#or the idea anybody would think she’d mate with any one of those idiots let alone all three

[ohfugecannada]

I said this earlier in the tags of another post, but given how Drax, Peter, Gamora and Rocket all acted as Groot ii’s parents, and the fact that in a galaxy full of alien cultures there’s bound to be tons of societies where non-monogamous dynamics are the norm or at least fairly common, it’s highly likely the four of them were mistaken for a polycute raising a kid at least a few times by some of their clients.

[twoidiotwriters1]

Written In The Stars CXXXIV (Harry Potter xF!Oc)

A/N: The way the last chapters are like one slap after the other -Danny

Words: 3,761

Series’ Masterlist

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Chapter Thirty-Two: Trapped.

Harry, Neville and Luna climbed onto the air... and stayed there. Ron, Erick, Mel, Hermione and Ginny stared at them.

"What?" Harry asked stupidly.

"What do you mean 'what', you idiot?" Mel scowled.

"How're we supposed to get on?" said Ron in disbelief. "When we can't see the things?"

"Oh it's easy," Luna slid back to the ground. "Come here..." 

She guided each of them to a different Thestral. Erick didn't like the way he could feel the creature yet not see it. Mel got used to it quickly, holding tightly onto the invisible crest. The rest were in different states of awkwardness.

"This is mad," Ron said quietly. "Mad... if I could just see it —"

"You'd better hope it stays invisible," said Harry. "We all ready, then? Okay..." He stared down. "Ministry of Magic, visitors' entrance, London, then— Er... if you know... where to go..." 

Mel was lifted off the ground, she swore and closed her eyes, which turned out to be a bad idea, because the moment she opened them again she was remarkably disoriented. They were no longer in the castle, and all she could see were mountains.

"These things are fast!" Ginny said with a mix of excitement and dread in her voice.

"I — hate — this!" Erick bellowed behind her. "Why do you have to get into these kinds of situations all the time?"

"Shut up!" Ron responded. "Some of us are trying not to fall!"

Mel kept her mouth shut the whole trip, it reminded her a bit of the time she travelled in the Ford Anglia, but it was definitely not as safe, and therefore, not as enjoyable. 

When the sky changed from purple to dark blue, the Thestrals landed on the city. Ron stumbled onto the ground, Hermione and Ginny did the same, though without falling. Neville jumped off his Thestral while Harry slid off of his in a swift motion. 

Mel lifted one leg with difficulty, stiff from the time she'd spent in the same awkward position. Her legs faltered and ended up crashing against Erick. He grunted, holding her in place. 

"Thank you for reminding me I'm not safe..."

"Don't be such a baby," Mel's gaze landed on Harry and his tousled hair. "How does he look so unbothered after this?"

"That annoys you now? You used to drool about it," Erick raised a brow. "I call that progress..."

"Where do we go from here, then?" Luna asked. 

"Over here," Harry guided them to an old telephone box and opened the door. "Come on!" 

Ron and Ginny walked in at once; Hermione, Neville, and Luna were next. Mel and Erick stared at each other.

"I don't have a choice, do I?" The boy complained.

"Think about it like this," She responded, "you'll finally receive the group hug you so desperately need!"

"Sod off," He rolled his eyes.

 They were uncomfortably close to each other. Harry spoke over their complaints.

"Whoever's nearest the receiver, dial six, two, four, four, two!" 

Ron dialled it.  

'Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business.'

"Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Mel Dumbledore, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Erick Flint... We're here to save someone, unless your Ministry can do it first!"

"Thank you. Visitors, please take the badges and attach them to the front of your robes."

She was given a badge with her name and the caption 'Rescue Mission' under it.

"Visitor to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the Atrium."

"Fine!" The boy said, Mel felt a stung on her forehead, Harry was in pain. "Now can we move?"

The light was dimmer than it had been by day. There were no fires burning under the mantelpieces set into the walls, but he saw as the lift slid smoothly to a halt that golden symbols continued to twist sinuously in the dark blue ceiling.

"The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant evening." 

This was definitely not how she had imagined her first visit to the Ministry would be, but it was surely interesting. It was dark and cold, reminded her of Grimmauld Place... which wasn't a good thing.

"Come on," Harry walked past the fountain to the elevator. He pressed nine, and soon enough they were standing in front of a black door. "Let's go."

Mel shivered when she stared into the long, quiet corridor and got closer to Erick. He reached out blindly for her hand in an attempt to calm himself too.

"Okay, listen," Harry stopped again, turning to see them. "Maybe... maybe a couple of people should stay here as a — as a lookout, and —"

"And how're we going to let you know something's coming?" asked Ginny. "You could be miles away."

"We're coming with you, Harry," said Neville.

"Let's get on with it," Ron insisted.

Harry's face reflected how much he didn't want them to go, but he didn't say anything. 

In his dream, Harry had always walked purposefully across this room to the door immediately opposite the entrance and walked on. But there were around a dozen doors here. 

Just as he was gazing ahead at the doors opposite him, trying to decide which was the right one, there was a great rumbling noise and the candles began to move sideways. The circular wall was rotating.

"What was that about?" Ron spoke quietly.

"I think it was to stop us knowing which door we came in from," said Ginny.

"Brilliant," Mel squeezed Erick's hand. "This is fine."

"How're we going to get back out?" asked Neville.

"Well, that doesn't matter now," said Harry tensely. "We won't need to get out till we've found Sirius —"

"Don't go calling for him, though!" Hermione warned.

"Where do we go, then, Harry?" Ron questioned.

"I don't — In the dreams I went through the door at the end of the corridor from the lifts into a dark room — that's this one — and then I went through another door into a room that kind of... glitters. We should try a few doors... I'll know the right way when I see it. C'mon."

The place was quite empty except for a few desks and, in the very middle of the room, an enormous glass tank of deep-green water, big enough for all of them to swim in, which contained a number of pearly white objects that were drifting around lazily in the liquid.

"What're those things?"

"Dunno." 

"Are they fish?"

"Aquavirius maggots! Dad said the Ministry were breeding —"

"No," said Hermione dryly. "They're brains." 

"Brains?"

"Yes... I wonder what they're doing with them?"

"I don't. I don't wonder at all. Please let's keep going?"

"Let's get out of here," Harry agreed. "This isn't right, we need to try another door —"

"There are doors here too," said Ron.

"In my dream I went through that dark room into the second one. I think we should go back and try from there."

"Wait!" Hermione stopped Luna from closing the door. "Flagrate!" 

She drew with her wand in midair and a fiery X appeared on the door. No sooner had the door clicked shut behind them than there was a great rumbling, and once again the wall began to revolve very fast, but now there was a great red-gold blur in amongst the faint blue, and when all became still again, the fiery cross still burned, showing the door they had already tried.

"I love you, 'Mione," Mel sighed.

"Good thinking," said Harry. "Okay, let's try this one —"

They were standing on the topmost tier of what seemed to be stone benches running all around the room [...] there was a raised stone dais in the center of the lowered floor, and upon this dais stood a stone archway that looked so ancient, cracked, and crumbling that Harry was amazed the thing was still standing. 

"Who's there?" said Harry.

"Careful!" 

Harry and Mel reached the bottom one after the other. 

"Sirius?" Harry muttered.

Mel studied the veil: It wasn't particularly magical-looking, but the way it kept moving even though there was no wind... Harry circled the archway and she stepped closer. 

"Let's go," called Hermione. "This isn't right, guys, come on, let's go..."

The girl felt the need to reach out and touch it, then she caught something in the movement of the fabric, whispers.

"Guys, let's go, okay?" insisted Hermione.

"Okay... What are you saying?" Harry asked, but Mel was barely registering his words.

"Nobody's talking, Harry!" 

"Someone's whispering behind there," Harry mumbled. "Is that you, Ron?"

"I'm here, mate," Ron said from behind them.

"Can't anyone else hear it?"

"I can hear them too," Luna was staring at the veil with curiosity. "There are people in there!"

"What do you mean, 'in there'? There isn't any 'in there,' it's just an archway, there's no room for anybody to be there — Harry, stop it, come away — Harry, we are supposed to be here for Sirius!" 

"Sirius... Yeah..."

The anger in Hermione's voice felt exaggerated, Mel stepped closer to the veil, she stretched out her hand and —

Harry caught it and drew it down, he dragged her several steps away from the veil and shook his head.

"Let's go."

"Are you okay?" Erick whispered once they re-entered the dark room.

"Yeah," She mumbled, watching the doors swirl around her. "I... I got distracted, that's all. I'm fine."

Harry approached a new door. 

"It's... locked..." He grunted.

"This is it, then, isn't it?" said Ron helping Harry push harder. "Bound to be!"

"Get out of the way!" said Hermione at once. "Alohomora!"

"Sirius's knife!" Harry offered. 

It didn't work, his knife was now melted.

"Right, we're leaving that room," said Hermione.

"But what if that's the one?" said Ron.

"It can't be, Harry could get through all the doors in his dream," said Hermione.

"You know what could be in there?" said Luna excitedly.

"Nothing good if it's locked," Erick said darkly. 

"Something blibbering, no doubt," Hermione added.

Neville giggled under his breath, but it came out like a whimper.

Harry pushed open the next door and let out a quiet gasp.

"This is it! This way!"

"Oh look!" said Ginny excitedly.

Drifting along in the sparkling current inside was a tiny, jewel-bright egg. As it rose in the jar it cracked open and a hummingbird emerged, which was carried to the very top of the jar, but as it fell on the draft, its feathers became bedraggled and damp again, and by the time it had been borne back to the bottom of the jar it had been enclosed once more in its egg.

"Keep going!" said Harry.

"You dawdled enough by that old arch!" 

"Nothing here is normal," Mel muttered. "Not even for a wizard — This... I definitely want to be an Unspeakable."

"You're thinking about that now?" Erick asked in annoyance.

"It's not like I have something better to do! I mean, we're on a suicidal mission —"

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't use that word..."

"Do you prefer the term 'field trip'?"

"This is it," Harry spoke over their bickering. "It's through here —"

Everyone had their wands at the ready now, prepared for the next indications. Harry opened the next door.

They were there, they had found the place: high as a church and full of nothing but towering shelves covered in small, dusty, glass orbs. They glimmered dully in the light issuing from more candle brackets set at intervals along the shelves. Like those in the circular room behind them, their flames were burning blue. The room was very cold.

"You said it was row ninety-seven."

"Yeah," Harry started to walk.

"We need to go right, I think," Hermione muttered. "Yes... that's fifty-four..."

"Keep your wands out," Harry reminded them.

"Ninety-seven!" Hermione called after a while.

"There's nothing here," Mel stated.

"He's right down at the end," The boy insisted. "You can't see properly from here..."

Last year it hadn't take Wormtail more than a minute to attack Harry as soon as he was close enough. It felt like they wanted him to keep going, which put her on edge. She held onto her wand and made sure to have enough space to use her hands in case she needed to hex more than one thing at the same time.

"He should be near here," Harry insisted with shaky breaths. "Anywhere here... really close..."

"Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Somewhere about... here..."

"This isn't right," Mel declared. "It doesn't make sense... this hall is clear."

"He might be...Or maybe..." Harry rushed to the next end of the hall, but this time he was the only one that moved. 

"Harry?" Hermione tried again. 

"What?" He spat.

"I... I don't think Sirius is here."

"Okay," Erick spoke, sounding impressively calm. "Are we sure Harry wasn't —"

"I swear if you say 'dreaming', I'll hex you," Mel interrupted. 

"Sirius isn't here!" Erick insisted in an angry whisper. "What possibilities are left?"

Mel looked up at him. "We don't want this to be one of those."

"Harry?" Ron asked.

"What?" Harry spoke again, this time a bit more desperately. 

"Have you seen this?"

Mel followed Ron's gaze and got closer, everyone else following along.

"What?"

"It's �� it's got your name on..." 

"My name?" 

S.P.T. to A.P.W.B.D.

Dark Lord and (?) Harry Potter

"What is it?" Ron inquired. "What's your name doing down here? I'm not here — none of the rest of us are here..."

"Harry, I don't think you should touch it," said Hermione.

"Why not? It's something to do with me, isn't it?"

"Don't, Harry," pleaded Neville.

"It's got my name on," said Harry.

"So what?" Mel frowned, something about the initials felt strangely familiar, but she couldn't tell exactly what it was. "Sirius isn't here, we should go back and try to contact my mum or Lupin — Do not —"

Harry reached for the orb and grabbed it firmly. Mel swore, everyone stood around them with a tense air. For a brief second, nothing happened. Then she straightened in her place at the sound of soft fabric brushing against the floor. She turned around, only to face the tip of someone's wand.

"Very good, Potter," Lucius Malfoy sneered. "Now turn around, nice and slowly, and give that to me." 

She heard as the rest of her friends turned.

"To me, Potter," the man repeated without lowering his wand. "To me." 

"Where's Sirius?" Harry asked.

The Death Eaters around them laughed and Mel closed her eyes in a moment of bitter realization. It had been a lie.

"The Dark Lord always knows!" Said one of the cloaked figures, who sounded very much like a woman.

"Always. Now, give me the prophecy, Potter."

"I want to know where Sirius is!"

"I want to know where Sirius is!"  The woman repeated in a high-pitched voice.

"You've got him. He's here. I know he is."

"The little baby woke up fwightened and fort what it dweamed was twoo."

"Don't do anything," Harry said behind her, though she couldn't tell to who he was talking to. "Not yet —"

"You hear him? You hear him? Giving instructions to the other children as though he thinks of fighting us!"

"Oh, you don't know Potter as I do, Bellatrix," said Malfoy. "He has a great weakness for heroics; the Dark Lord understands this about him. Now give me the prophecy, Potter."

"I know Sirius is here," Harry insisted. "I know you've got him!"

"They don't have him," Mel growled. "He tricked you. Somehow found out you can see his thoughts — That thing you're holding, that's what they'd been looking for all along..."

"Right, Miss Dumbledore. It'll be a bit disappointing for your uncle, the fact that it took you this long... As for you, it's time you learned the difference between life and dreams, Potter. Now give me the prophecy, or we start using wands." 

"Dumbledore?" The woman tilted her head. "Your father was more attractive than you, girly."

"Go on, then," Harry spoke, ignoring the woman.

"Hand over the prophecy and no one need get hurt."

"Yeah, right!" The boy laughed bitterly. "I give you this — prophecy, is it? And you'll just let us skip off home, will you?"

"Accio Proph —"

Harry yelled 'Protego!' before the woman could finish.

"Oh, he knows how to play, little bitty baby Potter. Very well, then —"

"I TOLD YOU, NO!" Malfoy shouted. "If you smash it — !"

The woman pulled off her hood and Mel's stomach dropped. In front of them was none other than Bellatrix Lestrange.

"You need more persuasion?" Bellatrix said. "Very well — take the smallest one. Let him watch while we torture the little girl. I'll do it."

The group closed tightly around Ginny while Harry and Mel stepped to the front.

"You'll have to smash this if you want to attack any of us," Harry told them. "I don't think your boss will be too pleased if you come back without it, will he? ...So, what kind of prophecy are we talking about anyway?"

"What kind of prophecy?" Bellatrix stopped smiling. "You jest, Harry Potter."

"Nope, not jesting," Harry insisted. Mel desperately tried to think of a way to get rid of Death Eaters in one move. "How come Voldemort wants it?"

The adults cursed and hissed loudly.

"You dare speak his name?" Bellatrix asked in outrage.

"Yeah. Yeah, I've got no problem saying Vol —"

"Shut your mouth! You dare speak his name with your unworthy lips, you dare besmirch it with your half-blood's tongue, you dare —"

"Did you know he's a half-blood too?" Harry asked. "Voldemort? Yeah, his mother was a witch but his dad was a Muggle — or has he been telling you lot he's pureblood?"

"STUPEF —"

"NO! "

A jet of red light had shot from the end of Bellatrix Lestrange's wand, but Malfoy had deflected it. His spell caused hers to hit the shelf a foot to the left of Harry and several of the glass orbs there shattered. 

Two figures, pearly white as ghosts, fluid as smoke, unfurled themselves from the fragments of broken glass upon the floor and each began to speak. Their voices vied with each other, so that only fragments of what they were saying could be heard over Malfoy and Bellatrix's shouts.

". . . at the Solstice will come a new . . ." said the figure of an old, bearded man.

"DO NOT ATTACK! WE NEED THE PROPHECY!"

"He dared — he dares —" shrieked Bellatrix incoherently. "— He stands there — filthy half-blood —"

"WAIT UNTIL WE'VE GOT THE PROPHECY!" bawled Malfoy. 

". . . and none will come after . . ." said the figure of a young woman. 

"You haven't told me what's so special about this prophecy I'm supposed to be handing over," Harry asked again. 

"Do not play games with us, Potter," Malfoy spat.

"I'm not playing games," said Harry, tapping his foot anxiously.

But Harry wasn't the type to tap his foot like that. At the sound of a whimper, he stopped. 

"What?" Hermione hissed.

"Dumbledore never told you that the reason you bear that scar was hidden in the bowels of the Department of Mysteries?" 

"I — what?" Harry sounded genuinely startled. "What about my scar?"

"What?" Hermione insisted.

"Can this be?" said Malfoy.

"Listen, if you could cut the dramatics and just spit it out," Mel spoke. "We don't have time, do we? So you either explain —"

"Look at the little brat," Bellatrix sneered. "Acting all haughty — You think that being a Dumbledore is enough to scare us, girl?"

"Well, a Lastname makes you think you're worth more than dragon's dung," She stepped a little forward. "I guess we're not that different."

"You little —"

Mel raised her wand slightly and Erick grabbed her arm. At the same time, she heard Harry turn to look at the others and hurriedly whisper 'Smash shelves —'

"Calm down!" Erick said. 

"— when I say go —" Harry finished.

"Well, well..." Malfoy stared at her friend with a dark smile. "Solomon won't be pleased..."

"I couldn't care less about it," Erick replied tensely. "I'm no longer his son."

"And with good reason," Malfoy's smile widened. "Draco will tell your friends about the new situation, no doubt..."

"I'm sure, I want him to," The boy said calmly. "Otherwise I broke Goyle's nose for nothing."

A man stepped forward, but Malfoy held him back, Mel spoke again.

"What's the prophecy about?"

"Dumbledore never told you?" Malfoy raised a brow. "Well, this explains why neither of you came earlier, the Dark Lord wondered why you didn't come running when he showed you the place where it was hidden in your dreams. He thought natural curiosity would make you want to hear the exact wording..."

"Did he?" Harry's attention was back on Lucius. "So he wanted me to come and get it, did he? Why?"

"Why? Because the only people who are permitted to retrieve a prophecy from the Department of Mysteries, Potter, are those about whom it was made, as the Dark Lord discovered when he attempted to use others to steal it for him."

"And why did he want to steal a prophecy about me?"

"About both of you, Potter, about both of you... Haven't you ever wondered why the Dark Lord tried to kill you as a baby?"

"Someone made a prophecy about Voldemort and me? And he's made me come and get it for him? Why couldn't he come and get it himself?"

"Get it himself?" Bellatrix laughed. "The Dark Lord, walk into the Ministry of Magic, when they are so sweetly ignoring his return? The Dark Lord, reveal himself to the Aurors, when at the moment they are wasting their time on my dear cousin?"

"So he's got you doing his dirty work for him, has he? Like he tried to get Sturgis to steal it — and Bode?"

"Very good, Potter, very good... But the Dark Lord knows you are not unintell —"

"NOW!" 

At once, the group shouted: "REDUCTO!" 

The towering structure swayed as a hundred glass spheres burst apart, pearly-white figures unfurled into the air and floated there, their voices echoing from who knew what long-dead past amid the torrent of crashing glass and splintered wood now raining down upon the floor —

"RUN!"

Next Chapter —>

Taglist.

