#sick of calling him lover I WANT HIM TO BE MY HUSBAND ALREADY

[cempasuchil-selfships]

me when i see a single post and i already know i am going to be insane for the next week minimum

[baby-yongbok]

I'm Yours

Seo Changbin x Reader

Genre: Angst then Smut mixed with angst. Dirty Drama.

Summary: Even when you think you're done with him Changbin knows just what to say to make you melt for him.

Warnings: Cheating , Arguing/Yelling, Fingering, Changbin is kinda - low key gaslighting her (might be highkey). I think that's all, let me know if I missed anything!

Word Count: 2,407

✨Masterlist✨

“Don’t.” You push past Changbin, grabbing your shirt from the floor and tugging it on quickly. You can’t even look at him, how could he do this?

“Would you just let me explain?” He runs his hands through his hair as he buttons his shirt behind you. “I was going to tell her I just-”

“You just what? You told me last week, no, you promised me that you’d tell her about us. What happened to that? What happened to the I love you, baby, I’m going to tell my wife everything. I already made the date, I already made the fucking plans. What happened, Changbin?” Your throat burned from your yelling and you could feel the pinch in the back of your eyes but you won’t cry. You can’t do that right now, he doesn’t deserve that.

“It’s not that fucking easy, It’s complicated, everything is complicated. What am I supposed to tell the kids? Mommy and daddy are getting a divorce cause I started fucking your nanny? I have a family ya know, this isn’t black and fucking white.” You scoff, an incredulous laugh slipping from your lips as you step closer to your lover. He stares back at you, wide eyed with a red angry blush climbing up the milky skin of his neck and chest. You want to laugh this off, you want to tell him that you understand and that you just want him, any of him, all of him. But he doesn’t deserve that either.

“Oh, do I know that you have a family? Do I know? Let’s see Mr. Seo, am I aware that you have a six year old daughter who loves tea parties and hot wheels? Hmm, do I know that?”

“Don’t do that.” He looks away, bringing his hand up and rubbing his face. It’s a habit that he does when he’s stressed, you can’t blame him, this is fucking stressful.

“What about your four year old son who loves coloring and watching Bluey, do I know about that?” You take a step closer to him, leaving little to no room between you two. The heat radiating off of the both of you creates a deliciously toxic energy that makes you sick to your stomach. 

“Or what about your fucking wife.” You hiss, yelling in his face, he squeezes his eyes shut as he continues to avert eye contact. You push his chest with every word but he doesn’t move, of course he doesn’t he’s two times stronger than you. 

“Your wife who doesn’t give a shit about her kids or her husband or anything else that doesn’t solely focus on her. Your wife that is never home so I take care of her kids and they call me mommy. Your wife that doesn’t give you any attention so you started fucking me. I know a whole lot about your fucked up little family.” He grabs your hand, turning to face you and you swear that the look in his eyes could kill you.

“Stop this, now.” His voice is barely above a whisper, it’s almost gentle which is the complete opposite of the grip that he has on your wrist as he holds it against his chest. “I didn’t think that we’d take it this far, this was never the plan. Falling in love with you was not what I planned.”

“So I was just supposed to be a quick fuck? You didn’t mean to fall in love with me or fuck me in you and your wife’s bed before I pick up your kids. You didn’t mean to buy me jewelry or spend nights here begging me to have your babies, begging me to marry you when you divorce her. Fuck you, get the fuck off of me.”

“Will you let me fucking explain?” He growls at you and you suck your teeth.

“The hell I am.” You attempt to pull away from him but his grip only tightens. You pull again, this time more aggressively and when he doesn’t let you go you start to fight him, pushing and pulling and making him stumble as he tries to hold you. He lets go of your wrists and moves quickly to wrap his arms around your waist, he picks you up and throws you onto your mattress, ignoring your protests as you hit the memory foam.

“You think that I don’t know that she doesn’t give a fuck about me?” His voice bounces off of the white walls of your bedroom as you prop yourself up on your elbows. “She never fucking has, she never fucking will, she’s a gold digger we all know that. I fucked up and got her pregnant, I didn’t want any of this shit. I didn’t want this life. You, you are the first thing that I’ve wanted in years.”

“Bullshit.” You sit up, scooting down to the end of your bed. “Bull - fucking - shit, Changbin.”

You stand from the mattress but Changbin pushes you back down by your shoulders, he kneels down in front of you, getting a good grip on the plush of your thighs and pulling you to the very edge of the bed. You’re ready to protest, ready to scream and fight and throw a fit but the next sentence that comes out of his mouth makes you freeze. “ I told them to call you mommy.” 

He stares up at you, vulnerable eyes searching yours, you ball your hands into fists against the comforter. Is he fucking serious? “I didn’t tell my wife because she didn’t fucking show up for our date night. She had a work meeting which is code for fucking the new executive. I was going to tell her, I have -” He stops himself mid sentence, looking over towards his work bag and quickly moving towards it. He searches through it for less than a second before pulling out a folder and moving back in front of you.

“I have the fucking divorce papers, I signed them. I had everything.” You grab the folder from him, shaking your head as you read through them, they’re real, he isn’t lying but what good is that if you’re still stuck being the side chick? No good at all.

“Is this supposed to change my mind? Am I supposed to feel bad that your dead beat wife stood you up? I don’t give a fuck about her but clearly you still do.”

“That’s not fair -”

“Oh it’s not? It’s not fair?” You cross your arms, meeting his eyes with a sarcastic gaze. He speaks over you, shaking his head and gripping your bed frame as he grows more and more frustrated by the situation.

“That’s not fucking fair, she’s the mother of my kids of course I give a shit about her. Yeah she’s a bitch, yeah she doesn’t love me but -”

“But you love her?” Your sarcastic gaze morphs into one of anger, pure feminine rage and you’re ready to unleash it if he says the wrong thing. “Do you fucking love her, Changbin?”

“It’s not that simple.” You throw the folder that he handed you behind you, the papers confetti around the two of you, covering the mattress and floor next to you.

“Go home. Be with the woman you love, be with your kids, your family.” You lean forward, yelling in his face and leaving no room for air, you hate him you hate him so much for doing this to you. For turning you into the woman who loves a married man, even before you slept with him you knew that you loved him. It was the lingering stares and soft touches. It was the early morning conversations and the hot coffee waiting for you as soon as you walked through the door. It was the way that he’d take pictures of you and his kids like you were their mother, like you were a family. “The family that you fuck over every time you fuck me. Get out, leave. 

“I'm in love with you.” He grabs your waist, squeezing and holding you like you’d fly away if he didn’t. The sound of your primal yelling is still ringing in his ears but he ignores it, nothing else matters, all that he wants is for you to hear him. All that he wants is for you to understand that his wife may have a place in his heart but you own it. You and his kids are all that he really loves, all that he really wants. “What do I need to do to get you to see that? What do you want from me?”

His hand trails down to the curve of your hip as his eyes stay on yours. “Do what you promised me you would.” You snap back, shifting in his grip.

“Give me until Friday, that’s all I ask.” His hands run over the bare skin of your thigh, scratching down the sensitive flesh and leaving goosebumps in his wake. “Give me this last chance, please. I won’t fuck this up, I need you.”

He leans in, pressing his torso between your legs and resting his hands on your knees as he gently parts them. You watch him, your chest rising and falling heavily. You’re angry, you’re livid, you’re in love. “I want you so bad, baby, just give me three days.” His fingers inch their way towards the tender flesh of your inner thigh and you sit there, watching him.

“You said this before, you said it last week. Why are you doing this to me?” Your anger has abandoned you, it left you to face this desperate sadness all by your lonesome. Your voice is weaker than you’d like and the familiar pinch of tears fighting to escape visits you again and you’re not sure that you have it in you to fight them this time. “You keep stringing me along, Changbin, you keep -”

“Bunny, I’m begging you, just three days.” His pointer and middle finger sneak over to caress your folds over the gusset of your damp underwear and you shiver at the sensation. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry that I’m doing this to you. We knew this would be messy.”

He hooks his fingers into the wet fabric, moving it to the side and pressing against your clit softly. You try to keep your eyelids from fluttering shut but it’s no use, they’re closed before you can even think to do otherwise. “This isn’t fair.” You gasp, as he rubs tight circles against the bud, dragging whine from you that you don’t believe he has the privilege to hear. 

“You’re right.” His fingers move down, collecting your dripping slick and spreading it over your needy cunt. You open your mouth to snap back at him but his fingers are sinking into you before you can even get a breath out. “This isn’t fair, you’re right.”

His words are whispers as he watches you, he can feel himself relax as you arch your back into the air and squeeze your eyes shut because of him. For him. “Y-you take so much of me when you leave here.” You take a deep breath in an attempt to steady your speech. Changbin’s fingers pick up speed as you speak.

“What do I take from you, baby?” 

“Everything, you t-take so much of my power, my love, my pride.” A moan interrupts your sentence, and you let your head drop back as he curls his fingers inside of you. “There are so - so many parts of me scattered around your house. There are bits and pieces - pieces of you. So many pieces of you in this room. My pillows smell like you, your coffee mug, your toothbrush, I have it all but - but there’s no you.”  You close your eyes, a tear slipping down your cheek.

 "I want to take it all back," you whisper, your voice thick with emotion. His thumb finds your clit as you lift your head to look at him and you can’t help but to cry out as you buck your hips into his hand. 

“You don’t mean that.” He whispers back as his spare hand reaches up to wipe the stray tear rolling down your cheek. “ Tell me that, tell me that you don’t mean that.” 

You grind your hips, fucking yourself on his fingers hungrily, desperately. “Look at me.” His voice snaps you out of your fucked out hunger and you meet his gaze, more tears falling from your eyes and he moves his hand beside you to pick up one of the papers you threw. He lifts it to your tear stained cheek and wipes it dry with the paper, his fingers slow down as his eyes scan your face. He loves you, he really is in love with you. If you two had met in a different life or maybe just at an earlier time then you’d be the mother of his kids and he wouldn’t be the CEO of a company he doesn’t give a fuck about, he wouldn’t have to keep his happiness a secret. Why couldn’t that have been the way that things went? 

“I don’t regret any of this. I don’t regret you.” His fingers speed up again and you cry out, your trembling frame is beautiful to him. “You don’t regret me.”

“I don’t.” You moan, your hands tangle in your hair as you pant and whine. “I wish I did.”

“You have so much of me too, you own me. I’m yours. Fuck her, I need you. Anything that you want is yours.” You feel the knot tightening in your stomach and your eyes roll back at the feeling. 

“Say it again, s-say you’re mine.”

“I’m yours, baby.” Changbin’s eyes rake over your body as you near your high, your rosy skin is beautiful in the dimly lit room. “I’m yours.”

“Bin, oh my fucking god.” Your legs shake against the bed frame as your orgasm climbs up your spine. He groans, as he cups your cheek and guides your lips to his. He kisses you hungrily, passionately. Desperately. Before you can warn him you break the kiss, your body is falling into his as your legs clamp down around his wrist and he curls his fingers inside of you as you come down from your high. You’re panting against his shoulder as he peppers light kisses against your neck.

“I’m yours, I promise.”

(Unedited)

[ddollfface]

My heart aches for my lil baby sailor/selkie son! I’d give him all the hugs, kisses, and love if I could! I hope our relationship with him can improve. I don’t want him to grow up a sad, bitter, and neglected person!

(;´༎ຶД༎ຶ`)

Honestly, I’d be willing to force myself to loving sailor so that son can witness a loving relationship from his parents! And I’d prob fall in love with sailor already cause I love all the yandere red flags!

𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡?

𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙎𝙞𝙘𝙠!𝙎𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙤𝙧 𝙭 𝙎𝙚𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙚!𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

Let's be realistic here, nonnie. You wouldn't. Trigger Warnings; ANGST, yandere, kidnapping, mentions of rape, poorly written gore, forced pregnancy, gross.

That’s what you thought in the beginning, when you were pregnant, newly captured brought home to your lover’s arms. You thought that you’d be the loving mother who could ignore all the bad signs, that could push past the abuse and cold words, only seeing the obsession in his eyes as a positive. I mean, though his touch feels like poison, and his voice is nails on a chalkboard, at least he loves you? You thought that it was irrational to blame an innocent child for the doings of their father, that it was horrible for you to look down at your stomach with grimace and shame. 

How could you? How could you think so poorly of your son? What kind of mother are you for resenting your body for taking his seed as it’s supposed to? It made you sick. You wanted to claw out your tongue, smash in your teeth, and scream until your lungs collapsed for ever muttering the words I love you to such a man. You wanted to feel your blood swell in your mouth, dribbling down your aching throat as you cried, cried, cried out in pain. The feeling of something, something of his growing inside of you, stealing your energy, and sucking the life out of you. 

But you tried. You smiled, giggled, and laughed at every word he spewed out, not listening to a single syllable. He knew it was an act, that you didn’t love him, but he respected your act so he was soft. He gave you space, letting you breathe, ignoring your sobs as you curled away from him in your shared bed. He didn’t let you go hungry, cooking your meals every morning, day, and night. No matter how difficult you’d be, he’d come to your every beck and call. That made things easier, more tolerable, making it seem as if you were a victim of rape, kidnapping, and forced marriage.

It allowed you to live in a fantasy as a loving wife, assisting your husband in the lighthouse, cleaning when you could, and even making dinner! You lived like this for a while, but as your stomach grew, and your situation settled, you came to realize that you weren’t leaving. You weren’t you; who were you? Where were you? Why were you so pliant? 

You remembered.

Everything! You remembered the feeling of his hands on your skin, clawing away at your pelt, scrapping any trace of who you were away and replacing it with him, him, him. His hands cupping your jaw, whispering sweet nothings as he pressed you against the sand of the beach. You can still feel the sting of the sand imprinting against your smooth skin, feeling your pelt get torn away from you, slipped away from your gasps.

Let it be known, you fought. 

You clawed, bit, and scratched, slapping anything that was in your view. Your pupils dilated as his hands grazed down your body, massaging, and pressing against your skin as if you were a prayer. His lips followed suit, peppering across your skin, making you gag. Your heart was swelling with rage, filthy rage. A need to jab, punch, hit, scream, anything to get you away, consuming your soul.

You were never the same, never seeing the ocean in the same light. The waves pressing against your side as he slipped off your clothes, brushing away any tears that dribbled down your cheeks, your hands reaching out for the ocean, your home. He’d swat your hands away, tsking as he leaned down, brushing his nose against your cheek, nuzzling into your flesh.

His touch felt like a searing pan, the burning of a stove as he slowly melted his lips to yours, tilting his head in a soft motion. You bit at his lips, trying to rip the flesh away. Your jagged teeth drawing blood. It made you happy, proud of yourself when the taste of iron flooded into your mouth, staining your taste buds as you screamed, calling for your brethren.

He took you that night, deciding that if you weren’t going to be soft, then neither was he. He pressed you into the dirt, taking you like a bitch. Soft words still spewing from his mouth as he held your waist, holding you down as he pinned you to the ground. The sound of the ocean calling out to you as you grabbed the grains of sand, feeling them against your palm as you clawed at the ground, hoping for it to swallow you in one gulp. 

But that was in the past, no? It was just a fit of rage, you concluded. You were quite rude, you recall, spitting insults and hurtful glares throughout the whole… exchange. Maybe he wasn’t too bad… he did clean you up afterward, that’s what good men do, no? You’re not sure. Let’s just say, you’ve never been too keen on human affairs, never interesting you the same way it did to your sisters and brothers. 

You could put that in the past, ridding it from your memory, and replacing it with his gentle touch. The way he helps you do the dishes, placing you on the counter as you watch him work. His eyes lingering on your stomach for a moment too long, but there was nothing but a content gleam in them. His hazel eyes locked on your form, never leaving you as if he was afraid you’d disappear. That look always ruins it for you, it rips you away from your wishful fantasy of a loving home. It reminds you that he is in fact not your husband, but your hopelessly obsessive captor who doesn’t trust you to do anything. 

But you could do this. You could look past that look in his eyes, brushing it off as him as being protective over your fragile baby. You are carrying his baby, after all. It’s only natural that he’s a little antsy whenever you use a knife, or stand on a chair to get a jar, or peer outside for too long. It’s just natural, you tell yourself. You could get through this and succumb to his fantasies. His fantasies were yours, you told yourself. It was difficult in the beginning, but you’ve gotten used to it. 

You no longer flinch away from his touches, letting his hands settle on your baby bump, rubbing the skin of your stomach with warm, strong hands. His scared tissue brushing against your smooth skin, causing you to shiver, but you suppressed it. You could do this.

It’s not that bad when he helps you in the kitchen. You’re no longer worried that he’ll carve out your heart for his own needs, wanting to take you in the most primal sense of the word. Your eyes don’t flicker to his form every time he picks up a knife, wondering if it’ll be you chopped instead of the lamb. You could do this. 

And you don’t let your eyes linger on the ocean anymore, deciding to busy yourself with other things than just sitting on a window seal. You crochet now, making blankets, shirts, and socks for yourself, thinking of it as a self-service for yourself. Though you could always feel your heart skip a beat, and your head feels fuzzy whenever he suggests you make something for the little man. You… you could…

To look into the eyes of another, and to only see the eyes of your captor. The eyes of a man who ripped you from your home, shed you of your skin, and raped you like breeding cattle. Though the gleam is different, the eyes are the same. Though the hair is of a different texture, that of a soft touch, it's the same. Though the skin is tinted darker, it's the same.

Though it's just a little boy, it's still him.

And you can never forgive him for that, no matter how much he tries.

[niningtori]

let me into your world | chapter one: my world is mine

pairing(s): choi beomgyu x you, choi soobin x you

summary: you're a hopeless romantic waiting for your soulmate, but what do you do when you finally find him and he doesn't want you?

genre(s): romance, angst, angst with a happy ending (?), soulmate au

word count: 7.1k

notes: for some reason, i feel SO embarrassed to post this. it was the first series i ever wrote, so it's getting a facelift before seeing the light of day, but it's still a little flabby in some places. bear with me, please! also, shoutout to evie for this layout with the lyrics in the center :') i'm tired of looking at my own uglyass posts so much omg. see ending for more notes!

your soulmate is perfect in every way, or so you've been told, and you're sick of waiting to find out. everyone says meeting your soulmate is like finding the other half you never had, so when the yearning had started when you were a teen, you were eager to find him and put an end to your constant ache. it would be impossible to know who it was until your seal appeared on your skin. where it would land and what it would look like, you weren't sure, but you knew it couldn't come fast enough. in theory, he would complement you in every way. you imagine someone quiet, a little shy, maybe. someone thoughtful, someone patient and understanding. you just hope to god he's everything you wish him to be.

-

beomgyu has had just about enough of soulmate talk, but unfortunately for him, it's inescapable. when he turned 13, the yearning had already started for most of his peers. when his friends asked if he felt similarly, he simply shrugged his shoulders with a smug little grin while musing that he might not even have a soulmate — maybe he was just partnerless. some of his friends, like taehyun and kai, were appalled by this, almost pitying him. half of his heart was missing, after all. some of his other friends, however, were a bit jealous. their reasoning was "it'd be nice to not be chained down by someone you don't even know". he agreed with the latter sentiment, having seen the effects of being chained to somebody firsthand.

he remembers watching his mother wither away. she had loved his father more than anyone, even him, and got scraps of affection in return. they weren't soulmates — her perfect other half had died not long after she met him, but his father became her second and last love. he didn't concern himself with soulmate talk and eventually married beomgyu's mother. they were happy, very happy, until beomgyu was around 10 and his father met his so-called soulmate. he remembers the sheer despair on his mother's face as she found out her husband was leaving seemingly out of nowhere, her life uprooted because of a fucking pattern imprinted on her lover's skin.

they weren't soulmates, but beomgyu watched his mother die a little every day until she finally passed. dying of a broken heart was the only way he could explain what happened to her, and she did all that for a man who wasn't even her soulmate. if soulmates could make you kill someone innocent for your love, he didn't want to find his at all. if love could make you abandon everything you've ever known, well, he simply didn't want to know what it felt like.

-

college is a turning point for you, you feel. you had a good time in high school, but you're nearing the average age of the seal and you're more than prepared to find your special someone. you couldn't know for sure, but you have a feeling none of the boys in your high school were your other half.

"why don't you date just to get some experience?" sumin asks somewhat exasperatedly. you had rejected yet another guy with seemingly good intentions for practically no reason.

"i don't know, i guess i just don't want to waste my time on anybody else when i already know my soulmate is out there waiting on me," you shrug. "i want to save all my firsts for him."

"you're hopeless, you know?" she snorts.

"yeah," you smile, "but he's probably the same way." she teases you good-naturedly for this, but even she agrees that you'll most likely fall for a guy just as hopelessly in love as you are. he wouldn't even have to try very hard — you're willing to put in however much effort it takes to find him and love him unconditionally. all he needs to do is reciprocate and you would do the rest.

