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sukirichi · 3 years

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earned it [06]

Gojo Satoru is a firm believer that if you work hard for it then you shall earn it. But on the other side, he’s not unfamiliar with his own sins. He also believes that there is punishment due for his sins as he’s earned it.

cw. attempted murder and suicide, angst ig i feel nothing at this point because NAOYA 😭

notes. i’m rolling with the earned it jokes that reader is shippable with everyone so HAH enjoy this chapter because I didn’t enjoy the last LMAO (IM SO EXCITED FOR TOJI TO APPEAR!)

series masterlist

Your muscles throbbed, the pounding of your heart felt even through your skin. You’ve spent hours in the training room, taking punch by punch, landing blow by blow – yet no matter how hard you tried, you kept falling on your ass. At this point, your backside was beyond sore, skin drenched with sweat and clothes sticking uncomfortably to the surface. Meanwhile, your ‘savior’ barely felt the need to catch his breath, instead gazing down at you with disappointment written all over his face.

“Why do you expect so much from me?” you panted, fists clenched on the mat. “Didn’t you tell me you just needed me to get your money back and that’s it? I didn’t ask for you to do anything so stop telling me I’m indebted to you all the time.”

Naoya clicked his tongue, clearly disappointed by your lack of resolve. Above you, he swept up his cane and finally balanced himself. You previously thought he didn’t struggle because he looked so calm and composed, easily overpowering you even with his injury, but his lips were strained, jaw clenched tight that perhaps he was just good at concealing his pain. It made you shut up and watch his every move; his back faced you – probably to hide whatever fleeting moment of vulnerability he had.

“I won’t always be there to save your sorry life,” he said calmly, “You need to learn how to be strong on your own no matter how tough it gets. Now if you’ll keep complaining instead of finishing your training, I could happily lock you up and force you to do my dirty work for me.”

“Then why don’t you go ahead?!”

“I don’t want to,” Naoya responded without missing a beat. He easily closed the distance with a few staggered steps, his head tilted to the side as he surveyed you.

You wondered what went through his mind. Did he see a weak woman? A woman who must be so helpless, so useless that you stayed there, legs too tired and muscles aching too much you couldn’t move? There was no telling with Naoya, and his guarded gaze didn’t help either. Satoru had always been difficult to read at most, but with Naoya – it was practically impossible.

Even as he cupped your chin and twisted it sideways, his eyes narrowed over all your features like he saw something you didn’t, he was too guarded.

“I need you in taking down Gojo Satoru. In order to accomplish that, I have to use his weakness against him. You showing up won’t be enough. No, I want to hurt him…and what better way than to take what was once his, right? Dangle right in front of his eyes what he let go of, make him regret his actions?” his smile turned dark, and for the first time since you’ve met him, you got a glance of what his heart really looked like.

It wasn’t true that Naoya was heartless – no, he just had a dark, sinister heart that didn’t beat the same tune as others. He played his own music with the bones of his enemies, drinking their lifeline from a gold cup and drowning in them, his ominous laughter the perfect antithetical melody of what could’ve been angelic hums.

“Don’t you want that?”

His question made your heart skipped a beat. This whole time, you’ve been so hell bent on achieving something, but what you wanted to reach had never been clear. You were too driven by emotions, by the pain Satoru’s absence had caused, and now that the opportunity was presented before you, you faltered.

“I don’t know what I want.”

“Well, if you ask me what I want…” he tilts your chin up with his finger “It would be to see you strong enough that even you would be capable of taking me down. So be strong, keep fighting – I’ll be there with you every step of the way. You only have one job, and that is to live. I am not allowing you to give up at the slightest of minor inconveniences.”

“And if I get weak?” you questioned with an oscillating tremor, the bite of his cold skin against your heated ones spiking. “If I want to give up? Would I fail you then?”

“I don’t think you’re someone who cares about failing others, so don’t fret whether you’d please me or not,” Just like that, Naoya’s scornful tone had risen again. He let go of you until you dropped down to your palms, blinking back at the sudden change of atmosphere. “Like I said, just do what you need to do, keep going. Don’t look back or be afraid to take the next big step because I’ll always be there right beside you.”

“Why should I trust you?”

“I’m not asking you to, princess,” he snickered, already half way to the door that only he was allowed to go in. Even though you’ve been staying in his manor for quite some time, there were still some things Naoya didn’t trust you with, leaving you only more curious to find out the secrets within.

“Only time will tell. But once you’ve made your decision, know that my ring is always waiting beside your table,” his voice echoed through the large room, stopping in his tracks to look at you once more. This time, he had no haunting features, only the cold emptiness likened to staring back to an infinite void of nothingness.

“I expect an answer when I get home.”

You still remembered the day you decided to wear his ring. Naoya had come then, tired and aggravated from matters he didn’t bother explaining. You stood on his doorway, lips shut tight as you nervously fiddled with your ring, unsure if whether you should tell him or allow him to piece the puzzle himself.

Thankfully, Naoya was a lot more observant than you gave him credit for.

His eyes slid over your face before he followed the motion of your fingers, smirking as the jewel glinted under the bright lights of his home. Wise choice, he’d once told you, and you believed it.

Your life hadn’t been the same ever since. Your spontaneous marriage equated to hellish training of perfecting your image as his trophy wife, spending hours in his secret laboratory and discussing business plans through a glass of wine. Naoya wasn’t around much to teach you everything and it pained him to be your own trainer too so you had to ask help from his guards, refusing to give up and fall down even as your muscles screamed at you to take a break. For Naoya, with Naoya, giving up and running away felt like a myth; a buried solution in the past that should never be brought up again. But now that he was gone, you did exactly that.

You’d given up. Satoru had made you run away.

“Miss,” a deep voice cut you from your thoughts. You tore your gaze away from the glowing night city of Milan to turn to Satoru’s right hand man, the tall figure looming rather shyly instead of imposingly. “You haven’t eaten since we got here. Would you like anything? Mr. Gojo will cover your expenses.”

“I want to go home.”

He froze at your deadpan statement. Finally meeting your gaze under his lashes, Geto pursed his lips. “You know we can’t do that, Miss. It’s unsafe back in Japan.”

“And who’s to say Toji won’t follow us here?” you snapped, pushing your weight off the Cleopatra set and uncrossing your legs. “Why can’t your stupid boss just activate the account and give it back to us? I think we’ve made it clear we’re more than capable of handling our finances, and I’m pretty sure Satoru doesn’t need any more money when he can afford all this.”

“Mr. Gojo…has his reasons for everything he does.”

You laughed bitterly. Maybe it was the fact that Satoru had left this morning for whatever business he had that you didn’t have anyone else to let your anger out to that you’d swiped your gun under your thigh holster and dashed his way.

Geto’s back slammed against the wall, the cool barrel of your gun pressed to his jaw. He swallowed nervously, eyes darting to your weapon, and you laughed heartlessly. “Oh, please, do tell because nothing makes sense,” you crooned, flipping the safety off and letting your heated gaze meet his rather docile ones. You almost felt bad for him. Almost.

“I could easily put a bullet through your head and hijack his plane. I’ll be gone before you know it and who’s to stop me from doing that? Why should I stay here any longer with you?”

“Because your husband asked you to,” Geto responded softly. You stepped back with wide eyes, yesterday’s event crashing all over you once again. He must’ve sensed you no longer held any hostility because he used his pointer finger to move the barrel away from him, gently peeling your hands off his suit. “Because you know, if you go back to Japan, there will be nothing waiting for you there.”

You balled your fists. “I will kill Fushiguro Toji myself. Then I’ll kill Satoru.”

“Even if he used to be your lover?”

“Especially because he used to be my lover.”

Okay…maybe your plan of escaping and returning to Japan hadn’t worked out that well. Exhaustion finally crept up to your senses that you passed out not long after attacking Geto – who reassured you to no end he wasn’t mad you tried to kill him – and days have passed ever since. You hated to admit it, but being stuck in an overseas hotel wasn’t so bad. Geto’s presence was a lot more comforting than his master’s that you didn’t mind having him watch your every move. Plus, he was really nice to immediately follow your every whim. You wanted hot chocolate? Extra pillows? A really expensive wine that you refused to pay for because you were petty and dramatic? He provided it all without question.

Except he probably should have, because you’d stripped off to your underwear, head tipped back to take one final swig of the nearly empty bottle as you slid deeper into the tub.

Your fiery nature of rolling your eyes at Satoru every time he came around (which was rare, for some reason) couldn’t fool anyone – not even yourself. The moment Geto retired to the living room, you would bite the pillows to muffle your cries, thinking back to when Naoya was still alive. It was an endless torment of what if you had stayed, what if you had pushed the rubble off him, what if you just saved him?

Would he still be alive? Would he have survived? Would you be back with him in the Zen’in Estate instead of holding your breath under the tub in a desperate attempt to conceal your tears?

It hurt so bad. It hurt everywhere.

Your lungs begged you to rise up and breathe, but you stayed still under the water, eyes shut tight and hands clenched around the tub’s edges so hard your knuckles turned white. Soon, you grew dizzy and your grip slipped away. Finally, fucking finally, you were falling, falling way too deep that your legs bent inside the tub. Bubbles erupted from your lips in one last breath. At the back of your mind, you let out a sincere laugh for you’d meet your husband soon. He’d be disappointed, probably scold you all the way to the afterlife – until strong arms pulled you out of the tub and into someone’s chest instead.

“Shit, what are you doing?! You could’ve drowned!”

You coughed out water and fisted Satoru’s button-up shirt that had now clung to his skin from the water. Looking around you, you were still very much alive, the uncomfortable twisting of your heart a painful reminder of that. Above you, Satoru sat you in his lap while he remained cross-legged on the floor, muttering curses under his breath as he wrapped a towel around you.

Scoffing, you pushed his hands away, though you kept the towel anyway to lessen your shivering. Why the fuck was the AC so damn strong here?

“Dying seems like a better option, don’t you think?” you snarled at him, teeth chattering from the chill that had begin to seep in.

Momentarily, you worried on how much of a hot mess you probably looked like. Smudged eyeliner, wine-stained lips, unbrushed hair and remnants of the wine mixing with the once clear bath water – you shook your head at the thought and glared at Satoru.

“Where the fuck have you been?”

“I was out contacting friends to ask for help. We’re going to need a hundred pairs of eyes watching anywhere that Toji could possibly come through.”

“Is this your pathetic idea of ‘keeping me safe’? Locking me up in this stupid hotel and having your man watch me all the time?” you pushed yourself off him, the sudden motion of standing up giving you wobbly legs. Satoru reached over to steady you but you slapped his hand away, your glare warning him to not take another step.

Seeing his face, seeing him worried as if he didn’t just cause your life to turn into absolute hell, you wanted to grab the wine bottle and smash it right at his pretty face. He had no right to look at you with pity.

You hated him, utterly and terribly despised this man with your entire being.

“What are you really planning, Satoru? Why can’t we just come back home and attack Toji with all we’ve got? Why don’t you just give back our fucking money so we can end all this for once and for all and I can leave?!”

“Because I don’t have the money!”

“What?”

“The money…” Satoru’s back slid off the wall, his palm coming up to thread through his hair. He sounded weak, defeated. “I don’t have it.”

“Gojo,” you snatched him by the collar, teeth bared as you demanded, “What do you mean you don’t have it?”

Satoru paled. “When I stole the money from the Zen’ins, the figures were all fake. They’re not real, there’s no actual money hidden behind their accounts and it was too late before I realized that,” his lips trembled as he continued, “Whatever Toji placed in there, it’s not his actual account where he hides everything and it would make sense too because I stole it too easily – almost as if they wanted me to take it. A few hacks here and there and it was immediately wired to me but after meeting you…” Satoru shook his head, chin dropped down low. “I checked again and the account never existed. It’s a fake one. The digits are just there for show.”

“So then why would Toji want it? Why did my husband have to die for nothing?!”

“I don’t know, okay, I don’t know anything!” he argued back until your faces grew closer, his nose brushing with yours.

Somehow, you couldn’t pull away. His knees had drawn up, forcing you to rest on his thighs as you both breathed heavily, your grip on his collar almost havered.

“Whatever the Zen’ins are hiding, that’s beyond me. I may be in the business for far longer than they have, but they have always been notorious with their possessions that I’m not surprised even I can’t find where it really leads back to. Whatever Toji is hiding there, your husband must’ve known something about it. Why else would they fight tooth and bone over it?”

“If there was, Naoya would’ve told me about it.”

“He would if he trusted you,” Satoru suddenly grabbed your wrist and shook it until you stared at your ring. “How are you even so sure he could trust you with that information? Have you forgotten you’re just a pawn to his game and you’re nothing but a bed warmer?”

“Don’t you ever speak about us that way. You don’t know how much he cared for me.”

“If he really did, then why didn’t he tell you why his cousin is after you? He’s using you as bait, Y/N. I’m not the bad guy here. That man you’re so deeply in love with? I can’t guarantee he’s better than me. We’re all men in the mafia, love is the last thing we would care about.”

You pushed yourself off him.

His words stung too much, not because it was a lie, but because you know there was some sort of truth ringing behind it. You trudged out of the bathroom and sat on the bed, unstirred by the fact you dripped all over the carpeted floor. From behind you, Satoru’s rushed footsteps echoed, but you didn’t care. You simply threw on a robe with your back turned to him.

“And you’d know that better than everyone right? Considering how easy it was for you to leave me?” When Satoru didn’t respond, you chuckled humorlessly and sat on the bed. “What Naoya and I had…it was a friendship that healed my soul. I don’t…I don’t know what to do without him.”

“Friendship?”

You smiled sadly. “I wasn’t actually in love with him, idiot. Men like Naoya don’t know what love is, but he sure does know how to protect family.”

The notion of talking about him, of accepting that maybe he really was gone…somewhat reliving.

Satoru was the last person you wanted to talk to your late husband about, but Geto – which is the much better company – wasn’t around, and you hugged your knees to yourself, refusing to let Satoru see through your vulnerability.

“You know, I trusted him more than I did myself. He was always there for me, no matter what. His soul was dark, angry, corrupted – he’s not the man I would fall for, but despite all that, he was the friend I needed,” you buried your face in your knees, voice muffled as you cried, your heart shattering again and again and again.

The ring on your finger had never felt so heavy ever since you wore it.

“I loved him as much as I hated you.”

Satoru was silent, so much so that you wondered if he was even in the same room at all. You sat there crying, too hopeless to even try to conceal it anymore. Shivering, you close your eyes and forced the image of Naoya’s last moments away from your memories, desperately praying to whoever had mercy that you could just forget all about it.

“Geto told me you tried to kill him,” Satoru murmured after a beat, “You could’ve easily escaped and went back to Japan if you wanted to, so why didn’t you? Was it because of me?”

You remembered what you tried to do today.

Just like that, Naoya was alive once more. You were brought back to the day of your wedding when he’d clasped your sweaty, clammy hands in his, rubbing some warmth in them before pressing a kiss at the top of your knuckles. He’d asked you to promise him something then – an entire contrast from his constants orders over your well-being – and it was a promise you’d momentarily forgotten; a promise you’d broken out of mourning.

“Naoya once told me,” you reminisced through dry, cracked lips and even more shattered heart, the picture of his disappointment as clear as day. “Death was the only place he can go where he would never allow me to follow.”

It took a lot, but it somehow got better. After allowing yourself a faint moment of weakness where Naoya resurfaced in your mind to remind you of our promise and your purpose, you felt stronger, somewhat steadier with each step you took. You were still wary around Satoru, although that was a given.

His friend, Geto, was really nice, on the other hand, and you couldn’t explain why you always lowered your guard around the formal dark-haired assistant.

You and Geto were playing chess when Satoru barged in out of nowhere, a plate and a syrup condenser on his hand. “So I got you breakfast,” was his greeting, nodding at Geto once as a silent order to give you two privacy. You pouted as the latter left, but soon your attention had been diverted to the heavenly aroma filling in your senses. Seeing your approval, Satoru hid a smile behind his dark sunglasses. “Still like pancakes?”

“Trying to get into my good graces now?”

“I’m just trying to cheer you up.”

You rolled your eyes but snatched the plate from him anyway. “So I talked to my lawyer,” you begun, pouring syrup all over the fluffy bread until it was almost spilling to the sides. Beside you, Satoru’s snickers were barely muffled, to which you ignored wholeheartedly. “They’ve already processed my inheritance over Naoya’s possessions and assets. Once we return to Japan, I’ll be the next leader of the Zen’in Clan, much to the disappointment of his elders, of course, but they can’t do anything about it,” you informed him with your fork hanging in mid-air, the words falling thickly. “You know what that means, don’t you?”

“That we’re back to being enemies?”

You offered him a sarcastic smile. “Naoya lied about strengthening his alliance with your family. He doesn’t actually give a fuck about you.”

“I figured that much,” he snickered to himself, shifting his weight until his elbows rested on his thighs. “Listen…a friend of mine is flying to Milan tonight to meet us. They have strong connections with banks all over the world and they brought in some information about that hidden Zen’in account. I think we’re finally getting off to somewhere and finding out what really is in there,” Satoru gauged for your reaction, but you kept eating – more like stuffing the pancakes inside your mouth for you were finally free of having to act perfect without your husband.

Satoru’s hand landed on top of yours. “I promise…I’ll give it back to right where it belongs. As soon as it’s wired back to you, I’m setting you free.”

You stared at the unwanted figure over you, and you snatched your hand back, waving a bread knife below his lashes. “You can’t set me free when I was never yours,” you sang breathily, the tip of the blade hovered right at his lips. Satoru raised a brow at you, but you quickly retrieved the knife back with widened eyes. “Now that you mention it…I think Naoya told me something about his family stashing secret weapons and even heirlooms through offshore accounts and buried under islands. He was a little sleepy during that time but I remember it,” pushing the plate away from you as you lost your appetite, you clutched your palms under your chin in thought. “He said he was looking for something he lost as a child, possibly an heirloom.”

“He’s doing all this for heirlooms?” Satoru immediately coughed his words back when you glared at him, raising his hands in surrender. “I mean, I was just saying. I didn’t think he was a sentimental type of guy.”

“The question here is what both Toji and Naoya could’ve both wanted from that account. It’s not just an heirloom, obviously there’s something there worth more than money,” You argued and slapped your knees, heading straight to your (unfortunately) shared room. “Whatever. I’ll get this over with as soon as I get the money back.”

Satoru, as always, was hot on your heels. It annoyed you how he trailed over you like some sort of puppy or shadow – Naoya had always been too classy to not give you space.

The difference between them just kept getting more and more uncannily obvious.

“Whoa there, stop. Did you really think I’d give back the money to you and that’s it? Are you forgetting the fact Toji is out there to kill you just so he can have his hands on it?”

“He can have the money for all I fucking care,” you shrugged and sat on your bed, scrolling through numerous piles of emails and records that Naoya entrusted you to keep. Surely you could find something. “I just need to find whatever Naoya’s spent his whole life killing for.”

“Why don’t you care about the money? Didn’t Naoya expect you to take over his business?”

Your thumb froze over a file. Suddenly, your throat grew dry, and you quickly flashed Satoru a stinky eye. “I-it’s not my main concern.”

“It’s not safe for you. If Toji finds out—”

Got it. You bookmarked an email Naoya had forwarded you around three years ago and resent it to an old friend, pocketing the phone back to your pyjamas before Satoru could see. “I’ll handle it. I’ve been doing well so far before you came into our lives again,” you finalized, stopping for a bit as you waited for that all-too familiar footfall matching with yours, only for the room to be coated in silence.

Satoru stood there on the other side of the room, eyes deep in thought before he sighed. “I’ll meet you at the hotel restaurant tonight. We have a lot to discuss on what our next move should be,” nodding once, Satoru left the room.

