#random rom appearance there too

[ballcrusher74]

mr sys model i quickly made tonight just to play toys . if any1 gaf

[moonxknightx]

♡˗ˏ✎*ೃ˚ : THE FACE BEHIND THE MASK : :;

╰┈➤ ❝ [PAIRING] ❞ Wade Wilson x F!Reader

・❥・GENRE: Fluff :))

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆FANDOM: X-Men

ੈ✩‧₊˚ WARNINGS: None!

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥SUMMARY: After months of dating Wade Wilson, you ask him to show his face, promising that his scars won't change your love. Despite his fears, Wade reveals himself, and you reassure him that he is beautiful just the way he is.

LIVING NEXT TO WADE WILSON HAD ALWAYS BEEN AN ADVENTURE. From the random explosions at odd hours (he called them "enthusiastic cooking attempts") to the incessant chatter that came from his side of the paper-thin walls, there was never a dull moment. Somehow, despite all the madness, you'd become fast friends. He’d wormed his way into your life with his never-ending supply of sarcasm, absurd humor, and unexpected kindness.

And then, somehow, you’d started dating. It wasn't the conventional type of dating—nothing was conventional with Wade. He’d whisk you away on spontaneous adventures that ranged from fighting ninjas ("It's like cardio, but with more blood!") to watching rom-coms while he provided his own colorful commentary.

But there was one thing that had never happened in those months. You had never seen his face. Sure, you'd seen his mouth, his jaw, the occasional glimpse of his eyes through the mask, but never the whole thing. He was always careful to keep the mask on, only slipping it off when he was sure you weren't looking.

At first, you hadn't pushed it. You knew about his past, the pain he'd endured, and how self-conscious he was about his appearance. But as your feelings for him deepened, so did your curiosity. It wasn't just about seeing the man behind the mask—it was about connecting with him fully, scars and all.

One night, after a particularly wild date that ended with Wade hog-tying a group of particularly rude henchmen ("They were asking for it! Literally, they asked if I could teach them some knots!"), you both collapsed on your bed, breathless and laughing.

"Wade," you said, once your giggles had subsided. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, but if it's about why I wear red, the answer is 'because it hides the bloodstains.' And also, it makes my butt look fantastic."

You chuckled, shaking your head. "No, it’s not that. I was just wondering... why don’t you ever show me your face?"

The room grew quiet, the only sound the faint hum of traffic outside. Wade’s usual banter was noticeably absent, and you could sense the shift in his mood.

"Oh, you know," he began, his tone a little too casual, "it’s just that I’m devastatingly handsome, and I don’t want you to fall even more in love with me. Also, there’s the possibility that you’ll look at me and your eyes will literally explode from the sheer beauty. It’s a risk, really. For your safety."

You reached out, gently placing your hand on his. "Wade, I know you're joking, but I also know this is hard for you. I don’t care about your scars. I care about you."

He hesitated, his fingers tightening slightly around yours. "I just... I don’t want you to see me and then regret everything. I’m not exactly Ryan Reynolds under here."

You couldn’t help but laugh at that. "Well, good, because I’m not exactly Blake Lively."

He snorted, finally looking at you. "She wishes she was as cool as you."

Taking a deep breath, Wade sat up and reached for the edge of his mask. "Okay, but if you scream, I'm outta here. And I’m taking all the pizza."

"I promise not to scream," you said, your voice soft. "And I’m keeping the pizza."

With a final sigh, Wade peeled off the mask, revealing the man beneath it. His face was covered in scars, the skin rough and uneven, a far cry from the smooth, unblemished look he used to have. His eyes, however, were the same—warm, mischievous, and full of vulnerability.

You didn’t say anything at first, just took him in. Then, slowly, you reached out, tracing the lines of his face with your fingers. He flinched at first, but as you continued, his muscles began to relax.

"You’re beautiful," you whispered, meaning every word.

Wade rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of a smile on his lips. "Sure, if by 'beautiful' you mean 'looks like an avocado had a passionate affair with a much older, uglier avocado.'"

You laughed, leaning in to press a kiss to his cheek. "No, I mean you’re beautiful because you’re you. And I love you. All of you."

For a moment, Wade was silent, his usual stream of jokes and quips nowhere to be found. When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter than you’d ever heard it. "You really mean that?"

"I do."

He pulled you into his arms, holding you close. "Well, in that case, I guess you’re stuck with me. Scars, bad jokes, and all."

"Wouldn’t have it any other way."

You spent the rest of the night wrapped in each other’s arms, the world outside forgotten. As you traced the lines of his face, memorizing every scar, Wade made a few more self-deprecating jokes, but they lacked the usual sting. Instead, they were softer, more playful, as if he was finally starting to believe that you could see beyond the surface.

As the night went on, your hands continued their gentle exploration, and Wade's breathing grew steady and calm. For the first time in a long time, he felt truly at peace, his heart no longer burdened by the fear of rejection.

And as you lay there, his head resting against your chest, you knew that no matter what, you would always find him beautiful—because beauty, you realized, was more than skin deep.

I fucking LOVE Wade!

I’m going to make a taglist for deadpool content! If you like to be added, let me know! 🫶

[cameronspecial]

Neverending Texts

Pairing: Rafe Cameron x Reader

Warnings: N/A

Pronouns: She/Her

Word Count: 0.7K

Summary: Rafe's small crush on his tutor definitely doesn't lead him to text her a little too much.

A/N: Insipred by this post.

Masterlist

Rafe’s education is not a responsibility Y/N ever expected to have on her plate. However, tutoring seems like a no-brainer for the girl who likes teaching and it is not like she could say no to Ward Cameron. Plus, Ward offered her an insane rate and even though her parents are rich, it is still nice to make her own spending money. Rafe and Y/N’s relationship is odd, to say the least. He always seems to have an interest in her, while she would rather be kept out of his social circle. This dynamic is only intensified by Rafe getting her number to set up tutoring sessions. He’ll often send her random texts that are so out of pocket, but she knows he is trying to invoke a conversation between the two of them. During all hours of the day, she will randomly receive jokes, facts, or gossip from the boy. Her responses were always a single word, not inviting the discussion to go any further. It never deterred him from trying every day though. Her hand shoves the hook through the stitch and the hook grasps onto some yarn to be pulled through. The buzz from her phone freezes her hands. She picks up the device and lets out a breath with a shake of her head. What is your ideal date? Normally, his texts would allow her a one-word answer; however, this one can’t be answered as such and she feels bad if she ignores it. 

She takes a second to think about her reply. Baking pizza with extra mushrooms and a movie night. Maybe watch rom-coms. She sets her phone back on the desk and goes back to her crochet project. 

———

He is pleasantly surprised she gives a thoughtful answer to the text. It seems his tactic of open-ended questions has worked. It doesn’t shock him that her idea of a prime date is something more intimate. Y/N has always been more reserved, so it makes sense she would prefer one-on-one time with her date. He likes that. That sounds like the perfect date, except for the extra mushrooms. We’ll have to only put it on half of the pizza.

Who said you were invited?

He chuckles at her retort and shakes his head. Why is there someone else you are dying to go out with? He holds his breath at her reply, not wanting her to say what he thinks she might. The little bubble with three dots displays her effort to rejoin. It stops eventually and no new words appear in a new bubble. He bites the corner of his lips as his thumb hovers over the button. He decides to bite the bullet, bringing the phone to his ear. It dials three times before she picks up. “Wow, moving on to phone calls to tell me your random thoughts. You really are getting more persistent, Cameron,” she teases. He can hear something clatter on the other end, “Can you blame a guy for wanting to hear your voice, Teach?” She giggles with a sigh. “What did you need?” she urges. He shrugs, “I told you. I just wanted to hear your voice. I also wanted you to answer my question and to hear if you are lying.” “Why do you care so much?” she questions, rolling her eyes. 

“Because if you don’t have anyone else on your mind, then I was hoping I could be the one to take you on that date.” 

“I have no one else, but why me? What makes me so special in your mind?”

“You just have this je ne sais quoi to you that I can’t get out of my mind. We just click, Teach, and I know you can’t deny it.”

———

She traces the surface of her desk with her crochet hook as she tries to focus on his words. “I know you can’t deny it.” She would never admit she felt the spark he was talking about. It’s been something she tries to bury deep inside of herself because their personality dynamic would not make sense. Rafe likes all eyes on him and to be as loud as possible, whilst Y/N enjoys a quiet night in. The more she thinks about it, the faster her heart starts to beat, telling her to say yes. Yes to a chance at love. Yes to opening herself up to someone else. Yes to stepping outside of her comfort zone. “Okay, let’s go on a date.”

Taglist: @winterrrnight @loves0phelia @thelomlisrafecameron @wickedlovely121 @thepatriarchykeychain @drewsmusee @starkowswife @maybankslover @forstarkey @loving-and-dreaming

[ro-is-struggling]

Fireproof Series Masterlist || Johnny Storm x Reader

disclaimer: the pictures above are purely for aesthetic purposes and do not represent the physical appearance of the reader

Series summary: you and Johnny weren't supposed to get along. You were the exact opposite of each other. While he was loud and outgoing, you were quiet and introverted. He loved to be the center of attention and you actively made efforts not to be. He had made a name for himself as one of the biggest players on campus while you stood out for your academic achievements. You hated guys like Johnny, and he had no reason to associate with people like you since you rarely shared spaces. And yet, against all odds, you were able to forge a solid friendship. In fact it was the contrast that made the two of you work so well. You called out his bullshit and he pointed out yours. You were a good influence on each other, no one could deny that. It was a perfect relationship, you knew all the bad things about each other and still chose one another....

But what happens when romantic feelings start to flourish?

This series is a collection of one shots that will give you a glimpse inside Johnny and y/n's complicated relationship.

Warnings: slow burn, friends to lovers, mutual pining, a bit of angst, fluff, lots of cliches (like seriously, I was kinda playing the game of how many cliches can I put in the same story? lol) 2000s teen flick/ rom com coded (so I guess it’s a bit cheesy? read at your own risk!), FEMALE READER

This fic starts a bit before the events of the first Fantastic Four movie, when reader and Johnny are in college (but it gets to the movies don’t worry!)

English is not my first language

Author’s Note: I recently rewatched the old Fantastic Four movies and I had so much fun I just had to write something for Johnny. Yes it's terrible plot wise but I love the early 2000s vibes of it. So I tried to keep a bit if that vibe with very overused tropes/scenes and stereotypical characters (yk like the annoying popular girl, the playful fuck boy love interest with a heart of gold and the ‘I'm not like other girls’ main character). I have a soft spot for those kinds of stories and I thought Johnny was perfect for it! I tried to keep a balance as to not make it too over the top, I hope I did a good job

The idea for this fic is to make a sort of collection of separate one-shots that show different moments in Johnny and reader’s relationship, if that makes sense. I have most of the story planned and written, but it is not completely closed. What do I mean by that? That I have a beginning, conflict and ending thought out, but that doesn't mean that once I post those parts the story is over. 

I'm structuring this fic more as plot points than anything else (i.e. how they meet, when they have their first kiss, what the big love confession is like, stuff like that). Beause of that, there are parts of the timeline of the relationship that aren't shown. And that leaves me time to imagine a lot of things, if that makes sense? So if I have a random idea about a silly thing that happens between them in the middle of "the plot" (or if you guys think of something!), I can add it and expand the context without changing the whole story.

ALL PUBLISHED PARTS:

Part 1: First Impressions

Part 2: Second Chances

Part 3: {COMING SOON}

[wildesqdreams]

rom com

pairing - xander hawthorne x fem!reader.

summary - a girl who loves romance and a playful boyfriend spending time together. it's like out of a movie.

warnings - none, just fluff and cuteness, well, and xander's annoying scones.

navigation | masterlist | request | taglist

a/n: god, guys, it has been a while, hahaha. i'm sorry for not posting anything, i've just lost inspiration, but i'll try to write more, but i'm not promising anything... enjoy :)

'i wanna be thirty... thirty and flirty and thriving!'

y/n pulled the blanket up her body, as she got more comfortable on the bed, the smile not leaving her face. watching silly little rom-coms on her laptop with snacks and a peaceful environment was her way of having a fun time, so when her boyfriend suggested it, she was delighted.

she looked at her phone. 30 minutes had passed since xander left to get some scones, qouting, "what's life without a blueberry scone?"

even though the plan was to get everything ready, both being present and then start the movie night, y/n couldn't wait and started the movie - besides xander has watched it a million times because of her, since she loves love.

a small laugh escaped her lips from the scene, where jenna woke up as a grown-up and met the random man in her apartment. 'you're naked!' she spoke, using an umbrella as a weapon.

her gaze went to the door that opened, xander entering the room: "i'm back-" he stopped, the door shutting closed, but him remaining by it.

his hand went to his heart, "you started watching without me."

the smile on y/n's face grew wider at his sarcastic tone, "and you started eating without me?" she motioned to his hand that held a half eaten scone.

xander walked towards the bed, "couldn't resist it, besides jameson already ate most of the blueberry ones," he put the plate on the nightstand while eating the rest of the scone.

the girl hummed, "well, i couldn't resist the movie. besides, you've already watched it," her eyes met his, "multiple times."

her boyfriend chuckled as he moved the laptop off her legs, placing it further in the bed, "i feel heartbroken."

"hmm," she laughed, while xander climbed on top of the girl, putting his arms besides her on the bed, "well you should eat another scone then, since they're your favorite thing."

he laid on top of her, nuzzling his face in the crook of her neck, humming, when he felt her hand touch his hair, "mmm, after robots."

y/n chuckled, "dammm, and here i thought i was your favorite."

"naa, you're like in the third place or something."

"you jerk!" she faked gasped while smiling and pushed him off of her and off the bed. but before she could get comfortable, she felt hands pulling her waist, "wait, xander-" the noise of them both crashing on the floor filled the room.

xander groaned as his arms tightened around the girl, who was on top, "that's what you get for talking like that."

a small smile appeared on his face, "yes, ma'am."

the boy let out another groan since he was the one who landed on the hard floor, hitting his head in the process.

"you idiot," y/n brushed his curls away from his forehead, then placing her hand on his cheek, drawing small circles with her thumb on his skin.

the boy turned his head and softly kissed her wrist, "i love you," his lips traveled up her arm, "more than scones and robots," he pecked her shoulder before laying his head back on the ground.

"so you're telling me even more than blueberry scones?"

he grinned, "now, that's a little too far."

the girl chuckled, as she pushed his face with her hand, "shut up."

xander's arm traveled up her side to the back of her neck, pulling her down, as he turned his head back, "come here."

he let out a satisfied sigh when their lips met, his other hand squeezing her hip.

"i love you," she mumbled against his lips, her hand on his shoulder

he deepend the kiss, pulling her closer, "i love you too."

if y/n could choose one thing in the world, that would be staying in xander hawthorne's arms forever. feeling his soft touch and rapid heartbeat. feeling the love he has for her till she couldn't breathe anymore. the nerdy, sarcastic boy was her home. he was the dream that she wished for as a hopeless romantic. he was everything.

soon, xander pulled away, mumbling, "what do you think of watching the movie on the floor?"

she pecked his lips before getting up and grabbing the laptop and a blanket, "i would say you're a genius."