@dee123ksha @vampiregirl1797 @siriuslysirius1107 @stardusthigh @mikariell95 @vernon-dursley @thesuitelifeofafangirl @tomshollandz @kylosleftbuttcheek @reverse-hxlland @bloodorangemoonlight @omiwashere @t-rexs-world @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @21bruhs @i-am-scared-and-useless-bisexual @dielgonacoffee

[lavendertwilight89]

What You Like-- White Day Speical

Hope this makes up for the lack of Valentine’s Post :) 

Thanks go to @keichanz​ for her fic “Selfie” that inspired parts of my fic

@lemonlushff​ @clearwillow​ for hosting White Day!

@dangerouspompadour​ @akitokihojo​ @bearpluscat​ @kaze-ranna​ @xfangheartx​ @sarah-writes-stories​

Enjoyyyyyyy

She awoke with a start. It wasn’t the first time this had happened since she moved out of her family’s shrine. It had only been a month maybe since it had become a permanent move. She got a nearby one-bedroom apartment; she needed her own escape—she meant place! She gathered her surroundings and realized she was completely alone… like usual… until she noticed the sound of running water…

What. The. Fuck. Happened???!? She remembered she hit the sauce pretty hard last night. Last night marked four of the longest years of her life. Four long years without her friends from the other side of the well. Four years without the love of her life. Four years of pure misery… Ugh her head was going to split in two from her careless actions or probably the worst hangover she had ever had…

Since her quick departure from the Feudal Era four years ago, she couldn’t shake her rampant and monstrous dreams. They caused her frequent disruptions throughout the night and drove the need for alcohol (well, to be honest, that wasn’t the only reason for her to start drinking). College had been not the best experience—especially when she had to share a room with a roommate. She knew her dorm mate didn’t care for her; in-regards-to: well-being, modesty, or just all around courtesy. She often had a pillow (sometimes heavier objects) thrown at her if she was screaming or crying in her sleep to wake her up, had her food ate without permission, or had her privacy violated…But the worst thing was—her roommate was what one would have referred to as ‘loose’. And by that, she didn’t care that she entertained men. No, she understood. Your body, your rules. Kagome didn’t care about what or who she did that with… She did, however, care her roommate did it when she was in the same freaking room!!!!

She often had to find refuge in Yuka and Eri’s room. Ayumi had decided to travel abroad her year having taken extended courses in high school of German to prepare her. But their second year, the four of them got a suite style apartment and things worked out better. But the nightmares never faded. She started to sleep with a nightlight, kept her bow close, started drinking before bed... Her friends felt for her, but they had their own lives, their own boyfriends.  They still hadn’t heard the full story of what happened to Inuyasha… They just knew he was gone. They tried to reset her up a couple times with Hojo… But she refused when she knew it was a date-like-thing. She was determined to always wait for Inuyasha to find her. He always found her… He would always come for her…

She could have started screaming because not only did she hear the shower running, but she looked down at herself and she was FUCKING NAKED.  And she was extremely sore down there. FUCK. DAMNIT ALL. UGH. Tears started to form in the corners of her eyes from her own stupidity… Four long years of not ever having a boyfriend, no random make-out sessions or anything… and she lost it on a night she blacked out… Actually, she could kind of visual some of what happened, so not completely blacked out, just some parts were missing… Think! Think how did I let this happen!?!?

 She had been out with the girls and their boyfriends. She didn’t have to work, for once, on the weekend in the Emergency room. She usually was always worked weekend shifts with her being so new and willing—because obviously she didn’t have anything else to do. No boyfriend. She avoided home because of the reminders of her past, didn’t want to be alone in her new apartment... An excuse to avoid people in general… But when her friends called her, she reluctantly agreed as she hadn’t been out with them since graduation…basically a full month ago… whoops…

They had bought her shots all evening and kept trying to get her to make a move on Hojo because they knew she was upset about this was year number four without Inuyasha. They were at the newest club down the street from her apartment. They’d made her wear a black pencil skirt and a forest green sleeveless tank, sheer, but she insisted she had a black camisole underneath so no one could see anything inappropriate. She had been nicknamed the prude of the group. She didn’t care though. She didn’t care what anybody thought. She would stay a virgin her whole life if she had to. She would wait for him… Her friends assumed she was just nervous… Pfffft. Don’t get her wrong, she pleasured herself enough at home, but no one excited her. No one sang her that sweet erotic song like the owner of those amber eyes had. Call her prude, nervous about the idea of someone down there, whatever—bottom line was she wasn’t easy. She refused to just sleep with someone who didn’t even appeal to her. Maybe if someone had come along that inspired those feelings… Those wants… But no, no one had. Ever. There was no one who made her feel like that. She was doomed to become the crazy cat lady who fucked herself with her fingers.

But she also reluctantly, refused to give up hope. She could have decided just to more or less poison herself with shot after shot and pray Hojo would finally look okay enough to just ‘bang it out’. But no. Barf. Nope. Sorry, he had been the most boring person she had met. She’d prefer Koga. Koga. Even then, if Koga appeared right there in front of her, she’d still say no. Because it wasn’t him. Still didn’t have that beautiful silver hair that fell to his waist, those sexy little triangles that sat on top of his head, furrowing dark brows, sultry smirk…

After she lost count of shots, she snuck away and paid her tab. She didn’t really remember signing her name or how much she tipped, but that was neither here nor there. She made enough to support herself, her habits, and then some. She dipped out before her friends tried to get her to dance with Hojo. Nothing had ever turned her off less than them dancing together. She’d prefer to dance with her brother. Ok, she admitted, that was kind of crass, but still—that’s what she equated a dance with Hojo with; like her brother trying to make move on her. Barf. Hojo had just become that constant reminder to her how boring her life had become once she returned from the Feudal Era. A reminder of what she really wanted… Oh Gods, she thought she was going to be sick. Nope. Nope. She needed to make it to the apartment.

She walked noisily up the stairs. Staggering around and laughing at herself, she knew she looked like a drunken idiot. The only person who she knew who lived here was Jiro, her across the hall neighbor. She didn’t mind him. He was okay looking. He had black hair, kinda longer than most but wore it in that trending man-bun. He had bright blue eyes. Brighter than Miroku’s. It was weird because he looked similar to her old friend... But he was nice and not at all handsy. He listened to some of her college stories. Listened to her cry. Watched movies with her as she passed out from her drinking too much in an evening. He was nice guy. He never took advantage. But it probably did help she made it clear nothing would EVER happen.

She finally got to the fifth floor (the thought occurred to her why hadn’t she taken the elevator? Oh yea, she couldn’t figure out the buttons hahahaha). And he was standing there. She had to be crazy. It wasn’t him. Demons were gone. They hadn’t been around in ages. She searched, researched, tried to find any clue that they could be around. That he could be around… That they’d just gone into hiding… Nothing… She clearly was delusional at that point. Drunk. Yea, definitely that. She had what… four shots bought for her? No, probably like six…eight? Not including the two drinks she had herself?

But this was the first time she felt like she could actually sense him. His demonic aura… She hadn’t given up all her hopes yet. But she resigned herself and just smiled sadly thinking her mind was playing tricks on her though; it was their four year anniversary of being separated after all.

“Heyyyyy… Why you up so late, Jirooooooo?” She sang drunkenly.

His face changed from sheer awe to confusion. His head titled as she approached him stumbling in her heals. As she watched his ears twitch, wow she had a very active imagination, she tripped and gasped but his arms caught her easily. She giggled and hiccupped turning up to face him.

“Opps, sorry ‘bout that! Probably had like, four too many tonight…I blame the girls though. They bought more than half, said stuff about ‘no pity party’ or sumthin’…” she felt her face heat as his hands didn’t move away nor did he say anything… probably just thought she was being crazy and had been helpless like usual when she was absorbed in her bad influences. She turned away from his chest to the purse in her hands to grab her keys but unfortunately spilled the entire contents onto the floor with only her keys and purse intact.

“Ugh *hiccup*darnnnnnnnn! Jiro, lemme go, I need to pick all this up and climb into bed,” she slurred.

He still didn’t release her and was breathing unsteadily. What had gotten into him? “You’re acting all weird ‘n stuff Jiro, everythin’ ok? I’d ask if you wanna talk but it’s late and I’m pretty sure I’m not gonna remember at this *hiccup* point,” she drowsily turned to face him.

Goddddddddd[AR1] [AR2] . That FACE was still staring back at her with those amber eyes, silver hair, fluffy ears, dark brows, tan skin…

“Uhm… Jiro? I know this sounds kinda crazy… but—you have a different face on ya. For real, I need to go to bed. I’m losin’ my mind.”

“Whose face do I have, Ka-Go-Me?”

Her eyes widen and her breath hitched. She swallowed uneasily. That…that voice… Maybe this was a sign—she should just give into her needs and just fuck this dude already that now took on Inuyasha’s form. For whatever reason, the universe, the Gods, her imagination were finally making her see, hear, smell, and touch “Inuyasha” again… She had refused to entertain those ideas anyway just in case Inuyasha did manage to come along… Well not just because that. The attraction thing was huge. But she hoped if he had lived 500+ years he didn’t wait for her… She just knew his sense of smell would put him off if she fooled around with someone not special to her, but he could probably forgive her for not waiting... Wait—was that why she didn’t find any one attractive? For the off chance he finalllllllllly appeared, he would smell her? What was she saying? Thinking? God, all her thoughts were jumbled. She didn’t need to play counselor to herself right then. Maybe she should’ve just stopped waiting… He was gone… This wasn’t him. No, she couldn’t allow her heart to be shattered again…

“Wh—uhm—” she cleared her throat, blushed having heard her name said like that. It’d been since she started traveling with Inuyasha since her name was pronounced like that. She was beyond flustered. “Ji-Jiro uhm, it’s late, I may be drunk but—but—I’m waiting for someone. If you know what I *hiccup* mean. Go home,” she said flailing her arms towards his apartment.

His eyes softened, “Who are you waiting for?”

He had been acting so weird and clingy! So unusual for him. He would have usually just leave her, let her stumble—he respected her independence. Even though sometimes in the morning she wondered whyyyyyyyy he would have left her in the state she was in. But he remained steadfast—his arms still around her. She figured he could come in for bit… He was always respective… He wouldn’t have tried anything… Grabbing her keys she leaned forward against his chest, resting her head on his shoulder—had he gotten taller?—reaching around him and put them in the door and twisted. Even with heals, she probably would’ve been able to meet his head… He wasn’t that tall… Who knows, she was obliterated. What was she thinking about anyway? His arms slightly increased their pressure around her, and she swore he took a giant whiff of her hair.

“Well come on in; I probably can’t walk anyway without you’re help. The girls thought it’d be ‘sexy’ to wear these disastrous shoes… but I’ll tell you a story Jiro *hiccup*. About the man I fell in love with…that one’s new right? I know I’ve been refusing to share, but I’m probably numb enough to share tonight.”

He bent slightly and picked her up bridal style causing her to shriek a little in startlement and her to wrap her arms around his neck. Wow, his hair was really that long? She wove her fingers through it… Jiro’s hair isn’t this long, there’s no way I’m that creative with my imagination… Nope—nope don’t let your hopes get raised. You’re just crazy. Crazy. Yep. He paused at her ministrations looking down at her as she turned back to face him… Her heart was racing… She swore she saw him eye her lips and lick his briefly but then placed her on the couch gently before turning away. She immediately missed the intimate contact. He returned to the door and picked up all her things from the floor outside putting them back in the bag for her. Dude, he was such a nice guy. She felt bad to burden him with her problems…

He closed the door behind him and stopped midstride having caught an eye of a picture she had by the front door. The picture of her and Inuyasha taking a selfie in the feudal era. Where she was encompassed between his legs smiling radiantly into the camera and he had his handsome cocky smirk on his face. She giggled drawing his attention back towards her.

“That’s the guy you look like right now. Liquor is a cruel bitch like that, I guess. His name is…was… Inuyasha… I met him when I was fifteen… We uh… knew each other for three years. He was in love with someone else, for a while there… but I couldn’t stop how I felt. If anything, the love I had for him just grew stronger. We had so many moments I really thought, ‘he feels the same’… Like one time he made me cold medicine, he had told me he was scared to lose me but that he needed me by his side, different battles, uh, things happened to have those words fall from his stubborn crass mouth, but he’d also give my his haori even if it meant he’d be more vulnerable… Kisses on the cheek…Temple… A couple on the…” she lightly touched her lips remembering the sensation. “I was eighteen when we got separated by time, literally, and I’ve been searching for him since. Today made four years...FOUR. Can you believe that?? But I’m still lookin’. Even though I don’t think I’ll ever find him… I-I…”

He came and sat by her and looked at her worriedly.

“I’m not crazy—not some childish girl lovesick on some crush she had in high school! I love him! It was real! I’ll find him! I’ll prove everyone and even myself wrong! He can’t be gone! He-he can’t…H-he always has come for me…I-I can’t give up on him,” she started crying. Sobbing actually. Hysterically. How embarrassing. God she was pathetic; she’d been so good about keeping her secrets about her broken heart. Her resistance to move on. Her lack of enthusiasm of seeing the people she still had in life. She always just cried and said she didn’t want to talk about it… Jiro never had pried further. But she apparently lost her last shred of dignity and bawled like a child. “You should leave. Please, don’t judge me. Please! I-I can’t lose you as a friend. I lost all my closest friends then too…The ones that mattered. I-I just miss him so much!”

He grabbed her hands from her face and looked into her eyes with those beautiful rich golden eyes…

“Kagome…It is me…I-I’m not Jiro. You aren’t seeing things—it really is me.”

She stared at him disbelievingly. “It-It can’t be…”

“It is though, Kagome. You’re not just seeing things. I’m here! I’m real,” he steered her hands to his ears. Oh God, she swore he started purring as she massaged them.

“It—I—this isn’t possible…”

“I’m sorry it took so long for me to get to you. I tried to find you but the first time I came by you had left for college… I should have just told your mom who I was when I came by, but I didn’t want to distract you from your future or what you wanted… You were still so young and I wanted to give you time to grow still… The next time she said you had gotten a job at a hospital nearby, but you didn’t come by often. She was reluctant to tell me where you live, and I couldn’t blame her for wanting to protect your privacy—but I actually got a call from Jiro before I could actually tell her who I was while I was with her. He was certain it was you. I told her I was a friend of yours and swore everything would make sense after I talked to you… I-I just wanted to make sure you still wanted to see me. To be in my life before I said anything to her, I just had to see you… I came here and I-I found…” he trailed off. This had happened earlier that very day… He had just left her mom’s house and came here. She had unpacked those pictures since she had the time and Jiro came by and had lunch with her. Her mom had called her three times while she was out… and she stupidly ignored all three. He had waited here for her for hours... And found her stumbling up the stairs laughing to herself drunk as fucking skunk. Nope! He wasn’t real! No God was that cruel. He was for sure an illusion.

“No, no, no, no, noooooo….P-Prove it! Prove to me, you are who you say you are then; prove you’re real,” that extra hiccup at the end made her realize how unserious she sounded—but she thought she sounded pretty desperate at least.

He slightly cringed but appeared to be willing to play her little game, “Ok… ask me anything you’d think I wouldn’t be honest about…anything you want…”

“Mk fine I will! *Hiccup* How did we meet?”

He got up and got her a glass of water and returned handing it to her, “You broke the seal on me. The one Kikyo placed…You broke the arrow, and I attacked you for the jewel. The subjugation beads were placed on me and we began to travel together after you shattered the jewel.”

“What about, how did I get back and forth?”

“The stupid fucking well…You came and went to be with your family and for those stupid tests at school…I should’ve smashed that thing when I had the chance before it separated us.”

She blinked… It couldn’t be… There was no way…

“Ki-kyo…” she said brokenly hoping he would know what she was asking.

“Sigh…I know we never really addressed this. Hopefully this will be enough. I loved Kikyo. We both sought each other out on loneliness. The problem was, we didn’t trust each other. She didn’t trust me because of my demonic heritage. She wanted me to become human using the jewel… I hesitated because I wasn’t sure that was something I wanted. But she said as long as the jewel existed, she could only be a shrine maiden. A priestess. She wanted to be ordinary—in order to be a normal woman with a normal life, the jewel had to be used... I agreed, because I was done being alone, and couldn’t take it if she wouldn’t be with me if I was a half-demon… but in the end I didn’t trust her to believe she wouldn’t try to kill me. After all, I was a dirty half-breed. Then I met you; you taught me to trust, work with others, befriend others… care about other people…

“When she was resurrected, I had already started to fall for you. We were beneath that tree in the village when I tried to kiss you and you pushed me away. But with Kikyo back among the living so shortly after that, my duty to avenge her, save her from the person she had become… it was too much. I couldn’t stop myself from falling for you, but I refused to let you know. Because I was stupid, stubborn, afraid you didn’t feel the same. Even once I did hear that you did love me, the idea that anyone I loved died, it drove me away from you… It didn’t stop the little moments between us. I-I couldn’t help it. Knowing you actually did love me… I just—I wanted to wait until it was all over before we could actually figure out what was between us.

“Kikyo will always be my first love; but Kagome, you had always and will always have my heart.” He took her hand and placed it on his chest. Oh Gods… this—this—

“Th-that picture…” she continued. She had to hear more.

“You brought your cell phone back one time and you took pictures with all of us… So that you had something to remember us by just in case…We were awake after the others fell asleep… I asked you for another one to be shot because the other one we had taken before wasn’t good enough. I wanted… I made you believe it was something you wanted, a better picture with just us… We took a couple. The last one I surprised you and kissed you.”

She swallowed. She knew she was going to start crying again. Stupid drunken images. He couldn’t have been real. But it reallllllly seemed like he was. She didn’t normally see him when she was wasted... Even though she really wanted to. She thought it would numb her pain. Make her forget. But there he was—right there in front of her. On her navy couch. Red button-down shirt, grey suit pants, long silver locks uncut, blazing amber eyes… Oh Gods… this wasn’t real… She wouldn’t allow her hopes to be raised. They had been shattered so soooo many times, she couldn’t allow herself to allow the deception in.  

“Where did you find me after the final battle?”

“In the jewel…”

“And we…”

He grabbed her face and kissed her softly which made her melt into his body. She finally let herself go. Who cared? No one could or even would blame her. Even if it wasn’t Inuyasha, she had proved her loyalty to him and then some. She climbed into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to pull him as close to her as humanly possible. His hands found themselves on her hips. She felt it. They were both hungry. Hot. Aroused. Needy.

He still smelled of pinewood, forest, musk. God, she had butterflies swirling in her stomach, heat spreading to her lower regions. If this was a dream, an illusion, or just a drunken image, she couldn’t have stopped it even if she wanted to. She needed him. Or whatever he was. Right then. Right there. She shifted and started to slowly grind on his hips, moaning all the while she started to unbutton his red shirt... His hands found hers and he pulled away. She whimpered loudly in disappointment.

“Kagome—God—You don’t know what this means to me. Seeing you, finding you again… But—but you’re drunk. You’re not thinking clearly.”

“Don’t care,” she tried to start kissing him again only for him to have kept her still.

“I’m not going to take advantage of you like this. We just found each other again. I—I can’t—”

“Inuyasha—it’s been four years for me, five-hundred-four for you…Just—shut up” she plunged forward and finally was able to recapture his mouth and he seemingly reluctantly resumed kissing her. Her hands started their handy work again until she shoved off his shirt down his fucking ripplin’ muscles. God, he was more built than he had been before. She swore she could have cum just from the sensation of her fingers touching his warm god-like body, or even having kissed him and him kiss her back in such fervor probably only they could have ever knew.

