whether a thing such as “crush at first sight” existed, did cross your mind more than once.

Your brain continued replaying the short conversation you had had with him over and over again. It was as if you had temporarily lost all control over your train of thoughts. You were not oblivious that the sudden change in your feelings was because of Jihoon, a boy who was still a stranger to you, nothing more than a fleeting encounter. And even though you were aware of all those things you still could not get yourself to stop thinking about him. Suppressing your thoughts did not work; you even caught yourself doodling some human outlines that suspiciously seemed to resemble him.

In the afternoon you had realized that concentrating was an impossible quest so you simply stopped fighting it. It took you between two and three seconds to come to the conclusion that, yes you did have a crush at first sight on Jihoon, and (god damn it) you couldn´t wait for the party tomorrow to see him again.

The next morning you woke up to three unread messages from Jo.

Jo: “You still up for the party?”

Jo: “I´ll come pick you up at 8.”

Jo: “Oh and I asked Hansol about Jihoon :) From what he told me he seems like a really great guy. Also he says Jihoon is this super talented songwriter which is just incredibly hot if you ask me…”

Oh my god.

You: 8 is perfect.

You: You talked to Hansol about it?? Jo!!! That´s so embarrassing.

You only had to wait a few minutes for her answer.

Jo: Don´t worry. I didn´t tell him you fell in love at first sight ;)

Jo: See you at 8

You: I´m not in love with him!!!!!!

Thinking about the party filled you with anticipation which had an accompanying taste of a mixture between nervousness and uncertainty. You knew that your brain was probably just overreacting, likely Jihoon would turn out to be boring, maybe even rude and you would have forgotten about him by tomorrow. But it has been a while since you had been as thrilled meeting a boy as you were now and you wanted nothing more than for him to turn out to be the person you imagined him to be. Another problem was, of course, that you didn´t have the slightest idea how you would start a conversation with him. You had never been the type to approach people just like that, especially not people who were as hot as Jihoon.

The party wasn´t until the evening and your thoughts were still circling around him like a moth searching for light. You knew you had some assignments due next week that you wanted to continue working on and so you made the conscious decision to stop letting your thoughts distract you, not until 8 at least. But it is not easy to lure a moth away from light; some would argue that it is sheer impossible.

You were finished with your art history homework at about 5. Somewhere far in the back of your head your mind tried to remind you of the portrait assignment which would have to be finished in a week.  You knew the assignment would make up 30 percent of your grade and you didn´t even know who you wanted to draw yet…But you really did not want to think about that right now. A certain person seemed much more important at the moment. Also you still needed to pick an outfit for the party.

As you stood in front of your wardrobe, you suddenly had to giggle. The situation, you were in, reminded you a bit too much of one of those overly cheesy, almost ridiculous romantic movies. Of course the poor innocent girl didn´t know what to wear to the party her crush was at. Because you absolutely did not want to fuel the cliché any further, you quickly decided to put on simple black pants and a t-shirt you really liked. Finding a suitable outfit wasn’t too difficult, you thought.

Maybe it really was because your pants seemed to be a bit scratchy, or maybe it was because you had looked at yourself in the mirror once too often and had noticed that the back pockets of your pants were making your butt look weird. Whatever the reason for your decision, you changed your black pants for a pair of jeans in the last moment. Possibly, some of those cliché movie scenes were not as unrealistic as you had thought.

Jo: I´m here! I´m waiting downstairs.

You: I´m coming.

Downstairs you hugged briefly to greet each other. “You look pretty! Is all this for Jihoon?” “I´m only wearing regular jeans!” you replied with a smile on your face, your tone slightly outraged. “I know. I´m sorryyy. I´m just so excited already. Hansol told me some things about Jihoon and I think the two of you should marry.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “JO! I don´t even know him!” “Not yet!”

Hansol would be waiting at the party, which meant you had the ten minutes’ walk to exchange essential information. According to Jo, Jihoon was a music student just like Hansol but while Hansol had an understanding of rap and hip hop, Jihoon was considered an exceptionally talented songwriter. Hansol had apparently got to know him because they had to do a school project together last semester.

Your anticipation was now growing with every step you took. Going out was nothing unusual for you, normally you weren´t nervous or overly excited though. On a normal evening you would have met up with Jo, the two of you would have had too many sugary alcoholic beverages and then you would have danced until your feet were going to give out. Not that those normal evenings weren´t fun, but today was different. Today was different because for the first time in months you were looking forward to talking to a boy. Your heart starting beating a tiny bit faster when you could finally hear the dull music of the party that was already in progress.

“Ok, listen. I thought about it. When you see him, I think you should walk up to him and tell him that he owes you a drink because of that strawberry.” “Jo! You´re crazy! I´ll never be brave enough to do that.” “With an attitude like this you won´t…just saying. I really think you should give it a try. You can´t just hope he´ll come up to you …” You hadn´t thought about that yet. Yes of course you were aware that you might actually have to start a conversation but in all of your carefully arranged, delicately placed fantasies, it was always Jihoon who approached you. The possibility that he might not even intend starting a conversation with you was not something you had considered. A wave of anxiety swept over you. It felt like waking up in a bathtub full of cold water, which once used to be comfortingly warm when you got in. You definitely didn´t know enough about him to be invested in a hypothetical relationship that might never become reality. You needed to slow down. “You´re right. I´ll try to talk to him.” “No you´re not just gonna try. You´re going to do it.”

Hansol was waiting at the entrance. “Good evening, ladies.” He grinned. He hugged you before pulling Jo into his side and giving her a kiss on the forehead. “Let´s do this!” you smiled while trying to sound confident but you knew Jo was able to hear the pinch of uncertainty in your voice.

“I´ll go get you two something to drink.” With these words Hansol had left to find alcohol. Looking around the room you tried to orientate yourself. You have never been here before but it was obvious you were at a frat house. Hansol had mentioned some guy called Jackson Wang who apparently was the host of the party. You had never heard of him before but he was apparently really good at hosting parties, the people around you seemed to have a lot of fun.

Even though you would never have been able to admit it, not even in front of yourself, your eyes started wandering across the room searching for him. And just like in one of those exaggeratedly cheesy romantic movies, the ones you thought so little of, you discovered him immediately. He was standing far back in a corner where he was talking to some people. Yesterday you hadn´t noticed, you had probably been too busy staring at his face, but he was very small, which was funny because in the few seconds you talked to him you had found him to be quite a bit intimidating. Not in a bad way, he simply seemed to take up more space than he needed which was probably due to the way he carried himself.

“I see! You found him already,” Jo ripped you out of your thoughts. “Come on! Go over there and say hi!” “There are so many people with him. I´d rather wait a little…” “Fair enough. Then let´s go dance!” she smiled and pulled you with her onto the “dance floor”, which technically was just the living room.  A few minutes later Hansol joined you again and gave you both drinks. “I´m going over there to talk to some friends. Is that alright?” he asked directed at Jo. She just nodded and gave him a short kiss before turning back to you. You immediately downed your glass to build up a certain level of alcohol, which you wished would help you speak to him at some point. You normally did get drunk fairly easy and so you could already feel the slight effect of the alcohol in your body after the first glass. After the third one, you and Jo could finally dance unrestrainedly and even though your gaze wandered over to him every few minutes you still lost any kind of tension you were holding in your body. God bless alcohol.

“Hey I have to go to the bathroom. You coming with me?” Jo asked. “Sure.” You held onto her shirts so you wouldn´t lose each other in the crowd. Slowly you made your way through the masses of sweating, dancing bodies. The bathroom was in the back so it took you a few minutes to arrive there. Jo immediately disappeared behind the bathroom door while you waited outside. You leaned against the wall and for a second you did nothing more than just breathe. You looked up at the ceiling and took deep breaths in and out. You could feel the alcohol in your body and the cool wall on your back gently pulled you back into reality.

“You came.” The voice tore you from your state of utter peace. The music was loud, you could feel the bass in your body, everywhere people were screaming at each other to make themselves understood, the voice that had caught your attention was comparatively quiet, calm and seemed to be very close to you. You couldn´t be sure that the sentence was directed at you, still your gaze shot to the side to see where the voice was coming from. Jihoon stood close beside you, also leaning against the wall. He was smiling at you expectantly. It was similar to yesterday, right off the bat your brain started to absorb his features. Every line, every mark, every twitch of muscle, no matter how small. For a moment (which lasted far too long) you simply stared at him. Fuck, what did he say?