[goyurim]

if you're into horror, don't watch hellbound. it's not for you.

it's being marketed towards audiences who loved of us are dead or sweet home which... makes sense i guess given the netflix logo, multiple seasons, bingeworthy amount of episodes etc. but at it's essence it is such a Korean drama i think it would have done so much better on a national cable tv channel like jtbc or something.

western audiences are trashing so much on the second season especially but also the whole show in general bc they're so used to being spoon-fed answers. western media doesn't trust their audience to understand implicit ideas and concepts. stories that are more open-ended and push viewers to fill in gaps themselves instead of relying on the storytellers to justify everything are way too complex apparently. but mainly i think a lot of people don't understand how korean psychological thrillers work. it's not about the monsters. it's about the people.

hellbound, to me, since the first season has always been a character study more than anything. it's about love, life, death, and sacrifice. what these things mean to different people, and how they find meaning through them. the monsters are merely a plot device, how does the existence of them affect your understanding of the world around you? the world within yourself? does it change anything? would you have been the same in a world that wasn't hellbound?

korean fanatasy dramas tend to do this a lot, like in the golden spoon where it was never revealed who the old grandma selling these golden spoons was or where she even got them from, or even in rom-coms like lovely runner, where it's never explicitly stated why this random watch allows our main lead to time-travel. we make sense of it ourselves though - it was the character's motivations, their passions, their ambitions, their love - that made their ordinary worlds extraordinary. and that extraordinariness (?? is that even a word?) is depicted through symbols, like a spoon, or a watch, or even supernatural monsters that appear to steal your soul and send you to hell. but the story was never about the symbols, it's about the people affected by them, and how they sometimes end up influencing the symbols too.

hellbound is an excellent show that explores all these different themes while never removing the spotlight from individual people and their humanity. personally, i loved the first season, and the second season even more. the cast is incredible, the acting is superb, the cinematography is amazing, and the writing is very intentional and well thought out. i wish it was appreciated more bc it really doesn't deserve all of the negative reviews it's been getting.

[slaygentford]

every matthew mcconaughey romcom, rated

ive never really had a pet white man. ive had many pet white men characters, yes, but never a little pet white man actor who I wish to give treats and pats to like a purse dog. I never before really understood the phenomenon until my 5th or so rewatch of true detective in the year 2024, at which point something demonic was unlocked in my brain. why? how? a mystery for my therapist, when I had a therapist, but I don't anymore, so now it's a mystery for you. overcome with the insatiable urge to tape his picture to the front of my binder and write "hott" underneath it in sharpie I mentally detransitioned and, embracing my latent teenage girl (the girl I was, perhaps, in another world, one parallel to ours; a darker world, but of equal worth to our own sphere, damned as it may be) --began to watch every Matthew mcconaughey romcom ever made.

listed in my watch order, which was random.

how to lose a guy in 10 days: this is a near perfect 00s romcom, too much secondhand embarrassment to be a real mainstay for me, but it nonetheless hits every beat with aplomb. particularly tickled to see them playing bullshit the card game which was a family and friend group fave for me growing up. he and Kate Hudson have probably fucked, which added a lot to the chemistry. in one scene Kate Hudson described how cute he was rubbing his face into her tits and her friend says, do you want to date him or adopt him? at which point I saw into the void, which then saw back into me. instantly it became apparent to me that he will act circles around whoever he's paired with to the point that it actually becomes kind of comical how good of a performance he's giving in a movie that includes not one but two scenes of a dog pissing on a pool table. that being said bebe neuwirth CARRIED this film on her BEAUTIFUL lithe back. 1 instance of no shirt, unfortunately brief. 7/10. vape I hit at midpoint also a 7/10, coincidentally

NB: after watching this movie I had a dream that I was at the beach with him and Kate hudson and I hated her because she had stolen may man.

the wedding planner: when I watched this I got extremely caught up in two things 1 the fact that he went on a date with another woman while engaged and almost kissed her and 2 jlo playing an italian girl. this led me to think about what race is/was in 90s-00s, colorism, borders of the latinx body and codemeshing. something interesting about the wedding planner is that the leads are in every way the opposite of the character they are playing, with little effort to no effort to make up for that diff (Matthew not at all acting like a wholesome pediatrician and rarely seen with children/jlo not at all acting (like) or being an italian). as a result the fourth wall in this movie is made out of wobbling cellophane, an upsetting and uncanny experience. Matthew doing a tango meant a lot to me as a fan of rust's deranged impromptu norteñas tutorial in true detective. as he is a texan, I think he is essentially one of my people. 0 instances of no shirt. 2/10

failure to launch: at the first incident of animal slapstick (chipmunk related) I had the thought while the scene wore on and on, I feel like I'm on drugs. that's because I was on drugs, which I then remembered, but a joint doesnt deny the truth, only reveal it. there are many sports, and Matthew doing sports. I wouldn't be surprised if the original conception of this movie was more like lars and the real girl or silver linings playbook which then had to get repackaged as a rom com bc some parts of this kind of push at the seams of the haha funny tone which makes for a shockingly bad film but a very interesting way to think about process and what this writer's passion project would be. by the final animal slapstick incident (dolphin, second appearance) I really said what the fuck out loud, like actually out loud in my home. we started off strong with some shirtlessness and a calf shot during the sex scene, but the chipmunk to dolphin to bird to iguana to dolphin pipeline really took the wind out of my sails. 1/10

ghosts of girlfriends past: This is doubtless Matthew's worst performance--and yet what a triumph it is, purely because for any other actor, it would be the peak of a career. Matthew has an incredible naturalism. About 15 minutes into this movie, Matthew gets belligerently drunk at his brother's rehearsal dinner. Through half-lidded, glassy eyes, he delivers with thoughtless verve the exact sort of diatribe a man not only uncaring but also unaware of his cruelty can; and yet, in that passivity, he unearths pathos. I consider it an underpainting--a little window which peeks out of a bad script to a fully conceived person. Throughout its runtime, the film degenerates into a pantomime, even parody, of itself: but with just a series of slow blinks, Matthew conveys a complete psyche, an entire lifetime. I truly believe that he comes to roles even those he dislikes with an inescapable talent and sensitivity. If I could bring half of his effort and spark and originality to my own creative pursuits, that would make for a very good career indeed. His integrity as an artist really is why watching his worst films is so fun: in a game of limbo, Matthew can do the lowest backbend of all. Strong calves indeed. anyway, this movie is REALLY bad. 0/10

fool's gold:

10/10

[mymp3]

wave ^_^)/ !!!! i hate to be predictable, but for the ask game - poor ryoji mochizuki ? :]c

VITY! waves back o/

Anyways here's Ryoji Mochizuki world’s most perfect boy ^_^

favorite thing about them

Where do I start. Nyx being the primordial being, God in the persona universe. All life comes from her. She’s the beginning and the end, she is death itself. Having death be put inside a small boy and his kindness and love making death want to be human itself. Wanting to repay that kindness and love, feeling guilt at the way it treated the small boy, ruining his life.

The fact that Ryoji is Death, is Thanatos, is Pharos, is Nyx. They’re all the same being. The concept and execution of that, who had no feelings either way before, being treated so kindly to the point where it takes forms this bond with P3 Hero. Protecting him from the first arcana shadow as Thanatos on the first full moon of the game. The culmination of these forms is of course Mochizuki Ryoji. Who’s become soft and sweet. He copies P3 Hero’s appearance and gender and is everything that he never knew he wanted to be.

He loves the world so much, loves humanity so much. He’s so endlessly kind and having that kindness be a direct reflection of P3 Hero makes it that much sweeter. The fact he created this form because of his desire to have it and desire to separate himself from Nyx is the sweetest thing in the world. Especially when they’re all still the same being. Ryoji just has a hard time putting that in perspective again, he doesn’t want to be that, (Evident by his dumb Ryoji phase) doesn’t want to go back to that. It’s so sweet. He’s the cutest in the world.

least favorite thing about them

I honestly don’t think I have one.

favorite line

“I know you better than anyone after all… That’s why I came back to you as Ryoji Mochizuki.” (I know this is kind of cheating. sry.)

brOTP

Him and Junpei are so good it’s unreal. Just bros being bros. They hang out, are the most frat of guys and its hilarious. But when Junpei is going through a rough time Ryoji always knows exactly what to say. I find it so sweet.

OTP

Ryomina

They are literal soulmates. They are one another. Mirror images. Love birds. Codependent cats. Made for each other in the most literal of senses. Ryoji made his form from Minato so they could spend time together. Minato taught Death kindness.

Sometimes I feel so like I’m making them up they’re so perfect.

NOTP

This is a bit odd to type out but pretty much anyone who isn’t P3 Hero with Ryoji? I see Ryoji as only being made for one person in particular, so the others just don’t appeal to me in the same way.

random headcanon

Can I cheat and put more than one. I’m gonna. These are all Ryoji post P3 unless stated otherwise.

- Ryoji going a step further and taking Minato’s hair and eye color. Draining a blue Minato used to have til his are bright and shining. The same way he absorbed his kindness.

- He is crazy codependent. Like crazy codependent. If he was able to touch Minato for a split second in November they would never be able to let go of one another. That’s why Minato had to avoid him in FES.

-He's really warm! Got that from Minato too so he's left with all the cold. Ryoji's fun to hug though :)

- Him and Minato watch over the world together in the great seal! Ryoji shares the knowledge while Minato catches up on rest and helps explain new concepts to him when he wakes up. He’s his doorman ^_^ (ha)

- He would really enjoy working retail if he ever got the shot. He loves people in general. Getting to meet them, talk to them, the whole shebang.

- He’s embarrassed of being Pharos. Like people get of old baby photos.

- Ryoji is metaphorically trans baby. Wanting to copy Minato and preferring being called Ryoji, a boy. It makes talking about Gods a bit difficult. Dysphoria and all. Poor thing experiences it in the weirdest of ways. But as Minato and Ryoji continue to be the seal, it’ll get easier.

- He likes sunrises and cheesy rom coms and fairy tales. Classic knight and princess stories. Kind of has the most normal taste ever, but a romantic at heart.

- Speaking of normal, I think “Dumb Ryoji” is a representation on what Minato would have been like if Death was never sealed inside of him. Perfect friends with all of the right people, charming, a bit of a playboy, and best friends with Junpei.

unpopular opinion

I personally don’t imagine Ryoji with a sexuality. His human form was made as a mirror to Minato, and so interacting with him throws him off course. He acts different around him, it confuses him. I don’t see anything Dumb Ryoji does as being a real representation of who Ryoji is.

song i associate with them

My Ryoji playlist is just the most cheesy songs you’ve ever heard in your life.

Anyways I guess my pick is “Rhythm Of Love" by the Plain White T's. (yeah ik. please go easy on me he's so owl city 2010's pop to me.)

favorite picture of them

i like how pouty he gets when he's upset ^_^

[im-a-marvel-ous-hoe]

Santa, Baby | Bucky Barnes (4th Day of 🎄)

(Credits to the owner of this pic!)

Heyo! I’m back with another Christmas fic! I kinda wrote this one super late at night and haven’t done a proofread on this, so if this is shit pls forgive me 😅🩵

