#stance but in color too. i just came up with a dumb 'it could be that deep' theory symbolism thing re: felix locus + lolix lol. like its

[harbingersecho]

READY AIM FIRE

[breathlesslink]

Chapter 1 - Freedom

[chapter warnings: abuse, fighting, sexual jokes]

t.o.c ; >>

"Hyah!"

"Good!"

Sweat dripped down your forehead, soaking your hairline and traveling down to your eyelashes. The water nearly blinded you, yet you knew you couldn't stop. You swung the Windcleaver in your hands with terrifying strength, slicing the arm off of the wooden dummy as if it was butter. Your muscles burned at the feeling and nearly gave out after you had cut, but you knew better.

Don't stop.

A loud thud resounded behind you, and yet you did not turn around. You held the blade over your shoulder to protect your spine, effectively blocking the soldier who had attempted to attack you from behind. At his surprise, you were able to turn and use two hands to push the blade towards him, pushing him back against the sand floor. The soldier regained his footing quickly and charged once more, making you continuously block and parry his shots, looking for an opening to go on the offensive.

Finding none with your sword, you sighed. You blocked his blade once more and threw both his and yours to the side, following the weapons with a blow to his face.

Hand-to-hand combat was never your favorite-- it hurt your knuckles and it was just too much trouble. Why use your fists when you had so many weapons at your disposal?

You ducked under a punch from the soldier, taking advantage of the low point to hit his ribs. The soldier coughed and kicked out while you were still low, hitting your shoulder and knocking you back a few steps. You squared your stance once more, ready to charge again--

"Y/N! Y/N!"

A high-pitched voice squealed from your left, where the entrance to the training arena was. You dropped your guard after seeing the soldier do the same and turned to see a little girl, height barely reaching your hips, barreling towards you. You grinned and wiped the sweat off of your forehead again, kneeling down with your arms open wide.

"Kimi!”

Your little sister giggled and crashed into your arms, wrapping her own around your neck as you picked her up and spun her around. She held a piece of paper in her hands and once you stopped spinning her, she unfolded it and held it up to the scorching sunlight to let you get a look. On the paper were scribbles of color and what seemed to be three stick figures, adequately drawn for a seven-year-old such as Kimi. You looked at her and smiled, "And what do we have here?"

"It's a--"

"Family portrait." A slightly lower voice comments from the same area Kimi came from. "She says it's us, but I don't see the resemblance."

You laughed. "Hiro, she's seven. You can't expect her to be the next great artist just yet."

Hiro shrugged, feigning distaste although you knew it was all for fun. "I dunno. I think I did better than that when I was four."

"Not sure about that one. Last week, Master got on you because he couldn't read the ambush plans you had drawn up. Four wasn't your magic number and thirteen might not be, either."

Hiro scoffed and opened his mouth to rebuttal, only to be interrupted by the soldier overseeing your training.

"You were distracted today. You could have done better if you focused, Y/N. Get ready for dinner." He waited until you saluted him before walking away. You and your siblings watched him walk off, the large door closing behind him.

"Fuckin' hate this--"

"Hiro, language."

"What?" He threw his hands up. Kimi buried her head into your shoulder-- she never liked it when people were upset. "Y/N, we've been here for five fucking years. These people have kept us kidnapped here, and for what? To become their super soldiers? 'Protect Ganon, protect Ganon'. From what? There's fucking nothing going to tame that dumb pig in the castle. That one dude is not coming back to life.”

You could only watch in sympathy as Hiro ranted. You felt the same, but you felt like you had to keep it together for him and Kimi. If they saw you crumble the same way your pubescent teenage brother was, then you'd be seen as weak. They wouldn't be able to rely on you for anything. That couldn't happen.

"It'll all work out, Hiro."

"Doubt it." He blew a strand of white hair out of his face, crossing his arms. "Let's just-- let's just go. Time for dinner, I bet it's just a bunch of fuckin' rocks."

The events after dinner were always the ones you dreaded, and yet also looked forward to the most. Nights in the desert were always cold, even from the comforts of your room in the hideout. They chilled you to the bone, and could lead to your demise should you travel unprepared. The sand seemed to turn to snow and the dry winds did little to help, as did the thin blankets that laid across your shivering body in the rock-hard bed that you shared with your younger siblings.

Yet, you were alone. Free from the prying eyes of your captors, and from the ever-present pressure to be the strong one for your siblings as they slept soundly beside you. Here, you could relax.

Kimi was curled up in the middle against your side, still sucking her thumb despite you telling her she was too old for it. Perhaps it was to cope. You stared at the ceiling, thinking back to the training earlier today.

You agreed with Hiro-- what were you doing here? Of every child in the world, why did the Yiga Clan decide to take you three? What good could you do for their cause? Surely there were people more willing and capable of doing what you were being trained to do.

You took a deep breath and steeled yourself. You had to be stronger than ever to utter your next words, much less carry them out.

"Hiro... Kimi... Wake up." You waited for the two of you to acknowledge your presence. "Do you want to leave tonight?"

"Leave? Tonight?" Hiro's voice echoed back.

"Yeah, from here. We need to."

"But won't they catch us?" Kimi whimpered.

"Not if we do it now. The guards are switching shifts. Let's put on our suits and get out of here. And stay quiet."

All you heard for confirmation was the ruffle of clothes as Hiro and Kimi slipped on their outfits and packed their few belongings. You looked around outside the curtain that separated your bedroom from the main room. You watched the open holes in the rock walls that pretended to be windows, making sure that guards didn't walk by to see you up past curfew. Quietly, you led the two younger kids around the rock pillars that turned the room into the hellish labyrinth that had been your home for the past five years-- nearly Kimi's entire life. Your heart lurched at every ruffle the red banners made along the corridors as the wind breezed through.

The place was peaceful tonight.

You held your breath around every twist and turn, the fear of getting caught nearly paralyzing you— urging you to turn back and crawl under the safety of the blankets— but you pushed on for your siblings. Finally, you saw stars.

The entrance of the Yiga Clan hideout was so close. You could reach out your hand and be free.

You could taste the fresh air and see the night sky, the stars getting even closer as you stepped carefully towards the entryway. They seemed to sparkle in morse code, praising you and encouraging you to continue forward.

The small streams of sand falling from the cliffs above near the entrance stung your eyes and the dust clouded around you, making you squint. Only a few more steps until you're free.

"ACHOO!"

A loud sneeze echoed through the canyon, nearly rumbling the rocks and causing an avalanche. You and Hiro turned and looked at Kimi in horror as she bashfully held her nose.

"Bless me."

"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" A large Yiga member walked up from his position above the canyon. If Kimi wouldn't have sneezed, you would have passed him without being noticed.

"We were going to patrol the borders, sir." You answered quickly.

"There were already three chosen to go earlier." The member deadpanned.

"Yes sir, but it was deemed that they did an inadequate job. We were sent to resecure the borders."

The Yiga snarled. "Y/N. Hiro. Kimi. Where are you going? You can't lie to us."

"We're going to patrol the borders, as I said." You quickly picked up Kimi and grabbed Hiro's wrist, sprinting out of the entrance and across the soft sand.

Loud sirens wailed throughout the peaceful sky. The stars were blinking faster, as if saying, "Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!"

You didn't need to look back to know that Yiga members were hot on your trail. You'd teleport, but Hiro nor Kimi had mastered it yet, meaning you'd leave them behind. They couldn't fight, but you could.

Suddenly, your eyes lit up.

"Hiro! Take Kimi and keep running!" You called.

"What?" Hiro replies as you thrust her into his arms. "Y/N, no!"

"Run!" You screamed as you stopped.

You turned around to face the swarm of members chasing after you, pulling out your Demon Carver and preparing to fight.

------

You were sore.

Your bones, muscles, head, everything. They ached.

It was a struggle to open your eyes, but you did.

Sunlight flooded through the window beside you. The room smelled like expensive perfume and food. Your eyebrows furrowed- the Yiga hideout didn't have perfume. The food cooked there wasn't good, either. This food smelled good.

Where were you?

Sitting up, you blinked again and looked out the window, your eyes adjusting to the harsh light. Outside of the room was a town. Sand sat in piles around the edges of the walls and on the yellow cobblestone ground. A cat, donning an emerald-studded collar, stalked around the corner, looking up at you and purred before running after a mouse.

"Ah, you're awake." A voice came from the doorway behind you.

"Where am I?" You cautiously asked, not looking away from the window. Your hand stealthily crept to your pocket, which held a small knife. just in case.

"You're in Gerudo Town." You finally turned to see a tall lady walking towards you holding a food tray, "You collapsed next to our ice house last night. Our ice keeper, Anche, fought off some pretty bad guys to save you. She brought you to us. She said those guys were definitely trying to kill you, probably still are."

"Don't scare the poor girl, Romah!" Another feminine voice came from the doorway. A slightly taller lady stood there.

"Oh hush, she'll be fine. She needs to know." The shorter one, Romah, waved her off.

"In case you didn't hear, she's Romah," The other one said, "I'm Olu. We've given you potions and such to help you heal, but you've had some pretty nasty cuts. You'll have to stay here a while before you go back home, it's way too dangerous to leave in your condition."

You looked down in silence, "I don't have anywhere to go, so I guess I won't be in a rush to heal." You shrugged.

"What do you mean, darlin'?" Olu pressed.

"Don't really wanna go back."

"Were you the only one there?" Romah questioned.

"No, I had two others," You explained, "but we got separated. They're my younger siblings."

"Really? How old are they? They couldn't possibly have gotten far."

"Thirteen and seven. I think they will be okay, but I need to find them soon."

"Of course, darling, say no more. We'll have you healed up and out of here in no time. But while we wait, have some lunch. I'm sure you're starved." Olu pushed the tray of food towards you and ushered Romah out, leaving you alone once again.

Your injuries were much more detrimental than expected, especially since you refused to rest in bed to heal. You had to move around and train.

Days spent with Romah and Olu turned into weeks, which turned into months, which turned into a year until a letter appeared in the town.

Kimi. How did she find you?

She said that she was safe in Hateno Village, having heard that one of her friends saw a girl who looked like you on her trip to Gerudo Town. She sent a letter in blind hope. No word on Hiro.

You stayed in Gerudo for four years. Four years since you had seen either of your siblings. Three since you began writing letters to Kimi back and forth. She was eleven now. You hadn't seen her grow up.

In exactly 30 minutes, it would be your 20th birthday, and you were leaving. After working the nightly love classes with Ashai and running the inn with Romah and Olu for so long, you were leaving.

After finally finding a loving home and family, you were leaving.

Your first stop was Kakariko Village, then to Hateno to find your sister. Then to the rest of Hyrule to find your brother.

You sighed and closed the curtains on your window, laying down and getting what little bit of sleep you could while being excited and nervous about tomorrow. You tossed and turned all night, the plushness of your mattress doing nothing to soothe your nerves and make you rest. Soon enough, the sun peaked through your curtains and you couldn't help but groan.

"Good morning, old lady!”

The door to your room burst open, Olu rushing in like a bull. She held pancakes with a lit candle stuck in the middle, running to your bed as Romah tried to stop her recklessness around an open flame. To your surprise, Ashai came in behind them as well, the two of you having become close as well.

You laughed, taking the plate from Olu and blowing out the candle, making a wish.

Olu sat on the foot of your bed. "So what did you wish for?"

"I can't tell you, silly. Then it won't come true." You said.

"If I were you, I'd wish for love. A fine, muscular, tasty man who'd love me," Ashai sighed dreamily and fell back onto the bed, "A man who'd love me day and night. Especially night. Or a woman. That would be nice too..."

"Alright now, she's still a kid to us." Romah chuckled, "I'd rather her not be thinking about boys."

"Okay, okay, mom." Olu rolled her eyes playfully, "Now eat up and get packed, you have a long journey ahead of you!”

With that, they left again, giving you your precious privacy.

After eating, you got out of bed and dressed in your Gerudo outfit. You packed outfits for every weather possibility in your bag as well as weapons, food, and other supplies.

You stood at the entrance of Gerudo Town with the ladies of the town who had become your family over the last four years, saying your goodbyes. You hugged the last ones and turned to Romah and Olu.

Olu was bawling, her makeup smearing on her face and your shoulder as she squeezed you into a hug. Then you went to Romah, who wasn't openly crying. She had tears in her eyes and as you hugged her, you felt one slip out and land on the top of your head.

Taking one last look at your home, you boarded your sand seal and set off to Kakariko. The journey through the desert and Gerudo Canyon was a breeze-- you were accustomed to the sands and extreme weather, but you were completely lost as to what to do when you got out. Your sand seal was useless once you left Gerudo, being unable to maneuver on the grass. As you came to your first settlement outside of Gerudo, Outskirt Stable, a lightbulb went off. You knew what you had to do.

You had to get a horse.

The stable hand at Outskirt had warned you of the difficulty of taming a horse, but you were confident. You had fought numerous people and monsters, what was taming a horse compared to that?

You scanned the open area around the stable for a few moments before finally locking your eyes on the horse you wanted. A beautiful light brown stallion stood a few yards away from you. As he turned to graze on a different patch of grass, you noticed white patches of fur against his muzzle and around his feet. He was absolutely gorgeous, and you wanted him.

You crouched in the grass, stepping carefully towards him to not make any sound. Training with the Yiga paid off for this-- stealthily sneaking up on your target. Except this time you weren't going to take out a knife and kill it. The stallion had no clue you were near and when you got close enough, you lunged forward and placed your hands against its haunches to push yourself onto its back.

Immediately, the horse began to whinny and buck, trying its hardest to knock you off. You held on tightly to his chocolate-colored mane, patting his neck to soothe him as best as possible. It wasn't working. You were getting tired, struggling to continue holding onto his mane, so you leaned down and wrapped your arms around his neck entirely, shutting your eyes and hoping for the best. He continued to rear up and buck, and finally, your arms had enough. They loosened and you lost your grip, sliding off of the side of the horse and hitting the hard ground below.

The horse was still reared up, his front hooves raised over you. You covered your face with your arms, preparing for him to slam down and crush you underneath his strength, yet it never came.

Instead, you felt a nudge against your arm. Peeking open an eye, you saw the same stallion hovering over you, his hooves now planted on the ground on either side of you. He was looking down at you with big brown eyes, head cocked to the side as if you say, "You good?" Slowly, you stood up and the horse gave you space, putting his head down in front of you. You quirked an eyebrow, petting his muzzle and he swished his tail in happiness.

"If you like me, then why did you throw me off?"

He just snorted.

You rolled your eyes and walked around to his side, swinging one leg over. The horse-- Taz, as you decided to name him-- walked to the stable with you barely having to control him, swishing his tail the entire way like some kind of giant dog. You registered him and after putting on his saddle and bridle, you set off to Kakariko Village.

------

Kakariko Village was a sight to behold.  The small town was embedded deep in a little dip of the mountains, the rocks themselves surrounding it on all sides. It reminded you of the entrance of the Yiga hideout, yet so much better. Less evil. You were glad that Taz stayed on the path well because you were having trouble keeping your eyes on the road. The area was just breathtaking.

Seeing the Sheikah symbols, you were taken far back. Further than your life with the Yiga, but to your life before everything went wrong. You got a glimpse of you before even Hiro was born, playing outside while your mother, a Sheikah woman herself, tended to the garden. Your father, a regular Hylain, chased you around as you laughed.

Suddenly, the village seemed more nostalgic to you. Kids ran around like you used to-- like Hiro and Kimi never got to. Hiro was the only one to get your mother's hair, and everyone around reminded you of him.

Shaking your head, you got off of Taz and led him around, searching for an inn to let you stay for a little while. Finding it on the other side of town, you didn't hesitate to ask for a room. The innkeeper was a nice man who kept yawning and hobbled around the front desk to show you to your quarters. It was just a bed and nightstand surrounded by privacy curtains, but it was enough. You didn't plan on spending all of your time there, anyways.

"We haven't had many visitors lately," The man, Ollie, yawned once more, trying to keep his eyes open and start a conversation. "Other than one dude that's been here for a few days."

"Really? Is he staying here as well?"

"Sometimes," Ollie responded, his speech slurred. Goddess, he was struggling to stay awake. Was he okay? "Sometimes he's here, sometimes he won't come back for the night. He's apparently a special traveler, according to Impa. We have to treat him real nice."

Special? And he'd be staying next to you? Wow.

"I hope he's nice," you mused to yourself, "Special people sometimes let it get to their heads."

"He hasn't talked to anyone, I don't think. Might be mute, might be a self-righteous asshole who thinks he's too good to talk to anyone. Dunno." Ollie sat back down at the desk and laid his head against his hand. In no time, he was back asleep. You sighed and left the snoring man to his nap, deciding to go to the stores.

High Spirits Produce was the shop that you decided to explore. You and Taz had eaten all of the snacks that Romah and Olu had packed, so you definitely needed more before traveling again.

You walked over to the swift carrots, wanting some for Taz, but they were swiped from your view as you went to grab them. Looking up in surprise, you came face to face with a pair of blue eyes that practically glowed in the soft light of the shop.

Those eyes seemed nervous, the person's eyebrows furrowing in some type of frantic anxiety.

"I'm sorry, could I have two of those? My horse is in the stable and he's hungry-"

The boy quickly slammed down a carrot and rushed to the counter, paying for the rest and practically running out of the shop.

Okay, weird. But he only left one...

You shrugged and paid for it along with the other items you had collected and left. Taz wouldn't be the happiest horse in the world- he always got two carrots. No more, no less- but you supposed that he would be subdued with an apple or two as a substitute.

Your mind went back to the boy that you saw. After many Gerudo classes on "men" with Ashai, you could tell that he was nervous and slightly uncomfortable. It was body language that the women were taught to recognize, lest they accidentally make the man uncomfortable. His shoulders were tense, the stress lines across his face were abundant and his lips were turned down into a deep frown. He didn't say anything to you, which led you to believe that he was just anxious. But about what? It didn't seem quite like normal social anxiety. It toed on the line of dread and pure panic- like the world could be ending soon and he was the only one who could stop it or something.

Shaking your head, you reached the small stable.

"Taz?" You called, "I've got snacks!"

Taz whinnied and you went to walk towards him, but stopped as you saw someone already in front of him.

It was the man from before. He had his head down, seemingly deliberately avoiding eye contact with you. In his hand was a swift carrot, a large bite in it that you assumed Taz had taken. He was feeding your horse.

"Um, hi. I don't think we've properly met." He jumped at the sound of your voice. Despite this, you still carefully walked toward the blond man. "I'm Y/N."

He hesitated for a moment. "...Link."

You paused, but only for a millisecond. That name was familiar, but from where?

"Link. I like it." You smiled. "But do tell me, I have a question."

Link turned to look at you, still on edge. "Yes?"

"Why are you running around here like a Cucco without its head? I've only seen you twice and you're acting like the world-"

"-Is ending. That's what Ollie said too..." Link sighed. It seemed as if he really didn't want to talk to a total stranger about his problems. You understood why, though. However, instead of saying anything, you remained silent, hoping that he would elaborate. After a few more moments, Link spoke up.

"Do-- do you know your way around Hyrule?"

[cracked-pean]

Truth

Characters: Derek Hale, Stiles Stilinski, Female!Reader

Word Count: 813

Warnings: Nothing major just slight angst

A/N: It's been awhile but please enjoy this little thing I wrote.

"Derek, what's going on?" [Y/N] asked, her voice laced in worry and confusion.

The preserve was too quiet for it to be normal. No critters were heard up in the trees or down on the ground. Nocturnal insects had decided not to let themselves be heard.

Something was definitely wrong.

"Derek, we need to leave. She can't see this. It's not fair for her to find out about everything like this," Stiles explained.

Then, somewhere off to the left, deep in the forest was a noise. They all snapped their heads in the same direction. It sounded like an animal running away. Or running towards them. The boys instantly took on a high alert stance. Stiles looked over at the taller man and noticed his eyes glowing and locked on the culprit in the distance that only he could see.

"What was that?" [Y/N] asked inching closer to Derek.

She turned to look at him only to see his back facing her and his head leaned down.

"Derek?"

"[Y/N], you need to leave. It's not safe." His voice came out hoarse and with a slight lisp this time.

Stiles knowing well what was going on, gently but hurriedly tried to get the girl away from him and out of the situation they were in.

"C'mon [Y/N] we need to leave. Now." He urged.

"No," She tugged her arm out of his reach.

She knew she was being unreasonable but she had been lost throughout this whole thing. She needed some sort of explanation. Even if it was brief, at least it would help her understand what was going on.

[Y/N] reached out a hand to Derek's shoulder. But that was a mistake.

Before she could touch him, he swiftly turned back to her causing her to jump back in surprise.

"Now [Y/N]!"

But she stepped back even further away from him, her hand cupping her mouth. It had been dark by now, the moon out high in the sky, but the moonlight was bright enough for her to see his face clear as day.

Derek's face had changed in a mere matter of minutes. Which shouldn't have been humanly possible. Nothing had caused it to change. She was right there. She was standing right next to him.

His eyebrows had disappeared but had become more prominent and scrunched down. His ears had grown and become pointed. He had hair grown along the sides of his jaw and face, making him have lengthy sideburnes that slightly stuck out like whiskers. His bunny like smile was replaced by sharp canines. But his eyes were what completed the whole transformation. They weren't his familiar, warm green/hazel color anymore. No. They were glowing blood red.

And they were aimed directly at her.

Derek took a step towards her but stopped as she shakingly took a few more back. Away from him.

He of course hadn't mentioned his life style to her before. He didn't know how to bring it up. He never had to before. His whole family were werewolves, they were born this way. He never had to tell his current pack because thanks to Stiles, he had figured it out and had told everyone else. It was different with Isaac, Erica and Boyd, because he had the intention of turning them.

But with [Y/N]. He just could never muster up the courage to explain it to her. Of course he wasn't going to tell her the first time meeting her. No, that was a dumb move. Derek needed to see how long their relationship would last first. If they actually liked each other to pursue what they had going on or if this was just a few hook-ups here and there. But here they both were. 7 months later and it was all real from both sides. They were together romantically and in it for the long haul.

But he still hadn't told her the truth about him.

Now, it was out in the open.

And here she was witnessing it all for the first time with no warning. She was trembling a little, a hand covering her mouth and her wide eyes looking straight at him.

A look of hurt flashed across Derek's face. But as quick as it came it went as well.

She was scared. She was scared of him and he couldn't do anything to calm her down and reassure her that everything would be ok.

