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cressidagrey · 2 months ago

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Stars all aligned - Chapter 14

Summary:

If there was one thing that both Azriel and Zahra Archeron had in common, it was that they were both very good at blending into the background.

They just never thought that their family were going to be the ones who never saw them at all.

Warning:

I'll keep the warnings, even though there is no outright mention in this part: Bashing of like...every IC member? Especially the Archeron Sisters, discussion of chronic pain, discussion of Infertility, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Underage Prostitution, Underage Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Accidental Baby Procurement

If any of this triggers you or makes you uncomfortable, please, take care of your own mental health and don't read it.

(Lovely dividers thanks to @sweetmelodygraphics)

“I want to go home,” Zahra said softly, Azalea slumbering safely between them. His mate, his wife… she was subtly golden glowing that morning, looking like the sun incarnate.

It was more obvious now…or maybe he just saw it more than he had before. Or maybe it was because Zahra was happy. Content.

“Are you sure, sunshine?” He asked her softly, his thumb tracing her cheek. “There is no need to rush.”

There wasn’t.

He was willing to take all the time in the world right here in Rosehall with the two of them. And maybe a part of him…a part of him was hoping for some more time before the insanity of their family was going to descend on them.

Azriel didn’t believe for one moment that that was over already.

“I want her to come home to the cottage,” Zahra said softly. “Though we’ll need to figure out some way to…extend it maybe?“

They had talked about it before in passing, comments about adding an office… but now they would be adding a nursery. And maybe other rooms as well when they were already at it.

Azriel could feel the warmth of his mate’s body against his, their daughter sleeping peacefully between them. He was acutely aware of her golden glow, of her scent, of the press of her hand against his chest. The knowledge that this female, this beautiful, strong, incredible person, was bound to him for eternity was a heady joy. A light in the darkness.

He pressed a soft kiss to Zahra’s forehead, his wings curling around them again.

"Of course, Sunshine," he murmured against her skin. "We’ll return home."

Whatever she wanted.

Her request was so simple, and yet he understood the importance of it entirely. The cottage was home, yes, but more importantly it was part of their story. Their story together. Their lives with their daughter.

“Your sisters won’t be patient forever,” he warned Zahra nontheless.

It wouldn’t be pretty. He knew that. She knew that too.

Zahra looked at him, fierce green eyes meeting his.

“I don’t care,” she murmured, her gaze steady and unwavering. “I am not going to hide. I am not going to wait because they don’t like me or the choices I made. I don’t care, Azriel,” she told him flatly.

Her fingers brushed against his cheek, her touch gentle yet firm. “Azalea is my priority. You are my priority. I’ll deal with my sisters if I must,” she told him, her voice soft yet filled wth conviction.

Azriel had thought it was impossible to love her more than he already did, but with every look, every word, she proved him wrong.

He couldn't imagine a life without her, without their daughter. He couldn't imagine living without Zahra by his side.

He had found his mate, his love, his everything.

"We belong together," he whispered, his voice full of love and promise.

"Always."

His lips found hers, his hands gently cupping her face as he kissed her.

Her lips were warm and soft against his, and he could feel the love radiating from her.

He wanted to stay in this moment forever. With the beautiful woman he loved more than anything, their daughter nestled between them.

The rest of the world could wait.

All that mattered was this. This moment.

His fingers trailed over her face, tracing the curve of her lips, the line of her jaw.

She was his. And he was hers.

Nothing could ever take that away. Nothing could ever come between them.

Azriel would fight for her, and for their daughter, until the end of time.

She pulled back, resting her forehead against his.

"Besides, I can't ignore them forever," Zahra said quietly.

Azriel chuckled softly against her lips, his hand moving to cup her face gently.

"You could try," he replied softly, a teasing edge to his voice.

He traced her lower lip with his thumb, his gaze locked on hers.

"You should be able to. They owe you at least all the time you want," he told her softly.

Zahra sighed.

"They don't owe me anything," she disagreed quietly.

Azriel frowned at that, his brows furrowing slightly.

He had hoped that she wouldn't say something like that.

He knew that she felt like she didn't deserve anything, that she wasn't owed anything. But it was so untrue.

She deserved everything.

"Zahra…" he began softly, but she cut him off before he could say anything else.

"Stop," she said firmly, her hands gripping his shirt tightly.

She was too gentle. Too kind.

But he knew he couldn't force her to see it the way he did.

He would do anything to protect her, their daughter. Even if it meant accepting her forgiveness of the people who had done her so wrong.

It didn't mean he had to like it though.

He pressed another kiss to Zahra's lips, his hand moving to trace down her spine.

He wanted to protect her, to keep her close and shield her from all that was wrong in the world.

But he also knew that Zahra was strong, that she had the strength to make her own decisions.

Even if he didn't necessarily agree with them.

"You're too damn forgiving," he murmured softly against her lips, his voice husky with emotion.

His hands curled around her body, pulling her close, his lips never leaving hers.

He held her tightly, his body enveloped her in a tight embrace.

“I am not,” Zahra disagreed. “But quite frankly, I would rather not spent my energy on them when I could spent it on Azalea.”

Azriel nodded in agreement, his body still wrapped around her.

He understood her reasoning. It was better to focus on what truly mattered. Their daughter.

"You're right," he murmured against her hair, his wings twitching in agreement. "She is our priority," he said, his voice firm. "Nothing else matters."

Not even his own anger at his family. All that mattered was his wife and daughter.

He leaned back slightly to look at her, his hands running over her back in soft circles.

"I love you," he said softly.

It was a plain truth. Something he felt was worth repeating as often as possible. He knew she was aware of his love for her, but it would never hurt to remind her.

Azalea let out a little noise then, her small hand fisting in Azriel's shirt.

Both of their gazes went to their daughter, their eyes filled with affection. She looked small and so innocent, wrapped up in their embrace.

"There you are, sweetheart," Azriel murmured, a soft smile on his lips.

He let his hand brush over their daughter's head, a feeling of warmth spreading through his chest.

"Just like her mother."

Zahra chuckled softly at the compliment, her eyes twinkling.

"Flattery will get you everywhere, Shadowsinger," she teased, her voice low. She leaned in, pressing a kiss to Azriel's cheek. "You're lucky you're so good at it."

She winked at him slyly, a mischievous glint in her eyes, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

There wasn’t much to pack up. The things Zahra had brought, the chest that houses the few pieces of clothing Esmeray had made for Azalea… Which prompted the shadows curling themselves around his wings, May we go shopping, Master?

Azriel paused at the question, his brows rising in surprise. He should have expected it.

They were an extension of him. The desire to shop for their daughter was simply reflection of his own desire to spoil the little girl. Of course, the shadows would want to buy things for their daughter, he thought. It was quite natural for them to want to provide anything and everything to his child.

"They want to go shopping?" Zahra asked him with some amusement and he realised that they must have spoken loud enough for her to hear. He just shrugged. "Let them," she said easily. "And if you want to buy some furniture, be my guest."

He leaned down to press a kiss to Zahra's cheek, his hand coming up to her chin to tilt her face to him. "Thank you for understanding," he murmured softly.

"Maybe they'll find a crib for her," Zahra said drily. "I feel like a horrible mother already."

Azriel frowned at that, his brows knotting together. He didn't like her saying that.

She should never feel that way. Ever.

"You're not a horrible mother, sunshine," he said, his voice firm but gentle. "You're a wonderful mother. Our daughter is happy and healthy. That's what matters."

He reached up to cup her face, his thumb tracing over her cheek. "You're doing everything you can for her. And that's all anyone could ever ask for."

Zahra gave him a hesitant smile. "I never want her to feel as alone as I did," she said softly.

Azriel's expression softened at Zahra's words, his heart aching at the thought of her feeling so alone. He'd do everything in his power to make sure she never felt that way again.

"Of course not," he said, his voice soft and full of love. "Our daughter is never going to feel alone. She's going to be surrounded by so much love. From us, from our family. She's going to grow up knowing that she is loved. That we would fight to the ends of the world for her.” He pulled her closer in his arms, his wings wrapping around them. "I promise you," he whispered in her ear, his breath warm against her neck. "Our daughter will never feel the way you did. She will be safe and loved. We'll make sure of it. "

The sound of Azalea's soft whimper interrupted any further conversation between them.

"I think she wants something too," Azriel observed with a chuckle, looking at their daughter.

The little girl looked up at them with clear demand in her eyes, her tiny hands reaching out to them.

"Seems like she wants us to pay attention to her," Zahra said with a smile, her expression filled with adoration as she looked down at their daughter.

"Always so demanding, it seems," he quipped with a warm smile.

He reached down to pick up Azalea, holding her gently in his arms.

“Let’s go home,” he said softly.

They promised his mother that they would come to visit soon, and then it was simply a question of him wrapping his wife and daughter into his shadows and winnowing them home to their little cottage.

The world around them shifted and blurred, a surge of darkness and weightlessness as the shadows swirled around them.

And then they were there, standing in the middle of the living room in their cottage.

The shadows had been busy already, Azriel reflected drily. They must have started before even asking for permission.

Zahra gave a shocked laugh, as she saw the bookcases lining one wall of the living room.

The cottage, which had once contained little more than the basics, was now filled with furniture and decorations. A new sofa, that somehow managed to compliment the horrible ugly armchair, and new curtains adorned the main room, along with several of Azalea's new toys and baby supplies.

"This is…a lot," Zahra muttered, looking around their home with wide eyes.

Azriel couldn't help a small, proud smile from forming on his lips. "Did you expect anything less?" he drawled, his voice laced with amusement.

He hadn’t. There was a touch of pride in his gaze at the sight of his mate and daughter in their home.

He shifted their daughter in his arms, the baby's weight a comforting presence against him.

"Are you complaining about how our daughter's needs are being met?" Azriel teased, his hand reaching out to brush a strand of Zahra's hair from her face.

Zahra huffed in response to Azriel's teasing, but there was a smile on her face.

"Of course not," she said with feigned indignation. Zahra wrapped her arms around him and their daughter, her eyes twinkling with humor. "I'm simply astounded by your ability to spoil me and our daughter so thoroughly."

Azriel chuckled, pulling her closer to him, his wings enveloping them both.

"It's not spoiling if it's deserved," he replied, his voice low and husky as his lips brushed against her neck.

A proper bed was in the bedroom now, big enough for them to share, even if Azalea slept with them, which Azriel thought was quite likely.

Zahra stole Azalea who looked around wide eyed and showed her the kitchen her soft voice carrying through the room.

Azriel just watched.

He was filled with a sense of contentment as he watched them together, his chest filing with warmth

The sight of his wife and daughter exploring their new home…he couldn't imagine a life better than this, a family more perfect than what he had.

Rhys? he reached out carefully. We are home.

As Azriel reached out through their link, Rhys’ voice filtered into his mind.

You're home? Everything alright?

The concern in his voice was plain, his tone laced with worry, his surprise palpable.

Everything's fine, Azriel reassured him quickly, his answer swift. The last thing he wanted was for Rhys to be concerned or worried. We're alright. No need to panic. Zahra wanted to bring Azalea home.

Zahra wants to bring her home? Rhys echoed through their mental connection, bewilderment evident in his voice.

Yes, she wanted her home, Azriel affirmed, his voice calm and steady.

He could sense Rhys’ trepidation though, the question in his mind before he even asked it.

A question that they both knew the answer to.

I doubt we'll be able to keep her sisters away for much longer, Rhys warned him quietly.

Azriel's lips pressed into a thin line at Rhys's words, a wave of irritation rising in him.

He knew that. But that didn't meant that Azriel was a fan of it.

If they upset my wife or my daughter, I won't stand for it, he growled.

He knew Rhys could sense his anger through their mental connection, the protectiveness he felt for Zahra and Azalea.

For a moment it was quiet. Then...Your wife? Rhys demanded. Azriel?!

Azriel sighed, realizing that Rhys had picked up on his unintentional slip. He hadn't meant to reveal the truth just yet, but it seemed that he had inadvertently done just that.

Yes, my wife, he admitted softly.

You got married and didn't tell me?! Rhys's voice thundered across their minds in clear surprise and shock.

His reaction was predictable, but Azriel could hear the hint of offence in his voice.

You should shut up, we didn't know about you and feyre either, he shot back.

That's different, was Rhys's only response through the link, his voice almost whining.

Azriel rolled his eyes; Rhys was the High Lord of the Night Court, the most powerful being in their world, and yet he was sulking like a child.

We just wanted something small, just for us, Azriel answered with a mental shrug.

I probably shouldn't even be surprised, Rhys said with a sigh.

We didn't want Azalea to be a bastard, Azriel offered with some amusement.

Rhys’ sigh sounded through the link again before his brother replied through the mental connection.

So you are just being responsible. That’s a first, Rhys teased though his mind, Cassian will insist on throwing you a party, he warned.

Azriel rolled his eyes again; he could already imagine the glee in Cassian's eyes when he found out.

His brother would be relentless.

Let him try, he shot back. He won't get past the shadows.

Rhys laughed aloud at that, the sound echoing through their mental connection.

You underestimate his determination. You know there will be a party, whether you like it or not, Rhys insisted, his tone laced with amusement.

***

Zahra looked around the cottage as she held their daughter in her arms, her eyes taking in the sight of the new furniture and decorations.

There was a new bed, a rocking chair, and toys and supplies for their baby all over the cottage.

“You really went all out,” she said aloud.

But she loved it. She loved all of it.

The cottage had been hers since she won it in that stupid card game...but now...now it was a proper home. Their home. Home for Zahra and her family, for her mate and her daughter. Nothing that she thought she would ever have.

Nothing that she would ever want to lose.

She watched as Azriel settled onto the horrible armchair, his large form taking up the space. He spread his wings out behind him, the sight of them making the space look even smaller. He patted his lap, a clear invitation.

She understood the silent gesture and moved over to him, taking a seat on his lap, their baby on her lap.

Azriel's arms encircled them both, holding them close as he wrapped his wings around them, enveloping them in his warmth.

He dropped a kiss on top of her head, his breathing slow and steady, his heartbeat calm and comforting.

She let her head rest against his chest as his hand moved to stroke Azalea's head.

"I told Rhys about the wedding," he said softly.

Zahra chuckled at that, leaning her head back to look at him.

“How did he take it?” her eyes were filled with curiosity.

Azriel chuckled as well, his fingers gently stroking along her leg, his touch warm and comforting.

“As well as you could expect,” he replied, his voice filled with amusement. “He was shocked and offended that we didn’t tell him or invite him to the wedding. His ego may never recover.”

Zahra just snorted. "It was perfect," she disagreed. "Just us." Just the way she liked it.

The shadows swarmed around them at that, playing with her hair and Azalea squealed as she reached out for one swirling tendril. It held still for her, letting pudgy baby hands grip at it and wove through her fingers excitedly.

Azriel chuckled at the sight their daughter's interaction with his shadows.

"She likes them, huh?" Azriel observed, his voice filled with humour.

Zahra watched as Azalea's pudgy baby hands gripped at the tendril, her wide eyes watching it intently. She couldn’t help but giggle at the look of intense concentration on Azalea’s face.

Another tendril unceremoniously dumped a velvet jewellery box on Zahra's lap at that moment. Like a silent We need to do everything around here!

Zahra's eyebrows rose as the box appeared in her lap, her gaze moving from the box to Azriel.

"And what is this?" she asked, the corner of her lips twitching as she tried not to laugh.

"Open it and find out," Azriel said drily.

Zahra chuckled and rolled her eyes, but her fingers lifted the lid off the box anyway.

She couldn't help her curiosity. As she looked inside, her eyebrows lifted again. "Oh," she breathed, her eyes widening as she took in the contents.

Two matching gold wedding bands laid there in the velvet. Simple. Unassuming.

She had never loved any piece of jewellery more, as she lifted the bigger one to slide it over Azriel's ring finger.

Azriel watched silently as she put the ring on his finger, his expression tender and soft.

And as she moved to put her own ring on, his hand stopped her.

"No," he said firmly, his voice low and demanding. She looked at him, surprised by his denial. "Why?" she protested, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Azriel gave her a sly smile as he took the smaller ring from her hands, his fingers gently caressing her skin.

"Because that’s my job,” he said simply.

Zahra's breath caught in her throat at his words, the intensity in his voice making her heart race. She swallowed, her eyes darting between the ring and his face. "Is that so?" she replied, the words coming out huskier than she’d intended.

Azriel's lips curled into a smirk as he heard the change in her voice. His grip on her hand tightened as he brought her fingers up to his lips, his eyes darkened further as he kissed them softly.

He took the ring then in his free hand, holding it between them. "It is," he answered firmly. "I am your husband."

Her lips parted in surprise at his demand, a flutter of anticipation in her chest. Azriel's eyes remained focused on hers, his gaze burning with a possessiveness that should have scared her.

Instead, all it did was make her want him more.

Her mind went blank as he gently picked up her ring finger and, with a single fluid movement, eased the gold wedding band over it.

Zahra’s heart skipped a beat when he slid the ring onto her finger, his touch lingering on her hand for a moment longer than necessary.

He held up her hand and turned it gently, studying the ring on her finger with an expression of satisfaction.

"It looks good on you," he said, his voice low and rough. His gaze flicked up to hers, his eyes almost glittering.

Azalea took that moment to yawn. Zahra couldn’t help but coo slightly. Azalea's little yawn caught Azriel's attention, and his gaze immediately moved to the baby in her lap. His lips curled into a soft smile at the sight of her.

"Someone's sleepy," he said, his voice filled with affection.

He reached out his hand to run it over her soft hair, watching as the baby's eyes fluttered closed.

“Let’s lay her down for a nap and I’ll tell Violet that we are back home,” Zahra said softly. And probably ask her for…well. They needed to figure out the childcare situation after all. No more 10 hours days hunched over her kitchen table..but then she had made quite the dent in the accounts of a few decades already.

Azriel nodded, his eyes still fixed on their sleeping daughter.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," he agreed, his voice soft. "I'll take her."

He stood up, carefully picking up Azalea in his arms. The baby shifted slightly, but then settled back into a deep, peaceful sleep against his chest.

Zahra had not expected for Violet to show up at her front door 3 hours later, out of breath and shoving a gift bag into Zahra’s arms. “The next time you get a baby, I need a forewarning!” Violet declared. Zahra couldn’t help laughing heartily, her eyes glittering in amusement.

Violet’s declaration and the breathlessness in her voice were priceless. She took the gift from her friend’s hands. “You want to meet her?” Zahra teased, her voice filled with affection.

Violet, still huffing and catching her breath, gave her a mock glare. "You really are not funny," she said in an irritated tone.

But despite her irritation, there was a small hint of a smile on her lips. Zahra could see the affection in her eyes.

“Of course I do!” Violet said brightly.

Zahra opened the door wide.

As Violet entered the cottage, her eyes immediately went to Azalea and Azriel, who were sitting on the floor, engrossed in their game.

She watched as Azriel carefully played with their daughter, his big hands surprisingly gentle and tender.

The sight was nothing less than heart melting.

“Oh, she’s adorable,” Violet cooed. Zahra chuckled, the corners of her eyes crinkling in amusement.

She had never expected her friend to swoon like an enamored girl.

“She is, isn’t she?” Zahra agreed with a smile, her heart swelling with maternal pride.

Violet moved further into the room, her eyes still fixed on Azalea as she stepped closer to them.

Zahra watched as the baby giggled happily, her tiny hand reaching out to grab Azriel's fingers.

Zahra could see the tender look in Azriel's eyes as he played with their daughter, his expression filled with love and adoration. And then Azalea spied Violet and started at her wide eyed, dark eyes fixed on the purple wings sprouting from Violet’s back.

She stared at them intently, her expression filled with fascination and awe.

Azriel chuckled at his daughter's reaction, his hand gently stroking her head.

"Seems like she’s quite interested in your wings," he commented, his eyes sparkling in amusement.

He watched as Azalea reached out a small hand toward Violet, her tiny fingers grasping for the shimmering wings.

Violet couldn't help but smile at the baby's interest.

She bent down slightly, bringing her wings closer to Azalea, giving her a better view.

Zahra chuckled at the scene before her.

"Yeah, she’s like a moth drawn to a flame," she joked.

Azalea’s small hand grabbed onto Violet’s wing, her grasp surprisingly firm for such a small baby.

She tugged at the wing gently, clearly curious about the strange appendage.

Violet winced slightly at the unexpected grip but laughed, not seeming bothered by it.

Azriel shook his head, amused by the scene unfolding before him.

"Careful, she's surprisingly strong for being so small," he warned, a fond smile on his face.

Violet just laughed. “Gods, she’s adorable,” she gushes. “Yes, you are!” She cooed at Azalea.

Azalea beamed at the attention, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Her tiny hand released its grip on Violet's wing and she clapped her hands together, as if applauding the compliment.

Zahra chuckled at her daughter's reaction. "She likes you," she observed.

“Clearly,” Violet agreed, her smile growing wider. “She has impeccable taste.”

She reached out a finger, gently tickling Azalea's stomach, prompting the baby to giggle and squirm.

Zahra watched the exchange between her baby and her best friend, her heart swelling with happiness.

"I think she has a talent for endearing herself to everyone," Azriel added, his voice filled with pride.

He watched as Violet continued to interact with their daughter, her hand moving from Azalea's stomach to her tiny hands, which clutched at Violet's finger.

"Must get that from her mother," Violet teased, giving Zahra a playful wink.

Zahra snorted in response, rolling her eyes but unable to contain the smile on her face.

"Oh, please. I don’t see you being immune to her either," she shot back.

Violet laughed out loud at that, admitting defeat with a shrug. "Touché. Your baby’s too cute for her own good."

She turned her attention back to Azalea, her eyes sparkling with playfulness.

Azalea responded gleefully to the attention, her wide eyes fixed on Violet, her attention unwavering as if she couldn’t get enough of her. She cooed and babbled, her hands continuing to grasp at Violet’s finger.

Azriel chuckled at the interaction, enjoying the way his daughter was so enthralled by his mate's friend.

He exchanged a glance with Zahra, his smile mirroring hers.

Zahra couldn’t help but feel a sense of contentment. Seeing her daughter enjoying herself and being showered by adoration was a sight she could get used to.

#acotar fanfiction #azriel x oc #azriel x reader #azriel fanfiction #azriel fanfic #Azriel x Archeron!Reader #Stars all aligned

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moonchild9350 · 28 days ago

Text

Back to you

Summary: in a world where everyone has a soulmate, you find yours in the least expected way.

Pairing: Felix x fab!reader

Genre: fluff, angst, smut, sci fi au, slice of life au

Word Count: 8.8k

Warnings: time jumps, kissing lol, unprotected sex (don't), creampie, making love, dirty talk?, kinda an open ending

Notes: stuck in my sci fi era lol i had this idea for a while and decided to finish it recently. let me know what you think!

If you enjoyed, please consider a like, reblog, or comment as it keep me motivated.

Divider by @sweetmelodygraphics

Please do not copy, translate, modify, use, or repost this work elsewhere without my permission. ©️moonchild9350 (2024)

“We’re done!”

Two words, two little words. Who would have thought those two words would break Felix’s heart. He thought Xania was the one, after all she was supposed to be his soulmate.

Felix turned to walk down Xania’s stairs, taking each step slowly, one foot in front of the other. He scratched his blonde hair, messing up the little hairs that were pulled back into a ponytail. He had a frown on his face, as he contemplated where he went wrong.

Now, without Xania, he was back to square one. He needed to remedy this and fast before others found out. The world frowns upon a twenty five year old bachelor, especially in a world where people have a soulmate assigned to them since birth.

It’s the year 3050, and humanity has improved for the better, natural selection weeding out the weak. Aging is slower due to scientific advancement, where now every year the earth rotates around the sun, humans do not age as they did a century ago. Instead every five years, a human ages one year. In this case, Felix has been twenty-five for five years now. Next year on his birthday, he will finally be twenty six…and still without finding his soulmate.

Felix continues to walk down the street, muttering under his breath, conflicted on what to do next. He would have to go back to the company Soulmate and Co. and file a complaint against the lady who told him Xania was his soulmate. Deciding that this is what he’s going to do, he turns around and hails a hover car, giving the address of the building he needs.

The ride doesn’t take long as the car glides through the sky, bypassing other hover cars and buildings. Once there, he slips a coin into the pouch next to his seat and exits the car. He takes a moment to view the building in front of him, tilting his head back so he can take in the whole thing.

