#owner (blend s)

[creganslover]

My Queen

Pairing: Rhaenyra Targaryen x GN! Targaryen Dragonseed! Bastard! Reader

Requested?: Yes/No

Summary: Throwing your life away to travel to Dragonstone was not your initial idea, nor was claiming a dragon... and getting to bond with the Queen herself.

Word count: 3.0k

Warning/s: canon-divergence, foul language, graphic descriptions of death, lmk if i missed anything!

Note: first time writing for rhaenyra! i apologize if she might be ooc, but i really enjoyed writing this and had gotten taken away i think- anw, likes, reblogs, and feedbacks are greatly appreciated! <3

GIF is not mine, credits to the owner!

Falling into the dragon’s pit was not necessarily your idea.

Nor traveling to Dragonstone for that matter.

You were but one of the many common folk in King’s Landing, instead of sporting the signature platinum hair of the Targaryens, you sported their rare purple eyes instead, your hair was anything but platinum, but you weren’t royal, you were a bastard, often lingering gazes would be on you as you passed down the streets minding your own business.

Targaryen bastards weren’t uncommon, no, but you would all get the same looks of pity and shame even if they do not voice it out loud. 

Though you wouldn’t trade it for anything as your father had raised you, saying that your mother was a wonderful woman that gave you to him, however they did not get the ending of getting to be together till death.

Two and a half decades had passed as your father had fallen ill and shortly succumbed to it due to lack of treatment in which you desperately tried to work for.

And when the time came when you’ve heard rumors spreading through the streets of Rhaenyra Targaryen, the Black Queen, wishing to call upon anyone who had a form of Targaryen lineage to come to Dragonstone, especially those who were not afraid of death, those who would join were required to travel in two nights time.

It made you curious, the eldest daughter of Viserys calling upon Targaryen bastards and to be not afraid of death? You could almost chuckle as you traded your craft to a vendor on the street, until you heard she was finding those courageous enough to claim a dragon.

A fucking dragon. 

Something in the back of your mind nagged at you to throw all caution to the wind and try your luck in the game of roulette, to either die consumed by flames, or fight for the side of the Blacks with a dragon of your own. 

It was tempting. But last night as you peeked out your window to see people leaving their houses, of all ages, some also harboring silver hair, some not. Glancing to the knapsack you had perched upon the wall, filled with necessities you had prepared if you ever grew tired of King’s Landing, you bit the inside of your cheek. 

The footsteps began to fade out before you cursed and slung the bag over your shoulder, putting out your fires and candles before you glanced one last time at your house, hesitating.

Your father would have always wanted greater things for you, right? Though you’re not sure if those greater things involved risking your life for a dragon of all things. 

Slamming the door and clicking your locks shut, you quickly joined the throng of people, easily blending in as you reached past an exit out of King’s Landing, watching as you walked down the hill, the dawn barely breaking. A smart move leaving in the night without many eyes to bear witness. 

Getting in the boat taking you to the ship, you gave a last glance towards King’s Landing, your home. Your brows knitted before you let out a breath, glancing towards the people on the ship with you, some looking uncertain, some determined, some talking and possibly sharing the bizarre notion of it all. 

You sat alone by the front of the ship, arms resting on your knees as you sighed, shaking your head and possibly getting some sleep before you had arrived at your destination. 

Being shaken awake, you quickly complied, standing up and being a little disoriented from the trip, before your eyes had adjusted and there, you saw the intimidating Dragonstone Island. The castle sits on top of the hill, a mountain of smoke behind it, adding to its allure. 

The sun was up in the sky now, as you reached the shore, one by one getting out as your boots hit the white sand, moving forward as you all climbed up the steps towards the castle. Nearing it, you spot a figure up on the balcony, donned in red robes, platinum hair styled to a braid cascading down on one shoulder. 

Your eyes met, it was Rhaenyra Targaryen, assessing the strangers she was letting into her domain. You did not think about it much, truly you were the ones surprised she had even let you come this far. 

From then you were all inside, many knights standing guard as you were all led into a dimly lit room, and the faint deep growling rattling the walls could only mean one thing…

You were growing anxious, now backtracking your decision as you glanced at everyone in the room around you, they have surely heard it as well. 

The sound of approaching sets of footsteps pulled you from your dreaming, and there she was again, her Queensgard behind her walking down the stairs as you watched the scene unfold, another group coming from the other hall, dressed in long robes tied with red, some holding onto staff. You’ll soon catch whispers that it was the dragonkeepers. 

Your brows furrowed as the Queen herself and one from the dragonkeepers had conversed in High Valyrian, and by the tone of it, it looked like it was at a disagreement as the man gestured to all of you waiting in the room.  

After Rhaenyra had given her speech, most of the time her eyes always seemed to find yours as you stood at the back, and everytime it happened, there seemed to be a kindling energy within you. Perhaps it was just being in the close presence of royalty. 

“The dragon… named Vermithor, is the largest in the world after Vhagar, and… perhaps the most fierce,” Rhaenyra started. “He’s called the Bronze Fury.” Another deep grumbling in the distance could be heard. “We’ll go to him now.” 

As she started walking, she halts, turning to face all of you again. “May the gods bless you.” 

Following suit out into the hall and onto where a platform lay towards the deep cavern. The dragonpit, you all come close as Rhaenyra started to speak in High Valyrian, speaking of Vermithor. 

There was silence, until heavy footsteps grained the tunnel, your stance tensing as you never knew what awaited your faith. 

The deep roaring answered that. From the shadows came Vermithor, as large as she had depicted, its body partially hidden within the dark as it came to view, face scaled and horns as big shaping its head. Vermithor screeches as Rhaenyra commands the imposing creature, soon calming as she holds out her hand to palm against its snout. 

“Who among you would be first?” She asked, voice echoing in the dark tunnel. 

From then on, it was chaos. Vermithor flamed the first person to have gone up against him, before screams erupted, your senses jumping to overdrive as the thought of survival was paramount. This is what Rhaenyra had meant.

You dodged as the flames rained, Vermithor’s roars ringing in your ears, eyes scanning the area for some sort of cover as you saw the many knights preventing the other volunteers from being able to escape in order to live, fueling your spite. 

It was a gruesome scene as Vermithor not only burned, yet also decided to treat the folks as his food, a man’s scream fading as Vermithor swallowed him whole, before hunting the others down, their screams haunting. 

“Fuck!” You grumbled before you dashed to survival, instead being pushed and shoved all over, you tried to steady yourself, but you had stumbled, making your heel miss the platform. 

And that’s where you found yourself now after these events, a flickering torch in hand, running within the tunnels in the hopes to escape the clutches of death from a dragon. You had not even known if Vermithor had been claimed or everyone had been given death, and you dared not put notice on the sharp pain in your ankle as you had sprained it from your fall. 

You’ve lost track of time, not wondering how long or how far you’ve gone off to within the large tunnel. Your legs were starting to give out from exhaustion, your breathing uneven as you stepped onto the mud, making you try to stumble, about to land on your face when your foot had finally hit the ground.

Followed by what it sounded like cracking. Looking down, there were wisps of smoke, and oddly enough, large looking eggs nestled within the cocoon you had stepped on, making you furrow your brows as your body couldn’t even process the events this day had.

Up until you had heard a large grumbling behind you. Seven hells.

Steeling yourself with what little resolve you had left, you turned on your painful heel, torch in hand as you faced it. 

The dragon began to rouse itself, your eyes widening as you tried to move, its roar echoing and making you shrink onto yourself as your body was frozen, staring up at it as it had faced you fully. 

Its long neck moves fluidly as it stared you down, its gray scales gleaming from the cavity up in the tunnel. It was about to lunge at you.

Tired and weary, you’ve begun to accept your fate. 

Until its snout finally reached you and—

Poked you. It sent you tumbling back against the ground with a huff, making you scramble back and try to hoist yourself back up again until it happened again, the dragon’s snout nudging against your form, knocking you down and rolling until you had your back against the wall. Its screeching even sounded amused, as if making fun of you.

However, it stopped as you had your eyes screwed shut. 

You had fully thought you had died and gone to the Seven heavens, peeling your eyes open, your heart stopped in your chest. You watched as the dragon crooned and bowed its head toward you-

Realization had come dawning in, it chose you. A dragon had chosen you.

You did it, you had claimed a dragon. If your father would’ve witnessed such a thing, he would have no doubt about it. He always knew you were born for greater things. 

Due to your exhaustion, you could only laugh breathlessly, finally being able to calm down without the fear of death looming onto you.

“Get me out of here, will you?” You jokingly said, taking in deep breaths as you slowly stood up, hissing at the pain in your ankle, hesitating, but starting to limp towards the dragon as it eyed you, craning its neck, showing the apparent saddle on its back, worn and rusty. It seemed like she hadn’t had a rider in a long time. 

Before you knew it, you were on a dragon’s back, shooting out into the cavity as the grey-scaled dragon roared at feeling the breeze outside, its wings spread full as it gathered air and momentum. 

You literally had to hold on for dear life as you began to get woozy, exclaiming in triumph as you had rounded Dragonstone. 

Rhaenyra had been alerted of this as she ran out the balcony, watching as Silverwing screeched with its new rider on the she-dragon’s back. 

After the scene, you had been brought down and onto your own personal chambers where you would be staying, as a Maester had been bought for you to treat your ankle, giving you milk of the poppy to numb the pain. 

You were also given handmaidens that helped you into cleaner clothes, thanking them as you tried to refuse their service, not used to being treated as such in the span of a few hours. 

Resting against your bed, you stared up at the ceiling, wondering where your life would lead to now, it was such a funny feeling that you would believe it if someone had told you it were nothing but a dream. 

The door creaking as its response to being opened pulled you from your thoughts, making you glance and wonder if it's just the maester coming to check upon you, when your eyes almost popped out of its sockets to see Rhaenyra herself. 

Sitting up right and swinging your feet off the bed, you cleared your throat. “Your grace,” You greeted, standing, though weakly as your ankle was still sore and wrapped in bandages. Rhaenyra held her hand up, motioning. “You are hurt, stay seated.” Her voice comes in a soft tone. 

Following as you sit back down upon your bed, Rhaenyra glides through the room, hands clasped together. It felt like being surrounded by an angel, she did certainly look like one as you were able to get a closer look every folk would want to kill for, even. 

“You have done a good job,” Began Rhaenyra. “Two of you have managed to claim Vermithor and Silverwing.” You made a mental note that your dragon was named Silverwing, fitting.

“I did not think I would find my way out of it alive if I am honestly speaking, your grace.” You replied, making Rhaenyra nod in response, noticing your eyes were a deep shade of purple. “Those lives lost today are for a greater cause in the future, it would prevent further bloodshed.” She responded. 

Taking a deep breath, you understood her point. Staring up to find her still looking at you, sending you to avert her gaze. “Your eyes are quite comely.” Rhaenyra had suddenly said, catching you both off guard. 

An awkward silence rose, before Rhaenyra cleared her throat. “I apologize,” She said as you managed to let out a small grin, shaking your head. “No harm done, your grace.”

This in turn made Rhaenyra smile, finding light in the situation. Clearing her throat, she shifted to a more serious expression. “As you have claimed Silverwing, from this day forth you are to train the ways of dragonriders, learn High Valyrian, and pledge your loyalty to your Queen.” 

The new responsibilities you had seemed a far reach back then, but here you were now stood in front of Rhaenyra Targaryen herself, asking you to pledge your loyalty to her. 

Carefully moving, you had bent the knee in front of her, not putting much strain on your swollen ankle as you bowed. “I pledge my fealty to you, the true Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, I offer all that I am, to aid you in your cause.” 

Rhaenyra looked relieved as you bent the knee for her. “Stand.” She commanded, making you follow a second later, meeting her eyes again. “You will begin at once when your ankle has healed, for now you shall rest and someone will call upon you.”

With a bow to her grace, you watched as Rhaenyra turned and left your chambers. 

This was the beginning of a new chapter in your life. 

As your ankle had healed, the lessons did began, with Maester Gerardys teaching you key command words in High Valyrian, practicing the phrases during the afternoons, whilst you were practicing dragonriding in the morning. 

You had also managed to meet those able to claim House Targaryen’s dragons, Hugh who had claimed Vermithor, and Addam who had claimed Seasmoke. 

Though it seemed like Rhaenyra had taken a liking to you in the midst of these preparations, your fiery spirit is something to always look out for as Silverwing proved to match your energy. 

The feast she held between you and the other three as well as her son Jacaerys and her step daughter Baela. You had managed to hold a conversation with Rhaenyra well, telling her of your background as a trader in King’s Landing and how your father had solely raised you. Jacaerys had even begun to respect you even if he was still apprehensive in welcoming new dragonriders who were not of blood. 

Nonetheless, Rhaenyra found herself taken by your charm and wit, even taking the time to show you around Dragonstone herself whenever she was free from council meetings, your presence a respite from the pressure she had been feeling, translating her appreciation in lingering touches and stares.

There was one time you had been flying around Dragonstone, getting to try banking left and right as you tugged on the ropes on your newly reformed saddle, when Silverwing had decided to do a barrel roll, sending you both spinning in the sky with her strong form growling in delight. 

Rhaenyra had been watching that time, and her heart nearly leapt to her throat as you lost hold onto your saddle, her grip tightening against the stone ledge, eyes widening.

Though the sight of you pumping your fist in the air and whooping successfully had her releasing a breath she wasn’t aware she had held in watching you. The spike of worry led her to assess what you had meant to her. 

“Did you like the trick I did up there, your grace?” You casually asked as you met her, smiling and beginning to shrug off your gloves. “You had me worried at the start, but you and Silverwing do make a great pair.” Rhaenyra replied. “In fact, your move would make a great maneuver to dodge whatever the Greens might throw at us.” 

You couldn’t tell if she had been joking or not, but the slight smirk on her face made you reciprocate, your stomach oddly knotting at the feeling. 

“Perhaps I can teach you how to do so on Syrax, yet I believe the safety of our Queen is of greatest importance.” You lightly teased, feeling like you were walking on eggshells. 

But that does make Rhaenyra laugh, cheeks flushing pink, in truth, she had begun to get fond of you, and she hummed in thought. “My safety is of great importance, yes, but you’ve proven yourself a capable dragonrider and warrior,” She gestured, as you had been taking combat lessons to the side in your free time, keeping yourself in shape as well as your skills. 

“I would be at peace and content knowing I have you to protect and fight for me.” It was a simple phrase, yet it seemed to click at the two of you that it held something even deeper under the surface. 

Both of you could feel it. “And I am honored to be one of those protecting and fighting for you, my Queen.” 

[thesharktanksdriver]

The star above wano still shining (platonic)

Sorry for the long wait on another determination. I’ve had uni, my wisdom teeth being pulled and other things going on so life has been pretty hectic. I’m still working on the law and Corazon part but somehow wrote this in like 2 days. Sorry if some people are out of character, I haven’t yet made it to wano so I went off of mainly clips online and the one piece wiki. Also I haven’t written in awhile so I’m probably kinda rusty, so sorry for that lol

U guys get some crumbs of lore for waiting so long And As always everything is platonic.

Guess which character is my favourite based on how long their section is lol

Warning: child death, described gore, spoilers for wano, don’t read if you don’t want to be spoiled for some parts of wano. Read at your own risk

𝐓𝐚𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭: @peachsuka28 @emptynessinmyworld @badluckinfrench @j-s-l-m @tigerfang-rage @madokamagicaa @rymtea @angstylittleb1tch @badluckinfrench @emmbny @kenkenmaaa @yunho-leeknow @chibiduck

You once remember wano being a place of peace the first time you visited it all those years ago

Roger had went to the country to eventually drop off Oden when the adventure was coming to an end

It was a place you’d considered ever laying low in if the time came

And though it wasn’t a long stay there (maybe only a day or so) you had throughly enjoyed the minimal time of the land in which the sprawling greenery and light pink of Sakura created an indescribable beauty

It had been so long since you’d been there

So much so that you hadn’t realized you had woken up there once more

Wano was shrouded with an air of oppression upon the people you once saw flourish

Oden despite his short time on Roger’s ship had taught you all about the place he called home

And whatever happened here was certainly something that wouldn’t happen under his eye

So you go off to investigate yourself

Feeling yourself drawn somewhere you can’t quite place your finger on

Black Maria

For a long while you walked aimlessly within wano, sticking out like a sore thumb due to your clothing

While everyone else wears kimono’s or yukata’s your just in full on pirate gear

It isn’t exactly the best thing since it seems travellers here weren’t exactly common

So much so that you decided to try and stick to alleyways and quiet streets during the night

But even then the city was bustling, though it did still give a better opportunity to blend in

And it’s there sneaking through alleyways and criss-crossing from place to place you end up behind a brothel

The beautifully dressed women on break taking a look at you with lidded painted eyes that were quickly filled with worry

Bruises and scrapes covering your legs, unwashed hair with things stuck in it along with the clear clothes of a foreigner within the land where no one could leave of get in

The pretty women quickly drag you in the brothel, making sure to avoid occupied rooms and taking you to a spare one as they got to work on sprucing up your appearance

Even giving you a patterned yukata if your own

The hiding your old clothes away beneath the floorboards as they whisper amongst each other

And it’s then after they quickly finished a large blond woman enters through sliding shoji doors

Raging Anger appearing in her eyes before they land on you

A small child with bruises still on your small form and bandages that covered some of your cuts

Her anger disappeared as does the geisha woman who silently gives you a look “don’t tell her”

It is there you meet the woman Black Maria, the owner of this pleasure house and apart of the Beast pirates

You’ve heard of those pirates before, how people shuttered at just the name itself as if it were a curse

But as Maria gently looks you over, large hands examining your bruises with a gentle touch you can’t help but think you probably got lucky

Especially when seeing the initial anger that then bubbled away

Manicured nails making sure not to cause you more harm as she grazes over wounds

It’s there she asks where your parents were and you answer truthfully, that their long gone and it’s been you on your own

You didn’t think it was possible but her eyes softened more, a turquoise blue reminding you of precious jewels

She contemplates for a minute, then eyes then hardening a bit as she asks you if you’d like to work for her as a delivery/message bringer and you agree

Working under Maria is certainly an…odd position

Though you worked delivery for Sengoku at Marineford working for Maria is much different for you

Especially since the horned woman seems to coddle you

When she’s not entertaining customers or doing her work she often spends her time with you

Helping style your hair with ornate hairpins or picking out patterned kimono’s for you to wear

Fretting over your scraped knee’s as she chastises you in being more careful

Teaching you to play the shamisen and being proud when you pick it up with flying colours

Singing you to sleep on the nights you find yourself restless

She reminds you of a mother, maybe not your own but an extremely dotting one

But despite all this you still see some of her cruelty towards others

Though it’s not directed at you, you’ve sometimes run into her punishing others

Getting a sick glee from hearing screams and bones crack beneath flesh

It’s disturbing…especially when she does completely switches when your around

A distinct contrast from the motherly persona she puts on for you

Kissing your forehead good luck in the morning as you set out to deliver before then killing someone in cold blood just minutes later

In some ways it’s terrifying but by now on the sea you’d seen and met so many people that it’s lost its punch it might’ve when you initially set out

So you go off, delivering her letters and such to others in the beast pirates ranks

A golden hairpin of a spider crawling across a branch of flowers added to your obi to signify your protection and status as her messenger

When you come back to her personal residence she pats your head and then tells you to eat up the meal she’d had prepared specially for you

It’s nice, perhaps even a bit nostalgic for you

And after checking you over she sends you to bed in a renovated room she gave you that’s near her own

She says it’s more convenient that way, for you to be onsite and close for when she needs more deliveries

But she doesn’t tell you about how she checks on you in the night when your small cries while asleep can be quietly heard through the thin walls

Doesn’t say how she personally threatened the other commanders that if they lay a single hand on you she’d deal with them herself

Doesn’t admit how she itches with a sort of possessiveness in knowing you work for her when others begin to gain a curious interest in the small fearless child she now calls her own

She likes the gentle feeling of warmth you give her heart

Likes how she can find herself to be kind and caring with you

Enjoys the fact you value her company over business or pleasure

When you smile at her it’s genuine

And the woman who weaves webs decides that one day a new spider would take her place

Perhaps you’d take that role

But for now your her dutiful little messenger

A cute little treasure she’d take good care of and nurture as if you were her own child

Because perhaps she considers you that

When a mother spider catches a brightly shining firefly in her web, she’s hardly content in letting it go after all

“Which would you like for today?” Black Maria questions as she holds out several folded up kimonos. Each look to be high quality, all with patterns and warm comfortable material to protect from the wano weather.

You look up towards her, tilting your head a bit in confusion. “Are you sure I need so many? I’m just your delivery-“

“Don’t be ridicules dear” she cuts you off, then placing a gentle hand on your head. Normally she’d ruffle it but she had already put in the effort of styling it and didn’t want to ruin her work. “You work for me. And I can’t have my precious little messenger underprepared for the weather. Besides, I have plenty spare kimono that are wasting away not being used.”

“I’ve survived with worse before. One time I was forced out in minus 10 weather while in nothing but shorts and a shirt”. That might’ve not have been the best thing you could’ve said cause her expression shifts to horror. “But it’s fine though!-“

She sighs, then lightly flicking your forehead. “Whoever did that to you better be dead or else.” She holds out the kimono again “no ifs, ands or buts. Now pick”. Under her fierce and loving gaze you choose one of the folded bundles, a dark blue kimono with the pattern of fireflies in a field is the one you decide on

Sasaki

You meet the green haired fishman when delivering a letter to him while he was drinking

It was right before your mandatory lunch break Maria practically forces you to have when hearing that you ran around all day without stopping

So after delivering the letter you decided to stay with the relatively laidback looking who invited you to join due to his curiosity

You find Sasaki to be a relatively odd figure, not only for his relatively lax demeanour but also his burning ambition

He wants to become an All-Star within the beast pirates ranks by defeating one and taking their place

As does his colleague Who’s-Who

To be honest you haven’t really cared to learn the hierarchy of this crew

All you knew is that it seemed like these “All-stars” were the highest on the chain besides their captain Kaido

Speaking of which, Sasaki talks about him quite a bit while sipping his sake

The clear alcoholic liquid being chugged as if it were water

Sasaki holds him in a high regard, but for others on the crew…not so much

Sure, there were a few that had earned his respect for them but in others he seemed to find them too haughty

Luckily for you it seems you’ve gotten on his good side

his easygoing and your calm mix well together, a laid back charm between the two of you despite being very different in other regards

It’s due to this that on your breaks the green haired man seeks you out

At first it’s the occasional asking if you’d like to join him for some food as you start your break

But later devolves into practically kidnapping you to join him and his subordinates to party

Typically at parties adults aren’t too keen on letting you sneak some alcohol but the fishman either doesn’t care or thinks it’s funny until Black Maria and more responsible adults are on his ass about it

Speaking of which, Maria can’t help but be a little exasperated that of all people it had to be Sasaki who was the first to get attached to you

Something he rubs in the face of others later on

And uses as a sort of leverage? Your not really sure how that happened but he’s definitely holding that above Who’s-Who and Ulti as if it were a gift from the gods

But either way you find him to be fun, especially when asking him about his devil fruit or his time as his own pirate crew

Both things he talks about in high regard

While on the sea you’d actually heard about his crew, and though you’d never met them it does pique your interest

Especially since how can someone as prideful as Sasaki go from being a captain of his own crew to being an underling to another?

It’s odd

But something kinda intriguing since something like that happens very rarely

Since typically the captain is killed

But instead Sasaki was able to rise in the ranks

He’s not at the top like he wants but it would be somewhat naive to say he isn’t powerful or lucky in his own regard

His devil fruit also interests you cause….dinosaurs!!!

You’d got to see some firsthand on your couple of times waking up on little garden (and then being quickly eaten by said dinosaurs if Dorry and Brogy weren’t there)

But getting to see one that doesn’t actively try to kill you is super cool

Especially since you get to examine without being stomped like a pancake

Sasaki seems to take pride in how amazed you look, especially when you start spewing out Triceratops facts

Some from first hand experience like “did you know they have the capacity to tear off your head if the wanted too-“ and “their hardened skin allows for defence against other predators!”

To be honest after a long while of using his devil fruit the amazement effect of it had worn off

So having someone fawn over it is kinda nice

Sasaki feels appreciated by you, like he’s being listened to when he goes off on a partially drunken regal of his pirates days

And in a similar fashion Sasaki listens to you

For a unassuming kid you talk as if a library of knowledge was directly in your head

Along with that you seem to throw safety to the wind like the time you almost got into an arm wrestling contest with Ulti before he had to drag you away

Because who in their right mind would do that when she for sure would somehow accidentally kill you

You have guts for sure, something he definitely respects

But also leaves him worried shitless because what’s next? King have a tea party with you or something?!

Him and Who’s-Who made bets about whether that would happen or not and he has his good booze on the line if you somehow make that happen

And he prays that won’t happen for not only the sake of his booze and his own sanity

“Oi kid! Wanna join for some lunch?”

“I have one more letter to deliver-“ before you can finish the horned man picks you up by the scruff of your kimono giving a laugh.