The hotel room was eerily silent.

Dinner came around faster than you expected. With Geto out to run some errands for Satoru, something about ‘establishing bases’ or whatever, you were locked in your room, using Naoya’s black card to get enough amount of clothing to last you for your stay here. Even though Satoru had promised he’d take care of everything, you didn’t want to be in his debt for any longer. You weren’t his, you were Naoya’s, and you shot down his curious looks when heaps of shopping bags had been delivered to your door.

An hour later, you left the room, struggling to zipper the back of your dress. Satoru was already in the living room buttoning up his suit jacket, just as handsome as ever (though you’d never tell him that.)

His hands froze in the last button once his eyes landed on you, and you huffed at him, too distressed to even act cute or bothered while pointing to your dress. Satoru strode to you in three long steps, his cold fingers brushing against the dip of your spine when he clutched on the zipper.

You had to bite your lip down to prevent the shivers from spilling through, his lips dangerously close to your ear as he whispered, “You look great.”

“You’re not so bad yourself.”

If Satoru was bothered by the lack of sincerity in your voice, he didn’t comment on it. He removed his hands from you and watched as you slipped black velvet gloves through your arms – just in case you had to end up killing someone; leaving fingerprints was a risk you couldn’t take.

“Did you really get dressed to kill?”

“I came here to negotiate,” you corrected, “I’ll do everything I can to find out whatever’s behind that offshore account. And you, sir,” Frowning at him, you pulled Satoru closer by the tie, perhaps a little too harshly since he nearly knocked his head with yours. He was quick to steady himself as you fixed his tie, flattening it down with your fingers. “You need to know where you should stick your nose in. This is more my business than yours so don’t get in my way acting all hero and shit. I assure you I can handle myself.”

“You’re really going to berate me for worrying about you?”

“You can no longer worry about me,” you disclosed, snatching your black purse from the counter before doing the come hither motion at his shock-still figure. “Now let’s go. We have a case to crack.”

“Case to crack? You sure sound like a detective.”

You snickered, but made no further comment. The elevators dinged and you arrived at the restaurant, which you really regretted not visiting soon enough because the place was grand. Red carpeted floors, golden chandeliers, soft jazz music playing in the background as the lights dimmed down low, the faint clinking of utensils against plates and light chatter of the guests so heartbreakingly nostalgic.

It seemed that even after his death, Naoya had every intention to never leave your side. The setting reminded you too much of your never-ending late night fancy dinners.

Naoya being Naoya, he didn’t blink twice in flaunting his money and renting out entire restaurants all for himself, claiming that he just ‘wanted to have an intimate moment with his wife.’ Sure, it mostly consisted of you discussing what move you should make next, but it was the most affectionate gesture you’ve received after spending years in the quiet and cold environment of the Zen’in Estate.

The outside world wasn’t any better when you and Naoya were marked as targets by the entire government, so it made sense, that only with him that you’d find comfort in.

You must be so out of it you never even noticed Satoru leading you to your seat, a warm meal that should’ve been comforting right under your nose. It was too much – too similar that you headed straight for the wine, ignoring Satoru’s questioning gaze. You noticed from the corner of his eye that he opened his mouth too many times in an attempt to make light conversation, but this dinner wasn’t for you to rekindle your old flame.

No, you were here to wait for his ‘friend’ and review important matters. You were determined to fulfill that purpose alone and only that alone that you never once made eye contact with him, even standing up to reach the salt shaker near him instead of asking him to pass it.

Just as you leaned back to your seat, the music grew louder. A foreign man walked to the stage where he was basked in the spotlight, all heads turning to him when he tapped the microphone, sending little echoes all over the hall. “Ladies and gentlemen, let’s loosen up tonight with a drink and bring our lovers out here on the dance floor,” he sang while swaying side to side, snapping his fingers to the beat that had turned into calming to sensual. “It is a fine evening, isn’t it? Come on, don’t be shy, the night is still so young!”

You dropped your fork beside the plate. “Did you know about this?”

“I swear, I had no idea.”

“Those two attractive lovers in table 42, the dance floor is still much too spacious!”

“Pretty vulgar for a five star hotel,” you commented under your breath and dabbed the pasta sauce off your lips with a napkin, slapping it down the table as you stood up – much to Satoru’s surprise who’d tried to make himself invisible from the host’s eyes. Stupid him; did he really think he could blend in with his sunglasses and snow white hair?

If you were to be honest, you’d rather choke on shrimp than dance with him, but you had an image to upkeep. If you couldn’t gather with the crowd and pretend to be one with others, both your true natures would be fished out even with innocent eyes. You were left with no choice but to be comfortable in the dance floor, sighing deeply as you placed your hands down on Satoru’s wide shoulders. He furrowed his brows at you but said nothing else; strong, cautious hands sliding down from your back before they settled at the curve of your hips.

“Keep your hands to yourself, Mister. I won’t hesitate to stab a fork through your jugular right here.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I know you’re not my little angel anymore.”

Angel. It was what he used to call you back then – when you were still but an innocent, naïve being who never believed in monsters until you fell for one.

He was right; you were no longer his angel. The woman he loved had been left abandoned in the street, the purity of her soul tainted with anger and heartbreak that soon bathed in blood and the need for revenge. His angel was no more – the woman he danced with was nothing but a replica of the face and body he adored the most. Now, you danced with him, not as his angel and neither as his rival’s wife, but simply as a woman whose kindness had long vanished into thin air.

Satoru danced with the devil.

And he should be disgusted just as you should be repulsed with how sickeningly smooth and graceful he was in everything he did, but the wine – yes, it was the fucking wine – messed with you that you actually enjoyed it. Your bodies moved in rhythm and syncopated with the beat, the romantic high notes of the violin and the tender embrace of deep trebles like a classical painting coming to life and you were its subjects to be expressed.

Perhaps…you were just sad. You grieved and mourned too much you’d momentarily forgot what love was, in turn making you forget what it felt like to be constantly unsafe and peeking over your shoulder in case someone tried to kill you.

Satoru just felt so warm, so safe and alive that you found your head dipping lower, your muscles relaxing around his soothing and undeniably tender touch, the space between your bodies diminishing until you surrendered to the power of your desire. You were so close, your ear about to press on his chest to listen to the blissful sound of someone’s reassuring heartbeat along with the music, and then you saw him.

A tuft of blonde hair, a chiseled face, a nude cream suit and a deep blue shirt beneath – what the fuck was he doing here?

The spell was broken in an instant.

Satoru must’ve been under the same trance for his hand trailed lower to pull you closer, your chests grazing with one another before you placed your palm flat on his body, lips thinned into a grim look that resonated with the sick, twisting feeling in your guts.

“I,” you croaked out, clearing your throat when it went dry. “I need to go to the ladies.”

You left Satoru without another word, bunching your dress up to run to where he had disappeared. He was still walking coolly and inspecting the paintings hung in the empty lobby with faux interest – although knowing him, the bastard probably did enjoy classical pieces and studied about them in his free time; which he didn’t have much to begin with.

As if sensing your presence, he stopped right in front of a replica of The Sleeping Venus, his hands dug deep in his pockets. “The shape of being is the visual demonstration of a state of being in which idealized existence is suspended in immutable slow-breathing harmony. All the sensuality has been distilled off from this sensuous presence, and all incitement; Venus denotes not the act of love but the recollection of it. The perfect embodiment of Giorgione’s dream, she dreams his dream herself,” he narrates in his baritone voice, “A little cordial, is it not?”

You took your gun out from your thigh holster and lowered it right at the back of his skull. “Don’t move another inch.”

“No need to be so hostile in a public setting, Y/N. I’m only here to look out for you and making sure you’re not forgetting who you are. Killing me isn’t part of the plan.”

“Neither was murdering my husband,” you growled, pushing the barrel harder against him, though the man didn’t budge before you. “I know that it wasn’t Toji who set off the bomb, Kento, you did.”

“We simply saw an opportunity that couldn’t be wasted. Two notorious mafia leaders in an unsuspecting supposed safe environment?” The fact he didn’t even deny it left you speechless. Kento spun around until your gun rested between his eyes, and he languidly pushed his glasses up his high nose as he looked down on you. “We could’ve killed two birds with one stone had you not been in the way.”

“You guys are out to kill me too now?”

“Don’t act too surprised. The Organization isn’t patient enough to wait for both leaders to die.”

“So you killed my husband?!” you argued, “He was my friend, I told you not to touch him!”

“Only in the exchange that you hand him to us,” Kento echoed, jogging your memory until you were kept up to date. “But it’s been five years and what has happened so far? You’re fraternizing with the enemy and even manufacturing drugs for your so-called husband. Now that he’s dead, you’re here in Italy, looking as stunning as ever as you wine and dine with a former lover,” Kento tilted his head to the side to study your appearance – smiling at how you seemed too bright and fashionable for a woman in supposed mourning.

“I hardly believe you’re actually affected by this at all.”

“How dare you! I’ve proven to no end my loyalty of the higher-ups!”

Kento didn’t bat an eye at your outburst. If anything, he stepped closer to your weapon. “Kill me if you wish, Y/N, but know the moment you put a bullet in my head, the Organization will place you on the same pedestal as Naoya’s and Gojo’s. I wouldn’t recommend such methods considering we’re already at unease on whose side you’re really on. If you do this, you will be our enemy.”

“I did everything for the Organization. What else would you want from me?”

“The contract was easy. We want both leaders – whether dead or alive – in our custody. If you don’t hold your side of the deal, it’s not only your life that we’ll take from you,” Kento pulled out a red coin that made your heart sink deep into your stomach for it served as a threat over the consequences of your actions.

He lowered your gun with the coin and smirked at you, his lips right beside the shell of your ear as he purred, “I suggest you be careful with what step of action you take next.”

“Oi, Nanami, you’re here!” Satoru’s voice suddenly boomed in the hallway. Nanami was as unbothered as ever from taking a step away from you, nodding to your gun which you quickly concealed right before Satoru arrived. You were frozen – rendered immobile with the flashing red metal from his palm – that you couldn’t even protest against Satoru wrapping an arm around your shoulders. “I see you’ve met Mrs. Zen’in already.”

“Hmm, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Madam,” taking your hand in his, Kento’s eyes were nothing but eerie as he kissed your knuckles. “Shall we start our discussion?”

SUKI RANTS! Nanami quoted Sydney Joseph Friedberg (an art critic) in one of his dialogues. A little backstory on the painting was that the portrait was originally made by Giorgone, who had a student and also his lover (if I’m not mistaken) called Titian. Giorgone never finished the portrait because he died from the plague but Titiane finished it for him, symbolizing that Y/N still has a mission that connected her from Naoya even after his death and she has to finish something he started. The portrait is of a nude woman that symbolized oneness of nature and that the woman isn’t posed for the gaze of men, but rather they are dreaming, hence the quote: “Venus denotes not the act of love but the recollection of it. The perfect embodiment of Giorgione’s dream, she dreams his dream herself.” Nanami said the painting’s meaning resonated with Y/N’s situation too much since she wasn’t in love with Naoya, but she had a recollection of their moments that still represented their relationship, and that Naoya’s dream (goals) are also shared by Reader. I was gonna ask you guys what your theories are on that scene but I think this makes me sound cooler if I explain it so *lip bite emoji because I’m still broken over Naoya’s death*

taglist open (lmk if you want to be added/removed):

@sixeyesgojo @shingekiyofeels @q-the-rockaholic @whatthefuckisthatthing @rogueofbullshit @kat-su-ki @kellyyween @sebootyforlife @asshxcm @charlie-xo @aoi-turtle @ladywaifuuwrites @savantsoulfinder @my-reality-is-in-my-head @hannya-quinn @90s-belladonna @tinyfrogsinmybrain @kinekyuroo @evesmores @ambiguous-something @lilith412426 @kakashiharusohma @aizawap @yumeneji @dora-the-grownup @jotazinha @themrsgojo @d34r-s4t4n @marai-t @toji-bee @hai-cool @badsadbby @stesphy @peach-buns-unicorns @misslezah @gracefullyfallinglikeanime @iwaplant @mikiminaccch @riri-marley | bolded users cannot be tagged

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amjustagirl · 4 years

Text

Chapters: one. ~ two. ~ three. ~ four. ~ five. ~ six. ~ seven. ~ eight.

Wordcount: 2.9k

Summary: Being with Miya Atsumu is like chasing a storm - equal parts exhilaration and danger. After all, it’s impossible to tame a storm

Masterlist link here

AO3 link here

Author’s Note: And we’re at the final chapter! Thank you so much for going on this wild ride with me, and I’m rly excited to hear what you guys think - so please, drop me an ask, a note, a comment, anything!!!

It takes time and effort to rebuild a home wrecked by a storm, and reconstruction efforts aren’t necessarily smooth sailing, especially at the start - after all, he’s still the same Miya Atsumu, arrogant and brash and foulmouthed and hyper focused on volleyball, and they both have baggage from years of regret and pain to work through. But he has determination to spare, and she loves him too much for her own good, so they start from the very foundation and work their way up, step by step, one day at a time.

‘I’ll kill ya if ya ever hurt her again’, Osamu threatens darkly when she and Atsumu break the news to him.

‘Go find yer own girl and stop being sweet on my wife damn it! ’ Atsumu growls, but the kiss he presses to her forehead when she smacks the back of his head for being mean to his twin is achingly sweet.

‘Ugh, soppy. Get yer shit outta my house!’ Osamu scrunches his face in mock disgust.

Both brothers are surprised when she beats Atsumu at flipping Osamu off.

Atsumu moves back home (he’s not even going to hide how happy the sound of that makes him), and they mark the occasion by slipping his wedding ring back on his finger and eating take-out pizza on the living room floor.

Her burly brothers turn up on their doorstep with a glint in their eyes and too much teeth in their smiles, determined to drag Atsumu off for a couple of drinks and what she assumes will be a very unpleasant chat. She’d insisted on patting them down to make sure they’re not packing any knives - ‘what do you take us for, little sis’, they’d protested - but she’s not taking any chances, and begs Osamu to join them, ‘please ‘Samu, I don’t want to be a widow right after I decide not to divorce his ass’, and he agrees despite grumbling that he might as well be Atsumu’s glorified babysitter at this rate.

She’d woken up in bed the next morning to find the space beside her empty, but the living room crammed full of those four silly men. Atsumu and Osamu share a single futon between them, snoring back to back. There are faint bruises on Atsumu’s cheekbone and telltale scrapes on her own brothers’ knuckles, but otherwise they all seem relatively unscathed.

She bends over, tracing her thumb along the contour of Atsumu’s jaw, and he stirs, eyes half lidded with sleep.

‘Hey darlin', I’ve come home’, he tells her, warmth flickering in his smile.

‘Welcome home, 'Tsumu’, she says, tucking the blanket under his chin and he hums in contentment, falling back asleep.

His nightmares of brown envelopes and harsh neon lights distorting her face slowly fade, and he dreams instead of weeknight dinners and weekend picnics at the park, relishing the quiet domesticity of grocery trips and laundry loads, and delighting in home games with her and Shino cheering him on.

Some piss poor excuse of a gossip hound corners him after a match to ask him about whether he regrets leaving for Milan since his season ended in injury - and he freezes when the reporter slyly adds ‘especially since we all knew it’s a move that required you to leave your wife and daughter behind ‘. His manager is about to intervene when she sneaks up on him to slide an arm around his waist, apologising to the reporter that ‘she’s just so excited to give her husband a congratulatory kiss!’ .

Sakusa and Meian have to join forces to pull Atsumu back from punching the reporter when he grins shark-like, thinking he’s spotted easy prey and asks her whether she felt abandoned in Japan due to his move - ‘pardon me Miya-san for my unwieldy choice of words’.

‘Not at all’, she says without missing a beat, and Atsumu wonders if he imagines the flash of a knife in her smile. ‘I’ve always supported my husband in all his endeavours. It was a joint decision that I should stay in Japan to ensure our daughter has some stability in her life.'

‘She’s good’, his manager tells him when the reporter slinks away with his tail between his legs.

‘Yeah - I don’t deserve her’, he answers with a rueful smile.

When he tries to thank her that night, she levels him with a look that could knock a grown man (i.e. him) off his feet, but her voice is gentle and her words are soft.

‘Don’t thank me’, she says. ‘Just be a better husband and father, ok?’

He’s not ashamed to admit that he actually cries.

He learns to tell her he loves her at least once a day. She starts to smile back cheekily and reply ‘of course’.

The game is in between sets when the skin at the back of his neck crackles with nerves. From the corner of his eye, he catches a glimpse of Osamu sprinting right into the stands. Then his ears pick up on his little girl’s scream - ‘mama’ she cries, her shrill voice ringing above the confusion rippling through the crowd and his legs move of their own accord, leaping over the barrier into the audience, as he snarls and shoves his way to her usual spot.

He thought he’s had his fill of nightmares to last him a lifetime. He’s evidently wrong.

She lies crumpled on the ground, head resting on Osamu’s lap. Her lips are pale and her eyes are closed but thank god - thank whichever deity’s listening - her chest still moves with her breath. He’s not quite sure what happens next - he knows he dives to his knees and pulls her towards him but everything else is a blur until her eyes flutter open and she groans.

‘Darlin’, can ya hear me? Can ya tell me where you are?’ he asks, forcing his voice to remain calm.

‘Tsumu? Why are you here? Aren’t you in the middle of a game?’ she murmurs, confused.

‘Fuck the game’, he snaps. ‘Are ya feelin' ok?’

‘Something hurts, Tsumu’, she rasps, eyes glazing over. He can feel the chill of ice seep into his spine.

'Yer fine, yer fine, yer going to be fine' he mutters, over and over and over again, willing her to sit up and tell him she's fine, she's ok, she'll just shake it off - but light starts to shutter out of her eyes and frost creeps up his throat.

‘I need a medic!’ he shouts, voice cracking on every word. ‘I need a medic, now!’

‘Tsumu’, he hears his brother interrupt urgently. ‘Tsumu, she’s bleedin’.

He’s never been more grateful for Osamu when his twin turns to yell for an ambulance and yanks Shino away with him. The little girl is kicking and screaming for her mama but he knows she would kill him if he lets their little girl be traumatised from seeing her mama lying in a pool of blood on the floor.

He can’t breathe - not even when the medics finally come and whisk her off to the hospital, his mind hardly able to process anything, terror still coursing through his veins when the doctors press brown envelopes full of forms into his bloodstained hands for him to sign so the relevant procedures can be carried out.

‘Don’t!’ Osamu says sharply, when he drops his head into his hands and starts to whimper about how he’ll die if he loses her again and what the fuck is he gonna do, ‘Samu, if she doesn’t make it out alive – ‘she’s stronger than ya think, don’t ya dare give up on her like that’, and he promptly shuts up after that. Time in the waiting room passes agonizingly slow, seconds feeling like minutes, minutes stretching into hours, and he would have drowned from the weight of his despair if he weren’t anchored in place by his twin’s hand on his back.

His breath rushes back into his lungs when the doctors later tell him she’s fine, they carried out the standard operation - but she doesn’t look fine, doesn’t seem fine, is very clearly not fine when they wheel her out, huddled into a ball with her head between her knees, like her world has just collapsed into itself. She doesn’t even look up when he sits beside her, the bed dipping under his weight.

‘I’m sorry’, she eventually says, voice barely a whisper, and he fights the urge to break down into tears – because ‘Samu’s right, she’s so much stronger than he thinks. They'd been talking about trying for a sibling for Shino for some time now, since they've both grown up with brothers of their own and can't imagine life without them. But the doctors tell him that it’s just bad luck - the baby was never going to survive, and her collapse was probably exacerbated by stress, overwork, perhaps even fatigue from her skipping lunch for work and dinner to rush to his match.

