#nothing can burst my bubble today

[falderaletcetera]

okay who wants a fucking great country-ish song about the 401 highway, apparently the busiest highway in both canada and the US and an absolute nightmare to drive on?

(because I didn't think I needed this but apparently really do, and it has single-digit likes on youtube, so I figure it can stand to be seen by more people.)

this guy has minimal online presence and only two songs actually for sale anywhere but @darkfinch managed to find this, which has some info and songs on it.

and now if you'll excuse me I'm gonna go relisten, because this song goes hard and is quite happily stuck in my head <3

~

lyrics:

this is a long highway and it might take a day to drive from detroit back to montreal where the big rigs roll down through ontario and cars go speeds they should never go (never go, never go) take a look ahead flashing lights of red another crash out on the blacktop run on the news it says another driver's dead that brings the toll this month to twenty one (twenty one, twenty one) I took a ride today out on the king's highway from montreal to toronto bay justice will have its day with your life you'll pay better pay heed, so the people say keep your hands at ten and two do what you have to do keep them there until the drive is done or you may walk this road a lost and lonely soul another death out on the 401

just between you and I how can you justify the life you took with the pedal down (pedal down, pedal down) the ghosts they roam the road looking for their home and if they spoke you never hear the sound (sound, sound) I took a ride today out on the king's highway from montreal to toronto bay justice will have its day with your life you'll pay better pay heed, so the people say keep your hands at ten and two do what you have to do keep them there until the drive is done or you may walk this road a lost and lonely soul another death out on the 401 another death out on the 401

~

[formulawolff]

“my favorite driver!” - t.w.

pairing: fem driver!reader x toto wolff

word count: 1.9k

warnings: cursing, mostly fluffy content, jack being a little shit (unintentionally), some tension between an ex-wife and the new girlfriend, mentions of divorce, toto being clueless, yadayadayada

a/n: well, well, well. here we are. a busy day of karting complete with jack, toto, golden girl, & susie! lemme know if you guys enjoyed this one! <3

⨯ . ⁺ ✦ ⊹ ꙳ ⁺ ‧ ⨯. ⁺ ✦ ⊹ . * ꙳ ✦ ⊹⨯ . ⁺ ✦ ⊹ ꙳ ⁺ ‧ ⨯. ⁺ ✦ ⊹ . * ꙳ ✦ ⊹⨯ . ⁺ ✦ ⊹ ꙳ ⁺

"are you ready?"

exhaling, you adjust your cap, praying that it will somehow keep your identity protected. after all, you wanted nothing more than to keep a low profile today.

"as ready as i'll ever be."

⨯ . ⁺ ✦ ⊹ ꙳ ⁺ ‧ ⨯. ⁺ ✦ ⊹ . * ꙳ ✦ ⊹⨯ . ⁺ ✦ ⊹ ꙳ ⁺ ‧ ⨯. ⁺ ✦ ⊹ . * ꙳ ✦ ⊹⨯ . ⁺ ✦ ⊹ ꙳ ⁺

"be careful, schatzi," he rolls his eyes, "if you sound any more ecstatic you may burst like a little bubble."

"oh yeah," you scoff, lingering in the passenger seat. your hand hovers above the handle of the door, palms clammy as your fingers wrap around the cool surface, "i'm filled to the brim with excitement."

"hey," fingers grasp your chin, forcing you to maintain eye contact, "it is not going as terrible as you think."

"it sounds like it's going to be an absolute shit show," you cringe internally as a whine escapes from lips, "i have to sit next to your ex-wife all weekend! we both know that i am the last person she wants be seen with."

toto tuts, shaking his head, "can you at least push through? for me? for jack? he's been chattering about this all week. you have no idea how much this means to him."

"i'll try my best," shame ripples within you, cheeks burning as toto nods, shooting you a wink.

"that's my girl. now, let's get going. he starts in about an hour."

the illustrious team principal slips out of the car, shutting the driver's side door. before you know it, he's on the other side of the coupe, a breeze rolling through as he opens the passenger door, prompting you to come on out. swallowing the lump in your throat, you oblige, ensuring that your bag and sunglasses aren't forgotten.

keeping your head low, your heart skips a beat as you feel his fingers find yours, intertwining them together. he squeezes tenderly, a signal that he was there for you, no matter what.

with that anxious sensation growing in the pit of your stomach, you couldn't be more grateful for his reassurance.

since there was a brief break in your schedule, you agreed to accompany toto to a weekend of karting. well, mostly because of jack. the little one was constantly buzzing about you, often inquiring when he was going to meet you. due to the nature of both of your bustling lives, toto conferred with susie on what a good time would be.

the two ended up settling on a weekend between singapore and austin, a couple of weeks before the united states grand prix.

it was a simple outing, really. hanging out with your boyfriend on a beautiful autumn day. you would be introducing yourself to his kid, a little one who absolutely adored you. yet, there was one factor that weighed heavy on your mind.

susie.

the f1 academy founder and racing mogul would be in attendance today in support of her son.

and god, did the thought of facing her for the first time since the news broke have you absolutely reeling.

what would she say? would she be kind? or rather, would it be a sickeningly sweet sort of niceness? would it all be a facade? would she even acknowledge you? would she let you meet jack?

no matter how much toto told you that she was over it, there was still that anxious feeling. it was ever-present, gnawing away at you.

and now, as you approach the garages, hand-in-hand with toto, that anxiety heightened, almost paralyzing you with fear. with every step, it felt as if you feet were concrete, barely moving at all.

"it's okay baby," a voice, his voice, floods your ear. it's barely a whisper, almost inaudible as you grow closer to the throng of parents and children, "i love you."

chewing on your lower lip, you manage to croak out a response, "i love you too."

you hadn't even spoken with susie yet and you were already bristling with fear. only five minutes had passed since you got out of the car and your palms were slick with sweat, armpits damp as well.

fuck, was this going to be torture.

you could manage to get behind the wheel of a vehicle that topped speeds of over two hundred miles an hour but meeting an ex-wife and former acquaintance was almost too much.

how fucked was that?

for a moment, you couldn't but admire toto's initiative to keep your nerves at bay. how he had pulled you closer, looping your arm through his. how his thumb traced soothing circles into your skin, his mercedes cap situated on your head.

he was doing everything in his power to keep you calm. and god, did you love him for that.

the team principal comes a halt, your heart thudding as scans the garage. he pauses, eyes forming slits as he searches for susie. after all, with her blonde bob and striking smile, she was pretty distinguishable.

you couldn't forget a stunning face like susie's.

"ah," toto sucks in a breath, "guten morgen!"

your head swivels in the direction of his voice, picking out a blonde. the woman turns, lips pulling into a grin as she recognizes toto.

"good morning!"

your hand trembles, knees almost buckling as she strolls towards you, little one in tow. for a moment, you squeeze your eyes shut, hoping that maybe this was some sort of a dream. praying that you would simply wake up, wrapped up in your lover's arms.

yet, his hand breaking away from yours reminds you that is real. very real.

you remain still as toto's arm envelop susie's frame, bringing her in for a warm embrace. he pecks her cheeks, the words indistinguishable. you recognize them as german, cursing yourself slightly for not keeping up with your courses.

"and good morning to you," susie bears a bright smile as she turns to you, opening her arms up for a hug. you return the gesture, awkwardly placing two kisses on either cheek.

"it's nice to see you again."

"papa!" a voice squeals, bursting with joy, "she's here! my favorite driver is here!"

at that, you notice susie's right eye twitch. toto kneels, scooping jack up. he hoists the little one into the air so that he was at your level. at the interaction, you feel your lips curl, forming a quaint smile.

"guten morgen, jack! i can't believe i'm finally meeting my favorite kart racer. i think i'm a little starstruck."

jack's eyes widen, his cheeks tinged a rosy pink. his hands fly to his face, shielding his shyness. toto leans in, whispering something in his ear. in turn, jack peeks out, stars glistening in his gaze as he peers at you.

"did you come to watch me race today?"

"i did," you nod, "i figured i would give your dad some company today."

"mama says that you keep my dad company too much and-"

"let's not worry about what mommy thinks," susie cuts in, "let's just worry about racing today, okay?"

toto arches a brow, yet holds his composure, "let's go check out the kart and let the women gossip, yeah? what do you think about that?"

jack nods enthusiastically as toto sets him down. taking his father's hand, he leads him to the other end of the garage, buzzing about a mile a minute. for a moment, there's a beat of silence, susie inhaling a sharp breath.

"i am so sorry."

"about?" your brow furrows, "ms. wolff, you have nothing to be-"

"it's stoddart now," susie's lips form a tight line, her eyes squeezing shut, "did toto not inform you? the divorce was finalized."

"i-" you stammer, swaying slightly, "i-i had no idea."

the blonde rolls her eyes, bringing a hand to her temple, "he has a knack for forgetting important events like that. i apologize for putting you on the spot. i hope you know that i have no ill-will or grudge toward you. it's just... different, you know? he is so different now that he has you."

"what do you mean by that?"

susie motions her head, pointing in the direction of toto and jack, "just look at him. i have never seen him so loving or careful with anyone until you came into the picture. i have never seen him so proactive in jack's life. you have changed him. you truly are his golden girl."

in that moment, your heart swells, bliss rippling all throughout as you watch toto and jack. the little one's hand was wrapped around toto's finger, the child showcasing all of the new modifications to his kart. toto couldn't look any more proud, his gaze brimmed with affection, dimples apparent as jack toted him along.

"susie," you begin, attempting to form some sort of response that would truly express your gratitude, "thank you, for that. you really have no-"

"don't thank me," a chuckle bubbles up in her throat, the blonde resting a hand on your shoulder, "just stick around, yeah? i don't know if i can handle anymore drab and depressed toto. also, i wouldn't mind if you wanted to stop by the academy sometime. we miss you around there."

"i could probably fit that in sometime," you beam, "there isn't much more of the season left. i would love to come by and see how things are progressing."

"don't feel like you have to just because of me," susie sticks outs a hand, "i know you're fairly busy at brackley in your free time."

after her statement, she winks, heat billowing into your cheeks the moment you realize what she meant.

so she had heard the rumors.

"well," the blonde clears her throat, fishing her phone out of her pocket, "my partner is going to be here any minute now. i need to go meet up with her so she doesn't get lost. you think you can keep the boys out of trouble?"

"i sure can," a giggle flows from your lips, "i'll go see what they're up to. isn't the first lap going to start here soon?"

"yes," susie responds, spinning on her heel, "if i can't find you two around here, will you text me from toto's phone?"

"of course!" you chirp, flashing her a thumbs up, "we'll meet up with you soon!"

"great," susie flashes you a grin, waving at the boys one last time.

as she disappears among the growing crowd of parents, children, and family, you make your way towards toto and jack. the moment jack spots you, he waves you over, "i need help!"

"what is it?" you fold your arms across your chest.

"will you give me some tips?" the little one cocks his head as toto zips up his racing suit.

"what sort of tips?" there's a cozy sensation blooming in your chest as you kneel to the ground.

"racing tips, duh!"

"i'll tell you what," carefully, you place your hands on his shoulders, maintaining eye contact.

"the most important thing i can tell you to do is to believe in yourself. if you can do that, then you can do anything."

"anything?" jack's lip purse, toto hovering with his helmet in his grasp.

dipping your head, you take the helmet, placing it on the child's head, "anything. no go kick ass out there. i know you'll do great!"

at your words, you can't help but notice the way jack brightens. his mouth forms a radiant smile. for a minute, he's a spitting-image of his father, the sight tugging at your heart.

"okay! i'll go kick some ass! only cause you said i can!"

as toto helps him into the kart, you rise to your feet, a singular thought buzzing in your mind.

maybe one day a little toto wouldn't be so bad.

just maybe.

[holybibly]

Today's unholy hour is inspired by this post. Hey, @pixlpxie it seems there are so many unholy thoughts in your pretty head, I will be glad to see you in my inbox.

Life sucks, but you suck better. Or your mafia daddy needs to relax and you're more than happy to oblige.

A low, cooing growl emanates from San's plump lips as he reclines in a luxurious leather chair; it's licking your heated bare skin and causing your hips to slowly sway from side to side in depraved, sweet pleasure.

"That's right, Gongjunim, take it deeper." San's hand gently runs through your hair, brushing a few stray strands away from your pretty face so that he can get a better view of how your little kitty tongue runs along the entire length of his big, thick cock, before he tightly clenches a large handful of your silky locks in his fist. In response, you obediently relax your throat and allow San to slowly move your head up and down the velvety length of his cock, gradually stretching your throat before he pushes his cock sharply into the tight, hot wetness of your larynx. 

You gag on it; the slippery walls tighten around his cock, pressing down on the sensitive, swollen veins that stretch tantalisingly along the massive, heavy length, the sensation making him curse and pull your head back. As his entire cock leaves your mouth, you smack wetly at the swollen, red head of his cock, the viscous, frothy saliva inflating like a bubble before it bursts and runs down on his dick and over your chin. You blink away the tears that are forming in your eyes and look up at him with a look of pure innocence in your eyes. This is what San loves so much about you—your fucking saccharine sweetness that literally sticks to his tongue.

"Damn, you were made to suck my dick, kitten. What a beautiful little girl you are. Always be so good for your daddy. Look at this doll mouth, covered in drool and cum. Aren't you a sight for sore eyes, Gongjunim?" He purrs in a sultry and hoarse voice, his muscular thighs jerking upwards and his wet dick slapping against your open mouth. 

His sweet praise causes your little hole to squeeze around nothing, and your clit begins to pulsate faintly, as if San had just licked it with his tongue. You let out a pitiful moan at this, batting your long, fluffy eyelashes at him and planting small, sucking kisses on the sensitive, pink flesh of his dick, which is shiny and wet with pre-cum and sticky with your saliva, and you're convinced once again that your daddy's cock is the most delicious. In fact, it feels amazing on your tongue—hot and hard, just the way you like it. You dip the tip of your tongue lightly into the oozing slit at the top of his thick head.

San leans back on the back of his chair and moans so loudly and so vulgarly that any porn actor would be completely ashamed. His black hair is matted, his chiselled, sharp jaws slack, his lips parted, and his eyes dark and heavy as he hungrily watched your plump lips stretch around his cock.

When his sharp cat eyes meet yours, he gives you a slow, predatory grin—a beautiful, cocky look that makes you squirm in your spot between his spread legs.

Determined to give your daddy more pleasure, you drag your tongue around the head of his cock before wrapping your lips completely around it, sucking in your cheeks, and pulling back until his dick pops out of your mouth with wet sucking sounds.

San hisses and grits his teeth. He throws his head back, exposing his thick neck to your gaze, glistening with sweat and with bulging veins.

"Fuck, you're killing me, Gongjunim. My precious girl, the best cocksucker of all time.".

Encouraged by his words, you repeat this action a few more times; the disgusting slurping sound that you make when you do it is muffled by the massive size of his cock in your mouth. You take a deep breath through your nose and drag his cock along your tongue until the head hits the back of your throat, and you choke slightly, trying to control the urge to gag. 

Looking down at you, San laughs darkly; the sound is hoarse and absolutely evil. His large, slightly coarse hands begin to massage your shoulders and the sides of your neck.

"Perfect, finest Daddy's toy. I love you so much, Princess."

You whimper at his words and leave wet, smeared kisses on the sides of his big, beautiful cock. You don't look at him anymore. You're too busy licking up the pre-cum and pressing the swollen, wet head of his cock against the inside of your cheek, the way you know San likes it.

You let out a pitiful moan as you try to swallow him whole, pushing his thick girth deeper and deeper into the narrow tunnel of your throat as you go. As you look up at him again with your tear-filled eyes, you take a deep breath before you relax your jaw completely and swallow him down as far as you can. The outline of his cock is clearly visible on the back of your neck, which only serves to excite San even more.

"Fuck, kitten; that's right. Always be so hard-working for your daddy. Do you love Daddy's cock so much?" His fingers dig into your skin in a painful way, and you let out a half-squeal and slap San on one of his veiny forearms. He mumbles something and apologises, then relaxes his fingers to grab you by the hair instead and set his own pace the way you suck him off.

San holds your head in place, his strong, muscular thighs tightening on either side of your head before he lifts them up, thrusting roughly and briefly into your malleable, soft mouth. San doesn't go as deep as he could; he stretches out his pleasure and just uses you as a nice, tight sleeve for his cock. He gives you a few more quick thrusts before he pushes your head down with all his might until your nose is pressed against the smooth, wet skin of his pubic area. Your lips are stretched out around the base of his cock in the most beautiful way possible, while his balls are pressed tightly against your chin.

You swallow thickly and heavily around it, choking completely on his thick cock as you feel the distinct pulsation of his hot length on your tongue.

"Oh my God, you're so goddamn good, Gongjunim, fuck! You make Daddy feel so good. Do you enjoy gagging on my cock, gorgeous?" San moans, practically choking to death as you mooe incoherently around him, causing his cock to press even harder against your airway. "You take all of my cock like a fucking champ, huh? I'm so proud of you, beautiful. Do you know that?" He hisses, and it makes your pussy clench up with the need to be filled with his sperm.

It's all dirty and disgusting, and as you lift your head up and slide your lips along his cock, viscous saliva coats his silky skin and stretches to your lips in long strands as you pull away completely to take a breath, looking at him with wide eyes as you move your jaw to ease the pain a little.

"Do it one more time, kitten. Deepthroat again." He exhales, his feline eyes darkening and becoming heavy, completely clouded with lust and needing to please.

San wraps his arms around the warm nape of your neck from behind and pulls your flushed face back down onto his cock. You immediately give him a sweet kiss on the head of his cock before you allow San to take his wet, drooling and pre-cum covered cock back between your swollen lips, stretching them out around the hard flesh and pulsating veins. "You can handle this, Gongjunim. I am absolutely sure of it."

His broad shoulders tense, his muscles straining and clenched under his sweaty golden skin, and he holds his breath, watching as you lower yourself onto him again, his lips parted, his breathing heavy and uneven, and San watches in fascination as you roll your eyes in pleasure, enjoying the slight pain of his huge cock pushing back down your throat and even deeper into the hot tightness of your larynx to choke you completely.

His moan is long, low, and purring like a predatory big cat, so depraved that it causes a thick stream of wetness to flow from your tiny hole. And that's another thing San adores about you. Your hole is so tight and small that even though he fucks you non-stop, each time San has to make an effort to push his massive cock inside your pussy.

San's hand slides over your shoulders, the short nails leaving red lines on your skin as you swallow extra hard and choke, leaving your own possessive marks in the shape of crescent moons on his thick thighs and the perfect six-pack of his abs. Your daddy is all yours, and you love to mark him in every possible way.

