#sorry for emotions being all over the place but inviting new people to things gives me anxiety BUT i wanna make friends

[betty-burnout]

I'm the bravest girl in the world* actually

*just invited her neighbor to see Wicked on Saturday

[callofdudes]

Hiya! How are you doing? Hope you doing okay. Btw, if you have time, can I request TF141 with Fem! Reader who is emotionless. The men’s went to visit Y/n place for her birthday but they heard loud bark in her house. When Y/n open the door the men’s are pin down by a lot of puppies. They though she has scary dog only to meet cute puppies. Imagine when the men’s see Y/n cuddle/hanging out with her puppies and she her smile a bit during her birthday they be like ‘Dammit! So cute!’ And almost faint seeing the light above of her like an angel.

Thank you for being so patient anon, I'm trying to get these done, ahh!

Simon "Ghost" Riley

Ghost is pretty used to how you act on base, and while he doesn't exactly trust the whole emotionless thing (that's his thing, back off his permanent emo phase) he does give you space and respect you.

So much so when you invited him to come over after a long mission needing a break from life, he just decided to except. To hell with it, at least he knew you wouldn't bother him.

And plus, it was your birthday in a couple days so what was the real harm in saying no??

So he shows up with his bags a couple days later, not expecting anything special until he rang the doorbell.

Now.

Simon.

Loves.

Dogs.

There are few things he loves more in this world than tea, arson, and dogs. So when he hears a bunch of barking he rightfully assumes you have a dog, unless you just have that playing to scars people, which he wouldn't put it past you.

You come to the door, struggling to open it before he's bombarded at the glass screen, seeing a bunch of tiny puppies jumping and wagging their little tails in excitement to meet a new person.

And Simon nearly dies of how utterly fucking cute that is. You open the door and their jumping at his legs, yipping as he comes in and puts down his bag, on their little legs rushing to sniff the new item in the home.

"Sorry about them." You apologize.

Simon shrugs, melting. "That's alright."

The puppies are pretty adorable, one of them even wants to sleep on his bed with him. And Simon gets used to them, pulling them into his lap and stroking them, cradling them, occasionally following you when you take them for walks.

But when you're both sitting in the living room, Simon scrolling through his phone and you on the TV. He can't help looking over and seeing two of them curled up on your lap and passed out. The others all snuggled close as you barely cling on to the TV remote.

He stares, lip turning up slightly under his mask, seeing how cute the scene was. It was pretty damn adorable.

And he's going to miss those puppies when he goes home. But now he has a nes perspective on you as well. He knows you're gentle.

You pretend not to have emotions, and in your line of work he understood, but he saw the gentle side of you. The nurturer, even if it was too a bunch of cute puppies.

Also.

Let him see your puppies again.

Please.

He's begging you.

John "Soap" MacTavish

Now, Johnny probably would have declined your offer to stay at your house if he knew you had dogs. Johnny hates dogs, and is not afraid to kick one on the spot.

But you wanted to throw a party for your birthday and he couldn't just.. decline to go to your birthday. That was horrible, he was invited, he had to go!

He doesn't want to be cruel to dogs or go out of his way, but they scare him. And he doesn't like being near them.

He grabbed his bag and knocked on your door, immediately tensing when he heard the sound of yips coming toward the door.

Please don't let it be a big dog, please don't let it be a big dog.

You rushed to the door, struggling to open it and Johnny was suddenly swarmed by tiny puppers.

He tensed a little and you apologized, herding them back inside and letting Johnny in. Luckily they were distracted by the scent on his bag long enough he could make it to the living room.

"Sorry about that, should have told you."

"Oh ah, no no that's alright..."

He chuckles softly as the puppies get excited from the new guest, some scrambling to hop into his lap when he sits down and you have to gently remove them from him so he can get settled.

You smile softly as you pull them off and gently, lovingly scold them on crawling all over him. He can't help a little smile when you pick one up, drawing the rest to follow you to the couch.

You flop down, tossing Johnny the remote as the puppies crawl up to you, yipping and snuggling up.

Johnny puts on some YouTube video for experimental slow motion capture explosions for a bit.

Eventually looking over to see if you're even interested, only to see you passed out on the couch with the puppies all curled up.

He watched, smiling softly seeing you so relaxed. You were gentle and kind and now you were soft, all curled up like the world was calm. He grabbed the throw blanket and gently laid it over you, turning off the TV.

One of the pups squirmed out from under your arm, yipping as he moved to the stairs. Johnny shushed the pup softly so you could continue to sleep and he headed down to his room.

You were pretty cute like that, all curled up with a bunch of puppies.

Just... It might not be as cute when they get bigger.

But for now, absolutely adorable.

And now he thinks he might try to get you to open up a little more. Because clearly you aren't simply what you want to be seen as. And he wants to know you. That gentleness he saw that day with your puppies.

Kyle "Gaz" Garrick

Kyle doesn't feel any which way about either animal. He's slightly more of a cat person but would say he likes cats and dogs equally.

He didn't really have any particular thoughts about you either. You were on the team, you got the job done, and that was good. You were quiet, like Ghost, and that was something he could appreciate.

He might have declined the offer to stay over, but it was you'd birthday and you had offered. And what's a week in someone else's home he didn't have to worry about rent and resources? (Gaz math)

So he found himself at your doorstep with really not much idea of what to expect. He didn't think much of it when he rang the doorbell and heard a bunch of yips and little barks.

You must have dogs. Or puppies from the sounds of it.

And he was right, looking down as you opened the door, seeing puppies skittering around and wiggling excitedly. You opened the door, nodding to Kyle, who nodded back.

"Sorry about them, off." You commanded, helping Kyle to put his bag down on the kitchen chair. He watched the puppies dance around between and around his feet.

"That's a lot of puppies." He put his hands in his pockets.

"And I love them all." You smiled softly, cooing them over to the couch. Kyle watched all of them waddle over, yipping and scrambling to get up into the couch.

You curled up in a blanket with them all, one of them staying back to sniff Kyle's pantleg and nibble on it a little.

Kyle watched the little puppy, bending down to pick him up and felt his soft coat. He was very cute puppy, very light too.

"They are beautiful... What breed??" He looked up, noticing your eyes were closed. The light from your blinds casting on you in just a way he could tell it had been a long day.

He smiles softly, thinking how cute it was paired with your earlier words.

He attempted to put the one puppy down but it scrambled back, following him as he took your advice and also went to pass out for a nap.

Eventually waking up with that same pup curled up with him. He went upstairs to see you still sleeping, and he couldn't help thinking it cute s second time.

You were soft, gentle with the small animals. So comfortable with them. He couldn't stop s small smile. So this was the real y/n... He'd like to see more of you.

And he thinks your puppies are adorable.

John Price

Price is like Kyle in that he doesn't really prefer one species over the other, he vibes with both. Though he's leaning more dog person.

You on the other hand, your skill alone is what got you on the team. Price wishes you would be less 'emotionless' and try to open up even a smidge to the others. Even a little bit of teamwork can lead to a lot of success and smoothness.

But oh hell he picked you all...

That's what he couldn't help thinking as he drove down to your house for your birthday. It was mid leave and Price was headed over to celebrate the day with you and make sure you wouldn't be alone.

Showing up at your door, he didn't his little dad shoulder roll and knocked. When he got no response he rang the doorbell, immediately hearing loud barking and yipping.

His eyebrows raised slightly. He didn't take you for a dog person. Unless he's at the wrong house, in that case, fuck him.

But he's reassured it's you when you open the door, giving him a half a smile for effort. "Captain, sorry, I was trying to put them away."

Price chuckles when the small puppies jump up at his legs and run around him, smelling all the new smells on him.

"That's quite alright."

You open the door further and let him inside. Price steps in, the small puppies yipping and jumping. You try to gently scold them off but Price doesn't react, letting them do their thing.

"Sorry, I can make you tea, we can sit down??"

Price nodded. "That sounds lovely actually, thank you."

You nod, grabbing out two cups and getting the kettle ready.

You two pass time talking until you get to the couch, Price crossing a leg over, one of the pups hopping up into his lap, yipping at him and snuggling up to his stomach.

Price can't help chuckling again as you talk. The rest of the puppies curl up with you, you'd arms wrapping around them all, trying to squeeze your love gently into their tiny bodies.

The quietness somehow seeping in along the way until Price looks up from petting the small puppy to see you nodding off against the arm rest.

The sun through the window hits you nicely and Price sighs softly. Seeing how tired you looked, how gentle you were.

Price always knew it, he knew the soft soul under those faces. And now he saw it, seeing how utterly adorable you were curled up with your puppies.

He walks over, setting down the pup from his lap against you, having a feeling he'd feel better there.

He pulls the throw blanket over you, rubbing your arm gently. Guess he's making dinner to give back for making him tea.

He looked back into the living room, seeing you still passed out. Maybe, with some more work he can get you to open to him. He liked seeing you so cuddly up.

You were so gosh darn adorable, almost as adorable as the puppies themselves.

(sorry it's short, it's late and I wanted to at least get something out, blep.)

[oneshlut]

I loved your hcs for Varian so much! 😍 Could you possibly write some fluffy headcanons got him having a crush and how'd he confess? Tysm for bringing me back to the TTS fandom 🙇‍♀️

A/N: OOH YESYES!!! im so glad you enjoyed my var hcs!! honestly one of my fav nerds to write forr, these already sound so fluffy to write! tooth-rotting, even.. oh, and good to have you back in the fandom !

SORRY FOR THE LONG HIATUS!!

Angel (Varian x Reader) [Headcanons]

Rules For Requesting

Characters I Will Write For

Masterlist

Summary: General fluffy crushing and confession headcanons for Varian

Extra Info: haha hello dolly reference at the end because im obsessed

In Corona, love at first sight isn't necessarily common. Sure, Rapunzel and Eugene got together in the maximum of a week, but Rapunzel was threatening him at first sight. And when it comes to Varian, you're gonna have to know him for a while until real feelings start to develop. Not just puppy love.

Normally, the two of you would hang out.. maybe two days a week. If you're coming over to his place, you'll probably just spend the day chatting while Varian works on whatever new invention he's workshopping at the moment. Sometimes he'll let you help. Sometimes. Otherwise, at your place the two of you will usually.. uh. Well, leave. There's a forest right outside your house, which leads straight to a breathtaking view of all of Corona. Varian never cared for "pretty views", but.. if you did, he did as well. That same forest has equally great places for cloud watching, but when you didn't feel like being calm all the time, you and Varian would explore the depths of the forest, discovering new things. When he wanted to, Ruddiger would tag along.

The first "sorta" hint of feelings "somewhat" developing was Varian inviting you to hang out more often. Two days a week turned into three. Then four. Maybe five, if your schedule allowed it. Even then, he still couldn't get enough. On days when you wouldn't be able to see each other, hr would send letters to you to check up on you. Still keeping in mind to not come off as clingy.. despite how truly clingy he was. Of course, Varian still viewed you as a friend--a best friend. How oblivious.

Speaking of which, Varian is extremely oblivious to his own emotions. Ruddiger would be the first to know that he was crushing before Varian himself knew. Whenever he mentioned you as a "friend", Ruddiger would subtly roll his eyes. Especially when Varian would talk about you to him. Ruddiger knew better by the look in his eyes when he practically ranted about you, but Varian didn't.

The way he finds out that he has a crush on you is actually a bit cute. It was Rapunzel's and Eugene's anniversary, so they had a celebratory ball with most of the town invited. Varian had asked you to join him so you could meet people like Lance and Cassandra, since you hadn't really properly met them yet. That was a shocker. It wasn't a fancy celebration, almost like a birthday party, but it was enough to send butterflies to your stomach when he invited you.

There was a sort of "climax" in the party, where Eugene and Rapunzel danced together in the middle of the ballroom. Almost like something out of a fairytale. At the time, you and Varian were on opposite sides due to the group of people shuffling back to give the couple room to dance. You were talking to different people at the time, causing you two to be further apart than usual. Further than Varian wanted at this time.

Varian watched the couple dance around the marble-like floor, sighing at the scene. It was cute, and the idea that the two found eachother and stuck together in the end was.. nice. The idea of a soulmate.. it was sweet.

And for "some" reason, Varian found himself thinking about you. You and him on the dancefloor, instead of the couple that his eyes were glued on. Breaking away from the trance that was the rhythmic dancing, he switched his focus to the back of the room, channeling in on the sight of you. Embarrassingly, heat rose to his face. Varian looked away before you got the chance to notice his longing stare.

The thought of his feelings troubled him. Not in the way that he didn't want to like you--more so in the way that he knew that he would mess up even more infront of you now that he had the knowledge of his feelings. Maybe this was just another Cassandra crush. Maybe it'll just pass over time. After all, there is no way you'd even like him back. Is what he thought.

He was absolutely right. Now more than ever, he was extremely clumsy around you. When he saw you, he tripped over his feet. When he caught a glance from you in the middle of an experiment.. the experiment would blow up. Sometimes he would stumble over his words, saying things he didn't mean to say. He was so obvious, it was adorable. You could probably pick up on his feelings before he even confessed. Varian, as oblivious as he is, still thinks he's being super secretive about everything. He's not.

Like with Cassandra, Varian will constantly offer to help you with certain chores or just personal tasks. His love language is probably "Acts of Service", which is partly why he'll do anything and everything for you. Oh--and by the way, he was wrong. This crush did not pass over with time like Cassandra.

After about 2 months, he finally gets the courage to tell you. He knew he would just keep making a fool out of himself in front of you if he didn't. Over letter, he asked you to meet him out in the forest that the two of you always hung out in. Ruddiger had insisted to come along with him, as some sort of "hype-man". Reluctantly, Varian let him follow him out the door.

It wasn't hard for you to find him. It was your normal spot: a clearing in the trees that let the sun shine on the forest floor. When you saw him.. a rose color flushed to your cheeks. The sight was beautiful, Varian sitting on the forest floor, (not noticing you), with the glimmering light from the sun that made him look like an angel. Swallowing down your butterflies, you took a seat next to him in the soft grass.

Only then did Varian notice you, mumbling an awkward 'hello'. After a bit of comfortable silence, sounds of nature surrounding you two, Ruddiger slightly bit Varian's hand: a signal for him to get on with it. The raccoon quickly fled the scene with a 'shoo' hand signal from Varian.

You watched as he took out a flower from his opposite hand, surprised you hadn't noticed it before. He must've had it for a while--you didn't see him pick it up earlier. It was a sunflower, fitting for the area in the forest. You were glad now for the somewhat-blinding sun, it hid your blush fairly well.

If Varian's heart could stop beating, it definitely did now. He was already nervous about the very idea about telling you how he felt, but seeing you in the sunlight.. how breathtaking you looked.. it was almost too much for him to handle. So he decided to keep his confession short and sweet. If he talked for longer than 20 seconds he was sure to pass out.

"I.. I like you. Mo-More than I should.. a-and ifyoudon'tlikemebackthat'sfinejustpleasedon'thateme--and this is for you-!"

After rushing his confession, he quickly gave the sunflower to you before immediately looking away. You couldn't feel more flattered. And.. you felt suddenly bold.

Tapping him on his shoulder, he reluctantly turned to you to see your reaction.

And, with a sudden kiss, Varian was frozen. Not frozen enough to be cold--his face was actually extremely warm.

Realizing what had just happened, he fell to the forest floor on his back, laying down with his hands on his face. He couldn't be more embarrassed. He was supposed to be the confident one, not you. But thinking about it more, he minded it less. At the time, he just felt embarrassed for himself. And the situation. He wasn't dreaming, was he? Cracking open his hands to peek at your grinning, teasing, and.. blushing face, Varian now knew this was reality.

"Maybe give me a warning next time, will you..?"

His voice shook, but still chuckled through the humility.

Ruddiger perked up from behind a tree, chirping in happiness from the success. Varian sat up suddenly, laughing as the raccoon jumped into his lap.

You watched as he pet Ruddiger calmly, before meeting your gaze a moment later.

It only took that very moment to be loved a whole life long.

[desultory-novice]

what do you think of magolor soul’s true arena desc? makes me think he isn’t truly sorry.

I wanted to save this ask to write something MUCH more comprehensive about this but, um, serious RL stuff (it's positive stuff, no worries. I'm just kinda anxious about it...) popped up during my break so since I'm going to need to duck away for a few days to cool down (and because I'm currently super mega obsessed with True Arena Magolor) I decided to hit this one quickly.

So, in brief, this game has an excellent translation. Forgotten Land quality. I'd say even a little bit above that, since Magolor's writing in the epilogue is so good. (Biased?)

But there is a slight shift of TONE in Magolor Soul's True Arena description, the 2nd phase, where he talks directly to Kirby. (Honestly, this is probably just an issue of spacing. Magolor talks a LOT and you can see this screen is packed with text. Amusingly, spacing was my guess for the loss of a few details from Magolor Soul's pause screen in the original game.)

(Photo nicked from willidleaway)

Here is a quick "alternate" translation from me:

"Kirby, frankly, I found you a pain to deal with. And the way you looked at me with that blank stare even after I betrayed you? It irks me that I keep having to rely on you but... I've had enough. Kirby of the Stars, hurry up and destroy this thing on my head. When you do, I'll come back and... heheheh...I'll tease you plenty!"

The part TumblingPotatoes is referring to is probably the part I translated as "...found you a pain to deal with." The word in question can mean "dislike" as in "We've invited Magolor to dinner tonight!" "Ugh, I really dislike that guy!" but it really just means someone that, for a variety of reasons, you may struggle to deal with.

The fact that Magolor is a consummate liar but Kirby approaches everyone with honesty and openness is a quick and easy answer for why Magolor might feel that way about Kirby. Not to mention, as he says in both versions, Kirby is SO honest they didn't even react with shock or hurt when Magolor betrayed them. It's hard to say WHY Kirby didn't have that kind of emotional reaction, maybe they just knew better? Maybe Kirby figured, "Huh. I guess it's just time to beat the evil out of you like I've done with all my friends to date!"

The reason I prefer the Japanese slightly is because the English had to combine the "...it irks me to rely on you" and "hurry and break this thing on my head" into one line which, while Magolor is meant to be speaking from a place of pride (he doesn't want to admit he needs help. But of course, he really, really, REALLY needs help) it does sort of give him a cocky attitude in English. (The addition of "Ugh" does something similar. It does a wonderful job showing he's having to fight his own nature to admit this.)

But in Japanese, his desperation ("hurry") comes off better. It makes him sound a little bit more sad too (Something about Magolor using "this thing" in Japanese, 「頭のコレ」, even though it's the same phrase in English... but the context behind refusing to identify the Crown always gives me the feeling that at this point in the soul-consuming process, he's too frightened to even say it's name.)

...And this all hits especially hard because he uses the key phrase "Kirby of the Stars." Any time anyone invokes Kirby's "full name" you know things are serious.

His last line, his "threat" to toy with you/tease you is basically just the same Magolor you see in the epilogue. He can "turn over a new leaf" and still be a villainous & mischievous little egg. Saving his life isn't going to give him a personality transplant. It isn't going to mean he doesn't like playing pranks on people - or that he thinks that hitting a bomb with a frying pan isn't one of the multiverse's greatest games and definitely needs a space in his theme park. ^^

Again, he may also be trying to preserve some of his tattered dignity there. The long and short of it is... Magolor is being "tsundere" (I hope I don't need to explain that one...?)

Yes, he cares about Kirby as a friend. (Will he say it? No.) Yes, he feels bad for what he did. (Will he say that? Also no.)

...He CAN'T. It's not the way he communicates. But remember that Magolor has lied to you throughout the whole game. And it's the Liar Magolor that always tells you how "thankful" he is, how "happy" he is you two met. How "wonderful" and "amazing" Kirby is.

The fact that Magolor is willing to say "yeah, you kind of annoyed me" is a sign that Magolor is giving Kirby something he's potentially never given ANYONE before...

The truth.

So yes, this experience HAS changed him for the good and he absolutely, undeniably cares about Kirby.

--

Last Minute Addition:

It's interesting, in light of the very likely sounding theory that Magolor has already been fully consumed by the crown in this fight (his eyes disappear right as he uses "the last" of his ability to fight against the crown to leave you a single apple) and CANNOT be saved that the English text "...then someday..." and "...I MAY get to toy with you..." when the Japanese doesn't have these vagueties on Magolor's behalf. (I was influenced enough by it that even I included the phrase "when I come back" when Magolor just says "I will again...tease you")

Does he know it's already too late? It kind of gives you the feeling that Magolor is either lying to sooth Kirby from what the puffball has to do (kill him) or he's trying to goad Kirby on into finishing this. Really just makes the whole thing more heartbreaking.

[karatekels]

Discipline Training - Chapter 1

Hey everyone! I know I haven't posted something fun to read in awhile, and while I'm typing away at TIGmases 9 and 10 I figured I'd give you something to tide you over: MORE unfinished writing!

I'll be posting the first (and currently only) two chapters of my first-ever foray into writing for Terry Silver. Some of you may have followed the links to my Ao3, but I figured I could throw them up here as well. Who knows? Maybe I'll finish this one day!

---

Summary: Terry comes home early from a work trip and catches you touching yourself without his permission. He decides to punish train you in the third 'D': Discipline.

TW: Forced/guided masturbation, voyeurism, forced orgasms, consensual dom/sub

---

Discipline Training

Chapter 1: Caught in the Act

---

Stretching lazily, the cool silk sheets brushing pleasantly against your bare legs, you open your eyes sleepily, taking in the sunlight streaming in through the bedroom window. You turn over, facing the other side of the bed and smile to yourself, knowing that this would be the last morning that you would be waking up alone for quite awhile. Terry had been away for weeks now, scouting new locations of interest for Dynatox, but he would be home today. It was the longest that you had been apart since the two of you started your relationship months ago, and this was the first time he had gone on a business trip since he had invited – more like insisted – that you move into his mansion. While you were still a bit uncomfortable living in such an extravagant place with people waiting to serve you, this was finally starting to feel like home.

You resolve to get out of bed and get ready for the day, planning to head to the kitchen to request a romantic dinner to celebrate Terry’s return before heading into your walk-in closet to put together something special to wear. You know that Terry will be as desperate to get his hands on you as you are, especially after spending this much time apart, and knew he would appreciate one of the more risqué lingerie sets that you have picked out.

As you roll over to get out of bed, you see that the telephone above your nightstand is blinking at you. Confused as to who would have called while you were sleeping, you pick up the receiver and enter the code to access the voicemail.

*BEEP*

“Hey babe, it’s me. Listen, I know that you were expecting me home today, but I’ve got to stay in Vietnam a little longer. I’m sorry baby, and I hope you aren’t too disappointed. I can’t wait to see you when I get back – I love you.”

*BEEP*

Swallowing the lump in your throat, you hang up the receiver and flop back on the bed. Terry worked hard, yes, and you were so, so proud of him, but… you had been so looking forward to seeing him tonight. For weeks you had been counting down the days, putting up with stress at work and coming home to the empty Ennis House night after night. You’d been so good, following all of Terry’s rules. Thinking back to the day that he had asked you to move in with him, you blush as you think about what else he had asked of you that day…

***

You had only agreed to move in with him fifteen minutes ago, but he had already tasked Margaret with putting together a team of movers to get your things to his place by the end of the day. You were in a limo on your way over to his mansion – soon to be your home, you think to yourself with a giddy feeling – and Terry is practically bouncing with glee in the seat next to you, his large frame radiating happiness. You smile up at him, adoring how open he was being, and he catches your eye and gives you a lopsided grin before he suddenly stops, looking down at you with a serious expression.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” you ask, still not completely used to how quickly Terry’s emotions shifted. He reaches one hand behind his head, giving his dark ponytail a tug, a nervous, self-conscious habit of his that he did around those he was comfortable with.

“I… I wanted to ask you something else today, babe, but it’s a little out there, and I don’t want to pressure you or anything,” he begins, and it’s so strange to see him looking this vulnerable. You reach out and put a hand on his, smiling up at him warmly.

“Ask me, Terry. We’re going to be living together, you should be able to talk to me about anything!”

“Well, that’s the thing, Y/N. You moving in with me feels like I’m really making you mine, y’know? And I kind of want to take that to the next level…” he trails off, and his mercurial moods continue as he looks into your eyes now with incredibly intense lust. You find yourself reflexively leaning into him and licking your lips, utterly hypnotized by this man.

“What do you mean, love?” you ask, your voice coming out husky despite yourself.

“What I mean,” he continues, leaning over to whisper in your ear, “is that I want to own everything, Y/N. You’re going to live with me, and I want to take care of you in every way, give you the best of everything. I’m going to do everything in my power to make you feel good, and I want it to be only me that makes you feel that way,” his tongue curls around the shell of your ear, making you shudder against him. “I want to own your body, Y/N, your pleasure. Every orgasm you have will be because I tell you to come. Let me have you, baby. Let me have all of you.”

Sweet fuck, this man was going to have you moaning his name through words alone. In the moment, you may have answered too quickly, but in the months that followed you never found yourself regretting your response.

“Yes, God yes, Terry. I’m all yours.”

***

And you had kept that promise the entire time that Terry had been gone, though it hadn’t exactly been easy. You and Terry both had rather voracious sexual appetites, and to go from having sex at least once a day to abstaining completely for weeks has had you going crazy, but you had done it for him. You bury your face in a pillow in frustration, noting that Terry’s scent still permeated the pillowcase regardless of how many times the housekeeper washed the sheets. Everything about Terry was completely intoxicating to you, and you feel your body relax despite yourself just from catching that whiff of his cologne.

Thinking about the last time you and Terry had been in this bed together, you bite your lip. You had waited almost a month, and been so good… and Terry would never know, right? You look around the room guiltily for a moment, before grinning a little to yourself. You deserved to feel good, and giving yourself just one orgasm would be just the thing to get over the disappointment of having to wait longer for Terry’s return. You quickly strip off your pyjamas and lay back on the bed, getting comfortable on the silk sheets. As you start massaging your breasts, your head falls back further on your pillow and your eyes flutter closed. You tweak one of your nipples firmly and your breath hitches as you try to imagine Terry touching you; ever since the first time he had touched you like this, nothing you did to yourself had been able to compare.

Remembering the feeling of Terry’s hands on you – firm, but gentle, and hinting at the strength he was capable of unleashing if he chose – you trail one of your hands down your stomach and past your abdomen to your pussy. Spreading your legs wide, your fingers immediately go to your clit, moving quickly in circles just as you liked. Just the thought of Terry fucking you has you so wet already and wanting to come desperately. You bite your lip, panting heavily now as you work to get yourself off. You feel your climax quickly approaching, but just as the blood starts to rush in your ears, you moan softly, and as you inhale again, you suddenly detect the taste of tobacco on your tongue. Terry?

 You stop touching yourself immediately and sit up, opening your eyes and looking over to the bedroom door, which has remained closed. You let out a breathy laugh mixed with a sigh of relief, feeling silly for being so paranoid.

“So, you thought you could break my rules and get away with it, huh?”

