#that couldn’t be further from the truth

[hyunebunx]

˖˙ ᰋ ── you, clouds and rain (and the wine on your lips)

﹙ʚɞ˚﹚. genre: fluff, slightly suggestive

﹙ʚɞ˚﹚. a/n: my mindy requested something soft and domestic with a slice of spicy tension with hyun and who am i to say no? enjoyyy <33 and let me know your thoughts <3

When shooting your tired boyfriend a message this morning, inviting him over for lunch and a cuddle sesh by the television, the last thing you expected was a power outage. Even though it was still light outside, the sun and its bright rays were obscured by dark and angry clouds that could only mean one thing: rain.

Hyunjin was a fan of rain, loving the silence and how the whole world seemed to slow down and hurry home. He could be as silly as he wanted and nobody would judge him, too busy to remain dry to care about anything else. You, on the other hand, hated rain. It usually ruined all of your plans and kept you stuck inside, depriving you of sunlight and everything you loved. Including seeing your beloved and going on cute dates, holding hands throughout the day while exploring new and exciting places neither has seen before.

And now it ruined another one of your plans because things could never go your way, now, could they?

“I’m so sorry, Hyun.” You sigh, playing around with the food on your plate, absolutely dejected.

Hyunjin shakes his head and tries to hide the smile threatening to stretch across his features, freshly dried hair bouncing with his every move. “You’re sorry for what exactly?”

Thunder interrupts before you can even begin, souring your mood further as Hyunjin reaches for your fork, twirls it around expertly and brings it to your mouth to eat before it gets cold. You’ve worked hard on this pasta, letting it go to waste would be a shame.

“The rain.” You mumble before chewing, pouting. He waits patiently for you to finish before leaning over the table to wipe some sauce that has somehow landed on your chin.

“You can’t control the weather, baby.” He smiles, fondness spilling from his eyes as he watches you reach for your drink. Your apartment was no longer bright, engulfed in this darkness that would fool anyone into believing night was about to set at any moment. Fortunately, you managed to prepare everything before the power went out so at least your lunch date wasn’t completely ruined.

To set the mood and try to lift your spirits, Hyunjin has lit a lone candle between you on the table – a romantic till the end, you’re convinced your boyfriend would shrivel up and die if he couldn’t spoil you somehow.

“Well, I want to control it all to make you happy!” The statement is a bit childish but not far from the truth. For Hyunjin, you would do anything to see that beautiful smile of his lighten up every room. Control the weather, move mountains and even give him the moon which he embodied without even realizing. As bright as he was, Hyunjin was the moon in your eyes, illuminating every dark corner of your world with his ethereal glow that left every passerby in awe.

Breathtakingly beautiful, both from the exterior and from within. There was no other person like him in this universe.

This time, he laughs, eyes turning into two crescent moons as if to prove your previous point. “I’m the happiest as long as I’m with you, no matter the weather, time or place. I thought you knew that?”

You’re aware yet your heart still skips a beat, as it always does whenever he opens his mouth and hits you with such a line. Hyunjin wasn’t shy in the slightest when it came to you and the love that was overflowing out of him. All of it was yours, of course. He could never love another in the way he loved you for as long as he lived.

“Doesn’t matter.” You still shake your head, deciding to be stubborn. “It still ruined our plans. I was looking forward to finishing that show together and now we can’t.”

He takes a sip of his wine, the condensation on the glass proof of the warmth in the apartment. “It’s not like we can’t watch it another time, baby.”

“I guess.”

“Don’t pout.” His bigger hand settles on top of yours on the table, bringing it to his plump lips to plant a lingering kiss on the smooth skin. “I came over to see your beautiful smile and talk each other’s ears off. Don’t make me sad.”

Hyunjin makes a face, dramatizing his sadness and you finally laugh, returning to your meal with newfound vigour. He always managed to make even the gloomiest days happier, and you suspected your boyfriend might actually be an angel in disguise, sent from above to watch over you.

“So,” he starts, happiness radiating off of him at the delicious food, his hand still holding onto yours, “did you finish that new book you were telling me about the other day, yet?”

The rain was hitting your windows heavily, creating a curtain of sorts that kept you and Hyunjin separated from the outside world, protected from all evil in your little love bubble that continued to grow with every moment spent together. Excited, with your whole face lighting up, you stand abruptly and make your way over to plop yourself onto his lap without shame, just so you can snuggle while granting his wish. You were about to talk both of his ears off until he begged you to stop. And knowing Hyunjin, he might actually like that.

Time flies as you’re having fun with your other half, while he listens attentively to your every word, so drawn to you and the way your mouth moves that he can barely look away as he remembers to keep feeding you and himself until both of your plates are empty. If it were up to him, Hyunjin would glue your hands together so you’d never have to be more than a foot apart at all times. But reality is cruel, and spending all your time with your beloved was not socially acceptable – for some reason, you couldn’t make money this way. He really hated capitalism for keeping you away from him.

After a while, you both stand to wash the dishes, with him on your trail and being assigned to drying duty.

You’re laughing together as Hyunjin tells you more stories from work, something that happened the other day at the company, not leaving anything out. He was so honest and open about his feelings that nothing he said surprised you anymore.

Your back is to him as you wash the last glass when you feel strong arms pulling you to a sturdy chest, wrapping around your middle to ground the man as he leans over to hug you with all his might. You smile, genuinely, and rest your head on his shoulder just to plant multiple kisses on his cheek. He giggles, and you quickly shake the water and bubbles off your hands to turn around in his embrace and face him.

“Hi.” You smile, briefly kissing his nose. Thanks to the smaller windows, the kitchen was even darker than your dining room, creating a cosier, more intimate atmosphere one could only dream of basking in. Romantic with a pinch of tension neither could shake off - the pleasant kind.

The rain showed no sign of stopping any time soon so for the time being, you were the only two people in the world.

“Your smile is my favorite.” He’s staring deeply into your eyes, strong hands following the outline of your body downwards to rest on your hips and bring you closer, wanting to make you one. The butterflies start going crazy, flapping their colorful wings against your ribcage in a desperate attempt at being let out, longing to be touched by him just like you were.

Your arms come around his neck, and you’re nose to nose now. “You’re my favorite.”

Hyunjin breaks into a grin, one he can’t contain before closing his eyes and burying his face in the crock of your neck, hugging you close.

“You know what I really want right now?” His voice is low, the vibration against your skin sending a shiver down your spine as his hold on you tightens.

You shake your head, one of your hands moving to tangle into his hair and massage his scalp. “Tell me, so I can make it happen.”

He chuckles, thumbs drawing random shapes on your sides you could make out if concentrating on anything else other than his voice was possible. “You don’t even know what I want to ask for yet.”

“It doesn’t matter.” You respond a little too quickly, tenderly coaxing his head out of hiding just so you could see his eyes again and marvel at their beauty. “I’ll do anything for you.”

“Anything?” Hyunjin leans closer, trapping your body between him and the sink as he towers over you, few strands of his hair tickling your forehead. Your breath catches in your throat and you try shallowing, anything to get rid of this sudden lump that’s preventing the oxygen from reaching your brain.

When you nod, his eyes soften, warm hand sneaking beneath your shirt to feel skin, needing this contact to remind himself you are real and the possibility of you disappearing right before his very eyes were slim.

Then, without waiting for his next line, your hand grasps at his fluffy sweater and yanks him forward to connect your lips in a sweet kiss, one that has you both releasing a relieved breath, that acts like the lifeline you need to cling to, to survive.

His lips are soft and warm, and you can faintly taste the wine he indulged in, lingering on his skin. The hand that isn’t under your shirt finds solace at the back of your neck, gingerly deepening the kiss as thunder strikes once again. Not like you care anymore; not when he’s kissing you like he’s trying to burn to memory every nook and cranny of your physical existence.

Heads tilted, his tongue sneaks in to greet yours for the briefest moment before Hyunjin pulls away with great difficulty, chest heaving as he struggles to regain his composure.

“A blanket fort.” He almost croaks out, voice raspy and heart very much disappointed when he tears himself away from you to make some room.

You blink, confused and a little dazed, hands darting to latch themselves onto his sweatshirt so he won’t go too far. “What?”

With a laugh, he throws his head back for a moment, calming down before clarifying. “I want to build a blanket fort. Since the power isn’t back yet, I thought we could have some fun doing that.”

You’re bamboozled, almost spinning around in search of the hidden camera that will confirm this is all a prank.

“But I thought…” You trail off, arms falling to your sides as you look down in embarrassment.

Hyunjin is quick to raise your head, with a finger under your chin and another dazzling smile. “Didn’t you just say you’d do anything for me?”

What a fucking tease. How were you ever supposed to say no to that smile?

[tooclevertobehappy]

Hidden in plain sight Part.4

TRIGGER WARNING: slight mention of injury, mentions of abuse, all angst no comfort

They’d been led into Clara’s room almost an hour ago, stood around for a few minutes staring at her as she slept, unsure of what to do before each of them found their place.

Mapi and Ingrid sat at her sides, both holding one of her hand in theirs, keeping their eyes on her, watching for any sign indicating she might be waking up.

Alexia took post near the door, standing against the wall her arms crossed over her chest, eyes locked on Clara’s face. The couple urged her to sit down or to at least stand near them, but the captain had refused, face tight, lips pressed into a hard line she’d simply looked at the door and stayed there.

She’d stared down any nurse or doctor that came by during their wait, she’d watched closely as they checked Clara vitals, looked at her bandages, she’d stood there looking like a spring wound tight, ready to snap at any moment.

Alexia felt like she had failed Clara, that she hadn’t protected her when it mattered and she would be damned if she let anything happen to her now. But Clara wasn’t awake, and it’s not like she could deal with her father herself, so she stood guard.

She couldn’t believe how small she looks in that hospital bed, the pediatrics gown they’ve put on her doesn’t help either, the small smiling characters contrast with the severity of her injuries. While the bandage and bruise on her face shocked all of them when they’d entered, she knows that the ones hidden by the gown are so much worse.

They’d been sat in an almost religious silent since they’d entered, their vigil only interrupted during the regular check-ins of the nurses, all looking for any signs of life from Clara, while they all knew that the regular beeping of the monitor meant that she was here and alive, they knew that they would only be able to start to relax when she would finally open her eyes.

Clara may have been lying less than a meter away from them, but it felt like she’d never been further, they’d all missed it. They had spent months alongside her, and somehow never noticed that it was all wrong, the smiles, the laugh, the playful banter, it had only been a ruse to hide the truth.

A small whine echoed in the room, pulling the attention of all three women towards the bed. Mapi and Ingrid standing immediately and leaning over the bed toward Clara’s face while Alexia took the few steps separating her from the foot of the bed to reach them.

“Nena?” asked Mapi “Can you hear us?”

More soft sounds came out of the young girl whose face seemed to tense as she slowly became more aware.

“Can you open your eyes nena?” pleaded Ingrid, the desperation to finally see Clara awake seeping through her words.

Clara didn’t open her eyes but one of her hands came up trying to feel her head where pain still radiated from, Mapi caught it just as she was about to reach the bandage covering up her forehead.

“No no no Nena leave that alone” she softly tells her, voice firm.

A confused whine comes out of Clara as she blearily open her eyes, blinking slowly as she makes direct eye contact with Alexia from her position on the lightly raised bed. Her eyebrows scrunched in confusion, her gaze darting around the room as she takes in her surrounding. Her eyes dart to each of the women standing in the room, Mapi and Ingrid by her sides and her captain standing before her.

“Wha.. What happened?” Clara asks.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” answers Ingrid, her shaky voice causing Clara’s confusion to rise.

“Training? We were doing the 11vs11 and then… I don’t know, my head hurts though, so I’m guessing I hit it? Is that why we’re here? And why you all look at me like I’m about to die?” answers Clara trying to see the humor in the situation.

Clara’s joke about the scar was meant to lighten the mood, but it felt hollow. Her words hung in the air, flat and forced. It was the same nervous habit she had when she didn’t know what to say, when she was unsure how to handle the tension building around her.

