#possessed with the urge to answer this out of nowhere

[abyssin]

mlb verse headcanon time! WE NEED TO GO DEEPER. what is childe's kwami's name? what concept does it preside over? what power does it give him? what is his relationship with his kwami like and why does it encourage him to be Like That™? how did he get his miraculous? what are his motives and/or goals for using it? what was he doing before he got his miraculous and how did becoming a holder change him? how does him being a miraculous holder affect his relationship with his family?

everything i am about to say is all come up with on the spot so it is subject to change! BUT HELLO HERE WE GO MIRACULOUS VERSE CHILDE THOUGHTS:

i. ㅤok so we already have a name for the whale thanks to the genshin leaks but just because i feel like it phonetically sounds close to the kwami names, i wanna name his kwami flood! he's a very calm and collected little guy who greatly contrasts childe in personality, but their goals for chaos to qualm boredom is the same! they're two peas in a pod as much as flood will try to criticize him for being reckless /: and yes he looks like an itty bitty narwhal, with the teeny horn and all!

ii.ㅤ i'd like to place flood as the kwami of disorder. it's rather close to plagg, but basically i think of it as a concept that breeds conflict, opposition, confusion. it thrives off the conflict between hawk moth and the ladybug-chat noir duo and Would like things to continue the way they are. perhaps he and childe have even helped one side or the other in order to keep things interesting? they're so annoying fr fr. ㅤㅤㅤbonus: ㅤflood takes the shape of a singular earring on his left ear, much alike to the one he has in canon. it glows a pretty blue shade much like ajax's own eyes when flood is communicating

iii. ㅤif not already hinted by the above answers, tartaglia (ajax's transformation) and flood are ironically neutral parties to miraculous conflict conceptually, but in action they both enable the conflict for their own amusement. of course, the last thing he wants is paris destroyed while he's here (i'm going to assume he's a transfer student in college rn but, we'll see!), but with flood as his companion, they can do absolutely anything together (❁´◡`❁) ㅤtoday, he's an ally to ladybug. tomorrow?ㅤ who knows...

iv. ㅤi haven't quite figured out how he found his miraculous... it isn't unusual for him to be finding different objects to send back home as gifts for his family, so i imagine it was something he picked up by accident and he awakened flood. i will have to get back on this for specifics on How it was found though...

v. ㅤi do like the thought that he's studying business management here, or if i do peg his age to the one i have in canon, he could be working as a toymaker? the reason i wanted to place him in college was to make interaction with the miraculous kids more likely and much easier to bump into HAJDAHD

the thing about how meeting flood is something i'm going to leave up in the air. i do want it to parallel to canon that perhaps flood corrupted childe too, and childe was a willing host? i also like the thought of tartaglia being able to consume the akuma butterflies 🤔 many thoughts!

anyways tartaglia here to be a nuisance. je suis fuck off dude!

[hearts4hughes]

JEALOUS LOVER | CORIOLANUS SNOW

young!coriolanus snow x fem!reader

summary: coriolanus battles to control his possessive and jealous nature when seeing you with a friend.

note: i’m aware that coriolanus is such a terrible person, but it doesn’t help that they casted tom blyth (the definition of perfect) as him. i couldn’t fight the urge to write about him and i’m glad i didn’t! hope you enjoy!

warnings: borderline toxic relationship?, jealousy, angst w/ a happy ending, fluff, gets a little steamy towards the end (🙈)

coriolanus watched from a distance, his piercing eyes fixated on your every move. as you engaged in conversation with sejanus, a fleeting smile playing on your lips, a storm brewed in his gaze. his jaw clenched; eyes, once crystal blue, were now dark and stormy.

discomfort envelops him, triggering nausea through his chest; he refuses to be treated like a child. however, the simple act or even the notion of you interacting with another man, fuels a visceral anger: clenched fists, muscles tense, poised to eradicate any man who even looks in your direction.

“you’re so funny, sejanus.” you laughed, your hand lightly grazing his bicep. the action was subconscious. a platonic movement that made no one bat an eyelash.

well, except for coriolanus.

his tongue ran over his teeth as he shook his head, trying to control himself. self-control, he repeated over, and over again in his mind. he’d learn how to control himself at such a young age. to know how to mask any emotion in order to appear professional and calm. but one look at you laughing and touching another male had him forgetting all of his previous lessons.

taking a deep breath, he made his way over to you. his attempt to remain composed was unsuccessful. his fair skin was painted deep shades of red; his breath was heavy with anger; his eyes narrowed as he shot daggers at sejanus.

“hi coryo!” you smiled, taking note of his tense stature. “we were just catching up.” your hand motions towards sejanus who greets him. the blonde nods, not impressed with the whole situation.

self-control.

“well, we better get going.” he stated simply, checking his watch. “it’s getting late and i don’t want y/n and i to walk home in the dark.” he feigned a tightlipped smile. your brows furrowed in confusion. it was nowhere near sunset, what had the boy in such a hurry?

“it was nice to see-” your words were cut short as coriolanus grabbed your arm, pulling you away from sejanus and towards the exit. your head turned between both boys before sending sejanus a pitiful smile to which he returned.

as coriolanus whisked you away, the corridor echoed with the abruptness of his hurried steps. his grip on your arm, firm yet possessive, spoke volumes.

the walk home was practically silent. tension sat in the air weighing down both of your shoulders. your gaze remained fixed on coriolanus’s side profile. meanwhile, his eyes remained focused on the sidewalk, meticulously scrutinizing the cracks and crevices in the concrete as if searching for answers in their patterns.

finally, you broke the grueling silence. “coryo, what’s wrong?” your hand finds its way to his, intertwining your fingers. coriolanus, his gaze momentarily lifting from the sidewalk, met your concerned eyes. the weight on his shoulders seemed to lift slightly. his jaw tightened, but his eyes softened, revealing a vulnerability beneath his anger. “it’s nothing,” he muttered, the words carrying the weight of something untold.

your brows furrowed in gentle concern, “you can talk to me. you know that right?” at this point your walking comes to a halt. your hand raises to brush his platinum curls away from his face. he nods, but he doesn’t dare meet your gaze— too ashamed of his pathetic insecurities. at last, he lets out a huff, caving into the warmth of your touch and the sweetness of your words.

“i just… i didn’t like seeing you with him,” he admitted, his tone laced with vulnerability and possessiveness.

“with sejanus?” you inquired.

“yes!” although he raised his voice, his tone was still hushed— embarrassed even. “seeing you with him today, laughing at his jokes and touching his arm, made me,” he paused to take a deep breath, “it all made me jealous.” your hand found its way to his face, your fingers brushing his cheeks soothingly.

“coryo, there’s no need to be jealous,” you reassured, your voice a gentle melody. “there’s no one else i’d rather be with than you.”

the words, a sweet offering of devotion, seemed to fan the flames within him. a smirk played on his lips, ego swelling with satisfaction as his eyes, once dark and stormy, now took on a smoldering gaze. a subtle shift in his demeanor was evident as he wrapped his arms around your waist, hands trailing dangerously close to your ass. without responding, coriolanus leaned in, his lips capturing yours with hunger.

the kiss was fiery and a desperate need for closeness. his hand slid sensuously along the curves of your waist, fingers tracing a path, as if claiming every inch of you. his lips moved with a skilled urgency, exploring the contours of your mouth. your tongues clashed together in each other’s mouths. the blonde swallowed your moans and whines, trapping them.

as you both reluctantly pulled away from the scorching kiss, a lingering heat hung in the air. a sly smirk played on both of your lips.

“you have no idea what you’re doing to me, y/n.” he said, breathlessly. “and i want you to remember that every inch of you is mine.” you smiled, not quiet realizing the toxicity of your boyfriend’s words. you were blinded by his sweet, pleasing words and his gorgeous face structure to even notice.

the rest of the walk was silent, but the air wasn’t filled with a lingering tension. no, if anything, it was filled with a newfound sense of lust and love.

[zeltqz]

selfish | haitani ran

synopsis. haitani ran wants you, but can't have you because it would be considered selfish. content. 12k words (listen ik its long just hear me out..), fem!reader, friends to enemies to lovers, mild fwb situation gone wrong, ran's mother is in prison and gives shitty advice, implied sexual harassment (some creepy junkie, nothing happens though), mildly toxic ran, possessiveness, alcohol mentions, ran says hurtful things when he's drunk. NSFW content. authors note. this was inspired by an ask that i changed up a little because i LUV drama, so anon if you see this and recongise the plot creds to uuuuuuuuuuuuuuu for the idea!!!!

You were jolted awake by the violent buzz of your phone, muffled by your pillow. You groggily sat up, wiping your eyes and slapped around under your pillow for your phone. Carefully, you rolled to the far edge of your bed and answered. 

“Hello?”

“Come down. I’m outside.”

“Ran it’s…2 in the morning.”

“Just come. I want to talk to you.”

You slipped from your bed, yawning and grabbing your house keys on the way out. Once you were outside, the instant regret of not bringing a jacket hit you as you shivered from the cold. You were about to run back inside, but decided against it when you saw Ran’s car parked at the end of the road, the lights on and the windshield wipers actively wiping away the snow. 

You resisted the urge to dramatically slam the door shut when you got in the car. “There better be a zombie apocalypse happening right now if you think waking me up at 2 am was a good idea.”

“So I can only contact you when the world is ending?”

“At 2am, yes.” You leaned your head back against his car seat, mindlessly closing your eyes to savour onto the lingering signs of sleep. “Why’re you even here? I thought you were out of town.”

“I had plans.” He drummed his fingers along the steering wheel. 

“Like plans or ‘plans’?” His smile turned into a smirk and you grimaced. “Ew don’t touch me.”  He laughed playfully and gestured at your seatbelt. You put it on as he started the car, pulling out onto the main road. 

“So where are you taking me anyway?” you asked, plucking at a loose thread on your pyjama bottoms. 

“Nowhere in particular. Just driving around.”

“Cool. So why am I here then?”

“Wanted company. Is that so wrong?” 

You looked his way, wondering if he was being serious right now. “Why didn’t you call your brother then? Or literally anybody else.”

“Because I wanted to see you.” He glanced in your direction, seeing the stunned expression on your face that you quickly fixed when you realised he was staring. 

You rolled your eyes. “Yeah sure. Whatever.” You yawned and turned to the side to lean against the window. 

“If you’re tired you can sleep.”

“I don’t wanna fall asleep on you. That’s rude.” Another yawn. “I’ll manage it.”

“You hungry?” he asked, pulling up towards a late night fast food drive-thru across the street. 

“Kinda. Now that I think about it, I barely ate all day.”

“Don’t know how you do it honestly.” He was plucking at his baby hairs as he slowed the car to a stop. “Alright whaddya want.” 

You peeked past his body to look at the menu on the wall, the bright lights straining your tired eyes. “Literally anything. I don’t care.” He clicked his tongue and stared at you. You sighed. “I don’t want you to waste money on me.”

“Don’t stress,” he said, waving off your concern with a wave of his hand. You settled in your seat as he rolled down the window. You were distractedly scrolling on your phone to pass time as he spent the next five minutes ordering. 

Looking up, you saw he already had the bag of food on his lap, but instead of handing it to you, his arm is leaning against the window, smirking as he talks to the cashier working the drive-thru. She has her finger twirling her hair, leaning so far from the narrow window you’re surprised she hasn’t fallen out yet. 

“Hello?? Can we go?!” you snapped. 

“Oh, sorry.” The girl leered in your direction, taking you back momentarily before she fixed her features in time when she looked back at Ran. “It was nice meeting you,” she said softly, her voice lacking the same venomous tone she gave you earlier.

“Pleasure meeting you too. See you around beautiful.” You don’t know if he winked or did his signature smirk at her, but it was something of that nature because she had to fan herself to calm the redness on her face as his car began driving off.

You took the bag of food from his lap and ripped it open. “Do you really have to flirt with every girl you meet?”

“Someone sounds jealous.” You weren’t even looking in his direction but you could envision the shit eating grin of his face when he said that.

“I’m not jealous. I just know how to keep it in my pants and not go around flirting with every guy I meet.” You bit the packaging of the straw and poked it in your drink more aggressively than you intended.

“Have you maybe thought that’s because you just suck at flirting?” 

You almost choked on your drink with how quick you moved your head to face him. “I don’t suck at flirting!”

He snorted, taking one hand off the wheel to support his head as he leaned against the door. “Sureeeeeeeee.”

“Don't say sure like that.”

“Why not?”

“Because you don’t believe me!”

He shrugged. “I don’t.” He stopped the car at a red light. “Show me how you flirt then.”

You stared down at the food in your hands, contemplating if you should. When you looked up, you saw him already staring at you, waiting. “Fine.” You wiped your hands and set your food back down, putting it back in the takeout bag before shifting to face him on your seat. 

You cleared your throat, readying yourself to speak. The second you opened your mouth, it was like your mind blanked and you instantly closed it again. “This is too embarrassing. I can’t.”

“It’s only embarrassing if you make it embarrassing,” he responded back, shifting his attention back on the road when the light changed to green.

“No. I just know you’re going to laugh at me if I do it.”

“No I won’t.” He put a hand over his heart. “Scouts honour”

“You’re so ridiculous,” you grumbled but laughed nonetheless. “Okay, I’ll do it once we get home. I need time to prepare.”

Ran seemed to agree with that and in the fifteen minutes it took you to get home, you finished your food. He was parked outside your house across the street and you were idly sipping at your drink.

“Alright, ready?” He turned the engine off, leaving the radio still on.

“Wait this is my favourite song.” You inched forward to turn the volume up only to recoil when he slapped your hand away. “What the hell?!”

“Stop stalling.” He ignored the frustrated look on your face. “Show me already. I didn’t drive you here for nothing.”

“You shouldn’t have driven here at 3 in the morning anyway!”

“So ungrateful.” He pinched your nose with two fingers, laughing when you swatted him away. “Show meeee.”

“Okay fine! Fine!” You set your drink in the cupholder and turned to look at him. “I actually don’t know how to flirt.”

“Had a feeling.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

“Want me to teach you,” he asked gently, looking directly into your eyes. You found it hard to look away in that moment, like so much was riding on your answer. 

You nodded slowly. “Yeah… okay…”

“Alright. Guys love it when you’re confident and can hold eye contact. So hold eye contact as much as you can, but don’t stare like a creep. That shit’s weird. Show ‘em you’re engaged in the conversation when they’re talking about themselves and just stare into their eyes. Shit, that even gets me all fuzzy when a girl knows how to hold it. Had me stutterin’ and shit once.”

You blinked and envisioned a stuttering, flustered Ran in your mind. “Really? Eye contact? That’s all?” He shrugged and nodded. “That sounds really hard to believe honestly.”

“Really?” You nodded. “Reaaaally?” he repeated, extra slow, giving you enough time to back out when you have the chance.

“Yes. Reaaaaally Ran.”

“Tell me what you did today.”

You crossed your arms and looked up at the ceiling. “Well…I woke up this morning…I went to work, had lunch, worked until 4, then came home and studied.”

“In detail.”

“Is that really necessary?” you complained, but the look on his face was completely serious. Sighing, you settled back into your seat. “Okay so I went to bed late as fuck last night and I woke up at like 12 which was so bad because my shift started in fifteen minutes. So I wondered whether or not I should go and—”

“Look at me when you talk.”

You were about to slap him. You sighed and turned to look at him. 

“I went to back late last night and woke up at like…” Your mind blanked, and you struggled to find your words or remember what the hell you did hours ago with him looking so intently at you. “...11 ish? Which was—”

“You said it was 12, no?” he tilted his head, his stare unwavering.

You gulped. “Yes. Sorry. I woke up at 12 and my shift started at 12:15.” Your face burned. Just what the hell was wrong with you. In that moment, you felt like you were out of your own body, spirit you watching as you did nothing but blink uselessly at Ran. You fought the urge to slap yourself and ignore his slutty mind tricks. 

You looked down at your lap only to have him lift your face back to him with a single finger. “You’re not done with your story yet.”

“...right…right.” You cleared your throat again. He leaned forward, forearms resting on the steering wheel, locking his gaze on you. Was Ran always this hot? Surely you’ve noticed it before but not like this, where your mind is focusing only on him, and pushing all other stray thoughts out of the way 

You inhaled deeply and regained composure. “And I briefly considered whether or not I should go in late…but my boss has been kinda mean to me lately and…”

He raised an eyebrow, nodding as he studied your face, and urged you to continue when you stopped talking.

“...so I went in and finished my shift. My boss wasn’t too mad at me which was good I guess.”

“Then what?” His voice was purposefully different than usual, it was lower in that moment, throwing you off balance completely.

Your throat suddenly felt dry. “One second.” You grabbed your drink from before and began taking long sips from it, still feeling the intensity of his stare against the side of your face. Once you gulped half the drink down, you forcefully swallowed your burp, not wanting to ruin the weird, but heated atmosphere in the car with your natural bodily functions. 

“Then I went home to study for my exam on Thursday and fell asleep. Then your annoying ass woke me up and here I am.”

He laughed lightly, pulling back to return back to his seat. “How hard was that? Be honest.” His head rested back against the headrest, smirking at you. “Don’t lie now.”

You looked down at your lap, averting your eyes from his and refusing to make eye contact. You hated that you had to admit that it actually worked, his intense eye contact had actually effected you. He kept urging you until you persisted and you groaned inwardly. “Fine. It worked.”

“Seeeeee?” He jostled you playfully, and you smiled weakly. “I told ya. Anyway, want more advice?”

“There’s more?” Was the eye contact not enough? You didn’t even want to think how much power this man has. 

“Yeah. Say his name a lot. Drives me crazy when I hear a girl say my name.”

You snorted. “Sounds oddly narcissistic of you,” you retorted before you could catch yourself. “Sorry.”

“(Y/N),” he called your name in a deep, rumbling tone that had you internally shut down and log off. 

Once you came back, you grinned, impressed. “Wow…you’re good,” you admitted, subtly rubbing your hand along your arm to rid it of the goosebumps that seemed to sprout up whenever he spoke to you in that tone. “You’re actually a danger to society.”

“It’s fun making girls all flustered.” His hand rose to rest on your thigh. When you didn’t shrug it off or tell him to stop, his fingers began to caress softly against your skin. His touch felt electrifying, zapping through the fabric of your pyjama bottoms as he continued his actions.

“Something wrong?” he asked teasingly when he saw you struggle to control yourself, clenching your thighs together.

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“You’re not gonna tell me to stop?”

“No.”

“I see.” His thumb continued to stroke your inner thigh.

You don’t know what possessed you at that moment, but you grabbed his hand and placed it between your legs. He looked at you, confused and surprised at your sudden boldness. 

You pulled him closer, wrapping your arms around his neck, and whispered into his ear, “I can be seductive too, you know?”

Something in your words ignited a flame inside him, something primal and raw when your lips softly grazed down his ear. He turned his head to meet yours. 

“I’m sure you can be,”  he said softly, leaning in to kiss you gently. The kiss was only a soft press of his lips against yours, and your desire to want him to kiss you for real grew stronger by the second.

His hand moved down your body, helping you pass the console to straddle him. One hand slid down the back of his neck as you kissed each other hungrily, your tongue sliding out to meet his. He bit your bottom lip, gently sucking it while running his tongue along the inside of your mouth, slowly parting your lips with his. 