-

unfortunately for you, time has passed and you're nearing the end of your time in college with no soulmate in sight. you'd be more upset about it if you weren't so fucking busy with school work and trying to line up a job post-graduation. you're so wound up lately that sumin practically forces you to let loose and go to a house party. needless to say, they aren't particularly your scene. you like to drink just as much as anybody else does, you guess, but that doesn't mean you want to reek of shitty beer, sweat, and premarital sex, which will undoubtedly be the case once you step into a college house party. still, she is as persistent as you are exhausted and you're too defeated to fight.

you're fairly bored after fifteen minutes or so of loitering around all the action, never really joining in on the antics of your friends and all the other party goers unless you absolutely have to. you're absentmindedly kicking around a beer can when it rolls away, straight in front of a couch. you go to kick it again when you look up and see him.

you can't keep your eyes off of him. you've found people attractive before, but he's probably the most beautiful person — maybe even the most beautiful thing — you've ever seen. your heart almost stops when you look at him.

in that moment, the idea that he could be the one blooms in your head and you can't help but stare. you don't how long you keep your eyes locked on him, but he eventually looks up at you and his eyes widen for a split second. you're almost positive he feels what you feel, but not even a moment later, he pulls out what you can only describe as a lascivious smirk as his eyes travel up and down your figure. you feel like meat on display rather than his sacred other half. before you know it, a girl is sliding into his lap and he's turning away from you and planting a heavy kiss on her glossy lips while groping her ass.

"that's beomgyu," sumin says and you're snapped back into reality. "he's really hot, but he's slept with pretty much every girl here."

you're somewhat disappointed before you realize you must be mistaken. there's no way a man like that could be your soulmate. you strangle the bud of hope in your heart mercilessly because your soulmate is somewhere waiting for you and you can't afford to lose him over some pretty boy with community dick.

-

you said you'd avoid him, but beomgyu is the first one you notice when you walk into the first class of your final semester as a college student. his eyes lock with yours and you hurriedly avert your gaze before sliding into the nearest seat.

"hi," a sweet voice from next to you says. you jolt and turn to look at him.

"sorry, i didn't mean to scare you," he laughs.

"it's okay, i'm just a little jumpy, i guess," you grin sheepishly.

"i'm soobin," he smiles and you can see his dimples come out. you briefly wonder if he'd mind if you poked them, but that sounds weird even to you.

you introduce yourself and find you're forgetting all about beomgyu as you and soobin begin to chat. he's funny in a dorky kind of way, and you can't help but giggle at the seemingly unassuming things he says.

-

beomgyu notices you when you first walk in because of course he does, but he sees you sit next to soobin, a guy he met in freshman year, and feels a sense of loss he's never felt before. he watches as you grin and giggle at whatever lame jokes the boy next to you is almost certainly making and his eyes darken. yeonjun, his longtime friend and desk mate, notices his sour mood and asks what's wrong. beomgyu can't really answer that question. even he himself doesn't know why he feels so against you, a stranger, spending time with another guy, but he chalks it up to the fact that he thinks you're hot and would very much like to get in your pants as soon as possible.

he supposes he should have done so when he first saw you, but duty called when one of his frequent flyers sat in his lap and he couldn't very well ignore the way her chest swayed in front of him. he doesn't think about it much more deeply than that. he doesn't want to think about how your eyes seem to indicate that you know him — have known him — and he feels the same way about you. he toys with the idea of maybe asking you if you two knew each other at some point, but deep down, he knows he'd never forget you if he actually had known you before. he tries not to think about why that is.

-

a few weeks into the semester, you've sat next to soobin every day and it's safe to say you have a tiny little crush on him, but you know he's not your soulmate when he rolls his sleeves up one day and you spot a green seal on his wrist. you roll up your own sweater, just to be sure, but there's no pretty green tattoo to match. he spots your empty wrist and the expression on his face looks an awful lot like disappointment.

"i don't really care about that stuff, you know?" he whispers as your professor drones on and on about something you've stopped listening to long ago.

"really?" you ask a little too eagerly before reining yourself back in. what are you doing? you have a soulmate and he's waiting for you.

"really, really," he smiles. you prepare to launch into a long speech about the sanctity of soulmates and how you're waiting devoutly for yours, but instead of pushing the subject any further, he simply turns to the professor again and you're left reeling.

you're pulled back to your senses when the professor announces everyone will be paired up with a partner for an assignment. you and soobin grin at each other and are ready to begin prepping for the project when your professor adds that the partners will be completely random. when he calls soobin's name, your fingers are crossed in hopes that you'll somehow still get lucky, but he ends up pairing him with another classmate named yeonjun. you start getting a sinking feeling, something akin to dread, and you don't know why. clarity overwhelms you when you register that the person your professor opts to pair you with is none other than choi beomgyu.

-

beomgyu is late to your first library appointment together and though you didn't expect anything less from him, you're still annoyed when he arrives nearly 15 minutes after the scheduled time with nothing but a mumbled "sorry" and a cheeky grin.

"it's fine," you offer, but you both know you're irritated. you're a little bit of a pushover by nature and it's like he could immediately sniff it out. he doesn't even make an attempt to seem like he cares, though.

"are you ready to get started?" you ask.

"of course, what are you waiting for?" you roll your eyes at his shamelessness, frustration melting away without you intending for it to. you're kind of shy, but his presence is so comforting, it's like you've known him for years, so you dare to say your next words without much thought.

"you, smartass." he looks a little appalled at your words but he registers it as a joke when he notices the corner of your lips struggling not to pull themselves up, eyes gazing mischievously from beneath your eyelashes. not for the first time, he thinks you're really pretty. but he, not for the first time, says nothing.

-

after a few meet ups, you realize being with beomgyu is easier than you thought it would be. sure, he's incredibly obnoxious, but he's surprisingly easy to talk to. he invites you to his apartment one day and, as if he senses your apprehension before you can even feel it yourself, he states his roommate will be there as well. you try not to read too much into it, but you have a feeling he's implying that he won't make any moves on you. you're grateful for this, but unexpectedly a bit disappointed. as for why that is, you don't venture to guess.

being in his apartment is a new feeling entirely. it feels oddly... intimate somehow when you enter his bedroom and see all of his posters, his messy bed, and some vinyls stacked up against his record player. he nonchalantly puts one on and you gasp when you recognize the song.

"i love this band," you say quickly. his eyebrows raise in interest.

"you like them too?"

"of course i do! i've loved them since i was a teenager," you laugh.

"do you like their newer stuff?"

you wrinkle your nose a little bit at this, your answer evident. he laughs his signature squeaky laugh at this and you can't help but stare in awe at his dimples, like whiskers, appearing on his cheeks. you clear your throat awkwardly and begin to talk about the project.

after a few hours and some really great progress, you find you're a little hungry. you're about to mention this, but beomgyu beats you to the punch.

"i'm starving. want pizza?" you smile when you realize you're on the exact same page.

"thought you'd never ask."

-

you're sitting on his couch now, wolfing down your third piece of pizza while beomgyu slurps the cheese off of his. he's talking about absolutely nothing, but he's still easily drawing more and more laughter out of you with his antics. you tell him to stop because you hate your laugh, but he's addicted to the sound. he wants to keep you laughing. words like "always" and "forever" briefly flicker across his mind, and usually he would force them out with conviction, but he's having such a good time hearing you giggle he can't pay attention to much else. he never says it or gives any indication he feels that way, though. he just tells you "i can't help that i'm so fucking funny and charming and beautiful." you lightly smack the back of his head and he's giggling with you.

things are going remarkably well when his roommate emerges from his room and says a few of his friends will be coming over soon. you don't particularly want to hang around them and you certainly don't want to overstay your welcome, but beomgyu, for reasons unknown, insists that you stick around.

"we can just relax for a bit then get back to work. c'mon, don't you wanna finish this thing?"

"fine, fine, fine. i'll stay." his face lights up at your words and you can't help but blush a little bit at this. why he's so excited, you have no clue. what you also don't know is he has no idea why he's so excited, either.

a few minutes later, a few guys enter the apartment boisterously and you can't help but internally regret sticking around. beomgyu, almost preternaturally, senses how uncomfortable you are and makes an effort to introduce you and include you in conversation. things are going well until one of the guys, whose name you don't know but whose face seems vaguely familiar, makes an offhanded comment.

"y'know, gyu, she's actually very smart. maybe you'll actually pass." the entire group bursts into laughter and joke about his supposed stupidity and laziness.

"he's actually very helpful. i couldn't do this without him," you counter with a little edge to your voice.

"maybe you're not deadweight after all," he says sarcastically. beomgyu just smirks and goes along with it. to the untrained eye, he seems perfectly fine, but to you, he just looks kind of sad. you pull out your phone and decide to text him.

you don't have to laugh if you don't think it's funny

he looks up at you and you nod encouragingly.

it's fine i really am kinda dumb

don't say things you don't mean. you're not their dancing monkey here to entertain them and you're not a fucking punching bag

his heart feels a little sour at this. how did you know he was hurt by their comments, no matter how seemingly harmless they were? even his own friends didn't seem to notice, but somehow, you did. you always seem to notice the little changes within him. like when he's tired and doesn't want to show it, you offer to take breaks or meet another day. or when he's stressed out so you try to wrangle even the smallest of smiles out of him — real ones, that is. he wants to say you're just a thoughtful and perceptive person, but in reality, he thinks it's a little more complicated than that.

-

it's beomgyu's birthday, which should be a happy occasion, but for some reason, you feel like shit. you wonder if it's a mix of anxiety because of the project or maybe because your time in college is coming to the end, but it feels so much more profound than that. you woke up this morning from a fitful sleep and it feels like there's a hole blown through your heart. if you feel like shit, you don't look much better, but you have to meet with beomgyu at his apartment and you can't be late.

"whoa, you look absolutely awful," he muses when he opens the door and sees you with two appalling dark circles under your eyes.

"wow, thanks, asshole," you mumble. you did, indeed, look and feel like utter shit, but being here seems to bring a sense of relief you did not anticipate.

"hey, i'm just kidding, you look pretty," he laughs. he's been saying things like this, lately. you can't deny the way your heart skips a beat, but you shoot down any further thoughts because you know, know, know he sleeps around and you know that seemingly off-the-cuff comments like this are probably part of the reason why he's able to do so as easily as he does. you're not to be trifled with, though, so instead of letting the comment fly off your back as you usually would, your mouth opens before you know it.

"not as pretty as you, beoms," you smirk. you don't know exactly what you expected, but his ears turning a rosy pink isn't it.

"o-okay," he says sheepishly, clearing his throat. you find him criminally endearing in this moment, and for once, you don't mentally slap yourself for it.

"oh yeah. happy birthday!" you say, pulling out a cupcake and decisively putting an end to the awkwardness.

"thanks," he says with a smile before eyeing you suspiciously. "is this poisoned?"

"give it back," you say monotonously and he giggles when you try to snatch it away from him.

"hey, i'm just kidding! thank you!" he says as he takes a bite and his eyes widen in surprise.

"mmm, how'd you know this flavor's my favorite?"

"i dunno, i didn't. i just kinda figured you'd like it," you shrug. you walk towards his coffee table, which is where you all have been working lately, and again he's plagued with the idea that you know him far more deeply than you should.

working with beomgyu usually goes smoothly, but you're exhausted. you're still incredibly sad for no reason, but being with him makes you feel less... empty? you would try to put a name to the feeling, but you're too tired to do so at the moment.

"want some coffee?" he asks as he watches you yawn for the umpteenth time since you've been here.

"please," you say sleepily. he smiles and gets up from the floor as you bury your head in your hands.

beomgyu has been in a relatively good mood since you've been here, and not just because it's his birthday. he can't explain why, but his mouth has pretty much been etched into a curve ever since you got here. he catches a glimpse of his smiling face in the mirror of his living room before opting to fix his hair a little, mindful of how he looks in front of you. when he does this, he feels a rough patch of skin behind his right ear. he's confused when he runs his fingers over it and feels grooves and lines where there shouldn't be.

he quickly pulls out his phone and takes a picture. what he sees horrifies him. a seal. it's pink and delicate, but has a complicated pattern he couldn't even begin to replicate. the day he's been dreading for years has finally come. he stares at the picture before shaking his head and ruffling his hair to cover it again. no. this changes nothing. he won't let this ruin his day — his life.

he moves to the kitchen and begins to prepare your coffee. when he reenters the living room, he hears you lightly snoring with your head resting on the coffee table. he smiles in spite of himself and places the coffee down. he wants to say you look peaceful, but your eyebrows are furrowed like there's something you can't quite figure out.

he chuckles softly to himself before subconsciously pushing your hair out of your face and behind your ear. that's when he sees it. pink like a blooming flower and as complicated in its pattern as the one on his head. he hurriedly pulls his phone out and compares the picture of his seal to the one behind your ear. he already knows, but he has to be completely sure. he's not surprised in the slightest when he comes to the conclusion that they are, indeed, the same.

-

when you awaken, you feel a pit in your stomach and you're genuinely on the verge of tears. someone would think you'd had a nightmare, but you hadn't. you're stuck in a whirlwind of emotions when you're snapped away from them by a soft baritone voice.

"you awake?" beomgyu asks.

"shit, i'm sorry!" you exclaim, wiping the drool off of your face and straightening up your hair. "how long has it been?"

"i dunno, an hour or two?" he says nonchalantly. you sense some resentment in his tone and you feel beyond apologetic.

"god, i'm so sorry. let's just finish this really quick and i'll get going. i'm sure you want to be done with this and celebrate your birthday," you say embarrassedly.

"i already finished it," he says, and even through your sleepiness, you feel his disdain.

"you... finished it? alone?"

"why? do you think i'm not capable of doing it by myself?"

"no! not at all! i just feel bad that you had to do it alone," you exclaim.

"well, it's done. so you can leave now," he says, not without urgency.

"leave? but i —" but what? but i wanted to spend more time with you? that doesn't sound right, but that's what you feel.

"you can leave now," he repeats with disgust that you can't quite understand.

"o-okay. i'll get my stuff and go, but shouldn't we review everything together just in case?"

"i have plans, so no," he says firmly. you have no idea why he's so angry. you want to say it's because he had to finish the project alone while you were knocked out and drooling on his coffee table, but it feels much deeper than that.

"thanks for finishing everything. again, i'm so sorry," you say as you gather your things and head for the door. beomgyu is ready to shut the door behind you when you look back to him and softly say "happy birthday, beoms." and the door slams shut.

-

when you get home, the first thing you do is cry. the pain in your heart is suffocating. you so badly want to know what it is that's causing this seemingly out of nowhere pain, but you can't put your finger on it to save your life. you decide to shower and have another good cry. after you shower, you look in the mirror as you twist your hair up in a towel. your fingertips rub against a rough patch behind your ear when you do so and you're stunned before you register what it is. you take a picture to get a better look at it, but you already kinda know what to expect: a seal.

it's more beautiful than you imagined it'd be, but instead of joy, all you feel is dread. but why? a seal is a happy thing. you should feel relieved to finally have it on you and he should, too. you ponder over this and come to the conclusion that it's not your pain you're feeling, but your soulmate's. you've heard about soulmates feeling each other's emotions before, though it was somewhat rare. the question is: why is he so sad? you don't know how, but you instinctively know it has to do with the seal appearing and it makes you drop to the bathroom floor in tears. this isn't how you wanted it to be. you clutch your chest, willing your heart to stop pounding so hard, but it doesn't.

-

beomgyu has been avoiding you, that much is clear. as to why that is, you have no idea. he used to greet you and strike up conversation, project be damned. you want to think about this more, but the depression you feel makes it hard to think clearly about, well, anything, really. you feel an emptiness you've never known before, and you can't help but feel like being with him would make it better. in a way, you're glad he finished the project alone because you're sure you wouldn't have been able to be much help at all.

when you walk into the class you share, his absence puts you at a loss you don't understand. you remember that soobin is yeonjun's partner and ask him if he knows anything about beomgyu's whereabouts. he shakes his head.

"i don't know the details, but yeonjun said he's been bummed ever since he got his seal."  ever since he got his seal? that means he must have gotten it recently, just like you. the cogs in your brain start to turn and you feel the dread in your stomach again.

"why?” you ask tentatively. 

"i dunno. i think he might not like his soulmate, but he won't talk about it any more than that," he shrugs. "hey, are you okay?"

you nod before touching the seal behind your ear. you feel another pang in your heart. what if... what if he has the same seal? what if... beomgyu is your soulmate?

-

after class, you practically sprint out of the room and to beomgyu's apartment. you pound on his door impatiently and when he doesn't answer, you pound even louder.

"what are you doing here?" he hisses when he swings the door open. you flinch a little, but you're determined to get some answers. you falter when you notice a girl, haphazardly dressed, appearing from behind him.

"who's this, beomie?" she says, voice silky smooth.

"kick rocks," he says simply. she shrugs and makes her way past you while fiddling with her clothes. you don't have to guess what they just got finished doing, and it hurts, hurts, hurts.

"who's that?" you say, eyes glassy.

"what are you doing here?" he asks again, actually a little embarrassed, but never showing an ounce of it. you storm into his apartment and he shuts the door behind you.

"show me your seal," you say determinedly.

"what? no," he answers defensively.

you reach for his long hair to lightly tuck it behind his pierced ears. he wants to stop you, but he can't bear the thought of batting away your hand. he hears you inhale a sharp breath as you see the pink seal behind his ear and he feels his chest becoming heavier and heavier.

"how long have you known?"

"since my birthday," he answers after a slight pause.

"and when were you gonna tell me?"

"probably never," he says truthfully. your hand drops to your side and he subconsciously misses the way your touch felt.

"why?"

"because... because i don't want a soulmate."

"what's so bad about me?" you ask as your lips tremble.

"it's not just you," he sighs. "i've never wanted a soulmate."

"then what's so bad about soulmates?"

"i just don't want one and you can't make me," he snaps and you wince, so he tries again. "look, you're a nice girl and everything, but it's never gonna happen between us, so you need to stop trying."

"even without the seal, i'd still have feelings for you. that's how much you mean to me." he looks a little taken aback by this, as if he never expected to hear those words from you or anyone, really, and it makes your heart ache. "can't you just give me a chance?" you look so earnest right now, but he's almost sadistically dedicated to squashing the sprout of hope that is almost certainly peeking out of you right now.

"no, i can't. you're not my type at all. if we weren't soulmates i'd never even look at you." he's lying but if he's not cruel now, he knows you'll never let go.

"but we are soulmates and you are looking at me right now."

"for god's sake, you're not hearing what i'm saying. i will never love you, alright? i tried to be nice about it but you keep pushing me. you look fucking pathetic right now."

your frown deepens, eyes reddened and hot. as a last ditch effort, you hurriedly say your next words.

"i can feel your pain," you whisper and his eyes widen. "i know you feel it every day. i know you're empty and you need somebody — why can't i be that person? i-i'll be whatever you need me to be." you've taken your heart and served it on a silver platter. all he has to do is hold it.

"because you're not what i need! you're not even what i want!"

the silence that follows will haunt him for the rest of his life. you look so small right now, so fragile. he almost wants to take everything back, but he remembers what soulmates mean and what they can do to a person. he looks at how vulnerable you are, how your heart is bleeding in front of him and how easily he can and will break it. he never wants to give anyone that power over him. no fucking way.

"i can feel your pain," you try again, and before he can reply you continue. "can you at least feel mine?" you look absolutely devastated with your eyebrows furrowed pleadingly, sobs racking your body. you look like you're going to be sick.

"i can't and i don't wanna," he answers flippantly with a shrug and a lopsided smile. "that's how much you mean to me." he knows exactly what to say and how to say it, the way only somebody who really knows you ever can. it's the final nail in the coffin for you. you will lock your heart for him in it and bury it as deep as it'll go.

"i've been waiting for you, you know? always. always." your eyes trail down to his hastily thrown on shirt and hickeys adorning his neck. at this, his jaw clenches and his eyes actually close in shame. you're not sure where your pain ends and his begins, but for the first time, you don't really care. a burning rage fills your heart and your dignity demands to be taken seriously for the first time. you're a doormat, sure, but you won't be anymore. not for him, anyway.

"i don't want to see you anymore. don't you ever fucking talk to me again," you finish and with a spin on your heel you're sprinting towards the door.

-

you are true to your word. when you walk into class after the entire debacle, you don't even spare him a glance. even if you can feel his gaze on you, you remain perfectly unfazed. he asked for this, he thinks. it's the way it should be. still, nothing really consoles him when he sees how tired you look. he can't feel your pain, but he can very well see it, and he wishes he could take it away. he regrets what he said to you, but he knows you'd never give up if he had given you even a sliver of a way out.

you're a good girl, though. a lot of people will come your way if you'll just let them. he feels a pang in his chest when he thinks about what they'll be like. he doesn't like to imagine it very much, but his thoughts wander that way more than he'd like to admit. he can't fathom anyone being good enough for you, really. especially not him.

do you feel the way he hates himself for the way he has to treat you? he doesn't know for sure, but he's pretty convinced when he sees you put your head in your hands, shoulders shaking. soobin quietly asks if you're alright before you bolt out of the room.