He couldn't focus on her feelings right now. If there was a chance to talk to her after this whole ordeal was over he would explain everything to her. But right now he had to focus on getting both her and Stiles out of here.

"Stiles, get her out of here. Now. I'll buy you some time," he gave one last glance at [Y/N] and ran towards the direction the target was.

[lubdubsworld]

Blackberry Winters.

PART 1 🌸 PART 2

Namjoon Werewolf Au!! 

Pack Head Alpha Namjoon and mate OC!

Arranged marriage sort of?

Pack dynamics / strangers to lovers. 

Part 3

“You did not think to tell him no? To demand that you had every right to stay there?” Her mother in law looked disappointed ,  eyes trained on her as Jiah carefully pulled the blouse of the tunic down over her tummy, frowning when she realized that it didn’t do a thing for her figure.

She felt self conscious, the grey cotton of the tunic making her feel drab and lifeless. Why did she always choose clothes in colors like this? Why did none of them fit her right? Why did she never make an effort to look at least a little good. Her hair was limp, a mousy brown and while it was thick, it had no luster… Why didn’t she use one of the hundred powdered mixtures the village healer liked to give the younger women?

“Jiah, are you listening to me?” Namjoon’s mother said sharply and Jiah jumped a bit, guilty.

“I didn’t want to be a bother..”  She said nervously, not sure how to handle her mother in law. On the one hand she seemed to be understanding of her many hang ups, but she also looked impatient and upset, anytime Jiah failed to stand up for herself.

Lady Kim drew herself up to her impressive height and Jiah cowered. She’d hung around enough pack bonfires to recognize that stance and that gaze. The woman was about to give her a piece of her mind.

Sure enough, her voice thundered when she addressed her.

“If you keep viewing yourself as a bother, I’m not sure how others will begin seeing you as anything else. You’re the head alpha’s mate. Your place is by his side, helping him with the crown on his head. It’s not a choice. Your duties are not mine and I am tired of doing them for you.” She snapped.

It stung. Guilt churned and Jiah could feel the beginnings of one of her episodes. The ones that always left her shaking and breathless. Much to her surprise, Lady Kim’s gaze softened at that and the next second she was being drawn into a warm embrace.

“Good lord child, why are you so terrified? Has my family not been kind enough to take away this stark terror out of your veins?” She sighed deeply. “You must not let your fears dictate your life. I want you to live your life, pleasing the person you’re bound to .”

Jiah felt her shoulders sag. Please the person she was bound to.  Of course. Namjoon. It all came down to the alpha wolf. And how was she supposed to please him, if he couldn’t bear to be in the same room as her?

“Yourself.” Lady Kim’s voice, laced with amusement made her jump.

Jiah frowned, pulling back to look at the older woman in confusion.

“You’re bound only to yourself , Jiah. You need to please yourself. To do and be the person you want to be. And then everything else will fall into place.”

Jiah watched as the woman went back to the door, calling for and directing a few more workers as they finished setting up the outer courtyard of her living quarters. Still a little chilled, she grabbed a thick coat from the small cupboard by the door, draping it over herself and tying it together with the sash. She moved quickly to the door, watching her mother in law talk to the workers, looking them straight in the eye , firm and clear in her instructions.

It was fascinating.

Lady Kim’s stance fairly vibrated with power and her voice brooked no disobedience. People looked at her and listened. They saw someone who knew what she was talking about and many a time, Jiah had felt it herself, the comfort of someone reliable. Someone who wished no ill on anyone.

Namjoon’s mother had lost her husband at a young age. Namjoon had scarcely been a babe of two when it had happened and the entire pack had expected the young wolf to lose his birthright as the heir. It was unheard of for a mate to take over the head alpha’s duties but Lady Kim had risen to the occasion with an elegance that had stunned everyone. The woman had met pack leaders and settled disputes, had negotiated boundary conflicts and made elaborate plans for new buildings , all while carrying around a babe that was still fed at her breast.

What was more, she had defended her position against the men who had wanted to usurp it. Mnhyuk and Jaejoon were two of her husband’s cousins, eager to sink their fangs into the woman to mate her, just to be able to get their hands on the pack. They were terrible men , even worse wolves. Their ideas on how the pack ought to be run dripping with archaic ideals and oppression of women.

But Lady Kim had humiliated them, told the whole pack in no uncertain terms that the next pack alpha would be Kim Namjoon. Her son would be raised to rule the pack with kindness and understanding and she would make sure of it.

The tales were told with hushed tones of disbelief and admiration and Jiah had listened to them with hunger and aching. Had felt such a huge surge of affection for the matron , had wanted to hug her and tell her she had done a great job.

And standing here as her daughter in law, she realized that she would be a fool not to listen to her. Not to learn from her. Especially when it was obvious that in the entire pack, the only one who didn’t seem to hold Kim Namjoon on a pedestal, was ironically his own mother.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“ They’re going to challenge you again. I can feel it.” Taehyung said gruffly, dropping the bundle of scrolls on the table and Namjoon flinched, head throbbing.

“That bad?” He asked hesitantly and Taehyung nodded.

“They want you to re-negotiate that treaty about courtesans owning property. Think it would make them quit the profession… if you let them own stuff” Seokjin said quietly and Namjoon bristled.

“They are no different from any of us. They work for their pay too. Why shouldn’t they be allowed to do what they wish with money that they’ve earned?” He demanded angrily.

“You’re a good man Namjoon. A fair one. And you’re striving to build a pack that treats all it members as equals . Obviously people who thrive on abusing their power aren’t going to like that. Especially Minhyuk and Jaejoon’s pups. Those two are terrible.”

“You should accept their challenge and just rip their throats out someday.” Taehyung said firmly AND Namjoon gave him a glare.

“I’m not going to shed blood without cause, Taehyung. Don’t suggest that. Even in passing.” He said firmly and the younger beta bowed politely in apology.

“Where is Jiah?” Seokjin asked casually.

Namjoon glanced at him, brows raised.

“Since when are you so familiar with my mate, hyung?”

Seokjin rolled his eyes.

“She used to come sit with me, when I watched over the herds on the outer pastures. Sweet little thing really. Very funny too.”

That made Namjoon pause.

“Funny?” He asked, completely confused.

“Witty. She would make these clever little riddles and jokes that would always leave me in stitches. We made a game of it. I would give her one of my funny jokes and she would give me a riddle. Is she feeling better now?”

Namjoon who was still kind of struck dumb by the idea of his cowering, reticent mate doing something as…. Normal and friendly as laughing and being witty….. could only stare at Seokjin in confusion.

“I…. Yes. She’s well. We’re expecting a pup.” He said softly.

Both Taehyung and Seokjin went still.

“What?!!! Why didn’t you say that first?!!” Taehyung exclaimed, offended.

“It’s not that important…” Namjoon waved it off, reaching for the scrolls , “ what about the treaties, then? You did tell Jungkook we aren’t changing anything right?”  

Seokjin scoffed.

“ Only you would say that these treaties are more important than your own pup.” He snapped.

Namjoon sighed a bit at that.

“I don’t mean that. I’m just saying, what she needs now is to rest and take care of herself and the baby. I’m not what she needs . I’ve arranged for her to stay in some private quarters with the other women.”

Seokjin sighed deeply. After years of being one of Namjoon’s trusted friends, he could feel his heart ache for the younger and all that he hid from the people around him. He reached out and gently placed a palm on Namjoon’s shoulder.

“ Namjoon, you don’t have to do all of this by yourself. Tae and I , we can take over duties a couple of days a week… You can relax… Maybe spend some time with your new wife….”

“She hates me.” Namjoon said softly. “ I spent a whole month trying to talk to her, all she did was tremble and shake. Even when we…” Namjoon exhaled sharply, “ Even in bed , she made me feel like I was some kind of…. Predator.”

Taehyung bit his lips, looking worried.

“You’re not… You’re not going to break the bond are you?” He asked nervously.

Namjoon sighed.

“I’m not. I may have considered it, before . But now… She’s with pup. I can’t do that to her. I don’t want to either.”

“Why did you pick her?”

Namjoon stayed quiet.

“Because you wanted a wife who wouldn’t ask or demand or complain.” Taehyung said distastefully.

“That’s not… You make it sound so terrible. I’m supposed to be taking over pack duties, supposed to renegotiate every single treaty we’ve drawn in the past twenty years, not to mention get the entire pack ready for the winter…. Of course I wanted a wife who would adjust. Have you seen the omegas in our clan? The ones I could court ? They want to leave on trips… They want to visit the neighbouring packs…. They want me to arrange festivities and feasts for every damn thing…. You think I can marry someone like that??” Namjoon snapped angrily. “none of them understand a damn thing about helping me out. They’re shallow and vain. Jiah… I chose her because she didn’t seem like one of them. She seemed like she could understand what it means to be my wife. But I was wrong. I thought she understood my responsibilities and was giving me my space…. Turns out she just thinks I’m some kind of monster she needs to run and hide from.”

Seokjin reached out, patting his back soothingly.

“Namjoon I understand… It’s been hard on you, and you’ve been doing all of it by yourself. Its bound to take a toll. And that’s why I think you should take a few days off, a week. Give us all the instructions. We’ll carry it all out. You can relax.”

“That’s exactly what my uncles want. For me to slack off. They’ll summon the council and want to challenge me again. I can’t afford it. “ Namjoon shook his head.” Not until the babe is born and my position as pack alpha is solidified. I can’t let them use this against me.”

Seokjin and Taehyung exchanged looks.

“Joon-ah….”

Namjoon gave both of them a tired smile.

“I’ll be fine hyung. It’s going to be okay.”  He said reassuringly. “ The council’s meeting tomorrow right? I’ll try to go over these tonight.”

“Its already past sundown.” Taehyung said worriedly.

“Then I better ask the maids to keep enough oil for the lamp to last.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What are you doing here?” Namjoon blinked, staring at her like she was out of her mind and Jiah flinched. Maybe this whole thing was a mistake. But the sight of him made something curl in the pit of her stomach. He looked exhausted. Like he had been up all night. She wondered if perhaps she ought to retreat. Go back to the private quarters he’d arranged for her.

No. No , you will not chicken out of this.

“ You have a council meeting, this evening. Could I come with you?.” She said softly, watching his face carefully. She tried to read his emotions, tried to look for traces of irritation or anger but all she found was a sort of hopeless resignment. Like he had stopped trying to fight whatever was bringing him down.

“Come with me….?? ” Namjoon stared at her like he wasn’t quite sure what she was talking about.

She inhaled sharply.

“Your mother told me I could go. As your mate, I’m allowed to sit in on council meetings. She told me it’s a new provision. That you were the one who had it written in. So perhaps, you should… let me come with you.”

“My mother-“ He paused, sighing. “ You don’t have to do everything my mother asks you to.”

She blinked, the words throwing her off. The truth was, she had been the one, tailing the older woman all day, trying to see what she did and how she did it. Lady Kim had merely offered to help her do her duties. She had mentioned in passing, that for centuries , mates hadn’t been granted many rights of their own. Namjoon had spent the past couple of years making a lot of amendments to pack laws and the council hadn’t taken to kindly to all of them.

“ Of course. I just thought that, as I am your mate , perhaps I should accompany you. ” It was a miracle, the way her voice came out, steady . Not at all betraying the nervousness coursing through her veins.

“Jiah…. I’m not sure.” His voice dripped with hesitation and she flinched. Oh, well, no one could blame her for not trying.

“If you don’t want me there, that’s fine.” She said quickly.” I’ll go…”

She turned around, feeling her face burn red as she quickly descended the stairs to the courtyard.

“Jiah wait!!” His voice made her still.

She turned around swiftly.

“I didn’t mean to imply that I did not want you there. I just….Council meetings aren’t short. They tend to go on for hours. Will you be alright?” He asked gently, gaze dropping surreptitiously to her middle.  

It took her a minute to understand what he was even talking about.

“I… Oh.” She quickly pressed her palms to her stomach, confused. “ I mean… I may have to be excused a couple of times to relieve myself. I’ve been doing that way more often than usual.” She laughed.

Namjoon’s lips quirked in a hint of a smile and she flushed. Surely, her stern mate didn’t want to hear about her body functions? What was she even doing…

“But, yes. I wouldn’t mind sitting with you. Truly.” She said quickly.

Namjoon nodded.

“Well, then. You can come with me. It’s an hour before sundown… I’ll come fetch you myself.”

“Yes , alpha.” She said brightly, curtsying lightly and immediately feeling like a fool.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“They’re called red feathers …” The healer, a middle aged woman called Selma,  opened a small earthenware jar to show her the contents. Jiah peered into the jar, catching sight of a bundle of dried flowers and roots.

“These can help me…?” She asked dubiously and Selma gave a quiet chuckle.

“They help you sleep better and also help you relax. They’re good for you. You won’t feel this anxious if you take them regularly.” She said calmly.

“Oh… alright.” Jiah nodded, glancing carefully at her mother in law who was standing elsewhere, looking through an assortment of salves and tinctures. “ Can I…. is this safe for Namjoon?”

Lady Kim stilled, turning around to glance at her sharply and Jiah stiffened. God, her impulsive mouth. She wasn’t even sure why she said it. Just the whole , helps sleep better , had immediately reminded her of how tired Namjoon had looked.

“I’ve already tried to get him to drink some of it. He refuses.” Lady Kim said tiredly. “ He feels that it may affect his mental faculties”

“Auntie Selma?” A high, soft voice rang through the hut and Jiah glanced up. She went still, catching sight of Jisoo, dressed in red velvet and all of her ornate jewelry.

“Ah… Jisoo…you’re back.” Selma said cheerfully. “ How can I help you child?”

Jisoo stared at her, eyes steady and unreadable.

“I need some wild carrot seeds and ginger roots.” She said softly and Lady Kim scoffed.

“I hope the man you’re taking into your bed is not who I think it is , Jisoo.” She growled. The younger woman merely bowed.

“I’m but a courtesan, my lady. I go where I am asked to.” She said softly.

Lady Kim sighed.

“Then perhaps you should go back home. Now.” She said sharply and jisoo flushed and ugly red.

“Your son wants me to visit him for tea , this evening. I was hoping to meet my lovely lady there…but I hear you no longer stay in his hut.” Jisoo turned to her, tone dripping with acid and Jiah swallowed nervously.

“I… I’m…” She couldn’t quite talk, much less think of something to say.

“Because she is with child.” Lady Kim said sharply, a hint of triumph in her tone. “ Namjoon’s child.”

Jisoo had gone paper white, her face pale and bloodless.

“What?” She whispered.

“It’s true. She carries my son’s heir. You know what that means, Jisoo. It means they are bound, for life. I like you. I respect your courage and admire your talents. You are beautiful and you deserve a mate of your own. Do not pursue my son.” Lady Kim said firmly.

Jisoo didn’t respond for a few seconds.  

And then she bowed again .

“Like I said, my lady. I only go where I am called.” She said quietly.

She turned on her heels, stalking away and Jiah could only stare after her, heart pounding a bit at what had just happened. She wasn’t sure why she felt so much disquiet. She’d never had high hopes of fidelity from Namjoon. The entire village knew that Jisoo had been his paramour. But now that she had seen how dismissive the younger girl was of her, she felt the unaccountable urge to fight back. To stake her claim.

“You look pretty upset. Don’t let her bother you. Namjoon will not break his vows.” Lady Kim said quietly and Jiah gave her a soft smile, although her heart still raced. She remembered how pretty the girl had looked in all her brocades and velvets. She stared down at her own murky yellow dress. She couldn’t go to the council meeting, dressed worse than a courtesan. Couldn’t embarrass Namjoon like that.

“ My Lady….” She turned to her mother in law. The older woman hummed, returning to examining the shelves.

“What is it, child?”

“Can we stop at the seamstress’ hut on our way back?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whatever Namjoon had been expecting, as he knocked on his wife’s private quarters, it hadn’t been this.

He stared , or to be more accurate, gaped at his wife, completely thrown by her appearance.

She looked…. Cheerful.

That was the only word he could think of, taking in the warm yellow and green fabric of her gown, all with an abundance of ribbons and lace. She had also clearly made some effort to tame her hair.

Not a very successfully attempt, considering the dozen strands sticking out of her bun and curling over her bare neck and shoulders …..but an attempt nonetheless.

Which reminded him.

Why was her neck bare?

“I…. have you forgotten… part of your dress…?” He asked awkwardly, gaze trained on the pale, blemish less expanse of skin in front of him. Too much of it was on display he felt.

“Oh?” Jiah twirled about for a second, glancing at herself. “ Not at all, my alpha. This is how it is.”

Namjoon blinked.

“Right… the night is getting colder. Perhaps a shawl?” He suggested tactfully.

Jiah frowned, sticking a hand out of the door as though to the gauge the night air.

“Really? Feels quite warm to me.” She said thoughtfully.  

“It may be cold for the baby.” He said quickly and that made her pause. She glanced back down at her tummy and he wondered what she expected to see, every time she did that.

“Perhaps you’re right alpha….let me be back.” She floated back into the hut and he sighed in relief when she reappeared with a white fleece shawl over her shoulders.

“Shall we go ?” She asked quietly and he hesitated before slowly offering her his arm. She gripped it lightly, and they began the short walk to the main village square where the council usually convened.

“You… You’re better adjusted to this place now?” He asked carefully, trying to find the girl he had taken to his bed. The terrified, nervous , trembling young girl.

Jiah didn’t respond at once.

“I… I’ve been drinking some of Selma’s potions. They help.” She said quietly and he frowned.

“Potions? Potions for what?”

“They help with my nerves. I get scared easily…imagine things ….” She trailed off nervously.” I’m very anxious by nature and it gets worse in a new place. With new people.”

Namjoon considered that carefully. That made sense. Perhaps, that was why she had been so odd.

“The potions help?” He asked carefully and she nodded.

“Yes…that and your mother.”

“My mother?”

“She’s very kind to me.”

Namjoon laughed a bit at that. In all the years he has had people talking to him about his mother, the word ‘kind ‘ had never come up.

“ I’m being honest….she has helped me adapt to this place. To see how things are run. I… I don’t want to be a bother. I want to pull my weight. In the pack. To help in any way I can…”

Namjoon felt a sudden unaccountable fondness bloom in his chest at the innocent words.

“ That’s very virtuous of you.” He said seriously and she flushed.

They didn’t say anything else, continuing the rest of the path in companionable silence Namjoon spotted the seven council members gathered around a blazing fire and lightly stepped closer to her.

“You can stay close to me. You don’t have to answer them.  If they try to draw you into any controversial topic, just ignore them. I’ll handle it.” He said quickly.

Jiah gave him a wide eyed, nervous look but nodded quickly, fingers moving from his forearm to his palm , linking with his own and gripping tight.

“I’m here. You’re not alone.” She said quickly and it was ridiculous, how the words actually helped him relax just a little.

Taking a deep breath, he led her on to the meeting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author’s Note : i thinks its about time i accepted that this is a full blown fic and not just a drabble. fuck my life. 

Note : Red feathers are actually herbal medicines used as anti depressants. So this is just werewolf au equivalent of therapy. 

[lunarrwolf]

ᵃⁿⁱᵐᵉ ᵍⁱʳˡˢ ʳᵘⁱⁿᵉᵈ ᵐʸ ˡⁱᶠᵉ

background: y/n is a streamer who’s known for her soft yet chaotic ways and her love of an anime called my hero academia. she has a habit of saying dumb things when she’s up at night, and the result of one from 4am leads to her talking with a faceless persona from youtube. even with songs about cat and e-girls, he just might end up writing one about anime girls along the way.

pronouns: she/they

taglist: @youretheonlyonewhomakesme @callmemaeve-y @letsloveimagines @therosyboy @hydrate-tion @clubfairy @hehe-red @liljennyx3 @kusuinko @fanworrior @caelestii-e @afuckingunicornn @angel-autocorrected-to-impala @captain-willowwitch @ahmya-4 @autocorrect @andycanbeemotional @woah2pointo @meowtella @cherry-piee @ophelia-enthusiast @girlontheblock @shady-mastermind @matchesarelit @hailswritings @sofianunes10 @boiled-onionrings @majasophieanna @laurensxox @lost--in--the--moon @the-real-comically-insane

(all tags will be added here prior to future chapters so ty to everyone who asks to be on the list. i can’t reply with lunarrwolf bc this is a side blog but you’ll be put on here as soon as i see the asks/comments. also please lmk if you change your user so i can update the list 🖤)

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previous 🧂 next

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How many times had you insisted that liking someone was unnecessary? That feelings equal to trouble? Too many to count.

There were endless days leading to dances or events where school friends did nothing but try to get you to ask someone, only to be met with disinterest and a comment about your preference of anime boys. Y/F/N was the only one who knew the deep rooted stance you held against romance of any kind, always there to be the non-date even after getting a guy of her own. When the whole thing with Corpse Husband really began, it was so easy to see how happy she was for you behind all the jokes and sarcasm.

However, here you were. Standing at one of several beaches, underneath a sky that would otherwise be shining in orange and yellow if it wasn’t for the rare appearance of gray clouds. The air became a mix of warmth and chills within a matter of minutes when arriving there; it matched the temperature by the shore almost perfectly. You could barely see when the rain impacted the ocean as small waves rolled your way, stopping inches past the edge.

“Your hair could not look any worse right now. You know you turn into a sheep when the humidity changes, right?”

You didn’t even need to turn around to know who was behind you. You may have shared locations with Y/F/N for safety reasons but she wasn’t the one the group trusted enough to text you. You gathered that they likely wanted someone who wouldn’t go batshit before making you go back. [Eye Color] met hazel, and a frown etched its way onto your face. “Don’t be mean, I’m sad. See?” You retorted, pointing at the lack of a smile.

He rolled his eyes, but nonetheless didn’t hesitate to take the necessary steps in order to be just inches away. It was a stare down that would have lasted minutes if it weren’t for the simple fact of a dying phone, an evening that was turning into night, and clouds that didn’t seem like they were going away any time soon. The streamer wasn’t kidding—the rare Los Angeles rain really was no joke. Regardless of the unfortunate time of day and low battery, Ludwig Ahgren waited with outstretched arms with the most serious face you’d ever seen him make. “Get in these arms or we’re going to have a real problem.”

You blinked, debating on whether to accept the offered hug or carry on ignoring as much as possible just enough to seem okay. Although the more you contemplated the situation at hand, the more strain came from your eyes. You could see the slight change in expression when your friend finally noticed the fatigued sadness, and that sympathy alone made it all burst.