“Eh don’t sweat it. I can send someone to do it for you after. You’ve been on your feet all day, you need a break”

Who’s-Who

Similarly to Sasaki, Who’s-Who is a relatively odd but interestingly determined figure

You had delivered stuff to him a few times but actually get to know him through Sasaki’s forced lunch breaks

He’s stone faced at first

But over time you see the chipping away of his somewhat serious disposition

Especially when people seemingly get on his nerves and his anger flares up

He has…quite the barrage of insults, so much so that the typically loose mouthed Sasaki covers your ears

But to be honest you’d probably heard worse with your years on the sea

Anywho (hah) you listen to a lot of his rants about his backstory

Specifically something to do with CP9? It was something government and marine related

Sounded vaguely familiar but to be honest you typically forget about the specifics of most things and people after a certain amount of time

So you just nod along as he keeps going off

Until he starts getting into stuff about history that’s blatantly wrong

Specifically about fishmen

So you correct him and that ends up in a landslide of rebutting his points with hard facts

And in that verbal exchange despite his biting tone you keep calm and explain what was wrong

And seemingly because you stood your ground he gained a liking for you?

Your not sure how but you guessed he thought you’d be a pushover (it depends on the situation)

But for a kid who’s job was being a messenger you seemingly proved yourself to him in some weird convoluted way

Though that might’ve also been because you answered some of his questions about some myths he had been interested in

The sun god and the star god

Apparently he’d heard about the two while in jail, the stories giving him hope of one day being free and having the power to achieve his goals

Two enigmatic beings that surpassed even you in how old they were

Two shining beacons acting as hope for the hopeless and shackled down

Giving people the power to rebel and achieve their dreams

Even you hadn’t heard too much about the two, just odd myths here and there

But with what you did have seemed to satisfy the pink haired man

But that brought up the question of how you knew those myths

Something you don’t really reveal and just write off as “heard it somewhere”

But at this point Who’s-Who didn’t care enough to question it

Let alone try and get you into trouble when you’ve been one of the only people to actually be able to give him more information

So he’s satisfied

At least for now

Sometimes you run into him on your way to deliver things and he joins you for a bit of the way if he has nothing to do

You slow down a bit to a brisk walk as he leisurely follows suit

Conversation following quickly after on a wide variety of topics

He’ll be damned to admit it but your way too good of a kid to be stuck here

Let alone be kinda working for the beast pirates considering their reputation

But he supposes that every has their reasons

And it doesn’t seem like you’d be able to leave anytime soon considering Maria practically dotes on you like your her own flesh and blood

But he won’t say that aloud

Not when the blond woman would throttle him

And you’d probably look at him all confused

For such a mature kid your still pretty naive and clueless in some departments

I mean come on! Do you not see how the scariest woman on the damn island is basically wrapped around your finger

She almost attacked Sasaki for sneaking you some sake and it was only because of you politely asking her not that she didn’t

He’s definitely partially convinced you have some sort of friendship devil fruit or something

That thought is only becoming more prominent when you somehow befriend Ulti

“So you and Sasaki want to become an “All-Star” right? How does that work?”

“Either Kaido elects you himself or you prove yourself by defeating an All-Star and taking their place”

You nod, then asking “so who do you wanna beat?”

He smiles “doesn’t matter, as long as I become an All-Star is the goal”

Ulti

The cutesy and hot tempered young lady is one you run into by accident since Maria didn’t trust that she wouldn’t blow a fuse somehow if you had to deliver a letter to her

But nether the less you both meet

And seemingly like Black Maria she finds you to be cute

Which means you have less of a chance to be victim to being attacked by her unless you reallly provoked her somehow

But luckily you haven’t! Especially when you can see subtly gestures as to when she gets irritated

She gets volatile pretty quick but it’s just as easy to be able to calm her down when you call her “lady Ulti”

She seems to like the idea of being a polite lady of high society and maturity

So much so that when she’s not angry she tries to fit this image

And she also seems to like cutsy girlish things

Both of which you indulge her in which gets you in her good graces much to everyone’s shock and amazement

To be honest you don’t really get the deal? This might be you just being desensitized to this kinda stuff but she’s honestly not to hard to deal with

Calling her “lady Ulti” or buying her a few cute charms with some of the money Black Maria gives you seems to placate her anger in most instances

Something that others seem to be thankful for

Though she’s a fierce-some pirate with a temper she also enjoys some of the more simple things in life

She likes to have tea parties with you and do mundane things like shopping or having her hair braided

Perhaps due to being the older sister and caretaker to her brother after their father died she hadn’t had much a childhood to experience such things

Not that you mind, you can’t even really remember your childhood before taking to the sea

Your parents faces blurred and distorted, voices lost like whispers in the wind, their warm hugs dissipated into cold nothingness

So you enjoy your time with her, reliving a time of innocent happiness just as she does

She gets a bit over excited at times not realizing her strength like the time she almost crushed your spine in a hug

But she slowly begins to realize how in comparison your much more fragile than her and others around her

Page one definitely helps her with this quite a bit, especially considering she was like this when they were kids and back then she also had to regulate her strength around people (aka him with her death hugs)

Speaking of her brother she actually pretty happy she’s found a friend?

He’s not really sure how it happened but he’s genuinely happy for her, (also cause she doesn’t cling to him as much, she still does occasionally but now your her main target lol)

She acts a lot like how a sister would

Though she’s sometimes bratty she’s still caring and mischievous in a fun way

Often dragging you away to play games or browse through the shops nearby

It’s honestly pretty nice (when she’s not angry)

But with this comes some genuine moments with her

After their dad died Kaido had taken her and Page one in

As the eldest she decided she needed to step up

And while she did do that she felt like she lost time in enjoying her childhood, of spending time with her brother and forming genuine connections

Being in the beast pirates is a constant power struggle

People always trying to climb to the top no matter the cost

She’s lost a portion of herself in establishing stability for both herself and Page one

Now trying to make up for it even if he saw her clingy affection as annoying

Because at heart she does care

She cares a lot about the few who’ve made the effort to see her

And even if she snaps like a twig when things don’t go her way she doesn’t really mean to

It’s just how she reacts and she can’t really hone it back despite her attempts to do so

But you see that when others don’t

And she deeply appreciates it in her own way

So when she barges in and takes you shopping it’s her trying to show how she appreciates the efforts

Or when she picks you up and sits you atop her shoulder so you can see above the crowd and not get lost

Black Maria is certainly in for a surprise when she finds the two of you having a tea party but decidedly joins in

It’s odd seeing Ulti so happy without snapping in the span of a few minutes but Maria is pleasantly impressed

Though she does get a bit annoyed when Ulti then starts hounding her to send more letters so she has more excuses to play Hanafuda with you (you let her win each time)

Everyone seems to pity your eardrums for when she squeals in joy

“Hey lady Ulti, do you wanna get matching Omamori charms?” You say holding up two of the small luck charms, she turns to you eyes widening with delight.

“Kya!! Really!”

“Sure, it’s why I asked”

Yamato

You met Yamato completely by accident not knowing who he was or why he was in the walls

But at this point you don’t question anything as he freezes in place and you just ask “yo…are you alright? Should I go orrrrr?” In which shakes his head

And then you leave

But then a few days later he finds you while on your way back to Black Maria’s

In which he talks to you

In many ways you find Yamato to be aspiring as you feel his determination burn brightly and strong

He’s faced adversity yet he stands tall admits it all

And….well seeing him idolize Oden and even pick up his mannerism is kinda oddly comforting to you

It must have been years (how many exactly you don’t know) since you last saw Oden but it feels like yesterday

You remember talking with him on the Jolly Roger

Remember him regaling proudly of his homeland and of the Whitebeard pirates who welcomed him aboard

Remember his goodbye to the Roger crew and his joyous hug before stepping off the ship into what now feels like a shadow of what used to be his home

And now your faced with someone who acts like him

Oden was a friend who felt like an old one despite how little time he truly spent with you

And as quickly as he came into your life he was gone like many others you’d met, and all the same it stings and burns like acid

You’d never met his family like he promised

Never had that giant feast he promised Shanks, Buggy and you when you’d all visit

Never got to fulfil in fully raising Momonosuke

Never had the chance in fulfilling his life before his spark was snuffed out

But as you talk more with the young prince you see that while he isn’t Oden himself it certainly feels like in some sense your talking a bit to Oden again

Seeing how Yamato seemingly fights against his father

Against all those you’d somehow come to know while technically working for the beast pirates is inspiring

Especially considering how strong they all are

You didn’t need to see them fight to know how powerful even non All-Stars were

I mean, Kaido wouldn’t be named an “emperor” of the sea and was able to conquer a nation if he wasn’t a powerhouse

Yet Yamato keeps fighting

Because Yamato wouldn’t back down…no he couldn’t back down

Just like Oden wouldn’t

You have to sneak out to hang out with the red horned prince but no one really bats an eye

Not when they just assume your being a kid

So at night Yamato and you hang out

And you tell him your experiences with Oden yourself

And much to your surprise he believes you

He believe you wholeheartedly so much so that it makes you confused

Until he pulls out an old book, partially withered by age yet loved and cared for to keep its contents in surviving longer

And in that book in which Oden wrote while on the high sea with the likes of Whitebeard and Roger

He mentioned a young sailor child that was on Roger’s ship, one he nicknamed within the book as “Chīsana hoshi”

Little star

An affectionate nickname the Daimyo would give to you

The mysterious child whom told stories of the stars and of tales untold

One with what felt like great burning stars in their eyes and wormed their way into the hearts of many

One that sang with the sea and knew secrets untold

To be honest you’d be more touched by the sentiment if Oden didn’t tact on to the end a stick figure drawing of you

Cause wow….for someone who was well educated and wrote so eloquently he really just outed you with a stick figure

Speaking of which, you’d gone years without there being proper photos or drawings of you to escape the world governments attention

But it’s a stick figure

A god damn stick figure

You can’t tell if your upset or kinda impressed

Either way it’s safe to say that Yamato hounds you with questions

But you can’t say you don’t enjoy it as it refreshes your memory a bit

Something you never mind especially when you find yourself remembering details your quickly forgetting over the years

And Yamato seems to notice this as you go blank for a few seconds trying to remember

The slow look of horror as you find yourself not being able to recall some moments

Some things completely lost to the static of your mind and time

And the ecstatic enthusiasm faded from Yamato seeing how broken down the more you try to recall

And realizing you can’t

So he instead shifts the topic

Talking about his yearning for freedom

Anything to take your mind off remembering

And it doesn’t work until he mentions a catalyst to this

Ace

“Ace…as in Portgas Ace?” You question warily watching as Yamato’s expression lights up. He practically springs up, taking out a small piece of paper you recognize as a vivre card

“You know him!” He exclaims excitedly.

“Yeah i helped raise him” you say pulling out the small sun charm as Yamato’s eyes widen in surprise.

“WHAT?!?”

King

Once more you meet him via deliveries but Maria gives you a fair warning about him

Announce your presence and do not go in without his permission lest you end up as ash pile on the ground

Fun

Though probably not one of the worst ways to die

You’d know that personally

But anyways you end up where his office should be

Never going this far into the fortress before now

To be honest the layout was a bit confusing but you made your way after asking a few passerby’s for directions

Them then giving you pitied stares as you go on your way

This guy can’t be that bad right?

And then arrive at the office announcing yourself with mail for him from Miss Black Maria

Keeping the honourifics just in case

For a moment there’s silence and then you hear movement

And the squeaking of something?

Why was there squeaking? Was he in leather pants or something-

And then the shoji doors open

And wow…..you didn’t expect that

Is he in…did you interrupt him or something???!??!

Your staring at this leather wearing head to toe dude with spikes and shit and- did he have a live flame in his back??

Yeah…this is weird even for you and that’s saying something

You hand him the letter and quickly scurry off

Not noticing the flame above him shining a bit brighter than usual

But he does

That’s Odd? Is what he notes to himself

When you deliver to him again it’s relatively the same routine as last time

Though you notice he pays closer attention

Watches your uncomfortable expression as you wait for him to take the letter and let you leave already

And when he does you scurry off again

For some reason though it happens again

His plume burning brighter than it usually would, an almost golden yellow colour rather than the typically orange and red he was used to

That hadn’t happened before

And now looking at it again did the fire begins to change shape?

But that….no he muses to himself that can’t be

It sounds vaguely familiar to something he once heard before the testing and before he lost his homeland

A legend whispered as comfort from a mother he can’t remember in his sleep

Something about a star and its burning flames

But king shakes his head

He’s suspicious but he doesn’t have much to go off now especially since the legends of his people are mostly lost

Besides not even he can remember the myths of his home

Barely old enough to even walk before being stripped of it and shipped off by the world government for testing

He wouldn’t be able remember much let alone remember it actively

Let alone know about a god they used to worship when barely anything is known of them compared to that of Joyboy

Plus your just some kid Maria took pity on, one that a few of the others seemed to have also taken a liking to

Nothing more and nothing less

But something deep in him told him the opposite

Like a small lick of a flame from a candle in the dark

A quiet glow in the sea of shadows

Faint and minuscule but there

Like a single star in the midnight sky, there shining but small and alone

…or at least that’s what this emotional constipated bird man says at first

Because you had apparently survived your delivery to King without being turned to ash has led to other messages being sent through Maria to you to him

Maria was enraged at first but you somehow talked her into it along with the fact that she gets more profit by charging for this service

Soo…. You end up meeting the learning wearing giant of a man

And somehow make conversation with him

To be honest not even he’s sure how it happened

It just did

Cause he asked about how your parents felt about this and it went into a long discussion with you

Specifically about how

A) their dead

B) you don’t remember them

And C) it’s been so long on your own you didn’t even remember where your home was

All of which he understands more than anyone else

To be honest that small question opened a floodgate in him he didn’t expect nor want

But either way it was opened and he couldn’t close it

Because every time he looks at you now he sees himself

Eyes that have seen too much for their age

Eyes that used to be wide and full of wonder reduced to that of tired ones

But unlike him at that age you don’t have the resenting anger he did

To be fair he perhaps had more to be angry about yet it also leaves him confused

How did you turn out the way you did despite it all?

A child who ended up in one of the worse environments possible yet thrives

A child who befriended or got on the good sides of notorious criminals and killers

A child despite seemingly loosing everything still keeping the spark to still find happiness

He sees in which you enjoy the rain despite the cold chill it leaves and the threat of sickness

Watches as you feed your packed bento from Maria’s cooks to a murder of crows even when your stomach grumbles

Observes while you keep strumming a guitar or keep walking even when your feet or fingers bleed

In a lot of ways your like him yet also the complete opposite

And it leaves him confused

And makes him watch

And-

“You don’t have to watch from the shadows you know?” You say not looking up from feeding your crow as he perches on your outstretched finger. You sit on the edge of the railing of a balcony, dangerously close to falling with a simple breeze “I don’t mind the company”

“You noticed me?” The lunarian man mumbles walking out from the doorway and stands by the rail as you continue to feed the bird. He watches the small winged creature, it caws in curiosity at his arrival and tilts its head curiously at the sight of his similar wings.

“You’re not too hard to notice to be fair….but it was your flame that sounded me off. It’s subtle but it’s there” you turn to look at him, petting the feathered little friend. “You notice that kinda thing after a while of being on your own. Even the smallest shift in the wind can alert your mind, giving the hope that someone else was there…but I get the feeling you know that already”

“I do”

A smile appears across your face. “Great minds think alike” your tone is somewhat joyous yet he hears a somewhat sad edge “don’t they Reggie?”

“Reggie? Is that the bird?”

“Yep, raised him and the flock myself!”

“You…raised them all?” Red eyes look out to nearby tree’s, at least 40 beady eyes stare out at him.

“Found them half dead after some villagers tried to kill them. Bad luck or whatever, but sounds like whack superstitions to me” you hold out Reggie to him (leaving out that these were the descendants of those same birds) “wanna hold him?”

King reluctantly takes the bird, the small gentle creature hopping onto his finger. It reacts….positively to him? Much to his surprise. King goes silent for a few moments, watching the midnight feathered bird then rubs its head against him. “I’m confused about you”

“Oh?”

“How are you the way are despite everything?” It’s a broad question “aren’t you angry at the world?”

You give a laugh “of course I’m angry. It took a long time to realize I was, so much had happened to me” you go a bit quiet at the last part but suddenly perk up again as you add “but I’ve met so many good people, seen so many beautiful things. And maybe…just maybe that makes me more content than it does angry. Don’t get me wrong, I still get upset but I have people there for me, some kinda healthy ways to deal with it I guess”

Reggie nudges king as the All-Star goes a bit quiet watching as you then stand on the balcony railing. He quirks an eyebrow beneath his mask, what are you doing-

“Wanna see something cool?” Before he can answer you raise out your arms leaning back dangerously, things practically go in slow motion for him as he races to grab you before you can do your trick

“WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!?, do you have a death wish or something?!?”

“death isn’t that bad? There are worse things than death, believe me. But I was gonna-“ dear gods if he didn’t have white hair already then it would be after that

After that king for some reason keeps thinking about that moment

More specifically your mindset of death

And what the fuck have been through?

But he’s not wondering that in concern of course (definitely not)

More-so curiosity and how it could benefit Kaido (of course)

So he keeps thinking about it

And you

And ends up worrying that you’ll do something stupid again so he goes to find you

And make sure you didn’t do something stupid again that killed you

And wondering if you know how many near misses with death you have on a daily basis

So he goes back to watching silently

And…then joining you when you point out you know he’s there

And it’s not his fault that you seem to ease up to his company

And that you aren’t as annoying as his colleagues (when your not doing near death stupid shit)

And-

Oh fuuuuuuuuuuuuck

He quite literally goes through the 5 stages of grief

First is denial, of course he didn’t care for you

You were just some kid Maria employed and it was just more convenient to make sure you stayed alive- oi why the fuck is queen trying to drag you on stage for his stupid concert

Second is anger, and he’s unsure if he’s angry at you, himself or the situation because honestly how could he possibly somehow get attached to a kid of all things?! Let alone a weird one that seemingly relates to….him and loosing a home he doesn’t remember

Third is bargaining, no! He’s in control here! He’s can just stop talking with you and stop worrying….wait didn’t you just say you were gonna go out in the beast infested forest

Fourth is depression, because oh god he’s attached. The literal only other person he’s attached to is Kaido for obvious reasons. He didn’t think he needed other attachments to others but now he cares and god does it suck when you a god damn extrovert who’s also a magnet for trouble

And finally is acceptance, because he’s attached now god damn it and it’s simultaneous yours and (mostly) his problem

To be honest you don’t really mind at this point

Coming to enjoy his more quiet company after getting over his…odd attire (something which you now poke at him for)

Plus his wings and fire was cool

Oh! And his rad devil fruit too!!!

Dinosaurs were cool in general so it’s definitely an A+ in your books

Not gonna lie the dichotomy of chill sweet kid that everyone has a soft spot for and literally the scariest dude out there is one you find hilarious

Especially after you walked past a confused Sasaki who got a “yo” from you and a death glare from king

It definitely causes heads to turn while king doesn’t care you just find it funny as hell

You find him to be like…a scary big brother

Sure, he rolls his eyes sometimes at your jokes but you know he cares in his own ways when he stopes you from falling down another flight of stairs Cora-style

He seems to express this by just being around you, listening and protecting you

It’s nice

And also gives you the warning that he’s more attentive than most others

Honestly he seems to have a sixth sense for when you try and hide yet another scrape or cut

Like you could have the smallest splatter of mud on your kimono and he’s already figured out you fell earlier

and then calling you an idiot before dragging you to the nearest doctor employed by his crew

It’s honestly impressive and a bit worrying

So you definitely are careful about some of the things you say

But you still tell him stories

Regal your woes of adventures but frame them as being on Wano

And he listens to them all the same

Soaking up your words

One day you give to him a charm fashioned of moonstones, a small piece of gold you carved into a small star,and spare feathers of your crows whom had come to immediately love him (especially perching on his shoulders for warmth)

And in return he give you one of his feathers, one freshly plucked from his wing that you later turn into an earring

What you don’t know is that of the little things he’s remembered of his home is that the gift you gave him was something akin to a lunarian’s gift towards a close friend

He knows at this point with his flame still turning a bright gold and changing shape it can’t be coincidence

But for now he leaves it be

That can be answered later

Especially when for once King feels like Alber again

A lone boy who lost his home who yearned to find someone like him

And though he didn’t find another Lunarian he found someone else instead

But that was fine for him

“This may be a weird question, but do you ever wish you could fly high enough to touch the stars?” You asked one night looking up towards a brightly shining night sky.

Alber looks up for a moment wings involuntarily flexing at the thought of it “it’s all I ever wanted”. It had been a dream of his ever since he had been locked away and prodded at, to fly so high to the stars that would comfort him with their warmth compared to his barely flickering flame. To let a god whose name he can’t remember hear his prayers.

You both share this silent moment both realizing something about the other

For you it’s how his flame shines a light gold, dancing as they formed a familiar four pointed star you’d yet to forget

While for him it’s the fact that for a moment he sees in the depths of yours eyes the brightest star in the sky that used to reside over his home

Queen

Once more you get a warning from Black Maria about him and you think it can’t possibly be more weird than king

You walk in on this dude having a full on concert whilst the crowd of beast pirates roar in cheers for him

Somehow you begin to believe that maybe Kaido hires the most insane weirdo’s out there

Like Roger literally sometimes found random people on the street and asked them to join

But this, this is a new level of finding people

He also gives you kinda off vibes

So you stay clear, handing the note to one of his men and asking forgot it to be delivered when his performance was done

Dodged a bullet there

Though you would admit his song was kinda catchy

…separate the art from the artist? Nah, he probably did some war crimes or worse

Next time your not so lucky though

Catching him just before his concert as apparently one of the lead guitarist flunked out due to being too hungover

Queen, not being to keen to really talk to anyone because this would fuck up his concert and he was very very fucking upset over that

Like borderline really dramatically upset about it

I mean, you guess you can’t blame him but still

He was taking it a bit far by throwing someone against the wall though

You’d rather not start a civil war if Black Maria heard he accidentally squished you like a stress toy so you step up instead

Taking the lone guitar held up by a relatively scared pirate and take a Quick Look at the sheet to memorize it after a minute or two

Looks like your deliveries would be on a bit of a pause until this was done

You just thank whatever gods there are that Maria is a forgiving boss (to you at least) and that over your many years alone on the barren sea you picked up just about every instrument you could and mastered them (partially to pass time and keep sane)

Though this was also partially due to Brook and the Rumbar pirates

Turning to the still scared shitless assistant yelling at him to tell you what you need to play

Which seemingly gets the attention of the large blond who was now looking down at your curiously

Picking you up by the scruff (why did everyone do that and why was everyone so damn tall here???) to get a proper look at you

Inquisitively trying to figure out just exactly who you were before seeing the hairpin Maria gave you

But then that brings up new questions

Ones he’s about to ask before you tell him that you’d fill in for the first half of the show as long as he’d get someone for the second half and take the mail you have for him

He quirks a brow asking if your any good

And just say that your rusty but good enough to get the job done

With that he puts you down, somewhat relived that at least you’d be somewhat competent

And with that the crowd keeps cheering waiting for him to come on stage

You tie up the sleeves of your kimono for more movement and ready your hand movements

It’s been awhile since you played guitar or even a bass but it would have to do

You would always prefer you ukulele anyways but you were decent with other instruments

So with that you enter the stage via a staircase up and through a side door

Just before queen is literally launched on stage

And then you begin as the crowd goes wild

Typically when you’d play you were by yourself so you could never really gauge how good you were

Like sure, you could sometimes see your progress but in other times it all sounded and played the same

In a sense it was lonely but filling at the same time

You were always a solo, yet it filled the sound of the quiet waves and relative silence you’d normally experience

A silence that sometimes became chilling as you laid there

Days to weeks on end

With no one

With nothing but memories

With nothing but your mind to fill it

It’s why you had found yourself taking to so many hobbies

If only to fill time and oblivion

You’d hands move on their own as you pick up on what was slowly lost to you

Becoming more complicated and impressive as you find yourself having fun with it

You even pull off a few tricks if only to make the show better

Might as well show off a little when you have people to show off too

Queen keeps singing as do the chorus of fans

Eh screw it

Lifting the guitar behind your head is more a challenge due to its weight rather than you playing it

You’d perfected the party trick after many many many attempts and practice

And after a moment of getting used to it again the muscle memory kicked in

The crowd goes wild and your not sure if it’s from Queen or your performance

Probably Queen

You close your eyes in concentration

It was easier that way when getting into the groove of it for you

Closing your eyes and concentrating

Just letting yourself play as the world around you faded out into a darkness that you’ve familiarized yourself with

Keep going even if your sweating buckets

Keep playing even if your things go numb and bleed

You dealt with worse

There was that time your hand was chopped off and you were left to die

To bleed out

You know the feeling Almost intimately

The pain

The drowsiness

The want for sleep

And then finish

Your hand strums down and the final cord rings out

You open your eyes and ears to the crowd silent for a moment

And staring at you

As does Queen and the others on the stage

Wow were you that bad-

Deafening cheers then ring out and you stand there looking around confused for a moment

Then spotting the new guitarist frozen and almost paper white, he must’ve been horrified at your performance

Hand him the guitar you pat his back

Giving him a small smile and a “break a leg out there” before rummaging through your pockets to hand Queen the letter

You look to the still cheering crowd and their hands already raised to catch you

Giving a peace sign to performers on stage and then you dive into the crowd

Letting them throw you into the air before catching you again multiple times, then eventually get you to the door

Not long later Queen tries to get you to sign a “music deal”?