“Fuck,” you breathed out, pulling away to look down at him, resting your forehead against his. You went back in, and the kiss quickly turned heated, hungry and wild. “This doesn’t mean anything, right?” you asked, panting slightly.

He broke the eye contact to look down at his hands on your waist, sliding down to your hips and held you firmly in place, leaving no space between you. “Nah. Let’s just have fun.”

He cupped the back of your neck to bring you in for another kiss, your insides melting as your body temperature rose at the feeling of his rough hands working you over. He fumbled with the drawstrings of your pj bottoms until they loosened, slipping his hands inside, desperate to touch bare skin.

“No panties,” he grinned against your lips, giving you a peck when you flushed. 

“They’re uncomfortable at night…gotta let it breathe, you know?” you mumbled, looking down at his lap. 

He nudged your head up using his own and reattached his lips to yours. His hands continued to explore your body, roaming up and down your back, clutching at your waist. He placed his hand firmly on the back of your head, gilding your head movements into the kiss.

His thumb traced circles on the soft flesh on your hip as your mouth left his to plant open, wet kisses along his neck, teeth nipping and skimming when the radio thought it’ll be a wonderfully convenient idea to switch from the soft music it was playing earlier, to sudden heavy death metal, loud instruments and screaming booming through the car. 

You both jumped apart, your head smacked against the roof of the car, wailing as you winced when Ran started laughing. “It’s not funny!”

He doesn’t stop laughing because why would he, but he at least reached forward, your body on his lap following his movements as he turned the volume down.

“Why do you even have that on your playlist?!” 

“Rindou had a…phase. I hate it too, don’t worry.” 

You continued to rub the sore spot and pouted when you felt a headache blooming, already kissing goodbye to your good night’s sleep tonight. 

“Come here.” He smoothed a hand over the sore spot. “Better?”

“Kinda.” Your sour mood lessens and you start laughing, hiding your face in his shoulder. Your shoulders shook as you struggled to control your laughter. He laughed alongside you, his arms tightening around your body as he pulled you back against him. 

“That scared the living shit out of me,” you panted, finally catching your breath, kissing down the side of his neck. 

He turned his face to properly meet yours. You kissed him deeply, slowly rocking your hips with his as his strong hands squeezed tightly against your ass. After a while, you broke the kiss, your body now craving more than just kissing.

“Stop teasing me,” you complained, pushing him lightly on the chest.

“‘S fun seeing you so worked up,” he said with a shitty smirk, pressing a kiss to your neck. Your head lolled back as he steadily worked his way down the column of your throat, then down your chest.

His fingers bunched around the hem of your shirt, about to tug it off when you looked outside. The sun was still dark, but the promise of sunrise just around the corner as it rounded near 4 am. Obviously people wouldn’t be up and walking around this late, but the thought still made you stiffen.

“What’s wrong?” Ran asked, pausing with your shirt half way up your stomach.

“Can we go inside?” you asked, dragging the tips of your nails along the flat plane of his stomach. Despite having spent the last ten minutes making out with this man, the question implied more and your face burned when his eyes widened a bit. 

You looked down at your hands moving under his shirt, tracing patterns across his skin and bit down a giggle when he squirmed as you hit a particularly ticklish spot, poking his belly button. You took a mental note of that for later…

“You sure you wanna?” he asked carefully. You nodded. “Alright. Let’s go.” 

You quietly stumbled out of the car, holding his hand as you crossed the street to your house. You were fumbling with your keys, hard to find the keyhole in the darkness. It wasn’t helping your focus and accuracy with Ran behind you, fingers caressing your hips and waist, nipping at your neck. You let out a soft moan, giving up with your keys to lean your head back against his shoulder to give him more access before you quickly came to your senses.

“I need to open the door, go away,” you said with a huff, ignoring his laughter as you pushed him away. 

The door slammed shut and you locked it before pouncing on Ran, letting him press you up hard against the door as he hungrily devoured your mouth. His lips branded the soft skin of your neck as he dipped lower, carrying you to your bedroom. You were dropped mindlessly on your bed, bouncing from the impact as he hovered over you, your mind pleasantly blank as you focused solely on how badly you needed him right now.

His fingers slipped down your underwear and you saw stars.

~*~

As you were walking through the aisles of the grocery store, your music was interrupted by your phone ringing. You jerked your phone out from your jeans pocket to stare at the caller ID. Just a long string of numbers. 

“Who is this?” you asked suspiciously, racking your brain for a time you handed your number out to anyone you hadn’t saved.

“It’s Ran. What, forgot about me already?” 

Your mood immediately dampened and you clutched your phone tighter in your hand. “Why’re you calling me?”

“Easy with the hostility, man. I just wanted to talk to you.”

“And you couldn’t have done this, I dunno, in the two months you spent ghosting me? And don’t tell me “easy with the hostility”, I have a right to be fucking mad after you just hit and dipped like that.”

“Hit and dipped?”

“You ghosted me dumbass.”

You heard a loud exhale. “Right… yeah about that.”

“What do you want Ran?”

“I miss you.”

You almost forgot how to breathe. “Areyoufuckingkiddingmerightnow?”

“You heard me. I said I missed you.”

“Let me guess, there’s no other girls available right now, right? That’s why you’re bugging me?” It would be a wild accusation if not for the fact after that night you spent together, his phone buzzed incessantly, the constant vibrations waking you up and you saw notifications of girls in his inbox, sending him the usual “are you up?” text messages, followed up with images of themselves half naked.

He hummed. “Why would there be other girls? I’m talking to you right now.”

“Because you’re you.”

“Ok, but I’m serious though. I miss you a lot.” You found it so hard to give this man any sympathy.

“Well who’s fault is that? Nobody asked you to stop speaking to me after that night.”

“I know I know. I messed up. I just didn’t know how to approach you after that.” He sounded seriously stressed over this, and your face softened for a fraction of a moment before memories of you constantly checking your phone to see if he bothered to open your message yet reappear in your mind; just like that, your scowl is back, sympathy long gone.

“Right. Because THE Haitani Ran gets nervous after sex. Wow, shocker.”

“I mean, you were the best lay I ever had.”

Your traitorous heart stuttered without your permission, making your lips quirk up into a smile. “Really?” You cursed yourself for even entertaining his bullshit, and cursed your body even more for reacting in such a manner.

“Yeah, course you were.”

“Then why’d you ghost me? It’s like you want me to hate you. I swear to god for the life of me I’ll never under male logic.”

“It’s not male logic. ‘S just me, being a dumbass.”

“Yeah, no shit.”

“This was different though because we were friends before we fucked, and I didn’t wanna make things weird. I had no clue how to text you after that.” You guessed that made sense, having felt the same awkwardness the morning after waking up sore with him beside you. 

“Oh. Well, it’s only weird if you make it weird.”

“Right. So…can I make it up to you?”

“How?”

“Let’s hang out.”

“Like hang out or ‘hang out’?” Part of you wanted it to be the first one, not wanting to ruin anymore awkwardness in your friendship by sleeping with each other again. But the other part of your body already was hellbent on it being the second, already addicted to the way he makes you feel in bed. 

“The former. But,” his voice dropped lower, “it can also be the latter, if you’re down.”

“I’m down,” you said a bit too quickly for someone trying to seem indifferent.

“Cool. See you tonight then.” 

Before you could say goodbye, he was already saying hi to someone else, and then hung up. Any negative emotions you felt for him was tempered by the excitement buzzing through your limbs as you continued shopping for groceries with a dopey smile on your face, happy you were able to patch things up.

~*~

Time passes since you both agreed to this weird friends with benefits arrangement. All awkwardness is stomped on and thrown out the window, now more open to the matter. Months go by of you losing yourself in his sheets, of him mapping out your body with his tongue, latching his mouth onto your skin and marking you all over. Months go by of you craving his touch whenever you’re alone, picturing his voice in your ear, his presence caging you from above when you’re with other men. Months go by of you both making plans, with you, more than him, staring at your phone the entire day, starting the mental countdown to when you’re next able to see him. 

Life is good for Ran, until the day he dreaded the most every year rolls around. The day he has to visit his mother in prison along with Rindou. Their meet-ups are nothing more than an annual thing, visiting her on her birthday every year. 

“So what have you been up to this year?” she asked disinterestedly. 

Ran could see right through her, can see she’s started using again if the bloodshot eyes and the not so subtle way she rubs her nose were any clue. 

“Good ma,” Rindou responded. “I’ve took up DJ’ing in a few of Dad’s clubs in my free time.”

At the mention of her ex-husband, she sneered. Rindou rolled his eyes. “Are you gonna do that every time I mention him ma?”

“I’ll react however the fuck I want when you bring up that passed around, dried up whore of a man,” she snapped. Rindou doesn’t react, already used to her mood swings and aggressive comments about his father. She jerked her head over to her weirdly quiet son. “And you? What’s your deal?”

“My deal?” Ran asked, matching her levels of indifference. 

“What have you been up to,” she repeated slower, like he was dumb. 

“Nothing.”

“What? Your life is that shit you haven’t done anything for the past year? Nothing at all?” She stared at Ran who responded with silence and a blank stare. “Even I’ve done shit and I’m stuck in this hell hole.”

“Well whose fault is that?” Ran snapped back. Rindou slapped his forehead.

“Listen here you—”

“Ran’s been seeing a girl ma,” Rindou said quickly, hoping that small drop of information about his brother’s life was enough to diffuse a bad situation. 

“A girl?? Who?”

“Just some girl. You don’t know her and never will,” Ran grumbled.

“Is she…?” she gestured at him, at herself. He didn’t respond and she changed the wording of her question. “How did you meet?”

“She’s not involved in what we do ma. If that’s what you’re wondering.”

“Good.” She let out an exhale in relief. “And you make sure to leave her out of it.”

“What?”

She pointed her finger at him. “Don’t pursue this girl because you’re selfish and want to bring her in potential danger. Keep her around, fuck her or whatever it is you do in your spare time that you wanna keep a secret from me, but if you pursue her romantically then you’re a selfish piece of shit.”

Ran stiffened, his glare hardening in her direction. “Keep out of my goddamn business.”

“You know I’m right, Ran. That’s why you’re mad. Isn’t that right, Rindou?” She looked at her youngest son who looked tentatively between them both, staying stubbornly silent. She clicked her tongue and turned back to Ran. “You’d rather put this girl in danger because you can’t stand being alone by yourself. You’ve got issues, Ran. That’s why you haven’t had a relationship longer than 3 months. Correct?”

Ran stared down at the table, silent. 

“Do you care about her?” she asked and Rindou had no idea if he pictured it or not but it looked like she softened for a moment.

Ran didn’t respond, but nodded in slight movements. 

“If you truly care about this girl, you’ll leave her alone. It’s for her own good. Bringing her into your lifestyle is just selfish.”

“Times up,” The officer from the back of the room said, walking towards the table with handcuffs. 

She stood up and placed her hands behind her back. “Do the right thing, Ran.”

“How do you know that’s true though?” he asked.

“Speaking from experience. Look at me, suffering from the actions of your father. He brought me into this lifestyle, and I wasn’t prepared for it. So now I’m facing the consequences. You’re just like your father, Ran. An emotionally distant, sadistic, messed up man. Embrace it or don’t. Try to change or don’t. Either way I don’t care. Just don’t ruin others because of that nature.”

The officer tightened her handcuffs and locked them. “Let’s go,” he said, before escorting her out of the room.

Rindou looked at his brother with sympathy. “You okay?” His hand rose to rest of his shoulder but Ran stood up before he could make contact.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and turned around. “Let’s go.”

~*~

You weren’t sure what was going on with Ran but he seemed emotionally distant. He was no longer affectionate towards you when you both hung out, his response time was a lot slower than it used to be. When you had sex, he was totally fine though, which weirded you out because he would randomly do a complete 180 out of nowhere with the affection. 

“That was amazing,” you said panting as you collapsed back on the bed. Ran hummed in agreement, gathering you in his chest as you cuddled. You buried your face in his neck, the scent of his cologne heavy in your nose.

“I know,” he sighed, looking down and kissing your forehead. You smiled harder, fighting back the urge to giggle and use his warm body as a blanket.

You were playing with the tip of his braid, occasionally twirling it around the tip of your index finger when you decided now was the time to approach the topic that’d been brewing inside you the last few months.

“So…” you traced your fingernail across the spiral tattoo on his chest.

He looked down at you, a lazy smirk on his face. “So?” He kissed your forehead again.

You bit down on your lip and forced yourself to look into Ran’s eyes. “This might sound cliche, or cheesy or whatever but…”

“Doubt it,” he snorted, taking your hand off his chest and linking his fingers with yours, clutching your hand tightly. When you looked stumped for words, he nudged his shoulder, softly jostling you in the process. “What’s up?”

“Well…” God, this was harder than you thought it would be. 

You chewed the skin of your lips as you tried to calm your nerves before you exploded with anxiety. You nearly froze when he placed his thumb against your lip, tugging it free from its brawl with your teeth. 

Fuck it. “I just wanted to know…what are we…?”

It didn’t help your already racing nerves when he froze beneath you, and you swore you could feel the blood in his body stop flowing at that moment. 

He sat up abruptly, sending you sliding off his chest. You blinked uselessly at the muscled plane of his back, grabbing the sheets and clutching it towards your chest, your body deprived of the warmth his body provided earlier now making your limbs go cold.

He scratched his hair and sighed exhaustedly. “I gotta be honest with you.”

You barely found your voice as you softly said, “Go on.”

“I don’t want a relationship right now.”

“Oh.” You quietly cleared your throat, sitting upright and shifting backwards on your mattress until your back hit the headboard. “With me…or?”

“Anyone.”

“So…what was the point of this then?”

“I dunno? I mean I just thought you liked…” he gestured at the both of you, hoping you’d see where he was coming from. When you didn’t and just stared at him confused, he got more frustrated. “You know, this? What were we doing? I didn’t know you—” He sighed again and groaned. 

You felt like your throat was stuffed with cotton with how hard it was to breathe. “But I thought you liked me?”

“I do like you.”

“So then what’s the hold up?”

“Just because I like you doesn’t mean I have to be with you, okay? I’m busy all the fucking time and you’ll just be getting in the way of that,” he said curtly, not bothering to hide the clear frustration in his voice.

Hurt prickled across your skin, your ears felt full as you toned out everything he was saying. He turned to face you, those eyes of his that normally made you flush from head to toe now felt so cold and distant, like you didn’t know who the man in front of you was. 

“Just get out, Ran.” You choked back tears as they threatened to fall from your eyes, but you quickly looked away before they could. He’d seen you vulnerable beneath him many times, but this time was different. You couldn’t—no, you won’t allow him the satisfaction of seeing he made you this upset.

“No wait.” He reached out for you, his heart shattering when you pushed him away, sulking. 

He had a weird feeling in his chest, one that he wasn’t used to feeling, and instead of combating his emotions like a regular person, he discarded them  to the side, pretending they didn’t exist. He sighed exasperatedly and slid off your bed.

You moved to lay down, covering your entire body with your bedsheets as you heard him pack up his things. He silently changed and gently closed the door when he left. Once you heard your front door close, you sat up and wiped your tears, grabbing your phone from your dresser. 

The next few hours were spent watching youtube videos, laughing softly at the comments people left. It made you feel less useless about yourself and tried to desperately take your mind off what just happened prior. Honestly, you blame yourself for even bringing it up. It wasn’t worth ruining a two year friendship over.

Sure, it’s normal to catch feelings for a guy that treats you nice, isn’t selfish in bed and actually takes his time to account for your needs. That doesn’t mean you’re romantically interested in him though, right? Guaranteed it could’ve been any other of your friends, like Sanzu or even Mikey and you would’ve developed those same feelings, right? 

Before you had any time to digest that topic deeper, a text message notification popped up on your screen.

Ran: ok so that was awkward before. Can we talk this over properly?? I dont want to ruin what we had honestly. It…was a mistake to start sleeping together i know. We both had different intentions and i apologise if I sent you mixed feelings. Your friendship is something I value a lot and I don’t wanna lose that. So can we start over??? Just be friends this time? 

You: sure i guess. Sorry if i made things uncomfortable earlier.

Ran: ur good. Ill see you later then?

You: yeah okay

You and Ran had fought many times over the course of your friendship, and each time you both were able to move on like nothing happened. But this time, it just felt different. You felt it.

~*~

“You know it’s 3 in the morning right?” Sanzu rubbed his eyes, yawning obnoxiously. “I mentally check out from 2-10am.” 

“Shut up.” You dig around in his pocket and pull out a box of cigarettes. “Give me a lighter.”

“Since when do you smoke?” he asked, then tacked on, “Oh and I don’t have one.”

“Then why do you have a box of cigarettes then?!” 

Sanzu blinked at your sudden outburst. “Okay first. Calm down. Inside voices, we’re outside right now.” You fought the urge to point out how contradictory it was to use your inside voice outside but let it slide. “Secondly, why are you acting so…”

“So what?” 

“You know…” he looked carefully at you, trying to gauge your reaction if he were to say the words he truly wanted to say.

“If you’re about to say bitchy save it.”

“I wasn’t!”

“Then what were you going to say?” you raised your brow, waiting. He slowly closed his mouth and looked down at the floor in defeat. “Exactly,” you said triumphantly, then exhaled softly and looked around the street for any convenience stores that sell lighters.

“So can I ask why you suddenly want to smoke?”

“I’m stressed out okay?” You began walking towards the 24 hour convenience store across the street, Sanzu following behind you. “I sort of, maybe not, confessed to Ran earlier and he wanted to stay friends. So now I don’t think I can handle being in the same room as him without wanting to die.”

Sanzu yawned again, scratching his eye. “That sucks. I dunno what that has to do with me though.”

“I need company! I feel like I’m going to explode if I’m alone with myself tonight.”

 The bell chimed when you both entered the store, instantly heading over to the counter to buy the lighter. The cashier went to the back to grab the lighter.

“All I’m hearing is that you missed me,” Sanzu teased, wrapping his arms around you from behind. He was expecting you to push him off like you normally do. He definitely was not expecting you to chuckle, hug him back and mildly not in agreement. 

He backed away dramatically, narrowly avoiding stumbling into a display shelf and tapped your shoulder to get your attention. When you turned around, he kept staring gingerly at your face, causing you to raise your eyebrow.

“What?”

“Who are you and what did you do to my friend?”

You scoffed and rolled your eyes, pushing him away from you. The cashier handed you the lighter and you paid him, leaving the store with Sanzu behind you. Grabbing the box of cigarettes, you lit one up and exhaled for the nth time tonight.

“Do you think it’s normal for a guy to just be friends with a girl they used to have a thing with? Or if it’s normal for them to be friends with girls they know like them?”

Sanzu shrugged. “Are you asking the opinion of all men or just Ran? Because nobody knows what that guy is thinking when it comes to women. He’s way too comfortable around girls so probably? I mean, it’ll be in the back of his mind, sure, but as long as you’re not awkward around him it’ll be fine.”

“You sure?”

“Guess we’ll have to see.” He pulled the cigarette from your mouth and dropped it on the floor, stubbing it out with his foot. At your shocked face, he held his hand out. “I don’t want you taking on bad habits because you’re having an emotional meltdown.”

