#now i'm just rambling sorry i saw art that made me lose my mind

[daz4i]

please keep drawing nikolai as a fucked up angel. it heals +5 hp for me every time i see those

[lovethisletters]

The angel and hopelessness

Honestly I don't even know what this is, I think a one-shot with an omniscient narrator but also...I just think this is some sort of writing rant(? I didn't have any clear view of what I wanted to write and I sort of...just went along with it and this is the end result...I guess (?) Idk I'm confused.

TW: Implied depression, self-destructive behavior and angst.

Disclaimer/additional notes: this is a one-shot written with an omniscient narrator andMC doesn't make an appearance here.

This is not a Simeon×Lucifer btw, this is all just from a platonic perspective!

Also!!!! I highly recommend listening to the song featured below for a better more immersive experience!

Summary: Simeon deals with his own guilt left after the celestial war and tries to re-establish his relationship with the brothers, however he soon learns how much self-pity can blind one's perspective.

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“Your conscience is the measure of the honesty of your selfishness.

Listen to it carefully.”

― Richard Bach

 The mornings in the Devildom have always been dark, but today you wonder... is it that your heart has been heard by the clouds that cover the sky and they’ve had a little sympathy?

That fantasy seems to lessen your grief, but still, you can't smile like always; right now, your body feels too heavy… it just can't.

You are about to pray like every morning ... but for some reason you feel that the words you are trying to formulate will vanish between sobs as soon as they leave your mouth.

So you decide to lie down on the floor for a while.

“Simeon, you should rest a bit, otherwise, Luke and I are going to end up carrying you back to your room.”

Solomon's words resonate in your mind and you just remember the expression of pure concern you saw in Luke from the corner of your eye when the sorcerer mentioned your pitiful appearance.

You laughed it off like it wasn’t a big deal; but deep down you knew no one is going to believe that bullshit anymore.

At least…not after what happened.

A past such as yours can only be ignored for so long…especially when the ones who are part of it and you’ve hurt are right in front of you.

Call it nativity or overly optimistic but when you first herd you had been selected for the exchange program there was this one thought that completely took over your mind:

“Do what’s right.”

You hadn't spoken to the brothers in a long time and there was still so much left to say.

And you tried, you really did!

But every time they even felt that you were about to bring up the subject, they changed it or even started fighting over…whatever. All to prevent you from starting that fearsome conversation.

So you let it be.

“Perhaps If I use a different approach…”

They may not want to talk, but you can feel their emotions, it is your special talent after all. You can feel their pain and you know that even though they appear fine they have not yet healed.

You feel that you can drown in their hardships and every day it is more difficult to pretend that nothing is happening.

You try again, this time with more tact and respecting the space that has been given to you.

Inside you there is still the hope that one day everything will go back to the way it was before.

But...sooner or later you must understand that wounds like these will always be open.

"Lucifer! Wait! "

You pushed too far and now the little pieces of the puzzle you managed to connect are breaking apart once again.

“No, Simeon! I don’t need your pity!”

Everything was going great, the two of you where reminiscing about the past after Mammon mentioned a funny anecdote that made Lucifer laugh, but then…you had to ruin everything, didn’t you?

You had to mention her name.

Everyone in the room froze, yet you didn’t stop! You went on a ramble of how you wished things could’ve been different.

If it weren’t because Satan placed a hand on your shoulder, stopping you from saying anything else, perhaps you would have missed the expression on his face.

And then you saw it.

Lucifer’s face twisted in anger, his eyes betraying him and threatening tears slipping from the corner of his eyes…

What a heartbreaking sight…who knew a demon could cry like that?...

“Lucifer! I��m sorry!”

The Demon stopped in his tracks, yet he didn’t dare to face you.

“I’m sorry…that I- I didn’t…do more, I’m sorry that I was there and didn’t said anything! I’m sorry for abandoning you!”

The words you’ve been holding since you came here finally slipped out with such ease yet so much pain you didn’t even realized you had started crying.

“I’m sorry, I truly am, I’ve should’ve done something…”

You took a step forward.

“But please, Lucifer, I don’t want to lose you again, brother.”

Silence, but then…a small and quiet “laugh” was heard.

“Brother, you say?”

His tone was tranquil yet his words where infected in such poisonous rage.

“Simeon, I can think of many words to describe you, but brother is no longer one of them.”

It ached; not only in your heart but in your memories and hopes.

“Lucifer…”

A whisper that intended to reach his hearth, yet it was lost and never found in this void of hopelessness.

“I never blamed you for it, I truly never did…It hurt me, yes, that you hadn’t joined us in our fight, in our grief, but never once I thought it was your fault.”

And slowly he turned once again towards you, his eyes hollow and devoid of any emotion.

“I never wanted to believe it, but I guess is true. Isn’t it, Simeon? Angels truly are selfish beings.”

There are no words to describe the horrid hit of truth. Fast and unforgiving of our own bubble.

“Don’t insult my sister’s memory with your self-centeredness.”

You don’t know when everyone left or how much time you stood there frozen, eyes lost in nothingness.

You only felt the small hand of Luke grasping your own and slowly guiding your zombie-like body towards the exit.

And now here you are, days later, unable to shake off those words now heavy in your mind; not allowing any thoughts to slip by.

But, how could you?

There was no lie in that demon’s words.

So caught up in your own feelings that you were unable to truly understand how others were hurting.

And you call yourself an angel?

A glance at the mirror in the side of your bed and you feel like now you can see it.

“We angels…truly are…pitiful beings.”

 A truth that binds you in hopelessness…

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If you find any grammatical errors let me know! I'm trying to improve my english and that would help me so so much!

I will forever thank you if you go check out my other profile: @aileysmirnov  where I post things about my OC: edits, one-shots, imagines, art, etc. If you like Greek mythology and the bat family maybe you would get to be as fond of her as much as I am!

Anyway, thank you for reading!

[nerdwaifuu-stories]

The Proposal

Happy (belated) Ninjago Oc Day! Ik I haven’t posted much on this account, but I figured it would be the perfect time to post something about my OCs.

Ig some basic info:

Word count: 4,966

Oc basics: the main two are Hisashi and Emon. Hisashi was a samurai/soldier who I have made Ronin’s (dead) uncle. Emon was a criminal who worked for Chen (although Hisashi doesn’t know about that. He just knows that Emon has previously done crime in his youth), but started to lose interest over time due to several factors. Another oc that’s mentioned is Lex. They are a friend of Hisashi and Emon’s, and they are actually an Oni.

Summary: Taking place roughly 25-30ish years before the Ninjago series, Hisashi is coming home from a mission. Since he and Emon have been together for some time, he figures it’s time to take it to the next step. He is one ring purchase and a ship and train ride away from trying to reach that next step.

If you want to know more about these characters, there’s some stuff on my art account @nerdwaifuu-art.

Hope you enjoy!