Your not sure what that is but King quickly intercepted by kicking the door down and burning said paper

He’s still trying to get you to preform again

“If you think that was good, you should see my ukulele game. It’s my favourite” you say picking up the same guitar you preformed with last time, distantly in the crowd you see Sasaki, Who’s-Who and Ulti who seemingly dragged along Page One.

“Kid, I don’t think that will make you much money” Queen responds as he readies himself

“It’s not about money, it’s for fun. Besides, I’m not that good at guitar anyways”

“Say that to the crowd”

Kaido

While staying in wano and traversing the place of the beast pirates home you’ve noticed an odd pulling sensation

You noticed it when you first came to wano, but as you got closer to the layer of beasts it got stronger

Pulling and directing you deeper into the almost literal lions den

You’d yet to find out what it was but you’d sometimes come closer to it

As if it moved within this place

But today you’d have the opportunity to perhaps find it, apparently Maria wanted to drag you along to a meeting issued by Kaido himself

Why? Well you weren’t all that sure but it was something along the lines of Kaido’s curiosity and her deciding that it was best for you to get more Involved

Whatever that meant

You had the feeling she was wanting you to officially join

Something of which that others seemed to agree on

Normally when this would happen you’d have somehow died or run away but…your not sure what’s holding you back this time

Maybe it’s that mysterious pull

That’s what you chalk it up to yet you know there are other reasons

Maria for sure is one

King is another

Both for some reason are people you can’t quite want to say goodbye to

But you know it will come eventually

So you push the thoughts away for later

Maria eagerly dresses you up today, doing your hair with the upmost precision

Gently directing your head while she adds she light touches of makeup

She looks proudly at her work (or is it you?) before explaining what the meeting was about…pirates politics or something

You didn’t really get it but just nodded along as she giggled

Booping your nose and saying all you had to do was just be there

Which you were more than fine with

So you go with her

Deeper into Kaido’s territory

That odd pull getting greater and at the same time somehow weaker

Like a frequency on a radio

You hadn’t even noticed it but your now at the door to the meeting room

King crouched down to be closer to your eye level asking if your ok

You haven’t even noticed how much of a daze you were in

You nod, just saying your alright

He accepts it but clearly still has a bit of worry

And in you enter

Everyone but Kaido inside

Page one being Ashley’s with hugs by Ulti

Sasaki and Who’s-who glaring daggers as Queen and then King

Maria has you sit down beside her, cooing over how adorable you apparently look

Ulti then joining in

Other in the room giving you pitied stares

But that’s before shoji doors slide open

And everyone straightens in their seats

For a moment there is silence

And then

You hear your name

Looking up you catch eyes with the somewhat elusive Kaido but for a man who’s said to be bloodthirsty and stoic his face is molded into that of guilt?

Guilt, surprise and perhaps a tinge of sadness

Everyone’s eyes are on you now but all you can focus on is Kaido’s

Pools of gold tinged with recognition

He knows you

Or rather knew you

You try to think back

He knows you, you must’ve met him before but…you don’t remember

you didn’t remember him…..

You don’t remember

You don’t remembeṙ̶̖͖͍͖̺̹̗̘͖̔͜

You don’t remembė̵̡̬̰͓̜͚̰̤̯̈́̀̒̎ṙ̶̖͖͍͖̺̹̗̘͖̔͜

You don’t rememb̶̧̝̕ė̵̡̬̰͓̜͚̰̤̯̈́̀̒̎ṙ̶̖͖͍͖̺̹̗̘͖̔͜

You don’t remem̴̨̛̼̺̤͙̑̿͗̔̉̀͜b̶̧̝̕ė̵̡̬̰͓̜͚̰̤̯̈́̀̒̎ṙ̶̖͖͍͖̺̹̗̘͖̔͜

You don’t reme̵̢̟̤̠̥̓m̴̨̛̼̺̤͙̑̿͗̔̉̀͜b̶̧̝̕ė̵̡̬̰͓̜͚̰̤̯̈́̀̒̎ṙ̶̖͖͍͖̺̹̗̘͖̔͜

You don’t rem̴͕͈̥̣͌͑̈̚e̵̢̟̤̠̥̓m̴̨̛̼̺̤͙̑̿͗̔̉̀͜b̶̧̝̕ė̵̡̬̰͓̜͚̰̤̯̈́̀̒̎ṙ̶̖͖͍͖̺̹̗̘͖̔͜

You don’t re̸̤̎m̴͕͈̥̣͌͑̈̚e̵̢̟̤̠̥̓m̴̨̛̼̺̤͙̑̿͗̔̉̀͜b̶̧̝̕ė̵̡̬̰͓̜͚̰̤̯̈́̀̒̎ṙ̶̖͖͍͖̺̹̗̘͖̔͜

You don’t ̸̮̓́̎̊̉̕͘͠r̵̬͈̣̭̎̾̔͗̓̕͜e̸̤̎m̴͕͈̥̣͌͑̈̚e̵̢̟̤̠̥̓m̴̨̛̼̺̤͙̑̿͗̔̉̀͜b̶̧̝̕ė̵̡̬̰͓̜͚̰̤̯̈́̀̒̎ṙ̶̖͖͍͖̺̹̗̘͖̔͜

You don’t̸̺̪͈͔̮̫̉͊͆̓́̔̎͘͝ ̸̮̓́̎̊̉̕͘͠r̵̬͈̣̭̎̾̔͗̓̕͜e̸̤̎m̴͕͈̥̣͌͑̈̚e̵̢̟̤̠̥̓m̴̨̛̼̺̤͙̑̿͗̔̉̀͜b̶̧̝̕ė̵̡̬̰͓̜͚̰̤̯̈́̀̒̎ṙ̶̖͖͍͖̺̹̗̘͖̔͜

You don ̴̛̺̋́͌̌̓̍̃̇̂t̸̺̪͈͔̮̫̉͊͆̓́̔̎͘͝ r̵̬͈̣̭̎̾̔͗̓̕͜e̸̤̎m̴͕͈̥̣͌͑̈̚e̵̢̟̤̠̥̓m̴̨̛̼̺̤͙̑̿͗̔̉̀͜b̶̧̝̕ė̵̡̬̰͓̜͚̰̤̯̈́̀̒̎ṙ̶̖͖͍͖̺̹̗̘͖̔͜

You don̷̡̰̰̳̳̥̲͎̅̒’̴̛̺̋́͌̌̓̍̃̇̂t̸̺̪͈͔̮̫̉͊͆̓́̔̎͘͝ ̸̮̓́̎̊̉̕͘͠r̵̬͈̣̭̎̾̔͗̓̕͜e̸̤̎m̴͕͈̥̣͌͑̈̚e̵̢̟̤̠̥̓m̴̨̛̼̺̤͙̑̿͗̔̉̀͜b̶̧̝̕ė̵̡̬̰͓̜͚̰̤̯̈́̀̒̎ṙ̶̖͖͍͖̺̹̗̘͖̔͜

You dơ̶̗̱̅̑̒̅͂n̷̡̰̰̳̳̥̲͎̅̒’̴̛̺̋́͌̌̓̍̃̇̂t̸̺̪͈͔̮̫̉͊͆̓́̔̎͘͝ ̸̮̓́̎̊̉̕͘͠r̵̬͈̣̭̎̾̔͗̓̕͜e̸̤̎m̴͕͈̥̣͌͑̈̚e̵̢̟̤̠̥̓m̴̨̛̼̺̤͙̑̿͗̔̉̀͜b̶̧̝̕ė̵̡̬̰͓̜͚̰̤̯̈́̀̒̎ṙ̶̖͖͍͖̺̹̗̘͖̔͜

You d̵̯̰̈́̐̈ͅơ̶̗̱̅̑̒̅͂n̷̡̰̰̳̳̥̲͎̅̒’̴̛̺̋́͌̌̓̍̃̇̂t̸̺̪͈͔̮̫̉͊͆̓́̔̎͘͝ ̸̮̓́̎̊̉̕͘͠r̵̬͈̣̭̎̾̔͗̓̕͜e̸̤̎m̴͕͈̥̣͌͑̈̚e̵̢̟̤̠̥̓m̴̨̛̼̺̤͙̑̿͗̔̉̀͜b̶̧̝̕ė̵̡̬̰͓̜͚̰̤̯̈́̀̒̎ṙ̶̖͖͍͖̺̹̗̘͖̔͜

Yoų̶̛͚͈̫̯̻̩͙̍̾͠ ̷͍͇̮̙̼͙̤̜͊́͗̓͠d̵̯̰̈́̐̈ͅơ̶̗̱̅̑̒̅͂n̷̡̰̰̳̳̥̲͎̅̒’̴̛̺̋́͌̌̓̍̃̇̂t̸̺̪͈͔̮̫̉͊͆̓́̔̎͘͝ ̸̮̓́̎̊̉̕͘͠r̵̬͈̣̭̎̾̔͗̓̕͜e̸̤̎m̴͕͈̥̣͌͑̈̚e̵̢̟̤̠̥̓m̴̨̛̼̺̤͙̑̿͗̔̉̀͜b̶̧̝̕ė̵̡̬̰͓̜͚̰̤̯̈́̀̒̎ṙ̶̖͖͍͖̺̹̗̘͖̔͜

Yö̶̹͕̩͓͉̤̲̟̟́̾͜ų̶̛͚͈̫̯̻̩͙̍̾͠ ̷͍͇̮̙̼͙̤̜͊́͗̓͠d̵̯̰̈́̐̈ͅơ̶̗̱̅̑̒̅͂n̷̡̰̰̳̳̥̲͎̅̒’̴̛̺̋́͌̌̓̍̃̇̂t̸̺̪͈͔̮̫̉͊͆̓́̔̎͘͝ ̸̮̓́̎̊̉̕͘͠r̵̬͈̣̭̎̾̔͗̓̕͜e̸̤̎m̴͕͈̥̣͌͑̈̚e̵̢̟̤̠̥̓m̴̨̛̼̺̤͙̑̿͗̔̉̀͜b̶̧̝̕ė̵̡̬̰͓̜͚̰̤̯̈́̀̒̎ṙ̶̖͖͍͖̺̹̗̘͖̔͜

Y̸̢̰̼̟̱͉̏̇͊͠ö̶̹͕̩͓͉̤̲̟̟́̾͜ų̶̛͚͈̫̯̻̩͙̍̾͠ ̷͍͇̮̙̼͙̤̜͊́͗̓͠d̵̯̰̈́̐̈ͅơ̶̗̱̅̑̒̅͂n̷̡̰̰̳̳̥̲͎̅̒’̴̛̺̋́͌̌̓̍̃̇̂t̸̺̪͈͔̮̫̉͊͆̓́̔̎͘͝ ̸̮̓́̎̊̉̕͘͠r̵̬͈̣̭̎̾̔͗̓̕͜e̸̤̎m̴͕͈̥̣͌͑̈̚e̵̢̟̤̠̥̓m̴̨̛̼̺̤͙̑̿͗̔̉̀͜b̶̧̝̕ė̵̡̬̰͓̜͚̰̤̯̈́̀̒̎ṙ̶̖͖͍͖̺̹̗̘͖̔͜

Your forgetting more and more

You know some things have been a bit foggy but you didn’t think you’ve forgotten someone again

How many times this has happened you’re not sure, is this the first? Or one of many?

You didn’t want to forget

But you had already forgotten your parents

Your home that now resembles an empty house within your mind

The distinct smell of something wafting in the air that’s familiar and sweet and warm and forgotten to your taste buds

Their voices muffled like hearing them rooms away, hearing but never distinguishing just what their saying

Your neighbour’s like blots of colour through the window as they tend a garden

Your old friends…..But did you have any in the first place?

You don’t know

You don’t know the answer to any of those questions anymore

But with the look in his eyes he knows you

But you don’t know him

And some sort of fear wraps around your heart

Squeezing it

Sweat running down your shaking form

Like a fawn in the jaws of a bear

Your head pounds with unease

You don’t know what to do

What are you supposed to say? Sorry I can’t remember you cause I’ve lived so long that I’ve began to forget stuff?!?

What do you do?!?

His eyes says he wants answers but even if you give him one you see the outcome

You see a possessiveness

Like a dragon and a horde

You’ll be stuck here like wano’s resident with the only difference in your case being that your given a special status

Like a prized pet

So

You run

Maybe it’s the cowards way out but this was coming either way

No matter how hard it always is

You knew this wasn’t forever and now your forced to do this

You have to die yet once more

Running through the halls with Kaido and many of his commanders on your tail isn’t a fun experience

But your small

And quick

And have ran for your life too many times to know your advantages here

Ducking and slide across wooden floors

You manage to loose them all after a small bit of running

Them splitting up to find you quicker

It’s too bad it ended up like this

Too bad you couldn’t leave on good terms

Or find that pull

But now comes the end

It’s ironic that it’s the balcony you sat on with king that one day

One that you were gonna jump off of regardless but now it’s not a trick where your crows would’ve caught you

And it’s even more iconic now that it’s king that notices you stand and then fall from that edge

But like before he catches you

Hand grabbing yours in an iron grip

His flame sparking up intensely

Your not sure what he’s feeling or what he’s saying

All you can focus on is static

And saying a small “I’m sorry” before slashing his hand with Maria’s hairpin

It cuts at the leather, for a moment you feel his human skin before you slip

Let go

And fall

His flame sparks up once more coming to the shape of that familiar four pointed star you’d see in moments once more

Gold light engulfing your vision

There’s a crack and then pain

And laying on the cold hard ground as blood pools

Reaching a bloody hand up you hold a small spark

Warm and familiar as you feel Maria pick you up in her own

It’s odd but she had been the closest thing you could compare to a mother

You wish you could’ve told her that but the spark holds your attention

Cradled in your palm

You bring it close to your chest in which it collides with

Sparks shoot out at the collision

Before a calm washes over you as cracks begin to form and you break away

“Oden?”

[lcvemiyuki]

"nostalgia and night patrols" | daichi, hq

𓂃𓂃𓂃𓊝 ࿐𓂃𓂃𓂃

content: after years apart, a chance encounter with your childhood crush, daichi, leads to a night that opens up a box of unspoken feelings for you; welcome home, y/n.

warnings: fluff, high school classmates to ??, timeskip!daichi, f!reader, y/n is clingy+touchy while drunk, drinking, light cursing

character(s): daichi

word count: 2878

a/n: rewrote this 3-4 times...but timeskip!daichi mmmmm. (not proofread!)

art cred: @/W4W7o (on twt)

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

the moon gleams down onto miyagi as you and your friends celebrate your success in opening up your own business. it was only a matter of time before you built something from the ground up, fulfilling a promise you made to yourself to visit your hometown once your shop opened. its been five years since you’ve last been home. you were determined to come back and make your friends and family proud.

keep pushing forward, even when it gets tough.

it pulls at your heartstrings every time; what was he up to these days?

𓇢𓆸 later that night

the bell chimes once more as customers pour into the chaotic restaurant; dishes piling up on each table as work ends for every adult.

“i think that's enough for tonight, y/n!” your friend exclaims in concern while rubbing circles on your back.

what started with light drinking and bubbly laughter ends with your face down on the cold, metal table. your friends worryingly nudge you, fearing the last round might make you hurl.

your raven-haired friend nervously laughs, and you only make groaning noises as a sign of life. “okay! are you ready to take this lightweight home?” she claps her hands together, directing the conversation to the girl with curls framing her face, whose eyebrows furrow in worry for you.

the three of you soon exit the busy restaurant, and you wave your hand in the air, hoping your words reach the owner. “thank you for your service!” your friends stifle a chuckle as they cage you in and hold you up.

“i hope she wakes up and gives us a hundred bucks each for this tomorrow,” the raven-haired girl jokes as she struggles to hold up her end. a sigh heaves on the other side as the curly-haired girl tries to blow her curls out of her face.

as you stumble down the quiet, moonlit street, your intoxicated state makes you a challenging companion. you occasionally mumble incoherent words, your legs wobbling and causing your friends to adjust their grip frequently. you are a comical sight, half-laughing, half-struggling, as you make your way through the sleepy town.

“maybe we should have just gotten a cab,” the curly-haired friend mutters, her breath visible in the chilly night air.

“no way, we’re almost there,” the raven-haired girl replies, though the strain in her voice suggests otherwise.

just as you turn the corner, you almost bump into a tall figure. the streetlight illuminates his familiar features—daichi sawamura. his eyes widen in surprise, then soften in recognition.

“daichi!” the curly-haired friend exclaims, relief washing over her. “perfect timing. can you help us get y/n home? she’s, well, had a bit too much.”

“oh yeah, suprise! y/n’s home.” the other one chimed in, her free hand doing jazz hands.

at the sound of the oh-so-familiar name, you lift your head just enough to peek through your eyelashes.

he looks so grown up now. the light blue uniform clings to his form, the short sleeves seemingly inadequate for the freezing night. yet, he stands unbothered by the cold, a picture of unwavering composure. his broad shoulders fill out the fabric with ease, and the muscles of his arms bulge slightly, pressing against the tight sleeves. in the dim light, his presence is commanding, a blend of strength and tranquility, as if the cold air dares not touch him.

you audibly gasp, a hiccup or two crawling out of your throat.

“desk-mate!” you slur, your words slightly muddled as you throw yourself at him, intoxication evident in the lack of coordination in your movements.

daichi's muscles tense momentarily at the unexpected weight crashing into him, but he quickly steadies himself. his fingerless, black-gloved hand finding its place on your head with a gentle pat. an awkward laugh bubbles from his lips as he glances at your amused friends, one of whom is already lifting her phone to capture the hilarious scene, while the other attempts to push the phone back down.

“hey, easy there,” he chuckles softly. his tone, slightly raspy and warm, makes you straighten up slightly as he tries to guide you to compose balance.

“it’s nice to see you too, y/n,” he adds with a warm smile, his hand continuing to smooth your hair out in a playful yet reassuring manner. his gaze flickered briefly to your friends who are now fully engaged in their mock make-out session; hands crossed and on their backs rubbing all over the place as if it were someone else's.

you don’t say a word as if you could even make out any of the conversation—your heart drumming is to blame.

despite his attempts to help you stand up straight, you droop your head back down. your giggles mixing with the chilly night air as you lean heavily against him.

with practiced ease, daichi catches your stumbling frame once more, positioning himself for you to climb onto his back.

“all right, y/n, can you hop on? i can hold your heels if you want,” he offers gently, mindful not to speak too loudly given your state.

you respond with a playful salute, your movements exaggeratedly dramatic. “aye aye, captain!” you chirp, swiftly kicking off your black wedges before wrapping your arms snugly around his neck.

as daichi hoists the giggling, slightly wobbly you onto his back, he gestures for your two friends to walk in front of him, ensuring they remain within his line of sight. you four navigate through the dimly lit streets.

a few minutes into your impromptu piggyback ride, you, in a moment of drunken clarity, peek over daichi's shoulder and lazily poke his cheek.

“are you the real daichi? like, really?” your words slur slightly, carrying a curious lilt. “i thought i was hallucinating when i first saw you, mr. officer,” you ramble on, your train of thought not allowing daichi a chance to reassure you.

“oh my god, did i just randomly hug you? what if you aren't the real daichi?” your expression shifts to one of concern, teetering on the edge of tears. “it’s okay, you can arrest me, mr. officer. i've been inappropriate with law enforcement,” you add with a serious expression, offering your wrists for imaginary cuffs in shame.

this has daichi turning his head in the opposite direction to stop the laughter bubbling up his throat; a small grin curls upward. you squint at him a bit harder to see and can’t find the answer as to why it’s so funny.

your curious mind once again spoke out loud, “huh? what's so funny, mister? does this mean i’m not going to the slammer?” you reach out, placing your hand over the officer's heart, and sigh in relief as if it were your own.

his footsteps falter for a moment as he clears his throat, “y/n, you don’t have to worry. it’s me, daichi,” finally finding an opening to reassure you.

a few deafening seconds pass by as the cogs in your brain turn. “…oh,” a few more seconds pass, “oh! daichi!” your palm departs from his chest, and snakes upward to squish his cheeks.

the touch of your cold hands once again startles the officer, but they soon warm with the use of body heat.

you ramble on, your palms gently turning his head to face yours. “well, why didn’t you say that in the first place?! ah, it feels good to know i won’t get arrested after all.”

his smile widens, amusement dancing in his eyes. "you know i wouldn't arrest you, even if you tried to talk me into it." he replies, his voice teasing.

he had always been the sensible one in the class, the steady presence that balanced your more pessimistic tendencies. despite your different aspirations—his to excel in nationals and yours to make something of your own—you both found a middle ground through your shared ambition. you admired his dedication and often found yourself inspired by his drive, feelings that blossomed into a secret crush. even though your paths diverged, you continued to support him quietly. however, emails changed and no phone numbers were exchanged making it inevitable to lose touch; yet, the memory of him remained, a constant whisper in the back of your mind.

𓇢𓆸 five years ago

it was a sunny spring day, and the cherry blossoms were in full bloom; their petals gracefully drifting past the glass-paned windows.

our last day together.

you wanted to say it, to let those three words spill out and maybe change everything—but something inside you held your tongue. perhaps, it was the fear of being rejected.

‘you’re leaving for tokyo after graduation. why confess now? and have him wait for you for who knows how long? what if he doesn’t even like you back?’

the more you thought about all the possibilities, the more you convinced yourself against it.

a calloused hand rested on your shoulder, snapping you out of your thoughts. “y/n,” he said, drawing your attention to his familiar short, coal-black hair. “are you worried about something?”

his eyes innocently searched yours.

‘about you, actually.’

“…yeah. i think i might get homesick, you know?” you played along—it was too late anyway. you didn’t want to ruin this happy moment right now; not when it’s the last day before everyone moves on to the next chapter of their lives.

“keep pushing forward, even when it gets tough.” his eyes were filled with concern.

you knew he wanted to say more, but was cut short by the class photographer passing by, wanting a picture of the two of you.

“daichi! y/n! let me get some pictures!” the enthusiastic classmate aligned the camera with you both as you smiled for the picture—daichi’s arm snaked toward your waist, his touch light and almost hesitant.

“say cheese!” the camera clicked twice with flashing lights.

it was a memory you wanted to hold onto forever, even if your heart ached with the words you couldn’t bring yourself to say.

𓇢𓆸 present day

some things never change.

ten minutes pass as daichi ensures the other two ladies make it back to their house safe and sound. both give him a good luck pat and wiggle eyebrows—he only rolls his eyes in response, a tiny chuckle escaping his lips as he watches them disappear into their house.

turning back to you, he notices your eyes drooping. his black boots clack softly on the cement as he continues the trip. “come on, let’s get you home,” he says softly.

the night is quiet, save for the distant sounds of crickets and the occasional car passing by. daichi can feel your breath against his neck, a steady reminder of your presence.

“daichi, you’ve always been there for me,” you mumble, your words barely audible breaking the silence.

just like in old times; he would always stick up for you and be the voice of reason whenever you got too much in your head.

his eyes flicker to the side to check up on you. “i’ll always be here for you, y/n,” he replies, his voice filled with sincerity.

“officer daichi to the rescue,” you tease, your voice filled with playful cheerfulness.

as you approach your front door, daichi pauses, his brows furrowing with apprehension. before he can speak, the door swings open, revealing your parents standing there, worry etched on their faces.

“oh, thank goodness,” your mother sighs in relief—a hand held to her heart as if she had gotten a big scare, “come in, both of you.”

your father steps aside, allowing daichi to guide you inside. “thank you for bringing her home safely, daichi,” he says, patting him on the shoulder.

inside, the familiar warmth of your home wraps around you. daichi gently guides you through the hallway to your bedroom, his touch steady and reassuring. your parents follow, watching with concern as he helps you sit on the edge of your bed, his hands lingering on your shoulders for a moment longer than necessary.

“thank you, daichi,” you mumble, your words slurred with exhaustion. “once again, saving my ass.”

he smiles, patting your head. “get some rest, y/n.”

as he turns to leave, you reach out, your hand catching him. “daichi, wait…”

he stops, looking back at you, his eyes filled with concern. “what is it?”

“daichi, i...” you begin, your voice barely more than a whisper. the words are on the tip of your tongue, but the exhaustion and alcohol make it hard to form them. “i...”

before you can finish, sleep overtakes you, your head falling back onto the pillow. daichi watches you for a moment, a mix of emotions playing across his face. he carefully tucks you in, making sure you’re comfortable.

your mother steps closer, her voice soft. “she’s lucky to have a friend like you, daichi.”

he nervously scratched the back of his neck, the weight of the moment dawning on him as he realized this was the first time meeting your parents. "of course," he managed, a hint of awkwardness tinging his chuckle as it slipped out.

“ah, i’m going to run to the store mrs. l/n. just to get her some remedies for tomorrow morning.” she simply nods with a heartwarming smile.

𓇢𓆸 the following morning

soft morning sunlight filters through the cream-colored curtain, casting a warm glow in the room.

you groan slightly and squint to see daylight once again. your hand lifts, reaching your forehead to pinch the pounding in your head. blinking slowly, you try to piece together the events of the previous night.

as you push yourself up, a wave of dizziness hits, and you groan again, cursing your choice to drink so much.

your eyes catch sight of a bottle of water and a few painkillers on the bedside table, alongside a neatly folded note. curiosity piqued, you reach for the note, recognizing daichi's familiar handwriting.

good morning, y/n. i hope your hangover isn’t too bad. i left some medicine for you. take it easy and rest up. if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me. - daichi (xxx-xxx-xxxx)

you read the note twice, a mix of gratitude and embarrassment flooding your senses. memories of the previous night begin to surface—your friends struggling to take you home, running into daichi, him carrying you to your bed.

you cringe inwardly, recalling drunken ramblings and how you almost confessed your feelings.