You huffed and crossed your arms over your chest. “I’m not having an emotional meltdown.”

“Sure…” He yawned for the fifth time tonight. “If I stay out any longer I’m going to pass out on the street. I’ll see you later, okay?” He pat you on the head, deliberately ignoring your complaint of “don’t fuck up my hair” and made his way home.

~*~

In the time you spent avoiding anything Ran related, that also meant avoiding people and situations that he was guaranteed to be there. It meant you stop hanging out with your mutual friends in groups, stopped going to parties you knew he was hosting. Was it bad your other friendships had to be jeprodized because you were too scared to confront your newfound, fresh start with Ran? Yeah, it wasn’t your proudest moment either. But it also meant you were spending a lot more time with Sanzu and Mikey. Out of everyone in his gang, they were the least close, only talking to each other with work related issues. Sanzu and Ran had this unspoken hatred with each other, that made the two of them avoid each other at all costs, not wanting to start another argument or fight.

That was great news for you because it would mean no impromptu visits, like the incident at Hanma’s house, or no unexpected calls from Ran like when you were hanging out with Kakucho, or no fear that Ran would be upstairs in his room when you were hanging out with Rindou. 

Hanging out with Sanzu more often also meant getting closer with Senju. She’s two years younger than you and you treated her like a little sister. It was her birthday next weekend and Takeomi was in charge of the planning the surprise birthday party, which meant nobody had a single clue who was coming.

If that were the case, you wouldn’t have shown up that day. 

“Ran. Are you going to Senju’s party?” Takeomi asked, exhaling cigarette smoke over the phone.

“Do I have to? I don’t know that girl.”

“I don’t care what you do. Just tell me so I can start planning her shit.”

“Depends honestly. Who’s going?”

Takeomi started listing off the names which included some of Senju’s college friends that Ran didn’t care about, some of their mutual friends like Sanzu (duh), Mikey, Kakucho, you, Rindou—wait, hold up.

“Wait, (y/n)’s going?” Ran cut Takeomi off mid sentence.

Takeomi grunted. “Yes.”

“Fine. I’ll go.” He hung up before Takeomi could say anything. Honestly Ran couldn’t care less about Senju, his only motivation was the thought of seeing you.

The fact he sent you that message, hoping it’ll mend whatever dent was placed in your friendship, only to get slapped in the face when you spent the last four months avoiding him pissed him off to no extent. He wasn’t blocked, he knew you wouldn’t do that to him, but he didn’t have the courage to check either. Maybe this party would be the perfect time to talk to you, to catch up and mend until he could selfishly hold you in his arms again. 

He didn’t spend the whole four months pining over you, the group of girls in his bed would confirm that, but there was an unknown feeling in his chest, something always wriggling at the back of his mind that he knew distantly was caused by you. It was getting annoying, having his shitty mother’s words ringing in the back of his mind every time he thought about making up with you. It took him about three months to realise that he actually loved you, whether that was a fact he wanted to accept or not. That feeling he was deliberately avoiding, was his conscious telling him to stop self sabotaging himself and just tell you how he feels.

He can’t wait to see you next Saturday.

~*~

When Ran says he knew nothing about your life in the last four months it wasn't an exaggeration. He genuinely had no idea who you were with, what you were doing, where and when. So you could only imagine his shock when he sees you’ve somehow become best buddies with Manjiro and fucking Sanzu, the idiot currently sitting between your legs on the floor as you braided his hair. 

You looked so pretty tonight, dressed up semi formal. Your hair and makeup was done in a way that Ran had never seen you in before. Senju sat beside you, talking loudly and making you laugh. Sanzu scrolled on his phone, waiting for you to finish his hair. Mikey sat next to you, his head resting on your shoulder as he looked like he was on the verge of sleep.

If you noticed him come in tonight, you sure hid it well, not even bothering to acknowledge his existence. He was planning on talking to you after Senju blew out her candles, that was until he saw what he did. 

After a load of drinks, everybody was pretty tipsy, including you and Manjiro as you both made out in the patio, his hands caressing your thighs as you sat sideways on his lap. The patio was filled with Senju’s friends in the pool, the smell of barbecue (requested by Senju) filling the air as people hovered around the grill, desperate for some savoury meat. It was hard to see you and Manjiro at first, but he did, as if his eyes were automatically drawn to you no matter where in the room.

Granted he had no right to feel the way he did, he knows that, and his words from that night constantly play on loop in his mind. He told you he wanted to be just friends and you agreed to that, and friends don’t get mad at friends for having relationships. But his boss of all fucking people? He wouldn’t give this much of a fuck if it was Shion or something.

“Drink up bitch!” Sanzu shoved a cup into Ran’s hand, resting his arm on the taller boy’s shoulder as he watched Ran grimace at the beverage.

“The fuck is this supposed to be?” 

“Dunno honestly. Just mixed a bunch of shit together.” Sanzu clinked his cup with his. “You’ll probably wake up tomorrow with memory loss and severe liver damage, but bon appetit.”

“I’m not drinking your mystery drink.”

“Boo. No fun.” Sanzu pouted, taking a big gulp of his drink.

“Why are you even talking to me?”

“Because you look like you’re about to kill somebody and as much as I relate to that feeling, I don’t want any drama on Senju’s birthday. She’ll never shut the fuck up about it. So drink up and enjoy the party dude.” He lifted the cup to Ran’s lips which stayed stubbornly closed until he gave in, making a face as it burned down his throat.

“See! It’s not so bad!” Sanzu slapped his back before walking away, ready to hand out samples of his new drink to random people. 

Fifteen minutes later and whatever Sanzu poured in that drink did wonders, Ran couldn’t help but admit. He got over his sour funk sooner than he’d thought. The liquor running through his veins made him socialise a hundred times better and managed to snag five pretty girls’ numbers tonight. He was currently leaning against the wall, hovering beside this girl he couldn’t remember the name of for the life of him (it wasn’t his fault, he blames it on Sanzu), as she tilted up to whisper provocative things in his ear. She looked like she’d be good in bed, and that was all Ran was thinking about when he saw your hair bounce past him.

Ran looked just in time to see you disappear through a doorway, and he abruptly pulled himself away from the girl before him. “I’ll be back in a sec. Just…do whatever,” he said, not even looking at her as he walked away. 

When he rounded the corner, his stomach did backflips as he saw you yell something to some people inside a room down the hallway before turning around. You almost recoiled when you saw Ran and mentally cursed the fact there was no objects, or people you could hide behind.

You pressed your lips into a wry smile and tried to walk past him before he grabbed your arm, stopping you. “What, so you’re not talking to me at all now?”

“Okay, calm down. It’s been like four months.”

“Which is a long time?” His phone lit up in his hand, a text message of a girl asking where he is with a string of sad faces emojis, and to add fuel to the fire, a tongue and water splash emoji. Ran clicked his tongue and made a mental note to block her when he’s done with this. 

You scoffed. “Sorry I hadn’t been able to entertain you these last four months, Ran. I just assumed girls 1 though 56 had it handled for me.”

“The fuck is that supposed to mean,” he said curtly, shoving his phone back in his pocket.

You looked up at him, mouth in a thin line as you hissed, “Exactly how it sounds. Now I have somewhere to be.” You tried to skirt past him but he blocked your way out. He suddenly felt too big, too close, and your simmering temper was beginning to surface. “Ran seriously move.” You tried pushing his chest, but it didn’t work.

“Why? So you can go back to sucking face with Mikey?” Shut up…please, just shut up, sober Ran was yelling inside his head, but the words just came out before he could stop them. Note to self, never drink anything from Sanzu ever again. 

“Sucking face? Why are you…why do you even care?! You’re the one that said “I don’t want a relationship right now” so you don’t get a right to act all possessive over me and shit. Just because you’re too emotionally stunted to maintain a goddamn relationship, doesn’t mean everybody else is like that.” Your chest burnt with anger at his fucking audacity. Seriously, who does he think he is?

“What, so you want a relationship with Mikey, that it? Someone’s who is even more emotionally stunted than everybody in this fucking party combined?”

“And if I do? Is that your business? Whatever my decision is, it’s not up to you. Now get out of my way.” You leaned in close to his face as you glared up at him. His anger gave way into something more heated that made him lick his lips, wondering how you’d react if he were to kiss you right now.  You were about to attempt to walk away when Kakucho stumbled out of one of the rooms in the hallway, slightly tipsy.

“What’s going on? Why are you yelling?”

“Kakucho. Get your boy and tell him to leave me the fuck alone.” You pointed at Ran who snapped out of his stupor.

“Ran, let her leave.”

“Not till I get my answers.”

You pinched your temples, not even bothering to lower your voice as you yelled in sheer frustration, “What answers Ran?! I don’t owe you shit!”

“What’s going on?” Mikey stumbled out of the room you were exiting earlier and his arm instantly found itself on your waist. You were still seething, your heavy breathing only calming down once Mikey’s hand curled a little more around you, pulling you flush against his side.

“Nothing. Let’s go,” you said softly to Mikey, letting him lead you back to the room.

Ran’s anger returned tenfold upon seeing your hand hold Mikey back. “Since when are you two such good friends?”

“That’s none of your damn business,” you yelled back from the end of the hallway, your grip around Mikey tightening significantly.

“Don’t tell me you’re fucking him now? What is he your new boy toy? You’re that desperate?” 

Kakucho slapped a hand on his forehead, regretting not pulling Ran away before he had the chance.

You froze at the door, turning to look at him. In the years of your friendship with Ran, he’d seen you get angry many times, yelling at characters in movies when they do something stupid, yelling at him over the mic when you were playing video games. And in every one of those instances, he was never on the receiving end of your anger. The look you gave him, if it could, would’ve turned him to stone with how irate you looked right now. Dimly, he knew what he was doing was wrong, and if he was sober enough he would've definitely stopped himself from saying those things, but he was hurt, and angry, and those two combinations had him feeling like he had a right to make you feel the same way.

“I’m sorry, what?” You stepped out of Mikey’s grip. “Oh this is fucking rich. The irony right now, holy shit!” You began laughing. “If what I’m doing is considered “desperate” to you, then what does that make you? Pathetic? Huh? Needing fifty girls attention on you every second of every fucking day doesn’t seem desperate to you?”

Your loud laughter began to draw people in the party towards the hallway, interested in the loud argument going on. Kakucho grabbed Ran’s arm, shaking his head as if he could read his thoughts. “Don’t respond. Let’s just go.”

Ran shoved his hand off him, sending Kakucho back against the wall. “Nah I’m gonna respond.” He turned back to you, uncaring of all the eyes watching the scene take place. “You stay bringing up these girls in every single conversation I have with you and shame them like you weren’t proud to be one of them months ago.”

Your eyebrows rose in surprise. “So that’s all I was? A number to you? Enlighten me Ran, what number was I? 34? 52?”

“What fucking difference does it make if you know.”

“It makes no difference. I just want to hear you say it.” You closed the distance between you both and poked a finger into his chest. “I wanna hear you say that you enjoy ruining girls lives by making them fall for you with your shitty words and affection, then running away the second things get serious because you’re a coward afraid of stability.”

He pretended your words didn’t cut as deep as they did, pretended your words didn’t take him back to his mother’s birthday all those months ago, sitting at that table and listening to her spew hot garbage in his face about his personality and issues that he refused to acknowledge.

“That wasn’t the case with you. I didn’t tell you to fall for me.”

“That wasn’t the case? So I’m somehow different? How so?”

“Because—” Even in his drunken mind, he knew telling you he loved you now would only pull you further away than you already were. He pressed his lips in a thin line, and looked away from your oppressive stare. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Because your reasoning doesn’t exist, Ran. Stop searching for nothing. You’re a shitty person and you need to acknowledge that.” You pulled your finger away from his chest and turned around, lowering your voice to almost a whisper. “Now just stay out of my life.” 

He didn’t say anything and only watched you approach Mikey again, the man not even bothering to look at Ran the entire time as he took you inside the room, closing it shut. Ran’s ears were burning and his chest clenched as he realised the gravity of what he’d just done. So much for making amends. 

You went home and instantly blocked his number and cried yourself to sleep that night, regretting even messing with him to begin with.

~*~

“Are you sure this is safe?” you asked, looking around the strange alleyway surrounding you. 

“Don’t be a fucking wuss! Besides, I can fight remember? Nobody’s touching me tonight.”

“Yeah but…underground clubs are scary.”

“I know but that’s what makes this so exciting! Come on, let’s go!” She held your hand firm and tightly in her hand, giving you a reassurance squeeze that did nothing to help calm your raging nerves. 

“Imagine your brother finds you here tonight,” you laughed.

“Oh fuck. Takeomi would probably lock me in a house with no contact to the outside world for years,” Senju responded, shivering at the thought. She led you down the stairs and opened the janky door, leading you inside the club.

The rest of the night proceeded as follows, Senju getting drunk out of her mind; she nearly passed out on the floor from dancing too much, and you guarded the drinks, making sure nobody gets roofied tonight. This club was known for being shady, with drug transactions being held in the bathrooms of this place, and not just regular drugs, hardcore drugs. You had to use the bathroom and decided holding your pee in was much better than relieving yourself in a bathroom that had a woman passed out on the floor after taking too much drugs.

It was scary, and you had your guard up every second, and only felt relieved when you were carrying Senju outside, back through the alleyway to call for a taxi home. “It was soooooo much fun today. I loved it,” she slurred as you picked her up, struggling to hold her upright. 

“Yeah yeah I know. You told me this fifty times already,” you laughed lightly. “Come on, help me a little bit. I can’t carry you all the way, you’re too heavy!”

“I can’t feel my legs~”

“Oh for fucks sake.” You set her agaisnt the wall and caught your breath. You pulled out your phone and decided you had no other choice. You were calling her brother. 

“Who are you calling?” she asked after hearing the phone ring.

“Your brother.”

All traces of alcohol left her body as she practically screamed, “YOU’RE CALLING MY BROTHER?!”

“Relax! It’s Sanzu, not Takeomi. I considered Sanzu would be more understanding about this. It’s not like he and Omi are on speaking terms anymore.”

“Yeah but…”

“It’ll be okay, I promise,” you reassured her, patting her head.

“Hullloooo?” Sanzu’s voice rang through the speakers and you instantly perked up. 

“Sanzu! Hey! We kinda need your help right now.”

“‘M sorta busy right now. Is it urgent?”

“Senju’s kind of passed out right now and I need help taking her home. I can’t do it myself.”

“Senju’s WHAT?!” Takeomi’s voice boomed through the phone; Senju shivered in fear. 

“Sanzu! Why’d you put me on speaker phone you idiot!”

“So I can hear you better! Nothing’s wrong with that!”

You groaned and slapped a hand over your face, whispering sorry to Senju who looked like she was already planning her funeral. 

“Where are you guys right now?” Takeomi asked, sounding positively furious.

You gulped, Senju rapidly shaking her head no no no no. “We’re at this club…” you admitted, giving him the address.

“Wait, that club?” Sanzu perked up. “That place is like known for hardcore ass shit bro. Don’t tell me Senju took anything from there?”

“...she did.”

“Ah shit. Yeah, okay. Coming. It’s really close from here Takeomi. Don’t worry, lets’ go.” He turned his attention back to his phone. “You two. Stay right there—”

“You girls look pretty lonely by yourself.” The three of you froze as a deep voice spoke from behind you. You felt time pass in slow motion as you turned around to look at a guy waiting by the club’s backdoor. 

“We’re not lonely,” you said slowly. “Thanks for your concern though.”

Senju stood up on shaky legs and clutched onto your arms when she felt his stare on her body. “Yeah, we’re fine.”

“Who is that?” Sanzu asked from the phone.

“I don’t know,” you whispered back, clutching the phone tightly.

“Seriously don’t move. We’re heading out right now. All of us, okay?”

“Okay okay.” You had no clue who “all of us” meant, but you didn’t care, not when the guy slowly stepped away from the wall and began walking towards you both. You missed Sanzu calling for Ran to come in the car with them, your attention solely focused on this strange man in front of you.

“How old are you girls?” he asked, not even bothering to hide the shameless way he was gazing you both up and down.

“It’s none of your business,” Senju spat, slowly stepping back when he began walking forward. 

“It’s rude to not answer a question.”

“It’s even ruder to ask personal questions to strangers!”

“Senju, stop. You’re provoking him.” You squeezed her arm roughly, digging your nails into her arm.

“I don’t care! I hate men like him that think they’re entitled to us!”

“Men like me, huh? Go on, babe. Enlighten me on men like me.” 

“Senju just ignore him,” you whispered, panic filling you when you looked down at  your phone to see Sanzu had already hung up. “Sorry but we really have to get going,” you said to the man, bowing slightly before grabbing Senju’s hand and beginning to walk away from him.

You could hear his footsteps behind you and began walking faster until the point where you were running away towards the end of the alley. The end of the alley seemed so far away with how small your vision was as you panicked hearing him begin to run after you. Senju was a faster runner than you and grabbed your hand tightly, leading the way as you both bolted as fast as you could. 

“Stop running girls! I just wanna touch you!” he screamed out, laughing obnoxiously. He was clearly high on something.

Senju bumped into the chest of Takeomi at the end of the alley, and the man came to stop upon seeing Sanzu exit the car, a manic smile on his face.

“You wanna touch my sister huh?” Takeomi gritted out.

“Wow, uh I didn’t mean for—I didn’t know she was—” 

Sanzu walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I think we should have a little chat, huh? Come with me.” He had this strangely friendly smile on his face that sent shivers down your spine. 

Your heart was beating out of your chest and you barely heard Takeomi telling you both to get in the car. He and Sanzu stayed behind and taught the man a lesson, and Senju slipped in the back, taking up all three seat as she laid down, exhausted.

You had no choice to sit in the front seat. The windows were tinted so you didn’t see Ran until you opened the door. You blinked uselessly at him, fingers tightening against the handle. “What are you doing here?”

“Saving your stupid ass, that’s what. Now get in.”

You swallowed whatever retort you had because he wasn’t lying, and as much as you shouldn’t a part of you felt relieved to see a familiar face after that incident. You slipped in the front seat and slammed the door behind you, putting your seatbelt on and looking straight ahead.

Ran got the order from Takeomi to take Senju home first and so he began driving towards the Akashi household. Senju was dead to the world in the backseat, drooling partially on the seat as the fatigue from running finally hit.The two of you sat in silence the entire ride, and Ran exited the car to put Senju inside once they arrived. He locked the door behind him and re-entered the car to see you facing the opposite way, staring out the window.

No other words were said as he dropped you back at your house, and you were surprised you both said nothing to each other the entire time. After sitting in silence outside your house for a while, Ran finally broke the silence.

“Are you fucking stupid?” Ran scolded. “What made you think coming to an underground club was a good fucking idea?”

“Oh sorry, I was just playing the role of the dumb desperate slut that can’t keep her legs closed. Sorry if I gave you a fright.”

“Listen to me,” he said sharply, making you snap your mouth shut. “You could’ve died tonight if we weren’t here tonight you know that? That place you went to, that’s not for girls like you. Not for girls like Senju either. I don’t know what fucking possessed you to be acting this fucking recklessly, but I just hope you know what you experienced tonight was a wake up call. You aren’t built for this goddamn lifestyle, so stop trying to act like you are.”