Christmas Masterlist <- check out my other holiday fics!

~~~~

“That’s so cliché! C’mon, I saw that happening from a mile away.” Bucky laughed as we both sat on the couch watching a bad Christmas rom-com, both of us sharing a blanket so that gives us an excuse to cuddle up to each other. He reached for his mug on the coffee stand in front of the both of us and brought it up to his lips, taking a sip and savoring the bitter taste of his coffee on his tongue.

I watched him drink from his mug as I waited in anticipation for him to reach the bottom of the cup. I smiled to myself and shook my head, my attention turning back to the screen in front of us. “You’ve never seen this movie! There’s no way you could’ve guessed.” I joked as he leaned his head closer to mine while his eyes stayed on the TV screen, his arm laid comfortably draped over my shoulder. “Just because I’ve never seen it, doesn’t mean I’m wrong.”

He smiled as he took another sip of his coffee, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as the hot liquid slid down his throat. “Well, when you’re as hot as that actor, the bad acting and cliché lines are forgivable.”

“I’m sitting right here!” He raised an eyebrow and turned towards me. “Oh, that’s right! I forgot that I can only fantasize about being stopped at an airport by the love of my life who tells me how much he loves me and doesn’t want me to leave when you’re not here. Sorry, baby, you’re the hottest man I’ve ever met.” He playfully pushed me off to the side and laughed.

“You dork.”

“You love me.”

“Unfortunately.” He shrugged his shoulders and smirked as I let out a gasp. I returned the favor as he lifted the mug away from me. “Hey, hey! Watch it! You’re gonna make me spill it all over us.” He smiled once he realized he was untouchable while holding the hot beverage. There’s no way I’m gonna allow coffee to stain our blanket and he knows it. He smiled as he lifted the cup up to his puckered lips. “Oh you cocky motherfucker, just watch. Once you put that mug down, your ass is mine.”

“You know, I’m actually quite thirsty. I think I might just hold onto it.”

“Mhmm.” I raised an eyebrow at him and laughed, my anxiety starting to rise wondering how much coffee is left in his mug. How would he react? I’ve been keeping this a secret for a few weeks and the anticipation of telling him was starting to eat me alive. Is this the best way to break the news to him? I mean, it’s a bit too late now to take it out of his hands so…

“Random question, but I’m just curious…” He took a quick sip before speaking up again. “Have you thought about what you’re getting me for Christmas?” I rolled my eyes and chuckled. “Yes, I have. Have you?”

He nodded his head, a small blush appeared on his cheeks as he smiled. “I’ve got the perfect gift, all wrapped up and ready to go.”

“Oh, really? All ready to go, you say?” I asked. “Mhmm. I can’t wait to see the look on your face and doll, let me just say, nothing, and I mean nothing… can top what I got you. I’m callin’ it.” I reached my hand up to his free one and intertwined our fingers together. “Oh, I don’t know about that Bucky. I bet mine is better.”

He shook his head and brought my hand up to his lips, placing a quick sweet kiss on top and looked down at my fingers. “Nope, I’m pretty sure mine is.” I could feel heat rise to my face as I watched him, my mind becoming mush for a second. “As much as I love your gifts, I think I’m the one who's got this one in the bag this year.” I glanced at the practically empty mug in his hand.

“You know what?” He hummed in response, continuing playing with my fingers as he looked directly at me. “You wanna exchange gifts now?” His demeanor changed for a second before clearing his throat. “R – Right now?” I nodded, my excitement and anxiety to tell him the news taking over my next words. “I literally can’t wait to give you your gift. It’s eating me alive.”

He chuckled nervously as his eyes drifted to a random corner of the room. The mug lie standing up on his lap, his fingers gripping the handle. “But uh it’s – it’s not Christmas.”

“I know, but.. this could be a preemie present. I don’t want you to see your gift in front of everyone at Tony’s Christmas party. Too many people watching for something that’s meant to be intimate.” He smirked as he recalled last Christmas. “Is your gift you, doll? Am I gonna have to unwrap you? Is that why you don’t want people watching?” I playfully hit his chest as he laughed before finally meeting my eyes.

“Get your mind outta the gutter, Barnes, I was trynna be sweet here.” His eyes crinkled as he laughed. “Hey, I wouldn’t complain. I loved my gift last year, doll. Can’t help it if I got excited thinking it might happen again this year.” I covered my face with embarrassment as he adjusted his body, his leg bent as he sat directly in front of me. “Do you love seeing me get like this or something?”

“Oh, 100%.”

I pulled my hands away from my face, which I’m sure was beet red. He sat there, staring at me and smiled. “There she is.” I felt my lips curve up and couldn’t help but smile back at him. “Can – Can we please just exchange gifts? I don’t know how much longer I can wait.”

He stayed silent for a moment and hummed. Something about the soft faraway look in his eyes and the way he bit his lip told me that my gift must’ve been something special if he’s acting like this. He glanced down at my hands in my lap and as if something in his head clicked. Seeming to come to a decision, he slowly nodded his head and looked up at me.

“Okay, doll. Let’s do it.” I didn’t realize I was holding in my breath awaiting his response until I felt my shoulders slump and a nervous smile creeped up on my face. “Okay… okay um..” I cleared my throat and took in a nervous deep breath as he spoke. “Ladies first.”

I glanced at the mug he still held onto and felt my heart beating erratically. My hands slowly reached for his cup and grasped it, taking it from his hands and lifted it up to his face. He raised an eyebrow as he waited to see what I would say. “Inside this mug, holds your Christmas gift.”

He glanced at the cup in my hand and smiled up at me. “Doll, I’m confused. Why wouldn’t you want me to see this gift in front of everyone at Tony’s party? It’s just a mug.” He laughed as he took the cup back in his hands. “I said inside the mug is your Christmas gift.”

“... Baby – ”

“Oh my God, Bucky, look at the bottom of the mug!” He held his hands up in defense and chuckled at my impatience, “Okay! It’s right here! It’s not goin’ anywhere.” He looked inside his mug and realized he hadn’t finished his coffee. He brought the cup up to his lips and began drinking the remaining liquid until he suddenly stopped. My heart pounded against my chest as he slowly brought the mug away from his face as he read out the secret message at the bottom of his drink.

‘We are pregnant’

His lips parted open slightly as I anxiously waited for his response. I began to play with the blanket that lay between us as I softly called out his name. He turned towards me and asked. “Are you… is this.. baby, is this real?” I nodded as he quickly placed the mug on the coffee table and brought my body close to him, embracing me in a bear hug. I wrapped my arms around him and felt my bottom lip tremble.

Tears began brimming my eyes as he held me tightly to him, letting out a quiet sniffle. “When – When did you find out? How long have you known?” I chuckled as I went to pull away from him but was quickly brought back in and held on even tighter. “I found out a few weeks ago. I took a few tests and they all came out positive.”

He buried his face into my neck and continued listening to how I found out we are pregnant. “I’ve been keeping this secret ever since. I haven’t told anyone yet – not even Nat or Wanda, although I’m sure they both know that somethings up.” I chuckled. “I wanted you to be the first person I told before we told everyone else. I didn’t want you to feel out of the loop or something if you found out at the same time as everyone else. I wanted us to tell them together.”

He pulled away and reached both of his hands up to reach the sides of my face, He sniffled as his glassy eyes met mine and we both just smiled at each other. “Baby… we’re having a baby.”

I nodded as he pulled me in for a kiss. And another.. and another.. and another.

His fingers ran through my hair as my hands stayed on the stubble on his face, not being able to move as much for how close he pulled me towards him. “You’re gonna be a daddy.” I softly spoke as my lips grazed his. “And you’re gonna be a momma.” I smiled against him and pulled him in for one more kiss.

“I love you.. I love you.. I love you..” He mumbled in between kisses as I giggled against him. His hand reached down and I felt the palm of his hand against my stomach. I placed my hand on top of his as he slowly pulled away and leaned his forehead against mine. “Darling, I… this is the best gift you could’ve ever given me.”

“Told you my gift was the best.” I smiled as he chuckled.

“You haven’t even seen what my gift is.”

“Doesn’t matter. This is as much a gift to you as this is for me.” He leaned in and placed a sweet kiss on my lips before pulling away. He held my hand in his as he rubbed his thumb over my ring finger and pinky as he tilted his head to the side before looking up at me and asked. “Can I give you my Christmas gift now?”

I nodded my head and wiped my eyes clear from my tears. He pushed the blanket that lay on his lap away from him and slowly reached his hand down to the front pocket of his pants. I sat there in silence as he suddenly pulled out a small black velvet box. His gaze stayed focused on the box as he took in a deep breath, shuddering and clearing his throat.

“Y/N…” With his free hand, he reached down and grasped mine in his.

Oh my God.

“Before I met you, I never thought I’d be able to find someone who makes me believe I deserve all the love I’ve been deprived of for so long. I never thought I could find someone who makes me want to be a better person. I uh haha.. never thought I’d find someone who I would want to start a family with..”

He looked up at me with tears in his eyes as he nervously blushed as he continued. “Being with you made me realize how much I want things. I want that quiet life in the country. The white picket fence with our kids running around..” He reached his hand down to my stomach as I felt myself become emotional all over again. If it’s because of the hormones or his beautiful speech, I’ll never know. Maybe it’s a combination of both.

“I want it. I want it all with you and no one else. You’re it, baby. You’re it for me and I want to spend every waking moment with you for the rest of my life. I want to be able to call you mine, forever. With that being said, I guess this means I just have one question left..”

He held the velvet box in his hand nervously as I brought my hand up to my mouth, trying to stifle any cry that’s trying to pop its way out.

“Y/N..” he opened up the small box as I let out a soft gasp. “.. will you marry me?”

I gazed at the beautiful ring in his hands and couldn’t believe that this was actually happening. Our lives are really forever about to change. With marriage and a baby already on the way, it’s making me wonder for a split second if we are moving too fast. His hopeful eyes and shy smile is enough to make my heart burst out of my chest and push away any doubt. This is the man I love and he loves me. I’m looking at the rest of my life in front of me.

I nodded my head.

“Yes. Yes, yes a million times yes.”

He smiled and grabbed the ring and slipped it onto my finger before bringing me in for another kiss for the night. I giggled against his lips as I thought about how busy we’re going to be with the baby and wedding preparations. He slowly pulled away and brought my ringed finger up to his face and inspected it.

“I’ve been waiting to put a ring on your finger for so long. Steve and Sam came ring shopping with me and helped pick out the perfect one. It looks even better than I could ever imagine..” I smiled at him as he met my gaze. “I think I chose well. What do you think?”

I chuckled. “It’s beautiful, Bucky. I love it..” I admired the ring as he moved a strand of hair away from my face. “I can’t wait to be Mrs. Barnes.” His thin line smile grew as he blushed at the thought.

“I can’t wait to call you my wife.” Bucky placed his hand on my stomach and softly smiled. I’m excited for what the future has in store for us. “You know we’re gonna be the talk of the party at Tony’s, right?”

“Oh definitely. That is gonna be interesting.”

“Mhmm and I bet you Sam is gonna ask to be the godfather of our kid.”

He laughed and shook his head. “And have our own kid grow up to bully me like he does? No way. Sam would get a kick out of it, I just know it.”

“He really would.” I laughed with him and looked into his eyes.

“You know somethin’?”

“What?”

“Who do you think got the better gift? ‘Cause right now, I’m thinkin’ it looks like a tie this year.”

~~~~

I hope y’all liked it! Please let me know your thoughts! Likes, comments and reblogs are very much appreciated!

[fareehaandspaniards]

Laurence for the character ask game :>

The Ask meme

Favourite thing about them:

The concept of “the road to hell is paved with good signs” folded into one man. Laurence did so much for the Church and for the people, and still ended up in a personalized little hell without the possibility of even finding his true self

Least favorite thing about them:

stupid lava floor during the boss fight

and his fanon image

Favorite line:

"SKREEEEEEEEEEEE" <3

(I don't want to use his cut content or 1.5 of senteces from the game)

brOTP

Laurence x Gehrman probably

Not really BROtp, but I like to imagine that Gehrman has become a second father to him. Although Laurence had enough influence to keep any kind of company, he preferred to spend his time with the old hunter, asking him for advice and complaining about personal problems. In spite of his cunning and dodgy nature, Laurence was like a child with Gehrman - shy and sweet.

(Also he in childhood was a good friend of Ludwig's wife and Adeline. Him and Adeline is something)

OTP

Laurence x Rom as it was! Two scientists with big ambitions. Only he would like to “live happily ever after”, and she would like to continue her experiments in secret and ascend to higher matter.

Also Laurence x Caryll x Rom is so fucking nice. Caryll is just trapped between two horny demons.

nOTP

Doesn't exist probably. All the pairings with him are good, however, for me the only only beloved one is listed above and all the others are just good

Random headcanon

You won't meet a more stylish and fashionable person in Yharnam than Laurence. His collar is always starched, his brooch sparkles off his jacket, his clothes are ironed and washed, and his hair is combed, but not too much so that it looks more lush. And it's not even about his position or money. Probably even if he was a beggar from the street, he'd still make sure to keep up appearances at all costs. So he feels more confident, more pleasant in his own body, and he can throw his leg over his leg during the dialog, because he knows that he looks stunning. Also, when you talk to him, you can be collected and ready for everything, but still find that you unexpectedly agreed to something uncomfortable for yourself or signed without reading the contract to the end. He has mastered the art of words and can probably talk anyone down, charming you with his sly and attentive gaze at the same time.

This trait is hated with all his heart by Micolash and also disliked by Rom, but only she finds her little kink in it. Ludwig, too, can't stand long conversations with his vicar, nor his sweet, softly flowing voice, and Laurence loves to annoy him. Logarius does not understand all these tricks, and Gehrman only smiles affectionately, for he knows there is a good man hidden underneath it all.

And Caryll promises to carry a shotgun (he doesn't know how to wield a gun) with him so that Laurence won’t even try to start a conversation, but it sounds so unconvincing that Laurence uses this to annoy him once again.

Unpopular opinion

I don't want to get into a fandom debate because of the generally accepted interpretation, I can say a lot of unpleasant and subjective things :/

So about the game: his battle is not a reuse of a Cleric beast - it is individual and difficult circumstances suit the vicar the best. I hate this lava floor myself. But that's the point.

It's just that gamerbros are used to throwing shit at everything in soulslikes, and it really tires me to go into the russian fandom, just to read that the game is shit, Miyazaki is a sucker, everything is overused, complete repetition. Don't play :P Leave my games alone. I love the repetitions that occur in Miyazaki's games. You just can't read :P

Song I associate with them:

Maniac by Carpenter Brut feat. Yann Ligner (but it's more about Rom from Laurence's view so I add another one)

Puttin' on the Ritz by Taco (perfect for a headcanon phphp)

Заходи скорее by Oxxxymiron (a banger)

Favorite picture:

(I don't know who the author is)

[liora-vespera]

CHAPTER (2) - Ethernal Echoes

Genre :

Dark Romance, Rebirth, Revenge, Mystery, Drama

Warning :

Not much for now, but the age gap between the leads is 13 years.

<-Prev Present Next->

-------------------------------------------------------

Y/N's racket slammed against the shuttlecock with a loud thwack, sending it soaring over to Beomgyu’s side. He barely moved, catching it lazily with one hand before tossing it back to her.

"I don’t get it," Beomgyu muttered, making a face as he adjusted his grip on his racket. "Why is it so hard to make a boutique work? I mean, we have good stuff, right? I’ve seen people buy worse in those Instagram ads that look like they were made from scraps!"

Y/N laughed, but the sound quickly faded as her mind wandered. "I don’t know, Beomgyu. I guess we’re just... new to this. We don’t really know what we’re doing."

"New? We’ve been at this for how long? And we’re still figuring out how to price things!" Beomgyu grinned, his tone mocking but playful. "Maybe we should start offering ‘Buy One, Get A Free Panic Attack’ deals."

Y/N snorted, nearly missing her return shot. "Honestly, I think that would probably be our best seller."

Beomgyu pointed his racket at her, looking overly serious. "Right? Our target audience: stressed, fashion-forward people who need a good meltdown."

She grinned, but then her smile faltered. "It’s just... a lot sometimes," she said, her voice softer than before. "Like, the other day, I went with my dad to some event—just to be there with him—and I ended up fainting."

Beomgyu’s eyes widened comically. "Wait, what? You fainted at a random engagement party?" He burst into laughter. "You’re too much, Y/N. How do you even manage that? I’d be a legend if I did that!"

Y/N rolled her eyes, playfully swatting at him with her racket. "I didn’t mean to. It was just... too much all at once. The crowd, the pressure, the weirdly fancy food... I thought I was going to die of embarrassment when I woke up."

"You fainted from fancy food?" Beomgyu asked, his voice full of mock disbelief. "What is this, a rom-com where the girl swoons over caviar?"

Y/N stuck her tongue out at him. "No! I just... felt lightheaded from the crowd. It wasn’t a big deal, honestly."

Beomgyu snickered, shaking his head. "Well, if anyone had to faint at a party, I’m glad it was you. You’d make it look classy. Me? I’d probably trip over a chair and spill punch everywhere."

Y/N laughed, the tension easing from her shoulders as she realized how much she needed this—the banter, the ridiculousness of it all. "Thanks, I guess. But next time, I’m sticking to smaller events where I don’t end up on the floor in front of strangers."

"Good call," Beomgyu said, still grinning. "Maybe we can have our next boutique meeting at a food court. Nice and casual—no fainting required."

"Deal. But only if we can get something more exciting than soggy fries."

"Now we’re talking."

-------------------------------------------------------

The soft hum of the air conditioner was the only sound in Taehyung's luxurious office. The room, adorned with dark mahogany furniture and floor-to-ceiling windows, exuded power and control—much like the man seated behind the sleek desk. His sharp gaze was locked on the tablet screen in front of him, the images flipping slowly as he studied them.

Y/N Min.

The photos showed her in the ebb and flow of daily life. In one, she was laughing as she played badminton with her friend. Her hair, loosely tied back, bounced with every move. Another captured her stepping out of the boutique, Min & Choi, with a bag of fabric rolls in hand. Her face betrayed a mixture of determination and weariness.

The boutique appeared modest, almost insignificant compared to the high-end brands Taehyung was accustomed to. Yet, there was something compelling about how hard she worked. A third photo showed her at a coffee shop, her sketchbook open as she discussed designs with her business partner, Choi Beomgyu.

“Interesting choice of company,” Taehyung murmured under his breath.

Mr. Han, standing at attention nearby, cleared his throat. At twenty-eight, he was far less formal than the older staff in Taehyung’s employ, yet he always delivered. His charm and efficiency made him indispensable, though his humor often tested Taehyung’s patience.