-

it's an end of the year house party thrown by soobin's new friend and former project partner, yeonjun. you truly, honest to god, do not want to go, but sumin really wants you to and you feel guilty because you're unsure when you'll see her again after graduation.

you sit almost catatonically as she does your hair and makeup, dressing you as if you're some kind of doll. when she's finished playing dress-up, you have to give credit where it's due. you look like a new person, but you can still feel the rotten old you underneath the shiny veneer, and it doesn't feel very good at all.

you're sitting in a circle, passing a blunt around when someone mentions him. it's innocuous enough, but you still flinch when you hear it. they joke about how he's probably upstairs getting his dick wet with some exchange student who's only here for a semester. you don't think that's true, if only because you can feel the pull and it feels so fucking lonely and isolated there can't possibly be anyone else around him, but it still hurts to hear all the same.

sumin gets blackout drunk fairly quickly, which is nothing new. what is new, however, is how you match her shot for shot and chug for chug. you know in your head that you should stop, but your heart keeps telling you to drown it, drown it, drown it until you can't feel the pull anymore. so you do.

-

"my god, you're drunk!" yeonjun exclaims when you're literally about to fall over and bust your head open.

"i'm not drunk, you're drunk!" you hiccup. he almost laughs before he sees you grip your stomach and gag. he thinks it's the alcohol, but in reality, you feel the loneliness beomgyu felt dissipating and you can only imagine what he's doing to cope. fuck, you didn't want to feel this.

"c'mon, girl. don't throw up here. let's go to the bathroom." he leads you up the stairs into some shitty bathroom that doesn't even have toilet paper. you kneel in front of the toilet and let yourself go, tears marring your carefully crafted makeup.

yeonjun gently grabs your loose hair and twists it into a makeshift ponytail. when he sweeps the last few strands from behind your ears, he sees it. all pretty and pink, ornate but unassuming. the seal you share with beomgyu.

"oh fuck," he says simply. you're drunk, too drunk, but even you know what he means.

"don't... don't look at it," you hiccup as a fresh wave of tears stream down your cheeks. "i want it gone," you whine, futilely scraping at it with your fingernails. in your head, you know it won't do anything. seals are permanent and even a tattoo couldn't cover it — it'd just resurface. in your aching heart, though, the thought of having beomgyu's matching seal makes you sick and you're willing to do almost anything to get it off of you.

"what the fuck is going on here?" a voice you'd recognize from anywhere emerges from the bathroom doorway. soobin. "what happened to you?!"

he's kneeling down to your level and wiping the mascara from under your eyes. yeonjun is still holding your hair back, so it's only a matter of time before the seal catches soobin's eye. it takes him a second to place where exactly he's seen it before, but once he does he murmurs a simple "oh shit."

you'd laugh at the similar reactions from the two boys if you felt anything other than misery at the moment. soobin grabs a rag from god knows where and wets it to tenderly brush around your lips. yeonjun tactfully lets go of your hair and escapes from the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. you sit in silence.

"you know, this is a really bad time," he begins awkwardly, "but i want to remind you that the seal stuff doesn't matter to me. i know it matters to you right now, and that's okay, but it doesn't have to be that way forever." it takes you a minute to really process what he's saying and understand the implication behind his words. once you finally do, you're shocked to say the very least.

"do you still like me when i'm like this?" you say, mouth agape, tongue still heavy from the vomit.

"i do," he replies simply.

"really?"

"really, really."

-

beomgyu knew you felt his pain as soon as you said it, but he didn't know to what extent until he hears you sobbing in the bathroom. the walls are paper thin and you're not exactly quiet, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't straining his ears to ensure he's catching every word. and catch every word he does — even the ones you exchange with soobin — the ones that pierce his heart, and yours, apparently, because you wail when you feel it.

-

being with soobin is simultaneously the hardest and the easiest thing you've ever done. he starts off slowly, as if he's afraid to break you even more than you're already broken. he's patient with you even when you're sad about a certain somebody, and never makes you feel guilty for it.

when you're bawling your eyes out one night and cancel your plans with him, you're surprised to hear a knock on your apartment door, anyway. you look through the peephole and see a familiar figure with a smile on his face. you hurriedly wipe the mascara from under your eyes and pull your hood up to cover your fucked up hair.

"what are you doing here?" you ask once you open the door.

"i was just in the neighborhood and thought you might want some ice cream," he says simply.

you snort. the "neighborhood" in question is a good 20 minutes from his apartment, but you don't ask any questions for fear that he might actually leave.

and so you sit on the living room floor with a movie playing in the background as white noise. you forgo the formalities and both of you are digging into a, frankly, alarmingly large tub of ice cream with nothing but two spoons. he pokes your reddened nose when you eventually start to drift off into space and remember your soulmate doesn't want you. he doesn't ask any questions, either. just boops your nose and you're back to reality and giggling at his childishness.

being with soobin is so easy, so comforting, that when he eventually asks you to be his girlfriend, you say yes.

-

on graduation day, beomgyu feels an excitement he sincerely did not anticipate. sure, he was happy to graduate, but he had no idea he'd be fucking elated. he has no clue why he's so ridiculously excited when he's honestly not even sure what he'll do after college, but when your name is called to collect your diploma and his heart is racing so fast he feels like it might explode, beomgyu comes to a damning realization: it's not his happiness he's feeling... it's yours.

the revelation is fully enforced when he sees you leaving the stage and hugging soobin. he feels your heart skipping a beat when he watches your fingers lacing with the other man's. he can't quite understand it, but the contentment you feel juxtaposes the sadness brewing inside of him. the sense that something is missing feels more palpable than ever. you walk off with soobin, swinging your interlocked hands while he gently brushes his thumb against your fingers. you don't look beomgyu's way even once, and his eyes start to burn when he realizes that image will forever be seared into his head. he has nobody to blame but himself.

-

beomgyu can feel your joy now and it makes him sick. he feels the butterflies in your stomach as you slow dance with soobin. feels your first kiss and the thrums of electricity permeating from your lips to your toes. he even feels your excitement before soobin makes love to you for the first time and the pure bliss that comes after. he feels it all and it's enough to make his stomach churn. he wonders if you can still feel his pain, and on some level, he hopes you do. maybe he's selfish, but it would serve as another reminder that he's bound to you and you to him. it doesn't feel like you can, though. how could you be so happy if you felt even a fraction of the weight on his chest? he's drowning every day and you're out playing first comes love then comes marriage with soobin. he's currently looking at your instagram from a burner account (you blocked him on his main) and he's trying to keep his pain tucked carefully behind his ribs, where his heart is, but it's constantly threatening to overcome him. you look different — not bad — just different. you're glowing now, it seems, and your hair is always down. he has a guess as to why that might be, and it pains him to think about it. this must be the yearning everyone, including you, had felt. he supposes he should be happy that you're happy, but he's never claimed to be a good person, and the sight of a picture of you planting a kiss on soobin's cheek is enough to twist the knife in his chest.

notes pt. 2: hi :,) i hope you all liked this one. if not, i'm sorry :,) my pacing is sooo bad but i'm working on it i swear ( ཀ͝ ∧ ཀ͝ ) feedback is always appreciated!! and yes, there will be a part 2.

[lilac-5ky]

The one where he carries you home after a fight (Toji xFem!Reader)

A/N: My 7AM sleepless demons wrote this, not me.

warning: mentions of alcohol

Series Masterlist

“Thanks for coming, Toji. She wanted us to hit Roppongi next.”

“No problem.” Toji mutters as he lifts your limp body over his shoulders—arms thrown over his neck and knees buckled around his torso.

He nearly winces at the overwhelming stench of tequila emanating from your breath, praying that the wetness seeping through his shirt is drool and not vomit, though that’s more like wishful thinking. You are wasted. Completely and utterly drunk out of your mind to the point where you can’t differentiate the setting or those around him.

“Mistah, drop me off at the next station,” you slur with your eyes closed, pointing somewhere on the horizon before nodding off again. This was the third time you repeated that motion.

“How much did ya make her drink?” Toji doesn’t ask so much as accuse the two women, who are quick to shut him down with the dirtiest of looks. Nothing new. Your friends never liked him, and the feeling’s mutual.

“Make her?” Utahime huffs, rolling her sleeves over her elbows. “She’s the one who dragged us out on a Tuesday night. If anything, you’re the one to blame—you pushed her to it!”

“Senpai, calm down already.” Shoko lowers her friend’s fists. Out of the two, she’s the better one at acting like she tolerates him. “What did you fight over, anyway?”

“She didn’t tell you?”

With the way you stormed out the door in your finest high-heel shoe, black party dress, and red lipstick combo, he’d expect your lovers quarrel to make headlines by midnight.

However, they both shake their heads negatively.

“Who knows?” Toji flashes an oblivious smile before he gets you going. You were so angry at him earlier, and in all honesty, he did cross a line or two, but it doesn’t feel all that important now. Come tomorrow, this will become just another entry in your record of petty arguments to look back on and laugh at.

You’ve made it halfway up the slope that leads to your crappy apartment building when he catches you flailing around on his back like a fish fresh out of water. He slots his hands into the crevices beneath your thighs, applying enough pressure so that you won’t fall.

“Rise and shine, sleepy-head.”

Your slow blinks turn rapid the second you realize your feet aren’t touching the ground and you’re piggybacking on a stranger. “W-Who are you?”

“Ya don’t remember?” Toji rolls his eyes with a loud tsk. “What was it again? Mister Taxi? Mister Killjoy? Or Mister Buzzkill?” He goes through the different names you bestowed on him in your sleep.

“Mister… Buzzkill?” Your jaw drops slack on his shoulder, only for your palms to clap at his chest in excitement a minute later. “Mister Buzzkill, I remember! You kidapped me from my friends and spoiled our fun!”

“More like your friends got sick of your ass and called me to pick up the pieces.” He argues. “Hold on tight if ya don’t wanna fall. Climb’s steep from now on.”

Strength returns to your arms as they cage his neck. “Where are you taking me, Mister Buzzkill? Are we going to party?”

“Don’tcha think you’ve had enough partying for one night, princess?” He grunts. “We’re goin’ home.”

“Home? Whose home?”

Toji’s starting to miss the you that nags him about not soaking his dirty dishes. Alcohol always chips away at your mental capacity, and while he wants to be understanding, he can’t understand that which he’s never experienced for himself. “Our home, dummy.”

The epithet doesn’t faze you in the slightest. “Are you going to exploit me?”

“Prospect makes you happy?” You hum in return. “Fine. You can pay for the ride once we make it home.”

“But…” And you sound so sad that he cocks his head to peer at your face, glassy, puppy eyes welling up with fat tears that make him wonder whether he said something hurtful again. “I don’t have any money. My husband said we’re out of money ‘cause he—he gambled it away.”

The cogs in his brain are put in reverse, reminding him of the cash he snatched from your open wallet with the intention of waging it on a guaranteed victory and the little white lie you took at face value. You didn’t even give him the chance to explain that the bills were still in his pocket because the race was called off, and he let you run off to your friends without offering a single apology.

“I’m sure we’ll work something out.” Toji squeezes your thighs reassuringly. “Ya can pay me back in kind, too.”

“But my husband—”

“Your husband is a shithead.” He spits out, hoping that his remorse registers without leaving behind any actual trace of his words.

“You are so kind, Mister Buzzkill. Unlike him—my Toji.” The fingers of your one hand pull on your wedding band until it comes off. “Wanna marry me again, Mister…Toji?”

Shaking his head in disbelief, Toji catches the wedding band right before it slips from your fingers to the street. Part of him wants to scold you for being a scatterbrained nuisance, but the part of him that finds even your plastered form endearing comes out on top.

He slides the ring around the ring finger of his ring-less hand and pieces your hands together, holding onto them until you finally reach the front door and you’re sober enough to call him by his name.

“A’right, we’re here.” Toji declares once the key’s inside the hole.

He calls out your name and shakes you softly, but there’s no answer coming from you other than a single embarrassingly loud snore. He lets go of your legs and slowly puts your feet on the floor before hoisting them up in the air again, shifting to carrying you into bridal position. Your hands reach around his neck on their own volition, and he swears your lips curl into the softest smile when your nose pressed against his shirt.

He sighs, parting the hair that’s fallen inside your agape mouth.

“What am I gonna do with you?”

[bambooshuohuop]

in which, Zhongli takes care of you when sudden pains go through your body. yet when you keep being careless and neglect your health, he may or may not run out of patience. who knows how extreme he'll get just so you remember?

tags: fluff, short fic, zhongli being a lovely menace, health, nursing back to health, married relationship, sick!reader (not rlly), lowercase

; this is an idea inspired by my own pains :'). take care of your health, everyone!!

you should've known that your working habits will come to bite you back one day. sitting on a stiff chair for hours, unsupported back hunched unless you crack it back to stretch, your water intake barely existing, and the unhealthy habits of your meal times. all of which took a toll on your mortal body.

only when you start to get sick does it dawn on you how weak your immune system is.

of course, your complexion was something that bothered Zhongli. you were quite pale. in fact, when he was still courting you- he was already a worrywart about your health. if his work permitted him a freetime, he will absolutely take the chance to nurse you.

now your husband, his worry became tenfold. back when he was still single, Zhongli barely uses his paid vacation from work. but due to your carelessness, he began to use them frequently.

❛love, haven't I told you to stretch at least twice a day?❜ he mutters one evening, setting a cup of tea infront of you.

❛I knooowww.❜ you drag off, feeling your whole back ache as you sat idly on a chair. you heard your lover sigh in disappointment, yet you felt his presence coming up from behind— gentle hands gliding from your shoudler blades as he massages them.

❛but I just needed to finish some paperwork. I was so into it, too!❜

❛darling,❜ he calls out softly, ❛those are just some things that can be extended over a period of time. your health is more important than—❜

❛I know, Zhongli. I'm really sorry.❜ you mutter, feeling your muscles loosen as you slowly relax under his hold. you already know his sermon spiels that's about to come out of his mouth. you didn't mean to cut him off, but you've been so tired today. a lecture from your husband isn't really what you need right now.

unbeknownst to you, he was beginning to lose patience. something that never happened before. he was an old god after all, experiences shaped him to be patient and wise. a truly benevolent god befitting for Liyue.

yet when he hears that tone for the nth time. his patience can just snap. not at you but for you. here he was, your husband fretting over your mortal body. you can just disappear from his grasp at anytime. and no matter how much he tries to deny his worry, he does feel scared of losing you.

though here you are, not a shred of care for your own health.

Zhongli knew that falling in love with you will result in a bittersweet relationship. cut short by time taking away the liveliness of your soul. so when he keeps hearing the same apologies over and over with no absolute change done by yourself alone. Zhongli guesses it's time to do things as your husband. he vowed to take care of you after all.

he will help you. even if you do not want to.

❛w- wait! Zhongli, that hurts!❜

❛hm?❜ snapping out of his stupor, he felt you move away from his hands as you whined audibly. your hands weakly attempting to massage your sore back. he had realized that he may have accidentally pressed too hard on the sore spots.

oops.

...but well, you do need absolute help, right?

❛oh darling,❜ Zhongli tugs you back on the chair, a sweet smile adorning his face.

oddly enough, you felt a cloud of doom looming over your head by his expression.

❛I did a research yesterday on how to sooth away your stiff shoulders. it has to be like that.❜

❛what?!❜ you basically screeched, forcing your body to scoot away from the devil, ❛you just made that up!❜

❛the books do not lie, darling. now come here, so that I may nurse you back to health.❜

❛w- wait Zhongli, i'm really sorry���!❜

suffice to say, from that day onwards you learn to never piss off Zhongli (even if he doesn't say it out loud). much less the ex-archon of your nation.

forgetting to drink water? now you drink at least 2 Liters a day from the large water bottle your husband had kindly gifted you.

hunched back? don't worry, he had made you a schedule (merging with your work time) to stretch your body every 30 mins. if it truly does hurt to do it by yourself, he'll personally come and help you when he gets home. he recommends not to skip it, even when you're engrossed with your work lest you meet his wrath.

you know that he won't harm you. he loves his spouse too much to do that. however, he won't let you be without consequences and long hours of lecture if you disobey him.

eating times? expect a temporary house husband Zhongli to come to the rescue! prep meals are already by the dining table, all you need to do is heat them up.

❛Zhongli?❜

❛hm? what is it, dear?❜

❛.....thank you.❜

no matter how much jarring it is for the sudden change of schedule. you truly are grateful for such a doting husband. from then on, you try to be meticulous on your health, just so you wouldn't see the pout on his lips or the furrow on his brow worrying about you— even if it meant enduring to the cruel process of pain. (it's just a massage, you're being dramatic.)

[emsdevs]

No Matter the Distance

Noah and Mateo AU

a/n: This idea randomly came to me, and I had to get it out. I'm sorry in advance for any pain this may cause to any lovers of the twins. The next part will be happier! Also, I will be putting out the timeline soon (masterlist form), but for reference, this takes place when the boys are about three and a half.

masterlist | Oh Darling AU Masterlist

The boys had been extra quiet since Nico left with the team for a roadie this morning. Usually, they would have worked past the initial sadness by now, but their voices hadn’t gotten any louder like they usually would be. You decide to cut up some fruit with their sandwiches for lunch, knowing that seeing the mix of strawberries, blueberries, and bananas on their plates always gets them a little extra excited. When you finish, you call them into the kitchen and then watch as they pull themselves up onto the chairs that are still just a little too tall for them. 

“Tank you, Mama,” Mateo tells you in a tone that usually only Noah would use when he’s feeling extra shy. Your worry increases after hearing his words and seeing the disheartened look on Noah’s face.

“Baby, is there something on your mind?” you question Mateo, the worry evident on your face.

“‘M fine, Mama,” he uses that same tone again, and even though you know he’s holding back, you decide not to push either of the boys on the subject. They eat their lunches quietly after that, not making much noise. When they finish, they whisper to you that they enjoyed their food before returning to their playroom, still rather silent.

You spend the rest of the cleaning and periodically checking on Noah and Mateo, trying to find an outlet to get the worry out. Soon, Nico called to check in, and though you didn’t want to worry him while he was away, you told him about the boys’ weird behavior.

“Ängeli, I’m sure they’re fine. Maybe they just aren’t feeling well right now. You know Curtis’s kids got sick just a couple of days after they had that playdate with the boys,” Nico was quick to reassure you.

“You’re right, Neeks. I’m probably just overthinking. I just worry about them sometimes.”

“It’s fine, baby. Now, tell me about you. I wanna hear how my wife is doing.” You giggle before telling Nico about your day, the worry already gone from your mind. You talked to your husband for a while longer until you had to hang up to put the boys to bed. You helped them with their baths, helped them into their favorite jammies, and finally got them into their respective beds. You were sitting on the edge of Noah’s bed, getting ready to kiss his forehead and go tell Mateo goodnight in the same manner, when he asked a question that made your heart shatter into a million pieces.

“Mama? Does Papa still wuv us?” his voice is tiny, and it breaks you a little more. Mateo crawls into bed with his brother, clearly having the same thought.

“Of course he does, baby. Why would your Papa not love the two of you?” you’re fighting to hold back tears.

“He weaves us a wot,” Mateo shrugs his little shoulders, and he’s using that small, shy voice again.

“Oh, my sweet boys. Your Papa loves you both so so so much! It hurts him so much when he has to leave you both. You’re the lights of his life, both of us would be lost without you two, I promise. Please, don’t ever doubt that your Papa loves you. Or me, for that matter. We love you two more than either of you could ever imagine,” you’re crying at this point, but you don’t really care.

“You wuv us bigger than Juper?” Mateo was in a space phase, and just a few days ago learned that Jupiter was the biggest planet. Apparently, that was the biggest thing his little brain could think of.

“Yes, baby. Wayyyy bigger than Jupiter!” you drag out the word, reaching forward to tickle Mateo’s side. “And wayyyy bigger than a brachiosaurus!” you dragged out the word for Noah now, who was in a dinosaur phase, and began to tickle him as well.

“Otay, Mama!! No mo’ tickles!” it warmed your heart to hear Noah raise his voice a little.

“Yeah, Mama! No mo’ tickles!” Mateo was giggling too, finally using his normal tone of voice. Soon, they settled down for the night, so you went to get yourself ready for bed. As you did your night time routine, you couldn’t help but wonder how in the world you’d tell Nico. It would crush him to hear that the boys were worried he didn’t love them anymore. You both knew they wouldn’t handle his absence well, but neither of you thought it would ever get this bad. You decide against calling him tonight, deciding it would be best to tell him when he gets home tomorrow night, even though it will be pretty late. You go to sleep that night with tears streaming down your face.

