#she’s the exception you will always be famous

[ducktoo]

No one believed you

Red Velvet's Kang Seulgi x M!Reader

Note: a short fic for the one and only bear in the town....cuz damn the song is stuck in my head these days. (She can put me on a chokehold any day)

You thought interning in the management department at SM Entertainment would be hard. You expected long hours, coffee runs, and maybe getting yelled at by some stressed-out staff member. What you didn’t expect was Kang Seulgi—the human embodiment of kindness, Red Velvet’s sweetheart, teddy bear, literal angel in human form—turning your life into a personal nightmare.

Repeat it again.  Kang Seulgi—the human embodiment of kindness, Red Velvet’s sweetheart, teddy bear, literal angel in human form—came to haunt even your nightmare.

And the worst part?

No one believed you.

It started on the second day. You were running a simple errand, delivering some files to the practice room, when she called you over.

“Hey you,” she said, not even bothering with your name. “Come here.”

You looked around, half-expecting her to be talking to someone else. No one was there. Just you and Kang Seulgi, sitting on the floor with her legs crossed, arms draped lazily over her knees like some kind of royalty waiting to be served.

“Uh… sorry, me?”

“Did I stutter?”

That was when you should’ve known. That was the exact moment you should’ve turned around, walked out, and never looked back.

But you were an intern, which meant following orders, so you shuffled over.

She sighed, pointing at her jacket. “Fix this.”

You blinked. “Fix what, sorry?”

She rolled her eyes. “Are you slow? The collar. It’s messed up.”

You resisted the urge to tell her that it looked perfectly fine, because something about her stare made your survival instincts scream. So, with shaky hands, you adjusted the collar.

She gave a small nod. “Took you long enough.”

…Huh?

Seulgi, the same Seulgi who bows to staff at ninety degrees, the same Seulgi who once apologized to a chair for bumping into it, just talked to you like you were beneath her.

You had no time to process it before she stood up and walked off, leaving you standing there like an idiot.

And that was just the beginning.

Over the next few weeks, she made you redo tasks that were already fine, sent you on ridiculous errands, and threw insults at you so casually you started to wonder if you’d unknowingly made an enemy out of her in a past life.

“Intern, get me a green smoothie. The greener, the better.”

You later returned with a matcha smoothie, only for her to frown. “This is too green.”

“…Pardon?”

Or that one time when you were fixing the sound system in the practice room, and she walked in with a frown. “Are you always this slow, or is today special?”

You had never moved faster in your life.

And the worst part? The absolute worst part?

No one believed you.

“You’re joking, right?” Irene said, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow. “Seulgi? Mean? That fluffy girl?”

“She’s literally the nicest person ever,” Wendy added. “Maybe you just misunderstood her?”

“Maybe she likes you,” Joy teased with a smirk. “It’s like elementary school when a kid pulls your hair because they have a crush on you.”

“…Yeah, sure, Joy-ssi” you deadpanned. “Except in this case, the kid is a globally famous idol, and instead of pulling my hair, she’s ruining my sanity.”

Even Yeri—who lived for chaos—laughed it off. “Oh, please. If Seulgi’s mean, then I’m the president of Korea.”

You were losing your mind. Because no one literally believed you.

-

Then one day, you snapped.

You had been holding it in for weeks, letting it simmer beneath the surface, but today? Today was the final straw.

Seulgi had sent you on yet another ridiculous errand—finding a very specific shade of red nail polish because, apparently, the “wrong” shade was “offensive” to her eyes. And the moment you handed it to her, she inspected the bottle, tilted her head, and said, “This is coral.”

You saw red. Literally and figuratively. Something in you broke.

“That’s it.”

The words shot out of your mouth before you could stop them. You inhaled sharply, clenching your jaw so tightly your teeth ached. Your hands, still holding the stupid little bottle, curled into fists. And then—before you could stop yourself, before you realised the position you were in—you grabbed Seulgi’s wrist, yanking her out of the practice room with a force that made her stumble.

“Uh—what?” she sputtered, stumbling slightly to keep up.

You didn’t answer. You didn’t even look at her. Your fingers were locked around her wrist like a vice, knuckles white, footsteps heavy and unrelenting.

“Okay, I know I’m strong, but this is a little—”

You whipped open the nearest storage closet, pulled her inside, and slammed the door shut behind you.

Seulgi blinked. Then blinked again. “Did you just—”

“Talk.”

Your voice came out sharp, cutting through the dimly lit space like a blade. Seulgi’s mouth, still open in half-formed confusion, slowly shut.

You crossed your arms, legs braced apart, staring her down with the intensity of a detective grilling a suspect. “Explain. Now. Please”

She shifted her weight from foot to foot, gaze darting to the closed door behind you as if considering escape. Then she sighed, rolling her shoulders back.

“Explain what?” she said, and despite her usual confidence, there was a tinge of hesitation in her voice.

You threw up your hands. “This! The insults, the errands, the way you talk to me like I’m some lowly peasant! I have been suffering for weeks, and I want to know why.”

Seulgi’s lips twitched. “You make it sound so dramatic.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, should I have written a formal complaint instead?” you shot back, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Because trust me, I have drafts.”

She exhaled, running a hand through her hair before propping it on her hip. “Alright, alright.” Her fingers tapped lightly against her waist, and she shifted to her other foot. “You have to promise not to get mad, though.”

Your glare intensified.

“…You’re already mad, aren’t you?” she mumbled.

“Seulgi-ssi.”

She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. “Alright. So, you know my comeback, right?”

You squinted. “Yeah. Baby Not Baby. What does that have to do with you treating me like dogwater?”

“Well.” She folded her arms, leaning against the shelves. “I have to act all mean and bitchy for the concept, but the members and staffs here wouldn’t take me seriously because they know I’m not like that.”

"Ok…?" You blinked. “So?”

“So,” she continued, “I needed practice. And I thought, ‘Hey, the new intern doesn’t know me that well. Perfect test subject.’”

…No. No way.

You pointed at her. “You’re telling me you—”

She nodded.

“For practice?”

Another nod.

“So you’ve just been… fake-bullying me this whole time? As rehearsal?”

She winced. “That makes me sound terrible.”

You let out a noise—half laugh, half exasperated groan. “Oh my god.”

Seulgi pursed her lips. “To be fair, you didn’t say anything.”

“Because I thought you hated me!”

She blinked. “Oh. That bad?”

“Yes, that bad!” You gestured wildly, exasperation leaking from every pore. “Do you know how much sleep I lost wondering what I did to make you hate me? Do you know how insane it feels to have everyone act like I was imagining things? No one believed me!”

She bit her lip, looking uncharacteristically sheepish. “Okay… yeah. Maybe I went too far.”

“You think?”

She sighed. “Look, I didn’t mean to actually make you miserable. I thought you’d catch on eventually.”

“Why would I? No one believed me when I said you were being mean! Wendy-ssi laughed in my face!”

Seulgi let out a chuckle. “Okay, that’s kind of funny.”

You groaned, rubbing your temples. “Unbelievable.”

She nudged you lightly. “Come on, don’t be mad. I’ll make it up to you.”

You eyed her warily. “How?”

She grinned. “I’ll let you be my real practice partner.”

“…What does that mean?”

“You can pretend to be mean to me.”

You snorted. “Yeah, that’s not gonna work. I don’t have it in me.”

“See?” Seulgi pointed at you. “That’s exactly why I had to pick you. You’re too nice. No one would suspect anything.”

You crossed your arms. “Or maybe I was just the easiest target.”

“…That too.” She shifted on her feet again, this time looking genuinely guilty. “Alright, alright. I do feel really bad. I’ll make it up to you.”

You crossed your arms. “How?”

“I’ll buy you dinner. And dessert. Anything you want.”

You narrowed your eyes. “…And you’ll never do this again?”

She held up three fingers. “Scouts honor.”

You huffed, finally stepping back. “You owe me big time.”

“I know, I know,” she said, rubbing her arm before grinning. “But hey, at least now we know I can act.”

You shot her a glare, and she chuckled, patting your shoulder lightly as she moved toward the door.

“Let’s get out of here before someone thinks you actually kidnapped me,” she said with a smirk.

And just like that, Kang Seulgi turned from your worst nightmare to… whatever this was.

[fanfictiongirlie]

Marvel: One Night to Forever - Request -

Bucky Barnes Masterlist

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Request: Link to request ask

Description: Have this idea for a story Bucky and I guess she could be an analyst or something while they both get drunk at one of Tony's parties and they have a one-night stand and about 2 months later she finds out that she's pregnant but by this time Bucky is with another woman or so she thinks what ends up happening is this woman is just somebody that's pestering him constantly and he wants nothing to do with her but reader thinks that's his new girlfriend so what she does is ask Tony for a transfer and runs away cuz she doesn't want to ruin Bucky's new relationship even though it's not a relationship for real and eventually he overhears something from somebody probably not and finds out that she took off because she's pregnant and he turns the world upside down looking for her and he finally finds her and he is just beside himself and asking her why did you leave why wouldn't you tell me something like this and well they end up making a lot of love and they finally end up together in the end and if this is corny and if it's something that you don't think you want to do that's cool but I thought it was kind of cute.

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Alcohol, drunk sex, use of 'good girl', angst, idiots in love, smut.

Words: 5,273

Read on ao3

Completed One-Shot

Hiii, I may have struggled to write this, for some reason. Either way, it's all written up! I hope you like it! <3

A smile played on your lips as you looked round the room, one of Tony's famous, or rather infamous parties. You looked around, your eyes slightly glassy as you did so, everyone was either dancing or deep in a conversation, except one. Bucky Barnes, you smirked as you stalked towards him. 

Bucky had found the quietest corner he could find, he hated these parties, but Steve. Damn, Steve always made him come to them, it was like he wanted to torture his best friend. He was also hiding away from a certain person who worked closely with the Avengers. But then, he looked up, seeing you walking towards him. He tried not to look to excited as his eyes watched you walk. His favourite person by far, was you, not that he would ever tell you. 

"Ah, if it isn't my favourite nerd" He says with a lazy smirk. 

"You pronounced 'Glue that keeps the Avengers together' wrong Barnes" You say, you twirl and lean against the wall, your arm pressed against his ever so slightly. He had a beer in hand, much like the one in your hand. You felt your cheeks flush slightly the longer you look at him, he was so pretty. 

"Heard you got that promotion" He says as he lifts his beer bottle up to his lips, taking a long swig. You watched as he did, only slightly mesmerised by the softness of his lips around the beer bottle. Subconsciously you licked your lips, the thought of his soft lips against yours consumed your brain for a moment. 

"I did" You say proudly, head analyst for the Avengers, Tony even gave you your own office. You sigh slightly, looking around the room, everyone was laughing or happy. "We could celebrate" You add. 

Bucky looked round the room, his arm motioning to the bustle of the party. "This is a celebration" 

"Yeah, but you hate being here, come on Bucks" You say prodding his arm. "Let's go have our own party, drinking games in my new office" 

"Fuck, doll" He says in a breathy voice, making you feel a little fuzzy inside. "That's a brilliant idea, let's go"

And so you left the party, sneaking out without a care in the world for the others.  Inside your office, you beamed as you looked around, it was empty and new yeah, but you couldn't wait to give it your own flare. 

"Nice" Bucky mutters as he follows you, you close the door behind you, and root through a box finding the expensive bottle of Dalmore 25 Year Old Single Malt Whisky that Tony had gifted you. You didn't want to know how much he had spent on the bottle. 

The two of you opted to sit on the ground, passing the bottle between you. As you got drunker the lines between you started to blur, you sat closer, touched a little more... Little touches on the arm, lingering touches, moving closer together. 

"I...need to... fuck doll" Bucky whispers, he was sitting so close to you, you could feel the warmth of his skin against yours, the little dress you wore making his lingering touches feel intoxicating as his fingers traced small shapes onto the side of your exposed knee. 

"What Bucks?" You whisper, you had an inkling you knew what he wanted, and fuck, did you want it too. 

"I want to kiss you, but I'm so drunk, and you're so drunk" He whispers, if he had moved an inch closer his nose would touch yours, you were so close to tasting his breath on your lips, you craved it, yearned for it, so you moved, your brain was a drunken haze, and the sober part of you would normally have said wait till you were sober, but you weren't. 

You moaned softly as your lips touched his, the firework of emotions hit you hard, and to your surprise Bucky kissed back, his lips were moving against yours in a hunger, his flesh hand moved to hold your jaw as you kissed. Your lips moved messily together, soft giggles left both of your lips as Bucky's metal arm snaked around your waist, lifting you to sit on his lap. You knew your dress would of lifted up over your legs, bunching up around your hips, you smiled softly as you kissed him, pleased you were wearing a serious cute pair of panties. 

"Fuck" Bucky mutters, his lips move from yours, dragging down your jaw, you rest your head backwards, giving him full access to your throat. His hands splayed out on your back, holding you firmly against him as his lips attacked your neck, kissing you, licking you, biting you. "Doll, would be a horrible suggestion..." He started to say, you grind your hips down, feeling his hard cock in his suit trousers, his breath caught in his throat as you moved. 

"Fuck, baby..." He groans softly, his hands move down to hold your hips, helping you grind steadily on him. "That's it, god, fucking good girl" 

You giggle softly, enjoying him call you that, you move down slightly, pressing your lips to his jaw, kissing soft kisses as you travel from his chin to just below his ear. "What was your suggestion?" 

"Fuck, let me fuck you..." He groans. You giggle softly, the alcohol buzzing through your veins making you feel a little more giggly than usual when you speak. "Bucks, that was already on the cards, but if you want an actual yes, then yes, please, fuck me"

"No..." He mumbles, his eyes close as you kiss his jaw, sucking small marks into his pale skin. "I wanna fuck you, on your desk" 

"Oh....oh, that's a good idea" You whisper, moving back slightly, his perfect blue eyes looked into your eyes, making you feel warm and fuzzy inside. 

In a matter of moments, Bucky had you up in his arms as he stand, your desk was near enough clear, he laid you down on your back and looked down at you from above. 

"God, you're pretty... fuck you know you're pretty don't you?" He asks, you move your feet up onto the desk, opening your legs for him, showing off those panties you were wearing. With shaky hands, both his flesh and metal hands moved to hold your inner thighs, he moved up slowly, enough to make you whine as he teased you. 

"So beautiful" He mutters as he pulls your underwear down, you lie there, watching him in awe, he was beautiful. His suit jacket had been discarded a while ago, his perfect white shirt was half unbuttoned showing a slight amount of his chest hair. 

It didn't take long for you to both be naked, almost naked. His trousers and boxers were down by his ankles, and his shirt completely unbuttoned now, one shoulder bare as the shirt fell. Your dress was hiked up to your middle, showing off your tits and now bare pussy. Bucky's lips were glistening, his hands were on your thighs, spreading you as his tongue spread your folds. He groaned loudly as he tasted you. 

You wriggled on your desk, eyes shut as you moaned loudly, your fingers weaved through his hair, holding him down onto you, your other hand was on your chest, idly playing with your nipples. 

"Bucky..."You whine, your words slurred slightly. "Please, need you"

He looked up at you from in between your legs, smirking, he moves forward, sucking your clit again, making your legs shake. He chuckled darkly and moved to stand up, his flesh hand moved to grip his hard cock, you were in awe, he was thick, your pussy clenched in excitement, you wanted to worship him, touch his cock, taste him...Even stroke your fingers through the soft curls at the base of his cock. You had it bad for him. 

"You ready for me?" He asks, smirking as he looks down at you, his eyes slowly moving over your entire body, you nodded, biting your lip as you spread your legs further for him. He moved a little closer and pushed his cock against your clit, you whined softly. You were dripping wet, his cock slipped down your folds. "God, Bucky.. please"

He grinned, and finally pushed the head of his cock inside of you. He moved slow at first, letting you adjust to his girth. As he pushed fully into you, he lent down, moving one of his hands to brush your hair and the side of your face, saying sweet words. 

"Bucky" You moaned softly. 

"Don't worry, darling. I'll give you what you need" He whispers, for the next few moments he kisses you, nips at your lips, until finally he starts moving his hips. The two of you made the desk shake as he thrusts into you. You wrap your legs around his waist, and in both of your drunken states you fucked messily and hard.

Tony's party was still in full force, no one would find you, so you fucked loud and hard. His grunts and groans were enough to have you coming hard around his cock, you knew he hadn't had many girls like this since his Winter Soldier days were over, but he was an expert, you now believed Steve when he said Bucky used to be a ladies man in the 40s. He was perfect. 

"Fuck, gonna come baby, let me pull out" He groans, your legs still wrapped around his waist tightly. 

"I'm on birth control, fill me up baby" You whimper, you were feeling slightly overstimulated, having lost count how many times his touches had made you come. His eyes widen slightly at your words, but he was too drunk to listen to reason, with a few more thrusts he was coming hard, soft whimpers left his lips as he spilled his seed deep inside of you. 

Stupidly, you both decided falling asleep on the floor of your office was a good idea. It wasn't, in the morning not only did your head hurt from a wicked hangover but your backs hurt from the hard floor. 

You were a little sad it wasn't the morning you had dreamt of for your first time with Bucky. He was his usual quiet self as he got dressed. 

"Doll, I..." But you didn't let him finish, automatically you thought he had regretted it.

"Bucky, you don't need to explain" You say softly. 

"Doll, I enjoyed myself... I was going to tell you I had a mission tonight, not that I regretted this" He explains, you nod, feeling a little silly. You knew about the mission 

Bucky, Steve and Nat left for the mission, leaving you to get used to your new job. You wished you could text Bucky, talk to him just to make you feel less stressed, but after a few weeks you were certain he did feel the same. And you had decided that when they were back from the mission, you would meet him at the hanger and run to him, throwing your arms around his neck to welcome him back. 

A few days before Bucky was due back, you felt weird, not quite yourself. You had thought it was just a bug at first, but then Wanda, with her witchyness looked at you oddly. You were sitting in the Avengers canteen, enjoying a coffee, since you weren't able to stomach anything else at the moment. 

"You...seem different" She says as she sits opposite you. You cock your head, confused to what she could mean. 

"Different how? Like that new job glow?" You ask, smirking a little. 

"No...It's a glow yes, but for something else" She says, her eyes shine red for a moment before she gasps. 

"What?" You ask, feeling a little nervous from her reaction. 

"You're pregnant...I think...My magic might be off since you haven't told me about any sex recently, which as your best friend, you wouldn't do that to me, would you?" She asks, rambling slightly, you smile softly, loving this side of Wanda. But then you blush, there had been sex recently, and you hadn't told her... 

"Well..."

"Well what? Who was it?" She gasps. 

"Bucky..." You say, with a coy smile on your lips. 

"No. Way." She says a little too loudly. You then tell her everything, but stop..."Wait, Wanda...pregnant?"

"Yes, pregnant...But we'll do a test to be sure" She says, and you feel a little queasy, you nod and let her lead you to the closest bathroom, locking it behind her. She uses her magic to conjure a pregnancy test.... And, you were pregnant... Fuck. You felt the panic starting, but then you thought about Bucky...He was a sweet man, he would step up, he wanted to be with you, right...?

A few days pass and your anxiety doesn't ease up, but you wanted to see Bucky as they arrived back from their mission, you were running a little late as you sped through the building, heading towards the hanger. You could hear how busy it was before you even turned the corner, knowing everyone would come and welcome everyone back from a mission, it was a cute tradition. You whizzed around the corner and stopped dead in your tracks, you saw Bucky. Looking as beautiful as ever. 

With another woman hanging off his arm... Oh. 

You felt tears burn in your eyes, he looked, strange, not happy. Bucky rarely looked happy. But there he was, with that woman on his arm. 

"Cute couple, aren't they?" A voice says from besides you, you turn, seeing someone you hadn't met before. You smile softly as if to answer her questions. 

"I uh, didn't know Bucky was dating anyone" You say carefully, wondering if this woman beside you knew anything. 

"Oh, he wasn't. But Carla, that's her name, she's had it bad for Bucky for a while, guess he finally caved" 

Oh. You took a deep breath and turned around, leaving the hanger without another word... You felt sick to your stomach, here you were, pregnant with Bucky's child and he was in a new relationship. Fuck. You didn't want to mess his life up, couldn't mess his life up. You adored him, loved him so deeply it hurt. No, you wouldn't mess things up for him. 

Despite Wanda telling you, that maybe you should speak to Bucky, tell him about the pregnancy, you didn't. You weren't even sure if you were going to keep it yet. It was early days, you hadn't even hit ten week yet. Your brain was full with thoughts and it felt like too much. So first thing you did, was speak to Tony. Originally when you got the promotion, you were supposed to move building, but you loved working in the main Avengers building, and Tony knew that, so he let you have a new office in the Avengers building. But now, feeling lower than ever, you thought it would be best if you did move to the secondary Avengers building. 

"I just can't understand why you want to move, kid?" Tony asks, he was concerned about your sudden change in opinion. 

"I... I'll be honest with you, Tony... I'm pregnant, and think maybe the other building will be quieter, calmer for me" You explain easily, you didn't like lying to Tony, but it came so easily from your lips. The other building was calmer, the Avengers almost never walked into the doors of the building. So it was perfect. No more seeing Bucky. You'd let him live his life with this new woman, and he'd be happy. Because him being happy, was far more important to you than anything. 

And so you move buildings, you say goodbye to your wonderful office with the perfect view over the lake, and move to the secondary building, to a smaller but still okay office. Wanda visits you almost daily, making sure you were looking after yourself, you had decided to keep the baby. The idea of getting rid of it made you feel uncomfortable. And maybe you weren't completely in the right mind, you felt guilty for not telling Bucky...It was silly, how long could you really keep this from him... 

As the months went on, the texts and missed calls from Bucky were still coming in strong. He wouldn't stop, but you wouldn't respond. You were so busy with your job, it's not like you wanted to avoid him, but you needed to get things in order before having time off for the baby. Your bump had grown, not much, but it was noticeable you were pregnant, and around the office people got talking, they were all kind about it, they were lovely people to work with, but they weren't your usuals and that upset you. But you carried on, because that's all you had, to carry on, despite your heart breaking for Bucky. 

Bucky was confused, sure you didn't speak every day, but suddenly, you dropped off the radar. He knew you were still working for Tony, but no one would tell him where you went. Granted he narrowed it down to only Tony and Wanda knowing, and they were stubborn. His last mission lasted weeks, and each day he thought of you, thinking of that drunken night together. He felt so awkward afterwards, he wanted to take you on a date, spoil you, show you that he loved you so deeply he was sure you were woven within his soul. And when his mission ended and he got home, that stupid woman, Carla? Was it? She was like a predator and he was her prey. For weeks, he had been avoiding her, she would touch him, hold onto his arm, try to stroke his hair. Steve said he should of complained, but he felt bad. He managed to finally shake her off him, he took Steve's advice and told Tony. Well, he got Steve to tell Tony for him. And swiftly, she was fired and escorted off the premises. He felt beyond relief, but then he went to your office... It was empty. 

You had disappeared from his life, and he didn't like it. He could handle if you didn't love him back, and why would you? He was a mess, a broken mess of a man. Still screaming from nightmares nearly every night. He wasn't the kind of man you deserved. Bucky sighed heavily as he walked into the canteen, his eyes scanning the room for you, but you weren't there. His heart ached, his missed your smile, that fucking smile, you were so beautiful, a smile that lit up the room, eyes that sparkled. He thought, after that night, maybe he had you, you were finally his. He thought he was an idiot to think so. 

Bucky glumly walked into the room, grabbing a tray to fill with food, he didn't mean to listen to the people in front of him. But it was difficult when they were talking so damn loudly, mostly he was trying to ignore it, not finding interest in listening, when he heard your name. It was almost like his ears pricked up like a cats. 

"What's this about her?" He asks, saying your name, the sorrow in his tone as he says it. He missed saying your name.

"Oh, she's pregnant..." The person replied, Bucky's eyes widened...Pregnant. You weren't the type of girl to sleep around, he knew that, knew it so deep in his heart, he knew that the baby had to be his. But, why would you keep this from him? He was beyond confused, he dropped the tray, the sound of it echoed through the room, he walked away from the food and walked through the Avengers building until he found Wanda. 

"You" He says gruffly, Wanda cocked her head, a little shocked. "Tell me where she is, I know she's pregnant, and fuck, it's mine...Isn't it?"

Wanda sighed, she promised not to tell...But Bucky looked like a man close to insanity. She nodded. "It's yours...She's in the secondary building"

"Fuck" He mutters "I don't have clearance, I can't access it" 

Fuck it. Bucky decides, he leaves the building and makes the short walk to the other building, he felt stupid, you were so close the entire time. So fucking close. Yet so far away from him. Once he reaches the door, he uses his metal hand to punch through the keypad, it short circuits and sparks out towards him. He knows Tony would have his balls for that, but right now he didn't care. He walked through the building, not knowing where anything was, but finally found you. 

You had decided to have lunch in your office today, you hated the business of the canteen anyways, so you sat at your desk, still working as you idly chewed on your salad of the day. You didn't look up when your office door opened, it wasn't out of the ordinary people coming into your space, you were a busy woman after all. 

Bucky stared at you, his eyes wide and a little out of breath. You were so beautiful, you were glowing. He couldn't see your stomach, the desk covered it, but you looked different, he could tell, he had spent the last few years watching you, learning your every feature. 

"How could you not tell me?" Bucky says quickly, he hadn't realised the emotions in him were so strong, he felt...angry, upset, slightly betrayed. He had to keep reminding himself that you probably had your reasons, he wouldn't yell, he would let you explain your side of the story...Or maybe, and the thought made him feel sick. Maybe the baby wasn't his... 

You looked up, and swallowed the mix of lettuce and cucumber in your mouth. Your eyes were a little wide as they looked at him, he looked more rugged than when you had last saw him. His beard was grown out, a little messy too, and his hair was longer, but fuck, it made him look even prettier. You stared at him for a little longer, not quite having the right words to say to him. 

"Doll, it's mine...right? You're pregnant?" He asks quietly, taking a step closer to your desk. You nod, feeling your head bow slightly in shame. The guilt hit you, washing over you heavily. 

"Yes..." You say quietly, the word stuttering from your lips. You stand up, revealing your small bump to him. His eyes dart down to your stomach as you walk around your desk, you lean against the desk, still looking up at him. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asks, his voice barely as whisper. He felt like he was going to be sick, he felt confused, and like he might cry. 

"I...You had your new relationship, I couldn't be the other woman who ruins your life Bucks" You say quietly, your thoughts going back to that day in the hanger. 

"New...what? Doll, I...what?" He struggles. 

"That woman...Carla? Some woman told me you were together, and I mean I saw you in the hanger, she was all over you" You say quietly. 

"Carla? That's why you disappeared on me?" He questions. 

"I disappeared for you!" You say, a little more loudly than you had meant. He looked so confused, it broke your heart, you wanted to move forward and hug him, hold him tightly in your arms. 

"Why would I ever want you to disappear?" He asks, taking a step closer to you, his arms reach up, moving to your shoulders, gently holding you. "Jeez, I love you"

"You love me?" You ask, shocked at his words, part of you thought maybe you had imagined him saying those words, they had been the centre of your dreams for so long now. 

"I thought I was being obvious" He mutters. "Obviously not"

"And you don't want that other woman?" You ask question, blinking up towards him. 

