#shipping [signs of love and affection]

[stormikitty]

Cosmic Love prompt:

Danny and Damian have been engaged since they were babies. The Fentons wanted access to Lazarus water, and they made a deal with the league of assassins to get it. Danny is trans. Danny and Damian haven't seen each other since Damian was 10 (I imagine Danny is anywhere from a few months to a year younger, so Danny was either 9 or 10 at the time). They had been seeing each other twice a year the last time they saw each other. They used to have more time scheduled to spend together before Damian started training to be an assassin. They weren't getting along when they last saw each other. Danny was upset/angry that his life had been planned out for him and that he was going to be in an arranged marriage. Damian was kind of a jerk at the time (because of trauma but he was still a jerk), and he thought Danny was being a jerk too because having his whole life planned for him was all Damian knew and it didn't make sense to him to get upset about it because that's his reality that he just had to accept. Damian does care about Danny, and cares about what he wants too. But they were kids. They were upset about their situation and frustrated and angry with each other and their families. They haven't had contact with each other at all since Damian came to Gotham.

Skip forward a few years and Damian has fallen in love with his best friend, Jon. He tells his family and Jon about the arranged marriage even though it's likely not going to be a thing anymore since he has cut ties with the league.

Damian and Jon start dating.

Danny is 16 and on the run from his parents and the GIW. He only managed to escape after he had already been captured and vivisected. He goes to Gotham because it'll be harder for his parents and the GIW to find him there. He runs into Damian and Jon at a park while he's at a point in his life where he's got nothing left an he's just sad, scared, angry, lonely, and he'd just about sell what's left of his life for a hug.

[ze-pie]

Ok like. I know pearlina is more or less canon (at least one-sided marina according to that website) but even without unequivocal official confirmation its still so hilarious to me how EVERYONE is on the same page that theyre lesbians and married. Like, its just an assumption. No second guessing

I know not everyone ships, and theres been some drama in the past in certain circles on whether theyre just friends or closer, but MOST people can agree that the two of them are insanely close and love eachother very much. Seeing how when side order got announced IMMEDIATELY i see “oh thats pearl and marinas wedding, right” all over my timeline and across the entire off the hook fandom just speaks to the synergy of both this ship and the people that observe it, even passively.

What I’m saying is that Nintendo, its okay, just confirm Pearl and Marina’s romance, the closet is made of glass,,

[youvegot-timetogrow]

Viktor goes through immeasurable amounts of pain and a change that literally remakes his biological composition, forever altering the very nature of his being both physiologically and psychologically, after years upon years of a rapidly advancing illness that left him with months to live while slaving away in a lab for the progress of a city that could not and would not ever help him, sees his colleague literally reduced to ash in front of his very eyes by the thing that is both his life's work and his only chance of survival, all the while his supposed partner is too busy politicking to realise what the hell is going on with him until it's too bloody late

... So how is it that as soon as he comes back from the grave the only things I see discussed are... his ships??? The "affection" line with Jayce, him seeing Sky as the manifestation of the hexcore...surely there's more to it than romance??

Sure the divorce jokes are funny as hell and the implications of the affection between Jayce and Viktor are layered but surely we're not going to reduce that line to merely an admission of feelings of sorts? He was his lab partner and was too self absorbed to realise Viktor was literally decaying and dying in front of him. Viktor was on a ticking clock and Jayce was too taken by his political career to prioritise his partner's literal life. Would that not infuriate you?

The Sky thing is possibly even worse because like... She literally died in front of him, directly because of his actions? Like she was a full person and now she's not anymore and she had dreams and aspirations and ideas that he (and we the audience by extension: reminder that we don't know shit about Sky!! She's barely a character!!! And I believe that's intentional!!!) never knew about and now all those possibilities are gone because of him? Would that not break you? Not to mention that for all we know part of her might still linger inside the hexcore. Is she really there? Is he ascribing some ulterior meaning to her as the one he could not save? Why does she not wear glasses anymore? Is that what she looked like or is Viktor making her up into something she was never?

All this being said listen I'm not the fandom police and people can enjoy and interpret media however they want to! Ship away!! but is there really nothing more to those scenes than that?