Alexia’s hands clenched into fists at her sides, her eyes narrowing as Clara made light of the situation. The smile on Clara’s face, the joke about their worry, it grated against everything Alexia was feeling. She wanted to shout, to demand answers. She turned away from the scene in front of her, trying to calm herself.

“Yes, you hit and bashed your forehead open during training, you lost consciousness and that’s why you were brought here” confirms Ingrid, whose hand is now back holding Clara’s, running small circle on it with her thumb.

“Will the scar look cool at least?” says Clara wiggling her eyebrows towards Mapi.

Alexia turns back to them, her hand coming down harshly against the metal bars of the foot of the bed, the smack resonating throughout the room.

“Will you stop joking! Alexia’s voice broke the tense silence, loud and raw. She slapped her hand against the metal foot-board of the bed with a sharp crack, and Clara flinched, the sound ringing in the room. “You had us all worried to death!”

Clara’s smile faltered, and she stiffened in Ingrid’s grip, her eyes wide with confusion. Her body tensed, as if the words had physically struck her. She turned to look at Alexia, but the captain had already turned away, her shoulders rigid with barely contained anger.

The couple shared a worried look over her, both noticing the growing tension in the room. Mapi took a step closer to Alexia, her hand coming up to rest on her shoulder, but it was like touching a live wire. Alexia’s tension radiated off her, a palpable force that made the air feel thick. Mapi could see the storm brewing in her captain’s eyes, but she couldn’t calm it.

“Ale…” whispers Mapi

Ingrid’s calm voice cut through the tension. “Alexia, stop. She’s not ready for this. We need to focus on her, not fight each other.”

“No! She doesn’t get to joke about this! She doesn’t get to pretend everything is just fine!” exclaims Alexia pushing Mapi’s hand off her and taking a small step back.

Clara’s heart raced. The outburst felt like a slap, and she could feel her pulse pounding in her throat. What had she done? Why was Alexia angry at her? Her mind raced, struggling to make sense of the sudden change in atmosphere. Had she been next to her when she got injured? Had she injured someone else and the captain is mad at her for it? She racks her brain trying to make up a story in her head that would fit with her reaction but comes up empty.

“I don’t understand” she says in a small voice.

Ingrid softly smiles at her, but she can see the unease in her traits as she looks up at her, the hand that she’d been tightly holding onto lets go and a small part of her wishes she could grab it right back, and Ingrid’s hand comes up to her unmarred cheek and she slowly caresses it.

Ingrid’s hand was warm against her cheek, and for the briefest moment, Clara allowed herself to lean into it, as though the simple gesture might pull her back from the brink of panic. “It’s okay, nena”, Ingrid murmured, her voice gentle but firm. “Just focus on healing. That’s all that matters right now. “

Clara wished she could sink into Ingrid, desperate to feel the comfort she’d been craving for months, but she couldn’t allow herself to fall into it, Alexia is already upset with her, and there’s no way she’d allow herself comfort, not when she’d obviously done something wrong and needed to atone for it somehow.

She starts to wonder if this is it. If Alexia is finally tired of having to take care of her. She’d tried no to be a bother to the older players, tried to do her part and follow all of the captain’s order. But maybe she’d been too much, too needy, maybe that’s why Alexia seemed so distant.

She should be used to it by now, trusted adults giving up on her, she should have learned that lesson long ago. Tried to get by whilst only relying on herself, tried to distance herself from the pain that would come with the inevitable abandonment that seemed to follow her wherever she went.

But she made mistakes, got too attached again, went to dinner at Mapi and Ingrid’s house, got attached to them, to their gentle care, followed Alexia’s advice blindly and did all she could to get the words of praise she craved from her.

She ended up in the same place she always does. Scared, hurt and alone. Sure she’s surrounded by them in the too bland hospital room, but in the end it’s only her.

Only her that goes home to her father, her who patches herself up and gets up in the morning no matter how much it hurts. It’s the four walls of her room that bear witness all her cries and anguish, it’s her who fights to keep going when it feels like the world is crushing her.

Clara can only rely on herself, it’s why she inches herself away from Ingrid, as much as she can, trapped on the small hospital bed, she’s rebuilding her walls, readying herself to face Alexia’s anger head-on, it’s why she misses the way Ingrid’s smile falls, how Mapi and Alexia abruptly end their hushed argument to turn and look at her.

“Nena?” asks Ingrid, trying to understand how in the space of a few seconds Clara went from leaning on her to seemingly trying to get as far from her as she can.

“I’m sorry for whatever I’ve done” says Clara, tone flat, almost mechanical.

The women all share concerned looks, it’s like she’d completely disconnected herself from the situation, laying there but not fully present.

“What are you apologizing for Nena? You’ve done nothing wrong” asserts Mapi, walking closer to her bed, but Clara barely reacts to her approach, her gaze unfocused and distant.

Clara turns her head to look at her, but to Mapi it feels like she’s looking through her rather than at her.

“But I must have done something wrong don’t I? It’s why she’s mad right?” asks Clara, her head making a small nod in Alexia’s direction, who suddenly feels like the worst person on earth.

Clara had woken up hurt in an unknown place, and what had she done except raise her voice at her and apparently scare her enough into becoming whatever this empty person in front of her seemed to be?

“Nena, nobody is mad at you, Alexia is just worried.” tries to explain Ingrid, her hand reaching for Clara’s.

But Clara retracts her hand from where it had been clutching the sheet, bringing it closer to her chest, as if Ingrid’s hand could hurt her, would hurt her. Her mind screaming at her to get away before she gets hurt again, before Ingrid leaves her behind.

Ingrid swears she can feel her heart breaking inside her chest seeing Clara flinch away from her, she looks at Mapi, distraught and not quite sure how she can help Clara without scaring her further.

The guilt momentarily overtaken by the need to care for the young girl now takes back control over her, stomach tightening into knots, she can feel bile rising in her throat at the possibility of Clara thinking that she’d hurt her.

“Why?” demands Clara “I’m completely fine aren’t I? My head feels fine, they already stitched me up, I’m sure they’ll let me out of here soon anyway!” she tells them, her voice raising along as she speaks, surely they understand that? She’s fine, has been for months, she can handle injuries, after all she’d been taking care of herself for months.

Mapi sighs, sitting in the chair next to her bed, hands resting on her thighs, taking a few small breaths before speaking “But it’s not just your head Nena isn’t it?” she’s posing the sentence as a question but they all know it’s more of an affirmation.

Clara tense as Mapi finishes her question, her eyes darting around the room as if she’s looking for a way out of the conversation, and if they’d looked at the monitor they would have seen her heart rate slowly raise as the conversation kept going.

“What do you mean? Of course it’s just my head, it’s the whole reason we’re here aren’t we?” Clara tries to affirm, but they can all hear the shakiness in her voice as Clara desperately tries to stay in control of the situation.

“Nena, we know.” says Alexia, voice firm, her expression tense. She’s done playing around with this issue, done pretending everything will be okay when none of them are sure it has even been okay to begin with.

Clara can feel her whole body tense up. She can hear her heart beat in her ears, almost drowning out the sounds around her, can feel the way her hands clench to the point she’s pretty sure her nails have cut the skin of her palms.

“And what is that supposed to mean?” asks Clara, defiance in her tone, if she has to go down, she’ll go down fighting. She’s done this whole dance routine before, she knows all about adults pretending to care only to leave when things get too real, too hard, too inconvenient to them.

She’s aware of their eyes on her, can see the tears in Ingrid’s eyes, can see the way Mapi looking at her, like she’s just a small, hurt, thing, it pisses her off, why do they pretend they care? She knows they don’t, no one has so far so why would they? But more importantly she’s fucking mad at Alexia, acting like she just knows everything when she knows nothing.

“How about you tell us about how you hurt your ribs?” Alexia’s eyebrows are raised, looking at her like she defying her to try and lie about it, Clara can see the exasperation in her eyes and somehow it makes her feel sick to her stomach.

“My ribs are fine. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” grits out Clara through clenched teeth, of course they hurt, she was pretty sure her father slamming her against the wall had been what caused the pain radiating in her side, but it had been manageable.

Alexia is stuck between wanting to wrap Clara in bubble wrap never letting her leave her sight and shaking the hell out of her. She contains her anger but can’t help the scoff that leaves her mouth.

“Try again, Clara. Fractured ribs aren’t fine.” she tries again from her position standing at the end of Clara’s bed with her hands on her hips.

Clara feels her heart stop in her chest before it starts back up thundering against her rib cage, her hands clutching into fists, she stares right back at Alexia as the monitor behind her start beeping loudly, alarming all the occupants of the room.

Alexia clenches her fists at her sides, guilt and frustration warring inside her. She wants to shake Clara, to make her understand they’re here for her but instead, her words come out sharper than she intended.

“That’s enough Alexia!” firmly exclaims Mapi “This isn’t helping her!”

“And letting her pretend everything is fine when she has been hiding being abused for weeks?” she snaps back at her, her eyes not leaving the teen’s own.

The world freezes. Clara hears the word abuse echo over and over, louder than the monitor, louder than her own heartbeat. Her vision blurs, her mind screaming to retreat, to block everything out—but instead, she forces herself to surface. To fight.

The others have been looking at her expectantly, waiting to see how she’ll answers Alexia’s words.

She choose the same path she always does when she’s confronted with the subject of her home life.

“Abuse?” she scoffs “And where did that crazy idea come from huh?” she continues

Even Mapi looks disappointed, they’d all hoped Clara would come clean, admit what she’d been going through, they remembered the agent words on abused children, but they thought, no, hoped, Clara would trust them enough with this, if not before then now.

“Clara” Ingrid speaks up “There’s no point hiding it anymore, we know okay? We know and we want to help you, please let us help you” there’s tears dripping out of her eyes as she holds eye contact with Clara, who’s looking back at her wide-eyed.

“I want my dad.” Clara’s voice trembles, rising to a pitch that makes the others freeze. She doesn’t know why she said it, only that the words feel like her last defense

The room falls silent, her words shocking everyone into stillness. Then Alexia speaks, her voice low, trembling with fury “He’s not coming anywhere near you, if we have anything to say about it.” Spits out Alexia through clenched teeth, trying to hide her shaking hands by holding onto the bed’s foot-board.

“He’s never coming close to you again” Alexia’s voice shakes, but her eyes stay locked on Clara. The guilt of her earlier anger still gnaws at her, but she channels it into conviction.

The monitor screams, and Clara erupts. “NO! LET GO OF ME! I WANT MY DAD! DAD, PLEASE!” She thrashes against the bed, tears streaming, her voice cracking with each desperate cry.

They all surround the bed, trying to get a hold of the crying teen whilst trying to keep their own tears at bay, hoping to stop her from aggravating her injuries.

Doctors flood the room, their voices sharp and urgent as they push the others aside. Alexia tries to argue, her voice cracking, but Mapi pulls her back. All they can do is watch from the hallway, the sound of Clara’s screams echoing in their ears until, mercifully, silence falls

The doctor came out of the room explained to them that Clara had to be sedated for her own good, that they couldn’t get the panic attack to stop and that the risk of worsening her injuries was too great.

They’re all told to leave for the night, to let her rest, that with the sedative she’s been given she’d sleep until the next day anyway, the doctor kindly recommends they get some sleep as well, that talks can wait till everyone is better rested and less on edge, before he leaves them standing there.

They leave, and go back to their home, all feeling emptier than ever. Everything they’d had hoped for ruined, they were left feeling like they had failed again.

Ingrid and Mapi go back to their apartment, foregoing food and showers, they just lay in each others arms, finally letting out all the anger, guilt and fear, out, through shaking sobs as they tried to keep the other from falling apart.

Alexia could have gone home to her apartment, gone back to Olga’s arms, but she’d drove straight to her mother’s house, knocking on her door before collapsing in her arms as soon as the door opened.

Her mother guided her to the couch before holding her tightly, rubbing her back as Alexia sobbed her feelings out, cried out her guilt, her failure.

They all wanted to help the teen, but would Clara let them?

As Clara laid on her hospital bed she’d asked herself the same question, woozy from the medication she realized she’d soon have to make a decision.

Her teammates or her father.