You spend the next day trying to distract the boys from Nico’s absence. You take them to the park, take them to watch a movie, and even take them out for ice cream afterward. Is it great parenting? No probably not, but you can’t let them be sad anymore. You’re doing what you can to keep them in good spirits until Nico gets home. Eventually, you get the twins in bed, which goes much smoother than last night. You make yourself comfortable on the couch with a book, knowing you won’t be able to sleep until Nico arrives. It’s a little after 1:00 AM when he walks through the door, and you immediately stand up to hug him, trying to savor his happiness from coming home after a win while you can. After sharing a few kisses and talking about how you hate being apart, you know you have to tell Nico then, not wanting to hide it longer than you already have.

“I have to tell you something, but you can’t freak out right now okay?” you gently pull him toward the couch. You could see the nerves on his face, and the thought of telling him made you queasy.

“Ängeli, it can’t be that bad,” he lets out a nervous chuckle, knowing the last time he saw you this nervous was when you told him you were pregnant. 

“So the boys… they um they missed you a lot while you were gone, but it was a little um a little more than usual,” you were stalling and you knew it. 

“Okay… that’s not too bad? Did they say something I should be worried about? Did they act out? They’re usually on their best behavior for you?”

“They did say something,” you took a breath, knowing how much this would hurt your husband, “Nico, they asked me if you still loved them because you’re gone a lot.” The tears were flowing now, but you had no plans of trying to stop them, especially after seeing the tears about to fall from Nico’s eyes.

“They think I don’t love them?”

“No! At least, not anymore,” you cringe at your words. “I talked to them last night and told them we both love them very very much, and they seemed better today.”

“Oh my god. My sons think I hate them.”

“Nico, baby, they don’t think that. They’re just little. They couldn’t wrap their heads around why you have to leave so often. I explained that you don’t have a choice and hate it as much as them, if not more, and they understood a little bit better. It’ll just take some time for them to get used to it again now that they’re older and can think for themselves.”

“How do I even begin to make it up to them? I’m leaving again in a week and a half,” he lets out a sadistic chuckle.

“Nico, they still love you. You know that, right? You’re their favorite person. They could never be mad at you for long.”

“Yeah, but they aren’t just mad, Ängeli. They think I don’t love them.”

“How about you go and get ready for bed, and then we can grab the boys and let them sleep with us tonight? Would that help?” Your grasping at straws trying to keep Nico from feeling so guilty.

“Okay,” his voice is almost as small as Mateo’s was the day before. You finally move from the couch, moving to your bedroom so Nico can do his night time routine. The second he finishes, he’s giving you a look and heading straight for the boys’ room. The two of you don’t even attempt to wake them up, just lifting them from their beds and carrying them to yours. That’s the first night the boys slept in your bed since they turned three. 

Nico took the next day off, skipping practice even though you told him it wouldn’t hurt the boys. He spent the entire day bonding with the boys, making sure they knew he’d never stop loving them. They played games for hours in their playroom until you had to call them down for lunch. After some chicken nuggets, which the boys were very grateful for, they were off to to the backyard, running Nico to the bone. Honestly, this was probably more of a workout for him than practice would be. That night you could hear him reassuring the boys as he put them to bed, “Your Papa will always love you two. No matter how far apart we are or how many time I have to leave, my main goal is to always come home to you two. You’re my priority and my favorite part of my day. Papa loves you both so so much.” When he leaves their bedroom, you act like you didn’t hear anything and pretend not to notice the tear stains on his face. 

The love fests and spoiling didn’t stop that day, though. While he was going to practice and games, he made sure every second he had free was spent with his boys. He even let them go watch practice one day and run around Prudential Center. They were ecstatic to watch him play again, and you knew that every doubt had left their mind by now. Unfortunately, you could tell it would take Nico a while to completely get over it, but just like everything else, you two would tackle that together.

taglist: @heartsforjh @devilinpradaheels @puckmedude

join the taglist

[nylwnder]

lake house

a/n: HELLO SWEETIES!!!!! welcome to my first 2024 fic n series! i started it off with ryan cause if you know me, you know he was everything to me for the 4 months we had him. also, HUGE SHOUTOUT to @shoot-the-puck for in a way co-writing this and the others with me i love you so much scoob thank you for being my asylum roomie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! anyways, enjoy and dont forget to tune in to the other drops <3 mwah!

pairing: ryan o’reilly x fem!reader

warnings: SMUT, its giving soft sex (unprotected), lowkey body worship, lowkey exhibitionism, cockwarming, childhood friends to lovers, use of “snook”, and ryan being such husband material. gawdamn.

word count: 1.9k

taglist: @11livpangburn , @domi-max , @boqvistsbabe , @sweetiet , @p1tstop , @occasionallyaurora , @laurenairay, @fallinallincurls

series masterpost

the drive to the lake house was as calming as ever. although it was a couple hours, it was a trip you knew all too well. one you were dying to take every june the minute the last bell rang for summer break.

sometimes it was just you, your parents and your brother. most times, it was you and the o’reilly family. a lot of kids shared between two vans, snacking on chips and freezies from the coolers at the back of the cars.

the tradition never stopped when the lot grew older. you escaped to the house every time your winter term ended, then after your internship finished, and then when you could use up all your saved vacation time from your new job. ryan always followed when his nhl duties came to an end. both respective families coming in to stay in between.

that being said, this was the first time you drove to the lake house with ryan in the driver's seat and with you in the passenger's seat. it was the first summer since he came back home to toronto. but more so, to you. officially.

he was sick of waiting until your usual shared break, and you were very much sick of coming home to a cold bed.

before any headline could find you, ryan called you that night. and it was as if the 100 ton weight was being lifted off of your desperate shoulders. because it was. after ten years of long and needy facetimes, one-night lustful visits, and the best stanley cup celebration you two could possibly have imagined, you were going to have him, at your full disposal, “whenever you fucking want” as ryan had told you.

ryan put the car in park and you couldn’t help but smile about the fact that this would be the first time you’d be stepping into that house, as a proud pair. the “finally” ’s already shed by your parents who were following in behind the two of you.

—

the first night was spent with take out, laughs, pjs and movies and it always makes you grateful for growing up with a group with such a tight knit bond. your heart was full when you heard inside jokes from circa. 2006 running through the house — which are still ever so applicable, presently.

the next day, you didn’t wake until you heard the cars drive off in the late afternoon. it had been a while since you had the time to sleep in, so it seemed your body pranced at the chance. after heading to the bathroom, you couldn’t find ryan in the rooms or common areas. he always made sure you get as much sleep as you need, not only because he knows how grumpy you get if you don’t, but also because he always wants the best for you.

as you made your way to the kitchen, you looked out the windows casing the large lake. you saw the large figure of the man sitting at the edge of the dock and didn’t do anything else but make the walk over to him.

you sat beside him as he turned to face you with a toothless smile. you smiled at it, you always told him he looked cute like that, and he started listening to you. “sleep good, sweetheart?” he asks as he looks down to cut the leaf caps off the pack of strawberries between his legs. “wonderful” you emphasised before you reached for the strawberry he handed you. “i’m glad. you deserve it.”

you took a bite out of the soft strawberry, the juices from the flesh spilling into your mouth. you couldn’t help but let out a little innocent moan. the first time you tried these, they were immediately the best strawberries you have ever had in your entire life. and they just so happen to be locally farmed near the lakehouse.

ryan giggled, “had to stop by the market and buy you a few packs during my run. wouldn’t be a lake house summer without these guys right here.”

“this is why i love you. thank you.”

he only responded by handing you the bigger piece between the two in his hand. you put your head on his shoulder as you two looked out in front of you. the sun was bright but not exhausting, as the wind from the water dismissed the heat.

“the folks went to gather some things for this week's meal plan.”

you hummed a response. but it got you thinking. and so you didn't waste time.

you turned yourself around in order to lay your upper body on ryan’s lap. he placed the knife and strawberries safely aside as he smiled. you gave him a small smile before shutting your eyes for a bit.

you reached for ryan’s hands from his sides. you played with his big and thick fingers for a bit, before taking his hand and placing it on top of your shirt. then you moved his hand under the hem. as you began to move it further up, the material of your shirt wrinkled with your movements and began to expose your skin.

ryan kept his hand in your grip and his eyes firm on you. you kept moving it up, reaching the curves of your boobs. “take it off” you mumbled as he obliged. taking off the tshirt and throwing it on top of the other items he had set aside.

you didn't reach for his hands again. he knows what to do. he always knows, ever since your first kiss.

the sun shined on your supple flesh. his calloused hands moved back to your curves. pushing down your pants a tad, in order to squeeze your love handles. later, his fingers lightly trace up the soft line marks found upon your hips, and the ones on the sides of your breasts.

your cheeks begin to mimic the berry blush as you open your eyes to look at ryan. you loved how comfortable you are to be vulnerable around him. you always felt adored, and safe.

he pulled you up swiftly, allowing your legs to straddle him. your arms naturally wrap around his broad shoulders. you look into his gentle eyes, “i love you, snook.” you lean in for a tender kiss but his hands push your body tight into his. “i love you more, sweetness.” his lips finally meet yours and he envelopes you perfectly. “always have. always will.” he whispers.

his lips meet your cheek as he leaves wet kisses on your jaw and neck. you let soft moans escape your parted lips, your body melting into his figure. ryan often joked that his body was made for you specifically, with the way you fit against him so perfectly.

“gorgeous.” he whispers into your ear as his beard scrapes against you. you bite your lip at his words. one he's been telling you since you grew butterflies in your stomach every time you saw him. “want you snook” you plead, your pussy twitching as his hands squeeze your bust. you grind down on him, and he huffs outs. “just had you yesterday morning, honey.”

“dont play with me, ry. you know i always need you.”

he hums in response. “thats true. i can never say no to my girl.”

he lifts you once again, getting to lay you down on the thin throw ryan had brought out with him. your eyes close again as the sun hits your face, but you feel kisses pressed all over your skin. ryan’s lips trace from your lips to your cheeks down along your jaw, and onto your neck once more. he sheds a few soft nips while he makes sure your panties and shorts are discarded.

its not long before he nips on your nipples, noises escaping your exposed body. your fingers pull down his own shorts and you feel his cock against your skin.

two digits slip smoothly into your damp cunt as ryan cups your face. you bite up a cry. but before you know it, he’s lined up at your entrance and you're pleading for him to move.

you let out a lewd moan as he pushes in. ryan followed with a low groan and you clenched around him immediately, “that’s my sweet girl. so divine.” he says as he gives kisses on the edges of your collarbone.

his thrusts are a blend of slow, long and quick, hard movements. his hands held your hips as he didn't let his lips leave your body. his hair tickles your chin as he gives your breasts some love once again. you felt yourself reaching the goal closer and closer. the all too familiar feeling of your wet walls stretching around ryan’s thick length driving him crazy.

your effect on him was always so strong. right from when you both were young. the minute you got hurt, it broke ryan to see you cry. it was his dire mission to help clean you up or provide you with the necessary pick me up. oftentimes that was bringing you your favourite snack or sometimes a kiss on your cheek was all you needed. when you laughed, ryan laughed. and even when it seemed like ryan and your brother were picking on you, he always made sure to give you a hug later on. he would never hurt you. and he'd never let anyone hurt you. that was for sure.

you were pleased that there were laughs, screams and talk from the surrounding residents that can help drown out your shared sounds. at the same time you couldn't possibly care if they heard either. your mind was far too fuzzy.

“make me cum snook. make me cum all over your cock” you were desperate and needy, i think that was already established. ry smiled at your words, pulling your body up into him once again.

your arms were so tight around him, you stuck to his body like gum on a shoe. he pumped into you as you also began riding his length. the way your body swayed with your hips helped bring ryan even closer to his climax.

your head fell back as you felt the wave of pleasure overcome you. ryan continued your movements for you until your whines dyed down. once you both finished you kept yourself on his lap “don't move, ry. still need you there.” you mumbled.

“till they come back?”

“please.”

a smile appeared on both of your faces. droplets of sweat trickled down his chest and you crushed them with your finger as your head laid on his shoulder. his hands rubbed the sides of your body as his face was cuddled on top of your head. his nose tucked into your thick hair. your smell, your weight, your breathing and your warmth calmed him. his mind never wandered off. he was the most present, the most grounded with you, like this.

“why is it that every time we have sex you’re so quiet?” you asked ryan as you looked up at him. it was a thought you had often so you figured you’d ask. “sometimes you used to make me feel as if i did something wrong…” you said with a little titter.

it was a stupid idea to think about, you knew ryan loved you so much.

he scoffed, “no honey, you could never.” you smiled. “you just take the breath out of my lungs”

you both start laughing. “you’re a pro hockey player and i’m the one who can kill you? i’ll take it.”

ryan lets out a chuckle again. “all i know is words cannot express how i feel when i’m with you, but i want to experience it till my dying days.”

your heart warmed. you grab his face and eagerly kiss him. “and so you will.”

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[reallyromealone]

hello if it's not much of a bother I'd like to request a bonten fic where they forget their lover's birthday, like he prepared their favourite food and even decorated their house but bc they had to deal w something important at work they forgot his birthday and even arrived home late. just pure angst pls (totally not bc of my nearing bday) have a great day/night!

It was supposed to be a happy day.

"Why am I even decorating for my own birthday?" (Name) mumbled teary eyed as he glanced at the clock it was a quarter to midnight already.

He made their favorite food on HIS birthday, he always put so much effort for them and they couldn't even attend an event he had to put together, hell Kokos birthday was all out!

(Name) wiped the tears away and tossed the food in the trash, the concept of it all sickening as he went to the guest bedroom, staring off to the wall "happy fucking birthday..."

It was three am when Bonten returned home, exhausted "what were we supposed to do again?" Rindō asked a little tipsy, the men having a few drinks at the business meeting "oh shit.." Mochi said wide eyed, immediately sobering up as they took in the penthouse, half torn decorations and thrown out food "shit..."

(Name) had locked himself in the guest room, the men knowing better than to try and break in.

Come morning (name) was silent as he came out of the guest bedroom, looking like he just survived a tornado with teary eyes and fixed himself a glass of (preferred drink) and paid none of them any mind "baby?" Ran asked the man who sat on the couch and stared at the tv that wasn't on "were sorry" Rindō said earnestly and the others nodded in agreement.

"Y'all can go fuck yourselves" (name) said simply, surprising Bonten as (name) was never the one to swear "how fucking come I am setting up MY OWN BIRTHDAY AND MAKING FOOD YOU SELFISH ASSHOLES WANT ON A DAY ABOUT ME?! SERIOUSLY WHAT KIND OF "LOVING HUSBANDS" MAKES THEIR OWN HUSBAND PUT TOGETHER HIS OWN BIRTHDAY AND THEN EXPECT HIM TO PUT THEIR PARTY TOGETHER?!" (name) was furious at this point, all his rage bubbling up to the surface as he stood up "baby calm--""don't tell me to calm down! I'm fucking furious!"

(Name) pushed them away and stomped off "we were busy!" Kakucho tried explaining "funny how you guys are always busy when it's stuff relating to me, my birthday, meeting my parents, any time I got sick... Hell our anniversary! I'm never a priority unless you guys need a good fuck!" (Name) was done as he grabbed his keys "call me when you assholes get your shit together" (name) said storming out, leaving Bonten alone.

"Oh we really fucked up" Koko said as the others nodded as a wave of realization washed over them that this may have been the final straw.

And they didn't even realize until it was too late.

[thewhumpcaretaker]

Well now the only thing I'm thinking about is John helping Santino breathe through his panic over having heart palpitations bc of coffee

John, calm down your coffee addicted husband 😭

Yayayayay!! Answering my own prompt haha. I really enjoyed writing this one.

🖤💙 Too Much Coffee 💙🖤

Image sources: Coffee cup | Santino

TW: exhaustion, heart attack scare, panic attack, gunfight

John watched his husband pour out the last of the coffee machine’s contents and curse. “Already out. Why didn’t you make more?”

“You don’t need more. That’s the third cup this morning, and you were drinking coffee all night too. You’ll make yourself sick.”

He just downed it in two gulps and shook his head, pacing in front of the sink. “I have to stay awake today. These damn jackals are planning an ambush, I know it.”

Then you should have slept last night… But it was useless to say that, and he knew it. He’d tried everything to get Santino to go to bed, but he had just stayed up, pacing, writing emails only to delete each one and settle on a different strategy, then change his mind again a few minutes later. First thing in the morning, one of those emails had finally gone out, requesting a meeting with the head of a girati* that stood a chance of sending the entire New York tristate region into rebellion. They agreed to meet on supposedly neutral territory that afternoon to discuss a truce, but John had to admit it looked more like an ambush than not.

“Maybe we shouldn’t go.”

“No, it’s fine, it’s fine, I – “ And then he stopped. John watched in horror as his eyes widened in response to a visible wave of fear. He didn’t move for a second, and then put a hand over his chest.

“Santino? You okay?” If this was a panic attack, it was a pretty bad one.

“My heart. I can feel it, it’s like it’s…expanding too much, I don’t know how to explain it. I think – I think I’m having a heart attack…” Saying that seemed to make it worse. A shudder went through him, setting off wild trembling.

“You’re not.” That…might or might not be true, but John said it with as much confidence as possible. The worst thing Santino could do if he was really having a heart attack was to panic further. He wondered if he could sneak a text calling for a doctor without Santino noticing. “You drank too much coffee, love. Let’s sit you down.” John put an arm around his shoulders and guided him to the stool next to the kitchen island. The text went out in the roughly fifteen seconds when Santino’s back was turned.

“No, no no no, I don’t need to sit down, I need to get moving. Prepare for the afternoon – brief the guards, prepare weapons, I need to - ” John had to hold him in place by the shoulders.

“Shhhh. It’s okay. We’ll take care of it soon. Just breathe slowly.”

It was the kind of gesture of strength that always made Santino surrender. He gave up and slumped into John’s grip. He was shaking a lot but at least his muscles were more relaxed now. John pulled him into a hug, their chests pressed together, letting his breathing guide Santino’s. He could feel his lover’s heartbeat. He would know that beat anywhere, from so many nights lying one on top of the other, and so many moments of fear that they rode out together. The rhythm was definitely strange at the moment, and very fast. John rubbed his back and felt it start to slow.

Santino sighed against him. “How can I be this tired and this full of adrenaline at the same time?”

“Coffee, mio caro. You drank too much,” he said again. “Don’t move, I’m going to get you some water.”

“I don’t want anything. I feel sick.” With some of the adrenaline spent, he just sat there with arms and legs dangling down, looking like he might pass out at any second. John hurried back with a glass of water.

“It’ll help.” It did seem to. In another minute, Santino was resting against his shoulder, exhausted but calm.

It was then, unfortunately, that medical help arrived. Santino’s on-call medic burst into the room, looking very worried, and insisted on taking his pulse despite Santino’s protests that he was fine now. To John’s relief, it was just the caffeine causing heart palpitations…and to John’s dismay, Santino was cleared to continue with the rendezvous that afternoon. But he was asked to take it as easy as possible.

Santino grinned, looking very smug about it. “You see, I knew I was fine. What I need to do is get back to work. Have everything in order and prepared.”

John just stared at him for a long moment, considering. “Yeah. Especially you.”

“Me? What do you mean?”

“The best thing you can do to be ready is go to bed for an hour. I’ll handle the other preparations.”

He refused, of course. And it was impossible to change his mind. But by the time they settled into the backseat of the car, armed to the teeth, his resistance had run out. As they approached the rendezvous point, Santino’s head lay in his husband’s lap, full of dreams, with John petting his hair. It was for that reason that the first bullet, aimed directly at his headrest, missed him.

Santino jumped awake at the sound of the shattering windshield but John held him down, out of the way of gunfire. “Stay low.” He twisted around behind them to return fire out the back window.

“Cazzo! What’s happening?”

“It’s okay baby.” John leaned down and kissed the top of his head, still holding him down and out of the way. “Ambush. But we’ll be out soon.”

The sounds of battle faded away in the distance while the other cars in the entourage took the brunt of the heat, blocking off the road to let the boss’s vehicle escape. Santino glanced up at the bullet hole in the headrest and reached for John’s hand involuntarily. His nerves were already a mess again. “I would have died…”

“Yeah. Good thing you finally took a nap.”

*Girati means a group of Camorra members who turn against their leader, according to a very helpful glossary provided to me by @evrensadwrn

[aebi12]

"Resentment" - Chapter 22 [AemondxRhaena]

Summary

He is the cause of her sufferings. He took her dragon, her betrothed, and her father. Now, he will also take away her future by having to marry him.

With so much history and bad blood between Rhaena and Aemond, their forced union has everything to fail, except that the proximity will make them discover that perhaps they have more in common than it seems.

