#off-topic but when i started feeling again i found some events that never affected me in any way before (bc of numbness) begin to hurt me
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sugaredpastille · 2 months ago
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i think experiencing grief and depression in an unfamiliar place/country is of the most shaking things someone can go through; feeling like your losing your mind but having nothing physical or emotional to tether yourself to because you don’t know any of it and it makes none of it real to you.
but,,, once it’s over, once you’ve clawed your way out of the numbness and insanity and hours and hours throughout the night where you just barely convinced yourself to ignore all horrid thoughts and wait for the sun to rise, once the nights bring rest instead of frantic suffocation and panic, once you feel a lump in your throat for the first time in two years because you couldn’t cry for so long;
you don’t recognize yourself anymore. you’ve healed from losing someone else, but once that’s over you immediately begin to grieve who you were before. you’ve become a barren landscape in an unfamiliar land that needs years and years and plowing and planting and irrigation to become something you can live in. everything is different, this soil doesn’t grow the way the soil used to before. you miss the lush forests and vegetation of your identity that you wandered through comfortably and was all you ever knew.
but maybe it’s better this way, maybe rediscovering yourself and your values will help you make an even better forest. even if the trees are different and the flowers unfamiliar. maybe recreating what was originally a hurt child’s garden is worth it.
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mypimpademia · 1 year ago
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— Realistic Random Headcanons
Ft. Bakugo and Izuku
Synopsis: Random headcanons (general and romantic) for Bakugo and Izuku that I feel like make more sense based on their canon characters
TW: Swearing, topics of mental health (depression and anxiety nothing super dark though)
Note: Credit to @4kh for helping me with these :) btw these are just my personal interpretations of the characters and what I think makes sense following their canons instead of fanon (I also use their fanon personas a lot but again these are what I feel like would actually make more sense!)
— BAKUGO
⇶ Realistically, I feel like Katsuki would be aroace
⇶ At first, it comes off as him simply being too goal driven and motivated to make space in his life for romance
⇶ But truthfully, all his life he simply never related to how his peers would trip over their feet because of a crush
⇶ Sure, he found people pretty or handsome, but he could never find it in him to become even the slightest bit romantically invested
⇶ He tried to, just to feel what others around him felt for even a moment, but It never worked
⇶ At first, he chopped it up to simply not finding the right person. But as he got older and as he went through high school still never having any sort of attraction to anyone, he accepted that romantic attraction was simply something he wasn’t into
⇶ Struggles with depression and anxiety
⇶ It all started when he got to UA. Constantly having your life under threat, feeling like you ended the career of your idol, not feeling good enough, and more, take a toll on you.
⇶ Katsuki’s depression is not at all visible, you have to really know him to tell. He puts on a tough guy act and does what he needs to do, but he feels like a zombie
⇶ He’d much rather rot away in bed most days than even think about training, but he knows it’ll do him no good
⇶ Since he grew up with people always telling him how strong he is, he tries to gaslight himself into thinking he’s not depressed. He knows he is, but as long as he’s going about life like all is good and well, he’s not (to him at least)
⇶ His anxiety stems from getting kidnapped and having his life personally threatened on multiple occasions from such a young age
⇶ He’s always looking over his shoulder, afraid that someone is going to come out and make an attempt on his life
⇶ Katsuki would talk about it to someone, but he’s scared that getting too close to people would also put their lives in danger, and the thought of letting people know that he’s secretly weak physically pains him
⇶ As he gets older, he realizes how fucked up it all was that those things were happening to not just him, but his classmates as well. And yet, they were still expected to go back to class and act as of all was well after almost being killed not even 24 hours prior
⇶ Holds a lot of resentment towards Nezu and other higher ups, he wishes they would have at least put them through therapy after everything.
⇶ However, he doesn’t have any bad blood with Aizawa or All Might or any of his teachers over it because he understands that certain things were out of even their power, and that if they could’ve they would’ve. Some of them gave their lives protecting students, they shouldn’t be at blame
⇶ It’s not secret that Katsuki has an aggressive nature, but he is a very caring and compassionate person, and he tries to make an effort to show it even if it come off a bit harsh
⇶ Calls his friends dumb, extras, and says he hates them, but thankfully, many of them know that he doesn’t really mean it
⇶ And if they don’t know, they will eventually because his actions speak much louder than his words
⇶ Katsuki remembers birthdays, special events, always comes through when invited to things, gives thoughtful gifts, and more
⇶ He takes on all love languages (accept words of affirmation, that’ll take him some time) when giving affection towards others
⇶ The love language that takes all for him is physical touch
⇶ But unfortunately, he’s very adverse to being touched because of trauma, and only makes physical contact with family and close friends
⇶ When he does give an occasional hug, he makes it last and you’ll know it’s special (he gives really good hugs too)
⇶ It seems far fetched, but Katsuki actually doesn’t like to yell
⇶ Yes, he yells a lot, a majority of the time in fact
⇶ But it’s always over really dumb or unnecessary things, and that’s the entire point.
⇶ When Katsuki is serious about something, or genuinely angry, he hardly even raises his voice
⇶ He’s smarter than that, and knows it’ll only aggravate the situation
⇶ Very self aware, and because of that, he knows he can have a temper! Always takes a moment to himself when something upsets him, and then comes back later to talk about it properly so he can avoid blowing up at the other person
⇶ This is especially the case if it’s someone close to him, Katsuki would hate to damage a good relationship over something that can be resolved
⇶ If the other person keeps pressuring him as he’s trying to take time for himself, then yes, he will raise his voice. But it’s more firm than anything, and he does it to get them to give him space
⇶ If they keep pushing, or he just very in the heat of the moment, he will start yelling
⇶ Katsuki doesn’t like to go to bed angry either
⇶ Always make sure that his issue with someone else is resolved as quickly as possible, because if it’s not, it most likely never will be
⇶ If he’s in the wrong, he’ll acknowledges it and apologizes… in his own way
⇶ Normally, his apologies consist of him being overly attentive towards the person over the next few days until he feels like they aren’t upset with him anymore and he no longer feels guilty
⇶ On the surface level, Katsuki is your average arrogant, ambitious, hot head, but there’s a lot more to his simple facade
— MIDORIYA
⇶ Such a lover boy and hopeless romantic when it comes to relationships
⇶ Everyone knows he gets crushes easily, but a lot of them are just for the sake of slicing up his life, he doesn’t actually want a relationship with that person
⇶ Admires a lot of people from afar because of this, and he’ll gush over people he’s never even spoken a word to
⇶ It sounds corny, but he really doesn’t care about anything physically, he looks for personality
⇶ Sees no point in being attracted to someone just because they have a pretty face if their personality is awful
⇶ Likes people who kind of act like him, sweet, caring, motivated, a bit outgoing. and has similar interests
⇶ If you don’t act like him, he gravitates towards people who may contrast his personality too
⇶ You still have to be nice or at least have basic decency, but if you’re more reserved, and prefer to keep to yourself instead of being around people, he‘lil still like you
⇶ When Izuku is in a relationship, he’s a very good boyfriend
⇶ He’s attentive, always knowing what you need and what you like. He doesn’t forget dates, birthdays, or other important things
⇶ But he’ll need that energy in return or else he’ll lose interest in the relationship
⇶ Izuku has struggled with both depression and anxiety his entire life
⇶ He was always an anxious kid, and at first, Inko chopped it up to him just being a bit shy or having mood swings
⇶ But eventually, he was diagnosed with anxiety at a very very young age
⇶ It’s manageable, most days, thankfully, because his determination to do better for himself outweighs it
⇶ But his bad days are bad, to the point where they’re so debilitating that he can’t do anything but lay in bed all day in an attempt to be calm and not trigger an anxiety attack
⇶ Took medication for it at some point, but got really bad side effects from it and now chooses to just deal with it on his own
⇶ Izuku was diagnosed with depression a few years after he was diagnosed with anxiety
⇶ It developed shortly after his quirk didn’t develop, and he was being relentlessly bullied at school for being quirkless, and then coming home to see hero’s like All Might do great things while he was literally and figuratively powerless
⇶ His depression only got worse as he grew up and was still getting bullied for being quirkless
⇶ Somehow, Izuku doesn’t resent Bakugo or any of his bullies, and really doesn’t even think of them much as he gets older
⇶ For Bakugo, he doesn’t necessarily forgive him, but he learns to put it in the past for as long as Bakugo can acknowledge that what he did was wrong and can’t be taken back
⇶ As for his other bullies, he believes they’ll get whatever they deserve. He thinks they’re assholes, sure, but they were dumb kids at the time so he puts that behind him too
⇶ During the summer he spent training with All Might to inherit One For All, his mental health got better than he ever thought it would
⇶ Inko had no clue what was happening that entire time, but she could see a different light in her sons eyes and seeing him happy made her cry every night for the entire summer
⇶ Unfortunately, his mental health once again tanked when he was at UA due to all the villain attacks and the way his life was constantly being threatened more than anyone else’s
⇶ He was so exhausted all the time, and would have one or more anxiety attacks on a daily basis
⇶ Izuku is fairly emotional as is, even around others, but he keeps his deeper issues private and takes a moment to himself when even feels like he’s imploding
⇶ Wants to talk about it with someone, he really does, but he doesn’t even know where he’d begin and he doesn’t want to dump all that on anyone
⇶ Inko did put him through therapy as a kid, but he was in and out of it for various reasons, but the main one was money
⇶ Therapy is expensive, and Inko is a single mother. She put him through therapy when she could but there were times were she just couldn’t make it happen as badly as she wanted to get her son help
⇶ Once he got to UA and was very obviously doing much worse, she offered to start paying for therapy again and he completely refused
⇶ He’s always felt bad that she had to spend so much money trying to figure things out with him. Why he had no quirk, his depression, his anxiety, and therapy, he didn’t want her doing all that for him even though she felt obliged has his mother
⇶ At that point, Izuku felt like the responsibility landed on the school to make sure their students were being properly taken care of, mentally and physically, with everything they were going through during their time there
⇶ Doesn’t resent anyone for not doing anything, but he definitely wishes it was handled much better for the sake of everyone
⇶ But if you’re his s/o he will lean on you for support. He won’t tell you everything, because he doesn’t want to put all of that weight on you, but he will vent a little and cry to you
⇶ You can use him as a shoulder to lean on as well of course, and don’t think that you can’t come to him just because he’s dealing with his own things. If anything, it makes him feel better that you trust him enough to support you when you’re vulnerable
⇶ Izuku is a giver.
⇶ He gives, gives, gives, and gives without thinking about himself
⇶ Loves to give his friends little gifts, always coming back from the store with their favorite snack because he saw it on the shelf or a trinket that reminded him of them
⇶ Because he pays so much attention to detail, his gifts are always good
⇶ Insanely good at birthday gifts, if you ever don’t know what to get someone he’s the one you need to call
⇶ He will never get you a gift you don’t like, and if he somehow does, he’ll immediately replace it with w something you do like
⇶ Won’t even get the metal of your jewelry wrong, who do you think he is?
⇶ If you’re his s/o, you’ll be spoiled to death
⇶ He always pays for everything and never even lets you worry about how much it is
⇶ If you ever find out the price of something he bought you, and proceed to ask why he spent so much money on you, he’ll get upset and ask why you don’t want him spending money on you especially if it’s by choice
⇶ Gift giving and acts of service are his main love languages, so he gets very offended if you question him. It’s like asking if he even loves you, and he loves you to death.
⇶ On the other hand, Izuku gets very uncomfortable when people spend any amount of money on him or do things for him
⇶ Doesn’t even like to get birthday gifts or have people throw him parties, because he knows that means people will be spending money on him
⇶ It comes from growing up with a single mother who made just enough for them to live a decent life, he’ll always appreciate the gesture, but it will never not make him uncomfortable.
⇶ This is especially the case if you’re dating him. His birthday and holidays are the only time you’re allowed to spend your money on him, and even then you can’t spend an excessive amount
⇶ Izuku WILL get angry if you do, he won’t yell at you or anything, but he’ll huff about how you shouldn’t waste your money on him for the rest of the day
⇶ Izuku is a sweet boy, really. But as bubbly as he is even he needs someone to depend on, and in turn he’ll give you his all
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translationandbetrayals · 1 year ago
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Howl's Moving Castle, BPD and why representation matters.
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I remember watching Howl's Moving Castle for the first time at a very young age (my father raised me and my brother watching Ghibli's films religiously) and immediately feeling some kind of understanding of the character in a way I've never did before. I have struggled with emotional disregulation all my life, being called dramatic and even hysterical since I was a child. So, the first time I saw Howl having the "temper tantrum" moment over a small inconvenience was something that made me think "he's like me" really quickly. Obviously, as an eight year old, the thought wasn't really developed much further, and my attention was more drawn to the beautiful scenery and this idea of everlasting love that many young girls dream about. However, as I grew up re watching the film over and over again, things started to click.
The first time I received a pre diagnosis for BPD I was around 14 years old, although my first official diagnosis wasn't until I was 19, since you can't be diagnosed with a personality disorder before you are an adult.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), Borderline Personality Disorder is a a "pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, and marked impulsivity, beginning in early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts". To receive a diagnosis, one should typically meet at least five out of nine symptoms.
Cluster B personality disorders are some of the most stigmatized mental illnesses, especially by their depictions in popular media. You get characters that fall under the "unstable villain" category, or somewhere closer to the "manic pixie dream girl" trope, both harmful stereotypes that affect the way people perceive patients that have BPD. One should also take into account that mental health issues are just starting to become more normalized topics of discussion, so most people in the past only had films and TV shows to form a mental image of what mental disorders look like in real life.
Please note that further on, I will be discussing mostly headcanons, as this character has never been confirmed to be neurodivergent and probably never will. So, this is just my opinion as an anime fan and a person with BPD, and you're totally entitled to disagreeing with me.
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Going back to my personal experience, I remember watching the film in 2019, shortly after receiving my official BPD diagnosis, so the topic was really present in my mind at the time. I found that the way I related to this character was heavily linked with his emotional complexities, but I also felt a sense of comfort by watching him develop as a human being in a supportive environment. I quickly realized that the thing that made Howl different from other characters I related to was, precisely, that he was mostly presented in a really positive light. He was, after all, charming, loving and protective of his found family. He was complex and nuanced, but genuinely loved as well. This solidified him as one of my all time favorite characters, and now I'd like to discuss his personality traits linked to BPD criteria.
Chronic feelings of emptiness.
Howl exhibits this one frequently during the film. From his constant questioning about his role in the war that he's forced to participate in, to the depressive-like state in which he is portrayed while laying in his bedroom, with Sophie trying to get him out of bed. A lot of people with this disorder often feel like life has no inherent meaning when they're not engaged in risky behavior, not being able to really explain the source of this lethargy that prevents them from doing things or even be excited about daily life events. This emptiness comes from deep within and can be the reason why they seek filling the void with all sort of what could be considered as harmful behavior patterns.
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Feelings of dissociation, such as feeling cut off from oneself, observing oneself from outside one’s body, or feelings of unreality. Transient, stress-related paranoid idealization or severe dissociative symptoms.
Somewhat linked to the first symptom, Howl does fluctuate between complete disconnection from himself and his body, and high paranoia about losing himself to the horrors of war, and also being harmed by the queen and her curse. This might be a reach, but I also see it in the way his heart is physically separate from his body in the form of Calcifer. One can feel as if their emotions are so out of control that they seem to be someone else's, or that they act separately from one's will. This dissociative state also prevents patients from actually realizing how harmful their decisions and actions can actually be.
Emotional instability in reaction to day-to-day events (e.g., intense episodic sadness, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days).
This is one of the most obvious throughout the film. He can appear completely numb in one scene, then frantic in the next one, then happy and loving towards others, then enraged. As emotional disregulation happens very often to people with BPD, these intense and changing emotions drains us of our energy, and is extremely hard to manage without proper medical aid such as behavioral therapy. Some people do look at some sort of bright side of this experience, where we feel happiness and joy just as profoundly as other emotions.
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Frantic efforts to avoid real or perceived abandonment, such as plunging headfirst into relationships—or ending them just as quickly.
This one doesn't need a lot of explaining. Howl constantly seeks Sophie's reassurance and is totally willing to change his lifestyle and his home just to make her comfortable enough so she doesn't leave. This can come across as sweet, genuine displays of his love for her, but in real life, a person with BPD can lose themselves in the process of avoiding their loved ones leaving. The constant gifts and changes with only Sophie's well being in mind wouldn't be sustainable in a world without Howl's magical powers, after all.
Identity disturbance with markedly or persistently unstable self-image or sense of self.
Here we have the iconic green slime meltdown scene. He, quite literally, cannot cope with the idea of his hair changing without his control. This comes across as his vanity coming to life, but I feel like there's a deeper sense to it. When he says he sees "no point in living if he can't be beautiful" he means it: he has built a great part of his identity around being perceived as pretty. This is really common among people with BPD, where the lack of a stability in identity can be overcompensated via physical appearance and presenting oneself as desirable. He acts like the world is ending because for him it is, not because he cares more about his looks than anything else.
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Impulsive behavior in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating).
Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, threats, or self-harming behavior.
I'm including this two symptoms together because the way they're portrayed overlaps a lot. The way Howl acts around participating in the war comes across as just a way to endanger himself, as he explicitly says that he's not interested in the political implications of the conflict. However he keeps going into battle, transformed into the monster-like shape which Calcifer keeps pointing out as dangerous and that it could be potentially irreversible. His sense of duty towards a country is also absent (he, quite literally, plays a part in both sides) so one can only speculate what are his true motives to expose himself to deathly situations. To me, it is just the idea of danger that is appealing, these impulses to self harm whenever the opportunity arises.
Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights).
This one I also see in his monster shape: full of wrath and estrangement from everything he holds dear. When the transformation is complete, he's no longer himself, just a terrifying form of anger. People with BPD sometimes do feel like their emotions, especially rage, makes them a completely different person, harmful to themselves and others as well.
A pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by extremes between idealization and devaluation (also known as "splitting").
For this one, you have to read a bit between the lines. At the start of the film, Sophie talks with her sister about Howl and his desire to "eat beautiful women's hearts". A lot of people with BPD jump from one relationship right into a new one, partly because of this seeking of filling the emotional void they feel, partly because of their impulsiveness. Earliest versions of the DSM referred to this as being promiscuous, and although this can have quite misogynistic undertones (as a majority of people diagnosed with BPD are women or assigned female at birth), risky sexual behavior is also a part of the symptoms that can be present in the disorder. Of course, this film is rated PG and I'm only analyzing the character through my own experience with the disorder, but this is a subtextual hint that I can see.
Even though the following two topics aren't considered diagnostic criteria, it seems important to mention them as they are commonly shared experiences among people with BPD.
First, a complex relationship with family and the idea of it. People with BPD often grow up in dysfunctional or hostile environments, one of the speculated causes of the disorder. As they navigate towards adulthood, the once neglected or abused child develops somewhat of a mixed-feelings type of relationship with families, some of us reject the concept as it brings up painful memories, and some of us become especially protective of or likely to "adopt" vulnerable children in our environments, as we see ourselves in them, and we're offered the chance to be the adult we needed but didn't have.
We know that Howl comes from a background that is, to say the least, neglectful. He raises himself in his uncle's cottage, and then he's placed under Madame Sulliman's care, a woman that is exploitative towards him in many ways. We know little else about his family background, at least in the film. However, as he becomes an adult, he quite literally adopts Markl, a young boy, as his apprentice. Towards the ending of the film we see that they have a bond that can only be described as familiar, he's protective towards Mark, and in the final scenes we see the characters acting like a happy family. This is one of the more positive aspects that can stem from the disorder, and that the film portrays in a really positive, wholesome way.
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Second, the concept of a "favorite person" or FP. A FP is a person who someone with BPD relies heavily on for emotional support, seeks attention and validation from, and looks up to or idealizes. This is very different from having a best friend or a partner you love deeply, as FPs become the center of the person's life and directly influences their mood, their behavior, even their sense of self. One feels as if they simply cannot live without this person, not in the romantic sense, but quite literally. This leads to an intensification of symptoms such as impulsive behavior and fear of abandonment.
Sophie is, by all means, Howl's favorite person. Taking the whole time travel trope aside, he falls really quickly and deeply for her, and as I've mentioned before, changes his whole perspective in life because of this love. He tells her that the new most important thing in the world for him is now to protect her, and goes to war a last time just to fulfill this purpose. Sophie also has the ability to directly influence Howl's mood in a way no other character can. The important detail to note here is that, where this can be a toxic or obsessive behavior pattern to people with unmanaged BPD, here Howl learns how to navigate this newly found love and all his other emotions in a healthy way, after his heart is back on his chest. This is not automatic, he expresses the burden of this new heart, but he will gradually become accustomed to it, and this leaves you with the feeling that he's actually growing and evolving as a character, rather than things magically solving themselves when the star-crossed lovers get together.
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So, why does any of this matter? Well, to me it does because of a few reasons. But this is the main one: I'm not the only person that has noticed this similarities between Howl's character arc and this disorder. Many neurodivergent and mentally ill people tend to look at characters that act similarly to them and think to themselves "hey, that's me". This innocent gesture of identifying oneself in media is really common, but for groups of people that are often marginalized, stigmatized or isolated, it becomes a sort of coping mechanism. Our experiences don't appear in your regular happy coming of age film, and we're too often forced to identify with either the villain or the really, really morally questionable characters. So, to see yourself in a character that is as loved as Howl (one of the anime community's official heartthrobs) can be really healing. After all, he's one of the good guys, and he gets his happy ending.
To conclude, I really recommend you go watch this film if you haven't already, and if you happen to watch it again in the future after you read this post, I hope I was able to give you a new perspective.
Sources used in this post: 
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/borderline-personality-disorder#:~:text=A%20pattern%20of%20intense%20and,reckless%20driving%2C%20and%20binge%20eating. 
https://www.borderlinepersonalitydisorder.org/what-is-bpd/bpd-overview/ 
https://www.theravive.com/therapedia/borderline-personality-disorder-dsm--5-301.83-(f60.3)#:~:text=The%20DSM%2D5%20describes%20Borderline,American%20Psychiatric%20Association%2C%202013).
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/borderline-personality-disorder/symptoms/
https://www.verywellmind.com/borderline-personality-disorder-diagnosis-42517
Melián Trujillo.
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rut-ro · 1 year ago
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... 9 years later
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I realized today that Tumblr still exists (!!) and that I started a hand-full of short lived blogs. Reading those old posts, I'm kind of impressed with myself. (Is that allowed?) Who wrote this, it's not half bad!