[xhyjin]

| nanami kento x reader

| nanami as a stay at home husband while your the breadwinner, basically a day in his life as he waits for you to return home

| #sfw #softnanami #fluff #sliceoflife

| 1.28k

| ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ : why does everyone write nanami as a workaholic we all know that man hates work so how about an au where nanami is for once not the breadwinner and just waits for his wife to come home from work :( (creds to the original artist of the picture above)

________________________________________________

ever since you met nanami, it was clear that he hated working. the signs were obvious—from the dark circles under his eyes growing deeper to the way his gaze carried nothing but exhaustion. most people might call your relationship “unusual,” given that men are often expected to be the breadwinners while their wives either work or manage the household. but you loved the way things were. you adored your job and cherished your beloved husband even more, happy to give him the rest he deserved while you took care of work and let him handle the home.

“i’m home,” you call out, opening the door to your house with a sigh of relief as you place your keys down on the table. the sound of heavy footsteps echoes from down the hall, and as you lean against the wall to remove your heels, nanami appears in front of you.

“welcome home, honey,” he says warmly, his figure framed by the soft light of the entrance. he’s wearing an apron, his hair dusted with flour, and the sight makes you chuckle.

“hello, handsome,” you tease, reaching up to ruffle his flour-covered hair. nanami smiles at you, his expression tender, before placing his hands on your waist and lifting you to sit on a nearby surface.

“here, let me help with that,” he offers, kneeling down in front of you. his hands are warm as they gently cradle your ankles, slipping your heels off with care. he rubs your feet softly, his thumbs soothing the ache from a long day.

“how was work?” he asks, still on his knees, looking up at you with that same calm, attentive gaze that you love.

“oh, work is work,” you reply with a small pout. “never exciting, never boring. but i couldn’t help thinking about you today.” your hand moves to his cheek, brushing against his skin as you caress it gently.

nanami leans into your touch, his expression softening further. “and why is that, my love? do you not think about me other days?” he asks, his voice laced with a slight tease as a playful smirk tugs at his lips.

you roll your eyes dramatically but can’t help the smile spreading across your face. “of course, i think about you,” you reply with a light scoff. “you’re all i think about—so much so that sometimes i end up writing your name on important files at work.”

nanami raises an eyebrow, amused. “oh? is that so?”

you nod, leaning forward slightly as your tone becomes softer and more teasing. “mm-hmm. i get so lost daydreaming about you—about how you’ll be waiting for me at home, how you’ll hug me, kiss me, and feed me—” you coo, trailing off with a playful pout.

his smirk turns into a soft laugh as he rests his forehead against your knee, shaking his head. “you’re unbelievable,” he murmurs, his voice filled with affection.

before you could respond, your stomach beat you to it, letting out a loud rumble that broke the comfortable silence. nanami lifted his head, his eyebrow arched in a mix of concern and amusement.

“did you skip lunch again?” he asked, his tone stern but laced with care.

you quickly shook your head. “how could i skip lunch when my beloved husband puts so much effort into making me the most nutritious and healthy bentos?” you replied with a sweet smile.

he narrowed his eyes slightly, unconvinced. in the past, skipping lunch had been a bad habit of yours, one nanami had worked hard to correct. “mhm,” he hummed, “i’ll check your bag later to see if you’re telling the truth. but for now, my love,” he continued, standing up and offering his hand, “let’s go eat.”

you placed your hand in his, letting him pull you up. “what did you make that has you covered in flour, ken?” you giggled, following him toward the kitchen.

“you’ll see,” he said with a small smile, his thumb brushing over the back of your hand as he led you to the table.

“alfredo!” you exclaimed, your voice filled with excitement as you let go of his hand and rushed to the dinner table. “did you make it from scratch?!” you turned around to find nanami standing there, arms crossed and a proud look on his face.

“yep, i did,” he replied, his tone calm but laced with quiet satisfaction. he untied his apron and draped it over the kitchen island before stepping over to pull your chair out for you.

you sat down eagerly, looking at the plate of creamy pasta before you. “i’m going to devour this meal,” you declared dramatically. “thank you so much, my amazing, talented, sexy husband.” without even glancing at him, you picked up your fork and started chowing down enthusiastically.

nanami chuckled softly, watching you with a proud smile as he took his seat across from you. He picked up his fork and began eating as well, though with far more modesty than your ravenous pace. he didn’t mind—seeing you enjoy his cooking was more than enough to make his day.

you let out a satisfied sigh, leaning back in your chair and holding your stomach. "done, baby?" nanami asked, standing up and grabbing his plate. as he walked toward you to take yours, you nodded with a content smile.

"that was the best alfredo i've ever had," you said, stopping him by gently grabbing his hand before he could take your plate. bringing his hand to your lips, you placed a light kiss on it and looked up at him with soft, doe-like eyes. "thank you for everything."

nanami's expression softened even more as he leaned down, capturing your lips in a passionate kiss. his lips lingered, and as he pulled away, he licked the corner of your mouth with a smirk. "you've got sauce all over your pretty lips," he whispered, his voice low and teasing as he rested his forehead against yours.

you giggled, your cheeks warming as his thumb lightly brushed against your lips. moments like these reminded you why you adored him so much-your caring, thoughtful, and slightly mischievous husband.

“not my fault you made it so creamy,” you tease, mirroring his smirk.

“oh yeah?” nanami responds, setting the plate he was holding back down on the table. “funny, I don’t remember you complaining earlier when you were ‘devouring’ it,” he says, his voice dripping with playful sarcasm.

he steps closer, now towering over you as you remain seated, his abdomen nearly brushing against your face. your cheeks flush a deep red as you try to look anywhere but at him.

“look at me,” he says, his tone soft yet commanding, with a teasing edge you know all too well. you hesitate, but eventually, your shy gaze meets his playful one, and it feels like the first time all over again—your heart racing under the weight of his attention.

“what?” you mumble, your voice barely above a whisper, betraying your flustered state.

“hm?” he murmurs, leaning down so his lips are right next to your ear, his warm breath tickling your skin. his proximity makes your heart skip a beat, and you wonder if he’s enjoying how easily he can unravel you.

“i said your cooking stinks!” you yell playfully, your voice loud in his ear.

nanami immediately pulls back, grabbing his ear with a dramatic smirk. “oh, is that so?” he says, his tone laced with mock offense. before you can react, he leans down and effortlessly throws you over his shoulder.

“no, no, no, put me down! stop!” you whine, lightly punching his back in protest.

“ken, my stomach is gonna explode—stop!” you giggle, squirming as you feel a playful smack on your butt.

“too late for apologies now,” he teases, his voice steady as he carries you down the hall.

he walks you into the bedroom and gently tosses you onto the soft mattress. you bounce slightly, laughing as you look up at him. his smirk hasn’t wavered, and he looms over you with a mischievous glint in his eyes, clearly pleased with your flustered state.

before you could sit up, nanami gently pushes you back down, his movements deliberate as he crawls on top of you. his hands capture yours, pinning them above your head while his legs straddle yours, locking you in place with no chance of escape.

"ken, no," you say sternly, trying to sound serious despite the grin threatening to break through. you already know what's coming.

"nuh-uh, baby," he replies, shaking his head with mock defiance. his smirk grows as he leans down, his face hovering over yours. ignoring your protests, he starts pressing wet, sloppy kisses all over your cheeks, forehead, nose, and chin.

"stop! ken!" you squeal, squirming beneath him, your laughter filling the room as you try to turn your head away. your giggles mix with the soft rustling of the sheets as he continues his playful assault.

"i'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" you cry out between gasps of laughter, but he doesn't stop, his lips peppering your face with even more exaggerated kisses.

finally, when he's satisfied, he pulls back slightly, his chest heaving as he grins down at your flustered, giggling face. "that's what you get for saying my cooking stinks," he teases, his tone warm and full of affection.

he had a little smear of lipstick across his mouth, and the flour still clung stubbornly to his hair. you couldn’t help but giggle as you reached up, your hands gently cupping his face. your thumbs brushed over his cheekbones, and then you slid your fingers into his hair, ruffling it playfully.

“you and i both know that it doesn’t,” you coo, your voice soft and affectionate as you gaze up at him.

nanami’s lips curved into a small, satisfied smile, his eyes never leaving yours. “glad you finally admit it,” he murmurs, leaning into your touch as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

you sit up slightly, your arms wrapping around his neck as you pull him into a tender, loving kiss. “i love you, i love you, i love you,” you whisper in between sweet pecks, your heart full of warmth as you press your lips to his.

nanami smiles against your lips, his hands gently holding you as he deepens the kiss, savoring the quiet intimacy between you. “i love you too, my dear” he replies softly, his voice barely a whisper as he pulls away just enough to look into your eyes.

as you looked into nanami’s eyes, a wave of gratitude washed over you. you couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of appreciation for how amazing your life had become. everything felt right in this moment��the warmth of his touch, the love in his gaze, and the quiet contentment between you two.

his kindness, his care, and the way he made you feel so loved and cherished made every day worth it. in that moment, you knew that no matter what life threw at you, as long as you had him by your side, everything would be okay.

[winwintea]

Belladonna! bad ending ↬ everything is not as it seems

You were too late. 

Karina was dead.

You had failed her.

Your eyes were filled with tears as you sat on the cold, blood-smeared floor of the theater’s dimly lit office. Karina’s body lay in your arms, her lifeless eyes staring into nothing. You couldn't stop the sobs that wracked your chest, nor could you escape the crushing weight of failure. The bitter taste of guilt consumed you whole, suffocating you as flashes of memories spent with Karina played in your mind.

Renjun’s name echoed through your thoughts, as loud and relentless as a gunshot. Renjun, with his twisted quest for revenge, had been the cause of so much bloodshed. Every victim he had killed was another reminder of your inability to stop him. And now, Karina was gone. 

A creak suddenly interrupted the silence, your head snapped up as the office door swung open, revealing Renjun standing in the doorway. His face was unreadable, but his presence screamed: danger. 

“You,” you spat, your voice trembling with rage. You clutched Karina’s lifeless body, as if you were protecting her from him even now. “You did this. You killed her. You killed them all! I can’t believe I ever loved you.”

Renjun slowly stepped into the room. The flicker of the lights casted shadows over his face, making his expression even harder to decipher. He didn’t respond immediately, letting the accusation hang in the air.

Then he laughed. A low, hollow laugh that sent chills down your spine. “You think I killed her?” he asked, his voice unusually calm. “You really believe that?”

“You’re a monster,” you hissed, your fingers curling into fists. “You’ve been on this path of destruction for weeks. I couldn’t stop you before, but I will now.”

Renjun tilted his head, his eyes narrowing. “Oh, I’ve been watching you, love. Closely. And what I saw tonight?” He took another step closer, “You killed Karina. With your own hands.”

The words struck you like a physical blow. “That’s a lie,” you shook your head. “You’re trying to twist this, manipulate me like you do everyone else! Like you manipulated me into loving you.”

Renjun just stared at you, his gaze not changing. Suddenly, a creeping dread began to claw its way up your spine. A memory flashed—a flicker of Karina’s horrified face, a struggle, the spray of blood.

“No,” you whispered, shaking your head. Your breathing quickened as the fragments of the day pieced themselves together. Meeting Karina in the office. The overwhelming anger that had consumed you. And then... Karina’s voice, desperate and pleading, calling your name.

The truth crashed down on you, a wave of terror and repulsion. Your hands, trembling and stained red, had ended her life. Not Renjun’s. Yours.

Renjun his expression almost mocking, as he watched realization dawn on your face. “There it is,” he murmured. “You’re finally seeing it, aren’t you? The truth.”

You staggered backward, releasing Karina’s body as if the more you held it, the more it would burn you. “No,” you repeated again, but the denial sounded weak even to your own ears.

Renjun crouched down next you and cradled your face in his hands, his voice a low hiss. “You were so blinded by your obsession with me, so consumed by your need to be the hero, that you didn’t even realize who the real monster was. It was you all along.��

prev ↤ belladonna! ↦

AUTHOR'S NOTE ↬ 🙈🙈

SUMMARY ↬ you've been tasked with visting and inspecting the grand rose theatre, a theatre that's been plagued with mysteries over the years. all seems well, until a string of murders follows your visit. as you further investigate, you find yourself falling for huang renjun, the beautiful male lead, and your mystery murderer who leaves you love notes and clues about who they could potentially be. will you be smart enough to be a step ahead of the killer? or will you find yourself caught within their trap?

