#over whether to leave his friends or not
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mewmewchann Ā· 2 years ago
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Actual canon plotlines that have happened in Project Sekai
Ichika wants to go to Miku Con and all the other units are somehow roped in with her
Anhane and Minoharu theme park double date
Toya doesnā€™t know what a forest is
Summer festival episode
The gang go on holiday to America
A puppet exhibit at a museum causes Mafuyu to have an existential crisis
Daddy issues
Wedding episode
Akitoya and Emuene gamer tournament
Wonderlands x Showtime gets fucking shipwrecked. No, seriously. THEY GET FUCKING SHIPWRECKEDĀ ON AN ISLAND
The gang goes to a sports center
Saki is sad :(
Akito has a crisis
Train adventure
Sports day episode
Rui has a crisis
Mafuyu gets sick. Thatā€™s. Thatā€™s it thatā€™s the event
Shrine episode
Wedding episode again
Tsukasa falls over and Rui has a crisis (also this is a Halloween episode)
Sports day episode again
Mafuyu has another crisis and goes to a theme park
Akito has a crisis again (also this is a Christmas episode)
Rui fulfilling his literal childhood dream
Kohane has a gun??? WHY DOES KOHANE HAVE A GUN
Ichika goes to buy a CD. Kanade is also there. For some reason.
...A lot of these are justĀ ā€œx character has a crisisā€ huh ... Anyway Tsukasa has a crisis
Events mentioned in order:
Scramble Fan Festival!
Buddy Funny Spend Time
Same Dreams, Same Colours
The Sounds of a Summer Festival
Pop! in my Heart
Imprisoned Marionette
Period of Nocturne
An Ode for the Pure of Heart
Close Game/OFFLINE
A Desperate Situation!? Island Panic!
Let's Enjoy Together! Spojoy Park
No Seek, No Find
Stray BAD DOG
Secret Distance
Run! Sports Festival! Committee Rush
Sorrowful Farewell at the Curtain Call
Mirage of Light
The Tomorrow We Hope For
Wishing for Your Happiness Upon the Blue Sky!
Itā€™s On! Wonder Halloween
Heat Up! Kamiyama High Cheering Squad!
Guiding a Lost Child to What Lies Beyond
Find a Way Out
Revival My Dream
Scream! Welcome to the Wolf Forest!
The Warmth of Intersecting Meoldies
On the Stage of Dazzling Light
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fluffypotatey Ā· 3 months ago
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To be honest I am a huge Nalu shipper. But the thing is I want to know the difference between the way Natsu cares about his guildmates and Lucy. Like what is the obvious difference since that boy sees every as Nakama so how can we say that the wag he cares about Lucy is different?
Like even when Erza passed away? (All the way back in first season there was a segment where the guild was gathered at her grave and all) Natsu was still very reactive. Plus he was also said to be depressed even when Lisanna passed.
What's the difference between all of them and Lucy?
the fact that he stayed. the fact that before he met Lucy, Natsu wasn't one to stay in a group or even want to work with anyone besides Happy at the start of the story. hell, he was ready to just file Lucy down as "New Guildmate" once they reached Fairy Tail
but then, Lucy doesn't leave. she follows him on his mission to save Macao despite her not needing to or even really understanding everything about it. she stays and then fights with him and saves him. it's no secret that Natsu is strong and can take care of himself really well. he's been going on solo missions for years now, and no one has really stopped him, but that means he's been in a lot of sticky situations where he and Happy are on their own and have no backup. and yet, without asking, Lucy offers it
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and i think this is the moment when Natsu considers that maybe it's okay to have someone there to have his back (sans Happy)
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"but Natsu only needed Lucy for the next quest because of the requirements," well, Natsu also wouldn't have taken or even considered that quest if it weren't for Lucy, yeah? he was not a team player (in the picking job's sense) or really wanted other people to help him on his quests sans Happy. and then he goes and picks a job that caters to their team whilst ensuring that Lucy can't say no
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or maybe i'm reading too much into it šŸ¤·šŸ»ā€ā™€ļø
or maybe Natsu's got horrible abandonment issues that he will latch onto people so fast (Igneel & Lisanna) but also cause him to distance himself so far when left behind (his 1st time at the guild, Lisanna's death). Erza and Gray are Natsu's closet friends after Lisanna and yet they cannot reach him when he closes himself off. and then we have Lucy, who stuck by and had his back, so who is to say Natsu didn't make some contingencies to ensure whether or not she'd join him?
but maybe it's the rose, colored ship glasses i have on
because yeah, Natsu cares for all of his guildmates. the power of friendship is his biggest motivator. when we meet Natsu, our first introductions of him is defending his guild's reputation from Bora (who was using it as a guise for human trafficking) and saving Macao. and our 1st big arc (Galuna Island), where Natsu adamantly refuses to allow Gray to use Ice Shell and sacrifice himself despite how antagonistic they've been to each other. we get Natsu 100% at Erza's defense throughout the Tower of Heaven and he is even ready to defend Wendy though they only met hours ago
Natsu is a character with a bleeding heart and cannot help but wear it on his sleeve, but we don't really see him allow others to fight his battles or have his back until Lucy comes in. to be honest, i don't even think he had his heart on his sleeve until Lucy. he still has a bleeding heart (i don't think anything could stop that), but he was not ready to be open in receiving company because he was so used to it being ripped away from him
that being said: of all the characters he interacts with, he finds Lucy to be someone compatible enough for him to start going on team missions and inviting her on them (for example, his 1st S-class mission, which he stole, he went to her house to show it to her. the fact that part of the reward was a celestial key might be a coincidence, but i wouldn't doubt it as Natsu and Happy's trump card in case she refused)
but yeah, the difference is that he stayed and didn't push her away at the beginning, but instead continued to invite her along with him to the point that doing a mission without Lucy wasn't his regular anymore. compared to the rest of the guild, of whom he spent most of his childhood with, even if he spoke to no one, they would still be around and talk to him anyway. he might not invite them on job and only challenge them to fights, but the guild is his home and a constant in his life, a constant he needs (bc heavy abandonment issues).
"okay, but he still pushed her away after he watched Igneel die right in front of him. and he left the guild for a whole year, too. so what's the difference there?" you may ask.
so 1) Natsu never thought the guild would disband. he returns to Fiore after a year and is the last to know that they disbanded. he assumed, like all the other times before and while he and others were sealed for 7 years, that Fairy Tail would still be there when he returned. he assumed that his disappearance would not impact so hard because the guild would still be around and Lucy would have the others with her
which, did not happen :)
and like, so many guild members go off on jobs, quests, or even just leave for an indiscriminate amount of time (which i, personally, believe was his rationality for leaving), so him being gone for a year was nothing! right? no harm, eh? his plan was never to be gone forever :))))
2) he just watched his father die and lose any chance of having some semblance of a long term reunion with Igneel. he literally lost one of his main driving motivations for getting stronger and taking jobs. before Fairy Tail, before anyone, it was Igneel. and to learn that a) Igneel was always with him to begin with and b) he only got to see him for less than a day after 14 years of nothing......i would feel lost too ngl
man's needed space from everybody. and he also needed comfort, but Natsu has been shown not to really be the character who asks to receive comfort (and when he does receive it, it's usually when he's already emotionally compromised). he is in the habit of shutting people out after being abandoned or losing someone close to him, with his next rationale being to "get stronger" in order to prevent what happened in the past to ever happen in the future.
anyway
what makes this different? well for one, he sent the letter only to Lucy (or it's implied since no one else is shown getting one) because of how the two spend most of their time together. even the line that goes with the panel makes it sound like Natsu is unsure on how the note will be received (maybe even hesitant? but that could be my own hopes)
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and one of the 1st people he reunites with after a year is Lucy and we get such a similar parallel to the first chapter of Fairy Tail between the two as if the narrative itself is slotting them together to say "ah yes, now everything is back to normal and new journeys can begin"
but yeah, this is just a long way of saying, that Natsu does love his friends and guildmates but even when he is close to them, he kept to himself (and Happy) and sort of stayed in their orbit but always with some emotional distance because of his fear of abandonment. and then you have Lucy where he will stay for and allow her to orbit around him and he will invite to new adventures no questions asked
that's the difference
#this is 100% unrelated but reading the older chapters had me realize how Cana's hair is a lot curlier than in the anime#my girlie's waves got straightened T^T and they were so gorgeous too#also love the translator's notes at the end of each volume <3#fill me with so much joy and why they chose to go in what direction for each translation#this post is longer than i thought oops#like i was gonna leave it at 'bc Natsu stayed for her' and then be done#but no i can't just leave it there and not back it up#also me saying Natsu stayed for Lucy is not me trying to undermine his other relationships in the guild#Natsu's bonds with Fairy Tail are the very core of this story so to say that he loved any of his guildmates less would not be right#his love for Lucy is different#it started the same but shifted as the arcs progressed#his priorities with her are different than they are with his friends and guildmates despite being on a fairly even level#fun fact! i started writing this 6 hours ago. had class. got distracted w/ old ft plot while searching for manga panels. and now we're here#btw: this is not excusing Natsu's act of leaving without so much of a warning. this is just explaining his personal rationale and emotions.#ofc Lucy was right to feel upset and betrayed for being left behind by Natsu and then to be alone bc the guild disbanded. i would too!#but we aren't talking about that. we're talking about what makes Natsu's feelings for Lucy different from the rest of the guild#also sorry i got a little lazy with the manga panels after the first couple T^T and mayhaps distracted (rereading Igneel's death is sO fun!#fairy tail#natsu dragneel#nalu#fairy tail nalu#ft meta#also like how natsu loves is very open and through action#no matter whether its familial or platonic or romantic#how he shows it is the same fierce protectiveness and attentiveness#personally i see natsu's love being in equal fervor for all. none really trump over the other. they're just different
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t-u-i-t-c Ā· 4 months ago
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"But I don't think I made the wrong call, back then."
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trentcrimminallybeautiful Ā· 7 months ago
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you know if we do accept the last epilogue-esque sequence as a sort of dream/wish of ted's and therefore not necessarily canon, very funny if we then simply go "yeah, trent's book is called 'the lasso way' actually. he didn't change that. nope."
#listen on one hand#i think that like#i don't think ted actually changed trent's mind about the title#i think trent changed it because ted asked him to#and like that's especially interesting bc he even made a point of being like#'tell me if you disagree with anything and i'll tell you why you're wrong'#but he respects ted; more than that he likes him and he wants him to like the book--like him#anyone else and trent would have told them to fuck off but ted? ted asking him to change the title? yeah#i think he didn't agree with 'it not being about him'--and not bc of any feelings he may have for ted--but if we accept that him changing#the title is canon then like. he did it because ted asked. nothing more nothing less#maybe he felt he owed it to ted as the subject of the book; maybe he just respected him too much not to#maybe it's partially bc of his feelings; maybe it's because he just couldn't say no to ted#but it's ultimately just. because ted asked him.#and trent respects him; trusts him; cares about him#and that's pretty heartwrenching#but like on the other hand if we say 'no that was ted's wishufl thinking trent definitely went 'sorry ted it's called the lasso way''#also like.... him being like. like quietly not changing it and if ted said something him just. being like#ted. i respect you. i care about you. i trust you. but with all due respect absolutely not#yes it isn't ONLY about you but YOU made this happen. YOU are special and YOU have a place here whether you can stay forever or not#yes it's about the team and the coaches yes you aren't a one man band but ted. TED. you touched lives. you changed lives. and that was YOU.#that was you and your philosophy and your attitude.#you made richmond what it is today. yes the team deserve credit too for the kind of bond they have now but YOU facilitated that#none of the coaches currently here woudl be coaches if not for you. the diamond dogs wouldn't exist. literally every single one#of our friends--OUR friends--wouldn't be where they are and probably wouldn't be as happy#you got through to people over and over again who were hurting and lashing out. to rebecca. to roy. to jamie. to nate. to me.#and you can be humble but there's being humble and there's acting like you don't matter to any of us like you didn't have an impact#like you can just leave without a trace. we don't blame you for leaving--i especially don't--but acting like we won't miss you and like#your time with all of us--our time--meant nothing is more insulting than it is humble because we /love you/#and yes. it was the goddamn lasso way that built this place#this community.
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quietwingsinthesky Ā· 8 months ago
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if there was a torchwood/spn crossover, jack would get shot in the head so much. i know he already dies a lot, but heā€™s going to die so many times during this crossover. keeps getting bullets unloaded into him. they stab him with silver and steel and copper and none of it keeps him down. heā€™s gonna get squirted with borax and that oneā€™s not gonna kill him but it is going to ruin his coat, which is materially worse for him.
#also gwen cooper would wrestle dean to the ground and beat him half to death#ianto is going to get himself possessed. im not saying he doesnā€™t take every precaution he knows how to against it. im saying he does and it#doesnt work <3#i think sam and tosh could be friends :) (<- actually means theyā€™re just both stuck in ā€˜make this conversation go as smoothly as i can by#masking so fucking hard. so that i can leave soonerā€™ mode.)#and i think owen would kiss dean on the mouth because it would make him so uncomfortable and owen can and will use his ability to be an#asshole without regret for the good of the team. especially if this moment is directly a result of like. Dean hitting on Tosh while sheā€™s#clearly not into it. Owen is going to kiss that man at the risk of getting shot just like jack has 17 times in a row just so that heā€™ll#fuck off and leave tosh alone. and this will work because dean winchester will immediately malfunction upon being kissed by a man because#now he doesnā€™t know whether to direct his homophobic impulses at owen (<- unaffected by anything he could say.) or himself (<- guy who#believes being gay works like cooties.)#and in the background you can see jack sort of gently put his hand over toshikoā€™s and she releases a pen she was holding onto very tightly#and this is the part where you realize Oh She Was Going To Stab Dean In The Knee With That If He Didnā€™t Stop.#i also think Jack should get to kiss Crowley. i think theyā€™d both be into it and itā€™d be funny. i think they should reference that theyā€™ve#been off-and-on lovers for years actually. (gwen: youā€™ve been sleeping??? with the king of hell???? || Jack: see i donā€™t know why this is#surprising to you.) (ianto has been standing there with his mouth slightly open for a full minute. long enough for crowley to comment on it#and for owen to jokingly try to shut it for him. (cue short impromptu slap fight as ianto bats his hands away and then owen gets too into#defending the honor of his poor slapped away hands.) but anyway. <3 ianto youā€™re into guys you really need to come to terms with this at#some point sir. jack is *not* your exception this is an all day job.)
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lususnatura Ā· 5 months ago
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i just have one more thing to say about him before i go to sleep, and that's this: i've been thinking about making blamore an herbalist that's partially self-taught + also had asked someone to also teach him about it and i think i'm going to do it. because i think it would really fit for his character, since blamore would likely do it as a way to try to find out ways to ease its own pain (particularly his nerve pain) at first. but... all i can imagine now is blamore stumbling across someone's muse in the event that they are friends and them being injured / in pain.
and as a result, it would want to try to help alleviate them of their suffering; so if they had burns and/or cuts, then he'd rub a herbal salve into their skin where it was affected to help treat them. and maybeee he'd give them a bath or something in yarrow if they had a fever because it has been shown to have REALLY good anti-pyretic (anti-fever) abilities. so i basically just imagined it trying to nurse them back to health at least a little bit, and i šŸ˜­ i'm putting this on my wishlist on here now because this is just too damn sweet albeit in an angsty way to not do so. but of course, if they were like on death's door or something, then it would definitely just be using some of these herbal cures in the meantime until he could get an medical doctor out there like nico to help them. but it's the thought that counts in the end
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ctl-yuejie Ā· 1 year ago
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i cannot yell enough about top not telling mew he slept in his bed and even without that knowledge mew tries not to have anything to do with him - that last scene was very much not a romantic gesture
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fragmentedblade Ā· 1 year ago
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Insane that Blade during Todd's quest did basically the same thing Dan Heng was doing during this last video
#Fragments and scraps#I talk too much#I had just finished Todd's quest and I had so many questions and hypotheses and then the video dropped#And goodness it gave me even more things to ponder but I also think it kind of cleared things up when it came to what was Blade mourning#I also wondered whether this came after Kafka's companion mission but now I'm pretty sure it comes before it? I think it makes sense#Seeing confirmation of Yingxing being old looking was so hard to watch whilst compared to how young Jing Yuan sounds in Chinese#And when seeing him alongside Jingliu and Baihengā€š who were both mature women when he was a little kid#No wonder he is so prideful of his craft. He deserves it. I really adore how they implemented a lot of details in the worldbuilding#and sidequests that throw light towards the characterisation and story of some of the main characters#Specifically I can't stop thinking about Yingxing in the context of how we see shortlife humans are regarded by some people on the Xianzhou#and especially in the context of the sidequest about the master and the apprentice. Everything it implies#Anyway... This video broke me. The confrontation between Dan Heng and Dan Feng was hard enough#(guy leave the boy aloneā€š *he* has nothing to repent of) as well as beautiful. Some shots were gorgeous and full of symbolism#But seeing the five friends... goodness. Yingxing's bitter smile carries a weight that I think goes beyond him losing to Jingliu#given his age and how young his friends look. The way Jing Yuan reacts as if having the braincell but also teasing them was so him#The way his voice broke later on while reading Imbibitor Lunae's punishment took me out#Baiheng reminded me a bit of March 7th in this video. It may be due to how March reacts to Dan Heng's melancholic air towards the end#And how Baiheng reacts to Imbibitor Lunae's and Yingxing's at the beginning. I don't know if the parallelism was purposeful but I loved it#They all felt actually a lot closer than I expected. Mainly Jingliu. I expected her to be close only to Baiheng given what Jing Yuan says#The images that flash over the sentence were so good and so heartbreaking#Yingxing looking at the figure over the moonā€š his chest being pierced by the sword Blade now wieldsā€š#Jingliu blindfolded slicing somethingā€š someone suspended in chainsā€š...#And the heavy absence in those images of Jing Yuanā€š whose breaking voice hovers over them all#Truly brought back to mind Blade's line about him. How he knew better than anyone but he did or said nothing#And how he is not one of those who must pay#Everything was so charged I wanted to scream or jump off a cliff. The way the faces of Dan Heng and Dan Feng superimpose ugh#Truly everything was so good#I have so many thoughts about it I can't stop thinking hahaha#But I better shut up already. I should sleep a bit#I want to scream though. The Dan Heng/Blade parallelism makes me want to drown a seaā€š ontological barriers be damned haha
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lightningfilledsaber Ā· 2 years ago
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Iā€™ll be talking about the last post I reblogged in the tags of this post for the sake of the person I reblogged it from
#mud rambles#quick lil backstory for why. I follow him but he no longer follows me so I can have my privacy bc his partners are people ive cut off#he and i have how we interact figured out explicitly he's still my friend i care for him deeply what happened between his partners and i#didnt have anything to do with him. i let him know what happened. theyre not horrible ppl just bad friends to me#anyway#SO fucking ironic to see that on my dash from them specifically because his fucking girlfriend (my ex friend who was my roommate) would#CONSTANTLY compare me to her abusive father for! no goddamn reason!#it wasn't necessarily 1 to 1 comparison but she would bring him up OUT OF NOWHERE for example one time i was literally just listening to#metallica (fuck metallica but they were MY dad's fav band so i listen to them bc of nostalgia) and she just! was like#'you listen to dad bands. my dad likes metallica' o...kay???#and that wasnt the worst one. she would just. unprompted compare me to her dad. usually like that over things i liked but she once like.#vagued me to my face about how ~crazy and paranoid~ her dad is#NOT EVEN ONCE she brought up how paranoid he was A LOT and like. at the time i was trying to be a little more open abt my paranoia w her an#my ex best friend (her other partner) so like. idk. whether it was a vague at me or not i did not appreciate it#even MY partner brought up multiple times how it was fucking weird and she was lowkey comparing me to her fucking dad#KEEP IN MIND BTW I PERSONALLY moved her out of her home state and away from her dad to room with me and my partner#i dont remember a lot of the examples bc i want to block that shit out but. what the fuck woman#anyway i needed to talk abt this but like i said i dont wanna be vagueing my friends gf in the tags of a post i reblogged from him lmao#i can talk abt it on my own blog not there#and mandatory disclaimer please do not try to figure out who the people ive cut off are and also please leave them and their bf alone#like i said he's still my friend and i care about him#i just feel the need to say that bc. i trust the people who follow me to not go and do that but. just genuinely need to clear the air#i cut them off for a reason. i dont want any kind of contact with them even indirectly. and i dont want people harassing my friend#i specifically went out of my way when that shit went down to make sure he and i were still cool so dont fuck this up for me thanx!
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sahkuna Ā· 6 months ago
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NOT SO INVISIBLE STRING ā€” GOJO SATORU
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synopsis: the universe has a funny way of working. gojo always knew he was destined to be with you and so did others. it just took some time for you to figure that out as well.
content warning(s): FLUFF! eventual smut so 18+ mdni, fem! reader, pining gojo (sooo cute), mutual pining, friends to lovers, unproetected sex, gojo calling you baby multiple times while going innn.
word count: 6.8k zoo wee mama... pls read anyway or i'll dā€”
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SPRING 2008
ā€œSo, youā€™re not gonna miss me? Not even a little?ā€Ā 
An arm was suddenly thrown across your shoulders, leaving you to bear its weight. The press of his uniform stuck to your nape, making his presence all the more difficult to ignore.
Fellow students bustled and sidestepped their way around you two, some even falter in their steps to ogle briefly at the scene unfolding before them.