You yelp and jump up in a panic at the sound of the voice. You would know that deep tenor anywhere. Sure enough, Terry Silver is sitting on one of the small chairs from your walk-in closet, moved into the corner of the room. How had you not heard him?

Calming your breathing, you give him a shaky smile.

“Terry! You’re home today after all, I’m so glad to se-”

“Don’t. Even. Try it.” Terry growls lowly, his piercing eyes pinning you in place. While his face is intense and predatory, the rest of his body is perfectly at ease. He’s dressed in one of his perfectly tailored suits, his tie loose but not too casual, and he’s sat back with one leg crossed over the other, casually smoking a cigar.

“I’m sorry, Terry! I really tried not to – I haven’t touched myself at all until just now, and I just wanted to feel better because I was so disappointed that you weren’t going to be here…” You trail off, and, feeling incredibly exposed, you reach down to pull up the sheet to cover yourself, your eyes never leaving his face. But even with your eyes locked onto him, your senses are too slow to detect his movement as he lunges at you, yanking the sheet away from you and looming over you even as he sits up on the bed on his knees.

“How many times,” he begins, practically whispering as he exhales, the cigar smoke swirling around you both as if it was trapping you two together, “do I have to remind you of the three D’s, huh babe?” He grins wolfishly around the cigar, suggesting that he knows his words are silly and just daring you to laugh at them. You don’t, biting your tongue to keep yourself from making a sound.

“Desire. Devotion. Discipline. The first two you have, yeah, but discipline? It still seems like you’re struggling with that, even after all of our training. But I’m here for you, baby,” he croons, oh-so gentle, but you’re still captivated by his gaze. “Let me help you get some discipline.”

Quick as a flash, he’s lounging back in his chair, eyes flashing at you through the haze of smoke.

“Start again,” comes the command, and you find yourself able to move – and breathe – again as he gives you this bit of distance.

“W-what?” you ask, trying to keep the tremble out of your voice. He chuckles darkly.

“You can’t seem to keep yourself from getting off, so we’re going to teach you some discipline another way, baby. You’re going to play with that pretty pussy for me and not stop until I tell you to.” Your knees clench together reflexively. Sure, you and Terry were pretty kinky together, but this was something new altogether.

“Terry, baby, I’m not sure if I-” you start, but he cuts you off.

“I think three orgasms will be sufficient training for the day. Three orgasms for the 3 D’s, yeah?” he laughs briefly at his own joke, but his eyes are shining with intense lust. “Get to it, babe,” he reclines in the chair, looking completely at ease once more. “Put on a show for me.”

Mr. Oral Fixation over here...

---

Chapter 2

[Future Parts will be updated here if I ever finish this!]

[ranchracoon]

Devour Ch. 25: A Mother's Blessing

Master Post

Chapter 24

After your date with Bela, the others join the two of you in the opera hall to spend the day together. Cassandra sits between your legs on the floor while you brush your fingers through her hair. She hums softly with her eyes closed, her humming steadily becoming softer and softer the more tired she gets. Bela practices on the piano while Daniela lays her head on your shoulder to read. The sun illuminates the hall in a yellow glow, and the only sound being the melodious keys of the piano and humming from Cassandra. No one hears the Lady walk up to the hall until the door opens and everyone looks up at the same time; Bela stops playing and places her hands on her lap. The Lady glances over all of her daughters and you, then sighs heavily, her smile is soft but sad to break up the lovely scene.

“Mother Miranda called, she wishes to see Y/N and I as soon as possible.”

The girls whine in protest and engulf you in their swarms, you laugh and attempt to break free of their grasp. Eventually they release you and each of them give you a tight hug and a kiss. They order you to come back to them in one piece and you promise that you'll try your best, no matter what.

Lady Dimitrescu walks next to you in silence, the gravel crunching under your feet as the two of you follow the path to Mother Miranda’s cottage. As you pass the village you glance down and see people down there, you stop and watch as they carry lumber and stone. The buildings that were once piles of rubble are cleared away, leaving room for new homes to take their place. The Lady cleared her throat to gain your attention, you whip your head in her direction, and she motions with her hand to keep going. After one last look at the village, you turn on your heels and return to following after her.

The cottage is quaint; it has a moss roof and ivy occupied the front walls with lavish raised beds underneath the windows. The trees from the forest curve around the roof of the cottage as if they're shielding it from the sun’s harmful rays. It certainly is not what you expected from all the things you heard about Mother Miranda; you were expecting something similar to the castle or the church. Maybe with more bones and blood if that’s even possible. Lady Dimitrescu knocks on the door and waited patiently while you continue to look around. The door opens and another surprise greets you; Mother Miranda is not in her usual religious attire, rather she's in a simple black robe with her blond hair tied back, and her face free of her mask. A familiar child sitting on her hip buried her face into Mother Miranda, hoping to become invisible to the strangers.

Mother Miranda moves out the way as Lady Dimitrescu bends over and enter with you just behind. The Lady has to hunch over in the main area, but Mother Miranda quickly invites you and her to an outdoor seating area. It's an extravagant garden with plants and flora that you’ve seen before, the ceiling is glass, and you can see the yellows, purples, and oranges from the setting sun. There's a seat big enough for the Lady, and you sit on a wooden bench next to her while Mother Miranda put Eva in another room then takes a seat across from you.

“Thank you for coming on such short notice.” Mother Miranda says with a shark exhale.

“Of course, Mother Miranda, I presume you called us here to inquire about our recovery?” The Lady asks.

“Yes, but I also wanted to formally apologize, in person, to you Y/N.”

When you say nothing out of shock, the Lady clears her throat for you to speak, “whatever for?” You ask.

“I heard about your family. I’m terribly sorry for the fate that befell them; by the time I found out what was happening in the village it was too late for me to intervene.”

You stare at her with wide eyes, and your mouth partially open. Today certainly is full of surprises. Mother Miranda is apologizing to you. You can't say anything, there's no words as a flurry of emotions swell inside your chest: you're angry that Mother Miranda didn't save them, you understand she couldn't possibly have known, you're upset at the loss of your family, but content with your new one. Lady Dimitrescu leans over and closes your mouth, breaking the still as stone curse upon you.

“Um..” you clear your throat, “thank you Mother Miranda. I appreciate that.” You choke out.

Mother Miranda smiles at you sadly then shifts in her seat with her legs crossed at the ankles, “I believe you’ve earned the right to just call me Miranda. Afterall, I do owe you for saving me. Twice.”

Another surprise. Maybe you should start a tally mark board, although at this rate you half expect Angie to pop out of nowhere and start a tap dance routine. Somehow that seems more plausible than the events currently unfolding. You look up at Lady Dimitrescu who gives you a feigned smile, but the ice in her eyes speaks her truth. You decide to keep your eyes on Miranda, however the coldness that emanates from Lady Dimitrescu is going to give you frostbite. You shiver from the intensity.

“I do have another matter that needs to be discussed but before that, would either of you like anything to drink? Alcina, I’m sure I have some of your wine here. Y/N?” Miranda asks with her head tilted.

“Some wine would be fantastic.” The Lady replies shortly.

“Just water for me. Thank you.” You answer.

Miranda disappears into a flurry of black feathers; she leaves you here with the Lady. Alone. Sudden Deja vu tickles your mind, feeling like when you got hired and met the Lady for the very first time. The uncertainty of whether or not you'll leave this room alive, or with all your extremities intact. You carefully eye the Lady and meet her stoic gaze then quickly shoot your own look back to where Miranda was sitting.

“Well, on a first name basis with Mother Miranda.” The Lady comments.

Her tone is bordering sarcastic, but you know that she is masking the jealousy deep inside. You slink down against the bench in an attempt to make yourself even smaller.

“Rightly earned though.” The Lady whispers, pretending to examine her gloves.

You perk up only a little, the comment sounded more genuine and, if you really strain, perhaps a bit prideful at the end. Miranda returns promptly with a tray, this time she enters from the same door that you and the Lady walked through. She sets the tray down and hands you a glass of water then Lady Dimitrescu a wine glass. You both thank her, and she takes her seat while holding a teacup. She blows on the hot liquid, then slowly tips the cup to consume a sip before placing the cup down beside her.

“Now, with Heisenberg gone the Lycans are running around completely unchecked and have already proved to be a threat to my rebuilding plans. They have killed numerous workers, which is halting the restoration.”

“What does that have to do with us?” The Lady inquires.

“I want your family to exterminate the rest of the Lycans.” Miranda answers casually.

“Is Donna or Moreau going to help?” You pry.

Miranda drinks another sip, “unfortunately not. They have voiced that they wish to stay out of any further conflict, and to be undisturbed while recovering. Oh, but they do send their gratitude, they received your gifts. I also thanked them for their contribution.”

You give Miranda a half-hearted smile, had it not been for Moreau who knows what would have happened. Bela and Daniela helped you make him a basket of all the things he enjoyed; romantic novels, movies, some scented candles, and some candied fish you got from the duke. You picked out some of the finest materials you could find to send to Donna, but it still didn't feel like enough.

“I think we could manage that, Mother Miranda.” Lady Dimitrescu answers.

“Excellent! Now that that’s out of the way, are there anymore updates that you have for me? How are the girls Alcina?” She asks with a genuine smile.

You sit there silently; it takes you a moment to register what is actually happening. Your whole life you were told that Mother Miranda did horrific experiments on people, was cruel, heartless, never showed empathy to anyone, and if you didn’t pray or show her respect you would suffer a fate worse than death. Part of it you know it's true; otherwise, your girlfriends, Lady Dimitrescu, Donna, Moreau, and even Eva wouldn't exist. Yet, here you are, on a first name basis and having a conversation with her like old friends. You only wish you could share this moment with your parents, your family.

“My daughters are doing well. They have adjusted back to their normal routine and are very happy for Y/N’s return. In addition, I have invited the Baroness Izidora and her staff to live with us. With the village extinct, they have been a tremendous help. I do hope that is okay.” The Lady speaks.

Miranda raises an eyebrow, “you don't need my permission. I doubt I could have stopped you, even if I said no. Although, I heard that she has stolen your heart Alcina. Is that true? If so, do you plan on making her a permanent addition to the family?” She asks slyly.

The Lady’s face turns pink, a stark contrast to the paleness of her skin, you lean toward her expectantly as you wait for her to answer with bated breath. The leather of her gloves squeak from how tightly she clenches her fists.

“She has, and I do. With your approval of course.” She replies quickly.

Miranda taps her forefinger against her chin to act as if she is pondering her answer.

“Of course I approve. Alcina, I have found my happiness, and I would never deny you a chance at yours. I do have one condition: you have to properly introduce her to me so I can get to know my future daughter-in-law better.” Miranda says happily.

Lady Dimitrescu visibly relaxes and toasts her wine glass to Miranda before downing the entire glass.

“So, what are your plans with Alcina’s daughters Y/N?” Miranda asks.

Miranda turns to you. You fiddle with your fingers as now it's your turn to get nervous. Sweat forms in the middle of your back, you feel as though you're in a spotlight with nothing but your underwear on. Your eyes look up at Lady Dimitrescu who narrows hers at you then tilts her head toward Miranda, indicating that you need to answer. You start to stutter, unsure of what to say as you rub the back of your neck nervously with one hand while the other picks at the hem of your shirt.

“Oh don’t act like that. I’ve seen the way they look at you; at the celebration and when they found out you weren’t in fact dead. I may be a scientist but it doesn’t take one to know how deeply in love you all are.” She states matter of factly.

“I want to marry them someday. If Lady Dimitrescu and you will give me your blessings.”

“I give you my blessing dear. If Alcina doesn’t then you come straight to me, you understand?”

You peek up at Lady Dimitrescu who simply eyes you unemotionally before she sighs deeply, and you catch the corner of her mouth twitch into a smirk before it disappears. She looks at her empty glass longingly, even if she had an entire bottle of wine it wouldn't be enough.

“I understand.” You reply.

“I love weddings. Haven’t been to one in centuries and now four are in the making? How exciting.” Miranda claps her hand together excitedly.

The rest of the conversation is idle chatter about what will happen to the village and the factory. Mother Miranda offers the previous lord position to you, but you respectfully decline. You are perfectly content being the official nuisance of Lady Dimitrescu. Eva starts to cry which ends the meeting, you and the Lady say your farewells and leave. On the way back to the castle you skip ahead to keep up with her strides and grin up at her. She halts her walking to look down at you, she crosses her arms across her chest, her golden eyes glow lowly in the shadow of her hat.

“What are you smiling about?” She asks coldly.

“Well, Miranda gave me her blessing to marry your daughters so….when they say yes does that mean I can start calling you mom?” You ask teasingly.

“Absolutely not.” She replies shortly.

“You’re never going to actually like me, are you?” You huff, “here I thought we had a special connection.”

The Lady sighs then crouches in front of you, “ I do like you Y/N. You have proven time and time again that you are loyal to my-our family, and you felt safe enough to be vulnerable in front of me. I will never take that for granted. More importantly you make my daughters happy. I couldn't have prayed for a better person. However, as their mother my role is to act like I disdain you. Otherwise, it would go to their heads, and I could never live that down. They are already running wild with ideas of Izidora and I.”

She cups your cheek and gives you a soft smile, her crow's feet squishing from the motion before she moves in to kiss the top of your forehead. She brushes your cheek with her thumb then stands once again. You smile broadly and tag along behind her, reminiscing on how much has happened in such a short span of time. If you went back in time and told your past self that you would be dating the loves of your life, your boss would like you, and even Mother Miranda approved of you; you would have laughed right at your face and said you were lying. The castle doors open wide and shut behind you, the second the lock clicks, the safety and welcoming feeling of tickles and buzzing greets you. The force from their shrouds is enough to push you back onto the floor with an audible thud. The girls materialize and cuddle into your face and neck, their forms purring and shimmering from excitement.

“Now, now daughters. I know you are excited to see her return, but please try not to hurt your fiancé.” Lady Dimitrescu orders.

“Fiance?!” The three of them scream as they shoot up and fluctuate between looking down at you and their mother.

Your head snaps up to the Lady who smirks at you mischievously and all you can do is glare in return. When you turn to look at your girlfriends…fiancés, they glare down at you and stray flies break free from their forms. You lock eyes with each of them before settling on Daniela who is directly above you with Cassandra on her right, and Bela on her left. The wooden floor of the foyer abruptly turns cold, goosebumps rise on your skin causing you to shiver.

“Why are you mad at me?” You ask defensively.

“Because it would have been nice to know that you’re our fiancé.” Growls Cassandra.

“Pretty sure you have to ask us first before you start declaring that.” States Bela.

“Yeah, you just decided that we were your fiancé. Don’t we get a say?” Asks Daniela.

“I was going to ask you! I mean. I am going to ask you! All three of you, individually. I swear! I just got Miranda’s blessing. Not like either of you would say no anyways.” You squeak.

The three of them growl at you. It isn’t a malicious growl, more of an annoyed growl, but you are in trouble none-the-less. The Lady's cold laughter resonates in the carriage gate, she knows exactly how to rile her daughters up and frankly, this is perfect revenge. Her heels are muffled by the hallway runners but you can still hear her walking getting further and further away until her voice booms from the end of the hall.

“If I were you, I would start running.” She advises.

So, you do what any logical person in your situation would do: you run like hell.

Epilogue

The village is beyond normal now that the Lycans are eradicated; it's vibrant with life and color, farms and stock are thriving, the population grew, and overall, the grayness that used to cloud the village is gone. Mother Miranda visits often with her daughter, she blames herself for the previous village’s destruction and dedicates every moment she can spare with this one. Rather than skulking about as a hag to ease-drop on villagers, she walks among the people to bless whatever plagues them, hear their woes, while Eva plays with the other children. Moreau cleaned up and reopened the bay for fishermen and swimming but remains hidden deep within the gemstone caves, not wanting to scare the people away. Donna is content being alone, but on rare occasions she will brave the outside and give the Duke some of her dolls to be passed out to the villagers. Alcina and Izidora are currently away in Hungary for their honeymoon.

Winter is just around the corner, and that means wood needs to be stocked for the entire castle. You still feel the need to contribute to the household, so you go out with a few workers and haul tree after tree to the castle for cutting. After enough trees are collected, you and the other workers split the trees into Indvidual logs to then be stored in the woodshed. Despite the cool weather you are drenched in sweat, you drop the ax for a brief moment and untied the wood apron you wear. You pull the bottom of your shirt up and wipe the sweat from your forehead and eyes. Your ear twitches at the faint sound of buzzed giggles that are muffled which means they're coming from inside the castle, you drop your shirt then crane your head up to a large window that overlooks the valley. In the window are your wives who quickly disappear after being caught ogling you. A chuckle leaves you and you decide to call it a day as the sun starts to set, besides, there's always tomorrow. You enter the castle through the carriage gate and find the three sitting in the main hall by the fire, each pretending to ignore you by distracting themselves; Daniela is on the floor with a book, Bela is sitting up with some papers, while Cassandra examines her sickle.

“Did you three enjoy the view?” You tease with a smirk.

Your wives glare at you as you fiddle with the ring on your left hand with a diopside gemstone, red ammolite, and citrine in the center of the band; courtesy of Moreau who created all the rings you, your wives, Alcina, and Izadora wear.

“As a matter of fact, we did not.” Daniela huffs.

“Would have been far more enjoyable if your shirt was off.” Cassandra says with a smirk.

“Hmm, well maybe I can give you guys a private show before I take a bath.” You wave your shirt up and down to give them a flash of your stomach.

Before you can even let go of your shirt the three of them surround you and grab a piece to drag you by.

The End

[eddiemunsonssoulmate]

Just need to get some emotions off my chest for a second.

Remember when I said I got a dog and was so excited about it to finally fix my life and get all the things I wanted?

Yeah. I have to rehome the little guy. The rescue basically lied on his behavior and I've had him for two months now with no progress, he's regressing badly and I've tried everything I can think of to help him. But he's basically a deeply traumatized dog, not a "family friendly, loyal, all happy" dog he was described as.

I knew that some dogs coming into a new home are scared and terrified but he's at a stage where it's not normal anymore and where it's out of my hands to help him.

If I had known his true background and all of that, I wouldn't have taken him in the first place because I know what kind of dogs I can handle and where I can use my previous experience. An absolute terrified, depressed dog is not it. I love the little guy and I want the best for him but it's breaking my heart to give him up.

I feel like a failure and like I didn't try enough and I'm terrified of the judgement and the guilt that comes with that decision. But when I see him regressing and turning even more into a ball of sadness, the same thing happens to me. My depression is kicking hard and mixed together with the fact I lost my job and can't guarantee that I will get enough mobile working hours to take care of him, it seems in his best interest to give him back to the rescue so they can rehome him. Preferably a family that knows how to handle those kind of dogs, has a yard and, especially, has another dog, one that is very secure and brave in his life so he can show this little guy what it's really like to have a family. I absolutely do not want to leave him alone all day when I start a new job and given that he hates visitors and won't go outside, I see no chance how to give him a proper life.

I just feel so sorry I couldn't be that family for him. I really wanted to, I tried, but due to his fear we can't even bond properly and I also can't really invite people over or anything. As much as he is feeling trapped in my home, I'm feeling trapped all the same and of course he is picking up on my emotions too.

It's just really tough right now and I feel like I'm once again at the lowest point in my life. It was supposed to be a great summer full of doggy adventures and now I spend all my days at home, being as depressed as he is. I loathe myself.

[hard-core-super-star]

It's okay, by now you probably know that I don't mind that and that taking your own time is more important, so you don't need to apologize for these things, I hope you're better now tho. I mean, totally, but if you look at the essays we write, we reply quite quickly. it probably was, but yes, at that moment I was already sleeping peacefully lmao. It's funny to see me admitting that you're right? 🤨 wHaTt?? kdhwkkwka is this chance in the room with us???? I don't know how I could expand on this- 😶

OH??? so you first call the characters from legends of tomorrow (I already forgot their names) irrelevant and now you say that my party theme is boring???? I don't know if you should be invited after that words actually 🤨 OKAY KSHSJWAK I woke up being attacked today, I see. well, as I said “less” I will still continue to be at least 0.00001% a brat. stfu asgwjwk it was not convincing! I mean, you can watch movies on this app... with more than one person... and since you were thinking about watching the amazing spider-man and it's been a while since I watched it this idea appeared in my mind so- 😶 oh yeah? Is it a win for me that I'm seeing? (saying caso cerrado and caso encerrado seems to have more emotion, I should have written that). both, lmao. I can't say, it's literally a state secret. we should make a duo 🤔

I thought you said you weren't an analyst??? you're welcome, it took me a few minutes staring at the wall and reflecting on life before and after I wrote this. yeah, but still!! i- heiwkjekq WELL, I guess I have no option but to leave this aside for now- you are (sometimes), but you won't see me complaining 👀 yup, that's not why my mind stops working on these messages, which gives yet another reason for the delay in replying.

sorry but I didn't laugh at that at all, I was completely serious. I won't say I was as confused as you reading this again and I admire that you have understood my sleepy messages so far. well, if this new follower has miles' pfp and a totally not sus name... it's not me. and I'm definitely not interested in you giving me your Instagram. I'm not quite sure of what you didn't double-checked 😶 I'm not excited either and I'm not laughing at the fact that it's been a day or two (I think) since this idea came up and we still haven't managed to make it happen kwhsjak

lmao, yes 😭😭 should I tell you if this happens?

that's why synonyms are sometimes our greatest allies on this journey 🙏 HEY! you made them so dirty but I bet even they couldn't stand grammar. now, if you told me that a person who likes grammar runs over old people on the street, I would completely agree. you just try to avoid grammar at all costs, don't you? lmao. You can trust my word, as I like to say: só confia, tá comigo tá, com deus. I don't know?? but it was literally as clear as day what you meant, I don't know why you thought it didn't make sense ksshjskajwjk also, my teacher used to say the same thing to me about the places she traveled. oh jshsjakakk the hole is deeper then- I recommend 😶 you brought up a good question because it's something I like to think about sometimes. soooo.... yes? in my humble and pure opinion, she has ADHD (Robin having ADHD is also a hc, and as I see them as practically the same person but in different fonts this plays a role in me thinking about it for kate too). you just dropped the greatest act of love in the entire world- it's literally impossible for any human being to hide a +4 to let the other person get revenge, that's cute 😔 not the feigning shock jahskaaksjk kate would notice it?

– 🌟

remember a while ago when you said you were fighting the urge to apologize for apologizing? that's me rn. starting to realize my tendency to overexplain myself comes from the awful friend choices i've made in the past but that's another topic. that's a good point, once again, we've proven that we are in fact incredibly fast when it comes to writing these essays. i don't know what we're going to do with this information but i'm glad we have it now. yes, although i think entertaining is a better word. adflhgadsgkl it's long gone by now but it stuck around as long as it could. ...fine, we can let it go for now unless there's something more you'd like to say 👀

OH MY GOD, when are you going to let that go??? i already apologized like three times, smh. i would say i didn't mean it like that but no, i did mean it. i just couldn't figure out what kind of decorations a party with a theme like that would have, maybe if i was invited i could help you figure it out but fine 😑 does it really count as being attacked if i'm completely right? i would be upset about that if i didn't find your brattiness endearing. damn, that sucks, i tried my best to make it convincing as possible for you. i can't believe you still found a way to leave your sentence unfinished, smh. i'm definitely not saying your idea intrigues me but i'm certainly thinking about it. i think this win is half-and-half but whatever floats your boat, darling. look at you finally answering a question, good job, i'll take it as a compliment. i agree, we'd be very successful 'cause we're hilarious. [we can even ask the audience, i'm sure at least one person will agree with us]

again, i'm an overthinker, not an analyst but if you say so 🤷 well, i'm glad your reflections didn't make you delete it because i loved reading it. but still what??? you just don't want to let me win, huh? look at that, i won again, i'm starting to feel a little bad but then again, you make it very easy. well, as long as you're not complaining, i guess i have no choice but to keep being as obvious as possible. just so that you don't get confused, of course, no other reason. yeah, definitely not. i also won't admit that you've had the same effect on me more than once 😶

i don't know why but i'm having a hard time believing that 🤨 i won't say i'm glad to hear you admit it because i certainly wasn't worried that i was being dumb. well, i certainly didn't forget to follow this person back last night which means i certainly didn't just follow them back right now. well since you're not interested, i won't give you another math problem to find me. take the 11th letter of the alphabet, add a . and then add my nickname. [if anyone else is doing this to stalk me, you're legally obligated to like my two most recent pictures, i don't make the rules 🤷] well, i won't say that i haven't given you all my cards and now it's not up to you how to proceed. you certainly don't have both my tktk and my insta and i'm not waiting for a message from you at all.

definitely lmao

i agree, they also help make things less repetitive. sdghjsjh yeah, yeah, okay, i like your version better. listen, i know grammar exist for a reason but i would prefer it if it stayed away from my long and pretty sentences. i'm very proud to say that i think i understood that and i DIDN'T have to use google translate for it. [but please don't test my understanding because i will probably end up looking stupid] i'm still convinced you have some sort of superpower because you understand basically all of my incoherent sentences. i don't even understand what i mean most of the time lmao. it certainly is and it's never-ending lmao. i'll think about it 🤘 i think so too, tbh. she's like a heavy mix of ADHD and anxiety in my book. which is why a lot of her "quirks" in my fics are really just subtle signs of anxiety or hyperactivity. are they cute? yes. should we be a little worried about her? also yes. and yes, well, yelena isn't just any human. she has to go above and beyond while also being sneaky af because if she's not, kate will not let it go lmao. honestly, i think kate would 100% notice but she'd be far too excited to question yelena about it...which would probably lead to yelena actually becoming interested in the conversation.

[evecolourshock]

Beck doesn't-

It's fine, really! He doesn't mind the cold shoulders, the rolled eyes, the exasperation every time he has to drop or miss a shift to go rescue someone from the Occupation (not that he's told anyone that still, he can keep secrets Tron thank you very much). He doesn't care he's no longer invited to go relax somewhere or spend his limited free nights dancing - he used to be good at it, too, and being able to find the rhythm helps when he's training or the few times he's had to actually fight. That his cycles are now a constant repeat of work-fight-sleep, everything blurring into one.

Tron tries to give him cycles off, which is nice. It's not Tron's fault Beck either spends them staring at the ceiling or sleeping.

It's fine. Beck's fine. Mara and Zed will understand, when this is all over and he can tell them.

...Users, Beck is so lonely.

He sighs, running a hand down his face. He's already bored, but going downstairs and finishing some of the work left at this time of night...

It's not his. It's all paintwork, Mara's preferred jobs - for once, he actually finished a shift and took over about a third of what Zed had to do because excuse you, the difficult ones are his specialty thanks. He's not The Custom Engine Guy, those are Zed's specialities, but stubborn repairs that are still standard builds? Beck's actually better at those, and Bodhi's scanner makes them easier.