This one is my fav. Rut Ro! I was in a rut after moving to Amsterdam, struggling to look for a job in 2014. This blog helped me stay motivated and now 9 years later (in spongebob voice) I'm in a rut again.
Somehow writing my thoughts down in a blog feels so different than writing in my journal. My journals are filled with wild rants and negative thoughts in my worst moments. Maybe because they're on pages of paper that no one will ever read, I feel safe to unleash my worst self. A blog has that possibility of being read. Even if it's read by only one person, a stranger who doesn't know me, I want to be on my best written behavior(?) But I still want to be authentic and maybe impress that one person with my wit and obvious intelligence. ;)
I guess a rut every 9 years isn't too bad.
This is how I ended up here and what's happened since the last post.
Work:
Left that job I found 9 years ago because of a visa issue. The HR person was not interested in helping me and wouldn't permit me to go back to the office after I left one Friday and never returned (not even to collect my things). Hired an immigration lawyer and we won the appeal 1 year later. Probably the best career move to happen to me that I didn't do for myself.
After panicking about being unemployed again, I got a job freelancing for Philips and never left. Started as a UX designer and moved up to UX lead. Joined as a fulltime employee to build out the digital design team when the domestic appliance division split off, becoming Versuni 2 years ago.
Now on burnout leave after simultaneously building, then rebuilding the digital design team, helping educate the global design team on digital/UX design, leading multiple app projects, and taking part in the company's digital transformation projects. It was a lot. I'm now just starting to return to work, carefully.
Thus my current rut but I have a therapist this time!
Friends:
Made lots of friends in the last years. Some stayed, some didn't. Some became very close. Burnout has affected the social events and people I hangout with now. I also think getting older and more settled within myself also made me appreciate the ones who have been there for me when I really needed it (and didn't know it).
I'm not good at asking for help. Wasn't taught to do it and wasn't encouraged to need help when I was young. Still learning how to do it. So when people called and brought me food and kept me company during the difficult times, its surprising to me. I'm a lucky person to have these friends (you know who you are).
Family:
My mom remarried and my sister has grown up. My dad's health steadily declines at a medium pace but he remains positive about life. I was running from them when I moved away and now I'm starting to open up to them more.
I'm seeing a lot more social media and media in general about the immigrant experience. Especially about Asians growing up in western communities. It's so crazy to think that we were all having similar experiences at the same time in the 80s and 90s. And now that we're the "adults" who rebelled/fought/suffered/lived through it, we can create content about it. I guess when it comes to this topic, I still don't feel like an adult. I'm still the Chinese kid growing up in LA confused about her identity. And to add to that now living in the Netherlands for 11 years. Who am I and where do I really belong? Still working on that one too.
Romance:
This one is hard to write about. Had a couple bad breakups. Very dramatic ones that I won't go into details about. I learned from each one. Codependency was a hard but incredibly valuable lesson to learn. Interdependency, that's what I've been working on. Lots of habits to change, unlearn and relearn. Communication and being vulnerable are difficult and important things to do in a relationship (romantic or not). I learned that you don't have to do them well all the time, it's more of a practice.
My new relationship is the healthiest one I've ever had. We both have a learner's mind and actually want to learn from and understand each other. What a concept!
Inner peace:
I think I lost my way a little bit on this one. When I started freelancing, it was also when I became single after a long time, I decided to study yoga seriously. Went almost everyday for many years. Learned that it's more than physical movement and stretching my body into impressive looking poses. Stepped into the spiritual stories, meditation, and ayurvedic lifestyle a little bit. With that, learning how to create/communicate boundaries for myself, and living on my own (again) in a foreign country, I felt like I ate a mushroom and leveled up my life.
I felt so free and confident. I prioritised traveling and visiting with friends. I got my yoga teaching certification. I started studying yoga therapy and other forms of yoga.
Where did I lose myself? I think when I decided to put all that aside to focus on my so called career.
What now:
I guess I feel quite negatively about that decision because of how it's turned out. I might feel differently in another 9 years. It was part of a bigger plan. I wanted to accomplish a few things.
Own a home
Level up my position (difficult to do while freelancing, you end up getting the same positions/projects most of the time)
Get paid to learn new things instead of paying for my own training and struggle to get experience
After that go back to freelancing and focusing on my inner peace, gain experience teaching yoga, and eventually exit corporate world to become a yoga teacher/therapist of some sort.
I did do all three! But it doesn't feel like I succeeded.
Dammit!
If this isn't the biggest example/lesson in "it's about the journey, not the destination" then I don't know what is.
Not saying my way here was all terrible. It wasn't. But it did cost me my inner peace and mental health.
I'm lucky to have friends and a partner who support me with hugs, food, their time, kind words, and love.
Now I'm trying to retrace what I did back then when I felt free and confident (only a few years ago). After writing this, I see it. I need to bring back my inner peace practices while focusing on work. Maybe focus even more on my personal practices because work will happen anyway.
My practices:
Yoga with a touch of spiritual mindfulness
Meditation
Breaks to see friends near and far
Learning both for my career and for myself
Nurture my friendships while also having boundaries
Approaching work with less attachment and more boundaries
Ask for help and ask loudly (new)
Onward and upward. Thanks for reading.
0 notes
yourmcu · 4 years ago
Text
Forgotten (CONTINUED VERSION)
Pairings: Tony Stark x daughter!reader, Peter Parker x Stark!reader (platonic)
Request:
Hello i love your story could you do angsty tony x daughter reader. Wherein the reader has a twin brother and Tony and the avengers prefer the twin brother and becaus of that, the reader became rebel and badass. She always getting trouble and almost drop out student. The avengers and her father were seem disappointed and dont know what to do. Not until the reader involve into car accident and she's critical injured. The reader also slipped to coma. Everyone is devastated about the reader conditione. And they realized that the reader only rebel because she wants to get attention from them. It depends to you what the end come, I just want a full angst this week and I hope you dont mind my English. Anyway I hope your alright.
A/n: y’all wanted it, I finished it :)
Word count: 3,984
(more notes at the end!)
Warnings: angst, hurt/comfort? bad writing of an anxiety attack, accident, knife, hospitals
read it on ao3!
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gif not mine! credits to the owner^^
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Being a genius/billionaire/superhero’s kid doesn’t always sound nice like it usually does.
You were one of the Stark twins, the other half being your brother, Ethan.
The both of you showed signs that you inherited the commonly known Stark trait (intelligence) at a young age. But Tony mostly focused on his son, showing him all his inventions and gadgets, teaching him everything he knew while you on the other hand, were being babysat by Happy or Pepper, sometimes Rhodey.
You tried so hard to get your father’s attention but he always had his excuses:
“I don’t have time for that.”
“I’m busy with Ethan right now.”
“Maybe later.”
At first you didn’t mind if your brother got all the praise and attention. It wasn’t until your mid-teens that you really started to feel left out and ignored.
You were left to frown when the other Avengers never found anything interesting about you, just like Tony did. They all liked Ethan better. The topic of him being the next Iron Man when Tony retires is getting exhausting.
There was this one time when Tony announced that they were all going out to dinner since Ethan got, yet again, a full set of A’s on his report card.
“Did you get my card?” You tapped on Tony’s shoulder lightly.
He gave you a side glance, “ah shoot, I forgot. I’ll go get it tomorrow.” Then returned his attention to your brother.
But he ended up forgetting again the next day and you had to convince your teacher to give it to you instead. Your marks had A’s, but littered with B’s as well, of course that was no match for your brother’s perfect marks.
And that sort of scenario wasn’t just a one time thing, Tony forgets to pick up your report card every. single. time. The messed up part was you and Ethan literally attended the same school, he was just in a more advanced class than you.
As time passed, Tony went from ignoring you to getting annoyed and pissed at you for everything you did. In his eyes, you were always in the wrong. And the reason? You didn’t know.
“Dad? Can I borrow Bruce for a minute?” You knocked on the glass door of his lab to get him to look up.
He didn’t, but responded, “kinda busy with him right now.”
You looked at your fractured arm, regretting your decisions. “W-well, Ethan was training with Nat, and... and he wanted to try the new moves he learned on me. He went a little hard and - I think my arm’s broken, I just wanted Bruce to check it out-”
“Goddammit!” He shouted after you heard a glass shatter. Bruce covered his face with palms, muttering an ‘oh no’.
Tony glared at you, striding to where you were standing. All that was left for you to do was to brace yourself for what was about to come. “See, this is why we never let you do anything with the team,” he spat. “That right there?”-he pointed to your arm-“that’s on you. Things go wrong because you’re in the way!”
“I’m... I’m sorry-”
“Just get out of here.”
Your arm remained untreated after that.
Then Peter Parker came into the picture. Friendly guy, he was actually nice to you. Him and Ethan got along right away when Tony first recruited him. The fact that he treated Peter better than you made you even more miserable. It made you think he never wanted a daughter in the first place.
You first met Peter when he accidentally entered your room without warning, thinking it was the bathroom. Cliche, but that’s what happened.
“It’s on the first door to your other left,” you stated.
“Yeah, yeah okay, thanks,” he turned around to leave but stopped to look at you again. “I’m Peter Parker, by the way.”
“Y/N Stark.”
Peter’s eyes lit up at your last name. “I... I didn’t know Mr. Stark had a daughter - no offense! It’s just-”
You sighed and waved him off. He didn’t even notice the similarities you had with your twin. “It’s fine. I get that a lot.”
After many events of being, to be blunt, treated like shit, you finally had enough. You neglected your studies, only went to school when you felt like it (which was rare). No one cared your grades anyway, so what’s the point? You became a whole new person, you surrounded yourself with the wrong sort of people, causing you to dabble into smoking and alcohol.
Since you were always in trouble, you could recite Cap’s detention speech at school by heart now.
The principal of your school wanted to see Tony to talk about your behavior. Normally he’d make an excuse not to go if it wasn’t that important but he got flooded with messages from the school, so he couldn’t say no.
You had your legs crossed, sitting across from Tony who had his eyebrows furrowed as he listened to the principal. For some reason you didn’t feel nervous. “Y/N barely attends her classes. I’ve seen every attendance. Are you aware of this, Mr. Stark?”
Tony only maintained his usual relaxed posture and avoided your gaze.
“Some students have also seen her smoke in school grounds. We gave her a few weeks suspension for it, but it doesn’t look like she’s learned her lesson.” They pulled out a couple boxes of cigarettes from the desk drawer. “We found these in her locker.”
“You went into my locker?” You shot up from your seat. “You can’t just do that!”
Tony cleared his throat and got up, gripping your wrist. “I’ll take it from here - will that be all?”
On the way out he doesn’t say a word to you, only that his grip on your wrist got tight as you near the car.
“So,” he started the car. His voice was calm, but it screamed that you were in deep trouble. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
You sighed and slouched in the passenger’s seat, crossing your arms. “I’m... sorry you had to know...?”
“Yeah, I’m just gonna be honest with you here,” Tony still doesn’t look at you. “When I found out I had two kids, I got worried about Ethan.”
You let out a snort. Of course he would.
“I didn’t want him ending up like me. But surprise surprise, my daughter did instead.”
“I’m not ‘ending up’ like you, Dad-”
“Then what do you call - this,” he referred to you. “What, you’re just gonna waste your life, drop out of school? You’re a fucking mess, Y/N, and here I thought I raised you right. Sometimes I think: why can’t you just be like your brother?” He had a hard grip on the steering wheel as he drove, the way he spoke affected the speed of the car greatly.
You opened your mouth to speak but you couldn’t fine the exact words you wanted to say. “I... well, I’m sorry I’m not a goody two shoes like him!”
“That’s not what I-”
“Please, that’s exactly what you meant.”
He scoffed, shaking his head. “Look, I’m grounding you until you pull yourself together, understand?” And he did. He gave new orders to Friday when the both of you got home. You weren’t allowed to leave the compound without Tony’s permission.
Were you giving up that easily? Of course not.
You were on your laptop for the rest of the day, hacking into Friday’s system, the security to the elevator and the entrance. That night, your executed your plan and everything went smoothly.
“This is why you never underestimate me,” you sighed, deactivating the hack once you were out of the building.
Your friend who was picking you up was already waiting a few blocks away from the compound. “I hope you’re cool with me staying over for a couple days.”
“If a bunch of Avengers come and destroy my place to look for you, I’m not going to be friends with you anymore.”
You laughed at out, “oh trust me, they don’t care.”
----
The next day no one noticed your absence, nobody did for another two days. Tony just assumed you were mad about your punishment, so he didn’t think of it much.
Not until Peter came to the compound on the third day, wanting to hang out with you.
“Whatcha got there, Pete?” Ethan asked.
“Star Wars movies. I wanna watch them with Y/N - she could use some company, don’t you think?”
The older Stark twin shrugged, “yeah, I guess she could.”
Peter then headed to the elevator and stopped at the floor where your room was. He knocked on your door and waited a bit, after a few minutes of silence he knocked again, still nothing.
“Y/N? Is it okay if I come in?” He called out. No response. He hesitated a bit, for all he knew you were probably changing or something, or you could be in danger. He went to open the door anyway. “I’m coming in, I’ll close my eyes just to be-”
To Peter’s surprise, your room was empty.
----
You were at a 711 parking lot, waiting for your friends who were buying supplies for a house party. You gave them your wallet, not really caring about anything anymore. Your phone was starting to pile up with messages and missed calls from Tony, Edward and Peter, occasionally from the others as you scrolled pass more.
Without thinking you threw your phone to the ground, cracking the screen, breaking it completely. They’d be able to track you through it now that they know you ran away. You really had no intention of coming back. You weren’t wanted, what’s the point of going back?It’s early but you’ve had a few drinks already. You weren’t sure if breaking your phone was a good idea but there’s one thing you’re sure: you didn’t care anymore.
You didn’t have to turn your head to see who just arrived and ambushed your friends inside the store. They ran out and left you behind. The sound of webs coming out of his shooters was enough for you to tell.
“You shouldn’t be here, Peter,” you sighed defeatedly.
Peter gently took a seat next to you, not removing his mask since you were in public and handed your wallet back. “I don’t understand why you left.”
He took in your awful state. His suit scanned how intoxicated you were, estimated how many cigarette packets you’ve had. His frown deepened at the information.
“I care about you. We all do. Mr. Stark’s not going to stop the search party until you come home.”
You rolled your eyes at the term. “Stupid search party – pathetic – I’m not coming home anymore, Pete-” you slurred and tried to get up but stumbled back, almost twisting your ankle but fell to Peter’s side. “Ow.”
He sighed, struggling to get ahold of you since you always pulled away.
“Stop being so stubborn, okay?”
“If you don’t like my stubborn fucking ass then maybe you should just leave,” you stated. “I’m not wanted there. I got the message. I didn’t run away just to be fucking found.”
Peter stared at you for a moment. He didn’t know why you got grounded in the first place, how you got here and why you didn’t want to go back home. There was something off in the father-daughter relationship, he knew that, but it was news to him that it was that bad. That bad for you to waste your life, to run away. He always thought Mr. Stark was an awesome parent, the way he was treating Ethan, and him…
“It’s unfair,” you ranted. “God, if you only knew how pathetic I feel whenever he tells me off. I’m always annoying to him - not just to him, to the whole team, I’m always wrong in everything I do and it’s honestly tiring? What the fuck do I have to do just to feel loved and wanted?”
You went on rambling while Peter tried to comfort and deny every negative thing that came out of your mouth. He didn’t believe any of it, but the way everyone’s been treating you. He hated that he didn’t notice sooner. He could’ve defended you.
“I have nothing against you, I really don’t,” you sighed. “But you should be grateful they’re treating you perfectly.” You got up and strode to the opposite direction, mentally cursing because your friends ditched you and you has nowhere to go, phone destroyed and everything.
But you were staying true to your word: you didn’t have any plans to go back to the compound. You were going to figure your life out on your own.
“Y/N, I… I’m not leaving you alone out here!”
You were so fed up of the spider-ling. How good he was, how perfect, how Tony clearly wanted him more than you, how he always wanted to do the right thing, because none of you expected what happened next when he went to grab your shoulder. The action was so sudden that it Peter didn’t have time to avoid it.
Knife, shoulder, really deep.
Maybe it was just how wasted you were, because he knew you would never do anything like that.
“You’re really annoying, Parker,” you muttered, not wasting any more time watching him stumble out of shock and pain, sprinting across the streets.
With his uninjured arm, he shot webs while trying to pull the knife (the blade wasn’t even visible anymore on how deep it was) out of his shoulder. There was a loud bang, and Peter never sprinted so fast in his life, not caring less about the pain and blood, because what mattered most was your safety. When he got there, you were far from safe.
-----
A week went by. And during those seven days Tony was on edge, I mean, how can be calm at a time like that?
Peter managed to show up at the compound the same night, breathless and shaky. His state made everyone worried but he wasted no time telling Tony what happened. He got you to the hospital, making sure you were being sorted out right before leaving to break the news.
Tony didn’t think twice and went to the hospital where you were admitted, not listening to Peter’s apologies and leaving Steve to sort everyone out on what they should do.
They didn’t expect you to show signs of waking up after only a week since the accident got you mangled up, it was mostly a blow to the head and as expected, you slipped into a coma.
Right, what happened: an awful timing really, not sure if Peter’s the one to blame but he accidentally stuck you to the ground with his webs, and it just so happened a car was driving at a fast speed – there you go.
Tony made sure you got the best treatment possible. He even went and asked Strange if he could do all the surgeries needed, but he declined, claiming he couldn’t anymore despite the sympathy he felt inside. Instead he asked the best doctors he knew, but still helped out sometimes in any way he could.
You took a breath, trying to open your eyes but the blinding lights of your room and them almost feeling as if they were glued shut from not being open for so long prevented you. You also tried moving your hands, only to feel a warm one rest on top of it, you finally opened your eyes.
“You’re awake,” Tony mumbled, rubbing a thumb on the back of your palm soothingly. “You’re awake and you’re okay.”
“Mr. Stark?” Peter called out, spotting his mentor sitting outside the room where they were doing the final surgery on you. It was his first time visiting, seeing as the knife wound was worse than he thought. “I’m so sorry, I-“
“What happened?” Was the only thing Tony said, not looking up to look at the kid. Peter stood there for a moment but told him everything that happened.
After that and after he made sure you were okay, resting in your room and everything, he let Natasha look after you for the night and headed back to the compound.
The kid would never lie to him but he had to see it all for himself. The Spider-Man suit caught everything through the baby monitor protocol. From when he arrived to the convenient store, when you told him countless of times that you weren’t coming back, and when your drunk self ranted about what you felt.
“What the fuck do I have to do just to feel loved and wanted?”
“He seemed to like both of us equally when we were younger,” you sniffled. “Of course he would, but… my brother just turned out to be special and talented and,” you frowned, “he’s all Tony ever wanted for a kid. Maybe I reminded him of the chick he fucked, I don’t know – must be it, right?”
“Y/N, you’re just as special as-” Peter tried to reason but you threw him a glare. Tony could see the pain and heartbreak in your bloodshot, tired eyes. One that said you didn’t want to hear anything like it anymore. You didn’t want to believe it.
“The thing is, they only want you when you’re gone. Missing. Dead,” you shrugged. “I can take a hint, you know? My only family hates me. My only family doesn’t want me. Now you – all of them – are looking for me… why?” Peter flinched at the loudness of your voice. You truly were broken.
Tony fast forwarded, it didn’t clearly show how you got hit, but he had enough anyway. He wanted to make things right with you. He could only hope that you make pass this, hoping that you’ll let him make it up to you.
“It’s not too late, you know,” Steve said from the entrance to his lab. “Y/N is strong. She’ll make it.”
“Why am I not dead?” You croaked, looking at your father with an anxious expression. You letting out another shaky breath as you struggled to move and look around. “I should be dead. Why am I here-”
“Take it easy-”
“Don’t you understand?” You felt your throat aching, breath quickening. “I don’t want to be here!”
“No, you’re okay. Y/N you’re okay,” Tony tried to calm you down when he saw the lines in your heart monitor go up and down in rapid pace. 
“I’m not - no I’m not - not okay,” you struggled to let out. It felt like you were choking on your own breath, getting harder and harder to breathe by the minute, soon tears started to prick your eyes. “I don’t want to be here!”
“Tony, what's going on?” Steve bursted into the room with an alarmed but calm expression.
“Call Strange. Anyone.” He told the captain but his eyes never left you. He rubbed a part of your arm that wasn’t injured soothingly in attempt to calm you down. “Just breathe for me, okay? I’m here and you’re okay.”
Something about the softness and encouraging look in his eyes made you nod eventually and follow his breathing patterns. He held a glass of water for you to drink, holding your struggling hand softly to get it out of the way.
He’s never looked at you like that before.
Most of the time he ignored you, most of the time he looked at you at anger or annoyance when you’ve fucked something up.
“There we go, we okay now?” You looked away and nodded lightly. That was enough for him. Tony wanted to let you know how sorry he was so bad, but thought against it, at least for now. He was scared you might start freaking out again.
Stephen entered the room with the doctor, the other Avengers following closely behind. The amount of people in the room overwhelmed you a bit, but you were strangely calm because of how your father’s acting. Soft and caring, it made you feel safe.
Both doctors concluded that you had some sort of amnesia. In English, your past memories were blotchy, all of them even from your childhood. Again because of the blow to the head it was already expected. But you remembered the recent ones clearly, which was the reason why you avoided looking at Peter and his patched up arm.
Which also meant it was possible you didn’t remember all of the pain you felt concerning your family. It was unfair on your part.
Strange insisted that you stay a few more days, or one more week, just to run tests and make sure you get enough medicine and stuff.
They decided to see how bad your memory loss was.
“I did that to you,” you still refused to look at Peter completely. “I’m sorry, Peter.”
“I’m just glad you’re okay.” Peter gave you a smile.
You moved to the next person. Red hair, seemed to give off a friendly but civil nature. “Natasha? You’re Natasha.”
The Russian merely smiled and crossed her arms.
“Steve,” you stated, moving to the next person. “You always read old books in the kitchen.”
Steve chuckled, nodding to confirm.
“Ethan,” you smiled as you looked at your twin. He gave you a small wave even if he felt as guilty as Tony about everything even if he wasn’t the one to blame.
You stared longer at the next person, almost shoulder length dark brown hair, he’s wearing a jacket to cover his metal arm but you knew it was still there.
“Ducky?”
Peter let out a giggle, so did you brother.
“It’s Bucky, doll,” Bucky smiled, covering his face with his hand to suppress a chuckle as the rest laughed.