‘Don’t be. It’s not yer fault at all’, he manages to pull himself together to reassure her, but she just stares blankly at the wall.

His grandmother calls when they find out the baby they lost would have been a boy, and he fails her again when he’s too late to snatch the phone away before the old lady’s poison drips into her ears and traps her in a deadly fog. He’d cursed the old bitch out relentlessly, but the toxic words fester beneath her skin and she fades into a ghost before his eyes. He desperately tries to stop her spiral into frozen silence, but he’s away for games more than half the time, hands tied behind his back by the stranglehold of contracts and commitments he has no choice but to fulfil.

He’s never been so thankful before when the season finally ends - but he is, at least this time, so he can talk her into taking two weeks off from work. They drop Shino off with her indulgent grandparents, and drift down the coast on the back of her bike. She doesn’t try breaking any speed limits - and he knows he should be happy about that, but there’s no spark in her eyes, no smile to answer the wind - there hasn’t been, not since she collapsed.

(not since they lost their child)

He buys her mochi at every town, but she picks at it listlessly, just like she does these days when Osamu tries to tempt her with his latest creations. He insists they stay at ryokans, traditional inns with onsens attached, hoping the heat from the water might chase the chill from her bones, but colour does not return to her cheeks. There are shadows beneath her eyes, and she seems to wilt under the vibrant red and gold of autumn leaves.

They go for a walk after dinner one night, tracing a path along the shore. He’d been talking non-stop the entire trip to mask the gaps left by her silence, but tonight he falls quiet, allowing the hum of the waves to wash over them. Her hand is cold in his, so he wraps his jacket around her shoulders and hopes the warmth from his body bleeds into hers.

She comes to a standstill, feet sinking in the sand, and tilts her head to face him.

‘Tsumu?’, she breathes, a question in her eyes.

‘I’m here’, he says, a prayer in his heart.

There is a lighthouse on the cliff just a few miles ahead, illuminating the shadows of the waves. The faintest reflection of light pools in her eyes, and he stills as she lifts her gaze to meet his.

‘I know’, she says, offering him the smallest of smiles.

He interlaces their fingers together firmly, and tugs her towards shelter, as a storm brews over the horizon.

That night she tucks her head under his chin, and he holds her until she falls asleep, cradled in his arms. He keeps slumber at bay by counting her breaths, and only falls asleep himself when the storm breaks.

'Why did I wake up to a blonde octopus wrapped around me', she mumbles, voice heavy with sleep.

'Nah. More like a seahorse, cos I'm not letting ya go, sweetheart', he replies, tightening his grip on her waist. 'Ya got a problem with that?'

Her only response is to burrow herself deeper into his chest.

'Guess not', he chuckles fondly, nuzzling his nose into her hair, hope blossoming anew in his heart.

Time turns their wounds into scars and they heal together, one breath at a time.

She stays away from their first few matches when the season begins again. The press is coerced into passing over reports of her collapse by the dual forces of the MSBY press machine and their legal team, but they are forced to ride out the gossip generated in internet forums by a fringe group of deranged fans. His teammates treat her like she’s made of glass - even Bokuto dials himself down a notch, all save for Shoyo, who slips her his mother’s number, telling her gently that the six year gap between him and Natsu wasn’t deliberate, and that she would find a sympathetic ear in the older woman.

He knew he was right to anoint Shoyo as his favourite wing spiker - not only does he fly high enough to answer the demand of every single one of his sets, but his sunniness drags her out of the fog into yoga classes and meditation practices, and slowly but surely he watches her bloom again. It’s a powerful combination - Shoyo-kun’s friendship and his mother’s gentle conversations, Osamu’s cooking and her love for Shino, capped with his determination to show her he loves her and prove that he’s here to stay.

‘It’s like Kintsugi’, she tells him, with a wide smile. ‘All of you poured gold into the cracks of my heart and made me whole again’.

The years pass.

Shino turns seven – a very respectable age for his very best girl, he tells her (I'm your only girl, Papa, Shino informs him archly), and obliges her demands of a bicycle in MSBY colours and volleyball lessons, forcing all his teammates to turn up for her birthday party, volleyball themed of course. The look of unadulterated joy on his princess’ face is worth every ounce of effort to put up with Sakusa’s complaints at having to turn up for a kiddie party full of loud noises and far too much candy, and the sweaty afternoons spent hand painting the bicycle black and gold.

The day Atsumu discovers his first white hair makes her thank her lucky stars that she’s immune to his nonsense by now, because the wailing and gnashing of teeth she has to put up with makes ‘Samu offer her his couch as refuge. She slaps tape and salonpas on his aches and pains, and points to the deepening lines on her face when he complains about his age.

‘Those lines aren’t wrinkles. If they’re caused by laughter, it doesn’t count’, he reasons laughingly. She’s left befuddled by his logic and shakes her head.

Meian Shugo retires, and Hinata throws a party to celebrate in his honour, cramming the entire MSBY team and assorted friends into his penthouse apartment on a rainy Saturday night. Osamu’s hired to cater the food but remains as a guest, shooting a smirk at him when Shoyo drags her off to dance during his favourite song, twin flames burning bright in the night.

‘A hundred yen for your thoughts?’ she asks, when Shoyo returns with her breathless but wreathed with smiles.

‘Was just wondering when you were gonna save a dance for this old man’, he teases.

‘Oh?’ she says with a laugh. ‘Thought you said your back hurt, and you didn’t want to move?’

‘Meh - I was hoping you’d forget that’, he says airily, then frowns when he notices there’s no drink in her hand.

‘Not drinking tonight, sweetheart?’, he asks, curling his fingers around her empty hand.

‘The doctor warned me not too’, she answers, her smile growing impossibly wider. He blinks in confusion when she leans on to her toes to whisper into his ear - then oh.

‘You’re pregnant?’ he repeats, unable to trust his ears, eyes filling with tears when she bites her lips and nods.

‘Are you happy, ‘Tsumu?’, she asks, her face alight with hope.

There is so much he wants to say to her, starting with thank you loving me enough to give me another chance all those years ago and ending with I love you, so ridiculously much – because he can never say it enough, she’s given him more than he deserves – her heart, Shino, a happy home and now the promise of another child.

But there's salt and water welling up in his throat, and it’s all he can do to choke out a shaky ‘of course’, before gathering her in his arms, warmth pooling in his eyes, love overflowing in his heart.

They stay that way for most of the night, entwined in each other’s arms, so drunk on happiness and love and warmth that they don’t even notice the storm clearing and the moon rising in the clear night sky.

#haikyuu #haikyuu!!#hq #haikyuu x reader #hq x reader #hq imagines #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu writing #hq writing #haikyuu angst #haikyuu romance #haikyuu fluff #miya atsumu x reader #miya atsumu x y/n #atsumu x reader #miya atsumu #miya osamu #inarizaki #haikyuucreations

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ran-orimoto · 2 years

Note

COol to see people who want to give Junpei a family bg but I'm so intrigued in HIS family too and the cute babies you gave these two. So I wanted to ask if there's any chance to know more about your take on a Junpei dad, headcanons? I wil, wjat for a fic about the fam though. I spy you on tw and the intention is there

My God, I know some of you want me to write something about the Shibayamas’ fam but the embarassment about my trash is too great to pollute Ao3🤣. Okok, sorry, I will come up with something but maybe I could post it here??? Like, I’ve already polluted Tumblr enough so why not posting one-shots about the Junzumi fam here at this point. I won’t tag it in Frontier unless it’s an ask reply, but it looks like a good compromise between your ideas and my deep awkwardness, yah.

Said this, I will randomly go with some headcanons. I’m not sure if you want to know generalized stuff or specific headcanons about him and each kid, so I’ve mixed a bit of everything 🤣! My Papà Junpei is a pretty melancholy one because I like playing with the fact an opera singer ends up getting a life that resembles a tragicomedy. He’s become a realistic union of his roles🤣🤣🤣.

Hm long post yeah!

• Junpei isn’t at home that often to spend time with his family, which is something he will always feel so horrible about, especially when Izumi finally manages to open a japanese-italian cuisine restaurant in Japan like she has always wanted. Izumi knows it’s impossible for him to work in Japan after having reached the top of his career working for Milan’s La Scala, so she is willing to remain in Italy but he refuses to become the one who will shatter Izumi’s dream. So he ends up parting the fam in a more evident way by allowing them to move to Japan again (Ran will remain with him for a bit more time because of reasons), and reaching them whenever he can, even if it becomes more than just difficult to keep his promises on this level because of the much bigger distance. He feels extremely guilty about having not found the courage to finally drop his career, which is a subtle wish of his creeping in his soul as the higher he gets in success, the harder it becomes for him to stay close to those he loves and be true to himself. That’s why he will eventually switch to opera singing teaching, like I said a while ago.

• When it comes to returning to Japan, as a dejá-vú, he finds it hard to socialize with other parents during group occasions. He’s not only a sturdy man, but he’s also a foreigner at that point, no matter he is japanese, and ,on top of that, he’s also a famous opera singer in Europe. He can’t really ignore the glares and hushed comments he gets from the other fathers and can perceive how mean some weird questions he is asked about by them are. On this note, Kou used to admire Papà a lot, but it becomes hard not to feel so uncomfortable about him when his classmates laugh about Junpei also because of his phsical aspect. So Kou grows a little cold to Junpei and Junpei will take such a long time to understand it’s not really his fault.

• He……Plays Scopa (an italian card game you can play on PC too XD) during his free time and the whole fam teases him about this passion of his, especially in the middle of what he calls “tournaments”🤣. It’s eventually revealed Toto is much better at Scopa than him, just like the youngest Shibayama is an ace at whatever game Junpei proposes to spend some time with him. I kinda see Junpei as a person who can never get bored at home. He is a fan of board games, puzzles, maybe even chess. Anyway, Junpei will understand it’s better to use his Scopa cards for his magical tricks.

• Having developed a theatrical side, he has many funny outfits he uses to play with the kids. Magical tricks? He MUST dress up as a real wizard. Some Venetian traditional masks and outfits? A freaking Santa outfit? Why not. …………… SOME DETECTIVE OUTFIT to play silly hide-and-seek or real interrogations (during which he will always end up being the guilty one, but whatever, Junpei. It’s obvious you steal chocolate like a child). He’s a bizarre person, so let him really believe he has got twenty seasons about his secret detective career. Izumi rolls her eyes at this craziness of his, but the kids love how weird he is and she does too🤣.

• He risks to fall in his bribery/buying affection tendecies again when he fears he’s staying far from the kids for way too long time, so he starts sending them presents every week, but Izumi will surely kick his a$$ once he comes back home, as she fairly doesn’t want spoiled kids. (And she doesn’t want to be spoiled either🤣)

• Returning to his hobbies, it’s canon for me Junpei loves model trains. He’s one of those people who can spend a whole night to build one of those, and he wishes journalists could take a look at his collection when they interview him (but they never will, for his dismay XD. Ops) . No kid ever got interested in this hobby of his until Toto arrives and he gets fascinated by trains like him. Junpei and Toto…Often go to the station to look at trains passing by because truly Toto enjoys himself like that (and Junpei follows aahahah).

• Junpei learns how to play piano when he’s in conservatory but he obviously can only play parts of arias he needs to practice. Yet when Kou is born he learns how to play some lullabies. As the time passes by, that poor piano will get super out of tune, but he will refuse to buy another one like Izumi wants to.

• He’s STILL afraid of thunders but Ran being afraid af of them just like him makes him realize he has to snap out of it for his daughter’s sake. So he will give his best to protect her from this fear of hers even if it means cradling her with his whole body shaking.

• Kids see Grandpa Shibayama rarely because Junpei hates it when his family presses their kids about their future, reminding them how important to “become rich like Dad” is in life.

• He’s an egocentric and this is so clear. It worsens when he gets where he gets. Whenever they have the occasion to drive a car, he will bring CDs of his own performances to listen to them during the journey. The worst arguments with Kou🤣, because who would ever want to listen to Verdi’s “Requiem” during a peaceful holiday to the beach, I beg you.

• Again, he’s such an egocentric a$$ he claims he’s able to do the most disparate things, even dancing ballet for Ran and risking to break a leg, but we appreciate the effort, Junpei. You only needed a tutu, Kouji said.

• Talking about Uncle Kouji, Junpei will probably find himself at the edge of the world someday because kids want to follow Kouji on his travels so badly and Junpei would even go to North Pole if it was necessary. Eventually Kouji will obviously just take them to observe deers in Kyoto. No, kids, he won’t take you anywhere dangerous🤣🤣🤣.

That’s it, Anon??? I have got ton of hcs about the fam because I always think about them, even while studying , so feel free to ask me whatever you want ahahaha. I could make 700 posts like this one, I’m serious ahahahha.

#junpei shibayama #izumi orimoto #junzumi #longest post I’ve been working since yesterday because trash is trash #and you need to recycle it and distinguish paper from plastic etc…#I put paper in here #asks #kou #ran #toto #zura rambles #junpei #izumi

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dahliavandare · 3 years

Text

Too Sexy For My Shirt (I Wanna Love You)

Wreck the Bard

Rated: M

Prompt: lingerie/taking off clothes

Relationship: Geralt/Jaskier

Words: 1062

Jaskier had thought Geralt understood it was a date. He had said, when he asked, ‘come to the dinner as my date’. He had brought flowers when he picked him up (sunflowers because of their mild, pleasant scent and how they reminded him of Geralt’s eyes. And because he figured they probably wouldn’t wilt if Geralt didn’t get them in water until after he got home). He had been so bold as to kiss the back of Geralt’s hand when they announced his up-and-comer award. He had even, on the way home, played Geralt the first song he’d written for the album and said it was inspired by how he makes Jaskier feel.

But here he is, almost a week later, picking Geralt up from work for their usual pizza night, and from the other room he overhears Geralt dejectedly explaining to one of his coworkers that it’s not like that; the album Jaskier was getting recognized for was full of gay love songs so he HAD to bring a man as a date and Jaskier is not currently seeing anyone.

No shit Jaskier’s not dating anyone - he wants to date Geralt! He gave up on having other romantic relationships a decade ago because everyone paled in comparison to his best friend, and he had had to put a stop to his casual hook-ups a few years ago too (he had accidentally moaned Geralt’s name while the last fellow was sucking him off, and the man had immediately stopped and told him it was rude to call out the wrong name during sex, and positively cruel to say it with the kind of tenderness Jaskier just did when he couldn’t drum up a tenth of that enthusiasm for the person actually in front of him. It was an impressively eloquent speech, and all the more impactful because the fellow had delivered entirely from his knees.)

Later that night he asked Geralt, casually (as casual as a sequined ball gown), whether he was seeing anyone. Jaskier had fantasized that Geralt would lean forward and flirtatiously purr that he was planning on seeing Jaskier in his bed that night. Realistically, he hoped that Geralt would raise an eyebrow and state that the two of them were dating. What actually happened was that Geralt stared intently at his current pizza slice and said “No.”

This would not do! He had gotten up the courage to ask! He had taken Geralt on a date! During which Geralt had smiled repeatedly! Geralt was not allowed to not realize it had happened!

Jaskier came up with a new plan and worked the whole next week to get it ready.

He invited Geralt over to his apartment. He told him they could probably go to the rock climbing gym after, but that he was working on something that he really wanted to show Geralt first and get his input. When his friend accepted, Jaskier had to hold in a victory dance. He’d secured the whole afternoon for if it went well, and they really could spend the afternoon rock climbing if it didn’t.

Everything was ready when Geralt arrived. Jaskier was wearing a ruffled tuxedo shirt and soft lounge pants. The pants weren’t actually his first choice, he’d been hoping to wear some obscenely tight jeans to emphasize his assets, but he needed to be able to MOVE.

With the rest of the furniture pushed against the wall, he directed Geralt to the chair he’d moved to the middle of the room.

“Why does it matter where I sit to hear a song?”

“Well it’s, there’s a dance. You’re not just listening, you’re watching the dance, and I need you in the right part of the room for when I do it or it won’t be right.”

Geralt grumbled but sat.

Jaskier queued up the remix he’d made. This was it, the moment of truth. He stood with his back to Geralt, one hand behind his head, the other arm straight up in the air. The music opened with the yowl of an electric guitar, he started bouncing his hip to the beat.

Da dudum! Da dudum! Da dudum! Da dudum!

I’m-

He spun around

Too sexy for my shirt

And started unbuttoning as he walked toward Geralt

Too sexy for my shirt,

So sexy it hurts

Pelvic thrusts!

I’m too sexy for Milan

He had reached Geralt- turn and circle the hips!

Too sexy for Milan, New York and Japan

Ok, now swing the leg over - good! Lap successfully straddled!

I hear you calling and it’s needles and pins (and pins)

Jaskier runs his hands up his chest while writhing.

I wanna kiss you but my senses tell me to stop!

And throw off the shirt!

I wanna taste you but your

Too sexy for my love

He backed up, inching his pants down as he went.

Too sexy for my love love

Hip pop! Hip pop!

Your mouth, so hot, your web, I’m caught

Kick off the pants!

Your skin, so wet, black lace, on sweat

Turn and show the thong!

Yeah on the catwalk, yeah, on the catwalk, yeah

I shake my little tush on the catwalk.

Shake the butt!

Well I don’t wanna break these chains

Back up toward Geralt again.

Burning deep inside my veins

Turn and throw the leg over

I wanna kiss you but your

Lean in towards his lips,

Too sexy for this song!

and FREEZE!

The music had ended. He was straddling Geralt’s thighs, dressed only in a sturdy black thong. Their lips were all of an inch apart. Neither moved.

He waited, hoping Geralt had finally understood, but his best friend was just staring at him, motionless.

Jaskier, panting slightly from the dance, asked, “What do you think?” trying not to act like the answer could destroy him.

“It’s…” Geralt rasped, his voice dry and husky, “not your usual thing. I don’t think the audience will expect it.”

“You are the audience,” Jaskier breathed, “The dance is for you.”

Geralt stared at him, slowly placing his hands on Jaskier’s bare, muscular thighs. “For me?”

Jaskier nodded. Geralt kissed him. Jaskier wrapped his arms around the other man’s neck while Geralt slid his hands up to his hips and guided him onto his lap.

It was, Jaskier would conclude when they finally came up for air, a very successful plan.

@whataboutthebard

#wreck the bard #watb #sept 12 #jaskier #geralt of rivia #geralt/jaskier #geraskier #lingerie #taking off clothes

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bluesylveon2 · 4 years

Text

My My, I Could Never Let You Go

Summary: Sasha Zoe just wants her dad to walk her down the aisle. There is only one problem: she doesn't know who her dad is! Sasha invites 3 men in hopes of finding out which one is her father. What could possibly go wrong?

Pairings: Levi x Hange, Sasha x Niccolo, and other background relationships

Disclaimer: This is a Levihan Mamma Mia au. This fanfic is inspired by Mamma Mia which is directed by Phyllida Loyd, written by Catherine Johnson, and uses music from the pop group ABBA. Attack on Titan is a manga/anime series written by Hajime Isayama and published by Kondasha

Author’s Note: NOW EDITED! This chapter and maybe the next few will include character background. I know the movie doesn’t include that, but I am! This story will have some added/deleted scenes from the movie. I hope you like it though! Also, the characters are in their Season 4 looks. The 104 group will be 20-21. Niccolo is 23. The adults:

Yes, the adults are mostly in their 40′s, but look young. Let’s just go with it

I will try to keep a weekly or week and a half update depending on school.

Now let’s move to the chapter where we meet a happy and engaged Sasha! 😁

Need to catch up? Catch up here!