TAG LIST ↬ @aquaphoenixz @lyvhie @nerdsungie @nanaxwi @itsashley127 @syatchy @p-d1ddy @galacticnct @neocrashed @multifandomania @lotties-readings @odxrilove @clockwork--fandoms @hyuckies18 @kaciebello @marvelahsobx @injunnie-lemon @busy-daydreaming02 @ldh0000 @wony1e @polarisjisung @onlyhyunjin @roseangelxfuma @sunoopsis @mystverse @dudekiss3r @nctjunie @onlyforyoukook

[honeychamomile1]

Not So Pretty

JJ Maybank x ex!fem!reader

Summary: No one, I mean no one, can be okay after a break up and that is just something that is shown to be proven not told.

Warnings: Light violence, mention of glass shattering, drinking underage (it’s JJ after all), crying, comfort, etc.

Note: Part three of “Pretty” series! I hope you guys enjoy! Also, @sunndroppp this is my apology for being so late! Please forgive me lol. :)

👉 Series Masterlist 👈

John B

“John B.” I heard in a sing-song voice, a tiny laugh escaping the person who was trying to disturb my sleep.

I opened my eyes with great effort, eyes fluttering a couple times before I had a clear visual of who was interrupting my slumber.

“Whoah, what the heck, man?!” I blurted, sitting up quickly, pulling the blanket with me to cover myself with its warmth.

JJ Maybank was standing over my bed, his face previously only a couple centimeters from mine. He laughed, mouth opened wide in a smile as he startled me awake.

“It’s nothing personal, I just wanted to wake my buddy up.” He explained, chuckling again.

For a second I almost questioned why he was acting this way; acting like everything was okay after he abandoned the one girl he truly loved, but I couldn’t know how he deals with his feelings, and I didn’t want to ruin his day by bringing it up; the last thing I wanted was to uncover feelings he previously buried.

Instead I only rolled my eyes, reaching up to rub the sleep out of them. My mouth opened in a yawn. “What do you want, JJ?”

He smiled and nudged my arm with his elbow. “Don’t know, you tell me.”

I glared at him. “You’re telling me that you woke me up for no reason at all?”

He smirked but his lips wavered. “Not for no reason, you can still make me breakfast now that you’re up.”

I grabbed the nearest pillow I had nearby and threw it at him, the object successfully hitting him right in the chest.

“Make your own breakfast, Maybank.” I teasingly snarled, and he laughed, walking out of the room so he wouldn’t annoy me further.

When I later went down stairs, I saw JJ sitting on the counter, a beer bottle in his hand. The same hands she used to kiss and hold, guiding him where she wanted to go while giggling at his complaints.

I laughed half-heartedly. “Already drinking somethin’?”

JJ huffed, a smile being forced on his lips as he looked at the glass in his hand, almost like he didn’t realize it was there until now. “Yeah, I guess so.”

My eyebrows furrowed, confusion flooding my senses. “You okay?”

He bit the inside of his cheek, taking off his hat with his free hand, ruffling his hair strands before putting the cap back on. He then seemed to flip his usual emotion switch on, a very forced smile stretching his lips. “‘Course, why wouldn’t I be?”

I felt a look of uncertainty surround my features since I couldn’t help but show it. No one, I mean no one, can be okay after a break up and that is just something that is shown to be proven not told.

“Nothing,” I started, and felt a sarcastic comment come up my throat. “Not like you just broke up with someone or anything.”

JJ’s jaw clenched, giving the impression his teeth were clashing together uncomfortably. It twitched, not seeming to be unlocking any time soon. “Shut up.”

Normally when JJ told me that kind of stuff I would laugh and refuse to do so, teasing him by pushing his shoulder. He would normally give me that kind of come-get-me-grin, testing me once again to see if I’d dare to make my response something along the lines of ‘make me.’

But this was serious, his voice stern as he looked, more like glared, at me. His hands turned white as he squeezed the beer bottle’s neck. For some reason my chest tightened in fear of it shattering, picturing glass particles everywhere like flickering lights. Of course, I knew JJ was strong but not that capable capable to break a glass bottle, but the fear was sitting in me nonetheless.

“Why?” I asked, confusion taking a seat next to the fear in my chest. “I am telling the truth, aren’t I?”

JJ’s jaw was still locked, eyes set on a wall across the kitchen, silently asking it a question and waiting for it to answer.

“Aren’t I?” I repeated, trying to squeeze the answer out of him like squeezing the juice out of a lemon, and I awaited the sour response of the truth.

“And what if you are?” He suddenly snapped, blue eyes making sharp eye contact with mine. I didn’t flinch, for I couldn’t do so, and I wasn’t scared enough to do it in the first place. There it was, the sour taste on my tongue.

I am never scared of JJ, and today will not be the time that changes.

So I stood my ground, looking in right back in the eye as he continued his outburst. “That doesn’t change anything, because I’m over it.”

His voice was so straight, straight as a line, not wavering whatsoever. But I knew him, and that last part of what he said had a dip in tone. “Yeah right.”

He slapped his eyes away for mine and back to the wall in front of him, legs swinging softly back and forth. His boots that still covered his feet-the fact alone bothered me a little- softly hit the cabinets below the counter, it closing and opening, closing and opening, closing and openi-

“Stop that will you?” I blurted, gesturing to his feet but instead is stopping he just jumped off the counter all together, setting the beer down on the surface he was previously sitting on and starting right for me.

His hands, the ones she used to hold grabbed me harshly by the shoulders, a face with nothing but rage fight in mine. His eyes darkened, they shined with anger as he dove me to the ground, the harsh kitchen floor beneath me.

A flashback to when we were younger, his tiny body squealing with laughter as he playfully pushed me down, the grass smacking my back as I attempted to wrestle back.

But this moment wasn’t playful, and if I didn’t stop him, I felt the growing fear he would actually hurt me.

“Hey, hey, hey!” I shouted, grabbing his shoulders and pushing him off me. I met his face, his eyes, and saw soft tears laid over them.

“Hey, man, what’s wrong?” I asked him softly, our legs bending to stand up again, my hands still on his shoulders to hold him steady.

“I-…sorry.” He swallowed, his hand lightly pushed mine off him before shooting to his hair, the blond strands being tangled within his fingers. I was worried he was gonna pull his hair out the more he pulled; I could almost feel the harsh tugs on his head on my own.

“Hey, no need to be sorry, tell me what’s going on.” I assured, and I felt my eyes following his body as he walked further into the kitchen, leaning against the counter as he roughly rubbed at his eyes, making the areas red quite quickly.

He then covered both his eyes with his palms, fingers touching both of his ears. “I-I broke up with her.”

This is information we both already knew, but seeing him with this much emotion flowing within him it wasn’t something I didn’t expect. I often believe that this was a stage of healing, of communication about one’s feelings before they discuss what the next step will be. And that part right there, the statement that JJ made, was a topic sentence to ease into the deeper meaning on why he broke up with her, not just the statement of action.

“I was so stupid, B.” He grumbled out, each breath he took seeming to increase pressure on his face with his hands.

I didn’t say anything, I chose not to, for I was worried I would interfere too much with the non-stop emotions flowing through him. So I stayed put, my feet gluing themselves to the ground on their own. I could have stepped forward, touched his shoulder affectionately and attempted to provide some comfort, but that would make him uncomfortable, and that was one of the last things I wanted. So I continued to stay put.

“Breakin’ up with her like that,” he continued to ramble, eyes still covered with his hands as he shook his head, disappointed with himself. “She must be broken, man.”

This time I wanted to respond, swallowing thickly. “Yeah, Pope was talking to her; he said she was crying.”

JJ shook his head harder. “Don’t.”

“Sorry, but it’s true.” I pried, my feet deciding to unstick and step forward, getting only a little bit closer to him. He needed to know the truth; what he did to her.

“I’m so upset with myself.” He said suddenly, clearly wanting to change the subject, and once again the statement is true. Gonna be honest, he was stupid, and he does look upset, so both statements just add to the pile of negative thoughts that are running through his head.

“Why’d you do it, man? Because I know it wasn’t because you stopped lovin’ her.”

“Not like I ever could.” He grumbled once again, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He finally took them out of his hair, I noticed almost right away, his strands left pointing to and fro in the air.

“Stop avoiding the question.” I stated. I had enough. I know I reacted confused and determined before, but now I’m feeling impatience forming within my chest, replacing the previous emotions. I want him to answer me, and I want him to answer me right now.

He sighed. “It’s stupid.”

“Yet stupid things have good outcomes?” I quoted the motto he claims all the time, raising an eyebrow, testing him.

He huffed, right hand coming to his hair strands again. “My dad.”

The words were breathed out roughly, and I was lucky I heard them because I don’t think he would want to repeat it if I asked him to.

“Look, I get it man, but you can’t break her as a way of protection.” I informed, knowing how wide of possible reactions he might have, but I say it anyway. Because not only did it need to be said, but also he isn’t protecting her in the right way.

“I know, but it was the only way I could think of, how else am I supposed to protect her? Let him beat her up like he does to me?”

I couldn’t help but step back at his outburst. My mind was so blank it couldn’t even picture it, the man who called himself JJ’s dad laying any sort of hand on her.

The thought couldn’t help itself but slip into my brain, picturing his hands on her, pure fear in her eyes as she cried for help, begging for her lover that left her broken inside.

“Don’t talk like that.” I ordered at him, forcing myself to erase the image from my mind.

“Well if I haven’t broken up with her, that imagine would’ve become reality. So I left her.”

The fact that he shrugged afterwards, like the answer was that simple; almost like it was normal for him to do that.

“What about the whole time you were together? You weren’t worried about your dad then.”

“Well he wasn’t exactly mindful of her was he? He knows, John B,” JJ almost snapped right back at me.

“Does it even matter at this point, does it, J? I know you’ll do anything to protect her.”

“Yeah, I do!” He blurted. “And that thing I did was leave her. She deserves someone better, someone whose father doesn’t beat them up. Someone who can love her and not worry about his father hurting her.”

I couldn’t help it, I pulled him in towards me and wrapped my arms around his shoulders, bringing him into a hug.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s gonna be okay,” I whispered.

“Y-you were right, I’m not okay. I-“ he paused, a shaky breath aruptintg in his chest. “I miss her,” he breathed out in a soft whimper.

It was a soft moment, a side I didn’t really see of JJ except when we were kids and he scrapped his knee.

He learned to dig it deep down within himself as he got older, but I always knew that certain things made him crack, and she was one of those things. One of those beautiful, precious things that didn’t deserve to be hurt in any way.

“It’s okay,” I whispered again, not quite knowing what to say. I didn’t want to say something and spark any anger in him, so I continued to soothe the best way I could.

It seems to work, JJ’s breathing calmed down as his fingers practically dug crescent moons into my arms.

“…JJ?”

The body I was holding tensed up, stiffened into a board even.

He pulled away, eyes wide with pure terror, and confusion took over me, looking around, but seeing no one. No one at all.

“What’s wrong? You okay?” I asked, his hands sweaty on my arms before he pulled them away, his breathing picking up a bit.

He swallowed thickly, and I could almost feel how dry his throat was.

“N-nothing, I thought I heard someon-something.”

________________________________________

People I wanted to tag!

@immyowndefender @stephstephstephsteph @tairodriguess2010

________________________________________

Like, reblog, and comment to make me happy!! 🫶🏻

[lavandulawrites]

I’ve always been a “Douma does have the ability to actually feel emotions it’s just been suppressed underneath years of abuse and emotional neglect and becoming a demon” truther(I can and will go into heavy detail if ever prompted)

SO one of my favorite yandere Douma ideas is that darling accidentally unlocks all the feelings within him he’s suppressed; they actually let him feel raw emotions for once.