It seems to reach all the way to the sky, the glass reflecting the bright sun that is shining today.

He marches up the steps and through the double doors, walking past the seating area, which is filled with various other clients, some smiling while others are distraught, their heads in their hands. He continues to walk through the foyer, making his way to the front desk.

“The matchmakers please,” Felix tells the person behind the desk.

She nods at his request and signals for a guide to take him to his destination. He follows the lady, to an elevator with glass doors at the end of the hall. She beckons him to enter the glass container and presses a button labeled ‘level 50’ before stepping back with a smile.

The elevator ascends gracefully, gliding on the gears without a sound, the many floors passing by with a blur. A minute passes and then two until he finally reaches the floor he needs. The elevator doors open with a hiss and Felix exits, stepping outside of the box.

He looks left and right, before noticing a directory plastered on the wall straight ahead. He doesn’t give this a second glance, having been here before, but instead makes his way down the hall until he reaches a door with a placard on it identifying “Mavis, Matchmaker”

Felix pushes open the door and marches in, determination in his step. Mavis’s secretary looks up and smiles, waiting for him to approach the desk.

“How can I help you?” She asks pleasantly, ignoring the annoyed face Felix makes at her.

“I need to speak with Mavis,” Felix pauses for a moment before he decides to add, “now.”

The secretary eyes him, most likely deciding if he would be a threat. She must have ultimately decided he was ok because she smiled once more before pressing a button and announcing that he was here.

Felix only had to wait a brief moment when the door to the left opened, revealing a beautiful girl in the doorway. She had the signature insignia, signaling that she was a matchmaker plastered on her chest for all to see.

“Mr. Lee,” she said shocked, her eyes widened at the sight of him.

“Mavis, I need to speak with you.”

Mavis stepped out of the way, beckoning him into her office. Felix quickly walked over, sitting in one of the many chairs scattered throughout the small office.

“What can I do for you? If I remember correctly, you had found your soulmate? Why are you here?”

Felix looked at mavis incredulously. “Why am I here? Because xania broke up with me! She’s not my soulmate, which means you messed up!”

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He was furious, and how can he not be? Because of the matchmakers mistake, he’d be the laughing stock of his family, having to explain that he was told the wrong person was his soulmate.

Mavis looked at him, her eyes widened at the accusation. “Surely there was a mistake. Xania is your soulmate…the roster confirmed it,” she hurriedly said as she pulled up a database with her fingers.

She scanned the various documents, her hand moving this way and that as she looked up his profile. finding the page she needed, she stared at it for a moment, her eyes moving across the screen.

As she came to a certain area, her eyes widened and her mouth opened as she took a deep breath. Recovering quickly, she straightened up and looked at Felix.

“It seems there indeed was a mistake. I am so sorry Mr. Lee. Xania was not your soulmate.”

Felix stared at Mavis, fighting the urge to say something he would regret. Instead he said, “thank you, yes there has been a mistake. And now I need you to tell me who is my soulmate.”

Mavis hesitated, not sure what to say. “Well…I can but it’s complicated. It seems like your true soulmate is already bound to someone else…”

Bound to someone else? Shit. What is he to do now? His soulmate is galavanting with another person.

“So what do I do now?” Felix asked dejectedly, his head hanging down.

Mavis thought for a moment, considering the options. Typically there’s no way to go back and change the pathway of things, but she had pity on Felix. After all it was her mistake.

“There is a way…but mind you it’s very dangerous.”

Felix perked up, his ears intent on listening to what Mavis had to say. He’d do anything and he means anything to be with his proper soulmate.

“You can go back in time and find your soulmate, meet them, talk to them, convince them they’re your soulmate. Rewrite the story. You’ll have to time travel, but we can get you there. Five spins around the sun should do it.”

Time travel? Felix didn’t even know such a thing existed, but then again, he shouldn’t be shocked.

“Ok, I’ll do it,” Felix said with determination.

Mavis nodded, pleased with Felix’s answer. She pressed a button on her desk, before speaking softly, “please send a device member to my office.”

She released the button and smiled as she placed her hands on her desk. Felix shifted awkwardly in his seat, unsure of where to look or what to say as Mavis was silent. He decided to look at the files on her shelf, his eyes roaming over script he couldn’t understand.

He looked with interest until the door opened suddenly, causing him to jump slightly in his seat.

“Ah, come in please. Have a seat. “ Mavis said as a shy looking girl in blue scrubs walked in.

She looked curiously at Felix, taking him in. She carefully sat in the chair next to him and looked at Mavis, waiting for instruction.

“Melody, this here is Mr. Lee. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, he needs to go back to the past, specifically five years ago. Can you escort him to the vault and assist him please?”

Melody nodded, a soft smile spreading on her face. “Most certainly.”

Mavis smiled, “great! Well off you both go! Good luck Mr. Lee!”

She swiveled away, her back to Felix and melody. Felix got up as his escort got up and followed her out of the office. They walked through narrow hallways, went down flights of stairs, the walk seeming to go on forever until stopping at a large metal door.

Felix watched as she placed her palm on a scanner, the laser reading her dna ensuring her identity matched who she said she was. A soft beep rang in the otherwise empty corridor, the door springing open slightly.

Melody stepped in between the crack, Felix following right behind her. The door shut with a finite click, locking them within the room.

As Felix faced forward, the lights within the room turned on, illuminating the area with soft light. He scanned the room nothing seeming of interest until his eyes landed on the machine in the center of the room.

It had glass walls, just like everything in the building, a small panel just to the left of the door. Melody walked over to a switch on the wall and lifted it, a soft humming sound present within the room as things powered up.

She went to the panel and started pressing button after button, most likely setting the time frame for which he has to go back. After a while, she turned to face him.

“Mr. Lee, please step within the box.”

Felix cautiosouly walked to the glass box and stepped inside. Despite the walls being made of glass, he couldn’t help but feel a little claustrophobic, the walls closing in on him.

He jumped at the sound of static, melody’s voice echoing in the small chamber.

“I will transport you back to five years ago. You will still be twenty five. Complete your mission but know you only have one year to complete your task, whether you are successful or not. Once you are done, you’ll know what to do in order to get back.”

Felix was nervous, his heart rapidly beating so hard within his chest, he felt as if it would jump out any moment. He wiped the thin sheen of sweat that had formed on his forehead as he stared at Melody through the glass wall.

She gave a thumbs up and smiled before pressing a green button. The humming noise slowly intensified, until there was a buzzing sound echoing in his ear.

The air in front of him started to ripple, the atoms slowly manipulating themselves to transport him to a different time and place.

As his surroundings started to fade and become unrecognizable, he felt a tingle on his skin, almost as if he was being touched with a million needles. The feeling intensified until his belly started to churn, nausea taking over as the air became harder to breathe.

There was a flash of white light and just when he thought he would pass out from the sensation within the room, there was quiet and stillness…but only for a moment.

The air expanded, his breath caught off until…. -- -- It was a clear night, the sky black, the stars twinkling and the moon bright. There was barely any wind blowing, but the trees swayed nonetheless, providing a refreshing breeze on this summer night.

You were laying on a blanket in your backyard, star gazing, enjoying your night off. The night was silent, that is until you heard a low buzz, traveling from one ear to the other.

You dismissed the sound until the buzz got louder, almost deafening. Sitting upright, you looked around, searching for the source of the annoying sound.

You were about to give up after not seeing anything when the space in front of you shifted, a small hole opening up in the night air.

You stared horrified, unable to move as the hole got bigger, and a bright light appeared within the space.

You let out a scream as a man fell from the hole, his arms outstretched as he tumbled through, landing directly on top of you, causing you to fall backwards.

You let out a huff as your head lightly bounced on the soft grass, your eyes wide as you stared at the man who came from nowhere.

He laid there dazed, his eyes trying to focus as he attempted to breathe. You took him in, eyeing his features of dazzling brown eyes that seemed to shine even at night, millions of freckles littering his face like the stars of the night sky, and small, plush heart shaped lips.

This man was beautiful, that you couldn’t deny. An angel for sure sent from heaven. However, that thought dashed from your head as he opened his mouth to speak.

“Oh shit! I’m sorry!” The man said as he scrambled to get off of you, grunting as he fell over in the process.

“Ahh!” You exclaimed, scooting over to him to help him up. “Are you alright?”

He looked at you, his eyes taking you in before he blushed and looked down.

“I’m ok,” he replied softly. “I’m sorry, I um…I think…actually, I have no clue what happened…or if I’m even in the correct place.”

You chuckled as the man stuttered through his explanation, as he clearly had no clue what was going on.

“How about we start with your name?” You suggested, sitting next to him.

“Name. Right. Yeah. Ummm…I’m Felix,” he said as continued to stare at the ground.

“Well, Felix, I’m y/n.”

'Y/n,’ Felix thought, ‘such a beautiful name for a beautiful girl.’ When you said your name, he felt his heart flutter and a warm sensation spread through him, which was contrary to how he felt not even five minutes ago.

He was in the right place. He’s not sure how he knew, he just felt that it felt right deep within.

Felix returned his gaze to you, taking in your calm demeanor, despite just seeing him come out of a black hole essentially. His eyes roamed your face, your eyes trained on him in concern, your lips slightly parted.

He felt his heart race as he continued to stare at you remembering how you felt underneath him, so soft and perfect.

Felix shook his head, coming back to the time at hand. He looked around the yard, taking in the little oasis you had created. There were fairy lights illuminating the space, the lights twinkling in the night air in such a way it almost seemed magical.

In the corner was a hot tub, the steam rising in the air beckoning whoever was near to relax within its waters. He looked down at the ground in which both of you were sitting, taking in the blanket and pillows you had set up.

“Looks like I interrupted you…I’m sorry,” Felix said softly.

“It’s ok,” you said with a smile. You let a moment pass before opening your mouth once more, curiosity getting the best of you.

“So um…time travel?” You said gesturing to the air in which Felix fell from.

You wondered where he came from and most importantly why, especially why he landed within your yard.

“Uh yeah, I’m from the future on a mission,” Felix replied, as his hand ran through his blond locks.

“Ahh the future. What’s your mission?”

Felix hesitated unsure if he should tell you the reason why’s he here. He decided against it, wanting to get a feel first before diving in. He has a year after all, why rush it.

“I can’t tell you that unfortunately,” Felix said apologetically.

You hummed and brushed his statement away, leaving it at that. You knew he would tell you when he’s ready, if at all.

“Well, it’s late and you probably have no where to stay, so you can crash here while you work on your mission if you’d like,” you said as you got up and dusted the dirt from your shorts.

Felix stared at you in shock, surprised you would offer your home to someone you didn’t know so readily.

“Oh..ok, yeah…sure thanks!”

Felix got up as well, reaching down to help you fold the blanket you were sitting on. He followed you to your door, curiosity plastered on his face as you opened the door and stepped into your home.

He was taken aback, the space feeling so…homey. It was decked out in lights, their glow illuminating the space with soft light, making it more intimate. The space radiated a floral scent, one that was intense but surprisingly was not overwhelming in the small space.

Your home was just so…you.

The thought made Felix chuckle in delight.

“Well it’s not much, but this is my home,” you said, gesturing to the small space.

“I like it, it’s very comfortable,” Felix said in earnest.

You smiled and nodded, happy that he liked your little space. You bustled around, making your way to the kitchen.

“Tea?” You asked as your hands started dancing through the air, shifting through the options you had in your inventory.

“Sure,” Felix said watching as you selected an option, the kettle appearing from thin air onto the stove.

You turned the heat on, the flames licking the bottom of the kettle immediately. Felix watched silently as you bustled around the kitchen, humming a little song as you prepared snacks.

The kettle whistled, the shrill sound loud in the otherwise quiet room. You grabbed two mugs and poured the tea before carefully carrying them to the couch. You gave Felix his, and then brought the snacks over.

Sitting down, you looked at the man next to you. He seemed nervous, his fingers drumming on the cup. Your eyes roamed his body, taking in his little frame, his baby face. He really was cute you’d have to say.

Felix looked up at you suddenly, his eyes meeting yours. You smiled reassuringly, hoping he’d understand he can be himself.

It didnt take long for Felix to open up, his bubbly personality shining through. You listened to him talk about his life in the future, his job where he helps others figure out what they want to do with their lives.

He talks about his friends, how close they are and how they’ve saved him more times than he can count. He even mentioned how he thought he found his soulmate, but apparently it was a mistake, one that is rarely made.

You eyed him, noticing that something was off when he mentioned his soulmate. You couldn’t place a finger to it but decided to leave it, knowing he’ll tell you the details when he’s ready.

The night passed in conversation, you feeling at home with Felix which was odd since you’ve just met him. You looked at the clock and noticed how late it was.

“Shit,” you muttered, “I need to get to bed. I work tomorrow.”

Felix nodded and helped you clean up. He knew the night would have to end eventually but he’s sad it did so soon.

“You can have the couch,” you said as you started making a makeshift bed.

Felix stood in the corner watching as you finished his bed and then went to your closet grabbing a shirt. He took it from your hands gratefully.

“Sorry, it’s the biggest I have,” you said sheepishly.

“It’s ok, thanks.”

You nodded, happy he didn’t mind the clothes. “Well I’m going to grab a shower, make yourself at home.”

Felix watched as you grabbed some clothes and stepped into the bathroom, closing the door softly. He heard the shower start, the sound of water hitting the wall.

He sat down on the couch, his eyes roaming around the room. He can’t wait to shower you with love, take care of you, after all you’re his soulmate whether you’ve realized it or not.

-- --

The next morning, you awakened to the smell of bacon, the scent permeating your home. Your belly growled, signaling you to feed it which made you chuckle.

You stretched and stood up before padding to the kitchen. The sight of Felix at the stove cooking made your heart swell, a smile gracing your face. You stood in the corner and watched him, watching as he tried to finish the meal.

He was struggling a little bit but trying nonetheless, little curses falling from his mouth. Turning around he noticed you, causing him to drop the spoon he was holding.

You chuckled at his clumsiness, bending down to pick up the utensil.

Felix was startled at the sight of you, his cheeks instantly reddening. There you stood in your little sleep shirt and shorts, leaving nothing to the imagination. He could see your tits, your nipples hardened and poking through the silk. His eyes wandered down to your ass, so round and plush within the little shorts.

He looked away in embarrassment as you stood up, spoon in hand. He took it from your hand and went back to finishing up breakfast.

You sat down and waited, your chin in your hand. This was nice, a man cooking for you. A cute one at that. Felix walked over with your plate in hand, setting it down in front of you.

“Bon appetite!” He said, bowing slightly.

You giggled and picked up your fork to dig in. The first bite was…interesting so to say, the taste strong mixed with…

“Umm, Felix? Did you use salt in this?”

Felix looked up at you, his eyes wide. “Yeah, I did. Is it too much?”

You shook your head yes, shyly looking down.

Felix put down his fork and bowed his head. “I’m sorry, y/n. I’ll get better I promise. I just wanted to fix something for you after you took me in.”

Now you felt bad, your heart falling at the sight of the little pout that formed on his face. He did work hard to prepare this for you, waking up way before you to do so.

“It’s ok, it’s still good. Let’s dig in ok?”

Felix smiled at your attempt to reconcile, picking up his fork once more. You both ate, enjoying each others company.

It’s been awhile since you’ve had anyone else in the house with you, since you opted to live alone. So it was weird to share such an intimate meal with someone else and a stranger at that.

After eating, you sat back, content that your belly was full.

“Thanks for breakfast Felix. I have to get ready for work now. You can make yourself at home though.”

Felix smiled, happy you enjoyed his meal. He watched as you got up and padded away to your closet, your hips swaying with each step.

He got up and started clearing away the dishes, falling into the routine of cleaning. He had everything planned out, and would start his mission once you left for work.

Felix startled as you came up behind him, now fully dressed with your work uniform, your hair nicely done and your makeup complete to perfection

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. I’m leaving now. If you need anything while I’m gone just call. Here I’ll send you my phone number.”

Felix watched as you scrolled through your book, punching in your number and swiping your finger away sending it to his contact list. He pulled it up, staring at the digital screen in front of him. He saved your number, smiling at the name you gave yourself.

He walked to the door with you, standing aways back as you slipped into your shoes. He wished you a good day at work, watching as you softly shut the door behind you.

Felix stood there for a moment more before turning to go back into your home, ready to set his plan in action.

Day after day, week after week, month after month, Felix doted on you. He made your meals, helped around the house, he did anything you wanted him to do.

You had game nights, movie nights, crafting nights. Any type of activity he could do while spending time with you, he did it.

Felix loved spending time with you too. He learned your habits, how you immediately went to the snack cabinet after work. How you liked your baths, the bubbles not too high, the water hot, and with a glass of wine.

He learned that you didn’t like scary movies, remembering how you locked yourself in the bathroom after a scene, refusing to come out until he coaxed you out with the promise of cuddles.

That was on the agenda tonight, a movie and cuddles. You snuggled in within Felix’s arms, your head on his chest as his arms wrapped around your body protectively.

You were growing to love these quiet moments, just the two of you in a room illuminated with fairy lights. There was a storm brewing outside, the sound of the wind rattling the windowpane. Fall has rolled in into your little town, therefore, it has rained almost everyday, blanketing the world with the little drops falling from the sky.

However, you didn’t mind, being safe and warm within his arms. You nuzzled in, your head rubbing on his chest, causing Felix to look down at you.

“That tickles,” Felix chuckled, squeezing your arm.

“Mm sorry,” you sighed as you repeated your action.

Felix chuckled and returned his attention to the screen. You listened to his heart beating loudly beneath your ear, the rhythm increasing with each passing second.

You smiled at the fact, your eyes traveling back to the movie Felix had picked out to watch. You both went back to watching the movie, the end nearing.

Once the closing scene played, Felix started to shift, causing your head to move. You let out a whine, disgruntled at the fact your pillow was moving.

You slowly got up, your hair disheveled. Felix began laughing, his voice filling your small space as he clutched his stomach. You pouted and swatted at him, crossing your arms in defiance.

Felix wiped the tears from his eyes and pulled you into a hug, his arms wrapping around your body tightly. He squeezed and rocked you back and forth, ignoring your giggles and protests to let you go.

You felt your heart flutter, the cute but intimate moment making your cheeks flush with a hint of red.

Felix continued to rock you, his breath hot in your ear as he laughed. You know how to make him stop. With renewed vigor, you grabbed his shoulder and bit down lightly, your teeth sinking into his soft skin.

Felix yelped and scooted back, his eyes wide as he looked between you and his shoulder.

“You bit me!” He accused, as he chuckled.

You shrugged and giggled, getting up from the couch. You were tired and ready to go to bed. Felix watched as you went through your bedtime routine, his eyes following you with every step you took, forgetting about the slight sting on his shoulder.

Occasionally, you’d stop and strike a funny pose, giggling as Felix laughed at your antics. Eventually Felix got up and started getting his bed ready, as you finished up in the bathroom.

You settled into bed and watched as Felix finished his routine. You chuckled as Felix rushed to his bed, complaining that he was cold. He settled in quickly before sitting up and looking your way.

“Night y/n!”

“Night Felix,” you said blowing him a kiss.

You let out a giggle as Felix quickly laid down and covered himself with his blanket as he let out a little squeak. You turned out the light and settled in, closing your eyes to sleep.

The rain was pelting the windows, the sound calming in the dark. You snuggled in, preparing to sleep when a loud crack of thunder rang out, causing the house to vibrate.

Did you hear a scream? Your eyes snapped open as you strained your ears, listening for the sound again.

Time passed and the rain continued to fall. You were about to close your eyes once more when you heard a soft whisper within the room.

“Y/n?” Felix whispered, listening for your response.

When you didn’t say anything, he repeated his question, calling out to you softly yet a little more loud.

“Yes?” You responded, sitting up within your blankets.

“Can I sleep with you? I’m um…I don’t really like thunderstorms…”

You could hear the panic in his voice, his voice cracking as he said the last word.

“Of course, come here Lix,” you softly said, pulling back your covers for him to join you.

You felt the bed dip and Felix shuffle beneath the covers, scooting as close as he could to you. You wrapped your arms around him, cradling his head to you as if to comfort him.

Felix was shaking in your arms, his face tucked into your chest. He was embarrassed. How could he be your soulmate, the person who’s supposed to love and protect you, if he’s scared of a measly thunderstorm?

He closed his eyes and breathed you in, your scent calming him despite the storm outside. Eventually he lifted his head up and looked you in the eyes.

You stared back at him, holding his gaze as you held him close.

“Thank you,” Felix whispered, his lip turning upwards as if to smile.

“Of course,” you whispered back, as you slowly stroked his back.

You both laid there, listening to the rain and gazing into each others eyes. You were glad it was dark, that way Felix couldn’t see the crimson that littered your cheeks.

The air was charged with want, the need to be close to each other palpable. Felix shuffled closer until his lips were inches away from yours.

You could feel his nose on yours, his ragged breath on your lips as he held onto you. Your heart was beating rapidly, as nerves took over, your palms sweaty as you gripped Felix’s shirt.

“Y/n,” Felix whispered before closing the gap between you, his soft lips pressing gently to yours.

He held them there for a moment more before breaking away, a shaky breath leaving his lips.

“Felix,” you whispered as you connected your lips again, wanting to feel his lips on yours again.

the rain pelted the windows, the thunder rang out, and the lighting illuminates the two of you, tucked away within your blankets, bodies pressed against each other as you lazily pressed your lips together.

The moment was soft, gentle, intimate, as if this moment was meant to be.

And in Felix’s mind, it was, without a doubt fate.

After the eventful night embraced in each others arms, kissing the night away, your relationship turned for the better.

Felix was ecstatic as he felt closer to his goal than ever. He was holding your hand, swinging it back and forth as you both walked home from a day of shopping.

He took the opportunity to spoil you, buying you whatever you wanted. He found himself smiling whenever you would thank him, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“I spy something blue!” You exclaimed, squeezing his hand in yours.

Felix’s eyes roamed the street, looking for whatever had caught your eye. Spotting a blue car, his grinned sure he got it this time.

“That blue car there,” he said as he pointed at the vessel.

“Ugh how are you so good at this?” You whined, pouting at the fact that he got another guess right.

Felix shrugged and chuckled. He pulled you along in the direction of your home, wanting to get back as soon as possible.

A few minutes later, you arrived at your home. Felix pressed his finger against the scanner on the door, the box emitting a tune signaling it accepted his fingerprint. You both tumbled into your home, laughing at the joke you had just made.

Felix dropped the bags he was holding and pulled you in for a kiss, swallowing your shriek of surprise. You relaxed instantly in his embrace, matching his pace as he moved his lips with yours.

He pulled away for a moment before pressing a sweet kiss to your lips again and again until you were giggling, your face warm, and heart fluttering at his affection.

“Such a sweet sound,” Felix cooed as he pressed another kiss to your lips.

“Come on, let’s get the snacks ready! I’m ready to have a nice soak!”

You both decided to have a relaxing night in your hot tub, the weather not too cold or hot. You began cutting up various fruits and veggies, as Felix gathered some sweets.

“Make sure to get my favorite cookies!” You reminded him as he piled the plate high with a bunch of his homemade brownies.

“Right,” Felix said as he snapped his fingers, hurriedly searching through the inventory for your favorite chocolate cookies.

You chuckled and began plating the food you just cut up. Satisfied with your work, you walked to your closet, reaching in to pull out your swim suit.

You let out a shriek as Felix wrapped his arms around you and peppered wet kisses on your neck, mumbling at how beautiful you were.

You giggled as you attempted to get away, but to no avail as his hold on you was iron tight.

Felix spun you around before crashing his lips to yours, kissing you passionately as he moaned. You let out a whimper as he nipped at your lip, your core dripping with arousal as you clutched onto his shirt.

But, what were you doing? You both really shouldn’t be doing…whatever this is.

You pulled away suddenly, ignoring the look of shock on Felix’s face. You grabbed your swimsuit and made your way to the bathroom, letting Felix know you’d meet him outside.

Felix stood rooted in place confused, wondering what he did wrong. He always kisses you like this, shows you this type of affection ever since that night of the storm.

Typically you didn’t mind, fully embracing his kisses, cuddles, and teasing. What made you pull back like that?

Felix slowly turned around and began to change, slipping on his swim trunks and tossing his shirt to the side. He went outside and made his way to the hot tub, his mind preoccupied with what just happened.

He lowered himself in the warm water, sighing as he felt his muscles loosen. Shortly after he got in, you came out, slowly making your way to the hot tub.