He sighs, scoops up the white disc (sorry Tron... he promises not to go looking for trouble?), and heads out. He hates patrol, but it's better than rattling around bored in his room.

His comm crackles to life - Tron, wondering what he's doing out and about on his night off. Beck hesitates, and spills. Tron already knows how Mara and Zed are shutting him out, and how much it hurts if he thinks about it, anyway. "Just patrol. And maybe some graffiti - mixed up a new paint batch that's very sparkly, I want to see what it looks like. Little smile emotes in places they'll be hard to clean off, put some joy back in the city."

::Don't be out long.:: Tron cautions him. And then, softer, ::Rest, Beck. Look after yourself.:: He's taken over the role of primary guardian after- after Able, and he's getting better at it. Still gruff, still better at tough love than the gentler stuff, but... he's trying, and that's enough for Beck.

"I will." Beck promises.

Funnily enough, the Renegade is the only true night-time nuisance - the Occupation rarely does anything through the rest cycle now that Beck has to disrupt. One too many far-too-satisfying explosions, he reckons. Patrol is boring - a brawl here that he pointedly does not get involved in, some graffiti artists there (not Mara's group) he joins in with for a time, little things.

He's about to loop back, taking a break after vandalising a wall with a yellow-and-purple polka-dot gridbug, when he spots Mara and Zed. They're stumbling out of a club, laughing, and a pang runs through him. He used to be with them, but...

Well. That's crashed a long time ago.

He sighs, kicks his feet where they're dangling over the edge of the roof he's sitting on, and makes to leave.

Mara spots him, because that's the kind of luck he has. She's half-buzzed, but sober enough to wave him down.

Beck... kind of has to? He's been responding more often to just normal civilians, getting some positive interactions going after the damage Cyrus did - most now know that was an imposter, though he gives no details. He can't not respond, or people will be suspicious.

Please be just wanting a chaperone home. Please. He chants, moving fluidly down the side of the building. Please don't make me talk to you, not now. I can't grieve your loss when you're right here with me.

...they want him to go dancing. A party in a few cycles, somewhere Tron wants him to infiltrate anyway. He-

He can't say no. This is the easiest way in he's found without disguising himself as a Siren (and damnit he can't walk in heels that tall).

He has a secondary disguise all ready to go, a stealth suit in which he got... a bit too close to a failed experiment that resulted in low-level but permanent glitteryness on the entire suit. He's since replaced the stealth suit, but nobody in their right mind would attempt infiltration in something that sparkly and tight-fitting so it actually makes a good disguise for an environment like this one. Plus since the voice-changer is in the throat-piece rather than the helmet he doesn't fear recognition by sound. As for his face and hair...

Bodhi taught him the wonders of contouring and make-up, without resorting to render adjustments. Getting it right will be the subject of his next few nights. His hair... eh. Tron used a kind of gel to make his stick up on end, Beck can borrow it to do the opposite in a way that doesn't look too horrible.

When the party rolls around, Beck waits. It's hard hiding how anxious he is, so he retreats to his room within nanos of his shift ending, pretending Mara's huff at his back doesn't hurt (much).

He hears them leave when he's most of the way through his make-up. Plenty of time.

...he's waiting for them, actually, in an alleyway near the party. He can hear the music from here, and he aches to dance.

Tron is quiet in his ear, but Beck can hear him moving around. It's reassuring, a sign he's not completely alone.

The party is... kinda fun? Bittersweet, and Beck has a job to do (filch access codes, easy for light nimble fingers, and pick up any useful gossip - he's recording audio, and also anything that could be used as blackmail because apparently the unexpected attendance of General Dyson doesn't matter so much when two drinks in it becomes clear the General is a lightweight and already so overcharged he can barely walk straight).

Tron's going to love watching Dyson make a fool of himself.

But. Still fun, when he can relax enough to party.

He ends up taking Mara and Zed back to the garage, citing safety in numbers. "Anyone there we'd need to worry about?" He asks lightly. There isn't, but Mara and Zed don't know that-

"Just Beck, the lazy glitch." Zed mutters sourly, and Beck almost freezes from the vitriol spat at his name.

"Mnh." Mara agrees. "He's flaky, unreliable, a constant letdown. But he never leaves his room if he's not working or running off who knows where, so at least there's that." She grins up at him, and Beck feels sick. "You're much cooler."

::What did those two just say.:: Tron hisses in Beck's ear, low and deadly, in a tone he's only heard aimed at Dyson, Clu, and Viruses, and Beck's core warms despite feeling like it's about to shatter. At least one person cares about him for himself.

"Took me a while to warm up to you, but I'd trade Beck for you any cycle." Zed comments, and something in Beck snaps.

He doesn't deserve this. And they don't deserve him.

He drops them off at the garage, manages a polite goodbye through his teeth somehow, and disappears. Cleans off his face, fluffs his hair back up, switches back to civilian circuits...

...snarls. Cleans out his room, his workbench, all the little things he has scattered through the garage. Scrawls I Quit on a note he leaves on Mara's bench - doesn't sign it, but he won't need to.

The only thing he leaves is bits of a picture, having cut himself and Bodhi out and dropped the rest on the floor. He steps on it, Zed's smile and Mara's eyes crushed under his slightly dusty boot, on the way out.

He's going to Tron's, and he's not leaving. They don't want Beck? Fine. Let them see what his absence will do.

(At the end of it all, standing at Tron's side in the Renegade suit with his helmet off, he sees them gasp. Mara goes so far as to cover her mouth, wide exhausted eyes fixed on his scarred but healthier than ever face. Beck turns away.)

(He's not getting hurt like that again.)

Tron Thinking again. Thinking about how heartbreaking it would be if Zed and Mara started getting closer to Beck as The Renegade than Beck as himself.

[mothwingwritings]

There’s Just No One Like You pt.3

F!ReaderXTaiju Shiba

PART ONE PART TWO

Waaah, I am SO sorry this one took so long guys. It seemed like everything that COULD stand in my way DID stand in my way, so I truly am very sorry. :(

But here it is! Chapter three! This one is over 17K words (making it the longest thing I have posted here) and I am so glad I finally get to share it because it sure did beat my ass. :)

This chapter covers your time with Taiju up to that fateful Christmas Eve night. I wanted to fit in a lot of interactions (and ended up having to cut some because I don’t know how to chill) and emotions, so there is whole ass roller coaster in here waiting.

There is also some one sided Koko x reader in here, the one sided being on Koko’s end.

WARNINGS: Incredibly abusive/unhealthy relationship (reader gets hurt mentally and physically), VERY dubcon everything, yandere vibes, brief religion mentions, family abuse (mentally and physically), language, blood/gore, mentions of sex (but nothing too explicit), one sided affections from Koko to reader, some angst, Taiju being a huge asshole, stalking, gas lighting, Taiju pretty much controls your life and it ain’t the greatest :(

18+ only please!!!

(There will be a part 4 and that will be the finale.)

Part 3. Angel

Sometimes you barely recognized the person staring back at you in the reflection.

Physically, not much had changed about you in the past few months. You’d lost some weight (your clothes didn’t seem to quite fit like they used to), and the circles under your eyes grew darker by the day (a side effect of continually being kept up into the wee hours of the morning), but you still looked undeniably like you. Even donning a bit more makeup than you used to (heavier, and in places you never previously needed it) and doing up your hair to Taiju’s preference over your own (pulling at your scalp, making your head ache), it was still your eyes looking back at you in that long, ornate mirror that liked to mock you each time you passed it by in the hallway.

This was you, this was your life now, and this is how it is going to be from now on.

How many times had you chanted those words in yourself? They were supposed to help you cope, a ward you went over and over to fill your head so that your thoughts wouldn’t be free to roam. Your brain was apt to wander and stew, conjuring cruel phantoms of your family, friends, and companions.

If you were the only casualty in all this you could try and make peace. It was unfortunate that the people closest to you got tangled up in this whole mess of a situation, hunted and hounded until they themselves were left broken and terrified.

Taiju coming back into your life wasn’t something you could hide from your family forever. They would find out sooner or later that your late night outings and early morning risings weren’t always for school or study sessions with Tomoko (as if your slipping grades weren’t enough of a red flag). You decided early on it was best that you broke the news to them yourself, ascertaining it would cause a lot less grief then if they happened to hear it through the grapevine. When you worked up the courage to break the news to them, they were less than thrilled to hear the announcement.

They loved you, they trusted you, and they had the highest hopes for you. They had sacrificed so much of themselves to make sure you were safe and cared for. They raised you to make the correct choices and instilled in you from a young age the difference between good and bad, right and wrong.

That’s why the hurt was so raw when you peered into their eyes and saw such flagrant disappointment reflecting back at you. Taiju Shiba was definitely not the suitor they had hoped for. They expected you to do better.

But they were willing to push their discomfort aside to give Taiju another chance, which was more than you could have asked for. Elation filled you when you invited Taiju to dinner with your family, hopeful this would put to rest all the bad blood of the past and you could all move on. No more sneaking around, no more lying, no more threats and curses about your parents under Taiju’s breath. If you could just get them together and talking, even if the conversation wasn’t deep, a bond could be nurtured that could bloom into something wonderful.

How naïve you were back then.

The dinner was doomed to failure the moment the invitation left your lips, a quick nod and grunt the only affirmation the he had heard you at all. A few nights later, he arrived at your family house donned in his black dragon’s attire, tattooed chest bared beneath the loose fit of his robes. You pulled him aside the moment he stepped in the door to hurriedly ask why, of all things, he was wearing that. He knew your parents were big on appearances, and you had been harping for days about how delicate this entire event was. Your parent’s approval hinged on this one meal, and he chose to come in full on gang wear?

He responded by curtly telling you he had a meeting after this and there was no time to change afterwards, leaving it at that. There wasn’t a chance for a rebuttal as your mother turned the corner to greet him, the expression plastered to her face enough to make you want to crawl into a hole and disappear. Her lips pursed so tightly that the smile she attempted to give him looked almost comical.

To your parent’s credit, they gave him an earnest shot that evening. Asking Taiju how he had been and how his family was, what he had been up to in the interim of leaving and coming back. Unfortunately Taiju decided to take their niceties and harmless questioning as direct threats and interrogations, each response (if he even gave a response other than his sharp, hateful glower) was brusque, presumptuous, and condescending. You sat like a lump by Taiju’s side the entire meal, shoulders hunched, caving in on yourself. All the hard work you put in sticking up for Taiju, focusing on how he had changed and grown, how things weren’t the same as they used to be, were all escaping down the drain. Humiliation and hurt swirled turbulently within you, making the food you were forcing down your throat taste like ash.

Though the whole event only lasted around an hour, the disconcert you felt was endless. Taiju was successful in proving one thing to your parents that night, and that was that things definitely weren’t what they once were, they were now much worse.

Needless to say, that dinner was a cataclysmic failure.

As Taiju left your house that night he made sure to plant the most lascivious kiss he could upon your lips before making his way out the door, knowing full well your parents were mere feet away, watching. You had never seen your mother’s face pallor the way it had that evening. Your father was so befuddled that even though he was known for being an eloquent speaker, he found himself at a complete loss for words.

Mere minutes after he had left your home they had reached a unanimous decision: You were never to see Taiju Shiba ever again, and any attempt to do so would be firmly and swiftly shut down.

…And yet here you are now, in the home you share with him, getting dolled up to spend the rest of the evening basking in his presence.

Your doppelganger in the mirror was frowning.

Yes, it was better by far to keep up your incantation chanting and push all other thoughts out. If you could just get those words into your goddamn head and move on, wouldn’t things be so much better?

A defeated sigh escaped your reddened lips. It felt useless. Neither mantra nor distraction could stop how increasingly hollow you felt, like the entirety of your insides had been gutted and thrown in the trash.  More and more you felt like as if you existed outside yourself, experiencing things at a distance, no longer in tuned with your physical form.

The girl in this mirror may be you, but she’s fake. Just a shell of the actual you trying desperately to be what you once were.

The dress you had squeezed yourself into seemed far too mature for you, the dramatic split down the side and plunging neckline making you feel like you were going to some kind of charity ball for rich socialites, not your own birthday party. But Taiju picked it out because he wanted to see you in it, and if there was nothing else that had been engrained in your head these long months it was what Taiju wanted, Taiju got.

Taiju wanted you to be official. He wanted you to move in with him. He wanted you to sacrifice your life and time for him. He wanted you to replace the people in your life with the people in his life. He wanted you to realize you were his family now, that he loved you more than anyone else ever could or would, and that he was the best thing to ever happen to you.

Good on his end, all of his wishes having thus far come true.

Locked in the rampant gluttony of his dominion over you, pieces of your true self were shed bit by excruciating bit. You lied to your family, made excuses to your friends, and regurgitated apologies to your teachers and classmates for half assed assignments and missed school days.  And they ate that up, having no reason to doubt you. You were a good kid, a nice person, a student that was always prompt and never caused issues. What need would you have to lie?

However you can only force a smile so many times before people start to dig deeper.  It was only natural that time would chip away at the façade you had created, and your sister fancied herself a detective as she analyzed every word you spoke in hopes of uncovering some scandalous dirt.

You always had a somewhat rocky relationship with her, which you figured was pretty par for the course with most siblings. Sometimes you hated her and sometimes you loved her, she knew just how to get on every one of your nerves and at the same time would be the only person who truly understood what you were going through. So when things shifted in your life she was quick on the pickup, relentless in her search to find out what was really going on with you and this mysterious man from your past.

She didn’t have to stay in the dark long, as things around your household began to heat up in the days following the family dinner. Threatening notes showed up at your door and in your mail box, demands to see you penciled in an erratic, angry scrawl. When that ceased to have an effect, graffiti littered your walkway, choice words and lewd imagery that was just as bold and ostentatious as the man who orchestrated the vandalism. There was a tight leash around your neck which kept you from reaching out to Taiju for questioning, but even if you could you were doubtful the harassment would end.

Your sibling became personally affected when things became more physical, your father’s car becoming the victim to a late night keying. Though the damage was all cosmetic, it cost more to fix than the car was worth, setting the household back with the unplanned expense.  The keying caused your parent’s anxiety to teeter out of control, and thus an iron clad rule was brought into effect immediately.  You were by no means allowed to leave the house alone, and it was none other than your older sister who had been appointed as chaperone to be stuck constantly at your side.

At first she found it amusing. Her little sis who stayed out of the lime light as much as possible suddenly being center stage in a bizarre, tumultuous crime-esque drama was definitely something that was relative to her interests. Meek little (name) entering some kind of sordid relationship with a gang leader was icing on the cake. You couldn’t recall the last time she had spoken to you so much, her jaw continually flapping to ask about Taiju and his gang and your role within that gang. You wanted to pop her each time she leered at you with that teasing lilt in her voice, knowing full well you were in for another unescapable earful.

But it grew old fast, especially when this meant that instead of having her own social life she was stuck playing your bodyguard. Her light hearted jabs turned into heated barbs. Accusations and complaints that used to be hidden beneath her breathe were now spoken to you plainly. She was mad about being thrust into this position, and you became her punching bag of blame to help alleviate her displeasure.

Things can only bend so far before they break, and your sister was never known for being pliable. At some point she became convinced to the point of obsession that she could end all of this and put Taiju in his place, she just had to come up with the perfect plan first. As much as you advised her against this, it became her primary goal, and no amount of goading or assuring her that things would eventually die down satiated her desire to claim her old freedoms back as quickly as possible.

It had become commonplace to feel a presence follow behind you from school to home, and you had become an expert at ignoring it. Whoever they were, they never said anything to either you or your sibling, always making sure to keep several paces behind you. Far enough that they weren’t invading your personal space, but close enough that trying to make a break for it would be a bad idea. You hadn’t a clue who the silent enigma’s were, their faces covered in masks with hoods overcasting their eyes. All you knew was that they usually came in two’s, and though none of them were ever big enough to be Taiju himself, their Black Dragon attire made it apparent who they worked for.

On one particular evening something was off. You sister was grumpier than usual, and the force that was following you seemed more overwhelming than it typically did. It was a miracle that you made it home without incident, your sisters’ clenched fists and grit teeth blaring signs of how much she was struggling to keep herself in check on that slow walk home.

However, even as the threshold into your yard was crossed and the figures behind you began to depart, you sister’s discontent didn’t wane. Her anger would not be quenched that night by merely making it home, she needed the satisfaction of something more.

“Don’t you fucking losers have anything better to do?” She mockingly spat over her shoulder, halting the two figures in their tracks. “Isn’t following two girls home who have absolutely no interest in you or the shitty company you keep a little pathetic? Maybe you scumbags should get lost and go find a life.”

Pleasure lit her face after she spoke, the airing of her true feelings instantly alleviating some of her tension. However, the duo she had dissed was not the type to take trash talk lightly. Before she could take another step her progression was stopped by a sloppy, wet, mess colliding with the back of her head, the noisy squelch upon impact booming in the quietness of the evening. One of them must have been eating as they were walking, remains of a half-eaten burger and fries’ tangling in your siblings thick hair, condiments and what was left of a soda dripping down her neck to soil her clothing.

She seethed. Indignation coursed through her as their laughs echoed down the street, bringing her to her boiling point. Desperately you attempted to calm her and clean her up, spouting anything you could think of to convince her that you could handle this. Your words fell on deaf ears and she shoved you aside with a force that staggered you, knocking you to the ground

“This whole fiasco is your fucking fault,” she spat, violent eyes honing in on you prone form, “If you hadn’t become some gang leader’s whore we wouldn’t be in this mess right now! Do you even know how much this effecting mom, dad, and me? Do you even care, or are you so off in your own little mob princess fantasy that you’ve gone completely nuts?”

She cut you off before you could speak, “I don’t want to hear any more shit from you, and I refuse to live like this any longer. If no one else will do anything, I will.”

Bold words from a bold girl, her silhouette looked stalwart and assured as you stared after her retreating back that you almost believed that she could do something to end this.

But bravery goes hand in hand with stupidity, and your sister had definitely bit off more than she could chew when she took on the black dragons.

She didn’t make it home that night. You and your parents stayed up till the wee hours pacing and worrying, calling all of her friends and the local police department. No one had any information to provide, so you remained in the dark until early next morning when the cops were finally able to share some news.

You sister had been found by an early morning jogger crumpled up in an alley way, her body bruised and bleeding from a beating she withstood, most likely from multiple assailants. Her face was so mangled and puffy from bruising that it was hard to tell it was even your sister at all.

She spent the next several weeks in the hospital recovering, but each time you went to visit she refused to acknowledge your existence. You expected her to be mad, to go off on you and scream until she was hoarse about how much she hated you for causing this. But the cold silence she offered was far, far worse. She didn’t hate you so much as you simply no longer existed to her at all.

Your parents were at their wits end. Your sister was refusing your presence. In the span of a few short weeks, your family bond had been successfully destroyed. All you could do was watch as the people you loved broke down, morphing in to strung-out, anxious husks of who they once were.

It was ultimately your decision to move out and seek shelter with Taiju, which looking back now must have been his plan from the get-go. The longer you stayed under your families lock and key, the worse things would become. They mauled your sister, what would stop them from going after you father or mother next? What if they didn’t stop at just beating them? And what could you do to stop them, other than give them what they wanted?

The day you left home you sobbed nonstop as Taiju rampantly tore through your bedroom. Your parents had finally gone back to work after all the frenzy had died down a bit, weary yet trusting that locking you up alone in the house would be okay. Taiju utilized this time to making his daring ‘rescue’, springing into action the moment their car had left the driveway.

At first he left the packing up to you, but when your shaky limbs weren’t moving fast enough for his liking, he pushed you aside to haphazardly chuck clothing and other belongings in whatever bags and suitcases he could find. He was frenzied, a violent mix of excited, triumphant, and pissed off as he stormed his way through your room, showing very little regard of your property and your feelings when he ripped through memories and trampled over your possessions. The choked cries agitated him, and he warned you more than once to shut up or he would give you something to cry about. Luckily for you, he was so busy tearing your life apart that his words remained nothing more than exasperated threats.

Once he had accumulated adequate supplies for your indefinite stay, he proceeded to usher you out of the house with a haste you found gratuitous. Noticing your reluctance to leave he sighed, placing your bags down so he could provide you his undivided attention.

Catching your chin in a light pinch, he jerked your head up so that your watery eyes met his observant glare. “I know this is upsetting to you, but even you agreed this is for the best. I’ve gone long enough without you by my side, every second spent in this house is a waste.”

You could tell by the timbre of his voice that he was trying to sound understanding, but the impatient giddiness he was feeling at having you so closely within his grasp was bleeding through. The manic gleam as his feline eyes drank you in was making you feel ill, like you were a farm animal being lead to slaughter.

“You’re my family now, and I take care of what’s mine.” His voice was low as his hand fell to the base of your neck. Strong, thick fingers pressing tenderly into your skin pulled you forward until his lips were grazing your ear. “My good girl just has to let me take care of her. Somebody else could get hurt otherwise, and you don’t want that do you baby?”

You phone buzzed violently in your hand, dragging you back to reality. Starring down, Koko’s name illuminated your screen. After a moment’s hesitation, you answered his call.

“Hey Princess,” Koko’s voice chided, “You almost ready in there? The carriage is going to turn back into a pumpkin at this point.”

“Sorry,” your voice was clipped as you responded, “If it was my choice I wouldn’t be wearing the most complicated dress in the world.”

He laughed, “Come on now, I’m sure it can’t be that hard to navigate. The boss wouldn’t pick something he can’t rip off you easily.” You could almost feel the smug smile on his face as his words made you blush furiously.

A heavy sigh came through the speaker, “Anyway, try and keep in mind that if we’re too late it’s not you that is going to fall under Prince Charming’s wrath for this, and I’d like to spend the night in my own bed and not a hospital.  I’m sure you look beautiful. Please, come out here soon.”

The phone clicked and you gave your own elongated sigh. With one last look in the mirror, you headed out the door.

You paused for a brief moment after you arrived outside, staring down the steps at the man who awaited you. Koko hadn’t noticed you yet and was in the midst of furiously punching away at his phone, looking positively disgruntled with his cinched brow and grimace. You knew he had to be making up excuse after excuse to Taiju over why you were running behind. You huffed in guilt. Koko wasn’t wrong when he spoke earlier. It was his ass that was on the line the longer you loitered, even though you were the one completely at fault.

“Sorry again,” you piped up, drawing the man’s instant attention. He puffed a rouge strand of hair out his eyes as he flicked them over you. His demeanor relaxed, shoulders instantly losing their tightness as he flung open the car door he had previously been leaning against. You eyed the vehicle with a slight frown, unsure of whom it belonged to or if Koko even had a normal driving license to be operating it.

Then again, you learned early on that with most things that involved the black dragons, it was better to not know the origin of them.

As you descended down the stairs you were met with a whistle, a wolfish grin spreading over Koko’s face as he awaited you at the bottom. “There’s the princess,” he teased, doing a slight flourish when you grew near, “Looking as lovely as I presumed you would.”

“Yeah,” you looked away, discomfort mounting the longer his eyes took you in, “Thank you.”

“Shouldn’t you be a little more excited?”  He snorted, moving aside to grant you access into the awaiting vehicle, “It’s your birthday after all, and your knight in shining armor is going so hard at pleasing you today.”

“Can you cut it out with the fairytale metaphors,” you grumbled, “It’s not like I’m ungrateful. This is all just...”

“A lot?”

You gave a small nod of agreeance. It was eerie how conscientious he could be sometimes.

You relationship with Koko was complicated, to say the least. There were days when you absolutely despised him, your brain going feral at the sight of his stupid smug grin and teasing eyes. The familiarity he approached you with never ceased to make you cringe, as if he were entitled to your companionship and confidence simply because you were his leaders’ significant other. Often times you felt just as trapped by him as you did Taiju, the raven haired boys’ awareness that your social circle had been drastically cut down to Taiju’s family and the black dragons was a huge driving force in your awkward, forced companionship. With all your friends and family gone, who else did you have to turn for camaraderie?

Inupi was around as well, of course (Taiju wouldn’t let you step foot out of the house without at least himself or one of those two nearby), but there was something about the way Koko glued himself to you, taking a vested interest that Inupi did not. For both Koko’s sake and your own, you played dumb to that interest, knowing full well nothing good could come of it.

But for each moment of torment with Koko, there were also times when he supported you, stood up for you even, and on days when it felt like no one else was in your court you couldn’t deny that that was much appreciated. If you were being honest with yourself, you weren’t even sure if you would have been able to survive meeting all of Taiju’s men for the first time without Koko by your side.

Countless rows of men stood before you, identically bowed at 90 degree angles. Their backs reflecting the logo of the black dragons were turned to the sky, causing what little moonlight filtered down from the clouds to reflect off the bright white of the lettering.

They spoke in unison, their voices rumbling together to form a great roar. ‘Too loud’ your brain warned, eyes flicking wildly around the darkened shrine they had assembled before, ‘Far too loud for a place of worship at this time of night.’

Every word Taiju spoke was responded to promptly, the mass of men showing nothing but the utmost respect for their leader. Taiju’s reluctance to explain the darker aspects of his life were quick to dissipate after you had moved in. He had mentioned the Black Dragons prior of course, but the true extent of his involvement and the crimes they committed was all still fresh news to you. You guess he figured it best to make sure you were properly secured before airing out all his dirty laundry.

And this was an induction for you, of sorts. Despite being adamant in your voicing of wanting as little to do with his gang as possible, Taiju was an expert at countering. It was hard to fight the fact that by being his girlfriend you had defaulted into being a member of the Black Dragon regardless of how you felt on the matter, and as such, needed to attend at least one of the meetings to formally introduce yourself.

You stood slightly behind Taiju as he spoke, who was mid-explaining your significance in this world that had been thrust upon you. It felt unreal, like you were outside your body piloting someone else. Your joints were simultaneously stiff and like jello, your constitution so weak that if the wind gusted too strong you were sure you’d blow away with it. A steady thrum of nausea had been flopping in your stomach the entirety of Taiju’s speech. So many eyes trained on you, so many souls weighing your worth, judging your appearance. It was making your head spin.

You only became aware that Taiju’s speech had ended when he placed a chaste kiss on the crown of your head. He whispered in your ear what you thought might have been encouragement, but could have just as easily been an admonishment. With the state you were in, it was a wonder you could function at all, let alone recognize someone was speaking to you. He guided you towards Koko and you followed without putting up a fuss, happy to see that your legs could still move properly, and even happier to be out of the spotlight.

With a few barked orders you were left alone with Koko as Inupi trailed after Taiju. You felt anxious as you watched Taiju become engulfed in the sea of men, nerves eating you as your protection and lifeline slipped father away. The flood of people began to trickle closer your way, and you couldn’t help but grip on to Koko coat as you heard a few curious whispers and felt rogue glances directed your way. A chill passed through you. Getting lost in a mass of delinquents was not what you were looking to achieve tonight, and even if the company by your side was not much better, at the very least he was someone you knew.