ā€œSatoru, move!ā€ Shokoā€” your saviourā€” jabs Gojoā€™s side, urging him to budge, but to no avail.
Heā€™s still tethered to your side, twirling around his diploma in his unoccupied hand despite your best efforts to create space between you two. ā€œYouā€™re literally blocking peopleā€™s way toward the gates,ā€ she says.
Itā€™s graduation day and the last day of school for the spring semester, bringing the school year to yet another successful end. It also meant that today would be the last time your upperclassmen would walk on school grounds as students.
The sun was beginning to dip behind the many trees surrounding the school, and its marvellous glow cast warm hues of pink and orange that stretched across the sky. Its rays descend onto the schoolā€™s campus; setting for a brilliant, comforting atmosphere.Ā 
Answering Gojoā€™s initial question about whether youā€™d miss him, you avert eye contact with your persistent senior. ā€œI never said that,ā€ your voice teeters between a grumble and a groan riddled with exasperation.Ā 
Your eyes sweep the courtyard and you spot a few familiar faces in the crowd. Some are gathered along the steps leading up to the school taking photos to commemorate today. Others linger on campus chatting amongst themselves, and some whack each other with their diploma scrolls while others treat theirs delicately.
And not too far off from where Satoru holds you hostage stood a small crowd of his classmatesā€”specifically, his female classmatesā€” waiting for their chance to bid their goodbyes...
Or stumble out an unprepared confession thrown out in the heat of the moment before they may never see Gojo Satoru again.
Who knows.Ā 
All youā€™re sure of is that they are most definitely throwing you shady death glares from your peripheral.
ā€œYā€™know, Iā€™m gonna miss you,ā€ Gojo says, his arm still looped around your shoulders. He has half a mind to drag you away from standing right front and centre in the entranceway and shuffles you off to the side. ā€œAll the years weā€™ve spent togetherā€”ā€
ā€œTwo years, by force.ā€Ā 
ā€œā€” and now weā€™re being split apart,ā€ he finishes, paying no mind to your sardonic comment. The infliction in his voice prompts you to turn to look at him, only to wind up and see a slight pout tugging at his soft, pink lips. ā€œHow ever will we manage?ā€
You smother down the urge to heave a loud and heavy sigh at the clingy characteristics heā€™s displaying today and decide to play nice.
Gojoā€™s always been one to be playful, perhaps even a bit pushy at times but it was all in good nature. However, for some reason, his antics have reached a whole new level today.Ā 
Emotions were running high among staff and students alike. Some are more potent andā€¦ persistent than others.
ā€œYouā€™ll be fine,ā€ you assure, patting his arm half-heartedly, ā€œand I will certainly be fine. Everything will be just fine.ā€
In the middle of your sentence from the corner of your eye, you spot another one of your seniorsā€” Geto Suguru. You watch him step out from a conversation with two classmates of yours (Haibara and Nanami) and is now trekking his way over to where you and Gojo occupy the front steps.
ā€œGeto-senpai!ā€Ā 
Geto greets you warmly by placing a comforting hand on your head and gives you a reassuring pat once, then twice. The action leaves your hairstyle a little dishevelled, nonetheless, thereā€™s a small smile tugging at your lips.
Youā€™ve only interacted with Geto a sparse number of times outside of class or at the end of the school day. Whenever you both would cross paths you appreciated how he would regard your presence with temperance. It always left you feeling at ease. Youā€™ll miss him.Ā 
Youā€™ll especially miss how he was so quick to offer you and Haibara snacks from the vending machines on campus.
Gojo emits a pathetic squawk at the special name drop.
Pale, white brows are pinched tightly together with faux betrayal. ā€œHow come he gets honorifics but I donā€™t?!ā€ he complains once Getoā€™s within earshot.Ā 
ā€œI see that Satoru's already startedā€¦ā€
Though Geto was talking to no one in particular, Shoko chips in given that she bore witness to Gojoā€™s incessant pestering toward you ever since the home bell rang. ā€œYou missed the part where he blocked her from getting to the lockers for a good several minutes.ā€ Unzipping her bag, she carelessly shoves her diploma into it.Ā 
ā€œBut anyway, Iā€™m gonna head out for a smoke. Iā€™ll catch you guys later.ā€ Before departing, Shoko stretches her hand towards you and gives your arm an affectionate squeeze. ā€œGet home safe, ā€˜kay? Donā€™t let these guys keep you out too long.ā€
Which reminded youā€¦
ā€œGojo, this has been fun and allā€¦ā€ Being rag-dolled around by your upperclassman across campus has been anything but fun. ā€œBut I really should start heading home now.ā€
You wanted to beat the rush hour of students and working-class alike trying to go home on a late Thursday afternoon. Looking for empty seats on the 4:25 PM train was brutal and you did not have the energy to stand the entire ride home.
Sensing your air of urgency, he eventually relents. Heaving a dramatic sigh, Gojo steps back a few and gives you some space.Ā Ā 
ā€œGimme a second, yeah?ā€ He rummages around in his uniform pocket, searching for something. It only lasts about a second before he pulls out his flip phone.
ā€œSuguru!ā€ A curt upward nod of Gojoā€™s head is the only warning Geto gets before he tosses his cell toward his best friend to catch. Youā€™re appalled that he catches it so easily with the little to no notice that was given. ā€œTake a picture of us.ā€
ā€¦Huh?
Your brows drew close-knit together with confusion. ā€œWhat are yā€”?!ā€ Before you can even finish your question, youā€™re pulled tightly into Gojoā€™s side.Ā 
His arms circle your neck once more, but this time, he uses the opportunity of your close proximity to tip his head to the side and knock it against your own.Ā 
ā€œSmile,ā€ Gojo murmurs into your ear, his slender fingers pinching at your cheek prodding for you to plaster on a sugary smile for the picture.
You donā€™t have enough time to register, let alone recover from how his lips faintly brushed against your skin, Gojoā€™s already obnoxiously yelling ā€œCheese!ā€ towards the awaiting camera.Ā Ā 
Snapping the photo Geto sports a lazy grin admiring his work. ā€œLooks good,ā€ he says before he tosses the phone back to its owner.Ā 
Youā€™re still reeling over the gentle graze of Gojoā€™s lips against your cheek, too dazed to digest whatā€™s going on around you. What. In. The hell. Just happened???Ā 
Sputtering out a laugh, Gojo grins down at the image on his phone. ā€œWhatā€™s with that face youā€™re making, huh?ā€
Eyebrows furrowing, you look up at Gojo curiously. Whatever was in that picture that made him smile that wide couldnā€™t have been good. ā€œWhat do you mean?ā€ You question, stepping closer to see what he was referring to on his screen.
Gojo tips his cell over and shows you the photo Geto took. There you both are in grain, Gojo looking the most lively out of you two. Despite the quality of the camera, you can see the proud and happy smile he wears compared to your frazzled and confused expression.
If anything, it looked like you were the one who was graduating and he so happened to snag a photo with you before your big send-off.
ā€œI wasnā€™t readyā€¦ā€ you grumbled, looking away from his phone.
Thereā€™s a faint smile lingering on his face, blue eyes still trained on the screen. His voice's cadence grows warm and carries a small hint of affection.
ā€œThat face of yours is what Iā€™m gonna miss the most.ā€
SUMMER 2009Ā 
To no oneā€™s surprise, you and Gojo kept in close contact, even after graduating high school.Ā 
Wellā€¦ More so Gojo kept in contact with you. Consistently.Ā 
Whenever he can.
He was there during your spring graduation (shocker), much to the elation of the entire female population from your graduating class. Looking back, the number of times he stopped to pose with random students around the school when he came to greet you was absurd.
Youā€™ll also never forget how loud he cheered when your name was called despite Principal Yaga telling the audience to hold their applause and hollers until after the ceremony.
Fast forward to the summer of ā€˜09 where Gojo consistently seeks your presence to go and hang out with him now that you have a freed-up schedule. Whether it's with him alone or with Geto and Shoko, you can always rely on him to shoot you a ā€˜u busy?ā€™ text an hour before dragging you out for the rest of the day.
ā€œSooo,ā€ you start slowly.
Your eyes skim across the playground, watching the few children who were there amble and climb on the jungle gym before you. The sun was beginning to descend below the skyline, and hues of warm orange press onto your features casting you and your surroundings in a soft glow.Ā 
ā€œYouā€™re aā€¦ guardian now,ā€ you state, eyeing how Gojo stretches his legs out beside you.Ā 
You both sit at a park bench, the chorus of laughter and playful shrieks surround you as you watch Megumiā€” a kid Gojo now supposedly looks afterā€” poke mindlessly at something buried beneath the playgroundā€™s sand.
ā€œYup!ā€ he chirps, but then itā€™s swiftly followed by a hesitant, ā€œWell, sorta kindaā€¦ā€
Thereā€™s a mental warfare going on in his mind as he combs through the various explanations he can give you, searching for one that would be both concise and easy for you to digest.
ā€œTo put it simply, from here on out Iā€™m going to be a constant in Megumi and Tsumikiā€™s life.ā€
You think of the step-sibling duo. Theyā€™re the sweetest pair of children youā€™ve had the delight of coming across, and nowā€¦
ā€œTheyā€™re doomed,ā€ you say with pity, your gaze still focused on the youngest Fushiguro.Ā 
Gojo gasps in disbelief at your bold accusation with his hand flying to his chest, clearly having taken offence. ā€œWhatā€™s that supposed to mean?!ā€ he asks.
But before you could give him a smart alec answer, the cheerful exclamation of your name pulls your attention elsewhere. The soft thump of Tsumikiā€™s shoes approaching prompts you to smile brightly. With open arms, the girl practically throws herself at you and giggles.
You give her cheek an affectionate squeeze. Despite her being in the second grade, you couldnā€™t help but coddle her. ā€œWhy hello, Tsumiki!ā€Ā 
It takes her a few moments to finally release you from the hug, backing up a bit she glances up at you. ā€œWhere were you? I missed you on Tuesday, the swings werenā€™t fun without you!ā€ she says, pouting.
ā€œI wasnā€™t feeling the best, so I had to turn down Gojoā€™s invite to meet you guys at the park that day.ā€
Upon hearing all the commotion, Megumi spots Tsumiki talking to you a few steps from the play area. It prompts the young boy to walk over and join you three at the bench. He nods his head over at his step-sister and says, ā€œShe thought you guys broke up.ā€
Huh?
You blink rapidly. ā€œBrokeā€” Broke up!?ā€ You squawk, the inflection of your voice rising at the ā€˜upā€™ part.
Where could she have possibly gotten that idea from? You and Gojo werenā€™t even dating!
Gathering your composure you plaster on a sweet smile, ready to explain to the young pair that you and Gojo werenā€™t together like that before a heavy arm comes hunkering down onto your shoulders. ā€œEven if she tried, she canā€™t get rid of me that easily,ā€ Gojo comments.
Christ.
Tsumiki claps her hands together in glee at this revelation. ā€œYay! ā€˜Cause I like you!ā€ she confesses. ā€œI thought Iā€™d have to deal with Gojo and his friend with the big ears pushing me on the swings forever.ā€ And with that, the girlā€™s already off running to the big yellow slide, pulling Megumi along in her wake.
The sweet smile you wear grows more and more strained the longer you two sit there on that damned bench with Gojoā€™s arm still lodged around you like it belonged there.Ā 
Long delicate fingers drum themselves along your bare shoulder which leaves a tingling sensation that lingers against your skin.
ā€œGojo Satoruā€¦ā€ you hiss between clenched teeth.
Your hand creeps up to give his knee a mean pinch, but as always, Gojo reads your movements like a damn book and catches your hand in his before that could happen. ā€œHm?ā€
ā€œWhat do you mean ā€˜Hmā€™?ā€ You gesture in the general direction of where the kids are playing. You feel your brows start to pinch together. ā€œWhy would you tell them that?!ā€
ā€œItā€™s true though, no?ā€ Snowy white wisps of hair fall in front of his eyes shaded by his signature round sunglasses. ā€œWe havenā€™t ā€˜broken upā€™ and weā€™re still together. Just not in their understanding of it.ā€
ā€œYouā€”! Thatā€™s notā€”ā€ You flounder for words, trying to spit out why he canā€™t go around inadvertently feeding into the imagination of whatever relationship Tsumiki and Megumi thought you two had. But you come up blank.
ā€œYouā€™re irritating, you know that?ā€ you say, as you try (and fail) at removing his arm which still rests comfortably around your shoulders, pressing you tight against him. ā€œYouā€™ll wind up confusing them.ā€
An easy smile slips onto his lips as he observes Tsumiki and Megumi scramble up the slides. ā€œRelax,ā€ he responds. ā€œTheyā€™re smart kids.ā€
And until it was time for the Fushiguros to go home, there you two sat underneath the thinning ochre sky. Stuck under the guise of an unspoken relationship.
WINTER 2011
Being the ā€œmiddlemanā€ between two people who are so obviously into each other but cannot figure out how to hang around each other normally was all too common for Shoko.
Itā€™s a shame that Geto wasnā€™t available to come down and hang out with the three of you tonight, he wouldā€™ve revelled in getting a kick out of this expected yet unexpectedā€¦ turn of events.
Brought in as a buffer between you two, with an unlit cigarette dangling loosely from her lips Shoko leaned back in her chair and watched the buzzing scene before her unfold with bemused eyes.Ā 
Underneath the comforting golden glow of the restaurantā€™s hanging table light, Gojo picks at the cookie dough chunks that litter your plate to which you turn a blind eye. Now, Shoko couldā€™ve easily brushed this occurrence off, seeing that friends often eat from each other's share of food all the time.
But something was... different.
With Gojo seated to your left inside the booth, he neatly cuts up a piece of his soft, creamy cheesecake and leverages the small serving on his spoon. ā€œHere, try some of mine,ā€ he says.
Harmless, right?Ā 
So, you reach for your own spoon to retrieve the sample of dessert that he was offering you. But without any hesitation, Gojo lifts his cutlery to your lips and prods the food toward your mouth.
There was no way that he intended on doing this right here, right now. In front of Shoko especially.
ā€œSay, ā€˜Ahhhā€™!ā€
Concern creases your brow when Gojo continues to press the spoon against your lips, idly humming as he waits for you to open your mouth so he can spoon feed you as if he were your mother. A delicate, yet sure hand cupping your chin and everything.
He was being serious.
From your peripheral, you catch the slow spread of a Cheshire-like grin creeping onto Shokoā€™s face.
You press your fingers onto Gojoā€™s wrist and frown. Trying to retreat from his hand, a peal of nervous laughter bubbles out from you at his display of reckless affection at the table. ā€œGive me a brā€”ā€
Gojo uses the opportunity of your uncertain state to slip his sharing of theĀ  Japanese cheesecake into your mouth in the middle of your sentence. Your eyes widen a small fraction at its creamy taste, prompting him to comment, ā€œItā€™s good, right?ā€
The cigarette threatens to slip from Shokoā€™s mouth, as her lips slightly gape at what just happened before they curve into a soft smile. Her brown eyes are warm withā€¦ something. Itā€™s as if she knew something that you didnā€™t.Ā Ā 
ā€œEhhhā€¦ā€ Is all she says before youā€™re already jumping down her throat to clear up any misunderstandings.
ā€œItā€™s nothing!ā€ you supply in a rushed manner. Your main objective was to simply imply that this was nothing for her to lose her head over. Hell, even the friendliest of friends feed each other all the time! Right?
But at your remark, Gojoā€™s mouth downturns into a cute little pout. ā€œWhat do you mean, ā€˜nothingā€™?ā€ From the corner of your eye you glance at how heā€™s fixed another spoonful of the dessert, and it's hovering in your direction.
ā€œSatoā€”ā€ Fuck.
You quickly correct yourself on your mistake, and school your voice to have a bit more edge to it. Despite that, you donā€™t overlook how hard Gojoā€™s beaming at you. ā€œGojo, not now.ā€
ā€œEhhh?ā€ Shoko exclaims once again, but this time the cadence of her voice has changed. Itā€™s gained an amused note to its tune. ā€œYou call him Satoru now? Since when?ā€
ā€œIā€™ve been begging her to use it for the longest time ever,ā€ Gojo answers on your behalf, and he ignores your mutter for him to please stop talking in favour of jabbing an accusatory finger at you. ā€œYou know how painful it was to see you be all chummy and on a first-name basis with everyone but me?ā€
Lord. Youā€™ve forgotten how dramatic he could be.Ā 
Thereā€™s a teasing glint in Shokoā€™s eye that you quite donā€™t like, and her lips purse heavy with consideration at his comment. ā€œYou make him beg?ā€
Groaning, you cross your arms against the table and bury your face. You canā€™t with them. Your two former upperclassmen were the bane of your existence right about now.Ā 
ā€œIā€™ll kill you both,ā€ you mutter, your speech muffled by the fabric of your sweater.
A FEW YEARS LATER
A calming blue nightly glow ripples through your curtains, casting your room in nothing but moonlight. Amidst the serene silence, you idly stare at your screen and read the text Satoru sent you right as the clock struck midnight.
Satoru: Are you home?
What an ominous question. Your eyes skim over his message again. And then again.Ā 
ā€¦And again.
Thumbing through your phone, you glance at the time displayed on the top of your screen. Itā€™s been five minutes since youā€™ve opened his text. You should probably send something back soon before he quintuple texts you.
As youā€™re about to respond right when Satoru immediately shoots you another.
Satoru: I KNOW you see this!!! ( `ĪµĀ“ )
Satoru: Hurry hurry hurry
You: yes... why?
Now itā€™s his turn to take a while to respond. First, it takes a couple of minutes for you to receive that pinging chime; indicating that heā€™s texted you backā€” which isnā€™t too bad because you like to consider yourself a pretty patient person.Ā 
But then five minutes slowly turn into ten, and that ten becomes a whopping fifteen until finally he answers.
Satoru: Open your door.
What the fuck.
Satoru: Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepl
So thatā€™s why he took so long to reply. The man was coming all the way down from his place to come and visit you!
You: you're actually insane.
You: hold on!
Rising from your seated position on your bed, you stalk over to your bedroom door and are about to exit when you spot yourself in a nearby mirror.
ā€œOh!ā€ you exclaim to no one in particular. You canā€™t open the door for him looking likeā€¦ this.
Wait, why do you care about what Satoru thinks of your clothes?!
Ā Heā€™s seen you wearing much worse. Like that one instance in first-year, when you had to borrow Getoā€™s spare parachute pants because Haibara accidentally spilt his soda all over your lap during an informal outing with everyone.
Yeesh.
Shaking your head, you slip out of your room and pad down your apartment hallway wearing your discoloured oversized band tee and shorts. Upon reaching your door, your hand hesitates on the doorknob.Ā 
It stays like that for a few seconds until the doorknob is rattled in a fashion thatā€™s all too persistent, annoying, and all fromā€”
ā€œSatoru!ā€ you hiss, swinging the door open. Youā€™re ready to chew him out on how much of a nuisance he may be for your sleeping neighbours a few doors down. But your looming reprimand falls short on your tongue once your eyes take in the man facing you.
ā€œHappy birthday!ā€Ā 
In the darkness, the soft glow of sparklers illuminates your features and highlights the exquisite details of a beautifully decorated cake held in Satoruā€™s hands.
Wordlessly, your hand aimlessly searches for the light switch to brighten up your hallway so that you may get a better look at whatā€™s on the cake.Ā 
Something trembles in your chest and it hurts a little to breathe. But not in the way that you detest.
Heā€™s cute.
Gojo Satoru is so heartbreakingly cute.
On the cake, you see that damn grainy photo you two took on his graduation day back in ā€˜08. The photo you love to hate.
Wetness springs to your eyes from the entire gesture, from the fact that he ensured he was the first one through text and physically to wish you a happy birthday, and from the fact that heā€™s here right now.
ā€œHeyā€¦ā€ Thereā€™s concern creasing Satoruā€™s expression as he pokes his head down a little to get a better read on you. ā€œAre you crying?ā€
You sniff back your tears and grunt out a watery, ā€œNoā€¦ Shut up and come in already.ā€
Ushering him inside, Satoru hands you your cake, toes off his shoes and heads straight to your living room. Good to see that heā€™s already making himself at home.
Plopping himself down onto your couch you hesitantly follow behind him, suddenly feeling like a stranger in your own home. ā€œCome, come!ā€ He waves a welcoming hand at you and pats the seat beside him, insinuating that you should sit.
With immediate interest, you do as he says and take a seat beside him after you position your cake in the middle of your coffee table. The couch feels so small now, with him spread out like that.
Pulling out something from his pocket with one hand and tugging off the party hat from his head with the otherā€” had he been wearing that the whole time?ā€” Satoru clears his throat. ā€œBefore you cry again, I gotta make sure youā€™re able to see your present first.ā€
He takes your head in his hands, and you realize his fingertips are a little cold as they press on your warm cheeks. Stretching the string down from the party hat a bit, he places it under your chin and snaps the cardboard cone into place on your head.
Breathing a noise of satisfaction seemingly content with how you look, a cheeky grin dances across Satoruā€™s face. ā€œPerfect. You can now go ahead and open your gift,ā€ he says, handing you a small black velvet box with the company logo HW scrawled across it.
ā€œWait, what,ā€ you deadpan.
This canā€™t be what you think it is.
ā€œItā€™s not a ring!ā€ Satoru blurts. But composes himself seconds later with a quip of, ā€œUnless you want it to be?ā€
Har. Har. Very funny.
You disregard what heā€™s said and peel open the box with caring hands.