“Oh, right, I’m sorry,” you let out a weak giggle yourself.
You meet Tony’s eyes again, the softness still there.
“Dad,” you stated. “You’re my dad. Tony.”
No, you didn’t completely forget how he treated you. You knew he was annoyed with you, which lead you to think that you did something that made him act that way. “Am I bad?”
Tony’s hopeful expression dimmed. “What do you mean, sweetheart?”
You shrugged. “You’re mad at me, I just… I guess it’s just not clear on why.”
Steve thought it would be best for everyone to head out for a bit so he ushered everyone out of the room except for your brother who took a seat at the corner.
“About that, it’s about time we talked, yeah?” Tony sat on a chair backwards beside your bed. It made you nervous, but you were reassured. “You’re not in trouble, don’t worry.”
He exhaled, resting an arm on the top rail. “You deserve so much better. I should’ve treated you better,” you opened your mouth to ask but he continued. “Look, I haven’t been fair with you and it’s a problem. You’re smart, talented and beautiful. I figured you needed to hear it more often because it’s true. What I’m trying to say is, I’m sorry. I really am.”
Your bottom lip involuntarily trembled. “You – you really mean that?”
“From the bottom of my heart.”
You sighed, a genuine smile plastered on your face. “Thank you. And I’m sorry if I was a pain in the ass-“
“You never were,” Tony shook his head. “You always did your best and I really should have acknowledged it more. Give me a second chance?”
“Of course.”
Tony smiled, getting up and planting a gentle kiss to your forehead.
Everything in life was so much better after all that. Tony treated you and Ethan equally, same goes for Peter. The other Avengers were nicer, not the kind of nice that was almost fake, but it was genuine. All of them were. And you were thankful.
----
TAGLIST: @contanto-que-voce-me-queira @angeldreineedshelp @legendarymcnuggies @zoeyserpentluck @vienmiaprendere @alainabooks143 @hessogxlden
DID ANYONE MISS ME? BC I MISSED THIS PLACE
I highly doubt anyone’s still waiting for this, it was an unplanned hiatus I’M SO SORRY but I decided to post anyway :))
also I hope this wasn’t underwhelming, that’s one of the reasons why I was hesitant to do this but I hope its good heh (I’ve included the parts from my first post as well, just so it feels like a full fic)
WAIT I ALSO HIT 300 FOLLOWERS? INSANE. THANK YOU. I MEAN IT.
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yandere-sins · 4 years ago
Note
Hello! How are you? May I pls request the prompts scratches and collar for Sakusa Kiyoomi for the yandere writing challenge thingy? I hope this is alright! Thank you <3
Thanks for requesting!! Sakusa is one of my favorites actually, so I am really excited to write for him! uwu Please enjoy!
Scratches - “Try that again sweetheart, I dare you.” (I don’t want to overlap prompts too much, so I am doing just this one!)
»»———————— ♡ ————————««
Living with Kiyoomi had never been easy.
When you two got married, you’d been quite intimidated by him after your husband wouldn’t look at you even once the whole day. You thought to yourself about how much he must have hated you, considering he only agreed because you two had been promised since your childhood. This marriage didn’t seem like something he was interested in, and the moment you were ‘unloaded’ at his home, you felt like the strangest organism in the whole world.
Nonetheless, you tried to be liked. If you at least couldn’t be a nuisance to him, you thought he might accept you as his partner. But all your attempts backfired gloriously. He wouldn’t eat your cooking, clean over your cleaning, ignore you after he came home from training. For the first year or so, he wouldn’t even take you to one of his matches. You were sure other spouses were allowed to go, so why not you?
But you got used to it. You had to, somehow, or else you probably would have never stopped feeling unloved and unwanted. It wasn’t what you expected, hearing about love all this time, but you didn’t have a bad life by his side, at least. His accounts were filled with money, food was delivered fresh to your doorstep every day, and though you didn’t know anyone in the city that you two settled in, you got along well enough with your neighbors, so you didn’t feel too lonely.
And what you least expected, once you accepted that you and Kiyoomi could never be an item, he started to relax too. Had you been too much? Maybe pushing him too far without realizing? Intruding on him? Or perhaps he had just been told to be nicer to you by his parents, but your surprise was great when he joined you to watch TV one evening.
Given, he didn’t speak a word and didn’t seem too interested in the show you were watching. There also were about two seats free between you, but it was a start. And gradually, your relationship improved.
»»———————— ♡
Nervously, you looked at your outfit, wondering if it was too much. Kiyoomi had never asked you to dress up to accompany him before, scowling whenever you decided to try and impress him with your fashion sense or asked to go with him. Even now, you knew that asking you to come and meet sponsors was just a way to look good in other people’s eyes; he even had a suit delivered to him that day. It wasn’t you who was wanted. It was the image of being married to someone. But as his partner, maybe that was the only thing you could do to please your husband.
“Are you ready?” he asked through the door, not daring to step into your room. He never had entered it ever since you moved in, and you wondered if it was because he disliked you so much or because he feared you were ‘dirty’. But you gave yourself an encouraging nod in the mirror, quickly making your way out. “All done!”
You didn’t expect him to stand right in front of the closed door as you opened it, almost running into him but stopping at the last second. “Do I look fine?” you asked, noticing him appraising you over the rim of his white mask. He looked comically like that, suited up yet wearing gloves and mask as if he was going to clean, but even so, you had to give it to his looks that he was handsome. You didn’t doubt your own attractiveness, but the curt, “It’s alright,” he muttered did sting.
»»———————— ♡
Had you known how exhausting these kinds of events were, you would have almost been thankful that he never took you with him before. Giving it all you had sure was taxing when you never did it before, but you wanted oh-so-badly to be accepted by Kiyoomi’s side. You didn’t even notice your own mental exhaustion until you finally had a chance to sit down.
Alone, again.
Maybe you simply weren’t fit for this kind of life. You didn’t know much about volleyball, and there were many weird insider jokes you didn’t understand. Everyone appeared so friendly, some faces still familiar from the wedding, yet you couldn’t help but notice the pity in their eyes. They were all thinking the same thing, you were sure. Just how pitiful you were to be so unluckily married to a man who never seemed interested in what you two had.
“What’s the long face for, hm?” you suddenly heard a cheerful voice, something cold being pressed to your cheek and startling you. You looked up in confusion, only to be blinded by a warm and cheerful grin, the light of the room being reflected through a water bottle and accentuating his features even more.
“O-Oh,” you stuttered, reaching up for the drink he held out to you. “I didn’t see you coming, Atsumu-san. I’m sorry, I was in thoughts...”
“No offense, but you don’t seem to have much fun,” he sighed, plopping down next to you. “It’s such a shame Omi-Omi never shows you off, yer so cute, you know? Makes it much easier to endure parties like these!”
Laughing it off, you found yourself mesmerized by how carefree Atsumu seemed. To you, all of this was a big deal, and you had always assumed it was the same for everyone. But apparently, more people shared your sentiment of the time seemingly dragging out. Without noticing, you chuckled, and Atsumu’s eyes flitted over to you before he straightened his back briefly, crossing his legs. Smirk falling over his lips, you almost caught yourself gasping at how gorgeous he looked in the ambient lighting around you two.
“That’s much better. Ya should laugh more!”
Feeling the warmth spread through your face, you quickly cleared your throat, looking away as to not stare. For a moment there, you thought he really looked like an angel, making you feel at peace around him. “I just- You know- You call him Omi-Omi?” you changed the topic quickly, trying to hide the awestruck expression on your face by hiding behind your hand a bit.
“Huh? Oh yeah. Wouldn’t recommend it, he doesn’t really like it, but it’s fun teasing him, ya know? He gets all-” Reaching up, Atsumu pushed his brows together and put on his best impression of Kiyoomi. “‘Don’t call me that, you Idiot. Work on your serve if you have so much time.’ That’s what he says to me! I’m just trying to be friendly...”
Shaking your head slowly, you couldn’t hold back your laugh as you listened to him gush on about your husband treating him ‘unfairly’. Part of you felt sad having to hear it from a third person, never having been able to collect experiences with him yourself. Still, you were also relieved to see he wasn’t just treating you so coldly. “You’re so funny, Atsumu-san,” you chuckled, and he finally stopped talking, relaxing next to you after his tirade.
“There we go,” he mumbled, and you felt his hand fall to your head, giving it some pats. It made your heart grow to receive the affection, slowly but surely making you realize you had been missing fooling around and laughing or even being touched gently for a change. “Don’t let him get to you, ya hear me? Or I’ll come and kick his ass for you!”
“Who’s ass are you kicking?” you both were suddenly interrupted, and knowing the voice, you looked up. Shame hitting you, you stood up, Atsumu’s hand falling from you as you slipped out from under it, facing your husband cautiously. “Kiyoomi, you’re back!” you mumbled, wondering if your mood change was too noticeable. “Yeah, we’re leaving,” he announced, ready to go.
“Don’t just go around touching other people’s spouses, Atsumu,” he warned his colleague sharply, his arm coming around your back. Still, not even the tip of his glove touched you, much less gentle than Atsumu did.
“Mood-killer,” you heard Atsumu complain. “Good night, [Name]!” he called after you, and you graced him with a brief smile thrown over your shoulder, waving after him while you let yourself be led out by your husband.
»»———————— ♡
The ride home was almost as tiring as the evening itself, and the streetlights passing you as you looked out the window weren’t enough to keep you awake. It was a long drive, but the next thing you noticed was a warm body carrying you upstairs from the garage. “Bastard,” you heard a voice, slowly but surely regaining your senses.
“Kiyoomi?” you asked meekly, rubbing your eyes. Blinking a few times, when you looked up, you were met with a disgusted glare staring down at you, instantly making you shrivel into yourself. A flight instinct set in, and only now you noticed he was carrying you through the hallway of your house, not bothering being gentle with the bathroom door once he reached it.
He seemed furious and disgusted, and at least one of these were emotions you had never seen him make before. You almost expected him to drop you into the bathtub as you found yourself hovering over it, but he set you down gently. Nonetheless, the sudden stream of cold water hit you like a slap in the face as he turned on the shower without even a moment of hesitation. It grew warmer quickly, but you found yourself weirded out as your clothes began to stick to you. Kiyoomi, too, barely took off his blazer before kneeling down next to the tub, reaching for the shampoo standing close by.
It was in no way gentle or comfortable as he rubbed it onto your head, the gloves he wore not helping at all. You began to splutter as you had to close your eyes, soap going everywhere on your face. “Where else did he touch?” Kiyoomi asked, almost too calm for the fact it felt like he was trying to press the shampoo into your head rather than wash you. “No- Nowhere!” you complained, ducking out from his touch and wiping away soap from your face. “What are you doing?!”
“I don’t believe you,” was all the answer you received to your question. “Tell me. Now. Don’t make this harder for us.”
“What...” you muttered, flinching as you felt his hands fall to your body, grabbing your clothes. “What’s wrong with you!” you finally yelled, swatting his hands away harder than you wished you did. Finally, you got the time to wash off the soap and open your eyes again, feeling ill-treated and confused by his actions. Though despite the warm water, as you finally managed to look at him again, you felt your body freeze.
You thought you knew how he looked at you all this time. Disappointed, disapproving, and disgusted, but this time it was different. He looked at you as if you just ripped his heart out and claimed he was fine like that, and that hurt almost more than any look before. But in the next moment, it was gone, just like a snap of his fingers, and he grabbed your wrist, tightly and unbudging even if you complained. “Try that again, Sweetheart, I dare you.”
Blinking a few times, you couldn’t decide what was scarier; seeing him for the first time up close, face only inches from yours and without the mask, which usually gave some more distance between you two, or having him threaten you. Kiyoomi never talked more than a few words with you at a time, nor did he show any interest in anything you did. “Slap my hand away again, and I will make sure you can’t use it for a long time, you understand? Don’t you know by now who you belong to?”
His questions were so clear, yet in your head, they made no sense. Who did you belong to? Who was it?
“Y-You?” you eventually muttered. “Do I belong to you?”
A question as stupid as it sounded, and yet, it eased Kiyoomi’s rage, it seemed. “That’s right,” he confirmed. “You’re mine. You’ve been mine ever since we met for the first time, don’t ever forget that. I am the only one that is allowed to touch you and no one else. Especially no sleazy bastards like Atsumu.”
“Kiyoomi...”
“Undress,” he interrupted you. “I have to clean you.”
Hesitating, you gripped your own clothes. Never before had you heard him talk like that, especially not about you. You never even believed he could have those thoughts about you, and after being unloved for so long, they felt like bandaids to your wounds. Mind you, not strong bandaids, no. They didn’t even manage to heal you partially, but who were you to complain. Because, what Kiyoomi said...
“Okay,” you whispered, slowly stripping out of your clothes. “I’m sorry... Omi.”
You were stretching your luck, but you were so close to tears as he placed his hand on top of your head. It wasn’t like Atsumu’s. It wasn’t gentle, and it didn’t fill your core with happiness. No, it pressed you down, making you lower your head and feel so insignificant compared to its greatness. But it was Kiyoomi’s. The person you wanted to be loved and caressed by the most.
“It’s okay,” he sighed, and for once, his voice sounded almost gentle and forgiving after you did something. His hand stayed as his free one helped you get out of your clothes, and laying your own hand on top of his, you felt his warmth for the first time, no glove separating you two.
And to this day, you still remember wondering if what Kiyoomi said meant that he loved you too.
Even if that meant you were living in the worst kind of relationship possible.
[You can find the prompt list here]
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writertitan · 4 years ago
Text
Grandfather Clock (III)
pairing: levi x f!reader
word count: 7068 (oops)
themes:  adult f!reader, arranged marriage, multi-part fic, levi is a stubborn asshole at first, no love at first sight here folks
a/n: the final part!! enjoy!!!
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Read Part 1 Here
Read Part 2 Here
On the 20th day of Levi’s engagement to you, he found himself tense, frowning, and sitting across a less than pleased Erwin, right in the commander’s office. 
Erwin sat at his desk, deep discontent written all over his face, with his arms folded tightly across his broad chest. 
Levi knew the scolding was coming and cursed himself in his head for being so careless. He hadn’t really meant too much by it. Mike had just been asking him how things were going as they walked down the hall together and the words had just tumbled out. Levi didn’t like talking about his personal life in general, mostly because he had hardly had one prior to getting engaged, but now he was extra wary. 
“Not much to tell. Just thankful she agreed not to have an actual wedding and to prolong it as long as possible.” 
That was all he’d said and he’d said it with a tone of finality that Mike understood well. It was the tone that warned not to push it any farther. 
It was just Levi’s luck that Erwin had rounded the corner as the words left him. The commander had bristled as he processed what Levi had said and then blurted out that he needed to see the shorter man immediately, in his office. 
Levi had never seen Mike hurry off so quickly before. 
And now here he was, tense and waiting for Erwin to lash out at him. 
The words came moments later, but Levi didn’t get yelled at, which made him feel worse. Erwin was quiet, stern, and very open with his disappointment. 
“Is it true? You really asked that of her?” 
“Yes,” Levi sighed, running a hand over his tired face. “I did.” 
“You didn’t even consult me about it. Levi, I hope you know I’m trying to grant you as much freedom as I can in this situation, but this was out of line. I’m sorry, but you don’t have that kind of say.” 
Erwin’s words made Levi wince a little, but he tried to keep a stoic face. He could see that the commander was waiting for him to say something, but Levi didn’t quite know what to say. 
He thought of you for a moment, and thought about how confused he’d been lately, and then looked at Erwin with a hint of a frown. 
“You’ve hardly given us any freedom,” he blurted out, and then cursed himself yet again. He’d used the word “us” instead of “me” and he knew that Erwin would catch wind of that. 
He did, and he even seemed to soften up a bit, raising a brow curiously. 
And then Erwin used you as ammunition. 
“You’ve stripped away any semblance of choice left for her by making her agree to your terms. She has even less freedom than you. Is that what you wanted?” Erwin asked, but the question was more rhetorical than anything. 
Levi’s frown grew deeper. His mind went back to you, how broken you’d looked when he’d said he didn’t want a wedding day, and how he wanted to wait as long as possible to actually be married. And then his mind took him to that day you were feeling unwell, and how that same broken expression appeared when he’d gotten upset with you. 
His chest grew heavy when he realized he had helped in breaking you. 
And even worse, he hadn’t gone back to visit you after that day, when you had fainted. It had spurred too many mixed emotions in him and he had wanted the space to clear his head. And you had confirmed you were still unwell in your most recent letter to him from yesterday. 
But maybe you were lying. Maybe Levi had broken you so much that you wanted to start keeping your distance from him. 
That’s what he wanted, right? 
Is that what you wanted?
Erwin’s unanswered question echoed in his mind. 
If that was what he’d wanted, why did he feel this way, so horrible, after being called out by Erwin? 
“I just don’t know what to do,” Levi finally said, unable to meet Erwin’s gaze. 
Erwin hummed and sat back in his chair, arms now unfolded as he looked at Levi. The conversation had gone way beyond Levi’s little mistake. As much as he wanted to help his friend, there was a reason Erwin had been wandering the halls. He had, in fact, been searching for Levi. And he had, in fact, been wanting to discuss the topic of you. It had been mere coincidence that Erwin had caught Levi’s confession. 
“Talk to her,” Erwin said, eyes on Levi, who was still looking anywhere but at him. “And I’d suggest going today. There was a reason I’ve been looking for you.” 
At that, Levi flickered his eyes to Erwin, a hint of curiosity in them. And, dare Erwin say, even a little bit of worry hid behind the silver. 
“Well, spit it out,” Levi said, already making to stand up. “What happened? Is something wrong?” 
Erwin also stood up, slowly and deliberately, and didn’t know how to answer that. 
“There’s been some...civil unrest recently. Some of the working class citizens have been getting riled up because of some recent unfortunate events with the upper class,” Erwin explained, watching carefully for Levi’s reaction. “Some of my intel has told me there’s talk of a few riots being planned.” 
“What kind of ‘unfortunate events’ are you talking about?” Levi pressed, arms at his side with hands clenched into fists. This didn’t sound good. 
“Seems like your fiancee’s father has been in some bad business deals that affected a lot of his workforce. And he’s got quite the workforce, if you remember,” Erwin murmured, looking a little thoughtful as he tried to gage Levi’s reaction. “I was looking for you to tell you that I’d like for you to go and check on things. I’m not sure how extreme the situation is.” 
Levi was already halfway out of the office and didn’t bother to answer. He was, without a doubt, upset. 
Upset that Erwin didn’t let him know about this immediately. 
Upset that it would take a while to get to you. 
And, curiously, he was upset that he was upset. What the hell was going on with him? 
-
In your parlor room, you were curled up on the sofa and reading your favorite book. It took all your willpower to try not to think about how, just a few days ago, Levi had touched those very same pages. 
He’d kept his distance since then, though you had certainly had some part in that by sending him a note to say you were still sick. It wasn’t true at all and you’d felt almost back to normal the next day, but you couldn’t really face Levi yet. Despite forgiving him and allowing yourself to have a little bit of hope that things would turn out okay for the two of you, it was obvious that Levi was still on the fence with you, and had a very specific opinion about who you were despite not getting to know you. 
You were using this time away from him to think of ways to show him that you weren’t that way at all, and that his impression of you was, truthfully, completely off the mark. 
As the grandfather clock sounded off at noon, it brought you back to reality. You set your book down, not that you’d actually been reading much of it, and sighed when your stomach grumbled. Definitely lunchtime. 
You stood up and stretched, about to walk to the kitchen and bother Chef Erlo when you realized something seemed...off. 
The clock struck noon for a final time and you realized that that was the only sound you could really hear from all over the house. Silence engulfed you when the grandfather clock stopped, and you peered out into the hallway, baffled when you saw absolutely nobody in sight. 
Feeling like you couldn’t break the silence, you stayed quiet as a mouse as you made your way to the kitchen, hoping to hear the usual bustle of noise there for lunch. Maybe that’s where everyone was. It was lunchtime, after all. Had you forgotten it was somebody’s birthday? Sometimes you’d sneak the staff into the servant’s quarters for a bit of a break and have a little birthday celebration during lunch, but you were sure nobody’s big day was today.
But you didn’t make it to the kitchen. As you got closer to the foyer, you could hear the commotion outside, interrupting the eerie silence in your home. Instead of going to check on things, curiosity got the best of you and you ended up peering out the window to see what was going on. A little gasp left your lips when you saw what was outside. 
Hoards of people were at the gates of your home, screaming and shouting profanities as they tried to make their way inside. Your heart sped up at the sight, absolutely terrified at the pure hatred they all wore on their faces. You couldn’t really make out what they were all saying, but you heard the profanities, and you heard your father’s name enough times to know that this was personal. 
The guards situated outside at the gate were pushing back as much as they could, and you even see that some of the Garrison soldiers had come to help out, but the crowd seemed to be growing bigger and bigger by the second. At any moment, it would bubble over and spill past the gates of your home. 
Right to you. 
Once again, after a lifetime of avoiding your father and his business to try and escape it, you were being dragged right into the middle of it instead. 
You had to run. The anger outside was something that was almost tangible; you could feel it weighing heavily in the air even from where you stood inside your home. No doubt that someone would try to hurt you just in the belief that it would hurt your father to know they’d gotten to you. 
For a brief moment, Levi flashed through your mind, and you sincerely regretted lying to him about still feeling unwell when his face popped to the front of your head. Maybe he would have helped you. Maybe not. The anger you could feel from the crowd outside was unfortunately similar to the anger Levi had bestowed upon you just a few days ago. 
As you backed away from the window, you thought of all the different places you could go to hide. So lost in your thoughts, you didn’t register the footsteps sneaking up behind you and gasped when a hand clamped against your mouth to keep you quiet. 
Before you could try and scream, a familiar voice whispered in your ear, “Shh, it’s only me. Let’s go.” 
You whirled around, tears of relief springing to your eyes as you hugged Greta tightly. 
“Greta,” you breathed out shakily, pulling away to look at her with wide eyes. “What’s going on?” 
“Let’s not talk here, come on,” she whispered, tugging you towards the servant’s quarters, where you knew the wine cellar was situated. As soon as the door was closed and locked behind the two of you, Greta practically dragged you down the stairs. It was cooler down there and you shivered involuntarily. 
There was dim candlelight at the end of the steps that lit up a narrow hallway, one that led towards a heavy wooden door. Chef Erlo was there holding a candelabra with one hand, a silver key in the other. 
Your tears of relief spilled over at the sight of him. 