“You made it through,” Koko stated, making no move to pull away, “Despite the fact that you looked like you were going to burst into tears the whole time.” When his attempts at light-hearted teasing had no effect he frowned, lowering his voice until only you could hear it, “You can relax now, (name). It’s over, all right?”

“I’m sorry, I’m just not used to all of this,” you mumbled in reply, trying your hardest not to stare at anyone surrounding you. It was not lost on you that nearly every other individual in the crowd dwarfed you in size and stature. There were only men familiar with fighting on a daily basis in your midst, and in the event something happened and they turned on you, you wouldn’t stand a chance. "Any one of the people could kill me in an instant.”

He laughed, causing you to shoot him a look. They angry gleam in your eyes only seemed to widen his smile.

"Well, I guess you're right about that, wouldn’t take much to beat down a little pipsqueak like you. If Taiju wasn’t in the picture I would say you would be in a world of trouble here, smack dab in the middle of all this.” He spread out his arms, reminding you of a used car salesman trying to hype up his unimpressive lot. “But that’s not the case, and no one here is dumb enough to try and fuck with the boss’ property.”

You weren’t wild with being described as ‘property’, but were left with no time to voice your qualms when you felt him drew himself nearer, pushing into you in a way you could only describe as invasive. The press of your bodies now bordering on scandalous, you broke out in a cold sweat. If Taiju saw the way Koko had positioned himself beside you, if his fierce eyes were to hone in on the way his guard captain’s lips hovered so close to your ear in this moment, you weren’t so sure he would make it out alive.

Koko’s dark eyes were lidded as he stared down at you, a brief flash of something wild and desperate passing through them as his words tumbled from his smirking lips.

“Besides, I’m here for you too, aren’t? It’s not just Taiju they’d have to go through to get to you, princess.”

A light touch against your back pulled you to your senses, and you glanced over to see Koko shaking his head. “I’m sure you already know this, but now is not the time to take a breather. You’re a tough girl who’s gotten past worse moments than this. You can make it through one dinner, yeah?”

You weren’t sure what made you want to wretch more, the coddling tone of his voice, or the warmth of his hand on the small of your back.

“Now hurry and get it. I lied to the boss and said we left ten minutes ago, so we are going to have to really haul ass.”

~

You watched through the window as the car pulled up to the restaurant. Taiju had been waiting out front, and now that he was fully in view you could see he was dressed just as nicely as you were. Donned in a tailored suit you had never seen before with his hair slicked back out of his face, he looked positively dashing. You couldn’t help but feel taken by how fetching he appeared, a swooning sensation overtaking you the longer you took him in. The deep blue of his suit and stark white of his shirt made him look mature and dignified, and the sparse statement jewelry on his hands and neck truly pulled the entire look together.  You would agree whole heartedly with Koko’s early ‘prince charming’ statement if it weren’t for the positively peeved aura that permeated his entire form.

Taiju’s eyes were mere slits, holding a murderous glint as they bore into Koko. Judging by how entirely unamused he appeared he must have been standing outside for a while, and you knew you’d have a lot of damage control to do because of that. Arms folded impatiently across his broad, puffed out chest with a scowl chiseled deeply into his stern face, he looked the very definition of furious. Even other patrons made sure to avoid his path, lest they do something to trigger his rage.

It was cute in a way, seeing him standing watch out front grumpily as he anticipated your arrival. It would be a sweet gesture if it remained just that, a little bit of grumpiness and not a threat that someone was going to be pulverized if he waited a moment longer.

Deciding it was best to spare Koko Taiju’s wrath, you exited the vehicle as quickly as possible. When Taiju’s attention was drawn to you his murderous demeanor shifted, a slow smile spreading across his lips as he looked you over. “Damn baby,” he spoke a bit breathlessly, hungry eyes roving your dolled up form, “you look fucking gorgeous. I was getting pissed off waiting for Koko’s slow ass to bring you here, but seeing you now it was worth the wait. If I wasn’t a stronger man I don’t think you would be making it through this dinner in one piece.”

You withheld a shiver, laughing off his heavy advance, “It would be a shame if I didn’t get to see the birthday surprise you had planned for me though, wouldn’t it?”

He smiled at you devilishly, offering an outstretched hand.

“I guess you make a valid point. I’ll try and be on my best behavior, but no guarantees.”

You approached him with measured steps, still a bit wobbly on the heel’s you had yet to get fully used to. Your clammy hand clasped his, and he began to lead you inside.

“Let’s go,” he smiled down at you, “the others are waiting.”

~

The restaurant Taiju had picked for your birthday dinner was a place you had never dined at previously, and as you made your way to the back party room, it was clear why.

Opulent didn’t begin to cover this place. As you strode past the other diners in their expensive designer suits and luxurious dresses, sipping the finest wines from crystal glasses and nibbling at exotic cuisine you had never tasted, let alone knew how to pronounce, you felt very much out of place. But there was confidence in Taiju’s steps as he led you, an air of showmanship as he paraded you past the rows of aquariums that lined the walls and snaked between the guests. The aquatic animals in their enclosed environment appeared much like how you felt, out of place and trapped.

He was speaking to you, something about how this place was one of his favorites, but the lights were dimmed for ambience and your steps were unsure as you struggled to keep Taiju’s rapid pace. Your brain could only be occupied with approaching this situation a literal step at a time, your downcast eyes keeping close watch of the terrain to help prevent slipping and creating a scene. You wouldn’t want to be the one to upset Taiju’s party, even if it was supposed to be ‘your day’. The only thing you wanted out of all this was for it to go just as Taiju had planned. If everything met his expectations, at least the day had the potential to be peaceful.

A breathe of relief escaped you when you made it to the party room without incident. Taiju opened the heavy mahogany door for you, sweeping you inside with a firm hand on your rear. You bit back a yelp when he tightly squeezed, a chuckle rumbling through his throat at the red that flushed over your cheeks.

“The birthday girl finally appears.”

Your attention was drawn to the center of the room, where a lone square table made of the same rich wood as the door stood. It was illuminated by a single ornate chandelier that hung over the center, casting an invitingly warm glow over the two bodies that sat waiting for your arrival.

You smiled at the familiar faces of Hakkai and Yuzuha, your first genuine smile of the entire day. “Sorry I’m late. I had a bit of a wardrobe malfunction.”

Yuzuha laughed, “Yeah, with that ensemble it isn’t hard to see why.”

From the corner of your eye you saw Taiju lurch, prompting you to rush your next words to halt any brewing drama. “It’s the price of beauty I guess,” You smiled, slowly making your way to the table, “I would hate to show up to such a nice place looking like a street urchin.”

She cracked a mischievous smile, “You didn’t have to come looking like a full on debutante either, though. Were you scared the paparazzi would catch your bad side?”

Her words were nothing more than playful banter between friends, this you were well aware of. But you knew Yuzuha was also aware of how critical her older brother was of the interactions you shared with her, never taking kindly to commentary that could even remotely be considered criticism of yourself or your relationship with him.

“Show some damn respect, Yuzuha.” Taiju growled, pulling out the empty chair next to Hakkai so that you could take a seat. “The last thing she wants to hear on her birthday is your bullshit.”

“It’s called sarcasm,” she retorted, shooting him a pointed look, “Sorry for joking around with my friend, I’ll make sure to speak like a robot from here on out so I don’t upset anybody.”

Before Taiju could respond, you placed your hand on his arm, calming him. “It’s alright Taiju, I took no offense. Besides, late birthday girls deserve to be a little picked on for taking time out of such a lovely occasion. I’m surprised Hakkai didn’t chime in as well.”

You had grown accustomed to being a bumper between the siblings, an intermediary force to lessen the blow of Taiju’s fits. Most of the time it worked, but there was a fine line to it. More than a few occasions had occurred where his anger had gone past the point of gentle words and soothing touches, and when it became uncontrollable there was little that could be done other than pray it would subside quickly.

More often than not Yuzuha was on the receiving end of these assaults, and whether she provoked Taiju herself or if she was acting as a shield for their little brother, she would always get the worst of his violent tendencies.

When you first entered the family dynamic it was hard to grasp the severity of the abuse he inflicted on his siblings. At first you were just privy to the aftermath, watching Hakkai limp by you in the hallway, a puffy black bruise blossoming around Yuzuha’s eye. You believed the wounds must have come from elsewhere originally, aware that Hakkai was embroiled in gang life just as his brother was. Yuzuha clung to him like glue and probably ended up in a fight now and again by association. The few times you tried to breach the topic they were never at liberty to go into much detail, and after repeated question dodging, you dropped the topic entirely. If they wanted to open up about their issues to you, they would do it at their own speed.

… Which wasn’t to say it didn’t bother you, seeing them in pain and unwilling to tell you why. Since you aligned yourself with Taiju you had become especially close to both siblings, seeing as they were the only people left that you trusted to openly communicate and confide in. Though it did also occur to you that maybe they didn’t think of you as being that tight knit, and it could be that they just didn’t WANT to confide in you. They had good manners, and though you hoped it wasn’t the case, it was entirely likely that maybe they saw you as nothing more than an extended stay guest they were obligated to be polite to, and that was as far as their feelings extended.

Regardless of what the story behind their injuries was, at the start of your tenure in their home you truly believed Taiju had no hand in their abuse. There had to be some other explanation to it, no big brother who says he loves his siblings would treat them in such a violent manner. Even if they did have a tendency to have verbal battles, that wasn’t proof of any physical altercation. Hell, how many times had you and your own sister got into heated fights without laying a single hand on one another?

The first time you witnessed the abuse Taiju inflicted on his siblings in person is a moment you don’t think you’ll ever quite forget. You can recall it as clear as the day it happened, the burn in your leg muscles as you rushed to Yuzuhas side, your whole body moving on auto pilot to come to her aid. At that point her face was already bloody, bruises forming on her arms from where Taiju was grabbing her.  You called out to him, but he was so consumed in his manic fury that your words didn’t register. Unsure of what else to do, your grabbed his reared back arm, hoping to stop his onslaught.

All it did was redirect his blow.

His fist connected just below your eye left eye, the force of the blow knocking you to the ground.  Despite the fact that she was right next to you, Yuzuha’s scream sounded distant as you sat on the floor, knocked to your ass in a total daze. Blood began to trickle down your cheek, and the shock of what had just occurred hit you so hard that it took several moments to even register the pain. When it came, it was excruciating.

“Fucking Christ,” he seethed, pulling you up roughly by your neck. Your body quaked in his grasp, the tears cascading down your cheeks mixing with the blood of your fresh wound. It splattered on to his hand, your shirt, the floor. “I guess I have to teach you a lesson about what happens when you interrupt my business, don’t I baby?”

It only took a few more blows for you to black out from the pain.

After you woke up that night, he was so gentle with you. There was a tangible discord between the intense pain of your wounds and the warmth of his caress. In the space of passing out and coming too, you had been cleaned up, bathed and bandaged, and now were wrapped in the softest blanket ever created, ice pack held to your face by Taiju’s hand as his other arm kept you close beside him.

He didn’t apologize. In fact, he admonished you. All you could do was listen numbly while he spoke, verbally scolding you as a parent would a child.

You caused this damage to your body. You made him hurt you. If only you could have been good and stayed in your lane. If only you would have behaved. Why did you get in the way? Why did you do this?

The whole time you listened, you couldn’t bring yourself to voice the question hammering in your head.

Why did HE do this?

“You look very nice.”

Hakkai’s soft voice called out beside you, breaking you free from your morbid thoughts.

“This is our first year getting to celebrate your birthday with you,” he smiled awkwardly, “I’m glad to be here with you. It’s cool that we get to spend this special day with you, I mean. Uh…”

You could see the gears in his head turning, obviously trying hard to come up with some topic of conversation that wouldn’t inadvertently piss someone off and further sour a day that was supposed to be in honor of you. Hakkai’s subtle thoughtfulness was something that you found endearing, and you found yourself cracking a smile at the comical amount of vexation on his face.

“Thank you,” you giggled, “I’m glad you are here too. This spacious room would feel very empty with just Taiju and me in it.”

The gratitude you felt was no joke. The party room was cut off from the rest of the establishment, eerily stifling with how secluded it felt. You could barely hear the bustle of the kitchen right next door, let alone the noise of the other patrons.  If it weren’t for Hakkai and Yuzuha, you were sure you’d feel even more imprisoned than you normally did.

“It sure is big,” Yuzuha joined the conversation as her eyes scanned the area, “It could fit a whole bunch of people. You should have let her invite more people, made it an actual party. “

‘No,’ you stiffened, ‘don’t go there.’

“It’s her birthday after all,” Yuzuha carried on nonchalantly, uncaring of the mounting tension in the room, “I’m sure she had some other people in mind she wanted to bring today.”

“Maybe you should shut your mouth instead of talking about shit you know nothing about.” Taiju snarled, casting a vehement look her way. “The people who care about her the most are in this room.”

He spoke with finality, but Yuzuha wasn’t willing to end the conversation with that. “She misses her friends, you know.” She snipped at her brother. “That one girl… Tomoko was it? She still tries to call the house, even to this day!”

There was a pang in your heart at the mention of her name. It was true. Every so often you’d see her name flash across the call ID of the home phone (your cell number had long since changed, only the people Taiju deemed fit knowing the new number), and an urge like no other would possess you to pick up as soon as you’d see those letters brighten the screen.

But each time your hand would reach for the receiver, you’d stop, memories of what had been done to your family overwhelming you. Taiju had told you before that if she became a ‘problem’ to him, he would have no qualms with forcing her out of the picture.

He couldn’t ruin her too. You wouldn’t be able to bear it.

The icy terror that griped you over this threat inspired you to take your own precautionary actions. At first you lied to her about your sudden disappearance, telling her that everything was fine, you were just busy. Throwing excuses at her left and right that you had spent hours honing in hopes they were believable enough to slip past her radar. You had the perfect answer for why you were missing so much school, why you didn’t live at home anymore, why you were constantly with Taiju, why you couldn’t see her anymore.

When pre-crafted excuses stopped working, she became more persistent. She stopped wasting time getting answers from you, instead opting to confront Taiju directly. She accused him of brainwashing and kidnapping you, pointing all the blame of your absences and what had happened to your family towards him.

If she hadn’t given him these verbal lashings in the halls of your school while others stood witness, you were positive the same fate that befell your sister would have also been granted to her as well.

Watching her fight for you so valiantly shattered your heart in a way it never had previously, a sickening realization clutching you in an unrelenting squeeze. No amount of distancing yourself from Tomoko or promising to never see her again would keep your friend safe. She wouldn’t back down in her fight to get you back, and neither would Taiju in his fight to keep you. And if it came down to her power versus his, there was no question of who the victor would be.

It was clear what had to be done. You had to try and break her, because if you didn’t, Taiju certainly would.

You convinced Taiju to let you see her alone under the guise of fake anger, successfully getting him to believe that you were so disgusted with how she treated him that you wanted to make it explicitly clear to her that you wanted her out of your life for good. With his blessing, you took her on in Taiju’s stead, spitting every volatile thing her way you could think of. Every fight you ever had had been unearthed, long forgotten grudges dug up to use as the fuel to your fire. To add insult to injury, all of the insecurities that had ever plagued her you spat back in her face, stomping not just her heart but her self-esteem into the ground. Vile words cascaded in an endless, horrible strand from your lips, acting as a double edged sword. They were tearing apart not just Tomoko, but you as well.

After your heated screaming match, you both left as sobbing, broken messes. For that you were almost thankful, taking one look at your fucked up state was all Taiju needed to believe Tomoko would never be a problem again, no further acting needed.

But Tomoko was too smart for your bullshit, she always had been. So she kept trying and trying and trying to reach you. She never stopped, and you knew she never would.

If some miracle were to happen in the future and you could make your way back to her, you knew you would never be able to repay her or make things right. Your friendship was shattered by your own two hands, and no matter how much work you put into correcting your errors or how unceasing Tomoko’s forgiveness was, none of it mattered. You made your choice, and you would never deserve the unconditional love Tomoko provided.

“She has more than enough friends here.” Taiju spoke plainly, taking a swig of his drink. “Besides, that girl is a fucking bitch. You saw how (name) looked the last time they saw each other. I bet she’s just trying to act friendly so she can hurt her again.”

“It’s in the past,” you cleared your throat, your mediator skills kicking in once more, “I’m just happy to be surrounded by you guys today.” You turned your attention fully to Taiju, making sure to give credit where he was expecting it to be due. “Thank you so much for this beautiful party, Taiju. I’ve never been treated to something so nice.”

The mechanical words caused a pleased smile to bloom across Taiju’s face. Nothing could light up this man’s demeanor like your subservience.

“Anything for you, baby.”

~

The meal itself went surprisingly well.

Sure, there was a squabble here and there. Yuzuha occasionally mentioning something that ticked Taiju off, or Hakkai’s mannerisms sparking a snide comment or two did affect the soiree, but overall it was nice. The dinner seemed comfortingly normal, like you were just an average family without any grudges that was sitting down to enjoy each other’s presence.

How you wished it could have stayed that way.

You weren’t even sure how it started, but a minor disagreement between the siblings had grown from heated words to full on yelling. Initially it embarrassed you more than anything, the atmosphere of this upscale restaurant no place for a scene, private room or not. You tried in vain to get Taiju’s attention, but even speaking to him in as sweet a tone you could only got a sharp command to shut your mouth as he carried on his tirade.

Clanging dishware startled you, drawing your attention to Taiju as he pushed off the table. He loomed over your seated forms, eyes shooting daggers at Hakkai who shifted nervously in his seat beside you.

“What the fuck did you say,” Taiju’s voice was low, a threatening tone to it that he reserved for when you really crossed the line with him. You could feel the anxiety radiating off Hakkai, his clenched hands shaking in his lap. Too afraid to make eye contact, his gaze bore holes in the table before him.

Like a whip, Taiju’s hand snatched at his younger brother’s collar, his reach across the table knocking a cup to the floor. It shattered upon impact, bits of glass and remaining liquid coating your leg and foot. Apprehension kept you from cleaning the mess instantly, a slight grimace on your face as a chunk of glass wedged itself between the strap of your sandal as you scooted your foot away.

A heavy silence hung in the air as both men remained frozen in place. Glancing up at Taiju, you noticed his breath coming unsteady while his grip remained firm on his brother. Something dangerous danced in his eyes as he took in Hakkai, who had leaned himself uncomfortably up against the table. The younger boy’s legs bent at an awkward angle to take some of the strain off his neck, a terrified look of uncertainty on his face as his brain struggled for a solution to get out of the debacle he found himself locked in.

Your mind raced for something to say or do that would end this as calmly and with as little blood as possible, but Yuzuha beat you to the punch. Ever Hakkai’s protector, she couldn’t stand to see her brother in this position any longer.

She stood, defiantly latching herself to the arm that held Hakkai in place. There was fire in her eyes, a built up rage that was threatening to spill any moment. You prayed you would suddenly manifest some manner of telepathic communication to try and dissuade her from the action she was set on making. As much as you didn’t want Hakkai to go home with a black eye, you knew there was nothing Yuzuha or yourself could possibly do or say at this point to save him. The attempt itself was already damning enough.

“He said you were ruining (name)’s birthday,” her words were brusque, umbrage seeping from her every pore, “And he’s fucking right. Your entire presence for the past ten years has done nothing but cause pain and misery for all of us. You didn’t just mess up her birthday. You messed up her entire life, asshole.”

In an instant, Yuzuha was on the floor.

The speed at which it occurred left you all momentarily stunned. Hakkai, suddenly free from Taiju’s hold, collapsed down on the table. This in turn caused more dishes to fall to the floor, one of which shattered near the fallen Yuzuha. You felt like your body had turned to stone as the scene played out in before you. The image of Taiju towering above his sister, his hand secured tightly around her collar as it just had her brother, keeping her in place. His fist connected once, twice, a third time. Her lip bust open, blood gushing out profusely with each strike. Yellow bruising began to creep around her eye after the fourth hit. She was trying to shield herself, one hand locked in a fruitless struggle to escape his grip, the other doing its best to block herself from the incoming blows. Worming around the floor, bits of broken glass pierced her flesh, red trickles marring her bare legs.

It took Hakkai speaking to draw you from your haze. Unsure of what he even said, the desperate rasp in his voice drew you back to the earth and all the horror that came with it. Raising yourself on unsteady legs, you knocked your chair aside as you stumbled your way towards Taiju. Faltering for a moment when you reached him, visions of the last time you attempted to separate Taiju from Yuzuha on playback in your head as you stood behind them.

But with her face in your direct line of sight becoming bloodier by the moment, you decided no longer cared what happened to you. It would be worth it if you could save her.

You flung yourself around his torso, burying your face into his broad back. You felt the coarse fabric of his suit moisten from your tears, your arms trembling with a mix of fear, adrenaline, and desire to redirect his attention. Squeezing as hard as you could, your body rocked with small sobs.

“Please,” you pleaded, “Please Taiju, stop. I know you are doing this to stand up for me, but please…”

Taiju stilled in your hold, and the seconds that ticked by were excruciating. No one spoke, only the sound of Yuzuha’s labored breathing and your soft cries disrupting the tense atmosphere. Slowly you began to feel Taiju’s tense muscles relax in your embrace, and you all but breathed a sigh of relief when he released his hold on Yuzuha, her beaten body falling unceremoniously to the floor.

“Baby,” he sighed, pulling his body back to its full height.  He swiveled in your loosened hold until he faced you, his large hands finding purchase on your tear soaked face. His thumb grazed beneath your eyes, wiping away the tears the continued to spill.  “You’re being far too lenient here, you know when they run their mouths-“

Taiju stopped mid-sentence, his eyes sharpening as they looked off slightly behind you. Your body grew taut as you felt his grip on your face tighten, worry seeping into you that maybe Hakkai had done something behind you to once more ignite his rage.

“You’re bleeding.”

It took you a moment to process the words, your own gaze finally glancing downward to see a small trail of blood had followed you from your seat. Now aware of it, your foot began to throb in pain. The glass that had slipped in previously had embedded itself deep within your skin, the gash staining the entire left side of your once pristine white sandal in a bright crimson.

“I’m sorry, I must have stepped on glass,” you sniffled, sitting yourself down in the chair Taiju had previously occupied to better assess the wound, “I’ll pay more attention next time.”

Taiju grunted, kneeling down in front of you so he could assist. “You need to be more careful,” he scolded, but his voice held no true bite to it. He grabbed an unused tablecloth, dunking it in what remained of his ice water on the table. “Let me see it.”

You removed your hands to give him a better view, taking the chance to check on the siblings. Yuzuha had made it to her feet and was rubbing carefully at her eyes, attempting to remove any evidence of tears. Hakkai hovered around her, doing his best to dab at her wounds without causing more pain.

With a quick jerk, Taiju pulled the glass shard from your foot, causing you to wince. He immediately applied the washcloth to soak up the new blood that had started to pour out, but the pressure he exerted was more than necessary, adding to the discomfort. It hurt, and Taiju was tactless in how he was tending to you, but it seemed an insult to be bothered by it when Yuzuha was just a few feet away in such a demolished state.

“Hakkai,” Taiju snapped over his shoulder, drawing all three of your attention, “Go get the waiter, let him know we had a little accident and need some help with cleanup.”

Hakkai nodded, giving his sister one last look before heading on his way.

“Yuzuha,” Taiju grumbled in irritation, “Go clean up before we go home, I don’t want you bleeding all over the car.”

She lingered a moment before moving, as if she didn’t truly believe she was getting off so easily. But when Taiju kept his attentions on you she made her way to the door.

“Wait.”

She halted, her hand frozen on the handle just as she was to make her escape. Your heart rate quickened, wanting nothing more than for her to just make it out of this godforsaken room without any further incident.

“You need to apologize to (Name),” his voice was stern, “Apologize for ruining her birthday.”

Your eyes snapped to Taiju, momentarily speechless over the absurdity of his statement. You didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at situation, but you knew you shouldn’t be surprised. This wasn’t Taiju dodging responsibility or trying to play dumb. This was Taiju earnestly believing his deluded words.

This was Taiju showing his love for you.

You shivered, your body suddenly feeling extremely cold.

Yuzuha turned her head, dull eyes meeting yours as she pulled the door open.

“Sorry (name). I’m really, really sorry.”

~

“… Yuzuha?”

You knocked gingerly on the bathroom door, calling out as you did. The drive home felt as if it stretched on forever, everyone planted to their seats in complete silence. Even the gregarious cab driver made nary a bit of conversation, his words lost in the tense atmosphere. It was no wonder that as soon as you made it back, Yuzuha had dashed inside and holed up straight away in the bathroom to properly address her injuries.

It also didn’t shock you when there was no response to your knock. If you were in her shoes, you were certain the last person you would want to see would be yourself. But still, you worried for her and couldn’t help but feel immense guilt over how the night had gone down. If there was anything you could do to right this, you wanted to do it and then some.

Considering relenting after a few failed attempts, a soft voice called out to from inside before you could step away. “It’s unlocked, you can come in.” A click followed her words, letting you know the lock had been released.

With her permission, you opened the door just enough to squeeze inside, closing it quietly behind you. Taiju had told you not to bother checking on her, so you lied and told him you were going to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. It was lucky that the rooms were adjacent to each other, if you heard him coming to check on you it meant you could slink out quickly.

“Hey,” Yuzuha said plainly as you entered. Her back was turned to you, but she met your eyes in the mirror she was facing. “I’m surprised he let you come see me, what with me instigating such a scene and all.”

She spoke jokingly, but there was sadness in her voice. Yuzuha was one of the strongest people you had ever met, but the state of her family cut into her deeper than she let on. When things got really horrible, or events happened that truly shook her, you could see just how much it affected her peeking through the cracks. She couldn’t be a stone statue all the time, no matter how much she wished otherwise.

“He didn’t,” you responded with an equally pathetic smile, “I lied and said I was getting some water. I shouldn’t stay here long.”

“Ah,” she responded with a sigh, “Figures. But it’s a shame. I really wanted to enjoy this day with you.”

You felt tears prick your eyes at the honesty of her words. Her voice sounded so defeated, her body sagging from a mix of pain and exhaustion. Your eyes slowly inspected her, noting that she had already bandaged up all her cuts. Her hand pressed an ice pack into her face, completely engulfing the left side of it. Yuzuha was so young, yet looking at her now she looked as if she lived multiple consecutive life times in a row, the weight of it all mounting on her as it steadily crushed her alive.

How much longer until all of this turmoil completely consumed her?

“I’m so sorry Yuzuha,” You choked on your words, holding the tears that threated to spill at bay. “You don’t deserve any of this.”

Her eye found yours once more in the reflection, despondency reflected within it.

“Yeah,” she breathed a shuddering breath, “Neither do you.”

~

“That took a while.”

There was an accusatory tone to his voice that would typically set you on edge, but with state you left Yuzuha in fresh on your mind, you paid little attention to him. Warmth still enveloped you from the embrace you shared with his sister moments prior, your shoulder slightly damp from the tears she finally had the freedom to let lose. It was haunting, the way her arms gripped you like a lifeline, clinging desperately to your affection.