Inside was the most extravagant necklace youā€™ve ever laid eyes on. A diamond pendant laid bare inside the box in the shape of a forget-me-not with your birthstone at the flower's centre.Ā 
That couldā€™ve easily cost him a little over one million yen if you think about it deeply.
ā€œSatoru!ā€ you squeal.
Without thinking, you throw your arms around his neck and squeeze your longtime friend into your loving embrace. Satoruā€™s gift to you almost topples and sinks into the crevice of your couch had it not been for his quick hand to catch the necklace.
Your heartā€™s racing, and initially, his body goes rigid until he gradually relaxes under your hold. ā€œYouā€™re crazy, ā€™s too expensive!ā€ you sparingly chastise him.Ā 
Satoru swallows hard and brings a careful arm up to reciprocate the hug. You feel the warm press of his arm against the thin material of your shirt.Ā 
ā€œNothingā€™s too expensive if youā€™re involved,ā€ you hear him murmur into your ear. ā€œSo, donā€™t worry ā€˜bout it.ā€
You give him one last bone-crushing squeeze, hoping that your rare show of physical touch does not go unnoticed and exemplifies how grateful you are. Pulling away from him you look him dead in the eyes. ā€œThank you, seriously.ā€
Shrugging you off like it was no big deal as if he didnā€™t blow double, maybe even triple the money the average Japanese businessman earns on a singular paycheque toward your necklace, Satoru casts you a gentle smile and changes the subject.Ā 
There would be no need to dwell on it any longer with whatā€™s to come.
ā€œNowā€¦ā€ He gives your lower back a soft pat. Once, and twice. ā€œA birthday kiss from the birthday girl.ā€ Satoru puckers out his lips and shuts his eyes real tight, making a huge show out of it.
For extra effect, he even hums a prolonged Mmm-ing sound to emphasize him waiting for you to initiate it.
Itā€™s a joke; you know heā€™s joking. He has a ridiculously long history of being overly affectionate with his teasings and whatnot.Ā 
But this time, you really do lean in and take said kiss from him.
Thereā€™s something incredibly adorable about this kiss that has your heart surging in your chest. Partly because itā€™s the first time that youā€™re kissing each other, but mostly because of how frigid and careful it is. It made you feel as if you were in high school all over again, trying a plethora of new things for kicks and giggles.
The tension was almost palpable, thick enough to suffocate the air he breathed. Even when you pulled away creating space between you both, Satoru still felt a lingering lump in his throat.
Cracking your eyes open, you see that Satoruā€™s own are blown wide. Piercing cerulean eyes stare unblinking at you. Normally, you wouldā€™ve found that to be off putting as hell, had it not been for the slow rise of a blooming pink crawling up his neck.
ā€œSorry,ā€ you offer weakly. Sensing that you may have gone too far, you make an effort to scoot off his lap. But a determined arm holds you in place.
ā€œAgain.ā€ He swallows thickly, and your eyes follow that mesmerizing movement in his throat. ā€œIā€¦ I didnā€™t do it right. Please.ā€
And who are you to make him beg? So, you do as he says.
Leaning in, your lips press against Satoruā€™s once more. And this time, he has the sense to close his eyes and bask in it, not daring to let his nerves get the best of him (though heā€™d never admit it).Ā 
Slotting yourself to be more flushed against him, the tips of your noses brush and you feel Satoruā€™s hand smooth down your spine. The pads of his fingertips press onto your exposed skin peeking out from underneath the hem of your shirt bunched around your hips.
God, you wanted him bad.
Itā€™s abrupt, the way you push yourself off him and force yourself to stand on your feet, breaking the kiss. The rise and fall of your chest is a bit staggered and Satoruā€™s is too. Heā€™s all red-faced and his snow-white hair is a bit dishevelled, considering how many times youā€™ve combed your fingers through it.
ā€œDid I do something wrong?ā€
Cute.Ā 
That alone made you want to jump his bones even more.
You shake your head and get one good look at him before you leave him to head down your hallway. He looked perpetually enraptured by you, eyes hyper-focused on your every movement.Ā  ā€œCome to my bedroom.ā€
Satoruā€™s stunned, the implications of your remark not lost on him.
And like a keen lost puppy, of course he follows. He joins you in your bedroom seconds after you and stands in the doorway, just kind of hovering there. Not sure of what to do.
Wait. Did he come here too fast? Did that make him look overly desperate? A million and one questions rush through Satoruā€™s mind as his neck grows red, stained with embarrassment, wantā€¦ arousal.Ā 
Seeing how he seems to be short-wiring at your doorway, you beckon him to join you on the bed with your hand. Once he does, he sits extremely close next to you. His clothed thigh brushes against your bare one, which sends a jolt of electricity through you.
Your fingers find his nape once again and they stroke up on his fresh undercut, prompting him to shiver a bit. ā€œWhyā€™re you so shy all of a sudden?ā€ you question, your voice going gentle with a provoking edge to it.
Gaining some of his personality back, Satoru pinches your cheek. ā€œā€˜Cause I didnā€™t think youā€™d want to kiss me!ā€ But his mean hand then turns soft and slides along your jaw, his thumb rubbing smooth circles into the skin just below your ear.Ā 
ā€œWell, Iā€™m here,ā€ you say, scooting impossibly closer to the man beside you, ā€œand wanting.ā€
Message received.
Hauling you onto his lap, Satoru cradles your face in both hands and kisses you deeply. Itā€™s full of emotion, expressing all the things heā€™s been wanting to say for the longest time. A trembled exhale escapes you, and itā€™s through that that Satoru uses the opportunity to slide his tongue alongside yours.Ā 
The kiss is frenzied, but so filled with love.
ā€œSo you like me?ā€ he asks, his breathing laboured.
ā€œYes,ā€ you bite, pushing him away from you and onto the mattress. ā€œAs if swapping spit with you wasnā€™t enough.ā€ You guess youā€™ll have to show him how much you undoubtedly like him, love him even, through other means.Ā 
He huffs a breath of laughter and drops his back onto your bed. Underneath you, you see Satoruā€™s eyes sparkle as he watches you have your way with him.Ā 
But somethingā€™s up.
His eyes climb up a little higher and this time, he barks out a real laugh.
You still have that piece of fuck sitting on your head. You probably look stupid as hell right now.
Discerning that youā€™re about to raise your hand to your head, Satoru holds your wrist in his palm. Thereā€™s something bright that gleams behind those alluring pools of blue, warm and tender. He bites back a smile. ā€œThe birthday hat stays on during sex.ā€
You scrunch your nose at him. ā€œYouā€™re so dumb,ā€ you growl with artificial frustration and tear off the cone-shaped hat from your head, tossing it into the depths of your room. He whines at its loss, but youā€™re quick to placate him with a slow roll of your hips into his lap.
Satoruā€™s jaw clenches and his hands fly to your waist, gripping you tightly as you continue to grind yourself down onto his erection. Your ministrations pull a wanton whimper from his lips, one that has you grinding with more purposeā€” the purpose of hearing that sound again.
ā€œDo you like that?ā€ you ask.
He nods, not trusting himself to speak, else heā€™ll let out a pathetic string of moans.
ā€œI know, me too.ā€ Satoruā€™s dick lurches in the confines of his pants as he watches you dry-hump him into the mattress slowly, your eyes shining with lust. Fuck, he could get hard just off your expression alone. ā€œIt feels reeeally nice being up on you like this,ā€ you continue.
You have a fucking dirty mouth. One that Satoruā€™s growing more and more addicted to the more you speak.
Thereā€™s an incessant throbbing between your legs that you canā€™t quite alleviate. While rolling your hips into Satoruā€™s lapā€” with his occasional thrust to match your movementsā€” felt good, it can only do so much. You wanted and needed more.
And so did Satoru, because heā€™s already pulling at the waistband of his pants. His thumb loops two layers and tugs both his pants and boxers down, revealing his toned V-line.Ā 
Fuck.
You fall victim to Satoruā€™s enamoured gaze from below, which makes you squirm hot with arousal. ā€œTake it off,ā€ he commands.
He wants you to strip him of his clothes.Ā 
Caught taking a startled breath, you ignore the wicked, handsome smile that slinks onto his face as you slip off his lap so you may curl your fingers around his waistband and pull. Your pussy clenches when his erect dick springs into view, and the heat pumping through your veins runs a little hotter.
You shiver at how pretty and filling his dick looks. After a few seconds of openly ogling at his lap, Satoru clears his throat which successfully gets you to drag your eyes back up to his face.
ā€œWhile that was nice,ā€ he starts, leveraging himself up onto his elbows and grins at your cute error, ā€œI meant you, baby. Take it off.ā€
ā€œOh.ā€Ā 
Seriously? Just ā€˜Ohā€™?
Mentally facepalming, you shimmy your shorts down your legs along with your panties. They pool down at your ankles and you step out of them to stand between his legs.
Fully sitting up, Satoru pats his lap; encouraging you to sit on him again. ā€œCā€™mere.ā€
You crawl onto his lap, but you donā€™t sit down fully. Hovering a few inches away from his cock, your knees press on each side of his thighs, trapping him in.Ā 
Thereā€™s no way in hell you were gonna sit down right now, knowing that if you do, youā€™d be pressing your bare pussy onto his naked thigh and heā€™d feel everything. Exposing how wet you are.
Humming, Satoru lifts the hem of your oversized top to your breasts and sighs. ā€œPretty,ā€ he murmurs before he leans forward and captures your nipple into his mouth.
You gasp harshly at the titillating feeling. Your hands balance on his shoulders for support, as he rolls your nipple on his tongue.
ā€œSaā€” Ah!ā€ You cry out. The hand between your legs startles you and has you whimpering in the open air.
ā€œYouā€™re wet,ā€ he comments, slipping a finger against your slick pussy.
ā€œShut up about itā€¦ā€
But he doesnā€™t. Another finger joins the first and delves down between your lips, gradually easing them inside you. They push against your walls, curling in a way that has you gasping into his neck. ā€œYou got wet from grinding alone, huh?ā€Ā 
A breath stutters out of your mouth and you rock yourself against his hand. You canā€™t take this anymore. You want more. ā€œDo you have a condom?ā€ you ask.
ā€œIā€”ā€ he groans when your hand slides between you two, your fingers curl around his dick and stroke his tip along your leaking slit. ā€œI didnā€™t bring one, because I didnā€™t think weā€™dā€”ā€
Oh.
Biting your bottom lip, you sling a heavy arm across Satoruā€™s shoulders. You meet his hungry gaze with one of your own and inch closer toward his dick that rests against his stomach. What youā€™re about to do could be risky, but at this given moment you couldnā€™t find it in you to be overly stressed about it.
ā€œNo worries,ā€ you reply, your voice barely above a whisper, ā€œI trust you enough to pull out in time.ā€ And like that, you push down on him and ease Satoruā€™s cock into your aching cunt, making him bottom out inside you completely.
Youā€™re so wet and slippery that it took little to no effort for him to slide inside. The noise of your slick sticking to where you two meet at the hips has you two moaning softly in unison.
The harsh mutter of your name echoes off your bedroom walls and goes straight to your cunt. ā€œSo tight,ā€ he grits out behind clenched, white teeth.
Each time you slide up and down on his cock, Satoru grows more unrestrained with his vocal appreciation of how well you take him. Desperate little moans escape him each time your sweet cunt squeezes him of all heā€™s worth.
You were no better. Choppy, broken whimpers can be heard from you, loving how he stretches your walks with your length. He fits perfectly inside you like your cunt was destined for this moment, for him alone.Ā 
ā€œLet me fuck you,ā€ Satoru blurts out. He was losing it, and he could feel him tipping closer and closer to the edge of release.
ā€œYou areā€” Ugn!ā€ you say weakly when his hands grab your ass and he stands, lifting you with him as if it were nothing. Kicking off his bottoms, Satoru props you on your back against your mattress.
Ā Crawling between your legs, he positions the crown of his cock to press against your opening. ā€œNo,ā€ he drawls, with one hand on the base of his shaft and the other propped beside your head. ā€œLet me fuck you.ā€
He pushes in and you swear you see stars.Ā 
Satoru pistons himself faster and faster inside of you, rocking your bodies against the mattress which makes your wooden headboard tap noisily against your drywall.
You fear your neighbours may have someā€¦ less than pleasant words to share with you about the noise tomorrow morning.Ā 
ā€œAh! Fuuuckingā€” shit!ā€ You wail. Euphoric tears start prickling at the corner of your eyes. ā€œDonā€™t stop, please!ā€
The pleasure melts through you when Satoru presses down harder into you, his hand finding the back of your right knee and hikes your leg around his waist so that he can fill you at a new angle.
ā€œBaby,ā€ he murmurs into your neck. He says it like youā€™ve been his for years. ā€œSay my name.ā€
ā€œSā€”Satoru!ā€
Laughing a little, probably too fucked out of his mind, Satoru removes his face from your neck and presses a hot, searing kiss onto your lips.
You yelp when he drives his cock more harshly into you, growing more desperate with the urgency to come inside you.
Riding his high, Satoru says the first thing that comes to mind, which is a long drawn-out, ā€œHaaaā€¦ā€
What Satoru meant to accomplish was to wish you another ā€˜Happy Birthdayā€™, but of course, it all gets garbled up in his throat due to his approaching orgasm and comes out sounding fucking obscene.
Thatā€™s what gets you.
You come hard, your back bowing off the bed. Satoru, remembering your initial statement about how you trust him to pull out, does exactly that. Albeit, he did it at the very last second, but you avoided a pregnancy scare. So you canā€™t be mad.
Thick ropes of his cum splash across your bare belly and some get on your top. Youā€™re hyperaware of how it trickles down your abdomen, some dipping into your belly button.
Wow.
Breathing hard and heavy, both coated in sweat amongā€¦ other sensual fluids, Satoru rolls onto his back.
ā€œStuck with me for life, huh?ā€ he asks, delicate fingers intertwined with yours.Ā 
You hum. ā€œSeems soā€¦ā€ you agree quietly.Ā 
Now that you think about it, there hasnā€™t ever been a moment where Gojo Satoru hadnā€™t been present in your life, ever since meeting him during your high school days.
You two lay like that for some time, soaking in each otherā€™s company until the early traces of morning light ripple through your curtains.
Youā€™re about ready to shut your eyes until your thoughts are accosted by something you offhandedly forgot.Ā 
ā€œSatoru?ā€ you begin, tone nice and sweet.
ā€œHm?ā€
You sit up slowly so you can peer down at his blissed-out face. ā€œBy chance, was the cake you got for me made out of ice cream?ā€
You know how deep his love for sweets goes. You just pray and hope to whatever higher power that he chose the safe route and chose a normal caā€”
ā€œā€¦Yeah, why?ā€
Jumping out of bed, you rush to the living room where the cake is probably spilling its guts out all over your expensive, mahogany coffee table. ā€œYou IDIOT!ā€Ā 
A string of curses follows you out into the hallway, as Satoru sits on your bed confused.
ā€œWhatā€™d I do?!ā€
Whether you liked it or not, you were stuck with this bumbling idiot if he had any say in the matter, an invisible string keeping you two bound.
And maybe it wasnā€™t that bad.
Even if itā€™s at the cost of your Ā„20,000 table.
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if you read to the end we're making out.
Ā© do not copy/plagiarize/translate/use ai on my work.
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mikkeneko Ā· 7 months ago
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That post about Marcille and Laios' relationship actually got me thinking about Chilchuck and Laios' relationship. Which is harder to see in some ways because it mostly consists of positive absences.
At first, viewers might be inclined to wonder why Chilchuck sticks with the party. He says it's because he took payment up front, but he could give back part of the deposit and leave. Two other party members left; Laios explicitly gave Marcille and Chilchuck a choice as to whether they would stay or go, and they both chose to stay.
We know why Marcille chose to stay; she wants to save Falin and she considers the other party members her friends. Why did Chilchuck stay?
Chilchuck actually respects Laios a lot -- food and monster weirdness aside -- and that mostly comes I think through the positive absences from above. The things that Laios does not do.
Laios doesn't deliberately expose Chilchuck to danger or regard him as expendable. When Chilchuck starts to get enthralled by the sirens' song, Laios immediately snaps him out of it. Contrast that to Chilchuck relating that other adventuring parties will sometimes bring half-foots along just to sacrifice them or use them as bait!
Laios doesn't insist that Chilchuck put himself in danger by getting into combat. Even in situations where they're in danger and could really use more combatants, he only ever asks Chilchuck to take on non-combat tasks such as creating distractions.
Laios doesn't get in the way when Chilchuck is working and follows his directives of what to do around traps. He respects Chilchuck's work so much that he will even hand over his sword without hesitation, even when doing such a thing causes it to be damaged!
Laios doesn't press Chilchuck to divulge private information. When Chilchuck says he doesn't mix his professional and private lives, Laios respects that and doesn't push.
All the other party members infringe on these boundaries in some way. Izutsumi tries to egg Chilchuck into combat; Marcille pries into his home life; Senshi deliberately provokes him when he's trying to work. Not Laios. Once Chilchuck sets a boundary, Laios does his best to always respect it. (And I think Laios appreciates having clearly defined Rules For Chilchuck.)
Laios is a good party leader and he takes care of his team. Maybe this is my age showing, but when you find yourself in a good work situation with a good boss, you stay in that job.
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exopelagic Ā· 6 months ago
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I am baking cake at midnight and it is going to kill me <3
#itā€™s just gone in the oven which means at least 25 minutes and probably more like 45 bc I made a Lot#am also kiiiinda winging the recipe so my expectations are on the floor#this is. for a bake sale. pray for me#Iā€™m gonna make the icing tonight and leave it in the fridge overnight I think for tomorrow morning#this has gone wrong at every available opportunity it was 100% not worth it#however! given the prices my friend wants to sell this at i May have turned this into like over Ā£100 which isnā€™t bad#TWO CAKES. WHY AM I MAKING TWO CAKES#Iā€™m procrastinating washing up the stuff I used to make the batter (hell) bc itssosososo messy and I just wanna shout abt stuff#primarily that I am once again so upset that I only get one more week of ice hockey before summer#there are two parts to this feeling: 1. I love ice hockey Iā€™ve been having such a good time this past week while Iā€™ve not had to stress#abt anything else. 2. gay. gay gay homosexual gay#like okay Iā€™ve been worried abt whether this is an actual crush or I just convinced myself I like him bc pretty+queer#(because of course I can worry abt that). BUT yeah sorry no can confirm I like this dumb fuck this is so unfair#we talked a BUNCH last night and heā€™s just really cool.#ohhhh fuck I donā€™t think the oven was properly preheated bc I opened it for a while to fit the two tins in. ĀÆ\_(惄)_/ĀÆ#anyway!! heā€™s really fun to talk to someone help like if he does turn out to be single I could in THEORY text him over summer. maybe.#his birthday will be coming up and my friend suggested that. Iā€™m being insane but oh my god this is torture#I ALSO watched the newest dr who episode today and that did NOT HELP. one of the first things in a while that have given me like#this same specific feeling when I get into gay romantic media. the ā€˜reading gay shit on wattpad at age 14 feelingā€™ if you will#where thereā€™s like this weight in the pit of my stomach. itā€™s NICE that doesnā€™t sound good but it is#is this what straight people get with romance all the time. I know I just donā€™t watch/read much anymore but also#thereā€™s straight romance in literally everything so.#but yeah basically I need another month of fuck around time minimum when everyoneā€™s in this city so I can get my shit together#ALSO. I ONLY HAVE A YEAR LEFT HERE. THATS TERRIFYING. a year is a long time but itā€™s also not this one disappeared and this is like.#WAY too early to even consider that but heā€™s gonna be here probably for a year after I leave and that could suck if anything does happen.#I guess in theory Iā€™m taking a year before phd probably so I could work here. idk man anyway that one is actually insane of me Iā€™m just gay#boy šŸ˜”. they shouldnā€™t be allowed to do this#on Wednesday heā€™ll be done with exams and so will my other friend who knows him well. so I will be able to 1. subtly see w her if girlfriend#2. potentially. MAYBE ask what she thinks Iā€™m just trying to decide whether thatā€™s too much to put on her. I think Iā€™m being insane there#luke.txt
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girlscience Ā· 6 months ago
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you guys don't understand how badly I need a hannibal/will video set to this song. idk how to make videos but i will make it myself if i have to. it's so clear in my mind how it would go
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coffee-and-geto Ā· 4 months ago
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ā€œHOW CAN I LOVE WHEN Iā€™M AFRAID TO FALL?ā€
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ā€œI fell in love with you as soon as I saw you, as soon as you covered me from my father, as soon as I heard your laugh, saw the amazing mother you are, and realized I never wanted you to leave this house.ā€
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pairing: CEO! satoru gojo x f!reader
summary: to your almost regret, your life as a single mother seems to be weighing more and more heavily on your worn-out shoulders. so what could be better than pretending to be the CEOā€™s girlfriend of the business you work for, knowing that his father is the general manager?
warnings: +18 only, smut, nsfw, her daughter is called hinata, fake dating/single mom tropes, angst, mother insecurities, fluff, readerā€™s ex is a jerk, unprotected sex, sex (p in v), overstimulation, pussy drunk (satoru), nipple play, fingering (f!receiving), oral (m), this fic is (really slightly) inspired from the french book ā€˜un printemps pour te succomberā€™ by morgane moncomble, including therefore small similar dialogues, (pls guys learn french only to read this masterpiece!!), fanart by @/ilameys on twt.
wc: 10,154
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ā€œCan I taste the frosting?ā€
Your lips curve into a smile. ā€œOf course, angel.ā€ You crouch down and hand the spatula coated in pastel pink frosting to your five-year-old daughter. Her little fist wraps around the handle, and joy spreads across her angelic face like rays of sunshine. ā€œSo? How is it?ā€
ā€œItā€™s so good!ā€ she exclaims, and you chuckle.