This in it of itself isn’t unique but what I don’t see being explored more often is the idea that Douma suddenly being able to feel turns him into an emotional mess who has no idea how to cope with his sudden and intense feelings. So he clings to reader and has intense mood swings depending on when she comes and goes, his composure is really shattered.

This wasn’t really a request but more of an idea, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!

This is exactly how I envision Douma. I highly doubt that he is emotionless.

Once Douma realises darling is able to make him feel emotions, he will never ever let you go. He will hold onto you as if you were his lifeline and he will smother you in affection (which is mostly unwanted on your side). Given his position as a cult leader, his manipulation skills is well above average. You might think you have the upper hand, but you sadly could not be further from the truth.

He will hold onto you while you sleep as if you were a teddy bear and he always want to have you be his side. One might say that a more emotionless Douma is more terrifying than a Douma that feels, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. A Douma that feels emotions is able to imagine how devastated and depressed he will get would you ever managed to slip through his fingers. A rather emotionless Douma would not be able to images such things as he is only driven by possessiveness.

Emotions are extremely powerful and they often clouds one’s judgment and take over all logic. This is something Douma experiences firsthand. His sadistic outburst when you are not within reach becomes worse as he feels how painful it is to long for someone. The poor humans and demons that are so unfortunate at being near him when this happens will suffer a painful death as he tears into them in despair.

However an emotional Douma can be quite pleasant at times, but that is rather rare.

[22hemi12]

Pairing: Silco x Gender Neutral Reader

Warnings: None

Notes: It's been awhile! So here is a one shot for Silco, I will also be rewriting my fics because they are old and cringe. May make a part two if people want it!

Requests: OPEN!

Death is never forgotten, only pushed back to the edges of our minds, being from the undercity, having seen so much death both at the hands of the enforcers and by our own people, but one death seemed to rip the fabric of our crudely stitched reality in the undercity into two.

I looked up from my glass, the deep amber liquid glittering in the dim light of the bar, a place of music and friendly banter between people, I could see Vander talking to someone from behind the bar, still hard at work, the kids had run off somewhere, like usual. Here’s to hoping they don’t get into trouble, they are young so they most likely will.

Looking back down at my empty glass, a sigh exiting my body, It’s been two years since the war on the bridge, losing so many lives… and friends, I couldn’t help but gulp down the rancid drink that burnt my throat. I never used to drink alcohol, but as it’s reaching the anniversary of that day I can't help but to. I was there that day, but further down the bridge, closer back home, where Silco and Vander wanted me, helping the injured as I wasn’t much of a fighter, if only I was, maybe I'd know the truth of what happened that day.

I looked up as my empty glass was replaced with a non alcoholic drink. Vander sat opposite of me, the chair under rhim squeaking, the chairs and table old, lighting up his pipe he glanced up to me before looking down. I knew he was trying to protect me by not telling me what happened, what happened to Silco. I will admit I liked the man, he was smart, the brains to Vanders brawn, His lean yet sturdy body attractive and god his hair, much more my type.

Sighing, I looked away from Vander and back to the bar. There is a sense of melancholy despite the loud conversation and drinking, the anniversary always makes some people sad, especially those who lost people on the bridges, the amount of sad faces drowned out by those who smiled.

“What’cha thinking bout?” I heard the deep timber of Vander’s voice, but I didn't look at him, seeing the kids return with smiles and handfuls of stolen fruit as they sneak their way back to the basement.

“You know what I’m thinking about” I heard him sigh at my words. I looked back at him, he wasn't looking at me, he’s rubbing his bracer, looking at it with the most sadness I’ve seen in his eyes, the bracer is new, he didn’t have that two years ago. “Why won’t you tell me what happened? I’m not a kid for you to protect Vander” He shook his head.

“I know that, but… It'd be easier if I didn’t…” He spoke, the usual confidence leaving, he stopped rubbing the bracer and took his pipe to his mouth and took a drag, his eyes off in the distance. 

“Easier for who? You or me?” He blew out the dark coloured smoke, a tinge of pain in his face, not from smoking but my words. “What did he do to make you not want to tell me what happened?” I leaned in closer to the bigger man, I could see an emotion on his face, one I barely see, Regret. It takes me a moment before I speak again.

“What did you do?” The thought scares me, but his expression confirms my suspicion, he did something. I stood and sped walked to the exit, my chair scraping against the wooden floor, His voice chased after me, the others in the bar watched as I left. Slamming the door closed I just walked, my vision blurring with tears and mind racing with thoughts.

When my vision cleared again I was sitting on top a building overlooking the bridges and the opulent Piltover towers in the distance, my arms tightly hugging myself, I didn’t move, I glance to my right, an old blanket and pillows, a crate of stolen wine tipped over and spilled over the ground, an old rotting plate of stolen food and two chipped wine glasses. I chuckled softly, of course I came here, as teenagers we would climb the old crumbling roof to sit and watch the sunset as it had the best view of both the water sparkling and changing colour, but the way the towers glinted. All of us came up here when we were all off work, Silco, Vander, Felicia, Connol, Benzo and I. The entire group, though sometimes it would just be some of us… last time I was up here was two years ago… with Silco.

It wasn’t a date, but I definitely saw it as that, especially since Silco went out of his way to steal the expensive food and wine, the date was cut short when two enforcers who had been trailing Silco found us, explaining the tipped wine bottles as we ran, it didn’t go the way Silco wanted but we still laughed about it once we were safely in the last drop. 

I smiled at the memories, before turning to watch the sun set, the sun glimmered against the water of the River, the way it changed colour would make anyone forget that it was polluted, my racing mind was interrupted by the sound of footsteps, the click of a short heeled boots against crumbling stone, I know it isn’t Vander as the steps are far too light to be his heavy body.

“Two years since we were both on this rooftop together” That voice, it was familiar, I turned to see the very familiar, yet different figure of Silco. I look over him to see that he’s skinnier than he was two years ago, he had cut his hair short, the most surprising is the piltovian suit he is wearing. I stood and took a few steps toward him. He's so different but not at the same time.

He has yet to turn towards me fully, I can see the glimpses of scarring on the side of his face that he isn’t turning my way.

“Silco?” he smiled softly, it didn’t quite reach his eyes like it did before. He finally turned to me fully and I can finally see why he didn’t turn until now, the other side of his face was scarred and discoloured. He looked at me like he was expecting a specific type of reaction, but that expression disappeared as I rushed forward to hold his face softly. I looked over him, almost not believing he was alive and here, I couldn't help but caress his cheeks with my thumbs. 

The shocked expression changed, he obviously wasn't expecting me to be so soft as he let go of the tenseness that melted under my touch, he sighed, his eye closing he leaned in to touch his forehead to mine, moving his hands to hold my own, for a moment I just let us stay like this, but I needed to know. “What happened? Vander… he never told me” Silco opened his eye again, Locking eyes with my own.

“He didn't?” I shake my head, making him sigh again. He let go of me and turned away towards the bridge and the river. “He… tried to kill me, drown me in the river” Silco moved his hand up to touch his face, Vander tried to kill Silco? 

I stared at him, so that's what Vander did, the reason why lost on me, why would Vander do that to who he saw as his own brother? 

“So that's why he wouldn't tell me…” He wouldn't tell me that he tried to kill Silco that night, but why? What happened between the two? Why did Vander do it? I felt Silco's hands on my arms, I looked up back into his face, his eyes bore into mine with an expression I never saw two years ago. 

“Join me, unlike Vander, I will follow through on the dream… the Nation of Zaun we wanted to build…” It's a lot to take in, that despite what Vander did, Silco is still planning to work on the dream he and Vander made all those years ago. Something deep inside me felt off about the idea of joining Silco, but the rest of me… I nodded.

“Yes… I'll join you”

[dumpsterfire-daydreams]

Dominant Ghost, Submissive Reader, Rough Ghost, Groping, Grinding, Spanking (briefly), TW: Dub-con

Reader POV:

"I’m not asking about him. I’m asking about you. I need to know you want me too.”

His last words echoed in your mind as your stomach erupted in butterflies. The heady scent of cigarette smoke, the invasion of your personal space, his frank admission. It was all starting to make your head spin. Hot breath washing over your neck and calloused hands dropped low on your sides, rubbing delicious circles over your hips. It was all too much to focus through.

A strong current of arousal was threatening to pull you under as the hem of your bathrobe eased on your thighs. And if you didn’t stop this now, there’d be no going back. So, despite the lust beginning to coil in your belly and the rosy flush over your cheeks, you forced yourself to shift away from his advance.

"Ghost, don’t," you gasped, fighting desperately to keep a clear head. "We can't."

You pushed away from the wall and started towards the door. But you only made it a few steps when his hand clamped down on your arm and dragged you right back.

“No,” he snapped, slamming the other against the wall above your shoulder and effectively caging you in place. “You don't get to walk away. I need to know."

His hold dropped to your wrist, yanking your hand to his groin. And no matter how much you resisted, you couldn’t hold back a whispered moan. Your hand pressed against his cock. His excitement, his size. Though the towel remained in place, it left hardly anything to the imagination. Ghost guided your hand over his throbbing length, ensuring you felt every inch of his raging need.

"This," he hissed, lightly thrusting into your palm with a growl. "This is what you've done to me. This is all your fault. And you think I’m just gonna let you walk away? No, you’re not leaving me without an answer. Use your words and tell me what I want to know."

"Ghost, I'm with König," you spoke the words like a mantra. Like a reminder not just for him, but for both of you.

"I didn’t ask who you’re with. I’m asking who you want. Who you need.” He was growling now, arousal and annoyance quickly driving him to frustration. “The other night. When I touched you? When you let me touch you and then tried to cover your ass by begging me to let you go. Did you mean it?”

“Ghost, I-,” you stammered, unsure of what to say.

You couldn’t go there. You couldn’t let him make you go there. You couldn’t let him make you say yes. You and König were still exclusive. Though the idea of a third was on the table, König hadn’t given the greenlight for anything yet. And telling Ghost such a thing was even a possibility would only embolden him further and confuse you both. But Ghost wasn’t backing down. And he wouldn’t settle for silence. You whimpered as he yelled in your face.

“Did you fucking mean it!”

“No!”

The word echoed through the room as both of you froze. You clamped your hands over your mouth in horror, mortified at what you had somehow just said. Where did that even come from? The unfiltered truth had been startled out of you, the word slipping past your lips before your brain could try to stop it. What had you just done? What the hell had you just done?

You shook your head frantically, trying to somehow reverse everything back to five seconds earlier. All this time, he had been wedging his foot in the door, and now you had practically flung it wide open for him. If you couldn’t fend him off then, you were utterly hopeless now.

“Wait,” you rushed, frantically trying to reverse your admission. “That wasn’t what I meant to say, I-”

Ghost growled, the sound vibrating low in his chest, hands seizing your hips in a bruising grip. His nails gouged into your hips as he whipped you around. There was no time to react before your cheek was pressed against the tile wall. Ghost lunged forward, sandwiching you firmly between it and his body. Pinpricks of moisture seeped from his chest, through the thin silk of your robe, and onto your skin as he melded his torso against your back.

“Then what the hell are we waiting for?” he rasped.

Ghost yanked the tie of your robe, causing its front to fall open. You braced for the frigid sting of cold tile. But as soon as your bare skin was made available, two large hands clutched your breasts from behind. Ghost squeezed at the pillowy mounds of flesh, moaning hungrily against your neck. And though the tile was freezing cold, you gasped as your body flooded with intense warmth.

“God, I should have grabbed you the minute I laid eyes on you,” Ghost hummed, rutting against you. “You fucking tease.”

You whimpered at the friction, his girth thrusting against your ass. It seemed König had some competition because Ghost clearly wasn’t lacking when it came to size. The firm protrusion occasionally slipped beneath your robe, giving him a rush of added heat through the towel. You could feel him snarl and shudder at your back. His hips snapped forward, desperate for more of the same. The unexpected forcefulness slamming you against the tile.

“Ghost, wait!” You had to work hard to even get the words out past your own sounds of pleasure. But you knew you had to do something.

“No more waiting,” he panted, tossing his towel to the floor and letting out a loud moan when he could finally feel your bare skin against his cock. “I want you now.”