“Sorry,” you mumbled absent mindedly, “I’m a little slow because of my foot.”

Which wasn’t a total lie, the wound on your foot did slow you down and the shoddy, excessive wrap job didn’t help either. You figured maybe Taiju was overcompensating when he did it, attempting to make up for how rough he had gone at the cut earlier.

When you entered your shared bedroom he was already splayed out on the bed. Stripped from his fancy dinner attire, all he wore now were his boxers, the rest of his body on display. The jet black of his tattoos was a sharp contrast to the paleness of his skin, the way the lines dipped and curved against his muscles a thing of mesmerizing beauty. He leaned back on his arms, golden eyes staring down his nose at you as he followed your movement from the entrance to the vanity across the room. His legs were spread, feet lazily hanging off the side of the bed, and the boxers he wore were pulled down dangerously low, sitting right beneath his hips, just on the cusp of indecency. Though there was a slight frown on his lips he appeared relaxed, pleased even. He finally had you alone.

As much as it embarrassed to admit, it still made you anxious seeing him this way, and he knew this. The man seemed to live for the blush that bloomed across your body when he’d undress for you, eating it up entirely with a hungry smirk on his lips. He loved it almost as much as he loved seeing you in compromising situations.

He had no qualms forcing what he wanted from you in any situation, and it was a given that this applied to the bedroom as well. He believed implicitly that it was his divine right to see and have all of you whenever and wherever he desired, and if you wouldn’t freely give that to him, then he would simply take it. You know he preferred when you were compliant, treasuring the moments where he could convince himself you were a willing participant in his actions, but there was also a certain thrill he’d feel when you would do a minor act of rebellion. The way his breath would shudder when you’d try and push his groping hands away or the slight upturn of his lips when your limbs would tangle around yourself in a weak effort to hide your nude form. He’d always fuck you the hardest when you’d try and deny him, feeling immense satisfaction as he carved an indelible feeling of his ownership inside of your core.

You had already donned your own pajamas, but in your rush to check on Yuzuha had left yourself adorned in all your accessories. You were in the process of taking off your most recent acquirement; a stunning gemstone necklace Taiju had gifted you at dinner just before shit hit the fan. Noticing your struggle with the small clasp, Taiju rolled himself off the bed, proceeding to make his way towards you.

“Let me.”

You stopped fumbling with the dainty chain, your hands instead moving your hair out of the way so that he could finish the task. His fingers felt cold as they ghosted your neck, goosebumps dotting your arms at the feather light touches mixed with slight gusts of his breath. The necklace sparkled in a dazzling array as he lifted it off you, placing it with care on the dresser beside him. You pushed aside nagging thoughts of how many carats it may be, how he could afford such a thing, or where the hell you could ever wear something so extravagant.

“Your foot doesn’t hurt too badly, does it?” He asked as he turned back your way, serious concern lacing his voice.

‘It’s nothing compared to what you did to your sister’ you mused briefly, but shook the thought from your mind, shooting him a small smile instead.

“It feels a lot better now. I just don’t want to put too much pressure on it.”

He nodded, taking a step forward. His thick arms snaked around your stomach, pulling your back against his bare chest. He planted a prolonged kiss to the top of your head, eyes never once leaving yours in the vanities reflection. Once it concluded, he sighed, resting his chin on the top of your head.

“If only Hakkai and Yuzuha didn’t fuck tonight up,” his arms circled you tighter, “I had everything planned perfectly, went through hell to get that reservation months in advance, and they still couldn’t fucking act right.” He scoffed, “Just one night, all I wanted was one night where we could enjoy each other’s company and have some fun on your special day.”

He sighed again, sounding truly disgruntled. “It’s embarrassing. I taught them better than that.”

Removing the last of your jewelry, you smiled up at him as sincerely as you could.

“It’s alright, I still had a good time. Thank you, Taiju. It was a nice birthday.”

He returned your smile, planting another kiss atop your head. His arms moved from your torso, hands traveling to your arms. You heard him inhale behind you, his eyes drifting closed as he slowly moved his hands up your arms, stopping to rest them heavily upon your shoulders.

“A nice birthday huh,” he leaned down, his voice low as he whispered huskily into your ear, “But I can make it much better, baby.”

His hands slid the thing straps of your tank top off your shoulders, the loose fabric instantly working to fall off your chest. You shuddered, hoping that maybe the events of the night would have been enough to deter how the night was to inevitably end. Your body still ached from the night before, and seeing his scuffed knuckles reflecting back in the mirror as they began to fondle your now bare breasts only made you think of Yuzuha alone in the bathroom, sobbing and in pain. Was the blood that flecked them his or was it a remnant of her?

“Taiju, I’m tired,” You spoke gently, not wanting to make him mad. You shifted in an attempt to shrug off his feverish hands, but it only made his ministrations more determined. His growing erection was now pressed snuggly against your ass, and he relinquished one of his hands to pull your waist further into it, enjoying the friction with a purr.

His mouth latched to your neck, hot, sloppy, kisses littering the delicate flesh. You whimpered. Between his mouth and his hands, you didn’t know how your neck was ever without bruises.

He broke away momentarily, eyes flashing open to meet your gaze in the mirror. A devilish grin curled on his lips, expression dripping with lust as a dark chuckle rumbled from his throat.

“Well then,” he growled, arms swiftly scoping you up in a bridal carry as he turned towards the awaiting bed.  “I guess I’ll just have to wake you up.”

~

You weren’t sure what time it was.

At some point, you had awoken in the night. Discombobulated from your fitful sleep, it took a few moments for you to get your bearings. Your check was pressed into Taiju’s chest, your body rising and falling slowly with his breathing. His heart was beating steadily in your ear, the gentle consistent thump of it reminding you of a metronome. Maybe it was in a sense, seeing as Taiju had a hand pressed to the back of your head that kept you firmly in place atop of him and unable to see the clock. Maybe this is how you should count the time as you force yourself back to sleep.

And oh, how you wished you could get there soon. You were exhausted mentally and physically, every inch of your body begging for rest. You hurt too, the awkward position you had been pressed into not helping in the slightest, every bruise and ache of the day and nights liaison amplified by your unnatural posture. You shifted slightly, attempting to at least move the bottom half of your body to try and achieve some semblance of comfort. Alas, that only reminded you of the sticky mess that had pooled between your legs prior, what was left over from multiple orgasms Taiju had coaxed from your body, his own release a part of the mix.

“You awake?”

His voice startled you, knocking all previous feelings of sleepiness out the window.

“I’m sorry,” you responded, voice groggy from slumber, “Did I wake you?”

He chuckled, “No, I’ve been awake. I was watching you sleep.”

For a moment you were thankful for your uncomfortable position, knowing it prevented him from seeing the blush of embarrassment that illuminated your cheeks.

Silence fell over the two of you once more. Your eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the room, picking up things that had been obscured previously. Taiju moved a bit, finally sating your curiosity about the time as the bold red letters flashed 4:09AM you way. In a blink, it changed to 4:10.

His change in position ended up being more comfortable for you as well, and you took the chance to shimmy around a bit until you found a good spot to nestle into. He kept his hand on your head, keeping your from roaming too far. After you had relocated, he languidly began to cart his fingers through your hair, and you found yourself relaxing at his touch. The sleep that had previously eluded you was sneaking its way back, your eyes growing heavy as you focused once more on the soft beating in his chest. As they began to flutter closed, he spoke to you once more.

“(Name)?” He spoke in little more than a whisper, as if he were checking to see if you had fallen back to sleep or not.

“Hm?” you hummed in response, fighting back sleep a bit longer to hear what he had to say.

A moment passed before he spoke again, causing you to think maybe he was the one who actually ended up falling asleep. However his words were clear when he spoke them, a question being posed that you were not expecting him to ask.

“Do you remember when we first met?”

You laughed a bit. Was this a test? “I hope you aren’t trying to make fun of me for forgetting the first time around, I thought I apologized enough for that already.”

“I’m not,” he was quick to respond, and there was a melancholy resonance to his voice that made you perk up, “… It’s just… Do you remember what you said? The very first time we met in that play house?”

You were fully alert now, intrigued by the line of questioning. Taiju was not someone who hesitated about anything, and yet here he was, sounding almost nervous as he asked such an innocuous thing.

“Um,” you stalled, granting your brain some time to remember that far back. “I’m sure I told you that I thought you were cool, and I thanked you for saving me.”

He gave a short laugh, “You did say those things, but you also said something that stuck with me more than that.”

“Yeah, what was that?”

“You said you were lucky… lucky that you met me.”

Hearing him say those words transported you right back to childhood. Sitting scrunched up in the playhouse, smiling like a bashful idiot up at Taiju. Despite the circumstances, you couldn’t help but smile at the nostalgia.

“No one had ever said that to me before.”

The smile fled from your face, the shake in Taiju’s voice freezing you in place. He sounded to the point of tears, but you were so stricken by the sudden passion in his words that you dared not try to confirm.

“Not one person in my life had ever been happy like that to see me,” he continued, struggling to keep his emotions in check. “No one ever said it was lucky that I was around. My mom… She was dying. Every day she got worse and worse. I had to watch her waste away, and if I went to dad needing help with anything, he pushed me aside. Said he was too busy taking care of everyone and everything else, that he didn’t have time to spend on me when his world was coming down around him. I was just in his way.”

You were silent as he continued, body stilled. Afraid that if you even made one small move, the moment would be over.

“Yuzuha and Hakkai… Fuck, they were just kids, you know? I mean so was I, but Hakkai was like a fucking baby. They had no idea what was going on. They tried to go to dad too, but he just wasn’t around. They were lost and they had no one to turn to, no one except me.”

He took in a shaky breath, “So I did what I could as the newly appointed man of the house. I did my best to protect them and help them, but God they just… They wouldn’t listen to me. They didn’t understand that I was helping, so I had to try and make them understand. But even then, they wouldn’t take me seriously unless I got physical.”

“Somewhere along the line everything just got so fucked up. I didn’t have anyone to turn to. Not even my own family wanted me around. My mother was dead. My father was gone. Hakkai and Yuzuha avoided me. Everyone I thought was my friend had jumped ship, telling me I had become mean, that I wasn’t fun to be around anymore. I had no one.”

His hand stopped, falling in place once more to cradle your head. In the brief silence, you continued to listen to the dull thud of his heart.

“Then I met you. And you told me with your bright eyes and big smile that you were lucky, lucky to have someone like me in your life. I couldn’t stop thinking about that, about you. Every time your face came to mind my chest ached. I wanted to see you again so bad, I wanted to know everything about you and be with you all the time. Everyone told me I was being ridiculous, that it was some dumb little crush I’d be over in no time. But my desire to be near you never stopped.  As time passed my feelings only grew, and even from that young age I knew that I would love you for the rest of my life.”

You felt Taiju shift beneath you, a deep breath escaping his lungs. When he spoke again, tiredness had crept into his words. Snuggled against him, you could feel his body relax beneath you as he began to drift away.

“God put me through hell, and for the longest time I didn’t understand why,” his speech was slurred with sleep, and knew it wouldn’t be much longer before it fully claimed him. “But when I met you I understood. It was to meet you. You are my angel, (name). You said I was your hero, but I want you to know that you saved me too.  I love you so fucking much that sometimes I don’t even know how to handle it.”

“(Name)…” His words were breathy, spoken right on the precipice of a dream, “Do you still feel that way? Do you still feel lucky that I found you?”

He was gone before you could respond.

~

Going to Black Dragon meetings was starting to be the bane of your existence.

You weren’t even sure why you had to attend, Taiju never let you listen in on what they discussed or have any say in the gang’s activity. Not that you actually wanted that kind of involvement, but sitting around off to the side for hours on end wasn’t your idea of fun either. And if you had to be there anyway, you would prefer at least some form of stimulation.

On top of your mandatory attendance and lack of purpose, he forbade you from interacting with anyone while you were there (excluding your normal entourage of Koko and Inupi, of course). You barely knew the other people in Taiju’s gang and figured it best to keep it that way, but the lack of correspondence with others  further increased your boredom. As soon as the two of you showed up he’d go stash you to the side, keeping you within view but away from the action. You felt like a decorative tea cup placed in a china shelf, something that was nice to look at but not to be touched.

You sighed forlornly, chin cradled in your palm as it rest against your knee. You had asked before why your presence at these things were necessary, but just as with every other time you questioned Taiju’s decisions, it didn’t end so well for you (if he even chose to answer you at all).

“Here.”

Something cold nudged your arm, making the hairs stand on end. Your eyes traveled up to the culprit, Inupi, who had just come back from his trek to the vending machine.

You took the drink from him with a ‘thanks’ as he sat himself next you on the dilapidated shrine step. Your back hurt from being hunched over on the stoop so long, and your ass was cold from the jagged concrete. As you sipped your beverage, your eyes passed over the mob of men several feet away from you who were engrossed in a deep discussion, no doubt in your mind that it was about something unsavory.

“How much longer do you think it’s gonna be?” You absentmindedly asked the boy beside you, your eyes locking onto Taiju’s large back in the distance. His blue hair danced wildly in the cool night breeze, a bright beacon amongst a sea of black.

“Hopefully soon,” he sighed, leaning back casually on one hand while his own drink was perched in the other. “I have to wake up early tomorrow for some bullshit make-up exam.”

You shot a wry smile at him, “And here I thought you were valedictorian material.”

He snorted, hiding his smile as he took a swig of his drink. “Who says I’m not? Tests are bullshit ways to measure intelligence anyway.”

Though Koko was usually your allotted babysitter, Inupi was the one to hold that honor tonight, and for that you were thankful. Inupi wasn’t much of a talker, least of all to you, and he certainly wasn’t one to openly bare his soul to people. But in the past few weeks he had slowly become accustomed to your presence and through the time you spent together a sort of bond had formed. It wasn’t deep enough to be considered friendship, but maybe it was headed in that direction.

Honestly you expected the conversation to end there, the rest of the meeting to be spent with the two of you side by side in silence enjoying your respective beverages in peace. But as you felt him continually fidget beside you, you couldn’t help but be a little on edge. Of all people, Inupi was always one of the more collected members of Taiju’s gang. Even under pressure he remained stoic, so it couldn’t help but alarm you to see him so uncomfortable in such a lax setting.

“… Is something wrong?” You questioned tentatively. Things were cool between the two of you, but you still didn’t want to cause any upset. The question seemed innocent enough to you, but around so many volatile people you were never quite sure what was overstepping your boundaries.

“No,” he was quick to reply, his voice flat despite his jitters. “It’s nothing.”

You hummed in acknowledgement, the noise eaten up by sound of the wind.

“It’s just…”

You glanced his way, observing that his eyes were set firmly in place, glaring fiercely off into the distance. You followed his gaze, ascertaining it had honed in on the two top dogs of the Black Dragons, Taiju and Koko.

He sighed, sounding almost irritated. “It’s stupid, never mind.”

Your brows furrowed, “It isn’t that stupid if it’s bothering you this much.” You stared back down to the half empty can in your hands, the lingering cold causing your fingers to go slightly numb. “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to, though.”

Another beat of silence passed.

“…I just wondered what your dreams were.”

Your head snapped his way, noting an almost imperceptible blush had befallen his cheeks.

“I told you it was stupid,” he grumbled, refusing to make eye contact. “I don’t know… It’s just something I have been thinking about a lot recently. People’s goals, what the hope to achieve, what they want out of life and what they are working towards, shit like that.”

“It’s none of my business,” his eyes lifted, falling back to the men before him. “But I can’t shake it. The fact that some people’s dreams will never get realized no matter how hard they work. They bleed themselves dry and work themselves to the bone for some shiny, encompassing obsession. They just keep digging the hole deeper hoping to strike gold at the bottom, only to find more dirt.”

He shifted, his eyes meeting yours, “Those are the type of people that drag everyone around them down there with them to get stuck in the mud. And the people caught in that crossfire… they don’t really get to dream anymore. And if they do, it just hurts them.”

You remained silent, ruminating over his words. He breathed deeply, hanging his head in a defeated manner.

“I thought maybe it was getting better,” he spoke softly, as if he were telling you a terrible secret. You could barely hear him over the sounds of the meeting ending in the distance, causing you to lean in a bit to catch his words, “But if anything its getting worse. You should be careful (name). It’s not just Taiju that wants to swallow you whole.”

The iciness of Inupi’s words pressed in around you, mingling with the cool gusts that rocked the overhead tree branches this way and that. You wrapped your goose bump riddled arms around yourself for consolation as another thick gust of wind ripped through the air, the ferocity of it causing you to clutch yourself tighter. A sudden threat of tears made your eyes clamp shut, hoping to keep them from forcing out.

“Dreams, huh?” Despite trying to sound light hearted, the words came out sounding disjointed and broken. “I haven’t thought about those in a long time.”

Inupi lifted himself, turning his head to you one last time before making his way towards the others. “That’s probably for the best. Maybe that’s the only real way to get through all this.”

As he began making his way toward the crowd, you knew you were supposed to follow. But your body had become rigid, perched like a stone deity at the base of the derelict shrine. No one came to tend this forgotten space anymore, the saisen box eternally empty and the paint long since chipped away. It’s only company now was delinquents, ghosts, and people like yourself trapped somewhere between the two.

Your heavy eyes shifted focus to the slowly dispersing crowd, a chill coursing down your spine when they landed on Taiju and Koko.

Both sets of eyes were watching your every move.

~

“Oh my God.”

The words escaped you through an airy, bewildered gasp at the sight that stood before you.

Maybe it was a childish thing to think, but you could never picture Taiju ever losing. The entire time you had known him he had been an unhuman beacon of strength and power, undefeatable against anyone who dare cross his path.

So why was he hunched over before you, dangling limply between Inupi and Koko like a wet piece of clothing hung up to try? Deep black and purple splotches dotted his body, weaving in and out of his tattoos like a child sloppily trying to color within the lines. His hair hung down over his face, obscuring your view, but with the way the two men flanking him were struggling you realized he must have passed out and was just dead weight they were supporting.

You ushered them inside, hurriedly tossing pillows aside to make room for his body on the couch. After he had been positioned on the cushions you could truly ascertain the beating he had endured, and you felt your heart stutter as you assessed the damages. As if the bruises weren’t bad enough, you were sickened to see blood pooling from an open stab wound near his abdomen. Raw flesh stained the brightest red you had ever seen consumed your field of vision, mocking your belief that the man this had happened to was invincible. Tears blurred your vision as somewhere in the background you heard Inupi try and explain that the stab wound wasn’t too bad-it had missed his vitals-it was far shallower than it appeared.

Though he was unconscious, the pain etched into Taiju’s furrowed brow told you all you needed to know. Your eyes weren’t deceiving you, he really had lost. For the first time in his life Taiju Shiba had entered an altercation that he did not come out on top of and this was the after math of his actions.

The scene was too surreal. You had never seen Taiju in physical pain before, taking some of the hardest blows imaginable head on and reacting to them with nothing but a cruel smirk on his face. It made you wonder if whatever had occurred tonight at the church was more than just the average gang tussle.

Inupi and Koko helped you clean him up. You were thankful to have them around, not sure what you would have done had Inupi not had been able to stitch him back together. Despite being surrounded by it, gore had never been your strong suit. Other than gathering supplies, cleaning affected areas, and applying ice and bandages, you felt useless as you watched Taiju writhe around in a restless sleep, moaning in discomfort with each healing application. At some point his hand found yours and squeezed so hard you thought he may break it. Your bones groaned under the pressure, but you squeezed it back to let him know you were there, using your free hand to wipe the gathering sweat from his forehead.

When things calmed down, Koko pulled you to the side while Inupi finished up with Taiju. His face was grim when he stopped in the dimly lit hall, and now that your initial shock had faded it was clear to see that he also hadn’t made it out of the scuffle without taking blows.

“(Name)…” he sighed, contemplating how to proceed. His focus darted from you to Taiju in the next room over, his frown deepening each time he spotted his fallen boss. His eyes were a stormy mix of resentment and disappointment as they passed over his disheveled form, scoffing before he directed his full attentions your way. “It’s time to jump ship.”

Despite his tempestuous nature, his words came out surprisingly clear, ringing through the air like a bell. “With Taiju falling, the Black Dragons are done for. We need to get out of here before things get worse.”

His words caused a whiplash, leaving you dumbfounded that someone who had always appeared so loyal would say something so frank. You had expected an explanation, or at bare minimum, a rundown of what transpired from when Taiju kissed you goodbye at the door, to when they dragged him home. Who did he fight? Did it happen at the church, or did they jump him before he got there or after he left? Was that gang still looking for him? Would they come back to try and finish the job?

A few hours ago Yuzuha ran off without offering an explanation either, and she hadn’t answered your texts or calls the entire night. For that matter, neither did Hakkai. Were the two of them involved and were they okay? Did they know the state their brother was in, or were are they fucked up worse than he was somewhere?

You mind whirred with questions, your body teetering as the severity of this situation hit you. Someone out there was stronger than the indomitable Taiju Shiba, and if they had the strength to bring him down then what was stopping them from coming back for the kill? If some provoked, hot-tempered monster of a gang boss tore down your door right now there would be no way you could protect Taiju, let alone yourself. You felt tears burn your eyes, your breath coming out in ragged gasps as your hand gripped your chest. Your brain screamed to try and call Hakkai and Yuzuha again, but the dread filled thought that they may not be alive to answer kept you glued in place.

Your duress had not gone unnoticed, and it took you a moment to realize that Koko had pulled you into his chest, wrapping you close in a constraining embrace. Your breath caught as you felt him stroke your hair, soft murmurs of affirmation pressed against your ear. His arm snaked around your back, the heat of his body scorching as his fingers left angry red indents in your flesh.

His presence was nothing but a burden to you already overwhelmed form.

Bile rose in the back of your throat. This wasn’t a friend trying to comfort you in a time of need. This was an opportunist trying to strike his claim.

“I know this is scary,” he whispered, his breathing labored, “but I need you to go grab what you can. We can’t stay here any longer, (name). It’s over now.”

With all the strength remaining within you, you shoved him away, both parties tripping a bit as distance was created. The confusion and hurt that engulfed his expression was temporary, quickly replaced with annoyance. A scowl rested on his lips as you confronted him.

“What the hell happened,” you cried, a tear streaking down your cheek. “Who did this to Taiju? Where are Hakkai and Yuzuha? And what do you mean it’s over? Koko, what the fuck happened tonight?”

After a moment’s contemplation, he relented. You listened aptly as he explained how the night progressed, from escorting Taiju to his yearly Christmas Eve pilgrimage, to dragging his broken body back home. He explained Toman’s interference and how Yuzuha had stabbed her older brother with the intent to kill. Much like your own sister, she had finally reached a point where she would no longer idly stand by and let Taiju do as he pleased.

Much to your relief, Koko did explain that both she and Hakkai, though a little roughed up, were fine and safe with Toman’s inner circle. You weren’t the keenest on its members, but you had met a few through your association with Hakkai and they seemed an amiable enough sort, even if they were Taiju’s enemy. It put you at ease to know the sibling were with them, and it consoled you to know the chance of Hakkai’s gang coming back for Taiju was slim to none.

Koko concluded his retelling by explaining how the arrival of Toman’s leader had spelled the conclusion of the fight, his appearance ultimately put a stop to Taiju. With their boss’ resounding defeat, the end the Black Dragons as you know it had been solidified.

You listened numbly to the entire sordid tale. The shock of Taiju’s bloodied body on the couch wasn’t waning, and now that you knew all that transpired, a tremendous ache had bloomed in your core. All this planning, scheming, and unrest was going on under your nose without you even realizing it. Yuzuha had planned to kill Taiju, and she damn well almost did judging by the oozing wound you just helped patch up. A whole gang war erupted right down the street from you all while you sat around at home, none the wiser.

Yuzuha, Hakkai, Taiju… None of them may have returned from that.

“(Name),” Koko’s voice broke through to you, a sickening sweet tinge to it. You realized then he was touching you again, this time more gently, his fingers trailing up and down the length of arm. “I’ll keep you safe. Now that Taiju has been taken down, you’ll come with Inupi and me. We’ll leave before Taiju gets up-“

“Shut the fuck up Koko.”

The bite in your tone halted his motions, his expression dancing between agitation and shock as you ripped yourself from his grasp.

“If you want to leave, then leave. In fact, that’s probably for the best. You know where the door is, see yourself out.”

His hand tightened into a fist, body vibrating as he withheld his rage.

“Don’t you see,” he spoke through clenched teeth, “Don’t you see all the shit I did for you? Me, personally, not that abusive shithead you were cradling so lovingly in your arms minutes ago.” His eyes traveled to Taiju before falling back to you. “I know he took the credit for half the shit I did, but who do you think supported you these past years? Your home, the food you ate, the clothes on your back… you really think this asshole knew how to make all that happen?”

He took another step towards you, “I supported you, ME. I took care of you and protected you, I provided for you, I sheltered you as best I fucking could from this monster and his violent mood swings, and still… still you pick him over me?”

There was desperation in his voice as he pleaded with you, watery eyes giving you a glimpse of his breaking heart.

“So that gives you a right to my love,” you croaked out, the broken words tumbling from your lips, “I don’t recall ever asking for you to do any of that for me Koko, but I guess I owe you now, huh? Does that make me your property, just like I’m Taiju’s?”

You noticed him flinch, the ice in your words plastering a scowl on his lips. His body grew stiff as you took an unsteady step his way. “And that’s what everyone wants right, to be the one to own it all? The power, the money, the people, all of it should be yours to do as you see fit, that’s what all this is about right? Who gives a shit what the actual human beings involved feel or want?”

You held his gaze, matching his intensity. The room was thick with tension, and your knees were knocking so violently you felt as if you would crumble any second.

Still, you held your ground.

“I never wanted this to happen to anybody. I didn’t want anybody to get hurt, but that’s all that seems to happen anymore.” You took a shuddering breath, “And idiotic as I may be, I’m not leaving Taiju while he’s like this. I… want to be by his side. That’s my decision.”

He stared at you with hard eyes as the seconds crept by. You heard Inupi shuffle in the other room until he came into view, tentatively making his way over to Koko. He placed a hand on his friends shoulder, shooting him a knowing look that caused the dark haired boy’s body to slightly deflate.

“It looks like I’ve upset you. Sorry, that wasn’t my intention.” He turned on his heel, motioning for inupi to follow as he made his way towards the exit. He stopped briefly at the threshold, pivoting his head your way one last time.

“I won’t bother you again, but I want you to remember one thing,” there was a waver in his eyes as turned around once more, “I don’t own you, but Taiju doesn’t either.”

The door clicked softly as they left, leaving you utterly alone.

You made your way back to Taiju, fretting over what to do next. You debated calling an ambulance, but realized if Koko and Inupi went through the trouble of dragging him all the way home there was probably a good reason they didn’t take him to the hospital to begin with. Taiju had no friends to call now that the Black Dragons had apparently disbanded, and Hakki and Yuzuha were going through their own trials. You alone were now tasked with being Taiju’s savior.