Cheers rang through the village as they saw the group in green armor entering the village. The soldiers marched through the middle, many with a look of victory on their faces contrasting the scuff, dirt, wounds, and exhaustion their bodies presented: all a worthy cost for a village's safety. Eventually their march and the cheering stopped as the chief approached the group.

"Oh great heroes, thank you! Thank you for saving us from those fiends! We will never forget what you have done for us! May the Creator bring you prosperity!" The chief cheered. Once he spoke his last word, the crowd of villagers' cheer erupted again, echoing the chief's message. From there, the chief and the captain went off to chat and the rest dispersed throughout the village. Some made their way back to the ship either to rest or prepare for the journey back to the city. Others remained in the village to chat or to explore. Amongst those exploring were two young men: a stout, short dark brown haired chatterbox and a long dark copper haired, silent listener. The two strolled through the village as one chatted away and the other listened while glancing at everything they passed.

"I wonder if the captain saw our hard work out there."

"Mhm."

"I mean we were kicking butt out there."

"Mhm."

"We should probably go to the medics to get our backs checked from how much carrying we were doing..."

"Mhm."

The stout man slowed his walk as he placed his hand on his friend's shoulder, "Hisashi, you good? You're quieter than usual, and it’s hard for you to be quieter than you already are..." He paused before he threw himself on track to a ramble, "Anyways, you just seem out of it."

"Yeah... Uh, yes, yes I'm fine, Shiro," Hisashi stumbled, "My mind's just on, uh, other things."

"Oh? Other things? What kind of other things?" Shiro questioned.

"You know... other things..." Hisashi kept scanning the surrounding stands and buildings.

"No, I don't know other things. How about you introduce me to them?" Shiro coaxed.

With a sigh, Hisashi stopped his mini search and said, "I'm just looking for some gifts..."

"Forrrr?"

Hisashi paused for a second, then said, "For my nephew-"

"Ah, why didn't you say so? No need to be so secretive with me," Shiro smirked, "C'mon, let's go find him something. One of these shops should have something he'll like" Shiro kept his hand on Hisashi's shoulder as he started to lead him. Hisashi resisted the push and said, "Actually, I know what shop I want to go to... I just need to find it again..." He looked around once more and then there it was: a small wooden stand run by a middle aged woman. The stand was covered with an assortment of items: jewelry, weapons, metal decorations, toys, metal sculptures, etc. He saw it the first time he arrived at the village and knew he had to stop by it.

"There it is," Hisashi took the lead and pulled Shiro with him as he approached the stand.

"Ah, hello boys~ Do you see anything you like?" The woman greeted them.

"My friend here is just looking, but I do see something I like," Shiro said, shooting a smoldering look towards the woman. The woman giggled and the two continued to chat (or Shiro commanded the conversation and continually bragged about himself). Meanwhile, Hisashi looked at the items. His eyes kept being pulled towards the actual reason that he wanted to come to the stand in the first place—a set of two matching rings sitting in a wooden ring box. Both were made up of a thick metal band that had a space cut in the middle where the gem was, making it appear as if the gem was floating. On the band, on either side of the gem, was a dragon carving colored gold. One ring had a black tinted band with a white gem while the other had a polished, silver finish and a black gem.

The woman noticed his interest in the rings and, once Shiro had taken a short pause, she shifted her focus, "I see that you've found something you like." She picked up the ring box and placed it in the middle of the table. Shiro shot a confused look at the woman and then at Hisashi.

"Oh, sorry, I was just looking at them. They're very beautiful," Hisashi admitted.

"Haha, no need to apologize for looking at what I'm selling, but thank you. My husband's... well, my late husband's father made them," the woman sighed, "Honestly the story is quite sweet. He came to this village and set up a blacksmith shop. A woman came into the shop one day and he fell deeply in love with her. He expanded his skills from weapon making to making small metal trinkets to give to her—" the woman glanced down at some of the other items at her stand before continuing, "She loved every single one and returned his love. Eventually, he decided it was time. He went into his workshop and began on his favorite project. The next time anyone saw him leave his shop, he went directly to the woman, took her somewhere nice, and proposed with these rings. She wore one and he wore the other..." A small smile formed on her face as she looked back at the rings, "Then they passed it down to my husband to use with me, and now here I am trying to sell them," she sighed, "I have no use for them now, and, even though I'm probably making some people roll in their graves, I need the money..."

"Awww, yeah that is really sweet. It's a shame you don't have a lady friend back at home, unless you and that Lexi girl have something~" Shiro teased Hisashi. Hisashi rolled his eyes. 'That Lexi girl' he referred to was Lex, but Hisashi only saw them as a friend. Instead, he had his eyes on someone else; someone else that he deeply cared about; someone else that he actually had something with.

"Plus we're here for your nephew. I don't think he'll have any use for these rings," Shiro reminded him.

"Um, right, of course..." Hisashi watched as the woman placed the rings back to their original spot.

"Oh, a nephew? Is he into metal work? Or I'm assuming he'll like the toys if he's young or the weapons perhaps?" The woman asked.

"Ah yes, a 5 year old who's into metal work-" Shiro quietly snickered. Hisashi shot a quick glare at him.

"Oh, he's quite young, scratch the weapons then," she chuckled.

Hisashi looked around the table some more and decided on one of the small metal figures and an old pocket watch.

"Ah, I'm sure he'll enjoy that," Shiro muttered sarcastically when he noticed the pocket watch was no longer ticking.

"He likes taking things apart and making new things, so yes, he'll probably enjoy this," Hisashi defended his choice.

"Is he trying to be an inventor?" the woman asked.

"I believe he does have an interest in becoming one. He's been fascinated with all the technological changes going on in the city. I don't understand it, but at least he's getting prepared for the future," Hisashi answered, starting to take out his money for his purchase.

"I forgot Ninjago City was going through all that. All the beautiful wood and clay buildings being replaced with tall metal buildings... It's insane."

"Yeah..." Hisashi and Shiro nodded along. While Hisashi searched for the right amount of money, he noticed that the remaining soldiers started to make their way back to the ship. He glanced back at the rings and turned to Shiro, "How about you head back to the ship while I finish up here?"

Shiro nodded, said his goodbye to the shop owner and left. As soon as he was out of earshot, Hisashi turned back to the stand and asked, "How much are the rings?"

The woman stated the price and said, "So you are interested in them after all?" Hisashi nodded as he took out the right amount of money for the rings, the figure, and the pocket watch.

"So is this for someone or just keeping it for yourself?" The woman wondered.

"I have someone at home waiting for me—"

The woman leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with interest. Before she could ask any questions, with a soft smile, Hisashi whispered, "I met h- uh, this person a while back and now we've been together for 5-6 years now... I figured I should do something special..."

"And decided it was time?" The woman asked at the same volume as him, with a large grin on her face. He nodded.