[catboyidia]

vashwood reincarnation au but it’s destined to end badly every time, no matter how many times wolfwood makes his way back to vash they never get much time before wolfwood dies again and the cycle continues. yet vash falls for him again every time despite catching on to the fact that they’re simply never meant to be, he’ll go through as many lifetimes as it takes in hopes that they can eventually reach a vaguely happily ever after.

[adhd-mode-activate]

okay gentle helmet bonk kisses for Mandalorians who follow the Way

[ow1et]

athene is actually the most infuriating person to try and confess your feelings to. asking her on a date has lost all meaning to her because nine times out of ten it's really a cover for a business transaction anyway. but if anyone asks her for something more serious? for her to be their girlfriend? or tell her they love her? she just stares at them blankly and asks why ( regardless of her own feelings on the matter ). if someone wants to confess to her they have to write a research paper about it, cite their sources, have multiple points for each element of their argument. there's a good chance she'll still probably think they're lying because there are just too many cons to being with her. has absolutely asked someone if they're sick in response to being told 'i love you.'

[characterdevelopmentobsessed]

I love them 🥰

While he holds my hands, I feel like I'm dancing upon the palm of his. His carefree attitude only makes my heart race even more...

[creativepromptsforwriting]

Advice for writing relationships

Ship Dynamics

How to create quick chemistry

How to write a polyamorous relationship

How to write a wedding

How to write found family

How to write forbidden love

Introducing partner(s) to family

Honeymoon

Date gone wrong

Fluffy Kiss Scene

Love Language - Showing, not telling

Love Language - Showing you care

Affections without touching

Giving the reader butterflies with your characters

Reasons a couple would divorce on good terms

Reasons for breaking up while still loving each other

Relationship Problems

Relationship Changes

Milestones in a relationship

Platonic activities for friends

Settings for conversations

How to write a love-hate relationship

How to write enemies to lovers

How to write lovers to enemies to lovers

How to write academic rivals to lovers

How to write age difference

Reasons a couple would divorce on good terms

Reasons for having a crush on someone

Ways to sabotage someone else's relationship

Ways a wedding could go wrong

Arranged matrimony for royalty

Signs of a Toxic Relationship

If you like my blog and want to support me, you can��buy me a coffee or become a member! And check out my Instagram! 🥰

[amimuu]

Honestly? Narilamb is probably the funniest ship out there. What do you mean it’s a cat and a sheep. What do you mean cats look at headbutts like a sign of affection but sheep look at it as an attack. What do you mean they both can purr actually. What do you mean cats love lanolin cuz it relaxes them. If they ever had a kid it would be called a shitten. A SHITTEN.

And also it’s literally the perfect ship for anyone who’s queer and/or religiously traumatized to latch onto. WHAT DO YOU MEAN ITS A GOD AND HIS MOST DEVOTED BELIEVER WHO’S BOTH HIS SALVATION AND HIS DEMISE?????

Funniest ship ever.

[thisisareallymeaningfulurl]

You know, I’ve never been a big fan of Korekiyo as a character post Ch3 but talking about him with my boyfriend has really changed my feelings about him a lot. Where I once saw someone unforgivable and undoubtedly evil, I see someone who has endured terrible things and who, in any other circumstance, could have one day healed from the things he’s been through and lived a happier life. Anyways I’ve been writing an outline for our fic all day and I’m realizing he might be my favorite character to write for in it

[kaivenom]

Dilfs reaction to reader having a tattoo of their jolly roger or of something special for them near her womb (kisses from Brazil sis)

Characters: Doflamingo, Mihawk, Crocodile, Smoker, Shanks

Masterlist

Dracule Mihawk

Sees It as something a little bit flashy but he can't say that It doesn't suit you.

And he can't deny either that his eyes go to your whomb everytime It shows off.

It was his sword so you made It really personal to him and you obviously noticed his new attenttion on your belly, even if he didn't say It openly.

Finally, he breaks when you were about to shower, he can't stand anymore how good It looks on you.

So he follows you onto the shower nd traces It, while kissing and hugging you.

Donquixote Doflamingo

His possesiveness goes all the way up, really turned on.

He Will oblige you to dress provocative so he can see the tattoo of his jolly Roger.