“Yeah..” you managed to stutter an answer just before the situation drowned in a blend of an embarrassing and awkward silence. You were still looking at him, doe eyed, not knowing how to act further. Jihoon just chuckled and in that moment you could´ve sworn it was the most beautiful sound you had ever heard in your entire life. “Why are you laughing?” you couldn´t help but grin back, his smile was contagious. “It´s just…you look cute when you don´t know what to say.” As soon as the words left his lips, your body literally catapulted itself into shock. Did he really just call you cute?? You were probably just lost in thoughts again, surely you were just daydreaming. Your eyes did not leave his face, you were certain you had misheard what he had said but his smug, maybe even a bit arrogant smirk told you otherwise. You were still lost for words. It must´ve been seconds and you still hadn´t answered…

His smile was fading a little. “Hey sorry if I overstepped any boundaries, I know we don´t know each other yet, also I´m a bit drunk.” Now it was your turn to laugh. “It´s ok. I think you´re cute too.” You had not even the faintest idea where your sudden confidence was coming from (you would probably have to thank the alcohol for it tomorrow morning). “You think I´m cute, huh?” he asked, and you couldn´t help but wonder again how he could be so fucking hot. The hands in his pockets, his collarbones peeking out slightly above his neckline, the smug smile with which he was looking at you. “So, will you let me buy you a drink?” Just as you were about to answer, Jo came out the bathroom door again. “I´m ready! Let´s…,” she stopped mid-sentence when she saw who was standing next to you. Her surprised look quickly changed into a knowing grin. “Uhm..I want to look for Hansol. Is it ok if I just…” “Don´t worry you can leave her with me. I´ll look out for her.” Jihoon chimed in with an assuring smile. Even if you were not even expected to answer, you were completely speechless. An hour earlier you had racked your brain about how you would approach him, you remembered. “What a gentleman you are. Thank you.” she responded. “Text me if you need anything. I´ll look at my phone. And wait for us to walk you home!” she added, addressed to you. In the next second she had already disappeared into the crowd. “If you don´t mind I´ll get us something to drink?” “I´d love that.”

Minutes later you were sitting on a garden bench in the backyard. On the wall of the house there were paper lanterns attached, which made wonderful little colored spots of light dance around you. That Jackson Wang really knew how to throw a party, you thought again. You could still hear the music, but the walls functioned as a shield and made it appear as if the music was coming from far away. You and Jihoon weren´t the only ones who had gone outside to have a proper conversation, many couples had found the backyard to be the perfect place to make out, intertwined they sat there and you were sure that nothing would be able to keep them away from each other in that moment. But because you were drunk, and most importantly because Jihoon was sitting right next to you, you didn´t even give them more than a second of your attention.

Jihoon sat there, legs casually spread, with one arm on the backrest. You sat (very) close to each other, much closer than you probably would have, had you not been drunk. You had one leg on the bench so it was easier for you to face him. “You´re an art student, right?” “Yup. You´re a music student? Hansol said you are a very talented song writer.” Laughing out loud, he threw his head back. You were still nervous; your heart was still clearly beating a tad too fast and you had no clue what to do with your hands. But his laughter was contagious and his voice was soothing and so full of ease that all your nervousness was slowly guided out of your body. “Did he? I mean, he´s not wrong. I do indeed love writing songs, and I suppose I´m not too bad at it. Not sure I would call myself very talented though.” “Oh so humble.” You grinned. “Would you call yourself a very talented artist?” “No, I guess I wouldn´t. I´m not even sure I´m talented. Maybe I just love art. I think drawing the line between talent and just being hard-working is not always easy. That´s of course because talent and being hard-working are not mutually exclusive. You can be talented and hard working. That´s why I think it´s not always easy to detect talent.” Jihoon just looked at you, his face twisted into a slight smile. Why didn´t he say anything? “What?” you asked with a hint of shakiness in your voice. “It´s just…I think this was one of the smartest things I´ve ever heard a drunk person say.” Your eyes became big and suddenly your nervousness was back again. “I´m not that drunk!” “It was still smart.” You did not know what to say to that. You just looked at him and for a few seconds, neither you nor he said anything. But it wasn´t an awkward silence that begged to be broken, so the two of you just sat there, staring at each other.

“So tell me, what do you like to draw?” And you told him everything. About your obsession with peonies, about how you loved to draw old people because every single wrinkle, every scar seemed to tell so many stories. You told him about how you got off the bus three stops too early last summer just to paint a field of poppies, you told him how you once won an art contest in elementary school with a drawing of a hedgehog, that you didn´t even like. And you told him about how your mom had cried when you got accepted to art school because she was just so proud of you. While you were talking he listened attentively. And if you weren´t so immersed in your narration, if you were a little less drunk, you would´ve probably noticed the way he looked at you. Not once did he take his eyes off your face. When you were finished he told you about music. He told you how writing songs soothed him like nothing else. He told you how satisfying it was for him to finally finish a song. He told you how much he loved to sing and about that one night a few years ago the neighbors called the cops on him because he was singing too loudly in the middle of the night. You listened to every single word he said and if he wasn´t so immersed in his narration, if he was a little less drunk, he would´ve probably noticed the way you looked at him. Not once did you take your eyes off his face.

The buzzing of your phone ripped you out of your thoughts.

Jo: Hey, we´re about to go home. Are you ok? I don´t want you to walk home alone…

Fuck. You had totally forgotten the time. It was already 2 am. Jihoon saw you looking at your phone. “Is everything ok?” “Yeah, it´s just…I should probably go. My friend is leaving and she wants to walk me home.” “And what if I walked you home?" “You would do that?” “I just kept you from having fun with your friend the entire evening. I think I even owe you to walk you home.” He chuckled. You felt your cheeks flush. “I did have fun with you though.” “I´m very glad to hear that.” “And you´d really walk me home?” “Sweetie, it would be my pleasure.” he smirked. Sweetie. You definitely were not prepared for the pet name. All of a sudden your heart was beating so fast, you thought it would jump out of your chest. Your cheeks, rosy before, suddenly felt incredibly hot. “Thank you.” You answered, relieved after you noticed your voice didn´t leave you hanging.

You: I´m ok! Jihoon is going to walk me home. You don´t have to wait for me!

Jo: Use condoms!

You snorted and suppressed a laugh. Jihoon looked at you, his eyebrows slightly raised. “Sorry, my friend just texted something funny.” “What did she say?” Your heart seemed to have stopped beating for a moment. You didn´t think he´d ask that. “I, uh…nothing…she just…” you stammered. He laughed while never taking his eyes off you. “It´s ok. You don´t have to tell me.” “It´s just…” you tried to explain but instead you buried your face in your hands. This was so embarrassing! You didn´t know what reaction you expected from Jihoon, probably there wouldn´t have been anything to improve your situation anyway, but his low chuckle definitely made it worse. “I make you nervous, huh?” Your heart was still beating so fast and your cheeks had to be deep red by now and as much as you tried; you didn´t manage to look him in the eye again. So you just nodded. “Come on. Let´s walk for a bit.”

He stood up and stretched out his hand to pull you on your feet, which would not have been necessary, but you enjoyed the touching of your hands. It was the first time you touched each other on purpose. And even though it was only your hands that touched, you couldn´t help but feel more and more attracted to him. He didn´t let go of your hand, pressed it even more firmly and then gently pulled you past the left over party guests. Out of the front door, you just kept walking, your hand still in his. “Where do you live?” He sounded calm, relaxed and you knew you would be happy to hear nothing else than his voice for the rest of your days. “Basically on the other side of the campus. It´s a ten minutes ‘walk.” “Alright.”

And then the two of you walked, holding hands, side by side, so close other people would´ve thought you were a couple. Neither of you said anything for a few minutes. As before, the silence was not unpleasant at all, you simply enjoyed each other´s presence. Also, your heart finally had the opportunity to return to a normal pace, and the evening air cooled your cheeks. “I would love to see you again.” He underpinned his statement with a slight squeezing of your hand. You looked at him; he was focused on the walk, so you granted yourself a second to stare at him. He really was just so beautiful. The hair that gently fell in his face, his cheekbones, his neck. “I want to see you again too.” “You have to show me some of your drawings. Especially that one hedgehog drawing you were speaking of.” “Jihoon! I was 8 when I drew that and I didn´t even like it!” you made your voice sound playfully outraged. He couldn´t help but smile, his whole face lit up after hearing you say his name. He could definitely get used to that. “I bet it´s still good.” “No it´s not. But I can show you some other drawings.” “Guess I´ll have to settle for that.” He grinned. “Yes! And I want to hear some of your songs and you have to sing for me!” you said self-confidently. Your nervousness had completely disappeared from your body and had given way to a pleasant tension. “Deal.”