Ch 1: Honey, Honey

Kalokairi, Greece

1 day before the wedding

Two passengers walk out of the docked ferry. Mikasa - the tall one with short jet black hair and dark brown eyes - was grabbing the rest of her stuff while her friend Historia - the shorter one with long blonde hair and blue eyes - searched for Sasha. It didn’t take Historia long to find her. Sasha wasn’t hard to find. Despite her wearing her brown hair in a ponytail and wearing casual clothes; she was running towards them at full speed. Sasha also held a small book with her.

“OH MY GOSH! YOU ARE FINALLY HERE!!!!” Sasha screamed as she ran towards her friends on the dock.

Mikasa Ackerman is half Japanese and half German. She originally lived in Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Germany but moved to Kalokairi after her parent’s death when she was a teenager. Mikasa’s parents dreamed of visiting the island one day when Mikasa was older. She used to sit on her mother’s lap as she told her about the island's beauty. After Mikasa’s parents died, her great aunt on her mother’s side reached out to her from Japan and provided Mikasa enough money to move to Kalokairi. Mikasa’s great aunt was unable to take care of Mikasa because of her old age, so Mikasa chose to live in Kalokairi to fulfill her parent’s dream. The only downside was that Mikasa lived alone. Her home is a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom home. It’s enough for a person, but Mikasa felt alone without her parents. It was where she met Eren Jaeger's family. Eren’s mom, Carla, often invited Mikasa to eat so she wouldn’t get lonely. Eren gave Mikasa a red scarf as she was leaving the Jaeger household. He claimed it was a gift, so she didn’t feel lonely. Mikasa, touched by the gift, started visiting the Jaeger family more, and she even met Eren’s freind, Armin. The Jaeger home became Mikasa’s second home, and Mikasa was not alone anymore. It changed after Historia moved the island.

Historia Reiss came from Munich and ran to Kalokairi to get away from her family. She felt confined in her home when all she wanted was freedom. She had also learned the ugly truth behind her family name a week after moving in with her father, Rod Reiss. Her uncle, Uri, was the CEO of the Fritz company, a conglomerate in Germany with other branches across Europe. The company also did some shady business orchestrated by Rod, but it was hidden from the public. The only plus for Historia staying home was seeing sister, Freida, more often.

The only downside of running away to another country was not knowing the language. Historia was walking around the island when she accidentally bumped into Mikasa. Mikasa noticed how lost Historia looked, so she invited her into her home. Historia spills her entire life story (including her real name) to Mikasa the moment Mikasa sat down in the chair in front of her to eat dinner. Historia was horrified after she finished her story. She just told her story to a stranger who is most likely going to kick her out. Historia flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to find Mikasa looking down at her with a smile. Mikasa understands what it is like to be alone, so she invites Historia to stay in her home. The girls eventually lived together as roommates until they had to leave for their modeling careers. Mikasa and Historia have even walked in Milan Fashion Week.

The home is still under Mikasa’s name (originally it was under her great aunt, but it went to Mikasa after her passing). The girls (and everyone in their friend group), use it when they stay on the island. The current inhabitants are Hanami and Mina since they were the first to arrive. Mikasa, Annie, Hitch, and Historia are the only girls from the group staying at the hotel.

Historia also started going by her real name after an incident with the company. Rod went to prison and Freida became the new CEO. She and Freida keep in touch often via mail to make up for the lost time and update each other of their lives. Historia told Freida about her freinds, her new maternal figure (Hange), and her girlfriend, Ymir.

Sasha met Mikasa and Historia on the island in high school. Mikasa was with her friends, Eren and Armin when Sasha met her. They were often paired up for projects and events that their friendship happened naturally over time. Sasha met Historia when she gave her some bread after Sasha was caught eating in class. Mr. Shadis, their teacher, is really a strict man. He made Sasha run laps around the whole school as punishment. Sasha wouldn’t stop thanking Historia after that.

“SASHA!!!!!!” Historia shoved her stuff towards Mikasa and began running towards Sasha.

“MIKASAAAAA!!!! HISTORIA!!!!!!!!!” Sasha continued yelling before glomping Historia. Luckily Historia caught herself without falling into the water.

“And where is my hug?” Sasha heard behind Historia before looking up to see Mikasa smirking at her. Sasha opened one arm out to initiate a group hug.

Mikasa briefly put both her’s and Historia’s stuff down and joined in on the hug.

“Ugh, it’s been so long! I missed you both so much!” Sasha complained dramatically as she let go of the girls. Mikasa and Historia grab their things and start heading towards the beach with Sasha.

Sasha looked at the group and noticed someone was missing.

“Is Ymir not coming, Historia?” Sasha asked while tilting her head to the side.

“No,” Historia says sadly, thinking about her girlfriend as she looks down as she walks. “She has caught up with work lately and won’t be able to attend your wedding.” Historia looked up and smiled “She wanted me to tell you congrats on your engagement though.”

“Well we would have been here earlier, but someone” Mikasa glared at Historia “insisted on being fashionably late” Mikasa grumbled. She gave air quotes on the words fashionably late with her free hand.

“Well are we?” Historia giggled. She waved her hand innocently while ignoring Mikasa’s last statement

“No” Sasha laughed “Aunt Nanaba and Aunt Rico will be here later on today, and Aunt Pieck will be here tomorrow.”

Aunt Pieck is Sasha’s only known family member from her mom’s side.

(Sasha also heard about a grandmother, but her mom never talks about her)

According to Hange, Pieck is Hange’s younger cousin. Hange’s mom and Pieck’s mom are sisters, but they weren’t that close. Hange’s mom was more focused on her singing career, and Pieck’s mom wanted to focus on her daughter. As a result, Hange would often visit Pieck’s house in Santorini. Pieck would tell her stories about Kalokairi during one of Hange’s visits. Pieck’s stories of Kalokairi sparked Hange’s interest in the island. Pieck is currently a photographer who lives in Portugal after marrying Porco Galliard. She met Porco after a photoshoot in Spain.

Porco is a veteran from Portugal. His brother, Marcel, is also a veteran and he was in the same unit as Porco. Both brothers began traveling around Europe after finishing their service before settling down. One day, the brothers were in Valencia, Spain after hearing of the La Tomatina Festival in Bunol. Porco met Pieck during the festival after she threw a squashed tomato straight at his face. Porco had to face her alone (Marcel was somewhere deep in the crowd) and decided to get back at her. It was a battle between speed (Porco) and stamina (Pieck, Porco had no idea how Pieck was not getting tired). According to Aunt Pieck, it was like the others in the crowd didn’t matter to them. It was her vs Porco. The two got to learn more about each other after the festival ended, and they exchanged numbers.

Sasha has not seen her Aunt Pieck since her high school graduation. Her aunt had moved to left Greece after marrying Porco, so her visits were less frequent. Nevertheless, Sasha enjoyed looking at the postcard and photos her aunt sends every year. Seeing her aunt and uncle’s happy faces puts a smile on Sasha’s face. She wishes her mom had a similar experience.

“I knew we should’ve waited longer,” Historia complained to Mikasa and threw her arms up for dramatic effect.

“Yeah me too,” Mikasa says sarcastically and rolls her eyes.

“Speaking of guests, are the other girls here already?” Historia asks Sasha and looks around the beach expecting the others to magically appear before them.

“The other girls are here,” Sasha replies “Mina is hanging out with Marco, Hitch is dragging Marlowe around the island, Annie is on a date with Armin, and Hanami is probably trying not to kill Jean. She has been here longer and is working together with Jean on the wedding”

Hanami is a sweet but oblivious girl they had all met in high school. She is known for making rash decisions, and it worried them. Jean usually reprimands her for being rash, and Hanami would fight back verbally. She and Jean used to not get along before, but their friendship has improved over the years. Nowadays, the both of them just like messing with one another.

“Let’s hope that your wedding does not end in disaster,” Mikasa says with a hint of worry in her voice.

Their friend, Hanami Richter, is Sasha’s maid of honor. She was born in Greece after her parents moved from Cambridge. She is both Japanese and German like Mikasa, but looks more European. Hanami has short dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, and wears glasses. She looks like she could be Sasha’s long lost sister. (The girls switched places once, but Hange figured out ‘Sasha’ was not Sasha. Luckily Hange didn’t get mad, but she was impressed). Hanami is currently attending the University of Vienna to study International Business Administration.

“Oh!” Historia exclaimed in an attempt to change the subject “Show us your ring!”

Sasha laughed before stopping their walk to extend her left hand. She showed Historia the beautiful ring on her ring finger. The ring consisted of a 2-carat diamond glistened from the sunlight. The ring was not too over the top. It was a white gold ring with a diamond placed in the center surrounded by smaller diamonds to form a halo.

Historia let out a whistle “Niccolo did really well! Let me take a picture and send this to Ymir. She was expecting a big diamond”

Niccolo is a young chef with wavy blonde hair and green eyes. Niccolo dreams of working as an executive chef after traveling the world. However, no one appreciated his cooking despite working in a famous restaurant. Sasha met him when she and her girl friends went on a summer trip to Italy. During the trip, the group decided to eat dinner at a well-known restaurant in Rome. Everyone, especially Sasha, was enjoying their meal until Sasha started eating her lobster. The girls will never forget how Sasha couldn’t stop complimenting the lobster that she wanted to meet the chef who made it. Niccolo was shocked when his co-worker mentioned what was going on outside the kitchen. Someone was actually appreciating his cooking and he moved them to tears! Niccolo had no choice but to agree. He wanted to meet this person. Surprisingly to the girls, the restaurant let her meet the chef, but only after closing time. Sasha was in tears as she hugged Niccolo, and Niccolo was shocked to see how his food affected her. (Niccolo never told Sasha, but it was love at first sight for him). They met again months later when Jean invited Niccolo over to Kalokairi to surprise Sasha. Sasha and Niccolo eventually started dating, and Niccolo proposed to her after 2 years of dating.

As Historia took some pics on her phone, Mikasa remembered what Sasha mentioned in their group chat before they arrived.

“Sasha, what’s the big news you mentioned a few days ago?”

“Right!” Sasha exclaimed and covered her mouth with her unoccupied hand “I want you guys to guess before the big reveal.”

Historia was pocketing her phone and let Sasha drop her hand back to the side. Historia let out a gasp. She put one hand on Sasha’s shoulder and the other on her stomach.

“You're pregnant?!?!?!” Historia yelled

“No no no! You're wrong Historia.” Sasha laughed and held up both of her hands in front of her body

(Historia was relieved. Mikasa considered Niccolo lucky because won’t be sporting a black eye on his wedding day. She didn’t say that out loud)

“So what is it then Sasha?” Mikasa after the girls started walking again.

“Weeeellllllll. I invited my dad to my wedding!” Sasha screams with glee

“What?!” “You finally found him” Mikasa and Historia shouted at the same time and looked at Sasha

“Not exactly,” Sasha replied before sitting down on a rock down the beach with the girls. Their spot at least gave them some privacy to talk.

Suddenly, Sasha’s happy expression turned serious. “You also cannot tell anyone what I'm about to say. You have to promise me that and do the salute to it too?”

“Yes ma'am. We promise” Mikasa and Historia said before facing Sasha and doing their salute. They put both of their hands in a fist. They placed their right fist over their heart and their left fist behind their backs. It was the secret salute their friend group came up with in high school. Mikasa and Historia sat down on some rocks across from Sasha after they did the salute.

“You know what my mom says when I ask about my father. It was a summer romance, and he was gone before she realized she was pregnant with me. I would accept it and never ask more questions.”

Historia put a hand on Sasha’s shoulder and gave her an empathetic smile. She understood where Sasha is coming from. Historia didn’t know much about her family as a child since she grew up with only her mom. She met them after her first year in high school, but it was not a pleasant experience, and she would rather choose to forget it (except for Freida).

Mikasa also gave Sasha a smile before motioning with her hand to continue.

Sasha smiled at both of her friends. “Well guess what Hanami and I found while looking through the attic for wedding decorations,” Sasha says before pulling out a leather journal. It was a brown journal that looked worn and had a leather strap to seal the book closed.

“Is that-?” Mikasa asked

“No way-” Historia began

“Yes!” Sasha squealed “It is my mom’s old diary she kept while she was pregnant with me.”

Sasha set the diary on her lap and opened it to one of the bookmarked pages. She began to read a journal entry.

July 17

What a night! Levi took me to a secluded beach here on the island. We danced on the beach. We kissed on the beach and-

“Dot dot dot,” Sasha said

“Dot dot dot?” Mikasa asked with a perplexed look on her face.

“What does that mean?” Historia asked Sasha confused

“Who knows?” Sasha replied with a shrug “It’s from the olden times. They had weird terminology back then. Now let me continue.”

Sasha stood up abruptly and walked off from Mikasa and Historia. The girls quickly grabbed their things as they stood up and followed Sasha.

Levi is such an amazing guy! Yeah, he may be short, is always scowling, has a funny way to drink tea, and tells poop jokes, but he is such a sweetheart. He never shows it to others, but only me. Me! I get dizzy looking at his charm and going on new adventures with him. Is he some sort of a love machine? He's practically everything I want in a guy! I really think he's the one.

“Your mom sounds like she’s really in love with this Levi guy.” Mikasa comments (she also starts questioning Hange’s tastes in men. A guy who scowls and tells poop jokes? That baffled Mikasa.)

“I think it’s cute,” Historia says with hearts in her eyes and turns to Sasha “Is Levi your father?”

“Oh but wait” Sasha stops walking on a cliff that overlooks the sea. She gestures to Mikasa and Historia to sit down before continuing.

All this time Levi tells me he loves me, but I’m doubting that now. He’s been hiding things from me, and I found out about it this morning. He suddenly announced that he was engaged, and had to leave to get married.

How dare he?! I was too blinded by anger to think rationally. I packed Levi’s stuff, dragged Levi out of my house, and threw his stuff (and Levi) to the nearest ferry while demanding him to leave. I didn’t want to see him again, and I didn’t want him to see how heartbroken I was.

“Oh no. Poor Hange” Historia says sadly. Mikasa didn’t say anything, but she scowled instead.

“The plot thickens,” Sasha says and continues reading

I texted Nanaba and Rico to do some snooping for me since the internet can be weak here on the island. I gave them the information I knew about Levi and let them do the rest. Rico managed to find some things about Levi.

How dare he? He lied to me this whole time about his last name, how he is the heir of Ackerman Bank, and possibly his love for me? No wonder he was acting mysterious when we first met. I just want to-

Sasha stops abruptly. She looked at the page again to be sure she was reading it right. The page had her mother’s writing, but there were some scribbles and small crinkles. Sasha knew right away that her mother must have cried while writing the entry.

“There are multiple tear marks and some scribbles here” Sasha comments with a solemn expression on her face.

Historia and Mikasa looked at Sasha with sorrow. It seemed as if her mom went through a lot before she was born.

There was a moment of silence until Historia spoke up in an attempt to lighten up the mood.

“At least your mom didn’t damage the diary, or we wouldn’t have any clue who your father is. Remember that time Eren and Connie accidentally knocked over that old vase at the hotel?”

All 3 girls shivered at the memory

“Well, at least the journal didn’t meet your mom’s wrath. We got lucky there.” Mikasa says with a small smile on her face

“Yeah” Sasha laughed. It’s rare for her mom to get angry. She has only seen her mother really angry once, and it was after the incident. Luckily, her mom never got mad at her. She showered her with love and affection instead.

Sasha turned the page to another bookmarked section and looked to her friends sitting nearby. Historia looked as if she was in deep thought. Her arm was propped up on her knee and she rested her head on her fist.

“Something on your mind Historia?” Sasha asked

Historia perked up at Sasha’s question. She then glanced at Mikasa and then the journal. Historia looked at Sasha.

“You said Levi’s last name is Ackerman, right? What if Mikasa is related to him?”

Historia gasped and turned to Mikasa with a gleeful look on her face “You and Sasha could be related! Wouldn’t that be fun?”

“I would rather not be related to Mr. Poop Jokes. He hurt Hange and he sounds like an asshole.” Mikasa scoffed and dismissed the idea. It would be nice to be related to Sasha, but not through Levi.

Meanwhile, Sasha laughed when Historia’s smile turned into a pout. She and Mikasa are really close friends. It would be nice to at least have one of her friends be blood-related to her.

“Wait until you hear this,” Sasha says before standing up and walking away from their spot on the beach. She started heading towards the stairs along a cliff while reading at the same time. Mikasa and Historia stood up and followed her. They don’t want to miss the rest of the story if they let Sasha walk away.

Both of them sweatdropped as they ran towards Sasha

“I don’t understand why she needs to walk off from us. I get that she needs to guide us to the hotel, but couldn’t we have heard the story all in one sitting?” Historia says to Mikasa

Mikasa shrugs before jogging (and dragging Historia behind her) to catch up to Sasha. Luckily Mikasa is still athletic from high school, so it didn't take her long to catch up.

August 4

I met Erwin Smith - a tall man with blond hair, blue eyes, and the biggest eyebrows I’ve ever seen. He looks like the star of the latest superhero movie - out of the blue when I was walking around town. He looked lost, so I offered to show him around the island. He’s such a sweet and understanding guy. Although I’m still obsessed with Levi, one thing led to another and-

“Dot. Dot. Dot” Sasha says laughing

Mikasa and Historia gasped as the girls made it towards the entrance of Hange’s hotel (aka Sasha’s home)

August 11

Mike Zacharias - a tall man with blonde hair, light green eyes, and has a tendency to sniff people - took me to his yacht for our nightly yacht ride. We spent the night gazing at the stars and telling stories.

The girls climbed up the steps towards the hotel. Once they made it to the top, Sasha stopped and turned around to face Mikasa and Historia before finishing up her story.

Mike is so wild and such a funny guy. One thing led to another and-

“Dot! Dot! Dot!” Sasha and Historia squealed at the same time. Mikasa watched her friends excitement with a smile on her face

A door opens behind the girls. Hange Zoe comes in with her full glory wearing her signature white shirt with overalls while carrying a broom. She sets it off towards a nearby wall.

“Here come the bridesmaids” Hange sang with her arms open for a hug

“Hange!” Mikasa and Historia say with excitement and run to get a hug and a kiss on the cheek from Hange. Sasha quickly hides the diary behind her back. She is thankful that her mom was focused on her friends instead of her.

“Look at you! You’re both so beautiful and you need to start growing” Hange ruffled their hair and laughed

“You look like you’re having fun” Hange smiled and gave them the proud look only a mother would give towards her children

“I used to have fun” she added with some reminiscence in her voice. She thought of the 3 men who impacted her life as she turned around to pick up her broom.

“Oh, we know.” Historia giggles before Mikasa discreetly elbowed her to tell her to shut up.

Hange looked at the girls suspiciously and Sasha smiled before motioning to her friends that they needed to go. Hange shrugged before going back to the door she came from, leaving Sasha and the others alone.

The girls let out a sigh of relief before heading to Sasha’s room. Hopefully, no one else runs into them or it would raise suspicion.

Sasha walked towards her bed and sat down once they made it to her room. Mikasa and Historia set their stuff off to the side and stood in front of Sasha.

“So, who is your dad? Levi, Erwin, or Mike?” Mikasa asked

“I don’t know!” Sasha exclaims

“But which one did you invite?” Historia asked

Sasha didn’t answer and stayed silent. Historia and Mikasa picked up on her silence and immediately knew

“Oh. My. God.” they said while simultaneously stepping back and sitting down on a nearby chest

Sasha squealed as she stood up. A big smile grew on her face

“Do they know?” Historia asked

“Well, would you write to a total stranger ‘Will you come to my wedding? You might be my father?’ No! They think mom sent the invites and no surprise with what’s in here-”

Sasha picks up the diary from her bed

“They said yes!” Sasha squealed causing Historia and Mikasa to jump up with glee

The girls proceed to have an impromptu dance party in Sasha’s room to celebrate. They danced around for a bit but stopped after Sasha decided to head out to her balcony with her mom’s diary. Mikasa and Historia stayed behind and sat down on Sasha’s bed. They wanted to give her space to think about everything so far.