His stomach tightens just as much as his luscious thighs do, and you lean back for a bit of a break as you feel the twitch of his cock in your mouth.

"God, you're going to make me cum." He growls as he pulls you back into him. Your eyes flutter, tears streaming down your plump, hot cheeks. You moan loudly, opening your mouth and sticking out your soft, slobbery tongue desperate to please your daddy.

He pushes into your mouth again, sharp and deep, his hot length sliding between the tight walls of your throat. San rolls his hips a little as he fucks your face; his rhythm is steady and slow.

"You have fun with that, don't you?" He asks as he wraps his long fingers around your neck so that he can feel the bulge of his cock in your throat. It also cuts off what little space you had left to breathe in.

You go completely still and enjoy all the attention that your daddy is giving you right now. His big hand pulls you even closer to him until your chin is resting on his balls once more. 

"Do you want my cum, kitten?" You nod weakly with his cock still in your mouth, feeling the drool running down your chin from your rocking movements. San purrs in a sultry way and runs his thumb over your hot, red cheek, enjoying your wet, husky sigh as his fingers relax around your neck. "Oh, sweet girl, I will give you all of it, I promise. Daddy is going to feed his little kitty with his milk."

There is a dark promise lurking in his voice, and it makes your whole body tremble. Your toes curl with a sharp wave of desire, and you shake your bottom from side to side. San calms you down and pats you gently on the shoulders. "Don't worry, I'll make you feel so good afterwards. I'm going to try you too, Gongjunim. Daddy is going to lick your dripping, sweet cunt, my baby.".

You lower your mouth onto his cock again, and San can't take it any more. He moans lustfully, throwing his head back and rolling his eyes, his hands beginning to massage your shoulders and neck again, sending the sharp heat of pleasure sparkling through your skin.

His thick, luxurious thighs suddenly begin to tremble, and he growls like a fucking animal as your tongue presses against the bulging vein on his cock, his beautiful stomach flexes, and his toned pecs rise and fall with heavy, raspy breathing. You feel his abs twitching under your hand, and at that moment, your mouth is filled with his cum. It's a thick, copious stream of warm liquid that rushes down the back of your throat and causes you to choke. You have to step back so that you can drink all of his cum and get a good taste of it.

You purr sweetly as you lick the throbbing head of his cock with your tongue, lapping it, slurping it, and swallowing all of the bittersweet, milky liquid. The sperm leaks out of your parted mouth and runs down the silky length of his cock. You chase after the sticky drops and suck them, retracting your cheeks as hard as you can and wrapping your lips around his cock to suck him dry. God, if it were possible, you could drink his cum instead of water. You're so fucked for your hot Mafia daddy.

You lower your mouth onto his cock again, and San can't take it any more. He moans lustfully, throwing his head back and rolling his eyes, his hands beginning to massage your shoulders and neck again, sending the sharp heat of pleasure through your skin.

His thick, luxurious thighs suddenly begin to tremble, and he growls like a fucking animal as your tongue presses against the bulging vein on his cock, his beautiful stomach flexes, and his toned pecs rise and fall with heavy, raspy breathing. You feel his abs twitching under your hand, and at that moment, your mouth is filled with his cum. It's a thick, copious stream of warm liquid that rushes down the back of your throat and causes you to choke. You have to step back so that you can drink all of his cum and get a good taste of it.

You purr sweetly as you lick the throbbing head of his cock with your tongue, lapping it, slurping it, and swallowing all of the bittersweet, milky liquid. The sperm leaks out of your parted mouth and runs down the silky length of his cock. You chase after the sticky drops and suck them in with your cheeks as hard as you can to suck them dry. You suck his cock like you are the best girl in the world. God, if it were possible, you could drink his cum instead of water. You're so fucked for your hot Mafia daddy.

Through it all, San lets out deep, aching moans as he says your name, showering you with praise and compliments. He whispers sweetly to you, ‘My sweet kitten,’ ‘The best cocksucker ever,’ ‘My little slut queen,’ as his sperm continues to spurt onto your tongue. His hips arching languidly forward in time with your movements of your mouth as he cupping the back of your head and squeezing the base of his big cock with his other hand, as if he could squeeze more cum out of himself for you.

When you finally pull away from him, you swallow thickly and greedily, looking up at him with huge, watery eyes before you open your mouth and stick out your tongue to once again run your tongue over the pink head of his cock. He hisses in hypersensitivity, grinning at you and stroking his cock sluggishly. Another lazy stream of cum leaks onto your tongue and runs down the tattooed knuckles of his fingers, which you eagerly lick. As if San could sense that you couldn't get enough of more cum, it bursts out of his slit like a viscous, white thread. It lands on your lips and wet chin, covering your pretty face with a milky, pale glaze.

"You always know how to give a good blow job, my princess." He mumbles lazily as he watches your licking of your lower lip. You smile at him and nod your head, moving slightly away from his hips as they spread apart.

He grabs your hair in his fist before you can get too far away and bends his arm to pull you up against his strong body so that he can kiss you. He pushes his tongue into your mouth, causing you to whimper and moan into his lips, your small hands wrapped around his thick, tight neck as he kisses you. San explores your mouth with sighs and moans, his hands caressing your breasts and moving down your back, massaging your ass, your hips, and your waist. As his strong fingers dig into the aching muscles of your neck, you feel as if you are melting away beneath him.

San releases you from his grasp, only for a change of position. He pushes you down to the floor and folds you in half so that your knees are close to your head and your wet little pussy is completely open and at his disposal. Your hips arch as his tongue flicks over the soft, sensitive skin of your pussy and you gasp, "Daddy!" and clutch his beautiful silky hair. His hands are gripping your hips tightly, thick fingers pressing into the flesh to force your writhing hips into his face so that he can bury his nose in your aching, slutty сunt.

"Now it's my turn, kitten." He growls as he licks up the thick juices that are pooling between your folds before he plunges into your clit with a disgusting, lewd slurp.

[alvojake]

Under The Surface | P.JS

「prompt」 : perfect 「pairing」 : husband!jay x fem!reader 「word count」 : 0.8k

「synopsis」 : you and jay have always been seen as the perfect couple to everyone, but what really happens behind closed doors?

「genre」 : angst

「warnings」 : cussing, mentions of an arranged marriage, arguments, lmk if I missed anything!!!

「notes」 : man I'm ngl I feel like this could be a good full fic... but again sorry this is a little late, but I'll be on top of my game for the rest of angstober!

masterlist ─ navi. ─ angstober list

To the outside world, you and Jay were seen as the ‘perfect couple’, the couple that everyone wished they could be. You lost count of how many times people complimented you both while you were out in public. It was almost too good to be true to some people, and well…

They would be correct.

Everything that everyone saw outside of the four walls of your and Jay’s shared home was just a front. The ‘love’ that others saw was nothing more than a ploy, and the happiness was a farce.

It was all for the sake of your families. Even if you and Jay absolutely despise each other, it wasn’t like you could just break up. No, you and he were both bound by a contract that both of your families put together.

As long as you and Jay were together, your families would profit from each other, becoming the wealthiest families in all of Korea. In the beginning, you thought that it might work out that you and Jay could get along.

Boy, were you wrong.

A good day would be when you were able to go about your day without running into Jay at all, meaning you avoided any and all arguments. However, a normal day would always end in some kind of argument, sometimes ending more severely than others. Today just happened to be one of those severe-level days.

You had just finished eating dinner and were heading to your room, hoping to miss Jay when he got home from work. As luck would have it, you didn’t even make it up four steps before the front door opened. As soon as his eyes landed on you, a scowl fell on his features, causing you to roll your eyes. Not really wanting to argue with him, you started up the steps once more. But of course, you didn’t make it very far without him saying something.

“Where’s my dinner?” He asks, eyes glaring up at you as you stop once more.

“It's in the fridge; if you want it warm, put it in the microwave," you told him blandly before taking another step.

“The least you could do is make sure it's ready for me when I get home.” He scoffed, and you felt your blood start to boil.

Your tongue jutted out, wetting your lips as you turned around to face him, “I’m not your maid, Jay; if you want your dinner ready when you get home, have her do it. I’m going to bed.”

Jay threw his coat onto the rack before kicking his shoes off, grumbling under his breath about how he just wanted this to end so he could go back to his normal life. You honestly found it so laughable whenever he talked about going back to his ‘normal’ because all that meant was him being able to stick his dick in whatever bitch he could get his hands on.

“Ya know, if you want your normal life back so bad, you can talk to our parents.” You turned to look at him once more, arms crossed over your chest, “go back to sleeping around with random whores and throwing dirt on your family name.” You shrugged, a look of indifference on your face.

You had to bite your tongue as you watched rage wash over his features. A vein in his forehead looked as if it was a split second away from bursting. He glared at you, and boy, if looks could kill, you would be well over six feet in the ground.

“As if you were much better, a bitch who kicked those who she deemed underneath her.” He growled, and you could feel anger bubbling in your gut, but you refused to give in to him this time. “Unlike you, I was popular among the people.”

You couldn't help but let out a short laugh, which only angered the male more: "Yeah, and unlike you, I was actually making a name for myself that didn’t involve sleeping around.”

That hit a nerve, and you could tell by the dark look in Jay’s eyes as if he were ready to tear your head clean off of your neck, but you didn’t give him a chance as you waved him off. Turning back around and starting your way back up the steps once more.

“Oh, and if you talk to our parents, make sure to let them know that it was your idea.” You looked over your shoulder one last time, missing the deadly look in Jay’s eyes.

“You are the one thing I hate more than I hate myself,” His words cut deep into your heart because as much as you act like you don’t care, you do, and you wanted nothing more than for this marriage to work out, but it was just wishful thinking at this point.

So, inhaling deeply, you nodded your head and left him with a few words before disappearing up the stairs and into your room. You left him to stop dead in his tracks and stare at the spot where you once stood, a conflicted look crossing his features.

“And I could never hate you as much as I would like to.”

@alvojake | Do not steal, plagiarise, translate, or repost any of my work

𝖉𝖎𝖘𝖈𝖑𝖆𝖎𝖒𝖊𝖗 : ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ɴᴏ ᴡᴀʏ ᴀ ᴛʀᴜᴇ ʀᴇᴘʀᴇꜱᴇɴᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏꜰ ᴀɴʏ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀꜱ. ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴘᴜʀᴇʟʏ ꜰɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴛᴀᴋᴇɴ ꜱᴇʀɪᴏᴜꜱʟʏ.

[jaehunnyy]

Ateez and the things they do for you while on tour

Genre: established relationship, floof—lots of it, crack-ish?

Word count: 1.9k

Pairing: idols!Ateez x gn!reader

Warnings: pet names (+ reader calling Mingi princess), possible grammar mistakes

Taglist: @shakalakaboomboo, @pocketjoong-reads, @nebulousbrainsoup, @justhere4kpop, @bluehwale, @bluisheye93, @ssaboala, @i-luvsang, @ad0rechuu

Networks: @cromernet 🤍

Hongjoong - falling asleep on face-time

☆ Hongjoong keeps track of every single difference between his and your timezone, having it as a daily reminder on the world clock.

☆ It doesn't matter how tired he is after performing and melting million hearts;

☆ He could never be too tired for his love.

☆ Calls you when he's on his way to the hotel room if it's at a suitable hour;

☆ If not, he would settle for napping for a bit and set an alarm so he can call you at a reasonable time.

☆ Loves having your voice playing in the background for whenever sleep gets too hard to fight against (and if you start talking about your day, it's simply music for his ears).

☆ Smiles contentedly, even in his sleep, when you tell him how proud you are and how much you love and miss him.

☆ "You shined today too, baby. I am so, so, proud of you, and I hope you know that."

☆ Even when he's drowsy—droopy eyes, mouth slightly open, almost slipping into the dreams' world, he would never be too tired to mouth an "I love you too, love; thanks for being by my side,"—might come off as a mumble, but the intention is there.

☆ And that's the tutorial on how to make your sleepy Joong happy. :)

Seonghwa - buying souvenirs

☆ Seonghwa would buy the whole shop for you if he could. 

☆ Not that he didn't want to, but Yeosang—his shopping companion, didn't allow that to happen. 

☆ Whenever he sees a cute object, be it little or big, his eyes gather the whole universe in them, an excited smile creeping on his face, as the only thing he can say is "Y/n! :D" 

☆ Magnets? "These would look amazing on their fridge!" 

☆ Clothes? "I remember they said they needed a new cardigan." 

☆ Plushies? "Y/n's shelves have been pretty empty lately, these would look great in there :D." 

☆ And who are you to burst his bubble? It's not like you didn't try to tell him that he should tone it down; but he didn't even bother to listen to you, stuffing more and more into his luggage for when he comes home to show you. 

☆ When unboxing, he would just smile and proceed to take more out of his suitcase. 

☆ "Honey, you don't need to spend so much money on me…" You say, looking at the suitcase he claimed was filled with only souvenirs. 

☆ "Can you blame me, starlight? Let me spoil you." He smiles, settling himself on the floor as he keeps on unpacking, making you accept your fate and smile as well.

Yunho - sending you dancing videos

☆ This man is all but leaving you alone—not that you're complaining or anything. 

☆ He would send you videos of him practicing every single hour, maybe call you too, just to show (and maybe flex) his fantastic dancing skills. 

☆ Sometimes, he would even call you and ask you to learn something together—he just loves to see you dance with him, okay? 

☆ Always asks for your opinion first, on every cover he wants to post. 

☆ "I think that's good enough to post, Yun—" Wooyoung would try to say, but his friend would brush him off quickly. 

☆ "Let me ask Y/n first! :D" 

☆ The moment the warmth of your praises engulfs him—he becomes a malfunctional boy; smiling from ear to ear, continuously staring at your texts, making everyone around him ask him if he is okay, if he needs to see a doctor or something (it's just his friends being the teases they are)—yet he wouldn't care, he is in love <3. 

☆ "Of course it's amazing, Yuyu. You're doing amazing everytime <333." 

☆ He would melt into a puddle. 

☆ "No words can explain how thankful I am for you, my darling." 

Yeosang - delivering sweet nothings

☆ Yeosang would send special deliveries for his significant other.

☆ He has to make sure his baby is being well taken care of even when he's away, doesn't he?

☆ If you randomly get up due to the sound of your doorbell—know that Yeo planned something; again.

☆ Sometimes it's fresh food from your favorite restaurant; sometimes flowers bouquets.

☆ Sometimes, even your favorite hoodie of his—to remind you of him, and his scent.

☆ He would be sneaky and innocent about it too—he would never admit it's him (he would, you just have to be cute enough for it).

☆ "Yeoooo, the flowers you sent yesterday are still there! Where am I supposed to place these ones?"

☆ "What flowers, sweets? I didn't send you anything though?" The lie would slip through his lips, soon curling into a mischievous smile.

☆ Secretly—he enjoys it way too much—seeing how happy you are after the warm meal, how you couldn't stop smelling the flowers he chose for you.

☆ He loved you so much and he had to prove it somehow, even if he was miles away from you.

San - hugging his phone while face-timing

☆ San loves physical attention; he craves it—a lot.

☆ And though there's no way you can give it to him, he finds one, 'cause he's your smart boyfriend.

☆ He came up with the sudden idea of you hugging your phones at the same time, as silly as that might sound.

☆ Hugging the devices to your chests was giving him enormous comfort—not so much of a physical one, but one for the heart, at least.

☆ At first, you didn't expect him to want this to be a regular thing, you thought he would do it one time and then forget about it—or simply leave it aside.

☆ No. Your boyfriend started doing that every single call.

☆ "Y/nnnnn, do you feel it? The warmth?" He asks, his eyes shaped into little crescent moons, while the joy would dig little dimples into his cheeks.

☆ "Sannie… all I feel is how hot my phone got after three hours of continuously face-timing you," you say, looking at his pout through the screen.

☆ "Can you at least pretend? It's the only thing that unites us right now, so please pretend it's me you're hugging, sweets."

☆ With time, you came to understand what he was talking about—it felt nice to imagine him cuddled into your arms, counting the days and hoping they would pass faster and give you your boyfriend back.

Mingi - sending you voice texts

☆ Mingi would send you cute voice texts, and expects you to answer in the same manner.

☆ He would send one right after he woke up, the hoarseness of his voice echoing through your ears and making you giggle.

☆ Would also send you lots of them when he reaches the comfort of his hotel bed, telling you about his day and waiting for you to call, for the live experience.

☆ Sometimes, he would send some in the middle of the day, and when you play them, you're met with the beauty of his singing voice, playing one of the songs he had written, just for you.

☆ Along with comfort, they would usually make tears prickle at the corner of your eyes—because you miss him, and because the depth of the lyrics makes you want to give him the biggest hug ever.

☆ Mingi would also send you vocal texts of him silly laughing at random jokes, or funny videos, claiming that he doesn't want you to forget his laugh (don't forget he wants to hear yours too).

☆ And hearing him laugh would automatically make you cackle too, recording it just in time.

☆ "Princess? If I had a superpower, I wish I could teleport," you said, sending the short voice message to him.

☆ "And why is that, sweetheart?" He asks, in the same manner.

☆ "So I can come there and give you the biggest hug ever," and that was enough to make him melt and think about how much he loves you.

Wooyoung - recording daily vlogs

☆ Wooyoung would be recording silly little vlogs for you at every single step.

☆ No one and nothing could hold him back from turning his camera on selfie mode and pressing the rec button (but also, no one can stop him when he's about to fall 'cause he doesn't see where he steps).

☆ As soon as he gets into his hotel room, he will start making the room tour for you, explaining every detail he notices about it.

☆ Sometimes, he would trick some staff members into showing him the stage outfits beforehand, just for you to wake up with an outfit check vlog made by your boyfriend, exclusively.

☆ He could be anywhere—restaurant, preparing to eat; backstage, preparing to go on stage, or simply walking around the city—it wouldn't matter, his hand is always able to hold a camera or at least his phone.

☆ Oh, and don't you dare interrupt him—he gave San the nastiest look when he called Woo for game night.

☆ "I'm recording my daily vlog for Y/n, can't you see, San? When did you become so heartless?" He asked, hand holding his heart as San raised his arms, defeated.

☆ "Sorry, angel. San is bothering me. Back to you now! :D"

☆ If you could ever make time to send him one of your own daily vlogs too, he would be the happiest man; saving it and staring at it all along, like a lucky charm.

☆ "I decided I should send you a daily vlog from work too, can't let my pookie forget my face and voice," you said, and his lips stretched into the widest smile.

Jongho - singing lullabies for you

☆ Jongho's honey-like voice would melt into another lullaby you asked him for, despite the late hour you were talking at.

☆ You missed your boyfriend's presence—his beautiful gummy smile whenever you told him you loved him, his hugs, everything about him.