ā€œIā€™m glad you like it.ā€ You glance at the clock in your kitchen. ā€œIā€™ll put the frosting in the fridge. While the cake bakes, go back to playing, and Iā€™ll call you to help decorate the cake as soon as itā€™s ready, okay?ā€
Hinata nods, blowing you a kiss that you return after a moment of surprised hesitation, your lips forming an ā€œOā€. Amid delighted laughter, she skips away, and you turn back to face the bowl of cake batter.
Why does it have to be so hard?
Every birthday, you hold back tears because who said ā€˜single momā€™ doesnā€™t rhyme with ā€˜baking your own birthday cake so your daughter can sing to youā€™? But what hurts more ā€” this, or seeing your flesh and blood envy her female friends who have their dads in their arms and their mothers content with their families?
The silence of loneliness can sometimes be louder than company.
ā€œHappy birthday! Happy birthday, mama!ā€ your daughter sings, clapping her hands as you blow out your candles in the warm, yet dimly lit, living room. ā€œCome on, come on! Letā€™s eat the cake!ā€
With a knife, you cut two slices, one for each of you, and it only takes a few more minutes for both your mouths to be covered in pink frosting, with laughter echoing in the room. The heartache, briefly chased away by the short-lived joy, returns later that night when your daughter snuggles up in your arms in your double bed, which seems to be missing something.
Fuck, being a single mom is tough, you think as you wipe away the tears flooding your cheeks with the back of your hand. No one to support you, all the responsibilities fall on your shoulders, and now doubts about your daughter start invading your mind: ā€œWhat if she blames you later for not having a father?ā€, ā€œWhat if she thinks youā€™re a bad mom?ā€, ā€œDo her friends at school say anything about you being the only unmarried woman among all the parents in her class?ā€
These thoughts have never stopped, not even during your pregnancy, whether about the weight gained or lost, or the changes in your body. Are these regrets? But how could you regret bringing such an angel into the world? Maybe itā€™s more about the lousy partner who left you the second he found out you were pregnant.
Probably the second option.
Ā°Ā°Ā°
ā€œWHERE IS MY SON?!ā€
A male voice thunders across the entire floor of the company. You jump, turning to one of your colleagues over the small partition set up for employee privacy. ā€œWhoā€™s yelling like that?ā€ you whisper, eyebrows raised in surprise.
ā€œI heard itā€™s the new general managerā€¦ā€
Your frown deepens. ā€œIs that why they handed me the summary of our sales figures to drop off at the office upstairs?ā€ To prove your point, you lift the massive stack of documents.
Your colleague presses his lips together, his eyes widening in a way that already gives you the answer. ā€œOh God, youā€™re the one in charge of that? Good luck. Itā€™s to be delivered to the new director.ā€
A sigh escapes your lips.
For a start to the workweek, it seems youā€™re about to face the stormy mood of the new boss, who apparently brought his kid to the office. What a perfect beginning.
As usual, the upper floor is deserted, as itā€™s generally reserved for executives with direct ties to the companyā€™s CEO. Few people take the elevator to reach the top floor of the skyscraper. Arriving in the lonely hallway, it should be a simple task to knock on the bossā€™s office door, drop off the elephant-weight stack of documents, and leave.
So why does the sound of running footsteps seem to be getting closer and closer behind you?
In a flash, a man dressed in a navy blue suit rushes past you, bumping your shoulder. He nearly topples the threatening stack of papers, but you manage, at the last second, to catch everything before you lose your balance. The young man opens the door to the womenā€™s restroom, and before entering, he glances over his shoulder.
Never in your life have eyes made such an impression on you.
Two cerulean blue orbs lock onto yours with a mischievous aura. A smirk tugs at the corner of his thin, pink lips. From his pale skin to his albino hair, the man exudes charm and beauty from every pore. The sheer allure of his appearance leaves your brain too stunned to react, numbing it. How can someone be this handsome?
ā€œSATORU!ā€
His serene and amused expression vanishes instantly, and you jump in response. Replaced by an exaggerated look of fear, he addresses you, ā€œCover for me. If he asks you, you never saw me!ā€ And his tall, slender body disappears into the womenā€™s restroom.
More footsteps echo down the hallway, this time from a second man, just as tall and physically similar to the young man you just encountered ā€” though slightly older, with wrinkles lining his face and a mix of albino hair and silver from age. You have no time to react except to straighten up against the wall.
His blue eyes, more gray and stern, settle on you as he approaches. ā€œDid you see a man? A tall idiot running around and flirting with any woman he sees,ā€ he grumbles the last part, his eyes thoughtfully fixed on the light carpet.
You shake your head robotically. ā€œNoā€¦ Iā€”ā€
ā€œNever mind,ā€ he cuts you off with a dismissive wave of his hand ā€” as if your answer is irrelevant and heā€™s heard it at least twenty times before. He sighs and scratches at the stubble on his chin. ā€œWho are you, anyway?ā€
ā€œAn employee, sir.ā€ You gesture to the stack of documents thatā€™s beginning to make its weight known in your arms. ā€œI was asked to drop this off in your office.ā€ The tone of your voice almost pleads with him to let you in and relieve you of the annoying burden.
ā€œThe report? Ah yes, of course.ā€ You sigh in relief as he unlocks the door with his keys. ā€œI suppose youā€™re wondering who I am?ā€
ā€œThe new general manager, I guess?ā€ you reply, raising an eyebrow. You drop the heavy stack onto the desk and exhale deeply. ā€œWe heard you on every floor.ā€ You canā€™t help but chuckle at your own remark, offering the director an apologetic smile.
He rolls his eyes, but a light chuckle still rumbles in his chest. ā€œYouā€™re right. Itā€™s because of my son.ā€
His son?
You repeat the word aloud, confused, and he clarifies. ā€œMy son is the new CEO of this company, and I almost regret my decision to give him that position.ā€ He shakes his head, his gaze drifting toward the blue sky visible through the large window, then refocuses on you. ā€œI apologize in advance. Heā€™s going to be a real handful.ā€
ā€œI understand. I think weā€™ll manage to put up with him,ā€ you add with a smile.
In the end, this new boss doesnā€™t seem as strict as your colleagues have been saying, and his story about his son is more amusing than anything. You cough slightly into your elbow and clear your throat, murmuring an apology.
ā€œAre you sick?ā€ the director inquires.
ā€œA little,ā€ you admit reluctantly, feeling embarrassed as you adjust the mask on your face. ā€œSorry. I couldnā€™t stay home.ā€
ā€œNo problem.ā€ He crosses his arms over his chest and sighs. ā€œWell, I think I have some work to do. See you later, I suppose.ā€
You donā€™t hesitate to leave the bossā€™s office and quietly step into the womenā€™s restroom. ā€œIsā€¦ someone here?ā€ you murmur in a hoarse voice.
The creaking of a door answers you, and the general managerā€™s son emerges from a stall, looking cautious. He looks like a little boy checking to see if his hiding spot in a game of hide-and-seek has been discovered, which makes you stifle a discreet giggle. He turns to you and offers an apologetic smile. ā€œSorry about earlier. I didnā€™t hurt you, did I, sweetheart?ā€
The nickname catches you off guard, and warmth floods your face. ā€œN-No, Iā€™m fine. Youā€™re the new CEO, right?ā€
ā€œSatoru Gojo, at your service, pretty girl.ā€ He winks, a reminder that heā€™s quite the flirt.
You introduce yourself in return, running out of things to say, your hands nervously clasped by your sides.
ā€œPretty name,ā€ Satoru murmurs. He closes the stall door behind him and exhales, shaking his head. ā€œPhew! That was a close one! Thanks again!ā€ He strides toward the exit with one last charming smile in your direction, leaving the restroom and a lingering scent of cologne behind him.
Ā°Ā°Ā°Ā°
ā€œWhy arenā€™t you answering?ā€
ā€œDamn it, youā€™re so annoying with this!ā€
ā€œThereā€™s no point in moving every few months, Iā€™m going to find you.ā€
ā€œFor fuckā€™s sake, answer my messages! I told you I need you! I swear Iā€™ll help you raise Hinata this time.ā€
ā€œI made a mistake, so let me fix it by answering my fucking messages! I know youā€™re reading them!ā€
You swallow hard, your throat tight, and press the ā€œblock this contactā€ button on your phone. Itā€™s the fourth time this month. Heā€™s been harassing you with messages and finding a way to contact you no matter how many numbers he uses, even when you change yours. The same goes for your address, as apparently changing apartments is no longer enough to escape him.
You know heā€™s in debt ā€” one of the many consequences of his excessive gambling, even when you were still in a relationship with him. Smoking, drinking, and of course, downing tobacco like it was water, only to charm you while hiding this lifestyle to get you into his bed, then fleeing the moment you were pregnant.
So now that he needs a woman and a child to escape his debts, heā€™s reaching out to you ā€” the woman he abandoned after promising marriage (without a ring, of course), got pregnant, and deserted, only to come crawling back to you.
ā€œMama? You okay?ā€
Your daughterā€™s concerned little voice pulls you out of your daze. The cartoons playing on the TV havenā€™t had the desired effect ā€” theyā€™re not distracting her from the anxiety thatā€™s been gnawing at you day by day. Maybe today, itā€™s showing enough for people to notice?
ā€œIā€™m fine, angel,ā€ you reassure her with a perfect smile ā€” perfectly fake, because thatā€™s something youā€™ve learned to anchor over time.
You pat the empty spot on the couch next to you, and she nestles under your arm. ā€œIf you say soā€¦ā€ Hina murmurs, clutching her worn-out bunny plush.
The state of the plush catches your attention, and a pang of guilt stabs at your heart. What kind of mother lets her daughter carry around a stuffed toy in such poor condition? Maybe you are a bad mother? Otherwise, why would Hina deserve such a pitiful situation? She deserves so much better than youā€¦
ā€œLittle angel?ā€ you murmur as she wraps her tiny arms around your waist and nuzzles into your belly. ā€œAre you okay?ā€
ā€œI love you.ā€
And the three little words soundā€¦ unreal.
Hot tears blur your vision, and it takes every bit of strength you have to whisper back, ā€œI love you too, Hina.ā€
Ā°Ā°Ā°Ā°
3:00 PM.
In less than an hour, youā€™ll need to pick up Hinata from school.
Normally, you avoid lingering at work. You go through your usual routine as an employee, nothing special or fun ā€” a hello, goodbye, see you tomorrow to colleagues without worrying about whatā€™s happening around you or the gossip, even when it involves coworkers getting together.
The only change: now itā€™s you who gets stuck with the task of delivering all the documents to the general manager. According to one of your peers, he doesnā€™t seem to be strict or threatening when it comes to you. So this time, youā€™re tasked with delivering an additional file about the production of a new product on the market to both the CEO and the general manager. For the second time, you head up to the highest floors of the company headquarters to knock on the CEOā€™s door ā€” itā€™s the closest. But no one answers.
No surprise, since the directorā€™s son spends his time running through the hallways to avoid his father and shirk his responsibilities, right?
Youā€™re about to knock on the Directorā€™s door, but a familiar gust of wind brushes your face with a soft, fresh breeze. Satoru Gojo appears beside you with a charming smile and glances at what youā€™re holding.
ā€œH-Hello, sweetheart. How areā€¦ you?ā€ he greets, slightly out of breath from yet another chase with his father.
ā€œIā€™m fine. Here.ā€ You hand him one of the folders, and he takes it, pretending to read it. ā€œThe next meetingā€”ā€ But he grabs the second document and, before you can react, opens the door to his office and casually tosses them inside before shutting the door.
ā€œSATORU GOJO! KEEP IT UP, AND Iā€™LL DISOWN YOU!ā€ The bossā€™s voice echoes through the entire floor as he appears from behind the emergency exit door. ā€œYOU!ā€ He points a finger at you, standing right next to him. ā€œStill bothering our employees?ā€ He grumbles, his jaw clenched so tightly that you can hear his teeth grinding.
ā€œThatā€™s not true, father!ā€ Satoru protests, feigning outrage. He wraps an arm around your waist and pulls you closer. ā€œYouā€™re chasing me while Iā€™m just saying hello to my girlfriend?ā€
You freeze, turning your head toward him, as lost as the Director, who squints his eyes. ā€œYour girlfriend? Since whenā€”ā€
ā€œI was going to tell you,ā€ Satoru continues, shaking his head, his fingers squeezing your waist while you remain paralyzed. ā€œHereā€™s my new girlfriend.ā€
ā€œAre you lying to me and dragging some poor woman into your childish games?ā€
In the back of your mind, you note that he doesnā€™t seem to recognize you despite the last time you saw each other.
ā€œWhat? Iā€™m telling the truth! Isnā€™t that right, sweetheart?ā€ And he leans in to plant an affectionate kiss on your cheek.
Your heart almost stops for a second. But you quickly snap back to reality under the insistent embrace of his arm and his hand around you. ā€œY-Yesā€¦ā€
What kind of mess have you gotten yourself into?
ā€œWell, if youā€™ll excuse us, father, my darling and I are in a hurry.ā€ He leads you away before you have time to protest and heads toward the elevator with you.
Once the doors close, Satoru takes your hands in his and leans toward you. ā€œI can explain everything.ā€
If his cerulean blue eyes hadnā€™t been so persuasive, you would have exploded right there and then to yell at him.
You, the girlfriend of the CEO of the company you work for? Did this really have to happen to you? You can already picture your termination letter under your nose as you exit the back of the building. A glance at your watch tells you that if you donā€™t hurry, youā€™ll be late to pick up your daughter.
ā€œYouā€™re in a rush?ā€
ā€œI have to pick up my daughter before Iā€™m late,ā€ you reply curtly, ā€œand look at the mess Iā€™m in now!ā€
ā€œI know, I knowā€¦ā€ Satoru rubs the back of his head, right where his immaculate undercut is. ā€œMaybe I can explain on the way? Whereā€™s your car?ā€ He looks around the parking lot, his eyes searching.
The question ā€” however mundane ā€” makes you blush with embarrassment. ā€œIā€¦ take public transportationā€¦ā€ you mumble, pouting.
He furrows his brow, as if you just admitted to showering with maggot-infested soap. ā€œExcuse me? I donā€™t take public transportation.ā€
ā€œWell, I do.ā€ A hint of defiance returns to protect your pride.
How could he possibly understand when he lives like a rich man, without worrying about grocery shopping, paying bills, and of course, taking public transportation during the week to avoid wasting gas because it costs an arm and a leg! But for him, that must not be part of his daily life, especially since heā€™s one of societyā€™s privileged.
ā€œLetā€™s take my car then.ā€ He says this without waiting for you, as you remain standing there. He pulls out his keys and opens the passenger door. ā€œWhat are you waiting for?ā€
ā€œButā€” Iā€” Are you out of your mind?ā€ you burst out. ā€œIā€™m not getting in that car! Iā€™m supposed to pick up my daughter, and now Iā€™m pretending to be your girlfriend! In front of your father!ā€ You emphasize your words with wild, energetic gestures.
He bursts out laughing.
Cute.
ā€œNo chance. Weā€™re going to pick up your daughter and clear this all up. And please, stop refusing to get into a car thatā€™s way better than those buses that reek of sweat.ā€ He rolls his eyes, and you note how much he resembles his father when he does that.
ā€œI have an errand to run anyway,ā€ you persist.
ā€œAnd that doesnā€™t change the fact that I want you to get in this car,ā€ Satoru chuckles.
Taking a closer look, the car is as luxurious as the ones you dream about at night ā€” yours, by comparison, looks like a junk heap ready for the scrapyard. Reluctantly, you climb in, Satoruā€™s chivalrous demeanor not going unnoticed as he snickers at your surrender. He quickly gets in, asks for the address of the school, and sets off after starting his car, which smells just as good as he does. You feel like a piece of trash in the middle of this little universe he inhabits.
ā€œMy father bugs me every day to find a woman,ā€ Satoru murmurs at first, one hand resting on his thigh, clad in business suit trousers, his eyes fixed on the road over his round sunglasses. ā€œThatā€™s one of the reasons I avoid him.ā€
ā€œAnd why involve me?ā€ you snap back.
ā€œWell, to be honest, it was partly impulsive. I met you the other day, and then, in the moment, I just wanted my father to leave me alone.ā€ He has a half-smile that makes you swallow hard, and he gives you a knowing look before returning to a serious expression. ā€œIā€™m sorry for dragging you into all this.ā€ A pause. ā€œI just hope youā€™re not married, otherwiseā€”ā€
ā€œNo, Iā€” No.ā€ You close your eyes for a moment, the innocent question burning like a fiery arrow piercing your already aching heart. Did you just hear a sigh of relief? ā€œAnd your father doesnā€™t seem to have recognized me since the other day,ā€ you canā€™t help but point out.
ā€œThe mask.ā€ Satoru grips the steering wheel until his knuckles turn white. ā€œHe didnā€™t recognize you because of that. Heā€™s always had a bad memory and poor eyesight.ā€
ā€œBut you recognized me.ā€ You focus on the roadā€™s scenery to avoid confronting his mesmerizing eyes. ā€œIā€™m not going to wear my mask forever, you know? And I donā€™t want to keep pretendingā€”ā€
ā€œPlease,ā€ Satoru whispers, placing a hand on yours, sending a shiver down your spine. ā€œJust until he and my family get off my back.ā€
ā€œIā€™m sorry, butā€”ā€
ā€œHow much do you want?ā€ He asks immediately, as if he just remembered something.
ā€œWhat? No! I donā€™t want your money!ā€ you protest as quickly as he did. ā€œNo, Iā€¦ā€ And you groan, sinking into your seat.
Holy shit!
ā€œWhat have I gotten myself into, seriouslyā€¦ā€ you moan, crossing your arms over your chest, a grimace distorting your features.
ā€œPlease. I know itā€™s a lot to ask, but Iā€™ll do everything to make it just a minor detailā€¦ Iā€™m only asking you to change your name in front of my father when you pass as my girlfriend, wear a mask, and change your hairstyle at work ā€” if we want to avoid suspicion. He wonā€™t suspect a thing, I swear.ā€ He pulls into the school parking lot and parks quietly.
Thoughts bombard your already exhausted mind, and you massage your temples. Why does this have to happen to you and no one else?
Satoru murmurs your name, making you lift your head. ā€œIt will only be a few family events, just for appearances, nothing more. I wonā€™t bother you any further.ā€
You sigh, and the sound of the bell signaling the end of classes rings out. ā€œI need to think about it. Thanks for the ride. Have a niceā€”ā€
ā€œCome back. Iā€™ll take you home,ā€ Satoru suggests, pressing the button to unlock your door.
Whatā€™s the point of refusing?
You nod, finally getting out of the car to go pick up your daughter, who runs toward you as soon as you reach the gate.
"Mama!" She jumps into your arms.
You return her embrace, heading towards Satoruā€™s car. ā€œDid you have a good day?ā€
ā€œSo much fun! I made you a drawing!ā€ Sheā€™s practically bouncing as you reach the car.
Noticing your daughterā€™s confused look, you clear your throat. ā€œUhā€¦ A-A friend of mine is giving us a ride home, okay?ā€ She blinks innocently and waits for you to open the car door, which is almost as tall as she is. Hinata gets in as you do, and you cough slightly. ā€œThis is Gojo. My friend.ā€
ā€œHello, princess.ā€ Satoru turns his head over his shoulder with a big smile. ā€œWhatā€™s your name?ā€
ā€œHinata,ā€ she replies, her legs gently swinging.
ā€œVery pretty.ā€
ā€œThank you.ā€ She blushes and tries to hide a smile.
On the way, you try to fill the awkward silences with small talk until you arrive at the supermarket.
You had promised to buy Hinata a new stuffed animal since last night after spending hours worrying that you werenā€™t being a good mother. Again.
ā€œThat one!ā€ Hinata almost runs towards a bunny plushie thatā€™s twice the size of her head. She grabs it with her little arms and gives it a hug.
Satoru and you reach the aisle, and out of habit, you check the price under the albinoā€™s watchful eye. Your eyes nearly pop out of their sockets when you see the amount, and you place a trembling hand on Hinaā€™s shoulder. ā€œAngel, I think itā€™sā€”ā€
ā€œā€¦Perfect,ā€ Satoru finishes, his large hands taking the plushie from your daughterā€™s tight embrace to check the price tag with its shocking number. ā€œDo you like it, little one?ā€ he asks, looking down at her.
Hina nods energetically. ā€œYeah!ā€
ā€œThen weā€™ll take it.ā€ Satoru hands the plushie back to her and turns towards the checkout lane, already reaching into one of his pockets for what looks likeā€¦ a wallet.
You react immediately, your hands finding their way around his arm. He doesnā€™t push you away at all and even smiles at the contact. ā€œGojoā€¦ No.ā€
ā€œItā€™s Satoru to you, sweetheart,ā€ he whispers gently. ā€œAnd why not? Itā€™s just a stuffed animal,ā€ he scoffs. He takes Hinataā€™s hand so she can place the plushie on the conveyor belt.
ā€œNo, itā€™s not nothing to me,ā€ you persist through clenched teeth, embarrassed that the cashier might be paying attention to your conversation.
Satoru shrugs. The cashier scans the plushie, and he uses contactless payment to pay for it. With your hands still around his arm, he places one of his on top, an intimate closeness.