“I’ve heard so much about them, and I want to know more about them too,” Sasha says softly to herself. She glances down at the diary and smiles “Once I do, I can know how much they mean to me.”

Skiathos, Greece

1 day before the wedding

Two taxis were heading to the Skiathos port. Both taxis were trying to reach the ferry before it left for Kalokairi.

Erwin sat calm and composed with his business suit, but he was nervous on the inside. How would Hange react to his sudden appearance? What would she say? Is she still with the other man? He can feel the timer to the meeting counting down in his head. “If only the taxi went a bit faster,” Erwin thought to himself.

Meanwhile, in another taxi, sat Levi. He was starting to get impatient. Levi cursed his luck before putting his pocket watch back in his shirt pocket. He would have been on Kalokairi a lot earlier if the 1 stop of the flight didn’t take too long. Levi leaned forward to tell the driver to speed up, but it seemed as if the ride to the port was too slow (in Levi’s opinion).

As Levi sat back, he dug into the pocket of his slacks for a small blue pouch. He untied the knot and dumped whatever was inside the pouch onto his palm. A simple yellow gold ring with a diamond fell out. Levi bought that ring weeks after coming back from Kalokairi and settling his family drama. It was kind of a dumb purchase if Levi thought really hard into it. He broke Hange’s heart and she kicked him out. It’s simple, really. Hange would not say yes if he had returned to Kalokairi and proposed to her.

Nevertheless, Levi thought yellow gold would look good on Hange’s skin because it reminded him of the yellow shirt she wore when they met. He only kept it because of the memories they had, and Levi will always treasure it. Levi puts the ring back in the pouch and pockets it. He doesn’t see himself opening it again if Hange decides to kick him out for a second time.

Both taxis make it to the port, and both Levi and Erwin run towards the ferry only to see it leaving.

“Damn it!” Levi yells

“I agree,” Erwin calmly says next to him

Levi looks up to find a tall man with blond hair and the biggest eyebrows he had ever seen, He didn’t notice Erwin’s presence until he spoke. Levi looked at him. He internally prayed to himself that he would make it to the wedding on time and see Hange.

“When is the next ferry leaving?” Levi asks Erwin. Levi didn’t know much Greek since Hange was the one who helped him before. He hoped the blonde stranger at least knew something

Erwin walks towards the nearest sign and reads it using basic Greek he learned years prior

“Monday,” Erwin says dejectedly and Levi groans in frustration

“Hey!” they hear from the sea and turn their heads

They both see a tall, blond-haired man with a mustache and a beard waving to them from a yacht. There was another man with him who looked like he was doing last-minute preparations before sailing.

“Are you heading to Kalokairi?” the man asks Levi and Erwin

“How did you know?” Levi yells. The man is a good distance away from him after all.

The man laughs “I could practically smell the desperation off of you” Erwin’s face turns red from embarrassment. Levi scowled

“You can come with me. The name’s Mike Zacharias by the way. That man over there” He points to a guy with brown hair styled in a pompadour “That’s Gelgar. He’s been taking care of my yacht since I was away. He can help bring us to the island.”

“Sure,” Erwin spoke up. “My name is Erwin Smith. He then raised a hand and gestured to Levi

“This is-”

“Levi Ackerman” Levi finishes for Erwin. Levi revealed his last name to them unlike when he first met Hange. Luckily both men didn’t make any connections between him and his family business.

Mike turned to Erwin “Well then, Erwin.” He turned to Levi “and Levi. You better hurry up and board the yacht soon. We are heading to Kalokairi once you are settled.” Mike said and walked off to check on everything with Gelgar

Levi sighed. He had no choice. He might as well go with Erwin and Mike since Mike is his only hope of reaching Kalokairi on time.

Meanwhile, Erwin recognized Mike after many years. He had some physical differences but didn’t look much different overall. Erwin knew that Mike was the man Hange was with when he came back to see her.

There is only one question that kept playing in Erwin’s head. Is Mike still with Hange?

References used/Notes:

Obviously the salute used in the military

Sasha having the girls salute is a nod to OVA 2 where she makes Reiner do it

Some inspiration from both Mikasa and Historia’s backstories

Hanami is my OC from AOT 2 FB (I posted what she looks like on my Tumblr bluesylveon2)

I added more characters because I want Sasha to have more friends in her bridal party

Levi being the heir of Ackerman Bank is based on list I found of big businesses in Germany. Two were based in Frankfurt and were only banking, hence the name

But Levi owns a cafe in the Prologue? Will be explained later

Sasha and Niccolo’s first meeting is from the recent episode

I decided for Porco to be Portuguese because Porco means pig in Portugese

I’ve heard of La Tomatina and it looks like fun

I base the character nationalities on names/some reddit posts. I saw one where Pieck was Greek so I added that to her character

I picked Santorini because it’s a city I want to visit one day. Also Sootopolis (from Pokemon) is based off of there

Hange’s diary is the same journal as the one seen in AOT (Ilse’s notebook and AOT 2 FB)

The ‘Erwin from a superhero movie’ is because of Chris Evans

Hange is canonically the scariest when mad. I tried to portray this with Levi’s backstory and the vase incident

I added the ring scene with Levi for future purpose

#levihan #levi x hange #levihan fanfiction #nicosasha #erwin x hange #mike x hange #aruani #hitch x marlow #mikenana #marco x mina #pokkopikku #snk #attack on titan

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chocoluckchipz · 4 years

Text

A Soulmate for Christmas - 3

< Previous

"Dupain-Cheng. We need to talk."

Marinette stopped breathing, sinking deeper under the desk.

Chloe groaned and took a few steps away. "Don't make me get down there and drag you out. And next time, make sure you aren't hiding right in front of a mirror. Be thankful I didn't out you to Adrien."

Marinette glared at her reflection peeking out from a corner of the mostly covered mirror she’d failed to notice.

"I suppose you want my gratitude for your generosity?" she huffed, climbing out of her hiding spot to face her old nemesis.

"I’ll do without, but let’s make one thing clear—I did it for Adrien, not you."

"Oh really? I fail to see how this benefits him since, you know, he wanted to find me."

Chloe smirked and looked Kagami’s way. Marinette followed her gaze, only now noticing how intently Kagami was watching her.

"So, this is her?"

"Unfortunately."

Matching smirks on their lips, Kagami’s eyes held restrained curiosity. Chloe’s? Disbelief.

Marinette could feel the weight of their judgement increase with each passing second. She scoffed. This crap was tiring to deal with back in the lycée. Now it wasn’t even worth the fight. "Listen, I doubt either of you want me to come in and mess up whatever thing you three have going on, so how about you tell Adrien you mistook me for someone else, the waitress he spoke to was not Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and we all walk our separate ways?"

Kagami folded her arms over her chest, arching an eyebrow. "What about Adrien?"

"What about him?"

"He’s your soulmate."

"He’s engaged to you."

"Did you hear anything we said here?"

"Didn’t have much of a choice."

"Then, you’re aware that we’re faking it. There is nothing but friendship between us."

"So I’ve heard."

"And you still want to walk away?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"She’s always been weird," Chloe snipped. "Adrien deserves better."

Marinette scoffed. "No one deserves a soulmate who humiliates them in front of the whole country."

"You can’t really pick your soulmate, you know," Kagami said.

"But I can walk away from one who respects neither me nor our bond. Fake or not, he chose to be with you. I’m not going to interfere. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back work."

Kagami grabbed Marinette’s hand before she could take a step. "You don’t understand. It’s not something he’s doing because he doesn’t respect or want you. Adrien’s practically saving my life with this, risking everything he ever wanted to do so."

Marinette almost laughed. "How is fake dating saving your life, Mlle Tsurugi? Fake dating is for fiction, a good book for a lonely evening or a movie to laugh with friends about. In the real world, in our modern society, it's irrelevant. And especially for someone as powerful and influential as you. You don't need to fake date. You can just say a word and all your problems will float away."

Kagami’s grip on Marinette’s hand tightened as she seethed through her teeth. "You have no idea what you’re talking about."

"Oh, don’t I? I’ve spent enough years in the same class with Chloe to see how people in your circle solve their problems."

"You shouldn’t put everyone in the same basket." Chloe stepped in, wrapping her arm around Kagami’s shoulder. She leaned closer to Kagami, their cheeks starting to glow at the contact, Kagami’s with a bee mark, Chloe’s with a dragon.

To say Marinette was surprised was an understatement.

"Just because we live in different circles doesn’t mean our lives are easy or that our problems always go away with a snap of our fingers," Chloe continued. "If you want to think of me like that, fine. Whatever. But not Adrien and certainly not Kagami."

"I still fail to see the reason why someone would need to fake date."

Before Chloe could start talking, Kagami cut her off with a wave of her hand. "Marinette, would you mind hearing me out? If you still want to walk away after what I have to tell you, neither of us will stop you."

Perhaps, this was the quickest way to get this over with. Maybe, she was curious herself as to what was going on between the three of them. Whatever it was, Marinette pulled up a chair, sat down and waited.

Kagami settled on a couch while Chloe leaned on its arm. "I was born and raised in Japan in a very conservative family where traditions were the law and whoever broke them was excommunicated forever. When I was fifteen, my mother and I moved to France, and I got to know the more liberal approach to life the French follow. I met Adrien through our parents’ business dealings. We became friends, and for the first time ever, someone could understand me, the life I was living, and the feelings I was suppressing. He wasn’t in any better of a situation at the time, but at least I was allowed to attend a private school. Adrien was kept locked inside his mansion. Later, I met Chloe and discovered the soulmate bond we shared. I was happy for the first time in my life. That is until my mother decided I had to marry one of her business partners’ sons for the sake of the family’s interests."

"A much older male," Chloe scoffed, scratching her nose. "Disgusting."

"Fifteen years older," Kagami confirmed. "And he lives in Japan which meant I would be forced to move back and lose not only my friends but also my soulmate. I would be expected to be an obedient, silent wife for the rest of my life, confined to looking after the house and birthing as many children as my husband wished."

"Ridiculous!" Chloe huffed. "Utterly ridiculous."

Kagami patted Chloe’s hand in a comforting gesture. "Perhaps if I’d never moved to France I would have gone along with her plans without complaining. However, after I had a taste of freedom and saw how happy I can be, I knew I couldn’t give up all of this. Give up Adrien and Chloe. Give up my dreams for the future. So, I panicked and said I was already secretly dating someone and didn’t tell her only because I wanted to make sure it was serious. Mother would’ve never agreed to let me stay if that person wasn’t from her list of approved potential spouses. A list made up of very influential and wealthy people. Adrien was one of them."

"He’s on the list of every Parisian mother." Chloe huffed. "Sucks to be him."

"I couldn’t say Chloe’s name," Kagami continued. "Mother isn't against same-sex relationships, but she considers them just ‘practice’ for the ‘real ones’ because, apparently, I need a man as a life partner."

"As I said, ridiculous."

"So, I said Adrien’s name, then begged him to play along. We never thought it would get out of our circle. We even developed a plan for how to get me out unscathed and free. Adrien and I were supposed to only play a couple until my birthday in November when I became a legal adult by Japanese law. When that happened, I started transferring my funds to accounts my mother had no access to so I could walk away freely. But that takes time, and two weeks ago she found out and demanded an explanation for the transactions. She threatened to send me back to Japan immediately if she didn’t approve of what I had in mind. The transfers weren’t done yet and she had enough influence to stop it.

"I freaked out again and said Adrien and I were getting married, so I was gathering my personal funds into my own account that I planned to join with my husband’s after the wedding. I told her we were waiting for a special occasion to announce the engagement. She wasn’t buying it. She gave me a week to prove my words. She put a hold on all the transfers until then. It was Adrien who suggested we take it to the media. That way, she wouldn't doubt us, and she’d be somewhat pressured to let me stay in France, at least for the time being. Once the article was out, my mother released the funds, and as of last night, I’m a free woman.

"No one was ever going to announce an engagement. My things are being packed as we speak while my mother and I are out of the house. I won’t be going home with her. I’m moving in with Chloe, and, thanks to Adrien, I’m not doing so without a penny to my name. Adrien never meant to hurt you. He never looked any other woman's way. All he wanted was to help a friend."

There wasn’t much Marinette could do but remain frozen in her seat, stunned at Kagami’s words. Her defences down, she hated to admit that everything Kagami had said made sense. There was a reason. A reason good enough to justify this whole thing. She couldn't hold this against Adrien. Heck, if any of Marinette’s friends were in Kagami’s shoes, she’d be fake proposing to them too. So, if everything that Kagami had told her was true, then…

"Marinette," Kagami spoke more gently, watching her with a lot less hostility. "For as long as I’ve known Adrien, every summer, every vacation he got, he was travelling to Milan, attending every fashion show and just wandering the streets in hopes of finding you. He painted over and publicly revealed his soulmate mark only because he’s desperate at this point. His father’s been pressuring him to date for publicity for years. He gave him a break when he thought we were a couple, but that ends tonight. And let me tell you, Gabriel Agreste is not the person to care for Adrien’s feelings and desires. He’ll make his life a living hell if Adrien continues to refuse to comply. Please, Marinette. Give him a chance. He deserves it."

"I’m giving him your number as a Christmas present tomorrow," Chloe spoke up. "You have until then to think about it. Let’s go, Kagami. It’s time to set Adrien free and show the world who your soulmate truly is."

"Right." Kagami stood up, giving Marinette one last glance. "The choice is yours, but you’d be a fool to walk away from a man like him. They don’t come as kind, loyal and loving as he is these days."

The door behind the pair closed, leaving only the sound of Marinette’s heart echoing in her ears. She could hardly move. If everything she’d just learned was true, she owed Adrien an apology and, if he wanted one, she owed him a chance. Because while she would definitely want a chance with the man Kagami had just described, she had to wonder if she deserved one at all.

With a sigh, she stood up and headed back towards the kitchen.

Later. She’d find him later. First, she had a job to finish and sweets to serve. The rest would have to wait. They’d waited for years. What would be another few hours?

Next >

Read it on A03 FF.net WattPad

Buy the author a Ko-fi for Christmas

#miraculous ladybug #adrienette #soulmates #adrinette #fluff #light angst #misunderstanding #happy end #aged up #no magic au #soulmate marks

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lihikainanea · 3 years

Note

Heyy ^^ i found ur blog yesterday and ive been ADDICTED to ur BFF!Bill stories!! they're so so good! I was wondering if you could write something about them both being on a plane, and when turbulence starts to happen tiger is just freaking out and bill has to calm and comfort her. omg that would be so adorable. also maybe them being cute at the airport before the flight, because tiger is all sleepy and soft. as you can tell, i've been desperate for some fluff hahah xx

HELLO NEW FRENN.

First of all, welcome bubs. Welcome welcome welcome to my crazy little corner of the interweb universe, I’m so happy that you stopped by and I’m so happy that you enjoy my insane babbles! do you have a favourite? I love hearing about your favourites.

Second of all, it’s strange to me that the people who are only starting to follow me now--ya’ll know a really special side of me. You know a weird, out of normal side of me. Because my job--I don’t talk about it--but normally, my job is 90% travel. Before this zombie virus hit, for years I was away for about 250-300 days a year. In 2019, I visited LA, Egypt, Iceland, London, Paris, Stockholm, Hong Kong, Japan, Cyprus, Ghana, Colombia, Phuket, Qatar, Milan, Bali, Stockholm, Abu Dhabi, Denmark, Norway--and that’s just to name a few. I was never home. I lived my life at 35,000 feet, in hotel rooms, never quite sure what continent I was on or what time zone I was in--and I loved it. That was the life for me.

And then 2020 hit and I just haven’t been the same since. In fact--because I think it’s important to talk about these things--this has hit me really hard lately, this nostalgia, this longing. And the main topic of my therapy sessions these days has been allowing myself to grieve for a life that I loved, that I may never get back. It’s rough, it’s really intense, and therapy has left me totally drained lately.

I have a few airport-comfort pieces on my #vacation bill tag on my Masterlist, because it meant so much to me at one point in my life. Don’t get me wrong, I was always treated very well when I flew and I had a lot of perks--but sometimes, sometimes it was hard too. When I was on malaria pills and only a few weeks out of a yellow fever vaccine, suffering from an insanely sensitive stomach in Ghana? I was curled up at the airport as my boss slowly gave me carbonated water, and I wanted to die. Curling up and just wanting to pass out on my 5th flight that was trying to get me to Vietnam, when I had no idea what day or what time it was, and all I wanted was to sleep--knowing that when I landed, I had 28 working hours ahead of me. That trip was hard. It was a lot of planes rides for short periods--so right as I started to drift off my seat would be slammed back into upright position, we were landing, and I had to shuffle out and shuffle onto another plane.

In any case, please let me indulge a moment in this because I am always here for Bill comforting tiger in all scenarios.

Bill flies a lot, so he’s used to all of it. He knows airports are chilly, and airplanes are often even more chilly. He knows that tiger errs on the side of cold always anyway, so he packs a few extra sweaters just because he knows that like...she doesn’t. She doesn’t think of it. And make no mistake, the extra sweaters are for him--because he always gives her the sweater off his back. She’s more comforted that way, it’s warm and it smells like him and she always huddles into it.

And it’s not that travelling stresses tiger out--she quite enjoys it actually--but it’s all just so thrilling, that sometimes she has a hard time focusing. Bill is a high roller, man he has access to all the lounges and always either flies business class, or is ballin’ enough to be bumped to business class just when the airline agents see how many points he has. And tiger is just taking it all in--the wine in the lounge, the fanciness of it all, the prestige. She’s all up in ends and Bill has to help kind of ground her--just be that steady presence that keeps her in check, tells her to eat. He fixes a plate for her always, because tiger is like a kid in a candy store and there’s just so much to be amazed about. He thinks it’s adorable, god she makes his heart skip a few beats, but he knows she’s also looking for a bit of stability, some anchor that she can hold onto amidst all the excitement--and that’s what he is.

They, obviously, always sit together on the plane. She always gets lots of head scritchies to help her relax and fall asleep. And listen, if turbulence should hit? He’s all over it. I, low key, really love turbulence--man that shit will just rock you right to sleep. I’ve been on a few flights where I have legitimately been scared--I’ve been on flights where an engine blew out after take off and we had to emergency land, or a flight where the tail of the aircraft split clean in half about 3,000 ft above ground and we had a crash landing, I’ve been on flights where the back wheels hit the runway and then the pilot had to take off again at almost a 90 degree angle because an aircraft was too close in front of him and I’ve nearly passed out from the G force. And actually the flight to Bali from Qatar was very turbulent--but I’ve mostly been able to retain my calm. No plane in history has ever been downed by turbulence alone.

Bill knows that. He’s used to it. But tiger? Tiger has all of her claws dug into his forearm the minute the plane starts to shake even just slightly. It rouses him from a deep sleep--his goofy eye mask on and all--and he lifts it and squints at her. He’s a little grumpy, but the minute he sees the pure panic etched on her face, he morphs into caretaker mode immediately.

“It’s okay kid,” he says, “It’s just a rough patch.”

Sure enough, the seatbelt sign dings and the announcement from the captain comes on.

“Bill...” she says, and there’s a hint of a whine in her voice. He wishes he could just squeeze in close to her, just envelop her in his arms but the centre console between their seats separates them. He reaches his arm around her anyway, cranes so he can kiss her temple.