“This is me” you said as you came to a stop outside your building. He let go of your hand, the warmth leaving your palm empty, you wanted nothing more than to grab his hand again. A second later he had pulled his phone out of his pocket and held it out to you. “Here, type in your number.” You complied and gave it back to him. “Text me when you get home?” you asked shyly. “I promise.” And then came the moment, the moment in romance movies every viewer awaited eagerly, the moment you two should´ve kissed, or at least hugged. But you didn´t. Both of you were so absorbed in each other that neither one of you dared, nor even thought of making the first step. “Goodnight, Jihoon.” “Goodnight, Y/n.” And with that he left. You looked after him for a moment. Hell, even the way he walked was sexy.

Back in your apartment, you pushed your shoes off your feet just to fall into bed right after. You doubted that your remaining strength would be enough to change into your pajamas. Your body was so tired, but your mind was awake. Endorphins seemed to have decided to simply continue the party in your stomach. You were just lying there, arms outstretched, staring at the ceiling with a grin.

After, what had to be about 15 minutes, you heard your phone buzz. Never before had you reached for your phone so quickly.

Unknown: I just got home. Goodnight, Sweetie. Don´t forget to drink lots of water!

You read the message and you didn´t know it was possible, but your grin got even wider. Your phone pressed to your chest, your clothes still on, you started drifting off to sleep. You would just text him back, and save his contact in the morning, you thought. And with that, your body fell into a pleasant sleep.

Hi! It´s me, Jo. I´d like to thank you for reading my stuff! I really hope you enjoyed it. If you have any feedback, comments, requests, questions please let me know!

[yukiobeyme]

Hi! I saw your hc of the brothers reacting to a mc playing the harp. Do you think you could do hc with an skilled painter mc too? I study art, but due to a depressive episode i stoped painting, i started painting again a few days ago and remembered how much i enjoy it. Maybe due to the studys of the devildom she didnt have time for a while? Its ok if you dont want to or feel uncomfortable:)

Sorry, it took forever but hopefully, this suffices. It’s the longest thing I have ever written for Obey Me (5.6k words) The picture that is included is drawn by me, which is a painting that is featured in Detroit Become Human. It was in chapter 6 for Marcus, and the painting is human- hope. So, yea I hope you all enjoy and it’s just as good as the harp fic I did.

This is also like how the brothers try to help you with depression too because I need it lol. The first half is them noticing that you aren’t doing art anymore then you randomly paint then its the brother’s reaction though I don’t know if their reaction is long enough.

I am behind on requests but feel free to send stuff, I’m doing online classes so I have more free time and on my computer constantly. I think I’m finally gonna catch up on everything.

Trigger Warning for Depression and not necessarily Eating Disorder Otherwise Nonspecific but MC struggles to eat while depressed. 

 Art was something you always did. It was started as an innocent hobby, then you started to doodle on your assignments and notes. If there were paper and pencil around, there was bound to be one of your drawings on it eventually. In high school, you decided to take Art as your elective of choice, and during that time you learn what your favorite medium was and what your art style is. You found out you like paints the most; acrylics were the easiest for you, it was the most forgiving of the paints, watercolor you loved but it took work and concentration to do, and oil paint you practiced loved to hate. Oil was always so hard to work with, at first you always overworked the paint and left it looking dull and sad looking, but you were determined to get it right. Your final project was a huge oil painting, you took your time to plan and layout that painting. The topic you chose was the fall of angels, which you didn’t know much about. You knew about the Celestial Realm and Devildom, everyone does but it’s not like humans can walk freely in either of the realms. You debated back and forth if you should do a generic angel or if you should have more fun with it and recapture the fall of a true angel. Your research led you to learn about six brothers that fell around the same time. You recognized the first name easily, Lucifer; he was prideful and what everyone refers to the most powerful demon. He fell from Heaven after he became so impressed with his own beauty, intelligence, power, and position that he began to desire for himself the honor and glory that belonged to God alone. This pride represents the actual beginning of sin in the universe—preceding the fall of the human Adam by an indeterminate time. The other names, Mammon, Leviathan, Asmodeus, Beelzebub, and Belphegor didn’t seem to ring any bells, but you took the time to try and research each on. You decided to capture all their falls in one painting, they fell in the order of power. Lucifer would be the furthest one down the canvas and that’s why Belphegor would be at the top still within the clouds. The painting ended up looking amazing and still hangs on the wall in your living room, it was the first decoration piece you ever put up.

Fast forward to when you were whisked away to Devildom to be an exchange student. They were nice enough to give you time to pack things, only 15 minutes to pack a year's worth of things. You grabbed random clothes and stuffed them in a bag, you grabbed your favorite stuff animal and went immediately went to your desk where you kept all your painting supplies. You made sure to grab as many different colors as possible, all different brush sizes and your two sketches that could handle the paint medium. You decided to grab your phone and its charger though you knew it probably wouldn’t work in Devildom. With one last glance around your house, you paused and looked at the oil painting before telling the demon that you were ready to start this adventure.

Much to your surprise, you were met with faces that were familiar. Though it wasn’t because you had met them before rather it was because you studied their faces and bodies to paint them. You were flushed the whole time they introduced themselves and was even more flustered when you realized you would be living with them for the next year. If they noticed, they didn’t say much about it. You knew they noticed your stares though. You were studying their faces, trying to recall if you captured them right, if your references were accurate or not.

You tried to do some form of art every day, from doodles or painting. Usually, you would sketch something during your breaks and paint them once you were back at the House of Lamentation. The brothers knew you painted but you always requested to be left alone. This was the time you played the music you wanted and get lost in the brush strokes. It was your stress release, something you found joy in, the way you reconnected with your body.

But within a month of being an exchange student, your RAD work piled up and instead of sketching during breaks you had to start studying and doing work to ensure you stayed on top of everything. The mix of stress and not taking care of yourself led you down a spiraling depression. You gave up painting and daily self-care was sparse and very little. You stayed up late and woke up early to get as much work done as possible, food was on the small side and on the go food.

You had gone shopping with Asmodeus and grabbed canvases, the now gathered dust in the corner of your room. Somewhere still blank and others left unfinished, but you could never push yourself to pick up your paintbrushes. Sometimes you would pull out all your material and just sit and stare at the canvas until you gave up and left it alone. Soon the brothers decided to make a schedule so that you never alone and offer you different types of support that were unique to them. They never pushed you to pick up painting again, though they tried to encourage it and encourage you to take care of yourself.

Lucifer:

Lucifer noticed how your habits changed, while he never saw your finished art pieces, he saw bits and pieces. He noticed that you like to draw what was around you, he had seen you draw the RAD, the House of Lamentation, and even sketches of his brothers and himself. When you stopped drawing in the morning, he just figured you weren’t as inspired, but then the dark circles under your eyes formed, skipping meals or eating too little, and how you sometimes drifted in class.

He thought it should be his job to help you, but he didn’t know how. For the first time in centuries, he felt powerless. He decided whenever you skipped meals, he would find ways to get you to eat. In the morning if you skipped breakfast, he grabbed a fruit and a granola bar to hand to you. Or when you skipped dinner, he brought the food to wherever you were studying. He made the time to sit with you, while you ate, bringing work of his own to do. He would try to brush off as he simply wanted to work in a different area when in reality, he wanted to make sure you ate.

Finally, Lucifer would ask if you had drawn or painted recently. Your grimace told him everything, “No, I haven’t been inspired recently,” you shrugged it off hoping he would drop it. But instead, he poked and tried to get more information from you. You broke after a while spilling all the struggles you have been facing and how the stress-induced depression, you assured him you been through it before and you would be fine but right now it just felt like loneliness and darkness.

While Lucifer didn’t show it, it broke his heart to hear you say that. He figured you were stressed, and you seemed down, but he didn’t know it was too this magnitude. He did his best to support and encourage you in any way he could, hoping that it would help somehow. He offered to tutor you and help you with homework in hopes to lighten your load. He knew he should tell Diavolo, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. This felt too intimate to disclose to him, he felt happy and privileged that you shared it with him, and he didn’t want to break that. At least you were talking to someone.