“No, wait! Just let me explain, please!”

With an exasperated sigh, he stilled. “You have thirty seconds. And I’m not stopping again, so you better make it good.”

He didn’t back off of you. His length remained firmly pressed against your ass and his hands fused to your body. But they dropped down to your waist and went still as he awaited your monologue. Not wanting to waste any time or risk him cutting you off, you rushed into your speech.

“Yes, I’m attracted to you! And yes, I want you too! But just before he left for practice, König admitted he’s really into threesomes and stuff. He wants to add a third to our relationship, okay? So if you just let me get my phone and let me ask him first, then we can do this with a clear conscience. Okay? Please? Then we’ll have all of this out in the open. If he agrees with it, you could be our third!”

Ghost paused, thinking the idea over. If he wanted to, he could flat out refuse and take you right there against the bathroom wall. Nothing was stopping him. And when he pressed in on you again, you assumed that was the option he had chosen.

"Where's your phone?" He huffed.

"In my room," you rushed. "It's in my room, on the bed!"

“Fine,” He whispered, gripping your waist painfully tight in his hands, lowering his mouth to your ear. “Don’t. Move. I’m gonna go get your phone. But I want your ass right where I left you when I come back. If you take so much as one step, I’ll know. Clear?”

“Okay,” you whimpered, your boldness quickly faltering. But you yelped in shock when he slapped your ass.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you’d been promoted to captain.”

Though his voice was saturated with sarcasm, the dry military humor was completely lost on you. You just stood there, stumbling for words until he finally spelled it out for you.

“I outrank you, princess,” Ghost hissed. “Always have, always will. So when I ask you a question, you say ‘yes sir’. Are we clear?”

Your face burned at the bold request, his brazen display of dominance sending a thrill of anticipation down your spine. It immediately snapped your inner submissive to attention, prompting you to quickly drop your eyes and comply.

“Y-yes, sir.”

A soft growl of approval was all you got in response. He gave your ass one final squeeze before he backed away and sauntered out of the bathroom.

Just as Ghost had directed, you obediently stayed exactly as he left you: cheek against the wall and robe hanging loosely around your body. You hadn’t heard the door close on his way out, so he’d left it wide open. And it was probably intentional. You hoped that no one else would come wandering through the barracks within the next few minutes. If another member of his team happened to wander through the barracks, you’d be in full view. A simple glance would reveal you standing there practically naked and standing directly in line with the doorway. The thought was mortifying, but that fear was likely the exact thing Ghost wanted you to feel. A bold exhibition of your obedience and complete submission to him. A clear reminder of who was in control and who was not. If such a thing happened, he’d probably get some twisted thrill out of it.

All of that in mind, you were beyond grateful when the sound of his footsteps returned to the room. And you were even more relieved when you heard the door swing shut behind him. But as soon as it had, you detected the unmistakable click of the lock turning. That one act posed as a double-edged sword. It meant there’d be no unwanted witnesses to your current state. But it also implied there’d be no escape for you. Yet another reminder of who wielded authority here.

As he nonchalantly entered your field of view, you could see that he’d kept his word. Ghost had your phone in hand and was lazily pacing back and forth behind you. And even though you desperately wanted to grab it, you knew better than to stray from your post. So you set your jaw and tried to be patient.

"Passcode?" Ghost barked, turning the lock screen toward you.

From his tone alone, you knew it wasn't a request. It was a command. So you hurriedly recited the four digit code to unlock your phone. And once you heard the soft click as it opened, you hoped he would finally pass it to you. But Ghost was in no hurry. He was taking his sweet time looking at doing who knows what, occasionally commenting on things he found particularly amusing.

"Really?" He asked, derisively.

"What?"

"Your background. You're one of those girls, huh? A furry?"

You blushed, knowing exactly what he was talking about. König had sent you a cute selfie a while ago. And you'd decided to edit it for fun. By the time you were finished with it, he had pink cat ears on his helmet, little whiskers sticking out of his hood, and a fluffy white tail. His helmet was decorated with various pink and purple hearts and small rainbows. It had been an inside joke the two of you had spent hours laughing over, so you'd saved it as your phone background for kicks.

"No," you said, letting out a nervous giggle. "It was just a joke."

Ghost shrugged, but he kept stalling and you kept fuming. He was taunting you and he was well aware of it. He was trying to drive you so mad with curiosity that you’d defy his order and step away from the wall. He wanted you to fail and you knew swift punishment would follow the split second you did. So you bit your lip and screwed your eyes shut, doing your best to block him out. Now, you could see him pressing buttons and typing.

"Ghost, what are you doing on my phone?"

"Nothing," he chuckled, swiping closed whatever application he had been in. "Added myself to your contacts for you. Just in case."

Ghost drew out the torturous suspense a bit while longer. But eventually, he returned to his previous position at your back.

“Since you behaved,” he hummed, tugging you back against his body. “You wanna text him now?”

You nodded hesitantly, keeping your movements small and slight. “Yes, sir.”

“Fuck, you’re such a good girl,” he chuckled. “I’m going to enjoy training you, princess. At ease, here you go.”

You slowly turned, head tilted back to watch his face in case this was just another ploy of his. But he didn’t stop you. He simply opened your messages, opened the conversation with König, and passed the phone to you. Then, he settled in to watch the suspenseful scene play out from above. Being half naked, locked in a bathroom, trapped between a wall and a massive man? All of those things were making it increasingly difficult to stay calm or focus. But as you began composing your message, you did your very best to muscle through. Now was not the time to be distracted.

You: Hey, love. I had an idea for the throuple thing you mentioned earlier?

Since König was still at practice, you knew there'd be at least a minute or two before he could reply. But fortunately, a text bubble appeared shortly afterward.

König: Sure. What's on your mind, Maus?

You: Well, I was wondering how you would feel about Ghost being our third. If you're okay with that, can I ask him?

König: Of course! He was my first pick too! That's actually what I was gonna ask you about later. So that's fine by me.

You: Okay. And if he says yes? Do I need to wait for you before… before doing anything with him?

Now that you were the one anxiously awaiting an answer, you could understand Ghost insistently pressing you for one earlier. The waiting, the not knowing? It was awful and it made you so anxious. And your heart hammered in your chest to see how he would respond. But when he did, there was no way to misconstrue his thoughts on the matter.

König: Not at all! Just tell me all about it later. Have fun, Maus!

I know this story includes some pretty intense themes. But at the end of the day, I care more about the well-being of my readers than I do for hits or kudos. Period. I never want my writing to conjure up emotions or feelings that negatively impact you beyond the story. This story is intended strictly for fun and fantasy. If at any point along the way it stops being a pleasurable experience, please please close this page and walk away. My stories are never worth your well-being, loves.

[zhuoyichenpretty]

Eps 30-33 Commentary

No meta, just reactions! I have less to say about some eps so I'm combining several episodes worth. To make up for my head-emptiness and lack of meta, I've included more pictures lmao. Spoilers under the cut!

Ep 30:

"You really are pitiful." Li Lun waking up thinking of ZYC's words oooh they did that opening line for Li Lun/ZYC lovers (me)

What a homoerotic way to give the Truth Eye

ZYC and ZYZ having their first drink(s) together here, ZYZ and Li Lun having one last game of chess here. Gay ppl will go “I know a place” and take you to a damp cave and a little stone table in the Wilderness

Oof. The apparent inherence of winning/losing in their activity of choice compared to the drinks that took place here between ZYC and ZYZ. Even with a draw, it’s competitive by nature. If Li Lun knew about the three (very intense, very intimate) toasts that came before in this very spot, I wonder how aggrieved he’d feel.

Ah well there goes the date spot /:

I’m so happy to see LZY (Bai Jiu’s actor) get to fight! His fight scenes in MTJY were awesome and he continues to impress here as well. It’s so fun to watch!

………..to revisit my question from previous commentary about when the grievances against Ying Lei will end, the answer is never ;-;

Damn…For ZYC to promise to spare Li Lun after all that Li Lun has put him through specifically and personally. ZYC really fucking loves ZYZ doesn’t he.

I’m so fucked up over Ying Lei’s last words jesus christ.

ZYC sobbing and feeling the fleeting warmth of the rock Ying Lei was just leaning against…when will the world stop taking away his family members??? His brothers???

That scene of everyone looking at Bai Jiu after Ying Lei dissipates. The fact that he's right there. And it’s like they traded one life for another. The two babies of the group. Goddammit.

Do NOT hit me with Bai Jiu’s actor singing “Broken-Tailed Bird” right now oh my god

So like…regarding ZYZ losing his demonic power, does he still count as the most evil demon of ZYC’s time? Can someone ring Ying Long and ask?

ZYC crybaby oh no I can’t believe he’s crying over ZYZ being so weakened aw I love him

My god, Bai Jiu running after Ying Lei and into ZYC’s arms has to be one of my favorite sequences in the whole show. So so good. So so painful. Between this scene, all the flashbacks, and ZYC’s reaction when he died, I’m at least glad the show is spending so much screen time and significance on Ying Lei’s send-off, even if I’m heartbroken that he’s gone. We couldn’t even have the whole family reunited for one moment.

Also have you ever seen a man so mother?

No but seriously "Cry if you want...[tears] have to do with our hearts" ZYC my healthy masculinity king!!!

This song fucking hurtssssssssss this cheese (it's buttermilk) hurts everything hurts

I’m glad PSJ gets time and space to react. Her lines about being a mortal and not being needed are so good but also ow!!! And oh WX always knows exactly what to say to her 🥹

I love everything ZYC says to Bai Jiu about each family member (like yeahhh WX is unlucky 😭 and yeaahHH PSJ does need support too) but MAN the way he says ZYZ’s name is so fucking good. The fact that it gets so much emotion across without saying a single word further as he gets interrupted. His voice and his expression both collapsing a little in that moment. Efficiency of acting strikes again.

Is it even possible for ZYC to cherish this little family more?

Yo this dramatic ass lighting on ZYZ and ZYC standing in the doorway. Why y’all need so much drama just to talk? Also oughhhh ZYC’s gaze is a mess looking every which way while discussing WX’s poison. He is such a bad liar (but he looks so good doing it). Is that why they gotta talk about this like ten feet apart so ZYZ can’t see him lying? Lmao

Okay also tho if ZYC's coming around looking like this I am not hearing a single thing he's saying:

They flashed back to the previous time ZYC held his hand out but cut away from ZYZ taking it this time. Is it bc the absolutely unfettered tension between them can’t pass censors anymore? Haha god but that shot of ZYC slowly meeting ZYZ’s eyes from ZYZ’s POV whewwww we don’t got the skinship but their gazes are kind of insane??? TJR in blue contacts is too powerful I'm shaking somebody needs to stop him.

Ep 31:

Trying so hard not to be driven a little crazy by the lapses in continuity in this show (‘: It’s just tonal and costuming stuff that are a little difficult for me to ignore, just the fact that it’s kind of apparent which scenes were filmed in what order based on their costume/styling changes + the sets, and how sometimes the tone from the previous events don’t smoothly carry over because of this. But it's momentary, I just gotta. Power through.

YO the Pei siblings sparring was so cool and for what. They should have had WX spectating instead of staring at nothing in the previous scene (-:

Damn how long has it been since they played the fun music. Also feels kind of wrong without Ying Lei though fml

Awwww Qing Geng I missed her she’s so cute!! I wasn't doing ep commentaries during her arc so I gotta make up for it here. Her actress is so talented and adorable, and her costuming in this show is stunning!! Her lashes!! Her colors!!

THE TREE BRANCHES lmfaooo ZYC what happened to being worried for ZYZ’s weak body?? We really haven't had a moment like this in so long though (':

Well I do like the reason why WZY had a fake out death, that’s pretty clever and narratively sound, but also oh god what in the AOT??? The inner cores hidden in the medicine is some odious fucking work dear lord

I also like that the endgame is coming about from what initially seemed like another small-time case. Of course the evil physician's huge scheme at the end weaponizes plague and poison and medicine.