“Erlo,” you whimpered, moving to hug him as well. He was just as quick about it as Greta was, gently stepping away from you with a small and sympathetic smile. 
“We’ll get you out of here safely, miss,” he promised you. 
A pang of fear hit you and you looked between Erlo and Greta, hand at your chest as you thought of the worst. 
“And everyone else? Is everyone okay?” you asked them.
From above, you heard glass shattering and heavy thumps. Your heart pounded so hard against your chest that you worried your ribs would crack from the force. The fear you felt in that moment was unparalleled, unmatched by any other situation in your life. You’d never been this scared in your entire life. 
“Everyone is safe. Except for you,” Greta said, and she nodded for Erlo to open the door. He unlocked it and hurried you both inside, but you stopped in your tracks when you saw Erlo wasn’t following. 
“I’m going to lock the door behind me and slip the key under the crack. That should buy you some time,” he said to Greta, avoiding your gaze. 
“What are you talking about? You’re coming with us, it’s not safe here! Something’s happening outside, people are angry and I don’t know why,” you rambled, tearing up again. Greta reached over to squeeze your hand, but everything about it was rushed, too hurried to really be a comfort to you. 
Erlo flashed you another small smile, and then gave you a wink, his crow’s feet prominent as he finally flashed his goofy smile. 
“I’ll be fine, miss. Don’t worry about me. It’s not me they’re after,” he assured you, but it didn’t make you feel any better. 
Chef Erlo was like the father you’d never had. It was impossible to allow him to do this, but Greta held you back as he shut the door and locked it once again, with the key slipping underneath moments later. 
Greta let go of you to swipe it off the ground, and then began to push you forward, nearly in the dark save for cracks of light at the door opposite the room. 
The faint smell of wine permeated the air and you found yourself wishing for a glass to calm your nerves. Greta led you to the door in just a few moments flat, using the same key to unlock it and hurry through with you in tow. 
It was the bulkhead entrance to the wine cellar, where the merchants would come deliver or take some wine. Part of your father’s business. It was where a lot of things were delivered. On the few steps there beneath the wooden doors, there was a maid’s dress and some worn shoes. One look at Greta told you that the new outfit was for you, so you wasted no time in nearly tearing off your dress and kicking off your shoes to put on the much simpler garments and better blend in outside without striking too much attention to yourself. Your current outfit would have been a dead giveaway to your status. 
Greta lifted one of the doors up just enough to peer out cautiously as you changed, making sure it was safe to leave. Once she was sure it was, she nodded to you and lifted the door up quietly, keeping it lifted for you to hop up the short steps and out into the spring afternoon. 
It was cloudy outside, threatening to rain. As if on cue, a crack of thunder sounded and you felt it was remarkably similar to a cliche in your favorite novel; it always rained whenever your favorite character was feeling upset. 
You didn’t have much time to dwell on that. Greta gripped you by the elbow and tugged you away from the house in a pace that was rushed but not too much that it looked suspicious. Now that you were wearing new clothes, you looked like everyone else outside. There was no real need to rush and risk getting caught. 
Nobody paid the two of you any mind. The real focus was on your house that was currently getting ransacked. 
The sight made your heart sink to your stomach, but your tears had already dried. 
It was true that these people were destroying the only home you’d ever known. It was true that in that moment, you were sure you’d never go back to it. But you just couldn’t find it in you to cry about this. Your tears were reserved for your staff and worrying about their wellbeing. 
Whatever your father had done, it probably deserved this level of outrage. 
Although you were filled to the brim with fear and adrenaline, above all, you felt a peculiar sense of freedom as more and more people pushed their way past the gates of your home to run inside. 
Greta gave you a moment to watch the scene before steering you away with promises to explain everything as soon as she got you to safety. 
The only time tears actually did threaten your eyes again was when Captain Levi’s face pushed its way into your mind once more. 
Maybe you would never see him again. And maybe he’d like that. 
-
Levi was all too familiar with feeling dread settle in his stomach and harden like a rock. He’d experienced it all his life, countless times as he watched comrades die, often such a big part of his nightmares and the reason for his insomnia. 
He didn’t expect to feel that rock in his stomach as he approached your home. Rather, what was left of it. 
But he felt it settle in his stomach, a dread so heavy that he almost had to hunch over, and he looked on in horror as people continued to run in and out of your home. Many people were running out with valuables in their arms. Others were running inside just to destroy everything in sight. 
He was far too late, by the look of things. 
His eyes darted around, a futile attempt to locate you, but of course he didn’t see you anywhere. 
Soldiers and guards were doing what they could, and Levi could see reinforcements marching in, but it was too late. 
It was too late. 
Levi hopped off his horse and pushed past people and soldiers alike as he ran into your home, taking in the sight of broken glass and ruined furniture and banged up walls. 
It was disgusting. 
He went to your room first and only found it ravaged and empty with no signs of life. 
Levi knew he was being crazy. Of course he wasn’t going to just find you there. In fact, the thought of seeing you in the middle of all this would have actually been worse. But not knowing where you were had his stomach in knots. 
As a last resort, he checked the parlor room, where you’d shared an afternoon that had left Levi questioning himself and questioning you. Mostly himself. 
He got there as the grandfather clock chimed at the top of the hour. It was just as ravaged as your room, but curiously enough, he noticed your favorite novel on the ground by where the side table used to be. 
He picked it up and clutched it tightly, and then made a promise. 
He would find you and he would get your book back to you. It was the only possession you had left in the world, he realized, looking around. 
He’d find you. 
He wouldn’t rest until he’d found you. 
-
A cup of tea warmed your hands as silence filled the room of Greta’s mother’s kitchen. 
The two women stared at you with so much sympathy, and so much worry, that it made you feel loved and yet also a little small at the same time. 
Greta had just finished explaining everything to you. 
Your father had been atrocious, and had taken advantage of his employees. He was in protective custody because he’d anticipated this riot to happen. Nobody knew where your mother was. It was a miracle that Greta and Erlo had managed to help you and everyone else out before you’d gotten hurt. Or killed. 
And now you didn’t know what would happen next. 
Your spirits, already low, dimmed even more at the thought of Chef Erlo. You desperately hoped he was okay, and hopefully he was. After all, he’d been correct: nobody was trying to hurt him. Only you and your family. 
“Are you sure everybody made it out safely?” you whispered to Greta, who immediately nodded. 
“Everyone’s been aware of some of the...tensions around town,” she explained. “We all had an exit plan in the works, just didn’t realize we’d have to implement it so soon.” 
You flashed a brief and sad smile, nodding once as you took a sip of your tea. 
“Thank you for getting everyone out safely first. It means the world to me.” 
In your mind, you were just as responsible for your father’s sins as he was. To think you didn’t even have a clue of what was going on. It was embarrassing. 
As if reading your mind, Greta’s mother, May, reached forward to squeeze your arm reassuringly. 
“It’s not your fault, darling,” she murmured. “It wasn’t your place to know.” 
You sighed softly and kept your eyes on your tea, frowning to yourself. It was true that you had basically been forced to be cooped up in the house, and now you were thinking there was a clear reason behind it now. You hardly had much say in your day to day schedule, especially after getting engaged to Captain Levi. Still, it didn’t feel good to be so in the dark. 
And the thought of Captain Levi sent your heart aflutter. Did he know? Had he been aware of this the whole time? Was this part of the reason for your arrangement? 
Slowly, you picked up your gaze from your tea to settle on Greta, biting the inside of your cheek before asking the question you were dreading to ask. 
“What happens now?” 
She didn’t look too sure either as she pondered your question, finally settling for shrugging her shoulders. 
“I don’t know, miss,” she answered honestly. “I hate to say it, but it depends on your father. He and your mother will start looking for you once they realize you’re missing.” 
The thought made you nauseous. Despite such a horrible outcome of your day, that peculiar feeling of freedom had been what kept you going. There was some sort of thrill attached to it. 
You realized it was achingly similar to the hope you felt for your arrangement for Levi. The chance of things looking up, turning around. 
All this hope and nothing to show for it. 
Now you were hopeless. 
-
News had gotten to Erwin quickly. Levi saw the commander ride in with other squad leaders as he helped beat down and arrest some of the rowdier citizens at your home. He hated to be there and wanted to go off and find you more than anything, but someone there had to have seen you, or seen what happened to you. 
So far, nobody seemed to remember seeing you. In fact, some people had sworn to him that the house had been empty of people the entire time. Not a soul in the home at all. 
When Erwin stepped past the gates, Levi had never wanted to pummel him so badly. Instead, he shoved a badly beaten merchant towards his commander with a growl, eyes nearly feral as he found the calm blue ones that he hated more than anything at the moment. 
“You said there was civil unrest. You didn’t say there was an entire fucking mob,” he snapped. 
Erwin remained calm, casually stepping over the merchant to get closer to Levi. 
“Seems I was deceived,” he admitted, looking around. “Her father kept me in the dark. I had no idea about any of this. But I suppose you’ll be pleased to hear that I’m calling off the deal. We can’t tarnish the Scouts’ reputation even more by doing business with this family.” 
Levi’s body went cold at the news. 
Just a couple of weeks ago, he would have felt nothing but pure relief. Now, he felt nothing but pure dread. 
“What about…?” 
Levi couldn’t even say your name. It caught at the back of his throat and he struggled to breathe. He tried his best to remain as stoic as always, but Erwin knew him so well, and could see the concern at the edges of Levi’s gaze. 
“There’s not much protection we can offer her, being her father’s daughter. She’s under his control,” Erwin reminded him. “Do you know where she is? I heard she’s declared missing.” 
Levi nodded once to confirm, his worry amplifying at Erwin’s words. 
He couldn’t protect you. Not while you were still affiliated with your father. 
“People are saying that nobody was in the house,” Levi said, giving the commander a rundown of events. “I did a quick search, didn’t find any of the staff. No one was around.” 
Erwin hummed a little, hands behind his back as he took in the sight of the damaged house in front of him. 
“No surprise there. Our man of the hour is already in protective custody, having predicted this well before anyone else, and his wife was visiting with a friend, and now they’re all in protective custody as well. It’s just your ex-fiancee that we’re having trouble locating. Perhaps she’s with her staff.” 
How stupid of him. Levi hadn’t really thought of that possibility yet. He’d been so focused on finding you, assuming the worst, that he hadn't taken the time to really think it through enough to realize that you were missing along with the staff. 
Erwin was already five steps ahead of them. 
“Some of the scouts are off to find the staff members that don’t live here in-house. One of them is bound to know where she is.” 
Levi couldn’t help the small sigh of relief that left him, but he still felt useless if he wasn’t doing more to help. Without another word to Erwin, he marched off to do another quick search around the entire perimeter. 
Some medics had come onto the scene as well and he was surprised to see a couple of them towards the back of the house, dragging someone out of the cellar. Levi had admittedly not really looked down there, knowing all there was, was food storage and wine cellar that someone had told him was all cleared out by now. 
A familiar old man was getting dragged out and treated. He was badly beaten, bruised from head to toe, and his breathing was raspy and uneven. 
Levi knew him to be a staff member and his heart skipped a beat. 
Before he knew what he was doing, he was kneeling beside the old man, shaking him to get his attention despite the angry protests of a medic. 
The old man opened his eyes and grimaced, but his face grew soft at the sight of Levi. 
“Captain Levi,” he greeted him in a hoarse voice. “You’re a little late, don’t you think?” 
“Where is she?” Levi asked, voice soft. “Do you know?” 
“I know,” the man confirmed, nodding slowly as his eyes closed. “Greta...Greta took her. She’s...with Greta’s mother. But don’t know where...she lives.” 
Greta. Levi knew that name. It was the name of one of the maids. You looked to be friends with her. 
“Thank you,” he said, very sincere, before standing back up. More determined than ever, he made a beeline for his horse, a plan of action already formulating in his mind. He could make do with the information given to him. It was all he needed. 
He was going to find you. 
-
The sun hung low in the sky as May and Greta made up Greta’s old bed for you. 
You had insisted on sleeping anywhere else, even the floor, but Greta had already set her mind on sharing a bed with her mother. 
“I shared a bed with one of the other maids all the time, whenever we felt like it,” she told you. “I actually like it. It’s nice having another person there with you.” 
You still felt a little guilty but stayed silent, and opted instead to watch the sun lower through the window of Greta’s childhood bedroom after being shooed off. 
Greta and her mother chattered amongst themselves and you didn’t have the heart to join in just yet. You felt so drained after the day’s events that you couldn’t muster up the energy they had. 
What kept you so anxious was also the thought of having to stay under your father’s thumb. 
It was maddening to know that after everything, he still had your life in his hands. To be a highborn lady was to be in shackles. 
A plan was starting to formulate in your mind, one where you could fake your death and run away and find work as a maid or maybe even a governess. Greta could help and confirm that you’d been taken, never to be seen again. You could grab your clothes that you’d discarded, if they were still around, and maybe douse them in animal blood or something, to really sell it. 
But your plan was cut short with a pounding at the front door downstairs. The knocking was so intense that all three of you froze and looked between each other, fear prickling your spines. 
When the door clearly sounded like it was trying to be opened, May sprang into action and ran downstairs, which kickstarted your adrenaline. You ran after her, afraid for her possibly getting hurt, reaching out for her to try and stop her from going any farther. 
“May, no!” you hissed, eyes on the front door that was now in view. Someone was slamming into it, the lock jiggling unsteadily, until it finally gave in. 
You were paralyzed in fear as the door flew open, but fear gave way to shock at the sight of Captain Levi at the entrance, looking frazzled. You would have never predicted you’d ever see him as anything other than composed or angry. 
As soon as your eyes locked, you ran to him. 
“Captain Levi!” 
He stopped you before you could throw your arms around him and, at first, you felt embarrassed by it, taking it as a rejection. 
It wasn’t until he started examining you, hands lifting and twisting your arms and turning your face this way and that, that you felt your heart warm up. 
“Are you hurt?” he asked. He was cupping your face, holding your jaw familiar as his eyes scanned your face for any signs of injury, and that frazzled look he held only softened when his eyes finally met yours. 
You shook your head slowly, keeping his gaze, hands shyly reaching up to cover his over your jaw. 
“I’m not hurt,” you whispered. “Just scared.” 
Levi frowned and reluctantly let go of your face, but his hands didn’t travel far. He rested them on your shoulders while your hands gently gripped his forearms, the two of you in your own little bubble. 
“You don’t have to be scared anymore,” he promised you, sounding so earnest. “Nobody can hurt you while I’m here.” 
Your bottom lip quivered, emotional at the thought of him willingly protecting you, but also emotional at the more sinister situation at hand. 
“My father can,” you told him, squeezing his forearms as the words left your mouth. “Greta says he’ll be looking for me soon. I can’t escape him.” 
Levi’s eyes hardened at that, grip also tightening on your shoulders, before he groaned and stepped away from you to run a hand over his face. 
“Erwin said the same thing to me,” he admitted, pacing back and forth. He briefly looked towards Greta and her mother, then to the now broken front door, and blankly stared at them before muttering, “I’ll fix that.” 
He turned back to you, arms crossed, as he took on a look of deep concentration. It was only there for a few moments before he snapped out of it, holding your gaze as he seemed to come to a conclusion. 
“You can’t be under your father’s control once you’re married,” he pointed out. 
At first, you didn’t understand. You raised a brow, a little peeved he was bringing it up, and nodded once. 
“I suppose so…,” you agreed, a hint of a frown on your face. “But I’m assuming we won’t be getting married after this, so I’m kind of shit out of luck.” It was the first time you’d really sworn like that in front of Levi. In front of anyone. It was nice. 
Levi tensed up a little and broke his eye contact with you to look away, and you could have sworn he looked a little flustered. There was a hint of pink at the tips of his ears, which shocked you.
“What?” you pressed, also feeling a bit of heat creep into your face. 
This wasn’t happening. No way this was happening. 
Levi hadn’t wanted to marry you even when it was basically required of him. 
Your hopeless romantic little heart was just playing tricks on you. He wasn’t possibly going to suggest… 
“I gave my word and I don’t intend on going back on it,” he said, still not looking at you, ears still pink. “Got any better ideas?” 
“Captain Levi…,” you began, but then trailed off, not knowing what to say, until finally you managed out, “You don’t have to do this.” 
He scoffed a little, eyes finally flickering back to you. Tentatively, he stepped forward until he was right in front of you again. You stayed perfectly still as he lifted a hand to place it on top of your head, giving you a small pat before ruffling up your hair. 
“I have something for you,” he said suddenly, taking his hand away to reach into the pocket of his coat. 
And then your favorite novel was in your hands, a little more crumpled up than usual but basically intact. 
Tears sprang to your eyes and you hugged the book to your chest gratefully, looking to Levi with nothing but adoration. 
At that moment, it was all you owned in the world. You didn’t even own the clothes on your back. 
“That was really nice,” you choked out, gazing down at the book again with a small smile. 
Levi stepped forward again, closing the distance between you as he rested a hand on your shoulder again. 
“Let me protect you,” he said, tone filled with an air of finality that you couldn’t argue with. “I know I don’t have to.” 
He didn’t have to say the actual words; you understood what he meant. 
I want to. 
-
Marriage was all about compromise. 
In the end, Levi didn’t get to prolong his nuptials, since marrying you had to be done quickly. However, it also had to be done in secret. So, at the very least, you figured he at least got half of his wishes respected.��
The moment the ink was dry on the certificate, you felt a weight lift off your shoulders. You shed your maiden name to gain a new surname, fully protected from your father now and fully backed by the Survey Corps. It was your 30th day of knowing Levi. Your 1st day of being married. 
You took in a deep breath as Erwin took the document from you to sign as a witness, and you turned to Levi with a small and timid smile, which he actually tried to return. It was brief, but it was appreciated. And when he lifted his hand to pat your head affectionately, you melted a little.
“I’m sorry you didn’t have a big wedding like you wanted,” he murmured, eyes staring at you with a hint of remorse. “I should have never made you agree to that before.” 
A half-smile tugged at one corner of your mouth and you shook your head, nudging your shoulder to his playfully. 
“I never really wanted to have a big wedding,” you admitted to him. “I just wanted to have a special day for myself. And for my husband, of course. Didn’t have to be a big thing. It just needed to be special.” 
Levi seemed to lighten up at that, giving another brief smile before murmuring, “That’s a relief.” 
“What do you mean?” you asked, but he didn’t respond, choosing instead to stand up and offer a hand to help you on your feet as well. 
You smoothed down the cream dress Greta had so kindly let you borrow and followed Levi out the door, head held a little higher now that you were an official Ackerman and nothing else. Instead of going to Commander Erwin’s office to go over a few next steps like originally planned, you found yourself following Levi outside. 
“Where are we going?” you asked, puzzled, but Levi scoffed a little and turned to look at you from over his shoulder. 
“If you could just be a little patient, I promise you’ll find out soon enough,” he said. 
It was a beautiful day, you had to admit. The spring temperature was perfect and you basked in the sunlight, feeling freer than you’d ever felt before. 
You stepped onto the grass in the courtyard, eyes towards the sky, and it wasn’t until you heard several people clear their throat that you tilted your head down to take a look. 
Your heart nearly stopped as you saw Erlo, Greta, May, and Charlie, and some of Levi’s friends, sitting on the grass, a spread of what looked like a marvelous lunch in front of them. 
Shouts of congratulations were passed around and you lit up at the sight, heart feeling full as you stumbled over while dragging Levi along. 
You turned to him, eyes bright and excited, still not quite understanding. 
“What is this?” you asked, looking between your bubble of friends and your brand new spouse. 
Levi looked a little uncomfortable, but in that cute way, and Greta beat him to the punch with the answer. 
“It’s your wedding day, so we’re celebrating, of course!” she laughed, then nodded towards Levi with a cunning grin. “It was your husband’s idea.” 
Levi’s entire face flushed at the term but he also looked murderous at being found out. 
You grinned at him, feeling warmed at his gesture, and you made a mental note to pull him aside later for a real thank you. 
At that moment, you made do by sneaking a kiss to his cheek, fully appreciating the way he got flustered. 
-
Erwin had made up a new room for you at base and, after a full day’s worth of celebrating your wedding day, you were ready to fall into bed. 
The room was right next to Levi’s, which you appreciated. It seemed funny, almost, since of course spouses typically shared a room, but under these circumstances, that wasn’t very likely. 
You cared for Levi and you could see that he at least cared for you in some ways, but those feelings would need to be nurtured with time. 
The two of you were in front of your bedroom door, with you yawning up a storm, and Levi grumbling about getting you to bed. 
You burst into your room and made a beeline for your bed, not bothering to really look around at your new room or even change out of your clothes. As soon as you were on the bed, you felt your drowsiness start to overtake you. 
Before you passed out, you peeked over at Levi, who was getting situated at a desk. 
“Aren’t you gonna sleep?” you asked, yawning again, and Levi turned to look at you briefly. 
“Not for a while,” he answered finally. 
You frowned at that but didn’t argue with him, your heart bubbling over with so many questions and feelings that you just couldn’t hold in anymore. 
“Do you still dislike me?” you blurted out, face heating up at your lack of filter. 
Levi raised a brow, pointedly looking towards the new ring on your finger. Then, his gaze softened, and he leaned back in the chair he sat in. 
“No,” he answered. “And I was wrong for judging you before. I’m sorry I didn’t give you a chance sooner.” 
You stayed quiet for a moment, but kept your eyes on Levi, no matter how hard it was. 
“Do you think you’ll fall in love with me one day, now that we’re married?” 
You couldn't stop that question from tumbling out either, but you were too curious to feel embarrassed. 
Levi’s ears flushed pink, a cute new trait you were catching onto. He looked away from you briefly, clearly trying to find the right words, and he took so long to respond that you felt your heart start to sink. 
But then he stood from his seat and moved to kneel beside the bed, a hand reaching up to smooth some hair out of your face.
“Let me focus on protecting you first,” he said. 
His eyes were the softest they’d ever been. They gave you another answer. 
“I’m going to love you,” you promised him. You still couldn’t admit that you were actively falling in love. Not to him, not right now. But another time. 
“I don’t deserve that, after how I acted,” he whispered. 
“I’ll always forgive you,” you whispered back. “And I’m going to love you.” 
Levi moved his hand from your head to tuck you into the sheets a little better, avoiding your gaze. Neither one of you said anything for a minute, a comfortable silence falling between you like that afternoon in the parlor room. 
As you began to drift off, Levi’s soft voice filled your ears with one final promise. One that was meant more for him than for you. 
“I’ll figure out how to love.” 