“We’re okay tiger,” he says into her ear, “Turbulence is normal. Nothing to worry about.”

She whines again, reaching a hand and she balls it into his t-shirt. He moves his hand to her hair, scritching lightly.

“Just breathe kid,” he says, “It’s okay.”

He can’t ding the flight attendant because they can’t move during turbulence anyway, so instead he reaches for his water bottle and uncaps it, offers it to her.

“Drink,” he instructs. She takes a small sip, but she tenses the minute the plane starts to rock again.

“We’re okay, I promise,” he says, “Turbulence isn’t dangerous kid. Not in the slightest.”

She looks unsure, everything about her is tense and worried.

“Hey,” he says and he taps her nose “You trust me?”

“Of course I trust you.”

“And you know how much I fly?”

“Yes.”

“It’s nothing kid,” he reassures, “Try and relax. Come here, I’ll rub your tummy.”

“I don’t need my--”

But listen, he manages to combine their blankets and creates a cocoon around the two of them. He reaches over and reclines her seat back a bit, boosts up the foot rest so she’s comfortable, and then under the blanket he lifts her shirt a little--and his warm hand just rubs back and forth, massages on her lower stomach just how she likes. He puts a pillow on the centre console, pulls the blanket up a little and pulls her over so she can lean across it--and then he rests his thumb on her lips.

“Billy--” she mumbles, but he hushes her.

“No one can see kid,” he kisses her nose softly, “I promise. Go on.”

#bill skarsgard #bill skarsgard drabble #BFF!Bill #soft bill

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final-servamp-banter · 3 years

Text

White Day Event: Niccolò

Dude really goes all out for White Day. Let me marry this anxious man already

Niccolò: …Pront? … Uhh, [Your Name]?

Niccolò: It’s me, but, where are you right now?

Niccolò: In front of the station? Okay, got it. I can be there in about 10 minutes, so… Would you mind waiting there for a little bit?

You: (Eh, now…?)

Player Choices:

1. I’ll wait

2. I have something to do

Option 1:

Niccolò: Thank you, I’ll be there soon. Ciao.

Option 2:

Niccolò: … Something to do? All right, then I’ll pick you up when you’re done. Don’t worry about the time. Anytime is fine.

Niccolò: I’ll wait for you to contact me. Well then, see you later.

[Rest is the same]

(He hangs up)

You: (… I wonder what he wants…)

~ 3/14, in a plane ~

Niccolò: Are you thirsty? Would you like some coffee or juice?

You: (…… No, um……)

Player Choices:

1. Are we… Inside an airplane…?

2. Where are we going…?

Option 1:

Niccolò: Could it be that you don’t like flying…? It’s not my forte, either… Flying for a long time gives me a headache.

Niccolò: … Eh? You’re asking where this plane is going?

Option 2:

Niccolò: … Eh? You’re asking where this plane is going?

[Rest is the same]

Niccolò: … It’s headed to Rome.

Niccolò: Ahh, y-you don’t need to worry! I’ll take care of all necessities, and this is a private airplane, so it’s filled with defense equipment…!

Niccolò: … That’s not it, you’re wondering why we’re suddenly going to Italy? Ahh, um…

Niccolò: … Today is White Day, isn’t it? There is no event called “White Day” in my country, but I heard that in Japan, it’s the day where men give something back for the chocolate they received on Valentine’s Day.

Niccolò: You should follow the customs of the country; when in Rome, do as the Romans do… I’m kind of that type of person, so I wanted to give you something back.

Niccolò: I thought as a present, I’d like to give you a vacation during the off-season. A leisurely trip to Italy.

Niccolò: … Eh? Huh…? Eh? You’re making such a confused face, why…?

Niccolò: … Y-You said so, didn’t you? That you’d like to visit Italy…? And that you didn’t have plans for the second half of the month…?

Niccolò: I-I’m the type who usually remembers things that were said once… But… Huh…?

Niccolò: … Ah…!!! C-Could that have been… lip service?! That you didn’t really mean it~~?! Th-Th-Th-That you didn’t want to come with me…?!!

You: (… Going on a trip to Italy like this…?)

Player Choices:

1. I’m happy!

2. You surprised me!

3. (… That he actually took that seriously…) [Note: That ends the route after a little bit of dialog, does not give you the Servamphoto pic, gets you super sad end music, and I shall judge heavily should you pick it]

Option 1:

Niccolò: …………… Th-That’s good… I-I got so scared… I thought I’d die…

Option 2:

Niccolò: …………… Ah, I-I see… Sorry for startling you… Sorry, I’m not good at surprises after all…

[Rest is the same – Continue after the 3rd option]

Option 3:

Niccolò: ………………………Ah……

Niccolò: … I-I messed up… Didn’t I… With this…

Niccolò: Tiramisu~~~!! Cappuccino!!! Cancel!!! It’s cancelled!!!

Niccolò: I’m sorry, I’m really sorry…! I, I really, *sniff*, I can’t read the mood, I can’t do anything…!! I really… Can’t do anything…

Niccolò: I’ll, I’ll take you home soon, so… Uhh… I can’t stand this anymore…………

[End]

[Continuation if you picked 1 or 2]

Niccolò: I-I want to escort you to make you enjoy it even a little bit, so… I’ll be happy if you can take it easy and relax.

Niccolò: I’m sorry that we only have three weeks… It would’ve been better if we could have about two months, but…

You: (Th-Three weeks…?!)

Player Choices:

1. That’s enough…!

2. That’s so long… How should we spend that much time…?

Option 1:

Niccolò: Really? Thank you for saying that.

Option 2:

Niccolò: Ahh, don’t stress yourself about that. We can just get up in the morning, drink some coffee, and then think about what we want to do that day.

[Rest is the same]

Niccolò: The most important thing is that we can relax together, after all. We’ll get off in Rome, and from there I’d like to come with you wherever you want to go. To Milan, Vince, Napoli…

Niccolò: I’ll take you to my favorite gelateria, too. My hometown is a little further south, so if you want to, I’d like to invite you there as well. It’s a small town, but it’s a nice place…

Niccolò: ……… If we do that, there might be some more turbulent days, but… Don’t worry. That should be okay, I think… Maybe…

You: (As expected, in his line of work…)

Player Choices:

1. Could there be… Someone after you life?

2. Will you… kill someone?

Option 1:

Niccolò: …… Uhhhm…… Yeah…… No…… No, that won’t happen~…… I won’t~…… Uhhhm…

Niccolò: I don’t think anything will change even if I were to kill someone, but not everyone understands that, so… What I’m saying is, there’s various kinds of people…

Option 2:

Niccolò: ………………………….

Niccolò: …………… That’s not something you should talk about too much.

Niccolò: I won’t, not now. I don’t think it’s that kind of era, either. Yeah, it isn’t. Usually. Not that far. Not that much.

[Rest is the same]

Niccolò: W-Well, even if anything did happen, my Family is reliable, so… So please, don’t worry.

Niccolò: There’s still a lot of time left until we arrive, so let’s make a toast with your favorite drink. There are various dolce, too, so please feel free to eat them.

Niccolò: Usually, I don’t like long flights because they’re tiring, but… Just today, I’m thankful for it. Because I don’t have to worry that you’ll disappear from my side, [Your name].

You: (Th-That kind of pick-up line…)

Player Choices:

1. Do you say that to everyone?

2. You can say that without getting embarrassed, huh…

Option 1:

Niccolò: Eh? I don’t.

Niccolò: Did I seem like the type of man who would say that to anyone?

Option 2:

Niccolò: ? Should I be embarrassed? I feel like that’d be rude towards you, though…

[Rest is the same]

You: (W-wah!)

Player Choices:

1. (H-He took my hand…!)

2. (His perfume smells nice…!)

[Both options lead to the same dialog]

Ildio: *nom nom*…… *nom nom nom*……

Niccolò: Ahhh~~~~ Hey, Il!! A-Are you hungry?! We have a lot of food, but… Don’t eat all of it at once! It’ll still take about 10 hours to arrive!

Ildio: Huh? You’re stingy. Isn’t it fine? There’s so much here. *nom nom*

Niccolò: It’s not that I’m stingy…! We’ll be in trouble if you get hungry later…!

Ildio: There’s no problem, if you’re here I can drink your blood.

Niccolò: Th-That is the problem I mean… Since you don’t know how to restrain yourself…

Niccolò: Ahh, dear God… Please let me still be conscious when we reach Italy…

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

T/N: When Nicco asks whether you don’t like flying, the word he uses can mean both “dislike” and “be bad at”, but you usually don’t say you’re bad at flying, so...

The music cuts out of you say you didn’t wanna go with him!!! 😭😭😭 I picked that option first to get it over with, I feel so bad 😭 I’m sorryyyyy Niccoooooo 😭😭😭 I love you I was happy about it I promiiiiiise!!!!! Gosh this broke my heart I can’t 😭😭😭😭😭😭

Small fun fact: When Nicco gets flustered, he starts using Katakana (which are usually used for foreign words/names, sometimes for onomatopoeia, or when kids want to seem cool). I’m guessing in this case, it means he’s talking more... choppily? Is that the right word for speech? And/or that he has a stronger accent when he gets worried/flustered.

Shout-out to the MC though, who just followed Nicco on a plane without asking where they’re even going or for how long or anything until they’d already been flying for like an hour. Ildio ate our brain cells. “You gonna kill someone while we’re on vacation?” being an option just proves that theory ashdjkasldhjk

#Servamp #Niccolò carpediem #Servamp Niccolo #Niccolo Servamp #Tanaka Box #Translation #White Day Event #Servamp White Day Event #Considering how head over heels he is... I'm sure he'd let me braid his hair if I asked ♥#If he goes that far for White Day. What is he gonna do for a honeymoon??#Also... ''I don't have to worry about you disappearing from my side'' PLEASE SOMEONE LET ME HOLD THIS MAN!!! HE NEEDS TO BE GENTLY HELD!

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brookstonalmanac · 1 year

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Events 5.26

17 – Germanicus celebrates a triumph in Rome for his victories over the Cherusci, Chatti, and other German tribes west of the Elbe. 451 – Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sasanian Empire takes place. The Sasanids defeat the Armenians militarily but guarantee them freedom to openly practice Christianity. 946 – King Edmund I of England is murdered by a thief whom he personally attacks while celebrating St Augustine's Mass Day. 961 – King Otto I elects his six-year-old son Otto II as heir apparent and co-ruler of the East Frankish Kingdom. He is crowned at Aachen, and placed under the tutelage of his grandmother Matilda. 1135 – Alfonso VII of León and Castile is crowned in León Cathedral as Imperator totius Hispaniae (Emperor of all of Spain). 1293 – An earthquake strikes Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan, killing about 23,000. 1328 – William of Ockham, the Franciscan Minister-General Michael of Cesena, and two other Franciscan leaders secretly leave Avignon, fearing a death sentence from Pope John XXII. 1538 – Geneva expels John Calvin and his followers from the city. Calvin lives in exile in Strasbourg for the next three years. 1573 – The Battle of Haarlemmermeer, a naval engagement in the Dutch War of Independence. 1637 – Pequot War: A combined English and Mohegan force under John Mason attacks a village in Connecticut, massacring approximately 500 Pequots. 1644 – Portuguese Restoration War: Portuguese and Spanish forces both claim victory in the Battle of Montijo. 1736 – The Battle of Ackia is fought near the present site of Tupelo, Mississippi. British and Chickasaw soldiers repel a French and Choctaw attack on the then-Chickasaw village of Ackia. 1783 – A Great Jubilee Day held at North Stratford, Connecticut, celebrates the end of fighting in the American Revolution. 1805 – Napoléon Bonaparte assumes the title of King of Italy and is crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy in Milan Cathedral, the gothic cathedral in Milan. 1821 – Establishment of the Peloponnesian Senate by the Greek rebels. 1822 – At least 113 people die in the Grue Church fire, the biggest fire disaster in Norway's history. 1864 – Montana is organized as a United States territory. 1865 – American Civil War: The Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith, commander of the Confederate Trans-Mississippi division, is the last full general of the Confederate Army to surrender, at Galveston, Texas. 1868 – The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson ends with his acquittal by one vote. 1869 – Boston University is chartered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 1879 – Russia and the United Kingdom sign the Treaty of Gandamak establishing an Afghan state. 1896 – Nicholas II is crowned as the last Tsar of Imperial Russia. 1896 – Charles Dow publishes the first edition of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. 1900 – Thousand Days' War: The Colombian Conservative Party turns the tide of war in their favor with victory against the Colombian Liberal Party in the Battle of Palonegro. 1903 – Românul de la Pind, the longest-running newspaper by and about Aromanians until World War II, is founded. 1908 – The first major commercial oil strike in the Middle East is made at Masjed Soleyman in southwest Persia. The rights to the resource were quickly acquired by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. 1917 – Several powerful tornadoes rip through Illinois, including the city of Mattoon. 1918 – The Democratic Republic of Georgia is established. 1923 – The first 24 Hours of Le Mans is held and has since been run annually in June. 1927 – The last Ford Model T rolls off the assembly line after a production run of 15,007,003 vehicles. 1936 – In the House of Commons of Northern Ireland, Tommy Henderson begins speaking on the Appropriation bill. By the time he sits down in the early hours of the following morning, he had spoken for ten hours. 1937 – Walter Reuther and members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) clash with Ford Motor Company security guards at the River Rouge Complex complex in Dearborn, Michigan, during the Battle of the Overpass. 1938 – In the United States, the House Un-American Activities Committee begins its first session. 1940 – World War II: Operation Dynamo: In northern France, Allied forces begin a massive evacuation from Dunkirk, France. 1940 – World War II: The Siege of Calais ends with the surrender of the British and French garrison. 1942 – World War II: The Battle of Gazala takes place. 1948 – The U.S. Congress passes Public Law 80-557, which permanently establishes the Civil Air Patrol as an auxiliary of the United States Air Force. 1966 – British Guiana gains independence, becoming Guyana. 1967 – The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is released. 1968 – H-dagurinn in Iceland: Traffic changes from driving on the left to driving on the right overnight. 1969 – Apollo program: Apollo 10 returns to Earth after a successful eight-day test of all the components needed for the forthcoming first crewed moon landing. 1970 – The Soviet Tupolev Tu-144 becomes the first commercial transport to exceed Mach 2. 1971 – Bangladesh Liberation War: The Pakistan Army slaughters at least 71 Hindus in Burunga, Sylhet, Bangladesh. 1972 – The United States and the Soviet Union sign the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. 1981 – Italian Prime Minister Arnaldo Forlani and his coalition cabinet resign following a scandal over membership of the pseudo-masonic lodge P2 (Propaganda Due). 1981 – An EA-6B Prowler crashes on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, killing 14 crewmen and injuring 45 others. 1983 – The 7.8 Mw  Sea of Japan earthquake shakes northern Honshu with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). A destructive tsunami is generated that leaves about 100 people dead. 1986 – The European Community adopts the European flag. 1991 – Zviad Gamsakhurdia becomes the first elected President of the Republic of Georgia in the post-Soviet era. 1991 – Lauda Air Flight 004 breaks apart in mid-air and crashes in the Phu Toei National Park in the Suphan Buri Province of Thailand, killing all 223 people on board. 1998 – The Supreme Court of the United States rules in New Jersey v. New York that Ellis Island, the historic gateway for millions of immigrants, is mainly in the state of New Jersey, not New York. 1998 – The first "National Sorry Day" is held in Australia. Reconciliation events are held nationally, and attended by over a million people. 1998 – A MIAT Mongolian Airlines Harbin Y-12 crashes near Erdenet, Orkhon Province, Mongolia, resulting in 28 deaths. 2002 – The tugboat Robert Y. Love collides with a support pier of Interstate 40 on the Arkansas River near Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, resulting in 14 deaths and 11 others injured. 2003 – Ukrainian-Mediterranean Airlines Flight 4230 crashes in the Turkish town of Maçka, killing 75. 2004 – United States Army veteran Terry Nichols is found guilty of 161 state murder charges for helping carry out the Oklahoma City bombing. 2008 – Severe flooding begins in eastern and southern China that will ultimately cause 148 deaths and force the evacuation of 1.3 million. 2020 – Protests triggered by the murder of George Floyd erupt in Minneapolis–Saint Paul, before becoming widespread across the United States and around the world. 2021 – Ten people are killed in a shooting at a VTA rail yard in San Jose, California, United States.

#Events

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newstfionline · 4 years

Text

Monday, March 22, 2021

Under Biden, A New Kind of Family Separation (Politico) The door to the U.S. has been shut tight to asylum seekers since last March, when the Trump administration issued an order at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic that every migrant—child or adult—would be immediately “expelled” back to Mexico or their home country if they attempted to cross the border, without even a chance to make a case that the persecution they face qualifies them to stay. After he took office this year, Joe Biden kept the policy largely in place, but began to admit unaccompanied minors even while continuing to expel both adults and children who enter with families. Since the shift in policy, some parents and guardians have made the devastating decision, calculated only out of desperation, to send their children off ahead of them, alone, to cross the border. The result is a new form of family separation—but instead of happening at the hands of federal agents in American government facilities, it’s taking place family by family. The fact that minors won’t be expelled like everyone else has rapidly spread by word of mouth across the length of the border. And while many families choose to stick together, the pressure to separate weighs heaviest on the most vulnerable—families who fear death, whether from persecutors who have followed them to the border, or from extreme hunger. One immigration official said, “This kind of information spreads like wildfire: If you hear about a child successfully making it, and your kids are desperate or sick or in danger, there are a lot of reasons why you would make that incredibly difficult decision.”

US businesses near border struggle with boundaries’ closure (AP) Evan Kory started calling brides in Mexico’s northern Sonora state last March, asking if they wanted to get their wedding gowns from his Arizona store just before the U.S. closed its borders with Mexico and Canada because of the coronavirus. His namesake shop in the border town of Nogales was popular among brides-to-be in northern Sonora for its large, affordable inventory, said Kory, the third-generation proprietor. Located steps from the border fence, Kory’s has been in business for half a century but has been closed for a year because of the pandemic, with its main customer base—Mexican day-trippers—largely unable to come to the U.S. and shop. In border towns across the U.S., small businesses are reeling from the economic fallout of the partial closure of North America’s international boundaries. Restrictions on nonessential travel were put in place a year ago to curb the spread of the virus and have been extended almost every month since, with exceptions for trade, trucking and critical supply chains. Small businesses, residents and local chambers of commerce say the financial toll has been steep, as have the disruptions to life in communities where it’s common to shop, work and sleep in two different countries.

Miami Beach mayor declares emergency as ‘wall-to-wall’ crowds descend on city, sparking virus fears (The Week) Miami Beach, Florida, Mayor Dan Gelber on Saturday declared a state of emergency, set an 8 p.m. curfew, and closed roads in the entertainment district as large crowds arrived in the city, sparking fears of another coronavirus surge. Law enforcement officials said people flocked to Miami Beach because they were looking for a place with fewer pandemic restrictions—Florida reopened earlier than most states—but city leadership thinks it’s gone too far, The New York Times reports. “Too many people are coming, really, without the intention of following the rules, and the result has been a level of chaos and disorder that is just something more than we can endure,” Gelber told CNN, adding that at night the city “feels like a rock concert, wall-to-wall people over blocks and blocks.” Raul Aguila, the interim city manager, said “you couldn’t see pavement, you couldn’t see grass.”