AU - the Greens win the war.

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Chapter 14 - Chapter 15 - Chapter 16 - Chapter 17 - Chapter 18 - Chapter 19 - Chapter 20 - Chapter 21

Masterlist of my other works.

Read on AO3

Tags: enemies to lovers, slow burn, romance, angst, drama, eventual smut, hurt/comfort

Please remember that english is not my first language, so I'm sorry for the mistakes...

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“The king has summoned you to his chambers, Your Grace.”

The young queen’s heart began to pound at the words her maid had just told her.

What could her husband want with her right now? He had not bothered to visit her – not that she would blame him considering he was bedridden – nor send a message after the baby situation. He had not asked her to see him when, surely, he had been informed that she could already take care of herself. So why call now? Just when she was on her way to the royal hall for the banquet after the wedding. Surely, he couldn’t want her to share his bed. Or could he? Not at this hour… not that that would have stopped him before, but… there was no reason for him to look for her anymore. She could not have children anymore, the maester and the midwives had said that the damage had been greater than they initially thought and she hadn’t stopped bleeding for weeks…

Ellyn clears her throat and closes her eyes for a moment to push those memories away. It is not worth thinking about. Not now. Not ever.

Taking one last look at the mirror and finding her proper appearance, she leaves her room and walks the few meters that separate her from her royal husband's. The guards greet her with a bow and open the doors, announcing her.

“Ah, there you are!”

To the queen's surprise, her husband is sitting on his wooden litter, wearing royal robes and his crown of Valyrian steel and rubies on his head.

“Your Grace,” she greets, approaching him, heart still beating strongly and trying not to make eye contact with Aegon. She does not know if she will like what she will find in them, “You sent for me.”

“Yes, I thought it best that we both enter the banquet together.”

“Will you go to the banquet?”

She cannot help but look up at the surprise she feels at the news.

“Did you not hear me?” the ever-present tone of exasperation in the king’s voice reaches her. His violet eyes scan her with an expression that is half frustration and half amusement, as if he does not know exactly what to make of her, “Of course I will go to the feast. It is my brother’s wedding.”

Ellyn does not answer, she simply nods.

“Were you in the Great Sept?”

“No, I felt a little under the weather this morning,” she lies. She does not like septs, the smell of incense, or the sermons of the religious. She’d had enough of them during her convalescence, she’d heard the repetitive words of comfort and resignation and she was sick of them.

“Of course,” Aegon grimaces, “Come on, then.”

The king gives an order and four guards take charge of lifting the litter. Ellyn stands beside him, walking at the same pace as them and trying to mentally prepare herself for what awaits her.

Her first time facing the court after the loss of the baby.

It is no coincidence that she chose this ceremony where, she hopes, all eyes will be focused only on the Lady Rhaena and Prince Aemond. Where she hopes to remain as unnoticed as a queen can be. It is a foolish idea, perhaps, but she cannot extend her absence from royal engagements any further, not unless she wants more rumors to start or to simply be relegated to being another figurehead in the Keep.

As if you weren’t already.

Ellyn sighs and raises her head as the double doors of the hall open, moving forward without looking at anyone in particular as they make their way to the head table. The bride and groom have not arrived yet, though the dowager queen is already in her place, as is Prince Daeron. Against her better judgment, her eyes meet those of her brother-in-law, who seems as surprised as everyone else to see her, though a smile spreads across his handsome face.

The young queen quickly looks away, and sits down in her assigned place next to her husband, who promptly orders wine. Ellyn sips from her goblet as well, and is thankful that it is not too long before the doors open again and the newlyweds enter the hall, walking close to each other but not touching.

Rhaena Targaryen is, the queen thinks, exactly as she imagined her. Slender and beautiful, with that Valyrian charm she knows well, and that seems to draw everyone in the hall. The court erupts in cheers as the newlywed couple walks to the center table to greet the king and queen.

“Cousin Rhaena,” Aegon smirks, “We finally meet again!”

Rhaena’s expression is one of calculated kindness and serenity, as Ellyn can tell.

“Cousin,” she greets, “It’s been a while, but I am glad to find you in good health and spirits.”

Ellyn raises her eyebrows at her, and if she notices, she says nothing, her gaze focused somewhere between the ground and the king.

“So… you are now husband and wife,” Aegon laughs and sips from his goblet, “The hope of the realm! I expect for you two to have better luck than my dear queen and I in that regard.”

Aegon pats his wife’s shoulder carelessly, pointing at her, and the gazes of the new princes focus on her, though Ellyn ignores them, trying to remain composed.

“Thank you for your good wishes, Your Grace,” Rhaena replies.

“Show your gratitude having a son to be my heir,” Aegon points out, adding sarcastically, “Since my wife was unable to do so.”

Do not let his words affect you, do not let his…

“Maybe you should stop drinking so much and watch your words, brother.”

It is not Aemond who speaks, but Daeron. His voice, lacking its usual gentle tone, leaves them all at a loss for words for a moment. Ellyn does not dare look at him, though she feels her brother-in-law’s gaze on her.

“Enough,” the dowager queen interjects, “Aemond, Rhaena, sit down, our guests surely wish to congratulate you. Daeron, you…”

Ellyn does not hear what the dowager queen says to her son, she only notices that, a few moments later, Daeron stands up and walks off somewhere.

Nobles begin to arrive like flies drawn to honey, reciting polite words to the kings before turning their full attention to Rhaena and Aemond. Mostly Rhaena.

“Aren’t they going to dance?” she asks Aegon when the greeting line finally ends, and the couple is still at the table.

The king lets out a mocking chuckle, “Have you ever seen Aemond dance?”

No. Of course not. Although she had thought that, since it was his wedding, the prince would make an exception.

Nonsense.

Illusions, like the ones she had had when her father had decided to marry her to the king. Foolish illusions that she had harbored in her heart because, arrogant as she was, she had believed herself superior to her sisters because she was going to get married. Because she would be queen. Because her children would sit on the Iron Throne while they remained single.

Stupid girl.

She had arrived in the capital and, although her husband bore the scars of dragonfire, she had found him handsome enough that she had not been disgusted on their wedding night. Besides, Aegon had been patient and, over time, she had even come to find a certain comfort at his side. He was not a terrible husband, he expected nothing more from her than an heir and he did not subject her to his presence continually. So, Ellyn had enjoyed her freedom and delighted in making the Red Keep her entertainment center, filling the nights with dancing, gatherings, puppet shows, and music. She was the queen, after all. She was young, beautiful, and entitled to enjoy her new position.

It hadn't lasted long. The novelty had worn off, and after losing her first baby, she had taken out her frustration on her ladies, forcing them to compete with each other for her attention, for her favors, alienating those who said something she didn't like or who were simply not worthy enough of her time.

It all seemed so ridiculous now. She had been so frivolous, so foolish... and what had she gotten out of it? Nothing but the false affection of the courtiers. Affection that had vanished when it became clear that she was now nothing more than a queen for show, with nothing to contribute or anything to benefit them. Would that happen to Rhaena too? Her blue eyes travel to those of the new princess, who delicately eats from the plate in front of her. The queen watches her for a few more seconds before turning her gaze to the rest of the room. Several nobles are already dancing in the center, including Lady Marianne Westerling and Daeron.

“They have my approval.”

Her husband’s voice makes her look away, “What?”

“My brother and the Westerling girl. They have my approval to marry,” he explains.

“Oh,” Ellyn tries to ignore the hollow feeling in her stomach that the news brings, “I did not know Prince Daeron had an interest in Lady Marianne.”

Liar.

“It is convenient, don’t you think?”

“Of course. A young, noble lady is just what your brother deserves,” she nods, looking away.

A noble lady. Untethered. Unblemished and unbroken.

The complete opposite of her.

The thought makes her heart ache and her eyes sting, but she forces herself to keep watching them dance because the next wedding she attends will probably be theirs.