ā€œI could get used to this,ā€ he murmurs near your ear, making you turn beet red. But he canā€™t continue as your daughter clings to Satoruā€™s leg like a koala, showering him with a thousand thank-yous for the gift. ā€œYouā€™re welcome, little one.ā€ His hand gently ruffles her hair. He grins, now turning back to you. ā€œItā€™s on me. You donā€™t owe me anything.ā€
Your discreet protests, so Hinata doesnā€™t suspect anything, come to an end when he drops both of you off in front of your home. Hinata commented that Satoruā€™s car looked like the one from the movie Barbie: Princess Charm School she had seen recently. He unlocks the doors as you get out of the car. Satoruā€™s hand catches yours, slipping a piece of cardstock into it. His contact details are on it.
ā€œJust in case,ā€ he mouths silently.
Nevertheless, you slip the business card into your pocket and respond just before closing the door, ā€œI accept.ā€
Ā°Ā°Ā°Ā°
ā€œAnd no funny business, okay? Never run in the hallways, if he tells you to wait, donā€™t move an inch, andā€”ā€ You stop yourself as you notice your daughter is more interested in admiring the elegant decorations of the office hallways with wide, doe-like eyes and an adorable, slightly open mouth.
To your great misfortune, Hinataā€™s preschool is on strike for a while ā€” which means almost all the teachers are absent. So how do you take care of your daughter when you canā€™t afford to miss work? By bringing her to your fake boyfriendā€™s office, of course! You quickly make your way toward Satoruā€™s office, Hinata following with her hand in yours. But just as you raise your fist to knock on his door, two large hands land on your shoulders, nearly scaring the life out of you.
ā€œHey, hey!ā€ You whip around abruptly, a new mask on your face ā€” just as the plan intended.
ā€œSatoruā€¦ā€ you grit through your teeth. Hinata looks up at him and grins. You sigh.
ā€œWhat do I owe the pleasure of all this lovely company?ā€ Satoru asks, not taking his eyes off yours while giving Hinata a high-five.
As usual, heā€™s dressed in a luxurious suit ā€” probably worth the rent of the apartment you live in ā€” his slightly tousled albino hair and the familiar scent of cologne filling your nostrils. You catch yourself staring a little too long, and mentally kick yourself when his curious gaze turns mischievous.
He just realized you were checking him out, damn it!
ā€œHinataā€™s school is on strike. I need you to watch her for the day, if thatā€™s not a problem, and since you seemed so insistent on returning the favor Iā€™m doing for youā€¦ā€ you mumble, avoiding his gaze. ā€œI see youā€™re spending your day roaming the offices rather than staying in yoursā€¦ā€
ā€œNo problem at all,ā€ Satoru replies automatically, a pleased smile on his lips. ā€œReady to go to the CEOā€™s office?ā€ He picks up Hina, who giggles and clings to him like a koala.
Itā€™s your turn to smile in relief. ā€œThank you so much. I have a meeting with your father in an hour, and Iā€™ll come get her at noon and again at the end of the day.ā€ The sight of the two of them close together makes your heart melt ā€” and for once, you donā€™t blame yourself for seeing Hinata happy to be with someone else.
Ā°Ā°Ā°Ā°
5:00 PM.
Youā€™ve sent a message to Satoru asking where he was, since knocking on his perpetually empty office seems to be pointless. The meeting with the other company members about organizing the launch of a new product was particularly painful, but one thing is certain: the general manager didnā€™t recognize you with your more subdued hairstyle and the mask plastered on your face.
ā€œCome to the parking lot like last time.ā€
And thatā€™s the last message from Satoru (you gave him your number during lunch).
In the empty parking lot, only Satoruā€™s car is present, and you cast a curious glance through the windows. The two troublemakers give you a grimace ā€” tongues sticking out and faces scrunched up. You sigh as the passenger door opens automatically.
ā€œSatoru, you donā€™t have toā€”ā€
ā€œHina said yes and that she wants to come to my place,ā€ Satoru cuts in with a mocking expression.
Reluctantly, you get in, your heart pounding in your chest with all sorts of panicked thoughts. However, Satoru doesnā€™t seem to share your reservations and starts driving as soon as youā€™re settled.
ā€œSo, this means youā€™re coming to my place,ā€ he says, hands on the wheel and a quick glance in the rearview mirror, ā€œand Iā€™m inviting you to dinner.ā€
ā€œNoā€”ā€
ā€œMom! Please, Satoru is being too nice.ā€ Hinata complains. You glance back, and she looks at you with wounded, pleading puppy eyes, arms crossed over her chest.
You grumble, slumping back against your seat as they both cheer in victory.
ā€œBy the way, Iā€™m stopping by your place so you can pack. Weā€™re invited to a family wedding, and my father invited us.ā€
ā€œWHAT?ā€
Ā°Ā°Ā°Ā°
You place a box with your gift on the designated table for presents, and an arm wraps around your waist. ā€œYou look stunning,ā€ Satoru murmurs against your neck, his lips brushing against your skin, which breaks out in goosebumps.
With a flushed face, you turn your head. ā€œSatoruā€¦ā€
ā€œWhat? Just because weā€™re pretending to be a couple and barely know each other doesnā€™t mean I canā€™t speak the truth.ā€ He pauses. ā€œWell, actually, we do know each other a bit, donā€™t we? Weā€™ve had dinner together.ā€ He chuckles at your half-grimacing, half-deadpan expression, pulling you closer as music fills the wedding reception hall.
You turn your head along with him toward the back of the room, where the brideā€™s bouquet is about to be thrown. A tight smile curves your lips ā€” this is one thing youā€™ve dreamed of. Dreams have always been just that ā€” dreams in your life, and even when love comes knocking at your door, itā€™s only passing through, just like your situation with Satoru.
His father didnā€™t notice anything, and since Satoru lives alone in a villa, itā€™s hard to say no when he offered for you to stay with him until heā€™s settled, with your own room and a staff available 24/7. He even had a tailor make a custom dress for the wedding you were both invited to. Hinata is looked after by a lovely nurse, and youā€™re enjoying a life youā€™ve always dreamed of. So why not make the most of it despite your past?
A Satoru whoā€™s too comfortable with you isnā€™t so bothersome given the time youā€™ve spent together lately ā€” both at the office, acting as a couple in front of certain people, and sometimes showing affection to each other to appear believable, even though they havenā€™t asked for kisses yet, soā€”
A fluffy and soft object lands right in the middle of your face and falls into your arms. You search for what seems to be a petal in your mouth and suck in your breath at what you realize it is.
The brideā€™s bouquet.
A gulp forces its way down your throat as the whole room applauds becauseā€¦ youā€™ve been hit in the face with the bouquet? Not to mention the lamentations of other female cousins who had jumped with all their hopes to catch itā€¦ But why you, who hadnā€™t asked for anything?
ā€œSweetheart?ā€ Satoru mutters, his chest still pressed against your back. His tone is so sweet, nonchalant, as if youā€™ve been a couple for years. ā€œMy father is watching us, and I think heā€™s expecting me to do something.ā€
You swallow and nod, dreading what might happen next. Will your heart stop beating when Satoru says:
ā€œMay I kiss you?ā€
Never, ever, has anyone asked you that question. Not even your ex.
So, with a nervous nod, you allow him to capture your lips in a soft, languid kiss. His tender lips taste like the cotton candy children eat at the fair. They cherish yours with every movement (which you canā€™t help but return in kind). Each press sends butterflies fluttering in your stomach.
When the kiss ends, Satoru places one last kiss on the corner of your lips and clears his throat. ā€œThis is the first time Iā€™ve wanted to marry my girlfriend.ā€ His warm breath ignites your body.
Has your heart exploded?
If not, why canā€™t you breathe?
ā€œAwwwā€¦ How adorable you are with your pretty girlfriend, Satoru!ā€
An elderly woman approaches you both, supported by her old cane, and you note her albino hair, similar to Satoruā€™s.
ā€œMy dear auntā€¦ā€ Satoru smiles widely without breaking away from you.
ā€œYou make a lovely couple,ā€ Aunt Gojo continues, giving you a wise look.
ā€œOh, thank you.ā€ You immediately bow and introduce yourself. Satoruā€™s hands squeeze your waist, and he chuckles at your manners.
ā€œTake good care of her, you idiot,ā€ the aunt finishes before drifting away, a tap of her cane on Satoruā€™s head making him sigh and rub his sore skull.
ā€œWell, at least we look convincing, right?ā€ he adds.
ā€œYesā€¦ā€
Of course, he said that because he saw his aunt before you! Donā€™t think he said it because he meant it orā€”
ā€œBy the way,ā€ Satoru takes your hand in his and leads you to the center of the dance floor, ā€œI meant what I said before my aunt interrupted us.ā€
And youā€™re at a loss on how to interpret his playful wink.
Ā°Ā°Ā°Ā°
ā€œWOW! Hinata, youā€™re so rich!ā€
ā€œIs this your dadā€™s castle?ā€
Hinata takes Satoruā€™s hand and faces her friends in his chic living room. ā€œItā€™s my daddyā€™s!ā€ She nods proudly and runs off with them toward the games and festivities organized for her birthday. The children run everywhere, scream, and burst into laughter throughout the room. The perfect atmosphere.
Itā€™s exactly what youā€™ve always dreamed of giving Hina.
ā€œYou didnā€™t have to do this,ā€ you murmur to Satoru, who, despite your comment, shakes his head joyfully.
ā€œIā€™m glad she likes it,ā€ he replies.
ā€œI wasnā€™t talking about the party.ā€
He freezes and turns his head toward you. ā€œDidnā€™t you tell me youā€™d never been married?ā€ he dares to whisper, possibly afraid of hurting you.
ā€œThatā€™s true. My ex left after learning I was pregnant with Hinata.ā€ You exhale the breath youā€™ve been holding, the weight of the secret finally lifted.
Maybe he wonā€™t want to keep pretending to be your boyfriend after thisā€¦
ā€œYou can still tell me his name, you know, sweetheart?ā€ Satoru moves closer to you, wrapping his arm around your waist, as if itā€™s completely natural for him, but thereā€™s a tension in his touch. ā€œI can take care of him andā€”ā€
You shake your head to dispel the tiny bit of resentment thatā€™s urging you to say yes. ā€œItā€™s okay. Thanks for agreeing to pretend to be her father. I know itā€™s going to be a bit of a hassle for a while, but she cares a lotā€”ā€
ā€œNuh-uh.ā€ He places a kiss on your cheek, then another on the side of your neck, causing you to shiver. ā€œSheā€™s already talked about it in my office.ā€
You open your eyes wide. ā€œWhatā€¦?ā€
ā€œHinata likes you much more than you thinkā€¦ Youā€™ve suffered too much,ā€ His other hand glides over your stomach, and his thumb traces affectionate circles on your waist.
ā€œThank you,ā€ you breathe, leaning into his touch. And for a moment, the weight on your shoulders completely lifts. ā€œWe havenā€™t had the best birthdays recently, so Iā€™m happy to see Hinata get what she wants.ā€ Your eyes rest on your daughter, dressed as a fairy, waving her glittery wand at one of her friends dressed as a witch. ā€œSo, thank you for everything.ā€
ā€œNo need to thank me, sweetheart. But which birthday are you talking about? Yours? When was it?ā€
Embarrassed, your mouth feels dry. ā€œ...A while ago.ā€
Satoru pulls you tightly against his chest, wrapping his strong arms around you, his nose buried in your hair. ā€œYouā€™re such a strong womanā€¦ I can take care of you if you want. You and Hina will live like princesses, and if you want to sleep with her or have your own room, thatā€™s no problem for me.ā€
ā€œWhat? No, Satoru, youā€™re jokingā€¦ā€
ā€œIā€™m not joking,ā€ he insists, his gaze diving into yours ā€” and for a second, sincerity fills his cerulean eyes.
With your mouth slightly open, you whisper, ā€œWe barely know each other, andā€”ā€
ā€œMama! Papa! We need to break the piƱata!ā€ Hinata rushes over to you, not paying any attention to how close you are to Satoru, and grabs each of your hands.
ā€œYes, angel, weā€™re coming,ā€ you respond to your daughter with a weary smile, before glancing at Satoru, who is no longer looking in your direction.
Why are his ears so red?
Ā°Ā°Ā°Ā°
You place the last birthday decoration box in a corner of the living room as Satoru asked and straighten up with a grimace from your aching back. ā€œGeezā€¦ā€
The upper floor of the huge house is strangely quiet, and you furrow your brows. Could they have gone downstairs?
ā€œHinata? Satoru?ā€ you call out as you walk through the hallways.
The evening darkness makes it hard to see clearly, and only the faint beam of light escaping from the kitchen door guides you.
ā€œAre you there?ā€ you ask, gently pushing the door open, and what you find leaves you stunned.
ā€œHAPPY BIRTHDAY!ā€ the two of them exclaim, holding an enormous cake between them.
A few candles illuminate the underside of their beaming faces, party hats perched on their heads. The kitchen is a huge mess, counters covered in flour and frosting, and dishes overflow from the sink, threatening to topple over.
You stand speechless as they continue to sing your birthday song. Your nostrils and eyes start to itch strangely. Why is your vision suddenly blurring? It looks like transparent waves just above your lower lashes, threatening to overflow if you dare to blink. Yet, you canā€™t escape it.
Not when they set the cake on the table and pull you into a hug while your nose runs, tears roll down your cheeks, and your choked-up throat is on the verge of bursting into sobs. Satoru keeps kissing your hair, never stopping for a second to comfort you with sweet and reassuring words, his hand drawing circles on your back. Hinata wipes your tears while her own roll down her little cheeks.
Seeing you cry has always been contagious for her.
The moment gives you a glimpse of what your life would be like if you had a complete family, and Satoruā€™s words echo in your mind. How could he be so perfect in just a few weeks of knowing him?
Once the emotion passes, a few minutes later, you eat your birthday cake with laughter and cheer, accompanied not just by the one person who now means everything to you, but by both.
Ā°Ā°Ā°Ā°
ā€œWatch out, Hina. You have applesauce on your chin,ā€ Satoru chuckles, his hand grabbing a napkin to wipe the excess food around the childā€™s mouth.
The heartwarming scene makes your heart swell. You definitely donā€™t regret going out with Satoru and Hinata to have a meal at a chic terrace in their company. The family atmosphere finally gives you a glimpse of the life youā€™ve always hoped to live. Hinata growing up with a loving father and mother, and you, loved and supported by an ideal partner. Why not reconsider Satoruā€™s proposal, then? Heā€™s the first man to think of you, even after your birthday had passed some time ago.
ā€œIā€™m going to the restroom,ā€ you murmur to Satoru, who nods in response, a wry smile curling his pink lips.
But why did it have to be on this day that a man finally approaches the two people you care about just as you slip away? He clearly waited from afar for you to let your guard down around your daughter so he could show up right in the middle of the table, facing a little girl ā€” his daughter, technically ā€” next to a man who isnā€™t her father.
Satoru slowly raises his head toward him, brows furrowed and wary. ā€œCan I help you?ā€
Your ex says your name. ā€œWhere is she?ā€ he mimics asking as if he didnā€™t know.
ā€œWhat do you want with her?ā€
ā€œTo talk to her. I have the right. And youā€™re with my daughter, just so you know.ā€ He crosses his arms over his chest, trying to appear threatening, but Satoru remains stoic, more contemptuous than anything else in the face of such a scruffy, unshaven nuisance.
ā€œSheā€™s not here; you can leave,ā€ Satoru responds. And out of protective instinct, he pulls Hinataā€™s chair closer to him, his eyes narrowed. Satoru understands perfectly that your ex is back to claim his rights over his daughter, just as heā€™s been harassing you with messages about it.
ā€œExcuse me? When my daughter is in the arms of a stranger? I could call the police immediately and weā€™ll sort this out very quickly,ā€ your ex retorts sharply. He takes a step toward a lost Hinata, her big doe eyes blinking innocently between the two men. Of course, she doesnā€™t recognize him.
An altercation begins between the two, which naturally attracts the attention of other diners around. And you walk into the middle of the scene, frozen in shock at the sight of your ex hurling threats at Satoru.
ā€œSheā€™s taking my daughter, so Iā€™m taking her back! And itā€™s not a bastard like you whoā€™s going to help her regain my rights!ā€ your ex spits with venom. His icy eyes find yours, terrified, your hands trembling and your complexion as pale as a sheet. Heā€™s about to address you with the same angry speech, his face flushed with rage and a vein ready to burst at his temple.
Do you get dƩjƠ vu?
ā€œā€˜Your daughterā€™?ā€ Satoru repeats with a deadly gaze and a jaw quivering with rage. ā€œSheā€™s been sitting next to me for over an hour, Iā€™ve been feeding her for over an hour, sheā€™s been calling me by my name for over an hour, and youā€™re talking about ā€˜your daughterā€™? At this point, whose daughter is she... yours or mine?ā€
Your ex, publicly humiliated, opens his eyes wide with hatred. ā€œYou little son ofā€”ā€
ā€œSir, we ask that you leave the terrace; youā€™re disturbing our customers,ā€ a security guard declares firmly. Heā€™s accompanied by another colleague, and when your ex protests, they grab him by the arm and escort him away amidst his shouting and the murmurs of other customers who keep staring at the three of you.
You move closer to Satoru, who immediately stands up upon seeing you ā€” having not realized you were there ā€” and can only offer you an apologetic look. ā€œLetā€™s go,ā€ you silently mouth (your throat too tight to dare let a sound escape, fearing it might break before you say anything), taking the hand of a silent and lost Hinata. ā€œIā€™ll pay the bill andā€”ā€
ā€œItā€™s already taken care of; we can go,ā€ Satoru gently interrupts, following you to his car.
And itā€™s on the silent drive back that you realize something.
Youā€™ve officially fallen in love with Satoru Gojo.
Ā°Ā°Ā°Ā°
ā€œLook, Mom, Dad and I made a drawing for you!ā€ Hinata proudly holds up a colorful picture with three easily recognizable characters on it.
ā€œDid you brush your teeth?ā€ you ask as you take the drawing to admire it, just as much smiling as your daughter. She nods and then does a little twirl to show off her new pajamas that Satoru gave her earlier in the day. ā€œItā€™s beautiful. Youā€™re so talented,ā€ you chuckle, leaning in to plant a kiss on her cheek.
Satoru appears in the doorway of Hinataā€™s room, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed over his chest, a perpetual playful smile curving his lips. ā€œReady to go to sleep?ā€
ā€œYes, and I showed our drawing to mama,ā€ Hinata asserts, bouncing on her bed.
ā€œOh yeah? Did mama like it?ā€ Satoru asks softly, his eyes now locked with yours.
ā€œMama loved it and thanks Daddy,ā€ you whisper, your voice quivering with emotion that threatens to spill over.
Half an hour later, Satoru and you find yourselves in the hallway with a sleeping Hinata and her little lullaby snores.
Satoru wraps his arm around your waist as usual and buries his face in your neck. Your heart is already racing, and your breath catches when he says, ā€œIā€™m sorry.ā€
ā€œWhy?ā€ The embrace is a simple hug but with unspoken words easily guessed.
ā€œFor everything.ā€ Satoru sighs, and for a split second, you hope heā€™ll let you speak, but no. ā€œI didnā€™t mean to make a scene andā€”ā€
ā€œAnd you think Iā€™m going to blame you for protecting us? That I wasnā€™t touched by what you said about Hina?ā€ you mumble near his ear. The closeness gives you another chance to see his ears turn red. ā€œIs Satoru shy?ā€ you giggle, open to teasing. He hums, hiding his face so you donā€™t see his expression.
ā€œI love you.ā€
You blink, because you must have heard wrong. ā€œHuh?ā€
ā€œMarry me.ā€ And heā€™s already on his knees before you, eyes pleading. That usually confident cerulean blue is now so submissive, so close at handā€¦ But the sudden turn of events leaves you stunned. ā€œI want to be your husband, not just have you as my wife. I want to raise Hina with you and give you everything you need.ā€ Not letting himself be distracted by your stunned expression, he continues, ā€œWant my money? Iā€™ll give it to you. My house? It will be in your name. Want my body? It belongs to you. My heart? Itā€™s already yours.ā€ And he starts kissing the backs of your hands desperately. ā€œI love you, I love youā€¦ Please, marry meā€¦ā€
ā€œSatoruā€¦ Youā€”ā€ you stammer, backing away, your brow furrowed. Everything is a jumble in your head, both from his touching declaration but also because itā€™s all moving too fast for you. ā€œYouā€¦ love me?ā€ you manage to whisper.
He crawls to you and wraps his large arms around your thighs, almost choking with desperation. ā€œI fell in love with you as soon as I saw you, as soon as you covered me from my father, as soon as I heard your laugh, saw the amazing mother you are, and realized I never wanted you to leave this house.ā€ He whispers your name like a divine invocation. ā€œIā€™ve fallen in love with you more than just once.ā€
You donā€™t immediately respond, and thatā€™s okay in his eyes. He doesnā€™t want to pressure you, just for you to know the truth and for him to be completely transparent with you.
ā€œItā€™s okay if you donā€™t share my feelings; I just want you to know thatā€”ā€ But heā€™s cut off by your rush toward him on the floor as you press your lips to his, pulling him into the dance of your lips that one gives to the other in a long, passionate kiss. ā€œGodā€¦ I love you so muchā€¦ā€
ā€œI love you too, Satoru,ā€ you murmur against his mouth between kisses that turn into moans as he slides his warm, wet tongue between your lips to request access to your mouth.