Ayeee fun that they used the teleporter on WZY instead of as a getaway

Lmfao ZYC just standing there taking a huge hit of the poison smoke. Poor baby doesn’t watch movies and doesn’t know smoke from a bad guy always means some kind of poison

Why does poisoned!ZYC have such an incredible smokey-eye siren look I’m shook

After knowing the poison is about indulging in your greatest wishes, the first moment ZYC woke up and approached ZYZ they sure looked like they were about to indulge in something sorry ignore me

The way this is so similar to ZYZ’s imaginings where he and WX always turn around and look at the camera. The show wants censors to believe they’re looking at ZYZ but we've known all along who the third POV is here

Also why aren’t ZYC’s bro and dad in the wish illusion?

Ohh the eerie instrumental rendition of the OST when ZYC draws his sword is too good. And yesss we were so due for some more crazy dream fuckery like is this real? Is this real??

Ep 32:

The team is spread so thin )-: One man (mountain god) down and a whole town to save and an immortal villain to vanquish.

WZY's eagerness in trying to goad ZYC into killing himself while poisoned is so so sinister goddamn. I love how disturbing it is to slowly realize what he wants without any lines at all

ZYZ shielding ZYC from a huge fucking fireball with just his hand is adorable and sad:

I already normally love Li Lun's whole leaf-swirly entrances and exits but you know I cheered when he deus ex machina-ed his way here!!! With that bgm too!!!

Li Lun came back to accept ZYC into their throuple. He's had some time to think and yeah he's decided ZYC's kinda hot and maybe shouldn't die or else ZYZ will be sad.

):

ZYC's soft and anguished, "Qing Geng" when he realizes she gave him her inner core. That's my bleeding heart hero ;-;

Throuple of the fucking yearrrrrr:

Spoiler for ep 33/34 but—watching Bai Jiu watch the three of them and realize he can't do anything to help here... It would have been dangerous for him to stay, but I wonder if things could have ended differently ):

Ep 33:

Oughhhhh Pei Siheng ))): The cruel fucking poetry of PSJ, the most emotionally closed-off character, having her heart, her brother, made into her armor. And then to lose him once more.

ZYC proving time and again that his heart is entirely boundless and he'll shelter anyone from the rain and he just wants everyone to live:

LI LUN/ZYC LOVERS HOW ARE WE FEELIN'?!?

Did not expect MORE ZYC choking now that they're on the same side but yeah Li Lun is not one to let go of a good thing I get it. I'm screaming but I get it. "I'm giving you half my demonic power" yeah right just admit you like doing this dw Li Lun this is a safe space.

Literally what am I watching and also no don't mind me, keep going. Feral over ZYC dropping his hand and letting it happen.

But lmfao the way Li Lun did not need to be doing all that, like he sends his power out to ZYZ without even making physical contact. He could've just grabbed ZYC by the shoulder.

Can't believe I just keep winning:

ZYC didn't even know what Li Lun was doing putting his arms around him and he just let it happen. That's some next level trust.

Ah goodbye Li Lun, presumably another victim of the "(ex-)villains can't have good endings" brand of censorship

Oof I love that the initial horror after the seeming victory is reserved first for the simple fact that ZYC and ZYZ are separated, that ZYC can't go to him the way he was intending to. Even when it's unclear yet that WZY is still alive, just the wrongness of them being divided this way is so poignant. ZYC has such a helpless look about him when he says ZYZ's name.

Goddammit WZY saw Li Lun choke ZYC and got ideas.

Oh I love the uncertainty of whether the One-Word Spell works on ZYC or not. ZYZ's sudden and intense fear. Also though WZY tries to use ZYC dying as a deterrent for ZYZ blowing up the barrier but he's literally choking the life out of ZYC as we speak

Bai Jiu's completely unrestrained screaming and crying in pain is so brutal to listen to. His scenes go on forever. Also, the choice of having some of his flashbacks be blurred and vague in the background, once again something privately kept for the character

ZYC holding out his hand to ZYZ a third time ;-; The utter relief of being able to reach each other again paralleling that previous horror of separation.

ZYC physically feeling Bai Jiu's death oh god. We do not get a single moment of happiness and victory in this drama everything is bought with pain and returns pain I hate it here.

Also another post-finale thought (spoilers for the end of the drama)—If ZYZ remained in his weakened state, I really am curious if he would have still met the conditions of the prophecy (ZYC being cursed to kill the most evil demon of his time, if the prophecy is indeed conditional like that, of course). If that could have been a technical loophole, did Li Lun giving both of them his power and then ZYC giving ZYZ his as well basically fulfill it again? I mean, logistically speaking, without that extra power, I'm not sure if ZYZ would have been able to trigger the Baize cycle again (or whatever it is he did to save the town). So the show's final tragedy can be traced all the way back to these moments of giving out of love and protection, just as Bai Jiu being in the perfect place for his final sacrifice came about because ZYC, ZYZ, and Li Lun were trying to protect him and get him out of danger. The way love and grief are so helplessly, inevitably intertwined that one begets the other. They were all just trying to save each other.

On that completely painful note, that's 30-33! And it'll be downhill from here for the next one (-:

[730architect]

picture your face - L4B (1.1)

first real tumblr post um hi?? anyways i posted this fic on ao3 last month and it did pretty well so i decided to post it on here as well! so hi if you know me from there or from twt :)

── •✧• ──

wc: 2.4k

tags: liv4brutality, masturbation, hatred, conflicted feelings, liv lowkey hates dominik (yay), callbacks to l4b (2022), liv is still hopelessly in love with rhea but we knew this, light heterosexual couple jumpscares sorry....

── •✧• ──

I had to go into the other room, she sent me something and I can’t think about anything else…

Liv walked confidently to the back after successfully winning a dark match on tonight’s SmackDown, a match she had won with ease. Ease, which really meant continuous interference from her boyfriend, Dominik Mysterio. She cradled her precious championship in her arms as she pointed and laughed in the faces of the fans booing her on her way out. She was on top of the world and there was no woman on the entire roster, on the entire planet for that matter, who could knock her off of her pedestal.

Each victory was sweeter than the last, further cementing her as the greatest women’s world champion of all time, as she so eloquently called herself. She and Dominik were all smiles as they walked through the curtain arm in arm celebrating the champion’s win. However Liv’s smile faded quickly the second they made it back to gorilla, dropping her hand from his.

“You okay, mi güerita?” Dominik asks, immediately noticing her instant lack of affection which had caught him off guard.

“Fine, just a little tired.” Liv replies with a strained smile, attempting to save face. Dominik returned her smile with a bright one of his own, oblivious to her strange behavior.

The truth was, dating Dominik wasn’t all she had imagined it would be. Sure, in the beginning it was sort of fun. But that was due to the fact that Liv had finally gotten the ultimate revenge on the woman who had ruined her life while the whole world watched. She did exactly what she vowed she would do: take everything from Rhea Ripley until she was left with nothing but her shitty shoulder and her own misery.

Unfortunately for Liv, it was obvious that Dominik liked her far more than she liked him; which she took full responsibility for. Her conversations with Finn always seemed to be over the same matter: her true intentions with Dominik. She was not at all prepared for how needy and affectionate Dom would be, both in private and in public. He constantly needed her attention for even the littlest things.

“Hey Liv, should I wear my white or purple boots for my match later?”

“Liv, do you think I look jacked in this picture?”

His constant neediness was enough to drive any woman insane, Liv was amazed that Rhea was able to stay with him for so long. She couldn’t help but discreetly roll her eyes whenever he called her name before putting on a sickeningly sweet smile paired with a skip in her step as she made her way to him. Why did she feel this way?

She and Dominik are back in their shared hotel room after the show. She finds herself trapped in his arms yet again in bed as he mindlessly scrolls through the TV channels. Liv gets up from the bed, tossing Dominik’s tattooed arm off of her and ignoring his audible confusion, mumbling something along the lines of, “I’m going to the bathroom.”

Picture your face, I wanna touch you but you’re too far away…

Liv locks herself in the bathroom and surveys her surroundings, mind still racing. Her eyes land on the large bathtub and decides a bath would help clear her head. She empties the pockets of her shorts and runs the bath water to her desired temperature while she pours soap into the tub, allowing it to form bubbles as she undresses. She tosses her clothes into a pile in the corner of the bathroom and ties her blonde hair up into a lazy bun at the top of her head, then climbing into the warm and welcoming water as bubbles swirled around her. Liv allows herself to sink down, down, down into the tub until only her head breaks the surface of the foamy water.

She tries to dilute her stress but Rhea continues to ravage her thoughts relentlessly, refusing to provide her with even a second of relief. Liv finds her mind drifting back to 2022, when she and Rhea were tag team partners and the best of friends. How Rhea treated her like the only girl in the world, how she picked her up with ease in ways that Dominik could only dream of. Liv feels a pang in her heart as she relives each sweet memory she and Rhea shared together on their quest for tag team gold. Her wet fingers rise and ghost over her lips where she swears she can still taste the sweetness of Rhea’s cheek that she would kiss after every win or loss. No matter what, they had each other. Until they didn’t.

And maybe Liv was naive for thinking that they would last forever, but how could she not when Rhea treated her like the only girl she would ever have eyes for for as long as she lived? Sometimes she thinks about what their lives would be like if Rhea had never turned her back on her. Would they still be tag team partners or would they have split on good terms? Would they be champions together like they once dreamed? The constant state of wonder she repeatedly finds herself in leaves her head pounding. They once looked at each other with such tenderness but now every glance is filled with pure malice.

Know I shouldn't need it but I want affection, know I shouldn't want it but I need attention

She hears a familiar snore come from the other room and immediately recognizes it as Dominik, which only seems to piss her off even more. Liv’s mind shifts once again, thinking about how her stomach would jolt whenever her eyes met Rhea’s as she stared her down, blue eyes morphing into angry slits every time Rhea saw her. Liv would try and put on a hardened expression of her own but to no avail. She just couldn’t ignore the heat that pooled in the pit of her stomach every time Rhea was near. Her breath on the back of Liv’s neck every time she pinned her down to the mat, seething over how much she fucking hated her. And by god did it turn her on.

Her nimble fingers begin to trail down her still-immersed body, fantasizing about how roughly Rhea would grab her, practically throwing her around like a rag doll if she really wanted to. How her sharp canines would flash through her snarl every time she had Liv backed into a corner. She found herself dismissing the wet spots in her underwear after every interaction with her or even after just stumbling across a post of hers on social media.

Liv grabs her phone from the side of the tub and opens Instagram, switching between accounts. Her wet fingers slowly find the search bar and tap on the last and only searched profile: Rhea’s. Liv couldn’t risk making a wrong move and tapping something she wasn’t meant to on accident, which would end up being the most embarrassing thing that could ever happen to her. She looks through Rhea’s profile for a couple seconds, nearly missing her latest post.

It was a mirror picture taken at the gym, nothing Rhea hasn’t posted about a million times before. But this one nearly had Liv’s world crumbling around her. It wasn’t the photo that mattered, despite how good she looked in it. Muscles bulging and glistening with a light sheen of sweat after what Liv assumed to be an intense arm-day workout. Black tattoo ink decorated her skin, wrapping themselves around her arms and fingers as she held her phone in one hand and flexed the other. But it was the caption that truly caught Liv’s attention.

“rhearipley_wwe watch me 👁️‍🗨️”

Liv sat up straight in the bathtub, nearly spilling water onto the bathroom floor with the speed she moved at. She waits for the anger to hit her but it never does. Instead it’s that same familiar throb in her core which she’s sure is coated in slick and not because of the water she’s sitting in. She stops for a moment to listen to her surroundings, relieved when she still hears Dom’s obnoxious snores through the locked door. She sinks back down into the tub, still staring at the photo, eyes drooping slightly with lust. Her fingers trace incoherent shapes onto the soft skin of her thighs as she separates them, exposing her cunt to her digits. She glides her index finger over her opening, almost slipping it inside due to how wet she is. Rhea may be obsessed but Liv was nothing short of infatuated by her.