You were too tired to notice how the sheets smelled like Levi. You were too tired to realize that the room was clearly already lived in and had typical possessions of a squad captain, from ODM gear to a desk clearly stacked up with documents. 
You’d been too tired to remember that your bedroom door was the right one and not the left one. You’d been too tired to notice that you’d opened the left door. 
Levi was too besotted by you to correct your mistake. 
Somewhere, a grandfather clock chimed as midnight struck. 
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bubble-tea-bunny · 4 years ago
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i could make you care
[saiki kusuo x reader]
author’s note: i tried to incorporate as many characters into this as possible to make it feel like an actual episode and i got overwhelmed so fast lol i haven’t written this many characters in a story in a long time. in any case hope i did them justice and that you enjoy :’)
word count: 3,029
Today’s morning is bright, and Saiki’s walk is quiet. Typically this would be no cause for concern. A quiet walk to school is few and far between, difficult to come by given the company he keeps. (He’d much prefer a calmer bunch, if he were granted the chance to choose, but that is neither here nor there.) Don’t misunderstand: he’d bask in this brief peace, guaranteed to be broken the moment he passes through the gates of PK Academy, if the reason for this uncharacteristic period of silence comes about because of the absence of one particular person—someone who, if one could hardly believe it, Saiki actually prefers to have around more often than not.
He walks past the street which leads to your home, his pace never slowing because he expects you’ll join him, as you do every morning. You’ll wait for him on the corner and smile widely like you haven’t seen him in weeks then skip towards him, falling in step easily. He’ll remain nonplussed as you hug his arm, give it a brief squeeze as you greet him—Good morning, Kusuo!—and then promptly let go because you understand he likes his space but you just can’t help but indulge a little bit.
However, none of the aforementioned events play out this Friday. You’re not on the street corner, not there to smile and fall in step with him. There’s no arm hugging or a bubbly greeting Saiki pretends he isn’t affected by. But the truth is that he is, the routine coming somewhat as a comfort, even at the price of sacrificing some of his beloved personal space. So when you’re nowhere to be found his brows furrow and he wonders where you are.
His steps slow until he comes to a complete stop. He wants to check up on you, sooner rather than later. There isn’t much time to delay if he wants to make it to school before the first bell, but this won’t take long. He crosses his eyes, activating his clairvoyance, and he centers in on you immediately. You’re still at home. You’re at home, and you’re sick.
A box of tissues rests on your nightstand and you’ve pulled your small trash can right next to it from where it usually stands by your door. You toss used tissues into it before nestling beneath your blankets, pulling it up to just below your chin and hugging it close in order to retain heat. Your breath evens out quickly and he can tell you’re asleep. Your body must be exhausted dealing with your cold, and he’s confident this is the way you will be the rest of the day—drifting in and out of sleep, dealing with the sniffles and congestion.
He blinks and loses sight of you and now he’s staring once more down the road. Readjusting his bag on his shoulder with a sigh, he resumes walking and thinks about his plans for the day. As it was the last day of the school week, he’d planned to go to Cafe Mami for coffee jelly to celebrate. But now that he’s learned you’re sick in bed, he’d have to make adjustments. Momentarily he debates if that’s really necessary. You probably wouldn’t want visitors in the state you’re in, and knowing you, you’d tell him to go to the cafe without you to enjoy himself anyway. The thought is tempting, truly, yet he can’t shake the urge to check on you.
It feels less like an obligation and more like a simple desire of his own to make sure you’re okay. Saiki shakes his head, more amused than frustrated. There’s no one else for whom he would so willingly do this, or much else, for, and he doesn’t think he’d ever tell you because you’ll tease him the way you are wont to do whenever his facade cracks and he’ll let you have your fun because when you ask if you’re really so different as to make him act this way, the answer is, well, yes. You are.
He imagines this scenario and the corner of his lips lifts in a small smile. Good grief. You could be quite the handful.
“Hey, Saiki!”
Nendo’s voice is entirely too loud for the morning and Saiki heaves another sigh, one that sounds as though it belongs at the end of the day and not the beginning. Nendo is joined close behind by Kaidou and Kuboyasu, and they easily fill the silence with discussions about going to get ramen after class and the latest movements of the Dark Reunion. Saiki really only picks up words here and there that allude to the topic of conversation but it doesn’t require his full attention. It’s the same song and dance every morning.
The commotion once he arrives at school is much the same. During lectures he is afforded the temporary reprieve from having his ears talked off, since the only one speaking is the teacher, but at breaks, the noise resumes, and though he always stays sitting at his desk, in hopes the others will get the hint that he’s uninterested in chatting, they inevitably crowd themselves around it, until he is right in the middle.
Hairo has outlined a new workout regimen and in his louder than normal volume of speaking he shares it. He’s going to start it today, and if anyone wants to join, they’re more than welcome. It doesn’t look like anyone wants to take the offer, which is expected. Hairo’s exercise routines were… a little extreme.
In any case, Hairo is nonplussed by the lack of enthusiasm from everyone else and remarks he can’t wait for the end of the school day.
“I think I’ve been losing muscle tone,” he laments, and he complements this statement with a casual flex of his arm, more so to point out the specific areas he thinks are getting soft rather than to show off, but even if he isn’t trying, his biceps are bulging and if his sleeves hadn’t been rolled up, they would have torn.
Saiki’s brow raises. Yeah… I don’t think that’s an issue for you, Hairo.
“I’ve just finished installing an indoor gym at my home, you know.”
Everyone turns to find Saiko has entered into the circle, a smug smirk on his face. When had he gotten here? Really it’s only Hairo who has any sort of reaction to this, eyes practically sparkling imagining the machines and equipment (or maybe that’s just the glare from the fluorescent classroom lights). All the same, Saiko relishes the attention, boasting of the privacy and space and how really, it’s so much easier to be productive if there’s no one else there but Saiki can only wonder if Saiko even works out at all. He doesn’t remember that being mentioned, and Saiki is nothing if not detail oriented.
Saiki doesn’t have long to ponder over this (not that it would’ve continued much longer because he doesn’t actually care about whether Saiko exercises or just set up a gym in his house to brag) before Nendo asks where you are.
Had he just noticed? You always join them on their walk in the morning. But Saiki can’t say he’s surprised it took this long. What he is surprised about is that Nendo had noticed in the first place.
“Oh that’s right,” Kuboyasu adds. “I thought she just went ahead of us today.”
Yumehara informs them of your whereabouts before Saiki does. “She texted me this morning she wasn’t feeling well so she stayed home.” Her phone dings with a new message and she glances at it, then looks back up. “But she says she’s a little more awake now!”
“It’s the Dark Reunion.” Kaidou’s sudden interjection draws everyone’s attention. He clenches his right fist, staring at the bandages wrapped around it. “They’re trying to get to me by going after my friends!”
Saiki remains expressionless but if he didn’t have such good control he would’ve rolled his eyes. Or maybe she just has a cold.
Upon Kaidou’s claim that a secret society is responsible for your illness, Saiki picks up Yumehara’s thoughts: I wish I was the one Kaidou was so worried about! Maybe if I got sick he’d worry about me too! Getting sick to grab Kaidou’s attention? That’s… going overboard, but Saiki can’t find it in him to be shocked, considering from whose mind this speculation has sprung.
“Poor [Name],” Teruhashi says, kind as always. She sets an index finger on her chin, gaze momentarily aimed upwards as she thinks. “I was about to suggest we all go to the cafe after school today and I wish she could join.”
This gives Saiki pause. Wait. The cafe?
“That sounds like a great idea!” Yumehara declares. Again Saiki hears her thoughts: If we go, I need to do my best sit next to Kaidou!
Whether a visit to Cafe Mami comes across as a good idea because it’s a fun way to celebrate the end of the school week or simply because Teruhashi suggested it, Saiki doesn’t know, but one by one the murmurs of assent resound through the group and he barely contains a relieved huff. He’d already changed his own plans from visiting the cafe to seeing you instead, and it’s a good thing too since it’s apparent his alone time would’ve been ruined. Now he has an excuse not to stick around.
Once the final bell rings, they begin their walk into town towards the cafe. The sidewalk feels crowded with all of them on it, and they have to split into pairs to keep the opposite side of the sidewalk free for people going the other way. Among comments from everyone else about how hungry they are, Saiki makes known his intention to just pick up food before leaving. There’s somewhere he needs to be.
“You’re going to go make sure [Name] is doing okay!” Teruhashi exclaims. It’s a statement, not a question. “That’s sweet of you.”
Saiki shrugs. “Sweet” is not the first word he would associate with his actions. It just seems like common sense to check on you. You’d looked miserable this morning, but he takes your message to Yumehara earlier as a good sign that you’re improving, slowly and surely. Still, he’d be more comfortable seeing you himself. He hadn’t gotten any other chances today to use his clairvoyance, but at least it wouldn’t be long now until he’d be heading to your house.
Chisato is working today and she seats everyone. Saiki goes directly to the counter to place his order—coffee jelly for him and strawberry mochi for you—and he stands off to the side while waiting for the treats to be packed. The others are sitting on the far side of the cafe (in his peripherals he sees Yumehara has taken a seat right next to Kaidou) but he can hear them clear as day discussing what food they should order. Yes, he’s certainly glad he won’t be sticking around. Spending Friday in the midst of that noise is far from ideal.
Holding the bag of coffee jelly and mochi in one hand, Saiki uses the other to push open the door, the bell jingling gently, and someone, Nendo it sounds like, raises their voice to shout across the room: Seeya later, Saiki! Then the door closes behind him, and all he can hear is the footsteps of other pedestrians and the low whoosh of cars.
He exhales slowly. Peace at last. He proceeds in the direction of your home, and when he thinks to himself that any longer and his ears might’ve begun to bleed, he’s only half joking.
In the neighborhood it’s much quieter, the only person he passes being someone walking their dog, and only a couple of cars drive past. He knocks on the door and he assumes you’re in your room and so it will take some time for you to open it, but you’re there faster than he expects. You open it just wide enough to stand in the gap, and immediately he notices the fatigue in your eyes. When you realize it’s him, they light up, and the fatigue fails to take away from the brightness of your smile as you open the door wider.
“Kusuo!”
Inside, he sees you’ve moved downstairs to the living room. That’s why you’d answered the door so quickly. There’s a pile of blankets on the couch and a tissue box on the coffee table. The television is on and playing an animation. He doesn’t recognize it, but it must be one of the new ones you mentioned wanting to watch. However, you’re not interested in it now that he's here and you grab the remote to turn down the volume.
“I thought you were going to the cafe today,” you state, head tilting.
Saiki shakes his head. Change of plans. Instead I brought the cafe to us. He holds up the bag of food and doesn’t have to tell you what’s in it. You squeal in delight that he’s come bearing treats, but the sound is a little raspy and awkward due to your sore throat. It’s still easier on Saiki’s ears than the earlier commotion he’d been surrounded with and, if he’s honest, it’s cute.
You plop down on the couch and wait as he joins you. He unties the bag and opens the box, first taking out the packaged pink mochi and handing it to you. Then he grabs his coffee jelly and the plastic spoon it came with before settling back against the cushions.
You sit cross-legged facing him and bite into your soft and squishy treat, humming delightedly. “Thanks, Kusuo.”  
Saiki chews a mouthful of coffee jelly and glances at you.
You grin and hold up the mochi. “For the snack and for coming to see me.”
He shrugs because it’s no big deal. Or, well, he tries to play it off like it’s no big deal. But you know him better than that, better than most others do, and don’t brush it off so quickly. You breathe out dramatically and set a hand on your chest.
“What must I have done for Kusuo Saiki to give up his quiet time for me?” Then you giggle, and  it’s punctuated at the end by a sniffle.
He tells you there would’ve been no quiet time at the cafe since the others had also decided to go, and that you’re much better company. Even when I’m sneezy? you ask him, and he chuckles. Yes, even when you’re sneezy.
His remark about coming to see you because he’d prefer to be here and not at the cafe with the rest of your friends is merely part of the truth. The rest of it is that he did genuinely want to check on you to make sure you were okay. Though to give this a voice felt like too much for someone typically so reserved in his feelings, but you understand perfectly fine as you smile softly. You’re appreciative of his actions, and it would seem Teruhashi had been right about them, for you murmur that he reminds you of the mochi you’re eating: You’re so sweet!
Grabbing your mug from the coffee table, you frown when you see it’s empty. “I ran out of tea.”
Saiki sets the spoon and now empty container back in the box then holds his hand out. You blink, momentarily confused, but when it registers what he’s doing, you give him the mug. As he stands to make his way into the kitchen, you call after him.
“Thank you!”  
Having been to your house a number of times already, he knows where everything is and starts brewing a fresh cup of tea. You’ve turned the volume up on the television again, but you have to rewind to return of the spot you were at before he’d arrived. Once he comes back with a filled mug, instead of allowing it to continue to play, you pause your show.
You’d snuggled beneath the blankets and have to finagle your arms out of the multiple layers to take the mug from him. You say thanks again and blow gently at the tendrils of steam floating from it. The ceramic is warm in the palms of your hands and you sigh contentedly.
“Sorry I’m a little high maintenance today,” you apologize suddenly. “I’d make the tea myself but I just have such little energy…”
Saiki wishes you wouldn’t apologize because there’s nothing to be sorry for. So he tells you as much. Don’t apologize. Besides, he’d offered to make that tea, and if you wanted soup, he’d offer to make that too. He does understand where you come from, however. You tend to be more independent, opting to do things yourself, and you also know his propensity for being alone and needing space. As such, you’re careful not to be overbearing, and the idea of Saiki doing even little tasks like brewing you tea bothers you.
It’s endearing, the level of care you take to make sure he’s comfortable too, but when he says you’re far from high maintenance, he means it. You immediately understand what he’s implying and laugh before scooting closer and leaning your head on his shoulder.
“Okay, point made,” you concede. With a small smile, Saiki grabs the remote you’d tossed down on the couch and presses play.
He would struggle to call you high maintenance on any day considering who your friends are.  They’re loud and all over the place, practically bouncing off the walls. Life could hardly be tranquil when around them and their antics. It’s the total opposite of Saiki, who values calm and silence. If they were high maintenance, he was low maintenance. That’s the way he prefers to be, existing in relative quiet and as close to mediocrity as he can muster. But he can't say he’s opposed to the occasional interruption to the otherwise mundane, especially where it concerns you. You’re not to be found on one side or the other, but right in the middle, and to Saiki, you are just right.
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saberstars · 3 years ago
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I'm Here
Pairing: Gender Neutral Y/N & Loki
Fluff, angst, implied smut
Warnings: Mentions of depression/mental illness, epilepsy/seizures, mentions of sex, as always if I missed anything feel free to let me know
Summary: Loki & You have a pre-existing friendship with benefits & one night you have a seizure after some spiciness. He cares for you helping you afterwards & makes sure you rest easy & safe. Reader is portrayed to have seizures more so during changes in sleep phases, not awake. The wake seizures or more of a medium ish absence/ focal aware seizure that only occur on occasion & can be “fought” through.
Word Count: 1796
Notes: This was intended to be a gender neutral reader. I think I removed all he/she pronouns.
Additionally, I know that not everyone experiences seizures the same way, and that epilepsy can affect people differently. This is all written from my experiences with it, so I ask that you do not tell me I portrayed something wrong. I can and will accept constructive criticism, But I will not accept someone telling me blatantly that I am wrong with my experiences. Therefore please keep that in mind when reading. I genuinely hope this fic brings others comfort if you suffer from epilepsy or any disorder that causes seizures. Thank You <3
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It’s been three years since you found out you suffered from epilepsy. A diagnosis that came late in your life to be fair. As a young child up until you reached adulthood, you suffered from eye shakes that would eventually turn into stuttering spells that made it difficult to breath or not breath properly at all. You never passed out though, you got close a few times, but you managed to stay awake and “fight it off.” You started to notice over time that you’d also get a strange taste in your mouth, almost like metal or as if you were sucking on a battery and it had that zing flavor. You knew that was a precursor and would panic on cue rightfully so. You hated when you had your mini stutter fests because all you could do was hope it didn’t happen.
Of course you complained to your parents as a child but they didn’t think it was anything. They said it was just a panic attack. So you took their word for it. That was until you started having grand mals in your sleep. At first you thought they were just a part of some strange dream, that wasn't real to you, not yet anyway. You would wake up exhausted, sore, sometimes unable to move properly, walk, open and close a fist, and you just overall couldn't stay conscious sometimes. Again you complained to your parents about it, but they said it was nothing. You probably had night terrors or some form of minor sleep paralysis. So you dumbly believed them.
When you moved out, You sought answers, and eventually got them. You were grateful. The medication they prescribed helped tremendously though, it did make you tired but it was worth not having your episodes. Thankfully your case wasn’t as severe as others and it was manageable so long as you took care of yourself and took your medications. Though you were warned, breakthroughs were common, and missing your dose can and would cause a seizure.
Despite having such a diagnosis, you kept it to yourself. You never really told anyone. It wasn’t until you started sleeping with a friend, that you finally divulged your secret too in the event that it ever happened whilst they were with you.
It was someone you randomly slept with on and off with. A friend with benefits, his name was Loki. You had met the god shortly after his father had passed and his home, destroyed. You found comfort with each other despite it being more of a sexual comfort. You both used sex as a way to fight your own demons, a distraction, a quick grab at serotonin. Despite the sex you both developed a very deep friendship. You’d read together on occasion, have very interesting debates on current events, history, as well as other nuances, and a lot of other things. You even met his brother and the avengers at one point.
You both slept soundly after spicy events had taken place 2 hours prior, Loki had come over desperate for attention of any kind. He didn’t say why, but you knew it was a rather serious topic he wished not to discuss and rather lessen the pain with ecstasy. Little did you know, on this day a few years ago he indirectly murdered his mother. He blamed himself dearly, he knew if he would have kept his mouth shut for once in his life she may be here today. So he needed a genuine distraction. One of any kind. Preferable you. Due to the spicy events that took place you missed your dose, due to falling asleep promptly after, which cost you dearly. Missing doses always caused this to happen no matter what.
You gasped for air like usual, your body contorting outwards first with a thrust. You were awake, conscious, and terrified for the few seconds you normally were given before blacking out. You began to stutter violently all the air leaving your lungs as it happened. Until no sounds were made and it was just you chattering. Loki woke immediately, with a completely calm exterior despite a raging mixture of emotions internally. He knew you never called an ambulance for these things because you were normally alone & unaware until you became conscious again. She made him promise to never call 911 unless it was over a certain time length, to save her medical expenses, or unless she stopped breathing for good.
Loki dare not touch you though as you shook and curled up. The last thing he wanted was his godly strength to crush you somehow or cause you more pain. Instead he watched and hovered until you finally stopped. It was a short 50 second one, which was under your time limit, but he still debated calling. It’s not like You would’ve known he lied.
His breathing hitched as he went to check your pulse and airway, ever so delicately, which were both clear and strong.
“Oh thank you.” he whispered
A few hours had slid by with still no response from you. Loki sat next to you, staring down at you, to the point where he would fight the urge to blink, waiting for a stir of some kind from you. He did give the courtesy of redressing you though, in a nightgown from a drawer after an hour slid past. He even went as far as ensuring that you were adequately covered by the blankets to avoid being chilled. It has been 3 ½ hours now, with no stir of any kind from you. He knew it would be awhile before you showed any signs of movement possibly but this worry tore him to his core. In the midst of waiting he refused to just idly go back to sleep next to you, he was determined to stay awake until you were conscious again, so that you knew, he stayed there waiting for you. Loki didn’t know when he found himself talking to you as if you were awake, but all he knew was that it made him feel a bit better, and he hoped that when you woke it would make you feel better too.
“You know, I’ve been reading this really dumb gothic romance novel. I think you’d like it because of how naive the girl is. I know you like to criticize and pick on how they make decisions.” he spoke with a chuckle in his voice thinking back to how you’d flail your arms and drop your book to scream about how dumb some main protagnist could be.
“I'll have to buy you a copy or give you mine when I’m done.” Loki shifted his weight from his right to his left brushing your bangs out of your eyes.
“I don’t know why you keep those so long, all they do is get in the way of your gorgeous eyes.”
It was in that moment you rustled, you shifted your neck ever so slightly, Your eyelids twitch. Loki leaned forward parting his lips as he watched with a heart of hope completely overwhelmed with joy when he saw the color of your iris’s. He exhaled a shaky breath cupping your cheeks which caused you to flinch sending a wave of shocks through your body. It was at that moment you knew. You knew what he saw, what he had gone through. Your heart sank and you immediately berated yourself internally despite your exhausted state.
“It’s ok you don’t have to say or do anything. I’ll stay, I’ll take care of you for as long as you need.” Loki assured you, wanting you to know that you didn’t have to go through this alone. You never really had anyone stay, let alone worry about you. Your eyes began to water as tears rolled down your face.
“I’ll go grab you some water, you’re probably parched. I’ll also grab you a banana. I read that potassium can help with the cramping.” Loki said leaving to yourself for a moment. He also grabbed tissues for your eyes and nose just in case. Upon returning her placed everything at your side offering help to sit up. “Do you need to use the bathroom or help sitting up?” He asked with a gentle tone.
You nodded trying to take a good deep breath so you could speak a bit. “I’m so sorry you had to see that… but thank you. Thank you for staying, for helping. I do need the bathroom and I would appreciate help. My legs are still...” you mustered out with all your might but after a point your tongue refused to work with you.
“Of course, I may be a monster but I’m not entirely cruel. If it helps… you can just think to yourself and I can listen that way. So that you're not struggling too much.” Loki admitted with a tone of self depreciation.
“You're not a monster just because you're different & have made mistakes.” you thought as Loki picked you up bridal style walking you to the bathroom. Of course he placed you down on the toilet and waited outside for you to do what you needed. Since he had only added a nightgown to your previously naked body it made things easier. It was exhausting to just sit up and do everything but you pushed through. You even pushed yourself up and limped to the sink best you could to wash your hands. Upon hearing the faucet though Loki came back in standing behind you offering support if needed.
“Catch me~” you thought before falling back into his arms with a snort.
“You're lucky I have godlike reflexes you minx.” He replied with a hint of flirtation. You had used more than you had in you to wash your hand. Loki caught you obviously and carried you back to the room placing you back on the bed. “No, more like I knew you were ready to catch me.” you slowly thought as exhaustion tugged at your consciousness again. Loki noticed the pill bottle on your dresser before prompting you to take it. Instinctively opening it and sliding one into his hand.