“dear god…” you whisper to yourself, the reality of your behavior sinking in. “what did i do?”

you flop back onto the pillow, groaning loudly.

“why did it have to be daichi? after all these years, and i act like that?” you cover your face with your hands, feeling the heat of embarrassment rise to your cheeks.

images of daichi’s concerned face, his gentle reassurances, and his steady hands guiding you through your house flood your mind. you remember leaning into him, nuzzling his neck, and calling him "officer daichi" with a teasing cheerfulness.

“why did i do that?!” you mutter, your hand repeatedly hitting your pillow as if that could erase the memories.

your heart races as you recall the moment you almost confessed, your drunken state allowing you to voice the feelings you’ve kept buried for so long; thanking the universe sleep had taken over you beforehand.

“what does he think of me now?” you wonder aloud, anxiety creeping in. “i acted like such an idiot.”

you take a deep breath, trying to calm your racing thoughts. unscrewing the bottle of water, you down the painkillers, hoping they’ll at least take care of the headache. as you do, you glance at the note again, daichi’s words providing a small comfort.

“always helping everyone still,” you whisper to yourself.

you couldn't help but glance over again at the digits scribbled at the end of the note; your heart fluttered once more like a teenager giggling over a crush.

𓇢𓆸 last night

with the small box of headache medicine in hand, he approached the counter, fumbling for his wallet. as he pulled it out, something fell from one of the inner pockets—a small, slightly worn photo. daichi paused, staring at the picture that had slipped out.

the photo was from high school, a candid shot taken by one of their classmates. in it, you were smiling brightly, your eyes crinkling at the corners with genuine happiness. daichi was right beside you, but his gaze wasn’t on the camera; it was on you. his expression was soft, a quiet admiration in his eyes that he had never voiced out loud.

a soft smile tugged at daichi’s lips as he remembered the moment. he could almost hear the laughter of that day, and feel the warmth of your presence beside him. tucking the photo back into his wallet, he felt a pang of nostalgia mixed with something more—a longing that had never quite gone away.

‘you’re finally home’

a surge of emotion washing over him. it was as if he had been waiting all these years, silently holding onto the hope that one day, you'd return.

the weight of unspoken words and hidden glances pressed heavily on his heart.

he was set on making sure you saw him more than just a lingering memory of the past.

𓇼𓆉𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆉𓇼

want more?

⤷ masterlist.

[periwinklemoonlight]

little sunshine ⋆ boatem knights au

my second short story set in bee @applestruda 's boatem knights au and canon to the plot written by zera @hopepetal !! also make sure to check out bee's bkau gem and etho designs <3 !

cw: decapitation, murder, blood

if you prefer, you can read it on ao3!

⋆⋆⋆

“-And you’re sure this is the man responsible?” The room was spacious, more than big enough for hundreds to fit in, yet the tension in the air filled it with an undeniably claustrophobic atmosphere. Precious artefacts lined the walls and occupied the floors, meticulously positioned in a perfect pattern to suit the path of a would-be museum goer. Now, however, one was missing. And only the most ancient and irreplaceable of the lot, of course.

“Completely.” An odd chill ran up the spine of the curator as she spoke. It shouldn’t have been possible, she thought, she had barely taken her eyes off of that corner of the room for a second before the amulet had vanished into thin air. All she had caught a glimpse of in the aftermath, she was sure of, was a man with stark white hair and a mask darker than the deepest night sky, fleeing the scene with a swiftness she could only ascribe to a seasoned thief.

She had only ever seen that man once before, yet something in her gut was absolutely sure it was him. A few years back, she had stayed at an inn just out of town on a business trip. Her stay had been all-around pleasant, the owner undoubtedly a delight to talk to, full of cheerful stories and helpful advice for travel. The same couldn't've been said for their companion, however. 

He had brooded in the corner of the inn, shooting her occasional unreadable glances as she conversed with the owner, any emotion beyond ice cold eyes concealed by a mask of blackest night. His back to the wall, practically blending in with the shadows around him, she had nearly cancelled her stay the minute she spotted him. 

The only thing that had convinced her to stay despite her better judgement was the owner’s utmost insistence that that man was nothing to fear, that she’d be completely and utterly safe at the inn. Something in their tone had been so, so earnest, she couldn’t help but be inclined to believe them. They were right, she had been entirely safe after all, yet she never could quite shake the cold chill that permeated her body every time the man passed her by. 

“Then it seems we’ve got a bounty on our hands.” The guard concluded with a severe nod.

“Bounty, you say?” A cheery voice asked from across the room. The curator whipped her head around to watch as polished hooves clicked onto the museum flooring. 

“How did you-?” The curator asked, before cutting herself off to fully take in the person before her. There stood Gemini Tay, adorned in finely crafted emerald silks and lightweight armour, wild red hair expertly contained in a sweeping braid, and absolutely armed to the teeth in various weapons hanging lazily across her waist. It wasn’t a bad look for the most notorious bounty hunter in the land, all things considered.

“Word gets around,” Gem replied with a grin, absentmindedly twirling an intricately carved knife in her hand as she approached. “And I’m always down to lend a helping hand!”

She paused, then eyed the curator’s own ostentatious outfit. “...For a fair price, of course.”

“Of course,” The curator repeated, a keen smile worming its way to her face. 

⋆⋆⋆

If there was one thing she relished in being known for, it was that once she had her target in her sights, Gem wasted no time.

It wasn’t hard to spot him, after all. The description the curator had given her was one of the most interesting she’d gotten in a while. A man known only as “Etho”, with a harsh red scar blinding him in one eye and never once seen without a dark mask obscuring half his face. During her journey, Gem had learned that nobody in the area could quite recall when he’d started working at the inn, or even if he actually worked there at all. In fact, it was a popular local rumour that the man was simply a vagrant that the kind innkeeper had taken pity on during one particularly frigid winter and never thought to kick out afterwards.

Regardless of whatever his backstory might have been, Gem couldn’t really care less. All she really cared to know about him was that he was the only thing standing between her and a ludicrously lavish payout. 

It was only a lucky coincidence that the innkeeper wasn’t in when she arrived. There was her target, standing far too nonchalantly behind the counter and looking as if he was preparing to greet her. She wasn’t about to give him the chance. Instantly she swung at him, hard and fast, looking to get a clean kill. To her astonishment, however, he suddenly disappeared within a blink of an eye, reappearing once more just as fast and now on top of the counter. Gem watched as a dark, smoky substance wafted off him as he jumped down and dissipated as quickly as it appeared. 

When she looked at Etho now, it was as if he were slightly transparent, blurred at the edges. She blinked, and he was whole again, no trace of anything amiss. She growled and swung again with impossible force, heaving as her sword broke the floorboards where it landed. Again, she could have sworn that some dark substance was following him, aiding him in his escape. 

“Hey, hey! I don’t know what I did but, uh, I’m sure we can settle this some other way?” Etho offered as he slid backwards on the wooden floors like they were an ice rink, smoke trailing off him and weaving through the air. 

“No can do sir!” Gem replied as she swung once more, again missing him by a fraction of a centimetre. “You got a hefty bounty on your head, and I intend to take it!”

The fight escalated with Gem’s frustration. She spun herself around and leaped at Etho, sword high in the air and aiming to plunge it deep into his skull. Instead, she hit the inn’s counter, splitting the wood and knocking several small objects astray. Her hooves skidded against the floor as she reeled backwards, and wasted no time forcefully wrenching her sword free. 

Wood chippings now scattered across the floor, Gem paid them no mind in her pursuit. The action seemed to distract Etho somewhat, discontent flashing across his heterochromatic eyes, and she took the opportunity to strike. 

Finally, with a lucky stab, she managed to pin him down against the inn’s wall, plunging her sword into his shoulder with a devastating crack and watching as what must have been blood seeped out from it. He gasped, eyes darting to the wound. A wild grin found its way to Gem’s face.

“You’re a tricky one, aren’t you?” She asked, using the moment to catch her breath before unsheathing a second, smaller sword from around her waist. The sharp blade glinted in the deep, warm light of the inn. The reflection didn’t make it to Etho’s eyes. “Shame I’m gonna have to take you out like all the rest of ‘em. I’ll make it quick, though. You’ve earned it.”

It was odd, she thought briefly. Despite the sword driven straight through him, he didn’t appear to actually really care about it all that much. His breathing was as steady as ever, and he barely moved at all beside a futile effort to scoot away from her intense gaze. His eyes were calm, watching her every move in something almost akin to silent fascination rather than the fear she had grown accustomed to. No matter, though, Gem decided as she made clean work of him, lopping off his head in a single swing. 

It fell to the ground with a solid thunk, rolling slightly before making its stop like any old head should. A tenseness she didn’t know she was holding finally released, and she breathed again. Blood was splattered all over the inn’s floors, and she grit her teeth as she imagined the cut from her paycheck she’d have to give the keeper to get it cleaned. All this for some measly priceless artefact? Still, it was over. 

She picked up his head by the hair, and stepped back in shock as she felt just how cold it was. Instantly, it called to mind the way it felt to grab a fistful of snow with no gloves for the first time, fingertips fully immersed in the unadulterated icy chill. For a brief moment, it reminded her of… home. Gem had never considered herself the squeamish type, especially not with an occupation such as hers, but the realization gripping hold of her in that split second was enough to make her gag.

Her grip on his hair loosened for a second, but she caught herself before the head could drop. On a second examination, she noticed what looked like snowflakes scattered in his white hair and decorating his long eyelashes. It was then she finally heard the faint crackling sound that had been slowly spreading around her. The blood that had been flowing freely from Etho’s body was freezing up, and fast.

Gem could do nothing but watch in horror as the blood on the walls and floor turned to thick ice, cracking and shattering into pieces around her as soon as it solidified. Within no time it had spread to his severed head, and she gasped as the blood that still dripped from his neck froze midair and fell to the floor, fragmenting into dozens of tiny pieces. 

She broke her gaze from the head in her hands just long enough to witness a mountain of ice emerge from what remained of his body’s neck, accompanied by a low hissing noise that made her stomach churn. Gem realized then the shape that it was forming. Fractals of ice packed in and around each other, working in tandem to sculpt out a new head identical to the one in her hands. The only difference being, there was nothing to cover the lower half of his face. If she could even call that half a face.

Once the hissing had stopped, that same dark substance she had seen swirl around him in their fight began to seep out from the wound, covering the newly formed head in a thin black layer and obscuring his features. Her heart dropped as she watched the shadowy liquid be absorbed into the ice, revealing a brand new head on Etho’s shoulders, indistinguishable from the first and complete with a new mask. His eyes fluttered open. 

“That wasn’t very nice of you, now was it?” Etho asked as he turned his head to look over at her, an amused smile painting his voice. Gem screamed.

⋆⋆⋆

Gem had never fainted before. With the amount of blood and guts she spilled with a smile on a daily basis, she hadn’t thought it was even possible for someone like her. Evidently, though, everyone had their limits. 

More confusingly, though, was that she had awoken tucked nice and neatly in a warm bed, with at least a dozen pillows cushioning her head and antlers. With a slight turn of her head, she could see a still-warm cup of cocoa resting on the table next to her and causing a sweet scent to waft through the little room she now found herself in. 

She groaned, sitting herself up in the bed and trailing her hand up her forehead, where she could feel a piece of gauze sticking out. Another glance around her surroundings revealed that her weapons were nowhere to be seen. Gem cursed under her breath. 

Her eyes darted around the room. It was quaint, with wooden walls and flooring and a decorative carpet in the center. Faint light streamed in through a window, accompanied by the warm glow of a candle. Must be early morning, she thought. 

Oddly though, the corner across from her seemed to be completely wrapped in shadow, defying the soft sunlight that should have illuminated it. Gem found herself unable to tear her trembling eyes away as the shadowy corner suddenly warped in her vision, the dark matter collecting and solidifying together as a familiar figure materialized before her. 

Etho drifted nonchalantly towards her, stopping by the table to eye the mug, something almost disappointed flashing in his expression as he noticed it hadn’t been touched. Gem faintly spotted a stitch in the shoulder of his tunic. He turned his attention to her.

“How’re ya’ holding up?" He asked, his tone both concerned and casual at once. “You took a pretty nasty fall back there! Never seen anything like it, it was crazy.” A small laugh punctuated his last sentence.

She blinked, then blinked again, but found herself unable to erase the image of what she had just seen from behind her eyes. It was the kick she needed to jog her memory though, and she leaped backwards away from him, nearly hitting her head on the wall behind her. 

“You… What in void’s name are you!?” She squawked. Etho furrowed his frosted eyebrows quizzically. 

“Well, I was hoping maybe you’d be a little bit more appreciative of the setup you’ve got going on here. I even made you a hot cocoa! I thought you guys love that stuff!” There was something genuine in his voice that made Gem calm somewhat, even if his words only added to her bewilderment. She turned back to look at the mug, and slowly reached a hand out to grab it.

Pulling it close to her chest, she spoke, “You made this? For me? Why? I tried to kill you! I did kill you! At least, I think? I’m… still not entirely sure what happened back there.” She stared down into the mug, feeling a weird sense of shame bubble through her. Having the man she’d killed standing right there in front of her, it felt like talking to a ghost. The bounty hunter wasn’t used to having to think about the aftermath of her career beyond what minor property damage could ensue from a struggle, nevermind like this. Her grip on the handle tightened.

“What, this old thing?” Etho asked with another laugh, pulling up his own severed head from the ground next to Gem’s bed. “I left it here for you, since you seemed to really be after it. Figured it could make a nice souvenir from your stay here, you know?” Etho seemed to pick up from Gem’s appalled expression that she did not, in fact, know. 

“Okay, okay, uh, well, you can take it with you when you leave if you want.” A pause. “This… is what you’re after, right?” Gem could make out tiny frozen droplets still connected to the head’s neck, suspended in time and ice. Momentarily, she considered being alarmed at the notion that she’d been sleeping soundly next to a severed head, or grilling him on why exactly he thought putting said head in her room was a normal thing to do in the slightest. The thumping pain rattling around in her skull made the decision for her.

“Partially,” she replied curtly, evidently still attempting to win her staring contest with the mug. Finally, she broke the one-sided tension, and dared to take a small sip. 

It tasted… cold? No, that wasn't right. The liquid was sweet, if a little watery, and at a comfortably warm temperature. It was more as if the ethos of the mug itself refused to be hot. Like it had reluctantly taken to the liquid, yet refused to be any more than a temporary vessel for its warmth. Or, perhaps even more strangely, as if the liquid itself wasn't quite sure it knew how to be warm. 

Despite Gem’s own lukewarm reaction, Etho lit up. 

“Do you like it?” he asked, his normally chill and steady voice brightening with excitement. An amused look found its way to Gem’s face at the sudden change. 

“It’s nice,” she replied simply. She took another sip, then paused to close her eyes. She swore she could hear a triumphant noise from beside her as she tried to calm her searing nerves. Having the head as proof was good, sure, but the curator had expected — and promised payment for — much more. Gem needed that artefact back. She turned back to face him.

“To be honest, Etho,” She began, “Your head’s not all I’m here for. You don’t just get a bounty on your head for nothing, you know. I’m also here to retrieve that artefact you stole.” 

Etho blinked. “The what?”

Now it was Gem’s turn to furrow her brow. 

“You know. The amulet of the ancient Sun people? The last surviving of its kind? You took it from a museum just a few days ago.” She tilted her head, not even trying to hide her bafflement. Etho squinted at her. He tapped his fingers on the nightstand beside him thoughtfully.

“Ancient amulet… ancient amulet…” He mused. “Oh! Is that what that shiny gold necklace was? It was just lying around on a shelf at that ‘museum’ place I went to! I don’t know why nobody else thought to take it, to be honest. Here, check it out!” He tugged at something unseen underneath his mask for a minute, before producing the very artefact Gem had been seeking. He handed it to her casually as her shaky hands returned the mug to its nightstand. 

“You’ve been wearing it this whole time!?” She exclaimed, yelping when the item made contact with her skin and reeling backwards at the sudden burst of heat running through her fingertips. 

“Ah, yeah.” He didn’t appear too upset at its departure, though Gem couldn't help but notice his lively attitude had faded somewhat. She brushed her thumb over the deep amber pendant, briefly fascinated by the perpetual heat emanating off of it. 

“It’s neat, right? I’ve never seen a necklace like it. I wasn’t planning on taking it, at first, but I really wanted to figure out why it made my fingers melt like that.”

“You really are something,” Gem muttered. “But, I’m afraid I’ll have to take this back. A job’s a job.”

He gave her a nod. “Yep, yep, fine by me. Is that all you need?”

“Oh, I have one more thing, actually,” Gem replied, tucking the amulet away safely.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I want my weapons back.”

⋆⋆⋆

The curator grinned and clasped her hands together as she spotted Gem, a full-looking satchel and small brown bag now decorating her waist alongside her clanking swords and knives. The bounty hunter approached her desk with a matching smile, untying the smaller bag and placing it before the curator.

“I see you’ve returned! Remarkably fast as well. This is?”

“The amulet, back safe and sound without a scratch. Very pretty, might I add. Anyone would be able to see why it’s the prized jewel of your exhibit. And why a rotten thief would want to take it.” Gem placed the satchel next to it.

“And this…?”

“That deplorable thief’s head, just as you asked. I can assure you, he won’t be any more trouble for you now.”

“Excellent. Then, I believe you are deserving of your reward.”

“Yes,” Gem repeated. “Excellent.”

[closets-closet]

Dancer + StripClub Owner! Konig

Tell me this man wouldn’t love a good strip club.. Now what if he owned one.

I told yall I would be back, this is very half done and I’ll be honest it sat in my drafts for weeks! I might progress this more, it honestly depends how much yall like it.

Anyways, it’s good to be back, I love you all so very much.

You are the highlight of the shitty rundown club you danced for. You moved to gracefully, hypnotically as you danced around the cool metal pole. The music thrumming through the stage, money covering the area where you dance. Pushing and pulling yourself on the pole in the center stage. You reach your hand out, brushing the faces and hands of a few of the men that are closest to the stage, causing them to throw more money. When your song finishes, you drop to your knees to slowly and sensually scoop up the money, 10’s and 20’s that you stuff in your lace bra. All eyes are trained on you, the way your top pushes your breasts together, or how your stockings and panties cup your plush thighs. You raise back to your feet blowing a quick kiss in the crowd thanking them.

Konig had arrived just as your set started, walking in past the security guards who quickly move out of the way. He seats himself among the crowd, blending in as best he can. Most of the people know of him, they recognize that tell-tale mask that obscures his facial features, making him unreadable. They fear him, so they give him room. He’s got his eyes trained on to your form as you dance across the stage, reaching out, fingers brushing against some of the patrons who eagerly throw their money at you. When your song finishes and you’ve finished collecting your money, the kiss you send out to the crowd sparks something with in him. You’ve piqued his interest, dangerously so.

You’re in the dressing room fixing up your makeup in the cracked mirror. Other girls rushing to make an appearance on stage, queuing their songs with the DJ, hushed whispers being shared between them about the boss being in. You delicately swipe the red lipstick across your lips pursing them as you examine yourself, paying the hushed rumors no mind.

He’s searching for you, stalking about the club, shaking off the other woman that try to cling to his arms. He whispers a few words to the DJ, inquiring about you. Wondering when you started, how often you preform, and what your name is. The DJ gives him a stern look before coughing up your information for a quiet 20$. A sinister grin spreads across his face, he’s got you.

You’re making rounds around the club, feeling your way around customers. Feeling how they stuff money in your top and under your stockings. You were such a sight to behold. He approaches you quietly, a large gloved hand resting on your shoulder.

“Aren’t you such a pretty thing” He leans and whispers against your ear sickly warm breath spreading across your face“Stuck working in a run down strip club leaving with a few hundred dollars a night?” A shiver quickly runs up your spine, his voice chills you to the bone. “I could treat you better” His voice hums, eyes blown wide as you take a step back every, hairs standing on end.

“I’m sorry?” You whisper, a hand coming to rest across the front of your chest, trying to hide the cleavage his eyes seem glued too. “If you keep talking to me this way I’ll go get the bouncer” You threatened voice meak, and quiet against the loud thrumming bass of the music

Konig lets out a sick laugh, his hand reaching out catching the back of your neck, pulling you impossibly close. “Get the bouncer sweetheart, see what they do.” He hums quietly as he pushes you to walk next to him, leading you down a hall of private rooms “You clearly don’t know who I am” he continues breath hot against your neck. Konig suddenly pushes you into a room and you quickly try to find your barrings, never seeing this room before your confused and lost.

The man reaches up, pulling his mask above his lips, the jagged scar that runs across them making you gasp.

“I’m so sorry” You whisper immediately “I wasn’t aware it was you.” You drop to your knees, head hung low as you plead forgiveness of not knowing the boss.

He laughs again, the sound of his belt buckle clinking together, then the sound of fabrics hitting the floor. As his boots thump against the floor infront of you “It’s okay Doll” He whispers a large hand pulling your chin making your eyes meet “You can forgive me how I see fit, and then you’ll come home with me. You’ll never have to work here again, live as my personal pet.”

How do we feel after this, it’s been awhile since I sat down to write and today felt good. I’m also working on a Thanksgiving Johnny post, I feel like he deserves it.

[lvoryingrid]

Always You

Levi x fem!Reader

Synopsis: Levi and his squad are on a desperate mission to find (Y/n) and her missing team. After discovering signs of a recent battle—broken equipment and bloodstains—they press on, hoping against hope that they’ll find survivors.

The dense forest was a stark contrast to the chaos that lay beyond its shadowed depths. It was eerily silent, save for the occasional distant groan of Titans and the relentless, rhythmic hiss of ODM gear slicing through the air. Levi, ever the embodiment of stoicism, cut through the foliage with his squad trailing in precise formation. His usual expression of impassive determination was marred by a rare hint of turbulence as memories of battles long past churned in his mind.

Farlan's face emerged from the depths of his memory, vivid and clear. Levi remembered his friend’s unwavering courage, that rare blend of humor and resolve that had held the squad together in those desperate times. Farlan's voice echoed in Levi’s mind, a constant reassurance during their darkest moments. He could almost hear Farlan’s laugh, that rough, unrestrained sound that had always managed to cut through the thick veil of despair.

Isabel followed closely behind in his recollections. She was a beacon of warmth in the cold, her eyes always gleaming with a mix of kindness and fierce determination. Levi recalled her spirit, her laughter mingling with Farlan's in the cramped quarters of their makeshift base. She had a way of making even the bleakest situations seem more bearable, her presence a silent promise that they would make it through.

(Y/n)’s face also appeared in his mind, her features as clear and vivid as if she were standing beside him in the forest. Unlike Farlan and Isabel, (Y/n) was alive, a constant presence in his life since those grim days in the underground city. The memory of their first meeting came rushing back, bringing with it a bittersweet mix of nostalgia and warmth.

“Hey! You little thief, come back here!” a man shouts. His voice a mixture of frustration and anger.

A young girl, her facial expression etched with a mix of fear and determination, cut through the crowd as she sprinted away from the man, clutching a piece of bread tightly in her small, trembling hands.

Behind her, the food stand owner’s rage fueled his pursuit. His face, contorted with fury and a sense of injustice, grew more menacing with each stride. He was a large man, his bulk and strength a stark contrast to her small frame, and his anger only seemed to make him faster, more relentless.

As she darted around corners, her heart pounding in her chest, she could hear his heavy breaths and the angry shouts that echoed through the narrow streets. Her legs screamed in protest, but she couldn’t afford to stop, not with the relentless anger of the food stand owner closing in.

She took a sharp turn into a smaller alley, her hope fleeting as she realized the walls were closing in. She pressed her back against the grimy brick, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she tried to steady herself. The bread, clutched tightly to her chest, was now smeared with grime, but she wouldn’t let it go. Not now. Not ever.

The sound of heavy footsteps grew closer, each step echoing her mounting fear. The food stand owner’s voice, filled with a venomous mixture of rage and righteousness, cut through the darkness. “You think you can just take what isn’t yours? You’re nothing but a thief!”

The girl’s eyes darted around the dead-end alley, her hope extinguishing with every passing second. The food stand owner’s figure loomed closer, his anger palpable, when a sudden noise cut through the night. The man’s heavy footsteps faltered as a new figure appeared at the entrance of the alley.

Levi, his dark eyes cold and unwavering, stepped into view. His expression was a stark contrast to the food stand owner’s rage—calm, controlled, and filled with an underlying intensity. He moved with lethal precision, his presence commanding immediate attention.

The food stand owner turned, his eyes widening in recognition and surprise. “You!” he began, but his words were cut short as Levi advanced with swift, practiced motions.

Without a word, Levi’s fist connected with the man’s jaw, the force of the blow sending him staggering back. The food stand owner roared in pain, but Levi was relentless. He moved like a blur, his strikes precise and unforgiving, each hit fueled by a steely resolve that left no room for mercy.