If you don't like dressing provocative on any way, then prepare to be almost naked everytime you put a foot on his house/room, cause he wants to have that tatto at sight everytime.

It's his final point of possesiveness, his final point to demostrate to everyone that you are his... And he didn't even have to do anything, you did.

That is the best part, that you accepted that you are his propiety.

Sr. Crocodile

Every member of his organization must have something that identifies them as their workers, their loyalty to him, but seeing you with a tattoo of his hook, unlocked something on him.

It was the proof that you loved him so much that you were willing to print It on your skin for everyone to see It.

Surprisingly, he probably gets one of you in return , to sign the deal with you.

He likes to lay in bed with you and trace It slowly while saying how much he loves you.

Smoker

Surprised, you were already a marine, why would you tattoo the symbol of the unit like a pirate?

When he noticed the cigar and the smoke he realized It was a personalized symbol, his symbol.

Melted and when he believed he couldn't LOVE you more, you go and do this.

He kept his facade in public but you both were alone, he attacked your Lips in a desperate kiss.

Now he gets spontaneaus kisses and affection attacks when he sees your tattoo.

Akagami Shanks

The proudest one.

Seeing It was the confirmation that you finally accepted your place on the crew.

Cause he is the captain, the most important piece, and when you moved to the ship, he was scared that you didn't get along with them, but seeing that...

Ufff, It changes his brain chemistry, everything was perfect.

For a whole week, he was like a teenager, following you with a stupid smile and indulging you in everything you wanted.

[3t3rn1ty]

your affection - ft. jing yuan

synopsis - your clingy husband can't stand to be without you

includes - 0.3k wc, really really short, kinda rushed :(, sfw, jy being a clingy goofball

a/n - lowk based on @/lavendermin's comments about jy being a whole weighted blanket it, so thank you leader of jy nation 🫡 also yes i did name this after the persona 4 song i wanna play it so bad

they say everything is temporary. that nothing truly lasts forever.

all good things must come to an end.

those simple phrases ring and pound in jing yuan's head as he watches you pack.

to go attend some buisness meeting on another luofu ship? on your only shared weekend off? he scoffs, his arms crossed as he pokes his bottom lip out, looking no better than a petulant child. he looks behind you, his tall frame lingering as closely to yours as possible.

you sigh, "it's only for the weekend. you'll be fine." after all, the ride was funded by the company, and you'd be in and out within 36 hours. seemed simple enough. "so dramatic," you mumble under your breath, trying to hide the small smile playing at your lips.

he huffs, wrapping strong arms around your torso and burying his face into the crook of your neck. his messy, white hair tickles your chin. "dramatic? my, i expected my dear wife to use kinder words to describe me," he chuckles lightly, feigning hurt.

the simple way he practically purrs the title of his wife taunts you. "my dearest husband, i do believe you have some paperwork to handle this evening. no?" you ask in a flat tone, rolling your eyes at his antics once more.

"it can wait," he murmurs, practically dragging you onto the bed with him.

you squirm, trying to push off his muscular arms. "i need to finish packing!" you whine as jing yuan snuggles under the covers with you. within minutes, he's rolled to be on top of you, his head on your chest while he lies as snugly as a weighted blanket.

you stop your writhing as you watch his eyes slowly close, letting out a soft sigh.

"so you'll stay?" he asks, opening his left eye just to see your expression. to see if your brows are furrowed, a sign of a scolding to come, or to see if you're smiling, a sign of amusement to his antics.

you had neither.

just a soft look in your eyes, a gaze adorned with love before you kissed his cheek.

"i suppose."

[characterdevelopmentobsessed]

I am watching all 4 of these how’s and totally shipping all 4 of these couples 🥰

The New Main Anime Couples/Characters of 2024

[wilcze-kudly]

I do find it annoying how a lot of Zutara fans tweak the character's stories, personalities and even the timelines to suit their own needs.

Once again, there's nothing wrong with fanon and headcanons, however if looking through the lense of canon, you're objectively wrong.

I ended up stumbling on a post from a Zutara shipper. (At this point I'm regretfully considering not following the tags for Zuko or Katara because I get way too much Zutara content lol) I'm not replying directly to her because I don't want this to turn into an argument, and I know she doesn't take criticism very well.