In seconds you were holding onto this young man with so much force he cracked a joke about breaking his back; he didn’t expect a response, though. Instead he listened to the person he had a crush on in the past cry about how stupid they felt. Who in the hell would get so attached to someone so quickly? Who would go so far as to distance themselves from their friends solely because of one post from a guy who they have only been with for barely a month? All the insecurities from middle school and high school rose to the surface within minutes, each one somehow being told in a more monotone voice than the last. Ludwig may not have had—what he saw as—the privilege of calling you his girlfriend but you are still one of his greatest friends, and so was the other part of the equation. It was obvious that Corpse was unaware of what was going on; there was no way it would go unmentioned to the group if he had. Everyone knew how much he liked and cared for you. Ludwig was sure that if you just talked to the man, things would be okay.

With one hand on your back and the other around your waist, he took a few steps back in order to keep at arm's length and look you in the eyes. “You need to talk to him yourself. Poki wants to do it but we all agreed we shouldn’t get involved to that extent.”

With a humorless chuckle, you took a breath and met his gaze. “I am not telling my one month boyfriend that I’m jealous of a girl he never even mentioned to me just because he asked her to play a game with him. Do you hear how ridiculous that sounds? What if I tell him and he really doesn’t want to be with me? We both have our own shit going on and spilling out my insecurities to him will probably just drive him in the opposite direction. I can’t—”

“Whoa—hey, slow down. You’re starting to spiral.. again.” He countered, earning a glare that did nothing but make him laugh a little. “You aren’t going to lose him, dumbass. Keep in mind what Bretman told you, okay? That guy talks about you so much it’s the grossest cute thing that’s ever happened in our group chats. He’s more open than before and his self confidence has grown a bit more and I’m pretty sure that’s because of you. Stop feeling sorry for yourself or thinking you’d lose him because I highly doubt you ever would. It’s a dumb reason, yeah, but is it dumber than rejecting someone because they wouldn’t watch certain anime with you?”

“I— wait.” You stopped yourself from making a proper response, the last words processing quicker than anything. “Why are you bringing that up? I already feel bad.”

Ludwig smiled at the sound of the whine, knowing that he was succeeding in making you feel better. Removing his hands from your shoulders, he shoved them in his hoodie and stood straight. “To show you that you dumped me before we even dated for such a small thing and look how close we are. So just text him and let us know how it goes before Poki goes insane and Y/F/N turns him into an actual corpse; which I don't doubt she’ll do.”

“So you don’t hate me?” You questioned, voice quiet compared to his while you followed the companion back to his car.

His eyes widened just enough for you to see the change as he stopped beside the driver side of his car. “Dude, no. You’re one of my best friends and I want you to be happy.”

“That was really fucking cute, ohmygod–”

“Shut up and get in the car.”

𝟸𝟸: 𝚒 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚢 𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝚐𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚘𝚘 (𝟸)

—

[angsty-omi]

the friend zone.

levi ackerman x reader

no proofread— i wrote this at 4am

tw: mentions of blood, cursing, and levi being a fucking dick.

out of all the comrades in the survey corps, levi only fancied a few amount. hange, erwin, and you. you couldn’t understand why, it wasn’t like you were any special. honestly if you didn’t dye your hair pink using a mixture of berries and flour, he wouldn’t have even noticed.

it all started when everyone was in an ordered formation, while levi eyed down every single newbie. not necessarily saying anything, just staring into their soul. until, you caught his eye, and immediately he skipped over everyone else to face you. the people before you in line sighed with relief. maybe he was here to compliment my hair or critique my stance. it was none of that. in fact, he blew your knees so you’d fall forward. under your ragged pants, you could feel the skin on your knee starting to bleed. you looked up at him with shock, and he grabbed the back of your hair putting you much closer to his face. you couldn’t help but admire his tired eyes, or his wrinkles from furrowing his eyebrows. aside from that, he’s actually quite handsome. his voice interrupts your thoughts.

“scrub this shit off or else i will feed you to them” levi scolded and shoved your head onto the ground.

them as in the titans? you feared. as you looked over the other commanders, they inadvertently looked away from the two of you. you politely complied, and hoped he and the others ignored the tears running down your face. once you got to your quarters, you went straight to the shower. the color was slowly but surely getting off, showing your brown hair underneath. it’s been a while since you’ve seen your normal hair color. back in your village, you were known as the one with the artsy look, which was basically a polite way of saying the weird one. the shower head was also burning your fresh wounds from that morning and then some. you couldn’t help but think about your experience with levi and how he a complete dick he was. you swore to never get close to him nor acknowledge his presence unless required.

so how did you get here? leaning back on his chair with your feet on the table, waiting for him to come back from training the new fleet. shortly after, your not-so-fun first encounter, levi warmed up to you through back and forth banter and snarky comebacks. you’ve learned his lingo, when he says “i hate you,” it means the opposite— to the extent of “you’re okay.” if he says, “brat,” then he actually likes you. it’s the people he doesn’t remember the names of that should be scared of him. you read him like a book and vice versa.

he knew you, a bit too well. over the past few months, he could tell that you’ve started to like him afar from just friends. while he loved you as a comrade, his heart did not have the capacity to have an actual lover. so, he’s been hinting for you to not confess. scared is a term he never uses, but this was one of the few that did. levi was never scared of titans, literal human-eating monsters, rather, he was scared of you confessing your feelings for him. as the meticulous man that he his, he anticipated that today was the day that you’d express your feelings. how? over the past week, you’ve been trying to pry any sort of response for your unrequited feelings. while you thought you were slick, levi knew. that’s why he stalled the new members by running strenuous amounts of laps, because once he came back, you’d do it.

levi couldn’t hide from you any longer. with his hand on the knob, it slowly turned. there you were, with a bright smile on your face greeting him. it warmed his heart, platonically. your heart, however, was beating a million times faster once you saw him. you understood rejection was a high possibility, but you were at your limit.

“levi?” you fretted.

he nodded in response.

“you should sit down,”

levi took in a deep breath, knowing that this was the talk.

“i think i’m in love with you,” your eyes glossed. talking about your feelings always made you cry.

silence was your answer. even though, you knew this was a high chance, damnit did it hurt. you’ve been wounded by titans, and yet, this hurt the most. seeing levi’s face conflicted, trying to find the words to say to kindly reject you.

“y/n, listen you’re great. i love how you make me smile, your dumb jokes, snarky comments, and shitty roasts. but, i’m not in love with you, nor do i think i will ever.” he expressed, not looking at you in the eye. thinking, you were about to breakdown and cry, he was surprised to you see a stoic face.

“good, because i have other news.” you sighed, with a stressed out hand rubbing your temple.

news, what other news? what has she been keeping from me? levi wondered.

“my parents have found me a husband. at first, i completely shut it down. but then, starting to think of it, it would be nice to just leave and live a normal life. i was truly, truly, considering it but my love for you had to be addressed.”

“and i guess, since we’ve cleared that road... i’m leaving levi,” tears started dripping down your cheeks. looking up at levi, he had the same monotonous face. you couldn’t read what he was thinking.

“say something please” you begged.

“get out.”

“what?”

“i said get out.”

“what? why? you don’t even want to talk about this?”

“what is there to talk about? you’re leaving for some comfy lifestyle and ignoring reality. y/n we are literally dying every day. no one has the opportunity of being able to just leave. and yet, here you are leaving. you’re such a fucking pussy, i can’t believe i ever let you get this close. i was right when i first met you, you’re just some privileged girl who wanted to see a change of scenery.”

the love of your life just ended your whole career. but what was more upsetting? was that he was right. you were afraid. seeing all your friends dying was detrimental to your mental health and you saw this as a way to escape.

“you’re right, i am scared. of everything. but levi think to yourself why have i stuck out this long? why have i allowed myself to continue to serve after seeing all my comrades being ate up like chicken wings? because of you. i’m so fucking in love with you that i could handle all that. but if i don’t even have you what do i have left?” you sobbed.

“you still have me! just not that way and why does it have to be?”

“because seeing you so touchy with petra hurts. it fucking hurts seeing the man you love fall in with others!”

“seriously levi, tell me to my face that you don’t like her.”

again with the silence. something so loud, but so quiet.

you angrily slammed the door closed. your five year friendship, gone just like that. you leaned your back against the wooden door, slowly sliding down not feeling your legs. your sobs were loud, apparent that levi could hear it from the other side. if he could, he would. as soon as you felt your legs, you left.

once you got to your quarters, you grabbed your suitcase trying to pack as many things blindly. only ten minutes in, and you heard a knock at your door.

“leave me alone, i understood your message completely and now am leaving.” you screamed, knowing exactly who it was. the door slammed open with heavy pressure.

“what do you want levi,” you cried.

you felt arms wrap around your back with a head nestled into your neck.

“i think i’m in love with you too.” he whispered so quiet, that if you weren’t listening you’d miss it.

“you’re just saying that,”

“no i mean it. selfish enough, the thought of you being happy with someone other than me physically hurts my heart.”

now you’re silent.

“from the day i first landed my eyes on your ugly pink hair, to now you always had my attention one way or another. but it’s like, if i’ve accepted these feelings it’ll hurt even more if you die. i buried it down. down so far that on the surface it felt platonic. but your dumbass dug it back up.”

you swiftly turned around and pressed your lips against his. his eyes shocked at first, but then slowly melting into your lips. both desperate to show the other how much they mean to one another.

as you slowly pulled away, he instinctively moved forward which made you laugh.

“does this mean we’re something?” you gleamed.

“y/n” he said heavily.

your face dropped once again.

“you’re fucking ridiculous. are you serious levi?! i’m not going to wait for you forever. god knows how long i’ll live, and i won’t be dragged around like a little puppy.” you scolded, furious at yourself for thinking he changed.

you continued to rummage through your clothes and decided that it was enough.

“goodbye levi, i hope when you figure all your shit out you’ll finally be happy. whether it’s with yourself or with petra, but it sure as hell ain’t me.” you tipped your head at him, tears still blinding your eyesight.

if you had looked behind you, you would’ve saw levi crying. it wasn’t dramatic— no, more like tears were slipping that he himself didn’t even notice. this was the life he chose, and he knew he couldn’t get close with anyone. his young self never thought he would’ve found someone to truly care about. and if it meant letting his soulmate go, then so be it.

[ssamie]

ten. SENPAI

suna rintaro x fem! mitsuri reader

(kny x hq)

warnings: spelling mistakes, really long [4k words], i kinda hate this nnjsjk, italicized words/ sentences are her thoughts, mitsuri’s hair+eye color was used.

gen masterlist.      sakura mochi.

"good job, zenitsu!!" she cooed at the blond as he once again snapped out of his unconsciousness

"hah??" zenitsu spluttered as he looked around him, and the dummy that he had just beheaded "what happened??" he asked with a frantic look on his face as he looked at his sword and hands

"you did a great job, zenitsu-kun!" y/n cheered for him "you were even faster than before!"

"i was?!" zenitsu shrieked in surprise "b-but i was asleep!"

"yeah you were" she nodded with a smile

"then are you lying to me?" zenitsu cried childishly "you don't have to lie to me, y/n-senpai! i know im weak!" she frowned at his words and went to pat his back, "you're not weak zenitsu-kun, you were just frightened, but that's fine! you still did well!" she huffed

"no." zenitsu denied in a cold tone 

"i don't tolerate bittersweet lies like that. don't lie to me. you probably cut that dummy to make me feel better, right? well it didn't make me feel better. i hate this. i hate myself. im gonna die if this keeps up. i don't wanna die, y/n-senpai. i wanna leave and start a new life in the mountains. sword fighting will only shorten my lifespan. "

"ah.. okay.." she mumbled back in return as she looked at him with dotted eyes and a blank smile, while he gives her a cold stare

"..."

"y/n-senpai! it's my turn to train with you" tanjiro chimed in with an excited smile "oh, of cour-"

"shut up, monjiro! it's my turn!" inosuke interjected with a loud scream as he pushed tanjiro away

"and you, (wrong name)! fight me! fight me!" inosuke challenged her, followed by a loud laugh 

"AGH, SHUT UP, BOTH OF YOU! IT'S STILL MY TURN TO TRAIN!" zenitsu whined aggressively as he hugged her waist with a snarl "eh?? but you said you didn't want to train anymore!" tanjiro said with a frown "you were saying it'd shorten your lifespan or something" tanjiro raised a brow 

"i- you heard nothing." zenitsu dismissed "anyways, y/n-senpai" the blond faced her with a dumb lovestruck smile, a bright and flowery aura surrounding him 

"should we continue-" 

"get the fuck away from her, you whiny cunt." obanai abruptly snarled. as expected, zenitsu shrieked and jumped from fright. his eyes were wide as he shuddered from obanai's glare 

"iguro-senpai! i didnt even hear you!" zenitsu shrieked as he nervously hid behind tanjiro "obanai-kun tends to silence his footsteps and breathing when sneaking up on his opponents" y/n pointed out 

"i guess it works even on you, who has a heightened sense of hearing" she hummed thoughtfully 

'so cool! obanai-kun is so cool!'  she squealed internally 

"anyways, obanai-kun.. is there any reason that you're here?" she asked him "yeah. i got you food.." obanai answered quietly as he presented a container of muffins before her 

he smiled fondly as she eagerly took it from his hands with a wide grin, looking almost too excited for a simple snack "ahh!! thank you, obanai-kun!!" she exclaimed with a flustered smile as she hugged him to her chest 

"um- its fine.." obanai replied with a sheer blush covering his cheeks "anyways, let's eat!" she cheered excitedly as she grasped his hand and dragged him over to a wider spot 

"wait- tanjiro! he's stealing y/n-senpai all to himself!" zenitsu cried upon realisation "let's just leave them be, zenitsu" tanjiro waved him off as he turned around to leave 

"B-BUT I WAS GONNA TRAIN WITH HER-- what was that?"

zenitsu abruptly stopped his tantrum to suspiciously eye the doors leading to the entrance of the dojo. he cupped his hands around his ears, as if trying to eavesdrop in a conversation 

"huh? what is it, zenitsu?" tanjiro asked in curiosity "i heard some unfamiliar voices outside.. but one in particular kind of rang a bell.." he replied 

tanjiro and inosuke looked at him curiously, trying to decipher what he meant. "the hell are you talking about, monitsu?!" inosuke snarled with an amused scoff as he swings his swords around 

"im saying that thOSE VOICES COULD BE THE DEMONS THE OLD BLIND GUY TALKS ABOUT IN HIS STORIES!!" zenitsu yelled in panic 

"don't address oyakata-sama like that!" tanjiro frantically shushed him by slapping his hand over the blond's mouth "also, it can't be demons, zenitsu. it's probably just some vendors selling some food" tanjiro sighed 

the door to the training room suddenly opened, revealing a nonchalant looking muichiro and three boys behind him ".. or not?" tanjiro muttered in confusion 

"um, muichiro-kun, who do you have there?" tanjiro asked him with a confused but kind smile. muichiro simply stared at him with empty eyes, slowly looking up and humming as if he was in deep thought 

"i forgot." he replied 

"oi! we just told you our names a minute ago, dude!" atsumu whined with a sigh of exasperation 

"yo" suna nodded at them in acknowledgement "oh! it's you!" tanjiro exclaimed upon realisation "it's nice to see you again, um suna-san, right?" 

"yeah. hey" suna waved at him 

"agh! it's you!" zenitsu shrieked as he glared at the brunette "he stole y/n-senpai from us back then, tanjiro!" he hissed aggressively into the boy's ear 

"ha?! who the hell are you?!" inosuke exclaimed with a huff "oi! muziro! don't let strangers in here!" inosuke yelled as he pointed an accusing finger to the younger hashira's face 

"sorry for the intrusion. we're here for y/n" osamu clarified "she told us to meet her here" 

"hmm. what's the color of that plant again?" muichiro mumbled to himself as he strayed at the potted plant by the corner of the room "green." suna answered him 

"i don't know you." muichiro deadpanned "but.. y/n does.. i think" he muttered "yeah, we told you that like a minute ago" atsumu mused

"shut up. don't intercept my thoughts. you don't amuse me." muichiro said in a cold tone as he pushed past atsumu and walked out the door 

"anyways, come in! we're having a short break at the moment" tanjiro chimed in with a his usual kind smile. the boy was holding back zenitsu and inosuke from lashing out and scaring off the guests, while  trying to make the boys comfortable 

"anyways, are you two the miya twins?" tanjiro asked the pair as he made them sit on some tatami mats "yeah we are." osamu answered in a polite manner "your dojo is very nice-" 

"yo! is that a pig head?!" atsumu exclaimed excitedly as he pointed at inosuke's boar mask "ha?! the hell did you call me?!" inosuke yelled back as he tried to slash him with the sword, although zenitsu held him back 

"im sorry. he's very dense and have no sense of respect sometimes." osamu said with an unbothered look on his face "yeah, just pretend he's not there." suna chimed in with a sigh 

"oi! you're both so plastic! im nice, alright?!" atsumu huffed in aggravation "also, i was just asking if the head was real cus it looks cool on ya!" atsumu defended 

"no, no! it's alright, we're really sorry about inosuke" tanjiro laughed nervously 

"he's very aggressive and-"       "extremely stupid" zenitsu cut him off 

tanjiro sweat dropped but nodded anyways "ahm.. yes that.. we're sorry again" he bowed in apology "inosuke?" tanjiro turned to the boy, only to see him sitting uncharacteristically quiet with his hands folded on his lap 

he was looking at atsumu through his mask, white puffs and sparkles surrounding him as he does so "seriously?" zenitsu sweat dropped "he gets this happy over a compliment?" he sneered 

"you're not really any better, zenitsu" tanjiro sighed and shook his head lightly 

"anyways, we'll call y/n-senpai-" 

"wahh!! suna-kun is that you?!" y/n squealed excitedly from outside where she was eating with obanai "i guess there's no need to call her" tanjiro chuckled lightheartedly as he watched the girl run towards the brunette 

"suna-kun, im so glad you're here!" she cheered as she hesitantly hugged his waist "i didnt think you would actually come" she chuckled nervously 

"well, i did say i wanted to watch you train, right?" suna cooed with a chuckle as he briefly hugged her back

"ehem. cough cough. ehem. we're here too" atsumu fake coughed "we're here. alive. standing. waiting for you to notice us.. not just suna.."

she gave him a grin and ran into his arms, slightly swaying from side to side as she let out a train of apologies "samu-kun, i didn't think you'd be interested in showing" she said with a laugh as osamu  snatched her from his twin

"why not?" osamu questioned as he patted her head with his hand "well, i thought you'd rather be cooking or something like that.." she said with a hum 

"well, i actually did cook you something" osamu said as he pulled out a bento for her "but i don't know if you've eaten already or not" he said 

"thank you, thank you, thank you!!" she exclaimed with a grin as she excitedly grasped it in her hands "i can eat that later" she hummed excitedly "but for now, i need to train.." she said 

"heck yeah! that's what we came here for" atsumu cheered 

"correction. that's what i came here for." suna said with a grunt "you just followed me uninvited" 

"hey! now who said we'd leave you alone with her, sunarin?" atsumu narrowed his eyes at him 

"what the hell" a voice hissed from afar. they all looked over to see obanai glaring at their direction, looking overly annoyed and unamused 

"oh, obanai-kun! suna and the twins are here to watch me train" she said to him "is that so." he hissed out

his heterochromatic eyes wandered over to the three boys, briefly eyeing them up and down before sighing "whatever. let's get it going then" obanai muttered as he turned around to unsheath his sword, with kaburamaru hissing by his shoulder 

y/n dismissed his indifference and simply jumped up on her feet, giddily following along as she discards her sword's sheath "are we gonna fight each other, obanai-kun?" she hummed cheerily 

"yes. unless you want someone else to take my place" obanai muttered as he fixed his stance "nope! this should be fine!" she exclaimed happily as she points her sword directly at the male 

the kamaboko squad was sat alongside the twins and suna. the boys were more than happy to watch the two hashiras spar. though for the three swordsmen were looking forward to gain more knowledge and technique 

whereas the twins were simply watching wide eyed in awe and admiration despite y/n not doing anything just yet 

and suna. well, suna was just there. 

he was admiring her from head to toe. she didn't look much different than how they usually see her. except this time, she was sporting a dress-like uniform and haori and some green striped stockings which matched her hair 

her chest was heavily exposed, though he was nice enough to avoid looking at the exposed skin. 

well, atleast he tried not to. 

"she looks so.." suna muttered as he watched her twist her wrist to gently swing the sword around "AWESOME!!" the twins simultaneously yelled as they started bumping each other's shoulders in excitement 

"haha, she does doesn't she?" tanjiro chuckled lightly as he started pulling the three males further away from the hashiras "but as cool as she looks, she might not have enough space to maneuver so we gotta stay out of their way" tanjiro explained 

"you might get injured" tanjiro warned them "or stabbed! or killed!" zenitsu followed up with a shriek as he frantically hid beneath the comfort of his haori 

"HA! AS IF I'LL HIDE FROM THAT!" inosuke huffed cockily "THE GREAT INOSUKE-SAMA WON'T BACK DOWN FROM A LITTLE SCRATCH-" 

everyone stopped talking as blood suddenly started dripping down inosuke's arm. they all blinked twice from shock, before breaking out into loud screeches. 

"W-W-WHAT THE HELL?! DID YOU SEE THAT TANJIRO?! THE BOAR GOT SLICED! HE GOT SLICED!" zenitsu yelled in fear 

"shut up, you damn pigs." obanai scowled as he suddenly reappeared from behind inosuke "i-iguro-senpai! why did you do that?!" tanjiro panicked as he hurriedly took off his haori to press it down on inosuke's wound 

"if you lowlifes won't shut up, you can just leave." obanai hissed as he started walking back to his initial spot 

"so shut up, will you?" 

"y-yes sir!" they all saluted him and quickly backed away into a corner "what the hell was that?!" atsumu whisper shouted to tanjiro "did he just try to kill him?!" osamu whisper shouted as well 

"ahaha, well.." tanjiro chuckled sheepishly "he did, yes." 