“You should probably take this before you fall asleep.” You took it mentally saying thanks drinking the glass of water with it.
“Yeah that would probably help avoid some added breakdancing.” You joked trying to use humor to lighten the situation. Loki stared plain faced trying not to entertain your joke though, despite finding it secretly witty. Maybe he’d laugh at it when you felt a bit better. Soon after you began to dance between awake and sleep. Loki took note based on how your thoughts jumbled around between multiple things, laughing to himself a bit before minor intrusive fears began picking at you. Loki immediately jumped into action in an attempt to squash them soothing you a bit.
“You can sleep soundly, please get some rest. You don’t have to force yourself to stay awake out of fear or guilt.” Loki spoke in the most caring and sweet tone he could muster up. Trying to convince you that it was going to be ok & it worked. Somehow you knew he was right & that you could trust him completely. You drifted back to sleep peacefully thinking about how for the first time in your life, you didn’t fear sleeping in your bed. You didn’t have intrusive thoughts about whether or not you’d wake up in the morning or not. Which honestly brought tears bubbling their way up and out of Loki's eyes. The amount of trust you had in him in your thoughts, at that moment completely took his breath away. And that was something he wasn’t going to break or ever lose.
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blushing-titan · 4 years ago
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My thoughts on ch. 139
Some of you may be familiar with my previous writings - I usually try to stay as collected as possible, but today's post will be different. Ever since the chapter came out, I've been reblogging a lot of rants and memes about it. Those of you who follow my blog (thank you so much, really happy to have you here! ❤) know that I didn't really enjoy this ending. I want to elaborate more on that in this post - my only advice is to buckle up, because today we may get a bit heated (I apologize in advance for the sassy approach - I usually try to stray away from that, but guess today's post is more of a stream of conciousness/rant) :'D
1. Ymir
Starting up with one of the most controversial things about this chapter. Up to this point, I felt really bad for Ymir. Her life was terrible - she was a young girl, who was enslaved and abused by king Shitz Fritz. After she was forced to run away from his hounds, she acquired the power of titans and used it to help the king's cause. For that, she was awarded with the king's seed (🤢), and eventually became a mother of three girls. Through her entire life, she was treated as a slave and a lesser-being by the king - she also died while protecting him, and her daughters were forced to eat her remains after that (🤢🤢).
It felt so tragic to see her 2000 years later, still walking blindly in the paths. It wasn't enough that she was hurt so badly when she was still alive - she remained enslaved to the abusive king even after she died. I was rooting for her to finally be freed from this nightmare - hence I was so happy when ch. 122 came out and we got this scene:
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I was genuinely emotional when I saw her reaction. Finally, someone expressed some authentic care for her and tried to snap her out of this blind state. She would finally think about what she wants and try to free herself from the paths because, as Eren said, she was never a slave or a goddess - just a regular person. It's just like she finally let out all the pain that she's been suppressing for all these years.
Yeah...except, as it turns out, her awakening here changes nothing. She doesn't come to any conclusions, like, perhaps, that she doesn’t want to let herself be hurt and mistreated any longer...or that she should fight for herself, try to change her fate - because, after all, her life belongs to her - not anyone else.
Nothing like this happens. Why? Because, as it turns out, she's in love with king Fritz and needs to be proven by Mikasa that she can break this bond first.
....
💀💀💀💀
Excuse me, but...what?
Okay, first and foremost...am I supposed to believe that, during these 2000 years, no one else has gone against their unhealthy affection to someone toxic and unworthy of their love? No one? 🤡 Come on, we even saw that happen in the manga. What about Historia, who thought that her own mother hitting her was a sign of love? Who wanted to believe that her father was good, despite wanting to turn her into a titan? Where was Ymir when Historia stood up for herself against her father's wishes? Or when she flew up to him and delivered the final blow against him?
On top of that...what a disappointing conclusion to Ymir's story. I hoped that she would take her fate into her own hands, and - for example - be reborn and experience life as a free person, surrounded by people who actually care about her. Free herself from paths and destroy it - not because someone shows her that she can indeed detach herself from it, but simply because she wants to.
Instead, 80% of the world population is gone, because she needed to see that Mikasa is able to "free" herself from Eren in order to do the same.
🤡🤡🤡
2. Abandoned plotlines and plot-holes
Mikasa being a Hizuru princess? Never heard of that. Hallucigenia's fate? Who cares. Eren directing Dina's titan in Carla's direction in order to save Berthold? Nah, who would want any more info on that - guess he just couldn't direct her anywhere else. The Ackerman's headaches? Pfff. The fact that Mikasa shouldn't be affected by the memory altering, but somehow still is in the ending? "I guess she just forgot that she should be immune to this". Why was Historia's pregnancy implied as relevant if it wasn't in the end? So many precious panels wasted on that, when they could be used to help solve some other "unanswered questions" instead. Ehhh...🤷
3. Blatant character assassination
There, I'm saying it once again. I have no idea what happened in this chapter but the characters are off. What about Eren - the one who has always believed that freedom was his birthright, and has been fighting and moving forward for his goals? Yeah, turns out he has no idea why he was doing all of that. 
Remember Kenny's quote - everyone is a slave to something? I thought that this implication was pretty poetic in context of Eren's character. Through all his life, he sought freedom, but ironically, he was a slave to that dream...
...turns out it may have been a bit too poetic for this story because Eren is a slave to destiny. Literally - he's going on auto-pilot in order to reach that one moment in which Mikasa beheads him, so Ymir can watch and understand that she can do the same.
Nice joke...except not. Here go our main character's motivations 🗑
He casually commits unjustifiable crimes against humanity - not because he wants to be free or because he found the world beyond the walls disappointing, (...as we were led to believe). He did that because he doesn't know why - and then, he cries that he doesn't want Mikasa to ever find another guy.
:'))
Turns out Eren was somehow always in love with her too...? Yeah, weird way of showing it. Or should I say - not showing it at all.
If you read my previous writings, you know that I'm not very fond of Eremika. The way I interpreted it while reading the story: it was unhealthy, suffocating and one-sided. I hoped for Mikasa to move on and start thinking about herself for once.
Right, what about Mikasa? Has she finally moved on? Is she content with her life? Are her dreams coming true? What's her daily life after all this? Sadly, I don't have the answers. The thing we are shown instead, is how she's sitting next to Eren's grave and, once again, thanking him for wraping the scarf around her. The only thing that implies that she may be somehow still seeing other people is one bubble of text. After all 139 chapters of hoping for her character developement, that's it.
Keep in mind that all other characters are shown together - with their spouses, families and friends - yet Mikasa is still separated and alone. That's right - after she disappears with Eren's head, she's not shown with anyone else until the end of the manga.
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While we're on the topic of others, too...do I have to talk about the scenes in which everyone shows some level of gratitude to Eren...for wiping 80% humanity for them? Because I have no words for this.
One last note: I found the humor to be slightly out of place, too. Seriously, after all these terrible events, with so many unanswered questions and character developement of these two...Reiner is still weirdly simping for (now married) Historia and Jean is called a horse face :') Idk, but it feels somehow surreal after everything that's happened.
4. Conclusion
What else can I say...the final chapter disappointed me and I'm pretty sad about it. I'm happy for the people who liked it, but also can't help but feel like it was very far from perfect. I've been following SnK ever since 2013 and it's a bittersweet moment for me. The series had a lot of amazing moments that I'll definitely remember forever. Meanwhile, I would like to read some of the author's thoughts about the way he chose to end the story - perhaps it would clear some confusion (...although I can't help the fact that my first opinion is already formed).
Thank you very much for reading my thoughts - as always, it means a lot to me! ❤ The images used in this post are obviously not mine!
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mysmegrace · 3 years ago
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hey i hope your game is working normally again , can i please request the rfa with an mc who has a part time job as an animator/artist ?
hello~ yes, my game is working well now! i think it might've been the network (i heard like a day later that something happened to it, idk exactly im not very tech savvy lol). i love the request btw.
RFA with an MC who Has a Part Time Job as an Animator/Artist
--- yoosung kim:
the pandemic had effect many things in your lives.
from his university classes to your late night outs.
one of the upsides you found in the time was the fact that you could work straight from your bed now.
you couldn't think of anything better
waking up ten minutes before your start time and sleeping in the comfort of your home during your breaks.
life was finally going in your favour.
and yoosung was in a similar position.
only he wasn't working, just attending university.
the sequence of events had led you to this moment.
you had woken up alongside the sun to start your work for the day, yoosung laying right beside you about to join a class.
you rose your head every once and while to give him a smile of encouragement, yet he wasn't getting the message.
did you want to do something right here?
right now?
while he's just joined a class?
with his cheeks becoming visibly more red, he reckoned a little affection wouldn't hurt.
it wasn't like the teacher could see him.
and he wasn't about to lie and say he was paying attention anyway.
going to wrap his arm behind your neck, he glances upon your project for work.
from the first second he laid eyes on it, it amazed him.
his curiosity was peaked as he started questioning your occupation.
he'd come to realize that he never actually asked about your job, he just knew you had one.
"i'm an animator, i only work part time though" you said with a hint of pride evident in your voice.
he was becoming increasingly more intrigued.
but after you explained many of the ups and downs of your part time job, he gave you his full support.
even asking if you'd be willing to teach him some time.
but nothing too hard, he doesn't want to embarrass himself.
after his class was over, you offered to show him your past works, in which he welcomes with open arms.
you continue to knock him off his feet.
hyun ryu / zen:
"zen zen, what do you think about this?" you ran up to him saying with excitement.
he looks up to meet your eyes after you caught his attention, before redirecting his focus to the tablet you held in front of him.
he was stunned.
it wasn't something he was expecting.
he never knew you were so good at drawing.
with his mouth hung slightly open, he began saying "it's amazing mc, how did you do this?"
he was truly floored, and you took notice of it.
"i've been drawing from a young age and now i make art part time for people who would like to buy my work" you explained.
he was insanely supportive from the get go.
knowing that you were able to make an income from your passion was comforting to him.
being glad you were able to achieve these accomplishments, he wouldn't want to let you work on your own.
granted he couldn't help you, his art wasn't one somebody would invest in.
but he could help in other ways.
hence why he offers to bring you supplies, help with project ideas, and love you from the sidelines.
jaehee kang:
"i've gotta make it to my other job now jaehee, but i'll see you later" you screamed as you ran to catch the bus.
the day was a success, going out with jaehee and shopping together.
however, your words had completely caught her off guard.
shes aware that you two haven't known each other for a long time, but it didn't change the shook that came over her when she heard.
sitting down, catching your breath from the short run you just came from, you decided to check your phone.
after all, there's not much else to do on the bus.
not too long after your departure, you receive a text from jaehee.
"i wasn't aware you had another job, what is your part time job?" it read.
oh, right.
you hadn't told her yet.
but what time was better than now?
"i'm an animator" you responded, waiting in suspense for the next text.
and you weren't waiting long, as the familiar sound of your messenger went off.
"animator? that's really awesome mc, can you show me some of your work?" it read.
you could feel as the smile creeped up your face, not able to hold back your excitement.
yet wasting little time, you send several screen recordings of your previous work that has done incredibility well.
"i'm speechless, that's so amazing" jaehee responded after a few minutes.
the overwhelming of positive emotions that had just come over you wasn't unwelcomed as you held the phone ever so closely.
knowing jaehee was proud of you was enough to make you cry tears of joy.
jumin han:
"but how was your day mc?" he says, changing the topic.
he had come home with the fatigue slowly overcoming him.
the fact that his father had introduced him to a new girl wasn't exactly helping either.
you wanted to talk to him about it more, but you knew better than to make him keep reliving the moment and experiencing the same emotions again.
hence why you took him up on his offer to change the topic.
"well, i finished my recent art project" you said, sipping the wine your husband had recently poured for you.
you watched as his eyebrows raised in curiosity.
"art project?" he questioned, encouraging you to elaborate.
and that you did, explaining how you made art for people as a part time job.
staying quiet for a second, redirecting his focus to the red liquid in front of him.
suddenly, he speaks up, saying "let me see it".
with a quick nod, you hop out of the seat to go pick up the project.
only to return a few seconds later, handing your artwork to him.
you watched intensely, following his eyes as he examined the piece in his hands.
"i'm quite impressed" he says, eyes not leaving the art.
"thank you" you mustered up in response through your excitement.
hearing that jumin was impressed by your skills made your day.
the conversation ended at the same speed it started, soon changing the topic.
but the new expensive supplies that laid in your little make-shift office was a reminder that he always had your best interests in mind.
as long as he could make you happy, life would be fine.
saeyoung choi:
"hey, i made that!" you practically screamed with excitement.
your time has finally come, the time you had been dreaming about since you were a little girl.
growing up on anime to seeing your animations being used in an anime made your life complete.
your attention broke as saeyoung reminded you of his presence, saying "wait, you made that?"
you turned to face his laying figure on the couch, nodding aggressively with a huge smile plastered across your face.
he always told you how contagious your smile was, and his point was proved as he began to duplicate your excited smile.
standing up to hug you, he started questioning you as if he were cosplaying an interviewer.
""when did you do this?"
"why did you do this?"
"how did you do this?"
you had to place your hand firmly on his chest to calm him down.
giving you time to explain your part time job as an animator.
how you've dreamed of this as a child and how grateful you were to be able to pursue your passion.
and saeyoung couldn't be prouder.
he felt like a father watching his child receive their first award.
your happiness made him feel incredible.
and your talent astonished him.
after the initial excitement died down, he offered his help in any way possible.
anonymous, of course.
he would do anything to make you happy.
achieving your dreams was something he never experienced until he met you, and he would never let you down.
---
00:32 AST - 08/10/21
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Text
Addressing Lindsey
I really, really hate this topic a lot.
The fandom has been split forever over Lindsey. And here’s my take.
I’m the type of person where I believe love prevails over any emotion. It’s like overrule, the veto of emotions. There’s something so incredibly fascinating about love, true and genuine love. It’s a mystery until someone has found it, an unopened, untouched box.
That same box can open to a treasure chest of gold, and show the truest form of love. Or it can be Pandora’s box.
Yes, I believe Lindsey Way has many toxic personality traits. I don’t believe it is fair for me to classify her as a “bad person”, I don’t know her personally. However her actions lead me to believe she is definitely not a person to be necessarily fond of.
I’ve always been supportive of her and Gerard’s relationship, because (at least from what we can see) she makes Gerard happy. And after all that man has been through the very least he deserves is happiness and love. And he loves her, so I respect their relationship.
I’ve always had a very weird feeling about their relationship, however. Just the quick pace, and the events surrounding it. It just seems so calculated by her.
So Projekt Revolution starts, this is just post-Eliza breakup for Gerard. Yes, we all know she was also incredibly toxic. He was very possibly vulnerable, unsure what to do or where to go. And here comes up a woman who is ready to assist him through all of this.
We all know Gerard is highly emotional and empathetic, time after time in interviews he’s admitted it, other members of the bands have admitted it. Coming from someone with an EQ of 160 and an incredibly empathetic person as well, it’s easy to fall into the traps set up by other people. I’ve done it time and time again, but I’m still young and I know I can grow from those mistakes. So, he probably fell head over heels, not thinking too far in advance and thinking with his current emotions.
And what does she get in return? Gerard is an incredibly attractive man to begin with (I write fan fiction about him, lol, I would know) and MCR was practically on top of the world at that point. She’s a decently well known name in rock at that period, but marrying the cover of rock at that point would, well, boost you up quite a bit. Both as a musician, and in her art career.
I also want to truly mention the differences in the way they talk about one another. Basically every interview where Gerard talks about Lindsey he uses extremely strong and passionate language. When she talks about him, she does not. It almost seems bland, little to no emotion or tone. 
Not to mention as well the 2008 Fuse interview pre-Madison Square Garden show where Gerard mentions how she flew out to see him play his dream show. No offense, but in a marriage with someone who you will be spending the rest of your life with, isn’t being there to see them achieve their dream the lowest expectation? He made such a big deal out of her flying out, which tells me she made a big damn deal about it to him, which is incredibly unfair lowering the bar for yourself.
Her lack of emotion isn’t only with interviews regarding anything with Gerard. In general there’s almost no tone to her voice, she has little to no range. Her facial expressions don’t range, and her fan interactions seem less than emotional. I know various people have various ways of expressing themselves, but in general she seems to have a lot less expression within her voice, facial features, and actions than the average person.
And don’t get me started on her incredibly public, and incredibly immature meltdowns. I think it’s so important to mention that Gerard has never once defended her, which shows that he knows enough to conclude that she’s in the wrong in these situations. Especially with the whole opossum post making fun of Frank’s car accident in 2016, not cool.
In general she gives me such a weird, very off vibe. It’s hard for me to research her interviews, recorded through video or just printed and try to say that she seems like a caring, good, sound minded person. I really think something’s off, and I don’t want to accuse her of anything because I find that unfair, but my gut feeling since I joined the MCRmy almost four years has always been that she has her own intentions behind marrying Gerard, and it wasn’t just for love.
So Gerard fell victim to the forces of love. And to me, this seems more of a Pandora’s box situation. It seems in their early marriage he was incredibly happy, the happiest fans had ever seen him. In Danger Days he regresses back to his days of abusing substances, and I’m not saying by any means it’s due to her, but lots of people have commented on how he looks more miserable since then.
And I think now that he’s a father, it only adds an additional string of some sort of obligation he holds to her. We’ve seem him talk about Bandit, explain how she was the main reason he chose to come clean and eventually end the band after, once again, finding himself in another down turn of misery.
I just can’t help but think that when the timeline of some of his decline again matches up with their relationship, and no I don’t think it’s a coincidence.
And some fans may argue with me all they want, and accuse me of pushing a false narrative. But with how open Gerard has been with his character and how closed Lindsey has been aside from her public meltdowns, I can’t help but think there’s something off about the whole thing.
I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again: The entire relationship to me sounds like a fucked up 1800s gothic novel. Someone falls in love with someone else, and true love is a permanent glue: You can try to pry it off all you want, the stains remain forever.
However you guys feel about this I hope what I’m saying here won’t affect your perspective or view on my writing, since that’s my main forte. I’ve just been seeing more people bring this up again, especially after she blocked a fan on Twitter for calling her out for BLM (since MSI does have quite a few highly racist songs and lyrics) so I think it’s important to at least express my opinions, whether people agree with them or not.
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secondhand-trash · 4 years ago
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Friday I’m In Love
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commissioned by @xaki
A/N: no, the fic has nothing to do with the song it just so happens that it fits in the most literal sense lmao much thanks to xaki who gave me my first commission and my friend for helping me out when my brain was going all sorts of illogical directions uwu
Pairing: Kuroo Tetsurou x f!reader
Description: You saw Kuroo Tetsurou once every week, where you tried your best to not let the fact that he was your high school crush distract you too much.
Warning: unprotected sex, spanking, dirty talk, slight degradation
Word count: 5052
-
You saw Kuroo Tetsurou once every week, during the single Wednesday morning lecture you shared.
You had allowed yourself the luxury of stealing a few glances his way during that one occasion, but never do more than just looking from afar.
Actually, it was ironic that you had gotten to the point of limiting yourself from even looking at him when there was a time you would see him nearly every day.
Getting into the same high school was a pure coincidence, but you had also noticed early on that no matter where he was, your gaze was following his figure before you even realised it. Who could blame you, really. Who wouldn’t want to spare even just a few more seconds looking at the boy who was taller than the rest of his peers even in his first year, only growing more and more breathtaking as he ditched the boyishness and slowly gained the edge on his face and the hint of maturity in his eyes.
You were far from being the only one that harboured a bit of a schoolgirl crush on the eventual volleyball club captain. In the few years where you shared the same class, you had witnessed him being called out of the classroom by blushing pupils more times than you could count. It always brought a bitter taste to your mouth but what could you do about it? At least they had the guts to confess. 
You liked to believe that it was not a cowardly move for you to hide your affections all throughout your high school years. It was just that as early as you had noticed your budding feelings, you also realised that you two belong with two seperate groups of people with very different interests, and the chances that he would opt for you was slimmer than slim. So you never did much to try and win him over, maintaining a friendly distance where you only interact in class and nothing outside of it. 
At least it could be a nice memory to look back on when you were way past the age to be conflicted over things like this.
You were just as shocked as any other person when you learned that he did not go the pro-athlete route everyone thought he would go, nearly as shocked when you walked into your first lecture of the semester to see him sitting right at the very front.
He seemed to have noticed you too, giving you a slight nod after his eyes widened. You returned the polite gesture, before heading straight to the very back of the lecture hall without a hint of hesitation.
You could deal with one more semester of friendly distance. Couldn’t be that hard, right?
-
It was Wednesday morning again, and you sinked into the seat at the very back of the lecture hall you tactfully occupied with a yawn.
It was from pure bad luck that you managed to register the one 8:30 lecture available in the course. Everywhere around you, people were either half asleep or laid down on the table at the very least. From the corner of your eye, you even spotted someone catching up on the latest episodes of the new tv series that just aired with subtitles on.
You sighed, leaning your jaw on your palm. You wanted to say that this was a bit too much even for a lecture but who were you to judge when your soul was starting to escape your body to somewhere more interesting than the lecture hall anyway.
The amount of people who were actually paying attention to the lecture could probably be counted with one hand, let along the ones that seemed to be genuinely enjoying it. You thought to yourself, your glances floating to the boy who blocked even more of your view with his roaster head on top of his existing height.
He was probably the only one who still had the strength to chuckle when the lecturer tried to liven up the dying atmosphere with unfunny gags.
“...for the upcoming event, students who volunteered as committee members would receive bonus marks based on their performance,” you perked up at the distant call of ‘bonus score’ from far away, “the form will be placed by the door, Please fill in your name before you leave if you are interested.”
Your mind was occupied by numbers and calculations of your gpa for the rest of your class, even as you lined up mindlessly behind your other classmates after the lecture was dismissed. Another thing about morning lessons was that the amount of effort you were willing to put in was also diminished by the limits on your mind and soul, meaning that any chance at a higher grade was worth trying. You had decided that free labour in exchange for that good grade was a decent enough bargain.
“Hey.”
You snapped out of your trance when it was your turn at the form only to feel your heart skipping a beat when you looked up to see the familiar handsome face you stared at as your recharge every morning.
You blinked, trying hard to maintain a calm front even though your mind went haywired at the rare direct interaction you had with Kuroo.
“Do you need the pen?” he asked, holding out the thin ball pen he was gripping in his hand to you.
“Oh,” your eyes widened, putting on a polite smile as you took it from him, “oh yes. Um, thank you.”