"No, she was obsessed with me, but fuck, doll, I'm obsessed with you, you're my girl, always have been my dream girl. I want you, I love you...and..." His words trail off for a moment, his hands stroke down your arms moving until they were on your hips, his fingers moved slightly so they were feather touching your bump. "Fuck, this is real, aint it?"

You nod, feeling tears in your eyes. "Yes, fuck, Bucky I'm so sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't want to ruin what I thought you had with that woman..."

"No, shh, it's okay doll. I'm not mad at ya'" He whispers, moving his flesh hand over your stomach, holding you little bump carefully. 

"I love you too, you know..." You whisper. He smiles widely and moves to press his lips to yours. Kissing you softly as he moves his hands around your waist holding you close to him. 

You weren't sure how long you both kissed, but it felt amazing, it was like that missing part of you returned, it felt right being with Bucky. It always had, kissing him was pure heaven. A few kisses more and you pulled away, your eyes sparkling with happiness as you look up at him. 

"You know, being pregnant...makes me super horny, wanna help your girl out?" You say, grinning and only feeling a little cringed out by your words. 

Bucky's soft smile turns into a smirk, obviously liking the idea, a soft growl leaves his lips. "Well, seeing as you have a new office, we should break it in like we did the last one"

"What a good idea" You grin, moving slightly you hop onto the desk, sitting with your legs dangling. He moves, coming to stand in between your legs, his hands moving up and down on your thighs, stroking you gently. 

"My girl, not letting you go now" He mumbles. "Not ever"

"Promise me?" You say quietly, not fully believing him just yet. 

"Oh, I promise you sweet girl, you and me, we're endgame, this baby too, we're a family now" He says as his hands move up to caress my bump. Your heart swelled, hearing his words, seeing the way he was looking at you, it all felt too good to be true. Finally, you had him, he was yours. 

Slowly you took your time undressing him, as he did undressing you. You made him lock the door, ensuring no one would interrupt you. Finally both naked, you laid back on your desk, looking up at him with a soft grin, you felt a little insecure of your bump, but he soon stopped that feeling, kissing your bump and telling you that you were perfect. His eyes trailed over your naked form, looking you up and down. 

"Fuck, you're beautiful...I'm glad I'm sober this time"

"Me too" You agree, shivering slightly at the excitement. He moved slightly, lowering down onto his knees, he peppers kisses down your inner thigh, licking your skin as he moves lower. And finally he presses a kiss to your clit, taking a second to suck the bundle of nerves into his mouth. You moan softly, the sound barely leaving your lips, you hold onto the edge of the desk. 

Bucky groaned softly as he looked at you, part of you wanted to cover yourself, his eyes were hungry as they looked at the soft pink flesh in between your legs. 

"My girls so perfect" He whispers before finally moving his lips, his tongue dipped between your folds, licking you up hungrily. A soft whine left your lips as his tongue moved expertly from your clit down to your eager, wet hole. Since being pregnant, you had been heightened, and untouched, having Bucky finally touch you, it drove you mad. 

"Come for me" He whispers, the vibration of his voice tingling through your body as your body listened to his words, you felt yourself come over his tongue, the release sending shivers through your body. "That's my girl, so good listening to me"

"Bucky" You squeal softly, feeling yourself flush a little red. 

"Oh I know baby, you need me, don't ya?" He asks, a cocky grin over his glistering lips as he looks up at you. You nod, and he stand back up, you giggle softly, remembering the last time you were in this position. With one swift movement he thrusts into you, your body was wet and ready for him, sucking him in close until he was fully seated in you. 

"So fucking perfect" He groans. 

"Kiss me, Bucks" You whisper, he listens pressing his lips to yours, he snakes his metal arm around your lower back, lifting you slightly, you both moan at the movement, his cock pressed harder into you. Slowly he starts thrusting up into you, his cock stretching you out perfectly. 

"God. You. Are. Perfect" He groans, with each word he pulls out and thrusts deeper into you. 

"Yes...oh.. Bucky!" You moan, feeling your cunt tighten around his thick cock. You hold onto his shoulders, your nails digging into his skin as he fucks you. 

"That's it, come for me, fuck you're perfect, god I love you" He grunts, his hand tightening on your hip and he speeds his movements up. 

"I love you...oh..oh!" You squeal as you come hard, your legs shake around him, as you feel your body release. 

"That's my girl...god, you're perfect, carrying my child, so fucking beautiful, I love...Oh....I love you" He grunts, moaning as he starts whimpering, his hips stutter into yours, his moves becoming more sloppy as he finishes deep inside of you. As you both breath heavily, your foreheads connected, Bucky placed you firmly on the desk, his body hovering over yours. Fuck he was tall. 

Love you, my girl" He whispers, planting a soft kiss to your lips. 

"I'm your girl, fuck I've always been your girl" You whisper. After a while, he helped you with your clothes, and then dressed himself. You sat back down on your office chair and watched as he walked around, sitting on the desk opposite your chair, facing you. 

"Can I ask you something, doll?"

"Anything, Bucks"

"Back in my day, we uhh, you know, married gals when..." He says awkwardly, his words trailing off. You laugh breathlessly, he was so cute. "Bucky, darling, it's not the 40s...You don't have to marry me, well maybe eventually, but for now, I'm happy being with you, and having our baby, if you want us both of course"

He shakes his head, laughing. "Of course I want you, you're my girl, we're a family now" 

"Yeah we are, and I love you" You say softly, he leans down, kissing your lips before whispering. "And I love you, both of you"

[ianthoni]

I like your blog but I don't understand the Erin hate D:

I don't hate Erin. I need to clarify this i like her and she's a fun addition to Smosh.

What I don't like is her involvement in the Lunchtime with Smosh. A famous show that was famous because it was all about Ian and Anthony. She added nothing to 2024 LWS instead she took from it. She doesn't have funny concepts for it, she cuts the boys (especially Ian) a lot.

Ian and Anthony always shared a special bond where they don't need any particular subject to talk for hours. Just leave them in a room and they could make a 5 hour long podcast on their own and they would make it funny. With Erin there it didn't happen cause she kept cutting them and changed the subject every time. I think a podcast should be authentic, it should be up to the hosts to make it funny and entertaining, when you add a referee to that it cuts from the authenticity. They could always edit it later but for some reason they bring a personal editor in the room. Also as I said Erin adds nothing to their conversation except saying what's that, idk that, what are you talking about, you guys are old. Me and Erin are the same age btw she's a few months older than me, and most of the things she extravaganzed and said never heard before and calling the boys old, I know it, see it, use it. And I'm not even an American I'm a poor foreigner that saw things happening years after it happens in America. So idk, i didn't like the vibe she brought to the function.

I think it would be funnier if it's just Ian and Anthony. She could even be at the bg just searching shit for them like they did in Flashback with Smosh. Which was funnier and more liked than LWS 2024. But that's my opinion.

[ghast1yghosts]

i’ve been thinking about she’s exception!eddie & his wife stevie going to the barbie premiere. steph’s got some like tule dress, puffy and pink that shows off her bust and figure. eddie’s also wearing pink, something that matches her and could almost qualify as a dress too.

or maybe they both wear black & pink outfits. sheer/mesh tops with flowing fabric on top, and some tight black pants.

oror hot pink latex top for stevie and black for eddie. and both in a pretty skirt that matches.

too many options

[petrodragonicapocalypse]

i think i just regained my ability to listen to Queen again after 7 years of abstinence since my insane 14-16 y/o obsession

[deus-ex-mona]

kawaikute gomen and sukicchuno really would’ve been fun beatmaps on honeypre…

[parkeryangs]

thinking about cricket bringing beetle to meet cicada for the first time. ty gives cricket that look because they both know beetle isn't allowed in the media wing. as fond of her as ty is now, he's concerned about dog germs getting everywhere. he doesn't say anything, just exhales sharply as beetle trots happily into one of the exam rooms after cricket.

and cricket has the gall to flash a smile in ty's direction as he taps the end of the exam table, with a heartbeat passing before beetle obediently, deftly, jumps up and starts sniffing at cicada, still recovering from the earlier experiments that day, tail whipping against cricket's side as she wags it, excited to meet someone new who might pet her

"she's a therapy dog," cricket says to nobody in particular, snagging beetle's collar to keep her from immediately clambering into cicada's lap. ty rolls his eyes, but cricket notices a few minutes later that even he is smiling at cicada and beetle's antics together. once introductions are made, they show cicada some of the tricks they've taught beetle, but she keeps getting distracted and would rather get more attention from cicada than listen to cricket lol

[acanthemp3]

you never forget your first milfy anime lady lesbian awakenings

[theshaddowedsnow]

The worst thing the MCU ever did that wasn't racist or antisemitic was turning known Bad Bitch Slut Peter Parker into an innocent uwu bean

Where is my inherently selfish and entitled but still determined to do good boy? Where is my bitter and over it at even 14 newly bitten Peter? Where's my bitter and over it been in the game way to long 16 Peter? Where is the Peter who can somehow charm the pants off of anyone??? Where's the Peter constantly showed post sex and makeouts (or even in the throws of a makeout session)??? Where's that Peter???

Where's the Peter who with very few exceptions, hates public standing heroes? Where's my vigilante Peter that cracks jokes to distract his enemy? Where's my Peter that would, could, and has given his mask to kids and swore them to secrecy with k owing smirks and giggles???

Where is my Peter Parker with DEPTH????

[lewisvinga]

get his ass ! | lando norris/the grid x fem! reader

summary: y/n was loved among the grid, quickly gaining the title of ‘the mother of the grid’ due to her motherly nature. but when a famous football player says he’d like to take her on a date in an interview, the boys are quick to defend her.

fc; maria isabel

warnings; kinda suggestive pics , curse words

notes; requested! this came later than expected lol, been super tired after a long road trip and was out all day w poor connection😩🥲 don’t mind my lil football reference 🤭🤭 also second pic of the interview was meant to say pretty at the end but it was called off lol😞

masterlist !

liked by landonorris, oscarpiastri, and 940,038 others!

yourusername: pov: single mother after a day full of chasing and taking care of her 5 grown children on the paddock

tagged; landonorris, oscarpiastri, alex_albon, logansargeant, georgerussell63

username: MOTHER IS BACK ON THE PADDOCK

username: i want u fr

landonorris: ‘single mother’ who am i then?😕

yourusername: a grown child who asks me to ‘pretty please’ wipe the grease off of his pizza😁

landonorris: it was disgustingly greasy…🤢

username: LMFAOOAOAO

username: a single mom who works 2 jobs who loves her kids

yourusername: they get on my nerves all the time but i love my grown children 💓

logansargeant: sorry mom

yourusername: you and osc are an exception

alex_albon: oh, wow!

oscarpiastri: 😁

georgerussell63: you trying to say something, y/n….

yourusername: yeah give me carmen

carmenmmundt: i agree!

georgerussell63: wait-

username: you need to open a youtube channel!

username: your fit on the paddock ate today 😩

username: the picture of alex and logan w the snake 😭😭😭😭

username: can always count on y/n for content

yourusername posted to their story!

[caption 1; baby’s nap time 😴] [caption 2; taking my sons out for lunch 🫶🫶] [caption 3; my new child, surprise! it’s a boy!💙]

Jude Bellingham answers your fan questions!

liked by yourusername, oscarpiastri, and 1,503,028 others!

landonorris: all mine.

tagged; yourusername

yourusername: lando norris…. i thought you’d post this on your jpg account…

landonorris: nope😁

yourusername: could’ve been worse thank u

yourusername: all yours. forever. 🫶

landonorris: always.

username: so y’all saw jude’s interview too…

username: caption was 100% aimed a jude

alex_albon: can i tag him pls

yourusername: no.

landonorris: yes!

yourusername: no or i won’t take you to get kbbq tmrw

alex_albon: sorry lando

username: alex’s comment😭

username: oh wow

username: the 2nd, 4th, n last pic🥴🥴🥴🥴

username: their relationship isn’t a want it’s a NEED

logansargeant: oh!

yourusername: look away pls😞😔

landonorris: no keep looking so you and every other athlete knows she’s mine 😁

username: jealous lando omg 😵‍💫😵‍💫

maxverstappen1: take that tap in merchant!

carlossainz55: yeah and he won against you guys! put some respect on his name 🙄

yourusername: my football rivalry sons…

landonorris: no i agree w max

username: not the culers and merengues of f1 fighting 😭😭

georgerussell63: my eyes!😰😰😰😰

georgerussell63: but that serves him right! y/n is a taken lady!

username: red is HER color, no one can wear read

username: the fit is everything 😍😍

username: need someone to recreate the last pic w 😖😖😣😣

oscarpiastri: i really had to stop lando from posting more exposing pictures, you’re welcome btw mother

landonorris: i had plenty of other ones to choose from…

yourusername: thank u osc😭

[chuulyssa]

୨・──── ALL I WANT IS LOVE THAT LASTS, IS ALL I WANT TOO MUCH TO ASK ? ────・୧

pairing ⸺ satoru gojo x reader

teaser ⸺ trying to mend your broken bond with gojo satoru becomes difficult at the entrance of a rival, and you are torn between love that aches and love that heals. will satoru be able to win you back in time — or will the scars of yesterday refuse to tie you to a love that was never meant to be?

SECOND IN ARRANGED. [GOJO SATORU X READER]

READ PART I HERE

content ⸺ fluff, mostly f!reader, heavy angst, misunderstandings, mutual pining, slowburn, hurt/comfort, angst with happy ending, love triangle, shitty choices, implied abuse, jealousy, implied torture, implied slavery, mentions of grape, death, massacre, murder, royal!au, magic!au, historic!au

count ⸺ 22k + 2k

author’s note ⸺ so this marks the end of the series with gojo! watch out for ones with other characters <3 this came out way later than i had expected it to, oof. sorry to keep all of you waiting! for some reason tumblr is not letting me post the whole thing, so if you want to read what happens after 22k words, i’m leaving the ao3 and wattpad links as well.

🎧 ao3 wattpad

Three years had passed since that incident. You were now twenty years old, working a respectable job at Jujutsu High as a teacher. It was nice to utilize the knowledge you had gained back at the School of Royalty. Jujutsu High, as a school, was similar to the one you used to attend as a child, except the children here were far more humble.

You preferred this over anything else though. You wouldn’t want to spend the rest of your time around spoiled kids who had never heard the word ‘no’ in their lives.

It wasn’t necessarily the kids of the nobility that you despised, but rather the ideologies they carried with them. You still cringed remembering Kamo Alina babble about traditions “back at her kingdom”. Perhaps you had hatred against all noble clans, except your own, the Gojo clan, of course. The rest seemed too hollow and self-absorbed, and their kids seemed either too coddled or too burdened.

You were in charge of the first years at the school. You had few students, but they were all the best ones you could ask for: Maki Zenin, Toge Inumaki and Panda.

Maki was from the Zenin clan, whom you knew to be cunning and sly. She was very different from what the papers said about her lineage though — Maki had a knack for being good at fighting and war skills, whereas her clan was famous for running with their tails in between their legs from their opponents. You had caught the little girl staring at you more than once during your training sessions with Utahime. It was nice to have her watch; perhaps it was best that way for her to learn the things you did as well.

Toge was from the Inumaki clan, and used to speak in only food ingredients to not accidentally curse those around him. And finally, Panda was the ‘son’ of Principal Yaga, and a cursed corpse.

Here, you were glad you weren’t in charge of shaping heirs of stupid clans in a factory. Rather, you were to train and enhance those who were willing to learn. And in this humble, quiet school, you had found something even the nobility, who looked down upon the place as often as they could, could never offer to you: peace.

Things back at home… weren’t the best. Satoru was almost always away for ‘missions’ with Suguru, and it had been a long time since the two of you had even seen each other, let alone talk. You couldn’t recall the last time you both even sat together in the same room alone. He never told you where he was going, and you never asked — what was the point after all? He wouldn’t say even if you screamed at the top of your voice.

His mother had quite a few times tried to fix the situation between you two, but it never worked. Satoru had developed a strained relationship with his mother as well. After all, she had a hand in keeping the secret of your engagement from him, so how could he trust her again? Every time she tried to help, the gap between the entire family seemed to widen even more. It didn’t help that his father had stopped talking completely to his mother as well. There were rumours around the clan that the leaders were sleeping in separate rooms after that incident with the Kamo clan. You would have felt bad for her, if you didn’t feel worse for yourself.

Shoko had decided to pursue her medical education in a different kingdom. There was a void from where she had left, and although you were happy for her that she was able to live her dreams, the emptiness you felt whenever you reread your old letters made you feel sorry for yourself.

Utahime had been the only one to stay back with you. When you told her about your plans to teach at Jujutsu High, she immediately dropped her own things and joined the same school. You would often feel guilty for leading her to a different path than she had originally intended, but she would constantly reassure you that she would never have it any other way. At the school, the two of you would fool around with each other a lot, but the hollow space left by the old memories of the others would always nag at your brain the second you were by yourself.

Dinnertime at the table became a quiet affair. Oftentimes, while playing with the food on your plate, you missed the old banters between Satoru and his father. It almost felt like a distant memory from a whole other timeline, as if those little moments never happened at all. You usually ate your dinner alone in your room now, since it wasn’t worth coming all the way to the dining room anymore. Satoru’s father ate out every day, and his mother used to be the only one to eat at the table. If it weren’t for her, you wondered if you would be eating at all.

This night seemed like any other night when you had decided to eat at the table. Yet you couldn’t look up at your mother’s face and into her eyes. She looked paler than ever as if she was sick. Her eyes seemed hollow and dark, and if it weren’t for the tight grip she had on her chopsticks, you would have wondered if she had any strength in her left at all. After finishing your food quietly, you set your chopsticks down, and were about to stand up to bow and leave, when she stopped you.

“Stay,” she said this one word softly, and it took everything in you not to collapse in her arms at the sound of her weak voice. She didn’t look at you directly, but rather somewhere on the table, and she looked as if she was lost in thought, though you knew she had become this way ever since that night.

You sat back down, and stared at her as her grip on her chopsticks tightened ever so slightly. She opened a quivering lip to speak. “My son... my Satoru... He’s never been this upset… at me.”

You swallowed. He had never been this upset at you either. He had never been upset at all. You used to wonder if Satoru Gojo even had the word ‘upset’ in his dictionary. And now that was all you could see.

“I just hope…” she trembled slightly, “... that you can find it in your hearts to… to forgive me.” She looked up, and you looked away, for you knew the sight in front of you wouldn’t let you breathe another moment. You knew she was holding back tears. You were too.

“There is nothing to forgive,” you croaked out, hoping what you were saying was making sense. “I just wonder if this is worth going about if he isn’t happy with it.”

“It’s not, you’re right,” she murmured, looking back down to her plate. “I was a princess. I was told I could never be wrong. Yet here I am, hoping I am not, even though every cell of my body tells me I am.” Then she looked right into your eyes, and something in your heart broke again at her state. “Would you want to marry someone who was not him?”

You stopped. No. No, of course not. No, you would never, ever even dream of marrying someone that wasn’t him. But what could you do now? What could be done? If he did not want it, then how could you? How could you do something like this to him against his will? So slowly, you nodded. “Perhaps I could think about it. But not now.”

“I understand. Goodnight to you.”

“Goodnight, mother.”

──── ୨ৎ ────

“Good morning, Miss!”

“Good morning, Miss.”

“Salmon.”

“Yes, yes, good morning to all of you. Hurry up now, the first class starts in 15 minutes,” you said swiftly, waving at the kids. You turned to Utahime, who was staring at the parents dropping their kids off to catch some hot single dad she, or rather you, could have a chance with. “What class do you have first, Miss Transfiguration?”

“The annoying third-years,” she grumbled. “How about you, Miss Charms?”

“My first years. I’m charmed.”

“Sure, you are.”

You watched the carriage Maki had stepped out of. It was rather modest for someone of Zenin lineage. But what really caught Utahime’s attention wasn’t the car — it was the man who stepped out to escort Maki.

He was tall, with dyed blond hair that shimmered under the morning light, and striking brown eyes. Utahime froze.

“Wow.”

“What?”

“Wow. Is that… him?” she whispered, gripping your arm.

“Him?” you asked.

“The guy! From years ago!” she hissed as if that explained everything.

You raised an eyebrow, watching as the man exchanged a brief word with Maki before returning to his carriage. “Iori, you’re not making any sense.”

Utahime pulled out her wand and immediately began tapping it on her temple at a rapid pace. “Don’t you remember when those exchange students introduced themselves? In the hall? That cactus transfiguration kid? This is him. Look.”

A floating picture hovered in your hands. It was slightly blurry, moving up and down serenely, but you could make out the younger version of the man fixing his carriage in front of the school gates clearly. You blinked at the picture, then at Utahime.

“You… remember him enough to produce this complicated magic?” you asked, though you didn’t know whether to be amused or alarmed.

Utahime shrugged unapologetically. “You gotta do what you gotta do.”

You sighed, shaking your head in disbelief. “‘hime, you’re a stalker.”

She grinned, utterly unbothered. “A resourceful stalker, I’d say. Anyway, don’t you think he’s—”

“Don’t say it,” you warned, already seeing where this was going.

“—handsome?” she finished, her grin widening mischievously.

You groaned, covering your face. “Utahime, he’s Maki’s guardian. You make it sound like I’m ready to adopt her or something. That’s weird.”

She waved off your protest, nudging you playfully. “Come on, he’s single. Uh, probably. And if he’s not, well, that’s just unfortunate for him.”

“Why are we even talking about this?” you muttered.

“Because,” she said with mock seriousness, “you’ve been single for far too long, and this is an opportunity. So…” She leaned closer. “Why don’t you try flirting with him?”

You stared at her like she’d grown another head. “Preposterous. Absolutely not.”

“Why not?” she teased, clearly enjoying your discomfort.

You glanced at the man who was now pulling away in the carriage looking like a war hero, and then back at Utahime. “Because I don’t feel like dying today. You know, the Zenin clan and all of that?”

She laughed, throwing an arm around your shoulders as you both headed back inside. “Suit yourself, but just know — I’m rooting for you!”

“Utahime,” you sighed, “you’re impossible.”

But her laughter was infectious, and you couldn’t help it.

You smiled.

──── ୨ৎ ────

The staffroom was unusually quiet, save for the faint scratch of your quill against parchment as you graded the first-years’ essays. Utahime, however, was anything but quiet. She had perched herself on the edge of your desk, her hands gripping the back of your chair as she swung it gently back and forth.

“Flirt with him,” she said.

“No,” you replied flatly, not looking up from the parchment.

“Come on, just a little?” she coaxed, leaning over your shoulder and nearly smudging the ink you’d just scrawled across a particularly poor attempt at a levitation charm essay.

You leaned back slightly, giving her a deadpan look. “Utahime, I am trying to work.”

“And I am trying to help you!” she shot back, as if her nagging about your love life was an act of selfless charity.

You sighed, putting down the quill and crossing your arms. “For the last time, I am not flirting with Maki’s guardian. That’s weird.”

“It’s not weird. It’s romantic,” she argued, dragging out the last word like it was a persuasive spell. “You’re single. He’s single—”

“We don’t know that he’s single,” you interjected, but Utahime waved you off.

“Semantics,” she said. “The point is, he’s clearly into you. Did you not see the way he looked at you yesterday?”

“The reason he even looked at me was because you shoved me in front of him like a sacrificial lamb,” you retorted.

“Details,” she said breezily, now swiveling your chair side to side. “But seriously, what’s the harm in a little bit of flirting? He’s charming, dashing, hot, and you’re… uh, you…?”

“Wow, thanks,” you said dryly, though you couldn’t hide the small smile tugging at the corner of your lips.

She grinned. “See? You’re already warming up to the idea,” she leaned in close to your face.

The door swung open. There he was, the same man both of you had just been talking about. He took one look inside the room and raised an eyebrow. Your eyes widened, because of course, without any context it looked like you and Utahime were just about to kiss. You shrieked and pushed her away and she laughed at you, though she stopped when she saw the man judging her silently. Maki face-palmed behind the man.

“Excuse me if I am interrupting something intimate,” he looked at you. “We had an appointment regarding Maki’s performance, yes?”

“Ho ho ho! Yes you did!” Utahime giggled and left the room, and it seemed like she had taken all the comfort out of it too, leaving you, him and Maki standing in it, staring at each other awkwardly. Maki coughed loudly and excused herself, and you made a mental note to reduce some points on her essay.

You cleared your throat as he took a seat across from you. His presence seemed to shrink the staffroom. He leaned back in the chair as if he owned the room. You focused on the stack of papers in front of you, determined to act professional. In your mind, you could hear Utahime’s voice still echoing: Flirt with him!

He folded his hands on the desk and his gaze flickered briefly to the papers in your hands before locking onto your face.

“I have to ask,” he began casually. “Are you and that colleague of yours… together?”

You froze mid-flip of Maki’s report card, staring at him as if he’d just asked you to duel. “What?”

He leaned back slightly with a faint smirk. “You and that woman. The way you two were before. It crossed my mind that you might be…” He trailed off.

“I’m not— she’s— what? No!” you sputtered, feeling your cheeks burn.

“Ah,” he said softly, as if the weight of the world had just been lifted off his shoulders. “Thank heavens. I wouldn’t have known what to do with myself if you were.”

You blinked. “Excuse me?”

His smirk softened into something more playful. “Well, I’d have had to rethink all my plans, for starters.”

“Plans?” you echoed, your voice coming out higher-pitched than you had intended it to be.

“Mhm,” he murmured, tilting his head slightly. “Plans like how to win your favour, of course. You can imagine how devastating it would’ve been to learn I stood no chance from the start.”

You could feel your brain short-circuiting. Was he flirting? Or was this just his sense of humor?

“I— uh— Maki!” you stammered, blurting out her name like it was a life saver. It technically was. “We’re supposed to be talking about Maki’s progress!”

“Of course,” he said smoothly. “Her progress is paramount. But forgive me — I’m a man of focus, and right now, my focus seems to have shifted.”

“Let’s have it shift back to Maki then,” you insisted.

He chuckled softly, leaning forward just enough to close the space between you ever so slightly. “As you wish. But if I may, just one more thing.”

You hesitated warily. “…What now?”

“You have the most fascinating reactions,” he said. “I could watch you get flustered all day.”

Your hands gripped the papers tightly, and you let out an exasperated sigh. “Mr Zenin, do you ever stop talking?”

His grin widened. “Not when I’m talking to someone this delightful. And it’s Naoya, to you, darling.”

──── ୨ৎ ────

For the school’s 107th anniversary, you and the other teachers had decided to plan a surprise event for the students, guardians and even the principal. But as you stared at the chairs lying askew everywhere, and the food stall looking like it had undergone a raid, you sighed. Who would have to clean everything up in the end? The teachers, of course.

You bent down to pick a random flask up from the ground, and you looked up to see Naoya standing at the entrance of the schoolgates. You watched as he shooed away the carriage with Maki and their driver in it, and walked towards you.

You got up quickly and panicked, eyes darting everywhere to see if he really was walking to you or not. Naoya stopped in front of you, and suddenly the flask in your hands seemed too heavy. You dropped it, but he caught the tin, lips curving into a smile at your surprise.

“Astonishing reflexes, hm?” You nodded at his words and he laughed. “That was quite the show, I believe. You handle large crowds really well.”