☆ And, last but not least, you missed his voice.

☆ You found it hard to sleep without him talking to you, or without hearing him practice another melodious ballad again—and you craved it.

☆ And it seemed like he missed doing these acts of service for you as well;

☆ 'Cause, the second you told him that you wanted to hear him, he didn't hesitate to immediately call you and start to sing another soulful song for you, smiling whenever you complimented him.

☆ His passion was something great to watch too—from the way his eyelashes would stroke his skin whenever he closed his eyes, the way his mouth opened whenever he hits any high notes, to the confidence on his face.

☆ You could swear that your admiration for him painted his cheeks into a crimson blush, yet he couldn't complain, he was proud to have you by his side.

☆ "Can you sing the chorus one more time, please? I don't want it to end before I fall asleep." You asked, looking at him before closing your eyes in order to fall asleep while he was still singing for you.

☆ He let a soft smile appear on his face, singing for you once again and only stopping when you finally fell asleep, whispering a sweet "Good night, sunshine."

[tasteracha]

a/n: i'm still taking a little tumblr break but the combination of things i've seen today and @astraystayyh and @forlix had me.......is this chan? is this hyunjin? who knows. also this was written very quickly and not proofread.

you’re on top of him before he can blink - still wearing that sinful outfit and wearing an annoying confident smirk that makes your blood bubble up and threaten to burst out of your veins. 

it takes only a few minutes of a nasty makeout and heavy petting before he’s touching your core through your shorts and you’re jerking in his lap. 

you unbutton his pants and free his cock from his boxers in what must have been record time, him returning the favor to your shorts like he can’t last one more second without being inside of you. 

of all people, you understood the sentiment, especially when he looked like that. 

you take advantage of your spot on his lap and position yourself over him, sliding slowly down and savoring every centimeter of his cock as it enters you. 

“oh, fuck,” he curses under his breath when you’re seated fully, his entire length throbbing against your walls. your knees are already wobbly from just one taste of him inside of you, and yet you work past it to roll your hips against his. 

he lets you have your fun for a few moments, looking up at you with a twistingly confusing mix of adoration and condescension. you can almost see the moment he tires of your slow pace, his eyebrows furrowing as he weight out his options before deciding on your fate. 

his hands circle your waist, tight in a bruising grip as he steadies you. you barely have time to whine in confusion before he starts fucking up into you, keeping you still on top of him. you felt weightless, the only stimulus hitting your empty head was the feeling of him sliding in and out of you, over and over. 

“eyes on me,” he all but growls out when you drop your head to his chest, starting to pant a bit. “i want to see you fall apart on my cock.” 

you meet his eyes and almost fall apart on the spot - his pupils are blown out, dark possessiveness overriding everything else as he keeps you in place. you feel like a puppet, taught on his strings and there is nothing else running through your head other than his name chanting like a prayer. 

you don’t realize that you’re saying it out loud until he moves one hand to tangle into your hair, pulling your lips into his to shut you up. 

you come together and it’s brighter than the sparks of fireworks behind your eyelids. you sob into his mouth as he fucks you through both of your highs until the only sound echoing through the room is your harsh breathing mingling with his. 

you can't stand straight when he lifts you off and you almost stumble back onto him; and he laughs at you and you shoot him a glare, reaching for his softening cock in retaliation. the sound of his panicked shout when he curves away from you sends your heart soaring through the skies. 

[justauthoring]

Shadow of Yourself [14/18]

Prompt: “You’ve changed, Eli. I barely even know who you are right now.”

A/N: we delve into the reader's past a little bit more the episode and eli is an absolute sweetheart about it <3

Based off of: Cobra Kai 05x05, 05x06, and 05x07 Warnings: some swear words (because tumblr apparently doesn’t like that), poorly written fight scenes (i swear, i struggle so much) Pairing: Eli Moskowitz x F!Reader

Tag List: @moonydrafts - @ashwhowrites - @traveleraroundsworld - @truly-abysmal - @likecherriesinthespring - @hollxe1 - @asonofpeter - @scarlett-verse - @musically-ambiguous - @kayda1 - @moon-zoons - @dwcode - @day-dreamsinthedark - @leilani788 - @silvermagnolias - @hawkinsavclub - @animewolflover278 - @gruffle1 - @b-tchymoon - @maggiecc - @beetea38 - @hawkinsavclub1983 - @crpytids - @embersparklz - @kimilight - @httpjiikook - @marauderssmut - @fyckcore - @multinci - @lqveabby - @oh-well-whatever-nevermind - @redskull199987 - @silvermagnolias - @shortneko - @okjaeminn - @thecyclonetragedy - @vamproq - @siriusfahey - @cobrakaigirlie - @kaylinfayezink - @oursuh - @aphroditelxver - @minl0u - @cherrywinepoison - @bath1lda - @fixalice - @fallsofserinity - @maisieibae - @ssrcsm​ - @notplutos - @kaitieskidmore1​ - @httpvomitello - @nichmeddar - @rafaelajonerr - @lazyneonrabbitt - @belleoftheball28 - @httpvomitello - @nichmeddar - @rafaeljonerr - @lazyneonrabbitt - @harrysnovia - @dopepersonacloudllama - @fluffybunnyu

THE FRIENDSHIP WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR.

���I made a new friend today.”

“Did you?” Your uncle Elijah calls over the sound of the water running in the sink, his hands frothy and wet from washing the dishes. This was your regular routine after dinner; he’d wash and you’d dry and when your mother was home, she’d put the dishes away. There’s a glaring pile of dishes building to your right that both of you ignore that, as of recently, has been more common. “That’s great, what’s her name?”

Biting your lip, you take the offered dish from his hands; “it’s a boy.”

That gives your uncle pause. With a teasing grin, he turns to you, quirking a brow; “oh? Is that right?” You flush at his wiggling brows, shaking your head as he flicks some soapy water at you before caving. “So, what’s his name, then?”

“Eli,” you answer, grinning from ear to ear. “Eli Moskowitz.”

“What a name,” your uncle laughs, nudging you with his elbow lightly. “He nice?”

You nod instantly, “very.”

“Good. Because no boy will be disrespecting my daughter.”

You flush at your uncle’s words, rolling your eyes; “dad, he’s just a friend.”

Eyes distinctly focused on the pan he’s washing, your uncle hums knowingly; “mm-hmm. And how did you meet Mr. Just-A-Friend Moskowitz?”

You just snort, focusing back on your own task like your uncle and ignoring his teasing because it was nothing new. Your uncle was a funny man and he was the best at jokes, and he liked to tease you – but you didn’t really mind, because it always made you laugh in the end anyways.

“I stood up for him,” you say, with a certain air of pride and an eye on your uncle for his reaction. “From a bully.”

Setting down the pan, your uncle turns to face you; “is that right?”

You mimic his actions, nodding; “yup.”

In the next second, before you can even blink, your uncle is moving his wet, soapy hands to your sides and moving to tickle you relentlessly. A giggle bursts from your lips instantly, carrying on as you desperately swat your uncle’s torturing hands away from you, gasping as you try to catch your breath.

“Elijah!”

“That’s my girl!” Your uncle cheers, clasping you by the waist and hefting you over his shoulders as he moves to run around the dining room, your cackles the only thing that can be heard in the otherwise silent house. “My little niece, standing up to bullies just like I taught her!”

“Elijah!” You call, grinning wide, “put me down!”

He obliges, finishing one last race around the dinner table before setting you on your own two feet. A laugh bubbles from your throat as he does, breathless and quieter, before you meet his waiting gaze and watch as he moves to crouch in front of you, hands on your shoulders.

“I’m incredibly proud of you, Y/N,” your uncle smiles, all sincerity and love in his eyes. “You know that, right?”

Beaming, you hum; “of course, Elijah! You tell me all the time!”

Shaking his head, your uncle places his hand on the back of your head before leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead.

The moment is flooded with a gentle and comfortable silence as you lean into the kiss, heart racing and belly aching from your laughing but more happy than you could ever be.

It doesn’t last long.

The next day your uncle falls over at work and is rushed to the hospital.

Two months later, he passes away.

That is the last good memory you have of him.

-

You stare at the date that glares at you from the top of your phone screen.

July 14th.

July 14th.

The anniversary of your uncle’s death.

And you’re completely alone.

You frown when you see a message pop-up, the frown deepening further when you see who it’s from.

If you need to talk today, let me know. I can try and find some time to chat.

A second later, another text pops up.

Love you, honey.

With a sigh, you let your phone fall to your bed before collapsing against your pillow yourself.

You don’t have the energy to reply to your mother. Not after all that had happened and certainly not when today is… today. 

She couldn’t even be here—

Clenching your eyes shut, you roll over to your side, staring at the wall of your bedroom and ignore the buzzes that rumble from your hip where you’d left your phone. You have no doubt it’s your mother, probably irritated or worried that you weren’t replying to her messages.

It’s early-ish, sometime mid-morning, but you haven’t gotten out of bed yet.

Classes at the dojo were a little… well, nonexistent right now because of everything and it was the summer which meant that you didn’t have school. You knew Yasmine and Moon were doing something but pretending everything was fine and smiling with them didn’t seem like the solution to the pain in your heart either. Sam was too busy ‘finding’ herself, Miguel and Robby were spending the day with Johnny last you heard and you could only imagine how that was going. Demetri was maybe with Yasmine and Moon, maybe not, though honestly, you loved the guy, but you didn’t think being with him today would help any.

Honestly, the only person you did want to see was Eli but after your fight in the waterpark parking lot, you didn’t know where either of you stood and you were too scared to find out. Eli hadn’t tried to reach out to you and neither had you, afraid that if you did, he’d officially break it off with you.

Maybe you were being dramatic but this always seemed to happen when you two started dating. You loved Eli, you knew that, and you didn’t want to just be friends but maybe Eli didn’t feel that way anymore. You had been a tad bit cruel at the waterpark and hadn’t tried to see any of it from Eli’s point of view. Cobra Kai had been traumatic for Eli and even if you stood by your opinion that the students at Cobra Kai weren’t your enemies, it still stood to truth that some of them had done horrible things and hadn’t apologized for it.

Nor did it look like they planned to.

Letting out a dejected moan, you shove your face into your pillow.

This was awful.

All you wanted to do was see Eli but you were too afraid to make the first step in case it meant you losing him, permanently this time. Realistically, you knew you couldn’t avoid him forever but for now, you figured, you could at least try.

And all of this was ten times worst because… because—it hurt too much to think.

Your father would know what to do. He would have all the right answers, you knew he would. But he wasn’t here to tell you.

A knock echoes from the front door, startling you out of your thoughts as you jump, moving to sit up as you stare in the direction of your bedroom door and the stairs you can see through it. Who could possibly be at your front door right now?

When you don’t move, another knock follows and with a slight frown, you finally push yourself off of the bed and to your feet before making your way down the stairs. You stare at your front door for a moment longer, confused, before finally moving to unlock it, glancing over the edge of the door to see who it is.

Your eyes widen when you see it’s Eli, with a bouquet of flowers.

“Eli?”

“I know we’re fighting or… something, but I didn’t think you’d want to be alone today.”

Lips parting, there’s a flutter that resonates from your heart at Eli’s words; they’re said with a certain softness of hesitation, eyes flickering from meeting your own back to his own feet as he shuffles on your front porch. You feel your heart melt then and there, all anger or doubt you’d had previously disappearing in a single second.

Eli had been the one person you’d wanted to see and here he was.

“You remembered,” you mumbled, still stunned as you reached your hand out, taking the offered flowers that Eli eagerly gives to you. There's a beam of hope that floods his gaze as you take them, pressing them to your nose where you smell the sweet and natural scent of the assorted bouquet, before glancing up at Eli with warm cheeks.

“Of course,” Eli says with ease, without hesitation. “I wasn’t sure if I should come but I knew your mom still wasn’t home and it felt wrong not to come. I’d texted you but you, uh… weren’t answering them.”

Oh, you think guiltily, so he’d been the one texting. Biting your lip, you hug the flowers; “thank you, Eli.”

He smiles; “you’re welcome.”

There’s a moment more of silence before you snap out of your own thoughts, shuffling back to make room for Eli. “Here,” you offer, “come inside.”

Eli is quick to abide, shuffling into your house as you shut the door behind him. You smile at him, a little unsure, as you descend into the kitchen to grab a vase, filling it with water before delicately setting the flowers inside and leaving them to rest on the windowsill where a bit of sun shines on them.

“They’re beautiful,” you smile softly at Eli, “seriously, thank you.”

Eli shakes his head, brushing off your continued thanks; “it’s the least I could do… you know, as your boyfriend.” Then, his gaze shifts, standing an awkward distance away from you as he shoves his hands into the pockets of his joggers and glances at you warily. “If I still am?”

He asks it with a sense of doubt, obviously not sure where you both stand in regards to your relationship. Honestly, you know it’s a little wrong, but it’s a bit of a relief to you that Eli had been having similar concerns as you in regards to your relationship. It made you feel a little less silly knowing that Eli had also been unsure of whether the two of you were still dating or not.

And even more, it made you feel better that it seemed Eli still wanted to.

Letting the first real, genuine beaming smile curl onto your lips, you quickly cross the distance over to Eli, wrapping your arms around his shoulders eagerly. “Of course you are!”

Eli stumbles back at the sudden force, his hands quickly coming to grab you by the hips as he lets out a soft ‘oof’ at your sudden embrace. Still, there’s an eased grin that curls onto his lips all the same and he’s leaning into your hug with a certain fervour of passion.

When you pull back, just enough to meet his eyes, Eli’s laughing; “i’m glad,” he assures. “I felt bad after we fought and I wanted to turn back around instantly but I saw you with Robby and I wasn’t sure…”

“Oh,” you breathe, not having realized he’d seen that. “Robby… he, um… saw me crying after our… and was just making sure I was okay. He walked me home, but that was all.”

Something pained crosses Eli’s eyes but he doesn’t speak on it and the expression is gone as quickly as it came. You watch on in concern, but then he’s squeezing your hips and shaking his head, as if getting rid of the thought, before focusing back on you. “I really am sorry.”

“I’m sorry too,” you exclaim, “I shouldn’t have made that comment about you and Cobra Kai…”

“Nah,” Eli brushes off with a shrug and a light chuckle. “You were right. I was a jerk, just like they are now. It’s not fair of me to act like I wasn’t.”

That wasn’t exactly the point you’d been trying to make, but, you figure, one step at a time. Besides, you were tired of fighting with Eli and you’d desperately missed him for the few days you hadn’t been speaking. You needed and wanted Eli, especially for today, so you decide to leave it for now.

“You know,” you speak up after a moment of silence, clasping your hands behind Eli’s neck as you pull him closer. “My uncle was the first person I told when we became friends.”

Eli blinks at you, surprised. “Really?”

“Yeah,” you nod eagerly, “he was the closest thing to a father I had and at the end, it was usually just the two of us… He’d said he was proud of me.” Then, frowning, you meet Eli’s eyes. “I really wish you got to meet him.”

Eli’s face softens. “I wish I'd met him too.”

Lowering your gaze, you hesitate for a moment. “You think he’d still be proud of me?” The question comes pouring from your lips before you can stop yourself, but Eli’s always been good at bringing that vulnerable side of you out that no one else really ever saw. And, truthfully, you didn’t really mind if it was Eli. “I feel like I never know what I’m doing and so much is happening all the time. I mean, we’ll be done with high school soon and I don’t even know where I want to go for college. Not to mention this whole karate thing…”

Eli raises his hand, softly brushing a strand of hair that had fallen in your face in the midst of everything and therefore, pulls your gaze back on him. His gaze is soft, adoring as he glances down at you and there isn’t an ounce of hesitation or doubt as he says; “of course he’d be proud of you.”

Smiling, enough that your cheeks hurt from how wide, you lightly nudge Eli; “I’m glad you’re here. I didn’t want to spend his anniversary alone.”

Eli grins, ear to ear, and there’s a shared understanding between the two of you as he nods;

“I’m glad to be here too.”

-

“So… back at Miyagi-do, huh?”

Laughing, Robby shakes his head as he makes his way over to you, having just walked into the dojo. You knew that most of the people there might not be happy to see him back, at least not at first, so you figured that you’d be there to greet him so he didn’t feel so isolated and singled out.

“Yeah,” Robby breathes, coming to a stop in front of you, winking teasingly at you. “The place you’ve never left.”

You snort; “what can I say? I’m loyal.”

Robby rolls his eyes but the smile on his face is undeniable. 

“How did… uh, everything with Miguel and your dad work out?” You ask after a moment, unable to help yourself. Ever since Robby had texted you letting you know, despite everything else, it’d been on your mind. There was a lot of bad history between Robby and Miguel, and you honestly had no idea if there ever wouldn’t be.

But… Robby was back in Miyagi-do and Miguel hadn’t seemed as angry about it as you’d expected.

So you hoped it went as well as it seemed it had.

“Went okay,” Robby shrugs, “as okay as it could’ve, I guess.”

“Seems better than okay,” you offer, hopeful. “I mean, you’re here and the two of you aren’t at each other’s throats. So… that’s a good step, right?”

Robby just snorts; “yeah.” And you beam, grin turning wider, until you notice Robby’s gaze over your shoulder and he adds; “but just because Miguel and I are okay, doesn’t mean others feel the same.”

Following his gaze, you freeze when you realize Robby is talking about Eli. He’s stood with Miguel and Demetri, but there’s a particularly nasty glare on Eli’s face as he glances your and Robby’s way. When he meets your eyes, the glare softens considerably, but there’s still an edge to his expression.

“No more deadly of a glare than Tory sends me,” you try to joke, turning back to Robby nervously. Robby just raises a brow, shaking his head as he crosses his arms over his chest and you sigh. “Look, don’t worry about Eli. He’s having a harder time seeing past what happened before the All Valley… you know, with his mohawk.”

Robby just lets his hands fall by his sides. “No worse than he’s done.”

“Robby.”

Robby’s eyes snap back to you at your sharp tone, wincing slightly at the look you send him.

“Okay, okay,” he huffs, “I’ll play nice.”

“Thank you,” you sigh, somewhat relieved. “We’re all on the same side now and Eli will calm down. I promise.”

“It might also help if he realizes I’m not trying to steal his girlfriend.”

Cheeks burning, you sputter, surprised by Robby’s comment as you turn to him with wide eyes. “B-But he knows you and Tory—I mean, you guys are dating. And we're friends. Just friends.”

Robby lets out a chuckle. “You said it yourself about Tory,” Robby shrugs. “Besides, I’m not so sure Hawk does know that.”

Your face falls in concern, mortified. “Robby—”

“Line up!”