"what the hell?! and this is normal for yall?!" atsumu shrieked out as he hugged suna's arm out of fright 

"well yes, but don't worry! im sure iguro-senpai was just joking around" tanjiro laughed half-heartedly as he continued to press down on inosuke's wound. they all sweat dropped as he kept on a smile on his face while basically keeping the poor boy from dying 

"i don't think that should be considered 'joking around' , you know?" suna muttered with a sigh. suna looked away as soon as they started talking once again, not really that interested in whatever absurd topic they were on. 

instead he looked ahead to watch y/n scold obanai for his shameless act. to his surprise, obanai was actually looking ashamed. he was muttering apologies, though suna was sure it was only so she wouldn't get mad at him. 

"geez" she sighed loudly, "let's just start then. after this, you should go get your shoulder treated, inosuke" she said 

"dont tell me what to do, you hag!" inosuke scowled followed by a taunting laugh "why you-" obanai hissed through gritted teeth as he once again got ready to attack the poor boy 

"obanai-kun!" she yelled out warningly, using her sword to block his just attack just before it could hit him again "he's not your opponent, obanai-kun" she cooed in a sweet tone "you're fighting against me, so put some respect in my name and blade and fight me properly, okay~" she cooed with a giggle 

"fine." obanai muttered in reply 

"man, she's so cool" atsumu let out a low whistle as he laid his back on the wooden walls "they're fast" osamu muttered, desperately trying to keep up with their almost inhumane speed 

"i don't want to hurt you, y/n" obanai muttered as he harshly brought his blade down onto her neck "dont worry about me, obanai-kun, you're doing very well" she cooed in admiration as she swiftly dodged the blade 

"they're able to hold a conversation during this?" suna muttered in slight disbelief and amusement "more importantly, shouldn't they have done this outside?" osamu asked as he picked up some more chipped wood off the floor 

"they're basically destroying the place" he said 

"dont worry about that, miya-san" tanjiro said "this is how the training rooms normally end up, anyways" they nodded and proceeded to watch. 

"obanai-kun, suna-kun is here so im gonna show off a little okay?" she whispered to him with a smile. obanai looked up at her in confusion, irking a brow as he felt his stomach churn from jealousy 

"what the hell are you talking about-" 

"im sorry in advance, obanai-kun!" she exclaimed as she whipped her sword around. the distinctive components of the blade let it bend and sway in ways that they were sure defied physics 

"eh? the sword bended?" suna muttered in confusion "not just the sword, her whole body bended!" atsumu shrieked as he pointed to the girl's figure 

she was balancing her weight on both her arms as she bended backwards to avoid obanai's blade . she swung her legs and landed perfectly with ease. 

'oh my, obanai-kun almost hit me' she thought to herself 

'he's so cool!' she squealed internally 

'but this fight has been going on for too long'  she thought to herself as she watched obanai pull his blade from the wooden walls where it struck

'and suna-kun.. does he think im not good enough?!'  she suddenly panicked 

she looked back to see suna with his eyes trained on her figure, watching in awe and admiration. though since it was suna we're talking about, his face was still as stoic as it could be, causing her to jump into unreasonable conclusions

'does he think im boring and weak?!'  she panicked  'fine then, i'll do my best'

the room seemed to quiet down as she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply before sighing.she grasped the hilt of her sword tightly and muttered, 

"love breathing. first form. "

obanai paused and widened his eyes in surprise. it has been an unspoken rule between the two of them that they were not to use their breathing styles against each other. or atleast not in petty and unnecessary circumstances like this.

"is she seriously using her breath for some lousy boy" he scowled quietly to himself

"shivers of first love" she muttered as she dashed forward in an inhumane speed

"eh? shes gone?" osamu said in surprise as a huge gust of wind flew by, followed by the sudden disappearance of the hashira

"no, she just ran towards iguro-senpai." tanjiro explained "it may have been too fast to tell by the naked eye, but she simply dashed forward while attacking" he said

the twins, along with suna, nodded and proceeded to watch the fight with intensity"man, its no use. i can't see anything" atsumu sighed in defeat "they're too fast"

they were indeed moving in impeccable speed. y/n's blade was winding around obanai in a series of slashes, all while he simply blocks it off with his sword

"whatever." obanai muttered dejectedly. the male hashira dropped his arms to his side, his sword following, which left his neck wide open for her to hit. though just before her blade could slice through his skin, she abruptly stopped

"um.. are you alright, obanai-kun?" she asked in a worried tone

the boys finally looked up to see her standing infront of obanai in a stance, with her arms frozen mid air. the blade was less than a centimeter away from his skin, and it seems like obanai could care less at the moment 

"you win" he muttered 

"oh.." she muttered back 

she dropped her hands to her side, nervously fiddling with the ends of her hair as she waited for obanai to say something else 

"are you.. mad?" she asked him in a whisper 

"no, im just-" obanai cut himself off as their eyes clashed. he sighed and patted her head. he fixed her haori and nodded towards suna "you should spend time with them instead of forcing yourself to do so with me." he said in a monotonous tone 

"im sure you'd enjoy it more anyways" 

she frowned at his words but nodded anyways, seeing as he was already making his way out of the room 

"but i always enjoy spending time with him" she muttered to herself 

a frown had etched itself onto her lips, her brows furrowing as she watched obanai's retreating figure. though the melancholic feeling was quickly disrupted by zenitsu's loud voice, yelling out yet another marriage proposal 

"Y/N-SENPAI~ YOU WERE SO COOL!" zenitsu exclaimed "YOU'RE SO STRONG AND FAST AND PRETTY AND PERFECT TO BE MY WIFE! PLEASE BE MY WIFE! I'LL DIE WITHOUT YOU!" 

she chuckled sheepishly as she patted zenitsu's back, who was currently latched onto her torso, nuzzling his cheeks onto her soft chest "oh my, but i thought you wanted nezuko-chan to be your wife, zenitsu" she cooed tauntingly as she smiled down at the boy 

"she never answers me!" zenitsu cried as he shoved his face into her chest 

suna sighed loudly as he watched zenitsu thoroughly enjoy his heavenlike experience between her soft mounds. suna sighed again, this time louder and more exaggerated as he side eyed her 

finally, she looked at him and laughed in amusement "is something bothering you, suna-kun?" she asked "hmm, kinda" suna answered as he opened his legs and motioned for her to sit 

'eh? does he want me to sit on him or beside him'  she thought to herself 

"you were so cool, y/n-chan!" atsumu cheered as he grinned widely at her "you never told me you were so fast and flexible like that" atsumu wiggled his brows suggestively paired with a flirty smirk 

"ah well" she smiled nervously as she walked towards suna while gently prying zenitsu off of her 

"tch, shUT UP YOU DAMN GEEZER" osamu scowled as he sent a harsh slap onto the blond's nape "ouCH GODDAMMIT!" atsumu hissed in pain as he slapped osamu back 

"ah, they're a very lively bunch huh, senpai?" tanjiro mused with a smile as he plucked zenitsu off her body "well then, i'll go get some drinks for us all, so you can all just catch up for now" he said "and you're both coming with me" he said in a passively aggressive way as he clutched zenitsu by his haori and inosuke by his mask. he dragged them away, despite zenitsu's whines and inosuke's screaming, leaving the four of them alone 

she smiled blankly as she threw a random towel over the trail of blood that was left by inosuke and walked over to the boys "well then, did you atleast enjoy yourselves?" she asked 

"im sorry if obanai-kun was a little aloof towards you guys" she said 

"its alright bunny" suna replied "and we enjoyed watching ya guys" atsumu said as he ruffled her hair "you were so amazing back there!" 

"you did so well!" osamu joined in, ruffling her hair as well like a bunch of dads "ah geez" she chuckled with a hint of red slowly creeping up her cheeks 

'AGGHSJSNS SO CUTE SO CUTE! THEY'RE SO CUTE!'  she screamed internally 

'THEY'RE TOUCHING MY HAIR!! THIS IS SO WONDERFUL!'  she gushed as she relished in the moment 

"you guys flatter me too much" she said "it wasn't a very serious fight anyways" 

"its way more serious than any fight ive ever seen atleast" suna mused "also, the blood from the pig dude is everywhere" suna gulped as he pointed to the towels she had laid out which had crimson red seeping through it 

she hurriedly jumped on her feet and wiped it off, quickly discarding the towel by simply throwing it out the window "haha, there! no more blood!" she cheered with a beaming smile as she sent them a thumbs up 

the boys sweat drop as the watched the remainder of the mess heavily stain her hands "ah, if you say so" they muttered with a nervous laugh 

the moment was then ruined once again by zenitsu, who came dashing in the room, followed by tanjiro and inosuke "Y/N-SENPAI! LET'S DRINK TEA TOGETHER!" zenitsu exclaimed as he burst in through the doors 

"HAHAHA I'LL DRINK MORE TEA THAN ANY OF YOU, JUST SEE!" inosuke boasted with a laugh "inosuke! you're still injured!" tanjiro scolded him once he walked through the doors after being forced to carry their drinks 

"zenitsu, stop pestering her please" tanjiro sighed tiredly as he placed the tray of drinks on a small table "senpai~" zenitsu cooed out in a lovesick tone as he started chasing her around 

"z-zenitsu-kun??" she huffed out as she ran in circles with him following close behind 

"y/n-senpaiii~" 

"please stop chasing me, zenitsu!" 

after another lap around the room, suna pulled her down on his lap just in time to avoid zenitsu's prying arms "s-suna-kun?!" she shrieked out as her face and neck slowly starts to turn a concerningly bright shade of red 

"calm down, bunny" suna snickered under his breath as he gripped her by the waist to adjust her position on his lap "ack?!!" she squeaked out as she looked ahead into nothingness with a look of disbelief present in her features 

"this is okay, right?" suna cooed into her ear as he rests his chin on her shoulder 

"r-right!" she squeaked out as she continued on looking off into the distance, as if staring at god himself 

"y/n-senpai! t-tanjiro! he-he's taking y/n-senpai!" zenitsu whimpered "senpai!!!" 

"zenitsu, why are you even crying?" tanjiro sweat dropped 

"dang, he's crying now" suna whispered teasingly into her ear. she shuddered, feeling chills run down her back, and her head going all fuzzy 

'ah, is this heaven?'  she gushed 

'am i gonna have a nosebleed?'  she pondered to herself as she gingerly touched her nose 

"are you feeling alright?" suna asked her. she squeaked out followed by incoherent murmurs as suna's toned arms suddenly tightened around her mid area

"hey, are you alright..."

".. senpai?" he cooed in a teasing tone

"ACK! S-SENPAI?!" she shrieked flusteredly, eyes wide and quite literally on the verge of passing out

'agh that was so hot!' she thought to herself

'why was his voice so smooth and erotic?!'

'okay calm down, clam down, calm down'  she chanted repeatedly in her head

'okay, it's alright, im calm. im okay' 

she breathed in and out before smiling in content, turning back to look at suna to hopefully act as normally as she can "yo, bunny, seriously are you okay?" suna asked in genuine concern

'ah, is he messing with me again?'  she huffed

'not this time, im fine now, he can't tease me'  she laughed evilly in her head

"of course!" she beamed cheerfully "really?" suna deadpanned "because you had a nosebleed just now."

"eh?"

she blinked dumbly in response, reaching out to wipe away the blood that was dripping down her nose "Y/N-SENPAI! ARE YOU DYING?!" zenitsu shrieked in horror

"wait wait-" she muttered out in fright "am i?"

"a-AM I DYING?!" she yelled along with zenitsu "you're not dying" tanjiro reassured her with a kind and patient smile 

"really?!"   "yes, senpai."

"really?!"    "you're alright-" 

"SHUT UP ORPHAN BOY! STOP LYING! WE'RE GONNA DIE! I KNEW IT!" zenitsu yelled "i- that's so mean!" tanjiro exclaimed in offense "you're an orphan too!" 

"NO I'M NOT- actually, i am" 

the twins and suna watched them argue with a look of dread on their faces. nervously gulping, osamu raised his voice to ask, "are you guys okay?" 

"definitely." 

"well that's definitely a lie."

[rhub4rb]

Warmth

Day 6: Meeting the Justice League

@biodad-bruce-month

AO3

-_-_-_-

"You," Marinette said, picking up one of her fries and throwing it at Jason. "are a terrible influence."

"I take honor in that statement," Jason said with a grin, causing Marinette to roll her eyes.

After driving around, doing light vandalism on some abandoned buildings, Jason had taken her to a diner for something to eat. Marinette knew that what they did was less than legal, and she could already hear Tikki scolding her in the back of her mind, but quite honestly, it felt good to do something... not good.

It didn't mean that this was a new hobby for Marinette, she wasn't going to go out every night to vandalize random buildings, but there was something so liberating about doing it with Jason.

Marinette was sure Jason knew this too, that there was a bigger reason as to why he brought her out here, to a random diner in the middle of the night, after having run around doing dumb teenager stuff.

The universe seemed to agree with her as well, as Jason's carefree grin soon became something more serious.

"There's a lot of things that Bruce is trying to keep from you," Jason started, his eyes boring into Marinette's own. "I think it's bullshit and that you can make your own choices, but I also know that not all of it is for me to say and reveal, I just want you to be aware that-"

"I am," Marinette said, cutting Jason off. "I've known for... some time now. But, just like you said, there are some things that just aren't for me to reveal.

"Besides, I know I'm different from you, from Damian and Dick and Tim. I've grown up in a radically different reality from the rest of you, so I've never really expected Bruce to treat me the same way he treated you, not that it made it hurt any less.

"It just- it makes it harder for me to see this as a family, you know?" Marinette said, giving Jason a wry grin. "Not that I don't appreciate this. I haven't felt this free in a while, even before I got taken in by Bruce."

Jason blinked at her, mouth gaping in surprise as he took it all in. He hadn't exactly expected her to already know.

"Still, maybe I should be a bit offended but-"

Marinette was cut off by the sound of shattering glass, the few other occupants running screaming for the door as Two-Face and some of his goons came in through the shattered glass. Jason was quick to take a stance in front of Marinette, protective, but it did little as Two-Face's goons were quick to capture the running civilians.

Inwardly, Marinette cursed herself. She had dazed and fatigued both Bruce and Damian. She doubted either of them would be showing up to help them, at least not without being notified somehow.

Taking a breath, Marinette made sure to check that everyone's attention was on something other than her, as Two-Face made his speech, fate and duality and all that. If it weren't for the tight situation, Marinette didn't doubt that something he'd say would resonate with her.

She knew there was no time for that, however, and as she made it inside the freezer of the diner without getting caught, she called for her transformation.

-

This was not how Jason had planned this little outing to go. H wanted to relieve Marinette of the no doubt suffocating room she had been stuck in, while also having a genuinely serious conversation with her.

Sure, he did end up doing that, but he hadn't accounted for her already knowing about the whole vigilante thing, or for Two-Face to show up either. If Jason had known, he might have been a little more prepared.

"It seems today just isn't your lucky day," Two-Face said, getting a good look at the people in the diner. "So how about we flip a coin? Clean side and I let one of you go," he said, showing off his infamous silver dollar. "Scarred, and one of you gets shot."

Jason's eyes followed the coin in the air, holding his breath, but before Two-Face was able to get his coin back in his hands, a blue fan flew through the air, hitting the coin, before going back, into the hands of a blue-skinned girl.

Dressed in the colors of a peacock, in what Jason could only assume was clothing inspired by Chinese fashion, the girl held two fans in her hands, both resembling the plumes of a peacock.

"See, I've met Lady Luck, and I highly doubt she appreciates what you're doing here tonight."

Two-Face scowled, making quick eye contact with his goons, and so, they started shooting for the girl.

She seemed unfazed by this however, swinging and twisting her fans in a way that shielded her from the bullets, in what could only be described as a graceful dance, before she abruptly shut one of her fans and threw it at one of the goons, hitting him in the throat with the blunt end. She was quick to run to it, grabbing the fan before there was a chance for her to be overpowered by the other goon and Two-Face.

The blue girl threw her open fan at the other goon, hitting his hand and making him drop his gun, catching the fan once again as it flew through the air.

With surprising speed, she got close to Two-Face, flashing both fans in front of his gaze, his eyes locked at the countless eyes of the feathers, leaving him in what Jason could only describe as a daze. Blue used Two-Face's daze against him, circle kicking him in the chest and sending him flying, grunting in pain as he hit the wall.

Without a moment's hesitation, she turned around and threw a now closed fan into the throat of the other goon, just like she had with the first one.

Silence filled the diner as she quietly retrieved her second fan, this time without a hurry.

Jason was tense, looking at the seemingly call girl, before looking behind him to check on Marinette, only to find her gone, his gaze quickly snapping to that of Blue.

No way.

"You guys wouldn't happen to have any rope, would you? I didn't exactly come prepared," the girl said, grinning sheepishly.

Slowly, one by one, the people in the diner started to clap, Blue's eyes widening at the sudden applause.

-

"They may not have a rope, but I do."

Marinette grew tense at the voice and quickly turned around to see none other than Batman standing before her.

That was not good.

He must have heard about what happened then, which was both good and bad. Good, because that obviously meant he was a good vigilante, that didn't take a break, even if his mind demanded it. Bad because he definitely knew she was the one who made his mind demand said break.

"Well then, it seems that I am not needed anymore, I think I'll just-"

"You're coming with me," he cut her off, grabbing her by the shoulder as she tried to get around him.

"Yeah, totally, that was exactly what I was gonna say, one-hundred percent, was not gonna leave."

Marinette could hear the sound of Jason face-palming and by the look on Batman's face, she could tell he wasn't all that impressed either.

After Two-Face and his goons were apprehended and taken away, Marinette, still transformed, was dragged by Batman to some sort of portal thing (Marinette had no idea) and suddenly, she was in space and placed in a holding cell. Hooray.

"Why exactly am I here?" Marinette asked, although she had a pretty good hunch.

"You attack both Robin and I, before going off to fight Two-Face. For all I know, the fight with Two-Face was staged and you work with him."

"Okay..." Marinette said. "That doesn't explain why I am in space, rather than in Gotham. I would also like to remind you that I didn't do anything to you and Robin other than defend myself."

"I need to keep you in a place where you can't use your powers to get out," Batman said simply, ignoring the other half of her statement. "I also need one of our magic users to analyze you."

"Listen, I haven't done anything wrong, there is absolutely no reason for me to be held here."

But Batman didn't reply, simply giving her a glance, before leaving the holding cells.

Great. Just great

-

"So, Batman, mind explaining why there's a kid in the holding cells?" Superman asked, looking at the monitors.

"I need Zatanna's help with figuring out her abilities. I don't think she's any ordinary meta," Batman replied gruffly.

"That still doesn't explain the whole kid in a holding cell thing," Superman said, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"She was running around Gotham and did something to Robin and I that hade us unable to continue patrol, and then later fought Two-Face and his goons. I don't trust her."

Silence filled in between the two of them, before Superman let out a sigh.

"I'm gonna go talk to her," Superman said. "For all we know, this could all be a big misunderstanding," Superman tried to reason.

"You're weak against magic, Boyscout," Batman said, stopping Superman before he could leave. "We need to wait for Zatanna."

"She's just a kid Bru-"

The door to the monitor room opened, revealing a stressed looking Zatanna and a worried Wonder Woman. Batman didn't bother looking at either of them as he walked past them, knowing they would follow him without a word, though Diana was protesting vocally during the short trip to the holding cells.

As they got closer to the cell, a beeping sound could be heard, causing Batman and the rest to run to the cell, just in time to see an almost blinding light fill the cell before going away, revealing none other but his daughter.

She looked at them, at him, wide-eyed, shuffling herself closer to a corner.

"I-I can explain-" Marinette started, but was cut off by Diana.

"A miraculous holder," Diana said, stunned, before turning to glare at Bruce. "Why would you put a miraculous holder in a holding cell!" She turned her gaze back to Marinette, her eyes softening slightly, before she went and unlocked the cell. "Someone like her deserves respect, not a cell."

Marinette, however, didn't go to the unlocked door, her eyes instead remaining trained on all of them.

"I- I want to go home," Marinette said quietly. "I was with my brother, I need to make sure he's okay."

Marinette was looking directly at Bruce, he knew that. He had seen Jason at the diner earlier too. He just didn't know the blu-skinned girl was Marinette.

Diana looked between Bruce and Marinette, seeming to pick up on the tension, before nodding at the young girl.

"Of course, I'll help you get back to Gotham-"

"I'll do it," Batman said, voice and shoulders tense.

Superman didn't seem to be on board with the idea.

"I don't think that-"

"It's okay," Marinette reassured the caped Boyscout. "I won't mind."

Marinette quietly walked out of her cell and up to the side of Batman, their contrast quite fascinating to the other League members, as the two shuffled out of the cell holding area, the door closing behind them.

"What the actual fuck," Zatanna said.

-_-_-_-

@all-mights-asscheeks @thatonecroc @mom-geans @skyel0ve @maribat-is-lifeblood @pawsitivelymiraculous @jessigurl-design @smolplantmum

[saksukei]

jeonghan + assassin au (mentions of killing, suicide, drinking, its completely fictional so please)

I read this prompt on one of those writing prompt accounts and like last night jeonghan came into my mind with it so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ This is hella long too so bare with me pls

life really hadn't been going well for you

ever since your parents died in that car accident, your only support system your best friend had moved away as well. You just felt nothing could make you want to live

Even though, you didn't have any financial struggles and you were independent, living in an upstate area

You hated everything and considering how things were going, as days passed by

you came to the conclusion that you didn't want to live anymore

but you were scared to do it on your own

Had you ever had that much courage, you would have done it long ago

so the only way out could be through

murder?

If someone murdered you, you'd be getting what you wanted but who?

You couldn't ask anyone you knew to do it because they'd suffer from a guilty conscience and then eventually admit to everyone

unless that person killed on a daily basis

You started doing some research and somehow ended up on the other side of the internet

basically, the dark web

you were sure you could hire plenty of people just to put a bullet in your head for a good price

you eventually came across someone named ‘SYJ95’ who apparently said they were a trained assassin, who could kill you in no less than 700$

which was pricey, but the person said it wouldn't be painful and that they'd also paint it as a suicide

so you agreed!

You paid ‘him’ $700 and told him he had three weeks to do it and you even gave him the necessary details that he needed to find you and do the deed

I'm sorry but how dumb are you lmao

excited, you shut your laptop

You were finally going to get what you wanted and your life was finally going to be good aside from the fact you were finally going to die

You woke up, got ready and headed off to work, in an unusually chirpy mood which even your colleagues were surprised to see

your boss then called a meeting

“alright is everybody here?” your boss asked and you nodded.