And there is nothing she can do about it.

~~~

Rhaena doesn’t really know what to do.

If this were any other banquet, she’d probably be dancing already.

But this is her wedding celebration. And since arriving from the Sept, she’s done nothing but sit at the center table next to Aemond.

Her husband.

The thought still sends shivers down her spine, as if she hasn’t grasped what it means. And, really, she hasn’t. Not yet.

“I think I’ll go say hello to Marianne.”

Aemond meets her eyes for an instant before they drift to one of the nearby tables, where her friend is deep in conversation with Daeron.

“Are you looking forward to interrupting the happy couple?” he asks, raising his eyebrows and adding, “Or do you wish to get away from your husband’s presence already?”

Despite his question, there is a hint of amusement in his voice and Rhaena notices that the corners of his lips are turned up, as if he is struggling not to smile.

“Perhaps,” she replies, offering him a half-smile before standing up and walking around the table so she can reach her friend. Only, as she does so, she is interrupted by Alyn Velaryon.

“Cousin,” she can’t contain the look of exasperation she gives him, what could he possibly want now? But it’s not like she can just ignore him, such rudeness wouldn’t go unnoticed and she doesn’t want to give rise to any potential rumors or malicious comments.

“I know you are probably sick of seeing me already,” the man says, “But I was hoping you could dance with me considering I am leaving for Driftmark in the morrow.”

“You are leaving? So soon?” the amazement is clear in her voice.

“I’ve done what I needed to do here,” he nods, “The island needs me now. I will be leaving shortly for the Free Cities, and there are many details to sort out.”

“Following in our grandsire’s footsteps?” she asks as she takes his hand and leads him over to where the other guests are dancing.

“Not at all,” Alyn smiles, “It is purely a trade trip. With winter approaching, we need to stock up on supplies.”

“A most sensible plan,” Rhaena bows and they begin to dance.

“Rhaena I… uh…” Alyn clears his throat, “I have a message from Baela. She… asked me to remind you of the last conversation you two had, especially about her… recommendation and the directions she gave you for after your wedding night.”

The girl feels her cheeks heat up, “Do not worry, cousin, I remember my sister’s words well. Please let her know that I will act as I see fit.”

There are a few seconds of awkward silence until Alyn sighs, “I am sorry, Rhaena, please don’t be angry with Baela. Or with me. Your sister only wants the best for you, I know this situation is difficult, but we are both trying to protect you.”

“Oh is that so?” Rhaena raises her eyebrows at him, “I am sorry, cousin, it is just that all this sudden worrying takes me by surprise.”

“I made a promise to our grandsire, I swore to take care of you two.”

“You certainly took good care of Baela,” she points out, “As for me… I was clearly not your priority considering you left me as a guest in the Vale, exiled from the only family I had left in the world.”

 “Rhaena…”

“No, no, it’s fine,” she raises her hand to silence him, but he cuts her off.

“I tried, I really did,” he assures her, “I wanted to bring you back, but you should know that it was much more convenient for them to keep you apart, it was easier that way. Besides, I was in no position to make demands.”

Alyn is right. She knows that his reasons are justifiable, as a young lord of questionable origin, he did not have much influence at court even though he had been accepted by Lord Corlys, yet…

“It does not matter, really,” she answers, trying to calm herself, “You are going to return to Driftmark and I’ll be here, with my new husband. And besides, it is not that bad. He is not that bad, I know he doesn’t give that impression, but… I’ll be fine. I think I can be…”

She doesn’t finish the sentence, she just makes a vague gesture with her hand, and holds her cousin’s gaze. “Now I understand why Baela seemed so alarmed when she mentioned your feelings for the prince.”

“I have no feelings for the prince.”

Alyn sighs, and for some reason, that gesture irritates her.

“Just keep in mind that he is not a good man. He is not honorable and you cannot trust him. Aemond Targaryen will always look out for his own benefit, not yours. He will not support you or protect you if the… pieces on the board change. His priority will always be his family and you are not part of it, Rhaena. You are just a means to an end, that is how they all see you,” his gaze takes in the high table, “At the end of the day, remember that your true allies are Baela and I. Your true family.”

Her words cause his heart to sink and a bitter feeling to creep through her body.

“From your words, I see that my sister has clearly made you a party to her foolish expectations of a… resurgence of our side or whatever. Do not encourage her. If you love her as you truly claim to do, then put those crazy ideas out of her mind. We are not at war. We do not need war. Leave all that behind and just live in peace. I would not like to lose my sister because of her desire to pursue a utopia”

“You won’t,” he assures her, “And it is not a utopia. Just…remember our words. Don’t trust the prince, trust only yourself. It won’t be too long until you can be free of him, and when that happens, I truly hope that you can then find someone who will give you as much joy as Baela and I feel.”

As Baela and I feel.

The words echo in her mind, and far from cheering her up or relieving her, they only make her resent her cousin and sister more.

“Goodbye, cousin, I wish you a safe journey home.”

Without waiting for Alyn to respond, she turns her back and walks toward the central table.

Aemond meets her gaze as she climbs the stone steps, his expression quickly letting her know that he knows something has upset her.

“What is it?” he asks quietly when she reaches him.

“I’m just tired,” she shakes her head.

“Mmm,” the prince studies her for a few more seconds before turning to the king and his mother, “Rhaena and I will retire.”

“Good! We can begin the bedding ceremony,” Aegon chuckles.

Rhaena feels the color drain from her body and her hands begin to tremble slightly. She hasn’t thought about that part of the wedding. Was she going to have to endure the nobles stripping her and carrying her to the Tower of the Hand? The thought alone makes her gag.

“My wife and I will go alone to our chambers.”

Aemond doesn’t need to raise his voice for his words to have the desired effect and for his brother to give up on the subject. Relief spreads through her and Rhaena manages to breathe normally again.

***

Despite what Aemond says, they are not alone on their way to the Tower.

Guards, maids, pages, and noble ladies – Marianne among them – follow them.

Upon reaching the prince’s chambers, Aemond gives her a quick glance before entering them. Rhaena, meanwhile, is led down a different corridor to new rooms that will be for her use only.

“This is nice,” Marianne comments after examining the chamber

The girl nods. The rooms are spacious and she even has her own private room. Her eyes quickly search for her dragon, finding her sleeping near the fireplace, as is her custom. Morning’s presence eases her heart, so she goes to her and briefly strokes her scales, delighting in the warmth the creature gives off.

“We should not keep the prince waiting, my lady.”

Rhaena raises her face to a middle-aged woman she doesn’t recognize, “Are you my new maid?”

“Yes, my lady, I will assist you in whatever you need.”

“What is your name?”

“I am Nelly, ma’am.”

“Nelly,” Rhaena nods and stands up, approaching her new maid, who looks at Morning with a mix of fear and distrust, “Do not worry, you will not be tending her. I will personally take care of my dragon.”

The maid lowers her gaze and Rhaena enters the room, sitting in front of the dressing table and letting the women begin to work on removing the tiara from her head while others remove her heavy dress and help her cool down, as well as placing rose oil on her skin and hair before putting an ivory silk nightgown over her head that is quite a bit more revealing than what she usually wears at night.

When Rhaena looks at her reflection in the mirror, her hands begin to shake again and her expression must be one of terror, because Marianne rushes to get the maids out of the room.

“Out, all of you.”

Once they are alone, Rhaena turns to her friend, “Am I supposed to go to his chambers wearing this?”

“It is… different, but pretty,” Marianne bites her lip and sighs, “I guess it is normal for a married woman to wear this kind of attire.”

Rhaena gulps. Married woman. About to go on her wedding night. That’s just what she is.

“I can’t do it,” she says quietly, terrified, “I don’t think… I don’t think I can do… what I’m supposed to do.”

“Can we run away?” her lady’s proposal sounds more like a question, “The Keep is huge, we could try.”

Rhaena hugs her friend, allowing her closeness to reassure her. As scared as she is, she knows she will have to face what comes next.

It is just one night. Nothing more. How bad can it be?

She prefers not to think about it.

The knocks of the guards on the door separate them and one of them announces that he must take her to Aemond’s room.

“Rhaena”

“I will be fine,” she says, trying to sound convincing, “Everything will be fine.”

“Call for me if you need me. Any time. I will be here.”

“I know,” she assures her, and hugs Marianne’s one last time before following the guards.

The halls of the Tower of the Hand are narrow, cold, and unfamiliar to Rhaena. Her heart pounds as the man stops in front of a massive door and, without knocking, opens it for her to enter.

The guards say nothing more, just close the door behind her, and Rhaena stands by the door, motionless. Or perhaps waiting for Aemond to say something to her. But there is only silence.

“Aemond?” she dares to call out in a shaky voice.

She receives no answer.

He is not there. Or, at least, not yet.

Feeling calmer for having those few minutes of solitude, Rhaena walks deeper into the room. The fireplace is the only source of light, though she can see several details such as the massive stone walls filled with shelves of books and scrolls. Rhaena looks up at the vaulted ceiling that seems to be decorated with patterns that the dim lighting doesn't allow her to make out. There's also a huge tapestry on one of the walls that looks like a map, though she doesn't linger on it too long as she walks to the windows, marveling at the view of the Blackwater. Would the ones in her room have a similar view?

Her ramblings stop when the door opens and closes an instant later.

Rhaena swallows.

She doesn't have to turn around to know who it is.

Besides, she doesn't want to turn around.

The prince doesn't say anything, but it's not long before she can hear his footsteps approaching, stopping right behind her, his presence very close, so close that she can smell his perfume. Rhaena closes her eyes and breathes in his scent, trying to calm the violent beating of her heart and the nerves she feels at being alone with him.

Your husband.

The thought makes her shudder.

“Are you afraid?” Aemond’s voice is almost a whisper, but it sounds so close to her ear that she shudders again.

“No,” she lies, “Should I be?”

“Mmm,” the prince’s hands move up from her elbows to her bare shoulders, “Only if you have something to hide.”

Rhaena takes the implication in his words. Suddenly annoyed, she turns and faces him, glaring, “I have nothing to hide,” she retorts fiercely, “I am still a maiden.”

“I suppose I’m about to find out.”

Aemond shifts his gaze to Rhaena’s lips and lowers his face to hers, ready to kiss her. Rhaena places a hand on his chest and pulls back, “No. Not unless I get from you what you ask of me.”

Clearly her refusal irritates the prince, but she holds his gaze and takes a few steps back, moving away from his proximity.

“It was never serious,” he finally says, “I don’t even know her name. She was just some… distraction.”

“Yet you only visited her.”

It is not until she says it out loud and hears the reproach in her voice that Rhaena understands how much it really affects her to think that, perhaps, she will have to share the prince with this woman.

“I am selfish, I don’t like to share,” he replies, echoing her own thoughts from just seconds ago.

“Well, neither do I.”

A half-smile appears on Aemond’s face and Rhaena feels her cheeks flush. Still, it’s not enough. Not yet. “No more distractions from today.”

Just me.

For a moment, she thinks he won’t accept what her words imply.

After long seconds, he finally nods, “No more distractions.”

“Good”

“Good”

They both look at each other and, she doesn’t know who advances first, but they close the distance between them.

Rhaena feels Aemond place his hands on either side of her cheeks before his lips rest on hers. Closing her eyes instinctively, she feels the prince's mouth move over hers fiercely and determinedly, with a kind of hunger that she also feels and that leads her to move her hands and caress Aemond's torso, moving up to his shoulders and the back of his neck, tangling them in his silky platinum hair.

The prince breaks the kiss, but Rhaena doesn't dare open her eyes, she just lets him take her by the waist and lift her up, moving towards some part of the room that ends up being his bed. When she is finally lying on the soft bed, she dares to open her eyes, meeting Aemond's gaze. Meeting his blue eye that now seems almost black with desire. He doesn't give her time to say anything because he's kissing her again and any coherent thoughts leave her head when his lips move down her jaw to her neck, leaving a trail of wet kisses that only ignite the fire she feels inside her.

“Aemond,” his name slips from her lips as the prince’s hands caress her breasts over the fabric of her nightgown, circling her nipples as if playing with them, causing them to harden. His skilled fingers are quick to untie the knot of the garment, exposing them to his gaze. Rhaena tries to cover herself with one of her hands, embarrassed by her nakedness, but Aemond stops her by holding her arms above her head before bringing his lips to her nipples, licking them delicately and causing a renewed feeling of heat to begin to form between her legs.

Rhaena gasps his name again and Aemond lets go of her arms, bringing his free hand up to slip it under her gown, lifting it and moving up to reach her thighs, caressing the soft skin of her legs. Aemond suppresses a sound of satisfaction when his fingers move up to reach that wet place between her legs.

“No… I don’t think you should…”

Rhaena’s refusal is cut off as he strokes her intimacy, his long fingers working their way through her folds. What are these sensations she is experiencing? This kind of desire that builds as Aemond’s fingers move over her womanhood. Something seems to be building inside her, a kind of pleasure that builds up and threatens to explode.

“Aemond… no… I…”

A sigh of pleasure leaves her lips as the sensation reaches its peak, and she closes her eyes, breathing raggedly as she grips the sheets.

The prince moves away from her side and, fearfully, Rhaena watches him remove his pants until he is bare from the waist down. Although she tries not to, her eyes stray to his manhood, finding it large and terrifying.

“Rhaena”

There is something different about the way he calls her name. She watches him stroke his hand over his member as he stares at her, lying on the bed, her chest rising and falling rapidly and her lips swollen from his kisses. Reveling in her presence in his bed, he moves his hand up and down his length, before moving back to the bed and approaching her, this time placing his hands on her knees, gently parting them.

Rhaena swallows hard, but lets him position himself over her, feeling the heat of his body on hers.

“Finally,” Aemond whispers as he lifts the nightgown to align their bodies.

Rhaena closes her eyes as she feels the tip of his member brushing against her intimacy, biting her bottom lip to keep from letting out the sounds that struggle to escape her.

“Let me hear you,” the prince says, releasing her lip with his fingers.

The girl gasps and, unable to help herself, she kisses him, seeking contact with his lips, trying to let herself be carried away by his caresses, by his hands squeezing her breasts and his tongue exploring her mouth, by the way the heat of his body overwhelms her, by the wave of pleasure she feels when he brushes all her intimacy with his member.

Moans fill the room and, when he finally begins to enter her, a sharp pain runs through her interior. Aemond kisses her harder and stops, remaining still inside her until the expression of pain leaves Rhaena's face.

“I'm fine,” she assures with a gasp, “Just…”

Aemond nods and begins to move once more.

Her hands grip at his sides as she tries to move in time with him, trying to meet his thrusts, needing his touch. Aemond buries his face in her neck, nibbling at it, his thrusts becoming frantic. Their pleasure builds until finally, the climax overwhelms her again, causing her to arch off the bed as she feels Aemond still on top of her, repeating her name like a prayer.

For a few moments they stay like that, motionless, he still inside her, breathing raggedly. When the weight of his body on hers begins to become painful, the prince moves and slowly pulls out of her before dropping to the other side of the bed.

Silence falls between them and Rhaena, unable to say anything or even look at him, wonders what she should do. Will they spend the night together? Will he ask her to go back to her chambers?

In the end, they just stay like that, close to each other, although not touching or speaking, until Aemond's hand finds Rhaena's and intertwines their fingers, the gesture causing the beginnings of a smile to appear on the girl's lips.

***

Rhaena is alone in the room when she wakes up.

Confused and not quite recognizing the place, she sits up in bed and is aware of the burning between her legs.

Then she remembers the night before and, even though she is alone, she feels ashamed.

She had slept next to Aemond. Next to her husband. She had survived the dreaded wedding night and, if she was honest with herself, it had been better than she expected.

Still…

Waking up alone left a bad taste in her mouth.

“He probably had other obligations to fulfill,” she says quietly as she gets out of bed, trying to walk slowly despite the discomfort and pain.

Rhaena orders one of the guards to call her maid, and a short while later, the woman has a bath ready for her.

“Thank you, you may go,” she says before stepping into the tub.

The hot water relaxes her muscles, and Rhaena washes herself slowly, removing the sweat and traces of dried blood between her thighs.

As she finishes drying herself, there is a knock at the door and a maid – a different one than the ones who have served her so far – appears with a cup of tea.

“Your tea, ma’am.”

“I did not ask for an infusion,” she says, confused.

“It is from your sister,” the young woman hands her the cup.

There are a few seconds of hesitation on her part before she receives the cup. Rhaena sniffs the contents and grimaces.

“You should drink it as soon as possible, ma’am,” the young woman dares to say.

Rhaena nods, but still, she doesn't.

The maid looks at her expectantly, clearly not intending to leave, and Rhaena is starting to get impatient. Had her sister ordered her to make sure she actually drink the tea?

“Thank you, you may go.”

“Madam, the tea…”

“Go.”

Her commanding voice leaves no room for rebuttal. The maid, suddenly frightened, lowers her head and leaves.

Once alone, she looks at the cup again and wonders if she should drink its contents.

Baela seemed to think that she should do so. Baela simply assumed that she shouldn't give Aemond a child, not only because of her senseless plans, but because of the whole history of pain and death between them.

And she was right, wasn't she?

Sighing, she brings the cup to her lips and manages to take two sips before feeling she will throw up.

No.

She can't do it.

Without thinking too much, she stands up and throws the contents of the cup into the fireplace.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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[otakubimbo]

The Rabbit and The Wolf

It's A Date?

Now that you and Kakashi are friends again, all can now go back to normal. Can it go back to normal? Who knows but this get weird when Iruka asks you to hang out with him. Just the two you you.

otaku note: yeah sorry, editing this has been a headache cause the writers block in me has HANDS but hopefully we can get more consistency, requests are open if you have any. Mwah. ALSO I realized I already uploaded chapter 4 without editing and then I edited it and now here it is, my bad

MDNI. MATURE CONTENT.

Ch 1 2 3 4

master list

For once, you did what you were told, drank some water, and went to bed. Surprisingly, you didn’t wake up with the worst hangover, but still one. With little reluctance, you got up to visit your sister. Her husband was there, and you’ve grown to tolerate him, still a dumb ass but he loved your sister.

“How you feeling today?” You ask while pulling up a chair.

“A little tired but I’m doing okay.” Your sister says attempting to sit up. You sigh, helping her get adjusted, oh how frail she was.

“That’s good. I went for drinks last night and Kakashi was there.” speaking as casually as possible. For some reason, it meant a lot to your sister for the two of you to talk again.

“And?” She perks up, a small glow coming to her face.

“We talked and decided to be friends again.”

 It was as simple as that, giving her a small shrug of your shoulders. Even if it wasn’t a big deal to you, you knew it would be to your sister. Her favorite thing to joke about was the two of you getting married one day, from friends to lovers, ‘how romantic’ according to her.

“Just friends?” She pries, leaning forward.

“Yes, just friends.” You gently push her back down, she shouldn’t be straining herself over something like this.

She sighs, “When will you see that y'all were made for each other? I know y'all slept together.”

You start choking on your own spit, coughing away from her with a bewildered look on your face as your breathing evens and you see the smug smile that graces her lips.

“What are you talking about?” you finally manage to get out.

“You really are your father's daughter you know? I’m not stupid, I remember the way he looked at you when you left my wedding. And then after the fact, you two never spoke again it seemed and you just left. When times get hard, you leave, just like dad.”

“Yeah, I think the sickness has gone to your brain, and with that,” You say standing up, “ I have to go. I’ll be back before visiting hours end.”

Aki pouts like a child but you ignore that, she's the one who started it after all. As you leave see her husband on the way out, letting him know of your departure. Before you were even out of earshot, you could hear your sister gossiping about the conversation y’all just had. With a roll of your eyes, you leave with errands you need to run, especially since there wasn’t much in your house with your continued absence.

Amid your shopping, you hear your name being called by an oh-too-familiar voice.

“Y/N” Kakashi's voice calls out to you and when you face him you smile for once, grinning almost from ear to ear. You hadn’t looked at him like that in ages, if he didn’t have the mask on he might be embarrassed by the expression under it. He almost forgot how radiant your smile was, how blinding it was when it was finally directed at him.

“Hey Kashi.”   With your basket in hand, as you stride over to him, it is mostly filled with snacks and other things. There was nothing in there to make a real meal in sight.  

He peeks into your basket, surveying the assortment of savory and sweet treats that you gathered for yourself. Almost on instinct looking at your basket and his taking some of your favorite treats out of his basket holding it up to you.

“This is your favorite right, here” he places it in your basket without even asking if you really wanted it.

You giggle excitedly, biting your lip thinking about the snack for later “Oh I love these. Yeah, how’d you know these were my favorite?”

“I just know you,” he says shrugging. His eye never left yours, his gaze was intense as if he had something to say that you were supposed to understand just with the look.

“Well, I should go.” You stammer, getting all your items together. All you could muster was a “See you later” as you scurried off.

You were sweating, it wasn’t even hot, but you were sweating. Why the fuck were you nervous?! It’s literally just Kakashi like yeah y’all had sex but that doesn’t change him as a person. Right? Things were bound to be awkward of course, because y’all haven’t really spoken in two years after sleeping with each other. But that shouldn’t make you nervous, you had no clue why you were nervous. Friendship with him was going to be weird, to say the least.

The only walk home, you couldn’t stop thinking about the way he was looking at you and what it could have meant. There was no way to get it out of your mind, so you needed a distraction. Since your sister had many complaints about not keeping up with yourself, you could only think of doing your hair in that moment, it was a process as it was it would surely get your thoughts off of Kakashi.

First step; hair washing. It was so much easier for you to wash your hair in the shower since you had to wash it in sections to prevent knotting. As you work through the sections, all you can think about is Kakashi’s wet and naked body behind you helping you. Imagine him taking a section, gently scrubbing your scalp while detangling the section and spreading the shampoo. The thought sent shivers straight to your core, a small moan escaping your lips. You hadn’t even realized you closed your eyes when you snapped them open with the realization of your fantasy. This wasn’t good, this was very bad actually. It’s not going to go like that, y’all were JUST back to being friends.

Quickly, you finish washing your hair before your brain decides to take a worse course. After putting the dead conditioner in, you go cleaning around the house. There wasn’t a way you could fantasize about him while cleaning, that would be weird. There’s nothing sexy about cleaning. Unfortunately, you were wrong, very wrong.  Your brain was a lot more creative than you thought it was. As you were cleaning the mirror in your bedroom, your mind wandered. The thought of Kakashi sitting on the bed, legs spread, rubbing himself to the view of your ass as you bend over and reach to wipe the mirror. He would get up and press himself behind you, wrapping his arms around you. Close. Too Close. In your mind, you could feel his hardness up against your ass, the way his breath would tickle your neck, the wetness starting to form as you watch how he would hold you in the mirror. Your knees get weak with the thought, and you slam them right into the dresser.

“Fuck that hurt. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” You curse, sitting on your bed holding your knee. What the hell is going on?! Maybe you were just horny and needed to get it out. He was the last person you had sex with intimately. Like yeah, you’ve fucked some people in the last two years, but it hadn’t been that great. Bingo! That was the problem, obviously, you were just horny and unsatisfied. Now, that makes more sense than just being horny specifically Kakashi. The issue now was how to solve this problem and it wasn’t going to be an issue you could solve now because you literally need to finish your hair. For now, you needed a real distraction.

Kurenai! Friendship!

That’s what you would do, send a message over and make her come over with some sake. You needed a word with her for telling your business. In her best interest, she agreed. While you wait for her, you go ahead and rinse out the deep conditioner and start blow-drying your hair out to get into twisting it. By the time you were getting ready to start on your twists, Kurenai was at the door. She had a key, for emergencies, so she came right in and she brought the good stuff with her. Oh, she really didn’t want you to yell at her.

“Sooooooo” Kurenai starts after you gave her a good one for not telling you she told Asuma. You didn’t really care if she told him, you just needed to know beforehand, you were so thrown off.

“What?” You question, hands still working away as you tip back a shot of sake with your teeth.

“So Kakashi walked you home last night.” She states even though it came out more as a question.

“He did.” You say plainly, you knew what she was getting at.

“And?!” she practically yells, getting impatient.

“And nothing, we agreed to go back to being friends. Like old times” You state, fighting the flashbacks of your own imagination.

“Just friends?” She questions, not believing you one bit.

“Yes, girl! Just friends. Like old times, I said.” You say focusing more back on your hair. You knew that she was ready to pry more information out of you because that couldn’t just be it. Not between the two of you, no, surely not.

“And you’re just fine with being friends? I saw the way he was looking at you and don’t act like you weren’t looking all over him.” She states smugly, settling into your couch.