You were vaguely aware that you were pacing, constant motion matching the onslaught of thoughts that fretted your brain, worrying about all that could go wrong.  What if the stab was deeper than you thought, or you didn’t clean it well enough and it got infected? What if there was some other wound you missed, or damage happened internally that you weren’t aware of?

A cold sweat pooled on your brow. What would you do if Taiju died?

“You stayed.”

His voice fell through the crack of his lips, small and fragmented. You were at his side in an instant, crouching on your knees beside where his head lay. He lifted his shaky hand to find purchase on your skin, his grip felt unsteady and cold as it grazed your face. Your expression softened. This was the first time in your life that you had ever seen him vulnerable.

“You could have gone with them, but you stayed with me.”

He attempted to raise his torso, but you placed your hands on his shoulder to slowly guide him back down. Gently reprimanding him, you sat yourself on the far end of the couch and gingerly repositioned his head so that it was nestled in your lap.

“Of course I stayed,” you murmured, softly carding your fingers through his messy hair, “I wouldn’t be much of a guardian angel if I left you like this, would I?” His lips upturned at your words, letting out a relieved breath. “But Taiju… Why didn’t you tell me things had gotten like this? I had no idea… I didn’t realize… If I had known, I wouldn’t have let you leave…”

You tripped over your words, a fresh batch of tears dribbling down your face to land upon his. You squeezed your eyes shut in an attempt to staunch them, embarrassed that Taiju was the one so badly hurt, yet you were the one sobbing.

“I’m sorry.”

Your eyes shot open, surprised to hear the words directed your way.  Glancing down at the man in your lap, you saw that he was crying too.

“I really fucked up, didn’t I?” He nestled his face against your stomach, and you realized that even in this battered state, maybe he was embarrassed too. “With the black dragons, with Yuzuha and Hakkai, with you… I feel like I’m losing everything all over again.”

He winced when he tried to roll on his side, the wound near his back a fresh reminder of the night’s failures.

“…Maybe somethings were lost,” you spoke slowly, “And things have definitely changed. But it doesn’t have to be for the worse, and it doesn’t mean that you are going to face it alone. Even if you lost this time and really messed up … I’m so glad you made it home to me Taiju.”

He turned his attentions back your way, intense emotions wavering in his tear stained eyes.

“I am too, baby.”

There was something in the way his voice wavered, how his eyes continued to stare up at you with a vulnerability you never imagined Taiju could exhibit. Your heart was breaking the longer you held him. With strained effort he lifted his arms once more, placing his hands lightly on your cheeks as if he were holding something incredibly fragile. He gently rubbed a tear away as it streaked across your face, his eyes drinking in your features as you stared down at him.

“You know, with the light shining behind you like that, you really do look like an angel, (name).”

Despite the tremendous pain he was in, a genuine smile graced his lips.

Taiju had hurt you more times then you could count and in ways you would never wish on anybody. There was toxicity dripping from every facet of your relationship with him. It wasn’t right, you couldn’t even call it good, but in that moment as you nestled his wet face in your arms, you realized that you loved him so much that you really didn’t care. Maybe he had broken you down to this point, forcing his affections onto you until you caved, but it was true.

Taiju Shiba had you completely, and that wasn’t going to change.

[livingdreams97]

Emily Dickinson- "The past comes back" (part 1)

Emily Dickinson x fem! reader/oc

Summary: An old friend of Lavinia's returns to Amherst after years out of town and not seeing each other. But what happens when Lavinia's friend turns out to be not only her friend, but two more girls and one of them turns out not to remember her.

Words: 3.366

NEXT

Masterlist

NOTE: If you see any spelling mistake im sorry, english is not my first lenguage and i try to do it the best possible.

Emily's POV

Today was another day, another day less in this cruel and superficial world. Life is something monotonous, without changes, without news and without any inspiration.

I let out a sigh looking out the window of my room, sitting in the chair in front of my desk and with a blank sheet of paper for hours. Although in reality it could have been only a few minutes and that the overwhelming silence of my mind makes me believe that more time has passed than it actually has.

Lavinia: You're not going to believe who's back.- she says completely excited almost knocking down the door of my room to enter.

Emily: Who's back?- i ask setting the paper aside and giving her my full attention.

Lavinia: My best friend is back.- she shouts jumping excitedly in her place.

Emily: Since when do you have more friends than Jane, Abby, Abiah and Toshiaki.- I say laughing at her attitude.

Lavinia: First of all, that has offended me. - she claims me crossing her arms over her chest. -Second, I have more friends apart from those weirdos and third; you are the one who only has one friend: Sue.- She lists looking at me with narrowed eyes.

Emily: Okay now i'm the one that is ofended.- i say loking at her with narrowed eyes.

Lavinia: Whatever, you're not going to spil the emotion of my moment.- she assures me pointing to me.

Emily: Okey. - i say raising my hands in the air with innocence. -Can you tell me who's back already?- i asked, slightly interested.

Lavinia: Y/n Harvard is back.- she shouts full of emotion.

Emily: Harvard like the university of Massachusetts?- i ask slightly confused.

Lavinia: Yes, her great- greatgranfather was the main founder of the university and thats why she moved to Cambridge back 13 years ago.- she answers me and I open my eyes in surprise.

Emily: Wow that's impresive.- i say and she nods her head. –But why they had to move there?- i ask confuse, since I don't see a clear reason to move there and now return to Amherts after thirteen years.

Lavinia: They moved because her grandfather died and her father had to occupy the position of director at the university.- she answers me and I nod without being entirely sure.

Emily: And why she is back now?- i ask still unsure.

Lavinia: From what Maggie has told me, her maid has told her that they have come to fix some things in the house and the family land.- she answers me and I nod in understanding.

Emily: And why aren't you with her now? - Confused question. -If they've come back for things around the house, it means they won't stay long and you should take advantage of it.- I explain and she smiles full of emotion.

Lavinia: That's because mom has talked to Y/n's mother and has invited them to have dinner with us.- She replies, jumping back on the spot. -So I need you to behave, don't do anything strange and don't say any of your poetic reflections.- she orders me pointing her finger at me.

Emily: And what if I just don't go down to dinner? - I ask hopefully.

I'm hoping she'll let me stay in my room, writing and waiting for the dead to show up so I can have an intellectual conversation with him. Because I don't like it very much when there are people at home and less when I don't know those people. Y/n may have been Lavinia's best friend, but I don't remember her and we may not have even exchanged words in the past.

So I hope that for fear of me making a scene or saying something I shouldn't, Lavinia will let me stay in my room in my inspiring solitude so that I can enjoy the tranquility of my loneliness by myself.

Lavinia: Nope, that's not going to happend.- she shake your head. -Sue and Austin will also come to dinner, so you have to go down to the dining room and socialize with our guests.- she tells me seriously.

Emily: But why? - I ask in the form of an exaggerated false cry. -I don't even know who Y/n is or I'm sure we didn't even talk when she lived here.- I complain seeing how she opens her eyes in surprise.

Lavinia: Emily Elizabeth Dickinson have you forgotten about Y/n? - she asks me completely surprised.

Emily: Okey there's no need to use my full name.- i say impressed by her tone of voice and the use of my middle name.

Lavinia: Yes, it is necessary, how could you forget about Y/n? - Question completely surprised. -Sue, Y/n, you and I were like the town quartet, they never saw one of us without the others.- she tells me and I open my eyes surprised by the new information.

Emily: Wait what?- i ask completly taken away.

Lavinia: You really don't remember her?- she asks me between impressed, sad and surprised.

Emily: No i don't.- i respond by shaking my head uncertainly.

Lavinia: Could you at least pretend that you remember her when she comes to dinner, please.- I laugh and I nod confused.

Emily: Why do you want me to pretend that I remember her? - I ask interested and confused.

Lavinia: Because she has always held you in esteem, she always said that your mind was incredible and she always asked about you when we wrote to each other.- she explains to me and I open my eyes in surprise.

Emily: Now I feel bad for not remembering her.- I tell her feeling some guilt in my stomach.

Lavinia: You're right to feel bad, you were just as obsessed with her as she was with you.- she tells me and I frown trying to remember her. -You were actually closer to Y/n at that time than you were to Sue.- she explains and I look at her completely impressed.

Emily: Is that serious? - I ask with my mouth slightly open.

Lavinia: Why would i lie?- she asks me confused - Anyway, when you go down to dinner, clean the remains of ink from your hands and make sure that she doesn't realize that you don't remember her, please.- she asks me and I nod with a sigh.

Emily: I'll try not to let her know.- I nod.

Lavinia: Okay, thank you very much.- She thanks me and walks towards the door of my room. -They'll come around five o'clock, so be ready and try to be as normal as possible,- she begs me and walks out the door, closing it behind her.

Once alone again in my room, I try to think and look through my memories in search of Y/n. If what Lavinia has told me is true, I don't understand why I don't remember her and the friendship we had.

I try as hard as I can to remember her, but I only see Sue and my sister, along with Jane, Abby, Abiah, and Toshiaki. Suddenly inspiration strikes me, so I turn back in my chair to the table and start writing on the blank paper from a while ago.

Watching the clouds go by, life went by and you, like a cloud, passed through my boredom. And then your heart and mine were united, as the edges of a wound come together.

The last dreams and the first gray hair all beautiful things sadden with shadow; and today your life and my life are like stars, because they can be seen together, being so far away...

I well know that oblivion, like cursed water, it gives us a thirst deeper than the thirst it takes away, But I'm so sure I can forget...

And I will look at the clouds without thinking that I love you in the deaf habit of an old sailor that he still feels, on solid ground, the undulation of the sea.

(Jose Angel Buesa, it's not Emily's but imagine it is)

Y/n's POV

I'm excited, ecstatic even. Today I had returned to the place where I was born and where I lived my first 10 years of life. The last time I set foot in the house where I was born was 13 years ago and time has had its effect even on it.

Everything was the same, but there was something in the environment that made it strange and gave a feeling of ignorance. I don't know if it's because of the dust, the white sheets covering every piece of furniture in the house or the perspective of where I'm seeing the house now.

When I was ten years old, barely one meter thirty, my vision was different and the things within reach of my hands were reduced. But now that I am 23 years old, I am 1.73 meters tall and I see things from a different angle. The things or places that I could not access before are at the height of my hands.

I go up the stairs caressing the railing of my childhood home, remembering how it felt to slide down it and the good times I spent on these stairs. I remember the times Lavinia, Emily, Sue and I would race up the stairs. Like the time I fell from them with Lavinia, because Emily pushed me laughing and I clung to my best friend ending with a small scar on my eyebrow thanks to the fall.

I stop looking at the corridor on the second floor, where the rooms are and I walk towards the back where mine is. As I walk down the hall in a relaxed manner, I look at the photos hanging on it and stop when I see a family photo.

In the photo you can see my father sitting on a sofa, with my mother sitting to his right and my older sister to his left. Then my brother is on my mother's lap and I am sitting on my father's lap.

I am the youngest of three children, my older sister Amber got married seven years ago and already has two children Adam and Alana. Adam is already five years old and Alana just turned 3 just two weeks ago. And she is four months pregnant with her third child.

Amber is the oldest of the three, then there is Brandon and then there is me. Amber is 6 years older than me, Brandon is two years younger than her and four years older than me. So right now my sister is 29 years old and Brandon is 27 years old.

My brother was harder to settle down, or at least that's what my parents tell everyone. He got married just two years ago and his wife is also pregnant with his first child. The truth is that I don't have a very good relationship with her, because there is something that doesn't convince me about her attitude and I'm not sure that she deserves my brother.

But they're already married and my brother loves her, so there's nothing I can do about it.

And then there's me, the youngest and only single of the three Harvard Anderson children. The truth is that I have never been interested in meeting a man and starting a family. To be honest, I don't think I'm ever will be a good mother and I don't even know how to dedicate myself to serving a man other than my father. And it's not that I like too much to serve my father or do any domestic choir.

I am more interested in studies, training as a person and knowing something more than cooking or housework. Thank God, my parents have never pressured me to get married, since I am my father's right eye and he has always pampered me in everything.

In addition to my father being the director of Harvard, he has given me the opportunity to attend some classes on what interested me and has also taught me everything I wanted to know.

I stop dead in front of the door of my childhood room, take a deep breath and open the door taking a step inside it. I see the walls painted a pale pink slightly faded by time, the relief of the furniture under the sheets and I smile longingly.

In quick movements I begin to remove each of the sheets, revealing my single bed with the ballerina quilt, the nightstands, the dark brown closet in which I used to hide when I played hide-and-seek, the chair where my mother put my clothes for the day after and finally the desk in front of one of my windows.

Delicately move my fingers over the surface of the table, feeling the relief of the names carved on it. I smile sadly, remembering my last day in this house and the promise that was made in this very room.

Flashback

Lavinia: Why do you have to go?- she asks with teary eyes and a pout.

Y/n: Because I have to go with my family.- i answer with teary eyes just like her.

Emily: And if you stay with us?-She asks hopefully and pointing to herself and her little sister.

Y/n: I don't think they'll let me.- I answer with a pout, trying with all my strength to avoid crying.

Emily: But they have to leave you, you can't go and leave us here.- she whimpers letting the first tear fall from her eyes.

Sue : You can do that.- supports her best friend. -I don't want to lose you either.- she sighs with sadness and resisting the desire to cry just like me.

Y/n: I can't do anything.- I whisper and feel how the tears begin to fall from my eyes again.

Lavinia: But you can't go, if you go you'll forget us and I don't want you to forget me.- She starts to cry and throws herself into my arms.

Y/n: I don't want to leave my best friends either.- I whisper, hugging the youngest tightly.

Emily: Don't go.- she begs me starting to cry and joining the hug.

Sue: Please?- She asks with a somewhat broken voice, approaching more calmly and joining the group hug.

Y/n: If it were up to me I would stay here with you forever.- I assure her, crying with them. -But I can't choose.- I whisper very sad to leave my friends behind.

Sue: You have to promise us that you'll come back.- she asks me separating from the hug and with a tear sliding down her cheek.

Lavinia: Yes, you have to promise.- support her sister's best friend.

Emily: And if we make a promise.- she offers and all the same attentive ones. -I took this from father, but I don't really know what he does or what it is used for.- she comments taking a screwdriver from the pocket of her dress.

Sue We could write our names on something with that.- She points to the sharp object in our friend's hand.

Lavinia: Let's write our names on Y/n's desk and promise to be friends forever.- She jumps up from the floor and grabs the pointed object from her sister.

Sue: I think it's a good idea. - she supports her, also getting up from the ground. -But you and Y/n will not write, because you are very small and it can be dangerous.- she says and I pout crossing my arms.

Y/n: You say it as if you were much older than the two of us.- I deny getting up from the ground and helping Emily to do it too.

Sue: I'm older than you by two years and older than Vini by three.- she points at us and we both stick out our tongues at her.

Sue starts carving the names of the four of us into the bottom left corner of my desk, being careful not to hurt herself, and ends up making an infinity over the names.

Lavinia: Now we will be friends forever.- she says excitedly hugging me around my waist and I do the same with her.

Emily: Promise us that you won't forget us.- She asks me looking straight into my eyes and there is something in them that creates curiosity in me.

Y/n: I promise.- i assure with a nod full of strength. -I promise to write every week.- I assure them and the three of them smile at me a little happier.

Emily: And we promise to answer each letter.- she promises me and she throws herself on me to hug me tightly by the neck.

Sue: Friends forever.- she says joining the hug from behind.

Lavinia: Friends forever.- she repeats against my shoulder.

Emily: Friends forever.- She secures against my neck, tickling me and making my heart race unexpectedly.

Y/n: Friends forever.- I say and close my eyes to enjoy my last moments for a while with my friends.

A couple of minutes later my maid, Clement, arrives to let us know that we have to go and that my family is waiting for me by the family carriage. We parted from the embrace and they escorted me to the carriage. Emily was holding one of my hands tightly and Vini was holding my other hand in the same way.

As soon as the carriage moved on and left Amherts farther and farther behind, a bigger and bigger hole opened up in my heart.

End of Flashback

That was the last time I saw my best friends, I haven't seen them again in 13 years and thanks to my return that will change today. Though I'm not so sure Sue and Emily share my excitement about the reunion.

I kept my part of the promise and wrote to them every week. It didn't matter if I didn't have anything interesting to tell, I just wrote and told them how much I missed them. I remember that I wrote three letters, one for each one and to prevent one from feeling less than the others.

For the first five months the three of them answered my letters, telling me what they did in their day to day and the adventures they had.

But one day Emily stopped responding to my letters, I never understood if I had written something that had offended or annoyed her and that's why she stopped writing to me. But Vini assured me that that was impossible and that Emily was just in a rebellious phase too busy to anything else.

Then Sue stopped writing to me three months after Emily did. This time Vini explained Sue's family situation to me and I understood her reasons for her to stop writing to me. After all, death at an early age is hard, especially when she is someone close and part of the family.

The only person with whom I have continued to correspond my letters during these thirteen years has been Lavinia. The only change was that instead of weekly, we wrote to each other every month and recounted everything that had happened to us.

Thanks to those letters, i received information about how both Sue and Emily were. It was the only source of information I had about them and to this day I thank Vini for continuing to keep in touch with me.

Thanks to her I knew that Emily had begun to be interested in poetry, that Sue and Austin; her older brother, they had started a relationship and had been married not long ago.

But I don't hold a grudge against either of them. Each one has a life of her own and a promise from when we were children is not something that you have to take into account when you get older.

You have to mature, grow as a individual and look forward without letting negative memories and feelings decide what you will do. That is why, as much pain and sadness that the lack of response caused me by my friends, I do not hold a grudge against them and I am excited to be able to see them again and speak personally to catch up.

Do you guys think that the parts are too long? Or they have a good lenght?

[frogtanii]

your palms were sweaty as you adjusted your slacks, making sure the pleats were where they should be with not a wrinkle in sight. you wanted to look professional and put together, at least on the outside, because you knew you were actually about .2 seconds away from falling apart.

your palms were sweaty as you adjusted your slacks, making sure the pleats were where they should be with not a wrinkle in sight. you wanted to look professional and put together, at least on the outside, because you knew you were actually about .2 seconds away from falling apart.

a quick glance to the boys at your sides notified you that they weren’t faring much better. atsumu kept fidgeting with his cufflinks, sakusa was so stiff you could knock him over with your pinky, kenma looked like he was about to pass out, bokuto was debating on squeezing under the table in front of you, kuroo was tapping a pattern on his pants (akeelah and the bee style), and akaashi kept reciting ominous poems under his breath.

the only people in the room who looked even remotely fine were osamu, oikawa, sugawara, daichi, and, surprisingly, yachi. osamu was munching on some peanuts that he pulled from... somewhere, while oikawa and sugawara were holding their own conversation by the window. daichi seemed to be minding his own business but you could never really get a proper read on him anyway.

well, you supposed yachi was okay because she knew what to expect. i mean, you were meeting her boss.

after you and kenma had posted your “exposing the hype(r) house” youtube video, an email had come to the both of you, inviting you to visit the “big boss” along with the rest of the crew.

you weren’t necessarily afraid of losing your job; the hype(r) house was already being dissolved and you were (finally!!!) getting to move in with makki and mattsun until you found your own place. you were genuinely excited to put the drama and literal hell behind you and begin to live your life again but...

that didn’t mean meeting the Man™ wasn’t terrifying. it was like being called into the principal’s office, complete with the existential dread and occasional bouts of gassiness.

the door opening made you flinch as you quickly moved out of the way to let the newcomers enter. while they walked past you, you couldn’t contain the shock that overtook your face, your jaw practically on the floor.

the man was massive.

built like a brick wall, the man who you assumed to be the “big boss,” had a chiseled jaw, broad shoulders, and massive fucking pecs, his white button up barely closing around them.

beside him stood a tall, lanky man who was dressed suspiciously un-office-like with a red buzz cut and wild eyes that seemed to cut into you as he took his place at the table.

the final man seemed a bit awkward in comparison to the other two, but he was trying to seem unaffected, his purple bowlcut, despite being rather juvenile, fitting perfectly with his slim but toned build and bright complexion.

yachi hurried to greet them, giving all three a blinding smile before motioning for everyone else to take a seat. you ended up between the redhead and atsumu, the former being way too entertained by just your general being. his eyes rarely, if ever, left your face sending shivers down your spine. the remaining members all hesitantly took their seats and “big boss” began.

“it is an honor to meet you all. i am ushijima wakatoshi but you can call me ushijima or wakatoshi or ushiwaka or toshijima or just ushi or just jima or just waka or just toshi.” for a moment you thought he was joking but his face never moved, not even with the awkward silence that followed. redhead seemed rather amused by the whole display and bowl cut looked like he was on the verge of spontaneously combusting.

it took an uncomfortably long moment for ushijima to proceed but he did as though nothing had happened. “these are my associates, satori—” redhead gave you a mischievous grin “—and tsutomu.”

“goshiki,” bowl cut interrupted, his voice wavering but his eyes gleaming with righteous indignation as though he was challenging wakatoshi to say something in defiance. instead, ushijima just gave him a nod and he visibly deflated back into his seat.

“goshiki is the social media manager for imla and satori is... satori,” big boss continued, not a hint of emotion on his face. the rest of the table perked up at his comment but atsumu was the only one who apparently had the balls to say anything.

“so yer the one who wrote that shitty among us tweet?” goshiki flushed horribly and sunk further into his plush leather chair, his body language showing he must’ve already gotten an earful about it. “thought it was a good idea,” he muttered while averting his eyes, completely ignoring satori’s cackle from across the wood.

ushijima put up a (massive???) hand to calm the both of them and it instantly worked. satori quieted down though he never lost the mirth in his expression and goshiki straightened up, a new wave of determination crossing his features.

you sat up as well, feeling the shift of energy in the room but you were startled to realize the boss had decided to focus his energy on you, his deep baritone voice calling your full name. “i am extremely sorry. we have failed you as a management team and as men. i have failed you.”

he sounded remarkably remorseful, his brown irises conveying heavy emotion and guilt. you had no idea what to say but he wasn’t done.

“although i do not have full control of the decisions that have been made here, i should have fought harder for what i believed was right and for that, i will forever be sorry.” you shifted uncomfortably under his weighty gaze, not that he noticed because his attention was swiftly taken by kenma at the opposite end of the room.

“who is in charge then? aren’t you like the ceo or whatever?” he asked. ushijima took a moment before nodding very slowly, his attention clearly on something in his head.

thankfully, satori rapidly took over the thread of conversation before the room could fall in tense silence yet again. “there’s a board of old, stuffy guys who basically kicked miracle boy wakatoshi to the curb and make all their decisions without him.”

...miracle boy? what did he have to do to earn that kind of nickname? you shook your head and tuned back in, just as the ceo spoke up once again.

“because i have not succeeded in doing my job properly, i have something to give to you,” ushijima deadpanned, sliding a thick envelope towards you. you carefully grabbed it and opened it up to reveal a thick, thick, wad of cash.

a gasp caught in your throat, words not coming to you as you thumbed through the money. there had to be at least $60k in there, your eyes filling with tears while you took in his generosity. “thank you,” you whispered, not trusting your voice to speak any louder.

wakatoshi nodded at you before addressing the rest of the table about something but you weren’t even listening.

you were so overwhelmed. for the longest time, you’d hated whoever management was for ignoring your pleas for help and trying to placate you with nice dresses and fancy dinners so meeting ushijima was quite the welcomed surprise.

despite everything that occurred, you could tell he felt horrible for letting things slide even though it was technically out of his hands and you couldn’t even articulate how much that meant to you.

the fact that he had gone out of his way to pay you extra, assumingly without the permission of the board, was heartwarming, confusing, shocking, and staggering all at once.

i mean, you could probably describe the past few months as exactly that. so much had happened, so much had changed, and while you could do without some of the life adjustments (the nightmares, spare trauma, and fear of public bathrooms to start), you felt blessed with new friends and the experiences that helped shape you to the person you were now.

the boys didn’t hate you anymore (well, not all of them at least and none were actively antagonizing you), you were seeing dr yamada again, you were getting to move in with your two best friends, you were just given enough money to expand your channel drastically, and you were finally feeling good. better than good.

meiko was behind you and though you missed the person she once was, you were so glad she was out of your life in a way where she couldn’t harm you or the boys any longer.

a grin spread across your face, your cheeks nearly burning from the intensity of it. things were definitely looking up.

a soft call of your name jolted you from your thoughts, your eyes landing on all the boys already standing as they got ready to leave the room. you could sense their worry and you shot them a genuine, reassuring smile before standing yourself.

you waved goodbye to the three men at the table, thanking ushijima profusely for his kindness but he shook you off, insisting that he had just been doing what he should’ve done a long time ago.

what a nice guy.

as you followed the boys out of the building, you took a moment to observe them together with fondness written all over your expression. they were laughing and joking around, the happiest and most carefree you had ever seen any of them. bokuto was begging yachi to get them ice cream, the rest of them piling on until she gave in with a playful roll of her eyes, giggling at the cheer that went up from the group.

atsumu seemed to notice you lagging behind, falling back to join you. “ya okay angel?” he asked, eyes focused on your feet as he slowed down to match your pace.

you didn’t answer for a while, instead focusing on the sun warming your cheeks, the cool breeze messing up your hair, and the sounds of pure joy swirling above you.

“i’m absolutely perfect.” you replied and you actually meant it. “race you to the van?” you sent him an impish grin before taking off, his yells of indignation making you laugh freely as the rest of the boys joined in, right on your heels.

this is it, you thought. no matter what, i’ll have this moment and i’ll be okay.

you’d been through hell and back and you’d survived. you’d been cursed at, choked out, hospitalized, and been beaten at mario kart more times than you could count and you had still made it through. you were resilient and strong and you’d never given up, despite how badly you’d wanted to, multiple times over.

things weren’t perfect, they rarely are, but you knew that if you could make it through all that, you could get through practically anything, especially with the boys by your side.

yeah. i’ll be just fine.

ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

bonus!!

“told you it sounded stupid as hell.”

“gah, stop talking about it!!”

“you sounded sooooo old ‘shiki, what are you, 92?”

“AAAAAAAAAA!!!”

“satori...”

“what’s up miracle boy?”

“...what is ‘sus’?”