“As you requested, I’ve gathered everything about Miss Y/N Min,” Mr. Han began, his tone professional but laced with his usual playful edge.

Taehyung’s eyes didn’t leave the screen. “Speak.”

“Y/N Min. Twenty-one years old. Daughter of Min Jin-ho, your company’s legal counsel and one of the top criminal lawyers in the country. She’s his only child. Studied fashion design, though she seems to have avoided taking the easier path of joining an established firm. Instead, she co-founded a boutique called Min & Choi with her childhood friend, Choi Beomgyu.”

Taehyung’s fingers drummed against the desk. “Choi Beomgyu?”

“Yes, sir. Son of Choi Il-woo, a high-ranking politician. Both Y/N and Beomgyu come from wealthy families but are quite stubborn about achieving success on their own.”

A hint of irritation flickered across Taehyung’s face, though it was impossible to tell why. Mr. Han, unfazed, continued. “They’ve known each other since kindergarten. Close friends, by all accounts. Despite their determination, their boutique isn’t doing well. Reviews suggest the designs are creative, but their lack of marketing knowledge is holding them back. Financially, it seems they’re barely breaking even.”

“They’re amateurs,” Taehyung stated coldly, his tone final.

“Well, yes,” Mr. Han replied, daring a small smirk. “But you have to admire the effort. They’re essentially two clueless kids trying to run a business without any real experience. It’s almost... endearing.”

Taehyung’s glare silenced him instantly.

“Continue.”

“Yes, of course,” Mr. Han said, clearing his throat. “Miss Min appears to be quite optimistic, though she has moments of stress. She often handles the boutique’s creative side, while Choi Beomgyu focuses on the logistics—or tries to, anyway. They seem to be close but purely platonic.”

Taehyung’s jaw tightened. “What else?”

“Well,” Mr. Han hesitated, then grinned, “she’s thirteen years younger than you, sir, and might I remind you that you are engaged?”

Taehyung’s piercing gaze met his. “Watch your words, Han.”

Unbothered, Mr. Han continued with a casual shrug. “I’m simply saying, sir, showing interest in someone who’s young enough to call you ‘Ahjussi’ might not be the wisest decision. And let’s not forget the fiancée—you know, the one you’re supposed to marry?”

Taehyung’s voice was ice. “You think I’m interested in her?”

Mr. Han gave a sly smile. “I think you’re curious. Enough to ask me to gather all this information about her. Enough to call her name unconsciously, as I heard happened after your engagement party.”

“That’s irrelevant,” Taehyung snapped, his tone sharp enough to cut glass.

“Of course, sir,” Mr. Han said smoothly, though his grin didn’t fade. “But you must admit, she’s… different. Not the type of person who would normally catch your attention.”

Taehyung didn’t reply. Instead, his gaze returned to the screen, lingering on a photo of Y/N outside her boutique. Her expression was distant, almost melancholic, as though she was carrying a burden too heavy for someone so young.

“She fainted,” Taehyung said quietly, his voice betraying a hint of something that might have been concern.

“Ah, yes,” Mr. Han said, tilting his head. “Quite the dramatic scene at the engagement party. I hear it was due to stress—or perhaps the overwhelming presence of certain billionaires?”

Taehyung ignored him. He leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers as he contemplated.

“Dismissed,” he ordered coldly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Mr. Han gave a mock salute, muttering as he left, “Strict and cold as ever. Honestly, it’s a miracle anyone survives working with you.”

Once alone, Taehyung stared at the tablet for a long moment before turning it off. He didn’t know why Y/N Min lingered in his thoughts. She was ordinary—her life was far removed from his. Yet, for reasons he couldn’t explain, he felt drawn to the simplicity of her existence.

He shook his head, pushing the thought aside. He had no time for distractions, especially not one as inexplicable as this.

“There is something… magnetic about you. I can't help but be drawn into it… Darling…” Taehyung sighed, closing his eyes as he wasn't able to get those eyes out of his mind since the engagement party.

-------------------------------------------------------

The tension in the Kim family’s private sitting room was palpable. Mrs. Kim sat on a plush armchair, her hands gripping the carved wooden armrests as she stared at her son, disbelief etched across her elegant features.

"You cannot be serious, Taehyung," she said sharply, her voice trembling with frustration. "After everything, after all the effort it took to arrange this marriage, you’re telling me you want to break the engagement? Just like that?”

Taehyung stood tall across from her, his hands in his pockets, his expression cold and unyielding. "Yes."

"Selena is perfect for you," Mrs. Kim pressed, her tone rising. "Her family, her upbringing—everything aligns with our status. She’s been nothing but kind, graceful, and understanding."

"She’s not who I want," Taehyung said curtly, his deep voice cutting through her arguments like a blade.

Mrs. Kim’s brows furrowed, her frustration giving way to anger. "You agreed to this, Taehyung. After months of convincing you, you finally agreed! What changed? Who is it that you want?"

Taehyung’s jaw tightened, and he looked away. "It doesn’t matter who it is. What matters is that I refuse to spend my life with someone I don’t want."

"It does matter," she said, her voice breaking slightly. "You’re thirty-four, Taehyung. Do you not see how much this family depends on you? On your choices? I’ve spent my entire life preparing you for this, building a legacy that you can pass down to your children."

She paused, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "All I’ve ever wanted is to see you settled, happy, and with a family of your own. Grandchildren, Taehyung. I want to hold them before I die. Is that too much for a mother to ask?"

Taehyung’s gaze remained hard, unmoved by her emotional appeal. "Using your health to guilt me into staying in this engagement won’t work, Mother. If you care about my happiness, you’ll speak to Selena’s family and end this."

Mrs. Kim stared at him, her expression torn between anger and despair. "Do you think I don’t want your happiness? I’ve always wanted the best for you! But this—this sudden decision—it’s reckless. Selena is a good woman. Why can’t you see that?"

"Because I don’t feel anything for her," Taehyung snapped, his calm façade cracking for the first time. "I can’t build a life with someone I don’t want. It’s not fair to her or to me."

Mrs. Kim’s voice softened, pleading now. "And who do you want, Taehyung? Tell me. Is there someone else?"

Taehyung looked at her, his expression unreadable. "It doesn’t matter who I want. What matters is that it’s not Selena."

A heavy silence fell between them. Finally, Mrs. Kim exhaled shakily, wiping at her eyes. "You’re making a mistake, Taehyung. A grave mistake. But if this is truly what you want, I’ll speak to Selena’s parents. For your sake."

"Thank you," Taehyung said, his voice firm but devoid of warmth.

Mrs. Kim rose slowly, her movements heavy with exhaustion and emotion. As she turned to leave, she stopped by the door, glancing back at her son. "You may think you know what you want now, but life isn’t about chasing fleeting desires, Taehyung. It’s about building something meaningful. I hope you realize that before it’s too late."

Taehyung didn’t respond. He watched as she left the room, her shoulders slumped in defeat.

Once alone, he called for Gloria, the trusted maid who had been with their family for years. She appeared swiftly, her expression calm but attentive.

"Gloria," Taehyung said, his tone softening slightly. "Take care of her. Make sure she rests and doesn’t overexert herself."

Gloria nodded, her face a mixture of understanding and concern. "Of course, sir. I’ll see to it."

As she left, Taehyung leaned against the window, his thoughts racing. He knew his decision would cause chaos, but it didn’t matter. All he wanted now was Y/N Min in his life.

She wasn’t just a fleeting thought or a passing distraction—she was a goal, a desire he couldn’t ignore. But how to bring her into his world without alarming his family or her? That was a challenge Taehyung was prepared to face, no matter the cost.

To be continued...

[palesmokeisinthevoid]

Transfem Shrimpo Doodles and doodles for a…kind of self indulgent probably ooc au based on a Pokémon nuzlocke I’m doing.

Shrimpo and Toodles are siblings to me. Nothing will change this. Shrimpo will absolutely make fun of Toodles but if anyone else does she will throw her brick at them. She also lets Toodles paint her nails.

Poppy and Shrimpo <3. Honestly starting to sort of ship it but here it’s friendship. Poppy helped her figure things out. I’m imaging that when a few of the toons were first made they kind of came to the conclusion that they weren’t the gender that was originally intended for them, so that was fun script changing for Gardenview/j, Shrimpo was made real later on due to her…personality (I imagine the toons and Gardenview came before the cartoon, mainly to explain some headcanons, so some existed before the Cartoon such as the mains, the starters, etc. and others came from the cartoon such as Shrimpo), and didn’t realize a toon could be a different gender than what they were intended.

Shelly and Shrimpo friendship is everything to me you can pry it out of my cold dead hands. Ichor is pretty malleable so toons can change their appearance if they get a hold of some extra. Sprout didn’t have top to give surgery even before he realized he was trans but he gave himself the scars anyway because he thought it was neat…and now Shrimpo is in similar circumstances/j

Just Shrimpo and Teagan having tea. Nothing much to say here I just wanted to draw them

And now the weird au I have no name for

All these designs are based vaguely off of Pokémon and random ideas I had while doing a nuzlocke (specifically of a rom hack which is why the Pokémon are so mismatched) which is still ongoing.

Basically weird stuff happened, all the toons and twisteds got thrown into another dimension that keeps having other dimensions fuse with it to the point that this is just a regular October for them…anyway due to another substance in this dimension reacting a bit weird with ichor due to their similar properties it kind of started changing the most of the toons appearances and these are some of those designs

I got a Magikarp so of course I had to make Shrimpo the pathetic fish…and then the overpowered serpent. She started out with her canon design and then got the extra shrimp features…including arms. And also the marks from her skin, because I thought that would be fun.

Toodles ended up as a Togepi and the first move she pulled from metronome was FUCKING “Snipe shot”, so now she has a sniper rifle that no one can take from her because she can just summon it back to her. Not much changed much about her physically outside of her blush marks becoming triangles. The wings are just fakes because she got a new hoodie.

Rodger will one day be a graveler so four arms, not much to say. He is wearing alpha sleeper though since his suit got kind of…destroyed. By growing a second set of arms.

Razzle and Dazzle are a Galarian Yamask. They aren’t having a great time. They got knocked out at some point, Dandy found them and then got a terrible idea and enacted the first part of the idea on whichever one of them woke up first…unfortunately for Razzle, he’s an early riser. So uh, face shattered, Dazzle got lied to about the cause and then Dandy convinced him he could fix Razzle’s head if Dazzle just helped him with something. Razzle’s fucked up physically and mentally and Dazzle is just having a bad time.

CENTIVEE!!!! She got Venipede!!!! CENTIVEEEEEEEEEEE. I just like bug looking characters. She’s got a bunch of legs and three pairs of arms.

Shelly was the starter! Totodile! She’s got some croc stuff going on, nothing too distract she’s just a little reptile.

Cosmo probably would have come out normal looking outside having his caramel skins cheeks if he didn’t look a god straight in the eye. Now he’s gained their interest and if one gains a gods interest they can end up with some…new limbs or horns. In this case Cosmo got both since he ended up as Pidove and I wanted to incorporate the weird mask thing on Unfeasant so uh…Horn going straight through his eye! Fun!

Dandy is a Budew. Weird sleeve things aren’t sleeves, they are, in fact, a part of his arms. He’s got some twisted features too since…well, twisted dandy is dandy

Finn died in game. He was a Wooper, but he’ll be back eventually…the next time I get a fish Pokémon. Once that happens he’s never getting his legs back/j. Man is stuck as a mermaid…or Mayhaps a siren. Depends on what fish I get.

[onetimetwotimesthreetimess]

malec and orange peel theory let go

“Yes,” Izzy smiles.

excuse u people peel orange for the isabelled lightwood not the other way around

of course magnus would peel orange magically that thing is a hassle aldksgjlfdhjdl

Then, Magnus speaks, “Oh, wait. I forgot,” before a magically peeled orange appears in front of it.

this lil shit

“Peel,” it’s an order this time because Raziel, Magnus will know shit is up now.

dom alec tease omg

“Here, Daddy. I peeled it,” Max yells excitedly.

i cant blame him i would do the same for alec too

“Not all of us have partners who can take us to any part of the world and have us taste world cuisine,” Jace grins.

sometimes i lie at night and think about alec can literally eat fresh off oven french desserts from France and I'm like...bitch gimme your sugar baby status

Magnus prefers the spicier one.

hotpot only good if it's spicy there i said it!

Magnus sits next to him, a hand dragging a random pattern on his thigh as Alec murmurs something against his ear, pulling a small grin out of the man.

everyone is that brazilian dog eyebrow rainbow meme

“His white ass couldn’t deal with the spicier broth the first time we tried it.”

and when i said first time alec all blushed cheeks breathing heavily tongue out and it make magnus develop a new kink, then what

Magnus nudges him and without even looking, Alec turns and opens his mouth as Magnus feeds him a bite of fish ball.

oh magnus know how to feed alec ball all right-

There are a few pieces of mushrooms in his broth which he doesn’t like at all. He picks them up and puts them on Magnus’s plate who rolls his eyes at him.

me with the most evil invention of nature (scallion)

He puts down his chopsticks and starts peeling the shrimp one by one. When he is done, he transfers the plate to Alec who smiles at him.

magnus pass the test he now officially qualified to be a k-drama male lead love interest

“Umm, I like doing it for him,” Magnus adds nonchalantly.

when devotion is peeling shrimp for your SO >>>>>>>

He thinks about Izzy’s question and scoffs—of course, he knows how to peel a shrimp.

guess our single asses have to eat the shrimps whole like a REAL bad bitch

His husband frowns. “I don’t know. Maybe the first time we went out for a hotpot. You seemed confused by everything so I helped.”

The first time was almost five years ago.

“Okay,” he mumbles before he adds. He doesn’t know why but he can’t help but ask. “But why are you doing it still?”

Magnus gives him a small smile. “Because you like shrimps.”

AWEEEEEEEEE magnus is so male lead love interest with dedicated track written and referenced specifically him

Alec kisses Magnus’s nose before he speaks. “Some stupid peel theory has got nothing on you.”

now i wonder how does alec eat crabs and overall shellfish lol

ofc people would be peeling oranges for one and only Isabelle lightwood but I like the idea of Clary and Simon fuxking with those two constantly with mundane culture.

lmao Magnus really do be perfect to play the certified male rom com lead. He had the vibe>>>>>>

Magnus know how to feed Alec ball- when I tell you i spit water readinf this jsjsjsjsjsj. and yes devotion is peeling shrimp for your SO.

And, I, too would give my life to peel oranges for Alec Lightwood. It’s what he deserves jssnsjsjsjk

Thank you for this love. I’m glad you liked it. 🌻🌈🌻

[everlasting-rainfall]

Hey! How are you doing? Hope you have a beautiful and wonderful day bc you deserve the best!!!!!! Love you!!!!

Sorry for rambling but...