The alley was filled with the harsh sounds of the fight—cracking blows, grunts of pain, and the thud of bodies hitting the ground. Levi’s attacks were calculated, each movement a testament to his exceptional skill. It wasn’t long before the food stand owner, battered and defeated, lay crumpled at the base of the wall, his anger extinguished by Levi’s unyielding assault.

Levi turned his gaze to the girl, his eyes softening as he took in her disheveled, terrified form. The fierce protector that had emerged from his stoic exterior was now replaced by a flicker of concern. He approached her slowly, his movements careful, as if afraid to startle her further.

“It’s okay,” Levi said, his voice low and soothing. “You’re safe now.”

The girl looked up at him, her wide eyes filled with a mix of awe and relief. The bread, still clutched to her chest, seemed almost insignificant compared to the unexpected salvation that Levi represented. Her tears, once brimming with fear, began to fall freely as the weight of her ordeal lifted.

Levi extended a hand, offering her a sense of security. “Come on,” he said gently. “Let’s get you out of here.”

“Captain Levi, we’ve reached the western perimeter of the forest,” Petra’s voice came through clearly, though there was an edge of concern in her tone. “What are your instructions?” He took a deep breath, his mind snapping into the present as he scanned the surroundings.

“Hold your position at the perimeter,” Levi instructed, his voice steady and authoritative. “We’ll need to assess the situation before moving forward. The Titans are more active in this area, and I don’t want to risk an ambush. Prepare for any potential engagement, but keep your movements minimal and calculated.”

Levi and Farlan sat at a makeshift table in their small cramped quarters, the flickering light of a single lamp casting long shadows on the walls. The air was thick as it always was down here. They had just finished discussing their next mission when (Y/n) burst through the door, her face flushed with a mix of determination and frustration.

“Levi!” she called out, her voice cutting through the haze of the room. “I want to go on the next mission with you and Farlan.”

Levi looked at her, his expression a mixture of surprise and skepticism. “No,” he replied bluntly. “The missions are dangerous. It’s not something you can just jump into.”

(Y/n) wasn’t deterred. She stepped closer, her eyes narrowing with determination. “I can handle it. I’ve been training hard. You don’t think I’m ready, but I can prove myself.”

Farlan, who had been quietly observing, exchanged a glance with Levi before speaking. “Levi, she’s right. We’ve seen her skills firsthand. She’s not a novice.”

Levi’s gaze met Farlan’s, a silent but firm signal for him to leave. Farlan, understanding the message, stood up from the table. “See you both later.”

As Farlan left the room, the door closing behind him with a muted thud, the atmosphere between Levi and (Y/n) grew thick with tension. The small quarters seemed even smaller now, as if the walls themselves were closing in under the weight of their confrontation.

Levi's eyes narrowed, his expression hardening. “You don’t understand what you’re asking for,” he said, his voice low and sharp. “You’re too inexperienced for this kind of mission. It’s not just about fighting; it’s about surviving. And right now, you’re not ready for that.”

(Y/n) stood her ground, her fists clenched at her sides. “I’m tired of being treated like I’m helpless. I’ve trained hard, and I’ve proven myself. I’m ready to take on real challenges. I want to be useful, not just sit here and clean the house.”

Levi’s gaze softened for a brief moment before hardening again. “This is about your safety. The missions we undertake are dangerous, and losing someone because they were unprepared is something I won’t accept.”

(Y/n)’s face flushed with a mix of frustration and hurt. “I don’t need you to protect me like I’m a child. I’m capable of handling myself. If you keep holding me back, I’ll never get the chance to prove it. I want to be a part of this.”

Levi sighed, his frustration evident. “It’s not about holding you back. It’s about making sure you don’t get yourself killed. You think you’re ready, but you don’t know what it’s like out there. The fear, the chaos—things you can’t fully prepare for until you’ve faced them. I don’t want you to learn that the hard way.”

(Y/n) shook her head, her eyes blazing with determination. “I know what I’m getting into. I’ve seen enough to understand what’s at stake. If you keep treating me like I’m incapable, you’re only holding me back. I need to face these challenges to grow, to truly be a part of the team.”

Levi’s shoulders tensed as he struggled to maintain his composure. “And what if you get hurt? What if something happens that you can’t handle? I’ve seen too many good people fall because they weren’t prepared. I won’t let that happen to you.”

(Y/n) stormed out of the cramped quarters, her steps echoing angrily in the small room. The door slammed shut behind her with a decisive bang, leaving Levi alone in the dimly lit room. Levi watched her go, his face an impassive mask hiding the turmoil within. He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he thought to himself, 'She’ll get over it.'

Levi’s thoughts snapped back to the present as Petra’s voice came through the radio, breaking the silence. “Captain Levi, we’re at the western perimeter. We’ve started a preliminary sweep of the area. No Titans in sight so far.”

Levi acknowledged her report with a nod. “Good. Keep your eyes peeled and stay alert. The Titans have been more active lately, so don’t let your guard down. Make sure to cover all the potential entry points. We don’t want any surprises.”

Levi recalled the day when Erwin Smith and his men had come for them in the underground city. The cramped, filthy corridors of the underground had seemed almost suffocating in their desperation. He could still see it vividly—the moment that had ignited a deep, consuming anger within him.

It had been a chaotic scene. Erwin, with his calm demeanor and authoritative presence, had confronted them, and his ultimatum had been clear: join the Scouts or face imprisonment. Levi’s mind was a whirlwind of confusion and anger, but one image had burned itself into his consciousness, overriding everything else.

In the midst of the confrontation, Levi had seen (Y/n) being roughly held by one of Erwin’s men. Her terrified expression, wide eyes pleading for any form of reassurance, had been enough to pierce through Levi’s hardened exterior. He remembered how her body had trembled, her almost sickly thin frame seemingly dwarfed by the imposing figure of the soldier who had gripped her arm tightly. That moment had crystallized his anger and helplessness.

As Erwin laid out the terms, Levi had felt the weight of responsibility pressing down on him. He knew that joining the Scouts was the best way to ensure their survival, but the sight of (Y/n) in distress had made his decision all the more urgent. Her fear had become a catalyst, driving him to agree to Erwin’s terms without a second thought.

“Captain Levi, we’ve detected some unusual activity. The perimeter seems to be secure, but we’re picking up signs of movement further into the forest. Do you want us to investigate?”

Levi’s thoughts remained shadowed by the past, but he had a duty to perform. He squared his shoulders and responded, his voice carrying the weight of his resolve. “Proceed with caution. Investigate the movement but stay vigilant. We can’t afford any slip-ups. Report back with your findings as soon as possible.”

It was a day that seemed almost idyllic compared to the harsh reality they had grown accustomed to. The four of them ventured out on their first expedition beyond the walls. The sun had shone brightly that day, casting a warm glow on everything it touched. The sky, a vast expanse of unblemished blue, was a sharp contrast to the oppressive gloom of the underground that they were used to.

Levi remembered the moment vividly, the moment the gate opened revealing a world that was both beautiful and terrifying. He recalled how the gentle wind had ruffled (Y/n)’s (h/c) hair, sending it dancing around her face. Her (e/c) eyes, wide with wonder and a hint of apprehension, had seemed to drink in the sight of the open sky as if it were a rare and precious gift. She had smiled, a genuine expression of joy and freedom that Levi had never seen before.

The memory stood in stark contrast to the scene that followed shortly after. The tranquility of the day was shattered when Erwin Smith and his team arrived, their presence imposing and unwelcome. Levi felt a knot of dread tighten in his chest as they commanded (Y/n) to come with them. He remembered the way she nodded and gently waved goodbye to her friends, watching her until she disappeared. The calm authority in Erwin’s voice only deepened Levi’s sense of foreboding.

The next time their eyes had met, disaster had already struck. The memory was burned into his mind—a sight so devastating that it was almost unbearable. The rain and the dark fog may have made it hard to see, but Isabel and Farlan lay lifeless, their bodies marked by the brutal reality of their world.

It all happened so fast, the dark rain mingling with the tears on his face. Levi couldn't recall how the titan beside him was killed; all he could remember was the hollow ache in his chest, the searing pain of losing the people he had fought so hard to protect. The weight of his choices pressed down on him. He felt guilty and furious, willing to kill Erwin, who he held responsible for their deaths.

(Y/n) had been there, just a few steps away along with Erwins team. Her face was pale and stricken with shock, the sight of her friends’ deaths causing her to heave with a grief so deep it seemed to consume her. In that moment, Levi had wanted nothing more than to close her eyes, to shield her from the horror of what they had lost. He had wanted to lash out at Erwin, to find someone to blame for the senseless violence that had claimed his friends.

The rain had stopped, and the sun broke through the clouds, its warm light spilling across the battlefield as if to mock him. After all these years in the underground, the sight of the sun should have been a moment of triumph, a glimpse of freedom he had never known. But now, it only felt cruel, a stark reminder of everything he had lost.

Levi stood motionless, his eyes fixed on the lifeless remains of Isabel and Furlan, the weight of his failure crushing him. The sun's warmth did nothing to thaw the cold emptiness inside him. He was free, but at what cost?

(Y/n)’s footsteps echoed softly as she approached the fallen. Her silent tears mirrored the sorrow in his heart, each drop falling like a hammer on his soul. She knelt beside them, her trembling hands reaching out, but there was nothing she could do—nothing either of them could do to bring them back.

The sight of her grief, her shoulders shaking with quiet sobs, made him feel more helpless than ever before. All the strength he had, all the skill, had amounted to nothing. He wanted to speak, to offer some comfort, but the words choked in his throat, trapped by the overwhelming sense of loss.

“So, you’re the only survivor.” Erwin’s gruff voice pierced through the rain, heavy with judgment. “How pathetic.”

The words stung, igniting a fire within Levi. He didn’t waste a second—fueled by rage and grief, he lunged at Erwin, his blade aimed to kill. But Erwin’s reflexes were lightning-fast, his hand catching the blade just in time. Blood dripped from his hand, mingling with the rain, but Erwin’s grip didn’t falter.

Levi’s eyes burned with fury, the raw pain of his loss driving him to push harder, but Erwin’s gaze remained steady, unwavering, as if daring Levi to finish what he started. The tension between them crackled like a live wire, the air thick with unspoken words.

"I'm going to... kill you!" Levi gasped, his breaths ragged and fast. "That's why I'm here!" he screamed, his voice cracking with the agony that dripped from every word. His heart pounded in his chest, driven by a fury he could barely contain.

Erwin's gaze remained steady, unflinching, as he dropped the documents they had been after onto the ground, revealing them as fake. Levi's eyes widened in fury, his voice trembling with rage as he shouted, "You knew everything from the start!"

(Y/n)'s soft cries filled the air, her sobs a haunting backdrop to the scene. Erwin glanced her way, his expression unreadable as Levi continued to seethe.

"You knew we were after you, and yet you—" Levi's voice broke as he lunged at the tall man, desperate to exact his revenge. But before he could reach him, Mike intervened, grabbing hold of Levi and stopping him in his tracks.

Levi struggled for a moment before suddenly going still. He knelt down beside (Y/n), his anger momentarily overshadowed by concern as he looked at her. The tears that had been streaming down her face had stopped, and something else now shone in her (e/c) eyes—a look that struck him to the core.

He could see the pain in her gaze, the grief and despair, but there was something more—something resolute, as if she had made a decision. The sight of it made Levi’s chest tighten, his rage flickering as he grappled with the depth of their shared loss.

As Levi looked at the faces of his fallen friends, their final words echoed in his mind, haunting him with the weight of their loss. Isabel's laughter, Furlan's determination—they all seemed so distant now, like memories from another life. The pain was suffocating, a grief so raw it threatened to consume him entirely.

But suddenly, Erwin's voice cut through the memories like a sharp blade. "Don't. You'll regret it."

Levi looked up, shocked by the calm authority in Erwin's words. The blond man’s gaze was unwavering, piercing through the storm of emotions swirling within Levi.

"If you begin to regret," Erwin continued, his voice steady and firm, "you’ll dull your future decisions and let others make choices for you." He paused, his eyes flicking towards (Y/n), who stood nearby, her face still pale with grief.

"All that’s left for you then is to die."

"Nobody can foretell the outcome. Each decision you make only gains meaning through the choices that follow," Erwin spoke, his gaze piercing and resolute. There was a weight in his words, an unspoken acknowledgment of the unforgiving world they lived in. He turned to his team, his voice firm as he commanded, "We're continuing the mission. I expect you both to come with me."

He mounted his horse with practiced ease, the determination in his every movement undeniable. (Y/n) hesitated for just a moment, glancing back at Levi. Her once innocent eyes, now hardened by the cruel reality they had endured, lingered on him. A silent understanding passed between them—a shared burden, a mutual grief. Then, with a final nod, she climbed onto her horse, steeling herself for what lay ahead.

As she rode off with Erwin, Levi watched her go, the weight of their losses pressing down on him. In her eyes, he saw the same resolve that now fueled him—a commitment to continue the fight, no matter the cost.

Years had passed since the loss of their friends, and now Levi’s squad was back in the forest, meticulously scouring the area for any sign of their missing comrades. The dense foliage and shadowed depths, once a backdrop to their grief and loss, had become a place of wary searching and lingering hope.

Levi led the search with his usual precision, his eyes scanning the underbrush for any sign of remains or clues. The silence of the forest was occasionally broken by the distant groans of Titans and the sound of ODM gear slicing through the air. Despite the apparent calm, a palpable unease lingered among his squad. The doubt and despair were visible in their expressions; they feared the worst—that the missing squad had been devoured by Titans, their remains long since consumed and erased from existence.

Yet Levi’s thoughts were elsewhere. He refused to believe that Y/n was gone. The girl he had once protected in the alleyway, now a seasoned soldier and leader of her own squad, had become stronger than he had ever imagined. Her evolution from a frightened child to a formidable woman was nothing short of extraordinary. She had surpassed his expectations, growing into someone who no longer needed his protection, someone who had proven herself countless times in the face of unimaginable horrors.

The squad moved with a mix of hope and resignation, each member trying to come to terms with the possibility that their search might be in vain. Levi’s own heart was heavy with the weight of his memories and the stark reality of their situation. He knew Y/n’s resilience, her drive to survive, and he refused to let that hope die.

Levi paused, his gaze shifting to a clearing where the sunlight filtered through the trees, casting long shadows on the ground. The scene was reminiscent of a moment he had cherished from the past—a rare, peaceful respite amidst the chaos of their world. It wasn’t foreign to him to find solace in such a spot, especially after grueling training sessions with (Y/n).

"Levi?”

He turned to see Y/n standing at the edge of the clearing, her presence like a beacon amidst the shadows.

“You’re here,” Levi said, his voice a mix of relief and disbelief. “I didn’t think...”

Y/n stepped closer to him, her expression softening as she took in the sight of the clearing. “I didn’t think I’d ever see this place again,” she said quietly. “Not like this.”

Levi’s gaze was steady, though his eyes betrayed a hint of the storm of emotions within. “You’ve changed a lot since then,” he said, his voice carrying a rare note of admiration. “You’ve become stronger than I ever imagined.”

Y/n smiled, a touch of sadness mingling with the warmth in her eyes. "I'm glad"

“I remember the first time we were here together,” Levi said, his voice carrying a mixture of nostalgia and sadness. “The sun was setting just like this.”

Y/n’s smile grew as she absorbed the memory, her eyes reflecting the golden light. “Yeah, I remember. It felt like the world was giving us a break from all the darkness.”

Levi’s eyes remained fixed on the clearing, the light filtering through the trees serving as a gentle reminder of their past. “That day, after we lost Farlan and Isabel, I was grateful Erwin took you with him. I wasn’t sure how to face that loss if it weren't for you, you made me believe in the possibility of moving forward.”

Y/n looked at Levi with a hint of amusement in her eyes. His unusually reflective demeanor caught her off guard. “You’re being quite talkative today, Captain,” she said, her voice carrying a teasing note. “What’s the occasion?”

Levi’s lips twitched into a faint, rueful smile one that he never shares with anyone else, other than her. He glanced away momentarily, his gaze wandering over the familiar landscape, as though trying to gather the right words. “I suppose I’m just feeling… reflective,” he admitted, his voice softer than usual. “Seeing this place again, it brings back so many memories.”

Levi's gaze remained fixed on Y/n’s (e/c) eyes, his own filled with a depth of emotion that he rarely allowed to surface. The weight of his feelings was palpable, and for a moment, the noise of the world outside the clearing seemed to fade away. The only thing that mattered was the connection between them, forged through shared struggles and unwavering trust.

Y/n, sensing the intensity of his gaze, held his stare. Her heart pounded in her chest, not from fear, but from a profound sense of connection and understanding. The golden light of the setting sun bathed them in a soft glow, making the moment feel almost ethereal.

“Levi,” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly with anticipation.

Levi’s breath hitched. He could feel the pull of his emotions, the long-buried feelings that he had tried so hard to keep in check. The fear of losing her, of seeing her hurt, was a constant shadow that loomed over every decision he made. He knew that if he allowed himself to fully embrace his feelings, he would be laying bare a part of himself that he had guarded closely for so long.

“Y/n,” he began, his voice a low murmur, **“I—”

Before he could finish, he found himself moving closer, his hand reaching out to gently cup her cheek. The touch was tender, and it seemed to communicate everything that words could not. He wanted to be close to her, to bridge the distance that had always been there despite their shared history.

Y/n’s eyes fluttered closed at the touch, a sigh escaping her lips. She leaned into his hand, feeling the warmth and the weight of his emotions. When she opened her eyes again, they were filled with a mixture of longing and understanding.

“Levi,” she said softly, “it’s okay. You don’t have to hold back. We’ve faced so much together. We know the risks, and we know the cost. But that doesn’t mean we can’t cherish what we have, right now.”

Levi’s heart ached with the weight of his indecision. He wanted to kiss her, to let her know just how much she meant to him, but the fear of what might happen if he lost her was almost too much to bear. He could imagine the heartbreak if something were to happen to her, and he didn’t want her to think that his affection was a fleeting thing.

“I don’t want to lose you,” he said finally, his voice a strained whisper. “I don’t want you to think that my feelings are just a reaction to the situation. I…”

Y/n reached up, placing her hand over his. “Levi, no matter what happens, we can’t live our lives in fear. We’ve always faced things head-on. And we’ve always had each other. Isn’t that worth something?”

Her words seemed to cut through the fog of his hesitation. Levi’s resolve wavered as he looked into her eyes, seeing the sincerity and depth of her feelings reflected back at him. Slowly, he leaned in, his lips brushing against hers in a kiss that was gentle and full of unspoken emotion.

The kiss was a balm to the wounds they both carried, a moment of peace amidst the turmoil. When they finally pulled away, their foreheads rested together, and Levi’s eyes were soft with a mixture of relief and tenderness.

“Captain Levi,” one of his squad members called out, breaking his reverie. “We’ve found something.” There was a hint of uncertainty in their voice, but also a glimmer of hope.

Levi approached the area where the squad member stood. His eyes fell upon a piece of discarded equipment—a well-worn, familiar object that unmistakably belonged to Y/n. It was a small, but significant sign that they had once been there, that they had fought and survived in this very place.

The discovery reignited a spark of hope within him. Levi felt a surge of determination, a renewed belief that Y/n, and her squad, were still alive. He knew she was capable of enduring, of fighting through the worst.

As they reached the clearing, the evidence of a recent skirmish became undeniable. Broken blades, shattered equipment, and blood—too much blood—painted a grim picture. But there were no bodies, no sign of the squad they were searching for.

The squad members exchanged uneasy glances, their doubts growing with each passing moment. The scene before them was one they had witnessed countless times before, yet it never became easier. The reality of their world was one where comrades often disappeared without a trace, leaving only questions and the heavy burden of guilt.

Levi knelt beside a broken blade, his fingers brushing over the jagged edge. The metal was still cold, a stark reminder of the fragility of life in the face of the Titans. His mind raced, piecing together the clues left behind. The direction of the cuts, the splatter of blood—it all told a story, one he was determined to understand.

"Captain," Petra spoke again, her voice tinged with concern. "Do you think... they could have been taken by the Titans? There’s no sign of them here."

Levi didn’t respond immediately. His eyes scanned the clearing, looking for something—anything—that could give him a lead. The squad’s fear was palpable, but he couldn’t afford to let it cloud his judgment. He couldn’t let them lose hope, not when he knew she was out there, somewhere.

"They fought," Levi finally said, his voice low but steady. "They put up a fight, and there are no corpses."

The squad exchanged uncertain glances, but Levi’s confidence was unwavering. He could feel it in his bones—the connection that had always existed between him and (Y/n) was still there, a thin thread that tied them together across the years and the miles. She was alive, and he would find her.

"We keep moving," Levi ordered, rising to his feet. "Stay alert and watch for any signs. We’re not leaving this forest until we find them."

The squad members nodded, their resolve strengthened by his determination. They knew better than to question their captain’s instincts, especially when it came to matters as personal as this.

Levi led them deeper into the forest, his senses on high alert. Every sound, every movement caught his attention, his mind working tirelessly to unravel the mystery of what had happened to (Y/n) and her squad. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows across the forest floor, but Levi pressed on, undeterred by the gathering darkness.

"Captain!" Gunther's voice called out from ahead, breaking through his thoughts. Levi’s attention snapped back to the present as he moved toward the sound.

Levi followed Gunther’s gaze, and his eyes narrowed as he spotted a figure perched high in the branches of a large tree. The person was lying motionless, partially obscured by the dense foliage. Levi's heart raced. It could be anyone—friend or foe, alive or dead—but the sight was enough to send a jolt of hope through him.

"Petra, Auruo, check for any signs of life and secure the area," Levi instructed, his voice sharp and commanding. "Gunther, keep an eye on the surroundings. We don’t want any surprises."

The squad members moved quickly, Petra and Auruo scaling the tree with practiced efficiency while Levi and Gunther kept watch. As Petra reached the branch where the figure lay, she carefully examined them, her expression focused and concerned.

"It's (Y/n)," Petra called down, her voice filled with both relief and concern. "She's alive, but she's in bad shape."

Levi's heart skipped a beat. The news was both a blessing and a challenge. He glanced at Gunther, who nodded, signaling that the perimeter was secure for now. Levi climbed the tree with swift, agile movements, his heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and worry.

Reaching the branch, Levi knelt beside (Y/n). Her face was pale, her breathing shallow, but there was a faint, reassuring warmth to her skin. He gently checked her pulse, relieved to find it steady, though weak.

"(Y/n)," Levi said softly, his voice barely a whisper as he touched her shoulder. "Can you hear me?"

For a moment, there was no response. Levi’s heart tightened with concern. He could see the exhaustion etched into her features, the toll that time and hardship had taken on her. Then, slowly, her eyes fluttered open. They were cloudy and disoriented, but there was a glimmer of recognition as they met his gaze.

(Y/n)’s eyes struggled to focus as she looked up at Levi. Her face was a mixture of relief and confusion, her strength clearly ebbing away. She tried to prop herself up, her movements weak and unsteady.

“Levi,” she croaked, her voice hoarse. “My team… where are they? Did you find them?”

Levi’s expression hardened slightly, the weight of the news he had to deliver evident in his eyes. He took a deep breath, his voice steady but tinged with sadness. “We haven’t found anyone else yet. We’re still searching, but… there’s been no sign of the rest of your squad so far.”

The hope in (Y/n)’s eyes dimmed, replaced by a shadow of despair. She slumped back against the ground, her gaze turning towards the forest canopy, as if searching for an answer in the shifting leaves. “They’re… they’re gone, aren’t they?”

Levi could see the pain etched into her face, the struggle to come to terms with the potential loss of her comrades. He knelt beside her, his hand gently resting on her shoulder, offering what comfort he could. “We’re not giving up. We’ll keep looking, and we’ll bring them back if we can.”

(Y/n) closed her eyes for a moment, fighting back tears. The silence of the forest seemed to press in on her, heavy with the weight of unanswered questions and unspoken fears. Levi’s presence was a small solace, a reminder that she wasn’t alone in this moment of grief.

Levi’s gaze remained steady as he looked down at (Y/n). He could see the exhaustion in her eyes, the pain that she tried to mask with her strength. He knew that time was of the essence. “Petra, Auruo,” he called out, his voice carrying the edge of urgency. “We need to split up and search the surrounding area for any signs of the rest of her squad. Be thorough, and stay sharp.”

Petra and Auruo nodded, immediately setting off in different directions, their ODM gear making them disappear into the trees with swift precision. Levi turned back to (Y/n), his expression softening as he carefully lifted her from the branch.

“Hold on,” Levi said gently, though his voice was firm. He cradled her in his arms, her weight light but her presence heavy with the burden of worry. “We’re heading back to HQ. We need to get you checked out.”

(Y/n) didn’t protest. She leaned into his embrace, her body trembling slightly from both fatigue and emotional strain. Levi activated his ODM gear, and they soared into the air, cutting through the dense forest canopy with practiced ease. The wind rushed past them, the familiar sensation of flight contrasting sharply with the gravity of their situation.

As they flew, Levi kept his focus on their path, but his thoughts were consumed by (Y/n). He had been searching for her for so long, and now that he had found her, the relief was tinged with worry. He glanced down at her occasionally, making sure she was secure in his arms.

“I thought... I thought I’d lost you for good.” Levi said, his voice softer than usual, a slight tremble in his voice. "Thought you left me all alone."