“...you’re right. I’m sorry, Ran.” You looked down at your lap when the tears started to drop from your eyes. “Tonight was so scary, I genuinely don’t know what would’ve happened if you weren’t there.”

Ran sighed and you kept sniffling as you heard his door open before slamming shut. You watched him round the car and open it on your end. “W-what are you—”

He carried you out of the car, your legs wrapping around his waist as he kicked the door closed behind him, walking up to your front door. He set you down on the ground and held his hand out. “Keys.”

You swallowed and reached inside your purse, pulling them out and into his hand. He unlocked your front door and once again carried you inside, locking the door behind you. He led you upstairs to your bedroom and set you down on your bed. 

You watched in confusion as he walked over to your chest of drawers and began searching for your pyjamas. Once in hand, he tossed them next to you on the bed, and then walked into your ensuite bathroom. You heard him turn the shower on.

“Get changed and come in here,” he said from the bathroom.

You stripped out from your dress and entered the bathroom, not even bothering to cover yourself in his presence, nothing he hasn’t seen before anyway. He was in the midst of taking his shirt off when you stepped into the shower, the warm water running down your body as you waited for him to join you.

You stared at your feet when he grabbed your soap, placing some on his hand before lavashing your body with soap, rubbing them along your arms and sides. 

“What are you doing Ran?” you finally asked as he bent down to wash your legs.

“What I should’ve done months ago.” His tone left no space for a remark from you, so you stayed silent and let him do what he had to you. Once you were washed clean, he turned the shower off and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel and wrapped it around your body. “Go and get changed.”

“You need a towel too. I’ll go get one.” You quickly towelled yourself dry before stepping out, returning with an unused towel from your storage. “Here.”

“Thanks.”

You entered your bedroom and got changed into the clothes he picked out for you, then handed him some clothes of his you kept when he used to sleep over all those months ago. You sat on the bed and listened to him change. 

“Are you going to sleep over?” you asked, looking up at him.

“You want me to?”

You nodded slowly, getting into bed. He followed you, giving you some space as he laid down beside you. He had his back facing you, turned away from you and you frowned at the lack of attention.

“...Ran?” you tested, seeing if he was asleep or not.

“What?”

“Why don’t you want me?” you whispered, remembering the last time you were in your bed together. 

“Because I don’t deserve you,” he responded, voice flat and devoid of any emotion.

“Huh?” you asked, confused.

He turned around and looked at you, your eyes glossy with fresh tears. “I uh. I spoke to my mom a few months ago.” Your eyes widened, knowing the estranged relationship he has with her. Why didn’t he tell you this?

“I spoke to her and she uh, gave me a fucking reality check.”

“What did she say?” You shifted closer, close enough that you could see and finally notice the eyebags under his eyes, like he hasn’t had a good night sleep in time, which was strange for Ran as he savours sleep more than anything else in the world.

“A lot,” he sighed exhaustedly, rubbing a hand over his forehead. “Said I was a lot like my old man. That was I was emotionally stunted, sadistic, and a downright shitty person.” His chuckle was so emotionless, you almost reached out and hugged him, but stayed still as he wasn’t finished talking. “Worst thing was she’s right. I can’t savour relationships for my fucking life and when I actually felt something for the first damn time, I fucked things up and ruined it. Nobody else did that. I did. I’m responsible for that shit. I don’t wanna bring you down and you deserve better than me, whether you wanna admit that shit or not.”

He took a moment and you were unsure if you should respond or not. When you were about to, he continued. 

“She told me I’d ruin your life if I pursed you. Told me I was being fucking selfish. Can you believe that shit? And you know what, I fucking believed her. I thought I would do that, that’s why I pushed you away. I wanted you all to myself which is why I continued sleeping with you, which was wrong of me I know, but you seemed happy which is why I didn’t think much of it. Then you had to go fuck with my goddamn head and tell me you wanted me too.”

“...sorry,” you whispered, feeling the breath sweep out from your lungs.

“It’s not your fault, dummy. It’s mine. I—In that moment I should’ve been selfish. I know I should’ve, and every fucking day I regret not doing that shit. But as usual I fucked things up again, then you were gone. I thought we could still be friends so I could at least see you again, but nope. You distanced yourself from me.”

Another tear fell from your eyes, wetting your pillow the longer you heard him talk. “I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologising. You did the right thing. Keeping you as a friend would’ve been selfish of me. You clearly distanced yourself because you wanted to get over me, but I wanted you all for myself and wanted you in my life at all times, even if that wasn’t what you wanted. Once again, proving my ma right. I’m fucking selfish. Then that stupid party happened and just seeing you with Manjiro made me want to lose my shit. The fact that I wasn’t able to have you because as a guy living this type of lifestyle, it would be considered selfish. But yet Mikey was? How come he was allowed to be selfish and I wasn’t?”

“It’s not selfish Ran,” you finally got a word in. “I didn’t even like Mikey like that. We were just drunk and horny. I never dated him. In fact, I hadn’t dated anyone since I was with you. Nobody else made me feel the way you made me feel and it was selfish of me to want you when you didn’t want me back at that time. We’re allowed to be selfish Ran. Don’t let that stop you from getting what you want.”

Ran’s eyes were wide as he listened to you talk. When you finished, he shook his head. “My level of selfish and yours aren’t the same. In my world, if you’re vulnerable it can get you killed, or put in a bad situation where you have to take a live, or have yours taken. You don’t need to be involved in that. That’s why I can’t be selfish.”

“But—”

“No. Buts. Go find a nice accountant to date or whatever. You don’t need me tying your life down.”

You frowned. “I don’t want an accountant though.”

“Why not? You always said you wanted to marry rich.”

You shifted closer, flush against his. “I never said it had to be good money though.” You pressed a kiss to his cheek.

He looked down at you. “You’re fucking crazy,” he said with a light laugh, and you were happy you were able to break the ice.

You wrapped your arms around his shoulder, pulling him closer till your noses touched. “You love it though.” 

“Damn right I do.”

[hedwig221b]

Do you have any fic recs that involve chasing? Like Derek gives in to the urge to run after stiles and catch him?

I kind of didn't really understand what you were asking lol so here are a few types of "chase" fics:

Mating Run Fics:

Wants & Needs by MadcapRomantic

Derek Hale has been participating in the Beacon Hills Mating Run for a decade, each year coming up without a mate. His mother, convinced this is his lucky year, persuades him to run one last time.

Enter Stiles, a young Omega with an unwanted Alpha nipping at his heels.

Family or not, Peter is determined to have Stiles. But convinced they are True Mates, there isn't anything Derek won't do to keep Stiles safe.

The Cursed Wolf by SinQueen69

2023 Suggestion Anon Wanted: Feral alpha Derek, who has been cursed and got in that feral state. The only way to lift the curse is the "sacrifice" of a pure heart. And Virgin Omega Stiles is willing to help him but the ritual has to be a mating run.

When Things Go Right by SylvieW

Stiles is nervous for the mating run. What if his soulmate is disappointed? Scott’s convinced that Allison will catch him, but Stiles isn’t so sure of his best friend’s girl, and the results could be upsetting for everyone.

Angel Choirs and Magic by LadyDrace

Derek has been very, very patient, and has shown frankly incredible self-control in the face of brutal teasing and flirting for two months. But now it's time for the mating run, and he's about to get his reward.

Except for how maybe it's actually Stiles getting a treat. Win/win.

Stiles gets kidnapped and Derek gives a chase:

Out of Focus by exclamation

Stiles was taken prisoner by a coven of witches. Now his only chance of getting home is if he learns how to control his own magic… and stops blowing stuff up by accident. With surging power inside him that he can't restrain, Stiles must deal with memories of the nogitsune, and fears that he might end up hurting those he cares about.

Meanwhile, his family and friends don't even know if he's alive. His father desperately searches for answers, and Derek will do anything in his power to find Stiles, even if it means asking an Argent for help.

of gods & monsters by Dexterous_Sinistrous

“I’m not the best at conversation. I’ve been told I have no finesse for it.”

Stiles took a step closer to Derek, pushing the billowing silk out of the way. “And what would you say if you looked at me now?”

Derek looked up, startled for a moment when he realized he was now looking at Stiles’ unveiled face. He was silent for a beat, taking in Stiles’ features for the first time, convinced he would never see such beauty unveiled for him alone.

Stiles runs away and Derek catches his ass:

between the click of the light and the start of the dream by thepsychicclam

A twig snaps, and then Stiles hears breathing and the rustle of leaves. He strains to get a better glimpse into the darkness, but it’s pointless. There’s nothing but a black void.

It's Stiles' senior year, and he's trying to concentrate on normal things - like the lacrosse championship, spring break, prom, graduation (and definitely not Derek) - when he starts having nightmares and waking up in the middle of nowhere. Oh yeah, and he's being haunted by a hag. Great.

My Wolf by Dexterous_Sinistrous

“If he wants to mate Stiles, why not let him?” Jackson asked, ready to part with Stiles if need be.

“Because if I did that, I’d be demoting Lydia,” Alpha Stilinski replied.

“We don’t even know how good of a Beta he is,” Lydia countered, bristling some that her status was being challenged.

“That’s because he’s not a Beta,” Alpha Stilinski stated. “He’s an Alpha.”

If you wanted fics with their own chasing scenes, I am sorry to inform you that I have a memory of a goldfish, and do not remember any in particular, though I am sure they exist somewhere in the wild. If someone knows some, please, feel free to add!

Other fic recs: pack mom!Stiles | angsty fics | historical AU | baby/mpreg | outsider POV | possessive Derek | smut | mafia

[incognit0slut]

Right Kind of Wrong (14)

She ever thought she would be involved in a murder investigation and encounter her one-night-stand again, the awkward guy who isn’t exactly that good in bed—Or is he? Offended by the sentiment, Spencer is determined to prove her wrong… But as he gets tangled with the beautiful stranger, he realizes there is more to her than what meets the eye.

Part Summary: Spencer and the team face a setback in the investigation. wc: 4.6k

Series Warnings: 18+ explicit content, graphic details of murders, mentions of suicide, mentions of SA

a/n: This one is a beast. I don't usually write multiple scenes in one part but it seems fitting here.

Other parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

SPENCER HATED DRIVING. The feeling of confinement, the cacophony of honking horns, and the ceaseless traffic had always grated on his nerves. Yet his line of work often required him to be the one behind the wheel, and usually, he didn't mind, but now the car's interior seemed to close in on him as if mocking his discomfort.

He wondered whether his detest for driving paled in comparison to the regret consuming him. Or was this anger? Was this anger coursing through his body that had him feeling more uncomfortable than he usually was?

He could feel his knuckles turn white as he clenched the wheel. The anger burned hot within him, directed both outwardly at the situation he had thrust into and inwardly at himself for allowing it to happen. He couldn't understand how he allowed his urge to consume him, leading to actions that inflicted pain upon her.

It was consensual on my part.

If that was true, then why was there regret gnawing him? Why was he still angry at himself? Spencer always prided on self-control, that he could resist any urges and avoid causing any harm. But tonight he had shattered that belief. He had let his defenses crumble and now he had to deal with being the one who painted those bruises on her skin.

The shrill ring of his phone sliced through the heavy silence inside the car, momentarily diverting his thoughts. He glanced at the caller ID on the dashboard's console, seeing a familiar name flash on the screen. With a hesitant sigh, he pressed the answer button.

"Where the hell have you been?" Garcia's voice filled the space, her frustration was palpable even through the speaker.

He gripped the steering wheel a little tighter and cleared his throat before responding, "I got caught up in something."

She let out a sound of frustration. "You can't just disappear like that, Reid, we've been trying to get hold of you."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry," he said, his voice filled with genuine regret. "What's the update?"

"Oliver Walsh is nowhere to be found," a third voice cut in, who Spencer caught on as Hotch's. It seemed they were in the same room. "Morgan and Prentiss are checking his house."

"They found anything yet?"

"There were countless photographs of our witness—candid shots, close-ups, and even pictures taken from a distance."

His chest tightened, his jaw clenched, and his teeth ground together as the anger surged through him. He felt a hot flush rise in his cheeks, his face contorting with the intensity of his emotions. It was as if a fire had ignited within him, each flickering flame fueled by his frustration.

But beneath all that, he could hear the uncertainty in Hotch's voice, the contrast between his usual commanding presence and the hesitant tone in his words.

"What is it?" Spencer asked cautiously.

"The pictures were taken professionally." There was a pause. "There isn't a dark room in his house or any sign that he possesses camera equipment."

There was a momentary silence on the line, broken only by the sound of the road beneath his tires and the occasional distant siren. Spencer took a deep breath. "Do you think he hired someone?"

"Based on his victims, he seems to prefer working alone."

"He could have a hideout," he suggested, his grip on the steering wheel tightened as he navigated through the quiet streets. "Criminals often use secret spaces. It gives them a sense of control over their environment where they feel safe from prying eyes."

Hotch hummed a sound of approval. "Hideout location often has a sentimental value. Garcia, find any places that might be mentioned in his files."

Spencer's ears picked up the distinct clatter of keyboards in the background.

"There's a church where his family used to go to... but it's still open to the public so no... oh, the house he grew up in? No, it was sold a few years ago—wait, I found something." Garcia paused, allowing a brief silence to settle in as the sound of keys clicking continued. "There's an old article mentioning an abandoned warehouse that he and his group of friends used to frequent during their youth, a secluded spot for underage alcohol consumption."

"Where's the location?"

"Give me a minute." Garcia typed away, her fingers dancing across the keyboard, summoning information that surprisingly only took her twenty seconds to retrieve the location. Spencer counted the exact time. "It's not far from here."

Then suddenly, she let out a sudden shriek. "Hotch!" There were footsteps in the background followed by fingers frantically flying across the keyboard. A sound of frustration left her lips not long afterward. "Damn it!"

"What happened?" Spencer asked in an alert. "Did you find something?"

"I-I've been trying to tap his phone, you know, trying to locate him in case he decided to turn it on, and I got a signal before it disappeared again."

Spencer asked, "Can you retrieve the last coordination it located?" At the same time, Hotch cut in with, "Can you trace it back?"

"Hold your horses, boys." With a series of rapid keystrokes, Garcia initiated a deep scan on her laptop. The seconds seemed to stretch as the scanning progress bar advanced before a notification popped up on the screen. The location data had been recovered.

"Oh my god." Her eyes zeroed in on the coordinates, and she quickly cross-referenced them with a map application to get a visual of the area. "It's six miles away from the warehouse."

Hotch wasted no time after receiving the information. "Reid, check the location. I'll coordinate with the tactical unit and dispatch a team of officers to assess the area. JJ and I will meet you there."

"I'm on it."

"I sent you the coordinate," Garcia mentioned, the same time his phone pinged with an alert.

"Don't do anything until we get there," Hotch reminded him. "And Reid?"

He hummed a reply, notifying that he was listening.

"I need you to stay focused."

His eyes flickered over the console. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Hotch's reminder struck a nerve. His words, though well-intentioned, were a stark reminder of the fine line he was walking between his personal struggles and his professional responsibilities. He sat there, and the call quickly cut off before he could even reply.

The noise of the bustling street faded into the background as his thoughts began to spiral, repeating his mentor's words, his expectations of him weighing heavily on his shoulders. Spencer shook his head, trying to ground himself. The case was important, and he couldn't afford to let his personal struggles jeopardize his work.

He slowly took a steadying breath, forcing himself to compartmentalize, a skill he had honed over years of dealing with high-stress situations, and silently drove toward the coordinate Garcia had sent over.

Y/n hated crying. She despised the way her throat tightened, constricting her voice as if it were trying to strangle the tears before they could escape. The way her chest heaved with each silent sob. Her hatred for the involuntary quiver of her lip and the trembling of her hands was as potent as it was irrational.

The irony wasn't lost on her, when her boss was found lifeless on the floor that day, she had stood strong, her eyes dry, absorbing the shock without a single tear. Yet, here she was, broken by the rejection of a man who had once held a fragment of her heart. It was baffling, the way he had become the chink in her armor, the one who could shatter her composure.

But could she even call that rejection? To be rejected there surely had to be some form of confession and she was one hundred percent sure she hadn't conveyed anything that indicated her affection for him... right?

Use me in any way you like.

She groaned into her pillow. To be fair, that wasn't a confession. And to be fair, he did exactly what she asked for—It just happened that it ended the exact opposite of what she expected.

With swollen eyes and a heavy heart, she finally pushed herself out of bed. The room was shrouded in darkness, with only the faint glow of streetlights seeping through her curtains. As she rose from her tangled sheets, she felt the weight of her emotions as her thoughts went haywire.

She couldn't stand being alone at the moment. Her own thoughts seemed too loud, too suffocating. It felt like the walls were closing in, and every moment alone was just another reminder of how lonely she felt now.

That was why she reached for her phone and dialed Sandy's number, that was why she properly got dressed as she waited for her to arrive, and that was why she quickly rushed over to her front door when she heard the constant knocking. But as the door swung open, an unexpected sight froze her in her tracks.

Standing there with Sandy was Eric wearing a bemused expression. Her mind whirled with a mix of emotions–surprise, confusion, and a hint of embarrassment. She hadn't expected her to bring someone else, and now they were all standing at her doorstep, an unusual trio in the midst of an unanticipated gathering.

Sandy, sensing the tension in the air, was quick to speak up. "Oh, um... I brought company?"

"You brought Eric," she replied, her voice wavering slightly as she tried to mask her surprise.

Eric, ever the easygoing coworker, greeted her with a friendly nod and lifted the plastic bag in his hand. "And I brought Chinese. Hope you don't mind me tagging along."

For a moment, she hesitated, struggling to find her footing. It wasn't that she didn't like him, he was one of her good friends at work, which meant something because most of the men she worked with were chauvinistic, sexist pigs. But she did plan on having an emergency Margarita Night with her friend when she made the call. Although she couldn't find herself to send him away—not when he was looking at her expectantly—so she managed a hesitant smile and stepped aside.

"Come on in then." She tugged the door open. "The more the merrier, I guess."

Eric's eyes studied her distraught face as he walked in. "You okay? You look..."

"Bad?"

"I wouldn't say bad."

"I bet you wouldn't say good either."

He frowned as if trying to choose the right words. "You look stressed," he decided to say. "Everything alright?"

She paused, torn between opening up about her feelings and maintaining a sense of privacy. But in the end, she chose honesty, if only to ease the awkwardness of the situation. "Not really. I don't want to talk about it though." She motioned them into her living room. "What were you guys doing together anyway?"

"Eric has been stopping by at everyone's place in search of Oliver," Sandy responded, already making herself comfortable on the couch. "My place was his recent quest."

Y/n turned to Eric. "You still haven't heard from him?"

He shook his head, a mix of concern and frustration etched on his face. "No, not a word. That's why I decided to put in a missing person's report."

"What?" Sandy chimed in. "When?"

"This afternoon." He settled onto a nearby chair and turned his attention towards Y/n. "I met with Dr. Reid. You remember him, right?"