℗ poker face

i’ll be just fine

series masterlist

(●’◡’●)ﾉ

an - AND THATS A WRAP FOLKS 🥳 wowowow did the ending give me trouble but that’s ok SISJSK the endings will be coming shortly but they might not be daily just cs they may take more time, who knows lmfao i’ll let y’all know :3 AAAA ANYWAYS ILY I HOPE U GUYS LIKED KITH KITH don’t forget to feed me <3

taglist - if your name is in bold, i cannot tag you

@boosyboo9206 • @geektastic84 • @elianetsantana • @trashy-simp • @infinitebells • @6mattsun9 • @suhkusa • @katsulovee • @kotarosbabygirl • @fucktheworlddude • @insomniacwreck • @calumsfringe • @saltylettuce • @chai-blu • @al3x1ss • @hawksyoongi • @jooleuuh • @loubells • @kissungjae • @liberhoe • @tetsurocore • @animeoverdosee • @duhsies • @saiKishaircLip • @afire24 • @premiyagi • @kit-kat428 • @doctorspencereid • @daphnxy • @kyomihann • @maer-333 • @sinoflust19 • @peteunderoos • @peachiikichu • @iidanotlida • @yongboxerrr • @kac-chowsballs • @tanakaslastbraincell • @memorableminds • @risjime • @starry-magicshop • @sugavwara • @smuttyanimeslut • @kiwibirbs-library • @haijkk • @airybnb • @crybabygumi • @iwaisa • @decaffinatedtealover • @notameera • @kawaii-angelanne • @rintarovibes • @urlocalsimp • @keiarma • @shrimpypenis

the rest of the tags will be in the replies!!

[devildomdisaster]

Comfort spell gone wrong (the dateables)

Anonymous asked: for the lore Olympus ask but with the dateables. (Deleted this ask by accident but here it is)

Comfort spell gone wrong

Not only had the brothers been completely horrible the past few weeks but even your friends in purgatory hall and Diavolo himself had been too busy for you.

You understood that Simeon was busy helping Luke work through some things. But still, being brushed aside after the brothers had been so cruel towards you hadn’t helped your crumbling self-worth.

Solomon had heaved a big sigh and told you “They're demons Mc. It’s what they do. You’re going to have to grow a thicker skin. Besides, I don’t have time to help you with something so trivial.” Before handing you a page from a spellbook “if you really can’t deal with it yourself use this for comfort.”

You’d undeniably ruined Barbatos’s hard work when you’d tripped and tipped over the cake he’d been working on all morning. The demon had shooed you from his domain with barely concealed rage and asked you not to come back until “you can prevent yourself from causing me more work.”

Diavolo, despite always telling you you could come to him with your troubles, had snapped that Solomon seemed to be doing just fine. “So maybe you need to try harder, Mc. Rather than blaming your problems on other people.”

The spell Solomon had given you seemed simple enough. Although it was in an unfamiliar mix of Latin and Infernal. Couldn’t hurt to try though. At least not anymore than you were already hurting. You’d cast the spell, stumbling through a few words and thinking it hadn’t worked when nothing happened. Figures you couldn’t do it, you were still new to magic and just as useless at it as everyone had so kindly reminded you the last few days. It still sapped your energy though, stupid spell. You closed your eyes thinking that maybe it was better that the spell didn’t work. You’d never live down the embarrassment if anyone found out you tried to use a comfort spell.

Lucifer calls the others asking if anyone has seen you, after several days of radio silence from you. Solomon, Luke, and Simeon rush to the house of Lamentation once they hear you haven’t been seen for days. They find Lucifer and the brothers crowded around you, worriedly discussing the spell which has covered you and your room in vines. Babratos and Diavolo are already there, both looking guilty. Solomon feels his stomach drop when he recognizes the page from the spellbook.

“Lucifer, I recognize that spell, I gave it to them when-” Solomon begins

“Yes, it figures you would have your hands in this Solomon.” Lucifer glares.

It’s Simeon who steps forward to undo the spell, giving Luke’s shoulder a comforting squeeze on his way by. “Lucifer if you would,” he says gesturing to your form “this will take both our magics to undo, I believe.”

Solomon:

Shit, shit! Solomon recognizes that spell! He gave it to you.

It wasn’t supposed to do this, it was just a simple comfort spell!

But he can’t help feeling responsible for what's happened.

He feels like he should have known, should have realized something was going on when he gave you that spell.

You’d just wanted to talk, but he was so caught up in trying to find a way to make pacts with the brothers that he totally brushed you off.

He handed you a page out of a spellbook instead. And told you to deal with things yourself.

Solomon is crushed. He has always told you that if you ever need to talk to another human, he’d be there. But he wasn’t. He told you to deal with it alone.

When Simeon and Lucifer break the spell he is by your side in an instant.

Hands fluttering over your body, brushing withering plants off you. Feeling utterly useless.

The spell had gotten so convoluted and twisted in ways he’d never seen before, he hadn’t even been able to break it.

You blink your eyes open, Solomon’s distraught face coming into focus.

“Mc, I shouldn’t have given you that spell. I’m so sorry. I-I said I’d always help you if you needed me but all I did was hurt you instead.”

He wants to distance himself from you. But he knows that won’t make you feel any better. It won’t make him feel better either.

Instead, he’ll be far more careful with the magic he gives you. He’ll start teaching you more magic, so you can practice spells safely.

But he’ll also do his best to make sure you never need a comfort spell again.

He wants to be your comfort.

Solomon will plan elaborate outings and magic filled dates. He gets all these grand ideas and half of them turn into disasters but somehow he’ll make sure the two of you still have fun.

It’s easy for Solomon to forget that he needs to communicate better. But he’s trying. Instead of snapping at you again he’ll be sure to set aside time for himself. Besides, being in the Devildom is more fun with an apprentice anyways, plus teaching you magic gives him plenty of time to make sure you are happy too.

Simeon:

Simeon is shocked when he sees you.

A shiver runs down his spine when he feels the spell sucking the energy from your body.

His eyes don’t miss the botched comfort spell on the ground and he wonders why you didn’t come to him.

And then he realizes. You did. But he brushed you off to help Luke and even when you were hurting you didn’t want to burden him.

He feels like he’s failed you by making you feel like you couldn’t come to him.

When you open your eyes Simeon is the first thing you see.

He gently brushes the plants from your face and hair.

“Oh my sweet little lamb, you are never a burden to me. I am so sorry I made you feel you couldn’t come to me.”

Simeon brings you to Purgatory hall while your room is cleaned.

He gently untangles bits of plant matter from your hair, humming what must be some Celestial lullaby to you.

“Mc,” he begins once he’s removed the remaining plants from your hair and skin, and you’ve allowed yourself to relax into him. “Forgive me, Mc. I should have seen how much you were hurting.”

He is being so gentle with you. But his voice takes a stern edge as he tells you “Next time you feel like this, promise me you will come to me. If you tell me what’s going on I will always have time for you.”

Simeon makes sure to check in on you now, to make time for you. He’ll invite you to Purgatory hall for dinners and/or sleepovers. Oftentimes Luke joins you. But sometimes he’ll sneak you in so the sleepover is your little secret.

Diavolo:

Oh, Mc! He hasn’t seen a spell like this in centuries.

He knows it’s a mistake, but the power it must have taken to cast this spell is impressive.

He’s curious to know what kind of power you’ll have after you’ve been trained properly.

That not to say he isn’t concerned, it's just he knows the spell can be undone, and he finds it easier to deal with the situation if he doesn’t think about how close he came to losing you.

He’ll request that the brothers keep a closer eye on you, not that they weren’t going to anyway.

Diavolo will scoop you from the tangled vines, brushing the remaining vines from your skin as he carries you from your room.

He sits down on his throne, with you still held in his arms. For a moment you're afraid of his thunderous expression.

And then his eyes soften. “Mc,” he whispers. Emotion making his throat tighten, choking off his voice. “Why?”

“Why don’t you find a human who can do better than me Diavolo? You said so yourself, I’m a disappointment.”

“Mc, I didn’t mean! I didn’t want you to-! I didn’t”

He knows what he said. But he never meant for you to take it to heart like this. He was just stressed and he took it out on you.

“I’m sorry, Mc. I shouldn’t have taken my anger out on you. You haven’t disappointed me. I’m sorry I made you feel like you can’t rely on me. Please understand that I would do anything in my power for you.”

A frightening promise from the prince of the Devildom.

Diavolo is careful to control himself in the future. To prevent himself from letting his stress and anger get the better of him.

Careful to remind you how important you are to him, and not just because you are an exchange student, but because he cares for you.

Barbatos:

Anger. Fear. Barbatos tumbles between the two emotions.

It seems that by placing you in this timeline to protect you from Belphagor’s anger he has put you in a new kind of danger. One he didn’t see coming.

This makes him question his decision not to look into the future more than necessary.

Humans are so fragile. And this is just more proof of that fact.

Barbatos is by your side the moment you wake up.

He is lifting you to your feet and guiding you from your room.

Barbatos is a perfect gentleman as he helps you clean up. Helping you scrub the plants from your skin, wrapping you in the softest blankets.

But he remains silent the whole time.

Once you are safely tucked into bed Barbatos speaks. “Mc, I know I have made you feel useless. I should not have taken my anger out on you. I should have known better.”

For a moment you think he’s going to leave, that that’s all he is going to say.

But then he asks if he can stay with you. If the answer is yes, he’ll curl around you in your bed. Holding you to him as if you are likely to disappear.

It has been a long time since Barbatos has had something or someone he has been afraid to lose. “I’m sorry Mc. Please know you can come to me, even if I may be upset. I’d rather you make me face my shortcomings then lose you.”

Barbatos starts having you over for tea more often. He’ll take you on errands with him, if he thinks you’d find them at all interesting.

Mostly he just wants more excuses to spend time with you.

This made him realize how important you are to him and he’ll make sure you know it.

Luke:

Scared little sibling vibes.

Luke is so scared to see you like this!

You are so still and pale that he thinks you might be dead.

When you open your eyes he is so relieved.

Please don’t scare him like this again!

He’s got tears in his eyes, and he half yells half cries at you “Mc! You- you can’t just do something like this. What if- if you had died? I know these demons-” he shoots a watery glare at the demons “can make you feel sad but you’re my friend.”

He’ll ask you to stay at Purgatory hall for a while. He 100% thinks this is all the brother’s fault.

In fact he wants you to move into Purgatory hall permanently and he is so insistent that Diavolo might just let you if that's what you want.

He’ll make sure you know that he sees you as a big sibling, a friend that he could never replace “so please don’t think nobody cares Mc. I know we’re not really related but you’re like a sibling to me.”

[todoscript]

how he would ask you out

request: pls some headcanons of how the boys (shinsou/tamaki/shouto) would ask the girl they like out 🥺

characters: shinsou hitoshi, amajiki tamaki, todoroki shouto

genre: fluff

word count: 3.3k+ total, 900-1200 per character

tags: pining, confessions, fem!reader

author’s notes: sorry if this sounds rushed?? i can’t write 

copyright 2021 todoscript, all rights reserved. i do not allow my creations to be published or translated anywhere else.

SHINSOU HITOSHI

two years after his enrollment into the hero course, shinsou had finally came to terms with the feelings he’s been holding for you for quite some time now.

what began as just friendly encounters and kind gestures felt like something more to him. after all, you were one of the key people that led him to transition smoothly into the class, with your helpful demeanor and coming to his aid whenever he was stressed and troubled by the new environment.

you went out of your way to organize study sessions and small arrangements to mingle and get to know the other students better.

you reiterated to him that if he ever had any questions about anything, he could always come to you.

initially, shinsou thought he was being a burden—that he was just heavy baggage that tied you down.

however, you assured he was anything but, and stated that you were more than happy to help him, even going to say you enjoyed spending time and getting to learn more about him.

at your response, shinsou was appalled at how genuine you were.

appalled… but also very grateful.

eventually, there came a point when he realized there was no mistaking the affection he felt for you—not when he subconsciously noted every one of your habits and intricacies, able to tell whatever emotions were running through you at a simple glance, or when he would stop to admire the way you decided to style your hair differently or changed your look, thinking you seemed even more charming that day by the confidence you exude.

no, at that point, he’s sure it was painfully obvious. so obvious, in fact, that kaminari and mina had chosen to skip today’s group study session in favor of letting the two of you have your “alone time”. whatever that could mean.

shinsou had grimaced over their excuse of “being too busy that day” when you had told him the reasoning they gave you over text, despite knowing their next exam was only a couple days away. recalling just how nosy and enthusiastic they could get when involved in these kinds of affairs, he had an inkling of what exactly those two were planning. you, on the other hand, seemed completely oblivious to their schemes.

however, what did latch onto your mind was the thought of spending the day with only shinsou, in his very room, sitting across from each other with your textbooks open in front of you. though you should be more attentive to your studies, you couldn’t help the palpitations beating loudly in your chest and your wandering eyes that snuck glances at him after every question you answered.

unbeknownst to you, shinsou mirrored your actions all the same, reciprocating the flustered behavior, albeit a bit more subtly.

keep calm, hitoshi. why are you getting all worked up? he would say to himself, putting on his usual facade.

although he came off as relatively calm and collected on the outside, it’s difficult to keep his emotions in check when actions never lie.

that was especially true as he reached his hand out for the eraser you two were sharing between each other. with his eyes continuing to gander down at his notes, he hadn’t noticed that you were lunging for the same thing—not until your fingers had suddenly touched and you both pulled away at a speed equivalent to making contact with fire.

his stare unfaltering, shinsou was surprised to discern the embarrassed look on your face that immediately fixed itself as you rummaged through your pencil pouch. a second later, you pulled out another eraser, one that was notably smaller than the one you were sharing.

“um.. i’ll just use this,” you offered, and shinsou rubbed the back of his neck, the whole situation more awkward than it needed to be considering you never had any trouble sharing your supplies with each other before.

through some examination of your demeanor, shinsou had made a… bold enough claim, thinking that maybe—just maybe—you held the same kind of affections for him as he did for you.

it’s like he recalled earlier—actions never lie—and shinsou didn’t let the quiver of your lips or the intense concentration at your work to avoid meeting his gaze go past his head. that’s what spurred him to finally act on his desires.

without warning, he leaned forward on his seat to lay his hand over yours that caught your attention. you met his eyes, astonished to say the least, but more so concerned by how your eyes widened before you were about to open your mouth to ask him what was wrong.

the violet-haired male beats you to your words, voice resonating firmly, “y/n.”

you blinked. “y-yeah..?”

“i know this might be a bit late coming from me, but,” you could feel his hand tighten atop yours, “after exams, do you want to catch a movie together? just the two of us?”

shinsou fought the urge to look away, bashful at how he made his declaration for your time. the warmth surging under his skin was alleviated at the smile that slowly curled on your lips as you rotate your wrist, your palm touching his. the expression washing over your features told him you’ve been waiting for him to ask you this for a while now.

“i’d love to.”

AMAJIKI TAMAKI

ever a shy and introverted individual, tamaki has never had the heart to ask you out despite years of harboring a crush on you.

every time the thought had crossed his mind, he’d reason poorly with himself that you wouldn’t be interested in him in that way.

it didn’t help that his low self-esteem only deepened that thought that had now rooted itself in his brain.

at such a prestigious school like u.a., you were bound to find someone far more compelling than him—someone with guts, confidence, and great social skills. not a guy like him who conjures the image of potatoes at every anxiety-inducing encounter he comes across.

he was relieved enough to settle himself comfortably as just your friend—a title that allowed him to stay close and keep within your circle, all the while subjecting him to simply admiring you from afar.

but his eyes that held a hidden longing for more weren’t overlooked by a fellow student of his. or to be precise, the ever curious and free-spirited, hadou nejire.

always aware of his surroundings, it was hard not to notice that peculiar stare she’d aim at him during moments where he might’ve just finished speaking to you, or when you’d pass by and his head would naturally drift in your direction.

it was like she was picking apart every detail laid on him and it made tamaki absolutely restless.

tamaki’s suspicions and anxiety were later raised during one instance at the lunch table. he was at his usual seat next to his other big three companions, mirio and the aforementioned nejire, who was eyeing him with a gleam in her eye.

even with his self-consciousness, tamaki did his best not to pay any mind to the undesired attention and munched on his plate of takoyaki—the octopus nestled in the batter sure to come in handy later in training that day.

to his dismay, you passed by their table with your tray of food in hand, and nejire did not waste any time calling you over in that cheery tone of hers.

she invited you to sit down with them. you gave her invitation some thought before ultimately placing yourself in the free spot next to mirio, with nejire and tamaki already seated across from you.

the girl was all smiles and hums while tamaki was in a state of distress, both at his friend’s odd behavior, which was starting to spell trouble, to having you pulled into all of this. mirio was just being mirio, welcoming as always.

you greeted everyone at the table, making eye contact with mirio and nejire, but tamaki evaded your line of sight. he simply waved his reply without breaking away from his balls of takoyaki.

luckily for him, you didn’t give his lack of words much thought and started digging into your own lunch. it was then that nejire found it appropriate to start up a conversation.

“y’know, y/n, i’ve been meaning to ask you this, from one girl to another,” she mused, finger waving around playfully, “are you interested in anyone here?”

upon hearing her question, tamaki almost choked on his bonito flakes, his cheeks puffed and eyes blown. meanwhile, your chewing slowed as you gave your answer some thought.

“uh… well–”

“i’d say fujita from class d is quite the looker! think you’d be interested in them?”

after swallowing the food in his mouth, tamaki began to subconsciously listen in on the conversation. he paid close attention to your responses with bated breath, a small part of him anticipating your answer highly.

“fujita’s nice and all, but i don’t think we’d really get along as a couple.”

tamaki mentally sighed, relief evident all over his face. it was then that mirio had started fitting the pieces together after watching his close friend’s brow wrinkle throughout the entire exchange before finally relaxing at your words. crossing his eyes with nejire’s only confirmed his suspicions as the girl sent him a wink.

as a friend, mirio wasn’t about to let nejire’s operations fall flat. getting up from his seat, he motioned tamaki to come with him.

“i heard they have extra yakisoba bread right now! we should go check it out!” he said as a guise to give the other two time to themselves, free from tamaki’s prying ears.

unaware that mirio had caught on so quickly, tamaki didn’t object to tagging along with him. mostly because he thought of this as an opportunity to get some fresh air and calm his racing heart, finally feeling the effects of the blood rushing to his face.

with tamaki supposedly out of earshot, nejire was free to go about her questions however she wanted.

“okay then, if not fujita, then who? there has to be someone, right?” the girl scooted further in her seat out of pure curiosity. “tell me, is it perhaps someone in our class?”

it was your turn to be stricken by her boldness. you tried picking at your food, stuffing it into your mouth to avoid answering, but nejire’s tenacity outmatched you.

finishing your lunch, you opened your mouth to speak, “actually, the person i’m interested in is pretty close to you…”

nejire feigned ignorance, innocently placing a finger under her chin. “who? mirio?”

“ah no, it’s tamaki, alright?!” you ended up blurting, voice hushed but frantic.

bingo. hearing exactly what she wanted, nejire returned to her original position, a triumphant grin plastered on her lips. replaying what you said out loud in your head, you buried your warm face in your hands.

unbeknownst to you, tamaki had ended up hearing the whole exchange around the corner coming back to their table as mirio lightly snickered at his revelation of an expression.

the blond patted his shoulder. “go on then, you know what to do.” he threw tamaki an encouraging thumbs-up.

the boy gulped in response before inhaling a deep breath of air to prepare himself for what would arguably be the most important yet stress-inducing moment of his life so far.

noticing you getting up to discard your tray, tamaki—through a final push from mirio—went to make his move.

hearing him suddenly call out to you, you were caught off-guard. after admitting to your crush on tamaki to nejire, you felt your cheeks get hot just seeing his face right afterward.

“oh hey, did you get your hands on those yakisoba breads?” you scraped up a way to start the conversation.

“right... that… mirio managed to get the last one in the cafeteria,” he answered. then he brought his hand to rub his elbow, fidgeting in his spot as he found it difficult to look you in the eyes again.

“tamaki? something wrong? are you upset that he got the last yakisoba bread?”

he shook his head. “no, i… it’s just… i’ve been meaning to ask you this for a long time now, but never had the courage to say it to you because i didn’t think you ever liked me that way. but…” he finally mustered the determination to face you head-on. “would you go out with me, y/n?”

at first, you were speechless—absent of words as you relayed his request in your mind over and over again. then, your eyes softened, lips easing into a smile as you reached out for his hand.

“i thought you’d never ask.”

TODOROKI SHOUTO

it’s no surprise to many that when it came to asking someone out, todoroki didn’t exactly know the first thing to do.

mostly because he’s never asked anyone out to begin with.

you were the first person he’s ever felt these kinds of emotions for, and to be frank, he wasn’t sure what to make of everything that had been going through him when that root of infatuation had started to bloom inside him.

rather than sulk or contemplate on his thoughts for too long, he surmised it was best to simply come clean and ask for advice.

but when he confessed to what had been on his mind lately, he wasn’t expecting such a vigorous response from his friends.

“i’ve been thinking about asking y/n out.”

there was a layer of uncomfortable silence amongst the group before all hell eventually broke loose.

midoriya, uraraka, and iida immediately sprung from their seats in the common room, yelling “what?!” in unison. tsuyu and her frog-like mannerisms were more idle, but still surprised nonetheless.

todoroki was unfazed by their reactions, actually expecting it to go that way considering he’s never brought up any topics of that nature before. at the very least, he’s thankful he decided to say this when it was just the five of them. compared to what the whole class’s reaction would have been like, this was incredibly tame.

todoroki was used to always listening to what others had to say and never being the subject of the conversation when it came to dating.

but now things were different. he was openly admitting to them that he was regarding someone romantically. that he possibly sought a relationship with this someone—wanting to be committed to them and become the very best person he could be right next to them. to the four, this was coming completely out of left field.

after everyone simmered down and let the news sink in, the dual-haired boy resumed his thought,

“but i’m not sure how to do it.”

though the entirety of the group never had any experiences when it came to dating, they knew enough from media and pop culture to get an idea on how to help him. more than todoroki could imagine on his own anyway.

“i know! how about we go with the romantic and suave approach!” uraraka suggested. the rest asked her to elaborate.

“it’s simple! it starts by you leaving a note on her desk right before class, saying to meet you on the rooftop of the school! before the designated time, you should wait there for her with a bouquet of flowers, and then when she arrives, confess your feelings and ask her out!”

midoriya rubbed a finger against his cheek, skeptical. “i don’t think that sounds as simple as you’re making it out to be.”

tsuyu chimed in beside him. “those kinds of ideas usually only work well in books, ochako.”

pursing her lips, uraraka gave her plan a once-over, and realized it did seem a bit more involved and out of character than what todoroki was used to.

despite sharing a few more ideas with one another, they couldn’t narrow it down to any perfect one.

that was when iida clapped his hand, bringing everyone’s attention to him.

“alright, i think we’re starting to blow this whole ‘operation’ way out of proportion,” he said.

“if you’re honest about the way you feel about her and show it sincerely, i’m sure she’ll consider your feelings. you don’t have to do anything extravagant when it comes to asking someone out.”

listening throughout every word, todoroki nodded. meanwhile the other three were astonished that their class representative could be so whimsical when it came to romance, which in turn, iida was conflicted by. however, at the very least he was glad they could help out a friend. and so, todoroki went about his day with their discussion in mind.

he found that in many occurrences, whenever he crossed by you and thought of it as a chance to ask you out, there would always be someone to come in and take your time away. leaving him to stand there awkwardly before dismissing the fated question for later.

eventually, the sky dimmed and evening arrived, and by then, the whole class was already back at their dormitory and about to have dinner.

through some rather convenient circumstances, you two were actually assigned on kitchen duty that night.

“it’s been getting pretty cold lately so i was thinking we should cook up a hot pot for everyone.” you gave your idea to him as you pulled out some ingredients from the fridge, waiting for his reply, but it came a few seconds later than you were expecting.

“right. sounds like a good idea,” todoroki answered a tad late. upon realizing it was only going to be the two of you making dinner tonight, his mind was occupied by what he and his friends spoke about earlier.

that was when he started overthinking the situation and absentmindedly half-assed his work.

“todoroki, the cut on the tofu is slightly uneven.” you reviewed his cutting board. looking down, he saw the inconsistent slices of tofu limp in front of him. if bakugou were the executive chef for the evening, he would’ve had to hear an earful from him.

“sorry…” he apologized quietly, reaching out for another cube of tofu to cut.

“is everything okay? i know you’re still learning how to cook, but i’ve seen you show some significant improvement on your knife skills recently.” you voiced your concern for him.

the white and red-haired boy stared at the white bean curd while hearing your worried tone and couldn’t find it within himself to continue the task. it was now or never he thought. he laid the knife flat on the cutting board.

“actually, i wanted to ask you something.” he turned toward you. “do you… want to go out with me?”

nothing but the sound of the fire running on the stove could be heard in the kitchen. todoroki didn’t move his eyes away from you, watching you nearly drop the plate of siu choy and shiitake mushrooms out of shock as your mouth was hanging open.

when you caught onto your bearings, you let out a small laugh. “oh… i… wasn’t expecting that,” you admitted honestly, placing the ingredients on the counter safely.

the boy furrowed his brows. “is that a no?”

“n-no! i mean that isn’t my answer! i–” you fumbled with your words, cheeks warming up now that his confession had finally sunk in. in the meantime, todoroki found your reaction quite amusing. the corner of his lip quirked into a grin.

“what i mean to say is that yes, i’d love to go out with you.” you accepted the offer wholeheartedly. todoroki would be lying if his heart wasn’t throbbing from anticipation. he’s glad he’s able to rest and put that aside.

“now let’s continue making this hot pot together!” you cheered, smiling widely and he found comfort in your words before resuming slicing the tofu.

[iwadori]

When they neglect you for another girl Part 4 (Sakusa)

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five

Word Count: 2.6K

Genre: Angst to Fluff

masterlist

AN: YES I DID PUT MYSELF IN THIS STORY! SUE ME. This is basically inspired by a random conversation i had w the great @teesumu, so this is basically for you doll <3

Sakusa:

You and Sakusa have been together for a around 10 years and love eachother immensly.    

However recently Sakusa has been busy and you havent really had much time together lately as he claims been busy doing loads of visits with his new agent.

But of course, being the loving partner you are you wanted to revive the spark in your relationship.

You have been seeing a lot of people on social media posting their aesthetic ‘picnic dates,’ and you knew that this was something that appealed to you before it was ‘on trend.’ Kiyoomi immediately came to your mind once you had the idea of going on a date. You knew that you haven’t be around each other lately, as Kiyoomi always had either a ‘meeting’ or some sort of ‘interview’ that his new agent “Empress” has set up for him.

You didn’t really know Empress that well, just that she was ‘good at her job,’ a ‘hard and dilligent worker,’ and a ‘raging hottie’ with Atsumu’s opinion being the last one. You weren’t suspecting her to have any malicious intent towards you or Kiyoomi, since you knew that he had a great judge of character. But it was just odd, that every time Kiyoomi was running late or having ‘super-secret’ conversations on the phone it was always because ‘my agent set up this,’ ‘my agent set up that,’ and that’s what left you a bit wary.

As you were scrolling through your phone you see a calendar updating saying : Next Week‘ A DECADE AGO WE FELL IN LOVE.’  