-

A FEW MINUTES EARLIER:

-

“Look at them.” 

“Hawk—”

“—When did they get so friendly!”

“Who?” Demetri asks, looking up from the stretching he’d been doing.

Eli just huffs, meeting his friends eyes briefly before nodding in the direction of you and Robby. “Them,” he says sourly, ignoring the look Miguel sends him. It wasn’t his fault. He’d tried to ignore it but it was impossible – he knew that you’ve told him many times that you and Robby were just friends but he hadn’t known you guys were that close. Walking you home? After Eli had made you cry? He couldn’t get it out of his head, a constant numbing thought that was irritating him and making him see things in a different light than was true.

And yes, it was his fault because he’d gotten so defensive and made you upset. But Eli had turned around to apologize and make up, only to see that Robby had already swooped in before he could.

And now? The two of you? You’d left Eli’s side the second you’d seen Robby making his way in, eagerly rushing over to the boy and you were all smiles and giggles as the two of you talked.

What was that about?

“Oh,” Demetri calls, “Y/N and Robby?” He asks to which Eli sharply nods. 

“They’ve always been like that,” Demetri shrugs.

That catches Eli’s attention. His eyes finally leave you and Robby to turn and look at his friend, baffled; “what?”

Even Miguel looks a little surprised.

“Yeah,” Demetri nods, not seeing the problem. “Ever since she and I joined Miyagi-do. Or… I guess at first they hadn’t gotten along, but then suddenly, one day, something changed. I think it has to do with the whole parent thing… I know things are better between Robby and Sensei Lawrence now, but they get what it’s like to not really have a parent around.”

“Wait,” Miguel speaks up, before Eli can say anything. “Y/N lives on her own?”

Eli’s previous jealousy forgotten, he and Demetri glance at each other, unsure.

“Not completely,” Eli is the first to explain, voice hesitant with what to say and what not to say. Demetri didn’t even know everything either but Miguel even less it seemed, though Eli was sure you wouldn’t mind having Miguel know; even just a little. Like Demetri knew just a little. “Her dad… passed away when she was really young. And for a while her uncle helped raise her but then he passed away when we were in middle school. She still has her mom, but she leaves a lot for work. She’ll be gone for months at a time.”

“It was okay, you know, when her uncle was alive,” Demetri mumbles, glancing at you from across the dojo. “Because she had him. After he passed away, Y/N was home alone a lot. It’s been hard on her.”

“Oh,” Miguel mumbles, shoulders slumping. “I had no idea.”

“She doesn’t like talking about it,” Eli explains. “She doesn’t want people worrying about her.”

A somber air surrounds the three boys, neither of them sure what to say.

Demetri, as usual, is the first to break the ice. “I wouldn’t worry about Robby and Y/N, Eli.”

Eli turns to Demetri in surprise.

“They’re just friends,” he explains with a shrug, as if there was never any other explanation. “Besides, anyone who can see Y/N can see she only has eyes for you.”

Cheeks warming, Eli turns to Miguel, as if asking for his opinion; Miguel nods,

“Honestly bro,” Miguel laughs tentatively, trying to lighten the mood. “Y/N looks at you like you’re her whole world.”

Eli hesitates, doubting their words because of his own insecurity. Before he can help himself, his eyes naturally drift back towards you and Robby, only to pause when he sees you staring back at him. Eli freezes, panicking, as his eyes widen a fraction and he’s quick to soften his gaze, offering a nervous smile.

You just turn back to Robby, as if confused.

-

PRESENT TIME:

-

Jumping at Chozen’s suddenly booming voice, you don’t get to finish what he’d been about to say to Robby as Chozen calls everyone over to him. He shouts something in Japanese and you sigh, knowing that’s it, as you follow after Robby to make your way over. Eli quickly makes his way over to you, falling a stop next to you as he meets your eyes, sending a soft smile.

You’re quick to give him one in return, lightly nudging him with your elbow to assure him everything’s okay before turning your attention to Chozen.

“So,” Sam is the first to speak up, “where are my dad and Johnny?”

“Not here,” is all Chozen says in explanation. “Today, you train with me.” He follows by shouting something, again, in Japanese, that no one understands before sighing; “attention.” Instantly, everyone straightens out, your hands falling flat against your sides.

Again, he says something in Japanese and is met with confused gazes.

Huffing, Chozen shakes his head; “bow.”

Oh. Everyone quickly does.

“Cobra Kai gaining ground. We must prepare. Come.” Shuffling forward, Chozen moves to walk around the set up table with various things on it, and you meet Eli’s gaze curiously. “Now, we learn about Yanbaru Kuina.”

“What is that?” Chris asks, “like, some top-secret karate move? Like a throat rip?”

“No,” Chozen answers sharply, ignoring Chris’ poor imitation of having said throat ripped. “It is bird. In English called Okinawa rail. Endangered. Cannot fly.”

Demetri nods; “hence, endangered.”

Chozen grabs something off the ground, hidden behind a brown cloth, before peeling it away the second it’s set on the table. It’s eggs.

“So these are the real eggs?” Miguel asks, gesturing forward.

“No,” Chozen says, like it’s obvious. “Trader Joe’s. $3.29.” At the various looks he gets, Chozen just shakes his head, obviously annoyed; “take egg.”

Eli, Sam and Miguel step forward, grabbing a handful and passing them around; you smile when Eli hands you yours.

“So, what do we do with the eggs?”

“Yanbaru Kuina must protect egg,” Chozen answers. “From Kume Shima habu. Poison snake. You must do same.” He takes the hourglass off the table and turns it upside down. “Begin your preparation.”

“What are we protecting them from?” Robby asks.

“From me.”

-

You give yourself credit for lasting longer than Eli and Robby, but ultimately, your plan to protect your egg fails all the same.

You wince as Chozen cracks your egg, staring down at the broken yolk sadly before meeting his gaze. He simply just grunts at you before moving on, and with a sigh, you make your way over to the sparing deck where everyone else has lined up. You pause, however, when you notice Eli and Robby standing next to each other.

That cannot be good.

You finish making your way over with a certain hesitance, eyeing the both of them warily, before coming to a stop next to Eli. You smile at him warmly, before letting your eyes flicker from him to Robby and back.

“Everything okay?” You ask, tentatively.

Robby and Eli glance at each other, hesitating.

“These two?” Demetri calls out, answering you when neither Robby or Eli say anything. “Fighting like usual. Not focusing on the bigger picture,” he complains, “like, for example, the crazy guy taking us all out one by one!”

You ignore Demetri’s ramble, turning back to your boyfriend and friend; “oh.”

“No,” Eli is the first to speak up, sighing. “We’re fine. I guess.”

Your eyes widen, straightening out with hope.

“We’re good,” Robby assures, shrugging. Then he pauses, eyeing you and then Eli, before adding; “and just to be clear, Y/N and I are just friends. I don’t like her in that way. She’s great, of course,” he smiles at you, “but I like someone else.”

You freeze at that, eyeing Eli cautiously.

“Cool,” Eli says eventually, his voice even–cautious. “I knew that.”

Yeah, right, you think to yourself as you roll your eyes at Eli’s ‘cool-guy’ attitude, that’s why you spent the entire day glaring at Robby. It was endearing, though, and clearly nothing was meant from it.

Robby nods, holding back a chuckle; “just wanted to make sure.”

You watch as the two of them glance at each other one more time, just staring, before the corner of Robby’s lips twitch and then he’s grinning and to your surprise, Eli is mimicking his grin and suddenly all the tension just fizzles away.

“I will never understand boys,” you huff, bewildered by what had just happened.

Eli and Robby both look your way before bursting out into laughter, and your cheeks warm, slightly embarrassed, but still unable to fight the smile that curls onto your lips all the same.

“Now that that’s done, can we please focus on what’s happening?” Demetri calls, gesturing in front of himself wildly.

You blink, “who’s even left?”

- 

Frowning, you watch as Chozen cracks an egg and starts frying onto the portable heater and pan – right in front of you.

“You are not good Yanbaru Kuina.”

Dejected, you lower your gaze.

“Snakes will take you down,” Chozen sighs. “One by one. I have tried to tell you what you must do. But you do not listen. You must learn to adapt. Or soon, you will be extinct.” A little morbid, but you couldn’t argue against his point. “Take new eggs. Try again.”

Slowly, you all grab a new egg.

“Sensei Toguchi’s real cryptic, like Mr. Larusso,” Demetri thinks aloud, you and the rest circling around each other. “But aggressive like Sensei Lawrence.”

Chris nods; “it’s like the hardest part of both styles.”

“Definitely,” you huff, “it’s scary.”

Mitch just huffs, shuffling back; “can’t wait to get our asses kicked again.”

You turn too, following Eli, Robby and Miguel, before Anthony calls out, halting you; 

“Uh, no. No, um….” Curious, you glance back, watching as he tries to find the words. “G-Guys, uh, wait. He said that the snakes will take us down one by one. Right? Just like he took us down one by one, but… but what if we weren’t a bunch of ones? Like, what if we were…”

“Together,” Sam agrees.

“Exactly!” Anthony exclaims, nodding at his sister. “Like, um, a raiding party in Dungeon Lords.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Demetri calls, “even if you’re a level eighty-five, you can’t mount an attack on the grand realm alone.”

Eli nods at Demetri, “exactly. You need a team. And everybody has a special role.”

Grinning, you laugh in hurrah. “By working together!”

Anthony grins, nodding. 

“It’s the only way we win. As one.”

-

You walk home with a certain pep in your step, practically skipping.

The three boys walking with you watch with varying grins.

“This is amazing,” you gush, turning to the three of them and grinning from ear to ear. 

Miguel snorts; “you’re way too excited,” he brushes off but his words still come out fond. He meets your eyes with a gentle smile and gestures to Eli and Robby beside him. “We just became friends.”

You snort, shaking your head. Figures they wouldn’t understand.

“It’s much more than that,” you correct, “the three of you have been in some mini-war since this all began.”

At that, Miguel, Robby and Eli glance at each other.

“Miguel and I have always been friends,” Eli reminds, jutting his thumb at Miguel before pointing back at himself.

You roll your eyes. “Yeah but now Robby’s here!”

At the sudden attention pulled on him, Robby flushes, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully.

“I have been waiting for this day for a long time,” you explain, sending them a look. They all just laugh, shaking their heads and you fall back into place beside Eli, slipping your hand into his.  “Now all that’s left to do is make Sam and Tory be friends and everything will be good.”

There’s a pause that follows that – you’re blissfully unaware.

“Y/N,” Robby calls, somewhat hesitantly. “I feel like that might be harder to do.”

“More like impossible,” Eli snorts, pulling your eyes on him in confusion. “Those two hate each other.”

“I feel like that’s somehow putting it lightly,” Miguel sighs, obviously distressed by his ex-girlfriend and… well, ex-girlfriends hatred for each other. “I don’t think they’ve ever been in the same room without fighting.”

Robby nods, solemnly, and Eli just shakes his head.

You stare at them.

“What?” Eli asks, confused.

“That was literally you two,” you point at Eli and Miguel, “with him,” you shift to Robby, “not a week ago. Especially you two,” you single out Miguel and Robby. “Unless you guys have forgotten,” you snort, raising a challenging brow their way. “I’m sure we can get Sam and Tory to see past their differences.”

It’s clear by the way all three of them look at each other, they’re doubtful.

“Well,” you brush their doubts away, “I'm determined to make them be friends.”

[cozage]

Hello! First of all, I love your writing and your content. Can I ask for HC on Law saying to their romantic interest something like: "If you don't like how we run things here, then leave" after a heated discussion which actually makes them leave the crew, and after Law goes to great extents to amend that, Angst to comfort.

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A/N: Hi friend! This was a fun prompt and ive been working on it for a while! Thanks for your patience! (It’s not completely proofread, so I apologize for any mistakes. I may go back and edit it better later, but i wanted to get this out for you and everyone today!)

Characters: Law x gn reader

Word Count: 2.2k

Leaving

“If you don’t like how I run things, then leave,” Law spat out, turning back to the papers at his desk. “I don’t have time for you questioning my decisions.”

You stood there for a moment, dumbfounded at his words and their harshness. 

“Law-” you start.

“Leave!” He snapped, not even looking up from his work.

You turned on your heel and rushed out the door, covering your face to hide your tears. You ran to the Captain’s Quarters and threw the few belongings you had into a duffel bag, slung it over your shoulder, and left the room. You didn’t want to say goodbye to your crewmates or this life, but you had heard Law’s message loud and clear. Leave. You were no longer welcome here. 

You passed by the kitchen and hang out area, and you popped your tear-stained face in the room, trying your best to act casual. 

“Uhm-” you started to speak, but the moment that eyes turned, you burst out into tears again. 

“I came to say goodbye,” you sobbed as Shachi and Penguin rushed to you. 

“What happened?” the two of them demanded, holding you in a tight hug. 

“I was told to leave, so-” you hiccuped into Shachi’s shoulder, and pulled away from the two men. “I just didn’t want to leave without-”

“You’re not leaving,” Penguin said, looking past you to the hallway. 

“I am,” you replied, wiping your tears off your face, trying to compose yourself. “I have to.”

“You can’t!” Shachi cried, tears springing from his own eyes.

“I’m sorry,” you said, tears welling up again. You loved these people. They were your family. They were all you knew for the past few years. 

But you couldn’t live like this with Law anymore. This constant back and forth, his refusal to commit to you and his mood switches between fiery hot passion and icy cold shoulders. The way he would coo promises in your ear while you laid pressed against his chest one moment, just for him to spend the whole day without acknowledging your existence. You were going insane, and you simply couldn’t handle it anymore. 

“I love you guys,” you said, pulling away from them and heading for the door. “I’ll call when I get situated, okay?”

“Situated where?” Penguin asked. “Just stay, we’ll get the captain to reverse his decision. Please-”

“No,” you said, with painful finality. “He made his decision, Penguin. I have to go.”

And with that you climbed up the ladder and walked out the door. You jumped off the deck and onto the dock of a foreign island you knew nothing about, trying to think of your next move. You desperately wanted to look back one last time, in hopes that Law would be there, watching you go. But you resisted the urge to turn around, and you walked boldly into the village to find a new adventure, hoping the hole in your heart would heal with time. 

--

The sounds of shoes running down the hallway alerted Law that something was wrong. Then several bangs on the door. 

“Captain!!!” several voices called out, and Law quickly opened the door.

“What?” he asked, looking at their panicked faces. “What is it?”

“What did you do to Y/N?!” Shachi demanded, tears in his eyes. 

Law’s eye twitched and he grinded his teeth. “What happened is none of your business!” he shouted, slamming the door in their face. 

“Captain!!” they all cried. “Please change your mind!”

“Room,” Law said, creating a blue bubble that only encapsulated himself. “Silence,” he said, cutting off sound to the outside world. One of the many tools he had taken from Corazon. 

Law wasn’t sure how long the crew continued to bang and yell at his door, but he didn’t really care. The issue between you and him should be solved between the two of you, the rest of the crew didn’t need to be involved. 

By the time he went to bed, the crew had thankfully dispersed. He was irritated with you causing such a scene amongst your crewmates, but he would talk to you about it later. He walked to his room, and was surprised to find that the light was off. Normally you went to bed far before him, but you always left some kind of light on for him to find his way to the bed with you. He was even more surprised to find the bed completely empty and cold. There was no trace of you or your belongings in his room. 

“Y/N is gone,” said a broken voice from behind him. Bepo. 

Law turned to face the bear, confused by his statement. 

“Y/N said you told them to leave. So they left,” Bepo explained. 

“No-” Law said, looking around. “I didn’t mean to leave the ship. I just meant-”

“You always do this, captain. You always push people away when they only want to love you.”

“I don’t need a lecture, Bepo,” Law hissed. He was starting to panic now, he couldn’t lose you. You were one of the few people he trusted and let get close to him, he…

“Go. Y/N is on the island somewhere. Make it right.” 

Law could hear Bepo’s voice getting thick with tears. He knew the bear was trying to be brave, but he didn’t care at the moment. He took off down the maze of hallways and climbed up the ladder to the deck. He scanned the shoreline, looking for your frame. He prayed that it would just be a simple outburst you were throwing, a show of defiance you were putting on until he came and apologized and made it right. But you were nowhere to be found. 

He jumped off the deck and onto the dock, racing towards town. He was racking his brain on where you would have gone. You had no family or friends here. What were you thinking, going off alone with no support system? Was your plan just to abandon him and leave him alone again? The thought of never seeing you again made him sick to his stomach. 

He couldn’t lose you. Not after all you all had been through. It wasn’t fair. He was angry at you and at the world, but he was mostly angry at himself. He had been selfish, and he had put himself in this position because of it. He had to amend that. He had to make it right. 

He finally found you, sitting alone at a ramen shop. He stood in the crowded street and watched you for a moment, admiring the way you looked under the soft glow of the shop lights. 

You looked tired, but you were as beautiful as ever. You were talking quietly to the man next to you; he must’ve said something to make you laugh, because your eyes lit up and your voice rang out. Law couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy at seeing some stranger bring you joy, and he resisted the urge to run to you. 

“Do you come here often?” Law heard the man ask you. “I wouldn’t mind doing this again.”

Law saw you hesitate for a moment, weighing your options. “I actually just got here,” you finally said.

“Oh?” the man questioned, looking around. “Need a place to stay while you get settled in?”

Law’s blood boiled. He knew what the man was implying, and he needed to put an end to it. He started toward you, but before he could make it, you spoke. 

“That’s kind of you,” you started, your eyes darting around the restaurant nervously. “But I have a place at the moment.”

“I see,” said the man, looking a little dejected. “Well, I had fun tonight, and I hope to see you again.” 

You smiled politely and nodded at the man. “I did as well. I’ll see you around!” Your voice held enthusiasm that made Law’s heart pang, and he made a decision. 

He waited for the man to leave, and then quickly took the seat next to you. 

You were staring at your ramen, and didn’t bother to look at the man who had taken Jiato’s seat. One conversation with a stranger was enough for you today. You just wanted to curl up and go back to your hotel room and cry yourself to sleep.

“One pork ramen bowl, please,” a familiar voice said to the waiter. 

Your head whipped to the side to find your captain. Ex-captain, you reminded yourself. 

Law didn’t meet your eyes. He just kept staring ahead of him. “Do you actually want to leave?” he asked. 

You swallowed down the lump forming in your throat as you stared at him. You hadn’t expected to see him of all people. 

You stayed quiet for a while, and finally he turned and looked at you. You cut your eyes away quickly, opting to look at your empty ramen bowl instead.  

“Y/N-ya,” he prompted, waiting for an answer. 

“I can’t keep living like that,” you finally said. 