Remember him? They were here because of him in the first place. "Yeah, I remember him." She then shook her head, dismissing her personal feelings for the time being, and refocusing on the conversation. "You think Oliver's gone missing?"

Eric's concern was palpable as he replied, "His phone is off, his family is unreachable, and his house is empty. I'm starting to get worried."

Sandy's brows furrowed with concern as she leaned forward. "That doesn't sound like Oliver. He wouldn't just disappear without a word."

"That's what I've been trying to say."

She glanced between the two and listened as they continued to discuss the possibilities of his whereabouts. But as they did, Y/n couldn't help but feel that something was off, that there was an air of strangeness and suspicion surrounding his sudden vanishing act.

Her thoughts wandered to the peculiar way Oliver had always been interested in her, and her mind couldn't help but draw a parallel to her own situation, where a serial killer seemed to have an odd fascination with her. The pieces of the puzzle seemed to align themselves in her mind, forming a picture that was both unnerving and hard to accept. It sounded almost silly, like a twisted plot from a suspenseful thriller. It was all too surreal to be true.

She quickly shook her head, trying to dispel the disturbing thoughts, clinging to the hope that her mind was simply playing tricks on her. Because Oliver, her good friend Oliver, wouldn't do something as sinister as murder... right?

Spencer arrived an hour later. A single, isolated warehouse stood in stark contrast to the surrounding desolation, tucked away in a remote corner of the district. He parked his car discreetly before stepping out of the vehicle, his footsteps making a soft crunch on the gravel beneath his feet.

His breath hung in the crisp night air as he scanned the area meticulously, the slightest detail not escaping his analytical gaze. The warehouse stood against the backdrop of a vast, starlit sky, its silhouette imposing and enigmatic. Dim light spilled out from the high windows, casting long shadows that danced eerily on the surrounding ground.

Suddenly, the distant rumble of an approaching engine reached his ears. He turned sharply and was greeted by a convoy of vehicles making their way toward the warehouse. As they drew closer, he recognized the familiar silhouette of his unit chief behind the wheel and JJ seated right beside him.

The vehicles came to a stop, and the officers quickly disembarked, their footsteps echoing in the cavernous space. Hotch approached him, his expression grave but determined. "We need to split into teams. Reid, you take point with me. JJ, coordinate with the other officers and enter from the side."

With a nod from him, the officers sprang into action, fanning out to explore the warehouse thoroughly. Spencer and Hotch approached the building cautiously with a flashlight in one of their hands and their weapons in the other.

The front entrance was partially obscured by a tangle of overgrown weeds and graffiti-covered walls. Spencer stepped closer toward it, his footsteps echoing louder in the silence. He hesitated for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady himself. He had faced countless crime scenes and dangerous situations, but there was something about this abandoned warehouse that seemed eerie.

His mind immediately kicked into gear as he followed Hotch into the building. They stealthily moved from one corner to another, examining the objects that had been left behind in this desolate place. Piles of old crates were stacked haphazardly, their contents long removed or forgotten.

They came across a set of stairs that led to an upper level, and without a word, they ascended, their footsteps echoing on the metal steps. Upstairs, the darkness seemed even more suffocating, and the sense of isolation heightened. His flashlight landed on a stack of old files on the floor, their pages yellowed with age. He picked one up and flipped through it, but it appeared to be nothing more than old inventory records.

"There's nothing in here," he whispered. "We should check the other side—"

"Hotch! Reid! Over here!"

JJ's urgent voice alerted them and they both descended the stairs, her voice reverberated through the cavernous space. Spencer stepped into the room down the hall, his flashlight illuminating the scene before him. His steps then faltered, the sight that greeted him sent a shockwave of alarm through his already heightened senses. They had found him. Their suspected Unsub was right where they had predicted.

But he was lying in a pool of blood.

Oliver's unconscious form was a stark contrast against the cold, concrete floor. JJ was already at his side, checking his pulse and issuing urgent commands into her intercom for paramedic assistance. "Stab wounds," she announced to the room. "He's still breathing."

His mind raced as he took in the situation. How had Walsh ended up in this state? Who had inflicted the stab wound? And what had brought him to this remote area?

But his attention was soon drawn to the second startling discovery—the writing on the wall. His flashlight revealed a message scrawled in front of them, seemingly written with blood. He took a step closer, examining the writing carefully. The texture and consistency of the blood suggested it had been written recently.

Proverbs 14:8

Hotch, who entered the room with the rest of the team, observed the scene with a steely resolve. He instructed the officers to secure the area and preserve any potential evidence as paramedics rushed inside. His eyes scanned around him and he noticed Spencer's intense scrutiny of the message on the wall.

Spencer recited the verse as he heard footsteps approaching him from behind. "The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception."

"Any idea what it means?" Hotch asked, his tone reflecting the gravity of the situation.

Spencer furrowed his brow, his mind racing through possible scenarios. "It's a message to us. The verse underscores the idea that wisdom involves careful consideration of one's actions and beliefs..." And then his voice slowly trailed off. "...while deception can lead to foolishness."

The words hung in the air, its implications weighing heavily on his mind. It was a declaration, a challenge, and a warning all at once. His mind raced to make sense of the situation. Who had written this message? Was this a desperate act from Walsh himself, or was there another player in this dangerous game they had been entangled in?

His stomach dropped.

That was it.

"It's a trap."

His mind then processed the surreal scene before him—the injured suspect, the message scrawled in blood—it was increasingly clear that this wasn't a straightforward apprehension; it was a carefully orchestrated plan, and they were mere pawns in a dangerous game. And as the realization began to grip him, his anxiety surged. There was only one thought in his mind.

With trembling fingers, Spencer pulled out his phone and dialed the number he had kept in his phone but never seemed to use. The seconds felt like an eternity as he anxiously waited for her to pick up. His mind raced with a thousand scenarios, each one more alarming than the last. Hotch stepped closer as he noticed the dread in his eyes.

"Reid."

There was only silence on the other end of the line. She wasn't answering. The fear that had gripped him intensified, and a knot of dread formed in his stomach. He tried again. There was still no answer. His hands began to tremble uncontrollably as he clutched his phone, the device suddenly feeling like an anchor pulling him deeper into a sea of fear.

"Reid."

As panic began to surge, he dialed Officer Anderson's number next. His trembling fingers pressed the buttons, and he held the phone to his ear, there was no response—no ringing, no voicemail, just a disheartening silence. His panic intensified. His chest tightened, and each gasping breath felt insufficient, leaving him feeling suffocated and—

"Reid!"

He exchanged a glance with Hotch. "I-I can't reach her," he said, sounding defeated. His palms grew clammy as he tried to regain control while he leaned against a nearby wall, attempting to steady himself.

JJ stood up and approached him. "Reid, take deep breaths," she urged, her voice calm and reassuring.

Spencer tried to steady his breathing, but his lungs felt constricted, and the air refused to fill them properly. He felt lightheaded, disconnected from reality, as waves of panic washed over him. JJ placed a steadying hand on his shoulder.

"Focus on your breathing," she said, her voice calm and reassuring. "In and out."

But the words struggled to penetrate the fog of panic that had enveloped his mind. His thoughts spiraled into a chaotic mess of fear and helplessness. The walls of the warehouse seemed to close in on him, and he gasped for air.

JJ guided him to a nearby crate. He complied, allowing himself to sit down as his trembling hands found the edge of the crate, fingers gripping tightly as he tried to steady himself. She crouched in front of him, her eyes meeting his.

"Spence, look at me. We're going to find her, but I need you to breathe, okay?" His gaze met hers, and he nodded, albeit shakily. He knew that he couldn't let his panic consume him, not when there was a chance of her being in danger, not when there was a possibility of her being taken away—he quickly shook his head.

The warehouse's oppressive atmosphere seemed to recede as he concentrated on his breath. Spencer became acutely aware of the controlled chaos unfolding around him. Hotch's firm and authoritative voice as he started to make calls, the flashlights dancing over the walls, and the low murmur of voices filling the space. He closed his eyes briefly, attempting to center himself.

But as he waited to regain his composure, the minutes felt like hours, and the fear of losing her weighed heavily on his mind.

Please, let her be safe.

"Y/n!" Sandy's voice called from the other room, prompting her to emerge from the bathroom. "Your phone keeps ringing."

"Can you check who it's from?"

Sandy checked the caller ID and responded, "Unknown caller."

She let out a dismissive sigh and started to head back into the room. "It's probably just spam."

But then, Sandy's voice broke the silence again, this time with a question that hung in the air like a heavy cloud. "This might sound crazy, but do you think Oliver has anything to do with Jamison's death?" Her breath hitched at the unexpected question. She turned to face her friend as she continued, "Just think about it, Oliver went missing right after the murder. Don't you think that's a little suspicious?"

Eric's frown deepened, and he interjected, "Don't say that. He could be in danger for all we know."

"I forgot you're protective over him." Sandy turned toward Y/n, who stood in the middle of the room, caught between their exchange. "Did you know Eric and Oliver grew up together?"

Her frown deepened as she processed her words. "You did?" She asked Eric, her tone marked by surprise.

He shrugged, his casual demeanor unchanged. "We weren't exactly friends. We just grew up in the same community."

She continued to express her curiosity. "Why haven't I heard of this?"

"Because it's not important? Like I said, we weren't even friends."

Y/n couldn't help but feel a sense of surprise mixed with a tinge of confusion. "I've known you both for what, two—almost three years now, and neither of you mentioned this?"

Eric dismissed her concern with a simple explanation. "It's not really a secret, though. We just don't talk about it." He then glanced over at Sandy. "I mean, she knows."

"It's really not an interesting topic," her friend agreed. "Why does it matter?"

She found herself grappling with that very question. Why did it matter? Why was this information tugging at her concern more than it probably should? She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something about this felt unsettling, like a piece of the puzzle that didn't quite fit, and it left her with an unsettling sense of curiosity.

In the end, she decided to let it go, at least for now. She shook her head, dismissing her lingering thoughts. "I... never mind."

She dismissed the topic and left the two to talk as she entered the kitchen, her steps echoing in the quiet space. The room was bathed in the soft glow of the dim overhead light, casting elongated shadows across the countertops.

With a sigh, she made her way to the refrigerator, its white exterior gleaming faintly in the light. As she pulled the door open, a cold gust of air rushed out, ruffling her hair. She bent down and stared into its content. While her unanswered phone calls continued to chime softly in the background, her eyes scanned along the stacks of drink lined across the shelf.

"Do you guys want a refill?" She called out, her voice breaking the silence that had settled in the room.

She waited for a response, only to be met by silence.

"Eric! Sandy! Do you want a refill?"

There was still no answer.

"...Guys?"

It was then she realized the gentle sound of conversation from the other room had stopped, replaced by an eerie quiet that seemed to envelop the entire house. The only sound that persisted was the soft, persistent ringing of her phone in the background. Slowly, she began to stand, her movements deliberate and cautious.

She froze in place, her heart pounding loudly in her chest as she heard a sudden sound of something heavy hitting the floor. It echoed through the room, breaking the eerie silence that had enveloped the house.

But it wasn't the thud itself that startled her, it was the deafening silence that followed, as if the very world had gone mute. The absence of any other sound, the stillness that hung in the air, was unnerving. It felt like the calm before a storm, the hush that precedes a revelation, and every instinct in her body screamed at her to be cautious.

Her breathing became shallow, and she strained her ears, hoping to catch any sound that might offer an explanation. "Sandy?" She took a step forward. "Eric?"

She slowly merged from the kitchen, her cautious steps carried her down the narrow hallway that led to the living room. The silence pressed down on her felt like a heavy weight, broken only by the occasional creak of the floorboards beneath her.

A sense of unease settled over her as she stepped into the living room. At first glance, everything seemed eerily normal. The furniture was in its usual place, the soft glow of the lamps still casted a warm hue across the room. Yet, amidst this apparent calm, her eyes landed on a sight that sent a shock of fear coursing through her veins.

A gasp caught in her throat, because there, on the floor, lay Sandy's unconscious form, her body sprawled in an unnatural position. The room seemed to close in around her as she rushed forward, but before she could even move, she felt a sudden, oppressive presence behind her.

A heavy arm closed around her waist in a tight grip, and another hand pressed firmly against her mouth, muffling any cries of surprise or fear. She struggled, her heart pounding in her chest, as she was pulled backward, away from Sandy's prone figure.

"Hey, hey, don't move." A hushed and urgent voice whispered in her ear. She froze, her heart still pounding, her eyes wide with fear. "Shhh, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

It was in that terrifying moment that she realized a cloth was held over her mouth, and with a gasp, she inadvertently inhaled something that left her world spinning. The room seemed to blur and distort, shadows swirling into a chaotic dance as her body went limp.

The last thing she recalled was the persistent sound of her phone ringing before everything went black.

>> NEXT PART

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[you-call-it-a-dude]

Can You See Me Using Everything To Hold Back?

Request: From 🩷💜 - Leighton is really fucking anxious to come out and it hurt her really bad that Alicia was kinda pressuring her to.

Summary: Reader encounters Leighton after her breakup with Alicia. The two of them already sharing their own...complicated-ish history.

Pairings: Leighton Murray x Female Reader, Leighton x Alicia (I guess??)

Warnings: mentions of coming out, emotions, maybe internalized homophobia if you squint

A/N: hello! So I think I accidentally began creating a full blown storyline/timeline for the Reader x Leighton one shots in my head lol. Also, to the person that requested this story 🩷💜, ily and thank you for this request. I hope it is what you wanted, but if it's not please tell me. I will share the original ask along with what I would like to say if you give me the permission to do so. But I am also okay with keeping that private. But, if this story is not what you were looking for, let me know please

As always, thank you to everyone that takes the time to read any of my work, give feedback, likes, and reblogs. I literally love you all. I hope you enjoy.

---

You were eating lunch outside with a few of your friends when you saw her. A semi-familiar face wheeling a large suitcase behind her and wiping tears from her cheek.

You had met Leighton on a dating app and hooked up at the very beginning of the school year. She was great and you genuinely liked her, but she fully freaked out and then ghosted you when she found out you also went to Essex.

You had only seen her less than a handful of occasions since then and each time she would fully look through you.

You wiped your hands on your pants and excused yourself from your friends, unsure of what even possessed you to get up and talk to her again. It felt like your legs were on autopilot, just fully moving you in her direction.

You jog lightly, catching up to her.

"Leighton, hey." You say softly to avoid scaring her and she looks at you like you've just offended her, honestly.

"Do I know you?" She says, speeding up slightly and you try not to let it bug you too much.

"Well, yeah. I mean, kind of?" You say catching up to her again. "Look, that part doesn't matter. I just wanted to see if you were okay." She stopped abruptly to look at you and it made you stumble over her stupid fucking suitcase.

"Is there something about me just fucking screaming not okay? Huh, Y/N?" Her eyes are bloodshot and still teary, her cheeks red from crying and you had to ignore the urge to reach out and comfort her.

The way she said your name sent a chill down your spine and it confirmed that she does indeed remember you, even if she tried to play it off like she didn't for these last few months.

You debated your answer. You could be rude as fuck, the way she had been to you. Clearly she wasn't having a good day and you also just weren't that type of person. You shake your head and put your hands up in defense.

"Alright, I got it." You say gently, slowly backing away from her.

You stepped out of her way and she continued to walk past you in some sort of hurry to probably get nowhere.

You watched her get pissed when her suitcase hit a bump in the sidewalk that caused her to drop the handle. You watched another girl approach her and talk to her briefly, this person clearly being someone she had some sort of respect for since she managed to drop the attitude long enough to talk to her.

You also watched her turn her head to look back at you. She searched for you until you locked eyes and then she turned quickly, darting away again to do god knows what.

You shake your head in disbelief and return to your friends. They ask you prying questions about who that was and what happened, but from your pillow talk conversation you know she isn't out yet and you don't know if that's changed. You shrug and tell them it was just someone from class and that was too boring for them so they left you alone easily.

---

You were sitting on a stone bench in the courtyard outside of one of the dorms. You were trying to be a good friend honestly, waiting for your roommate to finish hooking up with this guy so you could walk back together. She made you ditch Theta's 'Anything but Clothes' party to do this for her and since it was a concern regarding her safety, you didn't hesitate to say yes. The huge, black garbage bag you threw over your clothes as a lame attempt for an outfit was folded up neatly and tucked under your armpit.

The last thing you were gonna do was waste a trash bag.

It felt like deja vu when you saw her. She was dressed in an outfit made entirely of playing cards and just like before, she was wiping tears from her face.

"Leighton." You whisper-shout, trying to get her attention. You wanted to talk to her, not scare her. Shouting at the top of your lungs in the middle of the night when it's pretty much just the two of you would most likely terrify her.

She still looked up and around absolutely horrified, but you saw her visibly relax when she realized it was just you.

"You scared me." She let out a wet laugh, wiping her face and started walking toward you. "Why are you sitting out here like a creep?"

You smiled at her and pat the spot on the bench next to you, scooting over for her.

"I know, I'm sorry." You say softly. "I tried really hard not to, but I think anyone attempting to get your attention late at night will be scary regardless." She just chuckled and nodded. "My friend is hooking up with a guy in one of these dorms. I'm supposed to walk home with her after." She hummed in acknowledgment. "You really went all out for the party, huh?" You say, looking at her outfit made of playing cards. "Did you make that?"

"I did, actually." She says, looking down at her outfit and smoothing it out.

"You're incredibly talented. That's insane." You smile. "Do you make your own clothes often?"

"Not really, but I like knowing that I can when I want to." She gave a little shrug and sniffled.

"Rough day today?" You spoke carefully, but your tone was soft and compassionate. Her bottom lip quivered and she looked at her feet in an attempt to pull herself together while also nodding. "Wanna talk about it?" She swallowed, hesitating for a moment before talking.

"My girlfriend broke up with me because I wasn't ready to come out. We had a small argument that caused it and I thought maybe that's all it was, just a small argument. I gave her space and I went to see her tonight and she essentially told me she needed to move forward, not back."

"Oh, come on. Are you serious?" She nodded, quickly wiping away the tears as they fell. "That's ridiculous." You shake your head, feeling yourself get frustrated. "Like, ugh, I get it, but also I really fucking don't."

"What do you mean?" She cocks her head to the side, her nose a little red now. A combination of rubbing it and being slightly cold.

"She didn't even give you a chance." You shrug. "There's no timeline to coming out. I understand she didn't want to be shoved back into the closet, but not everyone is afforded the luxury of having a safe space to be out. She had every opportunity to be a safe space for you while you figured yourself out and she chose not to. She most likely knew you weren't out when you got together. If she couldn't handle that, she should've known better than to pursue anything with you. I'm not saying what she did was wrong. If that's what she needed to do, then fine, but you didn't deserve that."

She stared at you with her sad eyes and her bottom lip still quivering and you could tell she was doing her best to keep from crying. You couldn't help yourself, hooking your finger under her chin and letting the pad of your thumb trace over her chin and just under her bottom lip softly.

She closed her eyes and leaned into your touch, trying to control her breathing by forcing herself to breathe through her nose.

"She made me feel so pressured, you know?" Her voice cracked and tears were falling again. This time you wiped them away for her. "She posted a photo of herself with my bag in the background and I got scared. She made me feel ridiculous and irrational for being scared and wanting her to delete it. If I could choose to not feel this way, obviously I fucking would."