Omg your animal crossing au make me go brrrrrrr (even though I never played the game). Just imagine the more introvert ones trying to keep readers island isolated! Like poor reader just thinking they are messing up the game and losing people and friends but in reality is the yandere one threatening everyone to keep reader to themselves. Getting more and more agressive with their s/o for closing the game.

Oh god, good food good food. (Sorry to bother you)

Oh! That’s so kind of you to say!! Thank you so very much for saying something like that and I hope that you have a beautiful and wonderful day as well! Don’t worry, you aren’t bothering me at all!

Also I’m so glad that you like my animal crossing au as it is something that I personally enjoy and it has a bit of an origin story as I originally came up with it around the same time that the newest Animal Crossing Game was released

If I remember then it actually started off as a JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Story but I never posted it and I no longer have it, I never thought I would be writing for it again as I always thought I would just keep it sitting and thinking about it a bunch instead of writing about it

!-MINORS DO NOT INTERACT AT ALL-!

!-POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS-!

Sentient Game Characters, Threats, Isolation, Death, Kidnapping

!-POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS-!

!-MINORS DO NOT INTERACT AT ALL-!

I always have envisioned the game as kind of like a rom hack with a shit ton of effort out into it where no one has any clue who made it like it sure as hell wasn’t the developers, that’s for certain

Like I like to think that the start of them game gives you an option that will decide if you get Marine or Pirate Villagers, you can still get other factions but that also depends on what you choose during the start

Let’s say that you went with Marines, you can also get villagers relating to the World Government and Impel Down like things like that with the NPC’s who run the stores and businesses being different too

On the other hand, if you pick pirates then you’ll get villagers relating to things like Revolutionary Army and things like that

You’ll always get two starting villagers too that you can randomize or select from a list, some people like Benn and Shanks will get along well and are good to go with plus they’ll make it so that the other members of the Red Haired Pirates are more likely to move in

If a character has a relationship as well like Yassop and Banchina, if one shows up first then the other will soon appear and there’s also a chance of Banchina even winding up pregnant with Usopp after a certain amount of time has passed

Certain villagers can even live together if they get along well enough and it’ll free up a spot in your town for a new villager to move in, the same thing will happen if your character winds up in a relationship as the character will move in with you and free up a spot for someone new to move in

As you can tell based on the fact that they’re Yandere’s, breaking up isn’t an option and instead you have some normal options alongside some more romantic ones then there’s the one where you spend some alone time with your partner or partners

As I did state before, there is the immersive interactions option which is basically like a switch to make it so that your villagers will become sentient and eventually drag you to their world inside of the console

But if you don’t turn it on then you’ll probably be fine unless one of your villagers decides to go against their coding and turn it on so they can finally have you

Immersive interactions is also what causes your characters to react when you have visitors as I can imagine the game can connect to people who have the actual game like let’s say you invite a friend over to your town and the villagers just cannot stand them which is mostly because your attention is on them instead of your villagers

Your villagers will try any strategy to get you to stop focusing on them and if your friend wanders off with their character to go explore, they’ll be approached and sufficiently threatened to the point where they no longer want to hang out with you in real life due to fear of your in game villagers

One by one as well, if you keep inviting people to your game then you’ll keep losing them and if one decides to stay then that person is going to disappear without a single trace as to where they went because guess who got dragged inside of the console and killed for not staying away?

Try to turn the game off and put it down as much as you want as well, you’ll come back eventually and when you do they’ll be waiting for you and asking you to never leave again

Getting more and more insistent that you stay each time that you shut the game off and leave until eventually there’s no escape for you, they’ll drag you inside and leave the console with the game on the floor

Your save file is archived and locked away within the game files so the next person who plays will think no one else has played it and fall victim to the same fate as you did with their save file getting archived and locked away as well making it so there really is no escape

I hope this response was pleasing for you and I hope that you enjoyed it!

[a-world-with0ut-dr34ms]

Your Telepathic Hold On Me

From Control - Full Story in Progress on AO3!

Ghost x Shadow!Reader x Soap

mentions of past Graves x Reader

Love Triangle, Fluff, Rom/Com-like, Slow Burn, Romance, Drama, Melodrama, Character Study, Multi-POV, Semi Explicit, Slight Angst, Wet Dreams, Friendzoning, Steamy (but more teasing than actual smut), Masturbastion, Military Inaccuracies, Canon-Compliant (hopefully), Pining, Angsty with random rom-com moments, A Roller-Coaster, Dark, A bit edgy, Grown men with crushes

tw: // violence, blood

Word Count: 11.5k

This took me 5,000 years to conjure up and type, but I finally finished it and I enjoyed typing it so that's all that matters. I just wanted this to read like a messy soap opera for the eyes. I've been away for a while too so I figured I'd make this long. It's messy, but I'm trying to keep every in character. This is basically a love triangle. Please enjoy (っ˘ڡ˘ς)

Hope it's not boring and stupid, I'm rusty as hell (ʃᵕ̩̩ ᵕ̩̩)

Masterlist

There are many parts of life that Ghost has grown used to.

He's used to waking up every morning and having nothing but his work to look forward to. That familiar solitude waiting for him at the end of every shift was as much a part of his life as anything else.

He's used to his usual streak of bad luck too. It wouldn’t be a regular day for the man if some inconveniences and setbacks weren’t sprinkled in here and there. Dealing with bad luck was a hidden talent of Ghost that life had a funny way of testing. He’s been on edge waiting to see what’s in store for him next.

He's used to doing little things to occupy his free time, which has lately been a lot of journaling and late-night jogging. It helps to have something to preoccupy himself with, rather than turning to the bottle for comfort; yet another qualm inherited to him by his father. Ghost would never allow himself to succumb to such vices as easily as his old man had though. That’s a cautionary tale the lieutenant didn’t need to live through a second time.

He's used to dealing with strangers and all their odd comments and tantalizing stares. When you're as mountainous in appearance and intimidating to talk to as he is, you learn to grow thick skin and not take things so personally. And by now he’s grown used to keeping people at a distance. 

At the start, it had been deliberate, knowing he was in no place to be thinking of building relationships with anyone outside of his team. And even that was with the bare minimum effort. 

Everyone must have just finally gotten the memo. Almost everyone. Eventually, Ghost got so good at keeping people away that he hardly had to try anymore. They just stopped approaching him. Stopped asking him personal questions. Stopped trying. 

He's used to that feeling he gets when he sees couples in public. That twinge which knots at the pit of his gut and wrinkles his nose beneath his mask. As someone known to stare, PDA was definitely a head-turner for the lieutenant, and rather nauseating to look at. That's how he'd put it. 

What many would take for disdain, however, was really only a faint longing for something he's only ever been a passive observer to. Love. He isn't used to that feeling, though he is used to being the one always on the outside of it. Any other kind of love has only ever been taken from him all too soon. Always out of his hands, and always just out of reach. That's a lot more familiar to him.

But that feeling would come, and then it would pass, because it's what Ghost is used to. Moving. Working. Surviving.

Living.

It's safe to say Ghost can handle a few contrivances throughout his day. However, today seemed especially adamant on testing his patience, in all new ways he never thought of before. Both petty, pointless, and far too sweet.

Even his dreams had been out to get him this morning, which did not surprise him, as bad dreams stuck to him like a bad habit. Still, it didn't make them any less welcome. And looking back, it may have been best to have taken the dreams as a heads-up for the kind of day he was in for.

Ghost didn't remember passing out the night before, only that he had entered his room later than he should have, leaving you and Soap to yourselves. While he wouldn't say the night was terrible, it left him with more to think about than he'd wanted when deciding to tag along. 

That would be the case, as his mind would tell him so the moment he finally managed to pass out.

Contrary to popular belief, Ghost could be a surprisingly creative thinker. He's always been very imaginative, even as a boy. Had he a better childhood, perhaps it could have taken him places. But life's never had much in store for him it seems, so his creative talents felt best suited to his nightmares instead.

It had been a simple dream, a near recap of the night before. 

You've left the cafe in a fluster of emotions, soon to be followed by Soap. Ghost remained inside, standing off in the distance as he watched you both run off. Waiting.

The cafe would grow emptier as the minutes crawled by endlessly. The music would slowly fade, and the ambiance would die out. The lights would grow so dim that it made the building feel cold, and before long not a soul lingered around Ghost, who was now alone. Still waiting.

It wasn't until he heard the sounds of you both screaming that Ghost finally sprung from his spot and out the cafe doors.

Outside had been no different. All the traffic and crowds had all but vanished, a dense fog settling across the city streets that even the streetlights struggled to break through. And it was quiet.

Ghost quickly found you standing off a ways from the cafe, your back turned to him, and Soap nowhere in sight. 

In the waking world, Ghost was a man who modeled himself on control and discipline. He could not afford to be someone who let his emotions get the better of him, especially if his behaviors in his dreams were a reflection of who that man would be. 

In his dreams, where all that structure and discipline he's built around himself could no longer follow, lie a man untamed by demons and darker whims he felt powerless to take control over.

He demanded to know where Soap had gone. When you couldn’t answer him, he felt a violent urge take over. As though some demon suddenly possessed him. Ghost lunges towards you, his large hands over-compassing the small frame of your neck with ease, as he pins you to the cafe walls behind you, his dark eyes seething.

You look up at him, stricken with fear as your frail hands pull at him, gasping in shock as you whimper in his grasp. You plead to him, trying to reason with him, even now. 

Your words would only fall on deaf ears, as Ghost's grip tightened around your neck, the muscles in your throat bending to his grasp. His body moved with a mind of its own, blacking out everything else. Waiting to see in your eyes the fears he's harbored for you. Wanting to hear you curse him. Wanting you to affirm to him what he only waits for you to realize in reality. That he’s no good.

But even so, you hold no resentment in your gaze, nor pity. Your hands release from his wrist, slowly trailing up, until he's felt your warm touch rest against the sides of his face. Gently caressing him.

"Ghost..."

Ghost isn't sure when it was that his grip had loosened on your neck after that, only that his hands began to tremble soon after. You take a step closer, your hands still holding him, as his jawline all but sinks into your palms. All the while, Ghost's hands linger around your neck, having grown accustomed to its shape.

Your thumb gently rubs against his cheek, soothing his tense body. "Isn't this what you want?"

"I..." Ghost's head dips, no longer able to look you in your eyes. It shamed him to admit that he did want this. To be touched, to be held, to be taken in and for that not to go away. Not so soon at least. He didn’t want to need those things, to long for them. He’s gotten this far in life without them now, he knows he can keep it up. And yet… “...You're not gettin' in my head. I won't let you. I can't…"

"You can..." You lift yourself up on your tip-toes, the crown on your head just barely meeting his forehead, your eyes locked on his. "...I already am."

Despite your persistence, Ghost somehow manages to keep himself from succumbing to your urges, though it takes everything in him to. He needn't act out on these whims, even in his dreams.

However, your tenacity was a foe unmatched even as a figment of his darker imagination.

Your hands stop just at the end of his mask, and you begin to tug. The sensation is as if you’d begun to pull Ghost’s soul from him. He wishes it would have woken him, but the night’s hold was heavy.

You stop pulling his mask up just shy of the bridge of his nose, revealing the light stubble that painted the lower half of his face, alongside the light purse of his lips. With your hands still lightly gripping the side of his mask, you bring him down to you. 

You press your lips to him, and Ghost' powerless to contain himself, kisses you back, feeling a wave of ecstasy wash through him. Ghost grips your neck tightly again, catching the air in your throat as you gasp into his mouth. His lips overpower your own, his sheer size having you pressed harshly against the wall. 

Ghost only parts from your mouth for the smallest moment, only to come back in again, his hands using your neck to crane your head so that he could hold you in place. Keep you with him. Wanting nothing more than to feel you... only he is unable to.

Your neck in his grasp, your lips against his, your breath that fogged the air around him -- he couldn't feel a thing. Ghost had only the faintest idea of what that sensation could feel like, having felt it so long ago now. And yet he craved it. Yearning it. Because even his dreams could not replicate that smallest of feelings you once gave him.

But before he can truly ascend onto cloud 9, a sharp pain enters his abdomen, breaking through his sternum and piercing straight into his heart. The one thing he could feel. His lips part from yours, and his eyes drag down to where you had stabbed him. 

Ghost stumbles back, his body convulsing with pain as the blood began to pool from his chest and mouth. All the while he can hear your insane laughter filling his ears, a twisted glint to your gaze, before he's finally pulled himself out of his sleep and into a panicked wake.

Once he realized he was no longer dreaming, the stiff cold air of his room finally calmed him, Ghost wasn't sure what he found most embarrassing about what just happened, however -- The fact that he had that dream at all, or the fact that only seconds later, he’s noticed the throbbing hard-on he’d gotten from it.

Ghost groans to himself and sinks his head back against his pillow. “Fuckin’ hell…”

He would have left himself alone, had the arousal not been so painfully uncomfortable to leave be. Weakly succumbing, Ghost brings a hand down to himself to finish the job, sliding his fingers beneath the waistband of his sweatpants to take hold. 

He makes quick work with his urges, moving his hand at a fast pace as he kept his eyes closed, trying to picture something to help get it done quicker.

With no one else who really came to mind, Ghost couldn't help but think back to you. How your lips moved over him in his dream, how his hands fit perfectly around your neck, and how your own hands felt like chains around him. 

He escalates the scenario in his mind, picturing you ridding yourself of your clothes. Your body bare for his perusal. Ghost thinks about you climbing over him now, your legs straddling him to the bed and his hands tightly holding onto your hips. The sweet moans you'd make with him in you would haunt him for the rest of his life, as he’s watching your body vibrate with pleasure, your gaze wanting him evermore.

Ghost buries his face into his pillow just as he climaxes, that uncontrollable lust he felt quickly being replaced by guilt and shame. 

The way you had Ghost so wound up, you'd think he were a virgin. Though that wasn't true; it had been well over three years since Ghost has actually laid with another person, and even then that last time had just been transactional. Some stranger at a bar back home he didn't mind expelling some of himself into for the night. It hadn't meant anything. 

Intimacy hasn't meant anything to him for a long time now.

Yet the way you plagued his mind would have him thinking he's never known the meaning of lust and intimacy before, until now. Like he’s been missing out or something. 

While Ghost has dreamed of you before, never has it been so... graphic. Certainly nothing like this. And for a moment, it worried the man. He's used to his typical nightmares, and knows how to combat those by now. But how was he supposed to tackle this one? What even was this?

Ghost had given up trying to find the purpose of that dream the minute it grew easier to settle for the obvious answer, the one that pained him to admit: Perhaps he did have a crush on you after all. 

He finds you attractive, clearly. But a crush? It felt so beneath him, being unable to stop something as silly as that from forming. Still, this stupid little crush has somehow caused him more inner turmoil than any of the recent ops he’s last run, and it was mighty embarrassing.

It's safe to say, having to see you later today would feel more awkward than Ghost would have liked. Especially since it would technically be your first official day on the team. But he hadn't planned on treating you any differently than anyone else, and a single dream wasn't going to change that now.

That was the plan at least.