It was only a while later when you put down your name right below his that it finally hit you that you two had signed up for the same event. It took even longer for you to realise that the strange tingle you felt at the back of your hand was from his fingertips brushing past yours as he let go of the pen, but by then he was gone and it would be a few days later when you saw him again.
-
You now see Kuroo Tetsurou two times every week. Once during the dreadful morning lecture on Wednesday and on Friday evening where you were stuck in the committee meeting together.
But unlike the stolen glances on Wednesday, you were forced to acknowledge Kuroo as more than just a distant being you were merely acquaintances with in those few hours.
It was very inconvenient for you, considering how each time you felt smaller and smaller under his concentrated gaze as he listened to your input on whatever topic of discussion it was. In fact, you felt rather resentful that you couldn’t quite stand as firm as you did on your stance that you wanted to keep what was clear to be a admiration from being known under your own free will instead of a lack of self-assurance.
You had no choice but to be reminded that he was smart and brilliant on top of just being good-looking. He always knew what to say when the rest of the room was stuck, moving the agenda forward with each valuable input. He was easy to work with, reliable and always efficient.You found that you genuinely liked working with him, crush or not. He listened intently to what other people had to say and never said anything less than constructive.
Worst of all, you were starting to have the illusion that he had started paying more attention to you too. When you looked around the room as you were about to speak up each time, you would always lock your eyes with him at some point, even before you started talking like he already anticipated that you would have something to say.
Maybe it was a mistake, you thought to yourself as you stared outside the pitch black windows of the bus that was rocking steadily, feeling your mind drifting away after using up all your energy in the meeting, maybe those few bonus marks were not worth all this inner conflict.
“Hi, um,” you looked to the side, your mind going blank like you just got caught doing something guilty when you saw the exact person you were thinking about standing by. You cursed the uncontrollable heat that raised on your face, “can I sit here?”
It wasn’t like you could say no. “Sure,” you said as you picked up your bag to clear out the seat for him, flashing a cordial smile of someone who did not have a reason to be nervous when you could already feel the beating in your chest speeding up, “of course.”
“Thanks,” he said with a relieved sigh, throwing himself on the empty chair with a soft thump. You tried to pretend that you did not secretly really care about how close he was to you now, looking back out of the window again. Kuroo looked at you, pondering if he should say something first.
“So…”
“Hm?” you turned around to face him at the dragged out note of his voice.
“Have you gone back to Nekoma after graduation?”
You sighed and gave a light shake of your head, "No. Just surviving college is hard enough, who has time to think about going back?”
You tried to dismiss the knot in your stomach when he replied with a light chuckle and the corner of your lips curling up against your will when he leaned back. “Makes sense," he said, running his hand through his unruly hair before swiftly carrying on to ask you about what you were up to now.
It would have been easier if it was awkward or uncomfortable but sadly, Kuroo was also very easy to talk to and by the time you regained your senses, you were already at the door of your apartment with him walking you there the whole way after getting off the bus at the same stop.
Next Friday, he came up to you with a grinning face when you packed up your stuff after the meeting. “We go the same direction, right?” he had said, walking next to you casually as you headed out the meeting room. He started the conversation before you could say anything, and like last time, he walked you back to your apartment, claiming that he lived nearby anyways.
You saw him twice every week. Once during the morning lecture that was starting to feel less painful to endure and the Friday committee meeting, where he naturally walked you home without fail each week. At some point, he started saving you the seat next to him before each meeting and there was less and less of a reason for you to not take it when he was already leaving with you anyways. All of the above had reminded you once again why you were so hellbent on staying away from him in the first place.
He was far too easy to like, even more so now that you were somewhat friends by the end of the series of meetings.
-
The voice of your instructor was distant as you stared at the clock, the sound of Kuroo’s pencil tapping against the table keeping you in touch with what was going on. It was the last meeting you had to attend and quite frankly there was nothing interesting going on at this point. You glanced to the side, before pulling out your phone that has been buzzing in your pocket since the meeting started.
You tried to conceal the irritation rising in your chest as you looked at the glowing screen underneath the table. Your old friends had been bombing you with questions ever since they learnt that after years of looking on, you somehow had a leaping development with your crush on accident after graduation. It was a mistake on your part, given how the topic of their heated discussion was sitting right next to you. 
“(y/l/n)?”
The sudden mention of your name startled you, and you threw your phone down almost a bit too hard. “Yes?”
“Can you help hand these out?”
You let out a relieved sigh that you were not being called out for not paying attention as you stood up, pushing the conversation that was no doubt still ongoing in your group chat to the back of your head. “Of course.”
Kuroo watched as you got out, taking the stack of minutes from the instructor. After today, he would go back to only seeing you when you walked into the morning lecture hall. He felt the nerves building in his stomach, wondering if he should bear his teeth and threw his shot in changing that.
‘So you’re just going to do nothing?’
The screen of your phone that was laying on the table lit up as the speech bubble appeared. His curiosity got the better of him when the next message popped in before he could look away.
‘You have liked Kuroo for years and you’re just going to let this chance slip?’
He froze in place when he read his own name. You liked him? His eyes flicked to you, his heart in his throat at the realisation that he had just learnt something he was not supposed to know. 
But despite the slight guilt of overstepping his boundaries, it took all the fiber in his body to stop himself from grinning ear to ear when you returned to your seat next to him.
“What?” you asked with an amused quirk of your eyebrows at how stiffly he was sitting.
“Nothing,” Kuroo replied, feeling the muscle around his mouth going sore as he bit the inside of his cheeks, “nothing.”
The ride home felt so much longer with him next to you, knowing that this was to be the last. He did not say anything even as you got off, only walking in silence like he was deep in thought. You wondered what it was that made him so quiet today, he was usually the more chatty one out of you two.
Kuroo felt the tension building up in his head as you got closer and closer to your door. 
“Can I tell you something?”
You snapped around, your hand on the handle of your doorknob when he suddenly spoke up for the first time since you left the meeting that day. “Yeah?”
“My place is at the opposite side of the neighbourhood.”
“What?” your voice came out as a whisper. Your breath hitch at the back of your throat when he took one step closer to you before leaning down. His face was right in front of yours, his defined features dangerously close to you.
“I said,” you could feel his breath fanning on your face as he spoke and the pounding in your ear was thundering as you held your breath, “I’m only here because I want to be around you.”
Kuroo watched intently as your eyes widened, your jaw clenching as you gulped. His gaze flickered between your eyes and your lips, almost like he was waiting for you to show him any hint of rejection before he made the irreversible move. 
When your hand slowly crept onto his shoulder and stayed there, he latched onto you. You were taken back by his force, his tongue evading your mouth at your moment of lowered alert. His kiss was demanding, stealing away the oxygen in your lungs bit by bit as he held you close. 
You were panting when he pulled away after his initial outburst, your pupils dilated as your lips swollen up. You paused, before gathering the courage that had surged in your chest.
“Do you want to come in?”
Kuroo did not waste another second when the door clicked, his hand getting rougher now that you were within the privacy of your home. Your arms hung around his neck as you desperately held yourself up, your toes barely touching the floor as he demandingly kissed down the side of your neck. He lost patience at your struggling, lifting you up with his arm under your hips before pulling you down onto him with a stumbling step to the cramped couch.
“Help me strip.” He whispered in your ear, adjusting your position on his lap as he brought your hand to the opened collar of his shirt. You gulped when he gave an encouraging knead on your upper thigh, far too consumed by the want of seeing more of him to feel bashful by his bold request.
His gaze burned on your skin as he stared at you, not moving away even for a second while you tear apart the row of buttons to reveal more and more of his toned body. You felt like your fingers were not listening to your commands, a clumsy stiffness in your joints as he unhooked each button. The subconscious way you darted your tongue out to wet your lips at the rise and fall of his chest did not go unnoticed under his attentive stare, his much larger hands guiding you to palm his tend over the firm material of his jeans as your finger grazed past the cold metal of the zipper.
Kuroo’s stomach tensed up when you pulled down the fly, pushing your hips against his legs as you pushed away the heavy jeans. He held you down as he sat up, drinking in your soft moan with an open mouthed kiss. Your hand ran down from his shoulder to the firm pecs adoring his abdomen, each mound rippling under the tip of your fingers. His circled one arm around your waist while the other fumbled to pull his aching cock out of its refines. You felt the vibration of his chest as he groaned into your mouth when you allowed your hand to wander down his body, cupping his balls as he fisted his own length.
You let out a shaky sigh when he slid his palm down the elastic band of your panties, groping the soft flesh of your ass as he peeled off the thin piece of cotton with a push down the small of your back to have you arching for him.  He chuckled when he felt the wetness that was seeping through the fabric, earning a glare from you that looked more like a kitten pretending to be defensive out of embarrassment than truly threatening to him with your heated face and slightly swollen lips from his earlier nibbling when you pulled away. A thin strand of silver connected your lips, looking all the more erotic now that you were both half bare and exposed to each other’s hungry eyes.
Your finger dug into the muscle of his arms when he lifted you up from his lap with ease, much thanks to the firm grasp of your thighs in his warm palms. Your lips fell agape but no sound came out when you felt the hardness prodding at your entrance. He looked shamelessly at where your bodies met, not bothering to hide the grin on his face when he felt the pain of your nails against his arm as he brushed his tip along your slit. You whined at the friction that was barely there, not able to sink down with him holding you back but your legs were starting to go weak with each push of his length against your clit. He took his time, spreading the leaking pre-cum across your folds and watching the mixture of your arousal slowly coated his cock.
“Kuroo…” you called out for him, hoping that it would be enough for him to give you what you wanted.
“Aw... What’s with this formality?” his arm flexed under your touch as he tilted his head to the side, lowering you down just a little, “What should you call me when I’m about to fuck your brains out, hm?”
You bite onto the inside of your cheeks when you felt him barely dipping in, his tip just positioned at your pussy.
“Tetsurou-” 
his own name felt foreign as it rolled off the tip of your tongue and he let out an approving hum. “Good girl,” he purred, placing a chaste kiss on your trembling lips. 
His grip on your legs tightened as he leaned closer to you, pushing his cock just a little deeper. Your brows locked together as he stretched out your entrance, clawing at his arm for more. You thought he was finally going to show some mercy on you, but the beating in your heart skipped a beat when you felt his hot breath fanning across your lips instead.
“You’re in love with me, aren’t you?”
Your eyes snapped open, his handsome face right in front of yours. “Wha- mph!”
You yelped at the sudden drop of your hips onto his lap, your nails scratching down his arm as he hilted inside of you with one motion. Your head threw back at the waves of shocking pleasure that sparked down your spine, your juicings running down the base of your thighs as your walls tried to accustomed to his thickness and length.
“What is it? Did you just say yes?” his laugh was wolfish as he took in your expression, a mixture of infuriated and primal desire.
“You-” he did not give you the time to bite back, thrusting up with a lift of your hips and turning whatever you wanted to say into nothing but incoherent moans.
Your body did not feel like it was under your control as he guided you to grind on his cock, the slaps of your soft flesh against his thighs taking over your senses. Your toes curled at how deep he could reach inside you each time he pulled you up and bottomed out of you. His hands were fondling your ass roughly as he bounced you on his cock, reducing you to nothing but a panting mess laying weakly on his chest.
“How does it feel to have the man of your dreams stretching out your tight cunt, hm?” he emphasised each word with a thrust, grinning ear to ear when you made a frugal attempt at slapping his arm you were holding onto. You buried your face into his chest, your muffled moans coming out as hot breath on his skin. He looked down from above you, watching as your ass jiggled under each thrust and your spine arching from the pleasure. 
A loud smack echoed in the room and he groaned at the feeling of your walls clenching around him at the slap of his palm against your ass cheek. He gave the flesh a firm knead, rubbing at the area that had heated up from the spank before pulling his hand away to give the other side the same treatment. You felt the numbness on your skin as your skin burned, the pain making every hair on your back stood up. 
“You like it when I get rough with you? You are squeezing down on my cock so hard,” his voice came as gravel from his chest. Your mind was in a frenzy, not even thinking straight as you nodded feverishly. “You’re such a slut for me, it’s really inflating my ego,” his filthy words made your stomach tighten as he continued, “bet this is what you have been thinking about whenever you check me out.”
You felt your face burning up. He knew all along?
Your surprise came out in the form of a squeal when he stood up, still holding you up. Your panting got more rapid as your only leverage from falling was the frantic clawing at his arm, having nothing but his strength to trust as he bounced you on his cock while marching down the hallway.
He hissed at the sharp pain on his back when your hands scratched down, kicking the door open with a hasty shove at the door with his heel before throwing you down the mattress. He did not waste another second as he perched on top of you, hooking your legs around his waist before rolling his hips to completely take over the pace of his cock pistoning at the spongy spot that made your mind foggy with nothing but his name and the overwhelming feeling of being towered over in your head.
The squelching got louder and louder as he ruthlessly snapped against you. You felt the knot in your stomach tightened up as he leaned down, sucking on the sweet spot at the side of your neck. His hand roamed all over your body, kneading your tits that bounced under his force. 
He could not get over the fact that you were actually here, folded beneath him right now, and that it was his name you were moaning out. 
“I’m-” your legs clasped around him as every muscle on your limbs tensed up, “I’m close-”
“Yeah? Tell me what you want,” he growled in your ear, his thrusts starting to get sloppy as your walls spasmed around his cock, “what does my girl want?”
You had imagined what it would be like if Kuroo Tetsurou ever set his eyes on you, if he had wanted you the same way you had absentmindedly started wanting him despite your best efforts to convince yourself that you knew that would not happen. But nothing could stop the heat that exploded in your chest and spread all through your body at how natural it came out of his mouth.
His girl. You were his girl now.
You let out a choked mewl when he switched from erratic plowing to slowly dragging his cock along your walls. The sudden drop from your near high seeped into your senses, tingling down from your core all the way to the tip of your toes. 
“Tetsu-” your back arched off the mattress when he pulled out all the way only to halt in you with a sudden thrust, “want you to make me cum- ah!”
The shocks that sparked through your body when he set his sight on making you fall apart underneath him with his vigorous thrusts had your toe pointing stiffly and curling under the pleasure. The fist in the pit of your stomach curled and unfolded as he gripped your chin roughly, turning your head to look right into his eyes.
“Fuck, you wanna cum?” he hissed, feeling the shivers on his own back as he got closer and closer to his own high, “Then look at me, look at me as you cum on my cock-”
You felt your body shuddering as waves of pleasure crashed over you. His eyes were all you could focus on as you succumbed to the weakening of your limbs, the pounding in your ear gradually returned to a regular pace with Kuroo’s languish strokes allowing you to ride out your high. 
You were sure you could never forget how the defined arch of his brows knitted together as he pulled out of you, his head throwing back just a little with his lips slightly parted. A sinful moan leaking out as spurts of white painted across your lower stomach. 
Your vision was hazed over with a veil of fog as you blinked, collecting your breaths before focusing on the roof of your room that suddenly felt so unfamiliar. The claminess on your skin and the smell of sweat slowly took over. You felt the weight on your chest, breathing out a heavy exhale.
You really did just have sex with your crush, huh?
As if noticing your train of thought, Kuroo leaned over and placed a quick kiss on your jaw, his grin reaching his eyes as he stared at you. Much unlike his earlier dominance, the lazy curl of each syllable on his lips sounded more so like he was trying to play cute.
"Wait here,” he said, adding another peck on your lips, “I’ll grab you a towel.”
“The bathroom is the one right outside…” you muttered, feeling the dent on the mattress sprung back as he climbed off of you.
Your tensed muscles slowly relaxed as he moved you to lean against his broad chest, his hand gently caressing your skin as he dabbed the wet towel on you. His lips ghosted along your ear as he cleaned up the marks and trails left from your earlier passions, trying hard to conceal his satisfaction when you whined as he brushed past the bruises on your thighs.
“You should start getting used to it from now on, plenty more chances for us to- ouch, ouch.. ok, I’m sorry…”
The corner of your lips lifted up, burying your face into his chest as you tried to get comfortable, “I was right, you are way more attractive without opening your mouth.”
“Awe, don’t say that,” he pouted but the wolfish grin on his face told you he was not apologetic at all.
Kuroo watched as you slowly leaned onto him more and more, until your eyelids closed up with a flutter. If you had stayed awake for just a little longer, you would know that he could not be any more careful when he tucked you under the blanket before slipping in next to you. On this rare occasion where he would not get caught, he allowed himself to stare at your serene expression as he dozed off to sleep with a content smile on his face.
You did not need to know that his grade for the one course you shared was high enough already and he signed up for the committee purely because you were signing up too. He certainly would not let you know that he had always noticed your lingering gaze on him or that he secretly enjoyed it, even back when he saw you more than twice a week. That and the fact that he was overjoyed when he saw you appearing from the door of the lecture hall that Wednesday morning, followed by the ever growing frustration that he couldn’t find an excuse to talk to you when you were literally in the same class.
Whatever. Kuroo thought to himself as he gently threw his arm over your waist, burying his face into the crook of your neck as he inhaled your sweet scent. At least he didn’t have to go all the way from your apartment complex back to his place every Friday anymore.
801 notes · View notes
yourmcu · 4 years ago
Text
Forgotten [DISCONTINUED]
Pairings: Tony Stark x daughter!reader, Peter Parker x Stark!reader (platonic)
Request: 
Hello i love your story could you do angsty tony x daughter reader. Wherein the reader has a twin brother and Tony and the avengers prefer the twin brother and becaus of that, the reader became rebel and badass. She always getting trouble and almost drop out student. The avengers and her father were seem disappointed and dont know what to do. Not until the reader involve into car accident and she's critical injured. The reader also slipped to coma. Everyone is devastated about the reader conditione. And they realized that the reader only rebel because she wants to get attention from them. It depends to you what the end come, I just want a full angst this week and I hope you dont mind my English. Anyway I hope your alright.
Word count: 1,627
A/n: (to anon: I’d like to apologize for not finishing this) I don’t think I have any intention to anymore tbh so- I’m just posting this for fun now lmaolmao
hella big update: the continued version is here!
Warnings: bad angst and writing hee hee. no I’m serious this is bad
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gif not mine! credits to the owner^^
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Being a genius/billionaire/superhero’s kid doesn’t always sound nice like it usually does.
You were one of the Stark twins, the other half being your brother, Ethan.
The both of you showed signs that you inherited the commonly known Stark trait (intelligence) at a young age. But Tony mostly focused on his son, showing him all his inventions and gadgets, teaching him everything he knew while you on the other hand, were being babysat by Happy or Pepper, sometimes Rhodey.
You tried so hard to get your father’s attention but he always had his excuses:
“I don’t have time for that.”
“I’m busy with Ethan right now.”
“Maybe later.”
At first you didn’t mind if your brother got all the praise and attention. It wasn’t until your mid-teens that you really started to feel left out and ignored.
You were left to frown when the other Avengers never found anything interesting about you, just like Tony did. They all liked Ethan better. The topic of him being the next Iron Man when Tony retires is getting exhausting.
There was this one time when Tony announced that they were all going out to dinner since Ethan got, yet again, a full set of A’s on his report card.
“Did you get my card?” You tapped on Tony’s shoulder lightly.
He gave you a side glance, “ah shoot, I forgot. I’ll go get it tomorrow.” Then returned his attention to your brother.
But he ended up forgetting again the next day and you had to convince your teacher to give it to you instead. Your marks had A’s, but littered with B’s as well, of course that was no match for your brother’s perfect marks.
And that sort of scenario wasn’t just a one time thing, Tony forgets to pick up your report card every. single. time. The messed up part was you and Ethan literally attended the same school, he was just in a more advanced class than you.
As time passed, Tony went from ignoring you to getting annoyed and pissed at you for everything you did. In his eyes, you were always in the wrong. And the reason? You didn’t know.
“Dad? Can I borrow Bruce for a minute?” You knocked on the glass door of his lab to get him to look up.
He didn’t, but responded, “kinda busy with him right now.”
You looked at your fractured arm, regretting your decisions. “W-well, Ethan was training with Nat, and... and he wanted to try the new moves he learned on me. He went a little hard and - I think my arm’s broken, I just wanted Bruce to check it out-”
“Goddammit!” He shouted after you heard a glass shatter. Bruce covered his face with palms, muttering an ‘oh no’.
Tony glared at you, striding to where you were standing. All that was left for you to do was to brace yourself for what was about to come. “See, this is why we never let you do anything with the team,” he spat. “That right there?”-he pointed to your arm-“that’s on you. Things go wrong because you’re in the way!”
“I’m... I’m sorry-”
“Just get out of here.”
Your arm remained untreated after that.
Then Peter Parker came into the picture. Friendly guy, he was actually nice to you. Him and Ethan got along right away when Tony first recruited him. The fact that he treated Peter better than you made you even more miserable. It made you think he never wanted a daughter in the first place.
You first met Peter when he accidentally entered your room without warning, thinking it was the bathroom. Cliche, but that’s what happened.
“It’s on the first door to your other left,” you stated.
“Yeah, yeah okay, thanks,” he turned around to leave but stopped to look at you again. “I’m Peter Parker, by the way.”
“Y/N Stark.”
Peter’s eyes lit up at your last name. “I... I didn’t know Mr. Stark had a daughter - no offense! It’s just-”
You sighed and waved him off. He didn’t even notice the similarities you had with your twin. “It’s fine. I get that a lot.”
After many events of being, to be blunt, treated like shit, you finally had enough. You neglected your studies, only went to school when you felt like it (which was rare). No one cared your grades anyway, so what’s the point? You became a whole new person, you surrounded yourself with the wrong sort of people, causing you to dabble into smoking and alcohol.
Since you were always in trouble, you could recite Cap’s detention speech at school by heart now.
The principal of your school wanted to see Tony to talk about your behavior. Normally he’d make an excuse not to go if it wasn’t that important but he got flooded with messages from the school, so he couldn’t say no.
You had your legs crossed, sitting across from Tony who had his eyebrows furrowed as he listened to the principal. For some reason you didn’t feel nervous. “Y/N barely attends her classes. I’ve seen every attendance. Are you aware of this, Mr. Stark?”
Tony only maintained his usual relaxed posture and avoided your gaze.
“Some students have also seen her smoke in school grounds. We gave her a few weeks suspension for it, but it doesn’t look like she’s learned her lesson.” They pulled out a couple boxes of cigarettes from the desk drawer. “We found these in her locker.”
“You went into my locker?” You shot up from your seat. “You can’t just do that!”
Tony cleared his throat and got up, gripping your wrist. “I’ll take it from here - will that be all?”