Law shot you an irritated glance and opened his mouth as if he were about to say something, but decided against it. 

“You can say it.” You spoke softly, your words almost drowned out in the noisy restaurant. 

He hesitated, but found the right words after a moment. “You didn’t have to leave.”

“You told me to.”

He scoffed. “I didn’t mean literally.”

“Yeah, well, maybe I did take it literally,” you shot back, trying to keep your face and your tone calm. You had just gotten out of a fight with him earlier today, you didn’t need another one flaring up again. And so publicly. “I told you, Law. I’m tired of this back and forth. So when you said leave, I just…there didn’t seem like another option for me.”

He gritted his teeth, as if he were holding back another argument to throw at you. “Well,  you didn’t have to leave. I-”

You stared at him, waiting for the words to come. But they didn’t. His cheeks pinked and his eyes averted your gaze. 

“What?” you asked, continuing to watch him. “You what?”

His pork ramen arrived, and he turned his attention to his food instead. You knew what he was doing. He was trying to get you to come back to the ship without ever actually apologizing. Or having anything change. But you were serious when you said you couldn’t live like that any more. You’d rather start a new, fresh life than keep going in this vicious cycle. 

You grabbed your bag and dropped some money on the table. “Goodbye, Law,” you said, turning away so he couldn’t see the tears in your eyes. 

“Stop,” he whispered. But you were already out on the street, out of earshot. 

“Hey!” he jumped up, chasing you out onto the street. 

He found you quickly and reached out, grabbing your arm. You turned around, shocked at the sudden pressure on your wrist. 

“Law! Sto-” He cut off your words with a kiss. Or he tried to, but as your lips met his, you pulled away. 

“What are you doing?!” you demanded. “Stop!”

Your loud voice drew several people’s gaze, everyone stopping to make sure you were okay. You could hear people murmuring around you and feel their stares. 

Law dropped your hand, giving you a confused and annoyed glare. “I’m trying to- Do you mind?!” he shouted at everyone watching you all. 

He looked back at you, his voice softer again. “I’m sorry, okay? I was stupid and selfish. Please come back to the ship. Please stay. Please don’t ever leave my side again.”

You chewed on your lip. “Law-”

“I’ll never ignore you or put you second again. I can’t lose you. You’re the closest thing to family I still have and-” his voice broke, and you could see tears in his eyes. “I love you, okay?”

You blinked in shock. You were certainly not expecting that kind of confession to come from him. You weren’t sure whether you wanted to cry or hug him. 

Law made the decision for you, and wrapped you in his arms. You could feel him peppering the top of your head with kisses, and you began to cry into his chest. 

“Don’t cry. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere,” he murmured in your ear, and you pulled away to wipe the tears from your face. 

“Lets go get your stuff and get back to the ship,” he offered, entwining his fingers with yours. 

You nodded, squeezing his hand. You felt more hopeful about the future than you had in a long time. A new chapter of your life truly had begun. 

[gojo-enthusiast]

Kento Nanami ~

Wake Me Up

*Sleep Sex* MDI, 18+ Only! Kento wakes you up to a sweet surprise *😉* after working a long day fighting curses. Do not read if it triggers! Anyways, enjoy my first piece 😈

Word count: <2200

PSA: did not proof read, honestly I’m always horny for JJK men, so beware and stay tuned for more disgusting pieces. Also are we gonna talk about how fucking hot Nanami is in season 2???? Follow me on X (Twitter)

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You had stayed awake until midnight, taken your shower, exfoliated, & shaved.

"Ken should be home anytime soon" checking your phone seeing the time

6:00 PM

Getting yourself all prepped and ready for him to come home to a sweet surprise. You had been aching all day long, this morning he had been loving on you, slowly caressing your thighs, and right when he was going to put his hands into your heat, his phone starts ringing,

“Fuck. Who is calling me?” He groans grabbing his phone, “What the fuck does Satoru want.” He groans once again. Your husband was not one to cuss often, only when he was upset, (usually at Satoru) or when he was fucking you.

“What is it Gojo-San?” Nanami ask begrudgingly,

“Nanamiiiiii-“ Satoru says in a shrill

You didn’t hear all that was said, but the moment the called ended, your husband stood up and kissed your forehead.

“So sorry my love, but I have to leave. I promise we will finish what we started when I get home.” He says smiling faintly.

“Everything okay?” You ask, wrapping the sheets around you as he gets in the shower to get ready to leave for another day of killing curses. A job you hated so much, but you knew that him working his office job, was only making him feel suffocated, and had no meaning to his life.

“Yeah, just some curses. Nothing to be worried about. Satoru is out of town, I have to take the new kid Yuuji Itadori with me today.” He says washing his face, you see the bubbles of the soap form, and sink down his skin to the drain. You look down, and see his member hard as a rock, he looked frustrated.

“You sure we can’t fix that before you go?” You smirk, “Don’t tease me, or you’ll regret it later on.” He groans, you watched as he slightly stroked it in the shower, you watched, knowing he was about to burst any second. He wanted to fuck you right then and there, but he knew if he did, he would be late, and he wouldn’t stop. And then there it was, he had finished all over his hand, the water washing it off.

“Fuck. I wish that was in me right now.” You moan, “Get out before you tempt me anymore.” He says as he looks away from you. You do as he says, you already know how hard working your husband is, that’s why you spent the whole day pampering yourself, getting a facial, getting your nails done, everything that would make you feel and look done up. You knew how much your husband loved to see you all dolled up and manicured. I mean he didn’t work so hard for nothing. He always wanted you to be able to feel spoiled, and go definitely spoil yourself with his money.

But little did you know, your husband would be working overtime today. And you would be passed out by the time he got home.

Hubby🩵: Baby I'm running late today, I promise I will be home as soon as I can. I love you. - 6:02PM

Your husband is always home by 6PM, so you knew if he wasn’t, it was definitely something a little more serious. But you know your husband, he’s a grade 1 sorcerer, he will be home in no time.

As you lay in bed, watching some trashy reality TV, trying to stay awake. You look over at the clock

11:46PM

You feel your eyes getting heavy, the red wine you had drank during dinner finally hit you. And next thing you know, you’re cuddled under the blankets to a pillow, asleep, wishing it was your husband.

It was 1 in the morning, and Nanami finally made it home. Walking inside the house, feeling sluggish, and ready to lay in bed next to his wife, and feel her warmth.

“I need to shower.” He mutters to himself. He steps into the guest bathroom, which he usually does after a mission, because he doesn’t want to get your shared bathroom dirty. Washing off his day, feeling his muscles finally loosen up.

His phone rings again, it’s Satoru;

“What the fuck do you want Satoru?” Nanami hisses, “hey hey calm down Nanami-San, I just wanted to thank you for taking Yuuji, and taking care of those curses. Get some rest, and some ass. Ijichi told me how grumpy you were today. Take the day off tomorrow.” Satoru giggles to himself, “Was planning on it, now leave me alone.” Nanami says back, hanging up.

His phone beeps, showing that he received a text message,

Satoru Gojo: YOUR WELCOME, have fun😼

Nanami: 🖕🏻

Satoru Gojo: 🫶🏻

He finally turns his phone off, wrapping the towel around his waist, walking out the restroom down the hall, to your shared bedroom. He knows you’re asleep, there’s no way you stayed up this late for him. He walks into the bedroom, and your bottom half is under the blankets, while your top half is completely nude, and you’re sprawled out.

“Fuck, where is your clothes?” He mutters, feeling his cock stiffen, becoming erect. He climbs into bed, leaning in kissing your lips, then kissing your cheek, to your neck. “Damn it, I can’t do this while she’s sleeping.” He groans.

You had always told him how you would love to wake up to him in between your legs, but Nanami was such a “consent” man, which you loved about him, he was so respectful to you, and treasured your body, but you sometimes just wanted him to take charge and do something that wasn’t so good boy / gentlemen behavior. He remembered the conversation as he stroked himself next to you, “fuck it.” He says to himself, taking the blanket off your body.

Seeing your white laced panties, his cock at this point was throbbing. “Such a pretty little thang aren’t you?” He whispers in the crook of your neck, climbing on top of you, placing kisses down your neck, going down to your breast, starting the suck on your nipples. Placing his teeth in between your nipple, slightly biting it. Causing a moan to come out of you, while you were asleep.

“Mmm dreaming about me baby? You should wake up so you can catch the live action.” He says swirling his tongue around your areola and nipple. He started the bring himself down to your heat, sliding your panties down swiftly. “Oh how I have craved to taste you all day.” He says opening your folds with his fingers, gently placing his tongue on your clit immediately. He knew your body more than you did, and he definitely knew where you liked it the most. He quickens the pace of his tongue, sucking on your clit, you’re moaning in your sleep. Dreaming of your husband in between your legs, he doesn’t stop, wanting to taste your juices all over his tongue. He starts to rub his index and middle finger on your clit, rubbing it up and down quickly, as his tongue dips into your hole, tasting you deeply. Your eyes start to flutter open, and you’re moaning loudly now, seeing your husband in between your legs. “Ken-kento. What are you- what- ugh yes.” You try to ask what he’s doing, but he has no desire to respond back to you, his only desire is to make you cum over and over until you have melted into him. That knot in your stomach has finally snapped, and your finishing all on his tongue, he flicks his tongue up, tasting every drop coming out. “Ffffuuuuucccckkkkkkk” you groan bucking your hips up, practically humping into his face. “Yes baby just like that.” He says, still rubbing your clit, and abusing your hole with his tongue. He had one of your legs pinned down with his free hand. And the other one, was pinned down by his elbow, as he was still flicking your clit. As he continues to abuse your poor clit into overstimulation, you feel yourself about to bust. And there it was, exactly what he was wanting. You to squirt all over him, “KENTOO-!” You loudly moan, “stop, oh my god.” You cry out in pure ecstasy. You look up and see his face dripping with your liquid.

“Fuck, that’s so hot.” He says licking his lips, wiping his face with his towel. “Nanami-“ you pant, “yes baby?” He says, moving up to you, positioning himself to enter. “I missed you.” You say, wrapping your arms around his neck, as he brings his head down and starts to kiss you, sticking his tongue in your mouth. “I missed you too baby.” He kisses down your neck, sucking on it, leaving hickies all over. Because why not?

“I tried staying up,-ugh, Kento I tried staying awake.” You moan, as he starts to slide himself inside slowly, he was big, not only did this man have a long cock, but the girth was the size of a coke can. So he always had to slowly go in, never forcing himself in too fast. “I’m sorry baby I was late- ugh, today was so-fuck, - it was- so-s-so stress-stressful.” He moans, feeling your walls clench around his throbbing cock, he felt like he could burst at any moment possible.

“Damn baby you feel so so good.” Kento says finally pushing that last inch inside of you. Stretching you out at full capacity. “This sweet pussy has been on my mind since this morning. Can’t believe I went the whole day.” He pants, starting to thrust faster, “yes Kento, just like that.” You’re moaning into his ear, “fuck me baby.” You say looking into his eyes.

And that was it, that was the string that kept your husband in control, once it snapped, he and you were done for. Your pussy was about to be his flesh light. He starts pounding into you, kissing your G-spot with each thrust, you had came 3 times in the last 30 minutes from his cock alone. He kept edging himself, you knew he didn’t want it to end. He would fuck you fast and hard, and as soon as he felt like he was about to bust, he was slowing down. “Kentoooo- cum inside of me.” You moan out, “not yet baby, I’m not ready to finish.” He groans, feeling himself overstimulating himself. “Baby you feel so good. We fit perfect for each other. You belong to me, do you understand?” He says, you know it’s not a question, it’s a fact. You are his, and he is yours. And he will kill anyone who tries to get in between you two. He even thought about killing Satoru, for calling him before he was supposed to even be up getting ready to leave.

“Kento, I love you.” You moan into his ear, cumming again for the 4th time, “yes princess, cum for me.” He moans, finally about to reach his high. He’s pounding into you, with no desire to stop. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, yes-yes, I’m gonna cum in you, princess.” He whimpers, groaning in your ear, “yes baby, cum in me.” Your moaning, and that’s when he finally does, shooting his hot cum deep inside of you. Feeling your chest go up and down. The sweat from his forehead dripping down.

“Damn, that felt amazing.” He pants, staying on top of you, not yet taking himself out of you. “It was.” Your panting in union with your husband. “I just showered too.” He laughed, finally rolling off of you, pulling you to him, to kiss you.

“I’m sorry I was so late today, today was long.” He sighs, kissing your nose. “That’s okay baby. I understand.” You say nuzzling your head into his sweaty chest, not a care in the world.

“Princess, let’s take a shower before bed. I’ll change the sheets when we get out.” He says lifting you up, seeing his cum drip from your core. “Fuck that’s so sexy.” He whispers to himself, caring you to the shower, turning it on.

“Princess?” He looks at you, as you step in the shower,

His cum is dripping down your thighs, and your cheeks are red. He felt his cock twitch in excitement, I mean you guys usually go a couple rounds, so what would hurt if you both went again.

“I know you’re tired, and I’m tired. But, I’m going to need you to bend over and hold the shower rail.” He says, you look over and you see his cock rock hard again.

“Yes daddy.” You smirk, you silently thanking the universe you told your husband to give you head while asleep. It was going to be an exceptionally long shower & long night.

[onsomenewsht]

from the vault:

but what can I say? / rules must be obeyed

》 The Winner Takes It All, ABBA

》 Alexia Putellas x Reader

》 winner takes all [idiom]: used to say that the winner of a round will win the whole contest

No one looks puzzled when a seven-year-old boy comes rushing into Barcelona’s training centre, some even high fives him or cheers as he passes them at full speed.

Rafael is well known and loved in the building, even more for his joyful personality than for the last name he wears on the back of his jersey.

The kid turns a sharp line to join the team outside. Despite his short legs and his clumsiness in most situations, he has quite control of his footing.

The perks of being Alexia Putellas’ son.

“Looks like our mascotte is back”

“The best Putellas!”

The girls notice him as soon as he sprints from the doors, dribbling around some coaches without much effort, but trampling over a discharged pair of boots. The boy lands hands first on the grass. He takes his time to get up and clean his now stained jeans, quickly assessing the damage and deciding he doesn’t really care.

Jana catches the kid as he comes running once again, lifting him up with a bit more effort than the last time she saw him.

“Jaja put me down, I wanna hug mama!”

“Ouch, I’m not your favourite tia anymore?”

“No, Mapi is”

The girls close enough to hear the exchange burst out laughing, luckily for Jana’s ego and the team’s well being the said defender is not around to brag about it.

“Ohi, mi vida!”

“Mama!”

Hearing Alexia’s voice, Rafael manages to escape the girls’ affection to literally run in her open arms. The hug is emotional even just to watch, his tiny hands holding on the blonde’s neck as she keeps him as close as possible.

“I missed you, monito”

No one wants to interrupt the moment, so your arrival is the perfect distraction.

You excuse yourself and the little troublemaker for crushing the training session to everyone you meet on your path. They assure you it’s fine, you two are always welcome, and today is a special one after all.

A lot of hugs and jokes are exchanged, you take your time to greet all the girls, holding more firmly the honorary daughters Alexia took under her wings ages ago. You missed them.

“My favourite Putellas!”, Claudia shouts as she crushes in your arms.

“You just said that to Rafa”

“He’s the best Putellas, you’re my favourite”

“I’m barely a Putellas anymore”

“I thought you were supposed to arrive tomorrow”, Alexia’s tone is nothing but happy for the change of plan, your boy secured in her arms and quiet for the first time in weeks.

“We were, but it’s your last training session and he wanted to be here”, you move closer, messing your son’s hair as you attempt an awkward half hug.

“Mum said we could surprise you! Are you surprised?”

“I’m surprised, monito”, everyone smiles at Alexia’s open laugh.

Rafael’s arrival completely shifted the atmosphere, somehow making it more emotional but definitely lighter. Jana has been on the verge of tears for days now, hiding behind Patri as the weight of their captain’s retirement comes crushing on them.

It’s the right thing and it’s the right time, but it doesn’t mean it is any easier.

Despite all, despite her family’s fear and her teammates’ concern, Alexia is at peace with the choice. Despite your insecurities, Alexia’s certainty when it comes to important decisions like this one still manages to reassure you.

“Can I go shoot at Cata?”, Rafael asks with his mastered puppy eyes, as you drop your gaze at his stained jeans and the Catalan studies the shoes he’s wearing.

Damn puppy eyes.

“You can go, but make sure an actual adult is there too”

“Is Mapi an actual adult?”

“No, ask Ingrid or Rolfo if they want to join”, you add.

He nods enthusiastically, sprinting away toward the bubble of players who are more than happy to welcome the kid as the training session ends on a high note. You’re sure it will be difficult to interrupt their game later.

It’s easy to notice the two of you are left alone, her teammates giving you space but mostly eager to spend more time with your son.

“He just wants to score”

“We’re working on his selfishness with the ball, I swear”

You smile at the blonde soft defence, still amazed about their bond and how considerate she has been about Rafael’s passion for football. Never pressuring, never patronising, always just as supporting as any other parent could be.

“Thank you for bringing him here, I know you’re supposed to be in London for the week and I really appreciate your support”

“Don’t even mention it, Alexia”, you reassure her, “It’s important for you and It’s important for him, I’m more than happy to support it all”

“How long are you staying?”

“Just a couple of days, but we’ll be at any ceremony, don’t worry”

Alexia mumbles unamused, pretending the presence of her family alone is not enough to make her comfortable and confident to face all the events she’s supposed to attend as a celebration of her career.

“He can stay longer, I’ll be back when it’s my turn again”

“Are you sure?”, she is not really able to hide her excitement.

The new and strange routine is just starting to feel like it’s working in the first place, even if dividing a kid between two countries and two parents who didn’t manage to save their marriage is the most painful thing you both ever experienced.

Neither of you wants to upset Rafael and destabilise him even more, or worse, make him feel unloved.

“I’m sure, he’s the winner”

[criticallyinneedofadar]

Beside You

A little Gil Galad for you all today! I'm working on the next part Across Time as well!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You stand at the foot of your bed, arms crossed, watching as Gil-galad, your husband, collects his armor and prepares to leave. His movements are methodical, almost mechanical, as if this is simply another duty to be done, another battle to face. But for you, this is more than just a matter of duty. This is your husband preparing to ride off to war, to leave you behind with nothing but promises and fears.

"Ereinion, wait," you say, your voice tight, struggling to remain composed. "This is too dangerous. To march on Eregion now—this is madness. You cannot go."

He pauses, just for a moment, his gaze flickering to you before returning to the task at hand. His jaw clenches, a brief flash of irritation in his eyes, but he doesn't answer right away. You know him too well—he has already made up his mind. The decision, for him, is already made.