Now I'm picturing you and you're touching yourself…

Her fingers slowly begin to circle her clit, spreading her slick over the puffy pearl. Liv sighs softly to herself, eyes fluttering shut for a split second before opening again to marvel at the photo. The caption itself almost seems like a teasing invitation in its own right, enticing Liv to slip a finger inside of herself, quickly replacing one with two and imagining it was Rhea’s inked ones instead. Water sloshed around due to her movements as her back arched slightly off the back of the tub she leaned on. “Shit… Rhea…” she whispers to herself through parted lips, Rhea’s name slipping past them like a prayer. Like she’s repenting, begging some sort of divine power for forgiveness for what she’s done as she does it.

Liv never slows the relentless piston of her fingers, going in and out of her weeping hole. The heel of her palm hits her clit with every thrust at the perfect angle, making her brain short circuit with every motion.

A memory from years ago plays in her mind like a technicolor movie. Liv had made her way to the locker room, calling out Rhea’s name as she glanced left and right for her then partner until she saw her standing at the end of the locker room, back facing her.

“Hey Rhea, I was wondering if you wanted to grab some food before we head back to the hotel or something.” Liv chirped as she walked up to her partner, blissfully unaware that she was stripping herself of her ring gear. Rhea turns around to face Liv, her hands reaching behind her back to unclasp her bralette that made up the top half of her gear.

“Sounds good to me, love. What are you in the mood for?” Rhea asks with a toothy smile, thick accent slicing through the air.

She turns around once again and lets out a relieved sigh when she finally unfastens her top, allowing it to fall off of her and completely expose the top half of her body. Liv’s mouth drops open before she quickly regains her composure, trying her hardest not to gawk at her tag partner’s physique, now having half of it fully exposed to her.

Rhea had less tattoos back then, her body a little leaner as she's put on more muscle since. But regardless of how she looked, Liv always found herself pressing her thighs together whenever she saw her, searching desperately for even the smallest bit of friction to provide herself with some semblance of relief before she could tend to it herself. Rhea turns to the side as she throws on a t-shirt, allowing Liv to catch a glimpse of her plush tits and the piercings that adorned them; along with the massive gargoyle tattoo that sat right underneath. She didn’t feel worthy of seeing her like this, all exposed and vulnerable. She didn’t feel worthy of seeing her at all.

The fingers wrapped around her phone still displaying Rhea’s photo had begun to tremble due to the sensation, liking the photo accidentally in the process. Liv however paid no mind, how could she with how her heart hammered in her chest, blood pounding in her ears, drowning out the sounds of her breathy moans and pathetic whimpers as she imagined Rhea’s expression seeing her like this behind her rolled back eyes. Liv eventually drops her phone back down and paws at her breasts, rolling her nipples between her index finger and thumb as she continues the assault on her pussy with her other hand.

She feels pressure increase just below her pelvis, making the entire lower half of her body feel like it’s about to implode. She slows the speed of her fingers ever so slightly to be able to grind her hips down onto them, allowing them to hit even deeper inside of her which makes her head spin. She feels the pressure increase more and more until she pinches at her nipple right as her fingers curl up slightly inside her, hitting that spot that makes her see stars every time. Liv throws her head back and detonates like a bomb around her digits, Rhea’s face the only thing she could see behind her tightly closed eyelids.

“Rhea… oh my sweet girl, oh my god…” she wept to herself, only then realizing that a few tears had rolled down her face. She slowly pulls her fingers out of her cunt, whining at the sensitivity and emptiness she felt. Liv laps her fingers clean, moaning around them as she envisions they’re Rhea’s she’s sucking off rather than her own.

She lays back and takes some much needed deep breaths with her eyes closed, feeling her heart rate return to a normal speed. She opens her eyes to the sound of her phone going off, notifying her that she’s received a text message. Liv picks her phone up to check who it is only to almost drop it into the water when she does.

It’s an unsaved number she hasn’t texted in years, but the lack of caller ID doesn’t serve any purpose considering it’s the only phone number besides hers that she knows by heart. With shaking fingers, she taps on the notification, opening the messages app. The text contains a single screenshot of someone’s instagram notifications. She taps on it and reads “yaonlylivvonce and 82,385 others liked your photo”.

You’re fucking kidding.

The photo in question is the post of Rhea that Liv had just spent the last half hour jerking it to. She’s stuck, frozen in shock as the now lukewarm water stills around her. She’s snapped out of her trance with another text notification, this time it’s a short sentence.

“I guess you really were watching me”

Shit.

[tiredkiwilol]

Of Childhood and Heroes

Chapter 2

Previous

In light of it being Legend (and Time)’s birthday today, here’s chapter 2 of of childhood and heroes from my drafts!! (Granted this is basically all Hyrule, but it’s the thought that matters ㅠㅠ)

————————————————————————

“No, that’s a stupid nickname, pick another one.”

The pink haired boy, now nicknamed Kit, scowled at him. “I’ve been! You’re just not saying yes to any of them!”

“Not my fault you have bad naming abilities,” Link countered, “Just let me keep my name and we’ll all be fine!”

“No! That’s not fair!” Kit yelled, stomping his foot.

“Alright, maybe y’all need a break from this nicknaming stuff. Let’s eat lunch and come back to…whatever this is,” the man in the pelt, Twilight, said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Link rolled his eyes. What would a break do? Kit obviously had horrible nickname ideas.

———

“Stick!”

“No.”

“Tree!”

“No.”

“Leaf!”

“No! Now you’re just yelling out whatever you see!” Link crossed his arms, “This is stupid.”

Twilight sighed, “Hy-kid, you’ve been rejecting every other name we’ve tried. You have to be less picky about this.”

Link glared at the taller man, “I’m not being picky, his nicknames are just horrible!”

There was a bird call in the distance, breaking the glaring contest between the two.

“I know!” Kit yelled, jumping up in front of Link, “Roo! Like the bird call!”

“What? I’m not gonna be named after a stupid bird ca-“

“Roo it is!” Twilight exclaimed, pushing the seething boy away from Kit.

Link, now nicknamed Roo, looked to the other men for help, stomping his foot to the ground. “No! I don’t want to be called Roo! It’s stupid! No one has a name like that!”

Twilight looked at him, “We have people named after a number, nature, and time itself. I honestly think that your name is one of the less odd ones in this group.”

Roo glared at the older boy. He hates this group and their stupid, dumb, bad nicknames already.

A hand settled on his shoulder, causing Roo to startle and pull out his rusty dagger.

“Woah!” The hand left his shoulder quickly, pulling Roo’s eyes from the hand to a vibrant royal blue scarf, then finally to the blue war-torn eyes of the captain: Warriors.

“Don’t touch me,” Roo hissed, pulling himself further away from the group of heroes.

Warriors raised both hands in surrender, “I’m sorry, that was my bad. You just reminded me of someone I’m a bit more familiar with.”

Roo glared harder into the captain’s skull, trying to seem as large and intimidating as he could be.

Warriors sighed, “I just wanted to say that if you really hate it that much, you don’t have to go by Roo. We could pick you a new nickname without Kit’s influence.”

Roo looked up at the older man. His words seemed truthful, and he couldn’t detect any trickery or deceit in his eyes. Then Roo turned slightly to the side, looking at Kit excitedly chattering with Twilight and Sky about something that seemed to have them all enraptured, hands dancing in the air. Kit’s starlit eyes were innocent. Full of kindness that was rare in the world Roo lived in.

Roo felt something odd slide into his stomach. No matter how stupid this nickname system was, no matter how stupid Kit’s logic seemed to be about creating nicknames, Roo didn’t want to hurt that cheerful kid. After all, Roo wanted to be like the Hero of Legend and it was said that the Hero of Legend was kind to children, that he fought to protect the young from having to live in a world corrupted by darkness.

Roo knew that his world was far from perfect, that it was corrupted, maybe beyond healing. But even at eight years old he could see the life that was trying and struggling to grow. He saw it in the small, sickly flowers by Mama’s fountain. He saw it in the weeds struggling to sprout in the ashen soil. He saw it in the other scrappy and dirty kids his age running from town to town with a broken or rusty weapon in hand.

Roo may have been eight. He may have been stuck with a bunch of strangers who shared his name. He may have thought his nickname given to him by a cheerful pink-haired boy was stupid. But there was nothing that could make him kill off what good and innocence there still was in his decaying world.

Without the words to properly explain, to try and make the older man understand, Roo simply shrugged, saying, “I’m not gonna give you all a chance to give me a worse nickname. I’m sticking with this one.”

Once upon a time, Roo was named after his Mama’s other son. One that fell in the decayed world centuries before he was even born. She told him that his name was a name full of hope and a name fit for a fairy hero.

Link, now nicknamed Roo, wondered what his name might mean now. A name given to him by a boy with starlit eyes and a bright smile to rival the corruption his world was soaked in.

————————————————————————

This might seem extremely out of character, but I blame it off the fact that I couldn’t get Hyrule to talk. I think that even as a kid, Hyrule would be protective over his Hyrule and because I want to progress the story more, Hyrule’s gonna start becoming more fond of Legend. Next chapter will probably be a pov shift because Hyrule’s being a bit stubborn, but on the bright side you’ll see what some of the other Link’s are thinking soon!!

[kaispeakshermind]

I just watched Elemental.

I am very normal about this movie.

… That is a lie I am not okay

[snail-eggs]

the way that johnny and xixi are the exact same when it comes to killing people but she at least has some decorum about it

[queerliblib]

Hello!! I was looking for non-fiction books of butches and femmes that mention bisexual butches and femmes too! I guess that's a very specific thing and difficult thing to ask for but I was hoping if you knew some? In the end, I'll take any and all butch femme non-fiction books you know of please! 👉👈💖

hello! okay so don’t wanna promise bisexuality in all of these because that’s tricky to do without having read each cover-to-cover*

that said, we do have some recs! I’m going to split this up two ways;

Non-fiction (not memoir)

Butch is a Noun by S. Bear Bergman

Persistance: All Ways Butch & Femme eds. Ivan Coyote & Zena Sharman (& it’s precursor, Persistent Desire: a butch-femme reader although sadly it’s not available as an ebook for us to purchase)

The Life & Times of Butch Dykes by Eloisa Aquina

Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold by Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy & Madeline D. Davis

& one essential we haven’t gotten around to buying yet: Female Masculinities by J. Jack Halberstam

Non-fiction (memoir)

Burning Butch by R/B Mertz (also in audio)

Pregnant Butch by A.K. Summers

Rust Belt Femme by Raechel Anne Jolie

Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H. (also in audio)

& before anyone asks Stone Butch Blues is NOT in our collection, but that’s because it’s available for free, as a pdf, directly from Leslie Feinburg’s website

[ardentpoop]

the way sam changes from the beginning of s8 to the end of s8 makes me ill.

coming off their separation, he starts out trying his best to be unapologetic abt the choices he made when dean was gone. openly calling dean out when he makes him feel like shit (“you’ve been kicking me ever since you got back, but that’s over.”) insisting that he knows he wants a clean break and that it’s not actually his Responsibility to suffer for the rest of his life. refusing to let other hunters like martin talk down to him.

and then dean’s lies and hypocrisy abt benny, and dean’s fake SOS text from amelia, and sam breaking up with amelia bc with dean back in his life he doesn’t want to hurt her with his mess, and dean’s doubt over sam’s ability to complete the trials.

which all culminates in the state he’s in by the season finale - uncaring of whether he lives or dies bc he’s always been a burden to dean anyway and maybe if he’s the one to close the gates of hell it’ll make up for everything else he’s supposedly done wrong. “these trials, they’re purifying me.” / “you think I screw up everything I try - you think I need a chaperone, remember?”

this alone:

“what happens when you’ve decided I can’t be trusted, again? I mean, who’re you gonna turn to next time, instead of me? another angel, another… another vampire? do you have any idea what it feels like to watch your brother…”

the speech dean gives sam in the church Woefully misses the mark in that it doesn’t address any of the events that pushed sam to the ledge. it doesn’t address dean’s mistreatment of sam as a partner in the slightest. empty words that sound nice on the surface, like the majority of dean’s attempts at patching them back up from s4 onwards.

[catnipneutral]

its so sad that agatha had to live with the rumour she traded her son for the darkholdTHE DARKHOLDDD yknow, they thought she was evil incarnate tho tbh could you blame em