(Y/n) managed a weak smile, her eyes meeting his. The journey through the trees seemed endless, but Levi’s presence was a source of comfort. She reached up, her hand trembling slightly as it touched his cheek. The contact was gentle, almost reverent, as if she were trying to reassure herself that he was really there.

“I... I thought I’d never see you again,” she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. Tears, long held back, finally escaped her eyes and traced down her cheeks. They fell softly onto Levi’s face, the touch like a caress against his skin.

His arms tightened around her, cradling her more securely against him. “I’m here. I won’t let go. I’ll always come find you, no matter what.”

(Y/n) closed her eyes for a moment, letting the gentle, reassuring presence of Levi seep into her. The words were like a balm to her frayed nerves, soothing the raw edges of her fear. She could feel the steady, strong rhythm of his heartbeat, a grounding counterpoint to the turbulence that had marked her recent days.

Levi’s gaze softened as he looked down at her. He felt a deep, almost unbearable ache in his chest, a mixture of relief and profound affection. He leaned in, his lips brushing the top of her head with a tenderness that was rarely seen from him.

“I love you so much,” he murmured softly, the words barely more than a whisper but filled with sincerity and depth. The kiss was a fleeting but profound gesture, a declaration of feelings that he had held close for far too long. It was a promise, a reassurance that even in the darkest times, there was someone who would always be there, unyielding and steadfast.

(Y/n) felt the warmth of his kiss and the depth of his words, a solace in the midst of her turmoil. The tears that had escaped now mingled with a faint smile, a small, hopeful sign amid the storm of emotions. She pressed closer to him, her heart echoing the sentiment he had expressed.

“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice a trembling echo of the gratitude and affection she felt. “I didn’t think... I didn’t think I’d ever have the chance to hear that again.”

Levi’s response was a quiet, resolute nod. His expression remained firm, but his eyes held a depth of emotion that he rarely showed. As they soared through the forest, the world around them seemed to blur into insignificance compared to the quiet strength of their connection.

They continued their flight, the wind a steady companion to their journey. Levi’s focus remained on navigating through the forest with the utmost care, but his thoughts were intertwined with the girl in his arms. He knew that the road ahead would be fraught with challenges, but with (Y/n) by his side again, he felt a renewed sense of purpose and determination.

As Levi and (Y/n) neared the base, the faint lights of the outpost illuminated their path. The once-dense forest began to give way to open space, the familiar sight of the base offering a beacon of hope in the twilight. Levi’s heart pounded with a mix of urgency and relief as they approached.

The base’s medics, already alerted by the commotion, rushed forward to meet them. Their faces were set in professional concern as they took in the sight of (Y/n) in Levi’s arms. With practiced efficiency, they carefully helped him lower her to the ground.

“Captain Levi, we’ll take it from here,” one of the medics said, her voice brisk but compassionate. “Please step aside so we can attend to her injuries.”

Levi nodded, his hands lingering for a moment on (Y/n)’s shoulders. “Be careful with her. She’s been through a lot.”

(Y/n) looked up at Levi, her eyes tired but filled with a profound sense of gratitude. “Levi… Thank you. For everything.”

Levi’s eyes met hers, his expression a mix of determination and tenderness. “I promised I’d find you,” he said softly. “And I’ll keep that promise. I’ll find the others.”

With one last, lingering look, Levi stepped back, allowing the medics to take over. He watched as they moved swiftly, attending to (Y/n)’s wounds and making sure she was stable.

With a deep breath, Levi tore his gaze away and turned towards the door leading out of the base. The night air greeted him as he stepped outside, the coolness a sharp but invigorating contrast to the warmth inside. His mind was already racing, analyzing the reports and plans as he prepared himself for the search ahead.

Despite the uncertainty of what lay ahead, Levi felt a rare sense of safety and calm. The knowledge that (Y/n) was safe and being cared for provided a solid foundation for his own resolve. He was no longer fighting alone; he had something to protect, a reason to push through the night and face the dangers of the world

Masterlist

[marcyiyi]

Sharing is caring, right? Remus' clothes were never really his. Not since he had met Sirius. The black haired thief had always used Remus' good soul and under the pretense of being cold had stolen his jumpers, t-shirts, scarves, socks, sweatpants and even shorts. It hadn't mattered that he borrowed his shorts, it s had still made him fuzzily warm. Maybe Remus had had clothes made from great materials. Maybe their brown-beige-green colour palette had been the reason. Or maybe the knowledge that he's obviously, visibly Remus' had heated him up. Their Hogwarts uniforms had blended together, because poor Remus hadn't had any of his shirts in his closet. He had had to resolve to wearing Sirius', which were smaller and left little to the imagination, and had driven his boyfriend wild, so he'd delibaretly stolen even more. By the time they had moved together after Hogwarts, they hadn't even bothered with splitting the wardrobe or trying to keep their individual articles of clothing. The oversized jumpers had been Sirius', the graphic crop tops Remus' and dressing up for an occasion an impossible task. The only thing they hadn't really shared were shoes. Until they couldn't share anything. All the clothes had suddenly been Remus' own, after Halloween 1981. They had haunted him like ghosts, he couldn't wear them, couldn't sell them, couldn't get rid of them. They had just been the skeleton in his closet, hanging there, waiting to scare him and send him spiralling. Which is exactly what had happened when he had come back to Hogwarts. Back to their place, back in their clothes, back to their memories. Maybe that's why Sirius had looked so uncanny in the Shriecking shack. Way too skinny, way too sharp and, for the first time in fifteen years, wearing something they hadn't shared. That didn't last long though, as soon as Sirius came back home, he settled back to his favourite band t-shirts and wool socks. They could share again, albeit it was now harder to find clothes that fit both of them. But Remus would give anything for a fight over what size of blazer should they buy. He would give anything to rummage in their wardrobe just to see Sirius wearing his best jeans. He would give anything just to not be the only owner of their clothes. Alas, the only thing they shared now was the brown shirt Sirius slipped through the veil in. Sharing is caring? Well, Remus has no one to share with, no one to care for, no one to care for him. And he hides from his wardrobe like a little child, in belief that awful monsters live in there.

@wolfstarmicrofic dec. 16, cold

[vieshiftsx]

talking about my drs (but i prefer calling them "lives") that are not based on movies/tv shows:

: ̗̀➛ cafe owner life

my name is blaire rosewood and i own a bakery cafe in a small town. on the ground floor, it's just like a normal cafe with tables and chairs. on the second floor, it's a blend of library and cafe, where people usually go to, to study or work. multiple bookshelves are also provided for anyone to borrow or read books in the cafe. while i work mainly as the barista, my (soon-to-be) s/o works as the baker. all his pastries and cakes he makes are really good and they always get sold out by the end of the day.

: ̗̀➛ singer/songwriter life

my name is phoebe webster and i'm 23 years old. my first EP, "dreamer" was released in 2018 and most of the songs were about my celebrity crush at the time: ruel (I LOVE HIS MUSIC AND I LOVE HIM). this first album had a fair amount of listeners, but it was the only album that i never got any award for. then, in 2021, i released my debut album, "goddess" and i won my first ever grammy. at the time, i was 2 years into my relationship with ruel (he was LITERALLY my celebrity crush and i ended up dating him AHHHH). ALSO, my artist besties are laufey, olivia rodrigo and gracie abrams!!! there's a lot of things that i scripted to happen in this life, but i'll refrain from explaining everything bcs i don't want it to be too long 😭

: ̗̀➛ fashion designer life

i'm genevieve estelle and i own a fashion brand, "estelle". all my designs are sustainable because they're mostly recycled from used materials. on top of that, 20% of the profit will be donated to organizations that contribute to taking care of the environment. there isn't much i can talk about for this life because i decided to just follow the flow and not script any major scenarios that could happen. this is one of the lives that i don't script an s/o in.

: ̗̀➛ youtuber life

my name is phoebe claire and i'm a youtuber who mainly posts vlogs on my channel. i live in nyc and i have an apartment of my own. in my current life, i've always loved watching vlogs (esp the alexander siblings, saranghoe, michelle choi, daiz, alex bondoc, etc.) but i know deep down i can't be a vlogger like them based on my current circumstances. at least i can do it in another reality. plus, vlogging looks so fun.

[aayakashii]

Can you make a ❤️16 and ❤️20 smutty fic for Haku?

16❤️ A kiss in the rain

Okay this isn't that smutty tbh and it's more like. Haku longing (I can't resist it I love men suffering because of love 😔✋️) but I'm not sure how I feel about it... I hope you like it though :')

WARNING: suggestive content, minors do not interact!!!

Based a lot of it on @kurosagi-h8r 's headcanon and the additions by @ghoulspaw and @kusanagihaku !!!!!!!

Water flew languidly through the cracks in the stones, like veins inside a body. The pitter patter of the rain was insistent, making puddles where the ground dipped, and creating a white noise that drowned out all the other sounds.

Haku licked his lips, tasting the droplets of water in his tongue.

He could still listen to your quiet sniffles if he paid close attention, though.

Not a surprise at all. His senses always seemed heightened when it came down to you.

His eyes could always find and follow you in every crowd; his ears could always pick up your voice and your laugh amongst thousands of strangers; his fingertips always found respite in the dip of your waist; and he always inhaled a little bit deeper once your dizzying perfume reached his nose.

The only thing he didn't know was your taste.

Haku observed how your shoulders trembled a little, as he stood right behind you, unsure of what to say – what to do.

His family would scoff at his wordlessness.

How come a priest is unable to guide a cursed one who's slowly losing their way? How come all the divinity that speckled the blood of his oh-so-powerful family be pitifully wasted on someone like him?

The words echoed in his brain, like clockwork. A lifetime being berated for being less than perfect – less than properly holy – does that to you, after all.

Haku learned to push it to the corners of his mind, transforming them into white noise that blended seamlessly with the sound of the persistent rain that fell over your heads.

His mind was, instead, laser focused on the water that dripped from your body as you cried – so quietly, so inoffensive and fragile – right in front of him.

He had offered to listen to your worries. He tried, he did. Yet, midway, he found himself lost in the movement of your lips as you poured your heart out to him and shared the weight of your fear.

What a wretched, perverted little man he was, twirling his tongue inside his mouth and sucking his own teeth while he watched your lips move, like a dog that instinctively chews nothing when it sees its owner eating.

He almost laughed at the idea, but kept it to himself, a half smile breaking his serious façade. Was he that far gone for you? Did he become your dog, is that it?

Haku blinked the raindrops away, biting his lower lip as he came to the realization that he wouldn't mind you putting a leash on him, after all.

A single raindrop ran down the nape of your neck and onto your back in the confines of your drenched clothes.

He swallowed almost audibly, observing the red flower mark on your skin, wet and with hair strands stuck onto it.

It almost called to him.

The thing that signified your impending doom, also being the thing that brought you to him, tempted him. It reminded him that the clock was ticking, fast and merciless, and that he would soon be out of time. That soon he would not be able to drown his senses in you.

“What is one more curse to someone who is already cursed, after all?” he thought to himself, bitterly, as he leaned forward and let his breath warm the skin where the mark had been placed.

You flinched, but before you could turn around to face Haku, his hands grabbed your arms to keep you in place.

“Stay still, pretty. Just for a moment” he murmured, his voice huskier than what you were used to – darker than what you were used to.

His breath tickled the nape of your neck and your skin was pricked with goosebumps, as he panted like a feral animal trying to control its base instincts.

And when his tongue left a warm trail on your skin, you gasped.

“W-what are you doing, Haku?” you asked, breathlessly and taken aback by his sudden actions. The tears you were spilling a mere moments ago were quickly forgotten as you blushed at the sound of his lips leaving open mouthed kisses on your neck.

“Mmmm. I don't know either.” he hummed languidly, resting his chin on your shoulder and nuzzling his nose onto your jaw, breathing you deeply.

Haku's hands trailed down your arms. He gave a gentle squeeze to your hands before moving his hands upwards again, all while groping your waist. He moaned lowly into your ears once he grabbed a handful of your breasts and you swore you could feel your skin burn at his touch, despite the rain.

“What's- what's gotten into you?” you gasped, completely taken aback by the whiplash of crying and then suddenly getting Haku's hands all over your body.

“Mmhhmm… I can stop if you want to.” he murmured, placing kisses wherever his lips could reach, smiling triumphantly to himself every time you let out a little gasp at his ministrations.

He pulled you flush against his body and you unintentionally moaned at the feeling of the bulge in his pants poking your lower back.

Haku shivered at the sound and immediately turned you to face him, before you could even think of excusing your action, and rested his forehead against yours. His hands grasped your arms tightly, nails fearfully digging into your skin.

His face was a burning red and his pupils were blown wide as he looked at you – the gold of his irises was barely visible around the darkened pools of his eyes. Haku looked feverish, you thought for a fleeting moment, but the way he panted and licked his lips said to you that his fever seemed to be caused by something entirely different.

“I need you.” he whispered, as if it was his most hidden secret. Or as if he spoke too loud, he could wake up and discover that it was all a dream.

You looked up at him from under your eyelashes and placed a hand on his chest. Through the damp, now almost transparent fabric, you could feel the fast rhythm of his heartbeat. Thump, thump, thump. It raced inside his ribcage, shedding light on the truth of his words.

He needed you.

And Haku felt like his desire could kill him. He desperately needed you. He needed your eyes on him; he needed your words and your moans; he needed your hands intertwined with his; he needed to have your perfume clogging his pores; and he needed your kisses etching his skin until he could feel the ghost of them, like scars only he knew he had.

He had to drown himself in you so he could finally breathe.

“Will you let me have you, princess?” he smiled, bitterness and fear keeping it from being sincere, longing like a forgotten rusted ship longs for the sea.

Your hand glided from his chest to his cheek, and you could feel a warmth bloom in your chest once you felt how hot his skin was to your touch.

And when you nodded, melting in his arms, Haku could swear he breathed for the first time in a long while.

[lace-coffin]

adding onto Asa's newest pet coddling and babying his bugs, how would he react to us protecting them?

Like, maybe another member of the collection got out and found s/o where Asa keeps the bugs and, and startled s/o drops the giant tarantula from where they are on their knees. In their momentary fright, they flinch and shove the tarantula's enclosure, braking it and alerting Asa that something is wrong.

The startled tarantula starts crawling around, quickly moving in the escapee's direction, and just as Asa opens the door, his pet stops the escapee from squishing the tarantula they so fondly named Cocoa by covering it with their hand and scooping him (the tarantula) out of dangers way

this unfortunately leads to the breaking of Asa's pets' hand, however, s/o seems more concerned for Cocoa, as they now have the giant furry spider clutches closely for their chest, but not to tightly, as Asa had taught them to handle it gently

Also I loved the last one!!! very sweet and exactly what I was hoping for, thank you so much!!

Hi I’m really glad you enjoyed the last one! It actually turned out to be one of my fave fics I’ve written and I really appreciate how much detail you always give me to work with! 💖

How would Asa Emory react to his pet/SO injuring themselves to save one of his bugs?

Asa Emory x gn!Reader

Requests are open!

Trigger warning for mild violence and blood.

Shit shit shit. This was not was Asa needed right now. One of his older failed projects had bolted past him and disappeared into the dark halls of the hotel. The Collector in question was currently dragging himself up from the floor with the aid of a near by table, winded and panting.

In a moment of accidental carelessness he’d turned his back, deeming the captive inundated enough to leave. After a round of ‘experimenting’ it wasn’t like he was in any state to move, at least Asa thought. the man laid bloodied and wounded in a pile, paper mache mask stapled to his clammy skin.

Apparently he still had some fight left in him, swiping Asa’s ankle before he could start chaining him back up. That led to the situation now.

By the time he’d gathered himself and trudged to the door the captive was out of sight, it would be impossible to find him right away, he loved his hotel but the twisting halls all blended into one, even if you were a regular visitor. The bloodied and beaten man could be anywhere by now, Asa having no way in knowing where for sure.

Suddenly the sense of urgency came crashing down on him. You were currently spending your allotted free time wandering the hotel, only ever drifting between the places that your master pre-approved as safe for you but on your own nonetheless. Usually the jingling collar on your neck served enough warning if you were to drift, the zombie like prisoners in the lower levels knew not to touch something marked by the hotels owner, one scrape on you could mean a punishment that would leave them wishing they were already dead.

Asa knew in the delirious state the man was in he wouldn’t know nor care you were off bounds, desperate and disoriented, looking for any opportunity for escape from this hellhole.

He could check the cameras, see if he could track the escapee making his way across the monitors but it would be too time consuming, time already not being on his side with you loose in the hotel, blissfully unaware of the deranged man stalking the halls. Fuck, he’d have to do this on foot and now.

On the other side of the hotel you hum quietly, running your fingers across the various terrariums in the specimen room. This was your favourite room to visit, having named all the critters to your liking and much to Asa’s amusement hidden under annoyance. You were particularly fond of the Blue Death Feigning Beetles, just a bunch of silly little blue guys that didn’t really know what was going on but happy to be there nonetheless.

Only one specimen held a higher place in your heart. Cocoa, an older rich brown curly haired tarantula or Tliltocatl albopilosus as Asa insisted. Asa had gifted her to you after seeing how well you handled the other specimens with a particular lean towards tarantulas. One of the easier kinds to keep, she lived up to her specie description well, docile and less prone to kicking hairs or biting. You two had bonded well, spending evenings together on the specimen room floor.

You watched happily as she tottered across the floor in-front of you, never letting her get too far before coaxing her back into your palms. Just as you were going to pluck her from the floor and return her to her tank the door slams open, leaving an indent in the wall where the handle smashed into it.

Crazed bloodshot eyes met yours from across the room, this was obviously one of sir’s projects, but what was it doing here? Fear spiked up your spine like ice as he started approaching with haste, blood gurgling in his mouth making anything he was attempting to say unintelligible. He probably thought you could help him. Poor guy. You felt a little pitiful for him.

That was until he lunged for you, sputtering blood over your fresh clothes from his dripping maw. You let out a startled scream, this seeming to annoy him more, slapping a dirty hand over your mouth in an attempt to silence you and stop his tormenter from locating him. You sink your teeth into his hand in retaliation, the feeling of splitting skin vile under your canines. He howls in pain, shoving you away from him and onto the floor.

You do the first thing you can think of and mentally apologise to cocoa for what’s about to happen. Gripping the table leg you shove the table over, by proxy pushing her tank onto the floor, with as much strength as you can muster. not before taking inventory of where cocoa is on the wooden floor, not wanting her to be hurt in the process.

Asa now only a hallway away hears the crash and swears under his breath, his worse fears becoming real as it becomes apparent you and the escaped victim are sharing the same room. He can only hope he gets to you before you sustain any injuries.

In the blur of chaos cocoa is startled and skitters across the room towards the man. the delirious man snarls in anger and fear, raising his foot to crush her under his tattered shoe. eyes snapping wide in terror you lurch across the floor for her as fast as you can. You manage to grab her just in time, your breath shaky as you scoop her up. The man above you takes this opportunity to stomp as hard as he can on your hand, the sick sound of your fingers crunching under his weight reaching your ears as you wail in pain.

Just as the man makes a run for it the door bangs open loudly to present a less than happy Asa, infuriated murderous look haunting his features. The man responsible for this whole ordeal visibly pales even more. Before he can shake off the shock a blade is swept across his throat with accuracy, leaving the ghostly man to crumple to the floor, gurgling on his own spit and blood. Your master watches him fall with a sick satisfaction, this is soon wiped from his face and replaced with concern when his gaze meets you.

Despite being disheveled and exhausted you hold Cocoa to your chest gently, whispering sweet words of comfort to her. You weren’t sure if the words were more for her or you but it didn’t matter right now, you were both safe.

You eyes finally rest on Asa and your expression softens, knowing things will be ok for definite now. “Sir…I’m sorry about the tank, I didn’t know what else to do, how to reach you. Cocoa’s ok, I’ve checked her over and she’s fine, see?” You cross the room to your master and extend your palm for cocoa to waddle onto Asa’s hand, letting him give her the once over.

“You took perfect care of her, I’m thankful, pet.” A small smile creeps onto his face but is quickly swept off as he sees your hand, red and throbbing, fingers already starting to bruise. Asa quickly places cocoa into an extra tank and turns back to you. “Hand” he orders, waiting for you to place your abused hand into his larger one. He looks over it carefully, flexing a few fingers and hearing you hiss. There’s definitely some breaks.

His face takes on a guilty but frustrated look. “What is this? You should’ve tended to yourself first” he lets out a deep breath. “Excuse my temper pet but you’re hurt, your hand is most likely fractured in a few places…I’m sorry for letting this happen.” He says remorsefully, placing a soft kiss on your forehead.

“Sorry for not telling you sooner it’s just, I guess I didn’t even really register it, sure it hurt like a motherfucker-“

“Pet. language..”

“Sorry sir, it hurt real bad but I was so focused on making sure cocoa was safe it seemed like a non issue at the time.”

“I forgive you, little one” he whispers into your hair. you two stay like that for a moment, basking in each-others safety after the hectic events of this afternoon. Eventually the taller breaks away from the embrace with a sigh, gesturing to your damaged hand.

“Let’s get you fixed up and fed hm?” He suggests, suddenly hiking you up into his arms, your legs scrambling to wrap around his wide waist as you lean your head into the crook of his neck. Asa hum’s calmly as he makes his way through the halls, you snuggle deeper into his embrace, the events of the day finally weighing down on you.

“You can rest now cricket, sir has you, you’re safe.”

[orange-demons-deactivated2024]

Might I have hcs of Bosch, Ed and Luke(or you can do one of them, if that's what you're comfortable with!) having a short s/o? My 4'11 ft ass thinks that hugging them would be like having them as heavy blankets <3

combining these two asks together! man, low 5ft, am i short? is 5'3 considered short? no one in the comments answer that. i will not be responding ( ; ω ; )

Bosch - 5'7 ft

Compared to Bosch, your height difference is relatively reasonable.

He's actually a lot more conscious about your height than you were and has an overwhelming urge to protect you because of it. 

The first time he noticed your height, was when you two were hauling large equipment around the gym. And you stubbornly huffed, saying you could help despite Coach’s warnings.

So now here you were, crumbling under the weight of the heavy machinery. 

“Lift it higher, it’s slacking on your side.” He said, adjusting his grip in case it spontaneously fell. 

“This is literally the highest my arms can reach.” 

Safe to say, he doesn’t let you get near the equipment room after it came crashing down on your feet. 

Whenever you talk to him, he glances at the top of your head before shooting back down to your eyes.

And one time mid-conversation he reached down to pat it. 

You were just so...tiny.

But he snapped out of his thoughts and pulled his hand back embarrassingly after he realized what he had done. Please don't ask him about it because he didn’t know why he did that either.

Bosch thinks the biggest problem he’s encountered regarding your height, had to be moving through large crowds. Mostly because he lost you a couple of times due to how easily you blended in with everyone else.

He even makes sure to hold your hand when walking in front of you, so you don't get pushed apart.

He does give you more leeway than other people due to your height.

Like when you mess up something of his or accidentally wear his gym clothes.

Bosch isn't too tolerant of most people but he won't be as harsh on you.

And if someone brought it up to him, he just shrugs and says "So?" 

But regardless of it all, Bosch is still the small spoon in bed. 

He likes the feeling of being cradled in your arms, as he pulls you closer, with his hands linked around your torso. He finds comfort in you all the same, but now there's a hint of protectiveness that comes with it.

Ed - 6 ft

Ed honestly thought you were a kid when you first approached him and he told you to run back to your parents because he wasn't in the mood to babysit you.

So yeah, he knows firsthand how people see you.

That whole thing, about losing you in a crowd doesn't happen because you two would never be caught in one in the first place.

Partly because he hates being in them and no crowds of people ever formed at night.

Although he doesn't constantly make jokes at your expense, he does tease you about it every once in a while. Like when you stand on your tiptoes in an attempt to kiss him.

And instead of giving in to your whims, he'll sit back and watch you struggle.

"Need something?"

Ed knows what you're trying to do, he's just being a dick about it. He wants to see how long you'll drag this out before he finally relents.

He hates to be the one to say it, but you need to work on your intimidation. No one's going to take you seriously because of your height. 

But that's completely different than when he sees people babying you because he'll shut that shit down immediately.

Calls you 'cute' nicknames like Runt, Maus, and Half-Pint.

Ok, maybe they're not that cute, but he doesn't give many people nicknames. So…yay?

Your height, in a sense, does make you appear younger. 

And he finds it funny when Bar owners ID the group because he knows they're trying to single you out. 

Most of his clothes are big on you when you wear them, and his blankets/comforters practically bury you under their weight. You almost gave him a heart attack when he flopped down on his bed, only to hear a muffled squeak from under the covers. 

He looms over you like a threat when he sees people wandering too close. Yeah, you can pack a punch, but it still gnaws at him how easily someone could snatch you up. So you need to be in his line of sight whenever you're hanging out with him.

He may be a bit paranoid but that's because he cares, believe it or not.

Luke - 6'1 ft

If you didn't know you were short before, Luke would've 100% told you that you were.

The first time he considered your height to be an issue was when he saw you struggling to close your fist. He lent you some of his old wraps, so you don’t mess up your hands and land yourself in the ER. 

But when you couldn't throw a proper punch, he undid them, thinking you wrapped it all wrong.

Turns out his hands were much bigger than yours. Much bigger. To the point it practically engulfed yours. So his wraps were close to useless since the extra fabric accumulated around your knuckles. 