"Who is this chick? I really don't like her." You say through a forced laugh. "You have every right to be upset about the break up, but don't let anyone make you feel like you need to come out before you're ready. That's your narrative to control." She nodded, her nostrils flaring slightly.

"I came out to one of my roommates today." She said, a little excitement laced in her tone.

"Yeah?" You smile. "How'd that feel?"

"I like fucking sobbed and it was so embarrassing, but it was also really freeing? She's the first person on campus I came out to. Well, okay, the first straight person." She corrected, gesturing in your direction to signal that you were technically the first. "I'm really sorry about that, by the way."

"No," you shake your head. "You really don't need to apologize. I understand why you did what you did. I'm sorry I didn't include the school on my profile quick enough." You tease, trying to cut tension and she smiles. "Though in my defense, it was literally the first week. Maybe even the first day."

"I think that's a really fair defense." She chuckled and nodded. "Thank you for checking on me today. I'm sorry I was rude to you earlier."

"Leighton," You say again softly. "Stop apologizing."

"Well, being rude when you didn't deserve it is something I definitely need to apologize for." She says firmly.

You narrow your eyes at her and she does it back, the two of you engaging in a staring contest before you finally decide to concede.

"Fine, okay. I accept your apology." You smile, leaning back on the bench.

"Thank you." She smiled triumphantly over the fact that she essentially won this debate between the two of you and you rolled your eyes playfully at her.

You sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments, mostly just people watching as folks started to stumble home from their various parties.

"Can I walk you back to your dorm? It's late and I don't want you walking alone. I'm almost positive I can walk you and get back here in time to walk with my friend." You offer and she shakes her head.

"I'm actually just there." She says, pointing to the dorm next to the one your friend was in. "I really appreciate it though." She smiles before cleaning her throat. She looks around the area before turning her body to face you, her knee pressed into the side of your thigh. "Thank you again for tonight." She says softly, leaning in and pressing a lingering kiss to your cheek. She pulled away slightly before pressing her lips to the corner of your mouth.

She pulled away again, just far enough so she could take a deep breath and she connected your lips. You allowed yourself to get lost in it just for a moment before pulling away. You nudged your nose against hers and you felt her lean in again in an attempt to kiss you again, but you moved your head back slightly. She chuckled, thinking you were just being a tease.

"Do you want to come to my room while you wait for your friend? I think my roommates are all still out." She whispered, pressing a kiss to your jawline.

You wanted to practically jump at the opportunity to spend more time with Leighton, but that exact feeling is why you knew you shouldn't.

She was emotionally vulnerable and she already knew you were a safe person to have sex with. The last thing you wanted to be to her right now, though, was a rebound fuck.

"I should stay and wait for my friend." You whisper politely, pressing your forehead against hers before pulling away reluctantly. She lets out a dramatic sigh. "I know, I'm the worst." You tease and she rolls her eyes. A faint smile forming on her lips that you can tell she's trying to hold back and her cheeks turning the slightest shade of pink.

"I guess I'm not gonna hold it against you for being a good friend."

"I'm touched, really." You say, putting your hand over your heart and she gives you a playful shove. It makes you feel like you're about to fall of this bench and you plant your feet quickly, your reaction making the both of you laugh.

"You sure you'll be okay out here by yourself?" She asks and you feel your phone vibrate. You pull it from your pocket and see your friend sent you a text that she'd be down in five minutes.

"Oh yeah. She's gonna be right down." You flash her your phone screen briefly and she nods, standing up. You can't help but stare up at her, watching her fix her dress and fix some of the cards that have been flipped up by the wind. "I'll watch you and make sure you get in okay."

"My dorm is literally right there." She looks at you a little confused, but you still notice that smile tugging the corner of her lips.

"Hey, you never know what could happen between over here and right there." You point out very seriously, scrunching your nose up at her. She shakes her head and lets out a laugh in disbelief.

"Goodnight, Y/N." She says sweetly, her hand reaching out to push some hair from your face, her thumb brushing over one your eyebrows and you let yourself eyes close for the briefest moment before looking back up at her.

"Sweet dreams, Leighton."

She pulled her hand away from you and started the short walk to her dorm. Just like you promised, you kept her eyes on her the entire time. You watched the way she made an extra effort to sway her hips and, well, you're only human. Of course you checked her out. She pulled her keys and badge from her purse and before she unlocked her door she turned her head to look back at you.

"What?" You said across the courtyard, fighting off a smile. She smirked at you and responded in a tone that could only best be described as flirty.

"Nothing! Just making sure you were watching."

[seungkwansphd]

sit down

pairing: joshua x reader word count: 0.6k synopsis: joshua wants needs you to ride his fingers. genre/themes: SMUT! minors dni! fingering. est relationship. thigh-riding adjacent almost? kind of needy shua.

a/n: yo idk this came out of nowhere. but thanks to @baljinciaga and @here4btsfics for encouraging it LMAO not edited, lmk if you see errors

"what's that?" you asked joshua. you thought you'd heard him calling you from the living room.

"come here," he cooed at you.

had it been a few weeks ago, you wouldn't have assumed anything, but you could now recognize the deviousness hidden behind his deceptively sweet smile.

"why?" you swallowed, slightly nervous.

he patted his thigh, still smiling serenely. brow furrowed, you placed your tea on the coffee table before perching gingerly atop his knee. his hands clasped around your waist possessively as he looked up at you.

"what's gotten into you?"

"i was just thinking." he replied with a cat like grin.

"thinking about?" your eyebrows raised at him.

"..." for a moment you almost thought he looked shy and then he opened his mouth. "i was wondering if you would sit on my fingers," he whispered into the crook of your neck, his breath tickling at your ear.

"what?" you almost choked.

"i've been thinking about what my fingers would look like with you sinking down around them," he groaned. "i need to watch them spread you open."

"shua," you exhaled sharply, squirming at his confession.

"will you?" he asked, lips nibbling at your shoulder.

"yes," your breathy exhale was like music to his ears.

you thought you heard him murmur 'thank god', but you were too busy hiking your dress up around your hips to be sure. joshua rested his hand on his thigh with his middle and ring fingers angled upwards as his eyes drank in the exposed skin of your thighs.

you held your breath as you straddled him, placing your hands lightly on his broad shoulders for support. your pulse raced at the way his eyes flicked over you before settling at the apex of your thighs. you lowered yourself until his fingertips met your folds, slick from his sinful request. his eyes burned into you as he watched you spread, wet and lewd, and you sank down, slowly, on him. knuckle by knuckle, his fingers disappeared into you until you were sat on his hand, his palm cupping your mound.

"ride me. grind yourself on me," he urged you desperately.

your breath caught as he nudged you with his thigh, pulling your attention to the present. you nodded, rocking your hips against him. you whined at the way his knuckles stroked inside of you. ribbed for your pleasure indeed.

“shua!” his name fell from your lips as your walls contracted around him.

“yes baby,” he nodded. you weren’t sure if he was answering you or just egging you on, but it didn’t really matter. “wanna see you cum like this.”

you let out a soft whimper and the wet sounds of your hips meeting his palms were almost dizzying to him.

“one more,” you met his gaze, brows knitted together in desperation.

“what?”

“another one, please,” you begged. you needed to know if you could handle just a bit more.

“really want me stretch you out, huh?” his pupils dilated as he curled his index finger into you. it was a tight fit.

your mouth fell open as you realized just how tightly you were stretched around him now. your movements grew sloppy as you rocked against his three, thick fingers and his palm. you were done for.

“shua,” you whined, lowering your forehead to his shoulder as he worked his fingers impossibly deeper inside of you. “i’m gonna cum,” you panted desperately as your walls started to pulse around him. he could feel it too.

he watched as you constricted around him, chest heaving with ragged breaths as you came. watching you come undone was one of his favorite activities. as you came down, his free hand hooked around your waist to support you and when you were ready, he picked you up and carried you to bed.

the cup of tea that you’d made earlier sat alone on the coffee table. it was quite a while longer before you recalled its existence again.

[globalrebrand]

Une Aubergine dans un Sac

A/N: Loosely related to this fic.

Warnings: Not sfw, heavily suggestive themes, afab reader.

You loudly clicked your tongue before letting out a heavy sigh. Tossing your head, you rolled a glare toward your lover, who looked a little too self-satisfied, comfortably snuggled prone in his bedsheets with his eyes observing you attentively as you flitted about the room, mostly nude in search of your clothing. You made progress on finding certain pieces, but the quintessential garment still eluded you, seemingly nowhere to be found. Which meant they were most likely in possession of the man on the bed with his feline grin widening while he watched your fruitless search of his chambers.

“Lyney. Where are my panties?”

‘Not again,’ you thought. While Lyney was no stranger to pilfering your belongings when it came time for you to leave, you thought you had made it abundantly clear through rushed kisses and him hastily stripping off your clothing the evening prior that you indeed had things to attend to the following afternoon. You should have known better. This was one of his favorite antics when he didn’t want you to depart.

You’d retrieved your bra and stockings, but your panties seemed to have entirely disappeared. However, what really bothered you wasn’t the missing garment nor your darling treating your free time like it was inconsequential. It was the sheer smugness and audacity Lyney leered at you with as you struggled to conceal your exposed nethers behind a ball of your haphazardly collected clothing.

Finally, after several long minutes, Lyney raised himself on his elbow, finally answering your question with one of his own.

“Do you mean these scandalous things?” His voice absolutely dripping with coy condescension as he chuckled to himself. As he did indeed to know those were the panties to which you were referring. Lyney looked like a tasteless pinup, the covers exposing more as he sat up, his naked body entirely at leisure and an air of nonchalance settling over him as he presented your undergarment with an artful flourish.

The lace maroon cheekily cut panties with gold embroidered roses decorating the fabric dangled from fingers as if he were trying to lure you to take them from him.

“Yes. Those panties.” You say with grit teeth. If it were any other day, you might play his game, playfully try to snatch or beg Lyney to put them on you, and upon doing so, allow his lips to kiss across your hips until he can no longer resist the urge to taste the cleft between you thighs, following which he would passionately take you against the door until he came onto the gusset of the very panties he fixed around your hips. But you had things today, and there will always be another time for such fantasies to be realized.

However,  going without panties today was just not going to cut it. The short skirt you wore the prior day to entice Lyney with your beautiful long legs bordered on the obscene, a slight bend, and your most precious…bits would be exposed.

“Mon cher-” You begin, slowly approaching the bed with raised hands so as not to spook Lyney into holding your culottes hostage, but your lover interrupts you with a deep inhale, the most fragrant part of your panties pressed against his nostrils.

After a few moments of intense sniffing, Lyney comes up for air. The look of ecstasy on his face turns grim as if he has some disappointing news to share.

“I’m sorry, ma cherie, but these are hardly wearable.” He delivers the news with a look of utmost solemnity as if he were a doctor communicating that a loved one had passed.

Thumbing the material, Lyney adds, “You soaked right through these last night. You can’t possibly wear them again.”

That much was clear. You didn’t need panty-sniffing medecin Lyney to tell you that the previous night's wetness had turned the crotch of your panties into a crude, dried crisp that would undeniably be unpleasant to wear for the rest of the day. There would be little time to run home to your apartment, and even if you did, you distinctly remember this being your last pair of clean panties, your laundry day well overdue, and you weren’t shameless enough to ask Lynette to borrow a pair. Besides, Lyney might be rather repulsed by that proposition.

But he gave you little time to ponder solutions to your conundrum, quick to offer one of his own.

“How about this, ma belle.” Any artifice of grief Lyney had over telling you your underwear should be lain to rest due to their catastrophic soiling (at his hands, you might add) disappeared upon those words, replaced with his cheeky grin that looked entirely at home on his soft features.

“Oh no.” You sighed quietly. Lyney had a proposition for you. These generally never worked in your favor. Usually, Lyney would suggest something outrageous and then demote his request to something seemingly reasonable, but once it was too late, you’d realize it was just as absurd as the first request.

“Stay here, and I’ll buy you a new pair to wear out. Or you can just stay here pantiless forever. I’ll undoubtedly find a use for you.” Lyney offers with an unquestionably devious smile and coy tilt of his head.

You had no doubt his suggestion came from a less than altruistic place. Once he opened up, he was shockingly clingy, seldom wanting to be parted from you. It wasn’t a surprise he would attempt to lure you to stay.

"Lyney." You sigh in gentle exasperation.

“What? I haven’t seen you in all week! You were so busy with your new neighbor.” Ahh, so he’s still on that. You massaged your temple and paced near the door.

“I just want you to stay in my bed and let me ravish you as long as I’d like.” Lyney pleaded, his tone bordering on a desperate whine.

"Lyney-" You started to interject.

“What obligations do you have to attend to today? While I’m out, I can let the other parties know you’re occupied. What’s your neighbor’s unit number?”

That rascal!

“No, Lyney, I have things to attend to today,” Matters that you could not reasonably move without causing yourself and those involved greater inconvenience, but your lack of underwear was a considerable concern. Would Lyney just buy you panties with no strings attached? It couldn’t be so simple, but you were out of options. Sighing, you resigned yourself.

“...but since I’m ever at your mercy, I’ll take you up on your offer to buy me panties.”

“Excellent, mon coeur,” Lyney cheerfully clasped his hands together with a boyish giggle. He then rose from his bed, sliding slik shorts over his hip and embracing you with a dramatic and loud kiss to your cheek before turning to get dressed and belatedly adding, “But I never said I’d do it for free!”

“Of course not,” you rolled your eyes before narrowing them into a frown cast in his direction,  “What do you want?”

“You. When I get back. I want you on your knees, legs spread. And if I can’t see your pussy glistening from the door, you’ll just have it go pantiless for the rest of the day as you go about your affairs.”

"Lyney!" You gasped.

“What? He said innocently. These are my terms. Do you accept?” You contemplated your circumstances for a moment and decided this would be your only option, but he would need to compromise.

“First...”

You began, stepping in front of him with as much authority as you could muster in your half-dressed state, catching his violet eyes so he knew just how serious you were about the whole deal. “I want real panties, not some lace on a string. Something that covers my ass, Lyney.”

He sucks his teeth with a grimace.

“That’s asking a lot.” He pouts, then casts his gaze towards your still-exposed rear. “It’s a crime for such nice ass to be covered up.”

“Let’s see how well that argument holds up in court once the gardes charge me with public indecency after a light breeze.” You countered, unmoved by his compliment.

“Nothing so beautiful could ever be indecent.” Lyney declares, cornering you against his vanity, his hands on either side of your hips and his lips dangerously close to your ear as he lowers his voice to a sultry whisper. “Come on, agree to my deal, belle. What do you say? I’ll make it worth your while,” punctuating his words with a trail of wet tender down your neck.

“Can’t I just blow you? You know I know just how you like it.” You offer in a sultry whisper of your own.

“Tempting but not enough,” Lyney states matter-of-factly, pulling himself away from you completely to show you his serious face to demonstrate that he’s just as serious as you are.

“If I have to buy ugly panties, I want you to do whatever I say.”

Lyney, you’re being ridiculous. You march away from him. “I’ll just borrow a pair of your briefs!”

“No! Lyney cries”

“Don’t ruin my fun, play my game. I’m just trying to give you a little boost, some pep in your step to start your day.”

“I have a feeling the pep you’re trying to give would make my steps wobbly all day.”

“Only if I’m doing it right.” Lyney agrees with a smirk on his lips.

You playfully tap his shoulder, but then a devious little idea pops into your head. Perhaps you have been spending too much time with your lover. He’s starting to rub off on you.

“Wait,  let’s make a wager,”

"Oh? Let’s hear it." Lyney replies, now thoroughly amused.

“You buy two sets of panties, one pair utterly scandalous and as racy as you desire, the other practical and sensible. When you get back, if I make you come first, I get to wear the practical ones. If you make me come first, I’ll wear whatever you buy."

“Oh, it’s a deal.” Now your lover was grinning maniacally.

Lyney could hardly contain his excitement, scrambling to slide on his trousers and tuck a loose cotton collared shirt into them.

Wait here, ma cherie! Touch yourself and think of me lots! Lyney guides you to the bed and dashes off to the door in his haste. But he soon returns, taking your hand in his.

“Here, I’ll even help you out.”

Lyney runs his tongue over your digits, getting them wet and warm.

“Use that to get yourself nice and opened up. I’ll return soon.”

You settle back in bed, thoroughly delighted by the turn of events, but then a slight worry settles over you.

What if you can’t beat Lyney at his own game?

Well, hopefully, he wouldn’t buy anything too obscene, but knowing Lyney, you weren’t sure you could trust him to buy panties at all.

[icarustypicalfall]

Commander's last love

masterlist • ao3 • fic masterlist • part 4

summary: Training till draining, where tears spill and pride kills. He just wants peace.

Warnings: bad self image, self sabotage, scars, sparring, wounds.

note: i hate u tumblr for deleting the first one >:(. also if y'all want to be added to the tag list tell me :3

tags: @unicorngirly1

**

"Dis moi, est-ce-que tu m'aime? Je suis emprisonné de tes yeux, de ta douce voix. Dis moi la vérité."

Mission [A2626]

Location: [CLASSIFIED]

Time: 15:20:34 - 24/10/2022

What on earth could have prompted Shadow's esteemed company and revered member of the military to rise at such ungodly hours and become the sidekick to two young people?

Well...

After yesterday's meeting (Phillip might start following them from bed) he was certain of two things: the mission was progressing smoothly despite numerous obstacles, and he had a strong urge to push that Sky Diver out of the helicopter at the earliest opportunity. He might even consider pulling off the Gaz move in this unit.

As he sat beside you and Sky on the way back to the base (a logistical oversight), all he wanted was to return home and rest. However, you and Sky seemed to be engaged in playful banter and meaningless arguments out of nowhere. Pardon Phillip's manners, but he couldn't find his blanket and had only managed to sleep for less than five hours. He was on the verge of losing his temper with Martin.

Phillip groaned as the unusual noise grew louder. He snapped, "Is there anything the two of you are better at than opening your mouths?" It wasn't like him to be snarky or mean, as he usually preferred playful taunting. But in that moment, he couldn't deny that he felt... jealous?

Yes, absolutely.

He was also sleep-deprived and in need of a hug. Apart from that, he was perfectly fine.

He had been here for over two weeks, yet he felt as if there was now more distance between you and him than there was between his own shadows and logic.

You stared at him, your brows furrowing over your usual mask.

He wished you would feel safe around him, or at least trust him enough to reveal the hidden beauty that you chose to veil from him. You often let your guard down around your colonel and her husband, as well as some of the other soldiers. Even Sky got to see you. Why couldn't Phil?

It was like a precious pearl locked away in a chest, afraid of thieves. But he wasn't a thief; he would never dare to steal you away from your life, from where you truly belonged. The only thing he wanted to steal was your heart, but apparently, that was as difficult as cupping the surface of the moon and sealing it with a kiss.

Nevertheless, he was determined. He wouldn't give up, even if it meant getting hurt along the way. Even if it meant facing the failure of his broken heart shattering. He didn't want to creep you out; he just wanted to understand the reason for your disdain.

You interrupted, squinting your eyes with what he assumed was a smirk, "Yes, Commander, we train to ensure our joints don't start cracking at 30."