"Well, I hope the Creator blesses you both," she said, exchanging the items for Hisashi's money. He said his thanks and started to head off to the ship.

"Goodbye, may the Creator bring you prosperity and may the Great Serpent protect you on your journey!" The woman called out.

Hisashi turned around and asked "Great Serpent?"

"Oh, do people in the city not know this story?" Hisashi shook his head, so she explained, "According to some stories I've heard, there's a serpent that sleeps deep in the sea. She apparently used to rule the sea and was the reason for the waves and the storms, so people used to pray to her and give her offerings to keep her happy. Unfortunately that's all I know from the top of my head, and it's all probably just a story."

"Huh, sounds interesting. Thank you," Hisashi said before departing.

Laying his bed, Hisashi could feel the ship rock back and forth and hear his roommates chatting instead of sleeping, excited to be one step closer to home in the morning. But none of it blocked his focus on reading. His brain refused to let him sleep as the nerves have finally got to him. He had a ring in his possession, and he was hopefully going to give it away once he got to the city. To try to calm himself down in the safety of his bed, he took out some letters he got in the past few weeks. Each one started with "My Dearest Sai," and ended with "I can't wait to see you again. Love, Emon Sharma."

It was odd to think that these letters used to be closed off with a "Sincerely" or a simple "From," and "Love" was never a closing he had seen until 5 years ago. Even though it's been years, Hisashi's heart still flutters when he sees the word in Emon's handwriting. It still feels like such a new feeling, especially when he never acknowledged that such feelings could exist in him when he was growing up. Even when his brother tried to describe them when referring to himself and his now wife during high school, Hisashi never understood. Now he did.

After rereading each of the letters, he held the paper close to his chest. He tried picturing everything that Emon described. He tried remembering each random ramble that he sent him that Emon responded to. He silently laughed at the idea of him trying to make sense of everything Hisashi tried telling him. If he tried sending similar letters to anyone else he knows, they would just skim through everything and ask about how he is and how's work, avoiding to say "please tell me more about this random thing you learned ." Emon would be one of the only people who would say that.

The chatter in the room quieted down and the remaining lights started to disappear. With a sigh, Hisashi caught one more glimpse of the contents of the letters before it went completely dark.

"I can't wait to see you again. Love, Emon Sharma."

He softly smiled, folded the letters, and placed them under his pillow.

"I can't wait either..."

"Ah finally, land!" Shiro exclaimed once he and Hisashi got off the ship. Carrying their stuff (armor, weapons, supplies, letters, etc.), the two swerved their way through the crowds of people. Fellow soldiers were pouring out of the boat, being welcomed by their loved ones, going to a nearby inn or bar, or already beginning their ways home. Hisashi looked around at who was there, but he knew that his loved ones were in the city, which was a train ride away. He smiled at the thought of coming off the train to them, and clutched the ring box that hid in his pocket.

"Are you sure you don't want to stop for a drink? Or even for a snack?" Shiro asked, following his 6 foot friend to avoid getting lost.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Gotta make sure I catch the train," he said, glancing back to make sure Shiro wasn't too far behind.

"But the train's not going to leave for a bit," Shiro said, puzzled.

"I know, I just..." Hisashi trailed off and stopped in his tracks, leading to Shiro bumping into him.

"Oof- what's going on?" He asked, but got no answer. Shiro looked past Hisashi to see what was ahead, but it didn't click due to so many people being around. It wasn't until he saw two people: a short, medium tanned, black haired man with a scruffy beard and a towering, brown-skinned, short brown haired (hidden under a hat), female presenting person. The man noticed them and started to wave, then stopped and started approaching quickly while dragging his companion with him. Hisashi gripped the hidden ring box tighter as he started walking to lessen the distance. Once he was within a foot of the man, the man threw his arms around Hisashi and nearly lifted him off his feet within the first few seconds of the hug while saying, "It's so good to see you, Sai!"

"Woah, easy Emon. No need to break me," Hisashi chuckled, wiggling a bit to loosen Emon's grip and free his arms. Once they were free, Hisashi returned the hug and pulled Emon close while Emon buried his face into Hisashi's shoulder. Hisashi wished he could stay in this hug forever. He also wished he could just give Emon a big kiss, but he had to wait until they were in private; until they were in the city...

"Wait a minute—" Hisashi pushed Emon out in front of him, keeping his hands on Emon's shoulders—"What are you guys doing here?"

"Lex and I just figured that you deserved a welcome party as soon as you arrived," Emon confessed.

"And Emon really missed you and wanted to see you as soon as possible," Lex added.

"Yeah, that too," Emon chuckled, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. A smile stretched across Hisashi's face as he tried to hold in a laugh. His hand left Emon's shoulder and almost caressed his cheek, but he then remembered Shiro was watching from behind and they were surrounded by other people. He slowly pulled his hand back and hid it back in his pocket, trying to ignore the longing look in Emon's eyes. He then said, "Thank you, I missed you so much too. I couldn't wait to see you again..." Emon responded with a soft smile.

"Well, I missed you guys too," Shiro barged in, now standing next to Hisashi.

"Yes, it's good to see you, Shiro," Lex mumbled.

"I thought you would be much happier, Lexi," Shiro snickered. Lex's eyes were shooting daggers, but they tried to hide their gaze behind the brim of their hat as they said, "We best be going now. Don't want to miss the train." Before anyone could say anything, Lex had already turned around and started towards the train station.

"Ah what a shame. I wanted to talk with y'all more," Shiro sighed, "Well, see y'all back in the city tomorrow!" After an exchange of goodbyes, Shiro disappeared into the crowd.

"Well then, let's go," Emon said, linking his arm with Hisashi's. The two then followed behind Lex, trying to keep up.

"What was all the hurry about Lex?" Emon asked them.

Lex turned their head away from the train window and said, "Just didn't want to get stuck in one of his rambles. You get him talking and you'll probably end up hearing too much about what happened during the mission. I'm just not in the mood to hear how he 'sliced one man's head off' or whatever."

"That's fair," Hisashi said, also looking at the passing land outside the window. He was there when all of it happened, and he didn't need to hear about it again. He only wanted his mind on one thing and one thing only.

"Speaking of which, how was the mission?" Emon asked.

"Oh, just a typical mission. The thugs were playing hard to get for some time. Fortunately, we stopped them before anything too bad happened, and we didn't have many major injuries this time around. Just some scratches here and there," Hisashi answered quickly. He took one last look out of the window before sitting up and facing Lex and Emon on the other side of the table, saying, "But, despite the mission, the place we were at was very lovely." Emon leaned closer, interested to hear more.

"It was a small village by the ocean. Whenever we had a break, it was so calming to be on the white beach and just listen to the calm waves. And the village was really lovely too. It was filled with small shops and stands, and the people there seemed nice. They were very welcoming and always closed the conversations with something about 'the Creator' blessing you." Hisashi said. Lex perked up to full attention towards the end.