Mammon:

Mammon was oblivious to how your schedule and habits changed. It wasn’t until Beelz mentioned that he hadn’t seen you eat yet today during lunch. Then it clicked how he hadn’t seen you as much or rather how he had to seek you out constantly to get the attention he deserved from you.

He started to pay more attention to you and something seemed missing from your stack of books but could never place it until he came to your room and say your sketchbook on the floor under all your books. It clicks he doesn’t remember the last time he saw you drawing or doodling.

He then noticed your tired eyes, your slow-moving, and you did skip a lot of meals or at very little. He totally increased how much he spent with you, even when you claimed to have too much work to do. He would simply sit at your feet and lean against you. You would occasionally drop your hand down and play with his hair. You noticed the increase of affection and time he spent with you and at first, you were annoyed with it but soon you enjoyed the quiet company. Once Mammon saw you were happy to have him around, he started talking to you about his random schemes; which never failed to make you smile and laugh. He soon made it his goal to make sure you were always laughing and smiling, he never wanted it to stop.

You didn’t disclose everything to Mammon, but you talked about your feelings to him. In some ways it was hard not too, having him so close but you couldn’t help but feel vulnerable. He comforted you to the best of his ability, sometimes he said the wrong things, but he tried and attempted to fix it.

He would surprise you with small gifts, one day at lunch he managed to get a yakisoba bread and you were surprised when he offered you the whole thing instead of just wanting to split it. You offered to split it with him and you wouldn’t take no for an answer. You both ate you halves outside, and you couldn’t help but cuddle up against him. When you finished your food, you gave Mammon a peak of the cheek. He flushed immediately and you hooked your arms together and walked to class with him. Needless to say, he bragged about it to the brother’s group chat and he was made fun of because of how he blushed for the rest of the day.

Leviathan:

Noticed the symptoms immediately, he had been through similar things. That there were times he stopped video games and anime or stopped finding the enjoyment from it. Though because he was constantly in his room, no one would notice.

He simply offered you silent support, making sure you were never alone or in one place for too long. He would try to drag you away for a quick game or anime or watch him play a game. You finally asked why he was spending more time with you and he would bashfully say while he didn’t know how you felt, he felt like he had been through similar things. It broke your heart to hear that and you pulled him into a tight hug. Later that night, you went to his room bringing tea for both of you and you both stayed up way too late talking to each other. It seemed like talking about it help life some of the pressure off you.

He said his door was always open to you, and while you didn’t always take him up on it, you occasionally when to study and watch him play whatever game he was currently playing. It was nice to have his company, even if you didn’t talk, it was comforting to be in the company that understood your feelings.

During class, he sat to your left while Beelz sat to your right. Levi made sure to nudge you if your attention seemed to diverge from the lecture and always offer you his notes if you missed anything. He also showed you places to hide in RAD, if you wanted to hide during lunch but his only request was you took food and ate it. He said he would prefer to hang out as well but respected your privacy if you truly wanted to be alone.

Would try and encourage you to paint or draw again. Asking you to draw him some character from his games or anime. You occasionally you would indulge in drawing whatever he wanted. Overall, Levi was your quiet support and you were grateful for it, to be able to sit in quiet and not to be asked what is wrong or must talk was a perfect escape sometimes.

 Satan:

He was worried about you, he offered to take you to the library for a new place to study. He would read your textbooks to you. He would read it whether you were in his room, the library, or curled up on his bed. Though most times if he read to you on his bed, you would drift off to sleep listening to his voice. He would always smile whenever you managed to fall asleep, it comforted him that he was able to help you fall asleep.

Satan would find books about depression, but he was uncertain because it sounded to clinically and he doubted that it was really like how the book described. Though he continued to research, trying to find out ways to support you. Online forums and talking to the brothers about the things they were doing and what seemed to help you.

He would stumble sometimes but you couldn’t help but feel touched he tried so hard. When you say the help guide and books he had, you cried. You couldn’t believe someone would care this much about you and want to help you. He was there to comfort you and once you calmed down you thanked him and laugh, “I was wondering why your actions seemed straight from a self-help book, Thank you,” you kissed him on the cheek and gave up studying for the day to hang out and cuddle with him. He would ask what he could do to help, what things he did that helped or hurt you. You would drift off to sleep with a smile on your face.

When you weren’t reading together and Satan would play drama, especially Korean Dramas, something you introduced to him. He would play your favorite one, the one you have already watched together and that you have seen a million times, but still loved it and reacted to the story every time. Sometimes Satan would quote the show and act dramatically to make you smile and laugh.

But there were hard times with Satan, he was the Avatar of Wrath, after all, he would get annoyed at the situation, but never at you. He always made sure that you knew that, though occasionally he would say something that he would immediately apologize for it. He tells you; he feels worthless and helpless. He wanted to help you and make it all better, but he knew that isn’t how it works.

Asmodeus:

Much like Mammon, offered you comfort and affection. Whisking you away to get the newest coffee or tea at the café, shopping, bubble baths, and doing skincare with him. While you tried to protest, he was consistent, and most times was a success. He starts to offer to go the café to study for a change of scenery, offering to quiz you while you took the bubble bath, or doing face masks that you could put on and study for a bit while it dried.

“Stress isn’t good for your skin. Neither is not sleeping,” Asmodeus would tell you pointedly.

Never directly asked what was wrong, but constantly reminded you he was there for you if you ever needed him or wanted to talk. While you didn’t to it often, instead of talking to him you would seek him out to cuddle and of course, he never denied it. It was a guaranteed break for you and most times you fell asleep.

Whenever he took you shopping, he would drag you to the art store encouraging to buy art supplies, he ended up buying you new paintbrushes, paint, and canvas. Telling you there wasn’t any rush to paint anything, but it would just be there in case you hit inspiration. He would always joke that you could paint him or “paint him like a French girl,” and would flash you a cheeky grin. You would laugh and shove his shoulder.

Sat behind you in most of your class and whenever he had the change, he would give you affection. He would pass you notes constantly, sometimes it was drawings of his own. Sometimes they were beautiful and amazing other times he drew funny sketches. You quickly found out who drew Lucifer riding the unicorn and Diavolo in the dress. The funny sketches also included exaggerated drawings of the teachers or his brothers, which was so hard not to laugh in class so you could only turn around and glare at him, that didn’t last long before you broke out into a smile and shook your head at him.

Beelzebub:

Noticed you lack interest of food and lack of eating immediately. Was constantly bring you snacks and sharing them with you. He sometimes was sneaky with it, dropping it off fruit slices and sitting it beside you and leaving. Then coming back later to see the empty plate and he was beaming. Would study with you and sat near you in class, whenever he pulled out a snack, he would set it in between you, in hopes you would snack on his food.

Whenever it was his turn to cook, he would find out your favorite comfort food; whether it was something from Devildom or Human food. Trying to make sure the food was as appetizing as possible and mouth-watering in hopes to entice you.

Would always be proud whenever you ate and encouraged yourself to be a glutton sometimes. Beelzebub was also your teddy bear, always down to engulf you in a hug and study with you occasionally. He would also tell you stories and memories about Lilith, times in the Celestial Realm, or random memories that were simply used as a distraction or calm you down when you got too tense about your schoolwork.

Beelzebub would also be the one that read you bedtime stories when you couldn’t sleep, it always made you laugh. He would do the voices and everything, as you cuddle against him. It became a normal thing to wake up to see Beelzebub leaning against you bed, he would admit he was checking on you during the middle of the night and decided to stay just in case you needed him.

He always checked up on you and while he was the Avatar of Gluttony, he indulged you in other things than food. He gave you a lot of praise and even small trinkets he found while he was out shopping.

He was just always there for you and he had his alerts on specifically for you. He would always reply with lightning speed. He was also the one that came up with the idea to not let you be alone too long and create the shifts between the brothers. While it was annoying in some ways you couldn’t help but feel touched by their efforts

Belphegor:

Consistently offered and told you take a break and naps. He would drag you to the planetarium to study and while he offered to study with you, he would end up dozing off at some point. It always made you smile. You would go snag his blanket and tuck him in.

He would constantly wrap you up in blankets and cling to you like a koala, trying to make sure you were as comfortable as possible as you study. He even would offer you to use his pillow that he carried around. While you were hesitant, but you adored how Belphegor smelled and often found comfort in that. He would be able to help you learn about the stars and constellations. He could talk forever about it and often did. He knew all the stories behind them, what they looked like and could point them out.