Ok, So let's break this down.

The character who was first out of the group to trust Zuko?

I'm quite sure this is referring to the scene in Ba Sing Se's caves. And yes, that is a very important scene. I think it's a very important scene preceeding Zuko's 'relapse'. It shows how he's matured during his time in Ba Sing Se and therefore it serves to add to our dismay when he joins Azula. I adore the fact that Zuko's journey to redemption is not linear, it certainly adds a lot to the character and shows us how his trauma affected him.

It's also a horrific moment for Katara. To have her worldview on Zuko and firebenders as a whole challenged, and then for it to go blowing up in her face. It rips open old wounds of her childhood. It refreshes her resentment of Zuko and the Fire Nation as a whole. It parallels the death of her mother when Aang dies due to Azula's lighting and she is unable to do anything about it. It places her back in that spot of helplessness. Even though she's grown up, even though she's a master waterbender, she still comes a hair's breadth to losing one of the most important people in her life.

No wonder she hated Zuko so much after this.

It's an important moment for both characters, but I wouldn't say it is that in a romantic sense. It's a sweet, hopeful moment that then turns absolutely horrific and visceral for both parties.

I could argue that there are other characters who could be given the title of 'first to trust Zuko'. Funnily, Appa being one of them lol.

But other characters trusting Zuko dovetails nicely into the next point.

The character who emotionally connects to Zuko?

Well, technically, I'd argue that most members of the Gaang connect emotionally on one level or another with him?

But I'd argue that Aang is the person Zuko connected with the most. Aang is Zuko's parallel. Aang is the first person to reach out to Zuko. Aang is the person who showed mercy to Zuko, multiple times. Aang is the person who valued Zuko's life, the life of someone whose whole life goal is to capture him.

This was also an incredibly important moment to Zuko. This is the thing he brings up when trying to convince the Gaang to let him join.

Zuko: Why aren't you saying anything? You once said you thought we could be friends. You know I have good in me.

The character Zuko feels safest letting his guard down around?

It's Mai. Love her or hate her, her relationship with Zuko is incredibly important to him. Maiko isn't my favourite Zuko ship, in full honesty. But even platonically, Mai and Zuko are one another's reprieve from their respective shitty lives.

People often talk about Katara touching Zuko's scar while discussing healing his scar, however one could argue that she did so as a medical examination. Mai touching Zuko's scar is a casual thing, neither of them really make a big deal of it and that's the beauty of it.

I'm mainly talking out of my own personal experience, as someone with a huge amount of burn scars, but there is a world of difference between someone inspecting my scars like Katara did and simply accepting them as a part of me, like Mai does for Zuko.

With Mai, Zuko isn't the scarred banished prince, Ozai's son or Azula's brother. He's just Zuko. And they speak freely with one another, arguing like real people do. Often, being comfortable having arguments is actually a sign of being comfortable with one another.

The character who helps Zuko heal from his trauma?

Once again, this is a bit of a flawed question. By the end of the show, Zuko isn't even fully healed, in my opinion. He has made leaps and bounds on the road to recovery, but when he will truly heal if ever is yet to be seen.

Zuko's journey to recovery includes plenty of people. This includes Iroh, Aang, Song and Jin. People who show him the error of his coping mechanism. Who challenge his worldview, who coax him out of the his shell of pain and anger.

The character known for showing most compassion to others?

Yes, Katara's compassion is a huge part of her character. Her need to help and protect those who cannot do that for themselves cannot be understated.

But Aang's compassion for others and all beings is just as great, if not greater than Katara's. Compassion and nonviolence are huge parts of his culture and his own philosophy.

Aang: Wait, we can't just leave him here. Sokka: Sure we can. Let's go. Aang :No, if we leave him he'll die. Aang airbends himself off Appa and retrieves Zuko, bringing him to Appa. Sokka: [Sarcastically.] Yeah, this makes a lot of sense. Let's bring the guy who's constantly trying to kill us.

Friendly reminder that Aang could've absolutely wrecked Ozai, but held back because his own moral compass was so powerful. Hell, he was friendly and nice to Azula, the woman who literally killed him.