She moaned as she kept rubbing herself against his very present hardened length. Her skirt was basically no longer a skirt as it was so pushed up exposing her heat. She felt bad knowing that his pants probably were just as wet as her panties. If this was a fantasy she had conjured up, whew boy was it an amazing one. But each kiss, each brush of their tongues, each moan, growl, pant had begun to break down her walls to let her start believing it was reality. He was groaning but clearly hadn’t lost himself completely yet. If this was a dream, she wouldn’t have had that! He was going to fully enjoy this just as much as she planned to. It just then it became a plan of how to get him to unwind.

She moved from his lips, which did cause her to whine a bit but kissing her way down his jaw to his shoulder, to his pecks, Godddddddd. She was beyond wet. She was so horny it was unbelievable. She had never felt like that with anyone. She needed him more than she needed air. But he clearly refused to undress her or be an active participant aside from kissing her. Fine; she admitted she was drunk. But she didn’t care. She maybe would have regretted this in the morning, but the alcohol was definitely convincing her to not give a shit right then.  If this truly was Inuyasha, she would have zero regrets… She dropped to the ground between his legs and laughed. Which in turn caused her to hiccup making her only laugh harder.

She turned her eyes back to his face who was flushed but gazed down at her with concern.

“I waited for you, ya know? I couldn’t find anyone who was even half the man you are…I’ve never done…anything…” she trailed off while her hands moved along his thighs which caused his muscles to tighten and forced him to let out a low groan. She reached his button and unbuttoned while she maintained eye contact. She then pulled down the zipper. Slowly. Teasingly. Testing.

“Ka-Kagome—”

“Sh, sh, shhhhh. I’m going to prove this isn’t just about me…Inuyasha…I need this for myself too…Please…” Her skipped a beat when she uttered his name. She tugged down his pants to which he seemed hesitant but still willing complied to her nonverbal commands.

After a long look into his unsure hazy eyes, she turned to look at his twitching hardened cock. This had to be real. Even her imagination couldn’t have made this kind of thing up—the details were so…explicit. Mouthwatering. They made her body burn with excitement. She slowly wrapped her fingers delicately around it and stroked up gently. He jumped and growled. Mmmmm how she missed that sound.

She bent forward and took him in her mouth. His hands shot out to her shoulder and he tried to push her off; but she clenched one hand onto his bare thigh to steady herself and reassure him. Her other remained stroking in time with her taking him as deep as she could in her mouth, covering what she couldn’t contain. Clearly his resolve was weak enough at that point as it kept him from completely over-powering her. Or her fantasy she was stronger. Whatever it was.

He started panting and moved his hands into her hair, but he did not push her down or try to control the speed. It was like he just enjoyed having her tresses in his hands, between his fingers—she didn’t mind either. The sensations only added to her desires. He still rumbled through his gasped breaths, deep from his chest. She felt him twitch in her mouth and his grip tightened as he tried to pull her away but she held firm; she swirled her tongue around the tip, softly grazing him as she would bob up with her teeth and then encase him with her tongue on way the back down. She wanted to know how he tasted or wondered what her imagination would dream up. She was determined to keep going no matter how fucked up she would feel tomorrow. She had to know if in that very moment he was real…

“Kagome—I’m gonna—" She looked up at him and it caused him to hold his breath. His flushed face, tremoring body, God, she started praying to all the Gods she hadn’t spoken to in years that this wasn’t a dream or some drunken made up illusion.

He howled when he released, and she drank him up like she was parched and stuck in the desert, unsure when she would see water again… He was her savior. Her light. Those golden eyes bore into her own chocolate orbs heating her like she was laying on the beach in the middle of summer. She pulled back once she felt him stop pouring into her mouth and remained kneeling.

He grabbed her by her upper arms and drug her back up to him and kissed her hard. His tongue pushed back her lips and she let him taste himself in her mouth. He growled in approval and embraced her hard. He pulled back for them to catch their respective breaths again and locked eyes with her before he kissed her forehead gently.

“Kagome… I-“

“Inuyasha… Please…”

“Grrrr, you’re still the same stubborn wench from five-hundred years ago.”

“Hehehehe, you can say that. Please, I just… I want to believe you’re real… That you’re really here… Please…” she implored stroking her hand on his cheek.

He leaned into her hand sighing. He was still holding back. For whatever he was, real, fake, in between, he was uneasily wavered. Her hand moved subconsciously to his ear where she started kneading it in her finger. He more or less purred (she would never tell him that if he had been real) and kissed her again. She melted in his arms as he picked her up letting her wrap her legs around his bare waist and was carried to the bedroom. She actually didn’t remember that very clearly, she was still in a drunken haze, and only felt she was becoming more intoxicated by that man’s tongue working every angle of her mouth while her own grazed his sharp fangs. Was it possible to get high on this feeling? If so, she was.

He sat her on the bed and moved to unbutton her top but, yet AGAIN, paused. She exhaled irritably and earned a chuckle in addition to the resumption of his fingers delicately unbuttoning her top. She released his shoulders so he could push her top down her arms. She pulled her own camisole over her head and unzipped her skirt letting it fall loosely to her bottom and legs. She sat in just her under garments—lustful eyes set on him. Pleading. Begging for his touch. He slowly cupped her breast which caused a very unexpected sound to escape her own mouth. His mouth moved to her neck and his tongue laved its way to her shoulder.

Her walls were almost broken at that moment. This was a million times better than any fantasy she had dreamed up. She couldn’t have controlled her panting or her withering body at his ministrations even if she had tried to. Her images started to get harder to remember from the night before. Ughhhh noooooo! Keep thinking stupid!!!!

Her bra came off, did she take it off? Or him?

She remembered lifting up her hips for him to pull down her skirt while his mouth suckled on her nipples. That wet hot mouth on her breast made her mewl loudly. She was putty in his hands. Her underwear met an unfortunate fate, while she didn’t see them being removed, she heard a very distinct tear and the sensation of lace went missing…

She had been lying flat on her back as he crawled above her; he took her lips in her gently and lovingly. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and lightly brushed her fingers over his back and then threaded her fingers in long silver hair. He pulled away and started to trail his way back down her body, nipping, licking, kissing, hands brushing against every surface his face passed.

Fire. She was on fire. She was desperate for her release. She had never been so achy in her life. She was brokenly saying his name over and over pleading for him to understand what she wanted when she felt his tongue lick between her folds against her core.

She wailed and locked her hands on his head. Pressing him, if possible, further into her. His pace was torturous. She could tell he was learning her smell and taste all over again. She heard him mumble about how amazing she smelled and he had so many dreams about tasting her—none of which stacked up to that moment.

“Please Inuyasha… Pleaseeeee…”

That was what broke him—he began to set a better, fast rhythm. He used one hand to keep her hips steady (which she hadn’t been aware they were apparently out of control) and the other had started pumping a digit in and out of her. She had already been spoiled. She could never go back to her own fingers. No. Never. They would never stack up.

She was sooooooo close. The coil in belly was pulled tight. She wasn’t even sure if she had been panting or breathless at this point. She remembered trying to buck her hips in time with his fingers (wait, he added some??) but he still held her hips still. But the moment his mouth clamped down on her nub she was gone. Literally and figuratively. That was it.

 The shower turned off and she heard the sound a towel being wrapped… She was scared. She figured she might as well check herself into a mental institution… That or AA. She knew she had issues. She shivered in revulsion pulling the cover up to her breasts and closed her eyes when the bathroom door opened in the hallway.

“Kagome?”

Th-that voice… She dared peek and… it really was him. He was standing there, wrapped in a towel hanging from his hips, hair dripping from the shower, concerned eyes on her. She threw the sheet off, stumbled out of bed, and jumped to embrace him. He caught her easily and held her close as she sobbed into his chest brokenly weeping his name. He started to stroke her hair then picked up her and carried her back to the bed. They remained like that for some time until she finally calmed down.

“I-I’m sorry, Kagome.”

“What?” she asked as she lifted her head from his chest.

“I said I’m sorry… I… I took advantage of you…” his ears were flat on his head and he trembled slightly.

“Inuyasha, what do you mean?”

“I let you talk me into going further than I had planned on. I knew you were drunk and I tried to stop, I tried to stop you, but you were so persistent and I—I missed you so much, your scent was driving my instincts wild and—”

“Inuyasha,” she pressed a hand to cup his cheek which he leaned into. “I wasn’t—I didn’t—uhm…honestly I’m embarrassed to say I don’t remember everything from last night. But I know you wouldn’t have taken advantage of me. I actually have never been with anyone before and the fact I was so desperate in the parts I do remember, I’m not surprised I made us have sex,” he opened his mouth but she pressed a finger to it. “Wait, I want to finish. The parts I do remember I know you made me feel alive, for the first time in years. Just like when we traveled together. I’m not sorry last night happened. I love you so much, Inuyasha. I always wanted to be with you. I had been waiting for you, trying to find you since the well closed. I-I just hope… you’d be willing to do it again while I am sober and that I didn’t ruin our chances at that...”

He nipped her finger lightly and she squeaked and pulled it back blushing like mad. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but…” she braced herself for him to tell her he regretted last night and that there would be no repeat. She couldn’t have said she would have blamed him. She had been stupid. She shouldn’t have been that drunk. She was seriously going to start a sober streak after today. Hopefully she could win him back…

“We actually didn’t have sex.” She blinked. Twice. Did she hear that right? They…did not? But why was…

“Why don’t you tell me what the last thing you remember, Kagome.”

“Uhm… you-you had just finished, uhm—” she blushed like mad, just remembering what his tongue had made her feel heated her up. She noticed he stiffened beneath her, sniffing the air, and he growled sexily. She tried to swallow but before she could, he had her pinned underneath him, lips pressed to hers hotly. She moaned from the contact and let his tongue enter her mouth while she used hers to reacquaint herself with those fangs. He pulled away and started kissing down her jaw rumbling deep in his chest as she struggled to breathe. Her body was in flames. Clearly, she was always going to burn with him. She was so hot, so needy, she had never wanted anything more than his mouth to go lower. She wanted to jump into the flames with him.

“Let me—refresh—your memory—Ka—Go—Me,” he said brokenly as he kissed all down her chest and took her nipple in his mouth. She mewled, gasped, moaned, she had no control her body or the sounds it produced for him. The alcohol had not been a source of fuel—her body and mind apparently craved him so much that any touch would send her over the edge. But she had zero cares about being so wanton because it seemed like it just egged him on more. She arched herself into his mouth and massaged his ears as he thoroughly refreshed her memory. After each of her breasts for fully loved, bitten, suckled, he continued his quest south. He knelt to the ground between her legs allowing the towel to drop as he gave her a teasing lick. Her hands latched onto his head, entwining her fingers in his hair while she moaned his name.

“Oh Gods, Inuyashaaaaaa!” her hips rocked in rhythm with his tongue, she was aching. Yes, she had this pleasure last night, but at that moment, she knew she would never get enough from him. Ever.

He pushed two fingers into her folds and started pumping in and out of her while the other hand reached up and started to knead her breast. His mouth found purchase on her sensitive nub and she about lost it right there with a desperate cry until he drew back—damnit!!! He’s a fucking tease!!!

“We stopped right after you came last night. You more or less passed out mumbling not to leave you again… Let me tell you something right now, wench…” he started pumping his fingers faster, harder, making her cry from pleasure but still not enough to release for him. “I have no intention of ever letting you out of my life again. We were born for each other, Kagome. I waited five-hundred years for this moment; and I was not going to mark you while you drunk out of your fucking mind. But Gods, did I want to, I’m struggling for control now.”

“Th-Then stop—take me—pleaseeeeee—ahhhhhh! Inu-Inuyasha please!”

“Don’t gotta ask twice,” he smirked his mouth engulfed around her jewel and sucked hard. She came hard crying out loudly, soaking his fingers and the edge of her bed. She didn’t get a moment to recover as he rose to his feet and steered her fully on the mattress then climbed over her. Their mouths locked and her legs swung and wrapped themselves around his hips while her arms swathed his shoulders. He lined himself up at her entrance but paused.

“Inuyashaaaa—” she whined pathetically.

“Do… you do know this is a ‘forever’ kind of thing…right? Demons, we don’t just go and do this with anybody… We either need to sire an heir…or we plan on mating forever. I won’t be able to stop my inner demon if we start Kagome—it has been screaming since last night to take you. Claim you. But—I know as a human, you need to know, that you will watch your friends die. Your family. Time will become almost nonexistent… Are you sure this is what you want? I—I am just so thankful to have you back. I want anything you want.”

“Inuyasha… if I’m with you, I will always be whole. I will never regret this decision. Four years was enough for me to know I could never be without you. I want to be with you… Always,” she reached up to cup his face and pulled him down for a tender kiss.  As their lips were locked, he pushed forward gently. She felt herself slowly being stretched but it felt so amazing to feel this complete, it overrode the slight pain and discomfort. She was so wet, it made it easy for him to slide in. She suspected he was restraining himself to not just shove himself fully in her. Or this felt completely overbearingly amazing. His face was pleasure ridden she couldn’t tell one reason from the other.

He rested his forehead against hers once he was fully sheathed in her. He was likely trying to control himself, but she refused to have any of that. She needed him. All of him. Demon, Human, Half. That wall of disbelief was shattered last night and almost lurked its ugly head back again when she had woken up—she was vulnerable and demanded to be filled by Inuyasha. This was real. He had come for her.

She bucked her hips causing them both to gasp and moan out their pleasure. He took his cue and began slowly driving into her. She met him thrust for thrust—encouraging him to go faster, deeper, harder. He gritted her name through clenched teeth, his fangs elongating. She reassured him by cupping his face then slowly moving her hands to stroke his ears. His growl vibrated her to the core, and he began to plunge in deeper and faster. She could barely keep her eyes open let alone not grasp his ears tightly; before she could have harmed his little furry appendages, she dropped her hands onto his shoulders, stabbing him with her blunt nails, no longer able to match his pace. She was just along for the ride and this was the best roller coaster she had ever rode.

She was mewling, crying out his name and probably a God or two, begging for more. She was so close. So close. She heard him cuss under his breath and opened her eyes see his purple strips present on his cheeks. She felt his claws prick her hips. He had finally lost whatever battle he had within himself. But his amber eyes shined through.

“I-I’m close, Kagome.”

“Me-Me too! Ah! God!”

“When I release, I’m going to mark you. Here—” he dropped his head and licked the junction of her shoulder and neck and pulled back up to make eye contact.

“Okay—Inu-Inuyashaaa, pleaseee…”

“Yea, Kagome? What do you want? What do you neeeed?” he purred.

She couldn’t articulate what she really needed—but she knew what she wanted. She knew one way to finish them both. She looked up to make sure he was watching as she let go of one of his shoulders and dropped her hand to rub her overly stimulated nub. He sucked in a breath and almost closed his eyes, but he looked too entranced to look away. His thrusts became harder and he resumed his previous pace before having paused to tell her about the mark. She cried out his name as her coil snapped, her core seized around him, pulling him in, trying not to let him go, milking him for all he had.

He roared her name as he came pulling her up to his mouth and bit down. She whimpered in pain but didn’t fight him. She wanted this. Craved this closeness. Absorbed his demonic aura into her body happily without hesitation.

He pulled his fangs from her first and swabbed the blood with his tongue then pulled out of her slowly. He released her hips and lowered himself back down to the bed gently next to her. She immediately closed the gap clambering to rest her head on his chest. He chuckled and wrapped his arm around her pulling her body close, leaving his hand on her bottom, stroking it gently.

“So… if we didn’t have sex last night…” she peered up to look him in the eyes. He placed a pillow under him so he was elevated so he could look down into her eyes with ease.

“We didn’t. I would have never take advantage of you when you were that far gone. Marking you and having explain everything after? Yea, if the beads still worked, I would have been sat to Berlin.”

“No, I wouldn’t have been mad, but—why was I sore between my legs when I woke up?”

“You were sore… Oh! I forgot! You wiggled your way out of my hold last night complaining about having to pee and you fell hard straddling the toilet. I came in but you shoed me out… I waited outside the door only to hear you fall in the shower—you’re lucky you didn’t bust your head open.”

“OH… God…” she covered her face with her hands. “Why you would still want me to mate with me after last night?”

“Kagome, when you came up those stairs you reeked of liquor and sadness, all I wanted to do was make the pain stop. Jiro said for the month you’ve lived here all you’ve done is drink yourself to sleep or cry. He said you refused to open-up and he didn’t want to push you in fear you wouldn’t let him learn who you really were. After hearing about your nightmares and everything else, it tore me up to know this was how you had been living… I thought it was best you decide on a future for yourself; I didn’t realize how much you would suffer alone like I had though, and I’m so sorry. I understood why you had been drinking the way you had.”

“Inuyasha, you didn’t know. It’s ok. We’re together now. That’s all that—wait a minute, how do you know Jiro?”

“You really don’t see it?”

“That he kind of looks like Miroku? Yes, I do. But I didn’t…how…I know you’ve lived for hundreds of years… I just have so many questions! What are you doing now? What—what happened from then to… now?”

“The short version is Sesshomaru and I run a technology cooperation together, he’s still Lord of the freaking West, regions are still divided into four. Two jackasses run East and South that I try to refrain from every having to interact with and Koga is head of the North. He mated Ayame, have a giant pack of little nasty flea-bags—” she elbowed him in the chest and he rolled his eyes. “We’re fine now. He’s mated. He actually doesn’t know I have been lookin’ for you. I can’t wait to see his face.”

“But he’s with Ayame now. Why would he be upset?”

“That dumbass wolf, even though he is mated to Ayame and is a loyal mate, has never given up looking for you. He still cared about you. Yes, he has grown to love Ayame and would never abandon her, but he was convinced I let you die… never heard the end of it. All this shit about he would have never allowed that to happen, how I let you down… not that he isn’t a total moron for thinking that but…”

She reached up and cupped his face and he kissed the inside of her palm. She crawled her way to lay on top of him and took his lips with hers. It was slow, loving, patient kiss. She tried to convey all her emotions, gratitude, love, longing, anything she felt to show how there was no anger or grudge she could have held.  Slowly the kiss turned more sensual, not that she was trying to start anything again, but Inuyasha was there, lying beneath her, naked, and she was fairly certain she felt a certain piece of anatomy poking her thighs. His wrapped his arms around her back slowly rubbing up and down until his hands found purchase on her ass and squeezed. He slowly rubbed himself on her and she moaned into his mouth allowing his tongue to reacquaint itself with her taste. She felt herself growing warm again and pulled away slightly gazing into his eyes. He stared back at her with all the love she had ever dreamed he would have for her.

Still breathing raggedly, she pressed as she started using her hips to aid his hands in their little dance of rubbing her core on his length, “What else?”

“Hahaha… you would be a talker… Sess’ and Rin mated when she was eighteen, I—we have three bratty nieces and one asshole nephew.”

She dipped her face to lick his nipple causing his breath to get caught in his throat, “Shippo?”

“Shippo is mated to some fox demon he met at the that stupid inn we went to. They’ve been mated for about three hundred years… Couple kids. Technically our grandkids—adopted—fuck Kagome—” She had bit his neck and started kissing up his jaw to his mouth again.

“I-I know they’re gone… but what about…”

“Miroku and Sango lived long full lives. Eight kids. Lech wasn’t exaggerating about wanting a big family. Kirara actually lives with me for now; she was traveling to each descendant of Miroku and Sango for a while. She still will visit them here and there—but they usually come to visit us because it’s easier that way. Family reunion shit. Ugh,” he grabbed her hips to steady her a bit. She knew she was teasing him, but to be fair, she owed him from keeping her so on edge last night and this morning. “J-Jiro is one of them, probably the closest to their original heirs—the story is passed down in the family and they just refer to me as ‘uncle’. J—God damnit you’re trying to kill me—” her hands were rubbing the base of his ears and she was dipping her wet opening just at the tip of him. She was impressed he was still talking as coherently as he was, but he was speaking extremely fast.