“we have a new employee,” he informed the others. “everyone please welcome yoon jeonghan!”

everyone applauded and

your boss moved to the side and in came the guy named ‘yoon jeonghan’

wHAT THE FUCK

he had long black hair, wavy from the front, parted in the middle. He was wearing a navy blue colored suit, with a white inner shirt

and you swore you could hear the ovaries of the female workers bURSTING

BECAUSE HES SO GOOD LOOKIN?

His skin tone was complimented by the navy blue colored suit, alongside his perfectly structured greek god face, those soft red lips and a very prominent Adam's apple with those brown eyes that you could stare into for all eternity

YOU WERE SOLD SJXHSNJXJ

“hello?” you heard someone say. “earth to y/n–”

You broke out of your stance, to find your boss waving at you

“did you hear a single word I said?” he questioned

and you smiled sheepishly

Your boss sighed, “like I was saying, jeonghan has recently shifted from another department and he's here for a trial period and I want one of you to show him around–” he told the entire staff.

“sir–” jeonghan spoke out

aND OH MY GOD HIS VOICE IS EXACTLY LIKE YOY EXPECTED IT TO BE HECK ITS EVEN BETTER

his voice sounds as sweet as honey, there's something so very captivating about it

“yes jeonghan?” your boss turned towards him

“since y/n has been staring at me for the past twenty minutes, shouldn't she show me around?” he grinned

aND YOUR STARED AT HIM WITH YOUR MOUTH HUNG OPEN

“i wasn't um– staring at you– I was staring ,,,,, at the wall?” you stuttered, making it come out as a question

“alright– y/n can show you around, that is if she can stop staring,” your boss remarked, causing everyone else to snicker.

“alright– everyone's dismissed,” your boss announced, leaving you and jeonghan alone

“hi–” you whispered

“hey,” he whispered back, a teasing tone in his voice

“i am sorry about the staring thing,” you told him, honestly.

“its okay– I couldn't stop staring at you either.”

yOUR HEART WENT BADHDMDJXJSJ

“so um– um, let me show you around!” you smiled, shyly

jeonghan was following you around as you showed him the office

Your boss said that now you were responsible for jeonghan and that his cubicle was right across yours

one week had passed by and you were kinda falling for him

You told yourself that it was just because of his looks and nothing else

BUT HE WASNT MAKING IT EASIER BEC HE WAS JUST FLIRTING W YOU

“hey how does this work?” jeonghan asked you as he came close to your desk

“just compile those numbers and run them by the boss–” you answered.

“thank you, beautiful,” he had that usual smirk, plastered on his face as he headed back to his desk

and so every day jeonghan just flirted with you, on purpose

LIKE HE WOULD BREATHE ON YOUR NECK AND TUG AT HIS TIE AND SMIRK SHXHHSHZ PLS MANS KNEW HIS POWER

aND HE JUST FOLDED HIS SLEEVES RIGHT INFRONT OF YOU

like ,,,,, he knew the effect he had on you

he even made you choke on air when he walked into the office with his hair slicked back and in that goddamn r e d suit truLY THE DEVIL™

and you remembered that your ‘death’ was edging closer and closer

so when your colleagues invited you out for dinner, normally you'd refuse but your three weeks were coming to an end, so you agreed

and since you agreed, jeonghan did as well

the entire group headed out to this restaurant close by

jeonghan sat next to you and he kept on flirting rIGHT IN FRONT OF EVERYONE AND YOU WERE JUST BLUSHING WITH EVERYONE TEASING Y'ALL

by the end of the night you ended up drinking so much ,,,,,

everybody gave jeonghan the responsibility to send you home and he agreed

you told him your address and he took you there

and just as he set you down on the couch

You wrapped your arms around him and refused to let go

“let me go” he instructed, his voice stern. It was no longer like honey, heck, he seemed awfully intimidating with this dark aura surrounding him

but since you were drunk ,,,,,

“HANNIE YOU'RE SO MEAN–” you whined, not letting him go.

“let go–”

“NO” you refused. “i hate you–” you admitted, startling him.

“what do you mean?” he asked, as he finally sat down on the couch, since you weren't letting go

“you know up until a few days ago I was so ready to die– heck I even hired some idiot to put a bullet in my head but you,” you felt tears slide down your eyes. “you make me want to live again.”

“what are you talking about?”

“i know you flirt on purpose– you seem like the ‘wake up with new people every day kind of person’ but I just, really like you. You make me want to try to live again....”

“you like me?”

“in all these years, I never thought someone could make my heart jump but you–” you cried out. “you make me want to try again but-” you stopped. “but I'm going to be dying soon. My three weeks are over and he will be coming to kill me.”

Jeonghan sighed

“and my last words are to you–” you slurred. “yoon jeonghan I love you– and I would ask you out too, if I was going to die,” you giggled and then passed out

and jeonghan just sat there, confused

you woke up in the morning, your head spinning and vision blurry as you tried to remember what happened last night

the only thing you did remember was jeonghan bringing you home and that's it

you sighed as you got changed and had some orange juice to help with the headache

you checked your phone and there was a text from a random number

UNKNOWN:

your previously signed

contract with ‘SYJ95’

has been denied as

SYJ95 refuses to do

the task. you can find

another person suitable

for the task. Your money

has been transferred

back into your bank

account.

You read the text anD OMG

you weren't going to die anymore??

which meant that you could actually pursue yoon jeonghan?? FCU K YES

you were smiling so hard as you walked into work

and then you saw jeonghan

AND YOU WAVED AT HIM

“why are you in such a happy mood?” he asked

“nothing I just– might have a chance to get back at life for making me suffer.”

“how so?”

“its complicated–” you answered.

“more complicated than hiring someone to kill you?” he asked, causing you to stop dead in your tracks

“w-what are you talking about?” you asked

“when I was dropping you home you started rambling on about this person you hired to kill you– so I was just worried,” he told you.

smooth move jeonghan

“that was just a joke like drunk people say crazy shit so you shouldn't believe it,” you smiled.

“alright but drunk you also told me that you loved me– but since it's a lie I guess I'll go ask out–”

“NO!”

Jeonghan smirked “why not?” he questioned

“b-because– I am in love with you....”

“oh good to know” he inched closer, “cause you kinda owe me $700 and a date, beautiful.”

[heavenunderthemoon]

Growing Pains - Spencer Reid {Prologue}

NEVADA

"Come on, scaredy-cat, you're missin' the views."

Y/n's accent drawled out in the dense morning air. Typically it wasn't so present- she made sure of that. Spencer was teased almost every waking second that they spent at the playground and she wasn't about to give the other kids any ammunition against her if she could help it. But, with the sleepy fog that blanketed the two children, chasing them as they raced to catch the sunrise, it happened to slip out.

Spencer Reid wiped his sweaty hands against his weathered jeans. He needed to get a new pair, this one was just about used up. There were holes at the knees from the amount of times he had fallen on them. "Fallen". He used the word freely even if it meant a group of older kids pushing him down in the school parking lot.

He tugged his eyes off where he had been focusing so intensely on his task of climbing- he was no good at climbing, or running, or anything physical, really, but y/n liked that kind of stuff and he wasn't about to disappoint the one person who actually chose to befriend him.

Through his cracked, crooked glasses, he could see his thirteen year old counterpart already sat atop the monkey bars she had chosen as their sunrise lookout spot. They weren't allowed to sit atop them as decreed by many adults who had seen far too many broken limbs become the result of it. This was, of course, another reason his hands were sweating as badly as they were. Y/n didn't seem to care, and he knew for a fact she didn't.

The girl was scared of very little, something he was rather envious of.

The two had met only six years ago at the very same playground they sat at today. Spencer recalled the day without trouble, his eidetic memory playing no hand in the matter. It was hard to forget someone like Y/n.  His mother (on her good days) called the girl a hurricane. She was comparative to all the heroes, protagonists, and brave warriors they read about before bed.

His nose had been stuck in a book. His father had told him to go outside. 'You need to get out of the house, it's not healthy to be a shut-in like you are.'

Despite being only seven, Spencer had very adamantly tried to protest that he was in good health and that no part of it was at risk from staying inside and wanting to read, but his father wanted no part in the debate, shooing the boy outside and shutting the door behind him.

Sweat dripped down his forehead in the hot Las Vegas air, and the Reid boy silently wished he had been given a beverage of some kind to take with him.

There was a hose, of course, sat outside the park that the children often used to quench their thirst but his mind raced with images of germs and bacteria climbing down his hands and throat from the use of it so he decided he would be better off passing out due to dehydration.

No sooner had he turned a page was the book ripped from his hands, thrown to the ground. Before he could protest, he felt himself lifted from the bench he had been perched on, tossed into the dirt like a rag doll. He knew the boy, of course. It was a thirteen year old, one of the ones that liked to mess with him at school. Being placed in advanced classes had seemed like a great opportunity until he met people like this. The ones who liked to tease and toss and bully him until he cried.

Spencer tensed, waiting for the inevitable kick to his body that would surely make the boy roar with laughter, but it never came. Instead, a shadow blocked out the unforgiving sun, making the Reid boy squint his eyes open just enough to see the culprit.

A girl, his age, no doubt, had placed herself between the boy and himself. Her sneakers were dirty, and her skin was littered in traces of mud and dirt, like she had romped around in it before coming here. On her head sat a baseball cap, worn and weathered, shielding her just a tiny bit from the heat. She crossed her arms, a fierce scowl on her face.

Despite being seven, the girl's stance was nothing short of confidence and something about the way she squeezed her fists at her sides told Spencer she had a reason to be.

"Leave him alone." Her tiny voice was clipped and hardened.

The boy sneered. He had a smushed face, reddened with the heat and maybe a bit of embarrassment at being scolded by someone so much smaller than him. "Keep walking, Princess. This ain't your business."

The girl's eyes seemed to steel over. Spencer wanted to see what color they were but with her hat his view was obscured. "Are you gonna hurt him?" She demanded.

The meathead laughed out a yes, and the girl scowled.

"Then it is my business, mouth breather. Pick on someone your own size." Brave as she was, Spencer didn't see how this was going to help him. Not only did he now fully expect to get pummeled, he probably would have to try his very best to protect the girl before him. She was small, even shorter than him, and the boy was two times bigger than her.

"Or what?" The boy prodded.

And then, in one swift second, the girl was tackling the boy's legs, which was pretty much all she could aim for because she only came to hip height. He clearly hadn't been expecting an attack and landed onto the ground with an 'OOF'. Before he could react, the girl was a rage of fists and fury, angry shrieks heard from her tiny body.

It was a sight to see. A tiny little seven year old girl adorned in dirty overalls and muddied sneakers punching the daylights out of a thirteen year old boy. He was crying, not having enough time to regain his balance before the girl had knocked more than enough sense into him. His nose was bent at an extremely awkward angle, and she jumped off his dazed figure. Spencer watched all of this in awe, and hardly protested when she latched onto his hand, grabbing his book and taking off. They raced to find a place to take cover.

While the girl had done some damage, it wasn't enough to keep him down.

They sat in a secluded, forgotten doghouse on the perimeter of the park for what seemed like hours, though was probably only twenty minutes, panting, their eyes peeking out of cracks to try and find their aggressor.

"Are you okay?" Spencer finally gathered the courage to ask. She had returned his book to him- there was a splash of dried mud on it but he was just glad it was in one piece. Often times he had to return tattered material to the library and explain how it happened.

The girl was scowling down at her hand, flexing it and unflexing it. It was red, swelled a bit, but fine all the same. She grunted, nodding. "Hand hurts." She shrugged.

Spencer bit his lip, studying her a bit more. He couldn't recall ever meeting the girl, though that wasn't that much of a surprise. He hardly ever spent time with children his own age. He didn't have to. But the girl had protected him without hesitation.

"I'm sorry." He settled, but the girl turned up a brow.

They were squished in that doghouse, and they were lucky they were small because had they been any bigger they might've spilled out of the enclosure entirely. "Why are you sorry? That moron was picking on you."

"You punched him." Spencer couldn't help but notice how dumb he sounded, but he couldn't help himself. The girl confused him terribly.

Her brown hair jiggled under her hat as she nodded. "Yup." She drawled. There was a slight accent to it, one he didn't know the origin of. But it was slow and dripped like honey. "I've got a couple of brothers." She said plainly. Looking up from her hand, eyes meeting the Reid boy's, he could finally make out the color of her eyes.

They were brown. It was warm and looked like the smell of chocolate. She extended her other hand to him.

"I'm y/n."

He eyed the hand displayed to him. He absolutely hated the thought of the transference of pathogens, however she had just saved his life. He figured a handshake was in order.

"Spencer."

The memory spat him back out in an instant, and he refocused on climbing the playground structure. The sun was beginning to kiss the dry, Nevada plain, and Spencer settled himself ungracefully beside the girl. He wasn't afraid of heights so much as he was afraid someone would catch them.

Y/n's feet dangled carelessly over the edge, and she looked to the boy with a grin. "I got you something." She was reaching into her pocket as he protested, hushing his flustered ramblings.

"My birthday isn't for another week, Y/n." He whined.

"Well yeah, otherwise this wouldn't be a surprise."

She still had that same hat on her head. Spencer had learned that it was a remnant of the girl's mother. Y/m/n was a woman with a penchant for trouble and after having y/n had run off into the night, leaving three boys, a husband, and a newborn baby girl. Spencer didn't get why she wore it. She barely ever spoke of her mom- partly because she didn't even meet her and partly because the subject seemed taboo. But, he never questioned it.

The brunette hid her hand behind her back, a glint of mischief in her eyes. "Close your eyes. Seriously, close them."

If it was anyone else, Spencer would have refused, but it was y/n. So, he closed his eyes, holding out his hands when she requested and feeling something land in his palms. With her permission, he opened his eyes to find a necklace. He rose a brow, bringing it closer to examine it.

The chain was silver, only a tiny pendant on the whole of it. It read "Friend", on it, and it clicked in his mind when he glanced to the girl's neck, where an identical chain sat. Her's read "best", and he grinned at the notion.

They were friends.

It still baffled him why she hung out with him. She wasn't in advanced classes, they didn't go to the same school, they didn't even live in the same neighborhood. They shared absolutely zero similarities- well, maybe Star Wars, but that was as far as their realm of shared characteristics went.

Where he was cowardly, she was brave. Where she was athletic, he was clumsy. He liked sticking his nose in books and she liked hanging upside down from monkey bars.

"Do you like it?" Her tone had softened with insecurity and it was one of those rare moments y/n was ever silent.

His lips quirked upward, wider than he thought possible. With his mother's situation worsening and stress from school, he could hardly smile anymore. But y/n was always good at causing it.

"I love it." He reassured.

A grin spread across her face once more, before it lowered, and she took on a grimace. "You're graduating soon." It wasn't a question, only sorrow lacing her tone.

Their tiny moment of happiness dampened a bit with the revelation, though Spencer knew it had been on the back of their minds for a while now. While he was enthralled at the prospect of leaving the tiny little high school that tortured him so, he loathed the idea of leaving behind his only friend. She wouldn't graduate for another five years. What would become of them?

"Yeah." He forced his eyes back onto the sunrise. Usually he was a rambling mess, spouting facts and statistics but Teddy had always accomplished shutting him up. A hand fell onto his, and he didn't move it away. He would never move away her hand.

"You won't forget about me, right? You'll call or write or visit-" This was one of the 'serious' y/n moments. The ones that made him wonder if this was what she was really like under all the toughness she paraded around. The ones that made him glance at her like a bug under a microscope, wondering what else she was hiding in that head of hers.

His mind raced with a million things to say, thought whizzing around his head as he tried to carefully dissect what the right words were.

"Of course. You're my best friend."

She gave him a look charged with doubt. "You better." And in a flash, she had barricaded herself behind the tough facade she always did, that happy little smile gracing her lips. "Or else I'll kill you dead, hear me?" She nudged his shoulder enough to rattle him, and he laughed loudly.

He didn't ever want to leave this moment. A moment where it was just the two of them, filled with promises of tomorrow and memories of the past.

But he did. In a year's time, Spencer Reid would make his way to the bus station catching the first bus to Pasadena. Y/n would pack up and move from Las Vegas (her dad got another job), and the correspondence between the two would eventually fizzle out. Slowly, but surely, y/n y/l/n  and Spencer Reid lost contact all together.

It isn't until later, much, much later, that their story will pick up once more. Not until y/n is offered a job at the Behavioral Analysis Unit and finds herself face to face with a rather familiar looking genius.

[four-loose-screws]

FE8 Novelization Translation - Chapter 12, Section 2

If you would like to start from the beginning, read a missed part, etc., click here!

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———————————

I call this a “section” because it is not a separate part of the chapter in the book, but divided from the rest of the chapter by a scene break.

———————————

Chapter 12: The Wyvern Rider's Wrath (con’t)

When confronted, their formation did not crumble. They waited patiently. Because Eirika’s army had to rush right into the center of that formation and break through it, they were clearly at a disadvantage.

The enemy was using the canyon’s complex terrain to their advantage. Just when the enemies in front of them captured all of their attention, soldiers lying in wait would appear from unexpected directions.

“Do not fall back! Keep moving!” The enemy’s sheer might put great pressure on them. Eirika called out to any soldiers that looked like they might pull back, and led them directly.

Nearby, a sudden, violent noise echoed through the air. Eirika immediately turned around, and saw Franz fall to the ground. It appeared that his horse had been shot and he’d fallen off.

“Franz! Are you alright?” 

She ran over to him, but he quickly sat up before she could lend him a hand. He shrugged off his pain and forced himself to smile. “I am! I’m not injured at all!”

However, his lance arm seemed to have been injured from the force of the fall. He couldn’t put any power into it.

“You need to be healed right away…!” Eirika wrapped him around her shoulder, and stood him up.

The healer unit on the rear line felt so very far away. Compared to their enemy, organized in their perfect formation, Eirika’s army was split up, and they couldn’t cooperate with each other at all. 

Had she chosen the wrong order to give?

Doubt sprouted up within her. Perhaps what Innes had said was right, and they should have pulled back for a moment to assess the situation. Had commanding her army to charge no matter what may happen been utterly reckless?

Joshua had told her that this would be best. But they were slowly being closed in on now. It wasn't too late. Should she order her entire army to retreat…?

"Eirika, look over there!"

Tana's voice rang through her ears. 

If Tana flew up into the sky, she would just become fodder for the ballista, so Achaeus had greatly reduced the height he flew at, and stayed just above everyone's heads. Tana was clinging to his mane, and staying around the rear line.

Eirika saw three figures just ahead of them. "Dragons…?"

She froze. The three figures were calmly flapping their giant wings, and coming their way. Because she'd just seen dragons a few days ago on the mountain, there was no way she could mistake the sight of them. They were dragon riders from the Grado Army.

Was it General Glen? Eirika's heart was filled with both hope and anxiety.

He had promised to ask the emperor what his true intentions were. Once he knew that the crime Eirika was accused of was a lie, he would surely focus his efforts on working towards a conclusion to the war.

Was he able to find out the truth? Had he learned that Eirika did not massacre ordinary citizens? Had he come to order the Grado Army to stop fighting?

The wyverns gradually became bigger and bigger. The Grado Army also noticed them, and started cheering. Both armies pulled back to make space for them. The canyon with  two armies jumbled together fighting in it opened up.

And it was indeed there that the dragons landed. The wind their wings whipped up caused a small dust storm, making Eirika squint.

A tall young man jumped down from the lead dragon. He wasn't Glen.

The young man landed on the ground and studied his surroundings with anger in his eyes. His gaze stopped on Eirika.

He had brown skin and sharp eyes. 'His facial features look like Glen's…' The moment Eirika had that thought, he started walking with huge steps. Directly towards her.

She stepped back. There was a fierce hatred within his eyes.

"Are you the princess of Renais?" He stopped in front of her, and spoke in a low voice. 

Eirika nodded timidly and asked in return, "And you are…?"

"I am Cormag. The brother of the man you slaughtered, General Glen."

"...What?" She couldn't believe her ears.

Silence fell across the battlefield. Even the Grado soldiers gulped and stared at Cormag.

"I… killed… General Glen…? I could never…"

"I cannot hold a grudge against you for it. It is the nature of the battlefield to kill your enemies. But that reasoning alone will not calm my feelings! I must avenge him!"

"Please wait. What do you mean? There's no way… are you saying General Glen is dead? What could have possibly ha…?"

"Don't play dumb with me!" Cormag shouted and cut her off. 

Deep within his harsh anger, she could also feel a hint of sadness, and it made her unable to know what to say.

Glen was dead. The shock she was in was immeasurable. Who could have killed such a brave general? She couldn't imagine who.

Cormag seemed to think that it was she who had done it. She shook her head weakly. "This… is a misunderstanding. I didn't fight General Glen." Eirika only angered him more and more with each word, but she further pleaded with the young man, as he was still gripping his lance. “The general promised me that he would confirm the truth with the emperor. He was going to ask if the charges against me were true, and…”

“Don’t try to mess with me! You really think my brother would trust you!?”

“It wasn’t about him trusting me. General Glen had a strong sense of justice. The claim that I massacred innocents in Kiris was vague and without proof. So he decided to confirm the truth… and tried to return temporarily to the capital to ask the emperor for the truth.”

Her voice was shaking. Every time she remembered Glen’s face in the moment they said goodbye, her chest tightened. Though she’d seen hope in him that he could help end the war… he’d been lost suddenly and unexpectedly.

Cormag’s expression changed to one of doubt. His features were still harsh, but he narrowed his eyes in thought.

“That does sound like something he would have done. He wasn’t the kind of person to fight someone when he wasn’t sure of what was true and what was false.”

“Yes… I once met him at Grado Palace. Both General Duessel and Prince Lyon praised him for his strength and honesty. Anything he was working towards, he hoped would help bring an end to wars like this one quickly. And yet he was…”

Eirika’s words and expression both made Cormag start shaking. He swallowed, unable to hide his confusion.  “So… if it wasn’t you, then who…? Who could have killed my brother…?” 

Cormag’s eyes fell on Eirika’s hand. In it, she was gripping her beloved rapier. His eyes became even more harsh. He whispered slowly, confirming each word as he spoke them, “...The wound in Brother’s chest. It was not one that could have been inflicted by a sword. It had to have been… a lance. Brother was killed by a lance. But there shouldn’t be that many people who are strong enough to be able to kill my brother with just one strike…”

Suddenly, the color drained from his face. His voice was like a growl. “...No… Valter? Was it him…?”