This is why Aang and Katara work so well together. They're both incredibly compassionate people who will immediately jump in to help others in need. Like they did during the Painted Lady, destroying the factiry together.

The character who primarily bears the burden of having to step up into a parental role?

I think "parental role" is an incredibly vague term. There's a lot of things that go into a "parental role". Katara plays a stereotypically "maternal" role, while someone who plays a "paternal" one would probably be Sokka.

Katara deals with very "homemaking" tasks like sewing and cooking, etc. And Sokka often takes on the role of leader, hunter, gatherer and also protector, despite being a nonbender.

This coincides nicely with their core childhood traumas. The loss of Katara's mother impacted her greatly, leading her to have to step up into a motherly role. While Sokka was clearly heavily traumatised by his father departing and the crushing responsibility of having to care for his entire village.

Sexism also probably played a part in this dichotomy.

The character who represses their emotions to be strong for others?

I'd argue that this could apply to all the members of the Gaang in some capacity.

Aang's pain is something most of us will never experience and cannot hope to understand. The complete horrific destruction of his culture and home followed him through the entire show. He was entitled to his grief and rage, yet he supressed it. We see during Appa's kidnapping, how easy it would be for Aang to rage, to let himself be destructive. And yet, he wakes up every day and chooses to smile and goof off, because his friends need someone to remind them how to be children.

Sokka puts on a very impressive bravado, despite having a lot of insecurities. However, as the oldest member of the Gaang (pre Zuko) he puts on a facade of the confident and unbothered older brother. Even if he's the butt of almost every joke, he still keeps that demeanour up, letting it slip only a few times.

I'd actually argue that Toph is the person whom this label fits best. While we know Toph as witty, callous and strong, we have to remember that she kept up the facade of her parents' good, helpless little blind girl for no reason other than her mother and father's comfort. She actually hides a lot of her hurt, covering it up with a prickly exterior.

I want to do longer think pieces about Toph and Katara so apologies if this isn't complete.

I'm actually baffled by the idea of Katara repressing her emotions. She's actually quite straightforward and open about her feelings. She yells and feels a lot of emotions and lets them be heard. She gets angry and sad. She's actually kinda bitchy sometimes and that's honestly why I love her so much.

The whole inciting incident of the show was her getting so pissed off she somehow pulls a giant iceberg from the bottom of the sea.

She is anything but repressed.

She is angry.

She's angry at the fire nation, at Sokka, at her father, at men, and with good right to be so.

This is what makes her an amazing character and one who broke the mould of a lot of female characters at the time. Her anger and unrestrained emotions rang true with a lot of watchers at the time. I'm not sure why this is being taken away from her rather than celebrated.

I reiterate the point I made at the beginning of this post: there is nothing wrong with headcanons and fanon interpretations for one's enjoyment. I do find it a bit odd when it changes a character too much (because then, why not just create an oc?) but it's all in good fun. However, you shouldn't push that onto other people and how they perceive canon and you certainly shouldn't use it to take away from other characters. It's a very unfair way of entering discourse.

[bbydoll18xx]

I'll Be Your Temporary Fix (Pt 3)

Paige Bueckers x Media Team Reader

Read parts 1 and 2 here: Part 1 Part 2

Part 3 based on this request: 

Could you do a Paige x media team reader. Where Paige and reader are fake dating because Azzi is uncomfortable with the fans shipping her and Paige. Reader does it cus she owes Paige a favor (you can make something up).

Word Count: 1.9k

Hey everyone! Due to popular demand, here is part 3! This part is more angsty and is heavily inspired by my personal anthem 'The Bolter' by Taylor Swift (she really is my muse these days lol)

I hope you enjoy!

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

You wake up the next morning with sunlight streaming through the windows and a warm blonde cuddled into your neck. Paige is close, so close to you, and you can feel the tangled mess of the both of your legs underneath the blankets. 

It feels a little too perfect, and before you can begin to enjoy Paige’s sleepy affection, a wave of anxiety washes over you. It envelops you; a dark hood pulled over your head and blinding you from seeing the light that was Paige. 

Your chest begins to rise and fall in staccato breaths, and your labored breathing causes Paige to stir. She sleepily looks at you with a small smile. You had always loved the way she looked in the morning; her hair splayed over the pillows and her warmth beckoning to you, threatening to keep you in bed forever. 