Felix tried not to ogle at you, at your curves that were accentuated in the swim suit that barely covered anything. He felt his self blush and his cock twitch.

He needed to calm down and not ruin this night. He took a few deep breaths as he closed his eyes, opening them a few moments later feeling renewed.

You placed the snacks down before getting in and sitting next to Felix.

You both sat there in silence, looking anywhere but at each other. Felix traced the bubbles that popped up in the water, his fingers drifting closer to you.

The tension was thick, palpable in the night air. You tried to focus on the bubbles, the way the warm water enveloped your body, but all you could think of was Felix.

Felix with his bubbly self. Felix and how he takes care of you, cooking, cleaning, treating you as if you are the only woman in the world. Felix with his blonde hair that you love to run your fingers through. Felix with the smile that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside, your stomach doing flips as he looks at you.

Felix. Felix. Felix. That’s all your life has become since you’ve met him. Normally you wouldn’t care but you realized you were developing feelings for him, which was playing with fire.

You had a soulmate out there and so did Felix and here you both were playing house. You felt the tears form, threatening to spill over any moment as you continued to think of him.

You couldn’t do this. Excusing yourself, you got out of the water and walked back to the house. Felix stared after you, his lower lip trembling.

He’s messed up, big time. You can’t even look at him. He stayed a little longer, his mind racing over the last few months and how things were.

He remembers your sweet smile as he cooks yet another amazing meal for you. He remembers your giggles as he spun you around the room, dancing to the slow song on the radio. He remembers your sweet face as he rained kisses down your face and neck, the sweet sounds you’d make as he nipped at your skin.

Things were perfect and he blew it. Wiping the stray tears that had fallen, he gets up and gathers the untouched plates and carries them to the house.

You left the lights on for him, but you yourself were asleep, buried underneath your layers of blankets. He tidied up as quietly as he could and then changed.

He figured you would want your space tonight, so he made his bed on the couch, somewhere he hasn’t slept in ages. As he lays down and looks at the ceiling, his heart breaks once more, this time because of his own stupidity.

He has to fix this, make things right. And he needs to do it soon.

Things between you two did not improve. It was the middle of spring with the flowers blooming and most days the rain fell from the sky blanketing the world with a chill that went to the bone.

Felix still resided with you, still made your meals, made sure you had everything you needed. He gave you your space, too scared to approach you and here you tell him to leave for good.

You worked long hours, opting to stay at the office then be with Felix in your small house. You figured if he was out of sight, he couldn’t plague you with his puppy dog eyes and sweet pouts as he doted on you.

However, that came to an end when Felix pleaded for you to come back at a decent hour and let him cook for you. You wanted to say no, but then he looked at you with wide eyes, his pink lips in a pout.

As you stared at him, you caved agreeing to his dinner. You tried not to break the facade as he grinned, his eyes sparkling at your acceptance.

You left for work as usual, your mind preoccupied with the little night he had planned for you two. You were nervous, not having spent a night alone with him since…well since that one fated fall night.

You willed the day to go slowly, but of course that was not the case, the end of your shift approaching rather quickly.

To make matters worse, your boss let you off early, thinking they were doing you a service to get your weekend started early.

Grabbing your bags, you made your way home, opting to walk instead of riding in a hover car. Approaching your door, you placed your finger on the scanner, the pad turning green.

You stepped in your apartment, taking in the scent of something delicious being cooked in the kitchen. You kicked off your shoes and padded into the kitchen, watching as Felix scampered around the space, adding finishing touches to the meal.

It took him a while to notice you but once he did he yelped, startled at your presence.

“Y/n!” Felix said as he rushed to your side.

“Welcome home!” He said as he grasped your hand, ushering you to the kitchen. “Sit, sit.”

You sat down and waited as he dished up dinner. You had to admit everything smelled and looked amazing. Felix dished his plate and the sat down.

“Well let’s dig in!” Felix exclaimed as he picked up his fork.

You forked some of the pasta into your mouth, your eyes rolling back at the flavors as they burst on your tongue. You recovered quickly as you continued to shovel food into your mouth. How could you be mad at this man when he cooks like this?

Felix watched from the corner of his eyes, pleased that you enjoyed his meal. He needed tonight to go well. He would reveal it all to you, his purpose, his reason.

Halfway through the meal, he decided to begin, thinking it was as good a time as ever.

“Y/n, can we talk?”

You put your fork down and looked at Felix. Here we go, you thought.

“I want to explain to you why I’m here.” Felix took a deep breath before continuing on. “I’m from the future and if you remembered, my soulmate was actually not mines but someone else’s. The matchmakers proposed I go back in time to find my true soulmate, to start over almost. To find…you.”

Silence rang out through the space, neither of you saying a word.

Felix was your soulmate? Felix is your…

Maybe that’s why it just always felt good, felt right with him. Why you always trusted him.

Felix is your soulmate.

You felt your heart beat, your cheeks flush, as you fumbled with your fingers. You didn’t dare look at Felix, ashamed at how you’ve treated him over the last few months.

Shit. What a mess this is.

“Y/n?” Felix inquired cautiously.

“Sorry. I was just processing everything.”

You truly were, your brain trying to wrap around the fact that you found your soulmate.

“I’m sorry. I just felt like you should know. The timing felt right.”

You nodded agreeing. You got up and started clearing the dishes, your mind reeling with his words. Felix helped you, working silently along you.

After you set the dishes down, you turned and almost bumped into him. You muttered an apology and cautiously looked him in the eye.

Felix stared back at you, his lips parted. You watched as a strand of his hair fell in his face. His beautiful, perfect face. You stood still as he came closer, until he wrapped his arms around your waist.

You both stood there in your kitchen, gazing into each other’s eyes, taking in every detail, of the need and lust hidden behind the orbs.

You held your breath as Felix leaned forward to connect his lips to yours, the feeling so familiar, as if he was welcoming you home.

Your lips moved together softly, gently, neither one of you in a rush. You wrapped your arms around his neck, your fingers teasing the hairs there as he deepened the kiss.

Felix moaned as his tongue met yours, the two appendages tangling together in a passionate dance. He needed more of you. He trailed his hands down your waist, your thighs, tapping the flesh to signal you to jump.

You caught on and jumped, wrapping your legs around his waist. Felix walked you to your bed, his lips on yours whenever he got the chance.

Right as he got to your bedroom, he tripped over his feet, dropping you in the process. You landed on your back, shocked as Felix tumbled onto the floor.

“Oh my god! Are you ok?” You asked, scrambling to peer over the edge of the bed.

“I’m fine,” Felix responded, his face red in embarrassment.

You chuckled, not believing that just happened. Felix looked at you in shock, his embarrassment increasing so much so his ears turned red.

“Oh come here,” you giggled pulling him on top of you.

You crashed your lips on his, smiling as he immediately reciprocated. You lost yourself in his kisses as his hands wandered your body, trailing his fingertips along your skin, goosebumps rising in its wake.

Felix moaned as he cupped your breasts, massaging the flesh gently. He could feel his cock swell, straining against the fabric of his boxers. He ground his hips into yours, his bulge nudging your clothed core.

You whimpered at the feel of him, canting your hips up into his, silently begging for more. Felix leaned back and shucked his shirt and sweats off and made his way to you, helping you rid yourself of your clothes.

You laid bare before him, your chest heaving as you panted, your slick leaking out of your pussy.

Felix gazed down at your body, feeling like he was in heaven.

“So beautiful and all mine,” he whispered as he parted your legs to slot himself between them.

He connected his lips to yours once more as he grasped his cock, running it through your folds. You were so wet, your slick coated his length as he teased you over and over.

“Please Lix,” you begged, wrapping your arms around his neck.

You let out a groan as he slowly pushed in, his cock sending shocks of pain through your core as he stretched you open. You whimpered as he continued to push in, slowly, gently until he was completely inside you, his cock sheathed snuggly in your warm walls.

“Are you ok?” Felix asked, concern laced in his eyes.

You nodded and swiveled your hips, silently begging him to move. Felix grinned before pulling out just to push back in right. Over and over and thrusted into you, the pain transitioning to pleasure as he fucked you.

He watched you with every thrust, not wanting to miss your moans, your little pants, the way your eyes rolled to the back of your head as he hit your sweet spot over and over.

“Taking me so well love. God I love you y/n.” Felix groaned as he snapped his hips into yours.

He wasn’t going to last long, not with how you clenched around him, how you whispered his name. He reached down to thumb at your clit, grinning as you let out a squeal at the added pleasure.

“That’s it love, feels good doesn’t it?” Felix teased as he circled the bud, adding more pressure as he dragged his cock within your walls.

You looked up at Felix, how flushed he looked above you as he fucked you, as your walls took him like you were made for him. You felt more arousal gush out of you as you remembered you were made for him.

You were his. He was yours.

And as your mind flooded with that thought, the way his finger thumbed your clit, at how he fucked you just right, your orgasm washed over you causing you to let out a straggled moan.

Your walls clenched around him rhythmically as you came, driving him insane. Felix let out a growl as he stilled his hips against yours, his cum flooding your walls.

He leaned down and pressed his lips to yours, mumbling “you're mine,” again and again.

“I’m yours,” you breathed out as you came down within your lovers arms.

The days passed into summer, each day a treat with Felix by your side. You both have found each other and that was something to celebrate on a daily basis.

Felix showered you with love, waking you up with kisses as he slid between your thighs, making love to you as the sun rose in the sky, bathing you both with its warm light.

He made sure you were well fed, that you wanted for nothing. He peppered you with kisses whenever he could, loving how you would giggle as he kissed your nose, your cheeks, your lips, your neck.

Life was good which is something you haven’t been able to say in a long time. — — You both sat in bed one morning, tangled in each others embrace. As you slid your fingers through his hair, you hummed a little song, happy and content.

Felix lifted his head up and smiled. “What has my love so happy this morning?”

“Hmm maybe you,” you chuckled as you pulled him close.

“Now why is that I wonder,” he teased as he pressed a kiss to your lips and pushed his cock within you.

“Ah Felix!” You groaned as he rocked his hips into yours, slow and gentle as the wind gently blew through your open window.

Felix buried his head in your neck as he brought both of you to your highs, your fingers playing with his hair.

“Y/n, this pussy, your sweet pussy.” Felix moaned as your pussy clenched around him.

“You’re mine!” He growled as he bite into the side of your neck, soothing the area with his tongue afterwards.

“I’m yours!” You whimpered as you came, wrapping your legs around him.

Felix’s hips stuttered as he reached his climax, his seed painting your walls white in the early morning hours.

He collapsed on top of you, steadying his breath as he came down. You both laid there in silence, basking in each other’s afterglow.

“So what happens now?” You asked breaking the silence. “Do I come back with you? To the future?”

Felix thought for a moment. Deep down he knew what he had to do, but he didn’t want to leave you. What if it doesn’t work and he doesn’t see you again in the future?

No, he wasn’t going to take that chance. He would bring you with him.

“Come with me. We can go back together.”

You considered his words for a moment. You didn’t want to part with him, so going with him seemed like the best option.

“Hmmm ok,” you agreed.

“Let’s get dressed and we can go back to the agency and see what we can do.”

You agreed and got up with him. You both showered and got dressed quickly, not wanting to waste any more time.

Felix hailed a hover car and you both got in, directing the driver to go to the agency. Once there, Felix ushered you quickly to the matchmaker’s office, hoping to see Mavis.

He grinned when he saw her, running up to the woman and accidentally startling her.

“Mr. Lee! What are you doing here?”

“I was successful Mavis! I found my soulmate. We’re ready to go back!”

Mavis looked over his shoulder and saw you standing a ways back, swaying back and forth slightly.

“Ah, I can see that,” Mavis said with approval. “Come with me.”

She led both of you to the room Felix was in before, the Time Machine familiar this time around.

“Alright, get in,” Mavis said gesturing towards the glass box.

Felix grabbed your hand and pulled you into the box. Once settled, Felix gave Mavis the thumbs up, signaling you both were ready.

Mavis nodded and pressed a few more buttons, the buzzing sound Felix remembered from last time intensifying.

Felix turned to you and pressed a kiss to your lips.

“I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you too,” you gushed as you squeezed his hand.

The air began to ripple, the room began to disintegrate. The air became thin, both of you gasping for breath as a pain hit your stomachs.

Felix closed his eyes briefly as he felt a stabbing pain in his chest. He squeezed your hand in earnest, hoping it would be over soon.

However, time passed and the feeling remained.

Something wasn’t right.

Felix opened his eyes and stared ahead in horror as his eyes took in the vast emptiness. You were still with him, gripping his hand as tight as you could, your face laced with pain.

“Y/n!” He said, wrapping you in his arms.

Felix looked around. You were both in an empty space, nothing was around. No people, no buildings, no trees. Nothing.

He felt like he was going to throw up, the pain in his chest slowly dissipating, but not fast enough.

You both sank to your knees, kneeling on air, clutching each other.

How is this possible? Where are you? Was there a malfunction with the machine?

Felix screamed for help, pleading, begging for anyone to help him. To help you.

But to his horror, no one came to the rescue, both of you trapped in some type of glitch.

Felix held you in his arms, glancing at your beautiful face. At least he had you, his soulmate.

That’s why he went back into he past in the first place right?

To find his soulmate and here you were with him, in his arms.

His soulmate, someone he can love for eternity and you both had eternity now locked in whatever place you were in.

He brushed your hair away from your face, and gazed into your beautiful brown eyes and whispered

“I love you.”

Taglist: @jehhskz @jeonginsleftcheek @simpforleeknaur @armystay89 @palindrome969 @slut4hee @ivydoesit23 @amarecerasus @kaysungshine @fun-fanfics @baby-stay92 @velvetmoonlght @possum-playground

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marvelstoriesepic · 13 days ago

Text

Whumpcember (day 12)

Pairing: Bucky x Reader (Zombie apocalypse au)

Prompt: I have nowhere else to go

Word Count: 5.8k

Warnings: Enemies to lovers; zombies; mentions of murder; blood; death

Author’s note: This got a little too long for a fic that was initially meant to be a Drabble but I couldn’t bring myself to let it end earlier. And this was quite fun, since I’ve never written something like this before.

[Divider by @sweetmelodygraphics ]

Masterlist | Whumpcember Masterlist

Your side is stinging terribly, pulsing with every unsteady step.

Your legs fail at mimicking a normal stride, falling back into a limp.

Your hands tremble, defying every command to just stay still.

Your lungs sear with every breath, dragging air like fire down a raw throat.

Your head swims in chaotic loops, spinning with images and echoes you can’t escape.

Your shoulder and back throb from an impact you took earlier, sharp pain shooting up your spine with every jolt of your uneven stride.

The enormity of what just happened refuses to fit neatly into thought.

The sun is not even all up in the sky and your day already took a turn so cruel, you are teetering on the edge of collapse.

You stopped keeping track of time since this whole apocalyptic shit began but it's safe to say that you just lost everything you had in the span of maybe three hours.

You are exhausted. You are tired. You are in fear. You are in shock.

Acknowledging all of that is dangerous right now.

The world feels off-kilter.

Nausea rises again. Though there is nothing left in your stomach. You already emptied it on the forest floor before you stumbled into the trees, desperate to escape.

The acrid taste still lingers at the back of your throat.

The trees around you sway in your periphery, tall shadows painted in moonlight. It’s not the wind that makes them sway. It’s your vision. Branches claw at the sky like the dread claws at your resolve.

Your body is screaming at you to stop and collapse into the dirt, but you know if you let it, you won’t ever stand back up again.

You have to keep going.

You have to press on.

Your world has crumbled into rot and hunger, and all you have left is the instinct to run.

Run and survive.

Whatever that means now.

You have no sense of the distance you’ve put between you and the nightmarish scene you had to leave behind, no measure of the miles your aching legs already crossed.

You don’t know if they are right behind you. If they’re even coming for you.

It was barely dawn when they came.

It wasn’t a warning shot or a distant sound that reached the camp first. No, it was the impact.

The sound of boots trampling through the undergrowth, bodies charging through the trees, wild shapes silhouetted against the rising sun. Barked commands that carried no meaning, only menace.

You had barely time to register what was happening when they were already in the heart of the camp.

They scattered supplies, spilled meager rations into the dirt, kicked apart the fire pit still faintly glowing from the night before when your small group all sat in a circle around it.

With the first scream, violence erupted.

Blades flashed and mocking laughter rang out from all sides as you heard your companions cry out in terror and pain.

They scrambled from their makeshift shelters, some clutching weapons, others still groggy, confused, unarmed. There was no time to gather thoughts, no time to plan. The raiders were already upon you, tearing through tents and slaughtering everyone in their way.

You watched as Caleb lunged for them, but they cut him down before he even reached anybody.

You tried to get little Benjamin to safety but he got ripped away from you in a matter of seconds and you only felt the slash of a knife against your side.

You heard the guttural sobs of Jonna and her wide eyes as she couldn’t tear them off the lifeless body of her husband. You tried to reach her, grabbing her and getting her away but before you could, she got hit and fell. Just like her husband had moments earlier.

The thud of bodies hitting the ground, the clash of metal, the desperate screams of the people you knew and trusted, cutting off as quickly as they began, the splattered blood everywhere across the ground, slick on leaves, staining clothes of people who’d been alive only seconds earlier. Blood that is all over you, painted in your hair, in your face, on your hands-

You heave the bile against a nearby tree.

Your throat burns. The images burn. The memories burn.

The world is already torn apart as it is but they ripped at everything you had fought for.

You were pinned on the ground at one point. Brutally shoved down and the impact took your breath away. However, you were able to move out of the way of the knife that was meant for your face and instead buried into the ground. The surprise of your attacker weakened his hold on you and you were able to flee, but not without taking a few more hits.

Your friends were dead. Everything was destroyed.

So you ran.

You ran, stumbled, fell, scrambled up, and ran again.

You wondered if the raiders stayed to strip your makeshift camp bare or if they followed you. The last one alive. The one that slipped through their grasp.

Or maybe they’ve decided you’re not worth the effort, and your life hangs by nothing but chance.

After all, you feel death knocking on your door. And it will kick it in, hinges breaking and wood splintering if you don’t open it yourself.

But you won’t.

You push on. You will push your body to its breaking point.

Even if your mind shatters way before your body does.

Because you know you will crumble if you allow your thoughts to win over your body.

You just lost everything you had.

Your group was only on the move.

The camp was supposed to be a fleeting thing. A place to catch your breath from traveling. This morning you were all supposed to pack what little you had and keep moving and get closer to the sanctuary you had spoken of. A place you were going to build. A place where no raid, no nightmare, no lifeless beast could touch you.

So, if you had risen earlier, broken down the camp faster, perhaps this wouldn’t have happened. Perhaps your friends - the few people who so graciously took you in almost two years ago - would still be alive.

You don’t even know who the marauders were. They came out of nowhere.

A realization makes your blood run cold.

Something you remembered only now.

The sounds.

You heard it between the screams of your friends at one point. Low, throaty, and too familiar. The kind of sound that makes your pulse rise and pricks the back of your neck.

It was the sound you learned to fear. The sound your world had been drowning in for years now.

The sound of the dead - those shambling remnants of humanity, curses to wander the earth as mindless husks.

You remember the way they started moving so differently than when they came into your camp - some of them sluggish, others unnervingly erratic.

And you begin to wonder. Perhaps they had been bitten before raiding your camp.

And perhaps that’s the reason they came. They knew their time was up. They probably felt the infection eating at them, death clawing closer. Maybe attacking your group was their last violent eruption of humanity, the last thing they did with a conscious mind before they fell to the disease that had already claimed their souls.

They didn’t have anything left to lose. No loved ones to mourn. No future to fight for. Just an empty void ahead. A transformation into something even crueler than the monsters they already were. Perhaps they wanted this last conscious act to mean something. To carve their names into the memory of the world before they became nothing more than rotting corpses, stumbling through the dirt without a single thought in mind.

It makes you sick.

If they wanted to be remembered, they succeeded. You will remember. You will remember the massacre, the destruction, the screams, the wicked laughter that curdled your blood.

You will remember them because the screams of the people you came to love and trust have planted themselves into your chest and they won’t ever leave.

Maybe that’s what they wanted. To leave a mark, no matter how meaningless, no matter how vile. Or maybe they simply wanted to take something beautiful and shred it before they joined the walking rot.

Either way, they are gone now and you are left.

Alone.

You are left alone.

On the way to the one place you never thought your feet would lead you to again.

The one you meant to leave behind. To forget. To never return to. To move on.

Though you have to admit to yourself it never worked as well as you had hoped.

It has been two years since you left.

Two years of telling you to lock those doors with memories you tried to forget for so long.

And now, the thought of going back lets dread curl around your chest. It’s the dread of walking into a place you don’t know if you’re welcome anymore. The dread of facing what you left behind - facing who you left behind.

But there is also a flicker of something else. Something that feels too fragile, too dangerous to name. You tell yourself it’s nothing - just a memory, nostalgia - but you can’t quite smother it.

Because those people were your family once. Before you left, before you found the group you traveled with these last two years, they were your everything. Your friends, your loved ones, your sanctuary.

They were the ones that held you together when the world fell apart, the ones who gave you a purpose in this now purposeless society.

You left them behind to find something that you lost again just earlier.

The new group you had come to call your own, the people you fought beside, laughed with, dreamed with. All gone. Taken from you in a single, brutal morning. By people you couldn’t even take revenge on anymore. By people who aren’t even people anymore.

And you know your new companions never replaced your first family but they were home nonetheless.

But now, you have nowhere else to go but the place you called home first.

Though, would you really be welcome after all this time?

Would they let you in? Would they open their gates and arms for you?

Would he let you in?

Because truly, that is the only question that matters. You know the hearts of the others, know that they would be happy to see you again.

Sam, with his wide toothy grin. He’d throw his arms around you and clap you on the back and tell you something that would make you laugh despite everything.

Steve, with that glint in his eyes. Because he never truly believed you wouldn’t return.

Wanda, with the tears in her gaze. She’d pull you into her embrace, whispering how she’d prayed for this and never given up hope.

Natasha, with her amused smirk. She’d stand a step behind with her arms crossed and tease you that it only took two years for you to miss them enough to lose all the dignity you could hold onto and came back.

And all the others who would greet you with happy smiles and tears and hugs. Because that’s who they are. Who they’ve always been. They are pure love for those they call their own.

And you have been one of them.

Of course, your sight would first be met with concern at your condition, but the joyful reunion would eventually happen. Banner would fuss over you but keep the worry out of his calm hands and voice like the professional he is. Tony would bark orders, his mind already working ten steps ahead. Peter would hover nearby, ready to help, ready to do whatever was needed to put you back together.

You imagine how they would patch you up, make sure you didn’t collapse right there at their feet. They’d press water into your hands, bandage the gashes, stitch the torn skin. They would give you time to breathe, to settle.

A smile almost manages to spread over your lips but the exhaustion in your bones tugs the corners of your mouth back down.

And there is this one person you’re not sure about. What will he do when he sees you? What will he say? Will he say anything at all?

There is a reason you left, after all.

The community you all lived in was a big one with men and women and children and elders all sharing a beautiful and vast space.

You had all agreed on not having a single leader to rule but rather having the few most trusted people who started this whole thing to do councils every so often.

Once, you were one of them.

You would meet up, usually when the night had already started, discussing and making decisions - everything involving supply runs, how to keep the walls protected, how to celebrate a birth or mourn a loss, and so on.

Bucky was a part of that as well.

And that’s where the trouble lay.

You two never really seemed to see each other eye to eye. You would fight and banter - him calling you stubborn and reckless, you calling him pragmatic and intolerant. The disagreements were constant, heated, and sometimes public enough to turn heads and the other council members to end up disappointed and helpless.

It went on like that for years. Though the day it all fell apart will forever live in the cracks of your mind. Guilt never dulls no matter how much distance you put between them and yourself.

It was a supply run. Something that’s been routine by now. A scavenging mission into hostile territory, dangerous but necessary. Food was running low, medicine almost gone.

You were walking through the woods - a sector closer to dead zone, but Bucky and you were both fueled by anger at the other’s stubbornness to pay attention to the little group of people you took with you. They were good at ignoring your bickering.

“We do it my way. Slow, methodical. We’re not losing anyone because of some reckless stunt.” His tone was flat. Final.

“I’ve never put anyone in danger, Bucky,” you defended with fire in your voice.

