#that was a highly suggested tag huh

[chaoticfvckingdisaster]

ik no one watches That 90s Show and That 70s Show was so long ago its obscure anymore, but I have to talk about the parallels between Leia and Gwen and Eric and Donna and how that just fuels my ship for them more. Leia having Eric's old room and Gwen having Donna's old room, and them sitting in the same spots in the basement. There's so many parallels don't get me wrong I LOVE Jay but Leia and Gwen would be so cute together

[creamflix]

UNSCRIPTED — toji fushiguro x female reader [chapter 2/5]

summary: you’re a faceless author of scandalous smut — great at writing steamy scenes but totally clueless about real-life romance (and with no one to match your freak). enter toji fushiguro, a hot stranger you (accidentally) throw up on during a drunken night out. surprise! he’s also the future voice actor for your smutty novel’s main character. can you survive the awkwardness of your disastrous meet-cute while keeping your identity (and dignity) a secret? welcome to the chaos of your own erotic fantasy romcom!

content warning & tags: (erotic) voice artist! toji, (smut) writer! reader, smutty content!! [will be added over the course of the series], sort of workplace romance, secret/anon identity, slight social media au, meet-cute, virgin!reader, single dad dilf! toji, kid! megumi, strangers to lovers (?), she fell first but he fell harder, mentions of other characters (satoru gojo, suguru geto, megumi fushiguro, shoko eiri, brief mentions of ryomen sukuna)

notes: hi friends !! i hope u're liking the series so far <3 seems like persephone! suguru can't catch a break huh D: i wanted to highlight the same scene[s] from suguru's perspective, just to give him a lil depth :") if u want to keep up with the series more quicker, i highly suggest keeping up with the series on ao3 [for quicker updates ^^] thank you to my taglist for their support too :)

read on ao3! ● series masterlist

➤ related au: persephone [business tycoon! sukuna x reader]

the drive to megumi’s school was unusually quiet. 

normally, toji would lean into his usual “cool, brooding single dad” act — just enough to avoid attention but keep an edge. but today, he’d done something weirdly out of character: asked you to tag along. 

not that he’d admit it was for any other reason than megumi, obviously. 

nope. definitely nothing else to it.

just… kinda nice having you along for the ride, right?

the two of you settled into his car, and you couldn’t help but smirk at how the radio was suspiciously off. toji didn’t give any explanation, but you were pretty sure it was a preventative measure to avoid another “iris” moment and the resulting accidental kiss. 

which, okay, was kinda cute.

toji tapped his fingers against the wheel, casting the occasional sideways glance at you before finally saying, “so… just curious.” he cleared his throat, like he was trying not to make a big deal out of the question. “what made you, uh… you know, want to write those books?”

you blinked. “oh, my books?”

“yeah, the… passionate ones.” he coughed, looking anywhere but at you. “like, what inspired you to write those… intensely worded stories?”

you laughed, caught off guard. “okay, first of all, ‘intensely worded?’ that’s one way to put it.”

“look, i’m trying to be polite,” he said, giving you a sidelong smirk that made your stomach flip. “but seriously. i mean, it’s a specific line of work. what got you into it?”

you chewed on the inside of your cheek, feeling the familiar blush creeping up. 

“uh, well… honestly, i just thought it was something fun to try out. i like romance and, you know… writing what people connect with. people like the, um, more intense stuff, so… figured i’d give it a shot.”

he nodded, taking it all in. “huh. so, all that… stuff you write —” he paused, trying to phrase it carefully. “that’s from experience or…?”

you let out an awkward laugh, your face heating up even more. “not exactly. i… well, i actually haven’t… i mean, i’m still… y’know.” 

you cleared your throat. “a virgin.”

toji’s eyes went wide. 

“wait, you’re telling me… all that detail, the way you describe things, and you haven’t even…”

“nope.” you shook your head, biting back a smile at his shocked expression. “guess you could say i have a good imagination?”

he let out a low whistle, looking at you with something that was a mix of admiration and… something else you couldn’t quite place. “well, i gotta give you credit. you write it like you’ve, uh, lived it.”

you shrugged, trying to play it cool. “guess it’s all about the research.”

he raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “research, huh? well, you’ve got some serious talent in the ‘research’ department then. i’d hate to see what you’d write if you actually… y’know, had the experience.”