Her voice is still husky with sleep, and it rouses you from your slumberous contemplations. “Mornin’ baby.” 

Hiding your blush in the soft blankets, you reply back shyly, “Hi, P.” Her gaze is heated, and it makes every nerve light up with warning signs. The whole situation was paradoxical, and you found yourself wanting to swim in her presence and run for the hills, simultaneously. 

Fighting the urge to jump from the bed and leave without turning back, you snuggle back into Paige’s arms, eliciting content moans from the both of you. 

You stay like that for a while, until a loud grumble from Paige’s stomach cuts through the silence, causing you both to giggle. 

You stumble out of Paige’s bed, reluctant to leave the cocoon of safety and warmth, in search of breakfast. You both sit at the small kitchen table with bagels in front of you, slightly overlooked in favor of your phones. You are scrolling Twitter, while Paige is on tiktok, and you periodically show each other if you see something particularly funny. The public is going wild over your little display at the bar last night. There are already edits galore, and it fucking terrifies you. 

Paige’s eyes are glued to the screen of her phone, and her stony face gives you no glimpse of what she is actually thinking. Until you see her bite her bottom lip, and she darts her tongue out to swipe across it. It brings some blood to your cheeks, and your head feels fuzzy. 12 hours ago you were the one sinking your teeth into the pillowy flesh of her bottom lip, and here you sat across from her, wondering if you’d ever be able to again. 

The questions in your mind have you wanting to bound away once more, and you grip the edge of the table in a feeble attempt at grounding yourself back to reality. You didn't think you’d ever even have a chance to be anything more than friends with Paige. And here you were eating breakfast with her after kissing her and cuddling in her bed. 

You were so fucked. 

You replay the last few days in your head once more. You knew this whole thing was such a bad idea, but you really could not help yourself. Clearly, or you wouldn’t be sitting across from Paige right now.

Trying to pacify your bubbling panic, you ask to see Paige’s phone, wanting to see what the fuss was about. She smirks as she hands it to you, fingers brushing against yours with a kind of sheer electricity you had never felt with anyone else. You shudder at the contact, hoping to blame it on the chill of her slim fingers. 

Avoiding her eye contact and glancing down at the screen, you see video upon video of the kiss, backed with sensual music that has your heart pounding. 

“Oh, my gosh,” you mutter, embarrassed at the amount of views and comments all of the tiktoks had. The bar was not quite as dark as you remembered, giving the cameras of the onlookers the perfect view of your little make-out session. 

You watch yourself kiss Paige a second time, forgetting that the aforementioned blonde was sitting right in front of you. It was your turn to bite your own bottom lip at the sultry music playing, eyes still glued to the way Paige had one hand loosely resting against your throat and the other on your jaw. Your hands were on her waist, pulling her closer and closer into you. 

She would never be close enough. 

Paige clears her throat, breaking you out of the trance from watching that damn kiss. “I think it was pretty believable, huh?” 

It was hard to hear her over the blood rushing in your ears. “Um, yeah. I think so…Listen I’m glad I could help you and Az, but I gotta go.”

Paige’s face is shocked at your sudden excuse, and before she can even attempt to stop you from fleeing, you are already running around gathering up your clothes from last night.

“I’ll return your sweats after I wash ‘em,” you mumble, already halfway out the door. The door closes with a slam, and then nothing but silence. Paige looks around, her beautiful features twisted in a look halfway between stunned and horrified. 

What had she done?

Little did she know that you were a bolter. 

‘The bolter’ was fondly coined to you by your friends. You had craved a real, all-consuming love for many years, but everyone always left. So you learned to leave first. You kept your hopes low, thus ensuring no one could get them up and leave you shattered. And here you were drowning in Paige, and she had all the power over you. And you hated that.

Walking back to your dorm, you vowed to avoid the blonde until your emotions were fully in check; you needed your “ice queen” persona back. You knew it’d be difficult considering your job was to chronicle her life, but you were really fucking stubborn.

You refused to let your intimacy issues and your deep-rooted fear of being hurt ruin Paige’s lively disposition.