"The Creator? Like the creator of the town?" Emon asked.

"Or the Realm..." Lex muttered quietly, but, when they got confused looks from the two men, they said, "World. I mean world."

"Oh right, that makes more sense," Emon chuckled.

"Yeah, they often referenced them, but I guess they have plenty of other stories too. Before I was leaving, a nice woman at a shop said something about a Great Serpent—" Hisashi then recited what the woman had told him. Both Emon and Lex were leaning in close to hear every word. When Hisashi finished, Emon, with excitement in his eyes, and Lex, looking like they wanted to say something but decided against it, looked at each other, then back at Hisashi.

"Woah, that's so cool! Bet that was fun to hear about right before getting on a ship," Emon snickered.

"Yeah, but it's merely just a story," Lex uttered, leaning back against the seat, "Nothing to worry about."

"Have you ever heard of it?" Hisashi asked them. Lex hesitantly nodded, "All I know about it is the same as what the woman told you..." Hisashi could tell that they knew more, but he didn't want to force anything out of them. He could probably try finding a scroll or a book with more information.

"Anyways, overall the place was really nice. If we didn't have work and other stuff to deal with, I would say we should go there sometime," Hisashi said, mainly glancing over to Emon when talking. The idea of just leaving the city, getting on a ship, and sailing somewhere to explore sounded so pleasant, especially if it was with Emon and even Lex. He would even want to take his nephew once in a while. Just the 3 and sometimes 4 of them on a ship, seeing what the world offered. But their lives didn't allow for that. Hisashi had soldier duties to take care of while Emon and Lex had their own responsibilities, and there was just too much they would be leaving behind. Maybe one day in the future it could become a reality.

"Yeah, that would be nice," Emon said, smiling. Then the table went silent. Lex went back to looking out the window while the other two sat silently. Hisashi started to fidget with the ring box in his pocket, only bringing back the nerves. He looked up at Emon and could see he was shifting in his seat, shooting glances at both him and Lex. He wondered what Emon could be so nervous about.

Lex turned their head and sensed the nervousness sitting next to them and across from them. They shot a "say something and get it over with" look at both Hisashi and Emon.

"Sai—"

"Emon—"

They both paused and tried continuing, only further interrupting each other, "Sorry, go ahead—no you go ahead—no I didn't have anything to say—no please, I interrupted you—"

With a sigh, Lex barged in, "So, do you guys have any plans for today?" The two paused and looked at each other, waiting for the other to say something.

"I heard the weather is going to be super nice today. Maybe you guys can go to the park," Lex suggested.

"You are such a mind reader. That was what I was going to suggest," Emon said.

"I was actually going to recommend the same thing," Hisashi nervously laughed. He's so glad that he wrote Lex about what his plans were, or he would've just chickened out and waited to do it.

"Hah, perfect. Maybe we can get some lunch too. You're probably starving. I know I am," Emon said with a grin.

"Sounds good," Hisashi replied with a soft smile. He turned to Lex and mouthed the words "Thank you."

They smirked and mouthed back the words "You're welcome."

"Man, no matter how many times I come here, I always forget how good the food is," Emon exclaimed as he finished paying for the food. In defeat, Hisashi watched the check and the money leave. Him and Emon literally went back and forth about who would pay the bill only to find out that Hisashi had left his wallet at home due to him rushing to get ready and look nice for the day, so Emon came out victorious.

"I claim to pay the next check," Hisashi uttered while they got up and left the café.

"Haha, we'll see if you remember your wallet next time," Emon snickered, "Although it's not like you to forget it at all. Are you feeling well?"

"Yes yes, I'm fine," Hisashi chuckled, "Just adjusting to being home that's all..."

And just being a big ball of nerves, he thought to himself. At least he had the ring with him, or his whole plan would have gone down the drain because of one silly mistake.

"How about you though? You seemed nervous on the train," he asked Emon.

"Oh, uh, yeah. Um, yeah I'm good now. It was just being on a train. Y'know I don't really go on them," Emon said. Hisashi raised an eyebrow, but decided not to  further question him.

The two continued to chat as they walked towards and into the park. Circled by the new skyscrapers, the park sat at the center of the entire city. Full of green hills and growing trees, it was one of the few areas of nature in the city. It was still a work in progress as workers were busy with putting in new buildings, benches, and pathways, but it was still a nice place for a stroll and a proposal.

The two walked through the park, chatting and enjoying the scenery. While listening to Emon, Hisashi scanned the area, trying to find the best area. It needed to be a private area with no one around, but also needed to be a beautiful area.

All of a sudden, Emon grasped Hisashi's hand and said, "Come with me, I know a good place you need to see." He then started leading him up one of the hills, looked around, and then continued pulling him along. Down the hill, across some of the grass, and up a slightly taller hill. Once they reached the top, Emon stopped and tightened his hand around Hisashi's, looking out at the view of the entire park.

"Wow," Hisashi marveled at the view. It was beautiful... and there wasn't anyone else around... it was perfect.

"I know right. I came here all the time when I was younger. When I had no where else to go, I would just come here..." Emon's grip loosened, so Hisashi gently pulled his hand away and backed up slightly. He pulled the ring box out of his pocket and took a deep breath as he went down on a knee. This was it. It was time.

"It's crazy to think that I've come all this way," Emon continued, still looking at the view, "I used to come here as a young thief just trying to survive. That's all I thought my life would be until the day I died. But you've changed that..." Hisashi watched Emon go grab something from inside his jacket, but he couldn't see what. "...You've shown me that there's more to my life. Life is not just about trying to get by. It's about learning and experiencing new things. It's about love. It's about so much more than I know, So, I took you here in hopes that I can leave the lonely, barely living thief behind and enter a new chapter of our lives. Hisashi Arima, will y—" Emon turned around, about to kneel down, but he stopped halfway. In his hands was a long, wooden box with a black finish, kept shut with a golden latch. He quickly stood up and hid the box back in his jacket, his eyes not leaving Hisashi. He ran one of his hands through his hair as his face started to flush red. "Sai, I— oh my god..." was all he could say.

Hisashi sat there frozen, unsure what to do. He had planned this for weeks, but now everything just jumped out of his brain.

"Were you about to propose..."

Emon lips formed an embarrassed smile as he quickly nodded. Hisashi's mouth hung open and he looked down at the ring box, unsure what to say. Should he just try to stick to his plan or let Emon continue?

"Forget about me, go ahead," Emon whispered, gently pulling Hisashi's chin back up.

"Um, well," Hisashi cleared his throat and took a deep breath in, looking into Emon's eyes. They had a sort of calming aura about them now. Hisashi's lip curled up slightly as he gathered his words.