You half-laughed at the compliment, looking down at your shaking hands. Why were you so nervous?

“Yeah, well, the crowd has departed now, and this is the tough bit.”

“I can help,” he smiled at you, and you blinked in surprise.

“Ah, you don’t have to. Besides, we can’t make guardians work for us.”

“I insist.” He pulled the sleeves of his shirt up and put his hands on his hips. “Where are the inconveniences that have you so troubled? I shall fight them.”

You snickered a bit. His dramatic actions reminded you of someone.

A certain someone.

Maybe that’s why you liked his company.

You snapped out of your thoughts when you saw him staring at the upturned tables with dread. “Has there been a call of war here?”

“Close enough. The seller had mochis on his bill of fare.”

“That sums it up. But you can’t possibly expect me to dirty my hands with this. A nobleman shouldn’t be doing manual labor,” he shook his head and sighed.

You raised an eyebrow at that. “You’re the one who insisted on staying to help.”

Naoya grinned. “Well, I can’t leave my favorite teacher to fend for herself. Besides…” He picked up two chairs effortlessly with one hand, and turned around to see if you were still watching. “It’s a chance to show off.”

Maybe it won’t be as boring with him around after all.

You had found yourself in this lonely teahouse far more than you could admit for someone of your status. It usually buzzed with the chatter of lonely workers, gossiping seamstresses and little children. But it was better, far better than what was going on at home anyway. You stared at your chawan, and put your fingers around it to drink. But the vessel was hot, and you hissed as you withdrew your hand back, the tea inside seemingly hissing back menacingly.

“Careful, darling,” a voice said from behind you and you jumped. “I said, careful,” he taunted, rubbing the top of your head affectionately. You looked up to meet Naoya’s eyes, your own widening when you saw him.

“Naoya!”

“Fancy meeting you here. I didn’t think I’d find you in such a quaint little spot.”

“Me neither. Isn’t this place,” you waved around at the dull walls of the room, “below your usual standards, Mr Zenin?”

He crossed your table to pull out a chair in front of you and sat down. “I could say the same about you. Or perhaps,” he brushed his fingers on your lips to wipe the wetness of tea from earlier, “we were led here by fate.”

You choked on air at his action. “Fate? We’re just at a teahouse. It’s not exactly a meeting of the stars.”

Naoya grinned at your fluster, and leaned forward playfully. “Ah, but you see, fate works in mysterious ways. And right now, it’s working to bring me closer to the most captivating woman in the room.”

“Ha, ha,” you mumbled, staring into your vessel to avoid meeting his eyes. “You talk too much.”

He laughed softly. The server arrived with a platter of sweets, and bowed, “For the lovely couple.”

You spat the tea you had just sipped out. “We— we’re not—”

“Thank you, miss,” Naoya interrupted you swiftly, and nodded at the server, who immediately straightened up to take his leave.

You stared at him, aghast. “Naoya, we’re not—”

“Not yet, at least. But I’m not opposed to the idea. How about we take the first step?” He leaned in closer and planted a teasing kiss on your cheek.

Your jaw dropped — from embarrassment or at his audacity, you did not know. “What—?”

“There. Now we’re official.”

──── ୨ৎ ────

You clutched your bag tightly. Great, another rainy day. And you had refused the umbrella your maid had offered to you as well. Sighing, you looked at the sky. The downpour didn’t look like it was going to stop anytime soon. If only a miracle happened that would escort you back home safely.

“Stranded, are we?” Naoya’s voice broke through the rain. You turned to see him standing with a pristine black umbrella, grinning at you as if he was not surprised at all to meet you here.

“Yeah. You stayed back? Where’s Maki?”

“Oh, I left her to go home in the carriage,” he shifted the handle of his umbrella to one shoulder. “Need me?”

“I’ll manage,” you replied, not wanting to disturb him. Though part of you wondered whether he would be here if you hadn’t been stuck here as well.

“Let’s not ruin such a lovely sight with such a disaster. Come on, I’ll walk you home.”

“I’ll be fine, really. You don’t have to—”

“I insist. Or would you prefer I let you catch a cold? Then you’d have no choice but to rely on me to nurse you back to health.”

You groaned. “You’re impossible.” Realizing you had no way home without his help, you stood under his umbrella. He grinned at you, tilting the umbrella more towards you to shield you from the harsh rain.

“You’re getting wet,” you pointed out.

“It’s a small price to pay.” He glanced at you with a sly smile. “Don’t tell me you’re worried about me.”

“I’m not,” you scoff slightly.

“Good. I’d hate for you to think I’m fragile.”

The walk ahead was comfortable, although you didn’t think that was the case for Naoya. By the time you had reached the entrance of the clan, you could see Naoya’s sleeves were drenched. But he didn’t seem to mind at all. His eyes followed something ahead that you coulldn’t see through the fog that covered the atmosphere.

“Naoya? What are you looking at?” You asked, and he huffed in irritation — more so at the thing he had seen than at you.

He wrapped an arm around your waist and you involuntarily sucked your stomach in at it. He led you to the figure.

White hair… Lovely blue eyes…

Your fiance who refused to be yours.

Gojo Satoru.

He was leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed in front of him, staring at you two through his sunglasses as if he would rather be looking at anything else than at the fingers curling around your waist.

Naoya, much to your horror, approached Satoru with you still in his arms. “Greetings,” he said pleasantly. “We’ve met before, yes?”

“Yes,” Satoru replied coolly. Then he addressed you, though his eyes didn’t quite meet yours. “Who’s he?”

You started. Fuck. What was he to you? An acquaintance? The guardian of one of your students? An associate—?

“Her boyfriend,” Naoya stepped in before you could respond, and you watched Satoru’s eyes lose what little warmth they had earlier. He turned to you as if expecting you to deny the claim.

“What? I mean, I guess…? Maybe? But I’m not sure—”

Satoru arched an eyebrow, and let out a single syllable that made your heart break into pieces all over again. “Oh.” He looked at you with an expression you couldn’t understand at all. His lips were twitched, but he wasn’t happy. His eyebrows were furrowed, but he wasn’t confused. You felt like he was toying with your brain on purpose with all the failed hints his face gave.

Naoya grinned smugly. “Don’t worry, I’ll leave her in your care now, brother.” He was clearly enjoying himself.

Your eyes widened.

Look… I’ve never thought of you that way before, okay? You’re… you’re pretty, but you’re like a sister to me. That’s how I’ve always seen you.

Satoru’s eyes darkened, and he shoved his hands in his pockets, taking a step back. “Great. Fantastic,” he mocked you. “I’m so glad you’re being taken care of, my little sister.”

A few more minutes passed, though they were so awkward you did not have the courage to relive them. Naoya had left with a smirk and a wave, and Satoru had followed you inside the estate when all you wanted to do was get away from him.

“You’re… back, haha,” you mumbled, and he nodded. The rain patted against the windowsill softly, and each drop felt like it rained in your heart.

“Is he really your boyfriend?” He blurted out.

“Huh?” You were caught off guard. “Oh, um… I don’t know? He took me out for coffee once. Does that count?”

“No, absolutely not,” Satoru scoffed.

You paused. And then you let out a laugh. He stared at you and let out a bark of laughter as well.

“Him? Your boyfriend,” he wiped the tears off from his eyes. “The audacity!”

“Typical of him, I suppose,” you chortled.

“What did he even ask you for the coffee thing?”

“He said he wanted to talk about Maki’s essays,” you snickered, and he cackled.

“Essays?”

“Yeah!”

“You know, you should probably go on a real date sometime. Just so you can tell the difference between a parent-teacher conference and, y’know, an actual date,” he rolled his eyes.

“Oh, yeah? And who’s going to take me out on this ‘real date’? You?” You teased.

Satoru froze. He opened his mouth as if to respond, then quickly closed it, his gaze flickering away from you.

You felt the awkwardness returning from earlier. Forcing out a laugh, you waved your hand dismissively. “I’m kidding! Obviously. Haha. Anyway, I should, uh, go now. Busy day tomorrow and all that. So, um, goodnight!”

You practically bolted from the room, leaving Satoru standing there, staring at where you had just been. His hand twitched as if he wanted to stop you, but he stayed silent, his jaw tightening as he watched you retreat.

You locked your door, hoping you weren’t being wishful as always when you heard the faint murmur of his voice.

“Maybe I would.”

──── ୨ৎ ────

The next morning, you stepped out of your house, adjusting your bag of supplies on your shoulder. Rejecting your driver who had offered you a ride in the luxurious carriage, you walked on, greeting the little children of the various families of your clan. Crossing the gate of the main estate, you found Satoru leaning casually against a nearby carriage, waiting for something — or rather, someone. 

“Morning,” he said, grinning like he had been there for hours. His sunglasses reflected the surprise in your eyes under the morning light.

“Uh… good morning?” You blinked in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

He shrugged at you. “Thought you might need a ride.”

“Don’t you have work?” You asked sceptically. He had had missions and trips to be on all this time, so why was he here now?

He shrugged again, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Not yet. Free morning.”

“Oh,” you frowned at his excuse. “Well, I usually just walk to work. Sorry.”

“Ah, well, no problem then,” he straightened up, brushing imaginary dust off his sleeves. “I’ll walk with you.”

“What? No, it’s alright—”

Satoru waved the driver of the carriage off and waltzed over to you. “Too late. I’m committed now.”

You sighed in defeat, letting him walk with you. Silence loomed over you, the kind that made you hyper aware of every crunch the leaves under your feet made, every chirp the birds on nearby trees let out, and even every breath you didn’t know you kept holding.

“It’s a nice morning, huh?” He finally broke the tense silence, though the strain in his voice made it even more awkward.

“Yeah it is,” you glanced and nodded at him briefly.

Another long stretch of silence. When did you two become this way? Nevermind, you remembered the day it all had started a bit too clearly for your liking. But this seemed too delicate, too much. How was your walk with the arrogant Naoya Zenin more comfortable than one with the person you had spent nearly all your life with?

“So,” he started again, clearing his throat, “you walk this route every day?”

“It’s not that far,” you nodded.

“It’s been a while since I walked anywhere,” he chuckled softly to himself.

You risked a small smile in the midst of the unpleasant stillness. “Yeah, I remember. You always complained if the carriage wasn’t ready, or if you were sent to meet other clans on foot.”

“I was spoiled,” he grinned proudly. “Still am, probably.”

Despite yourself, you laughed softly. But it was fleeting, and the silence returned to keep reminding you of how much everything has changed. By the time you reached the gates of Jujutsu High, the sun was higher in the sky. Satoru stopped a few stops short of the massive gateway.

“Well, here you are,” he turned to look at you with softened eyes.

You nodded and adjusted your bag. “Thanks for walking with me.”

“Anytime,” he smiled. Faint as it was, it still didn’t reach his eyes.

In the faculty lounge at Jujutsu High, you sat with Utahime after she had barked at the other teachers to let her have some “alone time” with you. It seemed as if although she was trying her best to get you and Naoya together, she was hardly denying the rumours between you and her.

 She suddenly perked up mid-cursing at an answer paper of one of the third-years. “Oh, right! Did you hear? There’s a new recruit for a teaching position. Principal Yaga told me yesterday.”

“Oh, cool,” you snapped out of your own thoughts about the weird tension Naoya had landed you in. “Who’s interviewing them?”

“You, duh.” You groaned audibly and she laughed. 

“Hopefully it’s not another Ijichi,” you grumbled, wincing as you remembered the interview you had with him a few months ago.

“Be nice,” she said, though she snickered at the memory. “He was just nervous!”

“Nervous?” You huffed loudly. “Utahime, the man tripped over his own feet before he even sat down. And I wasn’t even intimidating!”

“You? Not intimidating?” She raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, definitely. Tell that to the first-years.”

“I’m a delight,” you shrugged, batting your eyelashes innocently. “Ijichi, on the other hand… couldn’t even make eye contact during the interview. I had to repeat my question three times before he answered.”

“Maybe this one will be better,” she got excited, and you knew what she was thinking of before it even came out of her mouth. “Who knows? They might even impress you—”

“No,” you snapped, and she giggled.

You were in enough of what your teenage self would have called “boy troubles” already to have a third one enter your life. First Satoru, then Naoya, and now Satoru again. You sighed. Shouldn’t you be flattered that a guy like Naoya shows interest in you? He’s rich, a noble (although the Gojo clan wouldn’t care about status either way), handsome and romantic. What more could you want? But on the other hand, Satoru is… well… him? You hardly think anyone would be able to compete with the Satoru you knew.

Utahime set down her papers and held your hand, as if determined to show you how a real man should hold you. “Alright, what’s wrong?” She asked gently. “You’ve been off for days. Don’t think I didn’t notice.”

You hesitated. “Satoru,” you muttered.

“Of course,” she sighed. She inhaled loudly before— “That insufferable, pompous cretin! A walking disgrace to his lineage! I’ve met noble horses with more grace and tact! A royal pain, in every possible way. That walking definition of idiocy needs to be knocked off his pedestal, preferably into a pile of mud.”

You blinked rapidly. You’d be lying if you understood a single word that she just said.

“What does that even mean?”

“Doesn’t matter,” she waved a hand dismissively, fuming with rage. “The point is, he’s an idiot. The biggest idiot. And if he’s making you feel like this, then I’m going to—”

“Okay, okay!” You smiled faintly at her ambitious attempt to choke thin air with her hands as if grabbing his throat. “But it’s not just him.”

“There’s more? It’s alright, I can fight—”

“Not for fighting!” You added quickly, alarmed. “It’s Naoya.”

“What did he do?” She stopped her antics.

“I just feel like I’m stuck between those two,” you palmed your face. You were utterly distraught. “Satoru keeps walking me to work, like he’s trying to fix things, but then Naoya, he’s been kind, attentive, and all of the good stuff you keep babbling about. I don’t know what to do if it ever came down to choosing between them.”

She leaned forward seriously, and forced your chin upwards to meet her eyes like your second mother. “Listen. Ask yourself two questions. First: Who sees you for you? Not the ‘I’m-strong-enough-to-not-need-anyone-else’ image you’ve been trying to put up, not the teacher you’ve become, but just… you. The good and the bad.”

“And the second?” You frowned thoughtfully.

“Who makes you feel safe?” She said simply. “Not just physically, but emotionally as well. Who can you trust with your heart, knowing they’ll look after it like the finest treasure?”

Like the finest treasure? The answer was simple.

But not the one you wanted.

Not who you craved.

“You don’t have to decide right now,” Utahime gave you a small smile. “Just don’t settle for less than you deserve, okay?”

You nodded gratefully. “You’re way better at this than you seem like, you know.”

“I’m a delight,” she echoed your words from earlier, giggling.

──── ୨ৎ ────

It had been almost a month since the walks with Satoru had begun. You had hoped as time went by you would’ve gotten more used to the tension it carried, but each day seemed to offer a new, worse one. The quietness lingered heavily between you, just like it had been all this while.

“So,” he started, glancing at you, “am I annoying you?”

“What?” You cross-questioned, startled at the insecurity in his voice. “No, why would you think that?”

“I dunno,” he shrugged, trying his best to be nonchalant, but you knew him too well to know it was an act. “It’s been over a month of me tagging along, and you haven’t said much. I thought maybe you’d prefer walking with someone else. Like Naoya,” he mumbled the last part.

“No,” you said firmly. “You’re not annoying—”

“I just hoped,” he cut you off, “you’d think this was better than with him. That’s all.”

You didn’t know how to respond, so you just hummed, looking away at a nearby tree and counting the number of leaves on it.

“Yeah,” Satoru chuckled quietly, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Thought so.”

You couldn’t reply to that.

“Here we are,” he murmured, opening the schoolgates for you just to find something to do. But when he followed behind you inside, you raised an eyebrow.

“You’re coming all the way in? Don’t worry, Naoya won’t step inside the school.”

“Good to know,” he adjusted his sunglasses, “but I’m not worried about Naoya.”

“Then?”

He closed the gates and turned to face you, beaming despite his earlier demeanour. “I’m a candidate for the teaching post.”

“What?!”

“What? You didn’t know?” He tilted his head, acting innocent. “Thought I’d apply for the position. Figured it was about time I contributed my immense knowledge to the next generation.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. You? A teacher?”

“I’ll take that as a compliment even though it’s meaningless that way,” he pouted at you. He then pushed past you to the hallway. “You’re the one interviewing me, hopefully? Race you!”

“What the— Satoru, come back!” But he was already running to whatever empty classroom he could find. Talk about professionalism.

You marched off to Principal Yaga’s office and burst in, resulting in him nearly stabbing his own finger with a sewing needle. “Sir! I can’t do this.

“It’s 8 in the morning,” he sighed wearily. “And what is it that you can’t do?

“I cannot interview that man.”

“Why not?”

You gestured wildly at the hall, from where audible noises of furniture being dragged around could be heard. “Because it’s Gojo Satoru.”

“I see.” Yaga leaned back in his chair, staring at the hall with a transfixed look. “Well, if it’s such a problem, I’ll just have Utahime handle it.”

Uh oh.

“No, no. She’ll kill him. Literally.” And you didn’t feel like cleaning up a crime scene today.

“With killer questions?” He remarked thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. “Then it’s settled. She’ll—”

“No, sir! I’ll do it.”

“Are you sure? You don’t have to.”

“Yes I do,” you gritted your teeth. 

You had finally found the man after looking through twenty three whole classrooms spinning rapidly on a chair. You coughed loudly and he jumped, though he sighed in relief when he saw that it was just you.

“Thought I’d get fired if the Principal saw me this way,” he said as you sat on the chair in front of him. “And I haven’t even been hired yet. Imagine that!”

“You know I could reject you as a candidate as well, right?” You rolled your eyes.

“What? No, you wouldn’t!” He shouted indignantly. “I knew I shouldn’t have eaten your last mochi.”

“What? You ate my last mochi?”

Satoru gulped, and you groaned.

You clutched your clipboard, already regretting your decision. “Alright, Mr. Gojo. Let’s begin.”

He grinned. “Of course, Mrs. Gojo. Don’t let me distract you.”

“Let’s start with the basics,” you tried to sound as professional as you could. “What experience do you have working with students?”

“Well, I’ve been mentoring the younger sorcerers unofficially,” he leaned back in his chair with a lazy smile. “Does being charming count?”

“No.”

“Really?” He tilted his head. “Because I think it’s working on you.”

You paused. “This isn’t a date,” you glared at him. “It’s an interview.”

“So you do know what a date is,” his grin widened in size. “Guess Naoya didn’t ruin you completely.”

“Why do you want this position?” You gritted your teeth.

“Figured I’d spend more time with you.”

“How do you handle indiscipline in the classroom?” You deadpanned.

“Depends,” he tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Are we talking about kids or you?”

Fucking—

“Do you even want this job?”

“I do,” he said simply.

You slammed your clipboard on the table in annoyance and stood up. “You’re following me, aren’t you?” You pointed an accusing finger at his face.

He looked at you incredulously. “What? No. Why would I—” He stopped, and his tone softened. “I’m here because I’m sick of the nobility and their entitlement.”

“Huh?”

“You heard me.” He stood up as well, crossing his arms and speaking more earnestly than you had ever heard from him. “Kids from those circles? You can’t change them — they’re too far gone. But here? The students come from humble families. They still have a shot at thinking for themselves, at doing things for the right reasons. I want to make sure they don’t grow up like us.”

You were stunned into silence, but before you could respond, a voice came from the doorway.

“Congratulations, Satoru Gojo. You’re hired,” said Principal Yaga, sparing one glance into the room and then leaving again.

Satoru’s expression changed again, and he was beaming like he hadn’t just bared his soul out to you a few moments ago. “Looks like you’re stuck with me, huh?”

You groaned, burying your face in your hands. “…Great.”

──── ୨ৎ ────

“This,” you gestured to a nearby door, “is the main classroom. It’s where first-years have their lessons. It’s equipped with barriers for live combat simulations, so the—”

“You know, you’ve got a really soothing voice,” Satoru cut in. “Ever think of switching to narration?”

“Shut up,” you shot him a glare. “Are you just here to waste my time?”

“Can’t I appreciate you a little?” He pouted, but when your look refused to soften, his shoulder sank and head drooped, and he trailed behind you like a small puppy.

So cute.

No, fuck, what the fuck are you thinking?

You walked on ahead, and the whispers from all those years ago that had remained in your thoughts seemed to bloom louder again.

You don’t even belong in this house!

We’re not kids forever, you know.

The two people I trust the most in this world!

Nothing more. Nothing less.

“Are you oka—?”

“Why are you here, Satoru?”

His smirk faltered. “I told you. I want to help shape the next generation—”

“And you’re telling me it has nothing to do with me?”

His gaze softened. “Would it be so bad if it did?”

You bit your lip, trying to shut out all the voices echoing in your head. “After what you said to me all those years ago? Because if you think that can be fixed then—”

“Stop.”

You did.

“I don’t know how old you think I was then, but it’s not like you were any older than me at that time. I want you to understand that,” he spun you around to face him, “I want to change. I want to show you how much I regret raising my voice at you that way.”

“Is that all you regret?” You asked.

He paused a bit, then fixed his sunglasses to cover his eyes completely. “No. I regret saying that—”

“Hey there!” chirped in a voice you almost didn’t recognize from how much you were focussing on Satoru’s words. Satoru’s face hardened when he saw the person waving at you from behind. You turned to look at him.

“Naoya?”

“Yes, missed me? I dropped Maki with the driver earlier than usual for you,” Naoya strode up to you, and hooked his arm with yours, snatching you away from Satoru’s grip. “Let’s walk you home, darling.”

“You know, Naoya, for someone who talks a lot about class, you’re pretty shameless when it comes to interrupting private conversations,” Satoru spat venomously, making the latter turn around to face him sneering.

“Private? Oh, forgive me,” Naoya snickered. “I didn’t realize you were finally learning how to talk to a woman. But could you get a different one? This one’s taken.”

“Oh, shut up. Isn’t it past your bedtime, Zenin? Shouldn’t you be off practicing your bowing skills or groveling to your clan?”

“Groveling?” Naoya smirked, clearly unbothered. “Not my style, Gojo. That’s more your speed, isn’t it? Or did you think running off to teach would make people forget how much of a disappointment you are?”

“Uh, okay,” you tried to interrupt. “I don’t think—” 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Satoru cut you off, leaning forward with mock curiosity. “Must be hard living in a world where your only personality trait is kissing your elders’ feet.”

“Says the man who threw away everything his clan worked for,” Naoya mocked back. “Couldn’t handle the pressure of actually being useful?”

“Useful?” Satoru laughed maniacally, and you felt a shiver run down your spine. “Is that what you call wagging your tail for every decision the Zenin fossils make?”

“Enough! Please. You two are acting like kids—” You stepped in between them and raised your hands.

“Don’t think I don’t see what you’re doing, Gojo,” Naoya chided. “Trying to fix what you broke, crawling back like the desperate little rat you are.”

“Desperate, huh? And what are you? You’re just a carbon copy of every other one of your morons. Must be boring living without a spine.”

“Better a spine than whatever it is you call yourself. A disgrace to the Gojo clan. No wonder they’ve been so quiet about you. They’re probably embarrassed.”

“Okay, enough! I don’t have time for this,” you shouted.

Naoya immediately shut up. “Are we overwhelming you, darling? I can always walk you home. Gojo here,” his expression soured again, “can find his own way back.”

Satoru’s jaw tightened. “Funny, I was about to say the same thing about you.”

“Yeah? Then why don’t you just let her choose?”

“Of course.”

Both of them turned to you simultaneously, and you made a mental note to never interrupt their conversations ever again. Before things could escalate further, however, a sharp voice cut in.

“What in the name of all things holy, proper, appropriate, virtuous, demure, and absolutely not Utahime Iori is going on here?”

“Wow, did you just compare yourself to a holy being?” Satoru snickered, and earned a slap on the back of his head by her.

“I said ‘absolutely not’, you white-haired freak.”

“Utahime!” You sighed in relief, running to hug her around the waist, and she patted your head pitifully.

“There, there. You were stuck in this pissing contest between manchildren, weren’t you? You poor, poor soul.”

“Woman,” Naoya curled his lip, “don’t you have better things to do than stick your nose where it doesn’t belong?”

“Like you’re doing right now?” Utahime replied coolly. “We’re leaving,” she yanked you away from them with her.

“Wait—” Naoya protested.

“Hey—” Satoru stepped forward.

“No. Bye,” Utahime turned around with her nose high in the air, and you gave a meek wave to both of them. They did cancel their plans to walk you home, but god did you feel grateful to be dragged away from their fights about winning you like an object.

──── ୨ৎ ────

Life had taken a strange, twisting turn ever since Satoru had re-entered your world. The once awkward silences during his walks with you were replaced by lively conversations now. He was speaking to you more now. He would sometimes do or say things that reminded you of how he was, but it wasn’t quite the same. He still hadn’t joined you for dinner again, despite the seat you subconsciously left empty every night at the table.

Meanwhile, Naoya was relentless in his pursuit — walking you to school, picking you up, showing up at your door with every excuse in the book, Impress to Repress: A Noble’s Guide to Obtain the Perfect Wife. Funnily enough, you didn’t suppose it would be too far-fetched to think he had that book somewhere in his room with the way he would speak with you.

“I thought you might need help carrying your books,” he’d say, flashing you that perfect smile as though you couldn’t see past the charm. Or: “A lady shouldn’t walk alone in the evening.” And his favorite: “I dropped Maki off early for you.”

It wasn’t entirely unwelcome, though. Naoya was charming and thoughtful in a way that had its appeal, but it also left you feeling like you were being swooped away too far, like he was a strong tide made to sweep you off your feet. But when the tide receded, you found yourself glancing over your shoulder, wondering if Satoru had noticed.

Just who should you love?

Naoya was kind — kinder than you’d expected him to be. He knew how to make you laugh, smile, blush all the same. But his ego often left you bristling. He would decide for you even though you wanted to do it yourself, and part of you wondered if he was just like the Kamo servants and nobles you had seen earlier.

And then there was Satoru. He’d shattered your heart three years ago with careless words. The memory still burned like a fresh wound, but there were moments now when you saw something different in him. Something softer. Something that almost made you believe he could fix what he’d broken. But it was too toxic to linger on.

You reached the teacher’s lounge and found it empty except for Utahime, who was leaning against a desk, flipping through a stack of papers. She glanced up as you entered.

“Finally decided to get a break?”

“Yeah. Did you bully all the other teachers out again?”

“Thank me for that,” she poked her tongue out as you sat down laughing.

“Actually, I came here to ask you something,” you hesitated.

“Hm?”

“Why—” you huffed. “Why did you step in that day? You know, with both of them. You were supposed to let me… choose.”

Utahime set her pen down with a soft sigh. “Because you weren’t ready.”

“What do you mean?” You frowned. “I could’ve—”

“Could you, though?” She wondered loudly. “I’ve known you long enough to recognize when you’re drowning in your own head. You’re still holding onto pieces of your past with Satoru while Naoya’s practically dragging you into his future. And you? You’re just standing there, caught in the middle, hoping someone else will make the choice for you.”

You spluttered at how accurately she described your situation. “But you said—”

“I said ‘take your time’, didn’t I?”

“You did,” you sighed. “But what if it’s too late?”

“If it is, then a choice will be made for you,” her eyes darkened. “You know what clans are like. The Kamo clan even set up a proposal for Satoru, and he was just seventeen at the time.”