Sometimes you would count the stars with him to fall asleep. Belphegor was known to tuck you in, he would kiss you on your forehead and whenever he found you asleep, he would join you. It was the simple things that made you feel a little better and loved. Never forced you to talk about anything, but whenever he noticed you were staring off into space, he would begin to ramble about everything and anything. Trying to ground you and bring you back to the present.

He knew where to find you whenever you couldn’t sleep, and you weren’t in your room and he told the other brothers but always told them he would go and comfort and hang out with you. You were in the planetarium, it where he went when he couldn’t sleep or felt restless. He would sit beside you and sit in silence, he usually had a blanket to drape over the both of you. You would lean again him and rest his head on your shoulder, bringing in his smell and feel some of your tensions melt away.

Finally, one random day, you had inspiration hit you. Asmodeus had bought you a canvas and it was huge, and you knew the painting had to be just right. You decided to paint it outside, thinking maybe getting some vitamin D would help as well. You gathered your art stuff before you headed out. You ran into Satan as you made your way outside, you flashed him a shy smile and he offered to help you carry out your things. You were in the garden and you slowly set up; Satan helped you set up before disappearing. You grabbed your pencil and started to sketch out your painting. You heard someone approaching you and it was Satan though he was carrying a book before finding a place to sit near you in the shade. You gave him a soft smile before you went back to work. Before you knew it, you were loaded up your pallet with all different colors and started to paint. You allowed yourself to get lost in the painting. Letting your mind go blank and allowing your hand to take over the paint strokes. You didn’t notice the crowd that gathered behind you, you were completely lost in the joy of the painting. Your smile only continued to go the more and more you painted, you remembered how much you loved painting; the tension in your shoulders started to release and you felt renewed. Once you were finished you stepped back to see the painting in the full picture. You looked behind you to see all the brothers behind you, looking at your painting.

“It’s beautiful,” Satan said setting his book down and the other brothers nodded in agreement.

“Thank you… for everything,” you started and continued when you saw the brothers confused looks, “For supporting me and reminding me to take care of myself,” you flashed all of them a small smile.

“It’s inspired by all of you. That you reached out to me and reminded me of the hope that it gets better, even if it takes a while or doesn’t feel like it ever would.” All the brothers looked touched, but your words and it was Beelz that pulled you into a hug first. Soon you were getting hugs from all the brothers except Lucifer who gave a nod, you knew that later in private you would get a quick hug from him later.

Lucifer:

Lucifer had a sense of pride in seeing you paint again. Seeing you so engrossed in your work and how confidently your paint strokes were. He loved watching how the colors swirled together and how the painting slowly came to life. He realized he could watch you paint all day; he would later ask if you were willing to paint him something for his office. He would let you in his office and look around to get an idea of the mood of the room and how much space you had to work with. When you finished the painting, Lucifer hung it up almost immediately. He whenever he was stressed and tense, he would find himself looking at it, following the swirls of the colors to calm himself.

He also adored to indulge you in more expensive paints, which always took your breath away. He would allow you in his office to paint if you wanted. Most times Lucifer was working on papers, but occasionally he would play the piano, soft melodies that were soothing. It became a tradition that once a week, you would go to his office to paint or draw. Asking his opinions on sketches and if you should follow through with them or change it up.

Mammon:

He was taken back by how beautiful you looked as you painted. You were so carefree and happy; it took his breath away. He watched how your body moved as you painted, how smooth and elegant it looked. It was angelic, he was the only brother that dared to approach you; he would sit down on the grass and watch you.

He never formally requested any paintings from you, but you ended up painting him something anyway. You bought a copy of the magazine he was on the cover of and recreated it for him to hang up in his room. He was speechless when you gave it to him, you decided to do it more of an abstract with lots of colors. He hung it up on his wall and whenever he looked at it, he would smile and blush, it seemed so intimate that you painted him. That you probably spend a lot of time looking at his face to recreate it. He was greedy and craved watching you paint; for some reason, it was soothing for him and it made you happy so in turn, it made him happy.

Leviathan:

He watched in amazement, seeing you so shy and in a shy to being confident and standing tall. HE was in awe; his mouth fell open at some point. He felt like a child again, recalling how he has memories of having similar reactions when Lucifer did things. He followed you paint strokes, watching the painting come to life. When you turned around, he gave you the biggest smile, he was so happy to see you so passionate and happy with your work.

Even though the memory of being chased by Henry 1.0 was fresh in your mind, you decided to recapture him for Levi. So he could always have him hanging in his room. Levi was speechless when he saw it, he would whisper thank you to you. His smile made it so worth it.

Satan:

He found it super important to text his brothers that you were painting in the garden or about to start. The chat blew up with excitement. He grabbed a random book; he had no intention to read the book, but he didn’t want you to think he was staring at you. He sat underneath the trees near you and opened the book and started to pretend to read. He was amazing and honored that he could watch the full process of watching your painting coming to life. From the rough sketch, then the base paint, and then watching you add more and more color. When he saw his brothers come out, he raised one finger to his lips, to ensure they stayed quiet.

He didn’t ask you to paint him anything but asked if he could watch you occasionally. Which you mostly agreed to, though with more intimate projects you would tell him next time. You ended up painting himself something anyways. It was an old-world map, Fra Mauro map. It was made in Italy and even included the Garden of Eden. When he first saw it, he was speechless, he was excited though. This painting would go so well in his room, it matches the old-world library setting he had in his room. He was even more excited because he has a book about old-world maps that Fra Mauro is featured in it. The hug he pulled you into took your breath away, but you felt so happy because of his reaction.

Asmodeus:

Asmodeus was excited to see you painting again. He would be lying if he said it wasn’t attractive to watch you get lost in your art. While he was watching you paint, he couldn’t stop thinking about what other things you could paint and wondered if you would be okay with painting him like a French girl. Soon he disregarded the thoughts and simply appreciate the art in front of him, though he decided that you were really the masterpiece here.

Instead of painting Asmodeus a picture on canvas, you asked him to take off his shirt and lay down on his bed. You had brought your paints and paint brushed, while he was confused, he complied.

“This is going to be cold, sorry,” you gave him a heads up before you painted the stroke on his back. Asmodeus love it, you were turning him into a piece of your art. It felt intimate and precious. Though it was cold, and he complained and shivered, he was excited to see the final product.

Once you were done, you took a picture of your painting on his and yours D.D.D. You told him you combined two of your favorite paintings by Vincent Van Gogh, Starry Night but instead of the yellow stars, it was Van Gogh’s sunflowers.

 Beelzebub:

He was the most excited out of the brothers, he was so happy to see you painting again. Seeing it come to life right in front of him, gave him a new appreciation for art. He could have watched you paint forever, you looked so carefree and relaxed. He didn’t know how much he missed your smile. After you were done and the painting was dried, he would ask if he could trace the colors. He would pull you into a huge hug and spin you around, making you cling onto him and laughing.

Beelz would ask instead of painting him something if you could have a paint night with him. You decided to pull up a Bob Ross video and follow it together. The results were dramatic, yours look close to Ross’ but had your unique style, while Beelz tried his hardest and it did resemble the reference paint. You started to giggle at his painting and before you knew it, Beelz took his extra paint and flung it at you. You let out a shriek before joining in, in the end, you both ended up covered in paint and laughing at each other.

 Belphegor:

Belphegor was napping when his D.D.D started going off like crazy, he was annoyed until he saw that it was about you were about to paint. It gave him a jolt of energy to rush out to the garden. He was the last brother to get there. Standing behind you, he watched how your brush danced across the page and how your body swayed. You seem in your element and lost in your work. It was so relaxing to watch you paint, how the colors swirled together and just seeing how relaxed and happy you were seemed to rub off on him.

You knew you didn’t have to paint Belphie anything, but you couldn’t help yourself. You knew exactly what you wanted to draw anyways. You set up in the Planetarium and went to work to capture the sky above you. Belphie ended up joining you, he grabbed his blanket and sat behind you before curling up and watching you paint. It wasn’t long before you heard his soft snores behind him. You chuckled at him before going back to work. When you were finished you saw he was still asleep, you couldn’t help yourself. You crept near him with a paintbrush in hand and touched his cheek with it. He woke up immediately due to the cold paint, you soon were fighting over the paintbrush. You didn’t stand a chance against him, once he had the paintbrush in hand, he gave your cheek the same treatment. You both began to laugh and once you had calmed down, you showed him the painting you did for him. He pulled you into a hug, rubbing his painted cheek against yours to smear the paint even more.