Cormag tightened his grip around his lance, startling Eirika. However, he did not point it at Eirika. Instead, he brought it to his chest, as someone about to make a very important vow would do.

Eirika saw that his face was stiff with nervousness, and it made her uneasy. 

However, the words that he spoke were a complete surprise.

“Princess Eirika. I will work together with you.”

“Huh?”

“Starting now, my enemy is the Grado Empire. Until I kill the man who killed my brother… I will work with you.”

Eirika couldn’t believe her ears. The two soldiers he’d brought with him reacted in the same way.

“Sir Cormag!” One of his dragon riders said in a shrill voice. His face was pale. “What are you saying!? There’s… There’s no way you could betray Grado!”

“I want to avenge my brother. I don’t care if I’m called a traitor for that.”

“You’re supposed to inherit the title of Sunstone! For you to do something so foolish… you would sully your late brother’s honor!”

Cormag’s expression looked pained for a moment, but then he shook his head. “My conscience is my guide. I have nothing that I should be ashamed of. I know Brother would understand.”

“Sir Cormag…”

“If you want to stop me, then come at me at your full strength!” Cormag raised his lance and turned it towards the dragon riders that he was supposed to be working with.

The dragon riders were still pale, but made up their minds and tightened their grips on their lances, then one shouted to the paralyzed Grado soldiers, “He’s a traitor! Cormag… no, that man… kill him!”

Though they were enemies, the dragon riders were heroic knights. They both shouted as they raised their lances and charged towards Cormag.

Cormag stood up straight. Going up against two knights riding dragons should have put him at an overwhelming disadvantage, but he was calm.

He spun his long lance. With that one attack, he delivered a fatal blow to both the dragons' necks.

Their stances crumbled, causing their riders to lose their balance and fall to the ground.

“Who’s next?! I don’t care where you come from! I’ll fight you!” Cormag shouted.

The dumbfounded Grado Army ran towards him.

The soldiers clad in Grado armor collapsed, one after the other. By the time Eirika came back to her senses, four soldiers were already lying on the ground in a pool of blood.

A commotion started to sound from behind them, signaling that the second enemy army was probably making their entrance. They likely thought that the battle had progressed with Cormag defeating Eirika, and her army falling in one fell swoop to the front army’s pincer attack. However, the tide of battle had changed.

Eirika’s decision to have her entire army continue marching forward was the right one. They didn’t panic at the sudden appearance of the army coming from behind, and instead were able to face the enemy reinforcements with strength to spare.

The battle became more intense than it had been before. Cormag’s betrayal had shaken up the Grado army, and he showed no mercy towards his former allies. He fought so fiercely that it looked like he had become possessed by something, waving around his lance without taking even a single moment to rest.

He defeated roughly ten soldiers in the blink of an eye, then climbed back atop his dragon. 

His mount did not care which side he was on either. Dragons were known to be highly intelligent creatures, and loyal to their riders. He allowed Cormag to direct him and spread his wings open wide. That was when the real battle started.

Eirika’s overwhelmed army made a comeback, yet still, Aias’ strategy truly was a magnificent one. Aias himself was lying in wait inside of a fort deep within the canyon, and did not try to show himself, but his commands traveled to every corner of his army. The Grado Army had recovered from the shake-up, but they were getting desperate.

The battle was at a stalemate. As Eirika’s army became more and more exhausted, continuing to fight became all the more grueling for them. The enemy had made bases of small forts located throughout the canyon, making them able to fight while revitalizing their morale. The army behind Eirika’s also pushed against them so much that it seemed like the enemy had unlimited reinforcements.

At this rate, the fighting would continue on until nightfall. That worry started to make her chest feel tight.

If darkness fell, then her army, which did not have a base of their own, would be at a fatal disadvantage. They would become terrified that they would not know where their enemies might attack from, and that would add all the more to their fatigue.

Just then, a loud commotion arose from within the fighting soldiers. Eirika turned her head to see what it was.

It looked like a large number of reinforcements had arrived yet again. She looked up towards the sky. This attack would be too much for her army, which was only becoming more and more exhausted. 

‘Is there already nothing that can save us…?’ The moment she felt just about ready to give up, she heard a voice.

“Lady Eirika, it appears that the Holy Knights of Rausten have arrived.” Seth, who had been protecting her, called out.

“Rausten…? Is it true?”

She greatly doubted it, as L’Arachel’s information had been nothing more than a vague message the wind had told her.

“Look at their flag. It has the emblem of Rausten’s holy knights sewn into it.”

Seth pulled Eirika atop his horse, and she looked in the direction that he was pointing.

She could see it clearly, fluttering in the twilight sky. There was no mistaking it. It was indeed the emblem of Rausten’s holy knights.

Although Eirika couldn't normally call herself a deeply religious person, she found herself whispering a prayer of thanks to the gods. Reinforcements had arrived at the very last minute. She couldn't think of it as anything else than a real miracle.

The Grado soldiers panicked and started to flee. No matter how much they'd had the upper hand until now, they were tired as well. Now up against a strong enemy like the Holy Knights of Rausten, it was no surprise that their will to fight shriveled up.

"They're finally here!" The voice was L'Arachel's. 

Eirika turned around and looked at the smiling woman.

Dozla dropped his axe and sighed, then his bearded face turned up into a relieved smile. "They're late! I was nervous they wouldn't make it in time!"

"Truly! That was quite a close call!!"

The knights shouted a valiant battle cry, then rushed straight ahead. The Grado soldiers could not hold out for even a second. They were defeated in the blink of an eye. 

Eirika tried to go over towards the knights with Seth, but then she received word that a messenger had arrived.

Eirika entrusted Seth to receive the message first, then continued over to the knights along with L’Arachel. 

The knights also noticed that Eirika and some of the others were near them, and one ran up to them. “Princess! The Holy Knights of Rausten have arrived!” He then bowed his head towards L’Arachel. 

Eirika stared blankly in amazement at L’Arachel.

L’Arachel responded in a dignified voice, “I apologize for troubling you. Please raise your head.”

“We fought with the Grado Army along the way, and that is why we were late. We are very sorry!”

“By the gods, you were too late!” Dozla’s chest puffed up with anger, and he looked down upon the knight as he said, “If I hadn’t been here to protect Lady L’Arachel, can you imagine where she would be right now!? All of you need to reflect deeply upon your actions!”

“Yes, Sir! We are very ashamed, Sir!”

“Come now, Dozla, you can’t scold them. They’ve been fighting very difficult battles, just as we have.”

“Um… L’Arachel?”

Eirika had been in shock and listening to their conversation the entire time, but she was finally able to speak up and get a word in the conversation. “Who are you…? What connection do you have to the knights…?”

“Huh?” L’Arachel seemed to have completely forgotten that Eirika was there. She looked at EIrika with her eyes opened wide, and burst out in a fake laugh. “Ah, this… it’s nothing! Please pay us no mind!”

“But… they called you princess…?”

“That’s… that’s a nickname! Just a nickname…”

“Lady L’Arachel, I must humbly say that I don’t think there is any way you can hide your identity any longer…” Dozla whispered.

L’Arachel nodded in resignation. When she lifted her head back up, she said in a voice tinged with regret, “Oh well. Even though I wanted to leave it a mystery for just a little while longer… Alright, Eirika. Since things have come to this, I shall reveal the truth. My identity as a beautiful young woman wandering the lands continuously on a journey to slay monsters is only temporary. I am actually the princess of the Theocracy of Rausten!”

L’Arachel raised her staff majestically, and Dozla clapped his hands together with a thunderous boom.

Eirika’s eyes were wide as saucers as she stared straight at the master and servant. Now that L’Arachel had said it, many things suddenly made sense. She should have realized it when L’Arachel had predicted that the knights were close by.

“Why… did you decide to hide your identity and go on a journey? Fighting monsters is dangerous, right…?”

“Because it is my duty! No matter how dangerous it may be, it was a test given to me by the gods, so I gladly devoted myself to it.”

“And how noble of you it was, Lady L’Arachel!” Dozla shouted in a voice full of admiration. 

L’Arachel puffed out her chest.

The knight whispered to Eirika, “The princess was impassioned by the words of the troubadour Saaga. She said that she wanted to fight evil just like a main character in a hero’s tale, and fled the palace, even though we did not agree with her passionate pleas…”

“I see…”

“Are you telling her more than she has to know?” L’Arachel strained her ears in their direction. 

The knight panicked and dodged the question. “Not at all! More importantly, Princess, we’ve brought you something from King Mansel.” The knight turned around. 

Another knight noticed this signal and slowly walked over to them. In his hands was a white bag, which he politely handed over to L’Arachel.

L’Arachel seemed to know what was inside without even asking the knight to confirm it. She gingerly took the bag, confirming just how heavy it was, then smiled with satisfaction. “These are war funds, correct? It’s just like Uncle to be so thoughtful!”

“He said to tell you that for the time being, he is giving you five thousand gold. If you should need more, then he will prepare it, so he wants you not to have any reservations about requesting it.”

“For now, this is plenty. Isn’t that right, Eirika?

L’Arachel dropped the bag, still full of all of the money, in Eirika’s hands. It felt very heavy to her. Their journey had continued on much longer than they had anticipated, so the war funds that King Hayden had given them were almost completely gone. She was very thankful for the assistance.

“I have one more message from King Mansel. Do not push yourself too far no matter the circumstances, listen closely to Sir Dozla’s good advice, never forget to give thanks to the gods, go to bed early and wake up early…”

Sensing that the message would continue on for a very long time, L’Arachel cut him off. “Understood! Lord Uncle is as much of a worrywart as ever, isn’t he?”

“Yes, Your Highness! In summary, he said that he wants to see you safe and sound as soon as possible, so please come home straight away.”

“Before that, we must defeat the Grado Army, which is currently attacking Jehanna. Once we’ve saved Jehanna, I’ve decided that I will come home immediately.”

L’Arachel’s voice was filled with excitement. The knights’ arrival seemed to have put her in a very good mood, and Eirika felt the same way. It also meant they had confirmation that they had the full cooperation of the Theocracy of Rausten. It was more reassuring to have them as an ally than anyone else.

However, Seth was running over towards them quickly. Eirika noticed the dark look on his face, making Eirika uneasy. “What’s wrong, Seth?”

“We’ve received a report from the front lines. Jehanna Palace suffered a fierce attack from the Grado Army, and has finally fallen.”

“What…?” Innes gasped.

The smile also disappeared from L’Arachel’s face.

Eirika couldn’t speak. She stood frozen in place, unable to do anything but stare at Seth.

Innes asked in a biting tone, “And the queen? Is Queen Ismaire safe?”

“That is unclear. The palace has already been conquered by the Grado Army, so we do not know any information about what is happening within it.”

“We must hurry, Eirika.” Innes turned toward her.

“Pray that she is safe. We must save her right away.”

“Yes!”

Eirika quickly started to turn around, but then Seth said, “The Grado Army’s commanding officer is Prince Lyon. That is the end of the messenger’s report.”

“...Lyon is…?” Her feet froze. When she looked up at Seth, he was staring at her with a dark expression on his face.

He knew very well the emotions Eirika and Ephraim felt for Prince Lyon. The siblings liked the kind prince very much.

Though she’d been prepared for this since the war started, now that the time might come to make a decision, she was very unsure. Would she be able to turn her blade against him?

L’Arachel saw Eirika’s expression, and tilted her head to the side. “What’s the matter?”

“...Oh, it’s nothing. Let’s hurry!”

It wasn’t entirely decided that they had to fight. There was surely still room for them to talk things out. There must have been a complicated reason as to why Lyon had to fight. Perhaps his father, Emperor Vigard, had forced him to, and he’d had no choice but to lead the army. Or maybe, rather than entrust the army to a violent commanding officer, he’d thought it best to go himself, and keep the damage done to Jehanna at a minimum… and that was why he volunteered to deploy.

Eirika shook her head, casting away her lingering memories. There was no time for her to waste guessing what Lyon’s feelings might be. The only thing she could do now was head towards Jehanna at once, and confirm that the queen was safe...

[satoruvt]

the color of you - blue (6)

ITS HERE. I HOPE I DID WELL. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT AKDSHKFJSDH

pairing → keigo takami x reader

word count → 3213

summary → you’re not really dating, so you can’t really be in love with him... right?

song inspo → hell of flying by jeremy zucker, cassette by demian, a lil of bugbear by chloe moriondo

this chapter → y/n comes to conclusions, keigo’s a dork, tension, a fight, crying.

part one | part two | part three | part four | part five | part six | part seven

So it’s been… strange.

Or rather, it hasn’t been strange at all, which makes everything even more strange, somehow. You feel like things should be so much different, but they’re not. You reached a wild conclusion that threw you for a fucking loop, made you sit in your kitchen at Angel Cakes and contemplate what the hell you were going to do about anything that would ever occur to you from here on out. Sometimes you almost ask Keigo how things haven’t changed at all, since you’ve decided that you like him, but then you have to stop yourself from saying anything because, oh, right, you haven’t told him.

You don’t plan to, either.

It’d just mess everything up, wouldn’t it? To say “hey, I know we’ve been fake dating for like two and a half months now but I’m kind of liking the idea of really dating you”? Kinda fucked. Not to mention, from a professional stance, what if it ruins your guys’ chemistry when you’re being watched by the entire world? If someone finds out that the whole thing is fake - regardless of your feelings - it means Keigo’s public image and your entire life at the bakery. Everything would go to shit, and after it’s burned down, you doubt you’d even have Keigo.

So you’re not telling him. You’re in love with one of your closest friends, who you are also fake dating, who is also the Number Two hero in the country, and you’re not telling him how you feel. Yes. Okay.

You’ve had a lot of time to reflect about your own feelings, because after Keigo left to fight that villain the other day (and after you managed to get off the ground and clean up) you were sure it was a heat-of-the-moment thing. Yeah, he looked pretty, and there was something dreamy and domestic about laughing and throwing baking ingredients at each other, so maybe your heart just got confused. 

But you’d called him to ask if he was okay (instead of a usual text) and he’d picked up the phone and laughed and your heart had not done that before. Not with Keigo, not on the phone, and not like that. And usually his pet names amused you, but he’d called you “sweetheart��� over the phone and his voice was tired and drawled a bit. It made you dizzy. You said goodbye pretty soon after that.

You’re barely walking up the stairs of your apartment complex when your phone buzzes in your pocket. Butterflies (and moths, a few) erupt in your stomach when you read the name, and then immediately die when you read the text itself.

keigo baby 🐦

Do u want to have a playdate with me 👉👈 I could come over if ur mom says its okay

Why him? You think to yourself, swallowing the vomit in your throat and fishing your keys out of your bag to unlock your door. You text back when you get inside, throwing your belongings on the nearest surface.

y/n

don’t ever talk to me again

keigo baby 🐦

Is that a yes??

y/n

….fine, but if u ever use those emojis again i’ll break up with u. legally 

keigo baby 🐦

baby no!!!!

You throw your phone down onto your sofa before flopping over it, letting yourself sink into the cushions for a moment. It takes no more than ten minutes for Keigo to be at your door, letting himself in without so much as a knock. You know that it’s technically your doing, since you didn’t lock it when you came in, but you still whine at him about it, and he mocks you jokingly.

It seems he either senses your tiredness or didn’t have anything in mind to do anyways, because all Keigo does is lift your legs up from where they’re sprawled out on the couch and sits down in their place, letting them flop back onto his lap. He adjusts so his wings aren’t smashed against the back of the couch (or, at least, not as much). You move your feet off of his lap.

You’ve come to really appreciate days like this, where you simply bask in his company and he does yours. As much as Keigo is nonchalant about his lifestyle, you know it’s exhausting for him to do what he does every single day, and then to have to talk to people (fans, reporters, anyone). He doesn’t need to say anything for you to know. And, well, if you can give him a moment of comfort -

God, no, stop thinking like that. You can’t afford to think like that right now. 

The two of you talk, occasionally sharing posts from social media and laughing at dumb little cat videos (there was one that was five whole minutes of one of the guys from that k-pop band being compared to cat pictures and it’s the most wholesome thing you’ve ever seen to date). Before you know it, it’s been a few hours, the sun just fully covered by the distant mountains. The sky cools down in purple and blue hues, dressing up for the night to come. You and Keigo are laughing over old vines, and in your mind you think that it really couldn’t be that bad for this to be every night instead of just… some nights.

At the end of the compilation Keigo groans out a lingering laugh, stretching his legs out as best he can without hitting your coffee table. You stand up, feeling the need to move around as well, and walk towards your kitchen for a drink. Keigo stands after you but doesn’t move, letting his wings flex and stretch from being contained for so long. You get a glass of water, lift it to your lips just as Keigo lifts his arms above his head and holy fucking shit, his stomach -

Tummy! the tiny voice in your head squeals, but the hornier one screams at the top of its lungs ABS and honestly you don’t know what the fuck to do and neither does your body so you choke on your water. Keigo startles, eyes wide, and with a mumbled “holy shit” makes his way over to you as you cough and sputter over your sink.

It takes a minute, but you eventually come back, eyes watery and face red for multiple reasons. You take a deep breath and Keigo rubs your back, eyeing you, which only makes the entire situation worse.

“Jesus, are you okay?” He asks, and you nod, but you can’t look at him.

“Yeah, uh,” you clear your throat, blinking a few times. “Just… went down the wrong pipe, I guess.”

Fuck.

-

You barely recover from seeing a sliver of Keigo’s stomach, and the memory haunts you for days. You attempt at willing it out of your brain, try to tell yourself that you just didn’t see it at all, but your heart is strong as hell and refuses to let your head forget it. You think about it multiple times a day. You think about it for at least twenty minutes each time. You think about it until Keigo texts you a little less than a week after it happened.

Your phone buzzes on the counter in the kitchen and you finish up your bread dough, putting it into a bowl gently and setting a timer to let it prove. Once your hands are effectively clean, you open the message, letting yourself scoff.

keigo baby 🐦

Just finished a photoshoot, could really use a donut right now :/

Attached to his message is a picture of himself, and honestly, he looks really fucking good. It takes pretty much everything in you not to collapse and die. God.

You look up a picture of a donut on Google - they sold out today, and you are not going to make one just for Keigo - and send it to him. For my hardworking fake boyfriend, you send with it. Mostly to emphasize fake for both of you. Yourself especially.

keigo baby 🐦

Fake??? :( sweetheart, u hurt me

Your mind stops working when you read his text, so you leave him on read.

-

The next time you see Keigo in person is when you’re contemplating whether or not you should keep… hanging out with him.

The contract only has a little over a month left, so it’s not as if it’d be that hard to deal with… besides, it’d be easier on the both of you when this whole thing inevitably ends. You don’t see yourself being able to be around him without thinking about kissing him over and over. Not now, at least. You hope it changes. You hope it’s a weird phase or something. 

Keigo texts you and invites - demands - you over (his excuse is that with the hero conference coming up soon many of the smaller heroes are taking care of villains and giving him more time off) and honestly, if you’re really gonna try to stop talking to him as much, this could be your goodbye or whatever. Also, he mentioned wine, and you need to get drunk. Like, “give me an entire bottle so I can cope with the idea of falling for you because I know that you don’t feel the same and I am simply trying to ride out the rest of this “relationship” so I don’t ruin our dynamic and chemistry while we’re being watched by literally the entire world” drunk.

Yeah. It’s been a rough few weeks.

Every time you go to Keigo’s apartment it reminds you of just how broke you are, but you suppose the apartment itself is fitting. It’s definitely modern, but it holds the clutter of Keigo’s personality - blankets strung everywhere, LED lights, a poster of Endeavor hung up in his closet (but you’re sworn to secrecy about that, you pinky promised). When you knock on his door he doesn’t answer, and it’s a good minute and a half before you get a text that says “it’s open, come in” and you sigh, because again, why him?

He’s sitting on the couch, and when he sees you he smiles like he didn’t just refuse to open the door because he’s too lazy. “Well, if it isn’t the love of my life,” he says, and for a second you can fool yourself into believing it’s genuine.

“I’m just here for the wine, dude,” you tease, and he mocks offense at your words.

“Ouch. Mid-relationship rejection.”

Nonetheless, Keigo gets the wine himself (selective little shit) and two glasses, pours each of you one. It isn’t long before you’ve had at least three glasses but no more than five, and you’re maybe, perhaps, a little drunk. 

Keigo is, too, so you’re not really alone, but he’s talking about something Endeavor did like he’s the greatest hero in the world. It makes you smile, just a bit, but then again, you’re usually sentimental when you’re drunk, so maybe it’s just that. Or maybe it’s because you like him. It doesn’t really matter now.

“Hey, Kei,” you murmur when he’s done with his story. He hums, takes another sip out of his glass. “What happens when this is over?”

You look at your feet, scrunching up your toes inside your socks so you have something to look at. Then your eyes move up more, to the top of his coffee table, and then finally they land on him, and he looks gorgeous. He always does.

Keigo blinks once, twice, then shrugs, goes back to his wine. “Dunno. I hope we’re still friends, though,” he says.

“Friends? You want to be friends?”

You’re drunk. You should go to sleep, or go home, or something. Talking is not something you should be doing.

“What?” Keigo asks, but more like he didn’t hear you rather than he didn’t understand, so you take your chance, even through your hazed mind.

“Nothing,” you say, swirling the wine in your glass. “Forget about it.”

And it seems like he does, because when you wake up on his couch the next morning with a killer headache and he stumbles out of his room with a groan he doesn’t mention anything about it even when he talks about everything else.

-

Keigo texts you a few days later, a picture of him posing with another wine bottle. 

keigo baby 🐦

round 2??

The picture is cute. He’s smiling, all lips and curves and blonde hair and tan skin. He’s dressed in sweats, you can see, but he still looks like a model. It makes your heart sink and fly at the same time.

y/n

can’t, sorry. have to stay late at angel cakes. i’ll see u at the hero conference tho

He doesn’t text you for a while after that.

-

The conference comes quick, and before you know it you’re in another hotel suite, getting makeup done. It doesn’t take as much dressing up - your dress is shorter this time, less formal, your makeup less extravagant. You don’t feel nervous, not like last time, but you don’t necessarily feel comfortable either. Your makeup artist is different this time.