Both of your breaths become ragged and heavy. Satoru takes the opportunity to lift you by the underside of your thighs and lead you to his bedroom, carefully closing the door behind him without breaking the contact of your swollen, desirous lips. He gently lays you on the king-size bed with silver satin and frost-blue sheets.
With a tenderness of loving slowness, Satoru breaks the kiss. ā€œDo you want to continue?ā€ he asks, his voice husky. You nod timidly, but he shakes his head with his mischievous smile ā€” finally back. ā€œNuh-uh. Your words, sweetheart.ā€
ā€œI want it, Satoru,ā€ you reply after a sigh of exasperation so adorable in his eyes that it makes him laugh, then he places a light kiss on the corner of your lips.
ā€œAlrightā€¦ Gonna take care of my beautiful girl, the best, the most wonderful mother, and maybe future wifeā€”ā€ He places a finger on your lips. ā€œOh no, youā€™ll answer that later if you want, when I have something concrete for that occasion.ā€
You sigh in frustration because the answer is already on the tip of your tongue, but it soon turns into a moan as he kisses the side of your neck with such deliberate slowness that you really wonder if heā€™s going to tease you to the limit. His hands roam over your clothed chest, exploring your already hardened nipples. His lips find their way to your collarbone, marking it with love bites and hickeys that elicit muffled moans from you.
ā€œIf you knew how long Iā€™ve dreamed of doing thisā€¦ā€ Satoru comments with a touch of affection, his fingers deftly undoing the buttons of your shirt. ā€œExactly how I would act with my wifeā€”ā€
ā€œAnd your father?ā€ And he chuckles again.
ā€œWe donā€™t care about him.ā€ He casually tosses your top aside to tease your sensitive, erect nipples through the fabric with his thumbs. ā€œSuch humble underwearā€¦ Would you like me to buy you something more daring?ā€ he purrs, pulling on a strap to snap it against your gooseflesh-covered skin.
ā€œWould you do that?ā€ You bring your lips to his, and he immediately responds to the kiss. You also remove his black turtleneck sweater to reveal his toned, muscular torso. An adventurous hand glides over his chest, making him groan slightly, and then stops at his lower abdomen where a vein runs lower down. You place a kiss there with a small, sly smile.
For the first time, youā€™re about to make love with someone.
ā€œHmm? Satoru? Have you ever thought of me in outfits like this?ā€ Your nimble fingers unbutton his pants, revealing a prominent bulge in his fly.
ā€œSweetheart, donā€™tā€”ā€ he hisses between his teeth from the sensation of the slight friction between his erection and your eager fingers as they pull down his pants to caress and rub his dick through the thin fabric of his boxer. ā€œYour hands feel so goodā€¦ā€ He breathes softly, his hands stroking your bare arms with a feather-light touch.
ā€œAnswer my questionā€¦ā€ you purr, your nails pulling at the underwear to free his hard, twitching cock. The tip is perfectly reddened, with veins coursing along its pale length of 8 inches. Almost automatically, your mouth waters, and you waste no time kissing the slit of his already glistening tip with pre.
ā€œBabe, donā€™t teaseā€¦ā€ Satoru closes his eyes and lets your hand wrap around his length, begging to be touched. ā€œF-fuckā€” Yes, yes, Iā€™ve thought about it, about buying you the most expensive and luxurious lingerieā€” ah!ā€ he almost whimpers. You take a little over 2 inches of him into your mouth to stroke the base. ā€œBut also in those maternity clothesā€” oh godā€¦ C-can you really blame me?ā€ He rolls his eyes and canā€™t help but buck his hips toward you, his body pleading for your mouth to take care of him.
You withdraw his cock from your mouth to whisper, ā€œSo youā€™re a naughty boy, hmm?ā€
ā€œI wonā€™t last if you keep this upā€” hgnnā€¦ā€ he whimpers completely, his dick splitting your mouth in two as you take him all in. Your head starts to bob back and forth, and he is so close that he spills moans of your name. ā€œGā€™nna cum, baby, donā€™tā€”ā€
You hollow your cheeks, and the next moment, he cums in your mouth, long, thick ropes of his release filling your already full mouth with his shaft. You hum under his orgasm and swallow slowly. You slide his dick out of your mouth with the same rhythm to smile at a Satoru with ears as red as his cheeks.
ā€œF-fuck, sweetheart,ā€ he pants, his calloused finger wiping away the mixed cord of your saliva and his cum with a swipe of his thumb.
ā€œM-hmmā€¦ You taste so sweetā€¦ā€ He doesnā€™t let you continue and crushes his lips against yours, tasting himself on your mouth. ā€œI want you, Satoruā€¦ā€
ā€œIā€™m yours, princess.ā€ He helps you quickly remove your remaining underwear so that youā€™re completely naked in front of him, knees resting on the expensive mattress. He kneels at the foot of the bed, and his fingers explore your sensitive, already dripping cunt.
ā€œSo wet for meā€¦ Did I do this to you just with my cock?ā€ His fingers spread your swollen folds to gather your fluids and rub your throbbing, needy clit.
Your nails dig into his arm as you lift your hips under the sharp pleasure. ā€œSatoru, it feels goodā€¦ā€ you gasp in a whimper. His forefinger and middle finger spread your wetness all around your intimacy. ā€œPlease donā€™t teaseā€¦ā€
ā€œNot tease? Werenā€™t you doing it, sweetheart? What a nerve,ā€ Satoru scoffs, tapping his finger at your entrance. ā€œCan I?ā€
ā€œPleaseā€¦ā€ You wince as you move your hips down for more. And thatā€™s exactly what he does, immediately inserting his finger into you, cursing.
ā€œYouā€™re so fucking tightā€¦ and so wet,ā€ he curses, his finger moving in and out of you with careful softness. ā€œI can already fuck you without making you cum first.ā€ He stops finger-fucking you and looks up at you. ā€œIs that what you want, love?ā€
You nod before arching your back on the bed. Satoru climbs onto the mattress and helps you wrap your legs around him. ā€œThatā€™s itā€¦ā€ He takes his length in his hand and teases your responsive cunt with the tip to get it wetter.
ā€œDonā€™t tease, Toru, I swearā€¦ā€ And he smirks.
ā€œToru?ā€
ā€œSorry, Iā€”ā€
His tip presses against your tight, pulsing entrance, and he grins. ā€œI want you to moan that nickname while I fuck you, ā€™kay?ā€ He grips your hips to pull you closer to him, and with one swift movement, he slides into you, a groan escaping from behind his lips as your deliciously tight, warm, gummy walls wrap around him as if you were meant for him.
The stretch causes a slight discomfort at first, and you almost cry in relief when Satoru notices. He patiently waits for you to adjust before starting a slow, deep rhythm inside you.
You widen your lustful eyes, tears forming at their corners. ā€œAh! Toruā€¦ Jusā€™ like thatā€¦ā€ Your eyes roll back as the tip of Satoruā€™s dick hits the back of your cervix, making you shiver and tighten around him. ā€œFuckā€¦ sā€™deepā€¦ā€
ā€œSo fucking perfect, so fucking mine,ā€ Satoru groans, his hips rocking into you without ceasing to swell between your gummy walls. His chest rises and falls in a breath as ragged as yours, asking for more every time you moan for him to go deeper. (He discreetly rolls his eyes and babbles incomprehensible words ā€” completely pussy drunk.)
And thatā€™s exactly what he does. He slams back in brutally, making you cry out his name with each thrust. ā€œShhhā€¦ You donā€™t want Hina to hear us, right? So keep quiet, babyā€¦ā€ He helps stifle your gasps and moans of pleasure by capturing your lips with his, alternating between fast, rough thrusts and slow, gentle ones in your hole that he fucks shamelessly.
Blood rushes to your ears, a rare sensation you havenā€™t truly felt the last time you were with someone. It wasnā€™t just about carnal pleasure between Satoru and you ā€” but about love. The fusion of bodies loving each other and providing mutual pleasure, even as they burn for each otherā€” physically and emotionally.
One of Satoruā€™s hands slowly slides to one of your breasts and teases a sensitive nipple. The arch in your back encourages him to detach his mouth from yours to capture the other nipple with his wet lips. The growl he lets out sends a wave of intense shivers through you, making your eyes roll in overstimulation.
ā€œP-please, Toru, please, Iā€™m already close,ā€ you whimper against your trembling palm ā€” a feeble attempt to contain your sweet sounds as he speeds up his hip movements in your sloppy cunt ā€” the sound of his balls slapping your skin filling the room. Your words are punctuated by the tightening of your walls around him, swearing he could cum inside you just from hearing you beg.
ā€œCum on my cock, baby, cover it,ā€ he coos, giving another kiss to your abused chest. The clenching of your jaw with your teeth dug into your lower lip forces you to groan. ā€œWant me to fill you up?ā€ And you nod, tears showing your imminent orgasm. ā€œAnything for you, my beautiful girl.ā€ His hips slam against yours, and his fingers continue to tease your breast, rubbing your puffy clit.
Satoruā€™s own breath becomes heavier, more labored as he keeps singing praises while you gasp, his lips pressed along the line of kisses heā€™s placing down your jaw. ā€œT-Toru, Toru, cumming!ā€ you cry out as your walls spasm around his cock while he reaches his peak and fills you with his hot, liquid release, warming your lower abdomen. You see blinding stars illuminating your vision.
He hisses almost gutturally, his nails digging into the flesh of your hips. ā€œOh godā€¦ S-Squeezing me while Iā€™m cumming tooā€¦ā€ He closes his eyes for a moment, letting his peak subside at the same rhythm as yours, his forehead damp with sweat resting against your chest.Ā 
Only pants and groans escape your lips, each one accompanied by difficult swallows and the feeling of your sweaty bodies pressed against each other.
ā€œHow was it? Did I make you feel good?ā€ Satoru asks immediately, once his breath has returned.
The concerned questions touch your heart so deeply that you lift tearful eyes to him. ā€œAre you going to leave, after this?ā€
His expression falters, and he gently withdraws from you to envelop you in his embrace. ā€œNo, baby, of course notā€¦ I wonā€™t, I swear on my life I wonā€™t leave youā€¦ Iā€™m not him. Iā€™m the one who hopes you wonā€™t leaveā€¦ā€ he whispers hurriedly. ā€œDonā€™t think about that. Iā€™ll always be here, for you and for Hinaā€¦ā€
You sniffle, your eyes red. But Satoru smiles tenderly, wiping away your hot tears. ā€œSave your tears for later, sweetheart.ā€
ā€œWhy?ā€ You clear your throat.
He sighs, the aftermath of the effort from the activity settling on him, and places a chaste kiss on your sweaty temple. ā€œDid I tell you that my father invited us to dinner tomorrow night?ā€
ā€œNo,ā€ you shake your head, ā€œbut whatā€™s the link?ā€
ā€œDonā€™t you understand?ā€ he murmurs in your ear, butterflies fluttering in your stomach. ā€œIt doesnā€™t matter. Youā€™ll understand in time.ā€
Ā°Ā°Ā°Ā°
ā€œI see. So it was an unexpected encounter.ā€ Gojoā€™s father nods, shrugging his shoulders. ā€œBut I wonder how a woman like you can have feelings for such a foolā€¦ā€
Satoru chokes on a piece of meat heā€™s chewing and takes a sip of his water. You stifle a giggle, with some steamed vegetables speared on your fork, just waiting for you to devour them. For a man who appears so stern and strict, Mr. Gojo is quite a wealthy man who spends his days reprimanding his son for not doing this or that.
Yet, thereā€™s a certain paternal camaraderie between them ā€” a father-son relationship, if you will.
ā€œThatā€™s not true,ā€ Satoru retorts, his voice still gravelly. He has an adorable pout on his lips, like a child wrongly scolded.
ā€œYes, like youā€™re not a womanizer,ā€ his father retorts, rolling his eyes.
ā€œIt was so youā€™d leave me alone,ā€ with furrowed brows, he wears a mischievous smile at his fatherā€™s incredulous expression, ā€œbut sweetheart came into my life,ā€ he continues, looking at you with a tenderness he has rarely shown.
ā€œI hope you manage to put up with him untilā€¦ well, until you decide to marry ā€” if thatā€™s what you choose,ā€ his father sighs, turning his attention back to the dish in front of him.
ā€œSatoru isnā€™t a bad person, you know,ā€ you start gently. ā€œHe is certainly a thoughtless brat with grotesque immaturity,ā€ Satoru almost spits out his water this time, and you continue with a wry smile, ā€œbut he has a great sense of attention and unmatched generosity. I believe he will be a good husband, I assure you.ā€
ā€œI must admit,ā€ he says with a wise smile, his wrinkles less pronounced.
Satoru casually says your name, ā€œYeah, yeahā€¦ By the way, could you pass me the salt, please?ā€
You freeze, while Satoruā€™s father suddenly looks up with an incredulous expression. ā€œWho?ā€
And you smack your forehead with the palm of your hand.
Ā°Ā°Ā°Ā°
The cries of a newborn fill the room as, breathless and on the verge of fainting, the midwives congratulate you, bringing your second child wrapped in clean blankets at your request.
ā€œHeā€™s beautifulā€¦ā€ Satoru murmurs as he approaches you, leaning down to the tiny baby with his albino hair and blue eyes ā€” his exact likeness. ā€œThank you, my love, thank you, thank you, thank youā€¦ā€ His voice breaks as you raise a weak, exhausted hand toward him, but with a serene smile on your lips as you whisper how much you love each other.
He immediately wraps his fingers around yours, your wedding rings sparkling as they brush together like stars sealed for eternity.
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a/n: how i love desperate men, hihi! šŸ¤­ hope you all enjoyed this one-shot!
tags: @ssetsuka @zara-zara11 @bearwithmoo @elliesndg @lymsfm @mutsu422 @whathappenedtobees @drippymcdrippison
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seospicybin Ā· 3 months ago
Text
THE FUCKBOY NEXT DOOR.
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PART I
Bangchan x reader. (s,a)
Chapters: Part II / Part III
Synopsis: Having issues to break up with your boyfriend, you seek help from the boy next door and the number one fuckboy in the area, Chan. (10k words)
Author's note: I went through a nasty break up a few weeks ago and this is basically just me trying to cope by being delulu about having a fuckboy Chan as a neighbor. Enjoy x
It becomes a habit now that Chan doesn't know where he is when he wakes up in the morning.
The first thing that he'll do is retrace everything to last night. He was DJ-ing at a club, had a few drinks in between, met a girl who was eyeing him the whole night, had a few more drinks, there was a little touching and a quick makeout session in the dark alley and people can guess what happens after that
So this is where he is right now, the girl's bedroom and he can recall everything that happened last night except the girl's name.
"Fuck!" Chan mutters under his breath.
Judging from how bright the sun is outside, he knows he only has a little window to make his escape so he quickly gets off the bed as calmly as possible. He then tiptoes around to gather his clothes and put them on without making any noise.
However, he fails at it as the head from his belt hits the bed frame and the clanging of metal meets metal echoing in the room.
The girl steers on her sleep and rolls over to the side, she brushes her hair away from her face, catching Chan putting his belt on.
The plan to make a quick getaway has come to a failure but he keeps his cool, continuing to buckle his belt and then plants his hands on each side of his waist.
"Morning," He awkwardly says with a forced smile.
"Morning," the girl replies with a smile then props an elbow against the mattress, sending the duvet sliding down her body and exposing her bare chest to him.
Chan might have been a little drunk when he met her but damn, his fuckboy radar works well even under the influence of alcohol.
"You're leaving already?" She asks, flipping her hair to the back to expose more of those beautiful mounds to him.
Chan has to tell his pervy brain to focus actively, he looks away and picks up his jacket from the floor.
"I promised a friend to help him move out today," He lies, then pretends to check the time on his phone, "And I'm kind of late."
The girl nods then twirls her hair around her finger, "Well then... when can I see you again?"
"I hope soon," Chan says with his charming grin that disguises the insincerity in his answer.
The girl smiles at that which confirms that the grin works, "But seriously, I can't wait to see you again," she says.
"I'll call you," he says because that's what he can promise her at the moment but whether he'll do it or not is uncertain.
"But you don't have my numbers yet," she says with her eyebrows wrinkled in suspicion.
"No, I'm sure you already did," he says, convincing her by scrolling the contacts on his phone.
"Yup. I have your numbers already," he lies again, showing her a random contact on his phone for a quick second.
"But my name is Thalia," she says, cleverly catching the name on the contact.
"Yes, of course, you're Thalia," he says with utmost confidence and his ultimate weapon of a dimpled smile.
The girl seems alarmed though. She sits up on the bed and clutches the duvet close to her chest, "We're going to see each other again, right Chris?"
"Yes," he answers without a beat, and at this point, lying is as easy as breathing to him.
"Can I get a kiss before you leave?"
"Sure," he says, coming around the bed to give her a quick peck on the lips.
The girl smiles when he lets go and watches as he walks to the doorway, "I'll call you, Tanya."
"It's Thalia," she corrects him with an apparent displeasure on her face.
Chan shoves his phone into the pocket of his jeans and takes the time to properly bid her goodbye. Nothing a girl likes more than a sweet mouth and a little assurance, he'll give her exactly that.
"I'll see you soon, Thalia," Chan says with a smile.
"See you soon, Chris," and the girl naively believes him, if only she knew that this will be the last time they're seeing each other.
Yet again, Chan makes another successful getaway.
-
The warm weather of spring makes it a pleasant walk from the bus stop to his apartment building. He wants to stop somewhere for breakfast but his head feels heavy from the hangover, he just wants to go home as soon as possible, have a bowl of cereal then take an aspirin for the pounding headache.
In the lobby, he makes a quick stop to collect his mail and takes a quick check at it, sorting them out on the spot so he knows which ones he should bring upstairs.
From the corner of his eyes, Chan catches his neighbor, you with your boyfriend chatting by the elevator. He notices the gestures, the expression, and the whole interaction, it doesn't take a genius to know that something is going on there that the naked eyes can't see.
Chan throws the unnecessary mail into the trash bin nearby and walks to the elevator, hearing the little conversation going on between you and your boyfriend.
"...the waffles were delicious. We should have breakfast there again," the boyfriend says as he looks at you, "What do you think?"
"Yeah," you meekly answer while looking at the little screen that shows the floor the elevator is stopping in.
Chan tries to remain invisible but his eyes accidentally make contact with your boyfriend so he may as well make his presence known.
"Hi, neighbor," he greets, he knows your name but you seem to prefer to be called that way.
You do what you always do whenever you meet each other in the building, give him a quick judging look and a courteous smile.
"And hi neighbor's boyfriend," he greets your boyfriend next.
"Hi," your boyfriend greets back, "Chris, isn't it?"
"Yes and you are Lee," Chan responds.
"Right. So how was your Friday night?" Lee initiates a small talk.
"I believe it wasn't as good as yours," Chan playfully answers.
"Oh, we just stayed in and watched a movie, right baby?" Lee says, putting his arm around your shoulder.
All of a sudden, you take a step forward and say, "It's here."
The elevator doesn't chime until a moment later but you seem to be more than eager to get in. You turn around to give your boyfriend a quick hug.
"I'll try to leave early so we can have dinner together," Lee says with a quick kiss on the cheek.
"It's okay. Take your time," you say with a faint smile.
Chan quietly gets into the elevator and holds the door open for you, he tries not to look at what's happening in front of him not out of politeness but it's just painful to watch.
"I'll call you," Lee adds, catching your hand as you enter the elevator and kissing it.
"Okay," you say then wave your hand at him.
To help you get out of it, Chan releases his finger off the buttons and sends the doors sliding shut.
"Bye, baby," Lee says for the last time before the doors completely close.
It's just another awkward elevator ride with you and he'll usually try to endure it but after watching all that and trying not to say anything is hard, he can't help but impose.
He glances at you to check whether you're ready to hear about what he has to say but you always have the same stoic expression. Then it occurs to him that he has never seen you smile impolitely or out of joy, or even hear your laugh, but maybe after you hear what he's about to say, he'll get to see a different facial expression on you.
"Oh, man! That was painful to watch," he sighs as he keeps looking straight ahead at his reflection in the shiny furnace of the elevator.
There's no one else in the elevator so you're fully aware that he's talking to you but you don't respond until a while later.
There you go, with your judging look and stoic expression, looking at him as you say, "Excuse me?"
Chan doesn't want to sound rude but beating around the bush isn't his thing, he prefers to be straightforward. He knows it's all based on assumptions but he's pretty sure his judgements are pretty accurate.
He's going to just do it and lay out the facts, he turns to the side, then leans his back against the cold surface of the elevator.
"Your shoulder tightens when he called you baby and the fact you lied about the breakfast tells me that you didn't actually like his choice of restaurant," he pauses to let out a cynical chuckle, "the waffles weren't that good, I guess?"
When he wants to see a different facial expression on you, he doesn't mean seeing your angry one, but oh well, the damage has been done.
"Because I'm a good girlfriend that's why I let him choose the restaurant," you become defensive all of a sudden but that's an unconvincing answer.
"No, you let him choose out of pity," he simply remarks, "And just now, your nostrils flared when I pointed it out."
With all of these signs combined with his personal experiences, Chan narrows it out to one conclusion. He looks at you in the eyes and says, "You're about to break up with him, don't you?"
It looks like you've been slapped right on the face except that the slap doesn't come from someone, it's from the truth that comes out of Chan's unfiltered mouth and he instantly regrets it for meddling in in someone else's business.
"I'm sorry, but why are we having this conversation?" You ask, crossing your arms together in front of you.