You spend the next several days engulfing yourself in schoolwork and your media job. Paige reaches out to you several times, but she gets left on read, causing a pang of guilt to shoot through you. You knew it was for the best. 

But was it really?

You are pulled out of your thoughts a few evenings after leaving Paige by a pounding at your door. Your phone was open to tik tok once more, the images of you and Paige kissing had been like a drug to you; it was getting impossible to avoid. 

With an exasperated huff, you drag yourself off of your chair to open the door, and you are greeted with the harsh expressions of Nika and Azzi. 

Fuck. 

Before you can even attempt to settle their apparent fury, the two girls are barging into your room, gesturing to you to take a seat. Reluctantly doing so, in an effort to avoid pissing them off even more, you look up at them and wait for the diatribe to follow. 

Shockingly, it doesn't come. As you study their faces, they morph into genuine looks of hurt and disappointment. Somehow, that makes you feel worse. 

Azzi starts. “You want to explain to us why you’re ignoring Paige all of a sudden?”

“It wasn’t on purpose…” you trail off. 

Lies. Such lies.

You take a beat to gather your thoughts before continuing. “I don’t want to hurt her. But I can’t let myself get hurt either.”

Nika scoffs indignantly. “Please, Paige would never hurt you. We all know that.”

“I don’t know that,” you stress. “It’s killing me to think that I’m upsetting her, but it’s for the best. I’m terrible in relationships. The lines were already too blurry. I just drew the line in the sand before anything else could happen.”

Azzi flashes her puppy dog eyes at the hurt in your voice, and wraps a comforting arm around you.

“Life is too short to mourn something that’s still living,” she says wisely. “You’re missing out on a lot of happiness with that mindset.”

You knew there was some truth to her words, and taking a deep breath, you promised to reach out to Paige once your thoughts were in order. 

Feeling satisfied with your answer, Nika and Azzi left, but not without several threats. You couldn’t fuck this up this time.

Abandoning every instinct inside your body, you make the familiar trek back to Paige’s apartment. Your mind was racing, trying to find the words to the feelings that had been consuming you for an endless amount of time. Your legs carry you until you stop in front of the same door you had hurried out of a few days prior. A hand reaches up to knock, defiantly separating you from the dread that was attempting to stop you.

A few seconds pass, and you hold in a shaky breath in the anticipation of seeing your beautiful Paige once more. The door cracks open hesitantly, her blue eyes peering around the edge of it. Your heart breaks once your eyes are finally able to fully feast upon her features. She looks absolutely ruined. Her usually bright face was broken and expressionless, and it was hard to miss the darkness under her eyes. 

Tears spring to your eyes at her misery, and you immediately pull her into a hug.

“I’m so fucking sorry, P. I’m so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you.” The apologies fall out of your mouth like an incantation, desperate to fix your mess. 

Paige sniffles into your hair, and you want to fall apart once more. Moving your hands to her face, you wipe away the tears that had already fallen, silently vowing to never make her cry again. 

“What did I do?” she asks quietly, feeling humiliated that you had seen her in such a vulnerable state. 

“Nothing except give me the best kiss of my life. And I got scared. And when I’m scared, I run,” you whisper, still cradling her head in your small, shaking hands. 

“I messed up, not you. My feelings started consuming me, and I was so worried that once we didn’t have to pretend to date anymore, I would fall apart. Because I need you. I need you, Paige, and that fucking scares me.” 

You were being verbose at this point, hoping you could convince her. 

Paige finally looks at you, her eyes rimmed with red, and whispers “I need you, too.”

You let out a breath you didn’t even realize you were holding, and pulled her back into you once more, stroking her hair.  

The two of you sit in silence for a moment, soaking in each other’s presence that had been missed by the both of you. Once yours and Paige’s faces have dried up, and you are swaddled into her warm embrace again, you look up at her with a small smile on your face. 

“You think we could kiss like that again?” 

Paige just grins in response and pulls you in.

She was never letting you leave again, and you were no longer going to be the bolter.

Ta-da! What do we think? Should I write a part 4?

[hellcatinnc]

my heart can't take kid oushi as well as him older.... im dead 💀💀💀

Yubisaki to Renren (A Sign of Affection) - Episode 10 Preview. Premiere: 9 March 2024