Eruption of Iceland volcano easing, not affecting flights (AP) The eruption of a long-dormant volcano that sent streams of lava flowing across a small valley in southwestern Iceland is easing and shouldn’t interfere with air travel, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said Saturday. The eruption is “minor” and there were no signs of ash or dust that could disrupt aviation, the agency said. In 2010, an eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland sent clouds of ash and dust into the atmosphere, interrupting air travel between Europe and North America because of concerns the material could damage jet engines. More than 100,000 flights were grounded, stranding millions of passengers.

Protesters Across Europe Clash With Police Over COVID-19 Lockdowns (NPR) Anger at restrictions imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic swept into the streets of Europe on Saturday. German police used water cannons, pepper spray and clubs on protesters rallying over the coronavirus lockdown in the town of Kassel in central Germany where demonstrators numbered some 20,000. Protests against government measures to rein in the pandemic were also reported in Austria, Britain, Finland, Romania and Switzerland. Protesters held placards that read, “Fear Westmonster, Not the Virus, and “Stop Destroying Our Kids’ Lives” as they marched in central London along Oxford Street, the Embankment and Parliament Square before heading up to Whitehall.

Europe’s COVID-19 setbacks risk another summer travel washout (Reuters) Europe’s airlines and travel sector are bracing for a second lost summer, with rebound hopes increasingly challenged by a hobbled COVID-19 vaccine rollout, resurgent infections and new lockdowns. Airline and travel stocks fell on Friday after Paris and much of northern France shut down for a month, days after Italy introduced stiff business and movement curbs for most of the country including Rome and Milan. The setbacks hit recovery prospects for the crucial peak season, whose profits typically tide airlines through winter, when most carriers lose money even in good times. Airlines that have already racked up billions in debt face further strain that some may not survive without fresh funds.

Massive religious gathering worries India as COVID-19 cases surge (Reuters) India’s health ministry warned on Sunday that a huge gathering of devotees for a Hindu festival could send coronavirus cases surging, as the country recorded the most new infections in nearly four months. The ministry said up to 40 people were testing positive for COVID-19 daily around the site of the weeks-long Mahakumbh that began this month and peaks in April in the Himalayan holy town of Haridwar, next to the Ganges. The festival is held only once every 12 years. Organisers have said here more than 150 million visitors are expected, as many Hindus believe bathing in the river during this period absolves people of sins and bring salvation from the cycle of life and death.

Myanmar Protesters Answer Military’s Bullets With an Economic Shutdown (NYT) Bank tellers’ windows are gathering dust. Cargo at the port sits uncollected. And in grand government ministries in Naypyidaw, the capital of Myanmar, stacks of documents are curling in the humidity. There are few people to process all the paperwork. Since the military seized power in a coup last month, an entire nation has come to a standstill. From hospitals, railways and dockyards to schools, shops and trading houses, much of society has stopped showing up for work in an attempt to stymie the military regime and force it to return authority to a civilian government. While demonstrators continue to brave bullets—at least 220 people have been killed since the Feb. 1 coup, according to a local group that monitors political imprisonments and deaths—the quiet persistence of this mass civil disobedience movement has grown into a potent weapon against the military. For all the planning that went into the putsch, the generals seem to have been utterly unprepared for the breadth and depth of resistance against them. The effect of millions of people refusing to do their jobs has been dramatic, even if the military is built to withstand pressure. Up to 90 percent of national government activity has ceased, according to officials from four ministries.

N. Korean diplomats leaving Malaysia after ties are severed (AP) North Korean diplomats vacated their embassy in Malaysia and prepared to leave the country Sunday, after the two nations cut diplomatic relations in a spat over the extradition of a North Korean criminal suspect to the United States. Ties between North Korea and Malaysia have been virtually frozen since the 2017 assassination of the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Two days after Kuala Lumpur extradited a North Korean man to the U.S. to face money laundering charges, a furious North Korea on Friday announced it was terminating ties with Malaysia. Malaysia denounced the decision and in a tit-for-tat response, gave North Korean diplomats 48 hours to leave.

Strong quake shakes Japan; minor injuries, no major damage (AP) A strong earthquake struck Saturday off northern Japan, shaking buildings even in Tokyo and triggering a tsunami advisory for a part of the northern coast. No major damage was reported, but several people had minor injuries. The U.S. Geological Survey put the strength of the quake at magnitude 7.0 and depth at 54 kilometers (33.5 miles). The shaking started just before 6:10 p.m. The quake was centered off the coast of Miyagi prefecture, in the country’s rugged northeast, which was heavily damaged during the huge earthquake and tsunami of 2011 that left more than 18,000 people dead. The strong temblor caused a temporary blackout in some areas and suspended bullet train services in the area, according to the East Japan Railway Co.

Wary Philippines says 200 Chinese vessels at disputed reef (AP) The Philippine government expressed concern after spotting more than 200 Chinese fishing vessels it believed were crewed by militias at a reef claimed by both countries in the South China Sea, but it did not immediately lodge a protest. A government body overseeing the disputed region said late Saturday that about 220 Chinese vessels were seen moored at Whitsun Reef on March 7. It released pictures of the vessels lying side by side in one of the most hotly contested areas of the strategic waterway. The reef, which Manila calls Julian Felipe, is a boomerang-shaped and shallow coral region about 175 nautical miles (324 kilometers) west of Bataraza town in the western Philippine province of Palawan. It’s well within the country’s exclusive economic zone, over which the Philippines “enjoys the exclusive right to exploit or conserve any resources,” the agency said in a statement. China, the Philippines and four other governments have been locked in a tense territorial standoff over the resource-rich and busy waterway for decades.

Heavy rains in Australia’s east bring worst floods in 50 years (Reuters) Heavy rains along Australia’s east coast over the weekend have brought the worst flooding in half a century in some areas, authorities said on Sunday, forcing thousands to evacuate and damaging hundreds of houses. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the downpour across the state, Australia’s most populous with 8 million people, was worse than initially expected, especially for low-lying areas in Sydney’s northwest. People in parts of Sydney’s northwest were ordered to flee their houses in the middle of the night as fast-moving waters caused widespread destruction. Late on Sunday, about another 1,000 people were asked to evacuate, after Berejiklian said that some 4,000 people may be asked to leave their houses.

Pope Struggles to Contain Conservative-Liberal Tensions in Catholic Church (WSJ) Pope Francis is struggling to manage powerful bishops in the U.S. and Germany, two groups at opposite ends of the ideological spectrum, as he tries to advance his progressive agenda without jeopardizing the unity of the Catholic Church. The election of President Biden, a progressive Catholic whom some U.S. bishops want to censure for his support of abortion rights, has exacerbated longstanding tensions between the pope and the largely conservative American episcopate. U.S. church leaders have resisted promoting the pope’s priorities of social and economic justice and care for the environment over opposition to abortion and defense of religious freedom. On the left, the pope is trying to rein in German bishops who—encouraged by the pope’s liberalizing gestures on topics including sexuality, ecumenism and the role of women—are pressing for changes that go further than Pope Francis is comfortable with, and that conservatives warn could cause a schism. Each country presents “a different set of issues, a different set of struggles but I think some of the underlying dynamics are the same,” said Adam DeVille, a professor of theology at Indiana’s University of Saint Francis. “In both cases, the pope I think is really trying to say, ‘come on guys, let’s rein it in here, let’s get back into the same lane all together.’”

#headlines #news

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lafeae · 5 years

Note

142. “Hold my hand so he gets jealous.”

(Small extension of model/fashion!AU New York, 1982)

Tokyo, 1983

Los Angeles had been the farthest Joey had ever dreamed of going. He didn’t figure his mug was the sort of face that was worth international sale, even if he did sometimes imagine that Milan or Paris would, eventually, happen. No, Los Angeles would have been good enough for him. But it was a layover stop, a TWA flight out of LAX straight towards the Land of the Rising Sun.

Tokyo called to him.

Well, Seto Kaiba called to him, and therefore, so did Tokyo. It hadn’t really crossed Joey’s mind that one day he would be visiting Kaiba’s homeland. It didn’t really scream ‘fashion’ to him, and looking around the crowded airport didn’t do it much justice either. Japan was one of those places he’d seen in ninja movies, and he’d been told by plenty of agents that black “wasn’t his colour”. So being a ninja was out of the question. The question was: what did Kaiba want him for so bad that he’ dragged Joey halfway across the world. Surely that little Chelsea bar hadn’t been that good. Not with how flippant and adamant Kaiba had been about leaving.

All the way to the hotel, Joey wondered: was it Seto, or Kaiba? He stared at people who stared at him. The blond must have been weird for them, and he half expected someone to come up and touch his head even though the people seemed pretty good at cramming together without being rude about it. He would just call Kaiba Seto he decided. It was the man’s name. They hadn’t seen much of each other since he got the contract, but this was probably to make amends for all that. Despite Seto being so passive about their past encounter on the floor of the catwalk, he knew the man had to remember something.

A short kid, with wild hair, greeted him at the hotel. “I’m Yugi. You must be Mr. Wheeler, right?” he asked, with a grasp of English better than anyone else he’d currently met.

“Yeah. You can jus’ call me Joey, though.”

“Alright, Joey-kun.”

Kun? Joey blinked and pulled out his pocket guide. Small phrases and bits of information the agency had given him about travelling to Japan. Most of it went over his head; he knew he wasn’t learning this language, even if Seto spoke it. Though it might have went over a little better to keep the contract through next year.

“So where’s Seto?” Joey asked as Yugi led him to an elevator. So many people were staring. He waved nonchalantly until the doors closed.

“Kaiba-kun is busy right now. He said he’d meet us in the conference room.”

Joey buzzed. “So I do get to see him?”

“Mm-hm,” Yugi said, and he laughed after watching Joey for a moment. “You seem excited.”

“I ain’t seen him in ages an’ uh...guess I worry he won’t remember me.” Joey rubbed the back of his head. “I know, that’s dumb, but this is also really outta the blue after nine months, ya know? You’d think he went an’ had a baby or somethin’.”

Yugi blushed but snickered into the collar of his sweater. “You’re silly, Joey-kun.”

“That’s what they tell me.”

“I don’t think Kaiba-kun has forgotten you,” Yugi said, “but we can test it if you want to.”

“Test?” Joey asked.

The elevator slowed near the fifteenth floor. He spent a short time staring at the elevator buttons, noticing there wasn’t a fourth floor, before wondering what sort of test Yugi meant. He wasn’t prepared for anything. Especially nothing in Japanese.

The doors opened, and Yugi led him down a long hall of doors. They stopped at the very end, in front of a set of ornate double doors. Yugi knocked, and then turned to Joey and said, “Take my hand,” as if it was the most normal thing in the world. “Please, Joey-kun.”

“I don’t—,”

“You like to be silly right?” Yugi asked, winking.

And it dawned on Joey. He slapped his hand into Yugi’s extended palm as the door opened. Yeah, that would make sure that Seto remembered him alright. And, hopefully, make him a little jealous. He liked this Yugi kid already.

“Took you long enough,” Seto started, but when he looked over his shoulder, he paused. His face paled, more, if possible and his cheeks flushed pink as peaches. “Mutou, have some decency and stop touching our clients.”

“I thought he might get lost, Kaiba-kun.”

It was possible that Seto was having a stroke. Or a seizure, because his eye twitched and he stood rigid. But he retained the air of dignity and poshness that Joey always remembered. The blush only accentuated his features.

“I thought he was jus’ doin’ some weird Japanese cultural thing or somethin’,” Joey said. “Didn’t wanna be rude.”

“Let. His hand. Go,” Seto demanded.

And Joey smirked. God he missed this asshole.

#ask #violetshipping #puppyshipping #fashion au #seto kaiba #joey wheeler #drabble

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isitgintimeyet · 5 years

Text

Road To The Aisles

AO3

Back to the usual weekend schedule... Thanks to you all for reading, liking, reblogging and commenting. It’s so encouraging to me. Im not sure exactly how many chapters this story will have but I think we’re about at the halfway point now. Hope you enjoy

Thanks to @mo-nighean-rouge @happytoobserve @wickedgoodbooks for all their support.

Chapter 11: An Ocular Advertisment

I have been meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can bestow.

-Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

When Claire arrived, the hospital coffee shop was already full. Visitors patiently (and some impatiently) awaiting the official ward visiting times were queueing at the counter as the baristas hurriedly prepared lattes and paninis.

Claire sighed as she looked around. Frantic waving from Geillis at a tucked away table caught her eye. She returned the wave and pointed to the queue. Geillis pointed at the table and beckoned Claire over. Relieved, Claire made her way to Geillis, negotiating the tables, people and bags in her way.

"I got ye a ham sandwich and a black coffee. Oh, and a chocolate brownie. Keep yer energy levels up.”

Claire settled in a chair and gave her friend a grateful smile. “Thanks, G, you’re a lifesaver. Are you not eating?”

Geillis sipped her cup of tea. “Och, I canna eat. Ma belly’s like a washing machine. I’m having the talk wi’ Dougal tonight. I canna put it off any longer. And I’m that nervous.”

Claire gave Geillis’s hand a comforting pat. “You know what you need to say. Be honest with him, G.”

“Aye, I ken. I’ve thought it through so many times in ma head. I have tae tell him. I dinna want a bairn, at least no’ at this moment and I canna promise that I will ever want one. If he sticks wi’ me thinking I’ll change ma mind, he may be verra disappointed. So the choice is wi' him.”

Geillis's eyes filled with tears as she fumbled in her bag looking for a tissue. Claire passed her a paper napkin and she roughly wiped her eyes before take a couple of deep breaths to control herself.

"Look at me, greetin' like a bairn. Tell me something funny, Claire, tae take ma mind off it. What devilish scheme is Geneva cooking up? Has her mother threatened tae have Jamie's bollocks in a bap?"

“Well, no schemes as far as I know and Jamie’s testicles remain attached to the rest of him but…”

Claire assumed an elaborate pseudo model pose, her chin resting lightly on her fingers, lips in an exaggerated pout and her eyelashes fluttering.

“...I have been asked to do some modelling.”

"Modelling?" Geillis snorted. "Oh, I'm sorry Claire. I dinna mean tae be rude but I dinna think the catwalks of Milan would be yer cup of tea. Unless, ye havena been asked tae do some… er… nude modelling have ye?"

"Ew, no, of course not."

"I could totally see that."

Claire gave her friend a hard stare.

"What I mean is…" Geillis tried to explain. "Ye are gorgeous, ye ken. There's many a man… or woman… who'd pay good money tae see photos like that. Anyway if it's no' that, what is it?"

"Jamie has asked if they can use my photo in a marketing campaign in Japan. Well, not all of me, just my eyes, the rest of my face would be hidden by a glass of whisky or a bottle. He's discussed it with the board. Now just waiting for my decision."

Geillis looked closely at Claire's eyes. “They are incredible, really like whisky. And I should ken, I've drunk enough. So, ye're going tae do it, are ye no'?"

“I’m not sure. Do you think I should? What if someone recognises me? And I usually look uncomfortable having my photo taken.”

“What if they do recognise ye? Besides, how many people do ye ken in Japan? Why not do it, Claire? Nothing to lose, except some inhibitions. Go fer it… and report back tae me.”

*************

Patient medical notes lay unopened on Claire’s desk awaiting her review. She sat quietly, thinking about what Geillis had said before reaching for her phone.

She quickly typed a message:

G, remember I’m here for you no matter what

And then a second:

Tell Ian and Jenny I’ll do it

She put her phone down and turned her attention to her patients.

*************

The photographer’s studio was in a converted Victorian warehouse. The interior was an urban architect’s dream -- all exposed brick and iron with clear glass walls partitioning the cavernous space.

The photographer and one of his assistants met the ‘whisky delegation’ (as Claire privately called them) of Jamie, Claire, Ian and Jenny in the foyer of the studio. Through the glass walls, Claire could see the bustle of assistants preparing for the shoot. Her stomach flipped over. She was sure Geneva would be perfectly at home in this environment, but to her it was totally alien.

Jamie glanced at Claire’s glass face and discreetly took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers and gently squeezing for reassurance. She felt herself relax a little bit. Jenny looked across and smiled at her. A bit more tension seeped away.

After an initial exchange of introductions, Ian explained. “We have tae have a quick meeting wi’ the agency, Claire, so mebbe they could start getting ye ready and then we can join ye soon enough.”

The photographer, Simon, explained. “Yes, so Debbie here will take you through and start with the makeup.”

Jamie gave Claire’s hand a final squeeze as she was led away into the main studio area.

As she sat and waited for the make up artist, Claire looked around, watching the activity in the studio. Everybody seemed to know exactly what to do… unlike her. She twisted her chair and stared into the large, brightly lit mirror in front of her. A totally unmodel like reflection greeted her. The instruction had been to wear no make up and have freshly washed hair. A typical day for her then. She peered more closely at her reflection. Was that a spot on her chin? She breathed a sigh. Eyes only for the photo was definitely a good decision, she thought to herself.

The image of Geneva crossed her mind again. She would, no doubt, have been sitting here, giving orders, chatting freely with the assistants, as if in her own living room. Claire tried to suppress a smile. How jealous would Geneva be if… or when... she found out about this? Claire decided that she would make sure she did… petty, yes… satisfying, definitely.

Through the mirror, Claire could see Jamie, Ian and Jenny in the glass-walled meeting room. She spun her chair around for a better look. Jamie had his back to her and had taken his jacket off. His white shirt was stretched tight across his back and shoulders accentuating his well defined muscles, his curls rested against his collar. Even after more than a year, the sight of him could still take her breath away. Would the wanting him ever stop…

“So, hi there. I’m Ceri and I’ll be doing your makeup today.”

Claire was abruptly pulled out of her reverie by a young woman brandishing an enormous toolbox, which she placed on a trolley next to her. Whirling the seat around to face the mirror, Ceri stared at the reflection before consulting a sheet of paper.

“Right, then. Let’s get started.” Claire closed her eyes and tried to relax as Ceri clipped her hair back and began to stroke various wipes, potions and creams across her face. She actually found it no problem to relax with the murmur of activity in the background and Ceri keeping up a monologue that required no input from Claire.

Suddenly Ceri’s monologue came to an abrupt halt. Claire opened her eyes to find Ceri staring across the studio. She swivelled a little to try, and failed, to see what had fixated the makeup artist.

“Fuck me,” Ceri started then immediately stopped and reddened slightly. “Sorry, didn’t mean to offend you with my language. But there’s a guy over there just my type… talking to Simon. Wow… tall… broad… bet he could throw a girl over his shoulder without even breaking into a sweat. The things I’d like to do to him.”

Claire smiled at Ceri’s reaction to this unknown man. She had her suspicions about his identity, but kept them to herself. She didn’t want to embarrass the poor girl and Ceri’s reactions were, after all, perfectly understandable. In fact they were exactly the same thoughts as she herself frequently had… fuck me… please...

“Wow,” Ceri repeated as she returned Claire’s chair to its original position and continued applying makeup. “Guys like him don’t come along very often. Hope he sticks around for a bit. I think I’d like to get to know him better.”

With just the odd exception when Ceri tidied up Claire’s eyebrows, making her wince as the tweezers pulled at tiny stray hairs, she easily found herself drifting back into a state of relaxation.

“Och no, I’m sorry, that willna do.”

Jenny’s disapproving tone made Claire quickly open her eyes.

With her hands on her hips, Jenny continued. “That makeup, around Claire’s eyes, it’s too much.”

Claire peered in the mirror in dismay. A palette of shimmering gold, brown and vivid orange was spread across each eyelid beneath darkened brows.

“And what is it wi’ the stripes on her forehead and nose?” Jenny placed a hand on Claire’s shoulder.

“It’s contouring.” Ceri spoke nervously, the rising inflection making each sentence sound like a question seeking approval. “It’ll blend in. And the notes I was given just said focus on the eyes.”

“Ah, well, it’s no’ your fault.” Jenny reassured her. “We jes’ need tae wipe it off and try fer something subtle, ye ken?”