When it was time for you to leave Devildom, you gave the brothers the painting. They tried to refuse but you wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“Please, it’s a way for you to remember me. You inspired me to do and it’s a reminder to have hope that I’ll be back soon,” you told them a little teary-eyed. You knew you were going to miss all of them so much, but you had a renew sense and passion for painting and the brothers and Devildom has inspired a lot more pieces as soon as you got back to Earth.

[foreverfangirlalways]

12. “I forgot to mention that I’m… I’m completely in love with you.” with Remus saying that to Patton? Idk I'm in a intruality mood. And it's fluff and getting together? Only do this if you want obviously.

I would love to! I’ve never really written Intruality before, so I hope you like it! (A bit of angst slipped in, but it is REALLY fluffy afterwards 😅) I hope you like it!

———————

Remus is super excited! Today is the day that Dr. Picani tells everyone who their partners are for the new physiology project.

Typically, this would be no big deal, but Remus had heard from a good source (ok, so he got Janus to sneak a look at the paperwork, so sue him!) that he will be paired with Patton Hart!

This is particularly good news because not only has he been crushing on Patton for a little over half a semester, this project was also focused on feelings. Maybe Remus will finally have the chance to admit his feelings to Patton!

At school, Remus was even more energetic then usual, much to his teachers displeasure.

Janus spent the entire lunch period smirking, because he knew exactly what was going on with Remus and why he kept watching the lunchroom clock like he couldn’t wait till next period.

As soon as the bell rang for 5th period Phycology, Remus jumped out of his chair like it burned him. Janus busted out laughing and yelled, “Go get him tiger!” at Remus’s quickly retreating form.

Remus rushed into Dr. Picani’s classroom, and practically dived into his seat. He might get in trouble if he was late, and he just couldn’t risk Patton like that.

Speaking of Patton, he was currently already sitting at his desk, one over from the person who sat in front of Remus. He was doodling in his notebook, and Remus thought that the face of concentration that Patton was making was just too adorable to describe.

Dr. Picani came in and immediately started class. “Alright everyone! So, as you know, today is going to be the start of a week long project where you and your partner spend time together and then discuss your feelings for eachother in the class on Friday. I want 4 things that you already feel about them and 4 things that are new feelings! Now, who is ready to find out who their partner is?”

Everyone cheered, and Dr. Picani smiled. “Alright then! Let’s start with...” Remus was listening so intently he blocked out all other names but his.

“Next up will be Remus Rey and Patton Hart!” Remus cheered internally and watched Patton to see his reaction. Patton lit up and looked excited!

Remus couldn’t help but smile, especially when Patton turned and looked at him! Eeeeeeee! He was internally screaming!

Dr. Picani finally finished pairing up everyone. “Alright my snickerdoodles, why doesn’t everyone go and sit with their partner? You can sit wherever y’all want this week! Just work on the project and have fun with it!”

Remus gathered up his stuff and saw that Patton was already sitting on the couch in the corner of the room, and was waving Remus over.

“Hi Pattoncake! Are you ready for this project?” Remus asked as he sat down right beside Patton.

Patton blushed and nodded. “I was thinking that we could go ahead and write down 4 thing we feel about eachother as of right now, and then go from there!” Remus smiled at Patton’s enthusiasm, and nodded. “That’s really smart! Ok, let’s do that!”

Patton’s blush darkened a bit, and then he started writing in his notebook. Remus turned to a blank page in his notebook, and then started writing.

Monday-

How I feel about Patton Hart:

I feel like Patton is generous

I feel like Patton is sweet

I feel like Patton is nice

I feel like Patton is pretty

Remus, throughly satisfied with his list for today, turned to look at Patton. Patton finished scribbling his last few words on the paper, and turned to Remus.

“Alright, do you want to trade a few answers so that we know how we feel about eachother so far?”

“Sure! How about I say 2 of mine then you say 2 of yours?” Remus answered, already knowing that there was NO WAY he was saying #4. Not yet, at least.

Patton nodded. “That sounds perfect!”

“Alright,” Remus started, “I put that I currently think that you are generous and sweet.”

Patton’s blush has returned. “Oh! Why that’s very kind of you! I put that I currently think that you are interested and unique!”

Remus practically glowed under the praise. “Why thank you Pat! I’m glad I give you that impression!”

Patton smiles at Remus and says, “Of course! I’m actually really glad we got partnered up!”

Remus was going to self combust.

“Can I have your number?” Remus blurted out. Patton looked a little startled, and Remus inwardly cursed himself. “Uhh, it’s just because, we’re, like, supposed to spend a lot of time together, and if I had your number then w-“ Patton handed Remus a folded piece of paper, successfully shutting up Remus.

“Of course you can have my number! I was just a bit shocked that you asked me before I could ask you!”

Then Remus died.

Of happiness! Remus quickly scribbled our his number of a piece of paper and then thrust it at Patton.

“Here you go! Maybe you can come to my house and we can hang out and get to know eachother better!?” Remus asked then held his breath.

“That sounds awesome! I can’t wait!” The bell rang and everyone packed up. “Hey Remus!” Patton called before he left the classroom. “Make sure to text me your address please!”

“I will!” Remus yelled, and then ran down the hall. He had to tell Janus EVERYTHING!!!

-_-_-_-

It was Thursday, and Patton was over at Remus’s for their last hangout session before the presentation tomorrow. Remus had suggested Netflix and Chill for today’s activity, so they were both eating ice cream while watching Stranger Things.

After Remus finished his ice cream, he flipped through his notes on Patton.

Tuesday-

How I feel about Patton Hart:

I feel like Patton is funny

I feel like Patton is smart

I feel like Patton is helpful

I feel like Patton is adorable

Wednesday-

How I feel about Patton Hart:

I feel like Patton is thoughtful

I feel like Patton is strong

I feel like Patton is emotional

I feel like Patton is cute

Thursday-

How I feel about Patton Hart:

I feel like Patton is a good listener

I feel like Patton is grateful

I feel like Patton is wonderful

I feel like Patton is handsome

Remus read over everything and cane to a simple conclusion. ‘Oh.  OHHH! I am so screwed.’ Remus thought.

‘I am way passed crush, I’ve caught major feelings! Shit!’

Remus waited till the credits started rolling, and then he turned off the TV and looked at Patton.

Patton was scribbling in his notebook again, but looked up when Remus cleared his throat.

“So Patton, got any new additions today?” Remus asked, still trying to sort out his newly understood feelings.

“Yeah! I put that you funny and energetic!” Patton said while bouncing in his seat. Remus let a gentle smile slip through.

“Thank you Patton. I put that you are grateful and a good listener.”

“Awww! You are too kind!” Patton thought for a minute, and then his expression dropped.

“Too bad this is the last day we get to hang out. I was having a lot of fun with you!” Remus felt his heart skip a beat. ‘I might have a chance!’ He thought.

“You know, we don’t have to stop hanging out just because the project is over.” Remus said, wanting to make sure that he was correct in his assumptions.

Patton brightens considerably. “Really? You would still want to hangout with me after the project?”

Remus just laughed and nods. “Of course! Why wouldn’t I?”

Patton chewed on his bottom lip and twisted his hands in his lap. Remus was getting nervous.

“Patton, buddy, what’s wrong?” Patton seemed to deflate at that, and started talking in a rush.

“Well, you see, I didn’t think that you actually cared for spending time with me that much and that you were really only doing because of the project, but I wasn’t going to complain. Because you were spending time with me and you seemed to be having at least a little bit of fun.”

Remus was dumbfounded. “What the hell did I do to make you think that I didn’t care for spending time with you?”

“Well, it’s less of what you did and more of what you said.” At Remus’s blank blinks, Patton continues. “You would just always be really sweet, but then when I asked you what felt, you would say things like, ‘oh! I put that you are funny and helpful!’ Or, ‘today I wrote that you are thoughtful and strong.’ I just always assumed that you thought I was a nice enough person, but not very interesting.”

Remus couldn’t believe his ears. “Seriously? You thought that?”

When Patton nodded sadly, he knew he had to fix this.

“Patton, can I read you all of my feelings about you? Please?” Patton looked a little apprehensive but nodded. Remus cleared his throat and opened his mouth.

“Monday, I feel like Patton is generous, sweet, nice, and...” Remus took a deep breath before continuing. “ and I feel like Patton is pretty.”