…

"You know Halloween ain't 'til the end of the month, right?"

Ghost stood in front of the register at one of the corner stores within walking distance from the barracks. The only one open this early in the morning.

The lieutenant damn near towered over the counter space, tired eyes watching unenthusiastically as the cashier  -- some scrawny little woman who looked like she'd seen a few street fights in her day -- scanned and bagged his box of tea. She's been giving Ghost the side-eye since she stepped in, shadowing him in every aisle. 

Ghost didn't blame her much, seeing as he's shown up in a hoodie and a ski mask. But honestly, the man really did just want to pick up some tea. While this had not been his first choice for tea, Ghost has come to learn how little Americans really care for the drink.

Had Ghost been back home, or not stationed here, he'd have forgone the mask and just gone later in the day. However, seeing as that wasn't the case, going early in the morning to pick up some tea at least meant he wouldn't bump into too many wide-eyed pedestrians ready to gawk at him for wearing a bloody mask. 

Ghost still could not tell for the life of him what fascinated people so much about it. It's only a mask. Though this is coming from a man who also, very often, forgets his sheer size and presence. The mask was only the cherry on top, really. Perhaps in their shoes, he'd do the same.

But even so, unprovoked comments from strangers were the lieutenant’s bread and butter. 

"Just bein' festive, Luv."

Ghost hands the woman cash for the tea, watching her take her time counting it. "And you went with that?" she asks, rather mockingly too.

"Weren't much to choose from, I'm afraid," Ghost says dryly.

The cashier hands Ghost his bag and gives him a learned smile. "Well, hey, you've got time." And then she waves him goodbye. 

Ghost merely catalogs this as yet another awkward interaction he's had with the locals since being stationed here.

The awkward occasion before this one had been with some other woman two days ago. Poor thing just popping by her nearest gas station for a drink, when Ghost all but gave her a stroke. The last thing she expected to bump into when she hastily opened the gas station doors was this ugly mug. She screamed so loud that Ghost was sure the entire block heard her. 

It's safe to say nothing has been quite as awkward as that. Who knew Americans could be so jumpy?

Ghost's walk back to his room had been a sunny one, on a sidewalk busier than this Wednesday morning called for. The air, once warm for the summer, was finally beginning to cool, as early signs of fall showed themselves in the tree's leaves.

As Ghost drew near his building, he passed by a floral shop that someone recently set up at the park. He'd taken a gander or two at the flowers his first time walking past them earlier.

Whoever set it up made sure to have the most vibrant flower arrangements decorating the area. Baskets sat displayed both high and low, filled to the brim with a rainbow of different petals and plants. It grabbed a lot of attention from the bystanders, people stopping to look or even buy a bouquet for their significant other. At times it was like watching a movie.

The last time Ghost bought flowers it had been for his mother. She always liked her lavenders and tulips, and Ghost always enjoyed the smile on her face when he'd show up to her home with them. He nearly sighs out loud just thinking back to that time. It feels so long ago now.

Ghost wouldn't say he had a Green Thumb, though he did always enjoy planting new flowers every Spring with his mother. Whenever she'd find the time to and his old man was away on another one of his benders long enough.

He remembers enjoying how colorful their front lawn would look when they finished, compared to the rest of the gray they lived around in Manchester. Everything around him when he was younger always felt so sad and lifeless, it was nice to just be with himself and the Earth, giving back to it in a peaceful way for a change.

A small part of him thought of buying some flowers for his room, just to lighten the place up some. But then he thought, what would be the point of that? Buying flowers for his room just so when it was late at night he could look at them and be sad all over again. Always the self-destructive sort he was.

A woman approached the shop suddenly, dressed in a white sundress and a light straw hat. She pauses when she sees the sunflowers, nearly matching her in height, as her hair wisps gently in the breeze. 

For a split second, Ghost thought that may have been you; she was your spitting image. It caught the man off guard so much that a cold chill shivered down his spine. Had the little details not tipped him off that it wasn’t you, Ghost would have thought you were stalking him. But it seems you only did so in his mind; anything else was more on him than you, he begrudgingly knew that much.

Ghost watched the woman longer than he should have, seeing her speak to the vendors with such vigor and excitement. She’d take another eyeful of all the flowers, and find herself in another state of awe before she was back on her tangent once more. She feels the petals, smells their scent, then smiles. And when her eyes turn back for only a split second, she sees Ghost standing a few feet away… and then she frowns.

Ghost stares back coldly, wanting to send her gaze away from him. Though when she does look away, it only makes the man feel rather silly. What, had he expected her to smile when she saw him? She's not you, he thought. No one was like you, and that's what made this so damn annoying to deal with.

The faint illusion of you was shattered once the woman’s husband stepped into view. Some short, skinny man who looked nothing like Ghost at all. He curved around her, his arm wrapping around her waist, as she looked up at him with a warm smile. The kind of look a woman gave to someone she loved. Ghost has seen it from others enough times to recognize it.

"Watch out!"

Ghost's head snaps over to the sound of someone shouting at him on the sidewalk. When he looks over, he sees a man on his bike, recklessly speeding straight toward him. 

With quick reflexes he's had time to fine-tune, Ghost quickly sidesteps the cyclist. However, it's not fast enough to keep the cyclist's handlebar from clipping his arm a little, knocking the box of tea out of Ghost's hands and into a large, growing puddle on the side of the road.

Once Ghost sees his tea completely submerged in the murky water, the man prepares himself for the worst-case scenario. He just stands over it for a moment, not even phased by the sheer luck of it all. When he kneels down to retrieve it, of course, the sealant wrapped around it was punctured, letting all the water get into each and every tea bag inside its box.

Though on the outside Ghost was calm and composed, there was a little man inside his brain, completely raging out about not having his tea right now.

Ghost stands to his feet and sighs, already knowing he wouldn't have time to go back and get more before this morning's briefing. He knew he should have just stayed in bed that morning.

He looks back off to the floral shop, for no particular reason. That woman in the sundress had gone by now, taking a basket of trimmed sunflowers with her. 

Ghost couldn't help thinking about you one last time.

…

Ghost was surprised to find Soap already waiting in the briefing room this morning, though the man looked as though he were seconds away from passing out dead in his seat. He sits hunched over his arms, dressed in his fatigues, though he's removed his coat and rolled the sleeves to his shirt up, his arms naturally flexing beneath the fabric. His eyes light up the minute he sees the lieutenant, though it's quickly followed by a short yawn.

"Mornin' L.T." he greets.

"MacTavish." Ghost takes a seat a few chairs from Soap, settling into his seat with a sigh. "You're up early."

"Aye," Soap rubs his hands over his face, attempting to further wake himself. "I'm as shocked as you, L.T."

"Were you two up long after I left?" asks Ghost. He'd been wondering that this morning more than he cared to admit. What was it you two could have been up to last night, all alone with nothing to do? Ghost wanted to imagine it had been nothing. 

To his dismay, he hadn't been prepared for Soap's answer.

"No, but..." Soap grins to himself, looking off into the room. Recalling the night before, and letting his cheeks begin to blush. Johnny didn't have to finish that sentence, Ghost already knew. "Man, what a woman..."

"Good grief, Johnny," bemoans Ghost. Good grief was right. He knew Soap had been into you as well, and you both make it more than obvious that you enjoyed flirting. It figures sparks would fly the minute you two could find the time to be alone together. 

Ghost wasn't happy to hear the news, regardless.

But before he can finish that thought, the door opens, and in comes both you and Kate Laswell.

Both 141 men haven't seen Laswell in a while, not in person at least. She's been busy running ops on the other side of the globe with their Captain Price. Soap's been moaning and groaning about getting back to working as a full team again; Ghost hadn't really cared either way. Just as long as there was something to do. And when you see Laswell in person, you know that time was nigh.

Both Ghost and Soap stand at attention before being dismissed by Laswell. She both liked and appreciated the professionalism from her boys in the Task Force, though she never had a problem with being casual with those she worked with for long enough.

Once Laswell was at the front of the room with you, she began with the point of this whole meeting -- to formally announce your transfer to the team.

Beyond that, Soap seemed too busy looking at you to really give a damn about much of anything else at the moment. Ghost could pass that off as normal behavior by the Sergeant. However, it's when Ghost looks over at you when it urks him. Because you're giving Soap the same googly eyes back, only your much more sly about it. Just not sly enough for the lieutenant.

"I know introductions aren't really necessary this time around," Laswell mentions. "But I figured we shouldn't skip the formalities. Commander Graves and his Shadow Company were kind enough to spare their second-in-command to help assist with our investigation. With her expertise in reconnaissance and data retrieval, and her background knowledge on the investigation already, both General Shepherd and I felt she'd be a valuable asset to the team."

"Well, well," Soap begins to quip. "Movin' up in the world, aye Canary?"

"It's the only way to go," you joke back, which in turn makes you both chuckle bashfully. 

It only took a few more seconds of awkward eye contact to pass before Ghost knew that something was up. It wasn’t just some little thing last night between you, he knew. It was something he no doubt would rather have not noticed.

"For now you'll be on standby," Laswell comments. "We have a few more preparations to make before your next assignment, but it should be soon. In the meantime, we've set up training courses and team-building exercises to keep you all fresh for when we need you. Today's should be fun if I'm not mistaken."

"Aw sweet," Soap whoops dorkishly. "Are ye joinin' us then, Kate?"

Laswell smiles to herself, already preparing to leave the meeting. "I, unfortunately, have a flight to catch in the next hour," she says. "I'm assisting Shepherd with another lead. Along with Commander Graves, funny enough."

Laswell looks to you now, but to Ghost's surprise, you don't appear all that happy to be hearing your commander's name be mentioned. Not like you usually have been in the past. You instead roll your eyes jokingly, some thought irritating you for a moment before you've buried it.

"Good luck," you tell her. 

Ghost can't help but wonder what you could mean by that. The last time he saw you two, you both seemed rather close to one another. Though you seem pretty close to Soap now as well; perhaps that's just how you are with people. It piques his interest nonetheless.

Laswell adjourns the meeting soon after giving you all more details about what's been planned for you today. While today's training was dressed up as a way to keep you all from getting rusty, Ghost knew there was more to this than meets the eye.

When getting transferred, you've just essentially jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire. The Task Force has you beneath a magnifying glass right now, ready to watch your every move and place it side-by-side with their own. A mix of friendly competition, and equal parts a deadly game.

Because you were transferred here for a reason, Ghost thought. If you can't keep up even in the courses, the abnormality of your arrival surely wouldn't benefit from it.

You must know this, because something felt a bit off about you this morning. Like there was a lot on your mind suddenly and it was wearing you down.

You let out a sigh once Kate has left, letting your hands fall back to your sides as you try and mentally pep yourself up for the courses. You didn't look all that thrilled.

"So, marksmanship trainin', eh?" Soap starts speaking first. "I'm lookin' forward to seein' what you got, lil' bird."

You scoff. "Little bird?"

"Oi, if you won't tell me your name, then I've gotta call you somethin' else then, don't I?"

You laugh at his comment, though only softly. Admittedly, "Little bird" felt rather close to "Songbird", a nickname you're sure Graves has dumped by now. You'd much prefer something new anyway. And it did help that the Scotsman's accent made the words sweet like candy for your ears when he said it. "Fair enough."

"So are you a good shot?" the Sergeant asks.

"I'd say so," you brag.

"We'll see soon enough, won't we?" Ghost finally speaks.

Your eyes fall on his, and while he can see a fire light up in them suddenly, he can also see that flame being dulled by something else. Something that had you look more worn than you probably were aware of.

"I can feel the pressure already," you say sarcastically.

"Aw, I'm sure you'll do fine," says Soap.

You look down at your feet almost shyly. But then you catch yourself, smirking and looking back up at the two men. Putting on an act, no doubt.

"I bet you I'll get the top score today," you boast.

This makes Soap sit up in his seat now, laughing to himself charmingly. "Oh is that right?"

"Damn straight." You begin to make your way to the exit, settled with preparing yourself for the course. "I'll see you boys on the course." 

You leave them with a wink, and Ghost catches Soap smiling like a moron.

Ghost gives Soap a few seconds to re-gather his wits about him before speaking. "Bloody hell, Johnny," he says. "'Have you gone mad?"

"I'm sorry, sir?"

"You and her," Ghost gestures with his fingers. When Soap tries to play dumb momentarily, it only seems to further tick the lieutenant off. "Didn’t I just get through with tellin’ you last night to keep your head on straight, Sergeant?”

"Oi, relax mate," Soap puts his hands up defensively. He quickly chuckles to alleviate any tension between the two men. "Nothin' major's goin' on. We're just… oh, I don't know. We're just havin’ fun while we can."

"We have a job to do, MacTavish," Ghost scolds.

"You know it's OK to lighten up and live a lil', yeah, L.T.?"

Ghost doesn't respond to the Sergeant's comment immediately, only because he began to ponder them. Lightin' up and live a little? He thought. Lightin' up and live a little…

"That is what I'm doing," Ghost says. He knows he doesn't sound all that convincing, but he wasn't about to elaborate further; he hoped it was enough to take the topic off himself. Soap always had a knack for doing that.

Soap chuckles at Ghost's comment, shaking his head at him. "Sure it is, mate."

Ghost rolls his eyes and stands from his seat. "Just don't let this get in the way of things, yeah?"

"We’re grown. I know what I‘m doin’."

"So you say now."

Nothing major going on. Even hearing that seemed to strike a hidden nerve in Ghost he hadn't felt before. So something did happen last night after he left. Of course it did. This was Johnny we were talking about here. The man could win just about anyone over if given the chance. It's why Ghost hasn't allowed him many opportunities to. But it seems in doing so with both Soap and you, it's only seemed to bring you two together instead.

Why didn't that feel like a good thing to Ghost?

…

Apparently, time no longer has any real meaning. Not in any way that you've found to be helpful. Because it seems you can spend half a year in bed with someone -- giving them everything, always being there -- and in a matter of seconds, watch all that time not mean a damn thing anymore.

I can't deal with this right now.

That's what Graves decided to text you last night after hearing your distraught voicemail. He can't deal with this right now. With you. 

It was almost embarrassing how gut-wrenching it had felt to read that, even as you'd thought you'd been prepared for it. Though before long that hurt turned to bitterness, as you slowly grew disgusted with your previous feelings.

You spend nearly a year with the man and that’s how he chooses to respond to you in a time of need. Talk about ripping off the band-aid. Alas, your commander was always just a step ahead of you all along, both in mind and feeling. 

“Over” really does mean over. 

But did it have to mean losing him completely? You felt it didn't have to be this way, but maybe it was selfish of you to have thought he'd want anything to do with you once you both cut romantic ties. After all, at the end of the day, you're only his subordinate.

Well then fine. If that's how Graves wants it, then that's how he'll get it. You felt ready enough to get back to focusing on yourself anyway. And from the way Ghost has been hounding you over this "training" course, you could use the work.

"You're off your mark!" Ghost's voice comes booming over the intercoms inside the course, though at this point you couldn't really tell him apart from your own inner thoughts. Beyond that iconic gruffness Ghost's voice possessed. At this point, you'd about heard enough of it.