“You know what? You’re right, I never even got an answer to what happened two years ago so why do I even want to be his friend.” You attempt to change the subject back to what should be the real issue.

“You’ve never even asked him!” She yells at you, almost spilling her drink. You roll your eyes, taking another sip.

“I shouldn’t have to ask! What am I supposed to say? ‘Yeah, remember when we fucked? Why did you leave and avoid me?’. That literally sounds mental.” You’re annoyed, getting your hair tangled in the process.

“OR literally just ask him what happened? What are you so afraid of?”

Now that was the question. What were you afraid of? That the friendship would be ruined? It already had been when you left. That he could say it was the worst sex of his life? Now you know that would have been a lie, especially since he didn’t even pull out. The questions were going through your head and silence fell. You didn’t really know. You didn’t know what you were afraid of. Sleeping together already changed the dynamic. So why couldn’t you just ask him what happened? You’ve literally looked death in the eye on more than one occasion.

What were you afraid of?

You finally acknowledge Kurenai and lock eyes with her.

“I don’t know what I’m afraid of.” You say softly, out of character for your own voice.

“Then ask him.” She says sincerely putting her hand on yours.

“Absolutely not” You state, proceeding to chug the sake straight out of the bottle. Kurenai just shakes her head sighing. For one of the strongest ninjas in this village, you sure were a wuss when it came to anything emotional. Luckily for you, she dropped it after that. Yall had regular girl talk until you finally finished your hair, way too late at night and you were sure the top middle part looked a little worse for wear, but it wasn’t like anyone would see it or notice anyway.

NEXT DAY

There was nothing like having a new hairstyle to put a pep in your step. You had your twists up in a high ponytail because you may have made them a bit too tight dealing with Kurenai and her interrogation. Even still, you glided on your way to visit your sister before your regularly scheduled training with Team 7. This would be the first-time training with Kakashi and the team on solid terms. That would be nice, it should be good.

As you pass the school, you hear someone call your name for your attention. It was Iruka. He jogs over to you as you wave at him.

“Hey, your hair is different.” He says sort of breathy rubbing the back of his neck. You swing your ponytail back and forth to show it off a bit.

“Oh yeah, I did its last night.” You say showing off, with a smile on your face. You were just in such a good mood today.

“I like it. It’s pretty.” He says weirdly, he must be tired you thought as he looked nervously at you.

“Thanks Iruka.” Again you say with a smile. Iruka was always so kind, such a dear friend to you.

“So, we really haven’t had time to just catch up. Just the two of us. I was thinking maybe we could do something together tomorrow night, maybe.” He looked really uncomfortable which confused you.

“Of course, Iruka, I love spending time with you.” You state earnestly. This was the truth, you enjoyed his company, especially all the times you used to help him around the school. He was such a gentle nurturing soul. He did seem surprised at your response.

“OH really? Awesome. Great! Uhm how about we meet at that new sushi place? Around 8?” He suggests enthusiastically, which you giggle at. You can’t help being reminded of Naruto by his demeanor, you see how close they have become that they act so much like each other.

“Yeah, that sounds great, but I have to get to the hospital. I’ll see you later, okay?” You smile and wave goodbye.

This was going to be a nice time. You’ve been waiting to try that new restaurant and Irukas company was always enjoyable. Maintaining that glide in your step, you make your way to see your sister. Once at the hospital, you tell your sister about the encounter with Iruka because that meant you wouldn’t be able to stay as long.

“You know that’s a date right?” Aki asks laughing at your now confused expression.

“It absolutely is not. Me and Iruka are just friends. There’s no way he sees me like that.” You state dismissively, almost disgusted. It’s just two friends catching up.

“So then, why did he ask for it to be just the two of you?” She questions, a smirk on her face.

“Because he said we haven’t really caught up with each other personally.” Your rebuttal matter of factly.

“Okay, but then why was he in your own words ‘acting weird and sweaty’ hmm?” She probes.

“I think you’re reading too much into what I said. He’s probably having a tough morning.” You reply crossing your arms. The last thing you wanted was for Iruka to like you, now that would be too weird.

“If you say so but,” Aki starts putting her finger in the air to make a point, “if it is a date, would you be happy?”

You grimaced at that almost immediately, not disgusted because he was a sweet guy and wasn’t ugly or anything, just definitely not your type. Aki burst into a fit of laughter, almost in tears.

“Whew, you’re so mean and so funny.” Your sister says still giggling holding her sides. You roll your eyes at her.

“I didn’t even mean it like that, he’s just not my type ya know.” You say shrugging.

“Well, why don’t you ask your new friend Kakashi if he thinks it’s a date or not? He’s a guy after all I’m sure he would be able to tell.” Aki suggested, still trying to hold back laughter. This gets another eye roll from you.

“Fine, I’ll ask him.” You say with a sigh, standing up with a little stretch. Aki developed a sly smile on her face.

“Good” She comments, and you raise an eyebrow at her in question. “Oh nothing, now get going before you’re late.”

You give her a quick hug and make your way to the training grounds. There was something definitely on your sister's mind but for once you couldn’t really read her. Maybe it was just a sly joke about you and Kakashi being friends again like y’all used to. You used to always use him to solve arguments between you and your sister. He was level-headed and unbiased in that way, definitely unbiased because even though he was YOUR friend, he would always end up agreeing with your sister.

When you finally make it to the training grounds, Kakashi is actually there on time for once. Surprising, especially since your definition of being on time is being early. This meant he was early, super early for him.

“Hey Kashi, you’re early.” You greet him with your past pleasantries. He just looks up from his book for a moment giving you a quick nod and returning to his smut.

“I’m actually glad you’re here early. I need to ask you something” you say gliding over to him. That got his full attention, and he finally looks at you directly. His eye gives you a once over and he notices the pep in your step and how you’re smiling directly at your ponytail swinging behind you.

“Your hair looks nice.” He states and your smile widens as you flick your hair.

“Thanks, it took all night but yeah I have a question.” You say hands behind your back playing with your hair. He raises an eyebrow at you and gives a simple hmmmn in question.

“Okay so I ran into Iruka today and he asked me to catch up with him over dinner tomorrow and my sister has this crazy idea that he wants to take me out on a date.” You state making gestures with your hand to show how crazy you think your sister is being. Kakashi’s eye flickers for a second and his expression is something you can’t exactly read. Everyone was being so damn weird today.

“What exactly did he say?” He questions sounding rather casual about it.

“He said that we haven’t caught up yet, just the two of us, and then he said we should get dinner tomorrow and suggested the new sushi restaurant. You know how much I love sushi.” You respond plainly as if it’s still no big deal. Kakashi was leaning on a tree when you arrived but now he lifted himself off it standing straight in front of you.

“I think your sister is right,” He says looking down at you and you scowl.

“And I think both of y’all are crazy. Me and Iruka are friends. Just friends. There’s no way he could even see me like that.” You exclaim, pouting. How could anyone see that this was just a friendly dinner?

“See you like what?” Kakashi questions and that makes you pause for a moment.

“Like in a romantic sense, obviously!” You exclaim again rolling your eyes and crossing your arms in front of you with annoyance.

“And why wouldn’t he?” He questions softly, grabbing your chin and making you look at him. Your annoyance almost immediately melts away as he looks into your eyes.

“Because we are just friends.” You state just as softly as he did.

“Just like we are friends?”

Another question. A question you didn’t even really know how to answer because your brain wasn’t working right then. His hand didn’t leave your chin as you stared at him trying to formulate some type of sentence. He gazed at you in a way that he’s never looked at you before.

“I mean…..” you start before trailing off. Before you could even think of what else to say when someone loudly calls out Kakashi's name.

“KAKASHI SENSI YOU’RE ACTUALLY HERE ON TIME! BELIEVE IT” Naruto’s too-loud voice comes bellowing towards you two. Kakashi’s hand drops from your chin taking a step back and now you’re just standing there a bit dumb waiting for your brain to restart again.

What the fuck was going on today.

The training session went smoothly as usual and neither of you brought up the topic of Iruka. You actually planned on not bringing it up at all until after to prove to those two that it was definitely not a date and just a friend thing. This same mood carried on over to the next day and you were not going to bring it up as training ends with Team 7.

“So are you still going on that date with Iruka?” Kakashi asks nonchalantly.

“YOURE GOING ON A DATE WITH IRUKA SENSEI?!? WOW HOW LUCKY!” Naruto interjects and Sasuke looks disgusted at you.

“It isn’t a date. We are just two friends catching up. Not a date.”

“Is it just the two of you? Tonight?” Sakura asks. Of course, the only thing she’s ever really interested in is dating.

“Yupp. Just two good ol pals hanging out. At dark. Not a big deal.” You groan rubbing your temples

“That sounds like a date to me” Sakura giggles and that makes you groan even loader which gets a smirk from Kakashi.

“But the thing is, its not a date”

“Are you gonna kiss him?!” Naruto asks because of course he does.

You and Sasuke both make the same uncomfortable face which gets a slight rise out of Kakashi.

“Absolutely not because it's not a date and we are literally only JUST friends.”

“Good” Sasuke says stuffing his hands in his pockets and looking a bit annoyed.

“Anyways, I’m going to go now.” You say exhaustedly turning away and starting to walk off

Sakura calls after you in a teasing tone, “Hope you have a good date”

“I will literally kill all of you” You say over your shoulder and all you can hear is giggles.

Sigh, kids.

Of course, you do not rush home because this is not a date. But now you have to figure out what to wear. You knew it had to be something casual because again, not a date but you didn’t want to look frumpy. Simple. Cute. Not date attire. Next is hair, a cute little half up, half down. No makeup, just brows, mascara, and lip gloss. The amount of effort in trying to make sure you didn’t look like you were going on a date was making you sweat. You really hoped it wasn’t a date, but everyone was starting to make you believe it may be. That made you nervous, you really liked Iruka but strictly as a friend. Just like you told your sister, he wasn’t your type, and the last thing you needed was to ruin another friendship.

8 pm came a lot sooner than you wanted it to and now you were walking up to the new sushi place. Iruka was already there which means he got there early. He had flowers. Fuck. He was dressed really nicely, a lot nicer than your casual attire. Fuck fuck.

“Hey Iruka,” You say walking up, “Are those for me?” You question sheepishly.

He thrusts the flowers at you, which makes you giggle a bit. It was cute. “Yes, yes these are for you.”

“Thanks Iruka, that’s so sweet of you. Should we get a seat now?”

His face is red and a little sweaty. Yeah he definitely is hoping this is a date. He places his arm to direct you inside. Once inside and seated, you immediately order a shot. You needed a little something to take the edge off and ordered a beer.

“Thanks for making time for me” Iruka says nervously.

You smile, he was cute but in a brother type of way, “Of course. I love catching up with my friends and we haven’t spent time together in a while.”

You emphasize ‘friend’, hoping he would get the hint but it didn’t seem like he did.

Great.

Even though he obviously thought it was a date, you were still nice and were actually having a good time. A really good time. He made you laugh through the whole night with his stories of his antics with Naruto. He really loved the kid and the way he spoke about him was just so sweet. The evening carried on in good spirits, you talked about your long missions and what was going on with your sister. He was so sympathetic about it, it was all so nice.

At the end of the night, he offered to walk you home and you said you didn’t need it but thanked him for hanging out with you that night. Before you could even get anything out, he kissed you.

He fucking kissed you.

You never thought he would be that brave to do that, he was so red and nervous the whole time y’all were out. So all you could do was stand there shocked. Luckily, he quickly pulled away looking at your stunned face.

“I’m so sorry.” Iruka starts apologizing. He looked mortified.

“It’s fine Iruka.” You reply still kind of stunned.

“It’s fine?” He questions back, hopeful look in his eyes. And now you were going to have to crush that hope.

“I mean I’m not mad at you about it but I don’t think I’m really ready to date. Ya know with just getting back in the village and having to deal with all the stuff with my sisters' health. It’s just not a good time for me. I hope you understand.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie and it looked like he took it well and actually believed you.

“Oh no! I completely understand. You have so much to deal with, it literally took us this long to hang out so yeah I get it.”

“Thank you for being so understanding.” You say putting your hand on his shoulder and giving him a SMALL kiss on the cheek. The last thing you wanted to do was crush him but the two of you together would never happen.

“Yeah, of course. I’ll see you later. Have a great night.” He blushes, quickly going in the opposite direction of you as you turn to make your way home. You decided to take the long way since you wanted to get rid of the awkward tension from Iruka kissing you. And to your surprise and annoyance, you ran into Kakashi out in the middle of the night.

“What are you doing out here so late at night?”  You asked as soon as your line of sight met.

He ignored your question, ‘So how was your day’ He asks with a somewhat smug smile underneath his mask as if he already knew what happened.

“I literally hate you” you pout as you begin walking besides him.

“I’m guessing the date went well.” He replies trying to hold back the laughter.

“He brought me flowers. You know I hate flowers, I can’t ever keep them alive” You hold them up towards him, showing him the lovely bouquet.

“Yeah, you do have a black thumb.” He agrees.

“And everything was going so well until it was time to leave. It was just a normal hangout eating really good sushi. We should go there, by the way. And then he had to go and ruin it when before we left each other.”

“He didn’t kiss you or something?” Kakashi says with a chuckle.

Silence.

More silence.

“He kissed you.”

You groan, “He kissed me. It was so awkward.”

“You didn’t like it?”

“No, I didn’t like it” You yell, “I feel as if I’ve made it very clear I don’t want to date Iruka. I had to make up a whole excuse that I wasn’t ready to date, and it just wasn’t the right time and blah blah blah.”

“So it was a ‘it’s not you its me’ situation. Cruel” Kakashi says laughing

“I was trying to be nice about it” You whine on the other side “He’s a good guy, he’s just not my type. And I wouldn’t even mind the possibility of dating someone. Just definitely not him. Absolutely not him.”

“So you’re open to dating?”

“I mean yeah I guess”

“Hmmn okay.” He says plainly.

“Okay?” Which you posed more as a question than a statement.

“Well you should probably get some rest from your disaster date.” He chuckles as the two of you near your house.

“Hardy har har. You’re SOOOOO funny. I really do hate you. Good night.”

“Hate you too. Goodnight.” He says softly, a smile in his voice as you walk towards your house leaving him behind.

Now it was just you and your thoughts. Not good.

TAGLIST:

[alatushours]

☆ 731 DAYS, featuring xiao — time flew by when he was with you. who would’ve thought it had been two years already?

contents. gender neutral reader. fluff n' marriage, partly written from xiao's pov? very selfship-coded, just xiao reminiscing the past with you ♡ word count. 879

notes. hi guys ik you’re probably getting sick of all the xiao content which im so sorry about but i had to bc today is my two-year anniversary with xiao <3 plus it’s the first post of the new year so ofc i had to write for him ! it’s shorter than most of my other xiao posts tho so hopefully you all won’t find it to be too boring …

GLITTERING STARS twinkled across the moonlit sky as the vigilant yaksha stood at the balcony of the wangshu inn, gazing towards the liyue plains beyond. he was waiting for someone; a certain person that he'd met right on this balcony what hadn't even felt that long ago. 

it was certainly far more difficult circumstances back then; liyue was struggling from the loss of their archon, and he was left to pick up the pieces. up until then, the adeptus never thought he would find peace for himself. that was, until you came into his life. 

the sound of footsteps creaking on the wooden staircase snapped him out of his thoughts. he would recognize those footsteps anywhere; that, and the familiar voice that exclaimed, “i’m back!” 

xiao turned from where he stood, a tiny hint of a smile forming on his lips as he greeted his lover. “i was waiting for you, qingxin.” 

there you stood with a sheepish grin on your face, plate of almond tofu in hand. "sorry, i got held back a bit from work. i made dessert for you, though.” 

your husband pressed a kiss to your lips. “thank you, dear. it’s been a while since i’ve had a taste of your cooking.” 

he turned his head away, voice lowered. “i’m sorry for making you come over to the inn instead of our home, but i wanted to meet with you here tonight.”

you nodded, reaching forward to grasp his hand in yours. “i know why. it’s a special place, and today is a special day, right? for you, for me, for us.”  

xiao didn’t reply for a moment. “…‘the moon is beautiful tonight, isn’t it?’ that’s what you told me at this same spot, two years ago.” do you still remember the events of this day back then?” 

“of course i remember.” you walked towards the edge of the balcony with xiao in tow, leaning against the railing. “the lantern rite was in full swing this time of year. i wanted to watch the fireworks with you, so i came over the wangshu inn with some tofu.” 

“but i was off fighting monsters,” xiao remarked. “i apologize to have kept you waiting for so long that night.” 

“no, but that’s what made the moment special, y’know?” you smiled at the memory. “i waited here in this spot for what seemed like hours, calling out your name. the sun had already set when i arrived, and at one point keqing even told me i was going to miss the celebration if i stayed here and tried to drag me off.” 

you turned to face him, and xiao nearly lost his breath. “but then you came.” 

you looked ethereal standing there, bathed in moonlight, the serenest of smiles on your face. 

“i did,” he replied, squeezing your hand. “and that was the moment my life changed forever.” 

“for the better, or for the worse?” you joked. 

he flicked your forehead. “don’t ask such dumb questions, silly.” xiao looked up towards the sky, the moon high up in the sea of stars. “it’s just the same, isn’t it…”

the conditions that night been exactly the same as this; except the sky had been lit up with fireworks two years ago. the same year that he had kneeled on this balcony, confessing his love for you as colorful sparks lit up the sky. 

“will you marry me, y/n?” 

“the same as what?” you asked, leaning your head on his shoulder. 

the adeptus shook his head. “nothing, just thinking out loud.” he looked down towards the first floor of the inn, where traveling merchants were still strolling about. “a shame the lantern rite doesn’t start until later this year. we could have watched the fireworks show together again.” 

“i thought the vigilant yaksha hated the lantern rite,” you teased him. “is the conqueror of demons getting soft, hm?” 

xiao slapped your arm in protest. “shut up.” he looked away, grumbling. “i only said so because i know you enjoy the display, mortal.” 

you laughed, a sound that was music to his ears. “you’re so silly, xiao.” you smiled and gave him a kiss. “that’s okay, the stars are enough of a show for me.” 

“is it now?” he pressed another kiss to your lips, one hand running through your hair. “well then, i know the perfect place where we can watch the stars.” 

you followed his hand as it pointed up towards the roof. 

“yippee!” 

as you settled down to stargaze, his arms wrapped around your waist so you wouldn’t fall, xiao couldn’t help but think to himself how lucky he was. he had always thought his karma meant he couldn’t feel happiness, but now you had come into his life, and for the first time he felt at peace. as if he could finally be happy, after a millennia of suffering. 

yes, in some ways being immortal was a curse; but it was also a blessing, for if he was just a mere mortal long ago he wouldn’t have met you. the light of his life, his love. xiao was so glad to have you with him these past two years, and the adeptus promised himself that he would never leave your side, until forever do us part.

end notes. guys once again i’m sorry for writing so much xiao stuff lately :( he was my first birthday letter i received and also my first double 5 star pull so um he has a special place in my heart if you can’t already tell… i promise i wont write him for a while after this !! need to get some neuvi and tighnari content out here too ! ! but i hoped you guys liked it <3

© alatushours 2024. please do not copy, modify, or translate my work in any way, nor upload to any other platforms. in the meantime, if you enjoyed, please like, reblog, and consider leaving a follow! it helps a lot ♡

[kandisheek]

FIC REC WEEK 45 – FAKE RELATIONSHIP

Playing the part (remix) by nanasekei

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: NR Words: 10,713 Tags: Angst with a Happy Ending, Pining, Idiots in Love

Summary: “We have five days of this ahead of us, Cap. Call me crazy, but I think if we don’t spend the entire time fighting over every little thing, we might have a chance of actually pulling this off.” -- Tony tells a joke, that turns into a lie, that turns into him having to pretend to Steve Rogers' husband for five days. Just his luck.

Reasons why I love it: Aaaah, I love it when there are so many hurt feelings and uncertainties swirling around and the tension just builds and builds until it finally explodes. And what a beautiful explosion it is. This fic is wonderful, and if you haven't yet, you should definitely read it!

The Boyfriend by FestiveFerret

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 12,596 Tags: College AU, Falling in Love, Galas and Parties

Summary: Tony has been using The Boyfriend to get out of work obligations for a year now, but there's one fairly significant problem: The Boyfriend doesn't exist.

Reasons why I love it: I really love how Ferret always manages to slip in these moments where it's abundantly clear to the reader that Tony has a very low opinion of himself, even though Tony's an unreliable narrator in that regard. It's so good, and I adore Steve in this one especially, he's such good boyfriend material. Definitely check this one out if you haven't, it's wonderful.

The Opposite of a Problem by Sineala

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 2,490 Tags: Aliens, Sharing a Bed, Pining

Summary: "I promise to love, honor, and probably not obey you, and, uh, take you as my totally-unlawfully-wedded husband, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, until death do us part, or for at least the next seventy-two hours." (Or: Tony and Steve get fake-married for the sake of the mission.)

Reasons why I love it: Not gonna lie, I would love to have a sandpit bed with pillows, that sounds fantastic. I really love the ring choices that they make for each other, and the moment that they both realize that they feel the same is absolutely perfect. I hope you give this one a shot if you haven't already, because it's wonderful!

The Trial Run by Annie D (scaramouche)

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 13,880 Tags: Getting Together, Light-Hearted, Flirting

Summary: Tony and Steve pretend to date, and enjoy it far more than they should.

Reasons why I love it: This fic is so fricking cute, it makes me want to squeal into a pillow. Their transition from playing a joke on everyone else to actually being like - hell yeah I want this - is so seamless. Annie D truly is a master of character development. I adore this fic, and I bet you will too, so I hope you go and check it out.

i stole the keys to this guy by kellifer_fic

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: M Words: 6,007 Tags: Fluff and Humor, Enemies to Lovers,

Summary: Where it was Nick Fury's idea, but he didn't mean it like that .

Reasons why I love it: As always when kellifer writes anything, the humor is impeccable. I really love the whole hot and cold dynamic that Steve and Tony have going on, and everyone else's reactions to their little PR stunt are just perfect. And of course, who doesn't like Stony giving Fury a conniption? This fic is wonderful, and you should definitely read it if you haven't yet!

[ohstardustgirl]

No Choice At All - Daryl Dixon x Reader

Setting: Negan-era

It had been an hour since Simon had let a plate of food in the room that had become your prison. His leering had turned your stomach. Negan was showing off with the dinner – a plate of fresh vegetables and roasted venison. It smelled great but you wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of devouring it no matter how hungry you were. You sat cross-legged on the bed, having examined every inch of the room for something that could do damage or break the lock. It was hopeless. The room had books and blankets but nothing resembling a weapon. Your back ached with exhaustion. All you wanted was to find Daryl and get both of you the hell out of there.

There was a knock at the door. You knew it wouldn’t matter if you gave permission, so you stayed quiet. Negan swung the door open and swaggered in, with Dwight at his back like a skinny shadow.

“Hello gorgeous,” he smirked. “How’s my bride-to-be? What, not hungry? Think we’re gonna poison you?”

“I bet I wouldn’t be the first.”

“Oh, honey, you’re more useful alive. Daryl’s already behaving himself much better.”

You clenched your fists. “You’re a real piece of shit, you know that?”

Negan smiled, and sat heavily down on the bed beside you, his knee tucked under him so he could face you. You flinched when his hand reached out and stroked down your cheek.

“Now, now, is that any way to speak to your future husband?”

You shuddered, and he grinned. “I don’t recall saying yes to you.”

He wrapped his arm around you. “And I would never force you. I ain’t that much of a piece of shit. Women here get treated good, and any guy who breaks the rules and lays a hand on a lady without permission gets what’s coming to ‘em.” He leaned in closer, and you felt sick. “But I will give you a choice, honey. The more pliant you are with me, the better lover-boy gets treated. You want that, right?”

Your head swam. You wanted Daryl to be safe more than anything, but the thought of marrying Negan – of sleeping with him – made you want to run screaming. You weren’t there the night Daryl was taken, and Negan had been thrilled to discover you at Alexandria the day he brought Daryl along for the raid. Daryl had looked like a ghost, so withdrawn into himself it was like he was the stranger you had met at the quarry all that time ago. He wouldn’t look at you, even when you called his name. You had raged at Negan, thrown yourself at him and tried to claw his eyes out. He had laughed as his men pulled you away, and told them to put you in the truck. Daryl’s anger had flared when Negan touched you, sealing the deal.

You nodded as your stomach rolled. Daryl didn’t deserve this, not after how much he had risked over the years to protect his family. “I want him safe.”

“And he will be, as long as you both contribute. People are a resource, sweetheart. Everybody has to provide something.” Negan gave your shoulder a squeeze. “Look at Dwight here. I gave him a choice: he wanted sanctuary, I wanted his wife. Now his sweet Sherry gets to live like a queen, and if Dwight here behaves himself he even gets to spend a night with her, if I allow it,” he waved his hand in the direction of Dwight’s scarred face. “Took him a little to adjust. Hope Daryl learns faster.”