"I must," he finally says, his voice even, but there is an underlying edge that catches you off guard. "I am the king of the Noldor. My people need me."

"Your people need you here, with me," you reply, your heart pounding in your chest. "We need you here, safe. Your duty is to protect them, but for that you have your armies and generals- not yourself!"

Gil-galad looks at you, and his expression softens briefly, but then he shakes his head, as if trying to shake off the weight of the conversation. "You knew what my duty was when we married," he says quietly. "A king cannot hide behind his walls while his people suffer. A king’s place is with his people. My place is on the front lines."

Your chest tightens, frustration bubbling to the surface. "And what will we do while you're off risking your life? Mend the curtains and sit pining by the window? You cannot be so blinded by your duty that you leave me behind like some- some helpless child! What if something happens to you? At the very least let me accompany you-"

"Enough!" Gil-galad interrupts, his voice a commanding force. He straightens, turning to face you fully, his brow furrowed in something between concern and annoyance. "You will cease this insufferable arguing. I am your husband and your king- my decision is final."

The words strike you like a slap. Your king. There it is again—the reminder that you are his subject, not his equal. Your blood runs cold, and the frustration in your chest flares into full-blown fury.

You feel something break within you. It’s not just the sharpness of his words; it’s the way he stands there, resolute, as if his decision is final, as if your feelings—your fears—mean nothing in the face of his kingly duty.

"So be it," you say, your voice suddenly icy, cold as the depths of the sea. "As you wish, my king."

The words are laced with sarcasm, each one sharp as a dagger. You don’t wait for his reply. Turning on your heel, you storm out of the bedroom, the sound of your boots on the stone floor echoing through the empty halls. Behind you, you can hear him calling your name, but you don’t stop. Not this time.

The door to the hallway slams behind you, and the silence that follows feels like the final nail in the coffin of your argument. You didn’t want this. You didn’t want to feel this distant, this small. But you can’t help it. You need space. You need to breathe.

And for the first time in a long time, the weight of being his wife feels unbearable.

You find yourself in the garden, the place where your heart once swelled with joy and warmth, the place where you first fell in love with Ereinion. It feels different now, though, quieter, colder somehow. The flowers are still vibrant, their colors a burst of life in the autumn chill, but their beauty does nothing to ease the ache in your chest.

You sit on the stone bench, the moss cool beneath your fingertips, and you stare at the fountain before you. The sound of the water is soothing, but it does little to drown out the thoughts tumbling through your mind. You were certain Ereinion would come. It’s not like him to leave things unresolved between you. He would speak softly, as he always did, his voice warm and apologetic, the same way he had when the two of you disagreed before. But this time feels different. This time, it feels like the distance between you is growing, like the space between his heart and yours is widening beyond repair.

As you sit there, lost in the quiet peace of the garden, memories flood your mind—the first time you walked here together, the first time he kissed you under the boughs of the great oak tree, the way his eyes had softened with love and admiration. This had been the place where you felt most at home with him, the place where you could see the future together, side by side, your lives intertwined.

But now, there is no future, only the present, and the sting of his departure.

You close your eyes, taking a deep breath, trying to steady yourself. He will come, you tell yourself. He’s just giving you time to cool down. He will wish to apologize. It’s not like him to hold on to anger. You wait.

Minutes pass. An hour. Still nothing.

The sound of distant horns reaches your ears, and your heart skips a beat. The familiar call of the Noldorin horns—the same horns that have announced Ereinion’s victories, his triumphs, his rule. But this time, the sound is different. It’s sharp, urgent, a signal of departure. Your stomach tightens.

You stand quickly, the cold air biting at your skin, and look toward the city gates. There, in the distance, you see the silhouettes of mounted riders. You can feel your pulse quicken as realization settles in.

He is leaving. Without you. Without a word. Without a single look back.

Your breath catches in your throat as your heart breaks all over again. The garden, once a place of shared joy, now feels like a prison, the walls closing in around you. How could he do this? How could he leave for Eregion, to ride to battle, to risk everything—including his life—without so much as a goodbye?

You walk toward the edge of the garden, your legs trembling with a mixture of rage and disbelief. You want to call out to him, to shout, to demand an answer. You want him to turn around, to stop, to come back. But your voice is caught in your throat, and all you can do is watch as the king of the Noldor, your husband, rides away toward war.

The gates loom before you, the sound of the horns growing louder, more insistent. Every step feels like an eternity, and yet you remain rooted to the spot, unable to move, unable to breathe. You don’t understand. How could he leave like this? How could he leave you behind so coldly, so abruptly?

The sight of his figure—his back to you, his head held high—only makes the pain in your chest worse. It’s not just the war he’s riding to; it’s the war between you two, the widening gulf of silence between your hearts.

You turn away, unable to watch any longer, unable to stay in the place where love once flourished. But in your heart, a whisper lingers: This is not the end. This cannot be the end.

The silence in your chambers is deafening as you stand before the mirror, your fingers running over the fabric of your gown. The anger you felt earlier has settled into something darker, something more resolute. The words he left you with echo in your mind—his command that you obey him, as his queen, as his subject. You can still feel the sting of it, the way he treated you like one of his soldiers, to be ordered and commanded. But no more.

You won’t sit idly by while the distance between you grows, while he rides off to risk his life in a war that feels so distant from the love you once shared. You won’t be relegated to the sidelines of his life, merely the queen to be left behind.

Your hand tightens into a fist, and a fire burns in your chest, filling you with resolve. I will not let this be the end, you think. I will not let him slip away from me so easily.

You turn swiftly, crossing the room to your advisors’ waiting presence. The doors open with a creak as you step into the hall, their startled faces awaiting you.

“My queen,” one of them stammers, his expression a mix of concern and confusion, “is there something we can do for you?”

You don’t waste time with pleasantries. “I will be accompanying the battalion to Eriador.”

The words drop like stones into the room, and the silence that follows is heavy. Your advisors exchange quick, frantic glances, unsure whether they’ve heard you correctly.

“You wish to… ride with the soldiers?” another asks, his voice thick with disbelief.

“I will ride with the soldiers,” you correct, your voice steady, unwavering. “There is something I must remind him of before he throws that pig headed brain of his into battle.”

The advisors are flustered, caught off guard by your harsh judgement of the king. One steps forward, looking at you with a mix of hesitation and concern. “My queen, surely this is not the time for you to be—”

“I have made my decision,” you cut him off, your tone final. “Prepare my things.”

As they scramble to gather your belongings, you move with purpose, gathering the essentials you need. You feel their eyes on you, but you don’t falter. This is not a decision you’ll regret. No, this is the beginning of something you’ve needed to do for far too long—reclaim your place at Ereinion’s side, no matter how far he tries to distance himself from you.

The day passes quickly as you mount your white mare, the familiar weight of the saddle beneath you grounding you in your decision. The battalion is still some distance ahead, but you ride fast, not caring about the time or the consequences. You need to catch up with him, you need to remind him that you are his queen—and his wife.

The sun dips below the horizon, leaving a cool mist in the air, as you finally make it to the battalion's camp. The soldiers are already setting up for the night, their fires flickering in the growing darkness. The camp is bustling with activity, but it all comes to a halt when your mare’s hooves strike the earth, the sound of your arrival piercing the air.

A soldier, noticing your approach, stops in his tracks. Recognition flashes across his face, and before you can even dismount, he rushes toward you. His steps quicken, and his expression morphs into one of concern.

“My queen,” he says breathlessly, bowing low before you. “What brings you here? Is something wrong? The king…” He hesitates, glancing back toward the far end of the camp where the king’s tent is pitched.

You pause, your gaze steady, and give him a small, composed smile, though it’s edged with a hint of something sharper, more urgent. “The king left something at home,” you say, your voice calm but with an unspoken weight. “And it is of great importance that I deliver it to him.”

The soldier’s brows furrow, and he hesitates for just a moment, but seeing your resolve, he nods. “Of course, my queen. Please, follow me. The king will be glad to see you.”

He leads you through the camp, the sounds of soldiers murmuring and the crackling of the fires echoing around you, but all you can focus on is the path ahead. Your heart beats in your chest, each step bringing you closer to him. The distance between you has already stretched too far, and now, in this moment, you’re closing that gap—you will not let him go without a fight.

As you approach the tent, the soldier opens the flaps for you, allowing you to step inside.

And there, seated at the table in the dim light of a lantern, is Ereinion Gil-galad. His back is to you, and for a moment, you simply watch him, his silhouette framed by the soft glow of the firelight. He doesn’t hear you enter at first, but then, as if sensing your presence, he turns, and his eyes lock with yours.

You don’t speak at first, simply meeting his gaze, holding it, as if trying to gauge his reaction, his thoughts.

It’s him. Your husband. The man who has held your heart, the man who you refused to let go, no matter how far he pushed.

And now, you will remind him that he is not alone in this.

The flap of the tent rustles gently as you step inside, your eyes never leaving Ereinion as you close the distance between you. He rises from his seat immediately, a flicker of surprise crossing his features, but it quickly hardens into something unreadable as he meets your gaze. For a long moment, neither of you speaks. The crackling of the fire behind him is the only sound, the warmth from it flickering across the shadows of his face.

You stand before him, your heart pounding in your chest, and the words you’ve rehearsed feel like foreign syllables on your tongue. It’s not just the anger, the frustration, that you need to voice—but something deeper, something you’ve been holding inside for far too long.

“You left something at home,” you finally say, your voice steady but laced with the weight of everything unsaid between you.

His brow furrows, confusion crossing his expression. “What do you mean?” He glances around the tent, as though expecting something physical, something tangible. “I have everything I need.”

You take a deep breath, letting the silence stretch between you. It’s not just an object or a letter you’ve come to bring him; it’s something far more vital. You hold his gaze, locking eyes with him, and the truth spills from you.

“Your wife,” you answer simply, your tone laced with quiet intensity.

Ereinion’s expression shifts, a flicker of guilt quickly masked by his usual composure. He’s clearly taken aback by your declaration, but there’s no room for misinterpretation. You’ve made your point.

For a moment, there’s only silence again. Ereinion remains still, as though trying to decide what to say, what to do next. His features soften, but his voice remains firm. “I did not want to drag you into this, my love. I thought it would be safer for you at home, away from the dangers that lie ahead. The fight in Eregion will be long and perilous, I would not place you in the way of the sword.”

You shake your head, the swell of emotions rising inside you, sharper than ever. You step closer to him, closing the space between you until your words are only for him to hear.

“I understand your reasoning,” you say quietly, your voice steady but laced with the rawness of your vulnerability. “I understand that you must join the fight for Eregion. But I was afraid, Ereinion. Afraid that I would lose you, and you wouldn’t even listen to my fears. But it’s not just about fear. It’s about us.”

He watches you, his eyes searching yours, waiting for you to continue.

“You are not alone in this fight,” you continue, your voice more insistent now. “We are bound together, Ereinion. You cannot carry the weight of this war alone, nor should you. I know you are a king, and I respect that. But you are my husband, and that bond is not just some fleeting promise. We share everything, you and I—the joys, the hurts, the fears. We must face all of it together. This war, these dangers… they will not tear us apart. They cannot.”

Your voice cracks with the weight of what you’re about to say, but you push through. “If you fight in Eregion, then I will fight beside you. Not because I want to, but because I must. That is my place, Ereinion. At your side.”

Ereinion is silent for a moment, his eyes never leaving you. His gaze softens as if the realization of your words is beginning to settle deep within him. He steps closer, his gaze dropping briefly before lifting again to meet yours. There is a storm of emotions behind his eyes—guilt, love, regret—and something else, something he had not expected.

“Eregion is close to falling—” he starts, his voice thick with hesitation, as though weighing the consequences of what you’re offering.

“I know the risks,” you interject, your voice gentle but firm. “I know the dangers, and yes, I am afraid. But this is our battle now, Ereinion. You are not the king alone. You are the king, yes, but you are also my husband. I cannot, in good conscience, stay behind when I know I can stand beside you. We are stronger together. We always have been.”

For a long moment, he doesn’t speak, his features caught in something between awe and disbelief. Slowly, he closes the space between you, his hands reaching for yours with a tenderness that makes your heart ache.

“I never wanted to pull you into this, to make you part of this war,” he says softly, his voice rough, filled with emotion. “But I see now that you are already part of it, as you always have been. I don’t want to lose you—not to the war, not to anything. But I cannot turn you away.”

You place your hand against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath your palm, as if reminding yourself that he is here, with you. Together. 

“I’m not asking for permission, Ereinion,” you whisper, a wry smile tugging at the corners of your lips despite the heaviness in your heart. “I’m telling you. This is my place. By your side.”

His hands move to your face, cupping your cheeks as he leans in, his forehead resting gently against yours. There is no more distance between you—not in this moment, not in this space. His voice is soft, filled with the weight of all that’s been left unsaid.

“You are my strength,” he murmurs, the words a quiet promise in the stillness of the night. “If you are truly willing to fight, then I will not ask you to stay behind. We will face this war as we have always faced life—together.”

A deep sense of relief washes over you as you close your eyes, leaning into the warmth of his embrace. The battle ahead will be long, and it will test both of you in ways you cannot yet understand. But one thing is certain: you will face it as one. Together, as it was always meant to be.

[youlikegoodstuff]

Their anniversary (prologue)

All Might x arch nemesis! reader

Gender is neutral here. Reader is a villain called Highland Havoc

Summary: it’s All Might’s and his nemesis’s anniversary, and the fans are done waiting for the villain and hero duo to kiss.

Tw: none. Just a tensions and shipping. Swear words. Stolen stop signs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“It Is Fine Now. Why? Because I Am Here!”

As always, All Might made a dramatic and enthusiastic entrance, even after years of duking it out with you.

“Took you long enough. You’re usually very early to our anniversary.” You said with a smirk on your half-masked face.

All Might’s signature smile only widened at this as his hidden eyes took on a slight mischievous look.

“My apologies, my arch nemesis! Allow me to make it up to you by making a special reservation for you in jail!” He said rather lightheartedly.

The bystanders who chose to stay looked on in anticipation, ready for an absolutely glorious battle like the ones before.

“Oh no worries! You don’t gotta make it up to me.” You said with a wicked grin before launching yourself at the man.

If it was anyone else, they wouldn’t last a second in the presence of All Might. Hell, he’d have them in front of a police station by now…

But you weren’t All Might’s arch nemesis for nothing.

Highland Havoc was the name, and causing havoc is your game.

Accurate to your villain name, you created chaos with your strength-based quirk, destroying government buildings, totaling police cars, tearing out parking meters, and stealing stop signs.

One thing that separated you from the rest of the villains wasn’t just your ability to rival All-fucking-Might, but your surprisingly noble morals.

You weren’t destroying small businesses or killing people, in fact, you’ve saved people on several occasions.

You were basically a professional villainess with standards.

You were a bad guy… but not a bad guy…

The worst you did was wreck a couple hero office buildings and steal thousands of stop signs, but you never ever stole candy from a baby.

In other words, you were just a cheeky little cunt.

You were a menace… but you were Musutafu’s favorite menace.

You casually tore out a stop sign that sat on the corner of the street (one that recently replaced the old one after you stole it) and placed it on your shoulders while smirking through your mask.

“So, what’s on the agenda today? You failing for the millionth time to land a good hit on me?” You teased.

All Might chuckled heartily, but he felt the same thrill coursing through his veins that he always felt when he was ready to fight you.

“I do hate to burst your bubble, my dear,” he began, using a nickname to tease you right back. “But I’m not about to go easy on you just because it’s our anniversary.”

“Oh I don’t expect you to hold back, I’ve been waiting for the opposite actually~” You said before lifting the newly acquired stop sign and twirled it expertly in your hand.

All Might’s eyes followed your every movement like a hawk. He never took his eyes off you these days when you were facing each other, and for good reason: you were not to be underestimated. He knew better than that.

“Still got that nasty habit of collecting those silly signs, I see.” He said with that signature smile as he flexed his thick muscles, getting ready for your first attack.

“You call them silly, but the city seems to take stop sign theft very seriously.” You said while getting into your own fighting position.

All Might scoffed as he rolled his shoulders to loosen up his muscles even more.

“And rightly so! Stop signs are important, you know.” He scolded before looking you up and down with a scoff “And that mask of yours is still downright hideous. How can you handle wearing that thing?”

“You and your issues with my mask. Always having a problem with it, lad.” You sighed and rolled your (e/c) eyes.

All Might looked around the city in feigned disbelief, as if searching for a nonexistent culprit.

”And whose fault is that?” He said, glancing at you again with a smirk. “If you just took the damn thing off, I wouldn’t complain all the time. Your face is probably the only nice part of you, but I have yet to confirm that.”

“Oh shush, you just want to be able to identify me so the coppers can hunt me down.” You said with a scoff.

All Might crossed his large arms over his built chest and let out a huff.

“Now that is the last thing I want, my dear.” He retorted, his smile faltering for a moment before a mischievous grin took over. “You’re my favorite villain to wrangle; I’d be devastated if you were taken off the streets.”

The bystanders who stayed to watch were getting restless, excited, or annoyed at the two…

All Might, the #1 hero who has been the world’s symbol of peace for years; and you: #1 super villain in the country and top ranked pain in All Might’s ass, has not once made any moves on each other.

Many years of rivalry… and their OTP still haven’t made a move on eachother…

…And it was driving the tabloids and the media batshit insane.

People were dying to know what was going on with the two, and for those who had that gut feeling, it was absolute torture for the hero/villain duo to not just fuck each other already.

Who would’ve thought the hero and villain would end up in a tango of sexual tension that lasted 15 years?

“Just kiss already!”

One guy in the gathered audience yelled loudly, saying what no one else dared to say.

All Might and you immediately both stopped what you were doing and looked over at the random citizen. You both had that “deer in headlights” look, and even with half of your face covered, the surprise on your face was obvious.

All Might actually went a shade of pink in the face.

The hero finally turned to the civilian. “S-Sir! This is a-ah-a battle! That would… be highly inappropriate in such an important moment!” He said firmly, but he looked so flustered.

“You have very interesting fans, All Might...” You muttered, glancing away from the hero.

“They’re your fans too.” All Might bickered.

Before he could retort against you, the same obnoxious idiot spoke up again.

“Maybe you two should just cut the bullshit and make out already!” He said, and several cheers came from the small crowd of onlookers.

All Might’s face went red again and he began to stammer. He was starting to get flustered by the comments. He tried to gather himself quickly, and he turned to the crowd again.

“T-This is not a performance! We’re not some dance for your e-entertainment! You people should take this seriously!” All Might protested, but the comments were getting to him.

More hollering and cat calling stirred from the audience; some were even chanting a ship name for you two.