This was meant to be a simple marksmanship course. Same shit, different day. The base had a whole thing set up for the team, the course being inside a large, sanctioned-off building. By now the rest of the team has gone; to no one's surprise, Ghost scored the highest, with Soap being a rather close second. 

That's only left you with the boulder size responsibility of having to prove your worth to the team by beating at least one of their scores. Easier said than done, as this was now your fourth attempt running through now.

You needed to score above the Sharpshooter level. Everyone else on the Task Force could do it, and you knew you could too. Yet every time you rounded the bend and the clocks were stopped, Ghost had the same result to share with you time and time again. "Sharpshooter."

And like that, you were asking to run the course again, reloading your rifle and waiting for Ghost to buzz you in for another go. Even he was starting to side-eye your performance.

On a different day, you may have breezed through this. It's not like you're not a good shot in your own right, and you've always been competitive. However, you hadn't realized how much of a funk you were in until now, and it was really taking a toll on your speed.

You wouldn't give up so readily, however.

You knew this was silly. You knew you didn't have to prove to anyone what skills you had. You were transferred here for a reason and anyone who had something to say about that could argue with the wall about it. But it meant something to you to tell yourself that you could do this. Because you know you can. And if Ghost is OK with continuing to supervise you, then you're OK with running the course for a fifth time.

You reach the course exit nearly out of breath, stray strands of hair now escaping your bun and sticking to the sweat of your cheeks. You lower your rifle and slouch over in exhaustion. That has to be it. "What did I get?"

Ghost steps over to you from where he's been monitoring your progress, having multiple cameras set up towards the lobby area just outside the course. His eyes lazily dip down to his clipboard, before sluggishly returning to you again.

"Sharpshooter."

You groan to yourself, annoyed, as you stepped over to the lieutenant so you could review your results. As you expected, you're only four seconds shy of Soap's top score. You haven't been able to get any closer than that.

"You keep hesitatin' when you pull the trigger," Ghost chided suddenly. "Think less with your feelings, more with your gut. Otherwise, you keep this up and it'll get you killed one of these days. I mean they teach that in basic, yeah?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," you jab, which clearly does not humor the lieutenant in the slightest. Though nothing seemed to humor him much today. In fact, he's seemed almost annoyed with you. Not that you know what it is you might have done. You had more pressing issues to deal with as is.

"I'm not talkin' for my own benefit here," Ghost remarks. "What good is havin' you with us if you can't keep up? This needs work."

"I get it, Ghost, I do," you straighten up, trying not to take his words to heart. 

"Then start acting like you do," he said.

You know that in some way he just wanted to be sure you were ready for what you've gotten yourself into. He didn't want you holding them back, and you shared the sentiment. Even now, he's only run one mission with you in the past, and you'd say your performance then was less than satisfactory that night also.

However, the lieutenant's harping could be rather grating. And he had no problem with continuing, however long you continued to stand in front of him.

"You'd 'ave been dead already, had I not been there on our last op," he says suddenly, a fact you needn't any reminding of. It's part of the reason why you haven't just called it a day yet. "Hesitation, Canary. That's your problem. Fix it."

"Yes sir," you nod.

"Now," Ghost ushers for you to get back to it. "Show me what all this fuss is over you Shadows. I'm still waiting to see for myself."

"In due time, Lieutenant," you say.

"Clock’s tickin'."

You rush back over to the course entrance, waiting at the doorway with your rifle hugged to your chest for Ghost to buzz you in. As you prepare yourself, you don't notice Soap entering the building only seconds later. Before he'd had time to say anything though, Ghost buzzed the door open, as you rushed into the course, the timer beginning.

By now you had most of the course memorized: Around this corner is a narrow corridor with six rooms on either side. Each room is filled with a mix of targets and civilians made out of metal posts that swing up once you've entered the room. The objective at this point was simple enough -- clear out all hostiles as fast as possible with as few casualties as possible.

As far as you're concerned, your precision more than matches Ghost's and Soap's, and if they couldn't see that at this point then they were deliberately giving you a hard time. When you shoot, you don't miss. It's something you've prided yourself on. However, your speed seemed to be more of a crutch than you'd noticed.

From the monitors outside the course, Ghost and Soap watch as you swiftly infiltrate the first two rooms, taking out the first couple of targets in a matter of seconds.

Soap watches intently, not having had the chance to really see you run the course yet. He has to keep himself from grinning; watching you was damn impressive. "How many times has she gone now?" he asks.

"Four. Excluding this one," Ghost answers.

"Steamin’ Jesus," Soap huffs. "How's she scorin'?"

"Just two seconds shy of Expert," Ghost says. "She's nearly got you beat, Johnny."

"Wow, OK," Soap says rather proudly. "She's passed then technically, no?"

"That's right," says Ghost. "She's runnin' this by her own request. Says she can beat one of our scores."

"And she might beat mine?" Soap whines, though Ghost can't tell if it's out of competition or genuine adoration. Though the man's next comment would leave little to the imagination. "Woof. What a woman."

"She's got it down, mostly." Ghost continues to monitor the cams, seeing you reach the final two rooms of the corridor. "Apart from this one bit ‘ere..."

Ghost watches you enter the room, your rifle raised and ready to fire. The targets spring up as displayed: two hostiles and a civilian woman. The hostile cutouts appear as cliche as possible, dressed in dark tactical gear and expressing themselves rather angrily. The woman was rather comical as well, drawn out to look as though she were screaming and crying.

You reach this room and it takes you a good three seconds to fire, and soon after your performance from this room to the next slows down drastically. Just as it has done the last four times.

Ghost presses down on the intercoms again. "Pick it up, Canary," he barks out. "You tellin' me you got in with that aim?"

"A bit harsh, eh L.T.?" Soap comments.

"Some tough love never hurts," Ghost retorts.

You barge back through the course exit once more, reapproaching the lieutenant as you eagerly await your score.

Ghost reviews everything, and looks back at you plainly. "Sharpshooter."

"Fuck!" You throw your head back in defeat, groaning to yourself loudly.

"Fuckin' hell, Canary," Ghost crosses his large arms over his chest, cocking his head at you rather disappointedly. "We haven't got all day. Maybe it's time to call it quits-"

"No," you immediately protest. "I can do this, I know I can..."

Despite the vigor in your voice, your eyes betray you when they fall from the lieutenant's. You didn't want the doubt to start settling in, but it had been a tough battle for it not to. Both Soap and Ghost scored Expert with ease, and here you are now struggling to even make it that far. Even if you get it now, what good would it do?

Having sensed the sudden change in your demeanor, Ghost sighs to himself suddenly, relaxing his posture. "Don't doubt yourself then," he starts. "You've got the right idea; you can do this. I'll be here 'til you do, lieutenant."

Don't doubt yourself. You can do this. I'll be here 'til you do… You want to believe Ghost when he says that. Don't doubt yourself. You're here now, aren't you?

Ghost can see in your eyes that he's said just what you needed to hear, and a small smile forms. You can't see it, but the softness of his gaze made you like to believe it so.

You give the lieutenant an affirming nod, before rushing back over to your starting position, waiting for him to buzz you in for a sixth time.  You should have stopped being embarrassed about it three tries ago honestly.

Ghost calls to you suddenly. "Canary."

You look back at him.

"Remember," he said. "Don't hesitate. You can do this."

"You've got this, Canary!" Soap cheers you on from the sidelines. You wondered if they both could hear your heart skip a beat. You give them a final nod, before turning back to the obstacle, and seeing the lieutenant buzz you in.

Ghost watches you from the monitors, seeing you move unlike any way you have before. You sweep each room with ease, being stopped by nothing and quickly making your way to the next like a shadow in the night. Your performance is so beautiful, neither men can even bring themselves to make a comment on it. They were too busy watching.

"There she goes," Ghost says under his breath, not even aware that he had begun to. Though you can't see Ghost, you can feel him cheering you on from the other side of the wall.

You reach that final room that's been tripping you up this whole time, watching as the cutouts pop up. You remember not to hesitate, and really allow your mind to let go of itself and your finger to move over the trigger naturally. You pull the trigger and drop your targets, and move out in a flash, finishing the last room with ease and making a dash to the course exit.

You barge through the doors for your sixth and hopefully final time, eagerly waiting for Ghost to give you your score, turning the safety to your rifle and placing it on the rack with the rest of them. This had to be it. You could feel it.

Ghost goes over the score, and even he can't hide how impressed he is. You just scored higher than he did.

"Expert."

You let out the girliest squeal imaginable, and it damn near startles both men, as your arms shoot above your head with excitement. You did it. You did it! Not only did you do it, but you beat both Soap and Ghost's scores on top of it. Even though it took you damn near half the day, you didn't care, because you did it.

And then you do something you probably shouldn't have.

Being a habitual hugger in most instances that called for it, your first instinct was to hug someone. Soap wasn't immediately by you, however, Ghost was. And you weren't really thinking when you leaped over to him joyously, your small arms barely managing to wrap around his large frame, as you pulled him in for a hug.

Immediately you feel the lieutenant's body tense up, the man feeling like a statue to hold as a small gasp escapes his lips. Suddenly the man forgot everything he was previously thinking. 

It's a good thing he could keep himself together, however, because had you truly surprised him, he may have accidentally pushed you away from him. Or worse. If only out of instinct. And if you knew the kind of morning he'd had, you might have thought twice about coming in so casually.

Still, your arms felt as good to be wrapped in as they had that night nearly a month ago. You squeeze him as tightly as you can, your face buried in his chest and your smile lying against him. Warm and true. Just like he remembered it.

Just as he's thought of wrapping his arms around you and finally returning the hug, you let go of him, noticing how stiff he is no doubt. His cold and guarded behavior doesn't dampen your mood, as you look up at him and smile. He gets lost in the way your eyes glisten with joy, not wanting to break from its hold just yet.

But alas, Soap has come in before Ghost can say anything further. You see the Sergeant approach you with a huge smile on his face, his arms already out for you to jump into. Which you happily obliged. 

You practically bolt to him, feeling him completely envelop you, as you nuzzle your head into his chest, smiling into him, squealing. Soap reciprocates your hug tenfold, embracing you so tightly it nearly takes the air from your lungs. But there was no better sensation than the feeling he gave while having you in his arms. He could take the oxygen from your lips as he wishes.

"I knew you could do it!" Soap boasted, his voice vibrating inside your chest. Had Ghost not begun to speak, you would have nearly forgotten he was there. Only momentarily.

"Alright," he says rather gruffly. "That'll do, you two."

You and Soap pull yourselves away from each other, awkwardly straightening yourselves up before looking back over at Ghost. He seems more interested in looking at you than Soap, however. His eyes peered into you like daggers suddenly, and it nearly sucked the excitement straight from you.

Have you overstepped?

"I say we celebrate with some drinks, aye?" Soap says suddenly, doing his best to alleviate the sudden tension that had grown between you and Ghost, as even he noticed it now. It nearly works.

"I need at least 48 hours between my nights out I'm afraid," you laugh. 

Soap shrugs. "Eh, suit yourselves then. I'll see if the others want to."

"No rest for the wicked, right Johnny?" Ghost quips.

"Right you are, L.T." Soap clicks his tongue.

The two of you watch as Soap exits the building, leaving you two alone. Suddenly the room felt empty of all its oxygen and incredibly small.

Ghost looked down at you like he had something to say but wouldn't. It's how he's been looking at you all day. You tried your best to not let it get to you, but you couldn't help but worry that last night may have rubbed him the wrong way.

Quickly, you think back on what it was that you may have done to suddenly to provoke him.

"Hey," you turn to Ghost, meeting his eyes bravely, though you admit his gaze felt more chilling than usual. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable just now. I didn't mean-"

"Just keep things professional, alright?" Ghost scolds. "You’d do good rememberin' that, lieutenant."

Right, you understand where the man's coming from. You're here to do a job, not mess around with them. Though they do make that a challenge not to do.

"Right," you nod, looking down at your feet rather defeatedly. "I'm sorry."

You weren't used to feeling this presence from Ghost. Like the sight of you suddenly brought him some sort of displeasure. You've heard stories of that famous, disinterested gaze of his, and how being next to him could make you feel puny in more ways than one. Maybe your were just hoping you'd been a special case with him. What were you thinking anyway?

But then Ghost goes and does something that makes you think maybe you aren't stupid for thinking you're something special. You hear Ghost sigh, and to your sudden surprise, you feel his hand rest firmly on the top of your head, as he began to pat you like a dog.

"Good job today, Canary."

When your eyes meet his again, you smile. And oh, how quickly are you reminded of what it was that kept you so interested in wanting to get close to the lieutenant. These small, little moments he scarcely let out.

You remember how encapsulating his eyes were, holding many years of experiences and stories that only he could tell. Every time you caught them, you couldn't help but wonder what could be going on behind that mask of his. What could be on the mind of a man like him?

Would you ever know?

"I had a good coach," you smile.

"Don't take 'em for granted," Ghost says dryly.

"I won't," you smile. "Thank you. Really. You were just the motivation I needed, it seems. Thank you."

Ghost leaving you with his approval was enough to drown out any other negative feelings you felt a moment ago. At least for now, which was enough.

Despite the mask, from how his jaw shifted momentarily, you could tell he was about to say something to you. Though he decides not to. You'll spend all night wondering what it was he wanted to say, instead of what he opted for instead.

"Don't mention it."

…

Inevitably, the day comes to yet another end. 

After leaving the course, Ghost made sure not to be anywhere near you, needing the chance to recuperate with himself badly. He was beginning to learn how incredibly difficult it would be to block you out of his mind. 

If you weren't such a treat to talk to at times, he's sure he would have no troubles whatsoever with keeping you at distance. But it seems if you're given even the smallest chance to talk to him, the man couldn't help but cave in and be nice back to you.

So he would need to go to plan B now if he wished to squash this little crush and get back to working with you professionally -- avoiding you.

At the very least, Ghost knew he could escape you once the night came, and there was no better distraction than the man's own hobbies. 

Ghost waited until it was well past a reasonable hour to be out, before changing into some gym attire (mask included) and heading out for his nightly jog. The one thing he'd actually had left to look forward to today.

Ghost arrived at an open track just 3 miles or so from the barracks, the field shrouded behind trees and shrubbery, as the clouds began to break and divide amongst a cool, night sky. No one else seemed to be around, a part from the occasional vehicle driving by. It almost excited the man to finally have a place to run that was all to himself.

Most people would be in bed at this hour, however, Ghost liked to use these hours to run errands and work out, seeing as it was the best way to avoid the crowd. He'd scouted out the area around the base the moment he got the name of where he was moving to. 

So you can imagine Ghost's shock and utter dismay when he arrived at the track field and saw that not only was he not alone, but you had been there as well.

Wonderful.

Ghost looks up to the sky for a moment, like a camera was looking down at him, with some distant audience laughing at him. Certainly, the universe was having a go at him. He was prepared to turn back around for the night, or even find another place to do his run. However, you see him in the distance before he can escape.