Remus heard a delicate gasp, but refused to look up. He just continued on.

“Tuesday, I feel like Patton is funny, smart, helpful, and adorable. Wednesday, I feel like Patton is thoughtful, strong, emotional, and cute. Thursday, I feel like Patton is a good listener, grateful, wonderful, and handsome.”

Remus stayed still after he finished reading, not daring to look at Patton. He felt the couch shift, and was certain that Patton was getting up to leave. He was very surprised when Patton sat, pressed against his side, and took his hand.

“Do you really mean that?” At the sound of Patton’s shaky voice Remus looked up, and was caught off guard by the amount of raw emotion he saw in Patton’s eyes.

“Of course, every word. But, I did forget to say one thing, because I only truly realized it today, and was a little afraid to write it down.”

Patton squeezed Remus’s hand. “It’s ok, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to!”

Remus’s smiled at Patton and shook his head. “No, I want to. I forgot to mention that I’m… I’m completely in love with you.”

Patton froze, and Remus immediately regretted saying it, thinking that he had just ruined everything.

Then Patton surged forward, and kissed Remus and the lips in a brief, chaste kiss that Remus will insist was the best one he ever had.

Patton pulled away, and said, “Thank God! I was worried that my feelings were unrequited and I had begged Dr. Picani to parter us up for no reason!”

Remus had no idea how to respond to that, so he just kissed Patton again. “Patton, will you go out with me? Like, on a real date, to the movies after school tomorrow?”

Patton smiles. “Only if you will be my boyfriend.” Remus was ecstatic.

“Of course I will!” And then they sealed the deal with a kiss.

-_-_-_-

Oh, and they made an A+ on their  Psychology Project.

[quickspinner]

Second Chance - Chapter 3 Making Time

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8

“You’re so gross,” Juleka muttered as she sat down next to Luka at the conference table.

“What?” he chuckled. 

“You have a ridiculous smile on your face and you’re humming.”

“So? I’m happy.”

“You have lipstick on your face.”

“Nice try,” Luka snorted. “I didn’t see her this morning. She’s really busy.” He leaned his head on his hand, the ridiculous smile returning as he doodled some music notes on his notebook.

“Oh, is she,” Juleka deadpanned. 

“Don’t be like that, Jule, we’ve both made time to see each other. I’ve got no complaints.” 

“That’s what you said last time. Don’t think I don’t know you’ve been getting up early to see her. You’re going to wear yourself out, Luka.”

“It’s the only time I have to see her without rearranging my whole schedule.” Luka sighed, throwing his pen down on the conference table. “This is why Rose is my favorite, she’d think it was romantic. What do you want from me, Juleka?”

“I want you to not make an idiot out of yourself and get your heart broken again,” Juleka snapped. “Also to quit cancelling things and rearranging the schedule before you really piss us all off.”

“I’m a big boy, I can take it,” Luka shot back. “Why are you such a pessimist? Everything’s going great. We’re both busy but that’s on me as much as her. We’re making it work. I’ve never asked you guys to move stuff around before and it won’t be for long, just until I can get everything balanced again—”

“Which will never happen if you don’t tell Lucille why you’ve become such a flake.”

“—And there’s no Adrien this time. I will tell Lucille, just...not yet.”

“How sure are you that she’s over him?” Juleka looked at him with genuine concern and he resisted the urge to tell her to mind her own business.

“She broke up with him two years ago before she left on her internship and she’s had boyfriends since then.”

“You’ve had girlfriends since you supposedly moved on too.”

“Yes, but Marinette and I never actually dated, it’s not the same.” Luka sighed through his nose, trying to decide how much was okay to tell her. Not that he really knew the details. “It’s not my place to talk about why they broke up, but I know it was final. She’s gotten closure that I never had.” Luka glanced at the door a little nervously. “Can we drop this before the others get here? Marinette’s never been dishonest with me and I trust her. What happened before, it was just...bad luck and bad timing. Let it go.”

Juleka opened her mouth but closed it again as the door opened and Luka’s assistant Lucille walked in with several nervous looking young men and a young woman who looked positively starstruck. They had every right to be nervous. Luka and Juleka were notoriously picky about what they permitted to carry the Couffaine name, even in the interests of charity, especially after that incident with Juleka’s former classmate. He tried to smile and put them at ease as he normally would, but his heart just wasn’t in it.

Luka felt guilty that he was having a hard time keeping his mind on the presentation. He jumped slightly as his phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out, intending to turn it off, when he saw Marinette was calling him. He really ought to decline the call and call her back...

“I’m so sorry, excuse me just one minute,” he said, getting up from his chair, equally ignoring Lucille’s surprise and Juleka’s eyeroll. He stepped outside the room and answered the phone. “Hey, Marinette, what’s up?”

“Luka, I’m desperate for some peace and quiet before I lose my mind,” Marinette said, and he could hear the strain in her voice. “Do you know of a closet somewhere I can lock myself in that won’t have other people stampeding through constantly? I’ve tried everywhere I can think of and I just can’t seem to get away from—from people!”

“You can use my place,” he said immediately. “I’ll be out all day anyway. Make yourself at home.”

“But—“

“I’ll text you the address, and I’ll call the security desk and tell them to let you in. I won’t even be home until after seven at the earliest, so it’s no big deal.”

“I—but—Oh, thank you so much, Luka,” she said, and he could hear the tears.

“Marinette, baby, don’t cry,” he said soothingly, “I’m happy to do it. You should have called me before you got so stressed out about it. Don’t feel like you have to be gone before I get home, okay? Take as much time as you need. And maybe take a nap while you’re at it, there’s a guest bedroom down the hall on the right. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” she sniffled. “I’ll be fine. I’m so sorry, I don’t know why I’m falling apart like this.”

“When was the last time you ate?” Luka asked. There was no answer. Luka rolled his eyes. “Have you at least had something to drink recently?”

“I had some coffee a couple of hours ago...” Marinette replied uncertainly.

Luka had to laugh, leaning against the wall and covering his mouth as he glanced at the door to the conference room.

“Hey! Quit laughing at me, Luka!” He could picture her pouting face.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it’s just I’m usually on the other end of this conversation,” he chuckled. “Marinette, go find yourself something to eat, drink some water, and then go to my place and have a nap. Then you can get up and work in peace and quiet, okay? Juleka and Rose live across the hall, we have the whole top floor of the building to ourselves, so if you need anything, knock on their door. Juleka’s here with me but I think Rose is home today.” 

“You’re the best, Luka.”

“Anything for you, Marinette. Go take care of yourself so you can do your best work. My schedule’s packed today but I’ll check on you later if I can.” He hung up before she could protest, made a quick call to his building’s security team, and stepped back into the meeting, texting the address as he walked back to his seat. “I’m so sorry about that, what did I miss?”

When he got home that night it was almost eight, and the door opened on a smell that made his stomach growl. Marinette, he thought, and noted the papers strewn all over his living room as he went toward the kitchen. Sure enough, he found Marinette there, taking some kind of casserole out of the oven. 

“Wow, something smells amazing,” Luka said, stopping at the entrance. 

“Lasagna,” she said, smiling at him as she put the dish on the stove. “It reheats well, so I figured if you didn’t get home until later it would still be good, but your timing is perfect.”

“You’re supposed to be working on your presentation, not cooking for me,” he chided gently, folding his arms. 

“I did work, and I got more done in the last few hours than I have in the last week. Now I’m taking a break to make dinner for the man who saved me from a nervous breakdown. Where are your plates?”

“Was it really that bad?” he asked sympathetically, opening the appropriate cabinet and handing Marinette two plates. “You’re eating with me, right? It’d be cruel to make me eat alone.”

“If you insist.”

“I do.”

“It really was that bad,” she sighed as she served. “Alya’s been great to let me stay with her, but she works from the apartment too, and there’s so many phone calls and deliveries and people coming and going, and it’s even worse at the bakery. I’m used to crowded work environments, so I’m not really sure why I’m having such a hard time, but I just can’t concentrate at all. I was so blocked, I couldn’t get anything done on the presentation outline, none of the design sketches were working, and I have to get this all done by next week so that I can send it to the production line at Gabriel. I can’t miss that deadline or the clothes won’t be ready in time for the show, not to mention how totally unprofessional it would look. I really think I would have lost it if I hadn’t called you. What do you want to drink?”