Oh, wrong move.

He glared at you, crossing his arms as he spoke with an air of confidence, as if your remark hadn't affected him at all. "No, doll, I certainly train as well. But what I've seen from the two of you is pathetic. I highly doubt you would have passed boot camp."

Push, prod, bait... anything to leave a lasting mark. A constant reminder of your rejection.

Sky chimed in, his carefree spirit making Phillip want to throw himself off the moving van. "What if you give us proper training, Commander?"

Phillip, providing you and Sky with training? Making you sweat and curse at him? Supporting you as you struggled through your reps? Sparring with you?

His prayers had finally been answered. He tried to hide the grin spreading across his face with his usual proud smirk. "You won't last a single minute."

You laughed, and his heart fluttered. Phillip wasn't exactly old; he was in his thirties, but he still possessed the spirit of a young man. You made him rejoice in those moments of familiarity.

Since childhood, Phillip had always been left out, hated, and bullied. Even his own family favored his sibling, leaving him to live in their shadow. He had thought that joining the army and fulfilling his father's wishes would earn him a modicum of respect. But he was wrong.

That's why he had severed ties with his family, only visiting on rare occasions. He would watch as his brother basked in the limelight. His brother, a renowned lawyer with a beautiful wife and a young son. Phillip grew distant after his mother's death, burying with her the last remnants of affection.

Phillip looked at Sky and felt a pang in his heart. The young man had everything: success, friends, money... and you. The way you shared laughter and giggles made him envious of that connection.

He longed for love, acceptance, friendship, anything. But he had never been good at being vulnerable. All he could do was watch and pray for a miracle to happen. Maybe one day, or perhaps never.

This was the bitter reality that Phillip had to swallow since the day he came into this world.

Later on, the three of you convened in the training facility, finding it empty. It was evident that Phillip had discreetly dismissed the three rookies who were miserably failing at their sparing session. He stood alone, anxiously waiting as the clock's ticking intensified his nerves. To drown out the demons of his loneliness, he turned up his headphones. The reminders of his solitude were silenced.

Having arrived, you entered the room dressed entirely in black. A nod of acknowledgement was exchanged between you and Phillip before you began your warm-up routine. Shortly after, Sky joined the group, offering a brief excuse for his delay. Phillip's gaze lingered on you for a moment, admiring your strength and the flawless execution of your moves, which he doubted he could ever replicate. Caught staring, he coughed nervously before uttering, "Well, sweetheart, care to show me what you're capable of?"

Your laughter filled the room, a soft giggle that felt like the first rays of sunlight in winter. Approaching Phillip, you positioned yourself in the sparing section. He followed shortly while Sky cheered from the sidelines.

Phillip was about to make a snarky remark, but before he could, your fist swiftly found its mark on his chest with a forceful punch that stole his breath away.

Coughing, he grabbed hold of your arm and threw you onto your back. Pinning you down with his knee on your stomach, he lifted your chin, locking eyes with you. "Told ya, sweetheart. No chance," he declared.

Your laughter only caused his heart to ache once again. The grip of your bare fingertips on his bicep burned, torturing his soul.

"No, Commander, she was going easy on you," Sky interjected, causing Phillip to frown.

Easy on him? Was he this old?

Releasing his hold on you, he stood up, attempting to conceal the pain etched on his face as he took a sip of water. Finding a spot to rest, he watched as Sky and other soldiers showcased their impressive moves shirtless. A sigh escaped his lips as he cursed his aging body and the unsightly scars that adorned it. He leaned back, contemplating removing his shirt but ultimately opted to clutch his water bottle tightly till his knuckles turned white.

After the intense training session, you found yourself drenched in sweat, ravenous, and above all, exhausted.

Deciding it was time for a quick bath followed by a well-deserved nap, your eyes roamed the room, landing on Commander Graves who was venting his frustration by pummeling a boxing bag.

To your surprise, your prejudices faded away as you observed him. The man wasn't half bad, and you could even acknowledge some of his positive attributes. However, whenever you caught a glimpse of him, memories of a past life, someone you despised with every fiber of your being, resurfaced.

Driven by curiosity, you approached him, addressing him gently by his rank. "Commander?"

He stared at you in shock, perplexed as to why you were there and not with the rest of the group. Letting out a sigh, he forced a smile and replied.

“Yes, sweetheart? Anything else you want from this old man?”

In that moment, something within you shifted, causing you to abandon your animosity towards him. Without hesitation, you found yourself standing before him, gently holding his bruised hand and carefully bandaging it. He looked at you, feeling defeated yet momentarily at peace. Your cold hands cradled his, softly tending to his wounds as you reassured him, "No need to be upset, Commander. Everyone admires your abilities." Vulnerable to the core, he gazed at you, his guard lowered.

Before turning away and heading towards your room, you whispered, "Oh, and Phill, comparison is the thief of joy."

Phil?

If anything, this encounter healed every doubt he had. He couldn't believe that his name had left your lips. As he watched you walk away, he pondered what had just transpired.

Later that night, as Phillip prepared for bed, a smile adorned his face. However, his happiness quickly dissipated when he received a call from General Shepard. The weight of despair settled upon him as he listened in silence, absorbing the General's words.

No.

Not again.

[idontplaytrack]

Omg can I request super possessive/jealous Capri? Where someone hits on reader and maybe tries to get reader to exchange numbers and Capri sees this and gets jealous

Baby, I’m Jealous

Capri Donahue x fem! reader

Warnings: fluff, a bit of angst? coarse language, mentions of sex and hickeys

In which, Capri thinks reader is flirting with a guy, but she soon finds out that was far from the truth.

The first bell thrills, signalling home room period was up soon. Capri stared daggers into his soul— Lucas Cobb, senior. Lacrosse player. 6 foot, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, player. That asshole has a reputation of fucking a new girl every weekend.

Slamming her locker shut, the sharp noise startled a couple of students near her. Shrugging, a sheepish smile on her face while she walks up to Lucas who was at your locker. Looking at you, talking to you, flirting with you. What were you doing? Giving him what he wanted and giving Capri insane jealousy.

“I was wondering…what’re you doing Friday night?” He asks right as Capri showed up next to you and him.

“Uh, nothing, but—”

“Nothing? Awesome, you wanna go out? Just the two of us?”

You froze, bewildered look on your face as he proceeded to ask for your number so he could text you.

You chuckled awkwardly, eyes flicking over to Capri, hoping she would get the hint and step in. “She’s with me.” Capri wraps an arm around your waist tightly. You completely indulged in that moment, snuggling closer and putting your arm around her torso. “Don’t look so shocked, she may be quiet. But she’s gorgeous. And also my girl, so your loss. Deal with it before I deal with you.”

“She’s gay?”

“Yes, I am.” You answered firmly.

“You too?” He looks at Capri next.

“What, does gay have a certain look?” Capri scoffs, “The whole school knows what a scumbag you are— sleeping with a new girl every week, so you have no excuses hitting on someone who you know is obviously taken. Those that sleep with you are just as dumb as you are because they know you and are just looking for a fuck-buddy.”

“The girls love me.”

“Sure.” Capri rolled her eyes, smirking, “Definitely not these two, though. Piss off!”

Capri leads you away, arm still around your waist protectively. You leaned onto her briefly before you two walked off. Capri walks you to your class on her way to hers.

“I’ll see you in bio, okay?” She presses a quick kiss to your lips, “You’re alright?”

“I’m okay.” You nodded in confirmation, “See you in bio.”

Capri flashes you a smile, looking over her shoulder as she leaves. You found your usual desk and sat down. “Hey.” Darby taps on your shoulder and waves. “Hi, Darby.” You beamed.

“Are you okay? I saw what happened in the hall with the guy. I mean, Capri was with you, but still.”

“I’m fine, he just flirted and tried to ask me out. I mean, we all know how he is—”

“Yeah, you don’t have to say it.”

————

Your day went by okay, though Lucas still kept looking at you— disgustingly, whenever you passed by him in the halls or a classroom he was in. You didn’t look at him at all but yet, you could still feel his eyes on you like a hawk. You fought the urge to outwardly cringe— every single time. It was sickening. The way he was watching you like you were an object, and though he never did come up to you again after Capri’s warning, you weren’t feeling that much better about this behaviour of his.

But hey, you actually thought wrong. Right as the lunch bell rang, students all hurried to the cafeteria, leaving the hallways empty. Your teacher wanted to talk to you about tutoring a student in your class— it was James. Capri’s ex. But he was fine, he was a good guy. So anyway, once your teacher let you go, James walked with you and just chatted. And if it weren’t for him being there, whatever came for you next would’ve left you traumatised for life. Lucas came up to you out of nowhere and tried to pull you away into the janitor’s closet and judging by the shit he was muttering over and over, he wanted to have his way with you. He managed to grab your wrist so hard and choked you that you got bruised.

James easily fought him off, and you ran as fast as your jelly legs could take you. “Hey, fuck off dude. I’m very sure she’s told you she wasn’t interested.”

“All she confirmed was that she was gay.” Lucas scoffed.

“Yeah, with her girlfriend standing right next to her and telling you to piss off. The whole school saw it, you’re messing with the wrong person, Lucas. Back off and let them be, screw yourself instead. Capri will destroy you completely of you keep this up. I won’t hesitate to hit you if you ever lay your hands on either of them again.”

James caught up with you quickly. You didn’t run too far with your legs feeling like they could give away at any moment. “Do you need to see the nurse?” He asks.

“No, I just- want to have my lunch and maybe ditch.” You told him flatly.

“Alright.” He shrugs.

“You can join us, you know?”

After his breakup with Capri last year, he’s been a lone wolf. He had a couple close friends but said he always felt left out with them. But your invite wasn’t one out of pity. You knew that he and Capri ended things on good terms and he’s been a good acquaintance, now maybe you wanted to get to know him as a friend.

“If you guys are all okay with it, sure then.”

You spotted Capri at a round table with Darby and Alex, chatting away. “Hey, guys.” You greeted, “Can he join us?”

“James!” Darby waved at him, “Hi.”

“Hi, man.” Alex chimed in.

“Not a problem.” Capri smiled, “Hey. Oh, my God— did he—”

“Yes, but James was there— he fought Lucas off. If Ms. Tanner didn’t want to talk to me about tutoring James, and I’d left the class on time, he would have absolutely ruined my life.”

“What—”

“Just think about the worst thing that could happen while a girl’s with a guy like Lucas, alone.” You cut Darby off.

“Oh, shit.”

“I got off easy.” You scoffed, putting down your bag, you headed for the lunch line to get your food.

Once you got your food, you started to eat while quietly telling Capri you wanted the ditch school for the rest of the day. “It’s just too much, y’know with Lucas’ ‘attention’. I’m seeing him again in gym right after lunch and that is the last thing I want.”

“I think you should go home.” Darby and Alex agree.

“Yeah, I was gonna do just that even if you said no.” You laughed lightly.

“I’ll take you home.” Capri says. You declined. “It’s not an offer.” Capri continues, her brows raised, “I’m saying I’ll take you.”

You gulped. “Okay. You’ll take me.”

She smirks, then returned to eating her lunch. Darby snorted, laughing her ass off. “Good luck when you get home, hun.”

Though the guys got what she meant, they didn’t say anything, as if it was the most normal thing ever. Well, after knowing Capri awhile, it started to become the norm— her very non-subtle way of letting you know what she wanted. Part of it was because of her jealousy. She gets jealous very easy, sometimes when there was not exactly a reason to— and how does that usually work out for you? The girl would mark the fuck outta you and you’d just show up at school the next day with the hickeys you’ve tried so hard to cover up. One or two still vaguely visible no matter what.

Today was no exception. Capri didn’t go easy on you that afternoon, she never did. She’d always fuck you senseless then baby you afterwards. Did you like that? Absolutely. Would you ever outwardly tell her you did? Hell no, you weren’t gonna give her that satisfaction.

Falling flat onto her and breathless, you feel Capri reach downwards to pull the strap out of you while telling you to lift your hips. You could barely do it, but damn did it feel absolutely heavenly. She rolls you onto your back so that she could remove the harness. You whined, wanting her to hold you. Capri only smirks while taking her sweet time removing the harness from herself. You hear it fall to the ground with a thud before feeling a dip in the mattress. She puts her arm under your back and just pulls you in so you were facing her. Brushing the hair out of your face, she asks, “That’ll teach you not to talk to anyone else who tries to flirt with you, hm?” With your eyes partially closed, you nodded, snuggling against her chest tiredly. “Good.” She smiled proudly, wrapping her arms around you tighter. “I’m still not done with you, actually, pretty girl.”

“What?” You slurred.

“We’re going for a round two tonight. I wanna see just how much you can take.” Capri told you eagerly. You scoff, but you already feel that ache in between your thighs, cursing in your head, you closed your eyes and just got some rest now since she was letting you.

“M’kay.” You answered, voiced muffled since your face was practically buried in her breasts.

She laughs huskily, sending a chill down your spine, “I get it, baby. You love my tits. Always getting close to them whenever you get the chance, hm? Maybe I should finally let you touch them when I fuck you later. You want that?”

You mumbled incoherently, sleepiness completely taking over your body.

“Well, do you?” She asks, not letting you drift off to sleep until you gave her a clear answer.

“Yeah.” You managed, then yawned.

“Okay, get some rest, sleepyhead.” She teased, planting a kiss to the crown of your head.

————

🏷️ Tag list:

@ashecampos @auliisflower @cheesysoup-arlo @frogs00 @reneeswif3 @ludoesartnstuffs @pda128

[killerbananas]

Present

It’s an Alpha’s duty to breed an omega in heat. Life’s blessing unto you is that Porco is man enough to answer that call with sumptuous passion that will satiate your breeding needs.

🔞 mdni | masterlist | 515 wc | omega!afab!reader x alpha!porco

Warnings: smut; arguably crack knotting pwp, knotting, breeding, glory hole, rut, heat, dominating, dubcon/breeding/knotting, subservience, bratty indignancy, semi-public sex, oral/gagging, finger licking

AN: Repost from my old account.

Porco cannot live with himself when the need panging from his cock to his swollen balls almost takes his knees out from under him. He’s thinking himself damned until he realizes that he’s somehow ended up at a bar and something catching his breath is pulling him through back rooms and weird noises with couples humping in corners that he never believed he’d really be ambling through with a hard-on, but here he was.

And so were you. It was a twist of delirious fate that your heat crept up on you from nowhere and buckled your needy ass to the floor in the kitchen of the club you were working in. It happened after you were sideswiped by a rich aroma that seemed to have kickstarted your heat as if to say, “that one!”

The fuck?

The next thing you know, you’re crawling along the floor, barely making it towards where you’re being drawn. You glimpse a speck of light from a wall you hadn’t noticed until now, as you were eyelevel with it. The aroma was coming from there and nothing could keep you from it, salivating at the idea of engorging yourself on the source.

-

He hears something on the other side… smells something sinfully invigorating.

“Someone there?”

“P-porco?”

He’s never blushed this hard in his life, but it only deters him for a second because the opportunity is just too invaluable to turn down.

“You gonna ask questions or open your mouth for my cock, omega?”

You’re scrambling to present your throat for him to use and scrape your knees getting there. It doesn’t stay on your mind long because you’re choking down Porco’s girth before you can register the lack of air getting to your lungs.

“Atta girl. Open up, little one.” The hole is wider than you’d expected and let’s his fingers pull through to probe at the hinge inside your mouth and keep you ajar to service his dick. The praise is worth the humiliation. It feels like sinking into a warm bath, coming home.

It’s hardly a blink and he’s got you shoved back on your knees, touching your pussy on his command, while he goes on a rampage, cock bobbing on full display without care, speed walking to find his way to knot you. He only has to pass three doorways before nothing stands between him and your pussy except your hand that he shoves in his mouth while crowding into your crotch to slip straight into the slickness of your cunt.

“You’re going to take my knot here and then I’ll cream your cunt until we can get you back to my place. Text whoever you need to let know you’re going to be a few days offline. I’m not giving you up.”

You can’t help but get overwhelmed and bratty at his insistence and how much it was affecting you. You’d never felt the urge to just give your body up to someone so much and you weren’t sure you could ever match this level of possession, pussy pulsing milky flutters around Porco’s knot.

Taglist: @aotwarriorsimp @alexpro-nwn @animediplomat @antoxsmith @armoredpotato @aviinnit @beffjurky @casuallyck @cherrxs @dearbaji @erwinsbaby @eyesucket @fairypiku @fandomficsobsession @fujoneshi @holographicceo @hinasakuino @interfectio-mortales @kenryug @koulakoukoula2003 @kxkyuu-main @lavenderdaisyhoney   @mybadluckshouldmakemefamous @chaotic-nick @nathalunalune @notgoodforlife @arsonszn @pockcock @poursomesunaonme @scouts-stuff @seychellse @shigarakiapologist @downbadpie @soaringmirror @sparklekitteh @stigandr-the-cat @syrma-sensei @reiners-milkbiddies @tiffanyy-21 @theinariakuma @tonaken @torapologist @touyyes @we-are-so-close @witchycamisado

[kywaslost]

ciel x reader, she’s on the ship and ends up getting separated from the others. ciel the entire time is honestly panicking and nervous about her well-being.

she ends up getting bit by one of the Bizzare dolls, on the ship but manages to get away. she fights them off to the best of her abilities despite her injures, getting another bit in her leg.

maybe she passes out and is found by someone, who takes to one of the lifeboats.

she then reunites with ciel and he almost cries, she takes the place of Elizabeth and lunges at him crying happy to see him again and alright

Together Again - Ciel Phantomhive

A/N: Hi! I hope you like this one because I loved this idea so much! Thank you for your request! Also, some of the details may not be 100% accurate because I can’t remember the exact order of events, so some characters may be in the wrong scene (like Snake or Y/N), and I think I mixed up some scenes in general but hey, it’s fanfiction. Anyway, enjoy!

Adrenaline coursed through your veins, giving you strength and energy you didn’t even know you could possess. There was nowhere to go but up. You were surrounded on all sides by strange zombie-like creatures, and based on events you had just witnessed in the main ballroom, they were out to kill. You could feel your heart attempting to beat out of your chest, all of the air leaving your lungs and your panic increased drastically as you searched for an escape route. You had a sword, but it wouldn’t do much against the sheer amount of monsters surrounding you. 

In the midst of your panicked head-turning, you caught a glimpse of an air vent above your head. If you were quick you could jump and pull yourself up the wall, using lamps and other decor as leverage. Deciding it was your only hope, you jumped. You gripped a light fixture, lifting yourself up and scrambling your legs to catch them on anything to give you leverage. A scream ripped through you as you felt a sharp pain in your right calf, looking down to see one of the bizarre dolls gripping your leg, jaw clenched around your calf. Swinging your sword, you got it off of you.

You managed to climb up to the air vent, shoving your sword between the roof and vent, prying off the metal and watching it fall on the mass of dolls below you. You wasted no time in climbing into the vent, falling onto your stomach and laying there a moment. Pain coursed through your leg, and you could feel your blood dripping from the wound. Tears spilled from your eyes as you crawled through the vent, seeking some form of shelter.