"Ghost?" 

You call to him, jogging over to where the man stands a little ways off from the track. You were changed into some tracksuit which fit you like a model on the cover of a magazine. Ghost looks you up and down, and then quickly hopes you hadn't just noticed that. 

From the sweat that painted your brow, you'd already been out here for a while. Out of breath, you begin to tease the lieutenant. "Can't stay away, huh? You followin' me now?"

"Not in the slightest," Ghost responds. "I wasn't expecting any company."

"Oh, well... surprise," you grin at him.  "I’ve only got three more laps if you want to be alone.”

Ghost could work with that.

“I’ll work around you," he said. "Don’t worry about it.”

...

You swear you were going to leave Ghost alone on the track.

You were coming up on your last lap now; Ghost had gone ahead and started his way around, sporting his usual hoodie and sweatpants get-up. It made him look like a hulking, shadowy mass on the track, calmly jogging his way along by. Paying no mind to you.

When he'd run by you, he'd make no acknowledgement of your presence, his mind fully focused on jogging. After he'd passed you a third time when you'd not even finished your second lap around, your impulses got the better of you.

Playfully, you wait for Ghost to run by you again before picking up your own speed. Though it's dark, and Ghost, as usual, is wearing a mask, the look on his eyes when he glanced over and saw you jogging side-by-side with him couldn't be more bemusing. 

Ghost doesn't say anything though, merely rolling his eyes as he turns his focus back to the track ahead of him. And then, the bastard actually started to run a little faster. Just fast enough to not be next to you anymore.

Asshole. You pout to yourself, before it's turned to a cheeky smirk. You wouldn't be done just yet.

You pick up your speed now, matching with the lieutenant's again until you're running alongside him once more. When the lieutenant looks over at you again, you smile sarcastically and wave at him.

Ghost runs ahead of you again. But he wouldn't get away from you that easily.

You catch up to Ghost again. And he runs away again. You keep picking up the speed, and every time you've matched it Ghost goes faster. Pretty soon, you both are practically bolting down the track after each other.

You start laughing to yourself, Ghost's stubbornness to let you jog beside him growing borderline comedic to you at this point. Of course you felt equally childish chasing after him, but it also made you feel kind of happy too. It was childish and it was sweet, and you were just having fun.

"Give it up already!" Ghost huffs out suddenly. His tone would lead you to believe he's annoyed, but it's so out of breath you find it goofy.

You laugh out loud. "You first!"

You're just about to be at Ghost's side again, when the universe suddenly feels the need to make you eat your own words. Your foot catches onto the ground wrong, as the tip of your toe trips you, causing you to topple over at top speed. 

You yelp.

The suddenness of it causes Ghost to turn and look your way, as he sees you about to fall. Instinctively, he turns, ready to catch you, just as you subconsciously reach out to grab hold of him. As a result, you both go crashing onto the ground.

Ghost falls onto his back, his head bouncing off the ground with a heavy thud. Meanwhile, you fall on top of the man, who right now feels more akin to a pile of bricks than anything remotely comfortable. As you crash onto him, you feel your weight shoot all the air out of his lungs, as you both fall down with a heavy oof.

"Fuckin' hell, that hurt!" Ghost groans, shooting a hand to the back of his throbbing head. 

You adjust yourself on top of him, trying to catch your own breath. "Are you OK?"

"It's nothin'," Ghost says.

"I'm sorry…"

Ghost pauses, lifting his head up slightly so that his eyes could meet yours. You watch the way his mud-color eyes twinkle in the night, observing how the dark of his irises took in every bit of you. It was hard to look away from.

"Like I said, it's nothin', Luv." 

Ghost rests his head back on the ground with a sigh, staring up at the starry sky above instead. The whole time you remain in place on top of him, feeling the rising and falling of his chest beneath you, as it carried your tiny frame with it. 

Had his hands not still been firmly clasped over your arms, you would have removed yourself from being on top of him. You're not even sure he's noticed himself still holding you.

"You're a stubborn bloody woman,” he comments suddenly.

"I almost had you, though," you tease.

"No."

"You're a lot slower than I remember, Ghost."

"You're a lot clumsier than I remember, Canary."

"Good thing I have you here to catch me then,” you giggle. “Helps you stay on your feet, lieutenant."

"They didn't mention that bein’ part of the job."

"It's under the same section that says not to hesitate."

"I'm surprised you read it then," Ghost teases.

"Oh fuck you."

You laugh and jokingly nudge at him, but almost pause when you feel something suddenly. For the first time since you've known the man, you feel his chest bubble in a light chuckle. He actually chuckled. Of course it's barely audible, and only last for about a second. But he did. And suddenly your heart was racing.

"Does this make me a winner then?" he sarcastically asks.

"For now anyway."

You laugh at his joke, subconsciously resting your head back down on his chest as you did.  In the meantime, Ghost was doing everything in his power right now not to focus on the fact that your body was shifting and moving and vibrating on top of him, your whole being so close to him that he felt he could go to sleep right here.

Though Ghost doesn't speak, you can feel his heartbeat begin to pick up in his chest as well. It makes you pause, you can't lie.

You notice his eyes have been locked on yours for a rather long time now since you’ve looked back at him. Well over a minute. His gaze is softer than anything you’ve seen before, and he’s lost in you from the looks of things. Lost in your eyes, lost by your touch, not even fully aware of just how long you’ve been on top of him, your heart thumping with his.

His hand gently trails up your arm, and it freezes you in place, your breath catching in your lungs. Wondering if you should stand or speak before something happened. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t curious as to what it was Ghost might be planning. Surely he wouldn’t do anything drastic, would he? No, not Ghost. Not the man who prided himself off on his discipline and formality.

Suddenly you’re noticing just how close you are to him too; you’re on top of the man for crying out loud. A position you never thought in a million years you’d be in, let alone today. And his eyes looked so much prettier up close, when they weren’t glinted with their usual tired disdain. No, the look he gave you was now something more… delicate. As delicate as his hands were against you.

Ghost’s voice is so faint you almost miss him speak to you. “Y/N…” 

You didn’t think he’d do anything, however, his hand keeps sliding up your arm, and it's making goosebumps dance down your skin like a ballroom dance. His fingers trace up to your neck, as cold as they were gentle, and you feel as though you’re seconds away from fainting. What is he doing? What in the world is going on right now?

"Ghost..?”

It’s as though the sound of your voice brought him back to the reality of what he was doing, because the second you speak, his hand pauses. His eyes grow wide, before a fire starts to burn behind them, and he takes his hand away from you, shifting himself up instead.

You take the hint, finally climbing off of him as you both fixed yourself, an awkward silence having now fallen in the air. You weren’t sure if you should comment on it. If that was an accident then… that’s what it was, right? Still, accident or not, your heartrate had doubled since that moment, and it hasn’t ceased to stop yet.

You look over at Ghost, wondering what the man might be thinking right now. His hood has fallen off, giving you a better view of his masked-covered head. He stands there, looking off into the field bashfully. Perhaps waiting for you to speak as well. His sudden shyness is not lost upon you.

Habitually, you say to him, “I’m sorry.”

Ghost shakes his head, roughly slipping his hands into his pockets as he shuffled around a bit in his stance. “Don’t be...” he says. “You know, you say that a lot.”

“I can’t help it,” you admit.

“Why?”

You’re unsure where it comes from, but you start to speak more from your heart than from anywhere tactical. “...I just really want you to like me.”

“I fail to see how that matters,” Ghost argues.

“Can’t we be friends?”

“Wha’, like you and Johnny?”

That one catches you off guard.

Of course, he suspected something. That only explains why he had been acting so awkward and cold with you all day. More than he normally was that is. Still, knowing that he knew you and Soap had something going on didn't make that news any better to hear.

“It can be anything you want it to be,” you tell him. “There’s nothing wrong with having people in your life, Ghost.”

He almost looked irritated with your answer. But you knew where that kind of irritation stemmed from. He was as mad at himself as he wanted to be at you. Mad enough to leave in fact, as right after, the man’s turned heel and started walking away from you.

Ghost wouldn't let you in close. He wouldn't allow it. Not you, not Soap, not anyone. He saw it as doing you all a favor, really. Neither of you wouldn't want anything to do with a man like him if you knew any better. Bad things always seem to come his way, one way or another. It's best not to mix others up in that.

You watch him go, ready to let him leave. But not really wanting him to go so soon.

"Where are you going?" you ask him.

"Away,” he says. 

Away. You were beginning to see a pattern.

"You don’t have to,” you call out suddenly.

Ghost stops in his tracks, his back still facing you, and his head cocked back to look up at the night sky. You continue speaking, determined to get to the bottom of this. You might as well, before you’re out in the field and it gets in the way of things.

“I know you don’t trust me, and I don’t blame you” you say. “I also know we haven’t known each other for very long either but… I would never hurt you, Ghost. I hope you know that.”

Ghost looks to you with a doubtful gaze. "Even if it weren't your choice to make?"

You nod. "Even so."

Ghost shakes his head disappointedly, chuckling to himself even. It finally manages to urk you. “Ghost-”

“Look,” he cuts in. “Just stay away from me, alright? I can't make that same promise to you."

"Why can't you?" you press.

"Canary, I'm telling you to leave me the fuck alone if you know what's good for you,” Ghost growls out.

You don’t listen, even going as far as to take a few steps closer to him. You pause when you see him take a step back however, not wanting to further overstep his boundaries.

"If that choice was out of your hands as well,” you ask again. “Would you hurt me?"

"I' don’t want to find out…” Ghost admits.

You stand a few feet from the lieutenant, taking his words in and letting them marinate in your mind. While even now Ghost remained as guarded and closed off as he could be, what he said to you was probably the most honest thing he’s ever said to you -- That he isn’t sure what he’d do if he was forced to hurt you. If you ever gave him a reason to.

In due time, you feared that question would really be answered. You didn’t look forward to that day, should it come.

"Let's hope we don't then, lieutenant,” you say.

Ghost nods. “I will.”

Ghost turns to leave again, and this time you don’t stop him. You remain where you are, reminding yourself to not forget what brought you here.

You hadn’t wanted Ghost’s words to make you sad after hearing them, but they did. His words made you sad, because with it came fear. If Ghost or Soap were to ever hear of Shadow Company’s criminal operations with the General, it would surely be the end to any feelings you've built up over the past month. They'd probably never want you around again. And that’s if you even survived the encounter.

You're not so sure what point it was that you stopped pretending. That you kept talking and wanting to be around 141, not because it was your mission to stay close, but because you wanted to. You wanted their approval. And it upset you, just as much as it kept you going all these weeks.

But how much have you let the lines blur between yourself and work lately? Where was it that your lies ended and your true self began? It was pivotal that 141 liked you, but that hadn't been the only reason why you'd gotten so drawn in by them.

You hadn’t realized how deep into things you’d been until now, because at this point, them finding out the truth would be more than a problem. It would be a complete betrayal of their trust.

No, if you wanted to make it out of here with your life and relationships in tact, the Task Force couldn’t find out about Al Mazrah.

You couldn’t allow it.

...Chapter Twenty Here!

[pyro-madder]

So for the ask game, what about Gehrman and Laurence? :D

*already frothing at the mouth* sure thing ! :) gonna try to group them both at once

favorite thing about them :

- G : probably his fight. It looks like a movie ! The beautiful scenery, the mentor and student clashing their weapons in the same fighting style, and of course the MUSIC ! (if i lack sleep and focus too much on the way the voices go down on "misereTE" i WILL cry)

- L : also his fight ! Despite the difficulty it's one of my favorites. Beautiful music as well. I also adore the calm of his english dub, it's one of the few I really prefer over the french one !

least favorite thing about them :

- G : how little we get to actually speak to him. I understand it's on purpose (we're just another hunter, why would he try to bond with us if it's gonna end the same as with the dozens that came before us ?) but it still frustrates me ! X)

- L : hard to say. sometimes i fear i don't see him as terrible as he may have been, but "may" is the key word here - he's nuanced, how much good and bad there was is up to each's interpretation and I consider this question to be canon-only

favorite line :

- G : "The night, and the dream, were long..."

- L : "EEEAAAAAARRRRRRGGHHH !!!" (+ "Fear the Old Blood" because his voice combined with Willem's sounds beautiful + "Indeed, Gehrman - it won't be long" because ouch.)

brOTP : I accidentally created a Gehrman/Damian friendship by upgrading the latter as school staff rather than senior student. Think about it : Byrgenwerth's groundskeeper and archivist, each finding themselves babysitting looking after their half of the squad (Laurence + Maria // Micolash + Rom, with Caryll somewhere in the middle), and then meeting again in the Dream ! (dissolving emoji) Gehrman parrying Damian's questions about the Doll ! (emoji dissolves harder) and now they're both sad old men who forgot each other yippie

There's also Oto whom Gehrman knew prior to the Workshop's creation and offered a position in ! And then Izzy :) your friendly neighbourhood craftsmen. And Ludwig probably !

For Laurence, it's Micolash. Two sides of a coin through and through ! Whether they're working together, making out or strangling each other, there's no filter between them, from their meeting to their separation. World's worst dormmates ! <3

OTP : eachother + Maria for Gehrman and Ludwig for Laurence.

gehrence + ludrence* are a hard tie, following a similar dynamic due to the common denominator, but with their distinct flavor since they happen at two distinct points of the timeline. gehrmaria's a bit behind for now but as I've said earlier I'm hoping to bring it to the same level 😁 They're all so beautifully tragic, with a lot of tenderness but also a streak of unhealthy dependance, doomed through and through. basically i wasn't kidding when calling them the World's Worst Polycule(tm)

*i know the fandom has other shipnames but i don't want to use them for several petty reasons, sorry if anyone out there needs to add my names to their blacklist.

nOTP : for both, none that I know of.

random headcanon : let's talk families ! Wolves have been hunted to extinction in Yharnam's region by the time the story begins in Byrgenwerth, and the person who shot the last one is a relative of Gehrman (his dad probably). On Laurence's side, only his mother is "known" (air quotes because he's extremely discreet about her, like everything in his past). Even in their homeland, she stood out, nicknamed La zorra/The vixen, and that reputation extended to Laurence who looks a lot like her. Her death (unsure circumstances yet) was the final thing that drove him to leave his homeland after getting his licence.

unpopular opinion : for Gehrman it's obvious, for Laurence i have no idea. X) i'm a hermit so if discourse doesn't appear directly on my dash i'll have no clue about how is it over there...

song i associate with them :

Gehrman : Old and Wise by Alan Parsons' Project

Laurence : Found God in a Tomato by Psychedelic Prn Crumpets

favorite picture of them : too much choice ! their boss cutscene, lots of beautiful fanart (@/redzombie's portrait of laurence, @/pupspuppet's gehrmans, @/subzeroparade's gehrences, Raquel Cornejo's illustrated lore...) i'm also fond of the pattern in my own art where laurence does his thing and gehrman looks either confused or tired sdfghjklm