On the way out he doesn’t say a word to you, only that his grip on your wrist got tight as you near the car.
“So,” he started the car. His voice was calm, but it screamed that you were in deep trouble. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
You sighed and slouched in the passenger’s seat, crossing your arms. “I’m... sorry you had to know...?”
“Yeah, I’m just gonna be honest with you here,” Tony still doesn’t look at you. “When I found out I had two kids, I got worried about Ethan.”
You let out a snort. Of course he would.
“I didn’t want him ending up like me. But surprise surprise, my daughter did instead.”
“I’m not ‘ending up’ like you, Dad-”
“Then what do you call - this,” he referred to you. “What, you’re just gonna waste your life, drop out of school? You’re a fucking mess, Y/N, and here I thought I raised you right. Sometimes I think: why can’t you just be like your brother?” He had a hard grip on the steering wheel as he drove, the way he spoke affected the speed of the car greatly.
You opened your mouth to speak but you couldn’t fine the exact words you wanted to say. “I... well, I’m sorry I’m not a goody two shoes like him!”
“That’s not what I-”
“Please, that’s exactly what you meant.”
He scoffed, shaking his head. “Look, I’m grounding you until you pull yourself together, understand?” And he did. He gave new orders to Friday when the both of you got home. You weren’t allowed to leave the compound without Tony’s permission.
Were you giving up that easily? Of course not.
You were on your laptop for the rest of the day, hacking into Friday’s system, the security to the elevator and the entrance. That night, your executed your plan and everything went smoothly.
“This is why you never underestimate me,” you sighed, deactivating the hack once you were out of the building. 
Your friend who was picking you up was already waiting a few blocks away from the compound. “I hope you’re cool with me staying over for a couple days.”
“If a bunch of Avengers come and destroy my place to look for you, I’m not going to be friends with you anymore.”
You laughed at out, “oh trust me, they don’t care.”
----
The next day no one noticed your absence, nobody did for another two days. Tony just assumed you were mad about your punishment, so he didn’t think of it much.
Not until Peter came to the compound on the third day, wanting to hang out with you.
“Whatcha got there, Pete?” Ethan asked.
“Star Wars movies. I wanna watch them with Y/N - she could use some company, don’t you think?”
The older Stark twin shrugged, “yeah, I guess she could.”
Peter then headed to the elevator and stopped at the floor where your room was. He knocked on your door and waited a bit, after a few minutes of silence he knocked again, still nothing.
“Y/N? Is it okay if I come in?” He called out. No response. He hesitated a bit, for all he knew you were probably changing or something, or you could be in danger. He went to open the door anyway. “I’m coming in, I’ll close my eyes just to be-”
To Peter’s surprise, your room was empty.
----
You were at a 711 parking lot, waiting for your friends who were buying supplies for a house party. You gave them your wallet, not really caring about anything anymore. Your phone was starting to pile up with messages and missed calls from Tony, Edward and Peter, occasionally from the others as you scrolled pass more.
Without thinking you threw your phone to the ground, cracking the screen, breaking it completely. They’d be able to track you through it now that they know you ran away. You really had no intention of coming back. You weren’t wanted, what’s the point of going back?
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armysantiny · 4 years ago
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A Rose For You - YS
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Pairing: Yeosang x male reader || Ateez
Genre: fluff, some angst, oneshot
Includes: historical au, Prince!Yeosang, florist!reader, Lord!Wooyoung, Wooyoung mention, birth flowers, bouquets, tea, hanbok, delegation, threat of treason, diplomacy
Word count: 1.82k
Warning: treason mention
Rating: PG I think?
Networks: @kwritersworld​, @kdiarynet​, @kpopscape​, @ultkpopnetwork​, @kpopficsnetwork​, @k-dinernet​, @lovesick-net​, @whipped-kpop-creators​, @prism-nw​, @k-library​, @8makes1teamnet​, @ateezlovenet​
Tagging: @teeztheflag​, @intokook​, @cherry-hyejin​, @softforqiankun​, @6yus​ || Taglist Form
Summary: Y/n enjoys bringing fresh flowers to the prince every morning, arranging each bouquet as a surprise. Faced with questions about his feelings about y/n once he learns the meaning of the bouquet brings him, Yeosang doesn’t know how to respond, and y/n can’t bare the embarrassment. Until the Crown Prince braves the worries in his heart and eases y/n’s mind.
An: Happy late birthday zodiac twin lol
Being the royal florist was an honour not many had the privilege of obtaining. And y/n was that lucky man.
A bouquet every morning, freshly picked and to be hand tied. Y/n had done it without fail for the better part of three years for the prince, and that morning was no different. The florist making his way to Yeosang’s private quarters with the bouquet in hand, bowed in respect as he greeted the passing guards. The same hallways, the same guards; Yeosang really hadn’t changed since y/n had first been employed.  Perhaps that was what started the blossoming love in the florists’ heart; a love that stayed hidden behind the meanings of the flowers he prepared for the Crown Prince.
A knock at the door alerted the young prince, his attention drawn away from looking out of his window and towards the bright male at the door, a fresh bouquet of flowers in hand. In the time he had grown to know y/n, Yeosang thought he had learned what the meanings of each bouquet brought to him were. But with a grateful smile that was tinged with a confused curiosity, the prince was drawing a blank. Were these a new species? Crossing his legs as he took a seat at his table, Yeosang watched as y/n set the flowers in a vase, an unnamed longing in his eyes. 
“I see you have awoken earlier than usual, your highness,” Y/n remarked as he accepted Yeosang’s invitation to sit with him. “It is a fine morning, were you planning on travelling to the lake?”
Yeosang simply shook his head, pouring the tea into their cups, “If that was the case, I‘d have invited you to join me, y/n-ssi, believe me. Instead, I must deal with diplomatic issues; there have been rumours of treason in the lands ruled over by the Kims. I fear it will be a long few days of military and diplomatic planning to discuss what to do next.” There was a sigh; a familiar sigh that y/n had grown to dislike. Yeosang wasn’t the type to crack under pressure, but to get absorbed in his duties. Too absorbed. Taking a sip of the tea as he listened to the news,  y/n couldn’t help but let his mind wander. If the Crown Prince was put under this much stress before taking the throne from his father, what would he face as Emperor? Unbeknownst to the royal florist, his features had started to downturn, something Yeosang was quick to notice. Not wishing to see the concern in y/n’s eyes as a result of his words any longer, the young prince looked around the space to find another topic of conversation, his eyes landing on the morning’s flower arrangement.
“Uhm, anyway- tell me about the meaning behind today’s bouquet. I have not since today seen this flora. A new species, perhaps?” As the last question left his lips, Yeosang swore there was a weight lifted off of his chest once y/n’s smile had found its place once again. 
Setting his now empty cup back on the ornate table and excusing himself for a moment, a jog in his steps as he went over to the vase, taking but two flowers out of the arrangement. Returning to his seat, y/n placed both flowers in front of him for the Crown Prince’s viewing.
“I had these flowers delivered especially for your viewing pleasure, my lord~. Dark red carnations and the flower of your birth month, honeysuckle. It is nearing your birthday, I thought you’d want to observe your birth flower.” Y/n explained, a twinge of hope as he rounded off his words. Intrigued, Yeosang leaned in closer, his head resting between his hands. 
“And the carnations?” He’d seen y/n present carnations plenty of times beforehand, the flower was nothing new; it was the shade of carnations that Yeosang was unfamiliar with. A shade he had only seen among portraits of lovers. A moment went by after the Prince’s question, and there was still silence. Drawing his attention away from gazing at the flowers in front of him, Yeosang’s eyes met y/n’s. There was a hesitation in the young florist’s eyes, his face heating with an embarrassed flush as he tried to find the right words. Clearing his throat, y/n spoke, praying his words wouldn’t be misunderstood.
“Dark red carnations mean deep love and affection, my lord. I wanted to give this to you personally.” It was silent for a moment, Yeosang’s eyes widening with an emotion he had never experienced before. But the lack of a reply left y/n’s heart heavy. Y/n’s eyes quivered, faint tears welling up as he started to regret the choice to convey his feelings for Yeosang through flowers, the embarrassment crushing his chest. Confessing? What was y/n thinking? A royal florist, being in a relationship with the Crown Prince? It was ridiculous. Collecting the flowers in a hurry and profusely apologizing, y/n put them back in their place and excused himself, leaving the prince alone in his quarters, confused at exactly what had just happened.
Each day following that event went by more or less the same; y/n would greet the Prince, display the bouquet and excuse himself. No conversations over tea in the morning, confident smiles exchanged for stolen glances - it was clear to everyone working at the palace, even the Prince himself, that there was something wrong with the royal florist. It bothered Yeosang, keeping his mind occupied as he went about with official duties. Despite the urgent need to secure loyalty and avoid the possibility of treason in his and his allies’ kingdoms, Yeosang found himself wondering just what was wrong with his royal florist. His worries hadn’t ceased, not even when Lord Jung arrived at the palace with his delegation for a royal visit.
“...As I was saying, we must hold a competition for our best soldiers-” stopping when he realised Yeosang had been staring into his cup, Wooyoung chuckled, “Yeosang-ssi, are you listening?”
“...Oh? Ah - my apologies, I was lost in thought for a moment; there’s been something plaguing my mind recently.” The Prince explained, an apologetic smile on his face as he set the cup down, forcing a ‘relaxed’ expression as he motioned for his confidant and ally to continue with what was on his mind. However, Wooyoung wasn’t convinced in the slightest, a raise in his brow and a knowing smirk on his face.
“What is it..?”
“You must have forgotten, Prince Yeosang, that we have known each other since we were mere adolescents. I know that look; I’ve seen it before.” Wooyoung mused, calling for his tea to be refilled. The tea refilled, Wooyoung continued, “So tell me, dear friend; who is the person occupying your thoughts? You don’t behave like this often.”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Long after Wooyoung and his delegation had left Yeosang’s kingdom, his parting words had not gone forgotten by the Crown Prince, who watched the river flow from inside the walls of his private quarters. Arms lightly folded as he observed the view in front of his eyes, his attention was drawn to a figure crouched by the flowing stream, hair falling around his shoulders. It took a moment - no longer - for the Prince to recognise who it was, his features brightening into a soft smile as he watched y/n enjoy the weather that day. Even if he didn’t know just what it was, simply watching y/n put Yeosang’s heart at ease, the florist’s presence bringing unintentional smiles to the royal’s face. Catching himself smiling, Yeosang set about making his way to the river’s edge, joining the florist’s company.
In his own world, y/n hadn’t realised that he was no longer alone until he zoned back in from his focused state, tilting his head at the shadow that was blocking the sun. Slowly turning his head and looking up, his mouth hung open as he was frozen in place.
“It would be wise if you closed your mouth, dear y/n. My appearance isn’t that shocking, is it?” The Prince teased, stifling an amused grin as he watched y/n scramble to his feet, dusting his hanbok before bowing a full 90 degrees. Stopping y/n by holding onto the florist’s shoulder, he shook his head, indicating for the older male to stand up straight. 
“My sincerest apologies your highness, I didn’t mean to- of course not, you’re-” a hand held out to stop the brunet from rambling on further - not that he disliked it, but there was something Yeosang wanted y/n to see. Holding an expectant hand out, the Prince pulled the florist with him, no words exchanged until they had arrived at their location. A conservatory, tucked away behind the vast gardens of the palace.
If y/n thought that he had seen everything there was in the palace grounds, seeing the conservatory proved that wrong very quickly. The conservatory was unlike he had ever seen; gold, emerald and lapis encasing the structure, jade vines twirled around the supports. It was beautiful, seats decorated in the finest material. As the florist slowly sat down, his eyes finally landed on the bouquet of carnations. Dark red carnations...the flowers of deep love and admiration. 
As Yeosang watched the florist look between himself and the bouquet displayed on the table in front of them, the words he wished to say were being revised; an error would throw off his plans.
“Your highness...you know what these flowers represent, what have you brought me here for?”
“I imagine you want an answer to your subtle confession?” 
“That...that would be appreciated,” as much as y/n wanted an answer, the florist had made his own assumption a while ago, “but I do understand; I’m just a royal florist, you’re the Crown Prince. Nothing can come out of this-” 
“Y/n, you know I don’t appreciate assumptions. Hear me out first. I will admit that I don’t know how best to describe what my feelings towards you are, but your presence puts me at ease; it’s a pleasant feeling, and I don’t want it to change.” Taking a breath, Yeosang continued, “I want you to stay by my side. Can you do that for me?”
It was quiet in the conservatory, the florist processing the Prince’s words, a soft smile on his face as the realisation hit him. His eyes gleaming with a new sense of hope, y/n nodded, hesitant hands hovering over Yeosang’s own. With the Crown Prince’s approval, y/n held Yeosang’s hands in his own, his smile igniting a smile from the male in front of him.
“I’ll be glad to stay by your side, your highness. It’d be my honour.”
Flowers hold so much meaning, don’t they?
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flymyhp · 4 years ago
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Birds to Spell books Pairing: George Weasley x Hufflepuff!reader Summary: George spends all his time showing his affection in the wrong way, only to ask her to the Yule Ball 6 years later Words: 2,163 Warnings: Mostly angst, fluff at the end tho ;) and the timeline is a little bit wonky at some parts A/N: Hi! This is my first time writing pretty much anything. Give me feedback! Much love, stay safe x Sixth year was exceptionally ordinary for y/n. Nearing the end of November, the Hufflepuff was sat near the fire in the Gryffindor common room with her younger sister, Hermione and the youngest of the trio, Harry. The topic of discussion among everyone at Hogwarts had been the Triwizard tournament, along with the Yule Ball. Although, the trio had seemed to push the ball completely out of their minds, only focusing on Harry’s name being drawn from the goblet of fire. Panic had struck her underclassmen friends due to these events, while recently y/n had been struck with panic for a different reason. “Pipe down, Lee.” Y/n knew the voice coming from behind her, but she didn’t take notice of it until she felt a pair of eyes boring into the back of her head. Her eyebrows furrowed as she attempted to focus on the conversation carrying on between her own group. Nobody seemed to notice the discomfort on her face, being too enveloped with their own issues. This didn’t bother her, the only thing that did was the voice she couldn’t take her attention from. “You haven’t researched the dragons at all, have you, Harry?” Hermione lectured Harry. There was an all too familiar tone in her voice. One that y/n shared with her, and one that she flinched at. “You have no idea how dangerous this is, do you?” “I’m sure he’s figured that bit out himself,” She jumped at the voice, and turned around, only opening her eyes once she was fully facing its owner. “haven’t you, Harry?” George Weasley. Kneeling behind the couch, right next to y/n, grinning. George Weasley. The boy who’d once transfigured her spell books into birds during their third year. The boy who, on multiple occasions over the course of 6 years, used the amplifying charm to make her robes shout during exams. And last week, the boy who’d asked her to the Yule Ball. She was completely sure it was a joke. What she wasn’t sure of was what made him target her the most out of everybody he and his twin played pranks on. It seemed to usually be gullible, younger kids who they went for. Y/n was an exception for six years, especially with George. It also had seemed like a harmless joke that everyone could laugh at. The joke felt nonexistent when it was her turn, as she was the only one not laughing. “I’m only joking, of course, Harry. There’s nothing to fret about.” George let his teasing die down a bit as she decided to zone back in. Just then, y/n felt a tap on her shoulder. Her face turned to meet George’s own. “Mind steppin’ out for a bit?” Y/n’s face went red. She’d hoped her sister didn’t hear him, or she’d be getting a lecture as well. Although she doubted she would, considering Harry’s was likely to continue until he stepped into the arena with a dragon. She reluctantly stood to her feet, her legs shaking slightly as she did so. “Why not? It’s nearing twelve, I’d better head out, anyways. G’night, Mione.” Y/n excused herself. Hermione stopped talking long enough to tell her goodnight and to be careful heading back to the basement with a kind smile which y/n gladly returned. Y/n followed George out of the common room and into the halls. The moon shone bright through the windows and she shivered in the cold of the fall night. “Am I correct in assuming you’re walking me to bed?” She asked, teeth chattering. He chuckled. “Of course I am,” Then he sighed, insinuating that wasn’t all he was here for. “Bird,” George started. The nickname made y/n want to hide in her hoodie the rest of the way back, and possibly the rest of term. “You never gave me an answer about the Yule ball.” He wasn’t asking anything, just stating the fact that weighed on y/n’s shoulders since the minute the question left his mouth a week prior. The question she didn’t exactly have an answer to. This wasn’t a cliché, y/n didn’t like George. She didn’t like the embarrassment he’d put her through for six years. She didn’t want to say yes. She didn’t want to say yes out of fear that it would all be a joke when it came down to the dance. She didn’t want to get her hopes up. On the other hand, she didn’t want to say no and end up going alone, or not at all. “I don’t have one.” This simple sentence left George kicking his feet a little as he walked. He lowered his head, and lifted it up again, his hair flicking out of his eyes as if he’d lost all confidence and then gained it back again. “Not even no?” He was looking at her now. She kept her head straight. “I could take rejection without an explanation, but can you tell me why you just don’t have an answer? Just curious is all.” Y/n swallowed. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to explain it to him. Was she being ridiculous? Overdramatic? Overthinking? She didn’t know what to think anymore. They’d already gotten to the entrance to her common room before she could think of what to say to him, so she just let everything out at once. “I can’t give you an answer. My heart sank when you asked me because I know it’s just a big joke. You’ve embarrassed me enough the past 6 years.” She began. She couldn’t control what she was saying, she just spoke. “Y/n,” He started, but was immediately interrupted as she couldn’t stop speaking. “But I can’t say no either, because if I don’t show up, or if I show up alone what am I to say? It’ll be equally embarrassing. I can’t win with you around, George.” When she finished she was out of breath. What she said didn’t hit her until she saw the look on his face. “I didn’t realize you felt that way.” George looked absolutely crushed. She didn’t know until then that he was being completely serious when he’d asked her to go to the Yule Ball with him. She’d ran from him and ignored him for a week, just to break his heart the moment he questioned her again. But how was she to know he genuinely wanted to go with her? She opened her mouth to speak, and George was going to let her but she closed her mouth as soon as he looked up at her. His eyes were watery, and she didn’t know what to do to fix it. Her silence gave George his answer, it was a big no. The twenty-fourth of November was the next chance she saw to speak to George, the first task of the tournament. He hadn’t been as bubbly as he usually is since the night before when she poured her heart out to him. She couldn’t stand to look at him and see hurt in his eyes. All she could think to do was find him in the crowd and force herself to fix things, even if it meant she had to look at his face and see the pain she caused. She walked to the arena with Hermione and Ron. Ron still wasn’t happy about the situation with Harry. He’d caused a few scenes in the common room and the courtyard. Both Hermione and y/n had tried to convince him that Harry hadn’t put his name in, but he couldn’t be convinced. Ron was easy to find his brothers, they had been having students place bets on who they believed would win the task and were walking through the pathway to the arena counting their profit. “Ron, would you mind bringing Fred along with you to find us seats? I have to fix something.” Y/n knew Ron wouldn’t mind, even in his sour mood. “As long as you manage to stop them taking the piss out of me, no problem.” He had a foul look on his face as he glanced at his brothers. She knew that his brothers had been giving him a hard time about Harry, but her first priority was to fix what she messed up. Ron, Hermione and Fred started off toward the arena. George didn’t look at y/n as he began to follow them, so she grabbed the sleeve of his jumper gently telling him to wait. He turned with his head down, he didn’t want to look at her. He was afraid if he did he would cry. “I’m not very good at this, obviously. But I need you to hear me out.” She began. He finally looked at her. She took a breath and started again. “You’ve never shown any sort of fondness towards me, no kindness, no apologies, for six years I’ve been the brunt of all of your jokes. You never gave me any explanation for that. How can you go from tormenting me for years to asking me to the first dance Hogwarts has had since we’ve been here? I couldn’t be a last option, there’s tons of girls who’d gladly go with you if you asked. Why me?” He stared at her for a moment, his eyes searched hers for some type of strength to get him to respond, and he found it. “As I said the other night in the basement, I didn’t realize you’d felt the way you did until you told me. I’ve been beating myself up since you told me how you felt. I’m not upset with you, I’m upset with myself.” This time, y/n began to tear up. “Freddie knows I’ve liked you for ages and he tells me to go for it, but I never could. I singled you out because I thought by doing something funny I could see you smile in the process instead of having to outright tell you how I felt about you. Then we came back to school to find out that they’re holding a dance, and I knew that was my opportunity. That’s why I asked you to the Yule Ball, I went for it as Freddie always told me to. He’s a lot better at going for it than I am, obviously, as he asked Angela the first day.” George finished with a chuckle, his eyes still sad. She blinked, her mouth opened and closed, and opened again. She was speechless. It was hard for her to admit to herself now that even though she didn’t have any romantic feelings for him, it would be easy for them to develop. “I can’t say I feel the same about you, considering I’ve spent my entire time at Hogwarts either crying or avoiding you. My friends are my little sisters’ friends because I’m laughed at due to your pranks.” She told him the truth. Even Ron, their little brother, was nicer to her than he had been. “I understand the way you’ve treated me, and I forgive you even if you aren’t willing to apologize because of what I said the other night.” He gave her a small smile. “Bird, of course I’m apologizing. I never meant to make you cry, or avoid your own classmates, or me. All I’m hoping for now is that I get a proper answer now that we understand each other.” “I have an answer for you. But it’s not exactly a proper one.” He looked at her with curiosity. “I’ll go to the ball with you, even though for now I don’t have any sort of feelings for you.” His head fell slightly at her statement and nodded, still not fully content with her answer. “Don’t look so down, George. If you’re lucky, you can change that. I did say I didn’t have feelings for you for now, didn’t I?” It was her turn to give him a grin. This time, he smiled. The first genuine smile he’d ever gave her. It wasn’t caused by his pranks, it was hopeful and warm. “I do have a tendency to be quite lucky.” The smile still bright on his face, he took one of her hands in his. “I’m sorry, genuinely. I’m sorry for your robes, I’m sorry for transfiguring your spell books into birds in third year, and I’m sorry for making you believe I wasn’t serious with my asking you to the ball. By Christmas, the ball, you’ll be happy to be attending with me. No one will laugh at you anymore, and you won’t have to only have my git brother for a friend. I promise.” She laughed, the first time he’d ever heard her laugh, and it was him who caused it. “Once again, I forgive you.” She took his other hand in hers and looked from their hands to his eyes. “Besides, I prefer birds to spell books anyways.”
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