It takes a considerably less amount of time for you to get ready, and you stare at yourself in the mirror before it’s time to go. Your dress is beautiful - blue, royal, deep and light at the same time and gorgeous. Simple, too, nothing too out there. When you step out of the hotel room you notice Keigo’s still in his hero costume, but you suppose he has to be. You don’t match with him like you did last time.

There’s no banter, no teasing, no compliments. The ride to the venue is quiet. Keigo sends you a look at one point - a “tell me what’s wrong” look - but you only shrug, offer him the best smile you can, which apparently isn’t convincing, because he frowns when he sees it. You wish he wouldn’t frown so much.

The conference is short, but maybe you’re just distracted. An usher walks you to your seat at a VIP table and it seems like you sit down and then it ends. You clap for Keigo, smile like you’re endlessly proud of him - and you are, even if it doesn’t show that well tonight - and watch him make a scene becuase that’s what he does. He winks at you at one point during the night, while he’s talking into the microphone, and you know it’s for the publicity. The conference ends significantly earlier than the awards show, however, so you don’t have to stay in the suite for the night. 

The ride back to the suite seems shorter than the ride to the venue and it takes you maybe twenty minutes to wipe the makeup off of your face and take off your dress. You walk across the hall to Keigo’s room, knock on the door. He answers.

“Okay, I’m gonna head out, I’m feelin’ kinda tired,” you tell him with a small smile. “Just wanted to say bye.”

“Let me walk you home,” he says instead, and your brain yells at you no!

“No, it’s fine, Kei -”

“Please. I want to.”

He’s never said that before, and a part of you knows you wouldn’t be able to say no to him even if he hadn’t, so you nod and let him follow you out of the hotel and to your apartment. The walk is silent and it makes you feel uneasy but you can’t really do anything about it, not with what you’re trying to do, so nothing happens until you reach your apartment.

You know where this is going, even if you don’t want to, so you take a deep breath, hold the door open for him so Keigo can come inside. He looks at you weirdly for a moment but then enters your apartment, standing in the junction of your entryway and living room like he’s uncomfortable. You let him, then walk to the kitchen for something to drink.

“What’s wrong with you?” You ask, eyeing him suspiciously.

Keigo scoffs. “Shouldn’t that be my line?”

You know he noticed - it’s impossible not to, but you didn’t think… you didn’t think he’d call you out on it. Your pause is evident, but you pretend like it didn’t happen at all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you say.

“Yeah? Wanna rethink that, sweetheart?”

The almost-malice in his tone when he says your usual pet name startles you, and when you look up at Keigo it seems like it startled him, too, doe-eyed and looking at you. You shake your head, walking out of the kitchen and into the living room behind him to throw your things down, try to pass the message to him that this is not good. “You’re wrong,” you say.

“I’m not - I’m not wrong, Y/N,” he says, turning around to look at you. “Every time I see you it seems like you’re pushing me away, like you’re not here, and I don’t know if I did something, but I -” he pauses, runs a gloved hand over his face and you want to tell him that it’s not his fault, but that would lead to you telling him everything, and you can’t. “I miss you.”

His voice is broken. When you speak again, your voice sounds like his, but somehow worse. Smaller. “You’re wrong,” you insist. You know he’s not.

“I’m not,” he pushes back. “I’d like to think that in the months we’ve been -”

He stops himself, and you take your opportunity. “That we’ve been what? Dating? We’re not dating, Keigo, we both signed a fucking contract to benefit your public image! This is nothing!”

You have no idea what you’re doing. It’s not nothing. It will never be nothing.

“You think this is nothing?”

“Look me in the eye and tell me that you know for sure we’ll still be friends when this is over.”

He can’t, and he won’t. You’re trying really hard not to cry, but it hurts to fight with him like this, and it hurts that you think you’re falling in love with him, and it hurts that if you tell him it’ll ruin everything and it hurts, so a few tears slip out anyways.

“Y/N,” Keigo says, and his voice is so soft. You want to melt into him, but you shy away when he reaches for you. “Please just tell me -”

“I can’t do this anymore,” you choke out. “I can’t - I’m - I’m calling it. I’ll send my lawyer if you need anything but I just…”

You can’t even look at him. Has he always been so far away?

“Get out, Keigo.”

It sounds so cold, so unfamiliar, coming from your mouth and you half expect another person to have said it entirely. This isn’t you, this isn’t how you and Keigo act, this isn’t… this isn’t it. There’s a pause, like he’s waiting for something, but then you hear him sigh - practically feel him deflate, and then he walks out of your apartment, door shutting quietly behind him.

It’s so quiet when he’s gone.

You take a deep breath, walk back to your bedroom, curl into yourself on the bed, and cry in the blue light of the sky left behind by the sun.

[jerisch]

King in the ring

Another amazing story I got from @writer-ofstuff​, featuring Derek of Teen Wolf.

______________________________________________________________

‘If you want to see your guy again then you will come alone to this address at midnight.'

Derek read over the note he found in Stiles dorm room, fuming that someone was dumb enough to take the younger man. The person had to know what Derek was since the note was addressed to him and not Stiles's father. Which made Derek believe the person behind this could possibly be a werewolf Hunter who is using Stiles as a way to get to Derek.

Derek had no idea who could be behind this, what werewolf hunting family they were from, if they were rogue ones, or if they even were hunters to begin with and not some other supernatural being. So Derek had no choice but to do as the inte instructed and come alone. Because when it came down to it Derek would always choose Stiles over himself if it meant the younger man he cared so much for was safe.

The address Derek was told to go to ended up being at a community auditorium where special events were often held at. An odd location to request to meet at, but Derek wasn't going to question it too much. He easily found a way inside, listening carefully for any indication of where the people and Stiles were at within the building.

Derek can hear talking in one large room, the room if he recalls right is one of the larger rooms in the auditorium where wreslting matches and leagues were often hosted there. Pushing the doors open, Derek is met with a large spotline shining on him when he steps through the doors. He winces his eyes. And brings his hand up to bloc, out the harsh light while music starts blaring within the room and a loud voice speaks.

"Our guest of honor has finally arrived. Please welcome to the ring Derek Hale! " a deep voice man spoke into the microphone. Cheers of men that filled the seats I'm the audience clapped and cheered. Derek startled at it all, wondering why he didn't sense this many people before he came into the room. Wondering if magic was behind this or something that made his werewolf senses not work as they should have.

Derek steps towards the ring, unsure what else to do. His face sat into an annoyed scowl as he climbed up into the ring and is met by a large man in the center of the ring.

He is taller than Derek by a good couple of inches. The man looks a few years older than Derek and wears only a pair of spandex orange and red designed shorts, boots and a wrestler mask that shares the same color scheme as the spandex shorts do. The man's face is obviously concealed by the mask, but Derek can see a blonde beard surrounding the man's mouth in the opening of the mask. The man has two different colored eyes, one blue eye and one green, he stares into Derek's eyes, smirking smugly at the werewolf.

"Seems like our guest has arrived for the special event tonight gentlemen." The man says, his voice sounding surprisingly smooth for such a big hairy brute that he is.

"Where is Stiles." Derek asks, cutting to the chase.

"Aww now where would be the fun in me just telling you so you can just end up retrieving him and leaving before we begin to have our match." The man says.

"You can call me Slayer by the way, in case you were wondering who I am."

"I don't care what your stupid stage name is or whatever the hell this is you have going on here, I want my boyfriend back. Now." Derek says coldly, allowing his eyes to glow alpha red to show he isn't joking around. Only the gesture doesn't seem to intimidate the big guy at all, in fact it seems to only make him seem more excited, his grin growing wider.

"Now this is why I sought you out and had to bring you here at whatever it took to do so. You got a real fire to your personality and I always wanted to see if I could take an alpha werewolf, especially one who comes from such a powerful bloodline of born werewolves." Slayer says.

"I won't fight you or play into your twisted act, I just want Stiles back." Derek replies, his voice growling, growing frustrated and annoyed with the spotlights, the loud music, and the chattering of the fans in the crowds.

"Well if you want your Stiles back then you have no choice but to play along in my special wrestling match. Which you must win by the way, as if it would be hard for you to do since you're a werewolf and I'm just a human after all." Slayer says, sounding like he is taunting Derek with that last part.

This didn't sit well with Derek, no doubt this guy was up to something. He wanted to fight a werewolf like Derek, and yet he mentioned how he was just a human and how the match should essentially be easy and in Derek's favor. Derek would have to keep his guard up, not be distracted at all since he had to do this stupid match in order to get Stiles freed from this weirdo wreslter.

"Fine, let's get this over with." Derek growls. He tosses off his leather jacket and takes a stance, only to be thrown something by Slayer.

"If you're going to do this then you're going to have to dress the part, Wolfman." Slayer says.

Derek looked down to see a purple wrestlers mask was what was thrown at him. He can smell the musk and sweat that dampened the mask which makes him disgusted by just holding it let alone putting such a nasty thing on his head.

"I am not wearing this disgusting thing." Derek tells Slayer who looks amused.

"Oh you will wear it Derek, because it is part of the act." Slayer tells him.

"Unless you don't want to free Stiles from where I have him hidden. Makes no difference to me since I would win either way." He adds smugly.

Derek's scowl darkens at the larger man. Steeling himself Derek puts the musky sweat stained and soaked mask over his head. He already feels humiliated and disgusted, but thankfully the crowd around them doesn't laugh nor mock him for wearing such a nasty thing, if anything they seem to be cheering louder than they were before Derek put the mask on.

"Let's get this over with." Derek says once he has the mask on over his head.

"Yes, let's give these men a show they'll love." Slayer says as the bell dings for the match to begin.

Derek had thought he would have this match done with already. He assumed he had the upper hand with him being a werewolf and Slayer being human, and yet the wrestler was keeping Derek on his toes, easily taking and evading Derek's attacks.

"What's wrong Wolfman, tired already?" Slayer taunts as he circles Derek and lunges at him. He catches Derek by surprise and his pulled into Slayer's arms and his face shoved into Slayer's thick hairy pits.

Derek is startled by such a move that he freezes up, feeling the sweat from Slayer's pits smear all over Derek's face. Derek is thankfully that he has the mask on so the mask absorbs some of the sweat, although he can still smell the sweaty musk from Slayer's pits. Unaware that the sweat and musk, along with what covered the mask when he put it on, has started to have an unique effect on the werewolf.

Derek feels himself getting warmer, sweat starting to form on his face under the mask. His body even sweats through his clothes, staining hid puts and the collar of his shirt.

Derek lunges forward this time, grabbing Slayer and then knocks him back into the jump of the ring. Derek's muscles expand in size as he moves, trading hits and exchanging moves with Slayer in the ring.

"Is that the best you got, Wolfman?" Slayer taunts.

"Not even close." Derek replies and moves towards him again.

The match goes on like that, the two trading hits, dodging moves, and they continue to trash talk one another. Derek's shirt ends up getting torn so he just finishes tearing it off his body, showing off how much muscle he has gained, now in equal size to Slayer. Derek's torso has also grown hairy. He absentmindedly scratches his furry upper body, his attention still focused on Slayer, determined to win this match for his fans, for Stiles he quickly corrects himself, wondering for a moment why he thought of himself having fans.

He charges and side steps out the way when Slayer throws an arm out to grab Derek to pin him down, only for Derek to do it to him.

"Looks like you're throwing the match in my favor." Derek whispers in Slayer's ear.

"You wish." Slayer tells him. Flipping their positions so now Slayer is on top of Derek.

"How predictable of you Wolfman." Slayer laughs, only to be bucked off and Derek to pin him to the floor of the ring. Derek grinds his erected bulge against Slayer's spandex covered ass. Earning a moan from the wrestling pro which piques Derek's interest, the werewolf feeling himself getting aroused.

"Like that?" Derek asks, poking his erected 13 inch cock into Slayer's ass once more. Slayer nods, and Derek's grin goes wider.

"Such a slut aren't you, in the ring and out of it." Derek muses, pulling down Slayer's spandex shorts, revealing Slayer's round hairy ass. Derek can smell how musky it smells already, it makes him eager to thrust his dick into the tight hairy asshole, so much so that he can't stop himself from doing it.

"Ooh fuck yeah." Slayer moans out loud, sounding just as eager as Derek feels as Derek starts to slowly prep Slayer's semi expanded asshole with his cock.

Each thrust Derek feels guilt that he is cheating on Stiles fade, instead growing more aroused and wanting to blow his load in such a hot piece of ass like Slayer's. More changes befall Derek. His legs grow longer till he is at equal height to the wrestler. His voice deepening as well, Derek feels his balls churning and with one more hard thrust he and Slayer both cum hard, the crowd cheering and echoing moans throughout it fills their ears, no doubt the men the audience getting off to the show Derek and Slayer had put on.

"Seems like I win Mike. Now let Stiles go" Derek says once he slides his dick out of his opponent's asshole.  He startles at knowing Slayer's name, Slayer standing up and removing his mask, revealing his handsome face for Derek to see. That and hearing how deep his voice is now also confuses him.

"Yeah, you win this time brother." Slayer, or Mike says. "But why would you want to free our new recruit?" Mike asks, he steps up to Derek, Derek realizing they're at eye level now. Before he can ask why that is Mike is kissing him. Derek freezes into the kiss, but then his mind relaxes and he returns it with just as much passion as Mike does.

Derek forgets himself, forgets being who he was before he came here with the intentions of helping Stiles. Now Derek, Dean as he thinks of himself now. Recalls his new life, being a pro wrestling duo with his twin brother Mike. Mike, known as the Slayer, and Dean the Wolfman, together they make up the team Wolfman Slayer.

Derek removes his mask after the two twin brothers kiss each other. Revealing his face looks the same as Mike's. The two sharing the same short spiky blonde hair, the same trimmed beard along their angular and square jawline and cheeks.

The only differences between them is their eyes Derek's eyes remain the same hazel color they were from before, Dean being hairier than Mike, and his voice much more deeper than Mike's as well.

"You're right brother." Dean says. "Not sure what I was thinking there in wanting to free him. He will make a hot wrestler for our league." Derek says, a grin on his face.

After they wrap up the show and send the crowd home Dean and Mike head to the locker rooms, where they find the young man Mike too. Stiles is bound by old jockstraps, one even forced into his mouth which Dean gives his brother a questioning look.

"What? He wouldn't stop talking so I had to get him to shut up." Mike shrugs.

Dean huffs out an amused laugh and approaches Stiles, who seems to react by trying to break free of his restraints.

"Just relax my guy, you're going to enjoy this as much as we are." Dean tells him, not recognizing that this was a man he once loved and cared about when he was is old self, now all Dean wants to do is use his and his brother's special gift and turn Stiles into another dumb brute wreslter they can use in their wrestling league.

Later as the two twins walk out, a 6'5" brick wall of a man walks out behind them, Tank as he is called in the ring and out it, smiles dim wittedly at his two friends and bosses before taking his leave to hit the gym, with Dean following behind him, Mike however looking at the two as they leave the locker room, pleased with his work in creating two new wrestlers for him to use and gaining a twin. He is eager to see how they both do when they have a real wrestler league when Mike finishes transforming more men that the two once knew before Mike transformed them.

[pawprintsmoon]

Henry has no clue; The Aftermath

https://archiveofourown.org/works/31306808/chapters/77401784

Once Alex leans into the kiss, the prince is royally screwed. An immense energy encompasses them, and he loses his breath along with all his remaining sensibilities. He pulls Alex’s hair, eliciting the sweetest, smallest sound. If he doesn’t stop right now, he won’t be able to stop at all.

“Fuck,” Henry swears, pulling back. Apparently, he still has an ounce of sense after all, or at least an ounce of self-preservation. “I’m just, shit. I’m sorry.”

Snow crunches beneath his stumbling feet as he practically runs away from the freshly snogged boy. The boy who must be having a total identity crisis. Even drunk, he could taste Alex’s confused wanting and a yearning that might even match his own. Impossible. The type of impossible that makes you question your interpretation of reality.

The humid heat and festive noises of the Gala overwhelm him as he re-enters the White House. He is sweating under his wool coat and his collar is too tight around his throat. The champagne in his system is tilting the floor, and it’s too much. Where the fuck is Pez?

Eventually, he finds his best friend between June and Nora, all dancing scandalously close to each other. It’s a testament to Pez’s loyalty that as soon as he looks at Henry, he exits the dancefloor, bowing to the ladies.

“What did you do?” Pez asks, leaning close to talk over the music.

“The most foolish thing possible.” He grabs Pez’s arm. “We have to go.”

After a beat, Pez nods. “Okay, let’s go.”

They walk through the party together, Pez’s presence keeping him from unravelling completely. It’s unlikely that Henry is effectively hiding his emotions, what with the drinking and kissing and panicking. Hopefully everyone around them is too intoxicated to notice.

“So, are we just getting some air or are we calling it a night?” Pez asks as they meet their PPOs at the front door. “Should I call a car to take us to the hotel?”

“No.” He imagines Alex showing up at their hotel the next morning, hungover and demanding answers. “No, we’re going home.”

“Right now?”

“Right now.” Henry’s throat is dry and his eyes are unforgivably wet. “Please.”

Pez stares at him, presumably assessing the severity of the situation, before nodding again.

“Okay, I’ll call a car to take us to the airport,” Pez says, pulling out his phone. “And as soon as we board the plane you are telling me everything.”

Within ten minutes, Shaun arrives with their luggage, a shiny black car, and three burly PPOs. Within two hours they are flying over the Atlantic Ocean, Henry pacing up and down the aisle of their private jet while Pez sips champagne.

"What the hell, Hen?" Pez says at last. Henry had been monologuing his panic spirals since they’d boarded the plane and is finally taking a breath.

"It just kind of happened?" Henry replies. He had fucked up, real bad this time.

"Well, to be completely honest with you, that was too fucking awesome!".

"You mean I did the right thing?" Henry asks, disbelief coloring his face. He isn’t sure if he’s asking approval of his choice to kiss Alex or his choice to run away afterwards.

"I don't know, Hen,” Pez says in an apologetic tone. “All I know about Alexander Claremont-Diaz is that you’re obsessed with him. This was bound to happen eventually, right?"

Henry has no clue how to answer, so he sighs and starts his pacing again. He knows he isn't going to sleep tonight, maybe not ever if he has a say in it. Alex might murder him in his sleep, even if he is protected by PPOs all the bloody time. He makes a mental note to ask Shaan to keep an eye out for Alex and his transatlantic flights.

…

"So yeah that happened." Henry finishes telling last night's events to his therapist who sports an impassive expression.

"Henry, why are you so afraid of Alex's reaction? For all you know he might feel the same way," Shannon says. The sincerity and calm in her voice almost soothes his racing heart.

"Because I do know he feels the same way, but he wasn't ready to know that. His obliviousness was the only thing saving us from falling together; the only thing stopping me from losing control. But then I lost control anyways because he’s just so bloody dense! It’s torture. Hell, both Nora and June have caught on. He’s going to be the last person to figure out he is queer! And I don’t, well, I shouldn’t have pushed it. Rash and careless.” Henry is rambling, but isn’t that the point of therapy? “Sometimes I think I reread Jane Austin too much, because I can’t help pining. Fantasizing. I thought, sure, he’ll see our mutual attraction eventually, and I can wait, and generally, or I can resist making idiotic choices I like to think I’m patient, but-"

He stops speaking abruptly and looks away from her sharp gaze. Even after so many years of therapy, it's still hard for him to talk about his feelings.

"But what Henry?" Shannon gently prods him.

"But I was...I got jealous when I saw them kissing and I just couldn't wait any longer for him to be ready. I know it was not fair, but I’ve known for years now.” He sighs. “I was actually just waiting for Pez to have his fun so we could leave. But...but Alex- he came outside looking for me and he was infuriating and couldn’t take a hint. I just couldn't stop myself. God, I'm such an idiot."

"Henry, we have talked about this before. Not everything is your fault. You need to understand that.” She pauses as if to give him an opportunity to agree with her. When he doesn’t, she continues, “And you told me Alex kissed you back so how can you be sure that he doesn't know that he’s queer?"

"Because I know Alex. I’m his best friend, we’ve talked for hours on end and he’s an obliviously stupid prat and I'm in love with him!" Henry snaps, but Shannon already has an answer ready for that.

"Yes Henry, but it doesn't mean that it was a mistake. You may be in love, but that doesn’t mean you know everything about him and his relationship with his sexuality. You aren’t a mind reader. Maybe he’s just playing dumb, and it’s a farce just like yours. The difference is you appear heterosexual while he appears to be oblivious. You can't know for sure."

That gives Henry something to think about, and he goes quiet for several moments.

Could it be that Alex acting so oblivious was just for the public? But that couldn't be. He knows Alex, knows him, knows him. Not only from the months of constant texting and late-night phone calls but also from countless tabloids and magazines. It didn’t feel like Alex was hiding anything from him. But who knows? Maybe he did it so that he could be himself but still not be himself. Maybe, he could enjoy the queerness but pretend not to know in order to save his political career?

No, that is not the Alexander Gabriel Claremont Diaz, he has come to know. He would be out and proud if he knew. Henry suddenly registers the fact that he is overthinking again when Shannon calls his name.

"Yes, Shannon?" Henry asks politely. Apparently she’d been speaking, but he has no idea what she was saying.

“You can tell me what you’re thinking, you know. That’s literally my job.” She smiles wryly and he grants her a weak laugh. “I was just saying that you can’t possibly try to know what he’s thinking about the kiss, or where he is with his sexuality.”

“Exactly! That’s the other thing.” Henry shakes his head. “Maybe I’ve been wrong this whole time. I thought I knew what he wanted, and that I knew what I wanted, but now I don’t know anything. Maybe Alex is just a very flirty guy. Maybe it’s just an American thing. I haven’t been friends with an American before-”

“Henry”

“- and he was drunk and I kissed him and he probably thinks I took advantage. At the very least, I ran away like a scared twelve-year-old.”

“Let’s try to take a non-judgemental stance here,” suggests Shannon gently. “And for now, let’s just imagine a hypothetical. What if you were right all along, and he really does like you? That’s very much possible, so let’s explore what that would mean, yeah?

Henry shrugs noncommittally.

“You mentioned a couple of weeks ago that you think that if you two get too close you’ll be doomed,” she continues. “Do you still think that?”

“Well, yeah,” replies Henry, looking at his hands. “If he likes me -which I’m not sure he does anymore- then inevitably he’ll get sick of me. I like him so, so much, you know? He might be attracted to me, but he can’t possibly like me the way I like him. And even if by some horrible miracle he does like me back, then what? I’m a bloody prince and he’s an aspiring politician, and there’s no way it wouldn’t end in disaster. The whole world would be looking at us. I’m just… I’m…”

“You’re afraid of getting hurt.”