You stared at Dwight until he looked at the ground in shame. Could you make that same deal for Daryl? You weren’t married. You had only really become lovers since arriving at Alexandria. But any label you could think of for your relationship seemed insignificant in the face of everything you had survived together. Negan’s hand trailed up and down your spine as if the sick fuck was trying to comfort you through the horrors he was responsible for.

“I thought you didn’t force women to do what you want?” You trembled with anger. “Ain’t exactly consent if you don’t have a choice.”

“But I am giving you a choice. It’s entirely up to you.” He jumped up from the bed. “What am I thinking? You haven’t even seen how good you could have it yet! You’ve gotta see the benefits before you can make an informed decision.”

You wrapped your arms around yourself, wanting to scratch your skin away.

“Dwight, bring our guest to the ladies’ suites. Tell my wives to get her settled in and show her all the perks,” Negan winked at you, before jabbing a finger at Dwight. “Straight there and back, D, you’ve got shit to do for me.”

Negan strolled off, leaving Dwight at the door.

“Come on,” Dwight ordered, though his heart didn’t seem to be in it. You stared hard at him, seeing a glimpse of something broken fighting to get to the surface.

“Is it true? You gave him your wife?”

“We made a choice. She did. We’re alive. We ain’t like your crew, out there dying every day.”

“Like this is so much better,” you rose from the bed and stepped towards him. “You could go to Alexandria, be free together.”

He scoffed. “And what? Fight back? All being good gets you is dead. Make the right choice, for you and Daryl. Your people are gonna be picked off one by one every time they step out of line. You’ve got a chance to live the good life here, and your man will be safe nearby.”

You thought about Maggie, about the pale faces of your friends when they had returned that night, about Rick’s broken spirit. You thought about the weeks spent not knowing if Daryl was alive while everyone around you told you this was an enemy that couldn’t be beaten. You stepped in closer to Dwight.

“If Daryl doesn’t rip that vest off your corpse, I will. You’ve got a choice too.”

Dwight tightened his jaw and grabbed your wrist and pulled you out of the room.

[lovelykiitsune]

❞ 𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 - synopsis: Boschi witnesses his colleagues getting married, engaged and having children of their own, until two children came to his life

❞ warning: Angsty + Fluff and Comforts + Child abuse and abandonment + Grammar mistakes + Akuneko kids are fictional and not canon, they're my ocs + terrible timeline lining up

a/n: reuploaded from my deleted blog, since I very much enjoy writing about Aknk kids life 🫶

Before the Master has arrived the mansion. The butlers already are already married and had kids on their own. Boschi, Flure, and Lato doesn't have kids or wasn't married or dating anyone. At least, they are happy being themselves for being single. Boschi knew 10 out of 13 are already married and had kids on their own. He noticed that Fennesz always leave the mansion due to his son needed to be picked up from a daycare. Nac's had eyebags under his eyes, but would cover it up with makeup or concealer to block his eyebags. His wife had made him wake up to take care of his son and take him daycare/school.

The rest who doesn't have kids yet, they're either busy with their work life, or waiting or being patient for their wife to announce her pregnancy. Boschi is close to his mid 30s, he doesn't have any kids of his own nor a lover. People would see him rude, lazy, and not a good role model for kids. He would brush it off and played it cool. He would be annoyed when Haures's wife would always come to the Grosvenor manison with her 5 years old son in her arms, August Clifford. Mostly uninvited, but he would tell Boschi with the same responds.

"She's just visiting, Boschi. That's what wife do. She's just want to check on you, if you are eating enough or taking a break."

Boschi would be annoyed. Everyone on the floors, even Ammon gushes Haures's son. He doesn't mind Haures's wife because she is a nice person, she doesn't seems to be rude or anything. He understand that she cared about her husband. Boschi will be in the distance, not gonna acknowledge or talk to his wife. If she did tries to talk to him, he would simply just ingores what she said. He doesn't want to leave, which considered as rude. He would make excuses to leave, even though he doesn't have chores.

At least he doesn't have Haures bossing him around. He would leave at night then come back at the morning, unless if it evening or afternoon for emergency. Boschi have this twisted sick feeling that clings and follow him. He would ingore it, but it does bug him a lot. No Haures scold, Ammon busy with his garden duty and his marriage with his wife. Fennesz in and out all the time, library part time or his wife.

"Boschi?" A voice called him out, that woke Boschi up.

Berrien stood in fornt of his resting place. "Ah... Berrien..." the blue-black hair male sat up. "What's is it?"

"I noticed that you disappeared. You have night duty for the Angel's Hunt for the Central." Berrien said, smiling calmly.

Boschi just stared at him. He and Berrien are just colleagues. They're not really close since they both have different duties and floors. He let out a sigh as he stood up, walking past Berrien with no complaints. The white hair male watched as Boschi walked away until he no longer could see him.

---

Boschi and Bastien separated themselves to slash Angel Hunt on their own. Sudden out of a blue, it's started to be pouring, harshly. Luckily, Boschi has bought his umbrella due to Berrien warns that it would be raining tonight. He quickly open his umbrella as he dash to find any angels. Boschi started running with the umbrella in his hand, and it was pouring outside.

"Shit... the rain is making it much worst!" Boschi exclaim. Loud splashes from the rain puddles, shoes clicking. The rain is making Boschi impossible to see, he could hit something. He found himself in the middle of the road, there's no sign of Angels roaming in the rainy night. He scan the place before moving. Before he could step one foot on the road.

Rustle, Rustle

He quickly turn his head to where the noises coming from. He is facing the dark alleyway, could it be Angel? Stray dogs or cats? Mouse? Rats? Boschi quickly took out his blue swords as he quietly step a little closer.

Rustle, Rustle

He heard it again, he was pausing the moment. There a little light coming from the streets, but he didn't see the white glow of Angels. He quickly put his swords down, feeling disappointed. Boschi is looking at the alleyway, next to the grey metal trash can. He looked over, with an umbrella in his hand. Boschi wasn't sure if he was disappointed or frustrated...?

A light caramel neat long hair girl with light blue fade in her hair and a little baby boy in her arms. She is wearing worn dirt white button up shirt, dark chocolate skirts, a dark chocolate large coat wrap cover her head and her borthers too. She is covering her younger baby brother with her large coat to take shelter over the rain. Boschi didn't understand why this little girl is out alone with her baby brother in the dark alleyway during the rain. There could be Angels roaming around the rain! Why is she is sleeping in the alleyway? Where's her parents? Was she abandon?

Boschi, not sure why he decided to use his umbrella for the little girl. The little girl looked up, she couldn't feel the rain until she saw Boschi holding his umbrella for them. Her sea blue eyes looking at Boschi's green eyes. She hug her baby brother tightly, protecting him.

"Are you... angels?" She asked Boschi. Her voice was shivering and quiet. He looked at her. Her face was cover on dust and small cut on her bottom left cheeks. The sound of raining getting louder and it hitting the umbrella.

"No, I'm not the Angel-" He suddenly stopped in his mid sentences. Can he tell this little girl that he is a devil butlers? She looks around Haures's son age. "No... I'm not Angel... I'm a butler on night duty." He said.

The girl looks up and down at Boschi's clothing. Limb prosthetic arm, blind on the right eye, and carrying a sword. Raining hard in the central area. He decided to drop her off in the local church orphanage, but realized that it closed during nighttime. He did horror stories about the orphanage. Boschi will think about it, and decided on his own.

"Do... you want... to come with me?" Boschi asked nervously. "You will get a cold if stay in the rain longer with no shelter, as the same for your little brother."

The little girl said nothing. Before she could open her mouth, the lighting struck. She immediately yelped as she cover her baby brother ears and hid herself. Boschi, who is still holding the umbrella. He noticed that the girl is scared of lighting. He wonder how long she was abandon? He will have a long discussion with the butlers, even Haures too...

"Oi. You two. If you're scared of lighting, then come with me to the Manison. You will have a safe place. In the morning, we'll discuss this together." Boschi said.

The light caramel hair girl looked at Boschi. The lighting struck again, she immediately jumped at Boschi with her brother in her hand. She hid her face in Boschi's butler uniform. She agrees to go with him, he is a devil butlers after all. He will leave Bastien with slashing the Angels duty. Haures won't be back until morning.

"Let's go. Make sure you held your brother tight." Boschi said. He doesn't bother to complain how wet her clothes are. He used his butler coat as a umbrella for the little girl and her brother. He doesn't care about the rain pouring on him. He's just making sure the kids are not getting sick during the heavy rain. As he carries the little girl and her brother in his left arm and using the right to hold the coat over the little girl and her brother head, they wouldn't have to hear the lighting strucking outside. Usually Boschi is very rough around people, but when he is with this little girl and her brother. He felt different compare how he treat others. Boschi brushed it off, thinking that just a feeling and should not foucs on it. Boschi will always complain that the rain is making hair wet and ruin it. He ingore his clothes being wet, he doesn't the kids being sick during this cold weather. The sound of splashing, stomping footsteps, and the sound of Boschi breathing.

"Shit... the rain is making it much harder..." he cursed under his breath. Luckily the rain and the lighting are loud enough for Boschi to cursed under his breath. She wouldn't hear it right?

Boschi apparently made it to the Grosvenor manison. He set the little girl down with a coat still wrap under her head preventing from getting soak from the rain. He quickly open the entrance door.

"Go in, hurry." He said still panting from running still holding the entrance door. He heard her walking in the mansion as he went inside and shut the door quietly. Not wanting to alert the butlers.

"Oh! Boschi, you're back early. Oh? Who's that with you?" A voiced coming behind his back.

Shit! Boschi is screwed. That's the voice of Haures. Boschi thought he went home, but why the hell he is there?! He immediately turned around. He saw Haures, arms crossed, and an expression of "Boschi is in trouble" look. He gently pushed the girl to the stairs to his room. Haures block the stairs, still giving him the glare.

"Boschi, who's is that? Why on earth would you bring someone to the mansion?! You know that order of the Grosvenor families, if they found out that you bought a child with you. You will face consequences!" Haures scold him.

Boschi glare at him with hatred. "Tsk, I don't care. I found this little girl and her brother in her arms. She will caught a cold, if she stayed. Also, why the hell are you here?! I thought you went home?!" Boschi exclaim at Haures. It's get the point, that other butlers had to come to check for the noises coming from. Fennesz behind Haures trying to calm down. It's turn into the argument in the main first floor. Boschi pulled the girl close to him ignoring his soaked coat is under her head. He isn't gonna let anyone take the poor girl and her brother away or even lay a finger on them.

"I don't care, if I'm gonna face consequences! Go ahead! Tell the Grosvenor about it! I refuse to gave them up! We will discuss this later!" Boschi yelled. "Don't think about stopping me! Now, if you excuse me I'm going to talk to her! Alone!" Boschi pushed Haures with his shoulder as he hold the little girl hand guiding her to the bathroom. Walking passed Haures, who just stood there.

The butlers, who witnessed the fight has went back to duty. There master hasn't been around, they're still doing the Grosvenor families commission or duty. Boschi open the shared bedroom. He sat her down on the blue chair as he took off his soaking, wet coat. He went to his drawer for fresh clothes. He felt... bad... for what?

"Thank you..." she mumbled to Boschi. He stopped digging through his drawers. After he heard her voice. "I'm sorry for causing trouble... I-" she was interrupted by Boschi throwing a towel on her head as he gently drying her wet hair from the rain.

"Don't apologize. I was the one who dragged into this mess. I decided to take you in, so you wouldn't get sick." Boschi apologize. He isn't the type to apologize. He does felt bad for her for dragging herself into this.

"Oh! Mister! I haven't gotten your name. Is it Boschi?" She asked tilting her head to look at him. Her innocent sea blue eyes staring at him.

"Yeah... I'm Boschi Arenas. What about yours and your brother too?" He asked still drying her hair.

"Emily... and Rhys... Mr. Boschi..." she mumbled.

Boschi let out a hum. After drying her hair, she was given another towel for her brother. "I'll find you some new clothes for you and your brother. Come down if you're finished." Before he could give her some privacy. "Oh... if you happens to ran into the other butlers. Just say that you're looking for me." He walked out of his shared room as he shut the door behind him. He took one of Flure's untouched white button up shirt. As he was heading back upstairs.

"Boschi, can we talk?" Boschi turned his head to see Haures and the other second floor butlers too.

"Tsk, it's you..." he murmured. "Fine. Make it fast."

The second floor butlers and Boschi had a long discussion. He is already annoyed, he rather just ditch the discussion.

"Why are you worried so much? I'm planning to drop her in the church orphanage tomorrow morning." Boschi said.

"Boschi, I thought you never liked the church orphanage..." Fennesz comments. "You said that's place is bad for children."

Boschi went quiet for a moment, before he could open his mouth. He heard her voice on the second floor.

"Mr. Boschi. I came to see you." Emily said as she is walking down the stairs, holding her baby brother in her arms. She's wearing Boschi's white button up shirt that reaches to her knees.

"Ah, you two..." Boschi said, but he was pushed by Ammon.

"Is that your siblings? What's their name?" Ammon asked with excitement.

Fennesz and Haures crowded Emily's brother. They are cooing her and her brother too. Boschi with a fresh new clothes for Emily and her brother, stood there in annoyance.

"This is my brother. His name is Rhys. I'm Emily. It's nice meeting you." She said introducing herself and her brother. "I'm sorry for being here... Mr. Boschi found me and took me in."

"Oh no, it's okay Emily. I'm surprised that Mr. Boschi decided to take you." Fennesz said.

"Was Boschi nice to you, tehe!" Ammon asked.

Emily nodded. "He's nice to me. I'll be gone tomorrow right?" She turned to Boschi, who stood there dazed out until he heard her called his name.

"Uh... yeah..." he said clenching the clothes in his arms. Haures looked at him with eyebrows raised then looked back at Emily.

"Emily, is it alright to ask you a question?" Haures kneel on his one knee.

Emily turned to look at him with confusion then nodded.

"Thank you, May I asked... Do you have any parents...?" He asked.

"Oi, oi! Careful Haures, don't make her cry." Ammon said.

Emily looked down. The pure sadness on her face. Boschi immediately panics.

"Oi! Haures! Why are you asking her that?!" Boschi yelled as he was about to reach for Haures's collar.

"Boschi! Calm down you don't want to start a fight!" Ammon calming Boschi down.

"My mother abandoned us. She said she will go pick us up as a promise, but she never came. I never seen my father or know him.... I already knew that she has abandoned us...." she hugged her brother.

Boschi turned his head to Emily's explaining her life as a homeless abandoned child. He felt bad for Emily and her little brother, after they had been going through. "I waited for my mother for my whole life in the streets, but... she never came. I always think that she gotten attack by angel or just forgot us." Emily said. "I heard there's an church orphanage, but I don't where it is."

Boschi looked at Emily with a shock expression. "I'm sorry to hear that Emily. You and your brother must have a hard time." Fennesz said.

"Rest assured, Emily. If the church orphanage isn't open. I can invite my son over if you like." Haures gently smile.

Boschi snap as he glared at Haures. Fennesz and Ammon just looked at each other then back at Haures and Boschi who are glaring each other like dogs and cats.

"Boschi, where will she be sleeping?" Fennesz asked.

"She'll be taking the bed. I'm fine with the couch." He said walking past them as he grab Emily's hand dragging her to the stairway. Ammon excuse himself as he followed Boschi and Emily.

"Oi! Boschi. Do you mind if I join ya'?" Ammon asked.

Boschi looked at Ammon then ingore him as he opened his shared room. Ammon still follow them, calling them back. "H-Hey! Wait! I wanna get to know Emily and her brother!"

In the second floor butlers's shared room. Emily let's Boschi hold her brother while Ammon is brushing her hair and styling it into a french braid.

"Your brother rarely cries, he is so quiet Emily." Ammon asked.

"Rhys usually isn't quiet. He always cries, but he did cry during Mr. Boschi found me." Emily said. "He is sleeping in Mr. Boschi arms. I think he is comfortable in his arms."

"Heh, Boschi isn't good with people." Ammon teased. "Beside, I thought babies would make a fuss."

"Oi! Ammon." Boschi exclaim, giving him a glare.

"Relax, relax. I'm not doing anything to you." Ammon reassure. "Beside lower your voice or else you will wake Rhys up."

Boschi let out a quiet annoyed tsk. Ammon has finished braiding Emily hair. "Emily, are you perhaps hungry?" She shook her head. Boschi eyebrow raise. "Then, what about your brother?"

She gently shook again. Boschi continues to stare at her. "Emily?"

"No, it's alright Mr. Boschi. We're full. We will be leaving tomorrow. Thank you for helping us."

Ammon stopped braiding and look over Emily and Boschi, who is quietly not talking but being awkward. Before Ammon could speak, the door swing open, as Haures and Fennesz walk in. Boschi looked over Haures and Fennesz, but gives Haures a enemy glare.

"Excuse us for interrupting something. We had discussed with Miyaji that there's a nearby orphanage that is happily take Emily and Rhys over." Fennesz said. He seems... oddly happy...?

"Emily, are you alright with that?" Haures asked.

She shyly nodded. "Well, it's getting late. I should take my leave now." Haures said, before he could leave he turned to Boschi. "Please take care of Emily and her brother, Boschi. I'm leaving Fennesz in charge while I'm gone.

"Good night Haures." Fennesz said.

"G'night sir!" Ammon said.

Boschi didn't say anything to Haures. He just continues to hold Rhys in his arms. Emily looked at Boschi, who is being quiet. "Emily, I think you should get some sleep! Don't worry about Boschi." Ammon reassure her.

She nodded. She watched as Boschi stand up as he guide her to his bed. "You'll be sleeping here, don't think about leaving in the middle of the night." He said placing Rhys quietly on the bed. He helped Emily getting to bed. He stare at Ammon, who is watching the whole time. He give him a glare of "don't think about telling anyone." Ammon just smile and give a thumbs up.

"I'll be back. I'll talk to the others." Boschi walked away from the bed. Ammon followed as he turn off the lights, shutting the door.

---

The next morning, Boschi was still fully sleeping on his shared bedroom, couch. He could hear Rhys cries, but ingore it due to exhaustion from the butlers scolding or talking sort things out. He could hear the cries stop, as he went back to sleep again.

He could feel someone staring at him. As he slowly opens his eyes. He could see a silhouette of Emily's light caramel hair and her light blue fade. His right eye is making him a little harder to see, but he could see her.

"Morning, Mr. Boschi. I'm ready to leave." Her quiet voice whispered.

Boschi slowly sat up. He could see Emily with Rhys on his arms, he seems fully sleeping, but he cried during the whole night. He felt bad that Emily has to apologize to everyone about it. They seems to let her off the hook because she is a kid. Well-behave kid, and deserve a better life.

"Do you want breakfast?" He asked. She shook her head again. Boschi raise his eyebrow again, she has been avoiding dinner and now breakfast?

"Rhys already ate. Mr. Haures came to work early, so he could check up on me and Rhys."

He frowned, he wasn't expecting Haures to come to work early. Beside there's no master in the house, expect for the Grosvenor manison. He listened to Emily explaining to Boschi about Haures teaching her how to feed her brother by checking the temperature of the bottle and measurement

"Mr. Boschi, why do you have a scar and a fake arm?" She asked, curiously like kids would do.

He didn't know how to respond, but he does understand that kids are always known for their curiosity. He decided to dodge that question by scooping her into his arms as he drag her to have breakfast. He ingored her pleading, but dragged her anyways. Lono came rushing as he could see that Boschi is making Emily to let go of her brother. He could see Emily's tears appears.

"Oi! Boschi, what are you doing? Can't you see that she is crying?" Lono exclaim.

Boschi looked at Lono as he put Emily down on the chair as he held Rhys in his arm. He never knew children would be this stubborn.

"She refused to eat breakfast. I'm making her to eat breakfast." Boschi says giving the delusional look at Lono.

"You can't force a kid to eat something without their consent. If they wanted too that's fine." Lono said crossing his arms. "Anyways, I think you should apologize to Emily."

Boschi look at Emily, still have teary eyes under her eyelashes. Rhys seems to be calm, he wonder why children are so stubborn. He let out annoyed sigh as he turns to face Emily and giving her brother back.

"I... I'm sorry Emily, for forcing you to be here..." he apologized in the awkward position and voice.

Emily let out a sniffle then smile. "It's okay Mr. Boschi! I forgive you!"

Boschi let out a small smile until quickly make his smile die due to Lono standing there. "Emily, are you perhaps hungry? I can make one for you."

Emily shook her head. "I'm alright sir! Mr. Haures give me something to eat." She replied with a smile.

Mid-pause for a minute. Both males looked at each other then back to Emily, the poor confused child doesn't understand if she had done something wrong. Boschi has to bite his inner lip to hold his laughter. Lono either questioning Haures or either disgusted.

"I'm... going to make something..." Lono left the dining room. Boschi let out a burst laughter. Poor Emily was confused.

"Did... I do something...?" She asked, looking at Boschi.

"No, but do not grab thing from Haures, okay?" He replied. "What does he gave you?"

"Black... chunky... toast eggs...?" She mumble.

Boschi held his laughter again. "Make sure you that don't eat or grab things that are burnt." "Damn, he is a terrible cooker. I bet his wife cook better." He whispered.

---

Emily finished her egg toast that Lono had given her. She was quite satisfied with the dish and learned not to take things from Haures's cooking skills.

"Boschi, are you taking Emily and Rhys to the orphanage church?" Berrien asked.

"Ah, yeah. I'll be back. I want to go on my own." He replied.

"You sure...?" Haures walk behind Berrien with arms cross and eyebrows raised.

Boschi let out annoyed tsk. He held Emily's hand as they both walk towards the entrance. They disappeared in the Grosvenor mansion as they walk to the orphanage place. The streets was busy, children are playing in the street. Street Vendor, and stores are open. People are walking by the streets, not acknowledging that Boschi is with the two children. Everyone is pretty busy today, probably the weekend or something...

"Mr. Boschi..." he turn his head to see Emily next to him talking. "Do you think... everyone will be nice to us?"

They stopped walking, but move to the sidewalk preventing people yelling at them to move. Boschi isn't good answering that question. He just shift his eyes, as he scratch the back of his head, quite nervous for not knowing what to say.

"Well... um..." he stutters, "it's really depends... if they're not nice to you... then..."

He looked at Emily, who is staring at him. "Then... ingore them. Violence is not an answer, but make sure don't get in trouble. Okay?" He watch as Emily nodded. He let out a sigh, his brain was dead when he couldn't think of any word. They continue to keep walking until they reach the orphanage place. He watch as the sisters (nuns) welcome Emily and Rhys with open arms. Before Emily could walk inside of the orphanage, she turned to Boschi as she stare into his green eyes.

"Do you think... you can visit me again...?" She asked, her Sea blue eyes glow in the sun.

Boschi was stun, he stood there. His mouth was open, he couldn't think of a word. "Sure..." he replied.

He watch as Emily let out a big smile as she walk inside of the orphanage place. One of the sister (nun) stayed outside as she walk towards Boschi. Just to have a conversation.

"She really likes you. Have you think about adopting her?" The brown hair nun asked.

Boschi cross his arms. He stared at the colorful glass window. He ingored the nun that is talking to him. He treated her quite differently compare to the others and the butlers too.

Time has passed, he visits the orphanage several times. He was surprised that she has rejects nobles families or middle class families quest. She and her brother who has grown as a toddler had stayed in the orphanage for a while.

"What...? You reject the noble families adopting you?" His eyes was widen after hearing that.

Emily closed the book, they're both sitting inside of the church pew. She looked at Boschi, with a smile on her face.

"The sisters said that I've the rights to rejects or accept. I'm happy that I could stay a little longer."

Boschi let out a hum as he lean on the wooden pew. The creak from the old wooden pew. He could feel Emily stare. Her sea blue eyes never died. She looks like a same age Fennesz's son that has arrived the mansion. Apparently the Butlers are married and had children of their own. Lato, Flure, and Boschi wasn't married or had children of their own blood. Boschi does felt lonely, since Ammon was away to take care of his wife.

"Mr. Boschi? Are you married or had children on your own?" Emily asked, her long light caramel neat hair fell off her shoulders.

"No... I don't mind..." he replied.

"Oh..." her tone went down as she look at the book on her lap. "Maybe, someday! I hope you don't forget about me and Rhys."

Boschi went quiet. The sister voice has been echoing his head. Adopting? A child? I mean- he does feel lonely in the Grosvenor mansion with nobody beside his butler crews. He turned to Emily, he kinda felt awkward for saying this. He has watched Emily and Rhys grew, he was proud of them.

"Emily." he said her name. She turn her head as she faces Boschi. He look quite serious. Did something happen? Is he leaving her and Rhys?

"Yes Mr. Boschi?" She replied.

There's an awkward silent between them. Boschi couldn't open his mouth, it's feel like glue shut. He clenched his fist, say it! Say it! Say it!

"Do..." he said, "do you and Rhys... want to live with me...?"

Silence. Boschi went to nervous mode. He was about to say something, until he could hear something drop. He looked at Emily, she has something in her face...? No... those are... tears...

"E-Emily...?" He stutters as he about to reach his hand on Emily's shoulder.

"Mr. Boschi..." she cried, "is it... true...? That you are adopting us...?"

She look into his green eyes. Her ocean tears overflow her under eyelashes. Boschi wasn't good with kids that are crying. He wants to slap himself for making her cry. He swallow his pride.

"Yes... its true, Emily." He said.

He suddenly felt a heavy big hug that wrap around his torsos. He see Emily on both of her knees as she hug him tighter. He ingored the tears are spilling on his uniform.

"Thank you Mr. Boschi! Thank you! Thank you!" She cried.

Boschi hesitantly comfort her as he brush her hair. He waited for her to be finish, a smile crack on his face. Now Boschi had company, so he wouldn't be alone anymore.

"Emily, Rhys. Welcome home."