He ended up buying you a new set to fit your hands better and taught you various ways to secure it so it doesn't slip off. 

It's just the small things like that he doesn't usually think twice about, that he now has to consider.

He would also have to adjust the equipment in the gym so it's leveled with your height.

Wouldn't want his top student falling behind, now would he?

Loves the way his clothes engulf your form when he drapes them on you. And laughs at how you're practically drowning in it.

Don't be fooled. Even though he's your coach, he's your boyfriend first. So he's not above making comments about your height. "Woah, Didn't see you down there." , "You should drink more milk, I heard it's good for your bones."

Hey, don't get so defensive now. He was just messing with you.

He'll wrap his arms around your waist and hoist you up. Your cute surprised reactions are enough for him to pepper your face with kisses.

Luke is the kind of guy who, if you ask for help to reach something on a shelf, will take it and put it on a higher one. If not, he would hold it over your head and ask for a kiss before he handed it over to you.

All in all, your height is one of the many reasons he adores you and he wouldn't want to change a thing about it.

Jamie - 5'9 ft

Being short around this guy should be written off as a form of corporal punishment, especially for the hell he's going to put you through as long as you're with him.

He's not even the tallest one of the bunch, but he definitely acts like it.

Jamie has an unlimited supply of short names ranging from Ankle-Biter to Short-Stuff. All of which were intended to piss you off.

Occasionally, this guy would scoop you up, saying how cute and tiny you were.

He uses your shoulder as an armrest when leaning on you and laughs if you make a fuss about it.

During the Lunar New Year, the festivities in Hong Hu Lu partied well into the night. Meaning, most of the seats available for the public were being used by the partygoers.

Wanting to find a place to enjoy your food, you asked Jamie if you could use the chair he was sitting on. 

And with a shit-eating grin, he tells you no, but you could sit on his lap for the time being.

Watch out because he'll randomly pinch your cheeks mid-conversation. 

Jamie purposely takes pictures of you from the top to show you how you look from his POV.

Because of your short stature, he gives you piggyback rides back to your apartment whenever you fall asleep beside him.

It's all fun and games when it's just you and him because you know he's not actively trying to hurt your feelings. 

But he doesn't take too kindly to those who think they can comment on your height.

Hypocrite, he knows, but that's because he's your boyfriend so he gets a pass. Not so much other people.

Overall a teasing boyfriend, but in his opinion, your height is definitely one of the best qualities about you.

[mrsackermannx]

BAD DREAMS .ೃ࿐

Pairing: Gojo Satoru x Geto Suguru

Summary: Gojo knows he shouldn’t. But when he wakes up calling out his name he can’t resist—he needs him.

Word Count: 4.2k

Warnings/Tags: Smut, Degradation, Rougher Sex, Face-fucking, Multiple Positions, Switch Dynamics, Mirror Sex, Feelings, Hurt/Angst, Emotional/Comfort (this is them in their early 20’s), Not Beta Read, little OOC (wrote this for some fun).

Author’s Note: I’ve never written character x character much but I got inspired and wrote this for my angels. I love the headcanon that they saw each other secretly as the years went by.

Satosugu playlist here

Gojo Satoru’s apartment is sort of like you’d expect, endlessly and stupidly lavish but extremely cold and maybe a little empty. 

One might wander through it and see that its very interior was still waiting for someone to come home, much like the penthouse’s owner. 

The kitchen is modern and sleek, it all blends together cohesively, lights that turn on just by sensing movement. But it’s awfully large to cook in alone, it’s large enough you could envision one lover sat upon the counter with their legs swinging back and forth, whilst the other was clad in a novelty apron and stood at the stove.

A stupid one that said “kiss the chef” or something, Gojo always wanted to get Geto one of those when they moved in together one day. But it never happened.

Shoko brought him a bunch of ornate glass jars to store his candy, decoratively. But all those pretty jars lined up on the counter like that, in some kind of defensive line. They simply seemed to remind Gojo that there was no one to scold him for eating too much of it and not a real home cooked meal. 

No wonder Megumi couldn’t cook, he clearly couldn’t either. 

The large l-shaped sofa was so comfy Gojo slept on it more than his own bed, every corner of it was swimming in blankets and pillows. That way he doesn’t have to feel the empty space between him and the soft plump grey cushion. He doesn’t have to remember the chest he should have his cheek pressed against when he’s watching movies on the flat screen—alone.

Geto told him once that he hated the couch he had back home. Gojo wanted to give him all the space to breathe and be, he wanted their long legs to intertwine and enjoy the expanses of plush cushion together.

One time he even drunkenly said he’d have rather sat on milk crates, rather than his shoulders jutting into his fathers, or his mothers while he sat. He was always tall and broad, feeling like he took up too much space. He always wanted his own space although his room at Jujutsu High with Gojo felt like heaven on earth. They slotted their beds together most nights. 

The bathroom was probably the worst reminder. The shower itself was a room. Geto loved spending time just letting the water cascade down his back. Making that beautiful black hair of his heavy with water as the steam that rose danced before his spine and kissed the muscles of his back. 

The bath was large too, circular and deep enough for four people let alone two. It overlooked Tokyo, perfect for the placing of candles just beside it. Dark and slick and romantic. 

The bedroom featured a king sized bed in which the tall white haired sorcerer slept alone. 

But if the walls could speak, they’d reveal that the apartment and the owner were indeed waiting for a special someone to come home, but not in a final sense. In a sense that meant they were never finished with each other, that the bathtub had housed them both many a night, that sometimes Gojo clung to Geto as he used the stove. That most of the time they never made it to the bed, that the sofa really did do just fine.

It hadn’t even been a month, but the entire penthouse was waiting with bated breath. Tokyo’s landscape waited for the two lovers to feast their eyes upon it as they pinned one another against the glass, and as they watched at the lights of Shibuya with half-lidded eyes after, bodies entwined in the tub. 

Gojo was waiting, whether he knew it or not.

He clutched his pillow so tight the cotton burned the tips of his fingers, as he did everything to catch up to the person who was slipping from his fingers in his mind. “Suguru, don't! Please, just—don't leave me, you promised me,” he blurted out, his voice small.

It was always the same rotten dream, though it was because these feelings never went away. The emptiness never ceased, Gojo put black holes through curses without even blinking, whilst the black hole where his heart used to be enabled him to be as apathetic as was socially acceptable. 

Not that this applied to his beloved students, or even Nanami, either and especially not his first love. If anything it applied the most to himself. 

He tried to run but his legs were captured by low-level curses, they wound around his calves until the blood there ceased to flow. Until he fell and his teeth took the blow as they crashed into the concrete. He could make out wisps of long black hair, the familiar shuffle of Geto’s walk, the way his fists bunched at his sides. They bunched like that that day too.

Gojo always teased him about it when they were teenagers, it always ended up with Geto setting of Jujutsu High’s barrier with his cursed energy. Years later it also ended with Gojo pinning Geto to his bed, his smirk ghosting Geto’s lips. “Don't hide anything from me, Suguru. You don't need to—ever.”

He jolted out of his nightmare so quickly he instinctively shot out his arms to clutch the one person who could comfort him. But he wasn't there.

Instead he clutched the pillow to his chest, wincing at the familiar roughness of the cotton. Geto always told him to switch to silk, his hair would stop sticking up so much, he told him.

He ran his fingers through his hair, smoothing down the strands and stroking his undercut just like Geto used to. “This—again.” He exhaled deeply, “No one knows about this but you,” he spoke softly to the darkness.

“No one knows about us either.” 

He caved in minutes. The false bottom of his nightstand drawer clattering as he groggily searched for the second phone he kept there. He held his breath as he turned it on and dialled the one and only contact.

It only needed to ring twice before the silky voice that crackled through the receiver sent shivers down his spine. He imagined this was what it felt like to call home, until Geto he never knew. 

“Dreamt of me, didn’t you, Satoru?”

He squeezed the deflated pillow in his lap. Geto always made his name sound like something so holy and special. He sighed in defeat, "Just—come."

“Okay. But first, you’re gonna tell me the part of me you’re craving the most?'

Following his obnoxious huff he opened his mouth to speak but Geto knew better, “No, no pointless ranting about the semantics. You know what I mean, don't you? You called me which means you want me, right now."

Gojo doesn’t bite his tongue like this with anyone else, instead he carefully nods in the dark. “That much is obvious, Suguru.”

Suguru swallowed at the suggestive lilt that overtook Gojo’s voice, his teeth burying into his lower lip. He inhaled so deeply it sounded like he was biting back a moan. Gojo grew hard in seconds. 

“So, my mind? My body? My soul? My touch?”

Gojo pinched the bridge of his nose, phone tucked between his shoulder as he gazed at the city before his window. “I didn't call for a philosophical conversation. I called to fuck, Suguru,” he bit, snappy as his cock throbbed in his baggy sweats. 

Geto clicked his tongue, “You still can't get off without me, huh?" He chuckled, a little mirthless. “Can’t, can you?”

He didn't need reminding.

“You…you know I can't,” he hissed. 

Geto’s eyes flickered shut, his head reclined against his pillow, imagining Gojo on his cock, perfect like he always was. He couldn't fuck anyone else, either. They were both cursed.

“Suguru?”

“Mm, yeah. I’m coming, okay." His voice was impossibly soft. Sending a lovesick herd of butterflies to attack Gojo’s usually composed stomach. “Don’t fall asleep on me.”

“Okay,” he mumbled, feeling his cheeks heat. “I won’t.”

He laughed, his voice sweeter than sugar. “I know you won’t, I’ll see you soon, okay?" 

Gojo tsked at the fact he could hear Geto smiling, he didn't even need to see it. “Okay.”  

He showered, and then turned the lights down through the apartment so they wouldn’t be in complete darkness. Like they were a normal couple and not two lovers sneaking around behind closed doors. Just like in the beginning of all of this when they were too afraid to even touch each other again.

It feels like hours pass as he stares up at his ceiling, but it’s barely been one before Geto is knocking softly at his door. 

As soon as he opens it, Geto’s presence overwhelms his own, telling Gojo all he needs to know about where the night is going.

He’s barely cocked his brow before Geto murmurs, “Yeah? I need you too, did you forget?” 

He closes the door with a soft click, one large hand handling the sharp yet soft lines of Satoru’s pretty jaw. His lips work to slow Gojo down, to disarm him, to allow him to melt into his mouth like a soft centred candy.

“That's it,” Geto hums when he finally does, Gojo’s hands no longer clenched but wrapping loosely in Geto’s hair. “Let’s get you off the door, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Gojo whimpers softly, letting Geto push him down onto the couch. His hands scour every part of Gojo’s chest and torso like a sculptor admiring his work. 

Then he grips his waist and pulls him in, kissing him like it's the first time in forever. It leaves them both breathless. When he pulls away he smoothes away the frown on Gojo’s lips with his thumb.

“Stop thinking,” Geto pants, “You don't need to when I'm here. I’m gonna give you what you want, yeah?”

He trails his finger down Gojo’s bare chest, kissing along his throat and teasing his teeth against his pulse point until he hisses. “Just wanna appreciate what’s in front of me a little,” Geto whispers, voice pitched dangerously low.

His fingers reach Gojo’s the throbbing erection visible in his sweatpants, his breath hitches until he inevitably moans out Geto’s name, breathy and needy. Geto daintily takes his chin between two fingers, smiling against his mouth. “I’m here to give you what you clearly need.”

“Shut up," Gojo rasps, tugging off Geto’s sweater and lurching to press his lips everywhere he can reach. His eyes flutter shut when he finally makes work of tugging all of Geto’s hair loose. The long feathery hair falls around his face and cages him in, tickling his throat. Geto laughs as he tries to bat it away, but his mouth goes dry when he sees the way his cerulean eyes are shining at him.

The sensation is so familiar��so like home it makes Gojo’s eyes prickle with tears. “Suguru,” he whispers, leaning close for a kiss. Geto indulges him immediately, their arms wrapping around each other, impossibly tight. “I wanted to see you,” he mewls.

Geto bucks his hips against Gojo’s experimentally, rutting his erection against Gojo’s until they break their kiss and Gojo’s tugging down both of their waistbands. He grins at the sight as he makes work of their pants.

 “What am I gonna do with you, huh? Not even a month and you’re this desperate.”

Gojo laughs, deep and elated. High on whatever Suguru’s saliva is made of. “Don’t act like you’ve ever ignored my call, Sugu,” he coos, grinning. 

Geto quickly closes the space, sliding his thumb into Gojo’s mouth. Shifting his hair to kiss his temple when he sucks obediently. “I won't, because I know I can't, Satoru.”

Gojo grins, continuing to tug away the clothing obstructing the access they want to each other the most. Geto cups his cheek as he does so, his eyes are tender but his voice is laid bare, filled with thick unfiltered lust. “Face of an angel, mouth of a I don't even know what…unfair is what it is,” he whispers.

“Unfair that I can't get enough of you, Satoru. No matter how much I try.” He sighs, “I was about to call you myself, tonight.”

Gojo smirks, throwing aside their remaining clothing. “Liar.” 

He switches their positions, and makes his way down Geto’s centre, kissing and licking without breaking from his eyes. “I’ll teach you something, about lying to me.” 

“Yeah, yeah. Go on then pretty thing,” Geto coos, watching Gojo’s cheeks flush violently at his words.

“Don’t act like I can’t take you, I am stronger, y’know.” He kisses and nips until Geto’s hands finally lay to rest at the nape of his neck. 

“I know you can take me. I’ve seen it. Not that it ever gets old. So give in and do what you’re dying to do.”

Gojo blushes even more ferociously, gripping the thick base of him. His tongue eagerly catches the sweet beads of arousal racing along the veins. Geto’s cock was so long and thick that only 

Gojo’s large hands managed to dwarf it.

He worked on him, carefully, licking and sucking and kissing on his cock, Geto cooed praises to him when he finally took him in his mouth. Gojo always managed to take his entire length, he was the best after all.

“Fuck Satoru, let me fuck you—dying to fuck you. Don’t let me cum!” He moaned, pulling Gojo’s mouth off his cock and delighting in the lewd strings of arousal and spit that broke and shone against his chin. 

“Already?”

“Satoru, you have no idea how fucking hot you look sucking me like that, it’s dangerous,” he purred, tugging him close. “You take it all like the good boy you really are.”

You’re nothing like me.

Gojo nodded, completely entranced and holding onto every word. Caging Geto below him with a lazy smile on his lips. This brief window was always so dangerous, the moment when Satoru’s eyes were glassy and half-lidded from arousal.

Their laughs rang through the apartment as they tripped over each other scrambling to Gojo’s bedroom. Grabbing for lube whilst their tongues practically probed the back of the others throats. 

It’s a quick working and arranging of their bodies, learnt and done so many times before.

It’s almost primal. The way Geto grunts, and Gojo moans just seconds behind, hips pulled up and arched impossibly. Geto’s large handprints leave indelible marks as he pumps his thick fingers in and out until Gojo’s whimpering incomprehensible nonsense. 

“Sugu, I’m ready, just fuckin~now, need it. Fuck me.” 

Geto tilts his face just to press a fond kiss to his forehead, pushing the hair out of his eyes just so he can enjoy every inch of his face. “I’m so lucky to get you like this, don’t think I don't know it.”

He presses another kiss to his cheek and he moans this time, simultaneously pressing the tip of himself at his entrance. “Make it up to me by fucking me,” Gojo chuckles, soon groaning at the stretch.

“God—fuck, you feel so good,” he drawls, turning to kiss Geto himself.

“Does it hurt?” Geto stammers, his voice too shaky to even speak. 

“No!”

Geto starts to move, rolling his hips as he sets a steady pace. “Y’know why? Because I’d never hurt you, Satoru.”

“Don’t,” he moans back, fists twisting the sheets under him as drool pools down the corners of his mouth. “Don’t, Sugu.”

“Y’know why?” He kisses his nape, fucking him even harder, his tip nudging that spot deliciously.

“Stop, Sugu,” he whimpers.

He drives himself deeper, gripping Gojo’s waist so much harder that he growls, “Stop this?”

“No, but, don’t.”

“I won’t, because I—I love you.”

It’s magical how Gojo comes all over the sheets from the words. Just like that. 

Geto stops, his cheeks burning so badly he hides his face with the back of his hand. Gojo shoves his face into his pillow, refusing to meet his eyes. 

He grins at the red tips of Gojo’s ears, grinding his hips against his until he moans once more. Passionate and loving. “That's what you needed to hear to feel good, Satoru? That I love you, because I do. I really do, you feel that, yeah?”

Gojo’s incapable of words, he can't think. He can’t even talk when Geto is fucking him like this. 

Geto moans, his lips against the shell of Gojo’s air as he threads their hands together. “I've always loved you, no one loves you like I do.” 

“No one ever has,” Gojo hisses. “But you, but you…” 

You just had to betray me.

“Next time m’ gonna fuck you till you cry for what you just—did!”

Geto grips the base of Gojo’s cock, jerking as he fills him impossibly full, until he touches the spot again that has tears of pleasure streaming down Gojo’s cheeks.

“Who’s crying now?”

He suddenly pulls out, missing the garbled sounds of his white-haired lover he tugs him, manhandling him until he’s pliant and on his lap like a tamed cat. “Watch yourself, or me. Watch me make the strongest crumble, give yourself to me Satoru.”

“I already give you everything,” Gojo groans, his hips quickly meeting Geto’s thrusts. 

“Give yourself to me until there's nothing left.”

Gojo doesn't even recognise himself, so he hides his erotic expressions in Geto’s neck, kissing and biting as Geto thrusts inside him until he’s shooting his cum all over the mirror this time.

Geto’s hands just look so perfectly placed when they’re tightened on his waist and pulling him off and on his cock like this. 

“Let it out, let it out. You’ve always been insatiable huh? How much more do you have in you? I know I could fuck you all night and you’d still want more.”

“I fucking hate you,” Gojo groans, repositioning them both so he can ride him. Geto moans as he watches Gojo eagerly stuff him back inside in their reflection.

“So you think you can face me?” Geto grins, cupping the backs of his thighs and fucking him even harder. Gojo can't even keep his eyes open, his lips parted, his cheeks no longer pink but instead replaced with an aggressive red. 

“No one takes me like you, Satoru. Always so fucking good for me, so perfect. You were made for me.”

We were made for each other.

Gojo fights back his moans until he can’t, not when Geto is saying all of the things that make him tick. “I was,” he whines back. “Wasn’t I?”

“You feel so fuckin good on my cock, no one feels like you, fuuck.” His voice cracks, his teeth drawing blood from his lower lip. “I’m gonna cum in you, fuck!”

“Sugu!” 

“Toru! My, my, my—love.” He shakes, groaning with his lips messily clashing with Gojo’s as he fills him deep.

Gojo whimpers into the corner of his mouth, the pet name making his entire body burn. “My love, my one and only. Satoru I wish, I wish…”

He’s breathless and spent but he’s pinning Gojo down again. Pushing him until his back meets his pillows as he slides in again. “I love you, Satoru. Tell me. Tell me you love me too.”

Gojo’s eyes well up, his teeth gritting as Geto fucks them both into overstimulation. “I won’t, I won't, don't you dare. Can’t ask me that.”

“No,” Geto leans in until their noses are touching, 

his hair caging Gojo in, luring him under his siren-like spell.

“Tell me, you used to tell me all the time.” 

“I used to say a lot of things.” Gojo moans, kissing him fiercely. “But I won’t say that, Sugu.”

“Then I’ll never see you again.” 

He yanks Gojo upright until he’s straddling him once more, gripping his hips in place and pounding into him until he falls wordlessly into his chest. Clawing and moaning from the overload of pleasure. “Fuck you, saying that shit,” he groans. “And then fucking me like this.” 

“You like to be fucked like this, you fucking slut.”

Gojo silences his obscene sounds into Geto’s shoulder. Moaning even more when Geto chuckles at how much of a mess he’s become.

“Give and take, we’ve always been give and take. You can fuck me like this next time, I’ll be anything and everything for you whenever you want. Just say it.”

“I can’t!”

Gojo can’t take this anymore, it’s too much, it all feels too good. He overpowers Geto with little effort, but Geto lets him do it anyway.

He shoves him onto the floor, and grips his cock, his smirk mischievous when Geto readies his tongue for it. He lets him slap it against his mouth before he finally takes it. Grinning around his cock as he takes the entire length of it.

“There’s the real Suguru, the exemplary student. The good boy who’s about to shut up and suck me.”

Despite his harsh tone he cups Geto’s face, ignoring the way his chest is heaving and still clawing for breath. No one makes his heart beat like this. He hates how he finds his heart going into a frenzy at anyone with long black hair until he realises it's not his precious Suguru. Not that he'd even tell him that.

“You always did look better with my cock down your throat.”

Geto hums amusedly, choking on Gojo’s cock as he does so.

“I know you love it too, helps you remember your place, doesn’t it? Thats it, fuck!” 

He grips Geto’s hair with abandon, fucking his face until ropes of his come spurt down his throat. “Take it all, had to shut you the fuck up, l hate you, I hate you, I hate you!”

As soon as his breaths calm, Geto pins the cocky man below him once more. He has other plans. He straddles his chest, thumb running across his lip. He’s breathless too, voice spent from being fucked so mercilessly. 

“Could have tapped out,” Gojo speaks softly, that raptured submission returning as he gazes in awe at the beautiful man above him.

He coughs before he speaks, “I’d never do that, but you are going to pay for it. This pretty face will, anyway.” He slaps his cheek gently before he starts to jerk himself above his face. 

Gojo tries to feign frustration but he's turned on beyond belief, cock hard again. It’s so filthy, but it always was, they only ever did this when they were drunk or so horny for each other it turned them into animals.

Geto always touched himself so beautifully, so erotically. 

“Because I love seeing your perfect fucking face, painted with my cum. Makes you remember your place.” 

Gojo’s hands smoothed along his thighs, in wordless appreciation for the beauty before him.

“That the only man to do this will only ever be me, your one and only, yeah?”

His breath stutters as his orgasm approaches. Gojo finally nods, mouthing a feeble ‘I love you’ before offering his tongue. He groans as Geto’s come practically drowns him and soaks his tongue.

Gojo tries to swallow every drop, but before he knows it Geto’s dragging him toward the damned mirror again. He attempts to fight his grasp for a matter of seconds but he gives up, he doesn't care anymore. 

“The fucking strongest belongs to me. The only one that can handle you—is me. Look at yourself.”

He knows he's right even if he hates it.

“You see us? We’re yin, and yang. Me and you, we’re perfect together,” Geto pants, shifting the hair from Gojo’s eyes as if to emphasise his point, his own hair falling over Gojo’s shoulders.

The city lights shine through Gojo’s white hair, and over Geto’s illuminating the thick black silk falling over his shoulders 

“You’re mine, Satoru, and I love you. I will forever.”

Gojo cocks his brow but he leans closer, “You’re so vocal today, the good sex got you this sentimental.” He sighs, his grin full of play. “Might have to kick you out man.”

They find themselves wrestling until Geto is kissing Gojo’s forehead once more, his arms pinned and a stupid lovesick grin on his face.

“Listen, okay? I told you, I was about to call you too tonight. I missed you.”

Gojo laughs softly, leaning up to press a kiss to Geto’s cheek before speaking into his ear, “God, you’re embarrassing, aren’t ya?”

Geto glares at him before giving in. He pulls Gojo against his chest, grinning when he doesn’t resist. He curls around him like a cat, and Geto wraps them into a cocoon of blankets. 

Gojo falls asleep, fast. White lashes fluttering ever so often, lulled by the warmth and safety of Geto’s embrace. “Please don’t leave me,” he mutters, twitching in some kind of bad dream. 

Geto leans and kisses his nose, reaching for his phone to send a text home. 

Won’t be home for a few days. Only call if it’s an emergency.

“I wish I didnt ever have to, my love.” he nuzzles himself into Gojo’s neck and kisses, sucking until he whines in his sleep. He grins against the mark that flushes in its wake and he squeezes him that little bit tighter until Gojo can't help but whimper softly, even in his deep sleep. 

And then finally, he mutters the words. “Suguruu? Finally,” his mouth forms a little smile, “welcome home…I love you.”

“I love you too.”

©mrsackermannx: do not repost, plagiarise, translate or modify my works.

[blackdollette]

kinktober day 10.

10.19 - HATE SEX | EURONYMOUS!

݁ ˖🕸️.𖥔 ݁ ˖ {tags} @willsdollface @izuoyarmin @auggiethecreator @angelsanarchy @s-al-em @that-one-persons-posts @kashmirclam @areuirish @oliviah-25 @bl1ssfulbaby

previous: 10.17 - MUTUAL MASTURBATION!

female!reader x euronymous

word count: 2.3k (holy shit. i rlly didn't mean for this one to be so long)

contents: enemies, lots of tension, degrading, car sex, hand job, unprotected p in v

you stared down at the pale-golden liquid in your hand, held by a crystal clear wine glass. you stood awkwardly in the corner of the party host’s kitchen, sticking out like a sore thumb no matter how much you tried to blend in. you found yourself always seeking the wrong kind of attention, no matter the situation. whether it was catching the predatory eye of someone while walking down the dark streets of your town or simply just being in the wrong place at the wrong time, you just couldn’t catch a break.

the entire house was lit up with warm colours that could brighten up the souls of all those who entered, drastically contrasting the dark clothes you preferred to be adorned in. you didnt know why you even bothered going to these things anymore. you always sensed trouble coming your way, though you were usually wrong and just being paranoid. but not tonight.

a low, unwelcoming voice spoke. “look who’s here.” your head shot up to see the voice's owner, though it’s tone was already engraved in your mind. your gaze contorted into a bitter glare, but you kept your words to yourself. you turned away, setting your glass on the counter. “had no one to sleep around with tonight?” the mockery in his voice made you want to punch him, but you kept yourself together.

throughout high school, he terrorized you for simple things that you had no control over. everyone constantly teased you, saying that you and him would make the perfect couple, but you did everything in your power to keep that from happening. not that it was took any effort. he hated your guts.