“I… I guess. Yeah. I feel like I’m about to fall off a cliff, holding onto the unstable rocks, and I have no idea where I’ll land.” Henry chuckled a little at his cliche metaphor. “He must think I’m a complete tosser.”

“Henry,” she gives him that Therapist Look. “You can’t read minds. Journal on that topic this week?”

Henry sighs and nods, letting that sink in. She has said it before, numerous times, and Henry never quite believes her.

They sit in silence before Shannon redirects the conversation.

"When are you meeting Alex again?"

That's an easy question, Henry has known the answer ever since he left D.C. He answers immediately, "Oh never."

"Henry," Shannon reprimands.

"No, you don't get it. I'm going to be murdered if I so much as go within 10 feet near Alex."

"No.” She’s holding back a laugh as she tries to look stern. “The answer is that you're going to the state dinner and you're going to talk to Alex like a mature adult and listen to what he says instead of guessing what he’s thinking. Meanwhile, I want you to think about what we discussed today and tell me next week what you might want to say to him."

"Hour's up then?" Henry asks, because he suddenly can't wait to get out of Shannon’s office. He needs time to think about everything. Or maybe he needs time to avoid thinking about anything.

"We have five more minutes, but if you don't have anything to add today, we can end early." Shannon smiles warmly at him and he knows that if he wishes to continue she wouldn’t mind, but right now he can't. Enough talking of emotions for one eternity, thank you.

So he leaves and as he hurries to the car he texts Shaan: SOS I need about a million boxes of Jaffa Cakes from the nearest corner shop.

Then, sliding into the back seat: Please.

…

The weeks pass by quickly with Henry trying his best to ignore Alex's texts and trying to convince everyone that he oughtn’t to go to the state dinner in D.C. No one listens to him, not Shannon or even Pez. Not even his own sister, rather Bea tries to make him see reason as to why he should go.

It's all 'you never know,’ 'just trust me, Hen' and other bits of vague encouragement. Predictably, Bea decides to drop Henry off at the airport herself so he can't escape at the last minute. When he accuses her of this, however, she’s all 'Can’t a girl escort her dear younger brother to the airport, or what?’

As they leave Kensington palace she explicitly instructs his PPOs that Henry should at all costs stay in America for the allotted time and should not be allowed back even a minute too soon. Shaan, for some reason, seems extremely happy to hear those instructions and can't stop smiling. Henry scowls at him whenever he sees him, thinking that he is Henry's personal equerry. It’s a lot.

"Do I really have to, Bea?" he asks her as they near the airport.

"Henry, you know this is important and by that, I do not mean the state dinner. That can go fuck itself for all I care, but you need to talk to Alex. Hiding from him like this is doing no one any good. Talk to him, see what he says and do not overthink this, Hen please." Bea squeezes his hand lightly as the car stops.

They walk silently side by side to the plane where Bea hugs him and sees him off.

As the plane starts to take off, the panic that had been sedated by her hug starts to grow again, fiercer than ever. Henry keeps repeating the same phrase throughout the flight.

Don't overthink this. It's going to be okay.

[sunset-novice-writer]

Pinky Promises

Dedicated to: @blackgirlanimes

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I urge guys to please go check out her blog. Her writing is amazing, and Merch is my favorite series by her. Plus, I wanted to give something back since she works hard on filling requests. I feel that writers sometimes need to have time to enjoy reading things too. (No matter how much I sort of cringe at my writing. Lol ^-^;)

This is my first official post to my Novice Writing blog. Whatever happens, I put this out there. As the saying goes, “Practice  shows your effort.” Well, it's just a piece I got inspired by original songs I listened to too. Although the last bit at the end with some lyrics I came up with.

Hope you enjoy the writing of the unedited version. Let me know if you guys want a part two. I apologize in advance if anyone seems OOC it’s unbeta’d while it will be re-edited sometime later.

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Summary: Leaving to visit your birth parents in America was something exciting and sad for you because there was one person you would miss more than anything. An explosive blonde with harsh words though hiding behind what he really feels. You make a promise to return to him without fail in a year, and somehow you find yourself surprised instead.

Is it possible for you to make up after an argument leaves things up in the air ?

Contains: Bakugou Katsuki x Fem! Reader

Setting: |AU Modern |

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[ Scattered Pieces ] Part One

 There you were sitting on the steps of your house you’d dreaded this day for months. While listening to your music, the song of somber feelings made you blink your eyes to stop the tears from falling. Everything around you would be all but a vision of something so far away, that left you wanting to take in the view of cloudy weather.

The light shower of rain curled your hair a little, causing you to give a brief smile. A time for reminiscing is something that came naturally during a crucial moment like this. Still, what awaited on the other side of the country was a chance to learn about the family who gave you up. Maybe hope to leave the resentful feelings of being tossed away to give you some closure, or the real understanding of why you give up for adoption clearer.

One thing seemed to cross your mind all time leading up to the days of the departure. A certain explosive little porcupine that wouldn’t take the news well of you disappearing on him. 

Bakugou Katsuki…

First of many things that troubled you, the hurt he masked into dismissal with the egotistical nonchalant attitude you’d admired. During that moment you couldn’t stand him when he acted the way he did about you leaving for a year.  Then again, you found it annoying at the same time how his temper blew up like a grenade. Only leaving a reminder of the wreckage his words left you still fresh in your mind to ruin.

“See if I care, dumbass! Go on, back where you came from and let them abandon you again!”

It was almost as if you could hear the words echoing in your mind from that incident.As if it were happening once more which you felt nothing next to numb. All except the pain that etched on your face returned while you blinked your eyes to stop the tears. Beyond the surface it wasn’t like you wanted to leave, still this was your chance to find your own answers of your past.

Your lips trembled cursing at yourself for letting the tears slip away he knew that was something hurtful. All the fears of going to meet the parents who wanted to meet you made you second guess how to approach them. The only action you did toward his comment turned around shaking your head at him not letting words fall from your lips. Instead was nothing that left your lips as you remember staying still.  Thinking back on it, somehow you doubt even now he would come to see you off something inside you was fine with it.

How dumb were you like these getting angry after the fact when the moment is over?

 Whatever the case you were glad that you had said nothing during that moment, as your hand moved to wipe the tears from eyes you took a deep breath.   Whenever you faced your biological parents face to face you would deal with what came your way whether it be disappointing, or happy at least you’d get some answers. 

After all your parents wanted you to know where you came from while taking you to explain everything when they told you the truth.Something that you would be grateful for sure you could’ve been angry about them keeping this enormous secret. Yet. you knew your parents  worried about things you couldn’t understand as a child. Even if neither one of them had a connection by blood to you. 

You couldn’t help to be happy beyond words, you could express that  you got a life full of love, and sadly most kids like you don’t have time to experience. Reality of your situation, you got to have a home with these wonderful people though sometimes you felt a disconnect when you saw other of your peers with the parents.it was your adopted parents. Still, the days passed continuously since your encounter with Katsuki. You felt happy that at least despite the harsh words he left you with you.

“Maybe it’s better that I didn’t say everything I wanted.” You stated with resolve, your eyes would express another story of regret before you pinched your right cheek to snap you out of it. Your mopy thoughts needed to take a back seat. You wanted to face your actual parents, to ask everything you felt. In the back of your mind, you wanted to have his support behind you. 

You want to move forward to well really to get there then you plan to do next. Placing Bakugou at the back of your mind would be the best thing you could do for right now.

That would be fine, you could handle it, nothing would get in the way. Especially not the explosive blonde you were probably throwing himself into a distraction to avoid thinking of you. They had made sure they packed the luggage into the car the night before and learned that your father wanted to take a later flight instead of the current one.

Sweet little broccoli is calling you~ Never knew a broccoli could blush like a tomato, like a tomatoo--Oh yeah! I love you my sweetpea fresh like chili broccoli..~

A brief buzz came from your pocket causing you to let laughter burst from your mouth. You saved this as Izuku’s ringtone, much to his flustered expression every time he heard it with an embarrassment covering his face. You didn’t think it was that bad besides you worked on creating something like this for his Mom. An early mother’s day gift, so she wanted a ringtone that fitted her beloved son. So you helped him with it much how he was shy singing it, but you did it with him. At least you could find your spirits lifting a fraction. Before you answered the call you went to work on calming down your giggles first.

“Hey, Izuku. What’s up?”You questioned, you wondered why he called suddenly out of the blue like this, yet it was nice to talk to someone either way.Still, you heard him speak on the other of the line.

“Hey, [Name] is everything all right?” Midoriya's tone was curious, as if he was trying to figure more than she’d let on. Then you as if something told he wanted to talk about something else. He was very observant, though the thoughts of your conversation with Katsuki crawled back up, but you wanted to avoid it. 

“Mhm, I’m all right, Izuku.” Your voice relaxed, giving a bit of a chuckle that escaped your lips. In the event to stop him from trying to read too much in to what you wanted to hide.You smiled thinking of your trip besides you knew your doubts and worries came out of nervousness to be honest. 

“I’m ready to face my biological parents--to get the answers to my questions.” You continued there was a bite of bitterness in your voice which he caught.  

Why did you let that tiny swirling frustration come out of you now?

“[Name], is it really about that or is it about Kacchan..?” Izuku asked, his voice cut through your voice caught in your throat when he mentioned him. Now, you stammered with your own reply.

“N-No, it's not about Bakugou.” Damn it. You cursed you weren’t trying to sound stumble with Midoriya though he knew Katsuki just and you. Yet, you wondered what he knew about his outburst, though you didn’t want to go into it.

At your obvious lie, all you heard on the other sigh of the phone was him sighing at your stubbornness. What else could you say about the subject? He knew about what transpired, though you were sure where he learned it from. Either way, you didn’t see a point in just putting it behind a shade so you came clean.

“He’ll come around as hot-headed as Katsuki is.” Midoriya said while pausing for a moment. Still, you couldn’t help but agree with him. “I know he will see you off—He will miss you everyone will [Name].” He replied, you would miss him along with all your friends.

Hoping was all you could do for the moment was that Bakugou came through to say goodbye on better terms. A negative thought was lingering inside your head like a deathly plague he might not. When trying to predict his moods like was trying to disarm a ticking time bomb even though you knew he had moments of caring. It was just obscured by the rough edges of his personality, though you saw it more than most.

“I will take your word for it,Izuku.I just hope to see him one more time...” You smiled lightly, while conversing a little more with Midoriya longer before ending the call. Drifting further away from your persistent thoughts that resurfaced, you got saved from them. Your parents returned home with some takeout from your favorite place while you saw their car pull in the driveway. 

All your unease that made you restless to hear from one person disappeared. You wanted to at least hear his voice say his common catch phrase, or the fear you held made you more concerned to call him.

You stopped up at your front door to glance down at your iPhone, glancing at the screen saver you stored secretly. It was Bakugou Katsuki in his usual stance, though he sported a splash of color dusting his face a bright pink. His scowl was clear while crimson eyes held his glare with your arms wrapped around his waist. What happened that day made your smile return, though suddenly it dimmed altogether once more.

A confession that would stay hidden with which you want to tell him. A single tear fell from your eye that splashed on the screen of your phone. You bit back the sobs that wanted to escape your throat, deciding it would be better to compose yourself. You didn’t want your folks to make a fuss about why you felt sad moment.  You wanted to just forget and enjoy their company.  While that faint melody of the song you were playing echoed its somber words when you entered your house.

Let you hear the words I want to say…

Before I disappear never again to see your face…

I love with the confession of my feelings seemed to go unanswered.

Yet, they linger only for you..

Something that when unnoticed just outside your gate was the very boy you were thinking of now. He contemplated going to your door before growling in frustration turning on his heel walking back to his home.

“Damn it...” Katsuki wasn’t sure how he’d apologize to you that didn’t stop the prickling feeling that stabbed his chest. Your sobs only dug it deeply into how his words cut you. This whole situation was shitty to him you leaving hating to admit he would miss a lot than he expressed. He didn’t want to lose you even if it was to get your answers he wished to find those shitty parents of yours to tell them that. They shouldn’t have given someone like you up even if it was for a beneficial thing for you, yet it is a grateful feeling that he met you because of it.

At least that Deku told him when you’d be departing, so he’d make sure you’d come back. A promise he wanted to deliver before you went halfway across the country to get your answers..

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I can’t believe that I finished this at 2:37 AM. Hope everyone enjoys this blurb.  All that to see if you all want to see a Part Two. I’ll probably work on making masterlist sometime tomorrow.

[seijch]

➣ the fate of a blade has (and always will be) to live and live and live. whether or not they retain their memories is optional.

kuroo tetsurou + gender neutral!reader (no pronouns mentioned)

high fantasy au, angst

2k

this fic is inspired by the video game xenoblade chronicles 2, but knowledge of that game is not needed to enjoy this fic :-) this fic also takes place in the same universe as my ushijima fic simple life, but the stories of both take place independently of each other !!

Wait.

Stop.

"Kuroo?"

You know him; of course you do. You'd recognize the sharp lines of his face from anywhere, any place, any time. You take his appearance in the same way one would thumb through the pages of their favorite book: with familiarity and all the care in the world.

He turns at the sound of his name, his gaze searching for a moment for the source of the sound. When it lands on you, your heart breaks.

He looks about the same as always, hair permanently disheveled and exactly as annoyingly attractive as you remember.

(He used to lord it over you when you'd admitted it to him. "Oh?" he'd asked, chin in his palm and a twinkle in his eye. You had wanted nothing more than for the ground beneath to swallow you whole.)

It's been almost a full year since you've seen him. You didn't think you'd get the chance to ever again.

"Do I know you?" he asks.

You did, you want to scream.

You did—

(Your eyes blink open for the first time. Well, not really; they've blinked thousands, millions of times before. This just marks the first time your eyes have opened to your current incarnation.

For a moment, you think you're seeing double, the girl you assume is responsible for awakening you shadowed by her doppelganger. Ah, you think. They must be identical twins.

Introductions are standard. They have to be, when all you've come into this life with is your name and the innate knowledge of your power. Such is the life of a blade, you suppose. You come into this world with one purpose, one goal: to serve your driver, the person who summons you. 

Thankfully, your driver and her sister look nice enough, but their company does not, all scarred faces and scowls.

"Tough crowd, right?" a voice asks, low in your ear. You startle, whipping around to strike your would-be assailant. It's another blade, judging by the gem embedded in his chest and the vaguely unhuman look in his eyes. He holds his hands up in surrender, a playful grin on his face. "What a way to greet someone you've just met," he drawls. When your body relaxes, he offers his hand for you to shake. "I'm Kuroo. And as for this," he nods to the grim atmosphere of the camp, "you get used to it."

Niceties, it seems, are few and far between when your trade is entirely underground. Both your driver—and Kuroo's, whose driver is the mirror image of your own—were involved with the illegal dealing of core crystals, the very thing blades are summoned from.

You voice these concerns to Kuroo on your second night. "It took me a while to get used to it, too. Turns out our drivers aren't as morally corrupt as the rest of the crew." Blades tended to take after their drivers, their personality overlaid over the blade's to make each incarnation unique. "But hey," he rations, tossing a deep orange gem with one hand, "money makes the world go 'round, doesn't it?")

You did—

("You've got to try harder than that," he teases, the tip of his katana kissing the gem on your chest. "I was just starting to have fun, too." You hiss, ignoring the sting as you get up from where Kuroo's knocked you on your ass.

"Oh, I'll show you fun," you growl. He only smiles, dropping into a fighting stance as you pick up your weapon, a cannon drawing its projectiles from the ether energy in the air. You've long since learned that Kuroo is an opponent you can't hope to beat; there were a select few blades that were lauded throughout history for their power. Kuroo Tetsurou, wielder of the Chaos Uchigatana, happens to be one of them.

But that sure as hell won't stop you from trying.)

You did—

(The sparring sessions become routine, and you end up playing into Kuroo's hands every time. Each blow landed is an uphill battle against his strength, his skill.

Out of all the mornings and nights spent butting heads, you can only remember one instance where you come out on top.

Your breathing is hard, the cannon focused at his head. You'd tumbled into his lap at some point, but your head is hazy with the fog of victory. "I did it," you pant, chest heaving.

"After what?" he asks, as though he wasn't pinned to the ground. "How many losses did it take you, hm? Fifty? Eighty?" The real number—not like anyone was counting—is closer to ninety-seven. You wisely choose not to tell him that.

"You're not going to take this from me," you tell him as your breathing evens out, crooking a finger at him. Only then do you notice the space—or lack thereof—between you. You scramble to get up, offering him a hand. It's warm. Calloused. Fits perfectly in your own.

You try not to think about it.)

You did—

("What is this, Kuroo?" You're the only two awake, up for the last shift of guard duty while the rest of camp snoozes under the night sky. The only light around is the campfire Yaku set up hours ago. It burns low, crackling enough to cut through the silence.

"What is what?"

"Don't play dumb with me," you mutter from his shoulder, a bit muffled. "We both know you're smarter than that." His shoulders rise a bit, like a wave cresting and falling as he exhales from his nose in a half-laugh.

"Let's say," he deflects, "one of our drivers dies tomorrow." 

“How morbid. Are you talking about my driver?”

“Why would I be talking about your driver? It could be either of us. That’s the point of a hypothetical situation. It’s not likely to happen.”

“You tell me, Mr. Ninety-Seven.” You’re sure he’ll take the compliment, say something about how his total number of wins against you has gone up into the hundreds, but he surprises you with what he says next.

“Don’t pretend like we’re not equals.” When you huff, he exhales, refocusing.

"Let me finish. Let's say one of our drivers dies tomorrow. One of us returns to our crystal. When they're reawakened," he does his best to crane his neck, trying to make eye contact, "we won't remember this. We won't remember us."

"Yeah." It's a fact of life; blades only live as long as their drivers do. They return to the conscious, corporeal plane once they're reawakened. It's something you know, something you'll always know, through this life and the next. You're sure there are countless people, blades and drivers alike, that have been wiped clean from the slate of your memory. "And?"

"Is it so bad," he says, barely audible, like he's trying to convince himself to believe it rather than persuade you into agreeing, "to be so selfish with your present because you'll never remember the past and aren't promised a future?")

You did—

(The next job ends in an ambush from some of the competition.

You're sure the exertion will weigh on you later, but right now, you relish in it. You've long since passed the point of being one with your driver. The ether bond between you causes you both to glow golden with the raw energy being used, and she handles your cannon with ease. They say that it's during battles that the lines that separate driver and blade are the most muddled, and right now, you know it to be true. You’re certain that you two can take on whatever comes, that you’re on top of the world and nothing will take you down.

So you do just that, the cannon's shots of ether echoing into the night, against the rock walls of the cliffs surrounding the valley.

The dust clears. The euphoria of battle begins to seep out of your bones.

Your driver's twin sister—Kuroo's driver—lies broken and bloody on the dry grass.

"No," your driver sobs, her eyes glassy in a way you've never seen in all your months together, "you said it was us against the world." Her voice cracks, "You said-"

"I know what I said." Kuroo's driver has always been the more rational twin, hasn’t she? When she smiles, her teeth and gums are stained red. "I meant it. Still do." Her words are punctuated with a gurgle bringing with it a bubble of blood that pops on her lips. "It always will be. Now run."

"What-"

"Reinforcements are coming!" Yaku shouts, out of breath as he runs in your direction. You're not sure if it's because of exhaustion or because his driver's life force is ebbing away, the ocean itself receding in time for low tide.

"I can't leave you behind," your driver cries, tears running down her cheeks unbidden. Kuroo is fighting them off by himself, a speck barely recognizable in the distance. He's winning, too—for now.

A blade with a driver on their last legs won't last. The realization is heavy as it drops to the pit of your stomach, like a pebble creating ripples in a pond.

"You have to. What's the first thing we learned on the job?"

It's one of the first things you learned about the job, too: when things go south, it’s time to bail out.

You're told to run and not look back.

You and your driver—you're sure it's a trait inherited from her—have never been good listeners.

When you chance a glance behind you, you're just in time to see Kuroo and Yaku's core crystals fall to the ground as their driver takes her last breath.)

You did.

(Life is dull after that. Colors are no longer as vibrant, the excitement that came with each day long gone. You wonder if that excitement was something that came with Kuroo alone.

Gone are the sparring sessions, the late nights spent on watch duty. You know your driver has it worse; she's despondent half the time, enough for the crew to leave her to fend for herself.

"We have enough money," you tell her one afternoon. The coins clink softly as you draw the strings of her purse closed. "Let's buy a place somewhere. I hear Uraya is nice this time of year. Would you like that?"

"Yeah," she replies. The firecracker you’d come to know and love has fizzled out. "I'd like that."

You pretend to not notice the locket she clutches close to her chest when the nightmares get the best of her. When you'd first awakened, Kuroo had been the one to tell you the story behind it: it was the first thing the two of them bought with the money from their first job.

You wonder where Kuroo and Yaku are now, eyes trained on the view of the sky from the window of the inn. You wonder if they've returned to the land of the living.

But thinking like that won't get you anywhere; after all, even if they were, it wouldn't be the Kuroo and Yaku you know.)

His eyes are guarded, entirely without recognition. In the end, he was right. (And you're sure that if Kuroo—your Kuroo, not this Kuroo that stands before you—was still around, this would be yet another victory held over your head. You find it a little annoying that he's still winning, even now.)

In the end, you are the one left with the memories. The weight of them is enough to bring you to your knees, to drag you into the depths with no chance of ever seeing the light again. Every fiber of your body wants to reach out to him, to ask "Don't you remember me?"

But you've had your share of selfishness.

Your driver is waiting for you to return with the groceries. (She's taken to cooking these days. She's no good at it, but the humming you hear from the kitchen on good days makes eating her awful dishes more than worth it.)

You swallow, but it does nothing to get rid of the lump in your throat.

"No," you smile up at him. The edges of it are a bit too strained to be genuine, and he notices. You’ve known him long enough that you can read his tells, the slight narrow of his eyes when he picks up on something poorly concealed. He’s perceptive, as always. You suppose some things never change.

(Your Kuroo knew you. He knew you well enough that the slightest change in mood would tip him off. But then again, that feels like ages and years and lifetimes ago.

Now, you’re just a stranger that’s stopped him in the middle of the street.)

"You don't."