“I’m sorry? You got cut off… what about Jiro?” she smirked with another twist of her hips almost letting him in fully.

“Son of a—if this is the punishment I have to have, I guess I’ll take it,” he smirked back at her as he reached one hand between them and grabbed her mounds, fingers dancing before twisting and pinching her nipple. Her breath caught as he chuckled, “Jiro runs a dojo his family started years ago we helped fund. He technically works for me and we are as close as the monk and I were. He said he saw the pictures we took put up in your apartment yesterday and finally put two and two together—” he moved his over hand and started rubbing her jewel. She moaned and finally couldn’t take anymore torture and pushed back letting him be sheathed within her. He remained still for her to adjust—both panting having endured what seemed like hours of teasing. She finally tested to see what it be like to move forward and push back. HOLY. FUCK. RIGHT. THERE.

He sat up and she immediately grasped his shoulder raising herself up to push herself back down and didn’t expect to feel him thrust up. She gasped and withered from the sensation. She was already almost there. He was so hard she imagined he probably was too. But she didn’t care. She would’ve rode him all day. They had years of catching up to do. She remembered she was off all weekend too and mentally did a happy dance as she bounced up and down literally on his cock.

“Do that again,” he said huskily.

“Wh-what?”

“Touch yourself. I want to feel you,” he whispered into her ear, licking the shell and grabbing the lobe in his teeth.

She didn’t falter her pace and did as she was told. He leaned down and took her nipple in his mouth sucking, nibbling. She froze and crashed down on to him crying her release, trembling, holding onto him as she tried to ground herself. She felt like she was soaring through the skies like they used to do—traveling on his back. Free, carefree, just enjoying the scenery.  Together.

His hands on her hips guided her to lie back as he resumed their previous pace as she came down from her high. His mouth found her mark and re-pierced it with his fangs, sucking hard on her skin.

“Fuck!! INUYASHAAAAA—” she was already restrung ready to snap again when she felt him stiffen and grumble her name as he growled loudly letting himself go causing her to wail as she felt her walls crash down on his length buried within her. He crashed down on top of her, completely spent, head resting on her chest as she languidly brought her arms around him.

She was exhausted. She felt sleep edging its way faster and faster through her consciousness but she wouldn’t allow it to claim her yet. Four years. Over five hundred for him. She needed to be with him. She didn’t want the connection to be broken just yet. She swallowed and softly asked, “How are you here…? I mean, why haven’t I been able to sense any demons? It sounds like there are plenty around here…”

“Mmmmm,” he reached one arm up tilting his head to find the strand of hair his hand began to twirl through. “We have charms. Like the fuyoheki Naraku used. Made it easier to be less noticeable; blend in and have less trouble amounting power. The demon council that had been established knew we couldn’t keep killing humans who would wage war on us, and humans would never fully accept us. We often had to change identities, move to different countries for awhile until people who knew us and would have realized we didn’t age passed, but all in all it hasn’t been too hard to amount wealth and stuff. Make life more comfortable.”

“You never… you never took another mate?”

“Never found one I loved. You were always in my heart Kagome. Don’t be mad, but I did try. I really did because I knew you expect me to; but no one ever came close to how I felt about you. I told you for demons sex is just—different. Even though I am only half, my demon half refused to allow us to go around fucking anyone who gave me any attention. It only desired you. It knew you would be back… My human half recognized that too. My love for you made me refuse to move on…I also felt no need to sire any descendants of my own. I had Shippo. Adopted or not, he is our son.”

“I’m so sorry you spent all these centuries alone… It—it’s all my—” Inuyasha leaned up and took her lips to cut her off.

“Shut up. You won’t let me apologize for making you wait, then you aren’t allowed to blame yourself for being my mate.” She blushed hotly and averted eye contact. “Shippo is probably going shit himself when I tell him I found you.”

“What does he do now?”

“He’s actually a teacher—Chemistry. You know. Has a thing for burning shit and all,” he winked at her causing her to giggle.

Her phone began chirping from the living room. She groaned and patted his shoulder to move. He jumped off the bed after a quick peck to her temple, grabbed the phone and returned to lay by her side instantly. She had to blink to realize he had even actually moved before looking at the caller id. “MOM” it read. She answered, “Hello?”

“Kagome! I’ve been trying to reach you all evening! Are you ok? Your friends said you disappeared at the bar and they weren’t able to reach you either! Jiro didn’t answer his phone and someone has come by looking for you twice at the shrine! He wouldn’t say who he was, only that he was a friend! What is going on??”

“Mom, mom, calm down. I’m ok. I’m great actually.”

“Kagome—you had us so worried! We thought something happened to you!”

“Mom—I’m really fine. I promise. I—”

“Kagome this behavior has to stop! I’ve let it go long enough but—”

Inuyasha grabbed the phone from Kagome, “Mrs. Higurashi?”

“—enough—You! You were at my house yesterday!”

“Yea, I found her.”

“Kagome!!!!”

“Owwwwww—not so loud. Hurts the damn ears.” Kagome grabbed the phone back shaking her head at him and massaged the abused appendage.

“Mom, he is a friend… Well, more than that actually,” Inuyasha snaked the arm his head wasn’t propped up on around her waist.

“What do you mean Kagome? You said you haven’t been seeing anyone since you came back from the Feudal Era! Why didn’t you tell me the truth?”

“Mom, I didn’t lie. He found me. Yesterday. It’s Inuyasha,” he lowered himself to rest his head on her chest again as she stroked his ears.

“Kagome—Are—Are you sure??”

“Doggy ears and all,” she said with a giggle flicking the said appendage making him growl in annoyance.

“Oh my gosh! That’s wonderful news Kagome! So, when will you be getting married and giving me grandchildren? OH! Will they have his ears?!? Are you coming over tonight for dinner still?? Bring him!! I can’t wait to actually see him again without that disguise he was wearing!”

Inuyasha nodded yes to the question on Kagome’s tongue, “Uh—yes, we will be there tonight.”

“Ok my darling, have fun!” she could literally hear the smirk and wink from the phone. “Be safe—no grandchildren until after you’re married!”

“MOTHER!”

“Love you!” she heard a click and held the phone away from her. Completely mortified. Inuyasha snickered in response.

“Keep laughing dog-boy and you won’t have to worry about kids,” looking at her multiple missed calls and texts and quickly responding without being totally forthcoming to her friends.

“Right, as if you could hold out on me—don’t forget who had to be the one to tell you no,” his mouth engulfing her breast.

She sucked in her breath and shifted her hips a little, “Ah! Mk, you’re right.”

“Besides, not to be gross, but I can smell when you’re in heat.”

“That’s not surprising; if anything, it explains why you act the way you would. Extra moody and pushing me to go home because I was ‘bothering’ you,” she smirked realizing it wasn’t actually a lie. “Oh, the girls want to go out again tonight. They want to know who finally ‘met my standards’... But I think I’m gonna pass…”

He rolled his eyes as he trailed kisses up to her collar bone, neck stopping to lave her mark again, then made his way to her lips.

“We should go after dinner with your family,” he breathed on her lips.

“W-We? Y-You wanna go to a club? Really? But—I didn’t think you’d—”

“Keh, I think you forget I’ve lived five-hundred years since we last saw each other. My nieces, while they can kick anyone’s asses, all enjoy that scene. ‘Someone’ said one of us has to watch them. Protective Uncle is better than Asshole Dad. I’ll warn the fucks, Sess would just kill them. Also, not to make you jealous, but enough women I dated wanted to do that kind of shit… But there’s only one person I ever wanted to grind on,” he winked as he came back down to smoother her in kisses as she giggled.

“Uhm… Ok. I guess we can go. I’m sorry in advance if they bring Hojo.”

He laughed, “I’d actually love to kick that scrawny fuck’s ass if he tries anything while I’m there. But,” he started to rub his hands along her body, lingered on her curves and then settled for massaging circles in between her folds, “Why don’t you tell me what you’ve been up to Ka-Go-Me?”

She groaned internally. How could someone invoke such intense feelings out of a person? How could he make her so desperate with barely any effort?? After being fully dated multiple times already.

“College. Sucky roommate. Friends still pushy. Graduated. Nurse,” she informed through each kiss exchanged with their as he teased her.

“Heh, impatient are we?” he smirked down at her as she was already breathless. He leaned closer to her ear and whispered, “Why don’t we go shower together this time and then get breakfast?”

She nodded vigorously and he laughed as he edged off her allowing her to the lead the way…

 At dinner, Inuyasha filled her family in on his five-hundred years between when he saw Kagome last to now. He apparently worked for Takashasi Enterprises and was directly under Sesshomaru as the COO. His identity was currently Yashiko Takahashi and went by “Yash”. She recognized the name immediately and was shocked how well-known he had been and she never realized it was him. But he told her that had been the point. He couldn’t risk his younger self ever catching whiff of him and his presence. He was, up until four years ago, opening the new branch of their company in Berlin to avoid them.

He had an apartment near where his work was but also owned properties around the world. He maintained his human disguise originally until Sota and her mother begged to see his ears again. It all had been so surreal… He was really there—eating dinner with them again, holding her hand under the table, he had given her his old haori when they stopped at his place to change before dinner, and she had decided to wear it over her cocktail dress she picked to wear for when they went to the club again. She realized she had never been happier. More complete. As she looked into Inuyasha’s eyes, her mate, her life, she realized the feeling was mutual.

  Still debating on maybe a part 2? Epilogue? We will see 

[drchiakinanami]

Yours Truly (Kamijirou)

Rating: Mature

Chapter 2/?

Chapter 1

read it on AO3 here!

Summary:  Jirou moves in with Kaminari after struggling to pay for a two bedroom apartment alone, but after having a conversation with Momo on what he means to her, she starts to doubt if living with him is a good idea.

*

They fell into a rhythm over the next few weeks.  Working together, and coming home and either hanging out together, or they’d go see their friends, or they’d go out separately.  It was oddly normal and didn’t take a lot of getting used to.  Sometimes he’d walk around the apartment without a shirt on, and she’d have to scold him for leaving the windows open and being foolish.  He didn’t seem to mind, though.

“Hey, don’t bother cooking dinner for me tonight, I’m going out with Yaomomo tonight,” Jirou told Kaminari before he left their office for the day.

“I can make you a little extra so you can have leftovers for lunch tomorrow,” He said, “You’ll like it.”

“You already convinced me you can cook, Jamming-whey, it’s really fine.”

“Mm.  Check the fridge when you get home.”  He waggled his eyebrows at her and she laughed, snapping a rubber band at him.  He yelped and disappeared from her doorway.  

When you get home.

Yeah.  It really was already home.  

Momo met Jirou at a cafe that was just down the street from her hero agency, smiling and waving.  Jirou grinned back at her friend, greeting her with a hug.

“Do you have any idea how relieved I am that Kaminari asked you to move in with him?” Momo asked as they entered the restaurant and were seated.  “I felt like I was abandoning you, moving out.”

“I said it was fine!” Jirou protested, “Besides, I knew when we moved in together that you’d be moving in with Todoroki eventually.  I knew it wasn’t a permanent arrangement.”

“How has it been, living with Kaminari?” Momo asked, the twinkling in her eyes betraying her curiosity.  “I see you two in the papers more these days.”

“Yeah, there were reporters there when I moved in. I think they thought it meant… Something else.”

Momo cocked her head.  “It’s a fair assumption for them to make, you must admit.”

Jirou’s eyebrows shot to her hairline. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, you and Kaminari are very… Close, both in your work and personally.  I’ve never seen you be so physically tactical with someone.”

Jirou sighed, leaning forward to rest her chin in her hand.  “What are you getting at, Yaomomo?”

“I think that perhaps you might like him more than you think you do.  You spend most evenings together, lord, you cuddle him on the couch.”

“We do not cuddle!” Jirou said defensively.  “We just sit very close together.  There’s a difference.”

“You cuddle,” Momo said decisively. “I still think you like him.  Romantically.”

“I- no, not Kaminari.”

“Then who?”

“Huh?”

“Then who?  You haven’t shown an interest in anybody since high school.  Since you met him, right?  And since you’ve met him, you’ve only been spending more and more time together.  That sounds an awful lot like you like him.”

Jirou looked down at the table, suddenly unable to make eye contact with her friend.  “Um.  Look, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but we’re just friends.  Really.”

“Mm.”

***

Jirou headed home later than she usually would have, only because she had the next day off.  She kicked her boots off in the entryway of the apartment, sighing in relief.  To her surprise, the lights were still on, and Kaminari was dozing on the couch, blanket haphazardly draped over his lap.  She smiled a little at the sight and went over to shake his shoulder. 

“Hey.  Wake up.”

He blinked blearily up at her as he came to, and smiled softly when he saw her. “Welcome home.”

“Thanks.  You fell asleep on the couch, you big baby.” “I wanted to stay up and make sure you got home okay,” he murmured, tugging on her wrist.  “Sit with me for a minute.” 

He pulled her a little harder and she tumbled against his chest, grunting upon impact.  Without thinking much of it, she curled up against him.

“You idiot, you could’ve knocked my jaw.”

“I didn’t, though.  How’s Yaomomo?”

“She’s fine.  Her and Todoroki are getting pretty serious.”

“Yeah?  Like wedding serious?” His voice rumbled against her cheek.  She tried to ignore it. “Maybe.”

“Wow. That’s insane.”

“Yeah, I know.  They’d be the first of our class to get married.”

“Sometimes it still feels like we’re not old enough for all that.”

“Yeah, i know.  We’re all focused, too…”

“Mm.”

“Hey!” She smacked his chest lightly and sat up. “Don’t fall asleep on the couch again! Go to bed.”

Kaminari grinned up at her.  “The couch is kinda comfortable though.”

“You’ll get a crick in your neck and complain on our day off. I don’t wanna deal with that.”  She was still sitting close to him, and desperately trying not to think about what Momo had said. 

“You like him.”

“Fine,” Kaminari sat up a little straighter, stretching his arms above his head.  Jirou winced at the sound of his back cracking and he relaxed again, his face very close to hers.  “Goodnight.”

Neither of them moved.  “Goodnight,” she replied.

They sat in check mate for a few moments before Kaminari pulled her into a loose hug.  She squeaked and almost fought against it, but settled on just resting against him without saying anything.  

“I really am glad you moved in.”

“Me too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.  You’re a fun roommate.  You’re cleaner than I thought you’d be.”

“Hey!” He laughed, digging his fingers into her side.  She laughed, scooting out of his embrace and getting to her feet.  

She found herself staring at him again.  He had his hair swept back into a ponytail, which usually, she would find it within herself to make fun of him for, but he looked… Cute.  She jolted a bit at the realization that she thought that, and looked away from him.  She couldn’t go around thinking her roommate and partner at work was cute.  This was all Momo’s fault for putting those thoughts in her head to begin with.  

“You okay?” “Yep!  Just super tired.”

“You can talk to me, you know… Did Momo say something to make you all-” he waved his hand at her.”

“All what?”

“All skittish.”

‘I’m not skittish!”

“You’re a little skittish.  Come here, talk to Denki. What’s wrong?”

Something about hearing his first name felt like someone dropped a bomb in her stomach.  She swallowed, hard.  “Nothing.  It’s really nothing.  I just think- Momo suggested I work a little too hard and was bothering me and asking me if I was interested in anyone.”

Kamanari slumped into the couch.  “Um.  Are you?”

“Are you?”

“You’re good at deflecting!”

She sighed, turning away from him.  “No.  I’m not.  So you don’t have to worry about me bringing weird guys back to the apartment.”

“Good.”

“What?”

“I said, good.  I don’t want you to bring guys back here.”  He got to his feet, and suddenly looked very serious. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Jirou felt as though she’d gotten whiplash from his changing mood.  “Hey, Kaminari, did I say something to make you upset? I didn’t mean-”

“No, Ji, I’m not upset with you,” he ran his hand over his head, looking away from her briefly.  “I just… I don’t wanna think about that, okay?”

“Okay.  My bad.”

“Nah, it’s alright.  I’m overreacting.”

And with that, he tousled her hair as he walked past her and disappeared into his bedroom, the door clicking shut softly behind him.  She blew out her cheeks, her shoulders sagging in… Disappointment?  Relief?  She’d always been close to Kaminari, even in their first year when she’d spent most of her time teasing him, she considered him to be one of her closest friends.  They’d had a couple close calls as they’d gotten older, since class 1-A couldn’t stop getting attacked by villians, and she’d realized how much she’d miss him if something happened.  Luckily, his quirk was so strong that even if they’d tried, the villains couldn’t get him.

He was nicer to her than she deserved, most of the time.  He let her move in, he cooked for her most nights even though she insisted that she could also cook.  He touched the small of her back to move her when he squeezed past her in the hallway.  He stood next to her when they brushed their teeth in the morning, bumping his hip into her waist.  

He stayed up with her when she couldn’t sleep.

He came to her room to lay on her floor and listen to her play guitar.  

She’d… Slowly been falling for him, for years.  And now, seeing him every day, at work and at home, it was easy to forget that they were both single.  That one of them could go out and find somebody one night.  They didn’t owe each other anything, as far as partners went.  As their friendship went… She supposed he didn’t owe her anything that way either.

She realized then, that she didn’t want him bringing girls home.  She didn’t want him to find somebody else.  The only problem was, the one thing she was bad at was showing her  emotions to the people who mattered to her.  She could be besties with Kaminari no problem, but the moment she had to share something deeper with him, she threw up walls to keep herself from getting hurt.  Because, whether she liked it or not, Kaminari had the power to deeply wound her.  He had the power to turn her inside out just by saying he didn’t care for her the way she was beginning to understand she cared for him.

So how could she say anything?  How could she face him in the morning?  Running her hand over her face, she trudged to the kitchen, opening the fridge in search of something to drink.  She saw a leftovers container with a sticky note on it and froze.

Jirou,

I made you some dinner anyway! I know you said not to, but you can just eat this whenever you find it. 

It’s weird if I cook for just me, now.

Kami

She blinked at the way he’d signed it.  Did he want her to call him that?  Was it okay if she did after the semi argument they’d had?  Groaning, she put her head in her hands.  He was going to kill her.

[pigeontheoneandonly]

Continuing my Dragon Age / Mass Effect crossover series.  Part 4 here.  Also on AO3. It’s coming in at the very last minute, but this is also my (belated) contribution to Kaidan Week 2019′s AU Theme Day.  (@spectrekaidanalenko)

Part 5: The High Seas

Nathaly folded her arms over the rail and closed her eyes, filling her nostrils with the fresh sea breeze.  Maker, but she’d missed this.  Ferelden would always be home, but she’d said her goodbyes, and had no longing left for an extended stay.  For some people home was more of a necessary idea than a real place.

Or maybe her concept of home had shifted over the years, from a place to people.  Garrus and Ash and Liara— all closer than her blood kin.  The rest of the company, currently on march through Nevarra, a kind of extended family. Crotchety old-timers in place of nagging aunts, and dozens of cousins more her age.

“Nice, isn’t it?”

She opened her eyes, smiling as she saw Ash standing beside her, arms crossed.  Armor packed away for the meantime.  Her strength was evident even in a plain linen tunic and breeches, brawny arms and a broad back, glossy brown hair tied a practical knot, but she also looked easier, less intimidating than when armored. Relaxed.  

Nathaly turned back to the water.  “Very nice.”

Ash lingered on the gray swells of the Waking Sea.  “The way you take to the water, you’d think you were  a fish, not a shepherd.”

Her laugh carried. A few of the nearest sailors paused in their duties, startled by the sound, though Nathaly took no notice. “My mother had to drag me out of the swimming hole by my ear in the summers.  Kaidan and I practically lived there from the time we could walk.”

The sidelong glance she got in return had more than a little subtext, and a hint of trepidation.  “How is that going?”

“Pardon?” She wiped a loose lock of hair off her face, whipped free by the wind.