“Just water’s fine. You would have found a solution, you always do, but I’m glad I could help. You’re always welcome here,” Luka said, retrieving silverware and napkins. He gestured to the small table under the kitchen window. “You mind eating in here? I hardly ever use the dining room and I think the table in there is covered in paperwork right now.” 

“It is, and this is fine.” Marinette put the plates down on the small table. “I didn’t realize rock stars had so much paperwork.”

“It’s endless,” Luka groaned as he sat down. “Sometimes I wonder what I pay my lawyers for. Some of it’s because Juleka and I wanted to keep some control over what’s being signed off on in our names. It’s worse right now because they save up all this stuff for when we’re not on tour. So right now we’re cutting tracks for the next album, ironing out places and dates for the next tour, dealing with all the crap that came up during the last tour, plus pitches for products and events people want us to endorse. It’s a lot but I just can’t bring myself to hand it all over to my manager. I trust her, but I don’t know, apparently under this laid-back rocker exterior, there’s a real control freak.” He took a bite. “Wow, Marinette, this is great.”

“I’m glad you like it. I guess it probably doesn’t help that your first experience was with Bob Roth,” Marinette said sympathetically. 

“Got it in one,” Luka grimaced. “That was definitely a learning experience and I don’t ever want to be in that position again. Anyway, from the looks of my living room, you made it through your block.” 

Marinette winced. “Sorry about that, I’ll clean it up before I leave.”

“Why don’t you just leave it?” Luka shrugged. “Use my place as long as you need to, I don’t mind. I really only need the bedroom and the studio - that’s the room through the double doors off the living room. I’ll show you the spare bedroom before you leave, you can set up whatever you need in there and leave it as long as you want. Just try not to wake me up if you get here before noon, I tend to work late and sleep late.” Luka winked at her, but Marinette looked uncertain. 

“That’s awfully generous, Luka, are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Not at all.” Luka bent backwards in his chair and reached one long arm out for the drawer at the end of the counter. He rummaged blindly in it until he felt what he wanted, and then knocked it closed again. He put a keyring on the table between them. “Here, so you can just come and go as you please. There might be press, though,” he warned her. “We’re lucky right now because they’ve all been too obsessed with the XY cheating scandal to pay any attention to me, but that story’s not going to last forever and eventually someone’s going to notice us. They’ll say all sorts of things if you’re coming and going at all hours.”

Marinette shrugged. “Oh well. I am trying to get in your pants, so they won’t be stretching the truth too much.”

Luka choked on his lasagna, and Marinette nearly did too as she snorted and laughed hysterically. 

“You are so evil,” he muttered when he could breathe again, face bright red as he drained his entire glass of water.

“One of has to be,” she replied impishly.

“Speaking of evil,” Luka said once he could breathe normally again, “I need to talk to you about Juleka.”

“Juleka?” Marinette echoed with some surprise.

“Yeah. She’s...not super happy that I’m seeing you.”

“Oh,” Marinette said, guilt flooding her face. “I guess that’s to be expected, you two were always pretty protective of each other.”

“Well, she doesn’t get a say in this,” he said, motioning between them. “At the same time…”

“I’ll talk to her,” Marinette nodded. “I should have before now, actually. She’s been my friend for longer than you, after all.”

“I would like it if you two could clear the air,” Luka admitted. “I’d like you to be friends again, But don’t feel like you have to put up with any crap from her either.” He rolled his eyes. “You’ll have to tell me all about her version of the intentions speech, I’m sure it’ll be entertaining.” 

Marinette giggled. “I bet.”

Luka smiled. “Thanks for understanding, Marinette.”

They finished dinner and cleaned up together while Luka told Marinette about his day, and then Marinette cleaned off a space on the sofa where they could sit, and showed Luka some of the designs she’d been working on. He put his arm around her waist and she cuddled up to his side. 

Marinette put the designs down and leaned into him. They sat quietly for a minute before Marinette spoke again. “Luka?”

“Hmm?”

“Will you play for me? Like you used to. Like we talked about before? Just you and me.”

“I’d love to.”

He got up and went to his music studio. Luka reached for his sleek, custom painted, professional quality instrument, and then paused. Walking past the stand, he rummaged around for a moment and found a battered old case that held worn but well cared for black and white guitar. He took it from the case and ran his hand over it affectionately. A quick test showed that it was still in good condition, though terribly out of tune. It didn’t take him long to get it back in shape. Luka carried the old guitar back out to the living room and sat back down on the couch next to Marinette. 

He closed his eyes for a moment, listening, then started to play. Her breath caught and her eyes closed, hand lifting to her heart just as it had all those years ago. 

“It’s different,” she observed.

“We’re different,” he answered softly. The song that flowed from her heart to his hands was richer, fuller, and his ear and his fingers were quicker, more experienced, letting him catch and render subtleties that had eluded him before. His eyes closed again and he lost himself in it. 

Marinette slid closer to him, slipping partially behind him to drape herself over his back, and rested her chin on his shoulder. He turned his face to nuzzle her cheek, still playing, and she put her arms around his neck delicately, careful not to impede the motion of his arms.

“Beautiful,” she murmured.

“It’s you.”

He felt her smile rather than saw it. “I didn’t actually mean the song. I mean you, the way you play. I love watching you perform, but when you play like this, it’s just...different. I can watch your hands and—I don’t know, I’m not explaining well.”

“No, I know what you mean,” Luka said, keeping his voice low as well, “It’s more intimate this way. I’m not up on a stage. I’m not trying to create a reaction, I’m just playing along with you. I’m focused on you and no one else. God, I missed this, you have no idea how good it feels. I feel like I’m charging a battery I didn’t know was empty.”

“You’ve been lonely,” Marinette said sympathetically.

“I guess I have.” He nuzzled her cheek again. “Thanks for reaching out to me, Marinette. I’m so glad you’re here.”

She turned her face and kissed him, lightly at first but it lit an unexpected fire in him and he kissed her back fiercely, guitar strings twanging inelegantly as his focus abruptly shifted. Marinette laid her hand over his on the frets, stilling the fractured song. Her fingers slid over his knuckles as she moved to push the guitar lightly away. Luka obeyed the unspoken request, laying the guitar aside and turning more fully towards her, burying his fingers in her hair, tracing her jaw with his thumb.

“Luka,” she breathed just as he kissed her, and oh, he could drink his name from her lips forever—

I could drink my name from your lips forever...

He tried, he really did, to ignore the music suddenly swelling in him, to put it away for later, but he couldn’t. With a slight whine in the back of his throat, he broke away from Marinette. “Sorry, I’m sorry, just a minute, I need—“ he turned and caught up a colored pencil she had left on the coffee table and flipped over the nearest drawing, scribbling on the back of the page.

“Luka, what are you doing?” Marinette cried. “I need that.”

“I’ll make a copy, I just need—“ he broke off, too distracted to finish as he counted beats in his head. Dimly he was aware of Marinette’s frustrated huff, and then of her resigned sigh as her warmth and weight settled against his side. 

“Do you want me to leave?” she asked.

“No! No, I just, I gotta get this down, it won’t take long I promise.”

Marinette giggled, and kissed his cheek. “Sure it won’t. Look, I’m going to head on back to Alya’s and get some sleep. Just don’t mess up any more of my sketches, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, sorry, um, there’s a notebook in the drawer of the end table there, can you grab it for me?” Luka drummed a rhythm pattern on his knee with his fingers, lips moving silently. 

“I’ll definitely be back in the morning,” Marinette said as she slipped the notebook under his hand, “but I’ll remember what you said about waking you up. Give me that please, those are expensive.” She tugged her colored pencil out of his hand and replaced it with the pen that had been in the notebook coil.”

“Sorry,” he tore himself out of the music long enough to look up and meet her kiss. “I’m really sorry about this, Marinette, I’ll—“

“Don’t say you’ll make it up to me,” she said sharply, and he blinked. She sighed and bent to kiss him again. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. We’ll talk about it later, but I promise I understand. Thanks for helping me out today. Hopefully I’ll see you before you have to leave in the morning. Good night, Luka.”

“Do you want me to call you a car?”

She shook her head. “I’ll be fine. Don’t get up, I’ll see myself out. Make your music, rock star.”

“Right,” he said, looking back down at the paper, already getting sucked back in. “Text and let me know you got home safe."

“I will. See you tomorrow, Luka.”

“I can’t believe this,” he sighed as the door shut behind her, raking his fingers through his hair. At the same time, he smiled at the paper in front of him. “This better be good,” he muttered, reaching for his guitar.