You opened your mouth to argue, but what could you say? If it wasn’t for your mother that day, Satoru would’ve been married off at the mere age of seventeen. The Kamo clan’s elder daughter had been married off at a young age as well, from what you had heard from their maids. Who’s to say that won’t be the case for you as well? How long could your mother shelter you after all?

Utahime softened slightly. “I stepped in that day because you needed time. But don’t think for a second that I’m going to keep doing it. This is your life. Your future. And you’re the only one who gets to decide who’s in it. So stop running in circles.”

“But I’m scared,” you croaked out.

“Scared?”

“What if I make the wrong choice?” You said quietly, looking down at your own hands.

Utahime leaned back with a small smile. “Then you deal with it, just like everyone else. But at least it’ll be your choice, not theirs.”

You nodded slightly.

“Oh, and one more thing — next time, don’t let two grown men fight over you in public. It’s embarrassing.”

You sat there, chewing on your own nail and wondering if you should laugh, cry, or start packing your bags to run away from both Satoru and Naoya entirely.

──── ୨ৎ ────

On Utahime’s advice, you had prepared two separate diaries to recount heart-fluttering scenarios you had with each man to help you ‘decide’ between them. As much as you found the whole idea ridiculous, you figured trying it won’t hurt. You had asked both Naoya and Satoru to buy you a diary each just to see how differing the outcomes would be.

Now, you picked a diary that looked posh and had a sophisticated-looking leather twine to strap it shut. The cover looked menacing, and the pages were eerily white. You did not have to second-guess to know who bought this one.

“Naoya,” you muttered, scribbling his name along the first page. You then turned to the next page, and began writing.

1. Cafe dates... he always ordered my drink without asking. Polite, attentive, charming... but also predictable.

2. Parent-teacher meeting dates? Oh god, does that even count? It’s just like what Satoru said.

You paused. Were you supposed to add Satoru’s name while writing in Naoya’s diary? Scoffing, you continued.

He made sure my notes were perfect, held doors open, smiled at every passing teacher like he was running for class president.

3. Dinner at the estate — ugh. The way he spoke to mother, like he was auditioning to be the next clan leader. Why is he so flawless?

You groaned aloud.

“Is he just too perfect or am I just being unfair?”

Annoyed, and also running out of romantic scenarios to write for Naoya’s diary, you picked up Satoru’s diary. It was like the old one you had maintained when you were thirteen. You giggled a little remembering how much you had to plan and strategize on the diary’s hidden location to keep it away from him. You couldn’t be caught dead with him knowing what was in it.

The first thing he had said when you had asked for a new diary was, “Why, is my charm too much for you that you have to pen it down so you don’t overflow?” And god, was he right.

You ran your fingers on the spine of the diary. It was your favourite colour — you wondered how he still remembered that. Did he have his own secret diary you had to find soon? You opened it and began writing.

“Where do I even start with you, you pumpkin?” You giggled at the words you had just scribbled.

1. The staff room date. Well, if you can even call it a date. You barged in uninvited, stole half my lunch, and started criticizing my handwriting like you were some literary genius. Just like you used to. What did you call it when we were kids? A calligraphy competition on every page, huh?

You remembered the scenario all too well.

The staffroom was peaceful for once, the only sounds coming from the ticking clock and the low murmur of the other teachers quietly going about their breaks. You were tucked into the corner by the windows, your lunch spread in front of you, savoring the rare moment.

And of course, it was then that the door flung open with an obnoxious swing.

Satoru Gojo.

You didn’t even have to look up.

“Well, well, look who’s having lunch all alone! No invite for me? Rude.” he smirked, sliding into the chair opposite you like he belonged there. Without waiting for your response, he reached over and casually snatched a piece of your lunch.

You sighed. “I didn’t invite you because I didn’t want you here.”

“Fair enough. Lucky for you, I’m here to grace you with my presence anyway.” He gobbled up your lunch. “Hmm, not bad. You didn’t cook this yourself, did you?”

You snatched your box away from him. “Can you not? This is my lunch.”

Satoru leaned back with a huff. “Whatever.” He noticed your open notebook. “What’s this? Lesson plans? Don’t tell me you’ve been taking this teaching thing seriously.”

“Don’t touch that!”

But he did. And he held it out of reach, flipping through the pages. “Relax, I’m just taking a look. Whoa. Your handwriting hasn’t changed a bit.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know, it looks like you’re trying to win an award for best handwriting or something.”

You flushed. “I just like making it neat!”

“Neat? Are you kidding? I remember trying to copy your style once when we were kids, and mom thought I was possessed.”

You snorted. “Maybe you were just bad at writing.”

“Oh, absolutely. I gave up halfway and just stuck to my chicken scratch.”

2. The sparring match. I hated you for pairing up with me for what? “Showing the kids how it’s done”? What does that even mean? And what kind of lunatic goes easy for three rounds and then wipes the floor with you in the fourth? But afterward, you stayed to help me fix my form. You didn’t have to... but you did.

In the grounds, you stood with your wand in your hand, and across from you stood Satoru, smirking confidently, his wand poised like an extension of his arm.

“Showing off, huh?”

“Shut up, you’re the one who needed my help in ‘teaching these kiddos’,” you shot back. “And besides, I don’t need you to show off in front of them."

“Who said I’m showing off?” He grinned. “Just here to make sure you don’t embarrass yourself.”

He flicked his wand, sending light spells your way. You blocked them as best as you could, but he was always one step ahead.

“You’re not even trying!” You shouted.

“Of course not, I’m just giving you a chance.”

But then, without warning, he shifted his stance and cast a powerful spell that knocked your wand from your hand.

“What the—?”

“Language.”

“—hell”

“Just showing you how it’s done,” he shrugged, and you gritted your teeth.

He stepped closer, handing you your wand. Reluctantly, you took your wand.

“Since when did you become better than me at this?” You asked him.

“Since you forgot your old self among your new troubles,” he replied with a twinkle in his eye.

3. The stargazing. God, Satoru, you’re insufferable. Who even points out constellations while lying on the grass and makes up fake names for them just to make someone laugh?

You laid on the grass, watching the night sky stretch endlessly above you. Satoru was beside you, dramatically pointing at every star he could set his eyes on.

“You see that one? That’s the Satoru constellation. Handsome, charming, and clearly the best in the sky.”

“I don’t think that’s a real constellation,” you giggled.

“It is if I say it is,” he pulled a face.

“Alright, alright,” you shook your head. “You’re impossible.”

“And yet, here you are. Lying next to me, staring at my constellation.”

You stayed quiet, watching as his expression softened. He turned to you, lifting his head with the palm of his hand and looking right into your eyes with his bright blue ones.

“You know,” he whispered. “Stars are kind of overrated.”

You turned to look at him. “Why’s that?”

He spared half a glance at the sky before leaning in to nuzzle into your neck, but he stopped short, barely a few inches away from your skin. “Because I’ve been staring at something brighter all night.”

Your breath hitched, but before you could respond, he turned back to the sky, his usual grin breaking the moment. “I’m just a chill guy, just thinking, you know.”

“About what?” You asked curiously.

“How someone as brilliant as you still gets stars in her eyes every time she looks up.”

“Wow, that’s surprisingly poetic of you.”

“Right?” He gushed over himself. “Don’t get used to it though. I have a reputation to maintain.”

“There it is,” you smiled.

“But seriously,” he laid his head down on the grass right next to your chest. “I don’t mind the stars. I just think the view’s better when you’re in it.”

You turned away, pretending to admire the flowers, but the heat in your cheeks might have given you away.

Why did you look at me like that, like I was the only star that mattered?

──── ୨ৎ ────

Maki leaned against your desk, watching you intently. “So... what's going on with you and Naoya?”

You widened your eyes. She had insisted on staying back to help you rearrange the chairs after class, yet here she was now, asking you questions about your personal life. 

“Why does that matter?” You asked, sounding more defensive than you had intended to be.

“He’s from my clan,” she said, as if that was enough of a reason for you to talk about the weird love triangle you had landed yourself in. She sat on your desk, swinging her legs up and down.

“Look, I... I don’t really know. I mean, it’s definitely more than what I expected, but I’m not sure where it’s going.”

Maki raised an eyebrow, her lips pressing into a thin line as if she was considering something. She seemed rather skeptical.

“Alright, just don’t martyr yourself for him.”

Your stomach twisted at her words. Did she even realize what she was saying? You looked up at her, trying to read her expression, but it was hard to tell what she was really thinking.

“What does that even mean?” You asked incredulously.

Maki sighed, pushing herself off from the desk. She walked a few steps towards you. “He’s not worth it,” she said, and then she left the classroom just like that.

What the hell?

You’d known all this while the Zenin clan was among the more orthodox and conservative ones, and you considered yourself lucky to be part of the Gojo clan, one of the more lenient ones. But seeing a young girl, a student you had been teaching for a while nonetheless, voice out a cryptic message, or rather a plea for help from misogynistic fucks, perhaps, made you second-guess the whole idea all over again.

Just what has this girl been through?

Later that day, you spotted Maki and Naoya leaving together, and felt the pit in your stomach deepen.

Something was not right.

──── ୨ৎ ────

Your ears had perked up when you had been told by your mother that there was another meeting of the clans of the nobility, but that wasn’t what had you interested. It was the fact that all the clans would be present, and that included the Ieri, Iori and Geto clans. As much as you were sure your friends would hate to attend this stupid meeting, Satoru’s suggestion of sneaking out made you far more excited than you should be.

So here you were, writing letters to Shoko and Suguru to attend the meeting at all costs after barking Utahime’s ear off to do so as well. You crumpled your parchment up and threw it in a corner for the fifth time.

What were you even supposed to write to friends you’ve grown apart from?

You huffed and began scribbling on fresh parchment once more.

Dear Shoko,

I can already picture you rolling your eyes at this letter. “What is she up to now after not keeping contact for ages?” you’re probably thinking. Well, for once, it’s not mischief, or boy troubles, or even weird investigations cough cough.

It’s been so long since we last saw each other, and I’ve missed you more than words can say. Remember when we used to sneak out of classes just to sit under the old tree and complain about literally everyone? Things have changed so much since then — we’ve changed so much. But I think a part of me still hopes that when I see you, it’ll feel like no time has passed at all.

There’s a clan meeting coming up (ugh, I know), and I heard your clan will be attending. Please tell me you’re coming. I’ll even tolerate your sarcasm if it means we can catch up properly. Bring your flask, too — I have a feeling we’ll need it. Oak tree, Iori Estate, don’t forget.

I can’t wait to see you again. Write back if you have the time, or just show up and surprise me. Either way, I’ll be waiting.

With love and exasperation, Your favourite patient

Good enough, you thought, but Shoko probably won’t even read all of that. Eh well it didn’t matter anyway.

Dear Suguru,

How have you been? Really been? I’ve missed having someone to talk to who actually listens. I’m sure your clan keeps you busy, but I hope you’ve found a moment or two to breathe.

There’s a clan meeting coming up, and I heard the Geto Clan will be attending. Just the thought of seeing you again after all these years makes me... well, nervous, if I’m honest. Not because of anything bad, but because there’s so much I want to say, so much I’ve wanted to ask you.

Do you remember the last time we all sat together, back when things were simpler? I miss that. I miss us. Maybe this meeting will give us a chance to find that again — at least a little.

I hope you’ll be there. No pressure, of course, but if you come, we’ll be waiting under the oak tree out back in the Iori estate. We’d really like to see you.

Take care of yourself, Suguru. And don’t overthink this letter as much as I overthought writing it.

Yours, Your favourite troublemaker

──── ୨ৎ ────

You sat across from Satoru in the carriage to the meeting in silence. His eyes were fixed on the passing scenery outside, but you could tell from the way his fingers fidgeted against his knee that his mind was elsewhere — most likely at the fact that both his mother and father were in another carriage together.

Over the years, their relationship had grown even more strained than it had become on that unfortunate day. You couldn’t imagine what it would be like for either of them to be forced to act like a healthy couple for the sake of a few hours in front of thousands of other people.

“Satoru?” You called softly, and he snapped out of his thoughts.

“Hm?”

You patted his knee. “They’ll be fine.”

He huffed a short laugh, turning his head just enough to glance at you. “You’re too optimistic. What if they explode at each other in the middle of the meeting? Or worse, drag the entire Gojo name through the mud?”

“Then you can just blame me,” you shrugged, trying to lighten the mood. “Say I tripped and caused a distraction, or spilled tea on someone important, or whatever it is that nobles dislike.”

“Oh? And they would believe that? Miss perfect student?” He cracked a small smile.

“I’m not a student anymore,” you stuck your tongue out at him, and he laughed.

“Yeah, but I don’t think that would really improve things.”

“It might. Chaos is a great way to bond people. Just look at us!”

He turned fully to face you now in amusement. “That’s your big plan? Turn the meeting into a comedy night?”

“If it gets you to stop worrying for five seconds, then yes,” you smiled.

He leaned back in his seat, the faintest smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You’re ridiculous, you know that?”

“Maybe. But ridiculous is what you need right now.”

He held your gaze for a moment, the storm in his eyes quieting just a little. “Thanks… for, you know, trying.”

“Trying?” You gasped as if offended. “I excel at this. Just wait — by the end of this night, you’ll owe me for single-handedly saving the Gojo name.”

──── ୨ৎ ────

You tiptoed through the dimly lit corridor, Satoru trailing behind you with his usual cocky grin. He wasn’t exactly stealthy, but he was trying his best, even if his ‘best’ meant occasionally tripping over his own feet and knocking random armours on the way.

“This is dumb,” he whispered to you. “We should just portal her out.”

“No! Tha’ll make it too obvious,” you whisper-shouted. “We’re supposed to be discreet.”

“You’re whispering like a toddler playing hide-and-seek,” he snorted and you shushed him. “That’s the opposite of discreet.”

“Shut up. Now where’s the oak tree?”

“Out?”

“Obviously, genius, but where’s ‘out’?”

“Uhhhh,” he dragged out his response before pointing to a very clear exit. “There? You didn’t see that yet?”

You chose not to dignify that jab with a response, pushing open the door to where Shoko and Suguru were supposed to wait for you as per your letters.

“Fuck, it’s dark in here,” your voice echoed for some reason.

“Careful, princess. Wouldn’t want you to be caught swearing like you’re not from a noble clan,” Satoru snickered, and you wanted to whack him on the head like Utahime had done the other day.

“About time,” a bored voice said, making the two of you jump and turn in horror, staring at the darkness to make out the figures that were inching closer and closer to you. “We thought you chickened out from what you said in the letter.”

“Sh-Shoko?”

“Duh.”

“Shoko!” You ran up to her as she came into the light of the estate, hugging her like your life depended on it. “Missed you.”

“Missed you too,” she patted your shoulder. “Did you two get lost, or were you off making out in a broom closet or something?”

“What?” You deadpanned. “I haven’t seen you in years, and this is how you greet me?”

Suguru grinned from beside her. “I mean, she’s not entirely wrong,” he gave a light punch on the chest to Satoru. “You’re a little flushed.”

“See?” Satoru smirked. “I told you we should’ve taken the broom closet route. Much more efficient.”

You groaned. “Leave that! Utahime’s stuck in some ridiculous ceremony, and we need a plan to get her out.”

“How bad could it be?” Shoko said. “Light some incense, wave your hands, maybe sacrifice a virgin or two, chant a bit, and she’s done, right?”

“You’ve clearly never been to an Iori ritual,” Suguru replied. “They’re like a cult, but boring.”

“Oh, they’re worse than boring,” said Satoru. “They make you kneel for hours, bowing and chanting. And if you screw up, they start over. It’s like boot camp for spiritualists.”

“Exactly,” you said, sighing. “So, we need a distraction. Something big enough to pull her out but small enough not to get us executed by her clan.”

“I say we fake an emergency,” suggested Suguru. “Like, ‘Oh no, a curse is loose!’ Then she’s got to leave.”

“Too obvious,” Shoko lit a cigarette. “They’ll know it’s fake when Satoru doesn’t stop the ‘curse’ immediately.”

“How about an eating contest?” proposed Satoru, immediately earning an actual punch from Shoko.

“What if we convince them that Utahime has to perform an exorcism somewhere else?” asked Suguru. “Like, say, the riverside.”

You snapped your fingers at his brilliance. “Yes! Perfect! We’ll say her ‘spiritual energy’ is needed for a very urgent ritual. Shoko, you’ll pretend to be an elder. Suguru, you’re the messenger. Satoru, just— stand there and look important.”

“Excuse me? I am always important.”

“Anyway—” Shoko interrupted, taking a long drag. “I bought props just because.” She pulled out her bag and unzipped it. Out came tumbling fake moustaches, eyebrows, caps, cloaks and god knows what.

“What the—” you were stunned. “Why did you get this stuff?”

“Told you, just because,” she shrugged. “It’s a stupid clan union meeting. Thought we’d need some entertainment.”

“Shoko, you’re a genius.”

The four of you tried to find the ritual hall amongst the many rooms of the estate. After bullying a random security guard and having him lead you to the hall, Satoru dramatically banged the door open. The elders of the Iori clan all turned to look at the four of you, and Utahime, who was kneeling in the center surrounded by them, glanced up and immediately put her head back down with curses disguised as a cough.

The air was thick with incense and your eyes were burning. Shoko scratched her fake beard, and stepped forward to speak in a loud, rumbling voice. “Elders of the Iori clan!” She lifted her hands up and flailed her arms around wildly to address them. “There has been a disturbance under your watch,” she thundered, “in the northern woods, of which none can speak.”

“A disturbance?” A grandma squeaked. “What kind, Master Yoo?”

You had no idea who Master Yoo was, but if this plan was working, you didn’t care either.

“It shall remain classified,” Suguru stepped forward slowly with a hunchback and a stick. “None can speak of it without endangering  everyone else.”

“It is the kind,” you bowed to them, “that only the heir of a true princess born to a clan as unique as yours, in the shadow of an oak as old as yours and for a purpose as grave as this may resolve.”

“Us?” An old man exclaimed. “So you have chosen us?”

“Your heir, to be exact,” Suguru clarified.

“Ah, well, then, we shall send the boy—”

“The girl, please,” you deadpanned.

The elders blinked. “Why the girl?”

“Her energy is unique and, uh, mesmerizing,” Shoko boomed, making them fall to their knees. She dramatically walked to the squeaking grandma and grabbed her by both collars of her kimono. “Your heiress has been chosen by the spirits of the longgone.”

“Chosen, you say?” She squeaked in response. “Why wasn’t this revealed earlier?”

Satoru sighed dramatically while you lifted Utahime up. “Do you always question the will of the spirits? No wonder they never bless this place.”

The elders were flustered. They waved Utahime away. She rose stiffly and, still muttering long strings of curses, followed you all out.

Minutes later, the five of you were lounging by the riverside, the cool night breeze rustling the trees. A bottle of sake was being passed between you, the props of earlier long discarded.

“A divine mission? Really?” Utahime was exasperated. “That’s the best you could come up with?”

You laughed, and Shoko said, “Well, it worked, that’s all that matters.”

“You’re welcome by the way,” Satoru grinned. My ‘important face’ is the only thing that made the whole act believable.”

“That’s because you’re aging,” you sighed. “Aging enough to be one of those elders by now.”

“Owie, that hurt.”

“Your face is important for comedy, not authority, Satoru,” said Suguru. Then, he raised his drink. “To divine missions, friendships, and chaos wherever we go.”

“Cheers!”

The moon was still high, and you wondered how long it would take for your clans to realize that all of you were missing from the main event. The air was filled with the faint sounds of laughter and clinking bottles as your friends enjoyed themselves nearby. Satoru, however, had wandered off to the water’s edge. He crouched, plucking smooth stones from the shore and skipping them across the surface with surprising precision.

You hesitated for a moment, then walked over, unable to resist teasing him.

“What’s this?” You asked playfully. “The Gojo Satoru, retreating from the crowd to have a quiet moment with his thoughts? I thought you thrived on attention.”

Satoru did not look back at you. “Oh, I do,” he half-chuckled. “But I also thrive on balance. Can’t be too perfect all the time — it makes people insecure.”

You snorted. “How generous of you to consider the feelings of the peasants.”

He glanced back at you, a smirk tugging at his lips. “See? You get it.”

“Oh, I get it. You’re just here to keep the river from feeling too plain without your dazzling presence.”

He laughed, straightening up and brushing his hands on his pants. “Alright, you caught me. I was giving them all a break from my charm. But what’s your excuse? Couldn’t handle the drinking game?”

“More like I couldn’t handle Suguru trying to explain his ‘philosophical approach’ to sake. What did he say again? ‘Is the sake good because you’re dreaming, or are you dreaming because you’re drinking good sake?’ My brain was melting.”

“Fair point. His monologues can be,” he grinned, “intense.”

You stood beside him now, staring out at the water. He tossed another stone, this one skipping three times before sinking. “Is this what you do when no one’s watching? Brood by the river and play with rocks?”

“First of all, it’s called skipping stones, not playing with rocks. Second, brooding? Me? That’s your job.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re the one standing there like the protagonist of a tragic romance novel, sighing at the stars. Very dramatic.”

You nudged his arm, rolling your eyes.

“You’re impossible.”

“And yet, you’re still here.”

There was a comfortable silence over both of you. The night felt quieter now, the laughter from the group fading into the background. You shifted, suddenly aware of how close you were standing.

“...You okay?” You asked softly.

He turned to you, his usual grin faltering just slightly. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know. Just feels like there’s something on your mind.”

He held your gaze for a moment, then looked back at the water. “Maybe. But nothing a little stone-skipping and your terrible jokes can’t fix.”

“Terrible?” You grinned. “I’ll have you know I’m the funniest person you love.”

“You’re the only person I love.”

Your smile faded a bit as you looked into his eyes, and he did the same. Suddenly, everything you did was making you feel embarrassed — your breathing, blinking, shaking hands… until he grasped your fingers and put them on his chest.

“Do you feel that?”

Yes.

I feel the love.

You nodded, and he smiled a little. He tipped your chin up to meet your gaze. “How about we ditch the ditching of our super important clan meeting?”

“There’s nothing I wanna do more,” you breathed.

You and Satoru were sneaking back toward the main hall, your laughter still echoing softly as you wiped imaginary dust off his shoulder.

“I can’t believe you slipped on that rock,” you poked your tongue out at him. “All that talk about being graceful—”

“It was one rock, and it was slippery,” he cut you off. “Besides, I saved it. You’re the one who almost fell in the river trying not to laugh.”

“Saved it? You looked like a baby seal trying to ice skate.”

His mock-offended gasp earned another burst of laughter from you. But as you approached the entrance to the meeting hall, your mirth faded. Standing just outside the large carved doors was Satoru’s mother, speaking to a few people. But then she turned around, and her piercing eyes narrowed as they landed on the two of you.

“You two,” she said sharply, and you winced in unison. “How fortunate you both decided to rejoin us.”

“Fortunate?” Satoru was unfazed. “Or just impeccable timing, Mother? You know I always aim to impress.”

“Your absence was noted.” She ignored him completely and turned to look at you. The subtle scrutiny in her eyes made you feel like you’d been caught sneaking sweets from the pantry.

“We just needed some air after all the formalities,” you added hastily.

“Then I trust you’ve had enough of it.”

Without waiting for a reply, Satoru’s mother coolly turned and swept back into the hall. Satoru let out a dramatic sigh. “Well, that was fun.”

Shaking your head, you followed him into the hall. The hum of conversation and clinking glasses immediately engulfed you. The room was grand, the walls lined with banners representing the noble clans in attendance. You recognized faces from the Kamo and Iori clans, along with a handful of others. The two of you slid into unoccupied chairs near the back, just out of your parents’ immediate line of sight.

“Let me guess,” Satoru whispered to you. “Five minutes in here, and you’ll be begging to sneak out again.”

“Ten minutes. I’m trying to behave.”

“You? Behave? That’s new.”

True to his prediction, boredom set in quickly though. The speeches droned on about alliances and tradition, and Satoru began fidgeting. At one point, he caught your eye and mouthed, ‘Let’s go.’

Before you could answer, he grabbed your hand and led you toward the balcony doors. He tugged you through the crowd, weaving around clan leaders and dignitaries with the ease of someone who knew exactly how untouchable they were. You barely managed to stifle a laugh at the old nosy lady he had pushed as he pushed them open and pulled you into the cool night air.

“Satoru — people are watching!”

“Good. They can admire how stunning you look while I steal you away.”

You stood against the railing, the city lights below shimmering like scattered stars, though none of them could light you up like the man in front of you did. Satoru leaned beside you, his elbow brushing against yours.

“Do you ever wonder why they even bother with these meetings? It’s just a bunch of old people pretending they’re still important.”

“Careful,” you smiled. “Those ‘old people’ include your parents.”

“Apologies. Allow me to rephrase: a bunch of old people... and my extraordinarily distinguished parents.”

You laughed softly. “It’s not like you and me here are any better. What is to guarantee that I won’t be bored here?

“Bored? Here, with me? I’m hurt. My company is way more exciting than whatever that was,” he gestured wildly towards the hall. He leaned against the railing, his silver hair catching the moonlight like it was showing itself  off. “And besides, you’re the one who kept looking at me like you wanted to escape. Don’t deny it.”

You crossed your arms, raising a brow. “Oh, I was looking at you? Pretty sure it was the other way around, Gojo.”

His grin widened, his eyes narrowing in mock challenge. “Caught me. Can you blame me, though? You’re kind of hard not to stare at.”

The way he said it — too casual, too confident — made your heart skip a beat. Just like it always would when he was around. Just like always.

“Do you ever get tired of flirting?”

Without missing a beat, he replied, “Do you ever get tired of pretending you don’t like it?”

You opened your mouth to retort, but nothing came out. He tilted his head, watching you with an expression that was both smug and softer than usual. “Speechless? That’s a first. I’ll take it — and your blushing face — as a win. See, you like my balcony adventures!”

You sputtered, trying to deny it, but he only laughed, the sound low and warm in the quiet night.

“Maybe I just like the view.”

“Flirting back now?” said Satoru, and you furrowed your brows at him. “I knew you’d cave eventually.”

“That is not what I meant.”

“Too late now,” he grabbed your hand for a second time that night. “I think I like this better,” he leaned in.

The space between you felt smaller. His voice was quieter as he added, “I meant what I said near the riverside. I always will.”

A hand wrapped around your waist, and you couldn’t care less about the number of people that could walk in on you at this exact moment. You inched closer to him, too shy to ask for what you wanted. But he did so as well, granting you the permission you needed.

You closed your eyes, parting your lips.

A sister.

No, that was a lie.

He loved you.

Your lips brushed against each other’s for half a second before—

“Oh, there you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

You both jumped slightly, and Satoru pulled back, his expression immediately darkening. You turned to see Naoya strolling toward you with his usual smug smile.

“Hope I’m not interrupting anything important,” he bowed in front of you, kissing the back of your hand like he owned it. “Care to join me for a dance?”

You opened your mouth to answer, but Satoru stepped forward, his hand still lightly brushing your other one. “Actually, we were in the middle of something—”

“I’m sure it can wait. After all, a Zenin doesn’t ask twice.”

You glanced between them, and with a resigned sigh, you forced a polite smile and stepped toward Naoya, your heart sinking as you felt Satoru’s hand fall away.