If Ciel didn’t have such a stone-cold reputation, he’d be in tears. His lover was missing, and had been for quite a while now. Ciel fully regretted leaving you behind at the party, and once he saw that Snake was no longer with you, he was 100% in worry mode. Sebastian strongly urged him to snap out of it and finish the job, even going as far as smacking the young lord across the face to catch his attention.

“Sebastian,” Ciel said sharply once he was out of harm’s way. They had just run from the reapers, Ciel being carried by Sebastian as they ran. Snake was close behind, somehow keeping up with Sebastian’s supernatural speed. “I need you to find Y/N,” he said, grabbing Sebastian’s face to force him to look at him. 

“My lord, I have faith in Lady Y/N,” Sebastian answered. “I assure you, she will survive.” Grunting with pain, blood seeped through the butler’s clothing and into Ciel’s. “I do not know if I possess the ability to find her,” Sebastian whispered to Ciel. 

“We’ll find her, says Wordsworth,” Snake says from his spot beside the two. “I can track herscent, says Emily.”

“Go!” Ciel commands, watching as Snake nods and changes his path. Ciel briefly watches as a snake enters the air vent before Sebastian rounded a corner. 

“She better be alright,” Ciel says, allowing his bottom lip to tremble slightly before fixing his composure. “Or I’ll kill her myself.”

Chilly, nearly unbearably cold water crashed around you, shocking your senses and making it difficult to move. You gasped, eyes shooting open as you came too. Your memory was foggy, and you didn’t know where you were. You could barely move, limbs frozen stiff due to the chilly water. Your chest burned, and you could only assume saltwater had entered your lungs at some point. 

“She’s awake, exclaims Emily.” Your brows furrowed in confusion.

“Snake?” your voice was raspy. You blinked a few times, fully registering where you were. You could see the night sky above you, billions of stars twinkling down to you. There was a slight breeze, causing you to shiver harshly. You felt like you were being rocked from side to side, as if you were on a small boat.

“Yes, it’s us, says Wordsworth.” You attempted to sit upright, muscles stiff and noncompliant. You felt warm hands on your shoulders, helping you into a sitting position. When you failed to support yourself, you saw legs move to the sides of your hips, a chest pressed against your back. A snake peaked around your shoulder.

You whimpered, the lasting effects of adrenaline fading as the night’s events replayed in your mind finally. “ ‘M cold.”

You felt Snake move, then his suit jacket was wrapped around you. You pulled your knees to your chest, suddenly feeling pain in your leg again. Looking down, you saw fabric soaked in blood, tied tightly around your bite wound.

“We used your dress, says Wordsworth. To try and stop the bleeding, Emily concludes.”

You turned your head to look up at Snake, tears streaming down your face. “Where is CIel? Is he ok?” You cried harder as you buried your face into your friend’s chest. “Oh, Snake, tell me he’s ok!”

“Last we saw, he was with Sebastian, says Wordsworth.” Snake says softly. “We were ordered to find you, continues Emily. You had fallen out of the vents, barely able to fight off those bizarre dolls. Snake saved you! You passed out when he got to you though, says Wordsworth. We were worried!”

“Thank you,” you sobbed into your knees. “I was so scared. Thank you.”

You were asleep when the rescue ship arrived, and Snake shook you awake as gently as possible. He carried you to the edge of the lifeboat, passing you to one of the rescue workers to be brought to the new ship. Upon the new boat, he took great care to carry you without causing you any further pain. The sun was rising now, casting the endless waters with beautiful colors, barely masking the massive amounts of blood in the water.

Snake sat you down only when you assured him that you were alright and able to walk. Still, he insisted that you hold on to his arm, and you complied. He led you over to the railing on the deck of the ship, overlooking where your ship had gone down. Bodies were everywhere, a mix of dolls and deceased passengers. You scanned the bodies as best you could for signs of Ciel or Sebastian, but you were too far away to see.

You stepped away from the railing and towards the center of the deck, Snake following close behind. You stood there, people watching as you tried to avoid the overcrowding thoughts of Sebastian and Ciel’s dead bodies floating around you. You began to tear up again at the thought. As your gaze drifted across the significantly low number of survivors, you caught a glimpse of a tall, slender man dressed in black. You took off running in his direction, ignoring the pain in your leg and Snape yelling after you. The closer you got the clearer you could see Sebastian standing with Ciel at his side, the boy’s eyes laced with worry.

“Ciel!” you screamed, now within a few feet from him. He was barely able to turn around fully before you tackled him to the ground in a hug. You were sobbing hysterically into his chest, burying your face against him and babbling on about how you thought he was dead. You felt his arms wrap around you just as tightly, then one of his hands moved to run through your hair. You pulled away slightly to see Ciel crying, bottom lip trembling ever so slightly.

“I thought you were dead,” he whispered, cupping your face in his hands to fully look you in the eyes. 

“I thought you were dead.” The two of you lay there, limbs tangled in each other as you both cried, thanking the universe that you were together again.

[beechersnope]

Trick or treat! Any girl Seb? 🥺

deserted island au be upon ye

***

“You shouldn’t be wandering around the jungle at night.”

Mark whipped around and pointed his flashlight towards the source of the voice that had interrupted his careful examination of the jungle floor. He sighed when he caught sight of Seb’s cherubic features in the bright beam of his light—a bit of relief, but mostly exasperation. After their first few tumultuous days on the island, it had become clear that Seb wasn’t interested in making any friends.

“No one died and made you leader,” Mark muttered as he turned his attention back toward the strange tracks in the mud that he’d stumbled across just a few minutes earlier during what was intended to be a quick midnight piss.

“Not yet,” Seb replied.

When Mark finally gave up on finding more tracks in the thicker undergrowth that had obscured the rest of the trail, he finally turned back only to find that Seb was still standing there in the dark. “What the hell do you want?” he demanded.

Seb’s expression didn’t change at all. “The gun you stole from my cabin,” she replied coolly.

Mark stared at her with a grimace. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. He took a step forward, intending to push past Seb and head back to camp, but a strong hand around his bicep stopped him in his tracks.

Mark looked down at Seb, whose threatening aura was undiluted by the fact that she was half a foot shorter and unarmed—as far as Mark knew, anyway. There was no telling what she might have managed to bring ashore during the storm, before Mark and the others had a chance to conduct a thorough search of the ship for supplies in the days following the wreck.

“Why would someone on a search and rescue vessel need a .45?” Mark asked calmly. He was all-too aware of the bulk of the pistol pressing against his lower back, just a few inches from where Seb’s fingers were wrapped around his arm.

Mark was ready for her when Seb suddenly moved, darting to the side to try and reach around him to grab the pistol from where he’d stashed it in the back of his pants. Mark jumped out of the way and lunged forward, seizing Seb around the waist and tackling her onto the ground before she could make a second attempt to retrieve the weapon.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Mark said once he’d successfully pinned Seb to the ground, her arms twisted back behind her, and her hips cradled securely by his thighs.

“Do it,” Seb spat out. As soon as the words left her mouth, it started to rain, a torrential downpour appearing out of nowhere that filtered readily through the jungle canopy to soak the ground below.

“What?” Mark asked, bewildered by her response.

“I see the way you stare at me when you think I’m not looking,” Seb panted with her face pressed into the mud. “I know you’ve wanted to fuck me since we left port. So just do it.”

There was a litany of reasons why giving in to those urges was a very, very bad idea. But in that moment—with nothing around them but the jungle and the deafening rain, and Seb’s warm body pressed up against him separated by only a few layers of fabric—Mark wasn’t thinking clearly.

Mark reached down between them like a man possessed, his hands frantically tearing at his own zipper before yanking at the waistband of Seb’s cargo pants. There was nothing romantic or even dignified about it, just lust amplified by anger and need, wrapped up in the desperate existential fear that they might soon meet the same fate as the missing plane that they’d been searching for.

The longer they remained on the island, the harder it got to think any further than the next dawn, and it was this exact frame of mind that had Mark rutting between Seb’s thighs, pushing into her before he was even fully hard, and fucking her so roughly that both of them were covered head to toe in thick black mud by the time he finished only a few minutes later.

Then the rain stopped, just as abruptly as it began. Mark rolled over onto his back and stared up through the small gaps in the canopy at the brilliant array of stars that dotted the sky. He was only peripherally aware of Seb still lying next to him, and it didn’t register until she’d slowly picked herself up and walked into the jungle that she was going the wrong way.

“Hey!” Mark called out after her as he scrambled to his feet. “The beach is the other way! Seb!” It was only after he started to walk after her that Mark realized the familiar heft of the pistol tucked into his pants was gone. “Son of a…” Mark muttered to himself as he turned around to pick up the weapon from wherever it had fallen in the small jungle clearing. But when he returned to the muddy wallow where he and Seb had just lain, there was nothing there.

Mark stared out into the dark jungle where Seb had disappeared. He let the anger build and build—frustration at allowing himself to be swindled, and fury with Seb for putting them all at risk, and for what?

“Seb!” Mark yelled again at the top of his lungs.

She couldn’t have gone far, Mark rationalized. And if he returned to camp to wake Lewis or one of the others, there was every possibility that the sporadic bursts of rain might erase her tracks entirely.

Mark sucked in a deep breath and turned on his flashlight, catching sight almost immediately of Seb’s heavy boot prints in the soft mud.

It didn’t take him long to find her. She’d gone maybe half a mile before stopping in another small clearing not unlike the one they’d both just left. Mark was fueled by righteous anger as he marched up to Seb, who was standing in front of a tall, thick tree trunk staring silently up into the canopy, as though oblivious to his presence.

Mark grabbed her by the wrist with a violent jerk. “Where is it?” he demanded.

Seb didn’t even glance at him. She barely acknowledged his presence at all, instead staring wide-eyed up into the tree with a look of terror that seemed completely alien painted over her typical show of bravado.

Her reaction gave Mark a moment of pause. “What?” he asked her, wondering even so whether this was just another trick. But when Seb slowly raised a hand to point up into the canopy, Mark slowly followed the vector of her outstretched finger—only to find a pair of large reflective eyes staring straight back at him from within the darkness.

Mark didn’t hesitate. He seized Seb around the waist and flung her over his shoulder, running as fast as he could back the way he’d come, hoping that whatever animal it was that Seb had seen in the trees wasn’t following them—or that if it was, they could at least hope to outrun it.

When they reached the edge of the jungle, Mark immediately collapsed onto his hands and knees. Seb went tumbling into the sand before managing to catch herself. Where Mark had stopped, she kept running, out into the ocean where she finally paused with the waves waist high as she turned around to stare back into the jungle.

“What was that thing?” Mark asked as he picked himself up again, taking a quick look over his shoulder to make sure that they hadn’t been pursued.

Seb shook her head as Mark drew closer. He could see the light from the fire back at camp, just a few hundred yards down the beach, but every ounce of his focus remained on Seb for the moment.

“I don’t know,” she said breathlessly. “It was dark, I couldn’t…I don’t know what it was.”

But Mark could tell from the petrified expression on Seb’s face that she’d seen far more than she was willing to admit.

[sonicexelle-junkary]

Man, your take is so unique and completely turns Mobius on its head. It's an idea that not many would go down, honestly. Normally, if Sonic were to turn bad, he'd be possessed or mind-controlled. You just straight up made him the bad guy while still being able to keep the attitude and personality of Sonic intact! Your creativity is astounding!

If you don't mind me asking, how did you come up with such a unique concept? Was it a hard process where you had artist block? Or did the idea just appear in your head one day?

Thank you for the compliment! I try my hardest to make characters as accurate as possible to their cannon selves while still skewing them, it’s just a preference of mine when making AU’s. I’ve partly answered this a while ago, but I’ll talk about it again

Most ideas just pop in my head from nowhere, but most of the time they are inspired by a lot of things. HungryHero.EXE is based on/ was kickstarted by this story, but I changed sonics motives for being (for a lack of better words) crazy. I also just find the cannibal trope kinda interesting.

At first, I sort of turned him into a form of Yandere, but it was less of him doing this for someone and more of him doing this for himself. Very mild ‘sexual’ undertones. Which by the time Frontiers came out, I didn’t like how he was being characterized and I completely rebooted everything from the end of the main story onwards.

Even though HHSonic is a mix of many different versions of himself in personality, including my personal version of him, I always like to cross reference of how he would react in the situation I put him in. How would he react if he suddenly had the urge to hurt people? How would he react if someone found out he was hurting people? How would he react if his brother died? Even if some answers are obvious, I like to skew and exaggerate how he would react. Like with silver, he panicked and decided that killing him was the best outcome.

Though HHSonic is a villain in this story, he’s still an absolute loving and caring dork like he is in cannon, and I want to keep him like that

[cosmica-galaxy]

How would the trio (Hank, Sanford, Deimos) react to the player playing co-op mode with their friends.

If this was the Salty AU, I think it would be similar to how Salty described it.

The other vessels would be jealous of the one that has the Player all to themselves, especially since they would most likely be Player 1, which can't change vessels in the game.

If the Player has three friends minimum to play the game with, all of them would be taken up and Player wouldn't be able to switch at all either. Which would probably frustrate the other vessels, since they are being puppeteered around by "false players" instead of their one "true player".

If we ignore some of the rules from Salty's AU, I think it would come as a major surprise to the self-aware crew that there's MORE THAN ONE PLAYER.

They were simply under the impression that the Player was a singular being with higher powers until the other strings appeared and took hold on the free vessels. It's a strange sensation for all of them to have a Player assigned to them. Each one being told what to do and moving in a much more efficient manner because of it. They're shooting more accurately, getting hurt less, and are actually organized in their assaults.

It makes them wonder what the Player actually IS. They can't see them, but they can feel them. Are they one soul or many in a singular being? Where did these other Players come from? Are they extensions of yourself or other beings entirely?

It gives them eldritch horror levels of thought as they try to picture what the Players look like. Can they put a face to it? Do they even HAVE a face? How can ALL of them possess bodies? How many more exist out there and what powers can they all wield in unison?

If this was in the time before they knew the Player's voice or what they looked like, this would be TERRIFYING. One is not so bad, seeing that their allies all still had their free will. But now that they're ALL being puppeted, it's like putting your fate into a stranger's hands. The movements are too choreographed, like the Players are somehow communicating with one another despite not speaking.

Not only that, but seeing the strings that they aren't familiar with branch out from nothing and latch onto a viable host must be terrifying. Especially since it's not the same strings they're familiar with. But each of them carry that same warmth that their original Player has. Like a warm firm hand is wrapped around them and guiding them through the world. It carries the same resounding light and comforting warmth that their Player does, which is probably why they believe they are an extension of the Player.

This also doesn't end the surprises. Because imagine that Deimos and Sanford go on a mission together and there's three Players. Color them surprised when VICTOR of all people shows up on their mission. When asked why he was there, Victor probably just says something ominous like "I felt like I was...called here."

The same goes with any variations of Hank Wimbleton. Wank and Pank literally show up out of nowhere to assist Hank...and Hank...doesn't attack them. For some reason, he tolerates the other Hanks, despite the innate urge to kill them. He knows that it's because of the strings and their otherworldly properties. The two Players needed vessels...and they called for some...and his copies answered their calls.

In short, in the Salty AU, vessels are disgruntled if they can't have their chosen Player to be with. Their "True" Player. The others are merely unwanted puppeteers that the vessels have to tolerate or put up with while the chosen vessel gets their 'true player' all to themself.

But if one takes liberties with it and in the Self-Aware aspects of the AU, multiple Players would be a terrifying concept. Especially if it's during the time where they don't know what the Player looks like or sounds like. It just goes full on cosmic-level horror for them as they are all puppeted around by these invisible but powerful beings with unforeseen motives.

If the three return to Doc, and with the information that there's MORE than one Player out there, the Doctor himself may grow surprised at the news.

How can there be more...and how many do they NOT know about are still lurking around just out of their sight?

A chill would linger in the air and Doc would be afraid of the answer to that question, no doubt.

[overthinkingtaleblr]

omg thank you for answering. i thought it got lost but i know sometimes it just takes a bit lol. :,)

i thought about it a bit more, and i have another branch of the au/hc/whatever the hell this is.

jimmy, when hes possessing ghost, has red eyes that match his form when hes outside of ghosts body. gavin knows when jimmys possessing ghost, however toast just sees ghost being murderous and goes "ah... hes overly stressed again... perhaps he needs his calming tea ^-^"

when they DO get together, gavin and jimmy agree that itd be kinda weird if they kissed while jimmy was inhabiting ghosts body, so they just have to deal with gavin only feeling a weird pressure on his lips when jimmy kisses him. (like jello...)

also, toast and ghost decide one day to check out an old abandoned house in the middle of nowhere, and... ghost breaks down, because thats where he used to live. yknow... gregory casket. jimmy, instead of immediately possessing him, just... watches. he evaluates some things.

and realizes his demonic urge to kill and destroy has faded. just a tiny bit. hes become... more human. it disgusts him.

(ofc they calm ghost down and ghost comments on how he didnt black out that time. jimmy feels bad about himself because!! hes not supposed to feel sympathy or compassion!!! let alone love!!! ew!! domesticity is gross!! bleh!!)

he complains to gavin about it and they discover that ever since gavin and him have been hanging out more and more, jimmy's power has been... not shrunken, per say, just redirected.

it makes him feel vulnerable.

he lashes out. possesses ghost more often and kills meaningless people with an anger hes only felt once before. it all happens within a week, and he realizes something. it isnt ONLY anger.

its grief.

grief over losing his ability to blindly kill. grief over losing his murderous tendencies. grief over gaining COMPASSION and HUMANITY. grief over falling in love for the first time.

of course he grieves. hes been a serial killer for so long, it makes sense to mourn the changes hes experienced. but at the same time, hed never change a thing.

he goes back to ghosts home in ghosts body, covered in multiple peoples blood. (hes not sure how he got here, but it infuriates him that he can just automatically find it no matter how far)

toast is there, fussing over the host's injuries (since when did ghost get that cut? he... should be more careful) and jimmy... jimmy exits the body, and sobs.

he watches the love toast feels for ghost, and promises one thing to himself: while he cant guarentee he'll never kill again, he can make himself human... for gavin, toast and ghost.

he just needs to figure out how to make himself a host, so that he doesnt hurt the man hes attached himself to (in more ways than one) he WANTS to be apart of humanity. he realizes hes hugging his host when he opens his eyes again, and realizes hes been subtly seeing ghost as his... well, as his brother. it hurts, and hes angry at that conclusion, but hes too tired to deny it. he falls asleep outside of ghosts body for the first time, and finally feels human.

so yeah idk how it sorta turned into a fanfic buuuut i think i like the concept :D if theres any spelling mistakes,,, no theres not,,,, and if its kindaaa ooc then uhm. hmm. well i havent watched vt in atleast 2 years so theres bound to be some mistakes :P

This AU has really become a story and a half! Maybe you could make it into a fic? It sounds like there’s still more that can happen next! ^^

Dw too much about being OOC, I think a fun thing with the medium is that canon is flexible. Plus, you have development from A to B, so I don’t think it’s too inane a concept! Jimmy reconsidering the murder thing and actually feeling is an interesting concept and a good way to defang him as a monster— and admittedly id be lying if i said i haven’t had characters grow as people through introspection in concepts b4 ^^