Bucky’s voice was hard. “You charge in without thinking, every single time-”

“Yes, and I always do that alone, Barnes. Don’t you think I know the risks? I wouldn’t ask anyone to-”

“Damn it, Y/n,” he cut off, voice sharp. “It’s bad enough that you do it-”

“If we only ever go slow, people will starve. We can’t afford to waste time, Barnes. You want to lose them sitting on your hands instead of taking a risk? That’s on you, not on me.”

Bucky talked lower then, harshly.“That’s not taking a risk, Y/n! That’s fucking suicide.”

The actual mistake was in the silence that followed. No compromise, no meeting of minds. Just the brittle quiet that stretched between you both and the tension that lingered even over the other group members walking with you.

Bucky’s jaw was tight, his steps heavy. Yours were no lighter.

It happened fast. As it always did. One moment, the woods were still, only the crunch of the leaves underfoot and a few insects in bushes and trees surrounding you.

The next, groans split the air, coming from every direction - shadows lurking between trees, their figures misshapen, their eyes empty.

There were too many of them. That was clear from the first breath, but you didn’t have time to process it, to count.

You shouted for the group to move, to break toward the clearing just ahead and they started rushing away until Bucky’s voice rose behind you. His commanding tone seethed in your veins.

“No! Fall back - circle to the ridge!”

But the clearing was closer. The clearing was safer.

So you said as much.

But that’s all the hesitation it took for the dead to gather closer. Close enough.

You lost precious time, precious ground. The damage had already been done.

Two people didn’t make it. Two lives, lost in the spaces between your choices.

The argument that followed was like nothing before. No banter. Not bickering. It was an unfiltered and ugly thing, charged by your guilt and his. Words were thrown, accusations hurled. It was awful.

And when the shouting stopped, there was nothing but silence. Thick. Unbearable.

Neither of you could let go of your anger, your grief, your pride long enough to see that you’d both failed them.

That day something shattered in your connection. Whatever that had been. The tension that always accompanied your relationship. It felt corrosive. Wrong.

And that’s when you made the decision. The decision to leave, that now led you to come back again.

Will he resent you? That thought is a blade that has turned itself dull from too much use, yet it still cuts at you in ways you can’t dodge.

You imagine him standing there, arms crossed, his face as unreadable as it would be stoic, staring at you with the fire that always burned behind his eyes.

Will he even let you step inside? Or will his anger boil over and turn you away, pushing you back into the wilderness you barely even escaped from?

Will he relish in your brokenness, in the way life has stripped you down to your very bones? Will he find satisfaction in seeing you this fragile, this vulnerable, clinging to scraps of pride as your body barely holds itself together? The image of his piercing gaze, not softened by time or mercy, sends a shiver down your spine.

But it also just might be your body starting to give out, you realize when more shivers whack your form.

You push on.

And you wonder. Could there maybe also be relief in those eyes, hidden behind the mask he always wears so well. Relief that you’re still alive, that whatever dark roads you’ve walked since haven’t claimed you completely.

Or would that relief be poisoned by something bitter - the satisfaction not of your survival, but of seeing you humbled, seeing you brought low enough to crawl back to him, back to the home you lied to yourself you were fine living without.

You picture his face shifting. A flicker of something softer crossing his features before he buries it deep. Will it pain him to see the bruises painted across your skin, the blood that’s long since dried on your hands and clothes, the tremble in your limbs while you stand before him like a ghost returned from the grave?

Will he turn you away, disgusted not by your injuries but by the weakness they represent?

You wonder if he’d speak at all. Silence, from him, could be worse than anger. After all, anger means caring. You don’t get angry if you don’t care.

So, perhaps you will be left to fill the empty space with your many regrets and guilty feelings.

Maybe he won’t even look at you. Don’t throw you a single glance, his gaze fixed somewhere distant.

But your conscience can’t help but imagine things.

Because what if he’d feel something he wouldn’t dare admit, not even to himself. That the faintest pull of relief isn’t for the pain you’re in, not for the way life has broken you, but that it is for the simple fact that you’re here, alive, breathing. Maybe that relief would be buried under layers of what he’d felt for you all those years. But it would be there.

Honestly, you don’t think you will ever get an answer to any of those questions. Because you feel your mind start to drift too much. As if the images in your head start to turn into dreams and your body is luring you into sleep to live them out.

You’re giving up.

And you are still not close enough to your old and now only sanctuary despite walking and dragging your frail form for hours and miles on end.

Your head is spinning, images and voices now blurred and upside down and all wrong.

Not even noticing you stopped dragging yourself forward, you start to lean the whole weight of your body against a nearby tree.

The bark is rough against your skin, scraping through fabric, digging into bruises, and tearing them raw. It should hurt. You know it should hurt, but it barely even registers anymore. It’s just another sensation - one more thing slipping away.

Your eyelids droop. They feel so heavy. The forest is shapeless around you, just a mess of color and shadow.

Your breaths come shallow and uneven, lungs forgetting to do their job. Somewhere, in the back of your mind, you know this is it. This is where you’ll stop, where you’ll finally collapse and leave it all behind.

And the thought somehow isn’t as terrifying anymore. There’s a strange, unfamiliar peace blooming in your chest. You think about how your body would lie here, half-curled in the dirt, skin pale and bloodied, eyes forever closed.

Bucky might find you.

One day he might stumble upon your corpse on the ground. Maybe he’ll kneel beside your lifeless form, the frown on his face deepening, lips pressing into a grim line. Maybe he’ll tell you that he was right. That you were reckless and should have listened. Maybe his voice will tremble just a little.

The bickering you shared will follow you even into death.

The thought makes you want to laugh, but your body is too far gone for that. It’s barely your body anymore. It’s a shell of nothing. The world tilts, spins, then tilts again. You feel yourself begin to let go.

You won’t wake up. Not this time. And somehow, that’s okay. The peace blossoms brighter in your chest, warm and soft, as if the weight of the world is finally lifting.

You lost everything you had. And not even just today. You lost it two years ago when you decided it was the best to leave your home.

Your eyes slip shut and you don’t try to press them back open again. Your body is slumping to the ground, bark scraping against you, the ground rushing closer. The cold earth is pressed against your face. Your breath falters and slows.

Your body feels dead by now but your mind still blinks with awareness. And funnily enough, it can’t seem to let go of Bucky. His sharp face. His strong voice, the cadence of it so deeply carved into your memory that it echoes so clearly as if he were sitting right beside you.

“Y/n!”

“Shit, Y/n!”

It calls your name. The sound so urgent and frantic, it pulls you back for a fleeting second, though you are sure none of your muscles even twitch.

You are actually impressed with yourself. His voice sounds so real, so vivid. How is your mind able to conjure something so precise on the verge of unraveling completely? It’s him, down to the inflection, the roughness, the bite.

But you know it isn’t really him. That wouldn’t make any sense. Your mind is exaggerating. You’ve blown the image of him out of proportion, dressed him in a panic he wouldn’t wear for you, not for this.

If he found you like this - broken, slumped, slipping away - perhaps his voice wouldn’t even crack.

The day you said your goodbyes, Bucky wasn’t even there with the others. He wasn’t there when you hugged Sam, his arms lingering around you. Not when Steve couldn’t evoke a smile that wasn’t tight or sad. Not when Wanda touched your cheek with shaking fingers, her tearful eyes searching you for a reason to make you stay and telling you you’d always be welcome to come back home. Not when Natasha ordered you, not to get yourself killed out there, what was a little too late now.

You didn’t really expect him to come. Actually, it was better this way, you had thought. Cleaner. No last harsh words, no heated standoff, no last-minute chance for him to dig deep again.

Some stubborn, foolish part of you had hoped of course.

But that was when you saw him as you made your way to the gates.

He stood at the edge of the grounds you were about to leave behind, hidden in the shadows of bushes and trees. His arms were crossed over his chest, his figure rigid, his face set in stone.

You willed not to let your heart clench, but it did. You told yourself he was just there for a final gloat, some grim satisfaction in watching you go. In seeing you lose.

But his eyes held yours. So unwavering and intense. It burned through you. His features were dark, but also, he did stand covered in shadows. However, there was no smirk, no triumph, no venomous parting shot.

But he didn’t move. He didn’t step forward, didn’t say a single thing. He didn’t do anything but hold your gaze as if daring you to be the one to break it.

And you did.

You had a new life to attend to.

And you didn’t look back when leaving.

Still, you felt the burn of his eyes on you, so much more intense than ever before.

You guessed he dropped that stoic, seemingly unhappy mask the moment you were out of sight. Maybe he even threw a silent celebration, relieved to finally be free of you, of the friction you brought into his life.

But the small annoying voice in the back of your mind whispered something else. Something that actually made you consider turning back around before you got ahold of yourself again.

It told you that maybe his expression had stayed dark long after you were gone. That maybe his gaze lingered on the empty path where you’d disappeared. That maybe his arms stayed crossed, not to shield himself from the cold but to stop himself from reaching out.

And your brain now doesn’t seem to have any doubts either because you might actually feel hands shaking you, gripping your face. There weren’t many times when you came in contact with Bucky’s hands, and only fleeting and unintentional, so you don’t know if your conscience got the feeling of his hands on you right but you relish it anyway.

You hope he’d worry. You hope so much. Why, you don’t even know. It’s not like it matters anymore. But you need him to worry.

You need him to feel something sharp, something visceral. You need the cracks in his stoic armor to show and your name on his lips to sound like a prayer instead of a reprimand.

“Stay with me, Y/n! Come on!” It’s a snarl and a plea at the same time.

His voice is pulling you back - or maybe it’s pulling you under. You can’t really tell the difference. It is the kind of sound that is too rough to be tender, too desperate to be cruel.

His voice gnaws at something in your awareness, steering something deep in your bones.

Hell, your dying brain is doing a hella good job.

The world shifts again. Or maybe it’s you who shifts. The sharp bark of the tree is gone suddenly, as though the earth has abandoned you. Or perhaps your body just lost any kind of sensation, because there is nothing solid beneath you anymore. The ground is gone.

Free fall grips your stomach for a second, and panic sparks weakly in the recesses of your mind. But before the fear can take root, you feel something else. Something warm.

Not the feverish heat that’s been chewing at your skin for hours. Not the sticky warmth of blood still drying against your ribs.

No, this is something different. Hard, but not unkind. Solid, but not unforgiving. It presses against your body, and for the first time in what feels like days, it doesn’t hurt.

You don’t know what is happening. You only know you want more of it. Tilting your head as best as it would go, you lean into it as much as your useless limbs allow, seeking that warmth like it’s the only thing keeping you from succumbing to nothingness.

And then the pieces click together.

You’re being carried.

There is an arm under your legs, another braced firmly around your back. The grip is strong but it is trembling faintly against you.

You are cradled against something warm, something alive. And there is a pounding against your ear that is way too rapid to seem healthy.

None of this makes sense, not really, but the sensation of movement - the sway and jolt of steps, hurried but careful - tells you that you’re not imagining this.

Someone has you. Someone’s carrying you.

Your battered mind, of course, latches onto Bucky again.

Your brain shapes the thought of him so effortlessly. Some part of you knew it could only ever be him. You picture his face, sharp and shadowed, his jaw clenched, his eyes dark and heavy with something you don’t dare name.

“Damn it, stay with me! Stay awake!”

Is this him saying that? Or is this your mind still indulging in the vivid fantasies from before? Perhaps this wasn’t your mind all along. Perhaps all of this wasn’t a fantasy of your brain. This was him.

You feel the tight hold with which he is gripping you, how it feels less like he is carrying you and more like he’s keeping you from slipping away entirely.

It doesn’t seem like the Bucky you knew. The one who looked at you with barely concealed irritation, who argued with you until you were both red-faced and seething.

But then again, maybe it does. Maybe this is the same man, stripped bare of all his armor, his stoic resolve fractured like you had imagined. Maybe this is what he looks like when he doesn’t have time to mask the cracks.

The thought makes your chest ache. Or maybe that’s just your ribs - stabbed, bruised, barely functional. You can’t tell anymore.

You want to open your eyes, to confirm what you already know, but your eyelids are heavy, unwilling.

You want to reach for him, to feel with your hands that his worry really is your reality and not all in your head, but your arms hang limply at your sides. Useless.

But your face is pressed against his shoulder. The speeding throbbing of what you assume to be his heart is still in your ear and it makes this so much more real.

“Don’t you dare die on me now, Y/n! Not after this.” His ragged words send swaying currents through the still waters of your fading consciousness. “Not like that! Not after I’ve been looking for you for two damn years!”

Wait.

What?

The words ring like a bell, too loud, too pronounced. You feel yourself struggling with comprehending the meaning of this but the shock still rushes up your spine.

Bucky was looking for you. He didn’t celebrate your departure. He came after you.

You left two years ago. Bucky started searching for you two years ago.

“I should’ve stopped you. Fuck, I should have stopped you. I never should’ve let you leave.” His voice is a single crack. So much remorse seeping into his tone, it even latches onto your chest.

“God I’m so sorry I let you leave. I’m so sorry for everything, Y/n! There’s so much I gotta tell you. So much I gotta make right. So you don’t get to do this, alright? You don’t get to die on me!”

His voice doesn’t sound like him at all. The Bucky you remember used measured words, calculated, controlled. Doubt again creeps in that this really is real and not just your mind all up in shambles. Because there is so much pain in his voice. Pain you never saw inflicted in anything he did. Or said. Not to you at least.

Your body jolts in his grip, caused by his hands. He might have tried to shake some life back into you but his hands don’t stop shaking. They are trembling so heavily, as if he’s terrified you’re going to slip through his grasp at any second. As if you’re going to die in his arms. Maybe you will.

“You’re staying with me, you hear me?” he continues, low voice filled with gravel, so wild and anguished. “There’s so much I need to tell you. So much I need to say. But I can’t-” his voice gives out and you basically hear him trying to hold himself together. His breaths are uneven and broken. “I can’t do it like this. No, not like that. So you gotta pull through. You can’t leave me before I get the chance to tell you. Can’t die on me now that I’ve finally fucking found you. You can’t, Y/n! Please! Stay with me. Just stay.”

You try to open your eyes. Try to let your fingers twitch. Try to open your mouth. But there’s nothing.

You can’t tell him that you’re trying. You can’t tell him that you want to hear what he has to say. Can’t tell him that you’re clinging to his every word. Can’t tell him that you’re fading away.

Only a broken exhale slips through.

His arms tighten, pulling you impossibly closer.

He’s pushing himself. His muscles strain and coil, his body still trembles against you. His voice is breathless and full of despair..

“Stay awake! Look at me. Just- please open your eyes. Just for a second. I need to see them. Need to know you’re still in there, okay?” His words are torn, pulled apart, and put together in a desperate attempt. Tears fill his voice. “You always had to prove me wrong, so do it again. Fight. Fight, Y/n! Please!”

Bucky makes it sound like it could actually be easy. But unfortunately, it’s not. His voice is more distant now. Perhaps it’s giving out. Perhaps it’s the hope that leaves him, taking his voice.

Yet, you’re trying to hold onto it. You’re trying so much.

If he says more, you don’t catch it. You don’t catch anything anymore. You think you might be okay with that. Because even if this isn’t real - even if this is all just a fever dream conjured by a dying mind - you think it’s a good way to go.

Sheltered in warmth. In motion. In the arms of the one person you never thought would come for you.

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pernesophe · 4 months ago

Text

P1: Timid Reader Defends Kaji

(Minors, Ageless and Blank Blogs DNI)

(I have no rights to these characters, the works they come from, or the art/screenshots/manga panels used in this post. Screenshots taken from pinterest or google, so if you know the creator please lmk! Updated dividers are from @sweetmelodygraphics )

Tag List: None so far, but lmk if you would like to be added for this series or my other Wind Breaker Works!

Synopsis: Kaji saves reader while she’s being attacked, and then walks her to school. Some of her classmates come to Furin territory to convince reader that Kaji is bad news on her way home, and he ends up hearing everything.

{TW: violence, biting and groping (violent / not sexual), angst, bodily injury and blood}

I really enjoyed writing this 3 part series, so I hope you like it: Timid Reader x Ren Kaji (ML, Part 1, Part 2 , Part 3 ). Also, here is my Main Wind Breaker Master List

Cold bricks press painfully into your back as the drunkard puts his full weight against you - pinning you against the wall. Luckily, in his inebriated state your uniform was giving his hands difficulty in accessing your skin. Alcoholic miasma encircles you as he slobbers a kiss against your neck. Pushing against him with all your strength - you’re only able to create an inch of space.

“Please! No, stop! Let me go-” Crying out to the alley around you, hoping anyone can hear you. Fortunately, somebody does.

Kaji is walking down the street, half expecting Risa’s owner to pop up to say she’s gotten out again. He scowls just from the thought. Then, he hears someone screaming “let me go” in a panicked, shrill tone before it is cut off abruptly, and he breaks into a sprint towards the alley the sound came from.

As he rounds the corner, a massive, bumbling man comes into view, holding a girl about Kaji’s age roughly by the shoulders. Slurring something that neither you or Kaji can understand, but he is obviously angry with you. Before Kaji can approach you, the man rears back and then bites into your neck with force. Searing pain shoots from the wound, and you feel something warm and wet trickle down your collarbone - too much to be the man’s slobber. He releases you after a moment - swaying backward to take a look at what he’s done.

Kaji watches your face contort from fear to pain and then shock as you slump back against the wall. His feet start moving before the thought fully forms in his head. The drunk, seeing that you are no longer resisting, reaches for the shirt of your uniform to tear it open. Before his cigarette stained fingers can even brush the fabric, something black streaks across your vision and delivers a swift kick to the man who was previously standing in front of you, but was now slumped against the wall across from you. Still in shock, you barely register what’s happened as you slump down the wall - finally free from the brute’s hold and no longer supporting his weight - your hands and lips tremble stubbornly.

Making sure the man doesn’t hurt anyone else, Kaji shoots a text to Kusumi and Enomoto telling them where to find him and that he’s taking an injured girl to Risa’s owner. After putting his phone away, he slowly crouches in front of you so as to not scare you. Slowly bringing your gaze up to finally see your savior’s face. He’s backlit by the sun poking over the top of the building filtering into the alley, his white hair almost looks like a halo shone around the top of it. Gentle, yet concerned ashen blue eyes peer back at you - taking in the tears wetting your face, yet the lack of any crying or sniffling coming from you.

“Uh, my name is Ren Kaji… Can I help you with…” Speaking cautiously as he awkwardly gestures to your neck. Reflexively, you go to put your hand over it, but he stops you - only brushing his fingertips against your wrist to do so - trying his best not to scare you any further.

“Uh, wait just a second for me… Here,” he says as he pulls a pack of tissues from his hoodie pocket. Layering a few together, he gently reaches forward and presses it to your wound. Flinching at the pressure you let out a small, pained squeak, and he shoots you an apologetic look.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you…” He says - genuine remorse in his tone. Why are you apologizing? You’re helping me? Wondering to yourself as he gently guides your hand with his fingertips to cover the tissues on your neck.

“Can you hold this here for me… please?” He asks awkwardly in a gentle tone, it sounded unnatural to his own ears, but you do as he asks before he straightens up and offers you his hands to help you get on your feet. Glancing towards the alley exit, then to you, then back to the exit of the alley - he gestures towards the exit nearest to you.

“Can you follow me around the corner? There’s someone who can take a look at that for you.” He says, persistently gentle, as he motions for you to follow him. Tears were still streaming down your cheeks, and your eyes looked distant, but you nod slowly anyway. As he starts walking, he feels a small tug at the elbow of his sleeve, looking back, he sees your thumb and index finger pinching the fabric lightly with your eyes cast to the ground. His heart clenches at the sight of you blindly following him without a second thought. Even in Furin, it wasn’t often people trusted him so easily or openly.

Trudging along behind him, you only barely peek up at your savior. He seemed calm and gentle to you, and then you remember seeing only a flash of his face as he came sprinting down the alley. It was terrifying, and - despite your shock - you’ve never felt more relieved when you saw it approaching. Part of you wishes the man had been sober enough to remember Kaji’s face too, maybe then he would be too afraid to bite anyone else.

Arriving at a little shop that sells hot food, Kaji knocks on the door frame and calls to the people inside that he needs some help. Immediately a short, older woman and a younger man - most likely her son - step out and beam up at Kaji. They waste no time in gushing over him and asking what they could do for him, before quickly steamrolling over his response to gush over him some more. A wave of annoyance wafted off of him, but he miraculously kept his cool.

“Kaji! It’s so good to see you! To what do we owe the pleasure? Oh, we just got our seasonal sweets in, would you like to try some?” The son asks with genuine excitement. The older lady comes straight up to Kaji and beams while patting his arm gently.

“Kaji! You’re growing into such a fine young man.” She gushes to him before he could reply to her son. Neither of them have seen you standing behind him yet. He grunts out a thanks to her and ignores the rest of their questions, before stepping aside to reveal you. Immediately, their faces contort with worry, and the older lady takes your hand and ushers you wordlessly into the shop. Throwing a questioning glance at Kaji over your shoulder, but the son already has his undivided attention as he is looking to Kaji for an explanation.

The son and Kaji stay outside to discuss what happened, and what the guy looked like in case the son may know of him. The kind, older lady didn’t ask you any questions, and used feather light touches to clean the blood from your neck, shoulder and chest. She uses peroxide to do a quick spot clean on the blood that has seeped into your uniform. Then, she takes extra time and care to wet a washcloth and pump some citrus smelling soap into it, so that she can wipe away the man’s slobber that had dried by now. By the time she’s finished, you have a clean white bandage wrapped around your neck, barely any blood left on your uniform, and you smell like citrus and bergamot rather than beer breath and cigarette fingers. Before she moves to get up, you take her hand gently with tears in your eyes and gratefully thank her for helping you. She pats your hand lovingly and tells you ‘no thanks necessary dear - any friend of Kaji’s is a friend to us’ before wiping away the last of your tears.

When she led you out of the shop - holding onto your hand as if you were something extremely precious - Kaji was still standing outside with her son. By now two other guys wearing Furin jackets had arrived as well. They look at you sympathetically - Kaji having already caught them up - and say their hellos. You quietly nod back and flash a smile their way as you will your puffy eyes to calm down.

“You were on your way to school, right?” Kaji says, and you nod silently. Sighing under his breath - earning a look from Enomoto - he gestures around him. While you were inside, Kaji had told them about the bite, so they suggested he walk you to school so you would feel safer. He was none too happy about the idea since he was certain your shock was wearing off, and it would only take that long for your perception of him to change from savior to beast.

“Which way? I’ll walk you there.” He more so states than offers to you, and you point in the direction of your school. He turns and starts walking without waiting for you, and though you’re a little stunned by how he is you don’t hesitate to follow. Just grateful you don’t have to make the trek alone. Kaji hid his disdain well since he already knew what school you attend by the direction you pointed in, and what your peers are like.

“Um, th-thank you, for…” You murmur gratefully as you turn to the woman and her son and gesture towards your neck. She just beams up at you like she did with Kaji and waves her hand. Her son smiles knowingly at you and waves as well, though you have no idea what is being implied.

“Don’t mention it! Any friend of Kaji’s is a friend of ours.” She repeats what she said to you earlier - almost giddily this time - as you tilt your head in confusion. But he doesn’t even know my name… you ponder to yourself before giving her a quick nod and smile. Waving to Enomoto and Kusumi - who wave back with curious looks on their faces, you couldn’t tell what for though - you bound over to Kaji and quickly fall in stride with him.

What Enomoto and Kusumi know that you don’t, is that Kaji rarely was the one to help people in the way he just did for you. Yeah, he’ll fight just about anyone who deserves it, but being gentle? Speaking softly? Handling you with Kid Gloves as the son relayed to them? Even though he is following someone else’s suggestion to walk with you, he is leaving his headphones off as he walks you to school? His seconds knew well enough that Kaji doesn’t put himself out there for others he doesn’t know like that, so what was so different about you?

The two of you walk silently to your school. Kaji wears his headphones around his neck, and you hear soft lofi beats drifting from them. You feel awkward that you haven’t said anything yet - least of all thank you. While Kaji was kicking himself for letting Enomoto and Kusumi talk him into this, because you’re in shock, scared and hurt, and he was the last person you need right now.

As your school comes into view, you suddenly stop walking, knowing you’re running out of time to say anything to him. Kaji glances back at you, and then stops too. He opens his mouth to ask what’s wrong, a scowl forming on his face as he assumes your perception of him has changed in such a short walk.