“...I’ll be back,” you said to Satoru.

His only response was a tight nod. As Naoya led you back inside, you couldn’t help but glance over your shoulder. Satoru stood there on the balcony, his hands in his pockets, watching as you disappeared into the crowd.

Naoya led you onto the dance floor with confident strides. “You’re light on your feet. A perfect match for me, wouldn’t you agree?”

You bit back a retort, focusing instead on the music and not the way his hand lingered just a little too long on your waist. You still weren’t sure whether the tingling on your hand was because of Naoya’s little kiss or due to Satoru’s touches earlier. And you didn’t get a chance to ponder on it either.

Naoya twirled you out dramatically, and when he pulled you back in, his lips brushed your knuckles in a gesture too showy to be sincere.

From the corner of your eye, you caught Satoru leaning against a pillar stiffly. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets, but you could see the tension in his shoulders. His jaw was tightened as he watched Naoya spin you across the floor.

“Unbelievable,” you read his lips.

But if he had a problem, he’d say something, you thought. Or was he too much of a coward to do so?

Naoya dipped you — dramatically, of course — and you couldn’t miss the way Satoru’s expression darkened, his knuckles whitening as his hands clenched into fists. Finally, he pushed off the pillar, striding toward the two of you.

“Mind if I take over?” He said smoothly. “The lady looks like she’s had enough of your theatrics.”

“Is that so?” He raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t hear her complaining.”

“You didn’t ask,” you said flatly.

Naoya’s smirk faltered just enough to give you a flicker of satisfaction before Satoru stepped between you. “Thanks for warming her up for me, man.”

Without waiting for a response, Satoru took your hand and placed his other hand on your waist, effortlessly guiding you into the next step.

“Jealous much?” You teased him.

“Jealous? Nah. Just couldn’t stand watching him butcher a perfectly good waltz.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help the small smile tugging at your lips. At first, the dance felt awkward. His hand was just a little too tight on your waist, and your steps were slightly out of sync.

“For someone so full of himself, you’re surprisingly bad at this,” you said.

“Excuse me?” He replied, mock-offended. “I’m amazing at this. You’re just distracted by how good I look.”

“Yeah, yeah. Keep telling yourself that.”

But as the music slowed, and the crowd dispersed, his teasing grin softened. His hand on your waist relaxed as his thumb brushed against the fabric of your dress.

“You didn’t answer me earlier.”

That caught you off guard. You looked up, meeting his gaze, and for a moment, the noise of the room faded into the background.

“You didn't ask.”

The corners of his mouth lifted, not in his usual cocky smirk, but in something gentler, more genuine.

“Well, then, I will. Do you still… you know?”

“You know what?”

“Love me like you did?”

Your feet stopped.

Did you?

Or more than that, should you?

“Is it bad if I do?”

“No, not bad at all,” he smiled.

“Satoru.”

“Hm?”

“Why did you? That day. Why?” You asked him softly the one question you had been dying to ask for three whole years.

“I… Fuck. Naoya, him, I couldn’t—” his hands dropped from your waist, and you flinched a little, moving a few feet back, realizing that your question might have messed your moment up. “Angel—”

“Attention, please,” Naoya clinked a glass loudly. “I have an announcement I’d like to make here.”

The hum of conversation in the room died down as all eyes turned toward him. You and Satoru both turned to look at him.

“This is a moment I’ve been looking forward to all of tonight. All my life, I have wanted nothing more than to serve the woman of my dreams, and tonight, I wish to solidify not only the bonds between our families but also the bond I share with this remarkable woman.”

He turned to you, his smile widening as he reached into his pocket. He strutted towards you. Your blood ran cold as he pulled out a velvet box, dropping to one knee in one fluid motion. Naoya opened the box, revealing a glittering ring) “Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife, Ms Gojo?”

The room erupted into soft gasps and murmurs of approval, particularly from the Zenin elders. You stood frozen, every pair of eyes in the room drilling into you. All of them, all their stares and expectations felt suffocating.

Your eyes looked at Satoru’s and he seemed like he wanted you to say no. You looked at the elders and they all wanted you to say yes. You looked at your mother, and her eyes were glossy, yet you would take that more than anything else at this moment. Because they didn’t have your answer ready for you in them. They wanted to let you choose. 

“I… I don’t—” you were barely audible. Could everyone just look away from you?

The words stuck in your throat. The weight of Naoya’s proposal, the stares—

“I don’t know.”

The collective murmurs grew louder and confused. For a split second, Naoya’s expression flickered. He looked irritated with your answer. But just as quickly, he smoothed it over, standing and pulling you into a light embrace.

He laughed softly and brushed his lips against your cheek. “She’s overwhelmed. It’s a lot to take in, I understand. These things can’t be rushed, can they?” He turned to the crowd, his tone light and reassuring. “She’s just shy, that’s all. I’ll give her all the time she needs.”

Polite applause broke out, and the pressure in the room became unbearable. Naoya’s hand settled on the small of your back, guiding you toward a quieter corner, and you wanted to wrench it away from your body.

But you couldn’t. Your eyes darted to Satoru. He hadn’t moved. His icy gaze was locked on Naoya, his jaw tense, his entire body screaming for you. And yet, beneath the frustration in his expression, there was something else — something raw and unspoken.

Something you recall seeing in your own eyes.

Three years ago.

You finally cornered Satoru in the training courtyard after quite a while of him dodging your presence for the rest of the night. He was leaning against a pillar, arms crossed, staring at a fountain in the middle of the gardens.

“Satoru.” You stepped closer to him. “Why have you been avoiding me?”

He didn’t even glance at you, his gaze fixed somewhere in the distance. “I’ve been busy.”

“That’s a lie and you know it. You’ve been avoiding me like I’m some kind of plague.”

Satoru finally turned to you, and said with a bitter laugh, “What do you want me to say? That everything’s fine? That I’m thrilled about everything that’s happening?”

“You could at least tell me the truth! I don’t understand why you’re acting like this.”

His jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists at his sides. “You don’t understand? Fine. Do you know how hard it is for me to see you with him?” His voice cracked slightly, the anger giving way to something new. “To know he gets to touch you? To see you smile at him like that?”

You froze, the weight of his words hitting you like a tidal wave. “Satoru…”

But he didn’t let you finish. He took a step back from you. “You didn’t even reject him. You stood there, and you let him—”

He stopped himself, his voice breaking off. He looked away, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

“I didn’t know what to do! Everyone was watching, and I—”

“You should’ve said no!” He shouted. The silence that followed was deafening. He stared at you, his chest rising and falling as he tried to rein in his emotions. Then, he whispered quietly, as if about to cry any second. “You should’ve said no.”

You opened your mouth to respond, but the words wouldn’t come.

“I can’t do this anymore.”

──── ୨ৎ ────

The Gojo estate was eerily quiet as you made your way to Satoru’s mother’s quarters. Your heart pounded in your chest. You knocked softly, and her calm voice invited you inside.

Satoru’s mother was seated by a low table, a cup of tea in hand. She looked up, her eyes softening as she took in your disheveled state. “Darling, what’s the matter?”

You sat across from her, your hands trembling as you tried to form the words. You choked a sob. “Did I make a mistake?”

“Mistake?”

“By not saying no to Naoya right away?”

Her expression didn’t waver, but she leaned forward, placing a comforting hand over yours. “You were caught off guard,” she said gently. “Anyone would’ve been overwhelmed in that situation."

Tears welled in your eyes again, and you shook your head. “But now I’ve hurt Satoru. He… he’s so angry with me. I don’t even know how to fix this.”

She sighed softly, her grip on your hand tightening slightly. “Listen to me, dear. Voicing your uncertainty was not a mistake. It’s far better to be honest about your feelings than to make a choice you might regret.”

You wiped at your tears. Her words were comforting, but they were not enough to ease the ache in your chest.

“But what if I choose wrong? What if I lose everything?”

She stood then, moving to sit beside you. She wrapped an arm around your shoulders, holding you, and you took this moment to let it all out. You cried on her shoulder, staining her dress, but she didn’t care. She merely held you and let you cry and scream all you wanted.

“If you choose to marry into the Zenin clan, I won’t stop you. But make sure it’s truly what you want. Not what they want, not what Naoya wants. What you want.” You clung to her, your tears soaking into her sleeve. “As for Satoru…” she smiled faintly. “He’s stubborn, but he’ll come around. He just needs to be reminded that he’s not losing you.”

The school courtyard was quiet that morning. The winter night had forced most of the kids to stay indoors, and the chilly effect of the weather had perhaps drowned out their usual noise. You were lost in thought, replaying the events of the previous evening, when Maki appeared in front of you.

Her stance was confident as always, but her eyes betrayed her. They were rimmed with red, and her face was pale with exhaustion.

“We need to talk.”

“What?”

“I said we need to talk.”

You shrugged and nodded, signalling her to begin speaking.

She took a deep breath in. “Don’t do it. Don’t marry into the Zenin family.” The words came out in a desperate rush.

“Maki, I—”

“You don’t understand. They’ll destroy you. They’ll take everything good about you and crush it until there’s nothing left.”

Her hands were clenched into fists, trembling at her sides. You reached out to touch her arm, but she pulled away.

“I’ve seen it. I’ve lived it. The way they treat women, like we’re nothing but tools. They’ll smile to your face and stab you in the back the moment you’re no longer useful.” Her voice cracked, and she stopped, her back to you.

You called her gently. “Maki…”

She turned to face you, tears spilling down her cheeks despite her obvious effort to hold them back. “You’re stronger than me, I know that. But they’ll find a way to break you too. Please… don’t let them.”

The raw emotion in her voice shattered something inside you. You stepped forward and wrapped your arms around her, holding her tightly as she cried into your shoulder.

“I’m so sorry, Maki,” you whispered to her. “For everything they’ve done to you."

She clung to you for a moment before pulling back, wiping at her tears furiously. “Just promise me you’ll think about it. Don’t let them win.”

You nodded, your throat too tight to speak. As you watched her walk away, shoulders hunched against the weight of her past, you couldn’t help but wonder what horrors this brave girl had endured — and what kind of future awaited her if she stayed under the Zenin family’s thumb.

──── ୨ৎ ────

“What the hell are they doing here?” you whisper-screamed to your  mother. Your voice was trembling despite your attempt to sound composed.

The last time the Kamo clan had graced the Gojo estate with their presence, it ended disastrously. More than that, he was here — the face of your nightmares, the man who had haunted your memories for over a decade.

You clenched your hands in your lap, nails biting into your palms as you stared down at the tatami mat, praying for this to be over. But no prayer could save you now. Not when you were practically being forced to bow in front of Kamo Daijiro, the man who had shattered your childhood before it had even begun.

Kamo Daijiro grinned wickedly as he took his seat, his wife Lady Akane and his daughter trailing behind like his shadows. His voice was oily and smug as he broke the silence.

“Ah, the Gojo family. Always full of surprises, aren’t we?” He said mockingly. “First, a marriage proposal with my daughter, Alina, rejected outright by your mother. What a waste of time, huh?”

The room seemed to blur around you. His words faded, replaced by the echoes of the past: the cold stone walls of the basement, the suffocating darkness, the metallic clink of chains binding your wrists.

“Stay quiet,” his voice whispered in your memory. You could feel his hand gripping your arm, dragging you down those steps into hell. Your chest tightened. You blinked rapidly, trying to ground yourself, but his next words yanked you back into the present.

“And now, of course, the Zenin proposal with you.” His gaze landed on you sharply his lips twisting into a cruel smirk. “Two rejected proposals. Not every family is lucky enough to fail so spectacularly, hmm?”

Your heart pounded painfully, the edges of your vision going white. The scars on your fingertips throbbed — perhaps from the rough stones you had used to carve evidences of your torture on the walls of the Kamo estate.

“Sell her,” his voice echoed in your mind. “She’ll fetch a good price.”

The memory hit you like a punch to the gut. You were three years old, crying for your mother, and he was laughing. Laughing as strangers examined you like a product, bartering for your life.

Why did you remember the worst moments of your life?

Satoru’s — no, your mother’s voice broke through the haze. “Speak something sensible or leave, Kamo.” Her words were firm, but you could hear the strain in her voice. She was trying to protect you, but she seemed to realize that even she couldn’t erase the ghosts of the past from your mind.

Kamo Daijiro tilted his head, feigning politeness as he bowed slightly. “Ah, but you should be made aware of what you’ve caused, Lady Gojo. Two lives ruined because of a stupid fantasy between your kids.”

“Enough, Daijiro,” said Satoru’s father.

You blinked, startled by the unexpected intervention. Satoru’s father rarely spoke, let alone in defense of his family. Wasn’t he the one hellbent on getting Satoru married just a few years ago? Perhaps his time in isolation in his room made him realize his mistake. 

“Let me remind you that the Gojo family does not bend to the whims of the Kamo Clan. We never have and never will. So whatever you think, we do not care. Yet you cannot stand here under our roof and speak that way about us, Kamo. Leave.”

Daijiro’s smirk faltered,. The confidence in his posture waned for a fraction of a second. But that moment was enough for you to breathe again. Your mother’s hand slipped over yours under the table, grounding you back to reality, your present away from the horrors of your past.

As Daijiro stood to leave, he glanced at you one last time. His eyes gleaming with a twisted satisfaction.

“You’ll never escape me, little one.”

Beat.

Did he know?

The Kamo family took their leave, but one pair of eyes lingered. Kamo Alina.

She hadn’t said a word throughout her father’s tirade, but now her gaze bore into you, there was something haunted in her expression, something that wasn’t there three years ago when she had tried to charm Satoru out from under your nose.

You didn’t trust it one bit.

You found yourself alone in the garden after the fiasco from earlier. The crisp air nipped at your skin, but it wasn’t enough to shake the phantom memories of The Kamos’ voices echoing in your mind.

A soft rustle behind you made you turn. Alina stood there, her posture hesitant. That was new — gone was the confident, smug girl who used to mock you mercilessly as a child.

“You don’t have the Gojo surname.”

It wasn’t a question. Her tone was quiet, almost confused.

You stiffened, your fingers curling into the fabric of your sleeves. “Why does it matter?”

Her lips pressed into a thin line, and she stepped closer, her hands wringing nervously. “It’s just... strange. You’ve lived with them for so long, haven’t you? And you were even engaged to… you know. Shouldn’t you have their name by now?”

The words cut deeper than you expected. You knew why you didn’t have their name. Why Lady Gojo had never officially adopted you despite raising you like her own. Because your past was a stain that no amount of time could wash away, and your future a fate you wanted to live.

But you didn’t say that. Not to Alina. Not to anyone.

Instead, you crossed your arms, forcing a smirk. “Why do you care? Planning to make fun of me again, like when we were kids?”

Her expression faltered, and for the first time, you saw something genuine in her eyes. Regret. “I…” she paused. “I’m not here to make fun of you.”

You blinked, caught off guard by her tone. It wasn’t what you expected, and that unsettled you more than anything else.

“I just... I don’t understand. Why aren’t you proud to be a Gojo? To have a family like that?”

Because I’m not one of them.

Not yet, anyway, a voice in your head hoped.

But you didn’t say that either. Instead, you looked away, your voice colder than you intended. “You wouldn’t understand.”

She flinched like you had just yelled at her, and her hands dropped to her sides.

Yet, you couldn’t shake the feeling that she might understand, more than you gave her credit for. Because for all her faults, she wasn’t Kamo Daijiro. Or Kamo Akane. Or those auctioners. She wasn’t the one who had abandoned you, sold you off, abused you like you were a piece of meat.

And then it hit you. The thought that had been nagging at the back of your mind ever since you saw her face.

Kamo Akane’s daughter. That was who Alina was. Which made her...

Your half-sister.

The realization made your stomach drop. Your eyes widened at nothing in particular, and your fingers began shaking.

Sister?

All this time, you never gave a thought about it. But it was so obvious, so clear.

Your blood.

The Kamo blood.

You gulped. No, never. Never the Kamo blood. You didn’t want to be associated with the Kamo clan, not in any way.

“I guess you won’t tell me, will you?” Her voice broke the silence, and you glanced back at her. There was no malice in her expression, no smugness, just confusion.

“No. I won’t,” you responded firmly.

She nodded slowly, her shoulders slumping in defeat. “Maybe I deserve that.”

She turned to leave, and for a moment, you almost stopped her.

Almost.

The Gojo estate was unusually quiet that week since the chaos of the Kamo family’s visit was finally behind you. Yet, you couldn’t sleep at all at night. So you did what you always do. You wandered the halls aimlessly, walking from door to door in search of sleep.

You paused outside the study, hearing low voices.

“...I know I failed you, Satoru.”

Your breath caught. That was Satoru’s father.

“I was so focused on the family, on tradition,” his father continued with regret. “I thought I was protecting you, ensuring our legacy would thrive. But all I did was push you toward a life you didn’t want. A life you didn’t deserve.”

Satoru’s response was softer than usual. “You didn’t just push me — you forced my hand. That engagement with Alina... I didn’t even have a say.”

There was a heavy silence.

“I know,” his father finally admitted. “And when your mother stood there and defied me... I hated myself for it. Because deep down, I knew she was right.”

You inched closer to the door. You know you shouldn’t be eavesdropping on this intimate conversation between a father and a son, but you knew you would have stayed awake for a couple more hours if you didn’t hear this completely.

His father sighed with a sound that was weary and old. “I wanted to say this to you for a long time. I’m proud of you, Satoru. Not because of what you are, but because of who you are. Strong, stubborn, and a lot like your mother.”

There was a soft chuckle from Satoru, tinged with disbelief. “Like mother? That’s a first.”

His father continued. “I know I have no right to ask for your forgiveness. But I want you to know, I’ll never stand in your way again. Whatever you choose for yourself, for your future... I’ll support it.”

You could hear the emotion in Satoru’s voice, even as he tried to hide it. “That’s all I ever wanted, Dad.”

Another pause, this one heavy with unspoken words.

“I’m sorry it took me this long to figure it out,” his father admitted.

There was the faint sound of movement, and you imagined Satoru standing. “Thanks, old man.”

You pushed open the door to Satoru’s room a few minutes later. You didn’t expect him to be present there, obviously. He might still be with his father, and you didn’t wish to eavesdrop on their conversation anymore.

Satoru’s room was empty, eerily quiet. His desk was tidy, his bed neatly made. Everything was in its place, except him. You sighed, sitting down on the edge of his bed.

For days, the memory of his half-finished confession had haunted you. The way he’d almost spoken, almost revealed just why he had told you those harsh words all those years ago. Almost. Before Naoya cut him off, of course. Why did he do that? Why did he say that? Why had he pushed you away? You clenched your fists, planning to stay there and wait all night if you had to, just to get the answers of those questions that had haunted you all this time.

The sound of the door creaking open jolted you from your thoughts. Relief flooded you, only to freeze when you realized it wasn’t Satoru standing there.

“Who are you?” You immediately asked.

It was a young woman. She was dressed as if she was a servant of the Gojo clan, but you didn’t recognize her.

“I–It’s me, Princess!”

“Tomoko?” you asked, frowning at the maid’s pale, trembling figure. “From the Kamo clan?” Your eyes widened in realization. “What are you doing here?”

“I... I need to tell you something, Princess,” she stammered. Her eyes darted nervously around the room. Her fingers fidgeted with each other. She couldn’t even look you in the eye. What was she hiding? Why was she here anyway? Something was wrong — terribly wrong.

“What is it?” you asked cautiously, standing up.

Tomoko wrung her hands, tears brimming in her eyes. “I... I poisoned Gojo-sama,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “Your father, your highness.”

“What?” The word burst from you like a gunshot. For a moment, you couldn’t breathe. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Tomoko flinched, but she continued, her voice shaking. “I didn’t want to do it. I swear on your greatness, Princess! But I was ordered to — by my clan… The Kamo clan.”

The Kamo clan?

Of course, it’s them.

It’s always them.

Your knees felt weak, and you stumbled, grabbing the bedpost for support. “What poison? How long — how long does he have?”

“It’s a rare poison,” Tomoko said, her voice cracking. “They got it from somewhere and had me— had me seal it in his wine. There is no cure. He has days left. A week, at most, Princess.”

The room spun, and anger surged through you. “You poisoned him, and you’re only telling me now?”

“I didn’t have a choice!” Tomoko wailed, falling to her knees. “They threatened my family. And— and me too! If I didn’t do it, they said they’d kill us. I— I’m so sorry.”

“Sorry?” Your voice rose, trembling with fury. “Oh, you’re sorry? And what the fuck do you expect me to say?” She gasped at your choice of words. “You expect me to forgive you for poisoning someone? For poisoning my fucking father?”

“I didn’t know what else to do!” she sobbed, her hands clutching at her chest. “Please, I can’t live with this guilt.”

You stared at her, your hands shaking, your mind racing. Satoru’s father, the man who had finally begun to reconcile with his son, finally, finally begun to relive and make up for all the wasted time, was dying.

And the Kamo clan was behind it.

They had already torn your life apart when you were a child. And now they were doing it again.

Why couldn’t they just leave you alone?

“Get out,” you said, your voice low trembling with barely contained rage.

Tomoko looked up at you, startled. “But—”

“Get out,” you repeated, louder this time. “And don’t ever show your face here again.”

“Please, I—”

“Leave!” you screamed, your voice breaking. “You will only get killed here — by my soldiers or by my hands!”

Tomoko scrambled to her feet, stumbling toward the door. She hesitated for a moment, as if she wanted to say something else, but the fury in your eyes made her think better of it. She fled the room. The door slammed shut behind her.

For a moment, you just stood there, your breaths coming in short, ragged gasps. Then, slowly, you sank onto the bed, burying your face in your hands. Tears stung your eyes, but you refused to let them fall. Not yet. Not until you figured out what to do.

Because another piece of your newfound life was tearing, and no amount of rage or despair could change that.

──── ୨ৎ ────

Ever since that night, you had been hoping, praying even, that whatever Tomoko had said that day was false. That your father was perfectly healthy, and he’d live a long life. But Satoru noticed how his father would stumble on his steps at times. Your mother noticed her husband’s loss of appetite. And overtime, as this worsened, you couldn’t deny it anymore.

Your father was dying.

And that was going to break you.

You hadn’t spoken a word about it to anyone. You should, you knew that. But how? Mother was always too busy fussing over him. Satoru had been avoiding you since that night with Naoya. How were you supposed to say a word?

The hallway outside Satoru’s parents’ room was dimly lit. They had begun sharing rooms again, and you wanted to be happy for them. But this would only go on for about five days longer, you thought ominously. You stood awkwardly near the door, waiting for your mother to emerge. Inside, you could hear her fussing over her husband tenderly.

“Stay in bed, please. The tea is still warm — I’ll bring it to you.” “I’m fine, love,” he replied weakly. “You’re the one who needs rest.”

There was a muffled sound of her setting something on a table, and then footsteps. she opened the door, stepping out into the hallway. She startled slightly at the sight of you, but her face quickly softened when she realized it was you.

“Are you waiting for Satoru? He’s not back yet,” she said, smoothing her sleeves. “No, I—” Your throat felt tight, and you took a moment to gather your courage. “Mother, I need to tell you something.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly in concern, and she gestured for you to follow her into the small sitting room across the hall. She sat gracefully, folding her hands in her lap. You tumbled into your seat, taking a deep breath.

“It’s about Father,” you begin hesitantly.

“What about him?”

“I… I know what happened to him,” you said cryptically. She raised an eyebrow at you, gesturing for you to continue. “One of the Kamo maids, Tomoko… She stayed back after the leaders had left and disguised herself as one of ours. And she told me. That she had poiso—”

“Enough,” she held up a hand to stop you, and you flinched. For a moment, her expression didn’t change. Then she closed her eyes and let out a long, quiet sigh. “I know,” she said softly.

The admission took you aback. “You... you know?”

She nodded, her fingers tightening briefly around the fabric of her kimono. “He told me as soon as he realized. In the past two days, we’ve consulted every healer, every remedy. There’s nothing… nothing that can be done now.” Her voice trembled just slightly, and she pressed her lips together to steady herself.

“Mother,” you whisper.

She waved a hand dismissively, but her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I should apologize to you for allowing the Kamo clan to enter our lives. I couldn’t protect my family as I should have. I’m a terrible mother.”

You shook your head vehemently. “You’re the best. The best mother and the best leader. And everything else you are.”

“Thank you, darling.” You could see the strain in the smile she gave you, and she looked older in the candlelight.

“But what do we do now?”

Lady Gojo exhaled, leaning back slightly. “Now, my only concern is making his last days as peaceful as possible. If Satoru were to find out...” Her voice broke for a moment, and she looked away as if to compose herself. “It would destroy him,” she continued. “He’s been through too much already. I won’t let this pain touch him — not yet.”

You felt a lump forming in your throat at her last words. “What can I do?”

She smiled faintly, though it didn't reach her eyes. “Just be there for him. When the time comes, he’ll need you more than ever.”

You were pacing outside the garden. Every step crunched against the gravel path. Your thoughts were swirling with your mother’s confession, and her desire to keep it a secret from Satoru. But the last time you had kept something a secret from him, it had resulted in the loss of three years from your life. You couldn’t let that happen again.

But could you disobey your mother? So you had been doing the best thing you could possibly do in that situation — avoiding Satoru all day. But apparently, that wasn’t enough.

“Hey,” his voice startled you as he appeared seemingly out of nowhere. “What’s going on with you?”

You whirled around, clutching your chest. “W-What do you mean?”

He squinted at you, crossing his arms. “This!” He said, as if that explained everything. “You’ve been acting weird. Stuttering, avoiding eye contact, mumbling when you talk to me. That’s not like you at all.”

You forced out a laugh, waving your hand dismissively. “Oh, come on. You’re imagining things.”

Satoru took a step closer. “Don’t lie to me.”

You panicked and shouted. “I’m not lying!”

He narrowed his eyes in frustration. “You can’t even say that without stuttering.” Then he sighed. “Alright, tell me. What’s going on?”

“If you think of me as your sister were all the moments we spent together false or am I overthinking?” You blurted out.

Satoru froze, caught off guard. For a moment, the only sound between the two of you was the rustling of leaves in the evening breeze.

“What?”

“Three years ago,” you pressed, your voice trembling slightly. “At the Kamo meeting. You called me your sister after they had brought up—”

“I know what I said,” he cut you off, his jaw tightening. His hands clenched into fists at his sides.

“Then… why?” you whispered, stepping closer. “Why would you say that? Why would you—”

“Naoya,” he spat venomously.

You blinked, utterly confused. “Naoya?”

He let out a bitter laugh, running a hand through his hair. “That bastard. He...” Satoru trailed off, his expression darkening.

“What about Naoya?”

Satoru hesitated, as if weighing whether or not to tell you. Finally, he exhaled sharply. “He said... things. About you. About what he’d… do to you if we, you know, got closer to each other. And I couldn’t let that happen. He was older, definitely experienced and all of that. I didn’t feel like the strongest anymore when I saw him say that.”

Your breath caught, and a cold chill ran down your spine. “Satoru. When did this happen? What did he say to you?”

“Don’t make me say it,” he snapped, but his anger seemed to be directed more towards Naoya than at you. “It happened right around the time you got detention, I still remember. He had told me he didn’t like how we were with each other. And how I was nothing, pathetic. How I could never protect you from… from him. And he had struck a deal with me that day — that he would stop it all if I was able to convince everyone that we couldn’t... that we didn’t...”