She jerked her chin aft, where Kaidan sat chatting with Liara.  “With him.”

Nathaly snorted. “I don’t know what you mean by ‘with him’.”

“You built up this moment for ten years.  That’s a lot of anticipation.”  She cleared her throat.  “And I can’t help but notice he was pretty quiet on the way up to the coast.”

Nathaly folded her hands.  Looking off to the horizon.  “You remember your first kill?”

“Trust you to be that crass.”  Ash made a sound of mild offense, joining her at the rail.  “It wasn’t pretty.  Not one you want to hear about, or I want to tell.”

“But you remember it, is my point.  You always will.”  She shrugged, hunching down.  “My first was older than me.  Everyone was older than me, then.  I threw up hours later, when that battle was over.”

“Everyone does,” Ash said.

“Everyone,” she agreed.  Thinking about Kaidan, briefly, his head in those bushes.  “But the moment, that moment, when he fell and it was my pike sticking in him, was the worst moment of my life.  All around me people were still fighting.  Attacking, dying.  Screaming. And I told myself that if I didn’t pick up that pike and keep going, if I died here because I couldn’t, then Kaidan would stay in that tower forever.  It’s a kind of slavery, you know.”

Ash snorted, but refrained from comment.  They’d had this argument before.  And Nathaly continued, unperturbed, for the same reason.  “And I picked it up.  I turned into this.”

“You turned into a person who could waltz into a Circle of Magi and set one free with hardly any notice at all.”  Ash turned to her.  “I cannot emphasize how baffled they were.  They questioned that poor guard for hours, wondering how Kaidan snuck by. They looked at the window and determined there was no way up or down.”

Her turn to tch. “I’m supposed to be proud that they’re idiots?”

“They’re not. Keeping mages is what they do.” Her stare turned harder, and more curious.  “What’s this about?”

She straightened, flexed her fingers around the railing.  Looked down at the deck.  Wondering whether to speak, and finally just blurted it out.  “I turned into someone he doesn’t like.”

That just annoyed her.  “He doesn’t get to judge.  He took your help readily enough.”

Nathaly tendered her an exasperated look.  “Ash. Come on.”

“This is your problem, and you’re turning it into his.”  She turned around and folded her arms, looking at her pointedly.  “I’ve known you… four years now?  Five?”

“Something like that.”  She turned back to the water, grumpy.

“You’ve never been with anybody.”

“That’s not even a little true.”

“Sure it is.” Then, over her protests, “You spend a night.  Two, if you’re in one place long enough.  You never leave your name.  You never leave anything.  I think you may be the only one in the entire company that’s never had any kind of shield-mate thing—”

“I don’t want to shit where I eat, so there’s something wrong with me?”

“You don’t shit anywhere, is my point.”  Ash pressed onward as Nathaly rolled her eyes.  “You keep that particular shelf in your heart scrupulously empty.  Because whether or not you want to admit it, you’ve been harboring this bizarre fantasy about a person you last saw when you were eight years old, and how it was going to be when you finally met him again.”

“It’s not like that.”  And she meant it.  Ash’s accusation was absurd.  “I didn’t have any expectations beyond getting Kaidan out of that abyssal shithole.”

She raised her eyebrows.  “But you hoped.”

Nathaly had hoped. But not the way Ash meant.  “He was my closest friend, going back to before I have memories.  Our mothers used to quiet us as infants by sticking us in the same cradle.”

“So you’ve said, many times.”

“I just wanted that back.”  And a little bit of the forlorn way she’d felt since Kaidan looked at her with such revulsion as they fled Crestwood returned.  “But we both changed.  Too much, maybe.  The Chantry stole it.”

“You’re so bitter.”

“They can all get fucked.  From the Divine on down.”

“That’s one way to cure what ails them,” Ash said, mildly.

Nathaly held her cross look a moment longer, and then broke, chuckling despite herself.  “I don’t know, Ash.”

“Talk to him.” She uncrossed her arms and pushed away from the rail.  “You won’t get anywhere brooding.  And you haven’t given him an opportunity to understand.  He’s spent most of his life in a place where every hour was spoken for, and they didn’t even have funerals.  Anyone who died just disappeared.  It was sanitary, but not particularly educational.”

“You’re probably right.”  She glanced, again, at where he sat with Liara, their conversation still as animated as before.

Some of her ambivalence must have shown, because Ash cleared her throat.  “You know, I have three sisters in Lydes.  Two married.  One… well, wild, our mother would say.  Abby.  She’s like you, you’d enjoy her.”

She quirked eyebrow.  “Bitter?”

“Appreciative of swords, and tops you have to tie her into.”  Ash grinned at her bark of laughter.  “More Orlesian dueling than real work.  Still.  What I wanted to say is this.  Nobody understood, when I took my vows.  We’re devout, of course, most families are.  But giving up your life to the Chantry?  Something else entirely.”

Nathaly tilted her head.  “How’d you make them understand?”

“The first time I got a chance to visit, I’d been gone over two years.  And it was strange at first.  Awkward beyond belief.  And then something changed.”  

“What?”

Her smile broadened.  She touched her shoulder.  “They remembered I was their sister.  I hadn’t changed.  You haven’t, either, not in the ways that matter.  But it takes time.”

“Yeah.” Then, as Ash began to walk away, “And thanks.”

She gave her a nod, and disappeared back below decks.  Probably looking for lunch.

Nathaly took a breath, and steeled herself.  Regardless of what Kaidan thought of her, they had a bigger problem.  

He looked up as she sauntered over.  She tried not to take his guarded expression personally, but it twisted like a knife every time.  “We’ve got another week before we reach Ostwick.”

Liara sat back. The wind hadn’t bothered her hair at all, protected as it was in its thick braids.  “What then?  Do you still intend to head north?”

“Rivain is our best bet.  No other place in the world is friendlier to mages.”

“Excepting Tevinter,” she pointed out.

Nathaly waved that off.  “Tevinter cares about rich human mages.  Does that describe our bunch?”

“Not yet,” Kaidan said, overly bright.  It took Liara��s gentle laughter to make her realize he was telling a joke.  

She blushed, but soldiered on.  “It’s going to be a long trip.  We can’t count on that mess back in Crestwood being our only fight.  And no offense, but…”

“I’m a bit useless at combat?” he suggested, dryly.  

“In a nutshell.” She nodded at Liara.  “She can teach you something about real combat magic later, not the kind they teach that assumes you have an army to defend, away from all the prying eyes aboard ship.  But she also knows that a staff is a very sturdy, very heavy length of wood that can be quite useful for hitting people.  I hoped she might be willing to demonstrate.”

“Of course—” Liara began, but Kaidan interrupted her.  

“I don’t want to learn a quarterstaff,” he said.  

Nathaly blinked. “Then what?”

“The way you used that sword is pretty impressive.”

“You… want to learn sword fighting?”  She couldn’t have been more startled if he said he wanted to fly to the moons.

“It’s a little less conspicuous.  And I said I wanted to trade down to a focus that’s more discreet.”

Liara gestured towards her.  “You couldn’t ask for a better teacher.  It seems a shame not to take advantage.”

Kaidan looked at her.  “I’m already beholden, but I could stand to go a little deeper into debt.”

Nathaly was certain her face was burning.  She had a brown complexion, darkened further by the sun, and hoped it didn’t show.  “When do you want to start?”

He glanced at Liara.  “How about now?”

The deck was clear enough.  She swallowed.  “Alright. Let me just… go find a pair of blades.”

He cocked his head.  “What’s wrong with yours?”

Liara chuckled. “Are you joking?  Hers might hesitate when it hit your bones, but for certain nothing else about you will stop it.”  Then, at his confused expression, “It’s enchanted.  To help cut through armor.”

“I guess that explains why it cut mail like a hot knife through butter.”

“A necessary expense,” Nathaly said, as though it wasn’t worth more than all the rest of her worldly goods put together and then some.  “Templars are armored head to toe.  I can’t rely on gaps all the time.”

And then she regretted saying it, as his face clouded, overcast by shadows of their fight with the three templars on the road.  Probably recalling the one she stabbed through the neck.  That particular opening, where the helm ended, was just so exploitable.  Nathaly was frankly shocked the templar order had never corrected it.

But then, templars generally did not see a lot of non-magical action, respected as they were throughout Thedas.

Whatever images floated through his mind, Kaidan only asked, “Why not put the enchantment on your dagger?  Seemed like you attacked with that more.”

She blinked. “That’s the smartest question anyone’s ever asked me about it.  Maybe you’re a swordsman after all.”

He smiled. “I think you’ve got an answer, though.”

“Three reasons.” She ticked them off on her fingers. “First, the dagger takes a lot more abuse.  I’ve broken them clean off before and it’s too expensive to replace.  Sometimes I have to leave it behind, because I threw it, or wedged it into something, and so on.  And finally, when I do manage a hit with the long blade, it counts for a lot more.  A person can walk away from a shallow stab wound.”

Ash joined them. “And don’t get her started about the virtues of armor— or lack thereof.  Here.”  She handed Nathaly a pair of wooden tie rods, used to hold smaller sails in place, and about the length of a long sword.  “I couldn’t help but overhear about this little experiment.”

Nathaly swung one, experimentally.  “Sure, this’ll work.”

She handed the other to Kaidan, who turned it over, a bit uncertain now that they were about to begin.  Sure enough, he tried to delay.  “What about armor?  If you can afford an enchanted sword, plate surely can’t be a stretch.”

Her nose wrinkled. “There are only two weapons that worry me.”

“Here we go,” Ash muttered.  Liara swatted at her.

“A longbow, and a mace.”  Ignoring Ash entirely.  “Maces do not care about plate.  They are specifically designed to negate its advantages, which leaves only avoidance. And the best way to do that is to maintain full range of movement.”

But Ash could not keep silent.  “You get full range in plate.”

“Almost. Not good enough.  And the weight slows you down.”

“Properly fitted, you don’t even notice the weight.”

“But you do,” Nathaly insisted.  It was an old argument between them.  “It adds its weight to yours.  Makes it harder to start moving, or stop, or change direction.”

Kaidan interrupted the nascent argument.  Not knowing them well enough to understand its good nature.  “And the longbow?”

Liara answered. “It’s arrow-catcher armor.  Lots of layers.  Leather’s tough, and she’s got a tight-woven silk lining under it.”

“Shit,” Ash said. “Everyone who can afford it wears silk underneath.”

He looked Nathaly up and down.  “You’ve thought all this through.”

“Your mind is your most important combat asset.”  She raised her stick.  “Let’s see what we have to work with, here.”

Hefting his own stick, he frowned.  “Feels light. Not that I know what a sword weighs.”

“It’s too early to care about that.”  She moved several steps, circling around him.  “The most important factors in a swordfight are timing and distance. Control those, and you’ll win every time.”

Kaidan turned in place, following her.  “What am I supposed to do?”

“Try to hit me.” She grinned.  “Show me what bad habits I need to beat out of you.”

“Is that an order?”  Smirking slightly.

“A fact,” she said, and lunged towards him.  Just to get things started.

Nathaly wasn’t trying, not really.  She only wanted him to react.  And he did. Scuttling backwards and tripping over his own feet.

She closed easily, smacking his arm with the rod.  “See. It doesn’t hurt.”

“Yet,” said Ash, who was clearly enjoying this all too much.  

A hint of irritation flickered.  “I should thump you, too.  A little reminder.”

She held up her hands in surrender.  “I’m good.”

“So I can get on with this?”  She raised her eyebrows.

Ash crossed her arms, put out at having her fun spoiled, but held her silence.  Shepard returned her full attention to Kaidan, who swallowed.  She offered a little guidance.  “Try again. This time, close with me instead of retreating.”

Kaidan raised the rod half-heartedly.  Skittish. She sighed, and threw her stick to Ash, who caught it easily, and then spread her arms wide.  “Fine.  We’ll try it like this.”

He bit his lip. “I don’t want to hurt you…”

Ash barked a laugh.  Her hands clamped over her mouth.  Even Liara looked a amused.  Primly, she said, “If you manage to so much as tap her, I’ll be very impressed.”

“I’m getting bored,” Nathaly said.

That did the trick.  Kaidan swung the rod at her like a baton.  She stepped smartly out of the way.  “Slow.  Try a shorter swish.”

“Feels more powerful this way.”

“Sure, but it’s all wasted because you can see it coming three leagues awa—”

He took two quick steps forward and flicked the rod.  She leaned backwards reflexively, feeling it whoosh past, and grinned.  “Better.”

“I feel so stupid doing this.”

“It’ll feel that way.  And then one day, it won’t.  It’ll just be natural.”  She nodded at him.  “Again.”

Kaidan hefted the rod.  “Timing and distance.”

“Yep.”

He came forward, half-skipping in what he surely thought was an attempt to move lightly, flicking the rod back and forth.  She retreated, half her concentration on how he was driving her towards the rail ringing the deck.  And noticing he wasn’t paying it any mind at all.  All of his focus on trying to land any kind of blow.

So he was completely unprepared as she slowed.  Nathaly saw the hope brimming in his eyes.  Unsure at first, more assured with every small delay in her steps.  No idea she was luring him in.

His eyes told her exactly when his confidence reached a tipping point, a small fraction before the firm way he planted his foot confirmed it.  She was already spinning out of his path when he committed to the lunge.

And kept stumbling forward when his rod found only empty air.  He had so much momentum, in fact, that he carried on several paces and half-pitched over the rail.

She grabbed at his shirt.  Underneath it, he was shaking from the close call.  “Whoa.  Hey.”

Kaidan took a big breath.  Then whirled, coming in with an overhand strike.  She only just managed to dodge.  A burst of laughter escaping her, the maneuver beyond clumsy but so completely unexpected and enthusiastic that she couldn’t help but enjoy it.

And he kept going. Sufficiently embarrassed or motivated by her trick to forget all his earlier hesitation.  All but running at her.  But she was tired of being chased.  It was a good moment to teach him distance went in more than one direction.

So the next time he swung, she waited for it to complete, and stepped close in a blink. Blocking any further movement of his arm.  As expected he immediately tried to retreat, but she kept pace, until he stopped in some confusion.

“You’re dead,” she explained.  His eyebrows knit together.  So she demonstrated.  Stretched out one arm to touch the stick.  “I would hold your sword here, with my own long blade.”

Then she took her other hand and moved it to his side, just under the ribs.  “You’re not armored, and no mage I ever met wanted to be, so I’d slide my dagger here.  It would be over before you knew it had happened.”

She raised her head.  Found her face only inches from his.  He was still a little shorter, he always had been, and his eyes were the same warm brown. Her breath hitched.  Just once.

“That sounds like your style,” he said, quietly.  “It didn’t occur to me until a few weeks later, but you waited for just the right moment to come to Kinloch Hold.”

“I wasn’t sure you’d come.”  She swallowed.  “I wanted to give it my best shot.”

“And then you closed the distance.”

Her mouth quirked into a half-smile.  “Exactly.”

He held her gaze a moment longer.  Then he stepped back and lifted the rod.  “Let’s try again.  I’ll get it this time.”

[allodoxaphobiawritesshit]

Tiffany Blews

Tiffany Blews I'm not a cry baby I'm the cry baby A caterpillar that got stuck Mr. Moth come quick with any luck … Not the boy I was The boy I am is just venting, venting Dear gravity, you held me down in this starless city

Shikamaru was a genius.

He wasn't patting himself on the back, he was just stating facts. Had he been given the choice, he would have been born with average smarts. It was a lot harder to get through life doing the bare minimum when people knew you had an IQ over two hundred. They expected you to do more and use your "vast knowledge" for good. After he had been promoted to chuunin he had realized that people felt what he lacked in experience he could make up for with his intelligence. This resulted in him leading far more missions than he wanted. He also found himself being somewhat of an unofficial advisor/errand runner of the Hokage. He didn't understand it but he just chalked it up to another one of the cons of being labeled as "gifted". For all his genius, however, he couldn't comprehend his current situation. He was sitting up in his bed, messy hair out, in nothing but his sleeping shorts. In front of him sat his blonde team mate, Ino, her cheeks slightly red and her eyes averted.

"Could you..." Shikamaru started before clearing his throat slightly. "Could you repeat that?" The blonde huffed and rolled her eyes but repeated, though not much louder, her previous statement.

"I said: Shikamaru, I need you to have sex with me," Her eyes remained averted as she said this.

There was a pause in which Shikamaru politely gave his teammate time to correct or amend her statement.

She did not.

"Is this some kind of prank? Because you honestly could've waited until later in the day. How did you even get in here?" He asked and plopped back down in his bed, muttering something about troublesome women. This was way too early to be dealing with Ino's shenanigans. She had come in his room and woken him up at nine-thirty in the morning. Sure, he'd reluctantly woken up much earlier on many occasions but it was his day off. It was rare that he woke up before ten on his off days.

"No, this isn't a joke! This is serious! And your mom let me in. She was on her way out and I told her we were supposed to train today. She said to wake you up and give you a good ass kicking if you gave me any trouble. Which, honestly, you're not being very agreeable right now," Ino said and finally looked at him.

"Yeah, I bet if she knew what kind of ‘training’ you had in mind she'd kill both of us," Shikamaru muttered.

"Why aren't you taking me seriously?" The blonde demanded.

"Because there's no way you could be serious! What, you just woke up today and decided you were going to ask me to have sex with you? Who in their right mind would go along with that?" The shadow user retorted.

"Probably a lot of people, actually."

"...Alright, fair point. Most of those people didn't grow up together with you practically like siblings though," Shikamaru shot back.

"Gross. We're not related. You just made this a lot grosser. I hope you're proud of yourself. And this isn't out of the blue! There's a reason I'm asking you," Ino defended. Shikamaru sat back up and gave her an expectant look. "What? Oh. You want me to explain. Right.

Alright, listen, as you know the Shitenshin no Jutsu is very useful for information gathering so recently I've started taking on more and more surveillance missions. They want me to start moving up and one of the missions types you can be given is a 'seduction mission'," She actually used air quotes at this. "And, well, before I do that I need to, uh... not be a virgin anymore. I mean, the point of the mission usually isn't to have sex with anyone but, you know, anything could happen or go wrong. And that would be a very traumatizing way to lose my virginity.

So, I have to amend that whole 'being a virgin' thing before I can start taking on these missions. And even though I've dated around, I'm not actually seeing anybody and I really can't think of anyone else I trust enough to help me out like this." Ino stopped and took a breath. She was speaking so fast her air intake couldn't keep up. "I mean, you're my team mate and I've known you pretty much since we were babies. We were born only a day apart for goodness sake."

Shikamaru stared at her as his mind processed what she had told him. Finally he replied, "Well, Chouji's also your team mate..."

Ino simply stared blankly at him for a few moments. "Listen... I love Chouji. He's also my team mate, but you know as well as I do why I didn't ask Chouji."

Shikamaru felt he should be offended for his best friend, but he knew that the large boy probably wouldn't care. Chouji didn't really seem that interested in dating girls anyways. Not that the shadow user was any different. He almost wished he belonged to a clan that still practiced arranged marriages. That way he would be guaranteed to carry out his duty of continuing the Nara clan without all the effort of dating. Then again, that would also up the chances of him ending up with a really troublesome woman. Much like the woman before him.

"Alright Ino, don't take this the wrong way, but this is probably the worst idea you've ever had. I say this knowing that you have had quite a few bad ideas, but I mean it. Really." He laid back down and spared a glance in her direction.

"I'm not really seeing a positive way to take that. It almost would've been less offensive if you had said 'Hey, don't take this the wrong way, but you're a complete idiot'."

"Well-"

"I said 'almost'!" Ino cut the Nara boy off before he could amend his previous statement. “Look, I know this is sudden and you probably think I'm crazy but I didn't actually think you would agree right on the spot. Just think it over okay?” No response. “Shikamaru!”