“Um!” Blurting out quickly, so he doesn’t talk, but you’re afraid that you’ve been annoying him this whole time. He closes his mouth and waits for you to speak. Taking in your appearance, the best descriptor he could give is ‘mousey’ as you shrink under his stare, hands shaking, as you struggle for the words. Funny. Seeing as I’m a beast, and all… maybe you were right to be afraid. Kaji reminded himself bitterly.

“Um…” you try to speak up again, breaking Kaji from his thoughts, causing him to almost snap ‘spit it out’ at you. Luckily he is able to restrain himself for now.

“Th-Thank you!” You say suddenly - louder than you meant to - as you bow deeply and respectfully to him. He takes a step back, not really expecting anything but fear or general contempt from you - assuming you would perceive him the same way as your peers do.

“I’m sorry I didn’t say it sooner… I was a bit shoc-shocked…” Kaji’s brow raises suspiciously at your words - expecting you to judge how he protected you.

“I-I didn’t know what that guy had planned, but I was really, really scared to find out… So I’m just really grateful to you that I didn’t have to.” You say earnestly as you straighten up and look at him again, and he’s staring back at you with impossibly wide eyes.

“N-No problem…” He responds awkwardly. Kaji was convinced you were afraid of him too, maybe even staying silent so the walk would pass quicker, but the way you seemed breathless from just getting the courage to talk to him… you were just incredibly shy. A pang runs through his chest thinking back to how loud you were yelling - that must have been difficult for you to do at all - just for that brutish man to bite you for it. You nod quietly, after finally saying the thing you’ve so desperately been trying to, and turn back towards your school to continue walking. Suddenly, Kaji pulls a peach Chupa Chup from his pocket - he’s not sure why - and holds it up in front of you. Surprised, you turn to him again with a look of curiosity and amusement.

“Here… I hope you… feel better?” Kaji says slowly and completely unsure of himself. He wasn’t familiar with comforting people like this. Giving his friends a few harsh or blunt words of encouragement? Sure. But comforting someone who couldn’t fight, was just completely steamrolled by some brute, and got really hurt in the process? Nope, this one is uncharted territory for him to say the least.

Tilting your head slightly, you reach out and wrap your hand around the lollipop - your fingertips skimming where his wrapped around the stick. A warm feeling spread through Kaji’s fingers and up his arms towards his chest and down to his stomach where he felt a… fluttering? Slipping the stick out of his hand, you look at it for a beat before looking back up at him with bright eyes and a tickled smile.

“Thank you, it’s kind of like leaving the Doctor’s Office or something.” You muse with a small giggle - flashing a small grin at him as you do. Kaji blinks quickly as he processes what you just said. Doctor? I’ve been called a Beast. Short Tempered. Insane… but Doctor? They help people. I… Thoughts flash through his mind as it only half dawns on him that you - someone his age, who doesn’t go to or live around Furin - thinks he’s something other than a beast. Blinking again, he sees that you’re giving him a concerned look, he’s been very still for a few moments now.

“Uh-uh, ahem,” Kaji stutters before clearing his throat as he rubs the back of his neck bashfully. “Let me get you to school before you’re late, okay?” He says softly - similar to the tone he used with you in the alley. Nodding and following his lead, you completely miss the blush creeping over his cheeks - which subsides by the time you reach the school gates.

“Thank you again, Kaji!” You chirp gratefully as you bow again, he nods and offers a ‘no problem’ before you’re rushing through the doors as the bell rings. Unfortunately, Kaji is too focused on watching you get inside, and kicking himself for not getting your name, to see the three faces staring down at him from the window overlooking the entrance. If he had, then he probably could have anticipated what would come later that day.

When Kaji, Enomoto and Kusumi set out on patrol later on in the day, they made sure to thoroughly check over the area where you were attacked. Which is why they’re gathered in the alley that intersects the street where you walk home from school looking for any signs that the drunkard had returned, or any other riff raff. What they didn’t expect was to hear the voices of several girls on the main street.

“Y/N! Hey wait, we wanted to talk to you about something.” Someone’s calling out from behind as you’re walking home. Turning around, you see three of your classmates - out of breath - standing in a V formation behind you. Tilting your head slightly as you walk back towards them, it was weird, since they all live in a much nicer part of town and have never really been in the Furin area before.

“Oh, Yume, Kyoko, Mai - hey! What brings you to the Furin neighborhood?” Greeting them with a curious smile, the notch in your brow giving away the confusion you feel around the interaction in general. Yume fidgets uncomfortably before meeting your gaze with a fierce determination, though you know the fidgeting is an act, since it’s the same ‘determination’ you’ve seen when she bullies your peers. Bracing yourself for the worst, you turn to face her fully.

“I saw Ren Kaji walk you to school today… I just wanted you to know that he’s really dangerous!” Yume says firmly with a dark glint in her eyes, and the other two standing slightly behind her nod along quickly. Subconsciously, you take a step back, because honestly, this wasn’t what you expected, but you also know better than to let them get a rise out of you. At the mention of his name, Kaji and his seconds freeze in the alley, and peer inconspicuously around the corner to see what’s happening. When he sees the three girls, Kaji immediately recognizes them to be the younger siblings of some of his classmates' that he had beaten in middle school. His body tenses all over in apprehension of what they are going to tell you.

“I know.” You say matter of factly while nodding your head in agreement. Kaji’s chest clenches from the confirmation that your perception had changed of him in just a few short hours. Enomoto and Kusumi exchange an angry look that you could switch up so easily, and silently plot out how to get Kaji away from this. Yume fixes you with a suspicious look in her eye - the only one unconvinced by the reason behind your admission.

”So you know he’s a beast?” She asks in an expectant tone. Kaj’s fists clench at his sides as he fights to restrain his feet from carrying him back towards the school. Enomoto nods to Kusumi, signaling him to get Kaji’s attention so they can suggest getting out of there. Just as he reaches out to tap his captain’s shoulder, your voice carries into the alley once more.

”What do you mean by that?” Asking in a tone that indicates your genuine confusion by her question. Today was the first time you ever met Kaji and though the realization that her explanation would probably be pointless, you still want to know what she means.

Yume goes on to explain that in middle school Kaji beat her brother up as well as the rest of his class multiple times. She went on to detail that the gym teacher had to come to restrain him several times - she whispers it venomously like a dirty little secret she’s just been waiting to divulge. From where he is standing, Kaji can see your face remain unchanged by the ‘facts’ being laid out to you, so he ignores Kusumi, who is now motioning for them to leave before being spotted. He wanted to hear what you would say - the timid girl who fought to find the courage just to thank him this morning, and had been on his mind since for reasons he couldn’t quite pin down.

“He hasn’t changed at all since middle school. I just thought you should know.” She finishes her explanation pointedly, like she was really doing you some kind of favor. A pregnant pause passes as you stare her down. It’s so quiet that the trio on the alley hold their breath out of fear you all could hear them. Finally, your voice splits the silence like a cleansing bell.

“Oh… I didn’t know about any of that, and honestly I’m not sure if it really matters to me.” You say with a noncommittal shrug, but the glint in your eye says you’re just getting started. Kaji almost falls forward from shock - how are you just brushing all of that off without any doubt?? Pondering the thought with the intensity of a scholar as he silently watches the scene before him unfold - only now he is feeling hopeful for how it would end.

“I said I know he’s dangerous, because I saw him knock a guy unconscious with one kick this morning. This drunk guy cornered me in that alley.” Pointing towards the one where Kaji and his seconds are hidden - who all immediately suffer heart palpitations in fear of being found out. Luckily, the four of you are too absorbed to notice the Furin shadows eavesdropping within the darker shadows of the alley.

“He pinned me to a wall and was trying really hard to get in my uniform. Kaji showed up when the guy bit me for telling him no.” Saying in a tone of disbelief that it ever happened as you gesture to the bandage on your neck. Yume and the other two stay silent and wide eyed as they listen to your traumatic morning.

“I’m grateful he was there too, because I don’t even want to think about what that guy would’ve done if Kaji hadn’t shown up when he did.” You continue speaking earnestly as the fear from the earlier incident causes your pulse to quicken. Kaji is glad he stayed to hear you out - even if you didn’t realize he was there and listening with open ears and a softening heart.

”He wasn’t a beast.” You state defiantly. “He walked me to school after, and even offered me a lollipop like at the Doctor’s office. He seems, like, really nice, actually?” Inflecting your tone upward with utter confusion as to how they could even say these things. The silent girls behind Yume gape at you in shock, while Yume shoots you an annoyed glare for your stubbornness.

If you could see Kaji, you would see he is staring at you in shock as well. He could accept that you thanked him, and even that you didn’t view him as a beast. But nice?! You think he’s nice… Kaji subconsciously reached and gripped his hoodie strings, head dipping as he listened closer to you standing up for him. Enomoto and Kusumi make nor further efforts to push him to leave. He needs to hear someone other than us say some good things about him. They think between each other exchanging knowing looks and hopeful smiles.

”He hasn’t changed one bit since middle school - when he beat my brother - you have no fucking clue what you’re talking about.” Yume spits her points from earlier at you, curling her fists at her sides to match the curl in her lip.

”You’re right. I wouldn’t know about anything other than today - because I just met him - but if you say he hasn’t changed since middle school, then it seems to me he only fights people who deserve it. So, answer me this, what did your brother do to earn a beating from Ren Kaji?” Speaking through gritted teeth, you cross your arms for emphasis as you rub salt right into her wound. Kaji’s head pops up at your words, and he can’t help but peek around the corner to see the timid girl from this morning all but disappeared. In her place was a girl who had the same hair and nose, but her eyes were set ablaze and the way her arms were crossed gave her an air of an impenetrable wall. He steps back into the alley when your eyes darken even more, and an irritated notch forms in your brow as you open your mouth to speak.

”No response? That’s okay, because I’ve met your brother and I have to say - he’s a terrible fucking person. You know that he tried to take a photo up my skirt, right? That’s why I petitioned the administration to let me wear pants.” Taking on a matter of fact tone as you gesture to the chinos in your school color. Yume shakes her head quickly, confused by your accusation.

”I don’t remember anything being said about that…” She scoffs with a disbelieving shake of her head. Tilting your head as if to say ‘you really wanna do this?’, you continue as you dig your heel into her cheek next.

”That’s because it was kept ‘hush, hush’ so as to not ‘embarrass him’, but he was transferred to a different class under the guise that he wasn’t being ‘challenged enough’, when really he was moved to an all boys class for the safety of his female peers.” As you say this, realization dawns on the girl’s face as she remembers her brother coming home utterly enraged about the transfer even though everyone said it was really good for his transcript.

”Look, all I’m saying is you can’t blame me for taking your words with a grain of salt. Honestly, I think you may just be bad at reading people seeing as you barely know who your own brother is even though you two literally live together. So I can’t just take your word when it comes to Kaji, it’s really not fair to him.” The taunting tone from earlier ebbs into a more earnest one as Yume’s bottom lip quivers from her brother’s misdeeds being outed. Embarrassed and at a loss for words, Yume turns and flees with her friends on her heels. Turning your gaze to the sky, Kaji and his seconds watch as you let out a tired sigh with a shake of your head before bringing your gaze to eye level once more.

”That’s not how you make friends Y/N.” Speaking to yourself in a faux chastising tone.

”Oh well,” you add with a shrug, earning a silent chuckle from Kaji, and as you turn around to head home again, your eyes flit across the alley. As they do, Kaji grabs Enomoto and Kusumi and slams them back against the wall so you don’t spot them. He crunches an aluminum can in the process - catching your attention - but the alley is too dark to see down. Taking one cautious stop forward, and narrowing your eyes - the three of them hold their breath. Suddenly, you release a deep breath you had been holding and let your shoulders droop as you drop your head. The trio don’t dare move.

”Don’t go down the spooky alley Y/N - that’s how you get into ‘dangerous situations’ - as mom would say.” Chastising yourself once more before you straighten up and continue walking home.

After you’re out of earshot, the trio can’t help but to start rolling with laughter. Kaji was surprised that the timid girl from this morning - who sniffled pathetically the whole way to Risa’s owner, and could barely strike up a conversation with him - was able to tell off a group of girls that had Kaji’s blood pressure rising out of fear. It was amusing to him that you were able to hold a full conversation with yourself in the middle of the street, and such a contrast from who he met and walked to school this morning. The fact that you were comfortable enough with yourself to fill the quiet was an added bonus - to him. Maybe if you grew to feel comfortable with him, then you could fill the quiet spaces in his life too. Enomoto and Kusumi watch as their captain shakes himself of his revere, and that typical expressionless look returns to his face, but his eyes weren’t as apathetic as usual. They held a deep longing as he sadly watched you walk away. The two seconds share a plotting look - this time for entirely different reasons - instead of shielding him from you, they are gonna figure out how to push Kaji towards you.

After Kaji witnessed you defending his reputation to your classmates, he doesn’t make much effort to involve himself in your life, or you in his. Consciously, that is. Subconsciously, he is always offering to patrol the area around where you were attacked. So he would be close by if ‘something like that’ were to happen again. Risa’s owner often stops him outside her shop to tell him little details about you - from things as trivial to your new haircut, up to her informing him of the things you’ve been relaying to her that causes you stress as of late. Though he never comes out and asks for details about you, he also never tells Risa’s owner to stop divulging them - often walking away from the encounters with his headphones around his neck on the off chance that the shop owner would have more to say.

Enomoto and Kusumi notice the change in their captain’s behavior - the fidgeting when he comes near the alley where he met you, maybe hoping to just get a glimpse of you, to the way that his face is relaxed and the corners of his mouth tug upwards slightly whenever Risa’s owner comes to talk to him about you. Eventually, they ask Nirei to get some more information on you, and some kind of contact information for you, if possible.

It only takes the dutiful first year a couple of days to know your name - Y/N L/N, age (17), and relationship status (single). He wasn’t able to get your contact information, but he was able to get your friend’s information - Hana Kim - who said that a few local bands would be playing near the canal this weekend. More importantly, she said that you would be there. Enomoto raises a quizzical eyebrow at the blonde boy before asking the most pressing question.

“Did she say anything about-” Closing his mouth quickly, not wanting to divulge that event, then starts again. “Do you know if Y/N has mentioned Kaji to her at all?” He asks directly this time - not so secretly hoping for an affirmative. Nirei’s eyes lit up as he nodded happily, and went on to explain that Hana mentioned that you’ve been talking about him a lot, so she was hoping some of Kaji’s Furin friends could make sure he was at the concert too. Kusumi and Enomoto shared triumphant looks before they scurried off to convince their captain to go out this weekend.

That weekend, Kaji agreed to go out to the concert with Kusumi, Enomoto, and for some reason a few of the first years had tagged along. Wearing his typical scowl as he moved through the crowd, headphones on his head because he honestly could care less about the concert. The other second years in his class pointed out that he needs to try and enjoy life a little more, and to satiate their constant pestering - he showed up. Apparently, he had been looking extra gloomy lately, to them, but he didn’t feel that way. Most of his thoughts were filled with daydreams of you - how you’re doing, what you’re doing, who you’re hanging out with. As well as imagining what all of those things would be like if you were to spend your time with him. It wasn’t gloom he’s been feeling, just plain old longing. Which he’s felt for suckers, music and friends, but never for a person in the way he’s been longing for you. It’s unfamiliar, and has been leaving his head messy with emotions.

Honestly, with everything going on, he was planning on leaving the concert after the first set and just telling his friends that he has a headache. That’s when Nirei, who for some reason has been forcing his friends to stick close to Kaji’s group of three, suddenly points a couple of girls out in the crowd. He waves excitedly at a girl with long black hair and green eyes who begins waving back just as excitedly. Kaji wonders why he’s there for a first year meet-cute, but then his eyes travel to the girl next to the one waving - she was facing away from his group, but he recognized the back of her head almost instantly. The raven haired girl suddenly grabbed her friend’s arm and turned her around as she pointed to Kaji and the rest of his group.

As Hana grabbed your arm and spun you around while excitedly squeal-whispering ‘look who’s here!’, the last person you expected to see was your snowy haired savior standing across the venue. The second your eyes met his beryl colored ones across the crowd you could feel the air in your lungs dissipate and your face grow hot. Luckily you weren’t flooded with too much embarrassment, because even from where you stood you could see Kaji’s blush crept all the way down his neck and disappeared into his hoodie. For a second, he takes a slight step back and you can feel your brow raise in question - is he gonna run away? - when his friend, who you recognize as Enomoto, claps him on his back forcing him to take a step forward. The snowy haired male shoots a glare at his stylish friend, but when he turns back to you - you’re already waving and smiling at him shyly while Hana drags you towards his group. He didn’t have any time to prepare before you’re suddenly thrust in front of him by your raven haired friend, who - being the more confident one - is already introducing herself to him before turning her attention to his friends. The two of you are stuck silently staring at each other while Hana is making quick conversation, and then dragging the rest of his group away from the two of you. Both of you whip your heads in unison with mouths opened in protest, but Hana just throws you a sly ‘have fun!’ over her shoulder while pointing the rest of them towards a booth on the opposite side of the concert. Turning back to meet each other’s gazes again, and you both immediately turn bright red and swiftly avert your eyes.

“Um,” finally breaking the silence as you look back up at him through thick lashes. “It’s really good to see you again… I’ve been hoping we’d run into each other.” You admit with a shy smile, a little embarrassed, as you fidget with your sleeve and continue to peer up at him with those big, beautiful eyes that leave him speechless. Kaji’s face softens as he regards you with an adoring look - a long moment passes before he realizes he hasn’t spoken.

“Ahem,” he clears his throat, trying to recover some of his composure. “I’ve been hoping to run into you too… I think our friends may have noticed, and set this up.” Kaji remarks with an amused, wistful smile gracing his lips - allowing himself to feel more relaxed after hearing he’s been on your mind too.

From afar, Hana is huddled inconspicuously at a booth with the Furin guys crowded behind her, all of whom were spying on the two of you. Though your friend is used to your shy, blushing nature; Kaji’s friends are not used to his - Kusumi, Enomoto, Nirei, Suo, Sakura, and now Tsubaki and Hiragi too since they happened to hear about the event - all gasped in unison at his relaxed expression. Glancing back and forth at each other, they all share a silent thought - that they relay to Hana later on - Kaji has never smiled like that before. Sakura is blushing so badly he’s basically a taillight at this point as he picks up on the romantic implication between you and Kaji.

“I’m grateful for them.” You blurt out without thinking which causes you to start blushing once again - Kaji is just as surprised by your admission as he starts blushing again too. Suddenly, the first band starts to play and the crowd surges forward and starts pressing into both of you. Without thinking much of it, Kaji grabs your hand so you don’t get swept away before pulling you closer to his chest where you grab onto the front of his hoodie for some stability. The two of you stay frozen like that as the first notes of the song ring out in drones from an electric guitar. It was getting too loud for you, and Kaji seemed to notice as he leaned down so his lips brushed your ear, and spoke up so you could hear and feel the full baritone in his voice.

“I’m not great in crowds - do you mind if we move towards the back?” He asks, then leans back to look for any signs of dissatisfaction on your face. To his delight, you looked relieved that he offered as you nodded eagerly - also itching to get away from all of the people.

Enveloping your hand in his, just like the first day you two met, and then he leads you to the back of the crowd. Luckily, due to his stature and severe scowl, people jumped out of the way to make room for the two of you, so he was able to beeline to an empty spot in the back that still allowed a good view of the stage. Coming to a halt, the two of you turn towards the stage and stand side by side, but Kaji doesn’t let go of your hand. In fact, he held it through the entire first set, and as more and more people filtered into the area you were eventually forced to stand basically pressed completely into his side to avoid being shoulder checked by others. Though Kaji enjoyed you being so close, and all the warm buzzing in his veins from your proximity - it started to annoy him deeply how close people were to bumping into you, though his face didn’t show any of his annoyance. As the second set starts and even more people start showing up, you reach out with your free hand and grab onto his upper arm to avoid a large guy (who probably couldn’t see you) about to step on you. Then, you hear Kaji speak for the first time since the show started.

“Hey. Careful man, you’re about to step on her.” He shouts over the music loud enough for the approaching guy to hear, but he wasn’t screaming by any means. Regardless, when the substantial man turned around to see you pressing into Kaji to avoid being stepped on accentuated by Kaji’s deep set scowl directed at him and the way his cerulean eyes flicker protectively towards you - he jumps out of the way and throws an apology your way before heading in the opposite direction completely. Just as quickly as it showed up, his scowl vanished as he turned to look at you with the most relaxed expression again. ‘Are you ready to go?’ He mouths at you, and you nod gratefully up at him. Incredibly relieved to finally get out of there. You enjoyed the music, but concerts weren’t really your scene - you had actually only come at Hana’s request, funnily enough.

The two of you exit the crowd near the lines of booths selling food, drinks and merchandise. Off to the far end, Hana is sitting with the Furin group where you had last seen them. Before Kaji can start leading you towards them, you tug on his sleeve quickly, and as he turns to look at you - you already have your phone open to ‘New Contact’ ready to put in his number. He blinks down at you dubiously as you hold it up to him.

“Can I get your number… Please?” Asking shyly, as you once again look at him bashfully through your lashes, which makes him feel breathless and a little lightheaded. Slowly he nods, taking your phone out of your hand and inputting his information. He goes to take out his phone to hand to you, but then he receives a text from an unknown number. After opening the message, he sees:

xxx-xxx-xxxx: Hi it’s Y/N! I had a great time tonight, can we hang out again soon? :)

“Yes.” Kaji says before looking up from his phone to see you blushing and fidgeting with your sleeve again - nervous of his rejection. So cute, he thinks to himself while fighting the sudden urge to bend down and kiss your forehead. “Are you free this weekend? Maybe we can go somewhere quieter this time?” He asks quickly, pushing his thoughts aside, and then blushes as he reels a bit at his own eagerness.

“Absolutely!” Chirping back, as you beam up at him. “There’s this pop up art show on the edge of Furin territory this weekend, and while there’s a music component, it’s more like a ‘silent concert’ vibe. They provide headphones, or you can bring your own, but all of the pieces are connected to a song or album…” Your eyes light up as you explain the event, but then you realize you don’t know Kaji well enough to know if that’s what he enjoys.

“If that’s something you’d be interested in? Obviously we can do something else if you want!” Quickly, you offer an out or an alternative - apprehensive that that’s the last thing he’d want to do.

“That sounds pretty cool, but if it’s like… nice art, then I may not fit in.” He says cautiously as he gestures to the clothes he’s currently wearing - he’s also feeling apprehensive, but for a completely different reason - but you immediately perk up at that as you grin up at him again.

“It’s all modern art made by local university and high school students, so it’ll be a really casual event. Honestly, you’ll fit right in.” You assure him quickly, and he smiles despite his nerves. He didn’t know why, but when you said he’ll ‘fit right in’ a warm bubbly feeling pumped through his veins making his heart stutter slightly.

“Cool.” Kaji breathes out with a small, relieved smile. “I’ll take you out to lunch afterwards.” He offers smoothly, and now your heart is stuttering. This was starting to sound like a date.

“Aw-awesome! I’ll send you the address and meet you there around noon?” You ask, trying to iron out the details without giving away that you’re trying to clarify exactly what this hangout is.

“You live close to that shop I took you to the first day we met, right?” He asks with a curious tilt of his head, and you nod in response. “Okay cool. I live pretty close to there too, so I can just come pick you up around noon, if that’s okay?” He asks, oh so nonchalantly. Despite his poker face, his heart is going a million miles a minute while he waits for what you’ll say.

“Um, yeah, of course! That would be great, thank you!” Blurting out quickly, and smiling giddily despite your attempts to stay cool, but then he ruins all of your efforts with his next words.

“Okay cool. It’s a date.” He says while taking your hand and starts leading you towards your friends once again. “Also, you don’t need to thank me for something I want to do.” Turning slightly to add over his shoulder, his pale ceruleans capture your gaze and pierce you through the heart right then and there. The tips of your ears start burning as your unruly heart hammers unsteadily against your chest, and the air is punched out of your lungs completely.

If he didn’t look away soon you feared you might die on the spot, but honestly a part of you wouldn’t have minded - the way you feel when he looks at you is exhilarating. It’s like you were tandem skydiving for the first time, and just when you were convinced that you were done for as the ground rushes towards your face, he finally releases the parachute by breaking eye contact and your senses return to you - but you still feel flustered and hot all over by the time the two of you reach the booth.