10 years. How could you forget? You and Omi have literally been together for a decade. You think back to the decade of madness and love you’ve been through together, smiling fondly to yourself but then you think about where you are now... barely even talking to each other, only mainly seeing him when he comes home from work.

You need to fix this. Or at least make an attempt to get you and Kiyoomi talking again. So, the only thing you can do, is plan that picnic.

You spent the rest of the day planning your anniversary picnic. ’It’s going to be great,’ you think to yourself, you have a list of all Omi’s favorite foods you're going to make him and bring and you are probably going to pick up a few board games and maybe even get some paint supplies. You and Kiyoomi used to paint a lot together, with the two of you not being the best of painters, but you enjoyed eachothers company non the less.  

Everything was sorted...for the most part. All you needed to do was get Omi there, and it’ll all be okay. Right? As you were bubbling and looking for more picnic inspo, you hear your front door open which made you even more excited to tell your boyfriend your plans.  

As you rush to go greet him, you see he’s on the phone making you roll your eyes. “No Empress it won’t work, we need this sorted by next week. Okay? Next week.” he says in an agitated way. He hangs up the phone and sighs, shoving off his duffel bag.

“Hey Omi, how was your day?” you say a bit hesitant, noticing his annoyed mood.  

“Fine” He said dismissively, aiming to walk past you aiming for your bedroom.

“Oh well I have something amazing planned for ne-” you try to say following after him.

“Can we not do this right now Y/N,” he says again turning too look at you making you frown a bit, all you wanted to do is surprise him with your plans and have a day out with him. After noticing your sad look he finishes with “it’s just that Empress she’s bee-”

“I don’t want to hear about her.” you say bitterly folding your arms, Empress is the last person you want to hear about right now “God Omi can’t you just care about me? For once.”

“I do I-”

“You don’t anymore,” you say, with all the emotions and feelings you’ve been just supressing from a while coming up. You don’t even know how you got from point A to B with this conversation, but there's no stopping now. “I feel that, for a while now we haven’t been how we were before when we were just Y/N and Kiyoomi. Instead of how we are now. Just Y/N. Then Kiyoomi and Empress.”

After hearing his agents name, Kiyoomi’s name contorts to confusion “Empress? What does she have to do with anything?”

“How can you not see? For the past month all it’s been is ‘Empress this’ ‘Empress that,’” you complain “Having your super secret conversations with her, like god Kiyoomi can’t you see a problem with this?”  

“It’s not like that Y/N, we’re just work partners” he says looking a bit annoyed “Just business.”

 “Just business? So Kiyoomi, what were you talking about on the phone earlier” you say with your voice slight accusingly.

“Umm I, I can’t really say?” he says more of a question then a fully assured statement. You squint your eyes at him and scoff.

“What is going on with you Omi?” you say “are you cheating on me with her is that it?”

“No, no of course not Y/N! How could you even ask that?” he frowned at your question making your chest hurt, since deep down you knew he could never do that to you. Could he?

“Well tell me then, what were you talking about?” you ask again.

“I can’t say..” he finishes  

“Well I can’t stay.” you say and his face goes back to confusion “Here. With you.”

“What do you mean Y/-”

“I need a break or something. I just can’t be here right now.” You start to rush and pack a big of things whilst Kiyoomi just stands there.

After you pack up your stuff, you look back and see Kiyoomi just there. Standing. You were upset, you kind of wanted him to rush after you and beg you not to leave, but he was just there. Standing. So you put the hand on the door and just before you leave you turn back and say “bye Sakusa, see you later?” to which you see him slightly nod at.

When the door shut, Kiyoomi starts to cry. After hearing you call him by his last name really twisted the knife that was already in his heart. You haven’t called him that since you were like 15. He knew what you wanted; he knew you wanted him to rush towards you and beg you not to leave, but he didn’t. He couldn’t. But what he could do is call the one person he only could call.

After a few rings, he hears “What do you need Saku?”  

“She’s gone, she left.”

“What do you mean she’s gone, did you tell her?”  

“No I didn’t tell her. And that’s the problem, Empress she think-”

“Saku, don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it.”

“You’ll handle it?”

“Don’t I always?”

He couldn’t argue with that, he just had to trust that Empress could sort it. “And also, don’t spend the week with your head up your ass crying, you’ve got a lot of grovelling to do kiddo.”

He nodded even though she couldn’t see him, as he knew that what just went down needed to be resolved, fast.

Meanwhile, on your end. You’re a mess. Sobbing all the time, tissues are your best friend, you’ve been waiting just waiting for a message or a call, or some form of communication. You just wanted to feel wanted by your boyfriend (can you even call him that now.)  

You spent the rest of the week at your parents, immersing yourself in your work and doing ‘self care’ things, trying to forget all about the argument you and Kiyoomi had.  

One day, you receive a letter, it wasn’t delivered by a mail man though. It was slid under your door, in a golden envelope sealed with a red hot wax seal. It read:

‘Dear Y/N,

My sweetheart, im sorry for how the week has been and I know a letter with only a fraction of how I feel won’t make up for how I acted that day. But im inviting you to join me at the Gardenia Botanical Gardens at 2 pm tommorow, to celebrate our 10 year anniversary.  

I know there is a big chance, you may not want to see me and I understand but please. I love you, so so much, that words can’t even describe. But I need you to see me apologise and I need to make it up to you.  

I hope to see you there, I’d wait the whole day for you. If you don’t show, I understand.

Sincerely, Sakusa Kiyoomi

P.S The theme is ‘summer hot day, tea with the queen’ - Atsumu’

You smile at the letter, but wonder if you should actually go or not. You did want to see him of course and get this all resolved, but you had your own plans for your anniversary which wouldn’t of been spoiled if he didn’t withhold his super-secret phone calls.

It took you hours to contemplate on what to do, but you decided to just sleep on it and see how you feel tomorrow. In the morning, you knew what you wanted to do. Of course, you had to go, at least to hear him out and see if he really did cheat on you or not. For all you know he’s inviting you to tell you that he’s going to run away with his agent and his secret kids they had together. You shook the negative thoughts from your head and just repeated your mantra ‘hope for the best and prepare for the worst.’

When you got there, you didn’t exactly know where he would be but he said ‘botanical gardens’ so of course you decided to just wander around there. It was nice walking around and just smelling the roses, and seeing the pretty scenery.  

“Excuse me ma’am,” you hear someone say tugging on your leg “um that mister over there told me to give you these.” Looking down, you see a small boy who looked about the age of four with a crumpled up bunch of roses handing them to you.

“Oh thank you,” you say giving the kid a head pat “where is this ‘mister’ might I ask?”

“He’s over there!” The kid pointed behind him and you look to see Kiyoomi sitting under a white gazebo which is surrounded in your favorite flowers and the table is filled with food.

You walk over to your ‘boyfriend,’ with him not noticing your present yet. When you reach him you say “I think she stood you up buddy,” you joke making him jump abit startled.

“Y/N!” he exclaimed, instantly beaming “You came you made it!” he stood up and pulled you into a hug, which you return before you remember why you came here in the first place.

“Oh I-” he says awkwardly

You decide to sit down pulling him down with you. You kind of sit there in uncomfortable silence, for a while until you both say.

“So I-”

“What are yo-”

You both laughed at your simultaneous comments, before Kiyoomi looks at you letting you speak. “What did you want to bring me here for?”

“I didn’t want, what happened last week to happen Y/N I-” he says looking a bit panicked “It wasn’t supposed to go this way.”

“Then how was it meant to go Sakusa.”

“Y/N, please don’t call me that, I know I made you upset but pleas-” he starts before getting distracted again “Y/N, I called you here to say a few things..”

“Them being.?” you ask a bit impatiently.

“I love you. I love you so much, you don’t even understand. Ever since I saw you at my volleyball game in our first year, in the stands just cheering us on. I knew that from that day, after I scored the winning point and our eyes met, that we were destined to be together. I just love you so much Y/N”

“Omi I don’t understand I-”

“Just let me finish please, It’s taken a while for me to say this. And trust me, there’s been so many times when I wanted to just say ‘hey Y/N let’s get married,’ but I couldn’t I was scared, and I wanted it to be perfect, so perfect. Because you deserve the world Y/N. That’s why I got Empress to help, I know that our conversations may seem odd, but I love you and she knows that she just wanted to help trust me. And she did, all this wouldn’t of been done if it wasn’t for her. But anyways Y/N what I waned to say was I love you and I love you and I-” he rambles on loosing track of his words.  

But in the midst of his speech, you hear all that you needed and responded with the only way you can.

“Yes.” you say simply, with a growing smile on your face.

“Yes?” he repeats confused “What do you meann ye- ohhh" Kiyoomi blushes embarrased that after all that he ended up ruining the thought out proposal he wanted to give you with his ramble.

“Im sorry Y/N, I didn’t mean to say it like that I wanted it to be perfect and I-”

You shut him up with a kiss making his eyes widen as he reciprocates it anyways.  

“What did she say?” you hear someone shout from a far, and you look over to see the MSBY Jackals all standing there with shit eating grins on their faces.

“I said yes!” you yell back, to which they all cheer and rush towards you guys giving you both hugs and slapping Kiyoomi on the back.  

As the boys celebrate Omi finnally do what he’s been planning for ages, you get approached by Empress who awkwardly walks up to you. “ I didn’t want to leave the impression that me and Saku were any sort of thing?” she says

“Yeah I think it was definitely a big misunderstanding, it’s just that Omi was never around and whenever he was he was just talking to you and you know how it is.”

“I definitely know, I’d feel the same way if my boyfriend did that to me.”

“Oooh boyfriend?” you ask her feeling nosey on her romantic life.  

“Yeah boyfriend. You know iwaizumi hajime... the trainer?” she says smiling a bit when she said his name.

“The trainer! Nice.”

The rest of the night was fun and was basically an engagement party for you and Omi all you and friends just partying and celebrating yours and Omi’s love for each other. “Omi” you say getting his attention “Happy ten year anniversary babe”

“Happy anniversary, I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

After the party you spend your months now planning for a big fat wedding, with the help of your new found bestie, Empress (who you obviously misjudged from the start.) You and Omi could never be happier, every thing was back to how it was before, maybe even better. And you definitely spent at least two Saturdays a month going out for picnics and it was now a tradition in your relationship, so in the end you did get your ‘aesthetic picnic date.’

AN: WHAT DID U GUYS THINK??

[indigoh4ze]

party || rafe cameron

warning- SMUT // vaginal fingering, eating out, vaginal penetration, mentions of intoxication

rafe cameron x fem!reader

a/n- so this is my first time writing for outer banks, im terrible at writing actual interactions so im sorry its so bad at first lmao. also disclaimer: rafe in this fic is nothing like he is canon, so his characterization is off. enjoy :)

also feel free to request for any outer banks characters i write for

turn on notifs here - @slvt4fakerealities-library - to be notified when i post a new fic

join taglist (add yourself to the outer banks section)

the lights were blazing, different colors zapping throughout the room as you made your way over to the couch. your head was slightly fuzzy from the intoxication, but you managed.

since the couch was empty, you took the chance to sprawl your whole body out on it, head on one arm and feet dangling off the other. you watched as everyone danced and made out and filled their bodies with even more toxins. soon, you found yourself just dazing up at the ceiling, lips opening and closing slightly as you lip-synced in a whispering tone to the loud music.

after what felt like hours, but could’ve only been a few minutes, you felt something nudge your thigh. without moving your neck, you let your eyes flash down to find the source of the movement.

hovering over you was rafe cameron. his dirty blonde hair framed his face messily, a single cross earring dangling from his left ear, a red solo cup in his hand as his free hand poked at your thigh.

“what?” you slurred, now moving up on your elbows and blinking back the haziness.

“i wanna sit,” he said, taking a sip from the cup. even in this state it wasn’t hard to notice how good the boy looked, tilting his head back and gulping down the liquid, eyes never leaving your own.

you groaned, pulling your knees to your chest and allowing rafe to throw himself onto the cushion. you were now facing his side, as his hands gripped your legs and pulled them back to their original position, except now they laid over his leg. giving him a curious look, you laid the side of your face on the back cushion and fidgeted with the bracelet around your wrist.

“shouldn’t you be like- getting shit faced or something.” rafe snickered at your words, sending you a glare before looking back down to his cup, which he was also mindlessly playing with.

“sorry, did i interrupt your little..nap?” he teased with a hint of amusement, referring to the previous state you were in, and you scoffed in return, mind clearing a bit more and making room for annoyance.

“whatever.” and then, you were pulling your legs off him and standing up, albeit wobbly as you almost fell to the side, caught by rafe’s firm grip around your arm.

“you good?”

“‘m fine,” you dismissed the boy, confused as to why he was even talking to you in the first place.

the truth was, you never liked him, he was rude and careless and selfish and way too much to put up with. but you couldn’t deny the attraction you felt towards the boy, and the tension that was always evident when the two of you were together.

but you always just pushed those thoughts aside, because even the thought of anything happening made your mind whirl with a plethora of emotions, not good ones by any means.

but then, you also couldn’t deny the recurring fantasies of things that could happen. could but wont, because he’s rafe cameron, and not even you’re desperate enough to be one of his bitches.

“hey?” a light tug of your arm pulled you back to the present, and you turned to see rafe at your side, cup forgotten as one of his hands molded around your waist and the other wrapped around your bicep to steady you.

“i’m really fine-.” you pulled away from him, and right as you did so, you felt someone back up on you, pushing you towards rafe and into his chest as a cold liquid spread from the lower half of your head and down your back.

you gasped in surprise, suddenly awake and alert as you sharply turned to see a boy standing there, cup tilted and empty as all its contents spilt on your back. he mumbled a quick apology, then took off laughing with his friends about something they said that probably wasn’t even funny.

“you sure about that?” rafe inquired, eyebrow raised in amusement as you stepped away from him, this time more cautiously. “c’mon, we’ll clean you up.”

although you wanted to say no and tell him to fuck off because you could handle it yourself, you were too exhausted from the long night to put up much protest other than a dramatic groan. then, you nodded, and rafe led you away from the crowd of people with a tug of your wrist.

—//—

now, you found yourself in a bedroom, rafes bedroom, waiting expectantly as you stood in front of the boy.

“what now?” you ask, palming your eyes and yawning, looking back at rafe with glossy eyes now, which were sending waves of tingles through the boys stomach.

“take a shower,” he implied, as if it was obvious. you scrunched your brows as he pointed to the bathroom on the other side of the room.

“i don’t have any spare clothes.”

“i’ll find you something to wear,” rafe shrugged, “go on,” he urged you to the bathroom, and you followed obediently, not having it in you to put up any sort of fight or ask questions.

“i’ll be right back,” rafe said from the room as you closed the bathroom door, only to hear the door to the bedroom close as well, meaning rafe left.

your mind was filled with the thought that he just ditched you, which was a possibility, but you ignored that thought and slipped your shirt over your head. once all the articles of clothing were thrown onto the cold tile floor, along with your shoes which sat messily in the corner, you lift a foot into the tub, stepping in.

immediately, you played with the oddly fancy knobs and managed to turn them on, warm water rushing through the shower head as your tilted your head back into it. the odd colored drink washed away from your hair, falling onto the floor of the tub and down the drain smoothly. you searched for soap, quickly cleaning up and scrubbing your hair twice for good measure. the smell of the soap reminded you of rafe, not surprising considering it was literally his own soap, you told yourself, annoyed by your current thoughts.

the feeling of the slightly cold water hitting your skin was enough to wake you up fully, but you were too lost in the blissful feeling of the water to pay much attention to your surroundings.

that was until you heard the door to the bathroom open, and you peaked your head through the curtain to find rafe, setting a towel on the counter, along with a shirt and a pair of shorts.

“who’s are those?” you questioned, making rafe jump as he realized you were watching him.

“sarah, i just took some from her,” he shrugged, and now you were even more confused.

first, he started talking to you randomly. then he’s helping you stand. then he’s taking you to his room..so you can shower. then he’s getting clothes for you to wear? how much did you have to drink? you started to ask yourself, questioning if this was all you just being wasted.

but it wasn’t, you felt pretty much fine. so there had to be something you were missing.

“just hurry up and change, i’ll be in the other room.” without another glance towards you, rafe left the bathroom, leaving you standing there, wet hair dripping forward from the way you had tilted your head to peek through. you went back to getting the soap out of your hair, rushing a bit more now.

meanwhile, rafe was in his room, just outside the bathroom, sitting on his bed with his head in his hands. what the fuck am i doing? was his only thought.

he was honestly just confused as you were. it started when he saw you laying on the couch, mouth agape as your eyes sketched shapes on the ceiling. you just being there was tempting enough, but after that he just had to make his way over to you.

the two of you hadn’t had many conversations in the past, at least no genuine ones. most were just bickering, to be honest. but, just as you thought, the tension was undeniable. the feelings weren’t one sided, that was for sure.

when he caught you from falling over, you had leaned into his warmth and something almost turned in his stomach, which was quite nauseating on his side. it was annoying how fucking worked up he got around you. his mind would spin with options of what to do with you. did he want to just kiss you, fuck you or annoy you to death? he had no idea, but it was overwhelming, to say the least.

so when he invited you to his room to clean up, he wasn’t really thinking about it, because everything was happening at once. he even searched his sisters room for goddamn clothes for you.

interrupting his inner monologue, a door opened and out came your figure, except you weren’t wearing the clothes he had given you. no, you were just in your towel, actually. your skin looked slightly damp still, but your hair had been fluffed out and dried a bit from the towel.

“what are you- where are the clothes i gave you?” rafe asked, standing hesitatingly.

“dunno, wasn’t my style i guess,” you shrugged, looking around his room casually, taking in the very rafe feel it gave.

rafe just scoffed, messing his hair up and stepping closer. “well, you can’t really go out in a towel now, can you?”

this reminded you that there was still a party going on, although it was muffled and a bit quieter as people began to call it a night.

“then i won’t go out.” you stepped closer, looking up at rafe with an expression of uncertainty, trying to identify the look behind his eyes, figure out what the fuck he was up to. but you saw nothing. if anything, there were just a bit of nervousness hidden there.

“and what exactly do you plan on doing, then? since your obviously so wise.” now his guarded demeanor was back up, though he had taken a step closer so your heavy breaths were hitting each other perfectly, hands close to grazing one another’s.

“i don’t know.” then, another reminder flashed in your mind, and you looked back at rafe, “wait, why are you even here? isn’t this like- your party?”

“well, technically topper wanted a party, i wanted to go to bed and sleep for a year.” you chucked at this, figuring he had already gotten fucked up today and didn’t feel like another party. then, taking a risk, you leaned in just a bit, and rafe didn’t pull back. actually, he pushed forward, bringing his large hands to wheel around your waist, setting fire through your veins.

it was as if both of you snapped at the same time, first eyeing each others lips, then pushing forward and taking said lips between your own. the kiss was hungry and long waited, immense relief flushing through you, which took you both by surprise.

not even a few minutes of this passed by before rafe was tugging at the towel, still clinging around your naked body, droplets of water probably wetting his floor.

before letting the fabric reveal your body, rafe looked at you, pulling away for a moment and looking over your features, silently asking permission. a quick nod was all it took for the material to be ripped off and throw to the side, rafe spinning you both around until the backs of your knees hit the bed and you fell back onto the mattress.

rafe looked over you with a smirk, eyes skimming over each and every detail of your body as if savoring it. a lick of his lips was all it took for your thighs to rub together, anticipation becoming too much as you waited for him.

this obviously pissed him off, because now his hands were tearing your legs apart, exposing your bare cunt inch by inch. “don’t even try to cover this up, got it?”

his voice was demanding, and luring, enough to make you nod, eyes softening in obedience, resulting in a snicker from rafe.

he leaned back in, delving down to leave kisses along your collar bone and suck on the flesh until bruises built against your skin, making you whimper and grab his dirty blond tressed with your fingers.

the sound of your whimpers made rafe go crazy, but he tamed the need inside him long enough to work his way down your stomach, placing teasing kisses down your inner thighs, but not once touching the spot you needed the most attention in.

“please, rafe,” you pleaded, not sure where it came from but gong with it once you saw the way he looked up at you, lust blown eyes and parted lips, waiting to be against your cunt.

“please what, hm? tell me what you want me to do, baby,” rafe cooed, fingers clenching around the inside of your thighs so he could push them apart and kiss your inner thighs, resulting in your back arching and hips begging upwards.

“n-need your mouth.” your face blushed with embarrassment of having to speak the words, but rafe just tsked, one hand moving upwards as he used his thumb to draw circles around your cunt, only passing your folds, earning a cry from you.

“i need more than that, doll.”

“fuck! please, j-just need your mouth on me, rafe, need to feel your mouth on my pussy, please!”

it seems that was acceptable for rafe, his thumb pausing just above your clit, then dragging down, finally grazing over the sensitive bud and stimulating it perfectly. your hips jerked at the sensation, but you grew accustomed to the feeling once he began working in small circles.

soon, his mouth was on your cunt, tracing paths over your folds and rubbing at the nub with a flat tongue, constantly sending shivers through you as you moaned with pleasure. his hands stayed at your side, ring clad finger’s cold against your flesh as his tongue dug inside you and began fucking your hole with no remorse.

the shapes and letters his warm tongue carved into you were almost too much, and when you reached down to rake your fingers through his hair, you fought the urge to push his head down and allow him to bury himself completely between your thighs.

“f-fuck! rafe, oh god, feels so good,” you sobbed, voice becoming louder as he hummed into you, a smirk on his lips, no doubt, from seeing you fall apart for him.

rafe pulled away within a second, licking his lip and keeping his eyes on your cunt, calculating his next move. you watched as he did so, suddenly feeling exposed as he raked his eyes over the slick coating your folds and your clit throbbing painfully through them. you squirmed at the emptiness, about to squeeze your thighs together, but you were too late as rafe brought a hand up, middle and forefinger pushing through your folds and embedding themselves within your walls.

a loud gasp escaped your lips as he did so, and you bit down painfully on the cushion of them as his fingers pumped in and out of you with nonstop speed. rafe looked up at you, his own lips parted beautifully as he watched moans flow easily out of your mouth.

“you like that, baby?” came his husky voice, only intensifying your already great pleasure that ran through your body. you nodded at his inquiry, not able to form coherent thoughts under his gaze. and that was when his fingers made a hook and pressed against your most sensitive part, making you squirm.

his smirk became bigger, and his fingers fucked you harder, a desperate attempt to ruin you right there. then he was leaning down, still pumping his fingers, and began to lick your clit with fervor, flicking the bud and sucking without resistance until your thighs were clenching around his head and you were a complete moaning mess.

“oh fuck- i’m g-gonna come rafe, pleaseplease,” you begged pathetically, having no time to be embarrassed as he hummed, nodding his head while still sucking on your clit, and permitted you to let go.

the orgasm took over in a huge wave, which came surprisingly fast, and the only thing on your mind was the bubbling in your stomach that was finally freed. moans and gasps fell from your lips as you wet his tongue and fingers, and rafe didn’t let a drop go to waste as he lapped up your slick, helping to prolong your orgasm.

hands reaching for his hair in dazed motions, eyes closed and lips parted, you mumbled, “t-too much, rafe,” which was the boys que to give you a final kiss on your clit, then remove his head and fingers from your cunt.

now, rafe stared up at you, swiping a ring clad thumb over his bottom lip, which was glistening with your arousal. his thumb then moved to enter your mouth, and you dutifully took in the digit, sucking with starry eyes, and whimpering when he removed it from your grasp.

rafe rose to his full height, still in his shirt and pants, which were no doubt keeping his hard dick from standing tall. suddenly, you felt that flush arise to your cheeks from your being nude, and you bit your lip and reached a hand out to grapple at his shirt. he took this as a sign to pull the material over his head, then going in for his buckle as well. the sound of the metal clinking as he loosened it from its straps was enough to send you into a spiral of anticipation, eyeing his clothed prick impatiently.

rafe had that smirk plastered to his face still, throwing his belt aside and then his pants, making sure not to go too fast as he tormented you.

you let out a whine as he hooked his fingers around his boxers, not pulling them down fully but revealing his v line. “rafe,” you pouted, and he decided to be nice and let them fall down, now unclothed as he kicked off his shoes and settled ontop of you, marking your chest and neck immediately.

sighing with content, you held him close and let his lips suck on your flesh, until the arousal was too much and he began to grind against you, slowly. your cunt was already becoming slick again as he rubbed against your thigh.

rafe lift himself up to his knees, pumping his cock, the point of his tongue poking out from the side of his mouth in concentration. the image of your breasts on display for him, and your lips parted and chest thumping was enough to make the boy cum on the spot.

he raised a brow at you, making sure you were still okay, and once getting a quick nod, he pressed the head of his cock against your folds. in the next second, he was thrusting into you, earning a loud gasp from you, which he covered with a hand on your mouth.

“shh, ‘m gonna fuck you good, okay? just lay there and look pretty,” he teased, but you nodded, wanting nothing more than to do as he said.

the thrusts started out mild, but soon quickened tempo, hips stuttering against yours as he wrapped a hand around your leg and pulled it over his shoulder. this allowed a better angle, and you moaned with him as he repeatedly pounded into your already sensitive cunt.

you slid a hand down your bouncing breasts and stomach, then to your throbbing clit, soothing it with your gentle fingers before rafe slapped them away, as if saying “mine.”

his own hand went around your propped up leg to thumb at your clit, whilst the other made a path over your hips and breasts, fondling with the mound of flesh and pinching your nipple.

the overstimulation was rushing through you violently, his thrusts becoming sloppy, orgasm at the brink. you watched his head fly back, eyes rolling and mouth a gape, hypnotized by how pretty he looked even when he was fucking you.

“rafe,” you repeatedly mumbled, forming no other words in your clouded mind.

“hm? does it feel good? d’you like the way i fuck you, pretty girl?”

“y-yeah, so good,” you hummed, your own head rolling back onto the pillow, hips thrusting up to meet his and satisfy the hunger that once again boiled in your core.

“i’m gonna cum on your tits, are you gonna be good for me?” he said just as your orgasm was about to wash you away, and you nodded fast, once again wanting to be the best you could for him.

then, you came, waves of pleasure splashing through you before he pulled out, still thumbing your sensitive bundle of nerves, using his free hand to fist his cock which hovered over your breasts.

you held your tits in two shaky hands, squeezing them together and massaging them while rafe came, painting your breasts and stomach until he had milked out every last drop he could. he mumbled yes’s and fuck’s, along with your name until his high died down.

breathing harshly, you set ur sight to the ceiling, deep intakes of air causing the ends of rafe’s lips to turn upwards slightly. he leaned down to place one last kiss on your flushed cheek before letting himself fall onto the mattress beside you.

“let’s clean you up,” rafe said, turning to look at you, “the party’s not over yet.”

uhhhh yeah idk how i feel ab this i hope it wasn't terrible ig. reblogs appreciated :)

@o-rion-sta-r @saggyb1lls @rylynn-m @dobbysockcollection @arcaneslut @arianagreyy @el-imaskingforyourlefthand