"I guess to play off what you've said, you have changed my life as well. Before I really got to know you, I probably seemed like a stone cold guy whose only purpose was to work until he no longer could. You have added more purpose to my life... so much more purpose. And, despite trying to understand everything, love was never one I could get a grasp of. Now I feel like I know at least a tiny bit about it from the past few years, and I'm willing to learn more with you. Emon, I love you so much. I will love you until the day I die. Even beyond death, I will always love you..." Hisashi took a pause, trying to catch his breath from speeding up towards the end without taking a moment to breathe. During the pause, he decided to open the ring box, resulting in a quiet gasp from Emon. He glanced up at him to see the reaction. His smile was bigger, but was being slightly hidden behind one of his hands. His calming eyes started to tear up as he looked up from the ring to Hisashi.

"Will you... would you... uh..." Hisashi started, but his mind was back to blanking out. Improvising clearly took all his brain power. It was his turn to blush red.

Emon chuckled, took Hisashi's one hand that wasn't holding the box, and asked "Will you marry me?" Hisashi couldn't help but laugh along as he quickly nodded. Emon then took the polished silver ring and slipped it onto one of Hisashi's fingers, and Hisashi put the other one on Emon.

"By the way, that was my line," Hisashi joked as he gave Emon his ring.

"Technically it was supposed to be mine," Emon said before pulling Hisashi up and into a kiss with his arms around his neck. Once they both pulled away, Emon held Hisashi close and rested his head against his shoulder.

"I love you so much Sai, and thank you for the ring. It's absolutely as beautiful as you are..." Emon said, then remembered his proposal gift. He let go of Hisashi, grabbed the box, went down on his knees, and held the box up.

"This is what I was going to give you... I hope you don't mind it not being a ring..."

Hisashi took the box from him and unlocked the latch. He lifted the lid to find a ornate dagger inside. It had a pale green jade hilt with silver sheath decorated with floral motifs and pale green and red gemstones. He gently picked up the dagger and unsheathed it to reveal a silver, double edged blade.

"This is beautiful," he said in awe, sheathing the blade and placing it carefully back into the box.

"I'm glad you think so. As soon as I saw it, I figured it would be a perfect gift," Emon said, smiling.

"It definitely is. Thank you," Hisashi said, giving Emon a quick peck on the lips.

"Well, should we get out of here and start the next chapter of our lives?" Hisashi asked.

Emon took a hold of Hisashi's hand and said, "I'm ready whenever you are."

They took one more look at the view, and Hisashi started to lead Emon.

"Let's go."

[reveltica]

The Rundown

part i

him

“No time to lose, I have to run you through your situation and your purpose for being here.” The "person" said, not giving her enough time to question anything. He grabbed her arm and harshly pulled her away somewhere safe.

She was stunned by this person. He was tan and dressed in elegant dark clothing. His hair has such an iridescent glow, from her artistic eye, it suited him very much. If they were in any normal situation, she would swoon! She was a sucker for these looks.

But they weren't in any normal situation, more likely they were in danger. He led them inside a hollow tree. The tree big enough to house them both. She was smart enough to keep quiet when she heard the Hilichurls rumbling down their path and past their hideout.

Once the coast was clear, she immediately backed away from this beautiful stranger, unfortunately. 'Who are you and what is going on? How did I get here? And I sure know there wasn't any character from Genshin who looks like you!?' she whispered shouted.

'Unless they updated the game...' she added later on.

'You deserve every right for an answer.' the stranger started. 'I am Dantalion, a Great Duke and The Keeper of The Forbidden Library. Much like you, I am also an "outlander" as one would say'. Dantalion informed, dusting off his sleeves and readjusting them before continuing. 'Your situation might be unbelievable but we are inside Genshin. In Mondstadt to be exact−'

'Mondstadt?!'

'Yes, as I was saying. You are here for a reason. And a reason I am involved with. I excel at most things especially ambitions for me and my people. But my peers and I don't see eye to eye, so I decided to leave them for me to achieve my goals and desires. They're very boring and dull that they can't even perceive the sparkling future I am seeing through my eyes.'

She listened to him ramble on. It was quite a long introduction. He was sure full of himself, she thought. 'So, were you suspended from your position?' she concluded. Observing that he is so sure and seemingly arrogant, she was pretty sure his "peers" had enough of his obnoxiousness and other deeds worthy of this suspension.

Silence.

'I, wasn't, no that is not the case my dear. For I am a Great Duke! How dare they punish me?!' he raged, tone laced with venom. But he immediately composed himself and continued.

'Unfortunately they blocked all portals going in and out of this world. Basically we are stuck here, but I have devised a solution!' Dantalion conjured up a book, only its pages were missing. It was very elegant like himself. Golden edges and a crest in the middle of the dark cover. The crest was hollow and it seemed to indicate that there was something that belonged there in the first place.

'Document every elemental power, draw every powerful weapon, and the magic gathered in that book would be powerful enough to conjure a portal. You'll be back home, scot-free and I have another collection for my library and therefore, earning my redemption. What do you say? Its a pretty good deal if I say so myself.' He chuckled, mostly to himself.

She just sighed and kept quiet. Everything was going on so fast and questions piled up in her head every passing second. Any questions, uh, I'm sorry I haven't gotten your name yet?'

She was still admiring the covers of this cover when she was asked for her name. 'Oh, my name is−'

'Oh tut, not your real name. I already know.'

Then why'd you asked for my name?!

'It's also mundane and boring. How about I pick one for you?' boisterously speaking, Dantalion turned around. She was getting rather irritated by this man and looking defeated, she sighed. 'Alright then, what it'll be?'

Dantalion hummed and smiled and summoned yet another book. He flipped through its pages. The cover is pastel pink with green vines adorning it and instead of a hollowed crest on the middle, a flower was in its place.

' IRIS. That'll be the name you'll be using here.' He declared. She made a shrugging gesture, hinting that she would go with it. She kind of liked it, since she also agreed to his notion about her name. Plain and small, was what she thought.

'Now!' Dantalion slammed his book shut and it poofed out of existence. 'Any questions Iris? suggestions or violent reactions? I may be a Great Duke but I also value my companion's concerns.' he continued.

Even though she was info dumped by Dantalion, she caught on pretty fast. What must be done in haste but also questions lingered.

'But why specifically me?' she started her barrage of questions. 'My peers gave me a few options on who'll accompany me in this journey. I chose you since you seemed to be knowledgeable on the lore of this world.' He replied.

'And you're good with arts, which I am very proud of, so our job of documenting would be fairly easy!' Dantalion had this excited spark in his heterochromatic eyes.

'Me? Knowledgeable?' Iris scoffed. 'But I haven't even personally played the game yet. I'm pretty sure there are others who would be far more cultured about Genshin and have played the game.' She explained. Because, honestly!

'Dantalion, this is where your plan would inevitably fail. I only know snippets of this worlds lore and story. The players know more than I would. I may be good at art, but there are also players who are exceptional.' Iris proclaimed, hands crossed while looking up at him, his face contorted in realization.