Despite his friend's immediate silent teasing - trying to not give it away to you, but you’re perceptive enough to see the winks and wiggling eyebrows shot his way - Kaji remains the king of nonchalance around them. Introduces you to the few of his friends who you haven’t met yet, and then your blended group takes a few moments to shoot the breeze. It seems like Hana has enjoyed conversing with Tsubaki, Enomoto and Kusumi - though you realize that they have certainly been discussing you and Kaji this whole time. Even though you’re feeling shy around all of the new faces, they all seem thrilled that you’re here and are extremely welcoming to you. Eventually, everyone has to say their goodbyes as the concert comes to a close. Kaji and you bid each other a good night, and as he’s turning to leave he says ‘see you Saturday’ and you smile and nod before repeating the same back to him. Both of you were teased incessantly by your friends on your separate walks home, but neither of you seemed to care - too excited over what Saturday, and whatever follows, will bring.

Not long after the concert and art pop-up, you and Kaji start hanging out on a regular basis. Soon after, you both come to realize that you have the same taste in music, both enjoy Peach Chupa Chups, and though you probably like coffee more than Kaji - he at least enjoys going on coffee dates with you. Though he’s partial to Pothos, and has convinced you to become partial to them as well - especially since he knew you would thoroughly enjoy Kotoha’s company once you met her.

Only a couple months later you receive a playlist named “Please Be Mine <3”. It was rather forward for Kaji, but he wanted to be as clear as possible - following the advice of Hiragi and Umemiya since he didn’t want to mess this up. The playlist was filled with songs directly and indirectly speaking of love. Just to be thorough, he follows it with a message:

Kaji: Hey, do you have time to talk after school today?

Y/N: Of course! I love the playlist by the way! :)

Kaji: Kaji loved a message.

After school, Kaji took you on a coffee date and officially asked you to be his girlfriend. Beside yourself with happiness, you of course accepted, and then kissed him on the cheek without warning. Kaji’s face flushed a light pink at first, which quickly deepened to a rich red as he pulled up his hood and yanked the strings taught to hide his face. Shocked at first, you gently shake his arm, but he just shakes his head and murmurs something you can’t hear. Leaning into his arm, you ask him to speak up.

“I-I can’t look at you after that! Wh-why did you kiss me?” He asks in a stilted whisper as he pulls his hood back slightly to peek at you despite his words. Even though Kaji has held your hand with ease, or even maneuvered you around in times of danger, he has never been on the receiving end of such open physical affection and didn’t quite know how to handle it.

“Because you’re my boyfriend now.” Taunting him with a mischievous smile as you quickly grab the edges of his hood so he can’t hide and plant a kiss squarely on his lips. Kaji is relieved he just freezes under your touch and somehow blushes an even deeper red, rather than reflexively hit you like he did to Furin’s Leader when Umemiya hugged him. That is the only time you push the line with Kaji when it comes to PDA, and after that the two of you really only hold hands in public. Even when the two of you weren’t holding hands, it would still be clear to everyone by the way Kaji always has his headphones off around you that the two of you are together.

#SP’s Headspace #pernesophe #wind breaker x reader #windbreaker x reader

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self-shipping-doll13 · 26 days ago

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December Self-Ship Prompts

🌲 For a more general Wintry vibe

Writing, moodboards, playlists, rambling, etc.

First Snowfall

Quiet Mornings

Bright Glaring Sun

Mucky Melting Slush

Forgotten Candles

Slippery Paths

Howling Wind

Red Berries

Lake of Ice

Evergreens

Sharp Icicles

Old Traditions

December Stars

Regretting a Kiss

Moonlight On Snow

Cold Fingers in the Chill

Missing The Past Seasons

Sprawling Winter Marketplace

Making Shapes in Condensation

Trying New Food &/or Drinks

The Darkest Time of Year

A Long Journey Home

Unconventional Gift

Aurora Borealis

Ghost Story

Knitwear

Roaring Fire

Late Arriving Letter

Sentimental Memories

Promises Kept, Promises Broken

New Year’s Dawn

Dividers by @/sweetmelodygraphics

#self ship #selfship #selfship positivity #f/o #self shipping #selfshipper #selfship community #selfship imagines #selfship prompts #selfshipping prompts #selfships #selfshipping imagines #selfshipping community #self ship prompts #self ship imagine

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steviebbboi · 5 months ago

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Let's Blow This Popsicle Stand

Writing another ficlet for @bigtreefest's Summer Lovin’ 300 Follower Celebration. Excited to share this one :)

This follows the prompt/trope: strangers to lovers + “here, you can share with me” + “aw man, that was the last one” + praise kink + oooo! Hand + a popsicle dripping down someone’s skin + ice cream shop/stand + beach

Pairing: Ari Levinson x Reader (no y/n)

Words: 2.3k ~ woah

Dividers from @sweetmelodygraphics ~ thank you for this creation!

Disclaimer(s): 18+ fic, Minors DNI, I do not own Ari Levinson (wish I did though). Graphic depictions of smut and serious flirting action from Ari. Allusions to eventual smut btwn reader and Ari. Allusions to domAri!/subReader! dynamic. This ficlet is unbeta'd.

Additional Note: I don't give permission to post this anywhere else. This is only posted on here and Ao3-- please do not steal work, my friends!

Your hand softly rests on the side of your neck as you hold your hair away to rub some ice on your perspiring skin. Letting out a sigh of relief, you try to shift further into the shade until you find some reprieve from the warm sunrays peeking through the shadows of your small store front.

Throwing away your makeshift ice pack, you let out another exhale and lean forward onto the counter while going back to mindlessly flipping your magazine.

A few minutes of turning page after page after page, you huff and put the magazine to the side to go get yourself a grape-flavored popsicle.

As you suck on your new treat, you look out towards the very crowded beach and observe people in their bikinis and shorts, also seemingly basking in the heat joylessly. The summer usually invites you to thrill in the sun’s generosity of its fevered heat. This summer though- it seems like the sun is being a little too generous.

You were finally having a moment of reprieve after flocks of customers started raiding through your store. Looking briefly at your remaining inventory, you smile as you predict your sales from today fondly. You have a feeling that you’ll get to close a little bit earlier today.

Your smile remained on your face as you brought your magazine back to your attention while happily humming, enjoying your ice pop. Really investing some newfound focus and energy into reading an article discussing a pop singer’s summer romance, you don’t even notice the man walking up to the counter to stand in front of you.

Only when you hear a throat clear, and your eyes shift to notice a shadow now being casted over the once sun-lit counter, do you look up to find a pair of amused blue eyes staring into your own. A soft smirk on the face of this just hot, glistening, sexy…hot, shirtless man. You freeze as you could practically feel this guy’s eyes piercing through you as you stare at him with your ice pop still pursed in your mouth.

Your eyes couldn’t help but roam over his fit physique, his dark hair breezed around his taut shoulders and his sculpted chest that only enhanced his handsome features. Your eyes glazed back to his upcurved pink lips that was accompanied by a full, dark beard.

Overall, the status of said man in front of you is: hot.

You both stare at each other in complete silence until the awkwardness starts to sit in for you where you then suddenly slurp the sweet grape flavor that leaked from your ice pop and with a soft pop, the icee slicks out of your mouth. The popsicle in your hand was already melting.

A few more moments of silence sat in the space and you saw the man’s eyes drift down to your lips that shined with dewy drops of icee. Unbeknownst to you, the cerulean blue hue of his eyes darkened a shade when he noticed you bite your lip in response.

“Hi.” Your eyes widen as that is the only word that seems to escape your mouth. Feeling embarrassed by your ditzy response, you flush and shake your head, “Uh- hi, how can I help you?”

The man only gazed back at you with a wider smirk on his face. A peek of perfectly white, straight teeth peeking out of his cheshire grin. “Hey. Sorry if I scared you.”

You shook your head adamantly, “No – that’s okay. I should’ve been paying attention. Sorry for…well, not noticing.” You let out a small huff of a chuckle.

The man gave you a small smile, “No worries, honey. I was wondering if you still had some ice pops left?” He looked back over his shoulder briefly before turning back to you. It was then that you noticed the cash gripped in his fist. You also looked over his shoulder to notice his friends chatting and lingering by the volleyball net stand on the sandy, yellow beach.

“Oh, yes of course! Let me see…how many did you want?” You ask brightly. Again, happily reminded of your successful sales flow of the day.

“Five, please.” He responded with his smile still locked on his face. His eyes couldn’t stop staring at the curvature of your thick lips that were now curled into a light smile.

“Beautiful.” Ari thought. He quickly noticed how fixated he was becoming as he focused on the plumpness of your mouth and shamelessly stared once more.

The man let out a hm while taking another look at you up and down over your body that was visible behind the booth. You couldn’t help but blink and flush again, wondering if maybe the ice pop you were eating has left a stain anywhere.

You subtly look down your clothes to check for stains. When you didn’t find any, you look back at the handsome face and ask, “Sorry, is there something on me?”

The man blinked as if he was taken out of an intense thought, but not out of embarrassment of being caught, rather– he seemed to drag his eyes away from your body reluctantly as if you interrupted him in a thought that he would rather stay in.

“Uh, no, not from what I can see.” He responded simply with his smirk now back on his wonderfully tanned face.

You let out a flushed okay and go back to looking over your inventory. You frowned as you counted only four ice pops left over. The fifth melting in your closed fist.

“Ah, I’m so sorry, sir - it seems like I have only four left.” You smile at him apologetically while putting out the ice treats on the counter.

“Aw man, that was the last one, huh?” The man jokingly referred to the icee in your hand. He puts the cash on the table as you stammer again. You didn’t catch the humor in his voice and immediately felt guilty for taking the last one.

Not wanting to leave a bad impression, you panickedly let out, “Oh! Uh, here, you can share with me!”

And once again, your awkwardness has induced a panicked response that has now led to you staring at him, doe-eyed, and in silence. “Why the fuck did I just say that?” You thought– your inner voice yelled at you as you tried to recover by coming up with a covered up response.

The man stared back at you as you attempted to talk your way out of that offer. Though, he unashamedly stared at you again with a darkened narrowed gaze. You didn’t know what your words had inspired him to think about next.

Your plump lips were covered in ‘juices’, letting out small mewls as your mouth engulfed the hilt of a concave shaped object- but instead of it being a popsicle, it was you sucking his thick, hard cock as he gripped the back of your head. Your attempt to speak now smothered with soft moans around his dick, all while Ari groaned out encouraging words staring down at the glazed look on your face. Your head was bobbing back and forth with tears swelling in your eyes as he thrust deep into your warm and wet mouth. Your tongue made the same slurping noises around the girth of his cock and was swirling around his mushroom tip over and over again. One hand fisted at his base since you couldn’t fit the whole thing in your mouth. Ari didn’t care though and drove deep inside until he could feel you gag around his cock again. He continued to relentlessly thrust into you until a mix of spit and pre-cum could be seen around your gripped fist.

“That’s a good fucking girl. I know your cock-sucking lips can do better than that.” Ari grunted and tightened his grip on your hair while quickening his thrusts with deep groans until he would eventually finish inside your waiting tongue and all over your doe- eyed stare that begged him for his cum.

Ari could only let out a huff of desire as he broke out of his reverie, perceived as a breath of frustration by you, not knowing that Ari has to lean into the bottom of the counter to adjust his raging hard on.

“Yo Ari, where’s my icee?” One of Ari’s friends runs over and comes up from behind him only to glance over at the two of you in your intense staring match. You look over at the friend with panic in your eyes and take action, you apologize for how long you were taking. You motion to hand over the icees to him and Ari.

Ari still hasn’t let up his wandering gaze on you and the friend seemed to catch on quickly, noting his friend's lack of reaction. Noticing Ari’s tense posture and the way that he was leaning suspiciously far into the cover of the counter, the other man raised his eyebrows and took another look at you. He suddenly smirked, as if he understood Ari’s reaction (or lack thereof), before saying, “No worries, darlin’. Thanks for the treats.”

You nod affirmatively but still confused as you look back at Ari's stiff stance. His friend continues to smirk and lets out a chuckle before clapping Ari on the shoulder quickly before running back to the rest of their friends with the frozen treats now in his hands.

At his friend’s touch, and noticing the concern still lingering in your eyes, Ari blinked once more and cleared his throat with a smile. The darkness in his eyes hasn't gone away and Ari didn’t even attempt to cover it up.

You were thinking that you just completely embarrassed yourself in front of one of the most attractive guys that you have ever seen in your life. While Ari was now thinking of all of the ways that he could have you later that day.

“I can’t believe I said that- in front of a customer too! God, I’m an idiot.” You thought to yourself while frowning and looking down at the counter towards the small remnants that remained of your popsicle.

“I’m so sorry, sir. I don’t know why I said that.” You apologize while staring at him through your lashes, intimidated by the man’s silence.

Before too much silence could take up the space again, Ari merely gave you another smirk, “Don’t be, honey. I’d love to share with you.”

At that last comment, you look up with surprise. Not even registering how Ari was flirting with you, you look back at the last stubs of the icee in your hand. “Oh, uhm, it seems to be gone now though.”

Ari looked down at the popsicle with you and abruptly gripped your now wet and sticky wrist and brought it up this mouth. You let out a gasp at the unexpected move and the pressure of his grip, and proceeded to let out a quiet, surprised moan that you couldn’t control once you gauged what he was doing.

Ari’s soft tongue and wet lips lapped softly and slowly at your hand, gathering all of the juice that spilled over in the last few minutes. The flavor of the popsicle and of your soft skin burst on his tongue as he peered back at you to see your reaction. Your eyes glazed over and followed the motion of his mouth. You could barely register the feeling of his tongue sucking at your now ‘clean’ skin until he eventually covered his mouth over the remaining small popsicle piece. The cold bite gave Ari a quick reprieve from the heat of his thoughts as he landed one last open kiss on your hand.

You let out a small whimper once you felt the withdrawal of his mouth on your skin. You instantly miss his warmth and images of Ari’s tongue on your wet, pulsing cunt were the only thoughts coming into your mind. A gush of slick coated your thin panties and you shifted your feet to adjust the discomfort.

A confident smirk swept back onto his face as he heard your soft and whines leave your throat. He gave your wrist a squeeze until he grasped onto the wooden stick that was sticking out loosely from your wet grip and took that into his mouth with a flirty grin on his face.

“Thanks for sharing, Doe. Maybe I’ll come back a bit later to share something else with you, if you don’t mind.” Ari says with a determined glint in his eyes.

Your eyes were taking in his unabashed demeanor, along with this newfound nickname, as he simply chewed on the wooden stick again while waiting for your response, or as you would put it, waiting for your soul to come back into your body. Receiving the boldness of his implied message, you could only let out a breath and a quiet yes, sir.

Ari’s eyes took one last sweep over your exposed skin and back to your plump and bite-ridden lips. He darkly responds to your affirmation, “That’s a good girl.”

Another whimper chirps out of your throat at the unexpected rush of warmth spearing into and all over your body when hearing his praise.

Looks like you won’t be getting out of work early after all.

Ahhh, I really love this one. Also, I haven't written anything smut in a long time lol, please be kind 🙏🏼 Hope you enjoy, any comments/likes/reblogs are loved and much appreciated, thank you!

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topochicoslut · 11 days ago

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everybody wants to rule the world: chapter one

fic synopsis: A young woman is sent on what is sure to be a suicide mission to spy on Ryomen Sukuna by a rival curse user who has heard rumors that the infamous King of Curses might have found the secret to true immortality pairing: heian era ryomen sukuna x fem!reader rating: 18+ ONLY!!!! (mature for now) word count: 8.8k+ lmfao fuck me

chapter warnings: some language, reader is kind of sort of a (huge fucking) klepto and doesn't feel bad about it, heavy angst (death of a parent due to illness), the briefest of mentions of someone getting handsy with reader but nothing intense or graphic, ummmm the overall looming threat of Sukuna's presence??? and the death and destruction that follows him wherever he goes??? probably some typos and/or grammatical errors i missed while editing (my bad y'a'll), lol i think that's it for this one a/n: hello, hello, helloooooo. first of all, thanks so much to everyone who read the prologue from a couple of weeks ago! this is the first official full length chapter of this story, and it takes place thirteen years before the prologue. it's mostly world building and exploration of reader's ✨back story/lore✨. sukuna doesn't appear in this one (plz forgive me! he's on his way i promise!!!), but he is mentioned/plays a big off screen role so to speak at the end of this chapter. i thought about breaking it into two parts, but decided to keep it as one so as not to prolong when Sukuna makes his first official appearance a couple of chapters from now : )okay that's all i've got. enjoy! 🖤 divider by sweetmelodygraphics

|masterlist| |ao3|

Hida Province, Japan, 875 AD

The late summer air was thick with the scent of hinoki and sunshine as you basked atop a pillowy bed of grass in the afternoon sun at the edge of your village. You’d come down here as you so often did when you wanted to get away from everyone and everything around you, passing the time by watching the clouds as they floated across the bright, blue sky above you.

Sadly, there wasn’t much else to do around here.

The village you’d grown up in was not only small, but remote. So small and so remote in fact, that it didn’t even have a name, let alone appear on any maps of the area. Its residents would come and go only as needed, traveling to other villages and towns to barter and trade not only in material goods, but also sometimes dowries and the young men and women that were included in those marriage deals. No one really had any reason to leave its confines besides that. Its isolation wasn’t without its perks however, your home was safely nestled in a small valley surrounded on all sides by lush forest and far enough away from the main road and the numerous wandering bandits that plagued the area.

But according to the village elders, there were worse things than bandits that lurked out there in the world. Though admittedly you had a hard time believing in that sort of thing.

As if in a warning to your skeptical thoughts, a particularly strong breeze blew around you, carrying with it the soft twinkling sound of the brass bells that hung all around the forest in a protective perimeter that perfectly encircled the village. The bells had been there since before you were born, a gift given to the village decades ago by someone who claimed to know magic- or jujutsu, as some of the elders referred to it- and had blessed them with their energy to provide protection to the village and all its residents from the evil spirits and monsters that supposedly roamed the land. While everyone else was convinced the bells existed to keep unwanted guests from getting in, sometimes you couldn’t help but think they were actually there to keep people from leaving the village for good. People like you.

Granted, you were only fourteen, so it wasn’t like you had much of a reason let alone the means to leave. But god you wanted to. Each passing year the urge to run away grew stronger and stronger, to venture out of the valley, past the forest, and to see what the rest of the province really looked liked. To visit a town, or better yet, an actual city. Surely there was more to life than spending yours hidden away in the smallest corner of the world. But you had responsibilities that kept you tethered here, namely being your mother’s sole companion.

You had no other family, supposedly a father, but seeing as you had never met him you were almost inclined to believe he didn’t exist. Your mother rarely spoke of him, and you couldn’t bring yourself to press her for more information about him whenever you noticed the tightness of her mouth and eyes whenever he did come up in conversation. All you knew about him was that he had all but disappeared shortly after she had gotten pregnant with you. There were rumors he had run off of course, leaving your mother high and dry as not only a pregnant girl barely past adulthood, but an unwed one at that.

But then there were the other rumors. The ones that no one dared say after dark when the sun went down. The rumors that something far worse had happened to him. Something evil and sinister, committed by some thing that lurked in the forest past the protective barrier of the brass bells around the village …he wouldn’t’ve be the first person to have gone missing like that. But since the bells had gone up all those years ago, there was simply no longer anyone still alive in the village who had actually seen any of those so-called monsters. But there were enough rumors and wives’ tales that had been passed down through the generations, whispers not only of cursed spirits, but of the men and women who battled and exorcised them. Those stories had left a mark on the village strong enough that even the most skeptical of those who resided in it never tried to tamper with the bells, and that anyone who needed to travel past the barrier always carried one of the spare ones borrowed from the elders for extra protection.

You had never admitted it out loud to anyone, not even yourself, but sometimes when you were bored and wandering alone around the forest- never crossing the barrier of course- you thought you’d see something move out of the corner of your eye. Or hear some sort of chittering that didn’t sound like any animal you’d heard before. But no matter how quickly you would turn your head, whatever thing that may or may not have been hovering nearby would be gone. For the sake of your own sanity, you decided it was just your imagination running wild. That the elder’s stories had finally gotten under your skin. ‘There is no such thing as monsters,’ you’d tell yourself. ‘There are no such things as curses.’

But despite how many times you would repeat that mantra over and over again, it didn’t stop the hairs from rising on the back of your neck sometimes whenever you were alone…

The sun was no longer at its highest point in the sky, signaling that it was much later in the day than you had realized. Soon it would be dark out, and not even you felt comfortable staying this close to the forest when night fell, bells or no bells.

With a stretch and a groan you stood up, your hips popping slightly as you rose to your full height. Turning your back to the forest, you began your journey home, the occasional sound of the bells growing fainter and fainter the closer you got to the heart of the village until there was nothing but silence around you.

The sky had faded from a calm blue to a fiery orange by the time you reached the small house you shared with your mother, and when you entered the main room that also served as your kitchen and dining area, you were relieved to see that she was already in the process of preparing dinner for the two of you. You quickly made your way towards her side to help with whatever finishing touches needed to be done before the two of you ate.

“You’re late getting back,” She said. You did your best to keep your mouth from twitching up in annoyance at the barely perceivable tone of accusation in her words.

“I was down by the river,” You replied, as you stirred the pot of vegetable soup that was bubbling over the hearth. It wasn’t a total lie, you had passed by the river on your way towards the edge of the village.

“Are you sure that’s the only place you went?” She asked you, this time suspicion heavily laced her question.

You knew she wasn’t asking about you going towards the forest, for that was the least of her worries when it came to you. Your mother knew that even though you scoffed whenever anyone brought up curses and sorcerers, you didn’t dare tempt fate by being foolish enough to wander too far past the barrier without a bell of your own to protect you. No, she was worried about the other ways you chose to spend your free time.

“I’m not stealing again if that’s what you’re getting at,” You grumbled under your breath. You kept your eyes trained on the contents of the pot in front of you, counting the number of mushrooms floating towards the top of the clear broth, not trusting your gaze to give away the fact that while you hadn’t stolen anything from an unsuspecting villager today, you most definitely were still stealing whatever and whenever the mood struck you.

Which was often, and had been for years at this point.

Your almost eerie talent for stealing had manifested at a young age, much to your mother’s horror. It had started with you taking dolls from neighborhood girls who had pushed you or bullied you in some way. Then it turned into you taking fishing hooks from some of the men, chopsticks, sandals, scrolls of poetry and other books, and even private letters from time to time, (though in your defense you only took those so you could learn how to read). Important family heirlooms and other priceless trinkets also made their way into your possession, whatever you could get your hands on really. It was all just a game to you. One that you had gotten away with for a shockingly long time until your mother had discovered your secret stash of stolen goods in an old basket in the corner of your home one day.

She made you go through the entire village that afternoon returning the items while she begged for forgiveness, promising with a deep bow that you would be swiftly punished once you returned home. The looks of anger you got from most people should’ve been enough to stop you from ever doing it again, but it was the expressions of shock and even slight fear when you returned certain items that stuck with you.

Somehow, on more than one occasion, you had managed to find the most prized possessions belonging to your neighbors that had been so well hidden, not even other members of their own household knew they existed. And when you were confronted with how you knew exactly where so and so had hidden an item of particular value, you merely shrugged your little shoulders and said in a bored tone,

‘I dunno, I just knew where it was.’

Your nonchalant attitude about the whole thing only added to your mother’s shame and embarrassment, and she made you promise to never do it again, but you had your fingers crossed behind your back when you did. You kept at your thieving, but you were a lot less greedy with it. Taking only small things here and there, simple items that could easily have been misplaced by the owners themselves. And you never kept them in the house. Instead you stashed your goods in a hollowed out tree stump behind your house that no one paid any mind to. Your own personal treasure trove filled with broken hair pins, sticks of incense and a few of their ceramic holders, a long forgotten calligraphy set, and other things that you slowly added to your secret stash over the years. Sure you were still greeted with the occasional suspicious glare from a villager here and there, but as long as no one could find your hiding spot, they couldn’t prove there was still a known thief in their midst.

“I wasn’t implying anything of the sort,” your mother huffed, but she kept her gaze focused on spooning heaping mounds of rice into two bowls. The two of you didn’t have much in common, but you both shared the inability of masking your true feelings when it came to your eyes. One look could give away your truest of moods, no matter what expression decorated the rest of your face. It was easier for the two of you to deflect your gaze elsewhere when lying.