"It's not like you're any better. You slept around, you're scared of commitment and now, sticking your nose at my business. You are the kind of person that I deeply despise!" You angrily say with your chest heaving.
It seems like you're saying all of those things about him out of anger because he sees right through you but now he knows why you always give him that judging look. He's the one who started it so yeah, okay, maybe he deserves that but that doesn't change the truth. The problem is what he said and your response, they're heading in the opposite direction.
"I think someone has her panties in a twist," Chan coyly responds.
"Look, there's nothing wrong with wanting to break up. That doesn't make you a bad person," he adds and decides to end the talk right there.
It gets quiet in this enclosed space and it's already suffocating as it is but how lucky that he has to patiently wait for the elevator to ride through three more floors to get out of here.
When the elevator finally dings open, Chan lets out a breath he doesn't know he's been holding but he's not the one in a hurry to exit both this space and the situation. He stays where he is and lets you out first.
When he thinks you don't have anything else to say, you stop right outside the elevator and look at him with a piercing gaze.
"Don't, for one second, think that you had any effect whatsoever on my panties!" You emphasize every word in anger, then storm off.
Know what? Maybe Chan should skip the bowl of cereal and take two aspirin instead. As for you, maybe you need to chill the fuck out.
-
Just because you've been neighbors with Chan for the past three years doesn't mean that you know each other on a personal level.
All you know about him is that he's a DJ which explains why there's always music playing in his apartment, he always wears a sleeveless top to showcase his muscles, and he always has a stupid grin on to show off the stupid dimples on his stupid face, an annoying Australian accent and from how many times you caught different girls taking a walk of shame out of his apartment, it's safe to say that he's the number one fuckboy in the area
So how dare he say all of that stuff in the elevator when he doesn't know anything about you at all? Moreover, what does a fuckboy like him know about relationships?
It shouldn't be hard to ignore because it's something you usually do but gosh, the memory of the conversation still vexed you a few days later.
Then it hits you that it bothers you so much because deep down, you know what he said is true. You've been wanting to break up with your boyfriend and hearing that comes from someone outside that relationship only solidified that thought.
There's nothing wrong with your boyfriend, Lee is nice, too nice even, and when you think about it, maybe that is the problem, he is too nice and that leads you to another problem, you don't know how to break up with him without hurting his feelings.
But you know who can help you with that? Someone who has a lot of experience in breaking up with people.
Oh, what a joy that you find the answer right across your door!
Before you get to ask for his help though, you're fully aware that there's another thing to do and there's no other way to do it but walk up to his apartment, knock on his door, and apologize.
As you're standing there in front of his apartment door, you're dreading it. All sorts of thoughts crossed your head like why did you have to be so riled up that time in the elevator? Why did you have to say that thing about the panties? Just why? Ugh!
Let's just get it over with, you mutter inside your head.
With hesitant hand, you knock on his door and then hold the urge to turn around and run back to your apartment. You let yourself take a step back as you wait for him to come for the door.
Do not open the door, do not open the door, you chant inside your head while tapping your foot against the floor. However, things are not always going the way you want.
The door swings inward and a second later, Chan appears with disheveled hair and he only has one arm in the sleeve of his t-shirt, then you spot a girl's shoes next to his feet.
Oh no, please don't say you're coming at the wrong time.
You reflexively take another step back but he grabs your forearm and then opens the door wider, showing you that there's a girl there.
"It's my neighbor, she's here to remind me about the tenant meeting," he says to her.
The girl looks at you rather suspiciously and crosses her arms together in front of her as she glares at Chan.
"No. Don't you dare try to get out of this, Chris!"
"But it's true. We have to leave now," Chan says, then gives you a look that tells you to lie along with him, "Right?"
Running a quick assessment of the situation, you're certain that Chan is trying to get himself out of it to avoid having a difficult conversation with the beautiful lady. You hate to be the accessory to his crime but if this means that it would help you earn his forgiveness...
"The pigeons!" You make up a lie on the spot.
"The pigeons are ruining our rooftop garden so we held this urgent tenant meeting," you add with what you hope is a convincing smile.
"Oh, those damn pigeons!" Chan heavily sighs with a phony expression.
The lie makes your throat dry and your cheeks hurt from forcing a smile, you have to keep it going as the lady considers whether to believe that the tenant meeting is true or not.
Chan grabs his jacket from the clothes hook and puts it on, "We'll continue this later, okay?" He says to her.
Without waiting for her answer, he gets out of the door and drags you with him to go to your apartment. Once both of you get inside, he immediately closes the door behind him and lets out a long sigh.
"Oh, wow!" He exclaims once he realizes that he's inside your apartment.
He allows himself further inside and leisurely walks around your apartment, checking your kitchen, trailing his fingers on your book collection on the shelf, and observing the potted plants lining up on the window sill.
He walks back to the middle of the room and takes another 360-degree look around the apartment, then nods in approval.
"So, this is what the inside of your apartment looks like," he says in a cryptic tone.
Not sure if he wants you to respond to that or if should respond at all. You choose to remain silent and only respond when his intentions are intelligible.
Chan then sits on the sofa, making himself comfortable, and looks at you, then at what you're holding in both hands.
"Is that for me?"
The jar of cookies you've been unknowingly holding in your hands is a token of apology and it is for him.
"Yes, it is for you," you say, handing it to him with both hands.
"I'm sorry about the other day," you sincerely apologize, but you know you have to let him know what you're apologizing for, "for what I've said to you. I'm terribly sorry."
"Well, since you're helping me with the uh... situation," he coyly says as he scratches his eyebrow, "consider us even."
See? That wasn't so hard. You feel bad for lying to the girl but at least, you've been forgiven.
"Thank you," you add with a smile.
Chan doesn't say anything else but opens the lid and takes a cookie out of the jar. He gets comfortable on the sofa, sitting slumped with his legs spreading wide, and then he takes a big bite of the cookie.
It doesn't take long for him to notice that you have something else to say to him other than an apology.
Before he gets to it, you force yourself to start speaking.
"So, Chris..." you call, then abruptly stop talking. You suddenly have a second thought about asking for his help.
"What's up?" He asks while chewing on his cookie.
It's at the tip of your tongue but your mouth feels like they're sewn shut. You clasp your hands together and muster up the courage to just blurt it out.
"Do you want something to have with the cookies?"
You swear you plan on asking for his help but somehow, your mouth saying a different thing.
"Milk would be nice," he answers.
"Milk. Yes, I have milk," you awkwardly say, slowly making your way to the kitchen like a walking dead.
You take a carton of milk from the fridge and while pouring it into a glass, you're scolding yourself for being so cowardly.
After taking a moment to take a deep breath and muster up the courage to ask, you walk back to the sofa with the glass of milk in hand. With a smile, you hand it to him.
"Thank you," he says, his eyes catching something in your eyes.
You immediately break the eye contact and take another step back, standing and watching him finish his third cookie then wash it down with a sip of milk.
"I hope you don't mind that I'm going to stay here until the girl leaves my apartment," he informs.
"Oh?" You meekly gasp.
"But I can leave if you're uncomfortable," he says as he sits straight on the sofa.
"No, it's fine," you shortly reply, "Take your time."
"Okay, thanks," he says, reclining back on the sofa and continues munching on the cookies.
You can't decide if he stays longer than you expected is a good thing or not. You use the opportunity to reconsider it and walk to the kitchen to get out of his sight.
"Do you need help or not?" You quietly ask yourself as you pour yourself a glass of water.
Why is it so hard? He's right there. All you need is to go and ask for his help.
The water sloshes out of the glass as you fill it too full and you reflexively back away to avoid getting water all over the front of your dress.
"Everything good there?" Chan asks in a slight panic.
That's it! Enough time has passed from overthinking it! You walk up to him and just do it.
"You're right," you blurt out, "I've been wanting to break up with my boyfriend."
Sensing that it turns serious, Chan slows down his chewing and puts away the cookie jar. You expect the I-told-you-so grin on his face but no, he looks saddened instead.
"Things aren't working out," you openly share with a sad sigh.
You take a seat on the ottoman facing the sofa and sadly sigh, "I've been wanting to break up with him for a week now but I just don't know how."
"How long you've been dating each other?"
"Three years," you answer.
"Wow," Chan lowly gasps in awe.
Three years is not a short time, he understands why you hesitate to break up and it isn't an easy decision either.
"I need your help," you hopelessly say, unintentionally becoming vulnerable in front of him.
"My help?"
"Help me how to break up with him," you further explain.
"Of all people, why me?" He asks in utter confusion.
It's hard to answer that without being rude, you decide to let him process the question until it leads him to the answer. After a while, he lets out a dry chuckle and nods, "Okay, yeah. Make sense."
Chan takes another minute to accept the fact that his help is needed because he knows how to break up with someone without feeling awful about it afterward.
"I guess you want to let him down gently?"
"Yes," you answer.
"Well..." he inflates his cheeks then lets the air out through his pursed lips, "You can break up with him through a text."
Which part of 'let him down gently' did he not understand? How is it a good idea to break up through a text? But okay, it's just one suggestion, you give him the benefit of the doubt for now. Who knows he'll come up with better suggestions.
"I'm sorry. No, I can't do that," you kindly refuse his suggestion.
"You can send it when he's sleeping," he adds.
Oh, God! He gives you an even worse suggestion instead of better ones. You know what? This is a bad idea and you regret asking for his help.
"I don'tā€”" You stop yourself from talking and get up from your seat.
"I'll just check if the lady is still..." Your words trail off as you walk towards the door and check through the peephole first, then you get out of the door to check his apartment next.
"Hello? Excuse me?" You shout from the doorway but no one is answering you.
You take it the lady has left and walk back to your apartment to deliver the news to the rightful owner of the apartment.
"She already left," you tell him.
Chan lets out a sigh and closes the cookie jar, he finishes the milk to its last drop and then gets up from the sofa.
"Thank you for the cookies and the milk," he says with his signature grin.
"No worries," you reply, trying so hard to hide the disappointment in your voice.
Chan holds the cookie jar in one arm and takes a step closer to you, "if you need help on how to write breakup texts, I'm just across the hall," he says.
You don't respond to that but keep a smile on for him as to seem polite.
"And good luck!" He says with gentle pats on your shoulder.
The second he walks out the door, you collapse onto the sofa and dread it even more than before. Turns out, asking for his help is not helping at all.
The next day, you meet him as you collect your mail in the lobby and it's hard to ignore him when his mailbox is next to yours.
"G'day!" Chan greets you as he leans the side of his body against the wall while sorting his mail.
"Good day!" You respond and hurriedly walk toward the elevator. You push the button to summon it to the lobby and hope it comes soon enough for you to avoid talking to Chan.
Of course, things don't go as you want it. He comes just in time for the elevator about to arrive, he crumples a few letters in his hand into a ball and then tosses it into the trash bin.
"How did it go?" He asks.
"Pardon?" You nonchalantly respond.
Good thing that the elevator chimes open and you can pretend to forget about what he asked you a while ago. You get inside while clutching your mails in hands in front of you but it's not safe yet as you have to share the elevator ride with him.
"So... the break-up texts? Did you do it?" He asks again, going to the corner of the elevator and leaning his back against it.
"Chris, I think you can't just end a three-year relationship with a text," you put it as nicely as you can.
"Yeah, I reckon," he innocently answers.
It seems like Chan can't tell the difference between what is easy and what is right. It isn't a good idea in the first place to ask for help from someone like him who doesn't consider other people's feelings except his own.
"What are you going to do then?" He asks, shifting his weight on one leg.
Since his help is not helping at all, you have no answer to that yet. This should be something you have to figure out on your own in the first place.
"I'll figure it out," you not-very-convincingly answer.
Chan crosses his arms in front of him, making the muscles and veins on his arms more evident under the fluorescent light of the elevator.
"Lee seems like a nice guy," he remarks with a deep inhale of air.
Well, if you have to compare your boyfriend to Chan, then yes, Lee is a really nice guy. Lee excels in a lot of things, including how to treat a person with feelings.
"Yes," you settle with a simple answer.
"A drawn-out break up is only going to end in a big scene," he says, "Just saying."
Chan has a point. It's worse to prolong the pain for both you and Lee, you can't keep pretending that the relationship works and it's unfair that you keep Lee oblivious about all this.
"We can practice, you know," he offers.
"Practice?"
"On how you're going to break up with him," he explains.
He comes up with a better suggestion this time and is almost endearing even but again, he wouldn't know how a person with real feelings reacts to a break-up which makes you unsure if the practice would be any help.
The elevator is about to arrive anyway so you decide to skip on responding to his offer. Once it chimes, the doors part open and you take the first turn to get out with Chan getting off after you. You turn to the left to your apartment while he turns right. You take the key out of your pocket to unlock the door and push your way in while clutching your mail close to your chest.
"You know where to find me if you need help," Chan says just before you close the door to your apartment.
Hard pass, you answer in your head but you put on a smile for his kind offer, then close the door
-
Okay, you admit it. You were too haste when you said that you didn't need his help. You were doing fine for these past few days, you've been avoiding meeting your boyfriend to give you some more time to think of the best way to break the news to him until he calls you.
The phone rings and you just stare at it, considering whether to pick it up or not. If you pick it up, that means you have to lie to him and if you don't, it'll alert him that things are, in fact, not okay.
The latter seems like a better idea so you pick it up after taking a long, deep breath.
"Hi, baby. Am I calling you at the wrong time?"
Not entirely wrong but it would be nice if he didn't call you, you answer in your head.
"Yeah, sorry, I was in the bathroom," you lie.
"Coconut shrimp for dinner. What do you think?" he asks out of the blue.
"That sounds nice," you easily respond.
"I know you'll like it but, babe, do you mind getting us a bottle of wine on the way?
"I'm sorry?" You ask in confusion.
"For our dinner, remember?" he answers, "I'll cook tonight we'll be having dinner at mine."
You hardly paid attention to him because your mind was always elsewhere, you couldn't remember saying yes to the dinner but you did and it must be out of pity.
"No, of course, I remember, I'm just..." you rake your brain to think of something to say.
"I thought it was next week," you lie again with an awkward chuckle.
"You silly!" Lee says, "Aren't you glad that I called, huh?"
"So glad," you lie, again and again.
"I should start prepping the ingredients so they'll be ready when you get here," he says, his voice exuding enthusiasm.
"Okay."
"Don't forget the wine!"
"I won't."
"I can't wait to see you, baby," he sweetly says.
The lies are piling up so may as well add another one to the pile, "Me too."
"I love you, bye."
Don't think you can lie your answer to that, you gulp air, "Bye," you say to the phone, then quickly hang up.
Desperate times call for desperate measures and you don't know your desperate measure means knocking on your neighbor's door. Probably because you hate to admit that you need his help.
Not long after, Chan opens the door and his head pops out from the gap, "What's up?"
"My boyfriend just called and tonight, we'll be having dinner in his place," you blabber in panic.
It takes a second for him to process it then his face turns a little surprised, "What are we going to do then?" He asks in confusion.
You may be in dread but you catch the error in his question, "We? Now, you got your panties in a twist," you tell him.
"Shame on you!" He responds with a sly grin then opens the door wider and shows himself dressed in nothing but a white towel hanging low around his hips.
He puts one arm against the doorframe and leans close to you as he says, "Cause I'm not wearing any panties right now."
You should have noticed it from his wet hair and the beads of water rolling down his neck, and now that you're seeing the whole of it, your eyes immediately following where the beads of water going, they're going down the outline of his abs and eventually, to where they're all gathered as his pelvic bones leading down to one way: down south.
However, your instinctive reaction goes against what you're actually feeling inside.
"Ugh!" You groan and turn to the side, "Put some clothes on and I'll see you at my place!"
Without waiting for his answer, you rush back to your apartment and close the door behind you as fast as possible, then you rest your back against it.
The images of his naked body flashing through your head, his glistening wet pale skin, and how some parts of his body are blotchy red around the neck and chest. You get flustered all of a sudden, you immediately press the back of your hand to your cheek and you can feel them heating.
"Get it together!" You scold yourself.
After waiting for almost fifteen minutes, Chan finally comes knocking on your door like it's a musical instrument.
"Are you dressed?" You ask with your hand on the doorknob.
"Hardly," he jokes.
You peek through the peephole and see that he's already dressed to what you can say is his usual attire of dark short pants with a matching sleeveless top, showing off his bulging biceps. You open the door to let him in and he coyly walks in, treating your place like it's his own, sitting on your sofa with his legs spreading wide.
"Okay, so, why am I here?"
You stand in front of him with your hands clasped in front of you, "I've been lying to him the whole phone call and honestly, I've been doing it since the moment I decided that I want to break up with him, and I... I don't think I can lie to him again."
It's easy to admit your mistakes to him because he barely knows you and his opinions about you won't matter that much to you.
"I need to do it tonight," you hopelessly say.
"I take it you need my help to practice your break-up speech?"
You hate that he guesses it right but it's also convenient that you don't have to beat around the bush to ask for it. But first, you try to explain the situation as much as possible so he has ideas on what you're facing here.
"Lee is a man of many emotions and I'm not exaggerating when I say he'll likely cry," you inform.
Chan's forehead wrinkles as he processes this piece of information then stifles a nod. It seems like he still has no idea what you want him to do about it.
"I think it's less painful if you acknowledge the dumpee feelings," you blatantly explain.
"Okay, I got you. Let's practice!' He says, sitting up straighter on the sofa and then putting his hands on his knees.
It's just a practice but your anxiety takes over you not just mentally but also physically as your palms get sweaty. You wipe them down your jeans and take a breath.
"Lee," you call him by your boyfriend's name, and even though it's weird that you're roleplaying, you continue, "I want to break up with you."
Chan looks at you and gets quiet for a moment, "Wow. I'm in utter shock and it makes me very sad to hear that," he says with a rather serious tone.
Not the kind of reaction Lee would likely pull off but that will do if you decide to continue with it.
"I'm fully aware that this is so sudden but I've been thinking hard about it for some time and I think this is a decision that I should take," you say and you know it's a practice but you feel something caught in your throat.
"I'm sad and I need time to process it, but I'll be okay," he calmly says.
Chan gets the tone right but you believe breaking up wouldn't be this easy in real life, especially when there are real feelings to protect. To be honest, you're not ready to face the truth that you may hurt those feelings tonight.
"I think that went very well," Chan says, returning to his default settings.
"Yeah, I think that's it," you meekly say.
The worries and sadness are drawn on your face that Chan can easily see through your veiled expression, "If Lee is as nice as you said he is, then you shouldn't worry much," he says.
He waits until your eyes meet his to continue, "He may get surprised or shocked even, but he'll come around and respect your decision."
You can't believe that those words are coming out of his mouth or that he even tries to comfort you, but you appreciate it. Maybe his heart is still there, he just doesn't let it control him most of the time.
He gets up from the sofa and walks up to you, he takes your hands, ignoring how cold and sweaty they feel in his, "You got this," he assures you.
"Thank you, Chris," you sincerely say with a sad smile.
It is time to stop torturing both you and Lee with lies and forcing yourself to believe that the love is still there. It's time to accept the truth that if you can fall in love, you can also fall out of love.
-
It's a surprise that Chan worries about things that aren't his business. He's been playing some music to distract him from his head but he keeps the volume low because he doesn't want to miss hearing the sound of the elevator that will tell him any signs that you're back from the dinner.
Eventually, he tires himself out from worrying and falls asleep on the sofa. He startles always close to midnight after hearing the knocking on his doors.
Half disoriented, he trudges his way to open the door and finds you there, surprisingly, looking nice in a white cotton dress and your eyes dry.
But from the way you let yourself into his apartment, forgetting your impeccable manners and walking with shoulders slumped and carrying your shoes in your hands, he takes it that you did it.
"So... how did it go?" He carefully asks, following you as you're making your way to the sofa and then sitting on it.
You let a heavy sigh and your shoulders slumped even more, "At least, there's no crying," you answer with a sad smile.
Chan is unsure of how to react to that, is that a good thing or a bad thing? He just stands there with his arms crossed on his chest, thinking out loud.
"And even though it was ending... it was incredibly meaningful to me and I'm going to miss him," you say with your lips trembling.
Oh, no, Chan knows when a girl is about to cry, he quickly finds a remedy to it, one that he knows always works wonders for him. He runs to the kitchen and brings a bottle out of his alcohol stash, then hands it to you.
"Let's have a drink!" He says, realizing that he forgot the glass.
"Wait another second, I'll get the glass," he says, sprinting to retrieve two glasses from his kitchen cabinet.
When he returns, he sees that you're chugging the alcohol straight from the bottle. You gasp and then wince from the bitter aftertaste of it.
"Okay, straight from the bottle it is," he says, popping onto the sofa next to you.
You wipe your mouth with the back of your hand and then hand the bottle to him in which he wastes not another second to take a sip of it.
"The thing is... I really care about him but he wanted to get married, and I'm just not ready for that," you share with your eyes blank and looking at the void.
You take a deep breath but it seems like it only sends your heart sinking deeper and deeper, and making it harder for you to breathe.
"And if I'm not ready with a guy as great as him then what if I'm never ready?" You say, turning your head his way with your eyes glassy, pooling with tears.
"What if that was it..." you lift your shoulders then drop them as you let out a low sigh, "my one chance at love?"
The tears start streaming down your face like a bursting dam and Chan knows he can't do anything about it but let them out.
Hearing your words makes him think about what his idea of love is. He used to think that it was something he could get whenever he wanted it but now he knows that he's wrong, because that's just a short-lived infatuation, just some sort of meaningless connection.
From you, he learns that love is a privilege that not everyone can experience.