'Say, did you really thought of your plan thoroughly?' Iris turned towards him. His face has darkened and his arms crossed. She could've sworn she saw a vein pop.

Dantalion sighed, his tense shoulders slumped and walked towards her.

'Look, they haven't given me much of a choice of what I should do to get back and who will accompany me.' He said truthfully, Iris thought that he was.

'You and I both don't want to spend another second in this world−'

'Oh, I don't mind actually.'

'I− what?'

'Yes, I don't really mind. I kind of think it as a... vacation from reality, you know? And I don't mind documenting for your "Forbidden Library."' she respondedadding air quotes. 'Feels like I'll be contributing something big.'

Dantalion was taken aback by Iris' eagerness and nonchalance. Earlier she was questioning every detail, and he bet she would ask for more later, about her being there with him.

But this caused Dantalion to smirk in amusement. 'You are quite interesting−'

Suddenly, they heard cracking and crushing of something. They both looked up and saw that their hideout had been pulled out of its roots and revealed themselves to their pursuers. They see the Hilichurls have recruited more of their kin and what's worse is, there's a Berserker amongst them.

'Run.'

part iii

[6rookie-writer0110]

Help me to stop running in the dark

Sam Arias x Male Reader

Request- Can you do a male reader Story for dating sam arais and being Ruby's father and R used to date in there teen years but had a nasty break because they nurt each other. They meet again in season 4 and they slowly trust each other and got back together and tells R that Ruby's father and he blames the condom. Ruby finding out as well. R is like goku and had ultra instinct without any draw backs and he can go ssj to sjj4 to sjj god and super sayian blue . In earth 38 sayians exists. Can you include in the story of sam arias request that R has a son named Gohan and his a sayian hybrid

National City, is your new home. You and your son just unpacked the last box and you are happy about it.

”Dad, why I can't go to work with you?” Gohan asked.

”I can't watch you and do my job. But I promise I will give you the tour where I work” You said.

”Sounds boring,” Gohan said.

”Best part, they have a training room,” You said.

He smiled and he wants to go now. You are a single father with a son named Gohan and he is twelve years old. You accepted a new job at the DEO, agent and a scientist also as a doctor. You worked hard in college it wasn't easy with raising a kid and going to school. You have always been into martial arts, your son Gohan loves to train and he is a huge fan of martial arts.

”That's great! Let's go now!” Gohan yelled with joy.

”Because you have school today and you can't be absent,” You said.

”Why, I can't miss one day?” Gohan asked.

”I told you your studies are very important and you need good grades,” You said.

He pouts and crossed his arms.

”Fine” Gohan said.

---

You took him to school then you went to work. J'onn gave you the tour of the DEO, he introduced you to Winn, Nia, Alex, James, Brainy, and Kara but as supergirl. While doing your work, you heard someone shouting and you recognize the voice. You stand up and followed the voice, you see Brainy, Alex, and Kara talking to Vegeta.

”About time you showed up, Y/N,” Vegeta said.

”You know him?” Kara asked.

”We caught him fighting and he caused the earth to crack,” Alex said.

”He is not the enemy and yes I do know him,” You said.

”How can you be sure?” Brainy asked.

”Because he trained me. And he has saved the earth countless times. Vegeta, there is a training room we can use and they have the option of using powers or not. Are you in?” You said.

”I will still beat you with powers or without powers,” Vegeta said.

You and Vegeta left the room, they are confused about what just happened.

”You have to work!” Alex yelled.

”I will do it later!” You yelled back.

It was a slow day at the DEO, and you were bored in your lab.

Vegeta turns Super Saiyan 4 and you start to get ready. Vegeta cracked his knuckles and he gets into his stance now you start to turn Super Saiyan blue.

Alex, Kara, and Brainy wanted to watch. They knew you had powers but didn't know what it was.

”I’m ready,” You said.

” Let's start,” Vegeta said.

You and Vegeta throw the first punches, it caused the building to shake a little bit. Vegeta kicked your arm and you fell down, but you jumped back up fast. You and Vegeta keep fighting and not backing down.

”He is really strong,” Kara said.

”He is. I never saw two people fight like that before” Alex said.

They keep watching you and Vegeta fight.

✯ ✬ ✯ ✬

There is a charity event which Lena is hosting. You had to go because you and others want to catch Lillian at the party. You are at the bar and you are looking around and Kara is talking to Lena.

”Y/N?”

You turned to your right and it's Sam Arias.

”Wow, Sam!” You cheerfully said.

She hugged you and you hugged her back. You and Sam missed each other so badly.

”What are you doing here in National City?” Sam asked.

”I just moved here with my son and I work for the DEO. What about you?” You said.

”You have a son?” Sam asked in shock.

You nod.

”Yeah, I have a son named Gohan. I'm a single parent. So tell me about you” You said.

You and Sam used to date in high school, but you two were immature. The break up was nasty since Sam disappeared and you never heard of her for many years. She does know about your superpowers.

”After our break, I moved to Metropolis. I have been living there for many years now I live here in National City. I work for Lena Luthor” Sam said.

”Sam, I'm sorry I hurt you back in high school. I was immature and an idiot, I'm sorry and I hope we can start over” You said.

Sam wanted to tell you something but she changed her mind.

”Y/N, I'm sorry too. We were both idiots and we can start over. I really missed you” Sam said.

”I missed you too,” You said.

Lillian crashed the party but she isn't alone. You turned Super Saiyan and Lillian starts to attack.

”Sam, go now,” You said.

”Okay. Y/N be safe” Sam said.

”I will,” You said.

You start to fight Lillian but you had to hold back. She does have the Luthor suit but you didn't want to injure her. You made sure Sam is safe, Kara and Lillian start to fright and you help Alex save people.

You saw Metallo trying to kill Sam. You snapped and you went Super Saiyan rose.

”Stay away from her!” You yelled.

Everyone saw that your hair changed to pink. You punched him and he hits the wall, he gets back up.

”What are you?” Metallo asked.

”Does it matter? I will make you pay for hurting her” You said.

He laughed.

”Oh, I hurt your girlfriend” Metallo mocked.

You and Metallo start to fight. You easily dodged his attacks, he is nowhere near your speed and reflexes. You punched him in the face than in the stomach, the enemies start to run towards you but you easily start to defeat them. You did toy with them then you only had to use one or two attacks to defeat them.

---

At the DEO, Alex made sure that Sam is okay. You went to see Sam, Kara, and Alex are there.

”Are you okay?” You asked.

”Yeah, I'm okay,” Sam said.

”Y/N where are you from? I never saw anyone turn pink like you” Kara said.

”I am a Super Saiyan. I used to have a home called Planet Vegeta, it's located in the south Galaxy. But my home was destroyed by a fire and many people died. There are different levels of Super Saiyan, that people can change into different colors. Super Saiyan Pink, which is the highest and strongest level” You said.

”I know what it's like to lose a home,” Kara said.