You just deadpanned… but you were admittedly a bit amused.

“…you wanna just start the fight? Can’t really hear them over us throwing punches.” You suggested.

All Might looked back at you, a slight look of relief on his face.

“Y-Yes, an excellent idea! We’re wasting time here!” He said, flexing his arms and getting back into his battle stance.

The hero was trying desperately to ignore the chants and the cheers and whistles from the audience, which was only making him more and more flustered.

Even after 15 years, All Might was never bored of battling you. He was expecting your attack and was ready for you when you ran at him. He was also relieved that he didn’t have to listen to those insufferable comments for another second.

To add to that, Even though the crowd really, really wanted you two to finally French kiss, they weren’t disappointed when it came to you both fighting. For now, they didn’t try to push you two… for now.

You immediately launched yourself forward, leaving a small crater behind you. At the last moment, he sidestepped your attack and aimed a punch directly at your ribs.

You placed your free hand in front of your ribs and grabbed his fist as he unintentionally swung you around. Once you jumped away from him, you swung the stop sign at his head.

The man quickly blocked the blow with his massive forearm and pushed the sign away.

He wasn’t just going to accept any injury without at least putting up a fight. He was itching to actually land a solid hit on you, which was a challenge due to your strength and agility.

He took the opportunity whilst your stop sign was pushed away to aim a kick at your side.

All Might cringed inwardly when you were sent through a wall. He really was dreading the paperwork… Technically, you destroyed that building, he’s just doing his duty.

…Also, you had a tendency to let him strike on purpose so he could indirectly damage buildings *cough* *cough*-

As you were recovering from that kick and standing at the edge of the hole you left, the people in the audience were whistling and hollering at you two.

All Might stared up at you with a scoff before marching over to the new hole in the wall.

“Damnit, why didn’t you dodge???” He almost whined.

You chuckled as you placed your stop sign on your shoulder and jumped down, landing in front of him with a deep thud.

“C’mon… you know why~” You said cheekily.

Despite the mask covering your lower face, he could tell you were smiling.

He let out an aggravated sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to keep his signature smile up through gritted teeth.

“You’re terrible.” He muttered.

In the background, some of the more overbearing and blunt All Might and Highland Havoc fans in the crowd started shouting again.

“Get a room already!”

“The damn sexual tension is more thick than Midnight!”

All Might was blushing furiously, trying to tilt his face away from anyone’s sight.

‘If I hear one more comment from these people…’ he thought to himself, keeping up that friendly All Might front for his fans and for himself.

Unfortunately, he was interrupted by another loud comment.

“Stop being pussies and kiss already!!” A more blunt and shameless fangirl yelled from the crowd.

All Might looked at his nemesis with a strained smile on his face.

You… You just deadpanned.

“…I’m just going to swing this at your durable head, is that okay?” You asked plainly yet genuinely, holding up your stop sign to show off your weapon of choice.

All Might let go of his restraint and rubbed the bridge of his nose again.

“That is absolutely fine.” He replied in annoyance before pulling his hand away to look at you. “In fact, could you please hit me in the face? I’d rather we got serious.”

Just then, another shrill female voice cried, “Oh come on, a kiss would be soooo much better tho-“

All Might gritted his teeth and interrupted. “Please, random citizen, I’m trying to concentrate!!”

Unfortunately, because All Might lost concentration, you took this chance to slam the sign part of the stop sign into his face.

He took the hit like a champ and stumbled back, but it didn’t knock him down, just caused him to fumble with his massive feet until he got his footing again.

He clutched his now throbbing cheek and winced.

’Note to self: keep your focus from now on.’ All Might thought to himself as he righted himself.

He smirked through the pain and glared over at you again.

“…You’re going to pay for that.” He said.

Instead of trembling in fear, you simply blinked in surprise, amazed that you actually nailed him in the face with the metal sheet so easily, before looking at the stop sign.

Your shock quickly turned into amusement after you did a double take.

“Oh my God!” You laughed from amusement and shock as you stared at the imprint of All Might’s face in the stop sign.

All Might’s glare and smirk dropped for a moment, instead looking at her with a bewildered look before following her gaze to the sign.

When he saw the All Might face-shaped imprint, he actually snorted.

The fans in the background were cheering and hollering at the scene unfolding on the battlefield between their favorite number one hero and number one villain.

You continued laughing while leaning onto the pole of the stop sign for support.

It wasn’t even one of those taunting laughs he always heard from you, it was one of those rare, genuine ones.

The hoarse sound of your laughter was so unbelievably beautiful to his ears…

In all the years he’d known you, he rarely ever heard a genuine laugh, a guffaw or an eruption of amused cackling. He always thought you were a snickering or a scoffing type.

…In all honesty, the sound of your laugh was almost more damaging than a stop sign to his face.

“I actually managed to immortalize that face you made into the sign! Definitely going into my stop sign collection!” You laughed out, wiping a tear from your eye.

Your comment luckily broke him out of his smiling stupor.

“H-Hey, I do not make that kind of face during battle…”

“The sign says otherwise.” You said while getting control of your laughter.

All Might’s face was slightly flushed as he internally pouted at you but still kept his signature smile on.

“Well… that’s obviously not my normal look!” He protested before turning to a more playful tone.

“…Though you must admit, that is a lovely face, even imprinted into a sign like that. I can see why you’d want to keep it, Havoc.” He said with a cheeky lilt to his tone, trying to tease you back.

You smirked and brought the dented part down to your face to study it.

“…actually, you’re right… even caught that beautiful jawline of yours.” You said before lifting your free hand up to tug at your mask.

You pulled the mask down, and for the first time in 15 years, you exposed your lower face to All Might and the crowd.

All Might’s eyes went the size of saucers.

He was finally getting to see your face. He had been yearning to know what you looked like beneath that hideous mask of yours for years.

A little part of him had hoped you would unveil yourself to him in battle for years, yet here you were actually doing it, Freezing the hero from disbelief and awe.

The audience had gone dead silent at the sight of your revealed face, and more than one fan was filming the historic moment.

… and It was about to get more historical… cuz you lifted the All Might face dent and gave it a little kiss before lifting the mask back over your lower face.

It was almost like a scene from a film, except it wasn’t scripted at all.

All Might’s jaw had dropped to the floor the moment you kissed the imprint, but the realization of what had just happened didn’t sink in until your mask was over your face again.

Everyone in the audience was stunned, and for a moment, no one uttered a breath. The silence was so loud, you could hear a pen hit the ground.

Then the crowd roared.

The collective roar and screams of the audience were deafening, and they rang in the ears of both the hero and the villain.

All Might was still staring at you in disbelief, a bright red blush spreading over his face.

As was expected of people who were witnessing such a sight, the fans had their phones out and were taking pictures at record speed. One or two people were actually full on crying with tears of joy.

You stared back at All Might with an amused and mischievous look in your eye as the crowd and potentially the whole world were collectively losing their mind.

All Might tried desperately to find words to say, but he was so stunned that he couldn’t even process his thoughts.

The hero’s brain had short circuited and his jaw was hanging open. All he could do was gape at you while the people in the background were gushing and crying and screaming about a number one ship in history being finally confirmed.

But then, he quickly realized that he was just standing there like a fish out of water, and there are cameras surrounding both of them, filming the whole scene.

He quickly schooled his features and placed his hands on his hips and lifted his head.

“O-OKAY, LET’S BE CALM ABOUT THIS!” he bellowed, but the fans were still making sounds like they just won the lottery.

At this, he groaned in frustration and pinched the bridge of his nose again.

He didn’t know what to do anymore. This was the worst. The fans are going to make this moment in history live on forever.

He finally removed his hand from his face and shot you a look.

“You did that on purpose….” he muttered to you.

“Oh did I?” You asked innocently while holding a dark gloved hand up to your masked face and kicking a foot up behind you.

All Might squinted his eyes at you in annoyance.

“Don’t give me that, you knew exactly what you were doing…” He grumbled.

The audience was still going berserk, cameras were flashing from all sides. The former hero was just so over it at this point.

You snickered like a little vixen while still holding your hand to your masked face. He was slowly getting more and more irritated at how amused you looked.

“…Why did you even do that!?” He demanded with a shaky tone.

The crowd was still hooting and whistling in the background, but All Might didn’t care, his focus was completely on you.

You simply shrugged.

“Sorry, my dear~” you purred out, using the pet name he used for you using your strength-based quirk to jump off to somewhere else, leaving All Might to deal with the damaged building and the crowd of shocked and excited bystanders… and a news helicopter.

All Might was so too caught off guard by his own pet-name being used against him that he forgot to give chase to you.

He eventually came to his senses and whipped around to search for you in the sky, but you were long gone by now.

Groaning and pinching his nose for the 5th… 6th time? 10th? The hero turned back to the aftermath of the confrontation and was immediately bombarded by the fans who were clambering around him.

That night…

Yagi Toshinori *hated* paperwork.

At this point, he was used to doing excessive amounts of paperwork, so he was able to get through it all rather quickly.

But today’s paperwork involved the entire incident that had occurred between you and him. His hands were cramping up from signing forms and writing down details of your little escapade.

He was just scribbling away as the TV played in the background, playing today’s news. And of course, the entire day’s events featured heavily on tonight’s broadcast.

Yagi lifted his head to take a break and watch the replay of the confrontation on the newscast. Once again, he was met with seeing himself standing on the battlefield with his jaw on the floor as cameras captured your little… display.

Immediately, he groaned and put his head down on the desk with a thump, mumbling into the wood.

“I actually can’t believe it, she really just made it known to everyone!” The news reporter said a little too excitedly for someone who’s supposed to be unbiased.

The news reporter had obviously been waiting for this moment her whole career. She was acting like a fangirl, which in a way, was very realistic of her since many people would react the exact same way.

“Who would’ve ever thought that the number one hero or number one villain would actually have some kind of affection for each other? Could it even be love?”

Toshinori was just sitting there, face on the desk, listening to the broadcast as his now deflated, fluffy hair draped over his desk.

The news reporters continued to talk about what had happened, but something said by the man reporter caught his attention.

”It’s been 15 years, today marking the 15th anniversary of All Might’s and Highland Havoc’s rivalry… it’s about damn time.” The older news reporter, a 50 year old man, said.

“Daikaku, you shouldn’t swear, we’re on live tv.” The younger news reporter said with a hint of worry.

But All Might didn’t focus on that…

15 years. 15 years of you being his nemesis…

He hadn’t even realized that it had already been that long. And he hadn’t realized that he had feelings for you for 90% of that time… that was… a really long time.

The news broadcaster interrupted the former heroes thoughts when the subject was changed to an All Might fan.

“Let’s listen now to what the fans have to say about the incident that unfolded in today’s fight.”

All Might groaned when he heard that. He just knew the first fan they were going to show was going to be an overly obsessed and delusional fan. And of course, that is exactly what he got.

“I CALLED IT! I KNEW the two of them have been dating in secret for YEARS!!” The first fan cried out through one of the speakers of the call, clearly a child.

All Might was so over it. He wanted to bang his head on the desk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes. That fan at the end is 100% Midoriya.

This takes place 3 years before All Might meets Midoriya, which means he’s 11 and All Might is 46.

Let me know how well I did and if you’d like more 👍👍👍👍

…or don’t. I’m planning on making a lil series anyways, like it or not.

[luvzshy]

Please please please right some Sabrina fluff of a cute coffee date or something

Coffee Hearts

Word Count: 682

Contains: Fluff, established relationship, coffee shop vibes, sweet moments, fem!reader x Sabrina Carpenter.

The bell above the door chimed as you stepped into your favorite coffee shop, the warm aroma of freshly brewed coffee wrapping around you like a comforting blanket. You scanned the room until your eyes landed on a familiar figure sitting at a corner table. Sabrina Carpenter, in a soft oversized sweater and jeans, looked up from her phone and smiled brightly when she caught your gaze.

“Hey, there you are!” she said, waving you over enthusiastically. The sight of her made your heart flutter, as it always did. You approached, unable to contain your grin.

“Hey! Sorry I’m late,” you replied, sliding into the seat across from her.

“Not a problem. I saved you a seat,” she said, her blue-grey eyes sparkling with affection. “I even ordered your usual.”

You raised an eyebrow playfully. “Oh really? What is my usual?”

“Caramel latte with oat milk and extra foam,” she said, her smile widening as she placed the cup in front of you. “And a blueberry muffin, just in case you wanted a snack.”

You laughed, a warmth spreading through your chest. “You know me too well.”

“I try,” she said, her voice teasing but sincere. “You deserve the best coffee and snacks.”

As you took a sip of your latte, the rich flavor filled your senses, reminding you just how much you loved these moments together. The café buzzed with chatter and laughter, but all you could focus on was Sabrina, who looked even more radiant in the soft morning light filtering through the windows.

“So, what’s the plan for today?” she asked, leaning in slightly, her elbow resting on the table.

You shrugged, a mischievous smile creeping onto your face. “I was thinking we could do something spontaneous. Maybe go to that art exhibit downtown?”

“Art? You know me so well,” she replied, feigning surprise. “I’m in!”

You shared a laugh, your eyes locked with hers, and for a moment, the world outside faded away. It felt like your own little bubble, where nothing else mattered except for the two of you.

After a few moments of playful banter and sipping your drinks, Sabrina’s expression shifted slightly. She reached across the table, her fingers brushing against yours.

“I love our coffee dates,” she said softly, her gaze serious. “I feel like we can just be ourselves.”

“Me too,” you replied, squeezing her hand gently. “You make everything feel special, babe.”

Her cheeks flushed at your compliment, and she looked down at the table, a shy smile playing on her lips. “You’re the one who makes it special, you know. I love spending time with you.”

You could feel your heart swell at her words, and before you could think, you blurted out, “You know I could get used to this—just the two of us, coffee, and maybe a bit of chaos.”

“Chaos, huh?” she teased, a glimmer of mischief in her eyes. “I like the sound of that.”

With a playful smirk, you leaned in closer, lowering your voice conspiratorially. “Just think of the possibilities. Coffee fights? Running down the street with muffins? I’m all in.”

Sabrina burst out laughing, her laughter bright and infectious. “Okay, you’re definitely onto something. But only if you promise to share your muffin.”

“Deal!” you said, raising your cup in a mock toast.

As you both clinked your mugs together, a sense of joy filled the air, a reminder of the bond you shared. Moments like these were what made every coffee date feel like an adventure, even if you were just sitting in a cozy café.

When the drinks were finished and the muffins were all but crumbs, you stood up, pulling Sabrina along with you. “Ready for some art?” you asked, eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Absolutely,” she replied, her fingers intertwining with yours as you both made your way toward the door, your hearts light and happy.

[rogueddie]

Make A Wish T | 654 words Prompt for @steddielovemonth: Love is making a birthday extra special

For as long as Steve can remember, Valentines has always been emphasized to him as a special day. A day full of love, and joy, and connection. A day where he could tell anyone that he loves them, even Tommy, and no one would give him so much as a glance.

It's been a while since he's been able to properly celebrate the day though. With the Upside Down, the constant fear that it would come back, that people would get hurt again, always buzzing in the back of his head...

Well, it never felt right.

But, now that it's finally and truly over? He's excited to celebrate. He has his soulmate, the best friend that he could ever wish for and loves with all his heart... and he might have a boyfriend.

"You will have a boyfriend," Robin corrects. "He's been flirting with you for months. If he doesn't make a move first, he'll be stumbling over himself to say yes."

She's right.

He rushes to agree to the date when Steve asks, stuttering in his hurry. But, instead of asking Steve what he has planned, he asks if he can surprise Steve.

"I was thinking about asking you, but... I don't know, I got too nervous, I guess. But it's a good idea, so..."

"Sure, yeah. It'll be nice to be on this end for once."

When Eddie picks him up, he insists that Steve sit in the back of the van so he can't see anything before they arrive.

He climbs over the seats when they do arrive, blindfolding him.

"This way, mind your step, just a little further..." Eddie mumbles, gently leading Steve. "Ok. You ready?"

"Yeah."

When he pulls the blindfold off, there's a burst of noise and color.

They're at the Byers new place. It's covered in decorations, confetti in the air, and everyone stood around cheering.

The banner has a bubbly, colorful, "happy birthday!" drawn on.

"Happy birthday," El says, the first to step up. She holds up a present. "I am very happy to know you."

"Oh. Thanks, El. But, uh..." He glances around, until finally finding Eddie tucked in a corner. "How did you know that today is my birthday?"

"Overheard some old flame of yours one time," Eddie explains. "She was convinced that you two were meant to be, entirely because you were born on valentine's day."

"Seriously?"

"Right?"

"Steve!" Dustin calls, waving him towards the kitchen. "Nevermind that! Come on, we made a cake! And there's presents, but we should do cake first!"

The kids, as it turns out, really did make the kids themselves. It's not bad either, especially after melted chocolate and whip cream is poured over it, almost drowning it.

The gifts from the kids are all homemade.

Steve is sure that they're the best gifts he's ever received.

"Happy birthday," Robin whispers, as she hugs him goodbye. "And good luck, yeah?"

"Won't need it," he whispers back. "This night is too perfect for it to fail now."

He decides to wait until they pull up outside his house. Then, if it works out? They can go inside. If it fails? Easy exit.

But, as soon as they pull up, Eddie beats him to the punch.

"Hey," he starts, nervous. "I hope you enjoyed today and-"

"I did. Really, it was amazing. Thanks, Ed. It means a lot, more than you can imagine."

"It was nothing. It's... I don't want to ruin that if you don't- I won't take it bad, is what I mean. I just think you should know, uh... you're so loved. By, uh, me."

"You love me?"

"Yeah, Steve. I really do, so much."

"I love you too."

"Really?"

"Yeah, dumbass. I asked you on a date."

"... oh, fuck, you did."

Steve laughs, reaching over to grab his collar and drag him into a kiss.

It really is the perfect end to the perfect day.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Slimy fellow meets slimy fellow.

Also known as Fellow meets Azul.

I thought this one would be more fun to write if I immediately cut to Fellow at the Mostro Lounge (following the reader's advice, of course)! Also, I will take any excuse to write the twins--

This ended up being a lot longer than I had initially intended, it's over 2k words (blame my Octavinelle bias)... Hope you enjoy!

So tell me, do you wanna go?

"Whoa, Giddie. Check out this classy joint."

Fellow whistled as he took in the majesty of the Mostro Lounge.

Plum carpets gave rise to a set of stairs, and up the railings were several plush, quilted booths. Each table had its own lamp, a shining orb held up by a gnarled arm of coral. There was a bar area too, complete with a row of sleek stools, the shelves behind the counter well-stocked with tins of tea blends.