“oystein. it’s a pleasure as usual. is this the first time you’ve risen from your coffin this year?” your voice dripped with bitterness so strong that you could’ve sworn you saw him flinch. the tension between you two had been undeniable for as long as you could remember. he belittled you for being a selfish whore, though you were still a virgin. he rolled his eyes, letting them travel up and down your body.

“what are you doing here anyway? other than clearly trying to drink all your problems away.” every word he spoke felt like fire igniting in your mind. he always knew the perfect thing to say to get on your nerves. but you hated letting him know that his hateful words were hurting you. you went to move past him, but he stepped in front of you, blocking your path just as you moved your leg forward.

you noticed his gaze remaining on your exposed thighs in your black skirt for just a second longer than necessary. you shifted away, distancing yourself from the dark figure in front of you. he noticed he was making you feel this way, with a slight look of satisfaction on his face. neither of you could deny the tension growing between you two, so you decided to break it by walking away.

you made your way to the door, leaving him to gawk at your ass as you left the noisy scene. this was the shortest interaction the two of you had ever had, but your heart raced as you entered the dark city streets. you dug around in your pocket, searching for your keys and unlocking your car.

you opened the door, letting yourself in as you took a sigh of relief. you had only had a drink or two, but your mind buzzed with restless thoughts about the encounter. you put your keys into the ignition, preparing to drive even though you were a little tipsy. the engine gurgled, as if unsatisfied with your stupid decision.

you tried again, and then once more but the car didn’t move. you slammed your foot on the pedal, cursing at how inconvenient the timing was. you put your head into the steering wheel, trying to settle yourself down. a few deep breaths did the trick, but you kept yourself in this vulnerable position, letting your patternless thoughts flow through your mind.

you lost track of time, allowing it to become a meaningless form around you until a violent bang on your window broke your trance. euronymous was there, his expression unreadable. you rolled down your window, making direct contact with his striking blue eyes. from the outside, he could see that your car had broken down.

“your car broke down, idiot. need a ride? and i don't mean it like that, you slut.” he couldn’t help but smirk at his own remark, but you simply brushed off his invitation. “i don’t need your help. leave me alone.” his face hardened slightly. “get out or i’ll light up this piece of junk with you in it.” you glared at him. “try it, asshole.”

he was clearly growing annoyed at your resistance, deciding to take things a step further. he opened the car door, unbuckling your seat belt before swiftly picking you up and carrying you to his car. “what the hell?! put me down!” you kicked and pushed him, but he didn’t budge. “you know you don’t want that, doll.” he opened the passenger door of his van, dumping you inside recklessly.

he slammed the door shut before you could try to escape, entering through his own door and buckling himself in, speeding down the streets in an instant. you grumbled, crossing your arms and putting your foot on the seat, causing your inner thigh to be in his perfect line of sight. his foot remained on the pedal, hands on the wheel, but he couldn’t help but glance at the view. it wasn’t a bad sight, so he kept his gaze on it for a while, causing the vehicle to swerve.

“are you trying to kill me?” you spat, shooting him a bitter glare. he scoffed turning his attention away from you, though the flutter in his pants wanted to keep looking for just a little longer. “didn’t your mother ever teach you how to sit like a lady? close your damn legs.” he looked at you from the corner of his eye. “or what?” you noticed the red tinge of his cheeks, wanting to see how far you could take it.

you spread your legs a little more, your black thong just ever so slightly in his view. a breathless gasp escaped his parted lips, causing him to lose focus momentarily. you smiled to yourself, knowing that you finally got him to shut up. your eyes travelled the interior of the van. it was messy, but you’d learned to appreciate a cozy environment with no filter. as you continued looking around, you saw him shifting uncomfortably in his seat, seeming like he was trying to hide something. 

it stuck out so conspicuously that you didn’t even have to search for it. a boner pressed against his jeans, begging to be let out for some pleasure. a short laugh emerged from your throat. “getting tense over there?” embarrassment filled his expression, but he didn’t respond to your comment. he cleared his throat, stopping at a red light. 

“dont wanna talk now, huh? fine. let’s see how much you can take.” and with that, you quickly unbuttoned his fly and allowed his cock to spring out. he gasped, nearly hitting another car. “w-what are you d-” he was cut off when you spat on your hand and started pumping his cock quickly, instantly summoning loud groans from him. 

your squeezed your hand around his length. you could feel his body trembling underneath you at your painfully slow pace. you found yourself enjoying the torture that you were putting it through. his chest heaved, his entire body shook, but he still kept himself together. “j-just get it done with already..!” 

you smeared his precum with your thumb, running it up and down his tip. you were putting him through something excruciating right then, but you enjoyed every pained noise that came out of him as he tried his best not to drive the both of you to your deaths. your technique was perfect, but he couldn’t handle being teased like this any longer. “for fuck’s sake!” he whirled his car around, dangerously driving it into a dark alleyway. 

fear filled your mind for a fraction of a second, but disappeared in an instant when he grabbed your chin and pulled you into a deep, hungry kiss. you were shocked for a moment, but his rough, skilled lips lulled you into a lust-filled sensation. the kiss intensified, him biting your lip and drawing a line of blood. 

you snapped your head back, panting as you watched his cock throb. he locked the car doors, darkening all the windows so that nobody could see what he was about to do. “go to the back. now.” his fists were shaking in such a way that instilled fear into you once again. you carefully crawled to the backseat, waiting for his next move.

he joined you, slamming the door shut. before you had a moment to process anything, he tore off your shirt and skirt, leaving you in your lacy bra and thong. you felt so bare and exposed to him, feeling a familiar sensation as he leered at you. you’d felt this same stare on you before, but you couldn’t tell exactly what he thought about when he looked at you like this. but now you knew. he had been eye-fucking you.

all the inhumane things he imagined doing to you were written on his face in black and white. and now he finally had the chance. he pushed you back, forcing your head to the window as your legs were laid across the seats. without warning, he ripped off your panties, stuffing them into your mouth and exposing your soaking wet cunt.

your muffled protests were interrupted as he pinned your hands above your head, shoving two fingers into you. you screamed out, already feeling your pussy submit to his aggressive touch. “look at you, whore. look at how fucking pathetic you are.” his harsh words stung your heart, but the pleasure dominated any logical thought that you had.

your legs trembled as the hot feeling in your stomach grew to an irreversible point. he curled his fingers inside of you, drawing out long sobs from the depths of your soul. you felt your hole clenching around his digits. he could hear the squelching noise coming from your, the bundle of nerves deep inside of you nearly crushing his fingers.

as your body shook in preparation for your climax, he pulled his fingers out, coated with your fluids. you spat out the cloth in your mouth, your cheeks flushed with rage. “what was that for?! i was so close and you just had to rui-” he clasped a hand over your mouth, rubbing some of your slick of your face. 

“i really can’t stand you, y’know that? i’d kill you if you weren’t so…” his words got lost. he shook his head, brushing away the thought. “but i’m not done with you yet.” he pushed you onto your back, forcing his full-length into you all at once. you sobbed out, feeling your tight walls burn as they wrapped around his length.

“y-yeah, just like that... take it, bitch.” his thrusts were rough and sloppy, sending mixed signals throughout your body. his skin slapped with yours as he pounded into your sore little pussy, rubbing messy circles onto your swollen clit. you came as soon as he entered your tight little hole, feeling your cum leaking down to the raggedy seats.

euronymous’ eyes stayed glued to your face as he fucked you mercilessly, enjoying the feelings he was inflicting on you. he looked at the pretty tears that sat so perfectly on your lashes. your parted lips and flushed cheeks. he felt his brain turning to mush as his balls slapped the base of your hole. he found himself slurring a bunch of nonsense as he became completely pussy-drunk. “i-ive wanted to do this for the longest time…”

his fingers dug deep into your thighs, forcing them apart as he marked them up. “c’mon… speak to me, doll.” his voice had turned into a sultry whisper that made you even wetter. but you weren’t willing to soften up to him just yet. “i… i-i hate you…” breathless moans interrupted your speech, very much to his pleasure. he buried his head in the crook of your neck, whispering little things into you. “that’s just the way i like it…”

he forced one of your legs over his shoulder, sending a wave of fluid through your body. you screamed loud enough that the entire city could hear you. a waterfall of your liquid squirted around his length as his lazy thrusts completely lost their structure, his hot cum pouring into you. tears flowed down your cheeks as he filled you up so well.

his groans dominated your noises, making you vibrate just a little. cum leaked out of your hole, a pool already formed underneath you. he finally pulled out of you, your bodies connected by a string of cum. he collapsed on top of you, clearly too tired to realize what he was doing. you sighed, pushing him off of you. “alright, buddy. that’s enough for one night.”

you searched for your clothes, realizing after a moment that they were damaged beyond repair. he took off his leather jacket, placing it over your shoulders. you looked at him, but he didnt meet your eyes. he looked down, but you could see a tiny smile forming on your face. “you should, uh, probably head home now. i don’t know how much more of your presence i can take.” 

you rolled your eyes, but in a more playful manner this time. you let yourself out of the car, wanting to say one last thing before you left. “i still hate your guts, but we should… do this again some time.” he opened his mouth to speak, but you shut the door, walking down the street as the scene replayed in your mind over and over again.

author's note: soso sorry that this came out so late, but i rlly like this one even tho its super long. and why is this month going by so fast :(( only 6 fics left to go

[strugglingwriterwattpad]

walter deville teaser

In the magnificent ballroom of a majestic Tudor manor, a spellbinding scene unfolds. Bathed in the soft glow of candlelight, a mysterious woman glided across the polished floor, her movements as graceful as a swan. The haunting melody that filled the air seemed to possess her, guiding her every step between each guest. In the depths of the shadows, a figure stood, his presence both alluring and enigmatic. His face remained concealed, adding an air of intrigue to his already captivating aura. Their eyes locked, two souls drawn together by an invisible force, and the world around them faded into insignificance.

As the music swelled, reaching its crescendo, the stranger took a bold step forward. His voice, filled with a whisper of longing, broke the silence, confessing a love that seems to transcend time itself. “you have no idea how much I love you, Miss Stoker.” The woman's heart raced, her breath catching in her throat, as she was swept away by the intensity of his words.

In the moment frozen in time, their lips finally met in a passionate kiss. It was a collision of desire and longing, a union of souls that defied explanation. But as their embrace deepened, a peculiar taste lingered on the woman's tongue, a metallic tang that sent a shiver down her spine. Suddenly, a surge of curiosity mixed with a hint of fear flooded her heart. The taste of blood upon his lips was unmistakable, a jarring contrast to the tender moment they shared. Questions swirled in her mind, like whispers in the wind. Who was this faceless man? “(Y/N)?” he whispered. “(Y/N)?”

With a sudden jolt, the woman catapulted out of her seat, causing Evie to quickly reach for her pills. "We've landed," Evie whispered, handing her boss a pill with a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry about it," she added, noticing the beads of sweat on her forehead. "Oliver's waiting for us, let's go!" with a nod of her head (Y/N) slowly stood from her seat.

“So, who lives here again?” Evie asked as (Y/N) sat in the car, cruising along the secluded roads on the outskirts of Whitby, she couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia. The ever-changing weather, a characteristic she had missed dearly, played its whimsical game once again. One moment, the sky was a brilliant canvas of blue, devoid of any clouds, and the next, it transformed into a murky grey, with gusts of wind that seemed to dance through the air. “The De Ville family.” As they continued their journey, (Y/N)'s gaze was drawn to the enchanting woodland that enveloped their family estate. It was as if nature had painted a masterpiece, with emerald green shades blending seamlessly into fern green's vibrant hues. The lushness of the trees and foliage created a mesmerizing tapestry, inviting her to explore its hidden secrets. “But our family will be staying the weekend for the festivities.”

“Holy shit. are they royalty or something?” as the manor came into view (Y/N) felt a sense of familiarity. Nestled amidst a sprawling landscape, stood an opulent white brick mansion exuding an aura of wealth and influence. Its majesty matched only by the pristine gardens that surrounded it, meticulously manicured to perfection. Every corner of the magnificent abode reflected the abundance of riches it houses, while the walls remained untouched by even the tiniest speck of dirt. “No, it's just old money. England's full of it.” the artist knew something felt strange about the manor. It felt like home to her, and she couldn’t tell if she liked it or not.

“Welcome to New Carfax Abbey. Let me find our host.” As Oliver wandered off to find the owner (Y/N) also started to wander around the outside of the beautiful building. As she approached the entrance, the pillar carvings beckoned to her with an irresistible allure. Intricate and mesmerizing, they depicted a whimsical dance of enchanting forest creatures, each one brought to life in the bleached stone. These were no ordinary animals; they were the very same majestic beings she had encountered in her adventures. The sight filled her with an overwhelming sense of wonder and curiosity, igniting a fire within her. She yearned for the owner's permission to document every intricate detail, to capture the essence of this extraordinary building. Her excitement surged through her veins, as her mind raced with a flood of ideas, eager to be transformed into words on paper.

“I hope you don’t mind I brought a friend with me, Lord Deville,” Evie spoke pointing towards (Y/N) as she traced the pillar with her manicured nails. “(Y/N).” She called out but the girl seemed to ignore her. evie and the lord watched her closely, the rich gentleman listened to her breathing slow down as if slipping into a trance. “(Y/N)!” Evie called once again but still no reply. As the man gracefully approached the mesmerized woman, his presence seemed to cast a spell of intrigue. With a gentle touch, his large hand found its place on her shoulder, as if to guide her deeper into the enchanting world of his home. And there she stood, lost in a trance, her gaze fixated on the captivating artwork that adorned the brick. “miss are you alright.” His voice as smooth as milk snapped her from her brain her twinkling eyes locking with his stormy ones. The two matched their gaze smiling lightly at the sense of familiarity of each other.

“I'm sorry were you both calling me?” she stuttered looking towards Evie was an embarrassed look. “don’t worry (Y/N) your probably jet lagged.” She laughed picking up the poor girl's bag from the ground. “Walter, this is (Y/N). the artist I was telling you about.” The man now known as Walter stared back at (Y/N) his storm eyes now swapped with a flash of light of excitement. “it’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Stoker. I am a very big fan of your work. obviously.” The sun-kissed hue of his skin suddenly blushed with a fiery red, as if caught off guard by his own rambling. It was almost endearing to witness him in such a vulnerable state as if his emotions were laid bare for all to see. But there was no denying the transformative power of the new face that had entered his life, for it had swiftly altered his entire demeanour. “I'm glad you enjoyed them Mr Deville and thank you for the generous donation to the gallery I can assure you there are big plans for it.” his smile couldn’t get any bigger, but it did. The sound of her voice lulled his heart into a stuttering beat as if it had been out of service for many moons.

“come let me show you around the manor. I hope you like how I've displayed your art.” His cotton-covered arm poked out to her as an invitation to his home. She slowly slipped her arm into his feeling a familiar spark ignite in their touch. His smell was so calming and alluring sending her into a high, her doing the same to him. Walter held her small hand in a comfortable tightness not wanting her to slip from him again.

[witch-hazels-musings]

Anyone brave enough to request a curse, you say? I happen to love my angst so let's go!

May I have a curse with feverfew, evergreen, and jasmine for my dearest Albedo?

- 📝

Feverfew (sickness, accidents), Evergreen (the unexpected), Jasmine (love, sensuality) Albedo x gn reader | Curse Ritual warning: this hurts, reader death (sorry), Klee is very sad, Albedo major sad, Jean appearance

Albedo rested the paintbrush on the lip of his easel and flexed his hand. He stepped back, admiring his work. The fine strokes, the blending of colors he had painstakingly crafted from the far reaches of Teyvat. A hue of roses the color of your eyes, the blends of pigments to perfectly capture your complexion, the shades for your hair, and how they complimented the others in the portrait.

The first of many.

One of a kind.

Albedo stared at it fondly knowing that this likeness he captured held no errors in the design. He had spent weeks perfecting the shape of you and now it was immortalized.

---

The streets of Mond were still. Quiet. It was an unusual scene. Normally the shop owners would wave to him as he walked down the city square, a kind hello followed by a quick question in regards to his sister. He found the eerie serenity unsettling so he turned to the clock.

Mid-day.

Albedo adjusted the wrapped painting under his arm. The brown parchment that protected the canvas crinkled every time he moved. Perhaps he was a bit presumptuous in bringing it all the way here. He wasn't even sure if you were back yet. He hadn't received a letter in days, but he knew you were bound for Mondstadt, Klee had made it impossible for him to forget as she counted down each day.

"Three days, Bedo!" "Two more. What will we do when they return? I can't wait to have them read out loud, they make the best voices." "I've been practicing making cookies, see, Klee did a good job."

He smiled at the thought of her being lifted in your arms, your caring gestures, and the patience you gave her with every question she asked. The beauty in your love was what took him so long to capture on the canvas.

Someone shouted down one of the alleyways. Albedo stopped mid-stride when he saw a pair of Knights running full sprint toward the front gates. He tracked them and noticed a rather large crowd forming near the stone archway.

Curious, Albedo made his way toward them. Their voices mixed together into a jumble of noise. People pushed forward while a pair of knights shouted at everyone to move back.

"Did you see what happened?" a woman asked, her hands clenched together near her chest.

"No, no I didn't see."

"I hope everyone's alright," she said, her voice like a soft prayer.

"Excuse me, has something happened?" Albedo asked but when the woman looked his way the color in her face drained.

"S-sir, Albedo ..." her voice broke, and the dread in her eyes made his skin run cold. Without thinking, he pushed through the crowd. His body moved on its own as the sea of people parted for him. He heard their whispers, the quiet fall of their confused voices fading into a subtle rumble like gravel beneath his feet.

"Let him through," someone shouted, and they did.

Albedo stood before the line of knights who, upon seeing him, shared uncomfortable glances. He could see their lips move but his eyes were fixed on the scene behind him. A small young girl drenched and sitting against the stone wall while a blonde knight knelt before her.

He pushed past through the line, indifferent to the way they pawed at him to keep him there.

"What happened?" Alebeo asked, his voice trembling as he approached. Klee and Jean looked at him at the same time and he had seconds to react before the young girl launched into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

The painting clattered to the ground, torn and undone, while Albedo lifted Klee and held her close. She was soaked, dripping, and cold.

"You are drenched. Are you alright?"

Klee nodded, shook her head, sobbed, and hugged him. He pushed her hair from her face, her cheeks as red as her maroon dress.

"What -"

"Albedo, I'm - I'm sorry," Jean moved toward them, her hand pressing against Klee's trembling back. The little girl kept repeating something but Albedo couldn't make it out. "We got here as fast as we could."

Albedo glanced behind the Grand Master and the world tilted.

"Klee's sorry! Klee's sorry!" she screamed into her brother's shoulder while Albedo watched a knight lift your body in their arms. Saturated, hollow. Lifeless as your head and hand fell toward the ground.

"Alebedo?" Jean's voice felt so far away, the weight of his sister seemed unbearable as he crumbled to the hard cobblestone. The only thing that kept him upright was Jean's support as she held the pair of broken spirits together on the bridge.

That wasn't you.

It couldn't be.

He didn't remember you like that. Where was your smile? Your brightness? Your love?

Why did you look so cold?

Confused, broken tears fell from Albedo's eyes while he stared at the body that once belonged to you and the painting of his family that now lay broken behind him.

Thaumaturgy Anthology (October 11-13, 2024) - submissions closed

This event is based on spells and rituals. Inspiration does not equal understanding; liberties have been taken. All content is owned by Witch Hazels Musings, theft of these images and stories will result in immediate action

[sweetfire01]

Okay but,,,, what if Daddy Howl,,, and little reader,,, and can't escape because moving castle,,, and being dragged to nest-bed by bird form Howl??? Yes? Yes??? YE S?????

Y E S

Y E S

It's too long so I had to divide the fic into two part (for now, if I don't get more ideas 👀)

I'll talk about the nest in the next one!

Baby dove pt.1 (Daddy!Howl)

You couldn't stand staying here anymore. It was all becoming too overwhelming and disturbing, especially with Howl's overly protective behaviors. You didn't know how to describe it, but you had this strange feeling that you needed to get out of here as soon as possible, before things got worse. It was going well the first day he took you in, but the way he started treating you like a fragile little thing made you shiver. that's why today you took advantage of one of his long bath, trying to escape to the capital the moment he closed the door behind him.

You didn't have a specific destination in mind, you would have been chappy to reach the countryside, get on a farmer's cart and reach some remote village. You had only visited the city a couple of times and only the center and the streets around the house, but it wouldn't be too difficult, right? Wrong. Everything was more crowded than you remembered, you had to go around closed streets, squeeze into narrow tunnels, walk between stalls and almost risked getting arrested when you found yourself in the middle of the street during a military parade. The second time you passed the exact same perfume shop, you realized that you were lost. You didn't know how long you had been walking, you hoped that the Wizard hadn't noticed your escape yet. The fear of finding him behind you hadn't left your body since you went out. You forced yourself to walk again. Just in case he was on your trail, it was safer to blend into the crowd than to stay still. You had also tried going into shops to rest, pretending to take a look at the mirrors displayed inside or looking for a new wall clock. And every time you heard the people behind you commenting on your less than elegant appearance and wondering if you really had the money to buy that snakeskin belt. Rich people like them were able to buy expensive things. But you? Oh well, who care, a snakeskin belt wouldn't have improved an outfit as sloppy as yours. You were offended: you were only wearing a white shirt and light blue pants that paired with a vest of the same color. Pretty simple, sure, but not sloppy! When you heard the owner of a jewelry store muttering about how he had to keep an eye on you to prevent you from stealing, you stormed out. You were REALLY tired, running away from a crazy man, starting to get hungry, and you were called a thief? Fuck everyone. Fuck that shopkeeper, fuck this fucking city and its snobbish people, fuck Howl and above all fuck that Witch. And fuck Howl again. Fuck this sudden festival too. You didn't even know what it was for, but if everything hadn't been so chaotic today, you would have been able to get much further than this. How big was this city?? Only when the sun began to set the people head home and you wished you could take refuge in some inn and spend there the night. Unfortunately you had no money, just a few coins with which you hoped to be able to buy dinner for the evening. It had been a very unplanned escape. You sat on a bench. Damn, at least 5 minutes, your feet were starting to hurt. You prayed with all your heart that Howl was still in the bathtub. His baths were always so long, why did today have to be any different? But you couldn't get rid of the anxiety that he was behind you, ready to take you home. And now that there were few people left on the streets, you felt even more vulnerable. “Are you tired, baby dove?”

This was...HIS voice. You jumped up. There he was, off to the side, closer than you expected. You stared at him trembling, frozen in fear. He just chuckled. He didn't seem angry, not even irritated "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Come on, let's go home, it can get cold in the evening." He took off his jacket to wrap it around you. At that moment you recovered from your state of shock and now all you wanted to do was run, escape. But he didn't get upset, no, he simply grabbed your wrist and pressed it to his chest, stroking your hair. It was supposed to be an attempt to calm you down, but you were only getting more agitated, squirming in his hold. “Let me go, let me go!” "Baby dove, it's late, we have to go." "NO!" You gathered all your strength and pushed him away. You caught him by surprise and he almost fell backwards as you ran away. But your escape was short: you made it about ten meters before you felt your leg being pulled back, causing you to fall onto the road. You at least had the readiness to break the fall with your arms, even if your palms started to burn immediately after the impact.

"And that's why we don't throw tantrums and we don't run away." Howl scolded you, this time with a hint of firmness in his voice, though his tone remained condescending. Like a parent scolding a toddler. You wondered if that "don't run away" was meant just for now. Probably not, but you didn't dare to ask. He knelt down to see if you were hurt and, once he noticed that you had only grazed your hands a little, he picked you up. "If you were a good little fledgling, I would have made you walk on air with me. It seems like that will be for another time, hm?" And with that you felt his body change, filling with feathers while two powerful black wings emerged from his back, his legs transformed into bird legs and his arms into claws. If you hadn't already seen him in this form, you would have screamed in terror. It doesn't matter, you screamed anyway as he took flight and you held on for dear life, desperately squeezing your eyes shut. You were high, too high for your liking. "Don't worry, baby dove, Daddy will never let you fall." He whispered in your ear. You didn't processed it, too scared to listen.

It was a relief when you landed in front of the house. And the warmth of Calcifer that hit you when you two entered felt good. You didn't realized how cold it had been outside, despite Howl's jacket. He didn't let you go, taking you directly to his room and placing you in your bed. "Take a nap, baby dove. You're tired. I'll wake you up for dinner, okay?" he planted a kiss on your forehead before leaving the room. You laid there, legs aching, starting to cry silently. All the effort you had put in for nothing. And the fact that Howl didn't even recognize this as an attempt to escape made it worse. It made you feel pathetic. As if it were all a toddler's tantrum.