“Alright, alright!” He called and covered his face with a pillow. He stayed this way until he finally heard the blonde get up and leave. He didn't fully relax until he heard the sound of his front door closing.

As if there was even anything to think about. It may be great to hear about Ino advancing as a ninja and of course he would help his team mates out any way he could. This was just unreasonable though. Shikamaru still wasn't even entirely convinced that this wasn't a prank. It sounded like something Naruto would come up with, but the shadow user dismissed that almost immediately. As close as they all were, Ino still thought Naruto was a pretty ridiculous person.

Shikamaru groaned and rolled out of bed to head to the bathroom. No use trying to sleep any longer. He really couldn't understand his blonde team mate. He knew she had dated plenty of guys even if none of them really lasted that long. She was obviously beautiful and if Shikamaru had any kind of interest in women he probably would've had a crush on her at some point. Probably very early on, before he realized how bossy and needy she was. Regardless, it wouldn't be difficult for her to find someone else to help her with her predicament. At the very least she could find someone she was attracted too. The shadow user was no fool, he knew that Ino's taste ran somewhere far away from him.

Shikamaru paused in his teeth brushing to spare a glance at the full length mirror in his bathroom. He was decently muscled despite his laziness. Being a ninja naturally kept one in shape, barring the Akimichi Clan. If he hadn't decided to follow in his father's footsteps he probably would've been pretty damn scrawny. He looked his reflection in the eyes and confirmed his thoughts. Despite not having a bad body, Shikamaru didn't have the face the girls fell for. Sharp eyes with a near constant look on his face that said “Don’t”. Even his hair spiked out in all directions when it wasn't tied back. Even then it just spiked upwards.

He turned back to the small mirror in front of the sink and resumed brushing his teeth. If he was the type that cared about attracting girls he could probably change the less desirable parts about him.

Fortunately he wasn't.

There was a brief period that everyone thought that he and Temari of the Sand had something going on, but they couldn't be more wrong. The last thing Shikamaru needed was a bossy woman that could also kick his ass. Not only that, she was the sister of the Kazekage. That was all more trouble than he needed in a lifetime. There would be times when she flirted with him, but it was clear that it wasn't because she was actually interested in him. It was more of a cure to her boredom while preparing for the Chuunin exams and he suspected she also liked trying to get a rise out of him.

Shikamaru finished brushing his teeth and, after a quick rinse of his face, walked back to his room. His mother probably didn’t leave any breakfast for him, having become used to him either not being there in the morning or waking up too late to eat it while it was hot. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t feel like making any himself.

Well, there were probably a few places open by now where he could get something to eat.

Changing into a T-shirt and pair of shorts, the shadow user pondered being able to wear civilian clothes out on the field. A nice cotton shirt was way more comfortable than the fishnet he normally wore. Then again, he supposed that was his own choice. It was too late to have wardrobe change now though, his closet was already committed.

“Come on, I just took that mission off your hands that you were too lazy to do!” Naruto whined across from Shikamaru.

“I wasn’t too lazy to do it, it overlapped with the other mission I had already been assigned. The Hokage was the one who made you take it,” Shikamaru retorted. Naruto didn’t seem to hear this and just continued on.

“I had to use all the money from my last mission on a deposit for a new apartment since my old building is about to get torn down!” The blond continued to look on with desperate eyes.

Shikamaru knew better than to go to Ramen Ichiraku when he wanted a quiet moment to himself. Naruto was there almost every day and he was anything but quiet. He did, however, make the mistake of being in the vicinity of the place. Now he had Naruto begging to buy him a meal… which was actually unusual now that he thought about it. Even with getting a new apartment, the blond had a pretty decent savings from what Shikamaru knew.

“What the hell happened to the rest of your money?” The brunette asked as he took another bite of his salmon.

“I was showing Sakura-chan a new jutsu when I was over her place the other day and it kind of got out of control and broke down one of her walls,” Naruto had the decency to look sheepish as he explained. He quickly added: “She broke down the other wall when she punched me though!”

Shikamaru winced, thinking of the monster strength the kunoichi possessed. He sighed, it’s not like he was tight on money anyway.

“Alright, but don’t get carried away,” The Nara boy muttered. Naruto let out a victory cheer and motioned the waitress over to put his order in. After he finished he turned back to his friend.

“What are you doing out this early on your day off anyway?” The blond asked as he reached over to grab Shikamaru’s water and take a gulp. Shikamaru made a face at him.

“I was woken up by Ino,” He replied.

“What’d she want?”

Shikamaru grimaced as he recalled his early morning conversation with his teammate.

“Nothing important. Just Ino being Ino.” In the sense of making unreasonable demands of people. She normally didn’t go around asking people to have sex with her. To his knowledge anyway. He kept this all to himself knowing that if the blond found out, all of Konoha would find out.

“Oh.” Naruto seemed to lose interest as soon as the waitress returned with his order. Shikamaru reached across the table to grab the cup of water she set down for the blond. Knowing the other boy’s lack of hygiene, Shikamaru wasn’t too fond of drinking after him.

The Nara boy leaned back on his side of the booth, having already finished his food. Naruto didn’t seem to be too far from finishing himself, despite having just gotten his.

“Oh yeah, you just reminded me,” The blond spoke around his mouth full of food. Shikamaru made a face. Whoever thought that the Akimichi clan were messy eaters had never witnessed Naruto. “I’m supposed to be going on a mission with Ino in a couple of weeks.”

“That’s unusual. You guys have only ever been on a mission together while Chouji and I are there.”

“Yeah it’s a mission requiring a lot of stealth they said and she’s one of the best when it comes to that. I heard she’s really good on missions even without you and Chouji!” A grain or two of rice flew out of his mouth with that last statement.

Shikamaru was sure he was supposed to be offended for the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio. Of course they could perform well on their own; they would be pretty useless otherwise. They just worked exceptionally well together because of their family ties.

“Idiot. Why wouldn’t she be? She graduated among the top of our class.”

“Yeah, but she was always boy crazy! Every time I hang out with her and Sakura she talks more about boys than being a ninja,” Naruto defended. Shikamaru didn’t doubt that. While Ino was no doubt a great kunoichi, she didn’t seem to have a problem balancing her duties with her boyfriends. He wasn’t here to defend her skills to Naruto though.

“Well, you’ll see for yourself when you’re on your mission together.” Shikamaru left it at that. He really didn’t want to talk about his blond team mate. The more he talked about her, the more he thought of their morning conversation. He was hoping that she would forget the whole thing while she was away with Naruto on this mission.

Naruto just nodded in agreement.

“She seemed pretty calm when we were getting briefed. The guy she’s getting information from sounds really sleazy though. Hopefully she doesn’t have to do too much with him,” Naruto blanched as Shikamaru choked on the water he was drinking. The blond looked at the shadow user in confusion.

“Wait, what type of mission is this?” Shikamaru asked after a few coughs.

“I told you we’re gathering information…”

“Dumbass, I know that. What did they call this type of mission?”

“Oh… uhhh… a ‘seduction mission’?” Naruto seemed a little weirded out by the term. “Why?” Shikamaru just sighed and rubbed his face. Of course she wasn’t going to forget about it. She wanted this deed done before her mission with Naruto. His team mate could have mentioned that she had already taken on the type of mission she was trying to prepare herself for. Shikamaru was starting to feel a serious dread come over him.

“Anyways! Thanks for the meal! I gotta meet Kakashi-Sensei for training!” And without any care for the inner turmoil [read: mild discomfort] he had just caused his friend, the Nine-Tails host was gone. Shikamaru grabbed his check with even less enthusiasm than he normally had and went to the front of the restaurant to pay for the meals.

As the shadow user walked out back onto the street he noted that it had gotten somewhat busier in the time he had eaten his breakfast. He looked up, decided it was a good day for cloud watching (as was every other day) and with a sigh turned to head towards his favorite spot.

He had a sinking feeling that this situation with Ino was going to be even more troublesome than he first thought.

To his relief (and somehow concern at the same time), he didn’t see Ino for a couple of days after their conversation. He began to think maybe she had found someone else to dump her problem onto. Really, he’d prefer she ask him to help her cheat on her math homework or maybe help hide a body. Something reasonable.

On the third night he woke to the presence of someone in his room. As he reached for the kunai he kept under his pillow and started stretching out his shadow he heard a huffed whisper:

“Calm down, it’s just me.”

And felt his dread settle right back where it was. His armed plopped back down by his side and he opened his eyes to stare at his ceiling. He let out a sigh and continued to look at the ceiling as though it would offer him some sound advice.

“You know, they say every time you sigh, you lose a bit of happiness,” Ino said as she said down on the floor by his bed.

“You can’t lose something you don’t have,” Shikamaru retorted.

“What’s gotten you all bent out of shape? Because I woke you up? It’s only ten at night, only grannies sleep this early,” She rolled her eyes.

Shikamaru realized in this moment that he team mate was absolutely the type of person to set a bomb off and walk off like nothing happened. She would probably meet Sakura or some guy for lunch right after and then sleep like a baby that night with no care for the chaos she just caused.

He didn’t even want to explain any of that to her.

“Why are you in my room in the middle of the night?” He asked instead.

“It’s hardly the middle of the night,” She scoffed. “And I was heading back from Sakura’s place and decided to stop by your house on my way home and see you.”

“Didn’t you pass by your house on the way here?”

“Whatever. I just wanted to come talk to you to see if you’ve given any more thought to our conversation the other day,” Her voice lost her edge as she said this.

Shikamaru wanted to go back to sleep.

Instead, he rolled onto his side to face her and propped his head up on his hand.

“Why didn’t you say you had already taken on a seduction mission?” The Nara boy asked and noted that his team mate seemed surprised at the question.

“How did you know that? Wait, of course. It was Naruto. Of course it was. He has such a big mouth,” Ino grumbled more to herself.

“I’m sure there’s a couple of people left in Konoha that don’t know about your mission,” Shikamaru assured her.

“Ugh, whatever. Does it matter?”

“Of course it does. I thought that you were still debating on taking on these types of missions. Don’t you think finding out you’ve already been assigned one puts a lot of pressure on me?” Shikamaru asked. Not that he was surprised Ino didn’t think of how he would feel.

“I did think of that!” Ino whipped to face him as she yelled. Then, as if remembering she was in the house Yoshino, shrank down and spared a nervous glance in the direction of her bedroom. She and Shikamaru stared in that direction for a few nervous beats before relaxing slightly.

“I did think of that,” She repeated in a hushed whisper. “That’s why I didn’t tell you. I know you think I’m being selfish like normal,” So she knew she was a selfish person. “But I really didn’t want to guilt you into helping me, even if you are the only person I trust.”

“So what were you going to do if I said no?”

“Go through with the mission, of course.”

“And what if something does happen? What if this guy decides he wants you? You know Naruto wouldn’t stand by and let that happen. I’m amazed he’s even on this type of mission.”

“I know that. He won’t be able to see me. I’m going to be communicating mind to mind.”

“So you would tell them if things went too far?”

She didn’t respond.

“Ino.” Shikamaru sat up on his bed.

“Not if it would cost us the mission,” She looked him in the eye as she answered. He knew that look and he also knew that she absolutely meant what she said. The Nara boy cursed under his breath and stood up. Ino looked up in surprise.

“I’m going to get a drink of water.” He said and walked out of his room. Ino watched him walk out, concern obvious of her face.

She really knew how to lay in on him. He almost preferred her going on about diets and the like than this. Then again he was glad those stopped. The idea of an active ninja going on crash diets was terrible. What did they need to diet for? Their lifestyle kept them in shape enough. If anything they needed to eat way more just to have the energy to keep up.

Shikamaru walked in his kitchen and grabbed a glass by the sink to fill with water. He downed half the glass and went to fill it back up. He didn’t know how to answer his team mate’s request.

But he already knew what he was going to do.

The shadow user was without a doubt lazy. He hated anything troublesome. He certainly hated anything to do with women and relationships. He would also absolutely do anything for his teammates. Even if this was something he never expected to have to do. He could only hope Chouji never came to him with a similar request. With a sigh he headed back to his room.

Only to find the blond dozing off on his bed.

“Don’t you have a home?” He asked her. She blinked awake.

“Ugh, I just haven’t been sleeping well the past few days. Your bed is really comfortable. I guess that’s not really surprising. Maybe I should get a new bed. I’ve had mine since I was ten,” Ino complained. Shikamaru, ignoring her rambling, set his glass down on his nightstand and sat down on his bed next to her.

“Well, if you’re going to sleep, then sleep. I have to be at the Hokage’s office first thing in the morning. Even though she’s probably going to get there an hour after me,” He muttered as he laid down.

“Oh. What really? You don’t mind me sleeping in your bed with you?”

“We’ve slept next to each other countless times on missions. Besides, if we’re supposed to have sex, I think we should be able to handle sleeping next to each other,” He said and rolled to face away from her.

“Oh, I guess you’re right.”

There was a beat.

“Oh! Wait! So you’ll really do it?” She remembered to keep her voice down this time. Shikamaru sighed again. He really was losing all his happiness.

“Come back on Thursday. I have Friday off and my mother is supposed to be out of town visiting her sister,” He said and realized he was basically sealing his fate. He felt Ino’s arm swing around him from behind and he stiffened in surprised.

“Thank you, Shikamaru. I really mean it,” She mumbled into his back. She rolled away and back onto her back. “I was going to go home, but your bed really is comfy. See you in the morning.”

He was pretty sure she fell asleep almost immediately and realized that his team mate was not just selfish, but maybe a bit shameless. To fall asleep in someone else’s bed before them.

Thursday night came too soon. Shikamaru’s mother left early in the day like she planned and wouldn’t be back until Sunday. Shikamaru for his part had spent the day watching clouds before returning home to make himself a dinner that he could barely eat. Afterwards, he took a bath and didn’t bothering dressing in anything other than his black sleeping shorts.

As he sat in bed, leaned back against his head board, he read the same page of a book Kurenai had given him. She told him it had been Asuma’s favorite, and while it was a good read, Shikamaru found he couldn’t concentrate. Still, he continued to stare at it until he felt a familiar presence in his room.

He looked up to see his blond teammate standing next to his bed. She was wearing a pair of blue gym shorts and a black t-shirt. Shikamaru was happy to see that neither of them had dressed up for this occasion.

“I would’ve been here sooner, but my mother cooked a late dinner and wanted to catch up,” Ino said by way of apology. Shikamaru shrugged it off. It’s not like he was eager to do this. When he didn’t make a move to say anything Ino sat in front of him on his bed.

“I guess there’s nothing we can really do to make this less awkward. So let’s just get started,” Despite her words, she didn’t look all that confident as she took off her shirt. She looked briefly at Shikamaru but rather than looking at his face, she stared slightly off to the side. Unexpectedly, the shadow user found it comforting that she was as nervous and uncertain as he was. Somehow it made it easier on him, knowing that they were both awkwardly proceeding with this. Spurred by this thought, he decided to break his silence.

“Well, you mine as well take off your bra too.” Ino looked scandalized at Shikamaru’s statement. The Nara boy just rolled his eyes. “It’s not like I know how to take bras off girls, Ino.”

“Oh… I guess that’s true. It’s not that hard,” She said as she reached behind her to undo her clasps. Shikamaru for his part kept his eyes averted as the blond took her bra off and set it aside. He heard her huff.

“You know it’s not very flattering when someone makes it a point not to look at you. I know I’m not exactly ideal but jeez,” She muttered, face red. Shikamaru looked to her face in surprise, somehow stopping himself from pausing to stare at her breasts. Now her gaze was averted.

“What are you talking about? I think you know that I’m obviously getting the better end of this deal,” Shikamaru said. She looked doubtful but turned to look back at him. The Nara boy still managed to keep his eyes in her face.

“What are you talking about?” She asked in return.

“You know, I wouldn’t take you for having confidence issues.”

“Ugh, only when it comes to you.”

“I know I don’t fawn over you like a lot of guys do, but I was positive you already knew you were beautiful,” Shikamaru said, in what seemed like genuine confusion over her words. Ino’s face had gotten even redder at his words, not even seeming to care anymore of her state of undress. “Besides,” He continued. “Everyone knows a girl usually experiences all the discomfort during her first time. Mine is just nerves at least.”

Ino didn’t seem to know what to say. Shikamaru didn’t have anything else to say himself. He certainly wasn’t trying to sit across from her half naked all night. Not knowing what else to do, he held out his arms to her, still sitting cross legged against his headboard. Ino blinked before she realized what he wanted and crawled over to him and into his arms. Without another word, Shikamaru leaned over to kiss her.

It started out slow, before Ino took initiative and deepened the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her body into his. Shikamaru felt her tongue slide against his lips and he took the hint to part his mouth. They continued slow and relaxed before his mind once again caught up with him. How funny that he was going from never having kissed a girl, to having his first kiss and losing his virginity in the same night.

Then again, it was typical for him. Promoted to Chuunin only to almost immediately lead a recon mission where he almost lost his best friend and one of his comrades. Constantly given more responsibility than he was really ready for, all for being a so called genius. Shikamaru furrowed his eyebrows and pulled away from Ino’s lips to bury his face in her neck.

Ino, surprised at his sudden move, seemed to sense his trouble and simply stayed in his arms.

The Nara boy didn’t know why these thoughts were suddenly coming to him. They certainly were ruining what little mood they had managed to build. This was decidedly a terrible time to let his mind wander. He slowly let out a breath to calm himself and in the same moment felt Ino’s hand move up through his hair. He felt her slowly work the band out of his hair and let his spikey hair down. Then she slowly started running her fingers through his hair.

She continued to do this as Shikamaru felt himself truly start to relax. As he breathed he let himself feel her body against him. He felt her skin, both soft and smooth yet hardened with muscle. He felt her fingers against his scalp, dainty but calloused from countless missions and near constant training. The feeling of her soft breasts against his hard chest. He sighed into her neck and brought his lips to her skin. Her fingers stilled only briefly in his hair before he felt her relax herself.

He dragged his lips up her neck and left a trail of kisses back down. He leaned back slightly as his hand moved from her back to her abdomen. He rubbed his thumb right below her breasts and seemed to hesitate for only a moment before he brought his hand up to graze her breast. His hand settled on the side of her neck as he lifted his face back up to kiss her.

If she was surprised by his sudden initiative, she didn’t show it. Instead she went with it, happy to let him take the lead for once. She didn’t seem to mind as he leaned her back to lay down. Nor when she felt his hands start to explore her body. Her hands gripped his hair a little harder as his lips left hers to move down her body.

Shikamaru had nothing to guide him but what he had heard or read about sex and the urges that any boy got after puberty. He may have never had any interest on acting on these urges, but he felt them all the same. Ino for her part let out sighs of what Shikamaru hoped was enjoyment. Her fingers continued to move in his hair and he felt her other hand trail along his shoulders and arms. In the back of his mind he wondered if maybe she enjoyed his body at least half as much as he enjoyed hers.

This continued for some time, the rest of their clothes coming off along the way, before Shikamaru propped himself up over her body. She looked briefly surprised by the sudden loss of contact before she looked up to meet his gaze. Her face was a little red, but he thought it might be less from embarrassment now. He didn’t really know how to proceed delicately, so he went with his usual straightforwardness.

“Uh, are you ready?” He looked like he wanted to scratch the back of his head as he asked this, but instead he settled for just looking slightly awkward. Ino let out a short laugh in response.

“How can you go from sexy to all business like that?” She smiled as she asked.

“Shut up,” He mumbled. “I just don’t want to rush things.”

“Thank you,” She said genuinely as she smiled softly. Despite himself, Shikamaru felt his heart skip a beat for the first time since they had started. His eyes softened and possibly for the first time he felt a great affection for his blond team mate. They didn’t love each other in a romantic way, but they both cared for each other and trusted the other with their life.

He had always been the one Ino entrusted her body with.