Ceri nodded and reached for the wipes as Jenny disappeared to talk with the photographer.

“Oh god, that gorgeous chap, he’s headed over here.” Ceri stood upright, pushed her chest out and watched, smiling broadly as Jamie approached.

Jamie smiled politely in return before giving Claire his full attention and kissing her fondly on the top of her head.

"Ye ken I've never seen ye wi' sae much slap on yer face. It doesna suit ye. "

"I'm sorry. I’m taking it off… I thought that was… " Ceri spoke nervously.

"Dinna fash. It'll wash off," Jamie said. "It's no' the look we are going fer."

"And," he continued, pointing at the hair straighteners. "What are these fer? We're no' havin' straight hair. We want the beauty and wildness of the highlands, the heather in the background, the untamed curls and the natural beauty of these eyes reflecting the amber of the whisky in the foreground. Ye ken?"

Ceri nodded as Jamie kissed Claire once more before heading to talk to the photographer again.

"Are you two an item then?" Ceri asked as she applied makeup remover to Claire's eyes. "Sorry for going on about him before. It's just, well, he is a bit gorgeous. You are lucky."

"Yes," Claire answered laughing. "We're getting married in a few months. And don't worry, I know that feeling well."

Jamie watched from the side as Simon positioned Claire for the shoot. His assistants bustled around her, adjusting lights and moving light reflectors at the photographer’s instruction. He knew this was totally outside her comfort zone, but no one would ever have guessed as she moved and posed under Simon’s guidance. Even though only her eyes would be featured in the advertisement, it was clear that Simon was photographing her entire face. Jamie reminded himself to ask for copies of all the prints for his own personal use.

Suddenly, Claire turned and caught sight of Jamie. Imperceptible to other people, her face changed, the warmth in her eyes increased, their amber depths flashing a message to Jamie.

He grinned. He knew what was going through her mind. Exactly the same was going through his.

************

The curtains were slightly open allowing some light from the street to filter into the bedroom and illuminate the curves of Claire's body. A warm summer night, she had gone to bed naked and now the thin sheet lay wrinkled around her waist, exposing her chest and legs to Jamie's gaze.

She sighed contentedly and stretched her arms above her head. Her breasts rose with the sudden movement.

"That was lovely. You knew that was what I was thinking about this afternoon, didn't you?" She commented.

Jamie turned onto his side, leaning on one elbow. His free hand idly traced a pattern around her breasts.

"Aye, it was plain as day, Sassenach, written all over yer face." He smiled. "It was grand tae watch ye being photographed. Ye were like a real model."

Claire laughed. "Geillis found it so funny when I told her. She seemed to think I'd been asked to do some nude modelling."

"Now there's a thought…"

Jamie's hand ceased its motion. He swallowed hard. When he spoke, his voice was quiet, almost secretive.

"Would ye do that, then?" He paused before hurriedly continuing. "I dinna mean fer other people, jes' fer me. Ye ken what I mean?"

Claire was quiet for a minute.

"I havena offended ye, have I? I'm sorry if I have."

"I'm not offended. I just… er… don’t think of myself that way… as sexy.”

“Christ, Sassenach, do ye no’ realise ye’re the most beautiful woman in the world. And as fer sexy, well…”

His hand resumed its meandering path around Claire’s breasts, running his fingers lightly around her nipples. His breath was hot against her ear as he carried on talking.

“And tae have these photos of ye and ken that they’re jes’ fer me, only me… a secret treasure that only ye and I share. It makes me hard just thinking about it.”

Claire felt the truth of that statement pressing against her thigh.

Jamie had clearly given this idea some thought. “And tae see ye touch yerself --“

“Eh? And what about sauce for the gander?” Claire asked playfully.

“What? Ye mean in front of ye. I’m no’ sure I can do that, Sassenach.”

“Mmm, interesting. So it’s ok for me but not for you to return the favour. Well, if you’d rather we didn’t play that little game…” Claire let the sentence hang in the air.

“Alright, Sassenach, fair’s fair. I’ll buy a camera this week.”

#outlander fan fiction #outlander fanfic #Road To The Aisles #Jamie Fraser #claire beauchamp #Chapter 11 #modern au

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fandom-collective-writers · 5 years

Text

Title: "Till Death do us Part"

Characters: Soryu Oh

A/N: This is my first KBTBB fic. I'd like to thank @voltage-vixen for encouraging me to write it. @soryuwifeyxx, I hope you like this .

Written by @rikumorimachisgirl

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

You sat by the window of your bedroom in the Employees Dormitory of the Tres Spades, watching the rain as it drenched the earth in the early hours of the day. Your gaze shifted from the window to the calendar on the wall, and you felt your chest tighten when you read the date today.

You sighed and silently cursed yourself for letting this affect you. But then, how could it not - it was a year ago today that you took his last name and became one.

'Come to think of it, it rained last year, too, ' you quietly mused, as you heard the pitter-patter of raindrops on your window. With a bittersweet smile on your face, you allowed yourself to think back to your wedding, and the vows he once made.

"I join my life with yours…"

It was a wedding befitting Mafia royalty, and

despite the rain, all the people that mattered to the two of you came to celebrate your special day. Everything from the lavish venue that was decked out with thousands of white roses, the two-meter high wedding cake to your bespoke designer wedding dress and five-carat diamond wedding ring had nobility written all over it.

This day couldn't be more perfect - you exchanged vows with Soryu in a traditional ceremony, and your apprehension about the guests not mixing well vanished when you saw your family being entertained by no less than your husband's best friends, and the Ice Dragons socializing with your friends.

'I'm really Soryu's wife now, ' you beamed silently, as guests started addressing you as Mrs. Oh, and wishing you'd start a family as soon as possible. The thought of having babies made you blush, and you sipped your wine to hide your embarrassment.

"Someone's spacing out." Your husband's voice shook you from your daydream, and soon you felt his hand close over yours. "Are you okay, baby?"

You turned your attention to the handsome man beside you. Dressed in a long black silk Changshan over his dress pants, with his hair slicked back, Soryu looked even more handsome than you had ever thought possible. As you continued to thank your lucky stars at having married such a wonderful man, he leaned closer and stole a kiss from you.

"You looked like you were waiting for a kiss, " he whispered and you felt your face flush. "Am I wrong?"

"No, but we're in public -"

"Ah, that's right. We're at a wedding - our wedding - so that means I get to kiss you whenever I want to." He smirked and leaned closer once more to capture your lips.

You blushed furiously and attempted to escape, but the tinkling of glasses resounded across the reception hall. At the corner of your eye, you could see Ota and Baba leading the crowd in requesting to see the couple kiss.

Soryu shrugged and looked at you. "We can't disappoint our guests, can we?"

You straightened up and took a deep breath. "I suppose we can't, " you responded and closed your eyes, anticipating his kiss.

Smiling, he admired you for a bit. He's always found you beautiful - in fact, it was your quiet beauty that beckoned him to bid for you on the night you were auctioned off at the Tres Spades - but today, you were as bright as the Sun, and he simply couldn't look away. Just before he brushed your lips with his, he whispered, "I promise you that I'll make you the happiest woman in the world."

"Wherever you will go, I will go. Whatever you will face, I will face…"

You straighten up the life-size wedding portrait that the photographer delivered to your home yesterday. It's been three months since the wedding, and immediately after that, Soryu had been called upon to help win over a rogue Italian Mafia group, whose leader recently passed away.

You sighed, as the memory of how your brief honeymoon in Ibiza was cut short after that call he received from the Ice Dragons faction in Sicily.

'This won't take long, baby. I'll be home soon, ' he promised, as he sent you off to Japan. Since then, you'd devoted your time in making his condominium unit look and feel like home. Days turned into weeks, and his calls had become less frequent and shorter.

'But I chose this life, ' you reminded yourself, as you went about cleaning, making an extra effort to ensuring that it smells fresh. Today was a special day - today's the day he was coming home.

The doorbell rang, and you made a mad dash for the door. You paused briefly to smooth out your dress. 'This is it! He's finally home! ' you thought silently, as you felt a flurry in your tummy. You realized you missed him more than you thought, and you wanted nothing more than to fly into his arms. Flashing a bright smile, you turned the handle and opened the door excitedly.

"Ryosuke?"

"Princess!" Soryu's faithful henchman greeted with a warm smile on his face.

"Come in, come in, " you said, stepping aside to make way for the young man to enter your house carrying what looked like an expensive package.

"What brings you here?"

"Princess, " he said, tentatively. "Boss sent me here to tell you in person that he's a little caught up in the negotiations between the Ice Dragons, Crimson Swords, and La Squadra…"

"Oh."

Your husband's henchman started to fidget. Perhaps that came out sadder than you let on, so you immediately gave him a smile. "Those negotiations sure take up a lot of time, huh?"

Those words may have worked wonders because you noticed Ryosuke relax a bit. "Yes. Right now, both groups still don't trust each other so we're not even allowed to bring phones inside the neutral territory. Anyway, the Boss wanted to make sure you were alright and he wanted me to give this to you, too."

You stared at the paper bag he held in front of you, wishing it was Soryu offering it to you instead.

"Princess?"

"Oh, sorry, " you said, as soon as you returned to your senses, and took the bag from him. "Are you going back to Italy?"

"Yeah, I leave in an hour. I just flew in to give you this, and to tell you that Boss said he'll fly to you as soon as this is over."

"Please tell Soryu to take care of himself, Ryosuke, " you said before he left.

"I will, Princess."

Sighing, you opened the paper bag and took out a box with a note attached to it.

'I'm sorry this is taking a while, but I'll be home soon. I'd like you to pick our most beautiful wedding picture and put it on this frame. Keep it by your bedside, so you won't forget. I love you, baby. Thank you for marrying me.'

You traced his lovely calligraphy with your finger. You saw that one of the words had blotted, followed by another and yet another. Suddenly, your vision was clouded, and you simply allowed your tears to fall.

"For good or ill, in happiness and in sadness, come riches or poverty…"

You quickly made your way through the crowd at the Emergency Room of the prestigious Medical Center in Milan, scouring the area for Ota, Eisuke, or anyone who could point you to where your husband was. They were staying at the Tres Spades in London when they received the fateful call from Ryosuke and made their way to Italy right away.

"Hey, over here."

You spun around as soon as you heard Ota's voice and you felt someone tug your arm. "Come with me, " he said, as he held your hand and led you to the VIP Emergency Section, where Eisuke, Baba, Mamoru, and Luke were waiting.

"Lovely Bones, I'm so glad you're here, " Luke greeted you as soon as you arrived.

You nodded solemnly at the English doctor and then turned to Eisuke. "Thank you for sending your private jet."

The businessman shrugged. "Soryu's in stable condition now. I had to authorize his surgery, otherwise he -"

"Now, now, Boss, " Baba cut in. "She's just arrived and here you are scaring her."

"Sor's in stable condition now. Eisuke made sure of that, " Luke said, reassuringly. "Come, he's in this room."

It was the first time you're seeing him after six months of being away, and this was not the reunion you had in mind. You steeled yourself, as Luke gestured for you to follow him, but nothing prepared you for what you were about to see. In a spacious room laid your husband, surrounded by machines and tubes of all sorts. Your heart pounded with each step you took towards him.

"Soryu, " you whispered, as you run your fingers through his hair.

"One of the Squadra henchmen attacked before Soryu and their interim leader signed the agreement." You heard Eisuke speak from behind. "He was said to have been opposed to forming an alliance with the Ice Dragons from the start, so he open-fired. Their leader was killed on the spot, and Jin is in critical condition as we speak."

You tried to block the images of the bloodshed in what was supposed to be neutral territory for all the Mafia groups worldwide. Leaning forward, you planted a kiss on Soryu's forehead. "I'm so glad you're alive, my love, " you said quietly to your still unconscious husband before you turned your attention to his childhood friend. "Thank you for making sure he gets treated right away, Eisuke."

"He's not gonna be happy you're here - at least, that's what he's going to say, " Eisuke casually said.

"I know. He's gonna say I'm exposing myself to danger, " you mused, as you twined your fingers with Soryu's. "But it's a risk I'm willing to take because this is the life I chose."

From where he was standing, you could see him smirk. "I see you've grown much braver. Now, you sound like the wife of a Mafia Boss."

"That's because I am the wife of a Mafia Boss, " you retorted, before turning your attention back to your husband, whispering promises you hoped he would hear.

"I take you as my life partner, and will give myself to no other…"

He sent you back to Japan a week after he was discharged from the hospital. It's been a month since you saw him. Back in the comfort of your lifeless condominium, you sat by your lonesome and poured yourself a drink. 'He only has my best interest in mind, ' you said to yourself as you took a sip of your wine.

You heard the doorbell and wondered who would visit you past midnight. Nonetheless, you walked to the door to check.

"Ota?"

"Hey, I was in the area, and I thought I'd check on you."

You rolled your eyes in disbelief, almost sure that Soryu put him through this. "Well, mission accomplished. Tell my husband I'm doing okay, " you said, a lot harsher than you intended, and made to close the door.

"Woah, Woah… wait just a minute there, " the handsome blond said smoothly, as he blocked the door and snuck in. "You don't exactly sound okay. Have you been drinking?"

"Just leave me be, Ota. You know your way out," you dismissed, walking away from him.

"On the contrary, maybe I'll join you."

"Suit yourself."

He followed you to the makeshift bar, and you poured him a drink, silently wishing the time would pass quickly. Three bottles of wine later, you had moved from the bar to the couch, where you were currently resting your head on his lap while he gently combed it with his fingers.

The grandfather clock struck six times, and you both trained your eyes on it. "It's six in the morning?"

"Damn, we stayed up all night, " he said before letting out a yawn. "I guess I better go."

He stopped combing your hair to help you sit up, and you immediately miss the warmth of his touch. Sensing your sudden mood change, Ota cupped your face with his hands and looked into your eyes. "Hey, wipe that frown from your face."

The sound of a gun cocking tore through the living room, and you both jumped apart. Standing by the entrance was a confused Ryosuke, and beside him was your husband.

"Soryu!"

He kept his eyes and his gun trained at Ota, so you turned to face him and took a step to block Ota from his line of sight. "Soryu, please -"

"I was just comforting her, Sor -"

"Is that what you call it these days?" Soryu mocked, as he stepped closer.

You continued to block Ota, even as your husband circled around you to get a better aim. "This is not what you think it is, Soryu. Stop threatening to shoot Ota -"

"Oh? Were you expecting another kind of reaction after seeing your wife with another man?"

"I already told you that it's not what you think. Ota came by last night to check on me because he probably thought I could use some company, " you started, not breaking eye contact with the intimidating Ice Dragon Boss you married. "And you know what, I didn't realize just how lonely I was until last night."

Your cutting words made him waver. He lowered his gun slowly but kept his gaze shot at the man behind you. "Inui, " he called out to his loyal henchman without looking over his shoulder. "Take Ota to the Tres Spades and proceed to headquarters after. My wife and I have things to discuss."

You held your breath, as you watched Ryosuke escort a weary-looking Ota away from you. As soon as the door closed, you felt your inhibitions slip away.

"You were lonely?"

"You expected otherwise?"

"But I called you whenever I can -"

You sighed and rolled your eyes. "That's it?" We're married, Soryu - we've been married for seven months, for goodness sakes - but do you know how much time we've actually spent together? About twenty days - half of which you were unconscious."

His face was devoid of any emotion, as he stood in silence, watching your outburst. You've seen this face so many times in the years you've been together - it was the face he wore when he was unsure of what to say. But that wasn't what you needed. Right now, you wanted to argue - you needed him to talk to you, to counter what you say or challenge your opinion.

"You knew what you were getting into when you married me, " he said, and you took a sharp breath.

He may as well shoot you without warning, you thought as you felt your tears dampen your cheeks. As images of how you spent your days by your lonesome filled your head, you started to accept that you will never take the top spot in his life - and that this is not the life you want to choose.

"I'm sorry, " he said, as he held your arms tenderly.

"No. I'm sorry, " you said, as you broke away from his hold and took a step back. Taking a deep breath, you removed your wedding band and placed it in his hand. "I can't do this anymore, " you told him, as you closed your hand over his. "I need someone who will choose me over everything else, and clearly, that person isn't you."

You forced a smile on your face as you stared into his eyes, burning his image in your mind one last time. "I'm sorry I couldn't stay with you after all. I won't care to pack my things since you bought most of it for me anyway. We can ask our lawyers to talk about our divorce."

As you started to turn, you felt him grip your wrist tightly. "Baby, I love you. Please don't go, he pleaded as you struggled to break free. "Please don't walk out the door -"

He sobbed unabashedly behind you, and you felt your heart pounding wildly. You wanted to throw yourself in his arms, but you knew that wouldn't change anything. You and his Mafia family were equals, and you will never win over them.

Taking a deep breath, you turned the knob open and stepped out the door.

"Till death do us part."

It's been five months since you last saw him. He made no move to see you or respond to your divorce letter. When you were offered your old job at the Tres Spades, you made sure of two things - that he wasn't made aware and that you do not run into him - conditions that Eisuke and Mr. Kenzaki had no problems complying with, and you spent your days cleaning guest rooms and banquet halls to pass the time. On some days it was easy to forget you were ever married, and some days are harder than others.

Today was one of them. You sighed wearily and allowed yourself to think of what would have been. Just this once.

You would have been married for a year today, you mused as you fix your eyes on your left ring finger. Today, he would have probably brought you to the Louvre or made arrangements to close Versailles for a day just for the two of you and make love to you in every room in the palace.

You wiped your tears and took a few deep breaths to calm yourself down. Outside, you saw the rain continued to pour, as though consoling you for your loss.

'It's over. We're over, ' you said, as you wrapped your arms around yourself.

A rap on your door distracted you from your thoughts. You frowned and strained to listen to the sound you heard, wondering if someone just bumped against your door.

But there it was again - knock, knock - and you rose from your bed to see who it was.

You opened the door and gasped. Standing outside was Soryu, in his usual grey suit, with his hair slicked back. He cradled the biggest bouquet of Ecuadorian roses you've ever seen, and you pinched yourself to check if you were dreaming or not.

"You're really here, " you heard him say.

"That's my line, " you retorted as you watched him walk inside your room. "What are you doing here?"

"I needed to see you, " he said casually, before showing you the bouquet he was holding. "And I wanted you to have these."

"Why?"

"Because it's our one-year anniversary."

"But we're over -"

"Oh? I don't remember signing my consent to the divorce. In fact, I just thought you needed a little time to cool off from our first big fight."

You rolled your eyes and held the bouquet close to you. "A little time? What's so little about five months?"

"I was scared because I've never seen you so upset before because of me, " he said. "But when I saw the divorce papers, I was devastated. I knew I had to talk about it and win you back, but I didn't know where to find you."

"How did you find me? Eisuke and Mr. Kenzaki promised…"

"Ota may have slipped me a note or two, " he confessed, as he reached out to hold your hand and peered into your face. "Baby, I love you. I can't live without you."

"I missed you, Soryu, " you start to sob and he pulled you in for a hug. "I really thought you'd given upon us."

"I wouldn't do that, " he said, his voice cracking. "I hadn't made good on all my promises, except for one. And I intend to continue keeping that promise."

"What promise is that?"

"Did you really forget?" He asked as he pulled away. The confusion on your face didn't go amiss, as you watched him fish something out of his pocket. Your eyes widen when you'd caught sight of the ring you'd given back to him.

"I love you, baby, " he said solemnly, as he slipped the gold band onto your finger just like he did a year ago. "Til death do us part."

The end.

#kissed by the baddest bidder #kbtbb fic #soryu oh #soryu x reader #kbtbb soryu

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