---

Gohan is on cloud Nimbus, he got bored at home and went for a ride. He knows where you work and he got inside and saw you.

”Dad!!!” Gohan yelled with joy.

You are still with Sam, Winn, Alex, and Kara. Gohan jumped on you and he hugged you.

”You have a son?” Alex asked.

”Yes, this is my son Gohan,” You said.

”Hi!!” Gohan smiled big.

”What is that!?” Winn and Kara asked.

”This is Nimbus a cloud, it takes anywhere we want to go,” You said.

”Can we ride Nimbus?” Kara asked.

”Please,” Winn said.

”Yes. Gogan, make sure them how to ride Nimbus” You said.

”Yay!!” They cheered.

You and Sam watched them ride Nimbus.

”He is cute,” Sam said.

”Thanks, he gets it from me,” You said

You and Sam laughed.

✯ ✬ ✯ ✬

Weeks went by you and Sam have been spending time together. Slowly trusting each other and you're still in love with her. But you haven't told her yet, you want to but you don't know if she will feel the same. You went to see Lena Luthor

”What I can do for you, Y/N,” Lena said.

”Lena, I need your help. Can... You maybe find out if Sam likes me?” You said.

”Didn't you used to date Sam in high school?” Lena asked.

”Yeah, we used to date but the breakup was nasty and I was immature. I'm still in love with her and I want to know if she feels the same. You and Sam are close and maybe if you can find out for me” You said.

Lena starts to think. You and Lena do get along but don't know each other too well.

”Okay, Y/N I will find out for you. Don't hurt her again or I’m going after you” Lena said.

”I won't hurt her again, you my word,” You said.

”Good,” Lena said.

You smiled at Lena.

---

Lena did find out if Sam has feelings for you and Lena said yes. You couldn't stop smiling and your heart raced when you thought about her.

You are training with Vegeta and Gohan. You have bee training all day and your body is feeling sore. Vegeta always pushes you over the limit. Sam came over and she saw your abs, her face turned red. She tried not to stare but you saw it and smirked.

”Y/N, can we talk in private?” Sam asked.

”Um sure. Just let me clean up then we talk” You said.

”Yeah,” Sam said.

You see Gohan and Sam talking to each other and they are getting along.

---

You and Sam go somewhere private to talk.

”What’s wrong?” You asked.

”There was a reason why I disappeared in high school,” Sam said.

”Because?” You said.

”You got me pregnant. I told my mom but she kicked me out and I was angry at everyone, you and especially at myself. I just packed my things and left and I raised our daughter Ruby, on my own. Y/N, you have a daughter” Sam said.

Your eyes opened very wide and you had no idea what to say.

”But we used a condom!” You yelled.

”It was broken or it popped,” Sam said.

”You think I can sue the company who made the condom?-”

Sam laughed.

”You're such an idiot” Sam is still laughing.

”Sam! I am serious I want to sue them” You said.

”You will lose the case. Y/N, how do you feel about it? I know you missed a lot but I was-” Sam said.

You started to ramble on about suing the company. To make you stop, Sam kissed you and you kissed her back.

”Wow,” You said.

”Yeah. It was to make you stop talking about the condom” Sam said.

You nod.

✯ ✬ ✯ ✬

Days later, Sam told Ruby that you're her father. Gohan did meet Ruby and they are getting along.

”Why my mom didn't like you in high school?” Ruby asked.

”We didn't like each other when we first met each other. She thought I was annoying but we had the same classes. We had to work on a project together and she wasn't happy. The more spend the time we spent together we started to like each other” You said.

”How about now?” Ruby asked.

”We want to make it work and be a couple again. I want you and Gohan to have a bond” You said.

”It will be cool to have a little brother,” Ruby said.

”So cool I have a sister and someone to play with” Gohan smiled.

---

You are at Sam’s house with Gohan. You are making pancakes and you know that Sam loves pancakes. Everyone is starting to eat pancakes.

”Mom, these pancakes are better than yours,” Ruby said.

”Her nickname is pancakes because that's what she loves the most when it comes to food” You teased.

Ruby and Gohan giggled.

”Y/N, shut up,” Sam said.

You winked at her and she kissed you.

”Guys gross, we are eating,” Ruby said.

You and Sam kissed again.

”More for me,” Gohan said

He stole Sam and your pancakes and started to eat it.

Later, you and Sam take the kids ice skating. Everyone is having fun and Gohan doesn't know how to skate, he kept falling down hard. You and Sam start to teach him how to skate. Everyone is having fun, you or Sam can't stop smiling at each other.

[hwas-housewife]

Okay you're closing the game tomorrow and I can't lose this chance to request for sannie kdnwhdnsns so San + prompt 24 + au prompt 21 + and you can choose how it goes, I'm sure you'll make a PIECE OF ART love ya beautiful 🥺

Prompt: “Stay the night. Please.” + Best Friend AU

Word count: ~2k

Genre: Fluff + angst

Warnings: undertones of a toxic relationship

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

A/N: ok wow this ended up sadder than I was originally going for so I am so sorry. I tried to bring it back to being okay by the end but I really don’t know how much I actually like the results, so I hope you like it still!

(also sorry it’s been so long since I put anything out)

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

Your phone vibrated as the violent ringtone of your best friend screaming pierced the air. You can fully blame San for recording and changing it in the first place. However, you keeping it the clip of him screaming bloody murder into a mic was entirely your fault. 

Reading the caller ID, you sighed as your boyfriend’s name was spelled out in big letters. 

“Don’t tell me it’s that prick you call your boyfriend,” San’s insult didn’t even phase you. They never had gotten along quite well. And you were sure that him calling–again–was getting on San’s nerves the longer the phone was screaming. 

“It’ll only be a minute, Sannie. I promise,” you apologetically looked at him and grabbed your phone, heading for the outside of your best friend’s room. 

You were sure San mumbled out some more profanities while he paused the movie and you finished closing the door. Standing in the dark hallway, you took one more breath before pressing your thumb to the ‘answer’ button.

“Why haven’t you been answering my texts? God, I was so worried for you,” your boyfriend almost sounded sincere over the phone.

“I’m watching a movie. I told you it was best friend night,” your voice sounded weaker than you intended, “like every Thursday night,” the whisper left your lips with immediate regret.

“Oh, how could I forget. Thursday night. Of course! It’s not like you spend every single day with him anyway. Yet you can’t spare your boyfriend a text back when he’s concerned for you,” the sarcasm in his words hurt more than a boyfriend’s words should.

“I wasn’t looking at my phone, I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry? An apology is all I get for the panic I’ve been feeling for the past hour. He could’ve tried something on you within that time and I would have no idea. Do you even know what’s been going through my head? You can be so oblivious sometimes.”

You hated it when he gets like this. He has always disproved of your friendship with San since day one. You just figured that a year and a half into the relationship that he wouldn’t be so reluctant to let you hang out with San.