“That we didn’t what?” you whispered.

Satoru met your gaze with guilt. “That we didn’t belong together. That you were like a sister to me.”

You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. But he continued.

“And then that day I had found out we were engaged. I was so happy, but also devastated. If that guy didn’t like us then, how would he like it if we got married? So I tried to stop it. Tried to break your heart. Like a coward. Like a fool.”

“Stop it!” You staggered back. “You’re not a coward!”

“Yes I am,” he shook his head. “You don’t understand. I got scared. He was older than me. He knew more. What if he whipped out some charm I didn’t recognize and killed you or something? I’d never be able to forgive myself. Not that I can now either.”

“Satoru—”

“I didn’t deserve the tears you spent on me that time. I didn’t deserve to see you break down. All those times your eyes would brim, my heart would claw at me to stop itself.”

“You don’t mean—” Your eyes widened, and he merely nodded, not looking at you at all.

“I didn’t have a choice,” he said quietly, his shoulders slumping. “But it doesn’t matter now. None of it matters now.”

──── ୨ৎ ────

Satoru’s father’s funeral was held on a chilly afternoon. The air was thick with unspoken grief. The Gojo estate, usually buzzing with life, was eerily quiet. Even the wind seemed reluctant to disturb the solemn atmosphere. The bare branches of trees trembled like fragile fingers.

A sea of black-clad mourners gathered, their heads bowed in respect, but it all felt hollow to you. Each condolence, every whispered prayer, was a reminder of the man who was no longer here, and you couldn’t shake the gnawing guilt in your chest.

You stood off to the side, your hands clasped tightly in front of you, staring at the pristine white casket adorned with lilies. The sight blurred as tears welled in your eyes, but you blinked them away, unwilling to cry in front of so many people. Your grief felt undeserved, selfish even, given the weight of your secret.

You had known about the poison. You knew about the slow and inevitable death of Satoru’s father. You knew, yet you had done nothing, just let it all happen. Could you have stopped it? Could you have saved him? The questions circled in your mind like vultures.

Satoru stood at the front, his back straight. His face seemed like it had been carved from stone. The usual spark in his eyes was gone. It was replaced by a cold emptiness that made your stomach churn. He hadn’t cried, not even once, as far as you knew. You wished he would. You wished that he would let himself grieve, scream, do anything to release the agony he must be feeling. But he was silent, like a statue among the living, and it broke your heart.

The ceremony dragged on. Each passing moment felt heavier than the last. When it finally ended, the crowd began to disperse, murmuring their condolences to Satoru’s mother, who stood like a ghost beside her son. You watched her, too, feeling a pang of sadness at how frail she seemed. 

You wanted to approach Satoru, to say something, anything. But your feet felt rooted to the ground. What could you possibly say that wouldn’t sound as numb as you were feeling? The guilt in your chest tightened its grip, and you turned away, unable to face him.

Back at the estate, the house felt colder than ever. Dinner was a silent affair, just as it had been a few months ago. Because just as the lively chatter had begun to replace the clinking of utensils and the occasional sniffle, it had been snatched away from you.

Satoru’s mother tried to maintain some semblance of normalcy, asking if anyone needed seconds or more tea, but her voice was brittle, and no one answered her with more than a shake of their head. You couldn’t bring yourself to eat, pushing the food around on your plate as you stole glances at Satoru.

He sat across from you, staring blankly at his untouched meal. The shadows under his eyes were darker than ever, and his usually flawless posture was slightly slouched. It was as if the weight of his father’s death had physically pressed down on him. You wanted to reach out, to say something, but the words died in your throat. Instead, you watched in silence as he eventually stood, his chair scraping against the floor, and left the room without a word.

You couldn’t sleep that night. The house was too quiet, the kind of quiet that made every creak of the floorboards and every whisper of the wind feel deafening. You found yourself wandering the halls, your feet carrying you to the room that had once belonged to Satoru’s father. It was untouched, as if he might walk back in at any moment. The faint scent of his cologne lingered in the air, and it made your chest ache.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered into the emptiness, tears streaming down your face. “I’m so, so sorry.”

The days following the funeral were no easier. The once lively Gojo household felt like a mausoleum. Meals were eaten in near silence, and the air was heavy with unspoken grief. You found yourself avoiding Satoru more and more, not because you didn’t want to comfort him, but because you didn’t know how.

One evening, you found yourself in the library, hoping to distract yourself with a book. But the words on the page blurred together, and you couldn’t focus. The guilt was a constant, gnawing presence, and no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t shake it. The image of Satoru’s father lying in his coffin haunted you, and you couldn’t help but wonder if things would have been different if you had acted sooner.

“What are you doing in here?”

You jumped, the book slipping from your hands as you turned to see Satoru standing in the doorway. His hair was slightly disheveled, and his expression was unreadable. You quickly wiped at your eyes, hoping he hadn’t noticed the tears.

“I just needed some quiet,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper.

He walked into the room, his footsteps soft against the carpet. He picked up the book you had dropped, glancing at the cover before handing it back to you. “Mother’s calling you,” he said, his tone carefully neutral.

“For?” you asked, trying to sound casual.

“Dinner,” he said bluntly. “You haven’t been eating at all.”

You nodded, and he stood up and left without saying another word.

Dinner that night was a solemn affair. The dining room was heavy with silence, broken only by the occasional clinking of chopsticks against plates. Satoru’s face was blank, his appetite long gone. His mother sat at the head of the table. Her posture was perfectly composed. You sat beside her, feeling like an interloper in this world of quiet mourning. A seat was left empty, for whom, you didn’t have to guess.

The ache in your chest was unbearable, but guilt magnified it tenfold. You had been the one to discover the truth, the one who knew about the poison before anyone else. And yet, you had done nothing.

A soft knock on the door broke the oppressive quiet. One of the maids entered, bowing deeply as she held out a folded piece of paper. “Lady Gojo—” she glanced at her, unsure of how to approach her in her desensitized state — “we found this while cleaning the late master’s study. It’s addressed to you, Princess,” she bowed to you.

The maid extended the letter to you, and you accepted it hesitantly. Your heart immediately sank at the sight of your name scrawled in bold, deliberate handwriting. Satoru’s mother nodded at the maid to dismiss her, then at you.

“Read it,” she said softly. “Whatever he’s written, it’s meant for you to hear.”

You unfolded the paper carefully, your hands shaking as you smoothed it out. The opening lines confirmed your suspicion.

“To my dearest child,

If you are reading this, then it means I am no longer among the living. There are matters I could not speak of while alive, and so I leave them here, trusting you to read with an open heart.”

Your voice wavered as you read aloud. Satoru and his mother both watched you intently. 

“In my absence, I leave behind all that I have built, not as burdens, but as tools for you to continue shaping our legacy.

To my wife, the pillar of my strength, I entrust our estate and all its affairs. She has always been my compass, and I know she will guide our family with the same wisdom and grace she has always shown. To my son, Satoru, I leave my knowledge, my pride, and my unwavering belief in your potential. He is destined for greatness, and though I may not be there to see it, I know he will honor the Gojo name with dignity and strength. So I shall also leave our ancestral blade, a symbol of our family’s strength and honor, along with the records of our techniques and histories.”

To you, my dear daughter, I bequeath the east wing of the estate, yours to claim as a sanctuary and a symbol of your place among us. Furthermore, I leave a yearly stipend from the family’s accounts, ensuring you will always have the means to build a life of stability and comfort.”

But then your voice caught, the words ahead freezing in your throat.

The second paragraph shifted abruptly, no longer a formal testament but a recounting of events that made your blood run cold.

“The past few years I had spent alone were ones spent to find the roots of your journey home, here. I know the pain you carry, and the secrets you keep. I know how you came into this world. Kamo Akane, your mother—”

You stopped reading it aloud, and instead your eyes began darting back and forth the lines as you read it in your head.

Kamo Akane, your mother, made the impossible choice to keep you despite everything she endured. She bore you with strength, but her circumstances were cruel. Kamo Daijiro never accepted you, and he made sure she couldn’t either. When you were only three years old, they both agreed to sell you to the traders of Mizuho.

Your breath hitched. The paper in your hands crinkled as your grip tightened. You couldn’t read further. The memories you had buried deep threatened to overwhelm you. The cold basement. The chains. The voices. The pain.

“What is it?” Satoru asked with concern. “Why did you stop?”

You shook your head, unable to meet his gaze. “It’s nothing.”

“That’s a lie,” he said flatly.

You tried to fold the letter, to hide it away, but your trembling hands betrayed you. Satoru reached out, his fingers brushing against yours as he snatched the paper. “If you won’t read it, I will.”

“No!” you protested, but it was too late. His eyes scanned the words quickly, his expression darkening with each passing second. He reached the part about the traders, and his jaw clenched. His hands shook, but he didn’t stop until he reached the final lines.

I knew about the poison. I knew what the Kamo clan had done to me. But this is not a burden you should carry. You have suffered enough, and I do not want you to feel guilt for something beyond your control.

And Satoru.

Satoru’s eyes flicked to you briefly before continuing.

I know you’re reading this as well. You won’t listen even if I told you this letter is meant for her alone. Satoru, please do not fight.

But the word “fight” was blotched with ink. A tear had smudged the letters. Satoru’s hand hovered over the page, and you realized with a sinking heart that the tear was his own.

He folded the letter carefully, setting it down on the table. His movements were unnaturally calm, but you knew better. The storm was brewing.

“Satoru,” you said hesitantly. “Please don’t—”

He stood abruptly, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. “Mother.” His voice was tight, barely restrained. “May I have your permission?”

“Satoru!”

Satoru’s mother regarded him for a long moment. Her gaze flicked to you, then back to her son. Finally, she nodded. “Do what you must. But remember, no harm is to come to the Gojo clan’s reputation.”

He bowed deeply, his fists clenched at his sides. “Thank you.”

“What?” You stood, panic rising. “You can’t just let him go! This isn’t—”

Satoru’s mother silenced you with a look. “He deserves his revenge.”

You stared at her, incredulous. “Revenge won’t bring him back! It won’t fix anything!”

Satoru didn’t wait to hear more. He left the room, his footsteps echoing down the hall. You called after him, your voice breaking, but he didn’t look back. The door slammed shut behind him, leaving you and his mother alone in suffocating silence.

“How can you…?” you began, your voice trembling with anger and disbelief. “How can you let him do this?”

Her expression softened, but her resolve remained. “Because I know my son. And I know he won’t find peace until he has faced this head-on.”

You sank back into your chair, your hands clutching at your chest as though to hold your breaking heart together. The letter lay between you and Lady Gojo, as if to remind you of everything you had both lost and everything that was yet to come.

──── ୨ৎ ────

READ MORE ON AO3

© chuulyssa 2025 - do not copy, plagiarize or repost my works on any platforms. do not translate.

siriusblackrunmeover17 dr3amingc0rpse theclassbookworm lady-of-blossoms ermbehindyou lemonfreak97-blog bunheadusa starlightglimmersworld dahliawarner ssetsuka st4rpearl annie19mac starmycar luvsymai calypsothegoddess lov3vivian ourfavvvkim eunseokzz lovelymaryj-recs shuastar multi-fandom-fanfic gojosoups

[pomegranatesarchive]

personal assistant | lando norris

pairing: lando norris x assistant!reader

summary: the one where lando norris is dating his assistant.

liked by user1, user2, and 124,730 others!

f1updates: y/n and lando have arrived for the media day at the british gp. y/n arrived about an hour earlier then lando. both arriving in style!

view comments below!

user3: oh she looks so good

user4: IKRRRR THAT DRESS?? HOLY

user5: sometimes i forget y/n went to fashion school until she shows up in these AMAZING outfits and im like YUP! she knows what she's doing

user6: i see y/n dressed lando today...

user7: ofc she did! when lando shows up in something other then team gear then we have y/n to thank

user8: she did such a good job!! he looks so good🤭

user9: why does y/n always arrive earlier 😕 i want to see them walk in together

user10: she's said the thought of arriving late makes her extremely anxious so she rather just arrive earlier then everyone else 😭

user11: i get her. she is me. i am her. we are one.

user12: y/n dating someone who loves to sleep in while she's the complete opposite is so?? 😭

user13: yns so pretty

user14: i wish i was y/n. or lando. idk i just want to be famous

user15: does anyone know where he shoes are from??

user15: guys pls??

user15: A LOT OF YOU ARW LIKING THIS BUT NOT RESPONDING

user15: JUST TELL ME WHERE THE FUCKING SHOES ARE FROM

user15: I HATE YOU ALL

liked by user16, user17, and 62,739 others!

ynandlandoupdates: y/n and lando taking photos with fans after practice today!

view comments below!

user16: is she wearing landos jacket🥹

user17: yea!! there's a video going around of him giving it to her. it was truly adorable

user18: i was there! y/n was so nice and was handing out umbrellas, she was super shocked when people asked her for a photo 😭

user19: pls tell me someone gave her a bracelet or something???

user18: the guy next to me handed her a bracelet with landos name 😭she said she'll never take it off and got super flustered

user20: you guys don't understand how much i love y/n, like handing out umbrellas??? she's for the people!!

user21: people who hate on y/n must be sore losers because how are you going to hate on that beautiful AND KIND woman??

user22: lando with the backwards hat??

user23: what is it with f1 drivers and backwards hats?? max, lando, charles, carlos they always look SO GOOD

liked by danielricciardo, maxverstappen, and 635,915 others!

landonorris: pre-race date!🧡

view comments belown

user24: race week dates are back!! 🤭🤭

user25: ahhhh so cute

danielricciardo: cute ig.

landonorris: jealousy is a disease, get better soon😝

maxverstappen1: remind y/n that we agreed on playing mario cart at 11 pm tonight.

maxverstappen: please.

user26: lando and max this lando and y/n that. WHAT ABOUT Y/N AND MAX?? ARE YOU SEEING THIS ☺️☺️ so cute

landonorris: she has been reminded!

maxverstappen1: thank you

user27: do you think max is sitting by his tv waiting for y/n to join?

user28: oh he totally is

user29: she looks so good??

user30: she literally belongs on vogue, holy

oscarpiastri: bring me back that fancy ice cream

landonorris: no!

yoursername: lando 😡 wait by your room oscar we'll be there in a bit!

liked by landonorris, maxverstappen, oscarpiastri, and 392,947 others!

yourusername: post race date!

view comments below!

user31: lando was so disappointed until y/n came up to him, hope all you y/n haters who think she's not good for him see this and throw up

user32: y/n posting literally NOTHING except date night pictures is truly so cute and funny at the same time

user33: that dress 😍

landonorris: beautiful girl 🥰🥰

maxverstappen1: simp 🫵

maxverstappen1: by the wayyy can y/n play mario cart tonight?

landonorris: yes she can🙄

maxverstappen1: great! ill be waiting

user34: max going from hating to wanting to play with y/n is tooo funny

user35: yns whole aesthetic is so cute

user36: oh to be y/n going on a date night with lando norris after the british gp

user37: y/n and lando running away after the race to go on a date is the cutest thing

user38: SHES GETTING THAT DICK EVERYDAY SHES GETTING THE DICK EVERYDAY SHES GETTING THAT DICK EVERYDAY 😣😣

user39: THAT SHOULD BE MEEE

user40: who do you guys think take these photos?@/maxverstappen1@/oscarpiastri @/ danielricciardo???? who is it 🤨

danielricciardo: i refuse to third wheel.

maxverstappen1: they never like my photos 😕

oscarpiastri: …it's me 🥲

. . .

notes: I'm so sorry if this sucked?? there's like no plot but i wanted to get a lando fic out so here's this!

[zaahvi]

my final two evanuris designs, andruil and ghilan'nain! evil girlfriends <3 next up i'll be doing a few alternate outfits for some of the evanuris, and then the forgotten ones.

my other designs: dirthamen & falon'din • june & sylaise • falon'din ii • geldauran

design notes:

andruil was the trickiest to get a clear idea of so far - for most of the evanuris i already had a general idea of them in my head (mostly hair colour lol) except for andruil, so i just experimented a bit until i had an idea i vibed with. i almost gave her fully white hair but decided on this brown + white streak instead, which i think looks better and more unique!

a hunter's outfit felt most appropriate for andruil, in fact i honestly can't imagine her wearing anything else (she feels like the type to wear armour even to a formal event lmao) and it ofc had to be very detailed and ornate to show that she's not just a hunter, she's THE hunter >:) all the patterns are based on her vallaslin, with the exception of the cloak which is inspired by elgar'nan's sleeve things, the idea being that the shape of her original spirit form is embroidered on. her helmet is a mixture of the ancient elven helmets + whatever anaris has going on, i really like his twisted horns and wanted to do the same with andruil as her symbol also resembles horns :) also i imagine she has a little hole on the top of the helmet to let her ponytail through, because slay & also i love long hair and showing it off in my designs lol.

for ghil i decided to adapt her in-game design into her original elven form, because i really like her design in the game & wanted to stay faithful to it and it also makes sense that she would keep her armour after the transformation! (the breastplate doesn't quite fit her chest and shows her ribs on the sides, which i figured is because her ribcage expanded after her transformation, and the cloth bits are very weathered, indicating they're old.) i restored the cloth into nice flowy pieces of fabric, which i think nicely contrast with the pointy carapace-like armour. it makes her look intimidating but also very elegant! lastly i ofc gave her andruil's spear, as seen in the old da4 concept art (giant sea monster ghilly you will always be famous)

[mapis-putellas]

𝑺𝒐𝒇𝒕 𝒍𝒂𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒉/𝑨.𝑷𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒔

~ Famous!Reader ~

The apartment was quiet except for the soft hum of the radio playing in the background. You were lounged on the couch, scrolling absently through your phone whilst Alexia sat at the dining table, laptop open, papers scattered around her. She was reviewing match footage, if the sound escaping the speakers was anything to go by. Her hair was tied back in a loose bun, a few stands framing her face. She looked effortlessly beautiful, and it was moments like this that reminded you how deeply you loved her.

You’d been together for a year, and the secrecy of your relationship had become both a comfort and a frustration. On one hand, it gave you both a private escape from the chaos of your respected lives -yours as a singer constantly in the spotlight, hers as the captain of one of the most famous football teams in the world. On the other hand, it meant stolen glances and careful movements whenever you were out in public.

Tonight, though, you felt the weight of it. Maybe it was the countless messages and comments from fans speculating about your relationship, or the paparazzi photos of Alexia leaving a restaurant last week and the relentless questioning about who she’d been with whilst you’d escaped through the back entrance. You sighed as you locked your phone and dropped it onto the coffee table, the device landing with a slightly louder than necessary clatter.

Alexia glanced up at the sound. Catching the expression on your face, she closed the lid of her laptop and stood up before making her way over, her socked feet silent on the carpeted floor. She sank down on the couch next to you before holding out her hand. You take it, allowing her to haul you back into a sitting position. You heave a great sigh before falling forward against her chest, curling your legs up and throwing them over her lap.

“¿Qué pasa?” She murmured, pressing a kiss to your head as you shifted to get a little more comfortable against her. She wraps an arm around your shoulder, her other hand squeezing your thigh softly where it rests on her lap.

“It’s getting harder to keep this quiet.” you admit, voice slightly muffled by her shirt. You feel her stiffen against you for just a second, her fingers halting their gentle movements against your arm.

“Sí,” Alexia murmured after a moment.

You waited, giving her the time she needed to gather her thoughts. Conversation like this weren’t as easy for Alexia as they were for you. She wasn’t the type to wear her heart on her sleeve, and you’d learned early on that if you wanted to get anywhere, patience was key.

Eventually, you feel her look down at you, and you crane your head backwards to rest against her shoulder. Her eyes meet your own with a flicker of uncertainty, and you can’t help but reach up and cup her cheek, the pad of your thumb gently tracing over her skin.

“¿Quieres que lo digamos?” She asked quietly, leaning into your touch just slightly so she could press a kiss to your palm.

You smile a little at the sight before you shrug. “I don’t know,” you admit honestly. “I’m not saying we need to go shouting it from the rooftops, but…maybe it’s time to stop hiding.”

Her lips parted as if she wanted to respond, but the words didn’t come immediately. She shifted a little beneath you as she ran a hand through her hair. “Es complicado.” She said finally, the faintest edge of frustration in her voice.

“I know,” you nod, grasping her hand in your own and intertwining your fingers. The difference in size has your lips quirking up into a small smile. “But we can’t keep sneaking around forever, ale. People are speculating and if we’re not careful, they’ll figure it out before we have chance to tell them.”

She exhaled softly, her head tipping back against the couch as she stared up at the ceiling. You watched her, heart aching at the clear conflict on her face. She’d always been intensely private, guarding her personal life with the same tenacity she shows on the pitch. You loved that about her, but you also knew how much of a toll it was taking on the both of you.

“What if…” she started, her voice barely above a whisper. She looked back at you, her expression unreadable. “What if it changes things?”

You sighed softly as you adjusted yourself on her lap, one leg either side of her hips. You scoot yourself as close as you could before reaching up to cup her cheeks. “It won’t,” you said firmly. “Not between us, I won’t let it.”

Her gaze softened as she rested her hands in the creases of your hips before sliding them up so they sat at the small of your back. You feel her play absentmindedly with the material of your shirt as she pressed her forehead against your own.

“Our lives are…complicado,” she whispered, her voice barely filling the silence between you. “I don’t want..more pressure for you.”

“You’re not pressuring me, and I hope to god I’m not pressuring you either,” your voice was just as quiet as you slide your hands round to rest on the back of her neck, fingers tangling through the baby hairs there. You smile when her eyes flutter shut briefly at the sensation. “This is a decision we make together. If you’re not ready, then we don’t do it. Simple as that.”

Alexia’s lips twitched into the smallest of smiles as the tension in her shoulders ease. “You are not pressuring me, amor. I have been thinking about it too. I just…did not know how to bring it up.” She admitted.

You hum slightly as you peck the corner of her lips. “Well, in that case, you’re welcome.”

Alexia rolled her eyes affectionately as she poked you in the side, and with a quiet yelp, you bat her hands away, a playful glare on your face. She smirked as she looped her arms back around your waist, her hands sliding up a little further to pull you closer. You end up sat flush together. Stomach to stomach, and chest to chest.

After a few quiet moments, her voice once again fills the silence.

“Maybe… una manera pequeña.”

You tilted your head, curiosity piqued. “Like a soft launch?”

Her brows knitted together in confusion, and you can’t help but smile as you gently kiss the tip of her nose. “It’s like…teasing the idea without actually confirming anything. A photo that makes people wonder but doesn’t give away an actual answers.”

Alexia considered this, her fingers tracing gentle circles over the small of your back. “That could work.” She said slowly, though her tone was still uncertain.

“It’s not a big announcement,” you lift a shoulder into a small shrug. “Just a way to take control back. If people are going to speculate, let’s give them something harmless to speculate about.”

Alexia nodded slowly, expression thoughtful. She lifted one of her hands away from your back and used it to gently coax your face closer to hers. With her fingers tucked beneath your chin, she used the pad of her thumb to trace lightly over your jawline.

“Okay. Lo hacemos.” She murmured, her lips now just centimetres away from yours. She was so close you could feel every gentle exhale, and you can’t help but grin as you close the gap between you to finally connect your lips.

Her agreement sent a wave of relief crashing over you, and you couldn’t stop the smile that spread across your face as you feel her deepen the kiss, her hands slipping beneath your shirt and sliding up towards your shoulder blades.

“We’ll do it our way.” You breathe as she finally pulled away.

“Juntas.”

**

@ceesimz @marysfics @girlgenius1111 @codiemarin @simp4panos @silentwolfsstuff @goldenempyrean @xxnaiaxx @liloandstitchstan

[knightyoomyoui]

If I Never See Your Face Again [+18] (COMMISSIONED)

ft. TWICE's Nayeon (x Male Reader and other TWICE members)

TYPE: Fluff, Angst, Smut

WORD COUNT: 10650

REQUESTED/ORDERED BY: @vl-45

TAGS: manipulation, betrayal, one-time fling, rejection, foursome, threesome, drunk sex, casual sex

NOTE: Pardon if the ending felt rushed or lacking, my brain kind of got challenged as I ran out of words to generate and creatively emphasize the situation further so I let it be simpler.

DONATE OR REQUEST FOR COMMISSION HERE: https://ko-fi.com/knightyoomyoui

DESCRIPTION: YN and Nayeon were classmates back in high school. Two different personalities, Nayeon is a bully who orders YN for her own benefit through his attribute of having an exceptional intelligence and social awkwardness with people. 15 years later, they met again unexpectedly, got introduced to their improvements over their lives. As they try to move forward from their horrible past, a turn of events pushes them to revisit and realize their regrets.

===ooo===

ACT 1

15 YEARS AGO

YN is a young, brilliant mind in the class. Coming from parents who were both masters in their respective degrees and are now professionals, he sure did inherit intelligence since birth. A proud product of the engineering course, YN is said to be one of the best students to ever step on their campus.

Due to his excellence in academics, especially in the subjects that are highly related and are a must for taking in the future, YN was always the number one contender, being chosen by his profs to be a representative in various quiz bees. As expected, most of the contests he’s been at, he dominated them all. He surely does personify what their course should act upon whenever they represent it against the rest.

YN is love is profs but also by intelligence, but also on how well-mannered the youngster is. However, they cannot be compared in similarity to his classmates and the rest of the students around him on the campus despite good characteristics. Among them, there’s a specific person who doesn’t show any appreciation for all the qualities he has that make their school famous.

He was running in the hallway in panic that he even bumpedpintontoher students coming in his way. He’s apologetic, but he never never minded irritated looks of the others at him because he has no other time to be concerneaboutaboutout them. Right now, there’s one thing that he needs to accomplish importantly.

He accidentally dropped some of the books and notebo wass he wasas carrying in his arm, making some of the students look at him either hilariouslyembarrassingly. gly. Picking them up real quick, he headed quickly to the said spot in the open ground. There, he saw those familiar people was waas scheduled to mee.

Three of the meanest girls he’s ever met,, met, onlonon this campus but in his entire life. Led by the leader of the group, the narcissistic, egotistical maniac named Im Nayeon,,, as from what he can describe about her. She was sitting prettily alongside her sidekicks, the cousins Kim Jennie and Kim Yerim. She was looking away with the portable mini fainin her hand blowing on on on her face when Jennie spotted him approaching from the distance.

“Look who sup,ed up,” Yeri said with a grin as she lookeddd at him catching his breath. “And it seems that our boy here is living up to his word aexpected,d,” she said as she looked at the notebooks he’s holding.

Nayeon glances at him with her sharp eyes. “As he should, but that doesn’t give you the pass to be late,” she blurted. “We’ve been waiting for like 10 minutes here, and gosh,,, it’s so hot ihere! e! ”

“I’m so sorry. My alarm clock didn’t ring early, so I didn’t have that much time to prepare,” he excused.

“Is this what a role model should be? Smart but irresponsible?” Jennie said, wheezing.

“Did you do our assignments?” Nayeon stood up from her seat and crossed her arms.

“Y-yes. I did it last night.”

“Good. Give us our notebooks.” And he did.

“Now get out of our sight; class is about to start.” 

“Uhm… can I ask something first?”

Nayeon groaned. “Ugh, what is it?”