Not wanting to pick a fight, you instead turned your attention on portioning out some soup for the two of you, carefully setting the bowl that had more mushrooms in front of your mother knowing they were her favorite.

“I know you weren’t mama,” You said. “I’m sorry if I came across as being disrespectful.”

You bowed your head, hoping that your show of earnest remorse would be enough to sweep the entire conversation under the rug, and it did. Your mother merely sighed before leaning forward to place a kiss on the top of your head. A gesture you were familiar with that signaled the almost-argument between you two was indeed over and forgotten about. The two of you fell into an easy silence and tucked into your dinner.

“I have to leave after this and won’t be back until much later,” Your mother said suddenly in between bites of rice.

“Is someone expecting?” You asked with a mouthful of food, ignoring the slightly pained look on your mother’s face at your lack of manners.

Your mother was considered to be the village’s unofficial midwife, a status that offered her enough respect and trust that those who would potentially judge her for being a single mother to a not so reformed delinquent of a daughter would at the very least have the courtesy to do so behind closed doors.

“No, but there’s been a few cases of people coming down with some sort of sickness. The village healer has asked me to help check in on a few of them tonight since he can’t make his rounds to everyone on his own.”

“That sounds serious,” You said with mild alarm. You’d heard a few people coughing over the past couple of days, but assumed it was nothing more than a late summer cold signaling the changing of the seasons.

“I doubt it is,” She replied as she collected her now empty dishes and set them aside near the bucket you would be tasked with washing them out in once you were finished with your own meal. “It’s probably just a summer cold.”

Your concern melted away at her seemingly carefree dismissal that there was any serious illness potentially ravaging the village. And as you watched her gather her modest medicine pack that was usually filled with various tinctures, tonics, and teas that helped the women in your village navigate their pregnancies however they saw fit, you noticed that her eyes held nothing but sincerity in them at her belief that she was merely being sent out to help treat a summer cold.

You waved goodbye to her as she left, and told her to be safe. The smile on her face promised that she would, and in that moment you almost believed she was telling the truth.

It wasn’t just a summer cold.

In the span of a week, nearly a dozen people had fallen ill with whatever illness had found its way to your tiny village. The more superstitious residents were convinced that the bells had failed, and something had snuck past them in the night, cursing anyone it had come in contact with. You knew that was nothing more than the work of paranoid minds, and thankfully most of the other villagers agreed with your sentiments. You knew the most likely reason behind the sickness had to have been from one of the handful of men who had recently come back from trading with one of the neighboring towns in your province. They easily could’ve picked up any sort of illness and brought it back with them. It wouldn’t be the first time.

But it had never been this severe before. And when the first person ended up dying from it, panic began to take hold of everyone. Your mother forbade you from leaving your house, and she spent her days going to and from every corner of the village doing her best to provide everyone with whatever sort of comfort she could pull from her trusted medicine pack. When she returned, it was only to quickly wash herself, change her clothes, refill her bag, and bring a hand to your forehead to make sure you didn’t have a fever.

You felt more useless than you ever had in your entire life. And for the first time you found yourself feeling ashamed that you had spent so many years focusing on honing your skills as some petty little thief, rather than actually bothering to learn anything about your mother’s craft like a normal, respectable, daughter would’ve done. You could’ve been helping her replenish the herbs she needed, grinding up seeds and plants into medicinal pastes and powders. Instead you stayed home, all but twiddling your thumbs while she worked herself to the bone trying to help your neighbors. So you made yourself as helpful as you could and instead focused your energy on cooking and cleaning and maintaining the house to the best of your abilities in her absence. Hoping it would be a strong enough showing of your unwavering support in her endeavors.

It took over five weeks for the mysterious illness to work its way through the village, striking down people seemingly at random, and eventually claiming the lives of nearly forty-five people in the process. The dead were taken out to the forest and past the brass bells, their remains laid to rest as far away from the village as safely possible in an effort to keep any possibility of the sickness from coming back and infecting anyone else.

You knew it was finally over when you woke up one morning and saw your mother’s sleeping figure on the other side of your shared bedroom, the white linen mask she had been wearing over her mouth for the better part of a month discarded next to her medicine pack at the foot of her futon. You crept around her quiet as a mouse, brushing the hair from her face just as she so often did whenever you were asleep and smiled, silently rejoicing that the worst of it was over and things could finally go back to normal.

Three days later, she started coughing.

You never believed less in magic than you did in the weeks your mother was ill. How could there be sorcerers, real life sorcerers out there in the world wasting all their crazy infinite powers on fighting invisible spirits, when they could, no- should, be using said powers to heal and help the sick and dying? It just didn’t make any sense to you.

You did your best to tend to your mother. You made her her favorite mushroom soup, making sure to finely chop the fungi you used in it until it was so tiny, she wouldn’t have to waste her energy on chewing anything. The village healer stopped by every other day to check on her recovery, or lack thereof, and each time he left he said that you just needed to give it more time. But time didn’t seem like it would be enough, and the waiting was eating away at you, just as whatever it was that was ravaging your mother was eating away at her. You never cried though, not even once. You knew that if you did, that would mean that you had accepted that the worst was going to happen, and you refused to give in to those thoughts.

You thought about stealing one of the extra bells from the elders, it would be so easy after all, it always was, and then you could make a mad dash through the forest, past the barrier that protected the village and seek out a cure. You would steal whatever you had to, from whomever you had to. You would snatch the very moon from the sky if it meant saving her, grind it down into some sort of iridescent powder and make a tea with it, helping her take careful sips until she glowed from within with its healing lunar power, and not the fever that had taken over her body. But that would require sorcery, and you didn’t believe in that. Though a hidden part of you liked to imagine that if you possessed even an ounce of it, that’s how you would be able to fix her.

Above all, you were afraid to leave your mother’s side. The healer’s voice telling you to give it more time echoed in your head, but time didn’t feel like it was on your side.

Even so, there was nothing else you could do but wait. Wait for her to get better. Wait for her to get worse. So you waited, and waited and waited…

It turned out, you didn’t have to wait all that long.

Your mother’s sickness lasted two full weeks, and when she finally died, it was the most unexpectedly expected moment of your life. Even though you had been preparing for it to happen for what had felt like a century at that point, the sting of coming home to a silent house from doing the laundry down by the river that was a mere ten minute walk to and from your home felt like a punch to the gut.

When you first entered the doorway the house was still, no coughing or hacking came from your mother’s futon in the corner of the room. And the sigh of relief you let out was so deep, all the tension you’d been keeping in your shoulders finally eased out. Setting the basket of clean linens on the ground you padded over to heat up some tea for her.

“Mama,” you whispered as you crept towards her silent figure. “Mama, I’m back.”

Carefully, you kneeled to the ground and reached a hand towards her head to check her temperature, but the feeling of her cold skin caused you to draw back with a sharp hiss, and you fell flat on your backside in shock.

Her fever was gone. And so was she.

You didn’t know how long you sat there on the ground staring at her. Years later, when you would finally allow yourself to think back to this moment, you realized that you had wanted to spend as much time with her as you could. Studying her features in a desperate bid to immortalize her face in your mind and your heart. It wasn’t until the soft golden light of the late afternoon began to seep into the open doorway that you finally willed yourself off the ground, but not before crawling over to your mother’s body to place a gentle kiss to her forehead.

“Goodbye, mama.”

Her funeral was quick.

Two men from the village helped you bring her body to the same part of the forest where everyone else who had perished from the illness had been laid to rest. As you watched them perform the funeral rites, you realized through your fog of grief that this was the furthest you’d ever gone from the village. And as you finally made your way back, you realized that this would be the very last time you’d ever set foot in it again.

You had barely crossed the barrier of bells when you swiped the solitary one from the pocket of the man who had been charged with carrying it when the three of you had set out to bury your mother. They didn’t notice of course, but still you kept it silently hidden in your fist, and tried to ignore that not only was it surprisingly warm, but it almost seemed to radiate the faintest of rhythmic thumps, like it had its own heartbeat. Instead you chose to focus on the thick twine that it hung from that was wrapped around your hand and wrist so tightly that the coarse fibers dug into your skin. You knew they wouldn’t have given it to you if you had asked them for it. After all, what would a young girl need a protection bell for when she was merely going home?

When you arrived at your house, you knew you had a short window of time to gather what you needed before the men realized the bell was gone and came looking for it. You grabbed your mother’s medicine pack and took the mostly empty jars from it, only bothering to keep a few whose contents you actually knew. You packed up a few meager belongings you wanted to take with you, mostly items that would help you on the journey you were about to take. The tiny house that you’d called home all these years felt bigger than it had any reason to, and you found yourself eager to leave it behind. Your mother had been the only thing keeping you tethered to the village, and now that she was gone there was no real reason for you to stick around.

The last thing you grabbed before you left your home for the final time was your mother’s fall outfit from storage. It didn’t quite fit you right, the legs of the pants were too long, and the waist of the top was too short, but it was warm, and smelled like her, and you knew you would need both of those comforts once you were on your way. It dawned on you as you began your trek back towards the forest that you had absolutely no idea what you were doing or where you were going. But there was no fear in your heart as you walked deeper into the lush greenery that surrounded your village. The single brass bell you had triple knotted to the strap of your mother’s medicine pack that was slung over your shoulder chimed with each step you took, and when you crossed the barrier of bells the air filled with a chorus of them ringing even though there hadn’t been even the slightest gusts of wind to disturb them.

That secret part of you, the part that you had kept buried deep within, reached towards the surface of your mind and for once you didn’t fight it. Maybe there was some truth to the bells and their origins, that maybe once upon a time, a sorcerer really had stumbled across a tiny village in the middle of nowhere and decided it deserved to be protected. The hundreds of brass bells that they had enchanted all those years ago granting one of its inhabitants a final farewell in the form of a gentle symphony that overtook the entire forest.

The wave of sound washed over you and it followed you all the way through the rest of the trees until you cleared the forest and stood before a road that stretched for miles and miles in two different directions. The silence was almost deafening, but the bells still echoed in your head as you turned to face left, then right, then left again, trying to decide which way to go. Left meant going south, and you knew enough from the stories of the villagers who made it out this far to do their trading that the south was filled with more villages that were much like your own. Small and remote, but clustered closer together. Right meant going north, and north meant less villages, but there were several towns scattered that way. Including an actual city that was so massive, there were supposedly whole neighborhoods that were bigger than your entire village.

North also meant the higher possibility of running into bandits, because there were better opportunities for them to rob people that way. Something that also bode well for you, because even though you weren’t one for violently mugging people, you could still survive off of pickpocketing. And who knew what sort of unfathomable treasures you could possibly get your hands on in the process.

The rush you got at the thought of finally being able to fully flex and test your skills as a thief was all you needed to make your decision, and you turned right without a second thought and began your journey north.

You had been on the road for nearly a week, and despite the sharp aching in your feet from all the walking you had done, you were feeling pretty confident in your decision to leave home. You had passed by a handful of people so far on your journey, but apart from a polite nod of acknowledgement you didn’t really interact much with any of them. No one seemed to really bat an eye at a teenage girl walking alone on the main road, or maybe they just didn’t trust that you weren’t bait being used by some bandits looking to rob and kill whoever would be dumb enough to stop and speak with you.

You didn’t mind it all that much, you yourself were always cautious whenever you walked past someone, even a harmless looking cattle farmer perched atop a wagon that was being pulled by two horned bulls that towered over you. The first time you crossed paths with one of those, you stood slack jawed and frozen in place at the sight of the monstrously large animals. The farmer had been so amused by your reaction, he offered you a ride as far as the next town over on the back of his cattle cart, which you graciously accepted. But you still made sure the knife you had taken with you for protection that was stashed away in the front of your shirt was easily accessible as you clambered up the back of his cart.

You admittedly made one mistake during your journey, and that was when you had foolishly accepted a ride from a lone soldier who rode past you one afternoon on an elegant but battleworn horse. He had seemed harmless enough at the time, but when his hands started roaming across your thighs not even a mile in, you threw a sharp elbow as hard as you could to his nose, and hopped down and ran off into the woods while he was still holding a blood soaked hand to his mangled face. You laughed as he cursed at you, calling you all sorts of names, and when you set up camp that night, you laughed even harder when you helped yourself to the stolen provisions you’d nicked from his saddlebag when he wasn’t looking.

You figured this talent of yours would be what would keep you alive once you got into the city. You couldn’t think of any other job you would actually want to do. You could be a maid, but that sounded boring. Not to mention your employers might notice that your arrival would undoubtedly coincide with items going missing, and you may be a thief, but you certainly wouldn’t try and pin any of your handiwork on the other help you’d end up sharing a roof with. There was always the option of selling your body, but you didn’t think you had it in you to walk that path. Not to mention you wanted to think you were still too young to do so, being just a girl of fourteen. Though others might not agree with that.

You shuddered at the thought of what sort of man would find a child like you a desirable bedfellow and almost missed the sound of shuffling feet headed your way. It wasn’t until the frame of an old man entered the clearing you were calling home for the night that you let out a shrill scream.

“Shush!” He cried out, while pressing a gnarled finger to his lips. “Please, quiet down. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I noticed your fire and was wondering if I could warm myself.”

“You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that,” You snapped at him. He hovered near the edge of the woods as you sized him up. He looked as though he was well into his seventies, and seemed to be more skin and bones than muscle and flesh. Despite that he carried a large sack on his back like it weighed nothing at all. You determined he wasn’t much of a threat, and gave him a quick nod gesturing to him to come sit beside your fire.

“Thank you,” He groaned as he sat down opposite you. “I’m headed towards the city to do some trading and fell behind schedule. Growing old slows you down more than I would care to admit.”

You merely hummed in response, still eyeing him cautiously across the flames.

“You’re a brave one for lighting a fire out here,” He said.

“Brave?” You asked.

“That or very foolish.”

“Listen you old buzzard-” You growled, but he raised his gnarled hands in a silent apology.

“I only meant that not many people in this area would be willing to risk doing that,” He said. “I’m sure you’ve heard about what roams these lands.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” You said, while lazily waving a dismissive hand towards him. “Monsters, and curses, and sorcerers. And all sorts of other things that go bump in the night. That’s just a bunch of nonsense.”

Sure, you had finally made peace with the idea that the bells that had surrounded your village might’ve been placed there by an actual sorcerer. And yeah, everyday you would absentmindedly reach down to make sure the little brass bell you’d taken with you was still tightly secured to your mother’s pack. But that was still as far as you were willing to go with admitting you believed in anything more than that. You hadn’t seen, heard, or crossed paths with anything weird or unexplainable since you started your journey north. And you had started to think you never would.

“Is it?” He asked with a grin that was a little too grim for your liking.

“It is,” You insisted. “Just a bunch of old wive’s tales to keep children in check. They told those stories in my village all the time. But that’s all they are- stories.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure of that.”

“Oh, really?” You scoffed. “Is that your cryptic way of telling me you’ve crossed paths with that stuff before?”

“I’ve seen the aftermath of a battle before,” The old man replied, his eyes twinkling with both mischief and the light of the fire reflecting in them. “Even met a few sorcerers in my time. But I’ve never seen a curse, because not everyone has the ability to see them.”

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes. No one in your village had ever once mentioned needing some special type of sight to see curses or spirits. No wonder no one had ever seen anything before, every new detail you learned about this jujutsu nonsense seemed more and more ridiculous.

“Whatever you say, old man.” You yawned. “Feel free to stay the night and keep warm, but I'm getting some sleep. Don’t try anything funny.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it girl,” He chuckled.

You rolled to your side curling into a tight ball as you heard him groan and creak as he settled into a resting position of his own on his side of the clearing. You tried not to let his words get to you, just as you tried not to stare too hard into the inky darkness ahead of you in the woods. For the first time since your journey began you noticed just how silent the woods were.

You didn’t fall asleep until just before dawn.

You awoke a few hours later feeling cranky, hungry, and sleep deprived. You didn’t bother trying to remember if you’d had any dreams the night before, you never did. Even when you were a child no matter how deeply you slept, you never dreamt. You would listen with envy to the other kids in the village as they talked about how they would fly higher than the mountains, or breathe underwater, or talk to animals, all in their sleep. You ended up tearfully asking your mother once if she had dreams, to which she responded yes, but usually they were quite boring and often involved a singing tea kettle. She was shocked when you wailed in her arms that you would give anything in the world to dream about a singing tea kettle just once. She gently rocked you to sleep in her arms, telling you that maybe your dreams were just too big for your little head to remember when you woke up, and maybe once you were older and bigger that would all change and you could dream about all the singing tea kettles you could ever want.

You felt the corners of your eyes prick with tears you still had not shed over her, and you silently told yourself to keep it together, suddenly remembering you had a guest that had spent the night across from you and your fire. A guest who you could see moving out of the corner of your eye.

The old man had seemingly already been awake for about as long as you had been asleep. He sat cross legged in front of your now dead and smoldering fire, helping himself to a breakfast of smoked fish and tea. You were surprised when he handed you a tiny mug of your own, and wordlessly accepted it with a nod. Your first sip was strong and bitter, but its warmth was welcome in the chilly morning air.

“So,” He asked as he stared at you, seemingly taking in just how young you actually were in the light of day. “Where are you headed girl?”

“The same place you are I reckon,” You yawned.

“The city is still three days from here,” He mused, reaching forward to refill your mug that you hadn’t even realized was empty. “Perhaps we can walk the rest of the way there together.”

“Worried you’ll get lost?”

“I’m worried you will,” He said. “It would weigh on me something heavy if I let you continue the journey on your own out here. After all, you’re just a girl.”

“I’m not just a girl,” You hissed.

He let out a wheezened giggle that only annoyed you further and you chugged the rest of your tea to keep from biting out a cruel retort in his direction. The hot liquid sloshed its way down your throat and into your stomach as you considered his words.

“Maybe…” You started quietly. “We could walk the rest of the way together…might make the rest of the trip go by faster.”

The old man flashed a joyful grin your way. You didn’t even know his name, but his presence though slightly irritating at times, had been a welcome one. And you hadn’t realized just how lonely you’d been since you had left the village with no one to really talk to. Your stomach growled, and he handed you the last of his smoked fish.

After you finished your breakfast, you packed up your belongings, slung your packs over your shoulders, and carried on down the road together.

The rest of the journey was enjoyable, and you were right- it was passing by a lot quicker with the old man accompanying you. You learned that his name was Genji, he was a widow, and that he spent his remaining days traveling back and forth from his town to the city selling the various ceramics he made himself every other month. For someone who was pushing eighty he was remarkably spry, and as quick witted as a man more than half his age could ever hope to be.

Every night you lit a fire, and every night he would watch you do so wearily. But the desire to stay warm outweighed what you still considered to be the imagined risks of a superstitious old man. You didn’t want to admit that there were moments during the night where you thought you saw movement in the shadows that had nothing to do with the fire. Quick flashes of light that looked less like crackling embers and more like eyes that glowed. You didn’t want to admit that your hair standing up on the back of your arms and neck had less to do with the chilly night air, and more to do with... Well, you just didn’t want to admit it.

Genji did not press the issue either, and for that you were thankful. Perhaps he saw the uncertainty in your eyes despite your best efforts to put on a brave face in the night. He never outright asked if you had seen anything, not wanting to start an argument with you by indirectly implying you possessed some sort of totally not real gift, or sight, or whatever the hell it was he had called it the first night you met. Nevertheless, you still managed to awaken each morning in one piece, albeit sore, and cranky from a lack of a good night’s sleep. You would eat smoked fish, drink tea with Genji, and then go back to walking. All in all, it was a very uneventful two days.

That was until the third day.

That morning started off as all the others had. Genji had already brewed tea before you had even woken up in the tiny pale pink tea pot he used every morning. He wordlessly passed you a piece of smoked fish, and you ate it in bleary eyed silence. Knowing you would make it to the city by nightfall made you all the more eager to hit the road again, and you were on your feet quicker than you had been during your previous mornings. Genji was busy quizzing you on all the different neighborhoods that awaited you in the city when you arrived, reminding you which ones would be the best for you to find work in (“The River District is home to plenty of affluent families who are always looking for help. And most Marketplace vendors will pay people to help them set up and tear down their stalls.”). Along with which ones were in your best interest to avoid (“The Red Light District is nothing but trouble, you wouldn’t last a minute there. It’s filled with thieves, unsavory women, criminals, and worse.”).

He thought you were joking when you said the Red Light District sounded like it would be the perfect home away from home for you, but the serious look on your face when you confirmed that you were in fact planning on checking out that particular neighborhood, and only that one had him scolding you like you were his own grandchild for even thinking such nonsense. The two of you were still bickering loudly with one another as you neared a curve in the road, and you were on the verge of calling Genji a particularly rude name when you rounded the corner and ended up crashing face first into Genji’s pack that was filled with all his ceramic knick knacks.

“What the hell Genji!?” You shouted out as you rubbed your nose. “You can’t just stop walking in front of someone without any warning!” An uneasy silence was all that greeted you, and you were about to yell at him again, but when you peered over his shoulder to see what all the fuss was about, any and all words died on your tongue.

The road that you had been so diligently traveling on for the past week and some odd days was gone. Or at least part of it was. In front of you there was nothing but a large hole. No, a crater was more like it, one that seemed deep enough to swallow a small lake, but had settled for the crumbling earth around it. In the not so far distance across the sprawling center of it, you could make out the other half of the road that was somehow still partially intact. It seemed impossibly far from where you stood.

The two of you stared speechless taking in the sight before you. The trees that lined the edge of the crater were burnt and turned on their sides, like old long forgotten sticks of incense. The gaping charred earth that lay before you still faintly smelled of smoke, and when a breeze blew past it kicked up bits of dirt and ash that stung your eyes. It was only when you looked down to cough and wipe your eyes with your sleeve that you noticed the bones.

They were human. Blackened and broken, and blasted into bits and pieces by whatever had caused the crater that stood before you. There were animal bones too, and with horror you realized the larger skulls, at least that's what you assumed they were based on their half intact shape, were horses.

You were standing at the grave site of what appeared to be an army.

But what could have-

“Gods above,” Genji whispered. “He was here.”

“He?” You said hoarsely. “What do you mean he?”

“Come on girl,” Genji said, face paler than death itself. “We have to keep moving.”

“Moving? Moving where? There’s not a road to move on Genji- Hey!”

But Genji wasn’t listening to you. Instead he was pulling your arm with a strength you didn’t know he had and dragging you with him into the crater. You didn’t have time to pull yourself free as you both slid down the side of it, narrowly avoiding being tripped by the remnants of tree roots, rocks, and god, burnt human remains. You both landed at the bottom of the crater with a soft thump, your feet kicking up plumes of ash. But even then Genji didn’t let go of your wrist, dragging you behind him as he walked as swiftly as he could through the pit with you in tow.

“Genji, I don’t understand. What could’ve done this?” You were alarmed at how scared your voice sounded, and you tried to focus on the comforting sound of the brass bell that clanged shrilly from its home on your pack.

He didn’t answer. Instead he just kept pulling you as he walked across the crater. Not bothering to side step the remains that were in his path, while you tried your best to dodge every last piece of human being you could. It wasn’t until your foot collided with a skull that was half buried in at least half a foot of ash, staring face up toward the alarmingly blue sky in a silent scream, that you finally yanked your arm free from your companion.

“Genji! What the fuck is going on?” You yelled.

Genji stopped and turned to look at you. His eyes were no longer filled with their usual cheery warmth. Instead they shown with fear.

No.

Terror.

“Those things you like to lie to yourself about not being real exist.”

“Okay, but they couldn’t cause this,” You hissed as you flapped your arms in a panic gesturing to the carnage all around you. You didn’t even realize you hadn’t corrected him on how they weren’t real. “Those things just, I don’t know, spirit people away or eat them or whatever grandmother’s tell their grandkids. They don’t punch a goddamn hole through the earth!”

“This wasn’t the work of one of those things,” He replied, looking around like he was worried that something, or someone might hear him. “This was something else, a man.”

“Oh come on, Genji,” You laughed but there was no humor in the sound. “There’s not a man alive who could do something like this.”

“He’s not much of a man anymore if the rumors are true.”

“Oh my god, what rumors? What man? You’re not making any sense right now.”

“Ryomen Sukuna.”

Ryomen.

Sukuna?