“I’ve told you before, we’ve been bes–,” he cut you off before you could even finish.

“Best friends since first grade, so he would never try anything on me. You say that every time and yet I know what he’s actually like. The second he gets you far enough away from me, he’s going to take advantage of you. Just watch,” his voice was loud and aggressive and it was starting to freak you out. But you weren’t going to let him insult your best friend right in front of you.

“San would never do that. He’s a good person. How dare you accuse him of something so vile,” you spit the words out, venom in your voice. You were glad neither of the men could see you right now. Your hand holding the phone to your ear was shaking and tears threatened to spill out your eyes.

“Or is that something you’re hoping to happen? Is that why you get so defensive? Oh, I bet it is. You probably already are doing that. That’s why you haven’t been answering me. You were too busy with your hands,” he takes a pause, waiting to see if you’re going to build off his anger. 

However, you were still, frozen in shock. Your boyfriend just accused you of cheating on him with your childhood best friend. You. San. Cheating? You almost laughed at the absurdity of the situation. 

“What? No words? I guess that’s what happens when you get called out. I just can’t believe it took me this long to figure out. I mean, I’ve always had my suspicions but I thought you were too much of a goody-two-shoes to actually do it. I guess the guys were right, girls like you look innocent and cute but are actually just a hoe looking for her next plaything.”

Tears now streamed down your face. The false accusations stung. They hurt worse than any other harmful words he’s thrown your way. He was upfront, but never this rude to you. 

You wiped your eyes, mustering up the courage to say what you needed to get out.

“I think we need a break,” your voice cracked, giving away your current state. 

He stopped his ramblings when he heard your words. You could only hear his angered, labored breathing on the other end of the phone.

“And for the record, I’ve never cheated on you.”

You clicked the end call button on your phone as tears fell from your eyes. 

Giving yourself a second to register what just happened, you let out a shaky breath. The tears morphed into sobs as you stood in the dark hallway. All you wanted was for your best friend to shush you and tell you it will be okay. 

With that realization, you faced the door and slowly turned the knob. San laid on your bed, scrolling through some social media on his phone as he waited for your return. Upon hearing the knob turn, he looked towards you with a smile on his face, ready to show you some stupid video he just saw.

But once he saw your red and already-puffing eyes, the smile vanished and was overtaken with a look of concern. He sat up, moving the bedding over to help you get under some blankets.

You slowly made your way to him, letting out hiccups and sobs. Finally, you sat down on the bed, pulling your legs up to your chest and looking into your best friend’s dark eyes.

His dark blue–almost black–hair covered part of his eyes as he grabbed both your shoulders gently, “What happened?”

“I guess I just broke up with him,” you gave him a teary smile, but it quickly faded as the reality of the situation kept returning.

San’s hands made their way around you until his muscular arms engulfed you. He brought your body to his, forcing your head to rest against his chest.

“I’m sorry,” were the only words he muttered as he caressed your hair, trying to hush your tears.

You sobbed for what you think was the greater part of an hour before you were starting to relax. You still sat, cuddled into your best friend as he rubbed circles into your arms, sides, wherever he could to try to calm your aching heart. 

Somewhere in the midst of the tears, he coaxed the two of you into a lying position. So now, your head rested on his chest as he looked up at your bedroom ceiling speckled with glow-in-the-dark stars. They had lost their glow years ago, but the memories of you and San putting them up and pretending they were the night sky still felt fresh in his memory.

“Sannie,” your voice was hoarse as you called him. He hummed for you to continue, “Stay the night. Please.”

It wouldn’t be the first time he stayed the night at your place. You’ve known each other for more than twelve years now, and sleepovers were mandatory best friend activities in your younger teen days. But this was different. You needed him right now, more than the time you embarrassed yourself in front of the entire junior-year class during high school. And he knew that you needed him.

“I wasn’t going to leave unless you were pushing me out the door anyway. I want to be here for you,” San’s words made your heartache more than it already was, and it brought tears to your eyes.

Your arms wrapped around his torso, squeezing him to you, “Thank you. You really are the bestest best friend.”

You looked up at him, a small smile on your face. His hand came down to brush some hair behind your ear, a gentle smirk on his face.

“But he really was a prick. You deserve someone better than him. So don’t let some singular brain celled human upset you this much. You’ll be able to find someone who will love you more than he ever did and they’ll make you happier than you could hope for. And that’s a promise,” San’s words were gentle but firm. They left no room for you to doubt what he said. 

He was always like this. Exuding confidence. You suppose that’s one of the things you’ve loved about him since you first met. It didn’t matter if he was giving you confidence for the test coming up or standing up to some bully who pulled your hair. San was always there to reassure you that things were going to be okay. He would pick you back up and on to your feet while taking care of your injuries all in one fellow swoop.

You snuggled further into his chest, giving him a squeeze of affection.

“I know,” you mumbled into his chest.

San continued to look at the stars, his signature smile sat atop his face.

“Remember when we put these up?” it was a question, but it felt almost rhetorical.

You turned your body so that you were laid on your back next to San, looking up at the stars as well. A smile graced your face as you reminisced with him.

“When was it, third grade?” you asked back.

His smile grew in recollection. San moved his arms to behind his head, letting the moments pass in silence before he finally responded to you.

“After that astronomy unit, you were so obsessed with space that your parents bought you these so you would stop complaining about never getting to go stargazing. And of course, you forced me to help you put them up the following day after school.”

You laughed at your younger self’s persistence. 

“I would apologize but it was a lot of fun. And after we put them up we shut off the lights to see if they worked. I think we laid there for hours until your mom came to pick you up,” you could feel your ex-boyfriend fading farther from your mind the more you talked about the memory.

“And then I was mad at you after that because my arms were so sore from reaching for the ceiling that I couldn’t play volleyball the next day,” you were both laughing at his anger towards you.

You turned your body towards his so that you could look at his face.

“Forgive me?” your voice was soft and your lips turned into a pout.

San looked down at you, reaching forward until his hand rested on your face.

“You know I can’t resist when you give me puppy dog eyes. Although I was quite devastated,” his smirk gave way that he was teasing you.

“Well,” you dragged out the word, “I can make it up to you tonight by bringing some old movies and making you popcorn?” You offered him a truce that you knew wasn’t necessary. But in your own weird way was a thank you to him for being such a good friend to you for all these years.

“Can we also have chocolates,” his eyes were hopeful.

“We can’t forget the chocolates,” you cheekily looked up at your best friend.

He sat up enthusiastically, “Then what are we still doing here? Go make the popcorn and by the time you’re back I’ll have a list of movies ready for us,” he said determinedly.

You sat up, returning his enthusiasm as you made your way out of your room.

“You better have at least one Disney princess movie on there or it’ll be your butt on the floor tonight,” you called out to him as you were making your way down the stairs and to the kitchen.