“My b-brother got sick, and he got rushed to the hospital. My mom is taking care of him, but she also needs my help because she’ll be out looking for some assistance for my brother’s medical bills. That’s why I w-want to ask if it’s fine that I can’t be making your assignments for now; I’m afraid I may not have much time b-because I have to go to the hospital always right after our class,” he said with caution.

Nayeon snickered and seethed teeth. “And if I say no, what is it going to be?”

“Nayeon, please. I have to attend for my brother first; it’s just going to be for a while—”

“Wait, stop right there for a second.” Jennie paused him. “What makes you think for a second that we would agree to your excuse?”

“Haha right, we don’t even care about you. What more from your family as well, when all of you are just plain pathetic?” Yeri laughs.

“Don’t you also forget that our finals are about to come next week? What are we going to score on our exams if you don’t teach us?” Nayeonnn added.

“B-but…”

“Hep. We have an agreement, remember?”

He gulped nervously.

“You’ll come for us when we say we need you to. You know what happens if you break our deal, right?” Nayeon closes her hand to a fist in front of him. “Do you want to lose everything you worked hard for now?”

“N-no…” He shook his head.

“Attaboy.” Nayeon patted him. “Then we’re settled. About your brother, just think of other ways or whatever. Let’s end this here; I don’t want my beautiful mood to be ruined this early.” She said with sass, chuckling as they left his side to head through their classroom.

He just sighed and looked back at them with a frown. He really wanted to look after his brother first, but he also didn't want to test Nayeon and the power of her family’s status that would cost his dreams to disappear. Without having any choice, he had to think of another strategy to balance his attention to both.

Having a lot of knowledge stored in your bright brain is nothing if your own self isn’t as rich and healthy to sustain your characteristics. Through the natural occurrences of him having to endure Nayeon and her gang’s abuse along with his personal struggles, he then began to develop damage in every aspect of his well-being that caused him to worsen his introverted personality, lose track of his academic performance, and become traumatized with other people.

The professors were shocked by the sudden change in his performance. If only they knew the reason, they would’ve exposed Nayeon in a heartbeat. He couldn’t do it on his own or even through other people since his nerdy and shy demeanor rather cost him the opportunity to gain friends, and he won’t plan to risk the idea either, as he knows he’ll face the consequences in the hands of those three bullies of his.

But one day, in an unexpected occurrence, the entire organization, the instructors, and his classmates were then informed that he had decided to stop his studies for now. The reason is not detailed yet; it says that it's related to personal matters. Nayeon was surprised and agitated at the same time, knowing that the nerd they were holding captive just sneakily abandoned them and let them all alone now to continue by searching for a new victim.

ACT 2

15 YEARS LATER

In the midst of a chilly Wednesday morning, YN heads out to one of Seoul’s famous parks for some cooldown. He just got done working out at one of his friend’s gyms down the street, and now he’s exhausted from a usual 2-hour exercise he’s been doing. From the other’s perspective, especially the women’s, the results it applies to his current physique are undoubtedly impressive.

It was unknown to him that one of those would be someone he’s highly familiar with that he hooked the attention of. YN spotted some burger shack and ordered some. He took a vacant bench, sat, and unwrapped his food, not noticing that somebody just turned her head at him and was tracing him at first until both her eyes and mouth widened in surprise.

Nayeon was playing with her dog on her lap when she roamed her eyes around the surroundings. It paused when it detected a large man with muscles, one hundred percent clear in the daylight due to the white sando he was wearing. 

She was fixated on his body due to her ideal type with men, which this man seemingly possesses.It was until her gaze landed on his side profile. She squinted at first when a familiar face reminded her of when she looked at him. “No way. It’s not him, tch.” She shook her head.

She tried to lean away but her curiosity had her checking again for clarification. As he sat sideways, facing at her. That’s when her instant expression emerged.

“Impossible.” She remarked. “Is that…”

She stood up and picked up her dog. Walking towards him, her footsteps distracted him from his peaceful vibe. When a shadow covered his area, he looked up and squinted his eyes to look focusedly at this random stranger.

“Uhm can I help you?”

“I don’t know if I’m correct but… is your name YN LN?” 

YN stared at her face, and suddenly some flashbacks of that one particular person came into his mind. “N-Nayeon?” He said, stuttering. 

“It’s been a long time no see, old friend.” She smirked and traced his bewildered state. That voice ended his memory recall to remember who this woman is. However, that shock replaced with an unnerving feeling he hadn’t felt in a while for a person.

“You sure do still remember me.” She chuckled.

He stood up and immediately grabbed his bitten burger, his fear activating his actions. “I-I’m sorry, I have to go-”

Nayeon gripped his arm, which made him tremble. “Hey, wait. If you think I’m here to make fun of you or whatever, that’s not what I came for,” she said, which made him prove that his reaction to her is obvious and embarrassing.

He just stopped and stared at her as she held him in restriction. “I just want to come up and meet you; well, it’s been rare for me to see another ex-classmate from high school other than Yeri and Jennie.” She grinned. “I swear, I just want to catch up with you, but… do you really have something else to do now?”

Her awareness and calm demeanor are so strange for YN. This is not the same Nayeon he used to know back then. That type he used to be forced to deal with was way worse and the complete opposite of this version of her he’s talking with today.

“N-not that much, actually.” He shyly said.

“It can wait, come on. It’s been nice to see you, YN. Can we talk for a moment if you like?” She smiled at him. He is just speechless as he watches and listens to the way she converse at him. It had him now question her in his mind, did Nayeon’s personality changed over the years?

YN only nodded and Nayeon replied with “Great! Come on, let’s take a seat.” He joined her side and as they did, her dog suddenly switches to his lap.

“He likes you already huh.” She giggled at she watches her dog rub himself on YN’s lap.

“What’s his name?”

“Kookeu.”

“He’s cute.” He timidly replied as he strokes his fur.

“Are you a dog person?”

“More of a cat but dogs will do, especially if something as cute as this.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Nayeon chuckled. “How you’ve been doing after all these times, by the way?”

“Great.” He smiled slightly, he still haven’t doing any eye contact with her and Nayeon is starting to feel the awkwardness.

“Ahh. Well, good to know that you do. I mean, I’m the same as well so… yeah.” 

“I know. You’re an idol nowadays, right?”

“You knew?” Nayeon asked.

“Wasn’t that your dream? You’ve been like auditioning and competing in every talent competition for our campus back then. Now, your face was plastered anywhere. I’ve seen a picture of you once hanging in the postlight; it’s for your concert, I guess? ” He said. “And of course I was there because… we’ve been close since.” 

Nayeon understands what he’s referring to. “About our past, I know I’ve been harsh on you, and I’m sorry for all of that.” 

Those words made YN look at her finally. Their eyes were locked against each other; one is serious and one is flabbergasted. He closes his eyes, as all of those memories come back at him, and he can still feel the pain combined through it all.

“Ah… that’s nothing to me now. It’s fine.” He swayed his head and sheepishly laughs.

“Ahh, okay. But well, at least now you can hear it from me personally that I apologize for everything I’ve done to you. I hope that it can finally put you to rest if you were still thinking something about it.”

He lowered his head and sighed. “I’m more focused on the present now. Those were all just a lesson for me to motivate myself to continue to improve myself and never let anybody drag me down.” 

“I can’t keep on being a bad person like I used to when we were studying. I have an image to protect now as an idol,” Nayeon said as she pets Kookeu. “And all of the things that I did before, I just want to set them right by informing you how accountable I am for those.”

She offered her hand and waited for him on what he’s going to do. “So, can we be friends now?”

He wanted to give it a second thought, yet Nayeon had already given him something more evidence to prove that he could now trust her, unlike the first time they met. This is a completely different Nayeon than the one he hated with every fiber of his being. Maybe second chances won’t hurt at all.

After a few more seconds, he accepts Nayeon’s hand and shakes it. “We can.”

“Waahhh, I missed you, YN! ” Nayeon immediately cuddled him. “Speaking of improvements, wow, you really look more buff right now compared to the last time I saw you.” She saw as she looked at his biceps.

“Seems like you found a hobby to do often.”

“Yeah. I thought I can’t keep on being just a nerdy smartpants looking kid as I continue to grow up and mature, you know.” He explained. “It’s time for me to embrace a change, something that will make me feel better. And this… this is what I’m talking about.” He said as he flexes his muscles and slaps its size each which amazes Nayeon more.

“We’re kind of a same page on that one, well except from the fact that I rather do pilates.”  She said. “Anyways, do you have a job these days?”

“I did. I was an engineer”

Nayeon gasped. “Woah? Ofcourse you would be. Congratulations!!!”

“About that though… I just quit days ago.”

“Wait what?” Nayeon’s reaction dropped to perplexion. “Why so?”

“Let’s just say I wasn’t satisfied and I’m unhappy with the amount of money I get in exchange of the type of job I’m entered with. Work environment even, I feel like they don’t believe in me because of… I don’t know. Maybe I’m not really ready yet or I wasn’t meant for this.” He shrugged. “So yeah, I’m a free bird nowadays. But maybe next week I’ll start searching for some available positions from- wait.”

Nayeon hummed and looked at him in confusion when he paused. “Hmm? Is there a problem?”

“Aren’t you an idol? Wasn’t you supposed to wear masks outside? People might disturb you around here for being a celebrity and-”

“Thanks for the concern, YN but my manager is here with me.” Nayeon waved it off. She looked at YN and slowly nodded in approval after his words struck her with regards to something she’s finding for. It made her convinced further that this is the right opportunity to do so, despite she wasn’t a fan of the idea at first.

“And actually that’s a great timing for me to ask you about that… and definitely giving me the answer I’m hoping you’ll say.” Nayeon said. “You don’t need to bother or tire yourself out, I do have something that I can somehow offer you.”

“And that is?”

“Perhaps these are all coincidences but, we’re currently needing a new bodyguard in addition to our staff team in Division 3 of our company. And looking at you right now and what you just said to me about prevention against malicious fans who wanna invade my privacy, well you do quite fitting for the role.” Nayeon checks her out again and nodded in satisfaction.

“Wait, so you’re telling me that you have a job where-”

“You have to protect and guard us whenever we go. And don’t worry about it too much because we have our own vehicles and everything is either from us or the company’s expenses. Literally, that’s all you guys we’ll be doing for us. It’ll be worth it, they’ll pay you twice the overall amount of what you earned in your previous job.”

“And what happened to the previous?”

“He got shifted to another company per the agency’s request. Hence, we are now open for a replacement asap.” Nayeon answered. “Hold on, weren’t you wanted to be an engineer? Why didn’t you take any licensure exam or something?” “I-It’s a long story.” He bitterly said. Nayeon just nodded, respecting how confidential it may have been.

He remained silent. Surely this woman was the root of his struggles back in his high school, mainly because of how he was treated before and taken advantage of with his excellent attributes; a perfect student should be admired by many. After he disappeared from the campus, he felt a huge relief that he was never going to see again, but fate had been playing with him in that moment because he never expected that he would be seeing the person he never wanted to encounter again.

And now it’ll be just like the old times when he’s under her control, that he’ll work for her again. This brings back terrible memories for him, but would he still have to call it like that when this is the new version of Nayeon personally chatting with him for the first time in a long while, who also apologized for his wrongdoings that he never thought would happen? He doesn’t know if he can trust Nayeon, but right now she has something that he needs.

“So, what will your choice be, YN? We can use this also to get along more, you know. Catching up through those lost times and start building our true friendship today. What do you say?”

YN looked at her intently and went down to her hand presented at him. This is either going to be a huge mistake or surprisingly not, but for now what only matters is this job. If Nayeon can change, maybe he can too.

He took the offer, and Nayeon snickered at him and elicited delightful reception. Another person walked upon them and watched them both puzzledly. “Nayeon-ah, who is this?”

“A friend that I met. Also… can we take him tomorrow to the company? I just found someone who can fill our security team.” 

They looked at him who sheepishly smiled in return. Through Nayeon’s perspective, she’s celebrating in success as she constructs a selfish  plan for the man who reminded her about the debt he has for her. Now, it has arrived to this moment for her to make him pay for it. “Finally found you, peasant. Let’s get back to where we left off. I’ll enjoy this reunion with you a lot.” Nayeon spoke within her thoughts while she smugs at him.

ACT 3

A few days later, YN is now employed by JYPE under Division 3, which is where TWICE is under their management. He met with the other managers and interviewed him about his possible contributions to the group. YN, understanding the need to gain trust by being truthful and being very familiar with the nature of his job, answered every question with all ease despite the lingering tension inside of him.

This is all thanks to Nayeon’s assistance in getting him a new job. Sure, he may not be used yet to this new persona she’s wearing with him, but acknowledgment and gratitude for something he cannot ignore should be done. YN swore to Nayeon that he wouldn’t disappoint her and the rest for employing him.

However, he wasn’t aware yet that all of those overwhelming comments he was pouring out for the said woman were just ending up being thrown onto nothing. Whenever she turns around at YN after interacting with him, she lets out this side of her that all thought, probably him as well, disappeared a long time ago but hasn't proved enough that it still remains on her.

Nayeon would just create random sounds to signify that she wasn’t buying all of these words from YN. Since she met him again, that anger and betrayal that she felt for abandoning her before that almost led her academics to collateral damage haven’t washed up yet from her mind and heart. Even though they found somebody to replace, that student couldn’t be as great as YN.

It was a luck that she successfully passed an audition to JYPE for her to achieve a reason for her to be less frequent in the class and avoid getting failed. That’s why whenever she think that if this didn’t happen, all of this fault would be on YN’s regard. Her still lingering hatred for YN reignites in their reunion, and just like usual, she intends to continue the same thing that she thought that YN is made for them to meet: to be under her control.

“That dumb YN. Always was and always will be.” She clicked her tongue as she walked out of the building after she reciprocated YN’s goodbye.

Another obvious requirement as well for YN’s job is to meet the clients he has to give his service for. And he did; Nayeon led the tour for him to officially see in person the rest of the members in their group. He entered their dorm, and there they are, all complete to get to know their newest bodyguard.

Surprisingly, his vibe has been found by the girls to be cute and cool at the same time, which intrigued them to observe him starting from now on. Nayeon would just look at them from the distance weirdly, as she couldn’t believe that the girls were doing just fine being with such a loser like him. 

Brought by a tinge of jealousy and infuriation, Nayeon then had a chat with the girls after YN left. She joined him on the couch, and while they talked about the new guy, Nayeon intervened.

“Don’t let yourselves be soft with that guy.” Nayeon said out of nowhere with deadpanned expression.

“Hmm? What’s with the sour grapes, Nay?” Jeongyeon asked.

“I’m telling you, you don’t wanna be involved with his lame schticks. That guy wasn’t meant to have friends or so. Y’all going to waste your time with him.” 

“How ironic, weren’t you the one who brought him here for us to meet?” Jihyo raised her eyebrow. 

“Exactly, that’s why I want you girls right now that he’s not the one you guys think he is. In simpler words, limit yourselves to be around with him.”

“Wait, we don’t get it. If he cannot be trusted, why suggest him in the crew?” Momo asked. 

“Yeah you’re making him seem to be dangerous or something. Should we be cautious? You’re making us a bit worried, unnie.” Chaeyoung added.

“Don’t be. Just… keep your walls still when you’re with him. Leave him to me, I’ll handle him. Or else, you guys may end up the same as me.” 

They all looked at each other with confusion. “What happened to you two?” Sana questioned.

“Let’s just say he did something that left me struggling, after I chose to trust him to aid me whenever I was in need. That’s why that traitor isn’t capable to gain friends because he can’t keep them around with his disloyalty.”

“Hey, if you can’t continue then it’s fine.” Jihyo said to comfort their oldest sister. “That’s enough for now. Thanks for giving us a hint atleast that YN is someone we might not think he is.” 

“Yeah, we’ll be careful unnie.” Tzuyu assured.

Nayeon felt relieved that her friends sided with her. She’s determined that she’ll do anything to keep his distance from the girls and let them be stolen away, as he did to her back when they were young.

They turned those words into actions. The following days, then more than a week, they’ve gotten slightly colder to him even during work. He never bothered to come up and ask why, as he still remains folded in effect by his introvertedness of coming to approach them by his own. 

He does believe there’s a boundary between idols like him and regular workers like him; that’s why he knows it’s better to stay like that, unlike Nayeon, who he has to chat along with from time to time with regard to how he’s doing so far in his job. The girls did notice that YN is just okay with what they’re doing and Nayeon is just there to influence them to keep on going.

But, unbeknownst to them, one of them decided to stick with her observations that set her apart a little from the rest. She arranged a meet-up with YN outside, in which the latter had been curious and surprised why she wanted to talk with him.

At the garden of the estate they currently were staying, Mina saw YN just sitting on one of the benches, playing a puzzle on his phone. She walked closer and gently called his name, which had him fixating his posture and attention on her.

“I didn’t know you’re here, Miss Myoui. I’m sorry.”

“Cut the formalities, YN. Mina is fine, please.”

“Ahh, okay. Sorry, Mina.”

“That’s better.” She smiled. “Let’s make this quick, or else others might find us here. I just had to snitch away from our dorm.” She said, pointing her thumb back at the direction of their place.

“Is there anything that you want to say that’s why you bring me here?”

“Yup.” Mina nodded. “Actually, just a tip you may want to consider.”

“That is?”

“Don’t hesitate to be friends with us.” Mina said. “I’ve been noticing that you only are close with Nayeon, and I do also find you interesting as a person, I would like to get you more as well, YN.” Mina invited. 

His face expanded in shock. “B-but Mina, I—okay, you and the girls seem like very great people, but I don’t think I have the confidence to do that. I’m too secluded and don’t have the skills to communicate or simply socialize with others. I’ll be stuck at making friends.” He scratched his nape.

“You’re not alone, YN. I’m introverted just like you. We can hang out more often if you’re looking for someone who matches you.” Mina shrugs. “I just don’t like seeing you looking lost and lonely among others. I know it’s hard, but you have to keep trying. Look at me; I have them because I did. And I want to do the same for you. I got you with this, YN.”

YN felt heart warmed at Mina’s encouragement. “I don’t know; I feel like when I attempt to be near with them, I’m just pushing them away rather because I cannot be with them. That’s why I stay like this, because what others have told me was right about.”

Mina furrowed her forehead. “What do they say to you, YN?”

“I… I can’t. Forget it just-”

“YN, whatever they say about you doesn’t define who you really are. When we’re inclined to explore someone’s personality, it is up for us to discover and not based our perception to other’s judgement or opinions. Understood?”

YN nodded and lowered his head in guilt. Mina felt saddened that now she understands why he is acting like this, so preserved and quiet, a distinction to his appearance. “Believe me, I know the girls barely comes close with you but if you do the favor, trust me they’ll be the best of friends you’ll ever have in your life.” 

“Really?” 

“Yes. And you’ll understand why I love them a lot.” 

He sighed and thought about it for a second. Aside from the hesitations, he mustered up his courage and nodded slowly. “I’ll do it. I hope they let me in.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be there for you.” Mina presented her palm and pushed it forward to him. Getting the signal, YN smiled and high-fived her.

“Now let’s go back to our places. Get some sleep, sorry again for calling you in midnight.” Mina giggled and YN didn’t mind it. 

Right at that moment, Mina and YN became good friends. Being true to her words as well, Mina is secretly building a bridge between YN and the girls. Ignoring Nayeon’s vengeful complaints against YN, which Mina find a bit irritating, she is motivating YN to continue proving himself to the girls.

It did work, and YN glanced at Mina impressively that the girls were now starting to change their minds about him. His natural personality got the girls to be intrigued again about everything that revolves around him. That became the start of his growing connection with the girls thanks to the help of Mina.

Meanwhile, Nayeon was baffled as to why something just changed about them. Despite her force on making them turn their back on YN, they chose to disobey and retort back at her.

“I don’t get it unnie, he doesn’t look like he’s as worse as you were saying about him to us.”

“YN is just fine. He still looks a bit shy but he’s getting there. Which makes me want to hang out with him more.”

“He’s the exact type of friend I want to be with. Chill, gentle, and shy. That’s what makes him cute though. We still don’t know what he did to you and we don’t know the whole story, but what if that’s not his intention at all, unnie? You know what, maybe you should talk it out with YN.”

Nayeon thought about Dahyun’s suggestion for quite some time. She has no idea that in the middle of the process, the girl’s deepening closeness with YN has reached its breaking point when one night, as Nayeon quickly heads to her room to sleep, still uncomfortable with YN’s presence with the girls, some of the already drunk members become lost in control with their actions.

It also drove YN’s eagerness to emerge with the girls sudden flirts, skinship, and teasing about luscious stuff, which includes the wonders of their bodies. The remaining members who were awake are Sana, Jihyo, and Jeongyeon, while the rest were now lights out from alcohol. The last laugh was let out by Jihyo until she watched drunk Sana kiss YN’s cheek in an instant.

They both locked eyes for a second until Sana brought YN’s head again to hers, in which he submits. Jeongyeon, who is sitting on the side of YN, felt hot at the scene and is in need of this hot guy’s equal attention as well. She brought his hand between her legs, and YN separated his lips from Sana in surprise when he found something wet in his touch.

He gazed at Jeongyeon, who has this needy look on her face. Realizing what she had done, he kissed her as well. Their lips battling as his fingers become active by rubbing her clothed pussy, which had Jeongyeon mix the sounds of their make-out with a moan. 

Sana starts to give pecks around YN’s arms and neck to get some of her own. Jihyo is now turned on by what she’s watching; she removed her pants and reached for her horny slit to give it its own fun. She synchronized it with your movements along Jeongyeon’s.

Sana starts to undo her shirt, revealing her purple bra. YN sensed something fluffy in his arm, her breasts pressing on his skin. He glanced down at it and looked at Sana before kissing her and pinning her on the couch while Jeongyeon removed her own clothing as well to officially join the session and help Jihyo as well.

YN takes off his shirt and throws it elsewhere. Sana bit her lip as she caressed his well-built torso before kissing him again and locking her legs as YN grinds his bulge on her pussy. Meanwhile, Jeongyeon ate Jihyo’s pussy while Jihyo attended to her tits. Both of them were now on pair to help each other out to taste the pleasure they desire.

YN saw what Jeongyeon and Jihyo were doing on the other side, borrowed the idea to pull down Sana’s shorts, and unveiled her soaking wet panties. Pulling it down, he exposed it, and Sana didn’t waste any time to push his head down to her desperate hole. Jihyo and Sana couldn’t contain their moans now as both their partners teamed up to reach their respective climax.

Jeongyeon and YN both got squirted in the face. As they rest for a while, the two who offered oral service went to become busy with one another first. They stood up and let Jihyo and Sana watch them making out in front of them before Jeongyeon kneels and tugs his boxers down.

His cock sprang free from its constraints, Jeongyeon awed at its size, even Sana and Jihyo also. It made their pussies ache in attention, but unfortunately the stunning MILF-looking goddess has the first-class ticket right now to have this experience. Jeongyeon poured kisses along its length, held it from the base, and began stroking it slowly.

She smirks as she watches YN huffing in pleasure. It was until his eyes flicker in lust when he felt Jeongyeon’s mouth around the tip and glides through his girth. His hand guided her head as she proceeded bobbing her head down to his crotch.

As Jeongyeon tried to deepthroat him multiple times, she lets go and coughs a little. Sana and Jihyo pulled him back to the couch. As he sat, all three of them were now kneeling between his lap, and something incredible happened afterwards. 

Sana went to suck on his balls, while Jeongyeon rubs her tongue on the left side of your cock and Jihyo on the other. Their combined service made YN lost in paradise. YN could just lay his head back and sigh in relaxation, feeling all of their talented mouths worshipping his gifted manhood.

He told them he’s cumming and they saw that with the way it twitches. Jeongyeon did the stroking while Jihyo and Sana played each of his testicles. One last shout of curse, and Jeongyeon points his cock at their faces just at the right time for him to erupt with thick cum splattering across their head, nose and anywhere around their face.

They went to grab a scoop and each shoved it down to taste, in which it clearly didn’t disappointed them at all at how they suck it in and swallowed without any problem. Sana sipped an impending drop of cum from the slit of his tip which made it twitch at its ticklish feeling.

The four of them then head on to fuck each others brains out for three hours based on how they read on the clock after they finished. They’ve used every area around the living room to switch positions with YN in which he lets out a performance that the girls were highly impressed about, as it wouldn’t made them even believe that the innocent-looking buff introverted guy like him could move like this while sex.

Jeongyeon was eaten out by Sana in reverse cowgirl while YN stands beside him to have his cock sucked and Jihyo playing with her tits from behind. He then placed her in a mating missionary before splashing his load to her spent body.

Jihyo’s tits were mashes and drilled in accordance to her initiation to fuck YN’s cock using her massive breasts. She was also put 

into standing one-legged in the middle of the carpet with one of her tits being grabbed by his hands while her clit is being stimulated by Jeongyeon.

Sana was pounded and have her tits mauled by YN by being pressed over a wall while Jeongyeon and Jihyo ate one another in a 69 position on the couch. They then joined them afterwards as YN backshots her with her face and mouth swapping on Jeongyeon and Jihyo’s tits. And lastly, YN was laid on the carpet wide open and the girls commanded him to multitask by making them feel good all at once. Sana rode his left hand, her eyes rolling backward at the feeling of his slender fingers wiggling at her walls. Jihyo was moaning and whimpering in awe as she savored YN’s tongue going active around the areas of her pussy, sitting and blocking his ears with her thighs. Jeongyeon was on the bottom, focused on making YN cums as she did all her best to blowjob his raging hard cock, now red from plenty of strokes and sucks it took.

It went on until he fired his last load like a fountain, splashing down at his abs. Every one of them dive at his skin and he moaned at their tongues gliding at his slimy skin to avoid wasting such delicious cum. They all collapsed on the floor and rest for a little before they called it a night.

ACT 4

The next morning, the four of them were too knocked out from the lengthy session they created last night through the influence of alcohol that they ended up all sleeping on the couch. Fortunately, it was Chaeyoung and Momo who woke up earlier and busted their naked sight on the floor. As they woke them up, embarrassment poured through their selves to snap their senses and cover themselves in front of their friends.

Chaeyoung and Momo promised not to tell it to others, especially Nayeon, as they fear she might crash out once she finds out. They did owe them one favor, though. When they asked, they said they wanted to get some as well of YN after marveling a while ago at his morningwood exposed while he was sleeping, lying above his hard abs.

It turned them on and flirted with YN to have him submit to the desire along. He had no choice but to accept. Later in the afternoon, while Nayeon was out running some errands for the company, Chaeyoung and Momo invited YN to have sex with them to prevent making a scent or stain in their shared bedroom.

YN witnessed them willingly kneeling or being crushed along the tiles just so he could fuck them as rough as they liked in each of their holes. Some sperm were washed away by the water; some are kept secured in their tummy as they swallow it for an appetite. After that, they all rubbed their bodies together to add some lustful ways of them taking a bath.

It can’t be avoided that they paid more attention to cleaning their respective erogenous zones. Chaeyoung jacked his cock while his hands were fingering her pussy and the other were on Momo’s mighty pair of bosoms. They all exit together, both in exhaustion and pleased at the newfound source of affection and kind of relationship they must have.