Without her having to confirm she was ready, Shikamaru went ahead and they both felt each other for the first time. Ino didn’t make any sounds of discomfort though he felt her tense up. For his part, he let out a breath that might have been close to a groan. There was no doubt that it felt good, but with her tense he found that he couldn’t enjoy the feeling. In an effort to relax her, he trailed his lips across her cheek and kissed her. There was no urgency, just the feeling of his tongue slowly moving against hers until Shikamaru felt her begin to relax around him.

Gently, he began moving, pulling his lips from hers to trail along her neck. As her heard her breath pick up, he moved the arm that wasn’t propping him up and brought his hand up to caress her breast. Hearing the sound of Ino moaning for the first time sparked urges that Shikamaru didn’t even know he was capable of feeling. Unconsciously, he picked up his pace.

As the sounds of panting and occasional moans filled the room, Shikamaru knew he wasn’t going to last long enough for her to climax. It wasn’t necessary for what she had asked of him but for a reason he didn’t entirely understand, he thought it was important she did. Going off of what he knew of the female body, he moved the hand that was on her breast down to where he knew she was most sensitive. At his touch, she gasped and he felt her contract once against him, knowing that he had been right and also knowing that he really wasn’t going to be able to last much longer.

Out of sheer determination alone, he held out as he continued to move his thumb and his hips, listening to the sound of his teammate’s moans. Just when he was afraid he wasn’t going to last after all, he heard her breathily utter his name before he felt her climax around him and he immediately felt himself come undone. He buried his face in her neck, muffling a groan as he stilled as deep as he could inside her. Through his climax he faintly felt the sensation of Ino’s nails digging into his back.

Shikamaru didn’t know how he managed not to collapse on top of her, but he still remained mostly propped above her. Both of them remained unmoving as they caught their breath, still coming down from their experience. After a minute or so, Shikamaru pulled away and rolled over and off of her, laying on his back next to her.

Neither of them said anything, maybe because at this point there was no more that needed to be said. They still didn’t love each other, so there was no declarations. ‘Thank you’ didn’t seem to be appropriate at the moment. So they said nothing. Eventually Shikamaru turned them the right way in his bed and covered them with his blanket. He obviously wasn’t going to send her home, so he just put his arm around her and she laid her head on his chest.

So she lay in his arms, Shikamaru offering her comfort that he wasn’t even sure she needed. The thought that maybe he was the one being comforted caused him to snort. Perhaps they both needed comforting, even if there wasn’t any particular reasoning. If Ino noticed his snort, she didn’t say anything.

They laid there until they eventually fell asleep. As he drifted off, Shikamaru had the thought that despite her selfishness, Ino had generously given him a feeling of security that he hadn’t felt in a long time.

The next morning when they woke, there was a strange lack of awkwardness that had surely been expected. Ino got up to take a shower first and Shikamaru tried not to notice the strange way she walked. She didn’t bother to cover up and he figured it didn’t really matter after everything they had done last night.

As she showered, Shikamaru got up to grab some clothes of his to let her borrow. It might be strange for her to go home in his clothes, but they were nondescript enough that even if anyone saw her in them on her way home, they wouldn’t be suspicious. Though, even if for whatever reason they knew she was wearing his clothes, no one would suspect anything. It would never occur to their comrades that he and Ino would have any relations with each other.

He grabbed some clothes for himself and made his way to his mother’s room to borrow her shower. The shadow user stood under the warm stream of water and pondered the previous night. Unusual as it was for him, he just couldn’t seem to form any coherent thoughts about it. Obviously it had physically felt great, but emotionally he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to feel. Do you thank someone when you take their virginity? Then again, he guess she had also taken his. Though she had asked him to do it, so he supposed he was more taking it off her hands. He shook his head at his thoughts. There was no point in thinking about it at the moment.

After he washed up, he dried off and threw on a pair of black gym shorts and a green t-shirt. The shadow user looked at his hair and the mirror and decided he didn’t even feel like tying it up today. He would probably just stay home today anyway. He was feeling worn out from people and the only person he’d seen so far had been Ino who hadn’t even said anything yet. That was a sign.

Shikamaru walked to his kitchen to find Ino making breakfast. He noticed she was walking around normally now and something in him relaxed though he hadn’t realized he’d been worried. She had found the clothes he laid out for her and was wearing a pair of his green shorts and a black shirt. Clearly, he was a man of variety.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I was hungry and figured I mine as well make us breakfast before I head home. Besides, I’d rather just go in through my window so my mom doesn’t ask me where I’ve been,” Ino said as she cracked eggs into a pan. After their fathers had died, both of their mothers had become more concerned over their wellbeing. It wasn’t all that surprising, but Ino had also told Shikamaru that her mother had asked her to quit being a ninja after the war. His mother had asked no such thing of him, but he knew that whenever he was away on missions she slept a lot less soundly.

“That’s fine,” He responded as he took a seat at the table. She had already set a glass of juice on the table for him and he grabbed it to take a sip. As he watched her cook a thought occurred to him. “This is strange timing, and I probably should have asked about this last night, but is it okay that we didn’t use protection?” There wasn’t really a more delicate way he could think of to ask.

Ino paused briefly to listen but the question didn’t seem to bother her. Instead, she waved him off. “It’s alright, I’ve been on birth control for a while now to help with my periods. Sorry if that’s TMI,” She added in afterthought. He didn’t consider the mere mention of periods to be TMI, but he knew some people were weird about it.

“Okay,” He said and left it at that. A couple of minutes later, Ino set a plate with eggs, rice, and bacon down in front of him. The breakfast was simple and strangely he found that he appreciated that. “Thanks.”

Ino hummed in response and sat down across from him with her own plate. They ate in silence and Shikamaru found himself observing his teammate. It took him about a little over a minute to eat half of his food and the blond had barely taken two bites in that time. Knowing he should just leave it alone, he couldn’t stop himself from commenting.

“Didn’t you say you were hungry?” Shikamaru asked.

Ino blinked in surprise and looked down at her plate as though she had forgotten it was there. She picked back up the fork she had put down.

“I’m just spacing out,” She dismissed before she took a bite. The Nara boy decided to drop it. By the time he was finished with his plate, she had finished a little over half of hers and was slowing down again. Eventually, she set her fork down and gave up trying to finish all of her breakfast. There was long stretch of silence before she broke it.

“Hey, I’m sorry about making you do this,” She finally said, looking down at the table. Shikamaru blinked in surprise. He didn’t realize she was feeling guilty nor did he expect her to. Besides,

“You didn’t make me do anything. You asked me to do you a favor and I agreed to it. I wasn’t that eager about it but…” Shikamaru paused. Ino was now looking at him with interest. “Look, we’re teammates and we’ve been together our whole lives. We don’t always see eye to eye and we certainly don’t always get along, but at the end of the day we’re still there for one another. You said there was no one else you trusted to help you and I get that, because there’s no one in my life that I trust more than you and Chouji. I can only hope that Chouji never comes to me for help with a similar problem,” He added seriously.

Unexpectedly, Ino laughed. Partly over his last statement, he thought, but partly in relief. Which was good, because he meant everything he said. Especially the part about Chouji.

“Well then, I’ll say thank you instead. Thank you for being there for me whenever I need you,” She smiled and he appreciated that much more than her previous apology. He nodded and said a thanks back to her. She seemed curious over being thanked but didn’t question it.

The next week and a half had passed by mostly uneventfully. Shikamaru didn’t have any missions so he was stuck playing assistant to the Hokage again. If he had to say anything was out of the ordinary, it would be the two more times Ino had paid him a visit.

The first time had been a little less than a week after they had sex. She had appeared in his room in the middle of the night and he wasn’t sure that even she had known what she wanted. Shikamaru wasn’t one to push, but he was pretty good at taking cues. So he offered her the comfort of his body in hers and received the same comfort he felt in return the first time. He didn’t know what had prompted her to seek his reassurance, whether it was nervousness over her mission or something below the surface. Regardless, he held her after they were done and she stayed until dawn.

The next time was the night before she was going to leave. That one he chalked up to solely being nervous about her mission. His mother was gone visiting her sister again, something she had been doing more often since his father died and since Shikamaru started taking more missions. So Ino brought she supplies with her so she could leave from his house in the morning.

That night she had taken lead and Shikamaru found himself thinking that that was more expected, given their personalities. Neither of them addressed the fact that it was only supposed to be a onetime thing done as a favor. They laid together for a couple of hours afterwards, neither falling asleep despite Ino having to leave early.

Unexpectedly, Shikamaru found himself propped above her one last time. That time was quicker the previous three and he suspected that it was more for himself than her. He wasn’t sure how, but he knew this would be the last time they found comfort in each other this way. Though it had started out as a favor for a friend, it offered a calmness that Shikamaru hadn’t felt since Asuma had died. He realized he felt regret over knowing that it would be a long time before he experienced that feeling of peace again and he was certain it wouldn’t be through her.

After that, they found sleep. Hours later Shikamaru felt Ino stir and get up. He heard her shower yet made no move to get up. Even after she was dressed and ready to leave, Shikamaru stayed where he was. He had the faint idea that maybe he was sulking over his perceived loss. As if sensing his mood, Ino leaned over to kiss him, whispering one last thank you, and then she was gone.

When she came back from her mission a week later, she did seek him out again, but there was no sex involved. This time, Shikamaru held her while she cried. She didn’t say how the mission went, though he later heard it was successful in the sense that she had gathered the information needed. Shikamaru didn’t ask and he figured it wasn’t his business what had or hadn’t happened if she didn’t want to tell him. So he continued to hold her throughout the night, not bothering to offer her empty words of comfort when he didn’t understand.

The next morning, she was gone when he woke up. From that point forward, they went back to how they always had been. They never spoke of what happened and there was no tension between them. Ino went back to being boy crazy and Shikamaru went back to dodging women like it was his job. They still went on missions together as the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio and he was still the one Ino trusted with her body.

Shikamaru wasn’t sure if he would ever find his peace again, but the laughter of his team mates and comrades was enough to get him by in the meantime.

[rootbeergoddess]

Sing me a Love Song: Chapter 1

Okay, first of all, I want to thank @inzina for being patient as heck because this should have been posted days ago! And a big shout out to tiny_blue_dancer of the 99th Ravager clan for helping with the grammar and also pointing out I use the word had and was too much. 

This story features angsty Kraglin who is in love with his Captain and then falls in love with ANOTHER person! And if you can’t tell by the title, music will play a huge role in the story too. Like this story? Leave me a tip!

                            Chapter One: The Truth About Love

Kraglin didn’t really understand love. Well, he knew what love was supposed to be but he’d never been *in* love. Sure, he had a few crushes here and there but never actual love. Not real, true, mad love that other beings experienced. In a way, he was jealous, seeing couples or families with something he didn’t. Still, he was a Ravager so he wasn’t too jealous, at least that is what he told himself all these years. Ravagers didn’t fall in love, he was fine without it.

But that didn’t seem fair.

Kraglin tired to push thoughts of love out of his mind for a while. He realized he was developing feelings for his boss, and love just kept coming to mind. Kraglin wished he could just turn off his heart. Out of all the people in the universe to fall for, he fell in love with Yondu. How? He honestly didn’t know when or how it happened. He just wished he could make the whole thing stop.

Kraglin joined the Ravagers at a pretty young age. After the death of his mother, there was no reason for him to stay on Xandar. The Ravagers landed in one of the ports to celebrate their latest victory. Being an awkward, shy teen, Kraglin just watched the pirates from afar. Everyone knew who they were and everyone knew of the famous Ravager captains. From the strong, stoic Stakar to the brash yet brave Yondu Udonta, the Ravagers were infamous.

He’ll never forget the day Yondu asked him if he wanted a job. Kraglin jumped at the chance of course. He’d been lonely and the idea of being a pirate was thrilling to him. Never thought he would become Yondu’s first mate and closest confidant.

Now, he slowly felt himself falling in love with the old captain.

Again, Kraglin didn’t understand how or why. Yondu wasn’t the most loveable person in the world. Like most Ravagers, Yondu was loud, crude, perverted and crass. But Yondu was more than that. He was smart and brave. In order to be a Ravager captain, you needed certain qualities. Yondu knew when to cut his losses, took care of his crew and while he wouldn’t admit it, a good heart, all the necessary makings of a good captain. Of course, Kraglin could never tell Yondu any of this.

He wanted to ignore his heart. His heart was wrong.

Romance was not in the cards for Kraglin and there was no point to loving  Yondu. In fact, Kraglin convinced himself that Yondu wouldn't even be interested in a lanky idiot like him. Whenever they were off at some brothel, Yondu was surrounded by women. The elderly Centaurian had no trouble finding someone to share a bed with him. He could sweet talk anyone and bring down their defensives. Kraglin admitted he was jealous at how confident Yondu was.

It frustrated Kraglin because he knew he would never have a chance with his captain. There was no may in hell that Yondu would even consider Kraglin as a lover. The idea depressed Kraglin but he tried to tell himself it was better if he remained realistic. There was no reason to get his hopes up.

“Kraglin!”

“Huh? Oh, yes cap’n?” Kraglin answered.

“Where’s yer head at boy?” Yondu asked. “You spacin’ on me?”

“No sir! I was just thinking.”

“Yeah? What about?”

“Um---” Kraglin felt his cheeks turn red. “About---how I can’t wait to go back to Contraxia after we pick up this last kid.”

“Oh yeah,” Yondu grinned. “I miss those bots.”

Kraglin managed to smile. He was happy to see his boss in high spirits. After the fall out with Stakar, Kraglin worried about Yondu. Without the Ravagers, Kraglin would have nothing and he knew that Yondu would similarly be lost. Thankfully, Yondu refused to disband. After this last child though, Yondu swore he was never going to work with Ego or children again.

“So where are we going again?” Kraglin asked.

“Some place called Terra. It’s a ratty little planet. That is where Ego’s last brat is.”

Ego hadn’t mentioned a woman.

Most of the children Ego sent them after were orphans. The boy from Terra’s mother still lived, and she was not happy.

Most of the extractions were easy, but Terra was a different planet than most. Aliens didn’t really interact with the backwards planet. Terra wasn’t as advanced as other places and the people there didn’t deal well with aliens. Yondu demanded they use the tractor beam to pull the child up. Normally an easy task, but when the beam started, the mother ran out of her house and grabbed the child, beaming both of them up onto the ship.

Now, Kraglin stared down an extremely angry woman. She defensively placed herself between  Kraglin and her son. The young boy glanced around the ship, eyes wide with wonder.

“Who are you?” The woman spoke.

Shit, Kraglin thought. Now what?  They couldn’t simply take the mother back. No way she’d go quietly. If they put her back on Terra, she would cause trouble for them. Kraglin didn’t know a lot about Terra but he did know about women and their children. Okay, so taking her back didn’t seem possible.

“Hey, I’m talking to you!” She snapped.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Kraglin waved her off. “I heard ya.”

“Answer my question then!” She demanded.

“I don’t answer to you lady,” Kraglin spat.

The woman just glared at Kraglin with her pale gray eyes. If looks could kill, Kraglin would be dead. She reminded him of an angry beast trying to protect its child. If he stepped any closer, she would probably bite him. The door behind him slid opened and his captain appeared.

“Who in the hell is that?” Yondu asked, coming beside Kraglin.

“The kid’s mother,” Kraglin replied. “She got sucked up with him.”

“Aw fuck,” Yondu sighed. “We’re already outta Earth’s orbit, we can’t take her back.”

“Are you in charge here?” The woman demanded of Yondu.

“Well I’m the Captain, so yeah.” Yondu puffed up.

“Why did you kidnap us?”

“I wasn’t trying to grab you sugar,” Yondu pointed to Peter. “Meant to get him.”

“You stay away from my son,” The woman growled. “Touch him and you’ll lose your dick.”

Kraglin was in complete and total shock. No woman in Kraglin’s memory talked to Yondu like that. If they tried, Yondu usually cut them off with an insult. For a second, Yondu was also silent, wearing an equally shocked look. But then he threw back and cackled.

“Are all Terran women like this?” He chuckled. “Youse got a name girly?”

There was a pause.

“Meredith Quill,” The woman said. “And you are?”

“Yondu Udonta, but you can call me whatever you’d like little lady,” Yondu grinned. “And don’t worry, we ain’t gonna hurt ya.”

“I have a hard time believing that,” Meredith replied coolly.

“Look, I swear on my life I won’t let anybody touch ya,” Yondu held a hand on his heart. “Cross my heart and all that shit.”

Kraglin said nothing. He couldn’t tell what Yondu was planning. This put a real wrench in the works. Not only did the kid have a mother but she was on the ship. What exactly were they going to do with her? There was no way to take her back. Worse, they already broken numerous rules and interacting with Terra was a big one. Of course, Ravagers didn’t care about rules but the Nova Corps was extremely strict about this one rule. They managed to dodge a few Nova Corps officers but if they tried to go back now, they would get caught for sure.

“Fine,” Meredith huffed. “But I still don’t trust you.”

“You don’t really have a choice honey,” Yondu said. “Because you don’t have anyone else.”

Kraglin watched the woman think. He could tell she was mulling this over and he felt a bit sorry for her. She really didn’t have a choice. If she wanted to protect her child, she was going to have to trust Yondu. There was a pause before Meredith finally spoke.

“Alright, I will trust you for now.”

[inyournightmares97]

NO JAM

In which Bambam likes parties, but only when a certain person is around.

Warnings: Strong language, extensive partying (because Bambam, lmao)

Word Count: 4.3k+

Hey,

Everyone gather round,

Girl, not over there, over here

Put off all your worries until tomorrow

The first time Bambam saw her, it was at a party.

It had been one of Jackson Wang’s parties, which were often filled with so many people that it was hard to find somebody you did know. Yugyeom was in charge of the music, and Bambam was hanging around near the sound system as the two of them selected what songs to play. It was about halfway into the party when a slightly tipsy girl had approached, glaring at them angrily.

“You do know this is the fifth Chris Brown song you buffoons have played tonight?” she demanded, voice slightly slurred. She was hot; Bambam had to tear his eyes away from the sliver of skin showing above her jeans and her low-cut top. “Do you want to know how shitty my week has been? I put up with so much in the hopes of finally getting drunk and letting loose on Friday and you morons are not going to ruin my mood by playing shitty music.”

Yugyeom looked startled, while Bambam watched her, amused.

“Uh- what do you want us to play-“

“Move.” She snatched the phone that was connected to the speakers and scrolled through it, her expression becoming more horrified by the second as she looked at the collection of songs on the playlist. “This won’t do,” she said firmly. She began typing furiously and a few seconds, the opening notes of a Bigbang song started playing. She handed the cellphone back to Yugyeom.

“Change it and I will murder you.”

Bambam’s eyes following her as she strutted away to re-join a group of people, and started dancing with them. She was clearly drunk because she was dancing a little wildly and he found himself smiling when she whacked somebody in the face by accident and had to stop dancing to apologize to them.

“She looks like a lot of fun, eh?” Bambam mused lightly.

Yugyeom gave him a knowing look. “Forget it. She’s out of your league. Also, she seems kind of crabby.”

“She just doesn’t like Chris Brown. It can happen,” Bambam mused. By the time he turned around to find the girl again, though, she had disappeared. He frowned and looked around. Where had she gone? He suddenly realized that the group of people she had been with were gone too and he frowned. Damn it. He hadn’t even gotten her name. Pity. He would have liked to know her.

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Hey, Save me a spot next to you,

You say that I’m selfish but you can’t win,

Because you already want me.

The second time Bambam saw her, the circumstances were considerably different.

He was waiting outside Jinyoung’s elite, overly-prestigious university, having borrowed the older boy’s car for a couple of days to take a short road trip. Jinyoung was anal about his belongings and would probably throw a huge fit at some invisible scratch that he was convinced Bambam had made on his precious car. Bambam was preparing himself for the tantrum, twirling the keys as he waited in the University parking lot.