"What if I never get a second chance?" You ask him the question that he doesn't know the answer to.
"I don't know. I'm just sad," your voice cracks, then you break into tears.
Chan is quick to catch you into his arms and offers you his embrace. He knows he can't do anything about this sadness but he can try to soothe the pain, he's placing gentle rubs on your back as you cry into his chest.
The cry is resounding in this space, echoing the sadness back to you and it makes him inexplicably sad too, and he gets the urge to make it stop.
"It's going to be alright," he murmurs at the top of your head.
You look up with your eyes wet and red with tears caught in your lashes, "Is it?" You croak.
He doesn't know when but he knows for sure that time heals everything.
"It will be," he answers with a gentle caress of his knuckle on your wet cheek, "eventually."
Your eyes tell some more assurance for him and he doesn't know what drives him to do it, but he leans in, then kisses you.
To his surprise, you kiss him back and he knows you're doing it because you seek his comfort and he wants to give you exactly that. He wraps his arms around you and pulls you close, giving you that closeness you seek. He kisses you ever so softly because he knows he's kissing a broken heart and he wants to mend it. He can taste your sadness and the bitterness of it, and also the relief underlying all of it. As he kisses you, he lets his heart open just enough to take some of that sadness away from yours.
As the kiss deepens, the sadness withers, and something else emerges. Chan loses in it for a bit until he realizes what you're trying to do with your hand that reaches for the front of his jeans.
He abruptly detaches his lips from yours and shakes his head, "No, we can't do this," he says.
As much as he fancies you enough to have sex with you, he knows better not to do it when you're not in your right mind and your judgments are clouded with sadness. The last thing he wants is you waking up in the morning full of regrets.
"I want this, Chris," you croak.
"No, we can't," he adamantly says and takes your hand away from him.
"You're sad. You do want this," he says in an effort to put some sense into you.
You roughly crumple the front of his t-shirt and pull him close, "I wantā€“ No, I need this, Chris," you say to him with your eyes dark like two bottomless pits.
"Please?" You plead as a tear rolls down from the corner of your eye.
This is the most hopeless he ever heard of you and it breaks his heart. You said it yourself, you need this and he knows what you mean by that. You need the distraction, you need him to take this pain away even just for a fleeting moment, moreover, he can't break what's already broken.
He takes your hand off of his clothes and puts it in his, he leans in until his forehead is pressed against yours.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asks once again.
"Yes," you answer without a beat.
That's all Chan needed to hear, he inhales air and puts an inch between your faces. He then tenderly holds your face with both hands and looks at you, unsure where to start but maybe, he can start by making those tears coming out of your eyes.
Chan dabs the tears pooling in the corner of your eyes with his knuckle and without the slightest of hesitancy, he places a gentle kiss on each of your closed eyelids and before you can open them, he captures your lips in a kiss.
Sex is not something new to him but Chan knows that this time is not about physical fulfillment, but a way to offer comfort and hopefully, to also mend your broken heart.
He takes his time to strip away every piece of clothing on you until you're bare, lying on the bed with nothing but sadness that fills your heart.
He touches you with utmost gentleness, using just his fingertips to feel the softness of your skin and you're so pliant, sensitive to his touch.
To make it fair, Chan takes his clothes off as well before joining you on the bed, caging you in between his arms and hovering only inches away above you.
"Touch me," he says to you, taking your hand and placing it on his shoulder.
He then glides your hand down his neck and chest, he makes you feel every inch of his pale skin with him. However, when he looks at you, your eyes remain on his.
"You feel so warm, Chris," you lowly mutter.
He brings your hand close to his mouth and kisses it, then crashes his lips on yours.
The gap between your bodies becomes non-existent as you keep pulling him close, he relents by lowering himself on top of you and props an elbow against the mattress to not put his whole weight on you.
Lips locked, hands around each other, bodies pressed together and the temperature keeps on rising in the room. Chan makes you feel every part of his lips brushing and gliding over yours. He skillfully parts your mouth open with his tongue so he can kiss you deep and hard, yet slow until you run out of breath.
At the same time, his hand makes its way down until his fingers land on your delicate flesh. He touches it tenderly, running his fingers between the folds, and drags them upward to rub on your bundle of nerves.
"Ah..." you moan against his lips as you curve your hand around his neck and pull him incredibly closer.
Judging from it, he knows he's doing it right and he should continue, he applies gentle pressures on your clit, making you drenched and that way, he can slowly put a digit inside of you.
You let go of his kiss to let out a moan and your head falls onto the pillow as he puts another digit into you, two fingers pumping in and out of you.
Chan intently watches as your face contorted along to the pleasure, how your jaws slack open and breathless moans keep spilling out of your parted mouth.
The way you clench around his fingers makes him impatient to feel you and how tight you feel around him, and the noises you make oh, they're his new favorite tune that he wants to keep listening to until his eardrums burst.
He glances down as he pulls his fingers out of you and finds them thickly coated with your essence, it doesn't stop him from shoving them into his mouth and lick them clean.
Chan holds you by the chin to keep you still as he kisses you, "Give me a second to get a condom, yeah?" He says to you and you nod in answer.
He makes his to the bathroom and pulls the drawer open to take a condom. To save time, he decides to put it on right away, he tears through the foil packet with his teeth and rolls the rubber down his hard length.
On the way out, he catches his reflection in the mirror and gets reminded that this is not about him. Tonight, it's all about you.
He returns to the bedroom, finding you still lying in bed naked and hugging yourself. He climbs onto the bed and lowers himself on you, letting you absorb his body heat to warm you.
Craving for another taste of it, he goes down and plants his mouth on your cunt next, tasting you right on his tongue.
You're squirming as his tongue laps over your wetness, drinking in on your essence and then using it to circle on your clit.
He's not the only one getting impatient and asking more of it, you both want it and there's no wasting time anymore. Just before he takes it to the next part, he places a long, tender kiss on your clit and immediately brings his mouth to yours again so you can taste yourself on him.
"I'm going in, mmh?" He says as he endearingly brushes your hair away from your face.
You hold on to his shoulder as he settles himself between your legs, aligning his cock with your entrance but before that, he rubs his length between your folds, lubricating it with your essence.
Your hands fly to your chest, hugging yourself again as you lowly moan to his hard length rubbing over your clit and then, pushing its way into you.
"Goodness fuā€”" he can't even finish his sentence without breaking into a satisfied groan.
It's just the tip but he can already feel how tight you are around him, he's scared yet excited to push more of him into you. He reorganizes his breathing and rests his hand on your abdomen to do it.
Chan looks down to check and he still has a little more of him that needs to be inside you, he sharply inhales air through his nostrils and pushes the remaining length in one quick push.
"Oh..." you breathlessly moan as you're squeezing on your breasts.
Chan allows himself to take a moment to adjust himself to being inside you and you seem to also need time to adjust to his size because you feel so incredibly tight around him. It makes him wonder how this little thing can take him so well.
He takes your hands away from your chest and puts them around his shoulders, that way he can put his body on top of you, lips locked with yours again in no time as you wrap your legs around his waist, sending him deeper inside you.
As he takes a breath in between kisses, you hold his face and look at him with a different kind of sadness in your eyes which only reminds him that his initial plan is to make it go away.
He starts thrusting into you, wanting to fuck this sadness out of you. He wants to make you think of nothing but how his cock fills you full and how good he is fucking you right now, and soon, he's going to make you feel nothing but immense pleasure.
"Ah... ah... ah..." you moan for every thrust going into you and the skin-slapping sounds echo along with it in the room.
Chan plants his mouth on your breasts to contain his grunts and groans while keeping the steady motion of his hips pulsating against you.
A hand reaches for his chin and forces him to look at you, instantly engaged in eye contact with you. He continues thrusting into you with eyes looking deep into you, they're no longer looking like bottomless pits, they look like deep oases that he wants to dive into.
The next thing he knows, Chan finds himself deep in you, not just physically but also connected with you in a way that he's never experienced with anyone else until now. He feels barer than he already is and instead of shutting himself off, he embraces it and lets you in.
Soon enough, he finds himself lost in it and fully connects himself to you in a way that lets him know how it feels to love without fears or insecurities holding him back, without worrying if it's being reciprocated or not, to love wholly and completely.
"Oh," you let out a broken moan and that's when he notices that you break into tears again.
Chan abruptly stops moving, afraid that something he does is hurting you without realizing it.
"No, keep going, keep going," you tell him with your voice hoarse.
He needs to make sure to continue, he cups your jaw and asks, "Are you okay?"
"Yes, please, keep going, please," You repeatedly nod and plead with your teary eyes.
He wants you to stop crying, he wants you to stop thinking about what hurts you and start to see him as he tries to take this pain away from you. His body picks up the pace, going impossibly fast and also taking himself close to his high.
Your eyes are screwed shut, your breath is ragged and your hands are gripping onto his shoulders, overwhelmed by the pleasure that he brought on you.
The moment he's sure that you already come to your climax, he allows himself to let go and uses all of his strength to give you a few more thrusts until there's nothing left in him but waves of pleasure that wash over him.
"Chris..." you softly call and then pull him for a chaste kiss on his lips, "Thank you."
Chan's face hovers only inches above you as he softly gazes into your eyes, you look so fragile and open like a wound and he's just glad that he can make your heartache gone even just for a while.
"Shh..." he stops you from talking by running his thumb over your lips and then kisses you with his heart wide open. He lets this beautiful feeling pour out of him and into you.
"No, thank you," he mutters his gratitude between kisses.
Thanks to you, he experiences something he's never felt before with someone else, something new, something pure and real, something that feels a lot like love.
When he wakes up in the morning and finds you're not there, it hits him that maybe it is love but Chan is not ready to admit it yet.
-
A week passes and Chan hasn't seen you ever since that night.
He can't tell if you're avoiding him or needing the space and time to piece yourself back from the break-up, he hopes it's the latter. Gosh! Let him be right.
Regardless of what happened, he can live with the fact that you despise him but it would be sad to know if you choose to go down the path of believing that you're not going to find love again.
Chan just needs to know if you're doing okay, that's what matters for now.
Fortunately, the two of you have been neighbors for quite a long time to learn your routine and knockabouts. He knows what you like to do on a Saturday morning, he goes to the lobby and chats with the concierge as he waits.
At the first sight of you entering the apartment building, his heart palpation, and in all honesty, he's just so happy to finally see you after a while.
Are you not seeing him there? Or you're just pretending which only confirms his initial thought that you've been, in fact, avoiding him.
You're walking through the lobby carrying a bag of groceries in your arm, you skip checking on the mailbox and go straight to the elevator. It just happens that the elevator is vacant and the doors slide open after you push the button.
Chan decides to take the risk, sprinting to get into the elevator before the doors close. You already despise him so a little more hate shouldn't be a problem to him.
"Morning, sunshine," He greets you with his dimpled grin.
"Good morning," you politely reply without looking at him.
Things are going back to normal and he should be glad, right? At least, you're back to your usual settings of looking stoic and acting polite, and the best thing about it is you're still talking to him.
"I should learn to avoid people from you. You're good at it," he pushes it a bit just to see if he can crack through this facade.
"Excuse me?" Your head turns his way and with your eyes widen, "I have not been avoiding anyone."
Chan holds the urge to smile for successfully getting your attention and rests his back against the cold, metal furnace of the elevator, "Are you sure?"
"Well, we're seeing each other now," you tell him.
"That's because I know you like to go to the farmer's market every Saturday morning," he says at the same time, admitting that he knows about your routine.
You slowly turn your body facing him and squint your eyes at him, "You've been keeping tabs on me?"
"It's my favorite pastime activity," he shamelessly answers then pokes his cheek with his tongue.
"It's better than watching porn," he playfully adds, something that he knows will annoy you the right way.
"Ugh!" You groan as you look straight ahead.
Oddly enough, that's what he misses the most about it, interacting with you and seeing your reaction to his antics, but you, especially.
"Don't be so uptight," he coyly says.
He takes a step closer to you and puts his hand on the handlebar, "it's not like we haven't slept together or anything."
You let out a scoff and hoist the strap of your grocery bag higher on your shoulder, "I'm shocked you even remember," you say.
You turn your head next and your eyes immediately lock in a gaze with him, "I figure I'm just a low notch on a very long bedpost," you add.
"Are you calling me a man whore?" Chan says, feeling offended.
You take a step closer to him and daringly stare back into his eyes, "I didn't call you a man," you answer with a sly smirk.
There's a few seconds of silence until Chan realizes what you just said to him but you know what? He's going to give it to you, for now.
He looks at you and smiles, "Touche!"
You both look at each other and at the same time, burst into laughter, and it keeps going until the hilarity subsides with each passing second.
Is this real? Did you just poke fun at him with a beautiful smile on your face? Did you really laugh and the sound of not only echoing in this enclosed space but also in the back of his mind? Did he just see a different facial expression on you? Either way, he likes it and he likes how it makes him feel.
The elevator chimes open and soon, the doors part open. He lets you get off first and then takes his turn after, he gets a little disappointed as you both are going in the opposite direction.
"Hey, Chris," you call as he's only a couple of steps away from the door of his apartment.
His heart palpation again but he keeps his calm and then slowly, turns on his feet to face you, "Yes?"
"I'm cooking curry for dinner and I know it'll be not as good as the one you always ordered but you can come and..." your hand is fiddling with the strap of your grocery bag as you speak but your eyes remain steady on him, "see if it suits your taste."
And did you just invite him for dinner? Him, the neighbor you despise so much?
Chan acts coy and scratches the back of his head, he holds the urge to answer right away. He has a reputation to uphold and he reckons, you have to at least wait a minute for his answer.
"Yeah, okay, let's see," he nonchalantly answers but his smile tells otherwise.
You crack a laugh and nod, walking to your door with the keys jangling as you're unlocking it.
Chan thinks that's the end of it until you call his name again, his heart leaps this time and he almost flies his way to you.
"Yeah?"
"Don't worry, I'm not going to ask you what are we," you say with a smile then get inside of your apartment.
That's funny because, after that night, he was hoping that you would ask him that as most girls do but that's where he is wrong, you're not most girls, you are his neighbor whom Chan is secretly in love with.
-
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rafesproperty Ā· 4 months ago
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Thinking about how Rafe would treat you each seasonā€¦
Bro was tweakinā€™ the whole show šŸ˜­ Good luck with the mood swings
Also can you tell S2 Rafe is my fav and owns my entire heart? Ok? Ok.
Ā» masterlist
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Season 1 Rafe treats you horribly. Never there for you even tho you are always there for him. Always thinking about himself.
He can be nice behind closed doors but the second you are with him and his friends heā€™s cold. He almost acts like you guys arenā€™t together but if one of his friends flirts with you he throws a tantrum. Also he gets mad when you donā€™t give him enough attention but he ignores your messages for days.
He snorts cocaine in front of you even tho it makes you uncomfortableā€¦ but he doesnā€™t really care as long as he gets his high. He asks to snort it from your thighs or cleavage as well. If you say no heā€™ll keep asking until you say yes just to shut him up.
If youā€™re being all annoying asking him to drive you home heā€™ll just smear some on your gums.
ā€œShit. Alright, cā€™me here baby,ā€ he mumbles and you sit on his lap as he grabs a tiny bit of the powder and uses his fingers to open your mouth. ā€œThere you go, baby, good fuckinā€™ girl.ā€ He chuckles and kisses you. You instantly melt into the kiss, feeling as if the drugs effect melts your body. Youā€™re on top of him the entire night, cuddling up to him, straddling his lap, purring when he kisses you. Youā€™re just so good to him, so devoted when youā€™re in this state.
He never lets you snort it tho. And he wonā€™t do it again for a long time. He doesnā€™t want you to be addicted like him.
He calls you in the middle of the night and demands you come over when heā€™s in the mood. Heā€™ll pick you up but wonā€™t give you a ride home so youā€™re either staying or walking alone.
He yells Kiara looks hot at Midsummers when youā€™re right next to him. Youā€™re angry at him but he doesnā€™t care.
Probably constantly breaking up and getting back together when he has one of his breakdowns and needs you. So he seeks you out. Cries to you about his dad. Cries to you about your relationship. Promises to do better. And you always take him back.
He takes you on motorbike dates, goes way over the speed limit tho.
You are there when his dad kicks him out, he takes his sadness and anger out on you. You are there when he kills the sheriff, and youā€™re not running away, not telling anyone, youā€™re keeping your mouth shut. For him. You do a lot of things for him.
Season 2 Rafe aka the most unhinged psycho youā€™ve ever met is actually nicer to you (worse to everyone elseā€¦ but nicer to you). He keeps you safe. Never lets you walk alone at night. He basically never ever leaves your side, when he does itā€™s to do something he doesnā€™t want you to see.
He keeps you away from Ward and Barry - especially Barry. Until you actually meet Barry and find out heā€™s cool and funny asf. Rafe is pissed at first but Barry is the only guy heā€™ll let you hang out with (only in his presence, tho).
Barry starts calling you ā€œMrs. Country cluuuub.ā€
Never lets you do drugs again. Not even a little bit. He feels bad for what he did before, smearing it on your gums when you didnā€™t even really know what he was doing. He wonā€™t admit it out loud, tho. He just wonā€™t allow it again.
He needs to touch you constantly. Hand on your back or your thigh at all times. Holding you close to him. He needs to know feel youā€™re there.
He swears heā€™ll buy anything you damn want with the gold.
He still gets mad when he doesnā€™t get your attention but this time heā€™ll just take it. Heā€™ll force you to give him attention if he has to. Sometimes heā€™ll rile you up and piss you off just so that heā€™s your main focus.
He seeks you out for comfort when he comes to your house all bloody and beatenā€¦ whether the blood is his or not is a mystery. Heā€™ll open up to you, heā€™ll talk about his dad and youā€™ll comfort him with sweet words, he gets so used to it. Addicted. His dad never listened to him. No one ever listened to him. But you do. He may be in love with you.
Heā€™s possessive. Wonā€™t let you talk to other people, will break anyones bones if they look at you the wrong way. Youā€™re his. And heā€™s slowly starting to realise that he is yours, too.
ā€œIā€™ll take care of you. Shit, Iā€™ll fuck up anyone who tries to hurt you, got that?ā€
Heā€™s harsh about everything he doesnā€™t like and especially to people he doesnā€™t like. You better not get in the way when heā€™s really angry.
He hates it when he makes you cry, but if heā€™s already pissed off he canā€™t stop himself from yelling. He never hurt you tho. Maybe a few bruises from gripping your wrist with too much force but nothing intentional.
His eyes soften when you flinch one time. That being the only time he actually somewhat calms down.
Not many peaceful moments with him given how little chill he had in S2 šŸ˜­ BUT if you guys are just talking, playing with eachothers fingers in the dark and you start talking about your future he melts. You always include him. In all the details and in all the plans. He loves you. Heā€™s sure of it now.
Wheezie absolutely adores you, she gossips about Rafe with you all the time. You guys play board games and heā€™ll scoff and roll his eyes but Wheezie will force him to join. For 5 minutes. Then heā€™s like ā€œFuck this bullshitā€ (heā€™s losing) and he leaves. You and Wheezie laugh at him.
He tells you everything, he tells you about how he shot Sarah, how he tried to drown her, how he almost killed Pope, how he hates these fucking Pogues so much and wants them all deadā€¦ heā€™s never saying it calmly, his pupils are dilated, heā€™s shaking, his words are mixing, he has this look on his faceā€¦ sometimes heā€™s so scary. But you never run away from him.
His obsession with making his dad proud slowly turns into an obsession to make you proud. To make you happy. To make sure the gold is fucking yours and anyone who tries to take anything away from you two dies.
I seriously canā€™t stress enough how Rafe is always obsessed with one person only and does absolutely everything in the world for them. And his focus changes from his dad to you. Youā€™re his priority now. Heā€™ll protect you, not his dad. Heā€™ll make you proud, not his dad. You. You. You.
Season 3 Rafe is an obsessed man. Spoils you. Takes you on fancy dates all the time. Gets you anything you like or anything he likes.
Gets you hot dresses that heā€™ll rip the same day. Youā€™re actually angry because you liked that dress so heā€™ll just buy it again.
He doesnā€™t really know how to express his emotions so heā€™ll just constantly buy you expensive things just because he can and heā€™ll keep you close, cuddle you, kiss you, squeeze your waist. Physical contact all the time, basically.
You donā€™t really fight anymore. But if he does make you angry youā€™ll wake up to princess treatment the whole day. Food, clothes, jewelry, his attention, anything you want, you got it.
ā€œCan we get a dog?ā€
ā€œNo.ā€
ā€œOh.ā€
ā€¦ almost anything you want.
You are his priority, always. Always focused on making you secure, safe, happy, proud, satisfied. You donā€™t have to ask for anything, ever. Heā€™s got you.
Constantly shielding you with his body when you two go out, keeping you close, thumb drawing little circles on your back, his attention on you the entire time.
Heā€™ll take you on boat drives and just chill and make out with you out on the open ocean.
Heā€™s so madly in love with you.
Heā€™s loyal, pushing other people away from him, and he expects the same from youā€¦ tho you usually donā€™t even get the chance to. Heā€™s scaring anyone away the second they look at you.
He doesnā€™t care about Ward anymore, all he sees is his pretty girl whoā€™s been with him the whole time, through everything. His girl. That didnā€™t push him away when he was on his lowest. His girl, who didnā€™t run away from him when he killed people. His girl who makes him feel so warm and fuzzy it actually keeps surprising him.
He wants to marry you, give you everything he has, pay you back for always having his back.
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