Dahyun and Mina joined the fray not too long after when they also got informed about their thing with YN. Despite being too overwhelmed to gather such fine women like them all by himself which makes him conflicted how did he deserved this from the beginning, the temptation is irresistable. They claimed a bedroom for themselves to fuck through whole afternoon when Nayeon had a schedule, and nobody knows about this outside the group except Nayeon.

Meanwhile, the clueless woman kept hearing great things about YN that she couldn’t deny that it’s starting to get her invested. Whenever she looked at him entertaining the guys in a normal bonding, she felt lighter inside and couldn’t hide a smile that crept on her lips. This doesn’t mean it brings her only good, but there are also instances where he finds it hard to ignore.

He told her once that she’s beautiful when she asked him how she looks as she attends an event hosted by one of the brands she is made as an ambassador. It made her blush, and somehow the way he said it makes her want to just hear it again. She loved it more when she got complimented without being forced, but his is way different.

She also began to do late-night chats with him whenever she was bored. It also surprises her that she allows him to talk about his hobbies for her to try and share. When she did, YN was there to join her whenever they had the free time to do so, and every time they spent together was so fun.

Or also that particular scenario when YN was being teased by her co-members about the possibility of asking him if there’s a chance to claim his heart and be their boyfriend. They’ve become so comfortable in his company that whatever bold thing they say irritates Nayeon, and as she snapped, it made the girls, including him, confused.

“Eh, maybe it’s her day today. Typical women on their period.” Jeongyeon rolled her eyes.

It had so much effect on Nayeon that when it came to him and her alone, she still continued sulking for whatever reason. That is, until YN just simply comforted her with a hug and a pat to her head to wish her well faster. She ran back to her room and repeatedly punched her pillow in aggression.

“What are you doing to me, YN?” She asked herself with a crumpled face after rubbing herself around the pillow as she slammed it.

One day in a mall, YN had to accompany Nayeon on her shopping as her manager was currently unavailable due to being sick. In his surprise, the person they’ll be joining with is none other than the two other people along with her that also brought trauma to his past: Yeri and Jennie. Nayeon reintroduces him to them, and they greet him while in shock at his new appearance.

Nayeon observes how YN is becoming distant to them despite their attempts to be calm interacting with him. They just let out a quick apology for what they have done to him even if they didn’t receive an answer back. Nayeon excused them for a while as she checked up on YN.

“You need some space. We can manage ourselves.”

“No, Nayeon, I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. I’ve seen you shaking and stepping away from them; that’s why I do us a favor to make them leave you alone.”

“You don’t have to do that. They must be hurt seeing you acting like you care more than me—”

“If they do, then let them be! I don’t care what they might think; I do care for you.” Nayeon shuts him up. YN could only view her agitated mood.

“I may be in your protection,, but that doesn’t mean I don’t get to check on you as well. I know it’s still difficult, and I’m here to guide you with it.” Nayeon said. “Take this as my way of redeeming myself. I caused all of this, so I I might as well fixt. I’m here as your friend now, YN.” 

YN felt his wrists held by Nayeon as she stared at her softly. He thinks this might be it; it has reached the point that Nayeon has done enough to reconsider his issues about her. A hatchet to bury, and the only way to end this is for him to be open just like her for a new beginning, hopefully where nobody, especially him, will be hurt again.

“A… A friend?”

“Why? D-did I… say it sooner? ” Nayeon asked him. “Oh, I know. Y-you still haven’t—”

“Yeah.”

Nayeon’s heart sank.

“I can be your friend now too.”

Her eyes lit up, and she slowly grew a smile at his response. She finally got him to accept her again, and this time she has no intention of fumbling the opportunity again.

“You scared me, you know?” She slapped him on the arm, which made him laugh. “But seriously, I’m glad that we are now in peace.”

“Me too.” He nodded. “Are you sure you’ll be fine with them?”

“We will, but I won’t stop you from keeping your eyes on us from time to time. We might still need it.” 

“I will. It’s my job and my responsibility, Nayeon. Both as a bodyguard and your friend to keep you safe.”

Nayeon blushed and shook her head. “You’re so corny. I’ll go back with them now.”

As she watched you enter a store to buy something, Yeri and Jennie regrouped with her. “Is he okay?”

“Yeah. He must not have been able to get over it yet, but I calmed him down.”

“I actually feel bad for him. Knowing how much he improved today, I couldn’t believe that we’d treated him horribly.” Jennie frowned as they watched him order at the cashier.

“Regret is always at the end, as they say.” Nayeon sighed. “But I’m here now, and I’ll do everything to make sure his perspective of us won’t be similar as before. I’ll be there by his side often if it requires me to make him feel happy.”

“You’re right, even though you kind of sound like…. Hmm, Yeri side-eyed Jennie, who seems to get what she’s pointing at.

“That I like him? There’s no denial with that.” Nayeon looked at them seriously and with pure confidence. It made Jennie and Yeri dumbfounded.

“W-what? You do?”

“It’s crazy, but yeah, I can’t believe I’ll live to this timeline where I’m saying that I feel more than just a friend for that bulky brainiac,” Nayeon said as she glanced back at YN, who suddenly rotated his head and searched for Nayeon. As their eyes met, his smile made the latter develop butterflies in her stomach.

“Yeah, I do love him.” She confirmed it in her mind, which has been occupied by him every single day.

ACT 5

Nayeon continued to admire YN in secret. Due to his tame personality, it was easy for her to insert attempts where she began to send signs to him. The girls suspiciously take her actions with another meaning, as they know the difference in how Nayeon can be playful in a childish manner. It didn’t take her long to reveal her crush on him and to support and respect their friend’s admiration for YN; they easily stopped their fling with him since he won’t mind it anyway and takes it as a way to reduce boredom or stress like them.

While Nayeon is playing with her dolls while taking a break from her phone, Jeongyeon opened up a conversation with her out of the blue. “You look like you’ve lost your sanity, Nayeon. You miss YN so much, don’t you? ”

Nayeon blushed; she turned at her and adorably pouted. “Yeah.”

Jeongyeon chuckled at her and gazed at her disgustingly. “Eurgh, don’t make that face. Poor you, only he can’t make you behave like a grumpy grandma, huh? The once cold Im Nayeon is now melting for YN LN. How the tables have turned.”

“Yeah, yeah, tease me, whatever you want. You seem like you can’t find anything to do also, making me your victim again.” Nayeon rolled her eyes. “Try harder next time than using the ‘me being head over heels for YN” card on repeat.

“Chill, and please, don’t try me. You won’t like it when I use another.”

“Oh and what’s that?”

“You’ll see, why would I unveil my tricks too early. You’re no fun.”

“Coming from you?”

“Tch.” Jeongyeon slapped her thigh. “By the way, I just wanna ask. I know we proved you wrong about YN, but… what led you with the change of heart for him? Sorry if I had to, it’s just that… we were just a bit taken aback at how you suddenly went from being against him to being so into him.”

“I didn’t expect that I’ll be like this for him. I don’t know, he changed me with the way he’s just being true to himself on you, to the girls, and to me. I was so against of the idea of being close with him after what happened to us- but I couldn’t help it. I don’t want to admit this at first but… I realized how handsome and cute he is when I just look at him loving what he does and staying at what he really is.”

“Oh yeah, now that you brought that topic back, you haven’t told us yet about your past with him.” 

Nayeon became dead silent listening to Jeongyeon as the fear of guilt builds up within her. “What do you two have before? Were you both former mutuals?”

“N-no, that’s even way impossible to assume from what we had before.” A stutter slipped from Nayeon’s lowering voice.

“Then what is it? He was once your-”

“Jeongyeon, I wasn’t the type who would fell to complete weirdos like him.” Nayeon sighed. “He’s just my classmate before.”

“Then why didn’t you like him that much?”

“Like I said, he left when I needed him.” Nayeon stated. She gulped, knowing that she was about to spill the darkest truth she has been hiding from anybody. “Jeong, you’ve been my bestfriend for more than a decade. Could you promise me that you’ll try to listen and understand what I’m about to say?”

“Uhh… okay? That sounds scary but… go on.” Jeongyeon fixed her sitting posture.

“Alright.” Nayeon breathed heavily before proceeding. “I was a bad person before… and YN, he’s been there to feel what it’s like to be on my wrath. Jeong- I… I bullied him before.”

Jeongyeon’s brows met in disbelief. “Nayeon… why?”

“We know he has an isolated, introverted type of personality, but… there’s more to that. I made him a lot worse than what you think. I was the reason why he’s so preserved and… frightened to be around people.”

“Nayeon, what did you do?” Jeongyeon asked her disappointedly. “Seriously, I didn’t think you could do that. What did YN ever do to you?”

“That’s why I was blaming to myself still these days, Jeong! I picked him for nothing more than being a weak coward kid. But… when he begged me to stop, I saw something in him that I can use to grant his request… in one condition: I want him to work for me.”

Nayeon’s shame continues to rise inside of her. “YN was a brilliant student in our class, hell even in the entire campus, he’s the best. My academic performance was bad, that’s why an idea came to me that I should make him serve for me if he doesn’t want any harm-”

“That’s it. Enough with the cruelty you just did to him.” Jeongyeon sounded pissed, and Nayeon leaned away. “Skip and go straight to the point, what made you think that he did that to you?”

“YN stopped studying. When he left, I didn’t know what I do. I tried searching for others who can replace him but there’s nobody compared to him. I only got saved when JYPE had an agreement in my campus that I’ll be only attending limited classes from now on as a trainee. If I wasn’t, I would’ve gotten failed grades and my parents would be mad at me. They won’t allow me to chase for my dream as an idol if I did.”

“Good grief, Nayeon… how could you do that to him?” Jeongyeon shockingly asked her.

“I wasn’t thinking right back then. All I ever was is a delinquent arrogant student who wants to pick with the weak. That’s why I held that hatred in me for years until I saw him again.

But I was just strucked at how much he has changed. When I learned that he was looking for a job, I used it to have him under my power and get back at him this time in revenge.”

“So… you’ve been using YN all along? That’s why he ended up with the company and with us?”

“Y-yes.” Nayeon only nodded sadly and Jeongyeon groaned. 

“How dare you, Nayeon? Haven’t you’ve done enough to him?”

The door of their bedroom suddenly opened, and in their astonishment, YN barged inside, his face was blank and somewhat menacing. Nayeon shuddered when she felt his intimidating gaze from him. Jeongyeon though, weren’t expecting that he would come to their dorm to visit tonight, as she shared the look with Nayeon like a deer got caught by a headlight in the middle of the road.

“Was it true?” YN asked in a deep tone.

They all went silent for a second, Nayeon is having trouble to open her mouth, contemplating on what she should say.

“Answer the damn question!” YN’s voice raised. Nayeon winced at the outburst.

“Y-YN… it doesn’t matter. It was just in the-”

“Don’t bullshit me, Nayeon. Was that true?” He growled which made both the girls terrified of his character shift. 

Nayeon is cornered. It’s all over that the only person she never wanted for any of these to learn for has already heard their conversation loud and clear. She closed her eyes, preparing to face the consequences now that she has fucked up bigtime.

“Y-yes…”

YN stared at her, his lips twitched and closes his eyes. Stepping back from the door, the tension of the room is suffocating. He then hurriedly walked away and it alarmed Nayeon and Jeongyeon, including the rest of the girls who saw him lose his temper.

Nayeon immediately stood up from her bed. She ran outside of her room and asked her co-members where he went. They didn’t know but they reported that he left the dorm.

She went to his room next and repeatedly knocked the door. His roommate who is also their bodyguard appeared instead. “Oh, uhm Miss Im? What brings you here?”

“Is YN there?”

“No, he hasn’t returned yet. But he told me that he’s going to your dorm. You didn’t see-”

“Okay thank you.” Nayeon bowed at the guy who was left puzzled. She then rushed to use the elevator to search for YN. As she reached the lobby, she noticed that it’s raining heavily outside.

From the door, she caught the sight of YN forcing himself to get out as the driver tries his best to restrict him. Nayeon didn’t mind if she’ll got soaked, all that’s important for her right now is to talk with YN. He left the estate, and the guard confusingly watched Nayeon escape also in the middle of the rain.

Nayeon used all the stamina she has left, until she shouted his name and sprung him around with his shoulder. “YN, please listen to me first. Let me explain.”

“So that’s what it is after all this time?” YN looked at her devastatingly. “We’re going back to the past that I thought you and I wanted to forget. Yet you did it again, you befriended me again so that you can use me for your own benefit?!”

Nayeon fell quiet at his rants. She knows she has no defense to use here. What she can only do is to take all of his words into her guilty sinful soul.

“I’m sorry if I had to do it, YN. I know I’ve wronged again, but I did stopped it, I swear. You changed me when you’ve shown me how good of a friend you can really be that I’ve never realized when we were young before.”

“That won’t change the fact that you manipulated me just to be here right now, Nayeon. You made me think I earned it all, when in reality I was just being handed only for free because again, you have the power in your grasp.” You shook her head in dismay. “So everything that I just heard from you, the thought that you and I were now in good terms, that was all a lie?”

“No, YN. I discarded my plan at the start and I had to keep it from you, because I know it’ll hurt you if you knew.”

“Ironic of you to worry about what I feel when you’ve been taking me for granted since way back ago.” YN presented himself with a slight spread of arms before dropping them back to his side. “I’m not just crumbling down after I learned about the darkest truth of this real you. I’m filled with so much hatred and rage facing you closer right now!.” His fists clenched as he gritted his teeth in the middle of those words.

Nayeon frowned and avoided the gaze that screams anguish. 

“What makes you say that you have changed? What other lie you wanted me to believe in and make myself fool at?”

“I FELL IN LOVE WITH YOU!” Nayeon shouted as she broke down in tears that is being masked instead by the raindrops. “All those times we spent together, getting to explore ourselves more. I felt your sincerity, and I listened to the girls and gave it attempt. Now I just couldn’t help it but to think about you because whatever you do to me, it makes me feel bad that you don’t know what I’m actually doing to you.

And when I knew it was wrong, I simply scratched that idea and began treating you legitimately as my friend, until it evolved where I find myself to adore everything about you that I wished I could’ve cherished before. What I’ve said to you recently, I meant it all with my heart.”

She stepped closer and cupped YN’s face with her hands. “I need you with me. If I was your punisher back then, let me be your savior and redeem myself in our another encounter. For real, this time. I want you to be appreciated and to be loved.”

The way he shiver in his touch and how his face contorts had Nayeon feel apologetic for everything she has done even more. For the first time, the vulnerability of him was there for him to witness, the amount of pain he has in store for years was poured for her to see the mess she had caused.

“How can I trust you again, Nayeon?” He said shakily. “How can you make me love you?” 

Nayeon’s heart shattered, but it didn’t hold her back to kiss him on the lips. Another tears escaped in her eyes by that single sentence she already expected to hear but would feel a lot better for her to receive the opposite, to push her more to do things right for him. As she let go, YN stares at her wearily.

“I was starting to like you as well. I even accepted this new version of you.” He held her hands. “You betrayed me not once but twice. I may have forgiven you, I did… but after all of these, I feel like I made a mistake for giving you a second chance.” 

Nayeon shook her head as she repeatedly mumbles the word “No… please.”

“How stupid was I for me to repent when I should never forget everything what you’ve done to me. You ruined my dreams, you showed no mercy when I needed it the most. You almost let my brother die and my mom desperate to collect money for his hospital bills. All because of how privileged and self-absorbed you are.”

Nayeon felt her arms sweeped away from him. He widened their gap, as he just looked at Nayeon emotionless. Nayeon just watched him in horror after she remember what led him to stop his studies, the one favor he asked that she rejected.

“It has come to my mind that our past will never be a water under the bridge for me. You just have to forget whatever what we had, it all won’t happen from the start if you haven’t stabbed me in the back and pretend just to gain something from me. From now on, I would be very grateful if I never see you face again. I want to be far away from you.I don’t need love from someone like you.”

He stepped forward and stared at her intensely which had her frozen.

“And for the record, I never got to do this in front of your face but I’m just fulfilling what I should’ve done to stood up for myself.

“I hate you.” He sharply said before he left Nayeon in the middle of the rain sobbing her tears as she still tries to call for his presence, saying “Wait” and “Please, don’t go” before the guard saw her and provided her an umbrella to shade on.

The next day, YN made an abrupt decision to leave the company and resign as their bodyguard in just months for personal matter, breaking every TWICE members’ hearts especially Nayeon who is already harboring feelings for him. The members were there to notice her concerning condition every day. She would be either locked in her room, skipping meals, looking disheveled and out of consciousness.

The girls have tried to contact YN in which he didn’t answer at any at first until he decided to do it when Mina was the one who met up with her. They all learned about what happened and clarified that even them have no idea about Nayeon’s plan and their friendship with YN was true. Despite the pleads and advice by Mina to settle their problem with Nayeon, he had enough of it and he doesn’t want to be associated with him again.

Months later, TWICE is still going on with their careers, they’ve also found a new bodyguard which makes them still think that YN was a better fitting one. With the assistance of a psychiatrist and her friends, Nayeon is slowly recovering from depression even though she believe she doesn’t deserve to be pitied.. She also found out that YN has concluded that she has no interest to make amends with her despite the girls’ persuasion. Although it hurts her, at least she’s content and relieved that he’s still good with the other members.

Nayeon is lined up on a cotton candy stall for her friends Yeri and Jennie who are waiting on a bench when in her surprise, she saw a glimpse of YN handing a food to a woman he’s together with, seemingly having a date. As their eyes accidentally met, he just ignored her like she was nothing and they went to find another spot. 

With all the coping she had in order to move on, accept, and willingly suffer for months after YN disappeared in her life again, it all went on full effect as for the last time Nayeon had to watch YN rebuilt the life he once tried to improve, now with somebody that is probably a hundred times better than her to love. She could only imagine in sorrow and envy how wonderful it would’ve been to receive pure love from him, because in this world:.. they’re destined to lose each other forever.

For Nayeon, he will always be her what if, a wasted priority, and the one who got away.

It had reflecting to her that the nightmare he suffered through are all combined karmas coming back to her she has no right to complain of. Perhaps its the only solution, he could only live in freedom if she got erased from existence in his life.

===ooo===

[give-some-lemons]

“Accidents happen”

Pregnancy headcanons with Silco

Tags: pregnancy; unplanned pregnancy; older man/younger woman; topside reader.

~ when you first met him it was an interesting and pleasant surprise for you to finally see how the famous and so fearful Eye of Zaun looked like. A man who aged like the most expensive wine from your family’s collection with a sharp features, a few grey strands in his hair and, of course, a red eye, which you could compare to a comet drifting in a night sky.

~ everything about him was nothing like you expected it to be — his clothes, behavior, manner of speaking was more similar to a topside one and that… intrigued. A man who hates Piltover and its citizens but wants to live and look like them? You let an evil chuckle out, while he pressed his scarred lips to the back of your hand.

~ for him you were an exotic exemplar, a topside aristocrat who’s father was probably his age, but despite that fact you were still showing interest in him, keeping your sight on his face and body much longer than etiquette allows, saying ambiguous things that a young lady of your status should not even think about, trying to get under his skin.

~ at the late nights he dreamed about those gaze looking at him from the bottom up, those lips on the most intimate parts of his body and this silk hair in his hand while he guides you in a way he needs the most. You were driving him insane, leaving him without any thought except the sinful ones where lust was completely taking control of him

~ it was only a couple of nights between two of you, when your fingers that ran along his shoulder or chest was turning a peaceful evening into an act of passion and pleasures. When his previous meeting was so unsuccessful that the next second you walked in his office you were finding yourself on his desk with his lips on the soft skin of your neck. When you felt an arousal blooming in your lower abdomen just because of the way his fingers moved through his hair or loosening his tie.

~ you loved teasing him especially in the most inappropriate places like his office, filled with people who came for business reasons, and then watch how he slowly succumbs to his lustful desires, making every possible effort for the meeting to be over as quickly as possible. After his partners left the room, you were literally thrown onto a nearby sofa with his slender posture looming over you and his teeth biting into the softness of your skin.

~ after some time, there were certain signals that you wished to ignore: weakness throughout your body, feelings of nausea at the most inconvenient times of the day and mild, barely noticeable pains in the lower abdomen. You were scared, more to say terrified by the fact that a tiny life was already growing inside of you.

~ sitting in his office and discussing another topic, related to your family business you could feel his hand caressing and squeezing your thigh wanting nothing more than to take you right there, leaving all of the stress he had during the day behind and forgetting himself in the softness of your skin. That’s exactly the time when you tell him about the consequences of your passionate nights that already came to life.

~ at first he freezes, studying you with his piercing gaze, most likely searching for any signs of deceit or the most terrible joke he's ever heard in his life. Covered with a mask of indifference, that he mastered for a lot of years deep inside he’s shocked, in the greatest disbelief that it’s even possible in his age. Only when the man lightened a cigarette and inhaled the soothing smoke into his lungs, he broke a heavy silence with his hoarse voice.

— Are… you sure?

A young woman in front of him sighs slightly raising her eyebrows in annoyance, as she always did.

— I called a doctor this morning, how do you think?

An older man emits another puff of smoke with a dark chuckle. Raising a child he doesn’t even wanted with a woman he had in his bed a few times was not something he planned to, especially knowing how hard it is. He already has a kid, a stubborn young woman who he loves with all his heart and he really wishes to just shrug, leaving aristocrat at fate’s will along with his seed growing inside of her, but he hesitates for a split of second.

— What are you planning to do?

She nervously purses her lips into a thin line trying her best not to lose her face, her confidence before him even tho a man can tell the truth just by how her body language changed. She was frightened. An heir of a noble family, an arrogant piltie and a young girl who’s future was brighter than the sky over her head is now sitting with a head of the biggest criminal organization, who probably was suitable for her as a father discussing his child in her belly.

— I’ll keep it.

Of course, what else she could say now, when there’s not so much options left for her. Deep down she probably knows the answer to her own question — he will not help, she’s on her own now and it feels as if the whole world had fallen with an unbearable weight on her shoulders.

— I’ll take care of everything you’ll need.

She finally raised her gaze to the man across from her after a long starring at a smoldering ashes in a bright painted ashtray. Despite that her face didn’t show any emotion her heart skipped a beat fulfilling chest with warmth.

~ in the next days he already was in your family’s mansion talking with your parents about your current situation and you could see that judging look on their faces, mentally returning in those times when you was a little guilty kid who broke something or get a complaint from your teacher. At first they even tried to completely ignore your whole existence without saying a word or giving any glance at your side, but it seems like over time they reconciled with the idea that in a short amount of time they’ll become grandparents.

~ you both reach an agreement that you better to stay in Piltover, to not let rumors spread all over the undercity and to interfere his enemies to use you in their hatred and plans about him. That was the motive of why you needed to stop paying him visits no matter of the purpose. You stayed in your family mansion with his loyal people almost always keeping an eye on you and ensuring that your wishes and orders are fulfilled.

~ even tho he cannot be with you by obvious reasons during your hard times he regularly visits you to make sure that you’re doing well often fulfilling whims of his dear girl and the tiny creature, that develops inside of her. But mostly first one, massaging slightly swollen areas of your body, talking you through nausea and frequent dizziness in your head and, of course, spoiling you. Anything that slips through your conversation be it some kind of jewelry, hobby or food you can later found delivered right to your room with a beautifully written note that makes a smile on your face bloom leaving cheeks painted pink.

~ despite the fact that he doesn’t show it he really cares for your child and you can tell it by his hand that sometimes rests on your belly and suggestions about how it would be better for the baby to listen to your voice or music even if it didn’t form into an embryo yet. Also was the one who insisted on a complete change in your diet consuming more plant foods and animal protein even if you struggle with one of it he’ll make sure you eat it.

~ secretly he wants and honestly waits for another girl, thinking about how Jinx will take care of her younger sister, protecting and spending time together, even tho he’s a little bit afraid of her influence. In the end one hyperactive kid who likes to get into troubles is enough for him. But he hopes that mostly you’ll be the one to frequent with a child at least because he’s too busy and, for his own taste, too old to mess around with a noisy little creature who needs to be watched all the time.

~ when the childbirth finally comes he’s informed immediately after the water broke, by your maid, a woman who had worked for him for lots of years and as soon as this man is free from his duties as the ruler of the whole city he’ll rush to you to be by your side during the parturition. He probably will not be allowed to come near you so he would just sit there waiting for your pain and screams of suffering to be over as soon as possible.

~ holding a little boy on his hands he feels range of emotions while the child surprisingly calmly looks at him studying with its curious blue ocean eyes, just like his own. As if for a split second the whole world had shrunk, leaving no one in it except him and this little one just to observe, figure out how exactly to feel about each other: fear, concern… love? But after a moment passed he was already standing there, holding the small, fragile creature closer to his chest.

~ despite him not loving you in a conventional way, it seems like he developed really warm feelings towards you as one of his closest people, the one whom he values. You were his business partner, a mother of his child who mostly had the same goals as he — protect his son for any cost and give anything to raise him properly, as a person he himself could never be on the streets of his city. Sometimes, while sharing so rare and precious moments of your child peacefully sleeping together, you’d understand him better often comforting him even if he didn’t ask for it, while your head rests on his shoulder or your fingers find his.

~ it took a lot of efforts, mostly from your parents’ side, to finally arrange the marriage appealing on the fact that many people, including other prominent families that was respected by yours, won’t accept this child as an heir without an official confirmation. Through his discontent, annoyed sights and frowning eyebrows he ended up signing all the required papers making you his dear wife, as he often called you. And although it did not give any benefits to either you or him, many from the Council and Chem barons wanted to find leverage and establish control over the other side, but so far without any success.

Few years later

Man was sitting in his office overwhelmed with a pile of papers on his desk and a boy on his lap, who was drawing something in his own notebook which cover was painted and signed with his name with his favorite crayons. Pink and blue. Of course, following his sister in every way possible, but at least his fears were in vain. Even tho boy wanted to imitate his older sibling in many things he was calmer and much more sensible than many children his age, probably thanking to his father’s genetics and education, but it didn’t mean that sometimes he wasn’t capricious just like his mother.

— When will mom return? — the boy asked raising his big-eyed gaze to man’s face.

He sighed on this question. His dear wife was attending a meeting which was related to the family business, now fully belonged to her after her parents’ retirement. As was planned from the very beginning she was the one who took care of their child, sometimes resorting to Jinx’ help who was more than happy to assist. She perceived the girl, who was supposed to be her stepmother as a close friend, often visiting mansion and lingering there for a long time hanging around with her, to his own astonishment and relief.

— I don’t know. — man answers honestly. — Why? You don’t like it here?

Kid continued to stare at his father whom he looked so much like, with his dark hair and light blue eyes, looked at everyone around them inquiringly and at the same time warily. After some time spend with his older parent he even started to emulate man’s behavior and expression, ordering around to a bunch of his nannies which left his mother in touching awe. His blood, his heir who, as he sincerely hopes, will never see his people, people of Zaun in poverty, the one for whom he and his darling partner have to work even harder to achieve their common goals before these child’s eyes could see a cruelty of this two-faced world.

— I like being with you and mom.

He felt his heart melting from such a simple words of his child, this innocent little one who loved him with all heart. Smiling, he leaned over to boy’s forehead leaving a kiss and pulling him closer to his chest. His little family, people for whom he could easily give his life away if he’d need to, who cared for him no matter what, that’s something definitely worth fighting for.