“Yeah, hyung, I’m outside. Your car’s fine,” Bambam reassured him.

Jinyoung scoffed over the line. “You’ll be paying for the damages, Bambam, I’m not worried. Where exactly are you? I’m on my way.”

Bambam narrowed his eyes to read the sign on the building near him. “I’m outside the…. Uh… the T-thermo-dynamics Lab? Is that how you pronounce it? Hyung, please hurry up. I’m getting weird looks from your nerdy, smart-ass college mates here.”

“That’s cause you’re wearing an animal print jacket. I see you.”

Bambam hung up and raised a hand in greeting at Jinyoung. He was approaching from across the lawn, carrying a pile of books in his arms and closely followed by a young girl who was struggling to keep up with Jinyoung’s strides. As they neared, Bambam could hear the girl talking to Jinyoung in a rapid, worried tone.

“- and Professor Lee was being completely unreasonable about letting me change the topic of my thesis. Do you think I should talk to her again, sunbaenim? That hypothesis is all but disproved, wouldn’t I just be wasting my time conducting all those experiments to establish something we know already?” the girl was rattling on. “I noticed that all the physics majors who got amazing grades on their theses all came up with new and innovative hypotheses but-“

Jinyoung cut her off briefly. “Can you hold that thought for a second, Chaeun? Bambam! The hell did you do to my taillight?”

Bambam winced slightly. “Ah- I’ll pay for that, hyung-“

“You are so dead. You’re going to get a bill for that tomorrow!” Jinyoung snapped, as he walked around the car to inspect it for any less obvious damage. The girl, Chaeun, was standing awkwardly, clutching books in her arms and pushing her large glasses up her nose. She turned and made eye contact with Bambam and her eyes widened slightly.

“Hey!” Bambam cried, surprised. “Aren’t you that girl from Jackson’s party?”

The girl’s eyes were the size of dinner plates, and she was shaking her head at him rapidly, placing a finger over her lips to signal Bambam to be quiet. Jinyoung, who had been inspecting his windows, glanced up. “Jackson’s party?” he asked distractedly.

Chaeun laughed awkwardly. “Jackson- who’s Jackson?” she asked.

Bambam frowned. “I swear I saw you at the party! You were the drunk girl who came up to me and Yugyeom last Friday, you scolded him for playing Chris Brown songs. Remember?” he pressed. Jinyoung was looking between them curiously.

“Really? You were at Jackson’s party, Chaeun?” Jinyoung asked with raised eyebrows.

Chaeun shook her head rapidly. “No way, sunbaenim! I, uh- I was at the library on Friday working on my thesis. How would I have gone to a party? You must be mistaken.”

Bambam frowned. “But I swear-“

Jinyoung rolled his eyes. “Shut up, Bambam. Leave her alone. Chaeun, why don’t we talk about your thesis tomorrow? Meet me after class with a summary of your thesis topic and we’ll discuss its viability. If there’s honestly no scope then I’ll have a word with Professor Lee for you.”

Chaeun beamed and nodded. “Thank you, sunbaenim!”

Jinyoung snatched his keys from Bambam before getting into his car and driving away. Bambam was left feeling a little confused, when he suddenly felt a book hit his arm, hard. He winced and turned to look at the girl in shock. Chaeun was glaring at him and there was no doubt she was the same girl from Jackson’s party. “You idiot!” she snapped. “What is wrong with you? I was signaling for you to keep your mouth shut!”

Bambam pouted. “So you are the girl from the party? Why did you want me to keep quiet?”

“Because you were just about to tell my mentor and sunbae that I was out partying last Friday night instead of working on my thesis,” she pointed out, as though it was obvious. Bambam folded his arms across his chest and smiled. He had to admit, Chaeun looked very different. Her hair was tied up in a bun and there were thick glasses on her face. Nothing like the girl from the party in the tight jeans. “I can’t possibly finish my thesis without Jinyoung-sunbae’s help, so don’t make me look bad in front of him, okay?”

“I see,” Bambam replied.

“Good. So keep your mouth shut.”

“I won’t say anything to Jinyoung-hyung,” he agreed with a grin. “If you agree to get coffee with me.”  

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DJ turn the music up, sick beat,

Here on the dance floor today with me,

Swing your body,

Come to my table and let’s drink up

Chaeun had to admit, her relationship with Bambam was a weird one.

They spent Friday nights at whatever party was being thrown in the area that weekend, or at the nearest club, madly drunk and dancing wildly. Bambam was a blast to be around and the two of them were often matching each other shot-for-shot and showing off their moves until their bodies were sore and they were severely hung-over the next day.

On normal weekdays, though, Bambam would often stop by her university after her classes ended and they would find a cozy corner in the nearest coffee shop, sipping on Americanos and whining about how anal Jinyoung-hyung was, and how Chaeun’s professor was a sexist pig, and how the raisin-bran muffins tasted disgusting so why did the café even sell them?

There was literally no in-between.

Chaeun was just leaving class on Friday evening when her phone buzzed with a new text message. She opened it, already knowing that it was going to be from Bambam. He never failed to text her on Fridays. It was mostly to invite her out with his friends; Chaeun found herself partying in a group with Yugyeom and Jungkook and Lisa most of the time, but sometimes they would all be busy and Bambam would still insist that the he and Chaeun hit the clubs.

“They’re no fun,” he would say dismissively when Yugyeom would claim to have an exam on Monday, or Lisa would ditch them for a date with her boyfriend. “Let’s just go ourselves? We don’t need them.”

It was a de-stress thing, and the week felt odd without partying on Friday night. Chaeun knew it wasn’t completely normal. Neither of them ever went home with anybody. Chaeun wasn’t even interested in hooking up with random guys- frankly, she found the idea of waking up in a stranger’s bed kind of scary. Despite Bambam’s hard-partying ways, she’d never once seen him hook up with a girl or even disappear at the end of the night. No matter how drunk they were or how late it was, he would always drop her off at home himself.

Somewhere along the line, Chaeun had begun to gradually grow more and more fond of Bambam.

The text message that she received today was similar to the usual ones. She slid the chat open and read it silently to herself.

‘Dude, Jaebum-hyung’s birthday party today. I’ll text you the address. It’ll be awesome, we bought a shit load of booze already.’

Chaeun tilted her head slightly. The dude part bothered her a little; it made her feel like she was getting bro-zoned but she forced herself not to pay it much mind. Bambam talked like that, he probably thought it was cool. His slight childishness was endearing after a while.

She texted back. ‘Who is this Jaebum-hyung? I don’t know him.’

Bambam’s reply was instant. ‘Who cares? He’s cool. Do you need me to pick you up?’

‘No, I’ll be there.’

She had just slid her phone back into her pocket, when a familiar figure appeared in front of her. Jinyoung was approaching her with glasses perched on his nose as he balanced a few files in his arms. Chaeun smiled at him politely. She was not ashamed to admit that she’d once had a crush on Park Jinyoung; his boyfriend sweaters and polite mannerisms were enough to make any girl swoon. But that had faded away recently, and Chaeun started finding him a little boring and uptight, more than anything else.

“Chaeun!” Jinyoung greeted her with a kind smile. “How are you doing?”

“Ah- I’m doing fine, sunbae-nim. How are you?”

“Not bad. I haven’t heard from you lately. How’s the thesis going? I thought you would mail me your progress last week. I hope you haven’t come across any hurdles in your research?” he asked kindly.

How can I come across hurdles when I haven’t even researched anything? she thought to herself. She’d been so busy lately that she’d barely had time to work on it. Chaeun felt a little ashamed to admit that to Jinyoung, though. All her classmates agreed that she was lucky to have him as a mentor. The last thing she wanted him to think was that she wasn’t serious about her academics.

“Oh- that- I’ve been kind of busy, sunbae-nim, I haven’t made much progress…” she admitted reluctantly.

Jinyoung gave her a disappointed look. “I know exams are nearing, but you shouldn’t slow progress on your thesis, Chaeun. It’s better to have your full draft prepared well in advance.”

Chaeun panicked. “I know, I know! I’m going to work on it all weekend, and I’ll send you my progress by Monday, sunbae-nim. I have a couple of deviations I wanted to run by you first, so maybe on Monday…”

Jinyoung nodded. “Sounds great. I look forward to reading it.”

Chaeun winced slightly as Jinyoung walked away. How was she going to get the work done by Monday in time to show it to Jinyoung-sunbae? She’d literally have to work with a hangover tomorrow morning, assuming that Bambam convinced her to take as many shots as he usually did. Should she skip the party and work on her thesis? She sighed as her phone buzzed again.

It was another text from Bambam, this time containing Jaebum’s address.

Well, then. Working with a hangover over the weekend it was.

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A party without you is no fun,

Everything can only start once you’re here,

I feel like, oh no, I don’t feel good.

“Dude!” Bambam greeted her, once she entered the jam-packed apartment.

It was crowded and filled with sweaty bodies and the smell of alcohol; the best kind of party there was. Chaeun had taken a few seconds to spot Bambam and Yugyeom. Bambam had come hurrying over to her instantly, and had given her a hug in greeting. She took a deep whiff of his deodorant and hugged him back lightly before releasing him. Bambam’s hair was up; his forehead was showing and he looked surprisingly handsome.

“You dressed up today,” she teased him lightly. “Is that hair gel?”

Bambam rolled his eyes. “Ha ha. Nice try, you can’t possibly make me feel self-conscious when I look this good. Besides, what are you wearing? Is that a sweatshirt? Seriously?” he demanded. Chaeun had felt insulted the first couple of times Bambam had commented on her clothing, but then she realized he did it to everyone. In a weird way, it was flattering to have a guy notice what you were wearing. Besides, he never hesitated to compliment her when she looked hot.

“Yeah. I kind of have to leave early today.”

“Early?” his face fell. “You can’t. Dude, there’s tequila here, we’re going to challenge Yugyeom to shots until he passes out. His girlfriend dumped him yesterday.”

She winced slightly at the dude again and sighed. “Sorry, Bambam. Trust me, I want to let loose too, but I haven’t made any progress on my thesis lately. Jinyoung-sunbae’s been asking me for updates and I have no answer for him.”

“Come on, you can work on it some other time!” Bambam whined. He noticed somebody about to bump into Chaeun from behind and quickly grabbed her arm, pulling her into his side so the drunken guy didn’t stumble all over her. “Dude! Watch where you’re going!” he snapped irritably at the stranger.

Chaeun cleared her throat and pushed herself away from Bambam slightly. “Sorry, Bambam. I’ll do a beer or two before I leave, though. Is that the drinks cooler?” she wondered.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll get you one. You go join Lisa, she’s over there,” he replied. He sounded a little disgruntled as he walked away. Chaeun sighed and headed over to Lisa, who was waving at her eagerly. Bambam disappeared into the crowd. He didn’t re-appear for some time. Chaeun chatted with a slightly tipsy Lisa for a while until she suddenly saw a familiar face that made her heart drop into her chest.

Shit, shit, shit. Was that Jinyoung-sunbae?

Chaeun ducked and hid behind Lisa reflexively, feeling her heartbeat thud. It was definitely Jinyoung, he was holding a beer and talking to some random guy a little distance away. Chaeun cursed inside her head and Lisa giggled at her behavior.

“What are you doing?” Lisa asked with a laugh.

“Oh no, no, no. What is Jinyoung-sunbae doing here?” Chaeun whined as she crouched behind Lisa. Jinyoung wasn’t looking at her, but he could turn and see her at any moment. “I thought he didn’t go to parties like this! Doesn’t he go to the library on Fridays or study group or something?”

Lisa laughed. “Jinyoung-oppa? He’s childhood friends with Jaebum-oppa so of course he would come to his birthday party.”

“I have to get out of here.”

Chaeun hurriedly bid Lisa goodbye and stuck her back to the wall as she slowly snuck a good distance away. She was about to sneak out of the front door, when she realized she couldn’t just leave without telling Bambam. He would become whiny as hell later and complain about her leaving without saying anything. She looked around desperately and spotted Bambam by the drinks cooler, talking to Yugyeom and Jungkook. Bending her knees slightly, Chaeun weaved in between the crowd of people without being seen.

She caught a whiff of their conversation as she neared.

“-was going to do it, tonight,” Bambam was saying, sounding annoyed. “Dude, you have no idea how long I pep-talked myself in front of the mirror for hours before the party. I honestly thought it would be tonight-“

Yugyeom cut him off. “Just do it, man. You don’t have to be drunk to do it. Stop being a wimp.”

”Yeah, but if it doesn’t work out then how do I explain myself-“

Chaeun reached Bambam and poked him in the back sharply, hissing. “Bambam!” she hissed. Bambam whirled around to face her, eyes wide. He blinked at her for a few moments and stammered.

“uh- Ch-Chaeun-“

“Why didn’t you tell me Jinyoung-sunbae was going to be here?” she hissed, poking his arm a little harder this time. She was annoyed now. “What if he sees me here? I’m supposed to be working on my thesis, you didn’t feel the need to tell me that Jinyoung-sunbae was best friends with the birthday boy?”

Bambam blinked. “Uh-“

“Look, I have to get out of here before he sees me, or I risk breaking all trust my mentor has in me. I’ll see you later, okay? Have fun,” she cut him off. Before Bambam could protest, Chaeun had slipped away. She weaved her way over to the front door and finally made it out, breathing a sigh of relief that she had escaped unseen. She lifted the hood of her sweater and used it to cover her head when the front door opened again. Bambam burst out, panting slightly.

“Oh- you’re still- here,” he said breathlessly. “Wait up, I’ll come with you.”

“What? No. Go enjoy your party.”

“It’s no fun without you,” Bambam replied simply. He slipped his arm into hers and started leading her down the corridor. “Let’s get out of here. I’m pretty sure that all-night café is still open down the street. You can buy me coffee to pay me back for ruining the party for me.”

“Ruining the- hey! It’s your fault! You could have told me Jinyoung-sunbae would be here!” she protested.

Bambam’s cheeks flushed slightly red. “It slipped my mind, okay? I was preoccupied.”

“Oh? Exactly how many thoughts can that tiny brain of yours process in one go?” Chaeun challenged.

“To be honest, not many.”

“I thought so.”

“Especially when you’re around, it becomes a sort of one-track thing.”

Chaeun blinked. “Huh?”

He turned to face her suddenly, stopping in the middle of the corridor. Bambam looked nervous and his hands suddenly lifted up to cup her cheeks, causing the hood of her sweatshirt to fall backwards. He took a step closer and bit his lip slightly.

“I imagined us both a little more drunk when I did this.”

Chaeun froze, the look in his eyes making her heartbeat thud. There was no denying what he was talking about; the desperate look in Bambam’s eyes and the way his warm palms cupped her cheeks made it obvious. She stared up at him, her mouth falling open slightly. Her heartbeat was thudding. “Why would you want to be drunk for this?” she wondered quietly.

“So if it didn’t work out, I could blame it on the alcohol,” he confessed.

“That’s a stupid plan.”

“I know.”

“But to be honest, I didn’t expect anything better from you.”

“Yeah?”

Chaeun nodded. She brought her hands up to grasp his shirt near his collar, fisting the cloth into her hands as she used the grip to pull him downwards. Bambam leaned down obediently, letting her press her lips to his firmly. The kiss was still for a moment, before he pulled her closer, flush against his body and kissed her harder. Chaeun pulled away only once she was out of breath.

“Wow-“ Bambam began.

“Shut up, don’t ruin it by talking,” she snapped. Bambam blinked, before pushing her firmly against the wall of the corridor. Chaeun felt her back hit it before his lips were back on hers. The kiss was more lustful this time, and he managed to coax her mouth open gently while his hands stroked down her sides. Chaeun could feel her heartbeat thudding as his fingers slid under her sweatshirt. His cold hands were on her hot skin and her head was spinning madly-

“Chaeun? Bambam?”

It was like someone had splashed cold water on her face. Chaeun recognized Jinyoung’s voice and started to pull away, but Bambam instantly brought his hands up to grip her cheeks and keep his lips pressed to hers. Chaeun struggled for a moment, horrified. “Bambam-“ she mumbled against his lips. “Let-go-“

“Ignore him, he’ll go away,” Bambam muttered, letting his lips trail down her jawline as he sucked at her skin. Chaeun was torn between letting herself melt into Bambam’s grip and pushing him away roughly. It took a few seconds for her to gather her senses considering the way his tongue was flicking at her neck, but she finally managed to shove him off. Her head turned to look at the doorway where Jinyoung was blinked at them, eyebrows raised in a look of pure disgust.

Bambam whined. “Hyung, can’t you go away?”

“I expected nothing better from you,�� Jinyoung replied simply, glancing at Bambam. Then his eyes flickered over to Chaeun, who looked like she wanted to die. “Are you messing around with this guy, or are you two actually dating?” he wondered.

Chaeun flushed and glanced at Bambam. “Uh-“

“I was going to ask her to be my girlfriend-“ Bambam cut in hurriedly. “But she ran away from the party because you were there. Don’t you think you’ve cockblocked me enough, hyung?”

Jinyoung ignored him, his eyes fixed on Chaeun with pure disappointment written on his face, Chaeun felt her heartbeat thud. Oh no. As excited as she had been about Bambam finally making a move on her, was this going to cost her an amazing mentor? What could she do? Her reputation was ruined! Should she pretend to be drunk? Or high? Would that make things worse? Either way, she’d lied-

“What you two do is none of my business,” Jinyoung said finally. He frowned at Chaeun. “I better get that draft of your thesis by Monday, or you can look for a new mentor.”

Chaeun breathed a sigh of relief. Okay. He wasn’t abandoning her yet, she still had a chance. Jinyoung shot them one last glare before disappearing back into the party. Chaeun let herself sink back against the wall, her knees suddenly feeling weak from the kiss and the stress of being caught. She glared at Bambam and whacked him in the arm.

“Ow!”

“Did you have to kiss me right here? You couldn’t have waited until we were in private?”

Bambam pouted slightly, rubbing his arm. “I didn’t hear you complaining while we were kissing. Be honest. You liked it, right? I know I’m a great kisser. Girls have told me. Did I ever tell you that it’s always been the girl who-“

“-confesses to you first? Yeah, I know.” Chaeun snapped. “Bye.”

Bambam panicked as she began to walk away. “Wait, where are you going? Don’t leave!”

“Didn’t you hear Jinyoung-sunbae? He wants my thesis by Monday, that means I have to go start working now.”

Bambam’s plump lips were still pouting and he grabbed Chaeun’s hand before she could start walking away. He stepped closer to her, bringing his face inches away from hers and his hand squeezed hers gently. “You’re going to leave just like that? You won’t answer hyung’s question?”

Chaeun smirked and played innocent. “What question?”

“Whether we’re messing around, or you seriously want to date me,” Bambam mumbled, pressing his lips to the corner of her mouth. It was softer and sweeter than before, no longer filled with lust. He looked a little nervous as he blinked at her. “You know I would make an amazing boyfriend. I’m the coolest guy ever. And I know I’m a little wild, and I might not be as smart as Jinyoung-sunbae or the other guys at your college-”

Chaeun leaned up and kissed him lightly. “Don’t be humble. It doesn’t suit you.”

“-face it, you’ll never find a guy as awesome as me.”

“I spoke too soon.”

Bambam grinned. “What do you say?”

“If I manage to hand in the draft of my thesis by Monday and Jinyoung-sunbae is still my mentor by this time next week…” Chaeun grinned. “Then I’ll be your girlfriend.”

“I have to wait that long?” he whined.

“Yup. In the meantime, lover boy, you can go and suck up to my mentor. Preferably get him lots and lots of drinks so he’s still hung-over on Monday,” she replied with a wink.

Bambam grinned back at her. “Will do.”

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