Overlooking the entire establishment was a massive glass wall, where the ocean itself peered in on the patrons. Shadows of seaweed and coral ran along the seabed outside, rainbow-colored fish darting by in bursts. Jellyfish lights swung from the ceiling, casting the lounge in an otherworldly blue glow. Smooth jazz emanated from somewhere in the eatery, backed by the soft accompaniment of ambient sounds--water splashing, bubbles dancing.

As Fellow and Gidel stood there gawking, they hadn't noticed two lanky shadows approach them from behind--not until they uttered a greeting in unison.

"Welcome to the Mostro Lounge!"

Fellow jumped at the hands that clapped onto either of his shoulders. He met two nearly identical faces.

"Table for two?" Jade offered.

"Can we getcha started with drinks?" Floyd asked.

Fellow jolted back, pointing a shaking finger at the twins. "H-HIEEEEEEE!! I-It's you guys!"

Jade smiled politely, feigning ignorance. “Oya, Fellow-san. You appear to be rather jumpy today. You’ve come to just the right place to put that anxiety to rest.”

“Y-You’re not gonna wail on us?!”

“Wail on ya?” Floyd’s mouth was stretched eerily wide. “Eheheh. Why’d we wanna do that?”

“Quite right, Floyd." Jade nodded. "We would never harm an esteemed guest. This is a gentlemen's lounge--there is no fighting allowed."

"You're... not mad about what happened before?"

The corners of Jade's mouth twitched. A droll laugh, suppressed. "Think nothing of it. Call it water under the bridge. Floyd and I, we are not the vengeful sort."

Fellow stared at him as though Jade had suddenly sprouted another head. I don't buy that for one second!!

"So do ya want grub or not? Hurry up, cuz we got other customers to deal with," Floyd groused, jabbing at finger at the packed tables behind him.

Fellow eyed them both suspiciously--but his gaze darted between the shady eels and Gidel, who was patting his belly. His reply came out weak and reluctant. "Well... If you're offering food..."

"Then right this way." Jade bent, gesturing with one hand. "I believe this is your first time dining with us, so allow me to inform you of our specials."

He led the way, expertly weaving between Octavinelle servers and roaming guests. Fellow followed, Gidel lagging behind him, and Floyd held the back of the line, plucking up two menus from a podium as they passed it. As they briskly made their way to an open booth, Jade rattled off facts.

"You may order a la cart, but we also offer meal sets in which we have curated the perfectly paired the dishes for you. Substitutions can be made upon request to accommodate allergies and dietary restrictions. There is a separate specialty beverage menu. The Mystery Drink is our most popular item--we highly recommend it."

"Wait a sec!" Fellow held up a hand. "Food's great and all, but I was hopin' to hear about something else too."

Jade craned his head. "Oh? And what might that be?"

The fox beastman leaned in, cupping his mouth against Jade's ear. "Word on the street is, the big shot around here has the ability to make wishes come true. I want in on that."

The twins exchanged a knowing look. Their mismatched eyes glinted with delight.

"... Of course, dear customer. We can arrange an audience with Azul for you. However, please be advised that it requires that you order a certain amount of food. The meal sets are worth 3 points each, and the drinks, 1 point. You will need to accumulate at least 50 points total in order to secure a spot with Azul."

"No problem! Together, Giddie and I could eat a man out of house and home," Fellow chuckled. "We'll take one of everything you've got!"

“Out of house and home!!” For some reason, this made Floyd laugh. It was an odd, raspy sound, like branches and the wind scraping and rustling against a ratty window.

“What’s so funny?”

"Oh, nothin’. You just made me remember a funny joke,” Floyd reassured him. “Don’t worry. We’ll get your order ready for ya in a jiffy~"

"Azul, you have a new client."

Jade held the door open for Fellow and Gidel to pass through. Floyd lingered in the corridor like a bouncer guarding the room--or a jailer ensuring they stay in it.

The duo stepped into a neat office, flanked on both sides by towering bookshelves. The carpet they treaded on bore an intricate pattern of scalloped shells and swirls. Two deep purple couches were set across from one another. A coffee table was between them, its surface layered glass. Luminescent blue colored the base of the bookshelves and the interior of the coffee table.

A large chunk of the back wall composed a massive vault. Seated in front of it was a young man at a grand desk. He had silvery hair swept to one side, and sharp eyes behind thick frames. A pile of contracts say upon his desk, along with a lamp and a pot of ink. He deposited what appeared to be a fish skeleton in his inkwell and stood, smiling at Fellow and Gidel.

“Welcome to the VIP Room,” the young man purred. “I am the dorm leader of Octavinelle and the manager of Mostro Lounge. Azul Ashengrotto, at your service.”

“Honest. Fellow Honest. And this here’s my little buddy, Gidel.”

"Oh, there's no need for introductions, Fellow-san. I've already heard plenty about you from Jade and Floyd."

"Have you now?" A slight edge formed in Fellow's voice. "It sounds like my reputation precedes me."

Azul chuckled darkly. "Indeed. Ah, but that is why you've come to seek my counsel, is it not? You're seeking something. Please, have a seat." He gestured to the couches. "Tell me of your troubles."

Gidel happily planted himself down, but Fellow stood his ground and clenched his fists.

"It's money," he blurted out. "I need money, and lots of it."

Azul blinked. He quickly composed himself and gave a laugh. "If I could materialize thaumarks out of thin air, the value of them would surely plummet. May I ask what it is that you intend on using these funds for?"

"I want to start my own school. One that'll be WAY better than this crappy establishment for entitled rich kids!" Fellow waved at the overembellished office with his cane. "A school for everyone, no matter what their background or social class is! A school that teaches practical life skills!"

(The twins, listening in from the doorway, snickered amongst themselves. Azul shot them a glare.)

"Hmm... I see that you're an ambitious man, Fellow-san. As a businessman myself, I must commend your drive," the merman drawled, "and I am willing to help make it a reality, provided you are also willing to pay the price. You can't get something for nothing, as I'm sure you know."

Fellow's stomach dropped. He had anticipated this, but it didn't make the gut punch any less painful. "What's it gonna cost me?"

"I'm not asking much. Just a token, really--a trifle! You'll never even miss it." Slime coated each of Azul's words. "What I want from you is... your unique magic."

He went cold, the color draining from him. From the couch, Gidel startled, suddenly alarmed. "Life is Fun?""

"Correct." Azul's smile seemed more like a smirk now. "From my understanding, your spell is able to enhance one's optimism, making the subject more susceptible to suggestion and taking risks. Not only that, but it is subtle enough to avoid detection. It would be a great boon to have at my disposal. I could easily dispel any doubts my clients may have about signing a contract."

"But that's...! That's...!" Fellow sputtered, unable to come up with a coherent argument.

"That is my offer, Fellow-san. It's non-negotiable." Azul looked him up and down. Not that he has much else to offer.

"Tch...!"

He weighed the options.

Riches for his magic. A magic so measly that mightier mages spat upon it. His magic for riches. Riches so vast he could jumpstart his dream, ensure a golden future for him and Gidel.

Azul's words coiled around him like constrictive tentacles.

"I'm not asking much. Just a token, really--a trifle! You'll never even miss it."

Fellow wavered.

Maybe I should take the deal...

"...!!"

Gidel rose from the couch and tackled Fellow, latching onto an arm. Fellow stumbled backwards, nearly crashing into a bookshelf.

"W-Whoa! Hey, watch it, Giddie!!" he yelped, trying to pry the boy off of him. "Can't 'cha see I'm thinkin' here?!"

Fellow abruptly stopped. Gidel gazed at him with wide, pleading eyes. Wetness coated the corners, tears threatening to spill.

It's a part of you. It's yours. Don't give it up, he begged.

"Giddie..." Fellow's hand sank into Gidel's hair and ruffled it. "... Thanks for that. I needed it."

His resolve returned to him, hardening into steel. Turning back to Azul, Fellow replied, "Sorry, I've changed my mind. I think I'll work things out on my own."

"!!" Gidel beamed proudly.

"Are you certain? These endeavors can be a challenge without sufficient financial backing," Azul warned.

"Positive. I don't wanna kiss up to some board of investors to move up in the world!" Fellow seized Gidel's oversized sleeve. "C'mon, we've got places to be!"

"Well!" Azul huffed, looking displeased. "If you think you can manage!"

"We can, no worries!"

With that, Fellow steered himself and Gidel out of the VIP Room. They skipped along, humming a jolly tune. Azul waited for their sound to completely vanish before he jerked his head to the twins.

"I thought you said they'd be easy marks," he bellowed.

"Perhaps we misjudged," Jade suggested, brows upturned. "The child appears to act as Fellow-san's conscience--and a rather effective one, at that."

"We did almost get them though!" Floyd protested. "Hook, line, and sinker!!"

Azul sighed deeply. "There's no helping it. What's done is done. This time, they got away from us--but it's alright. At the very least, we've got their money!"

Silence threaded the room.

"... I said, at the very least, we've got their money." Azul stared at the twins, who were strangely quiet. "We DO have their money, correct?"

"My, I may have neglected to disclose our prices to Fellow-san," Jade said with a smile. "It seems he was under the impression that the Mostro Lounge's offerings were as free as the cafeteria's buffet is."

"And since we know you're soooo generous, we thought it would be okay to let'm eat their fill to rack up those points~" Floyd added. "'Sides, Jade and I wanted to see how you'd get along!"

Azul's expression splintered. "... So you two allowed Fellow-san and Gidel-san to dine and dash? All to get a rise out of me?"

"You could phrase it like that, yes."

"Yup~!!"

Panic immediately set in. His mind raced, running the calculations simultaneously. How many tens of hundreds of thaumarks he was losing out on.

Azul pushed past the nonchalant Leeches and to the door. Gathering all of his breath, he hollered down the hallway.

"All Mostro Loungs staff on deck, this is an order from your manager!! I want that redheaded fox beastman and his cat accomplice captured and brought to me STAT!! Is that clear?!"

"Wow, Azul's really losin' it!" Floyd cackled. "It was worth all that trouble just to see this~"

"I couldn't agree more, Floyd. Fufufu, there is never a dull day in Octavinelle."

[casuallivi]

The Shadow Between Us

Hello, ladies. Long time. Long, long time. I began writing this for elriel month 2023 (sheesh) and it was supposed to be a sequel to Three is a Party 🤭🤭. Unfortunately, I never finished, but today I felt like posting it anyways, trying to feel that flame of having active hobbies and all that. It's not perfect, but it was born from passion. Let's hope for the best. Love yall ❤️❤️

Summary: Elain is no strange to the possessiveness of the fae, especially when it comes from an Illyrian male. Yet, nothing could prepare her for the calling of the Shadow. For a Shadow needs his Seer, as a Master needs his Flower.

Warnings: Listen, this will be NSFW. Will not be giving explicit warnings because the act will built itself, so just imagine that any sexy thing under the sun can happen, along with curses and graphic description. Read at your own risk. (this warning makes no sense now, but that's where old stabilized me was hoping to go to 😬. enjoy anyways.) Post ACOSF.

~~~

“Oh, mother!”

The freshly-cut bouquet of chrysanthemums slipped through her hands coloring the hardwood floor red. Elain quickly turned around, palms hiding her spoked eyes, skin turning crimson as the flowers at her feet. A feverish heat crawled up her spine as her mind replayed the scene which she came across:

Azriel, half-naked, pinning what appeared to be, a very naked, Shadowsinger to the mattress. The slip of a rough groan sounding awfully sensual in her sensitive ears.

“I’m – I’m so sorry,” she stumbled an apology. "I didn't know you were," she stopped mid sentence, looking the right word to say. "Here."

All Elain wanted was to put fresh flowers on his nightstand, so he'd come back from Dawn to a cozy bedrom. Instead, she found Azriel already home, looking like he was playing with himself. Quite literally.

She tried not to fan herself.

They’d shared a bed before: Azriel, Elain and the beings concealed inside themselves that noone else knew about; the Seer and the Shadowsinger.

A forbidden and painfully delicious experience that left her insides sore and sensitive enough to get legs to stop working for the rest of the day. Not that she would go anywhere being knocked out for 24h straight. Elain never thought she would let two men – male and shadow, really – dominate her completely, use her at their will, but she had let Azriel and the Shadowsinger explore and command her, fill every hole in her body. Even the Seer she trapped deep inside had surfaced that day, eager for a taste of the darkness calling her forth.

Elain peered over her shoulder, not feeling bold enough to confront the males tangled in the sheets.

She knew the Shadowsinger was prone to roam the land when Azriel’s shields presented the smallest of crevices for him to slip through, she just didn’t expect for them to indulge in this type of activities without the intention of seducing her fueling them. She turned to the pair, heart thundering with an emotion she could not comprehend.

“Why is she reacting like that?” The Shadowsinger broke the silence first, sitting up to better look at her.

Azriel took his time to appraise Elain, the harsh murderous glint of anger that had been there a second ago being replaced with curiosity.

“She’s getting creative.” He said with the hint of a sneer.

Deadly talons, which spiked on the wall behind the bed to give him stability, retroceded slowly, black leathery wing span. “Is not what you think." He bursted her bubble, hands back on the Shadowsinger's neck. "I'm locking him back.”

“He is naked,” she blurted. Remembering later that it was not proper to be commenting on another male’s nudity in front of him. Even if the male was him. But not quite.

Snorting loudly, the male under him pumped his hips upwards, catching her attention. “Little flower, where you looking at! My eyes are up here, love.”

“He does it to spite me.” Azriel spoke over him, vexed shadows blurring in and out of existence as his shadow-self strugled to remain outside his body. "Enough now.” He snarled, being ignored. “Go back.”

“Come on! I have not been out in months! I need a breather.”

“You do not breathe.”

“Semantics.” Came the Shadowsinger strangled hiss, wings misting away in tiredness.

With a warcry he tried to throw his master away, the movement a mere diversion to his true attempt to escape by mystifying. It was no easy feature to trap a shadow. Bright cobalt shackles glowed in Shadow’s wrist, his hiss of pain unsettling Elain. Azriel fought his urge to sooth her as he registering her soft whimper, his concentration flickering, making him struggle to reabsorb the tendon of darkness stealing his shape.

The thief was reluctant to go, scraping at the walls, grabbing to gates of his mind hurling insults at Azriel, who shut him down, shoving him in. A battle he was losing to fatigue. Reluctantly, quivering shadows began to climb his hands, then his arms, the dull ache of sentient shadows sinking back into the tattoos a comforting promise of solitude. Still, his shadow-self refused to go.

A swarm of shadow covered Elain seconds before The Shadowsinger burst through the power-shackles with a raging howl, a blue wave explosion sweeping the bedroom.

“Fuck me.” Azriel heaved.

The Shadowsinger merely wheezed a laugh, punching the male in the gut, who collapse to the side. Shadows fluttered in and out of existence under the electrical haze of unusual power, the otherly being molding his body back.

Elain lowered her hands, having covered her head by pure instinct, watching the havoc in disbelief. He winked at her.

"Elain, dear, if you were waiting to give me a feverish kiss there's no better time than now."

Deep inside, there was a small part of her worried for being here, in the middle of this peculiar struggle.

The problem is the rest of her was shimmering with excitement at the sight of her males’ display of power, drunk by the dangerous enticing atmosphere. Elain cut her gaze to her Azriel, who swiped a hand over his face, finding him beautiful even amidst his frustration. Curls damp by sweat clung to his forehead, his heavy breathing provoking memories of other activities who caused him to be in similar shape on same bed. Prone on top of her, or under her, his hard body pounding–

Beside him, the Shadowsinger sat up straight as an arrow, startling Elain, who had forgotten all about him, too busy fantasizing.

“Shit, she’s dripping.” He sneered.

Too tired to sit, Azriel braced himself on his elbows, observing her with all the scrutiny usually reserved for the hidden dungeons in the mountain. Elain did not buckle, in fact, she smiled at him; a shy smile nestled between bright red cheeks, glowing doe eyes blinking a little too quickly, betraying the direction of her mind.

He cocked his head, Elain feeling the cool wisp of shadow grazing her neck, curling at her ear.

I can practically taste your thoughts. Came Azriel’s muffled deliver, relied by one of his many assistants. She batted them away.

"Busybody." She mumbled absently, knuckles turned white where she clutched her peach sundress. Elain had no idea cotton could suddenly feel so restrictive and stuffy.

Who would have thought that flowers would put her in such delicate situation? The flowers in Azriel’s room were nurtured with so much love and devotion they turned spelled, ever-bright, never-withering, flowers capable of intoxicating poor Cassian out of existence. Elain didn’t care, she’d grow them anyways, exchanged the batches – even when they had no need to be replace – to match them with the little notes she desired to pass along. It was a great shock to open his door and find Azriel, not only in the room, but accompanied of his counterpart, rolling around in bed – not that the purpose of said rolling was recreational, but her mind didn’t bother with details. All that mattered was the image of Azriel straddling his shadow-self, battling for control, the cedary musk of power dominating her attention.

Shadow back-handed Azriel's shoulder.

“She’s so easily aroused these days.” he commented casually.

Azriel cut him a glare. “How’d the fuck would you know?”

“You think you are the only one who can feel her?” Shadow smirk was evil, “Please, I can feel her. I can feel her, too.” He complemented, giving Elain a knowing look. “Writhing on the inside, clawing to break free. I can give you all that little head of your is painting. All you have to do is ask; get on your knees and ask me nicely and I give you it all."

"Come here, love." He tapped the bed.

Goosebumps tingled her arms, a subdued ring of white encasing her brown eyes. Unknown to herself, Elain took one step forward, shadows swirling beneath her feet.

“Are you fertile, love?” Black lit eyes dropped to the v between her legs, as if he could see the ruining that remains of her undergarments. “Is that little garden of yours ready to be seeded?”

He palmed his hardening dick, hands going up and down the length of it. “Want me to put a baby on you? You’d look good with a child swelling your belly. My child.”

She turned her head to the side, wide-eyed “You can sire children?”

The question was shy, whispered with wonder. Like most fae, Elain had no idea of true the extension of Azriel's abilities. Let alone his shadows.

The Shadowsinger smile was feral, predatory, oozing confidence. A smile that was vanished by a kick on the ribs, the strengh of it sending him flying out of the bed.

One second more and hands were grabbing her waist before Elain had time to gasp, Azriel throwing her over his shoulder to carry her to the door. His action was enough for a moment of lucidity to hit her. Remains of human embarrassment sparkling under the surface of her skin, the quiet demure lady she no longer was feeling taunted by his crude words. Elain gulped the thick lump clogging her throat down, feeling self-conscious. At times like this, she hated how well they could read her.

Azriel dropped her back on her feet outside the room, giving her a quick peck.

"Wait here for a minute."

[...]