It was a name you had never heard before, but the moment it fell from Genji’s lips in that hushed whisper ripe with the same terror that matched his desperate eyes, it felt as though someone had dumped a bucket of ice cold water on your head. The air itself became still, and you were suddenly, painfully, aware that you were much too far from the sky. Too deep in the earth. Too deep in a grave, a grave that was shattered into existence by a man named-

“Ryomen Sukuna?” You repeated, the name itself filled your mouth with the taste of iron, and for a second you wondered if you’d bitten your tongue and it was your own coppery blood that you were tasting.

“Shush!” Genji hissed at you, much like he did the first night you met. Though this time it was a warning and not a plea. “Don’t say it again.”

“Why? Who is he?”

“He’s a sorcerer. Or he was before. I’m not sure what he’s become over the years to be capable of doing something like this. He’s been running around this entire province for ages now, striking down anyone who so much as dares to look at him a certain way. But he’s never been this far south before, this road was perfectly intact when I was in the city last month.”

“But sorcerers aren’t re-”

Genji didn’t even let you finish the lie you’d been telling yourself since childhood only because you hadn’t seen the truth of it all until this very moment with your own eyes.

“Look around you girl,” Genji scoffed bitterly. “You still deny that you live in a world where the impossible is possible, that jujutsu is real, and there are those who wield it not for the greater good, but for their own cruel desires and bitter amusement?”

“But all I've ever heard anyone say about sorcerers is that they’re good,” You countered, immediately thinking of the faceless and nameless one who had shown up at your village long before even your own mother had been born, and gifted everyone who lived there the protection of those bells. The bells that you wished were still surrounding you right now. “They protect people! You’re saying this Ryo- oh for heaven's sake. This guy is not only some crazy powerful sorcerer, but a bad one at that. And he did all of this…What, for fun?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I'm saying.”

The two of you stared the other one down. Genji watched as you silently began the process of realigning everything you had ever believed in before this moment. Finally coming face to face with the truth that while there were no such things as miracles in your world, that didn’t mean there weren’t curses.

And there really were people out there, actual honest to god sorcerers, who had somehow harnessed the unchecked power of jujutsu that walked among you. Maybe they had never set foot in your village for as long as you had been alive, but they were out here in the real world. Roaming the lands like they owned it, leaving nothing but scorched earth and dust in their wake as proof that they were here.

And apparently one of them, quite possibly the worst one, had been living in your province this entire time wreaking havoc, and you’d had no idea. Maybe leaving the village had been a bad idea after all. You weren’t even remotely prepared for any of this.

“How do you know for certain it was this Sukuna person?” You finally asked, and you cringed at the way your voice shook as you said his name.

“Because he’s the only one I’ve ever heard of who’s even remotely capable of causing devastation such as this,” Genji answered as he looked up fearfully towards the sky. You followed his gaze.

“You can’t be serious,” You groaned. “He can fly?”

“Do you really want to stick around and find out?” Genji asked.

You didn’t. So with all the courage you could muster, you gripped your hands tightly around the straps of your pack and gave Genji a curt nod, signaling him to lead the way out of the crater. You both made quick work of it, sprinting your way across the tomb you’d stumbled across as fast as your legs would carry you. When you made it to the other side, the two of you scaled your way towards the top of the crater, desperately clutching any rock and root you could reach as you hoisted yourselves back up to the surface.

Genji didn’t give you much time to catch your breath or even wipe the dirt and ash from your clothes before he began trudging ahead on the other side of the road that was still intact despite the damage that had been inflicted on a sizable chunk of it. The two of you hoping that it would lead you not only to civilization, but safety.

You allowed yourself one final look over your shoulder at the crater, and did your best to ignore the shudder that ran its way down your spine as you tried and failed to imagine exactly what sort of man this Ryomen Sukuna was to be capable of such wanton destruction. You wondered if there were others like him out there, who were just as violent and deadly, but better at hiding it and themselves from the masses. You silently prayed to whatever god that would listen that if you ever did cross paths with any sorcerers, you would never have to encounter one like Ryomen Sukuna.

And on the chance that you were ever unfortunate enough to do so, you prayed even harder that perhaps they would be willing to show you mercy.

tag list: @after-laughter-come-tears @officialholyagua @clp-84

#ryomen sukuna x reader #ryomen sukuna x you #sukuna x reader #sukuna x you #sukuna fanfic #ryomen sukuna fanfic #ryomen sukuna smut #sukuna smut #jjk fanfic #everybody wants to rule the world fic #topochico writes things

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we-were-born-to-be-free · 1 month ago

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~Priyasha~ ~15~ ~South African~

Who I write for: Draco Malfoy, Kaz Brekker, Aaron Warner, James Potter, Regulus Black, Aleksander Morozova, Mattheo Riddle, Barty Crouch Jr, Evan Rosier, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson.

Fandoms I'm a part of: The marauders, Harry Potter (Fuck jkr), The Grishaverse, Lockwood and Co, Call Me By Your Name, Shatter Me, Haunting Adeline, Stray kids, Enhypen, Powerless and Heartstopper.

What I love: Rainy days, sunsets, stars, food, my religion (Hinduism), books, being on tumblr, characters that are special and just connect to me, My friends, TImmy Chalamet, the colour green, rum and raisin ice cream, music, piano and violin, reading, crocheting, cycling, bullying one specific friend (@grace1409 you know who you are), a few teachers at school and physical touch.

What I don't like: Stupid people, homophobes, transphobes, all the phobes, people that are unnecessarily mean, Afrikaans, eggplant chutney, banana flavoured things, my body, my skin, my hair, Romeo and Juliet, sweaty sports (cycling is an exception) and wool getting knotted.

Artists I listen to in no specific order: Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Arctic Moneys, Chase Atlantic, Gracie Abrams, Mother Mother, Billie Eillish, Olivia Rodrigo, Bruno Mars, SZA, Doja Cat, Sabrina Carpenter, Lana del Rey, Gigi Perez, The Neighbourhood, Isabel LaRosa, Madison Beer, and Noah Kahan.

My most favourite moots in the whole wide world: @sc11vb my princess and little sister @sun-kissy my wifey @where-the-stars-collide my big sister @the-stars-drowning my dove @roadkill111 my darling @shattermelyhfmlblog my lovely @deadchaoticcosmos my moonbeam @my-castles-crumbling most famous moot

Dividers are by @sweetmelodygraphics. Pictures are from Pinterest.

#pri's moots #blog intro #introductory post #intro post #pinned intro #intro #introduction

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voiceoffenrisulfr · 6 months ago

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Becoming Spider-Man - Chapter Eleven

Peter Parker Takes a Step

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 -> Peter Parker & Tony Stark (IronDad)

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 ->In which Peter has an appointment, and Tony did some research.

𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓 -> 3500

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 -> (T) Trans medical discussion; minor, hypothetical discussion of self-harm and suicide, but nothing particularly heavy.

𝐀/𝐍 -> Disclaimer - I know almost nothing about trans healthcare in America, and the waiting times involved. I know that sometimes there is one, and sometimes there isn't, and quality is highly variable. Please don't assume this is factually accurate, for everyone's sakes. <3 Check it out below, or on AO3 here! Cute divider by @/sweetmelodygraphics!

<- Previous Chapter (10/16) Next Chapter (12/16) ->

It was an oddly unobtrusive start to such a momentous day. I didn’t sleep well, finding blissful escape only as the sun began to hint at the horizon, but I felt refreshed as I stretched luxuriously between Egyptian cotton sheets. There was no obnoxious alarm blaring, no manic genius hammering on my door – only a slow progression into a comfortable consciousness. Sleep stolen in hours that should be spent in class are undeniably the best, I mused distantly as I slid myself into my suit, having learnt the trick by now and flattening my body without the flailing of limbs that had accompanied my first attempt. I had other binders now, sure – but this was a big day, and I wanted to do it not only as Peter Parker-Stark, but also as Spider-Man.

When I emerged, dishevelled, Tony was waiting in the kitchen, a mug of coffee sending curls of steam into the charged air. “Morning, kid. You all ready to go?” I nodded hesitantly, unable to hide the trembling of my hands. “I think so.” He watched me carefully, tracking the shaking of my fingers as I moved to pour myself my own pick-me-up, knowing I’d need it when the adrenaline wore off. “Nervous?” I wriggled my free hand indecisively as I took a sip, before offering him a weak grin. “Terrified… But in the best way.” He simply smiled in response, shrugging on his jacket. “We’ll get on our way in a minute.” I nodded then paused, struck dumb. “M… Mr. Stark, is that… A pronoun badge?” The small pin was stuck unobtrusively to his chest, pale blue with black typing, but once I’d spotted it adorning his jacket, I couldn’t look away. “Huh? Oh, this?” He looked down, offering a half-shrug at the he/him proudly displayed. “Yeah. I wanted to… Y’know, show that you have my support. And it’s good to normalise offering and asking pronouns, to avoid trans people feeling singled out when they clarify theirs.”

Despite his head still being angled down, I could see the text scrolling across the bottom of his tinted glasses, and pinched my lips to suppress a smile. “I think it’s a lovely idea, Tony. I’ll have to get myself one, too.” He looked back up, grinning broadly as he reached under the counter. “We have a range to choose from. I intend to offer them to both the Avengers and the Stark employees – and we’re putting together a HR meeting with the Stark Enterprises team to discuss the importance of using people’s correct pronouns.” My own smile broke free then, fondly eyeing the box before me. “That’s amazing – so cool of you!” He hesitated briefly before opening the box and sliding it toward me. “I… Never actually thought to ask you, actually. Are you comfortable sharing your pronouns with me? I’m sorry for not asking before now.” I resisted the urge to clasp a hand over my heart theatrically, deeply touched by his care. “It’s no problem, Mr. Stark. I use he/him pronouns, but I’m ok with they/them, too. Really, the only ones I don’t like are she/her.” I couldn’t fight the curl in my lip at the words, making Tony chuckle fondly, reaching out to tousle my hair as I dove into the box for my matching pin.

The small badge on my lapel bolstered my confidence as we entered the sleek clinic, a minor-yet-major thing that proclaimed me as male for the world to see. Tony checked us in while I gazed around myself in wonder, stunned by the white furniture and polished surfaces.

“This place looks expensive,” I hissed under my breath when we were invited to sit in the sterile waiting room. Tony shrugged one shoulder modestly.

“It isn’t – not for me,” he added when I arched a brow in disbelief. “Kid, you’ve gotta remember; at this point, I have more money than I know what do with. And besides… It’s all yours in the end, anyway. I may as well get chance to see it being put to use.”

I nodded, still not entirely comfortable, before hesitating. “… ‘Mine in the end’?” I clarified, heart stuttering.

Tony met my gaze, head tipped. “Of course. You’re my son, Peter – where else would it go?”

I swallowed dryly, fighting off the flutter of happiness in my chest that occurred whenever he called me his son. “M-Mr. St… Tony… I didn’t… I’m not-”

“-here for the money, I know,” he interrupted softly. “I know, kid. But it’ll be yours regardless. It’s up to you what you do with it, and if you don’t want to keep it, that’s fine. However, in the meantime, just let me do something good with it, okay?”

I looked down, chagrined and humbled, and nodded once. “Okay, Tony.”

The office we were shown to was just as sophisticated as the waiting room, which did nothing to ease my nerves, despite the nurse smiling at me from her straight-backed leather chair.

“Peter and Tony, right?”

I nodded and mumbled out a hello, while Tony stepped forward confidently, offering his hand. “That’s us. Thanks for fitting us in so quickly.”

The woman laughed, a comforting, gentle sound. “My son is a big Iron Man fan, in all honesty. He’d never believe I’d met you!” There was a tense pause, and her hand went to her mouth as she flushed pink. “Not… Not that I’d tell him, of course. We take patient confidentiality very seriously here – I just meant, you know, hypothetically.”

Tony glanced at me, and I shrugged. “I don’t care.”

He smiled affectionately before turning back to our nurse. “I don’t suppose you have your phone?” Her mouth worked wordlessly before she nodded, reaching into a purse below the desk and handing it to him silently. I watched as he deftly opened the camera, clearly used to the routine by now, and set up the front facing video. “What’s your son’s name?”

“Um… T-Tyler. He… He’s actually why I work here. He’s trans, too. Not that that’s… I mean, he’s very open about it, and we touch base often about whether I can disclose that to clients, and he’s fine with it,” she clarified quickly.

“You don’t say?” Tony’s lips quirked in the corner as he glanced at the nurse – a pretty blonde, I noticed for the first time. “What about you? What’s your name?”

“Lola,” she replied, blushing once more. “She/her.”

“He/him,” he responded smoothly, settling in front of the phone.

“Hey, Tyler! I’m here with your mom, and she said you’re a big fan. She’s…” Tony glanced at me once more, and again, I nodded, eliciting a fond smile. “She’s looking after my son, too. Peter.” He gestured me over, and I ducked into frame, offering an awkward wave.

“Hey, Tyler. I’m a pretty big Iron Man fan, too.” Tony elbowed me lightly in the ribs, chuckling playfully, and I laughed.

“I’ll make sure to give her an autograph for you. You’ve got a good mom, sport. Look after her. The world needs heroes, big and small.” ‘Sport’? So he only calls me ‘kid’, huh? I thought affectionately as he threw up a peace sign before cutting the camera, and I smirked, dropping back into one of the vacant seats.

“Kinda ironic, don’t you think?” I quipped, and he rolled his eyes at me.

“Yes, yes, very funny, kid.”

Kid.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Stark – and you, too, Peter,” she added, voice soft and flattered as she put her phone away. “Now… How about we get to business?”

Tony nodded, quickly returning to the task at hand. “Yeah. We – Peter and I – we put together a kind of plan of what he’s after, if that helps?” Delving into his own case, he pulled out a clear file, through which I could just about see the sheet covered in our mingled, untidy scrawl.

Lola raised an eyebrow, visibly surprised. “You two really thought this through, huh?”

I shuffled forward a little, finding my voice at last. “Yeah. Tony’s been really supportive, and he’s helped me so much. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without him. I mean, I’ve known that this was what I wanted for a long time, y’know? But actually doing it is a little scary. I didn’t always… Well, I’ve not always had the greatest of support systems. Tony’s being unquestioningly compassionate to my struggles, and done a ton of research on how he can help. It… Means a lot,” I finished lamely, wincing. But how could I put words to what he’s done for me? He saved my life.

She smiled again, glancing warmly at my guardian. “That’s great. I’m really happy for you; far too many trans youth are in unsupportive environment, and it makes an already difficult life significantly harder. Society’s treatment of trans people has a long way to go, but a bit of compassion at home can make the world of difference. But,” she added, growing serious, “this process is, first and foremost, about you, Peter. And while I understand that you are appreciative of your relationship with Tony and how he’s supported you, I am required to ask – are you ok with him being here while we talk, or would you rather he stepped outside?” I opened my mouth to respond instinctively, but she cut across quickly. “If you want him to stay, that’s ok. Or if you want to discuss the more sensitive stuff first, we can ask him to come back in after. Or if you’d rather speak without him here at all, that’s fine too. It’s about you, Peter.”

I glanced across, chewing on my lip. Tony offered me a reassuring smile, and I couldn’t help but wince. “Is it okay if… If we talk about some stuff alone, first?” I asked meekly, looking away when Tony’s smile began to feel strained. There was a heavy pause, then he got to his feet, clapping me on the shoulder.

“Sure thing, kid. I’ll be right out there if you need me.” His fingers ruffled my hair and I couldn’t help but lean into the touch, feeling deeply ungrateful, but somewhat relieved.

The door closed with a quiet click, silence continuing for a heartbeat before the nurse spoke again, her voice soft. “It seems like that was kinda hard for you to do, huh?” I simply nodded, chewing on my thumbnail. “Can you explain to me why that is?”

I looked up, startled, into her clinically impassable mask. “Nothing… It’s nothing like that. Tony’s supporting me, sure, but I’ve never felt pushed into transitioning. It’s always been what I want, and when I want it.”

She frowned infinitesimally, puzzled, and shook her head. “I didn’t assume otherwise, Peter. It seems like the two of you have a great relationship.” I swallowed dryly around my throat, cursing myself for my assumption. Nothing looks quite so suspicious as vehemently denying something that was never even a question, huh? “I only want to understand why it was difficult for you. It seemed like a pretty hard thing to do, so I don’t think you’d have done it without a good reason.”

I nodded again, my gaze still low. “I… I feel ungrateful. He’s done so much, and this feels like secrecy, and he deserves better.” I picked at the skin around my nail uncomfortably, yet another wave of guilt rising in my chest. “But… Yeah. I figure it’ll be less painful for me to ask him to leave.”

“Less painful than hearing what you have to say?” she prompted softly.

I ground my teeth, reluctantly meeting her eye. “Yeah. I… I know that part of this is talking about my mental health. And that’s… I mean, there’s nothing to worry about. But it’s not always… Great. And I know that wouldn’t be fun for him to hear.” She watched me quietly, waiting patiently for me to continue, and I sighed. “I feel… If I don’t think about it, I feel okay. Normal, y’know? But… Then I do. And it sucks. I feel… I feel trapped. In here,” I added, tapping a finger to my temple. “I feel like who I am will never be seen by everyone else.”

“Do you ever think about hurting yourself, or ending your own life?”

The question was a simple one, but there was no simple answer. I squeezed my eyes shut briefly, a flashing blade flickering across my lids. “I think about it every day,” I answered softly, hesitating before opening my eyes to meet her gaze. “I think about it constantly. It’s always there – an exit strategy. A way to opt out, y’know? If it all gets too much.”

“Do you have any plans, or are you actively harming yourself?”

I couldn’t help but smile, albeit weakly. “No. And I’m not even tempted anymore, not really. Ever since I moved in with Tony, it’s been easier to ignore that voice. But even when I lived with Aunt May – when it was the loudest it’s ever been – I still never intended to actually do anything. I just… Find comfort in the fact that it’s a possibility.”

She nodded once, making a brief note on her legal paper. “Well… We’ve only had a brief interaction here – and it’s something I’d definitely like to discuss again – but I don’t feel like you’re a danger to yourself or others, and you haven’t told me anything that makes me think you or anyone else is at risk. So, you’ll be relieved to know, I have no cause to disclose anything you’ve said to me to Mr. Stark. But,” she added, looking up to meet my eye seriously, “I encourage you to talk to him about it yourself. It’s important to share how you’re feeling with the people in your life, especially those who clearly care about you.”

I hummed thoughtfully, pulling on a hangnail. “Maybe. I’ll think about it.”

She offered me a reassuring smile, and leant forward a little. “Are you ready to call him back in?”

“Deep breath.”

I inhaled sharply, the sound tearing in my throat, fingers laced tightly with those of my guardian as the needle sank into my skin.

The gravity and monument of the moment was disturbed somewhat by the explanation by the kind, but chatty, nurse. “Make sure you fully depress the plunger before pulling out the needle, Mr. Stark. I doubt this young man will want a low dose in your hurry to remove it!” she chuckled, sliding the needle from my skin almost painlessly. “A small bit of blood is normal, but if you remember to draw back before injecting, you can be sure you haven’t hit a vessel.”

Tony, to his credit, was nodding along, a look of fierce concentration fixed on his face, despite his own extensive medical knowledge; I was more than certain that he knew how to administer a shot without instruction, but he was entirely devoted to listening, and entirely oblivious to my gazing at him adoringly. The man basically performed heart surgery on himself, but he’s so adamant about getting this right for me…

“And that’s you done! You can go ahead and pull up your pants now, Peter. Congratulations,” she added with a tender smile. “You’re officially on testosterone.”

I split into a wide grin, inching my waistband over the site gingerly. Tony’s partially-removable suit had been a Godsend when I’d been told I could start testosterone there and then – the idea of having to remove my entire suit just to access the top of my butt was one I hadn’t been thrilled about, but Tony had simply reprogrammed his nanos, forming a strip of available skin for the shot without any hassle.

“And that’s every four weeks?” he clarified, tapping his palm against the side of his fist as he committed the procedure to memory. She nodded, and he met my eye with a proud smile. “I’d be honoured.”

I flushed crimson as his arm snaked around my shoulders, gripping me affectionately. “You don’t have to, Mr. Stark. I’m sure Dr. Banner would-”

“Not a chance, kid,” he interrupted gently, ruffling my hair. “It’s a blessing I want… If you’ll have me?” His voice tilted at the question, subtly concerned, and I shook my head with a grin.

“I’d love for it to be you, Mr. Stark. Who else? I’m only here because of you.”

We pulled up outside the complex before I mustered the courage to approach the sensitive topic, but I knew it was never far from either of our minds.

“Mr. Stark, I want to-”

“Look, Peter, I don’t expect you to-”

We hesitated together, and chuckled uncertainly, each motioning the other before he exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair. “Kid, I know you aren’t going to tell me everything. That’s fine; I wasn’t offended that you asked me to leave. I just worry. I know about the mental health concerns in trans kids – especially those that are kicked out. And I know that I’m not… That it’s not always easy to approach me. I’m not that great at talking about feelings. But I’m always – always – here for you, Peter. I just want to make sure you know that. There’s nothing that will make me stop loving you, or want to get rid of you, okay?” I’d looked away halfway through his speech, and his declaration of love had the windscreen swimming before my eyes, vision suddenly blurred as I swallowed around the swollen lump in my throat, simply nodding. His gentle hand found the hair at the nape of my neck, smoothing tenderly, which, while comforting, only made my emotions more difficult to control, and I sniffed loudly, breaking the silence. “I do, y’know. I… I love you, kid. You mean everything to me, and I sure as hell am not going to let something as simple as ‘talking about our feelings’ get in the way of that.”

His voice cracked almost imperceptibly, sending my pixellated gaze sliding back to his face, locking on his own watery eyes. “M… Tony. I… I owe you everything,” I breathed, trying to keep the sobs from bursting from my lungs as they fought to maintain control. “Without you, I… Well, I probably wouldn’t be here. I definitely wouldn’t be here,” I added, waving a hand blindly at the main building of the compound I’d almost forgotten existed in this moment, “living with superheroes and on T. I love you too – of course I do. I… Uncle Ben died before I ever really knew him, and I can’t remember what my father was like. They’re just figures in my mind – a shadow without a face. I never really had a dad… Until now.”

I blinked in surprise as a tear rolled down his cheek, devastation and delight warring across his features. This man, renowned for his robots and literal suit of armour, was dissolving before my eyes, simply from my tender words. He pursed his lips, looking away, the muscle in his jaw ticking as he fought with his emotions. “That… That means a lot, kid. Thank you.”

Our return to the compound came after several minutes of quiet in Tony’s car, both sniffling and wiping our eyes. It had been an emotional day in every way, and combined with the dull ache in my butt, I was definitely ready for bed, despite it only being a little after midday.

“Just… I’m sorry, in advance,” Tony murmured as he led the way into the kitchen, following up on his promise of a cup of coffee and a relaxed evening. “I tried to tell them that you’d likely just want to slump in front of the TV, but…”

The door opened to the amassed Avengers, each grinning as broadly as the next, cheering beneath a banner proudly proclaiming, ‘It’s a boy!’ – a cliché, undoubtedly, but one that touched my heart. I laughed breathlessly as the team gathered around me, clapping me on the back and making light-hearted jibes about when I’d eventually grow a moustache. Tony shrugged apologetically over Widow’s shoulder, and I shook my head minutely, fondly.

How could I be mad about this?

“Congratulations, Peter. How do you feel?” Vision enquired, his soft voice cutting over the clamour as he hung back with Wanda, ever the reserved pair.

“Honestly? It’s… Weird,” I chuckled, scratching my neck uncomfortably. “It’s both a huge, momentous thing… But also oddly anticlimactic, y’know? Like… A quick stab, and that’s it – I’m on Testosterone. This massive goal of my life is achieved. I don’t really know what to do now,” I added, laughing lightly. Vision smiled tightly, sympathetic.

“It’s not the end of your journey, though,” Tony added, nudging his way through the mass of bodies to my side. “It’s just the beginning. And I think I speak for everyone here when I say – we can’t wait to see the man you grow into.”

I smiled, tipping my head against Natasha’s fondly. “Thank you, Tony.”

#fanfiction #mine #fandom: marvel #writers on tumblr #writing bingo #rating: T #trans peter parker #becoming spider-man #11 of 16 #irondad and spiderson #Medical Transition #queer #trans #reposting to tumblr for pride bc trans peter gives us LIFE #Win speaks

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