“well, maybe one day i will,” you shot back, feeling a little bolder. “and then my books will be even better.”

he chuckled, leaning back in his seat. “you’re something else.”

for a moment, the two of you just looked at each other, a silent understanding passing between you. 

the tension was thick enough to cut, and toji looked like he was about to say something else when megumi’s school finally came into view. he let out a breath, the moment effectively broken as he focused on finding a parking spot.

but as you both waited for megumi to come out, you couldn’t help but wonder what was going through toji’s head… and if he was thinking the same thing you were.

the second megumi spotted you and toji at the school gates, he was off like a shot, running toward you with all the enthusiasm of a kid who’d been waiting all day to see his favorite people. his grin was wide, and his little backpack bounced as he bolted up. and to your surprise (and toji's too), he didn’t go for his dad first — nope, he ran right into your arms like you were his personal safe haven.

“you came!” he squealed, hugging you tightly around the waist as if he hadn't just seen you yesterday. you laughed, hugging him back just as warmly, and you could practically feel the teachers’ eyes drilling holes into your back.

“of course i did,” you said, ruffling his hair. “what, you thought i’d miss out on picking you up?”

“nope!” he said proudly, pulling back and grabbing your hand as if to make sure you wouldn’t vanish.

toji stood off to the side, his hands in his pockets, trying to hide his smirk as he watched the scene unfold. yeah, he wasn’t about to complain about you being here — not at all.

as you all made your way back to the car, you couldn’t help but notice a few teachers and parents exchanging knowing looks, no doubt remembering how toji introduced you as his “colleague” yesterday. they didn’t look too convinced anymore.

inside the car, megumi settled comfortably between the two of you in the backseat, clutching his backpack like he was about to embark on the world’s most exciting road trip.

“sooo!” megumi started, a mischievous look in his eyes. “did you two have fun while i was in school?”

toji let out a tiny cough from the driver’s seat, looking at you in the rearview mirror with a hint of a smirk. “megumi, what exactly do you mean by ‘fun’?”

“i dunno, daddy!” megumi rolled his eyes in that dramatic way only an eight-year-old could pull off. “you were smiling all morning! you never do that!”

you tried to hide a smile yourself, glancing sideways at toji. “he was smiling all morning, huh?”

toji shot you a playful glare before focusing back on the road. “you got somethin’ to say about that?”

“nope, nothing at all,” you replied, suppressing a giggle.

“you’re smiling too!” megumi added, turning his full attention to you with a face that was way too smug for a kid his age. “did you like being with my dad today?”

your eyes widened as you exchanged a quick look with toji. “well, yes, i had a great time working with your dad,” you said carefully, trying to dodge the landmine that megumi had unknowingly set.

“yeah, but did you and daddy, like, do anything else? like on tv?”

toji almost choked, and you couldn’t stop a laugh from slipping out. “megs! we just talked and laughed a bit, nothing like in the movies, promise.”

megumi looked skeptical, folding his arms. “then why are you both acting all funny?”

“what do you mean, ‘funny’?” toji asked, raising an eyebrow in the rearview mirror.

“like… i dunno, all shy and weird,” megumi huffed, his brows furrowing in confusion. “like when the kids at school talk about people who like each other.”

your cheeks were definitely heating up, and you could tell toji was trying not to laugh.

“sometimes people just… act like that when they’re really comfortable,” toji explained, trying to sound nonchalant. “not everything’s like it is on tv.”

“oh,” megumi said, though he didn’t look totally convinced. 

“soooo, when are you guys gonna have a playdate without me?”

“what?” you and toji both burst out at the same time, while megumi just grinned, proud of himself for catching you both off guard.

“you two look like you want more playdates,,” he added with a shrug, like he was the expert on the subject.

toji shook his head, laughing under his breath. “how about you let the adults figure that out, hm?”

“fine, fine,” megumi said, obviously pleased with himself. “but i wanna know when you guys have another playdate, ‘kay?”

you patted his shoulder, chuckling. “deal, kiddo. you’ll be the first to know.”

as toji pulled out onto the street, you settled back, sharing an amused look with him in the mirror. and as megumi continued his non-stop chatter about school, dinosaurs, and how he wanted both of you to come to his next soccer game, you felt that fuzzy feeling again — the same one from last night. maybe having these two around wasn’t so bad at all.

toji pulled up to his house, shifting into park before a sudden realization hit him like a freight train — you were still along for the ride. it was supposed to be a quick pickup, maybe a casual goodbye once megumi was dropped off, but here you were, in the passenger seat, smiling as megumi practically buzzed with excitement beside you.

"uh… so… yeah, this is… my place,” he said, scratching the back of his head, feeling uncharacteristically awkward. he wasn’t sure if he should invite you in or just wave goodbye with some half-baked excuse. 

but before he could even finish his internal debate, megumi had his own plans.

“that means you can come see my room!” megumi exclaimed, his eyes lighting up as he threw open the door and scrambled out of the car.

“oh, i don’t wanna intrude —” you started, already moving to say goodbye, but megumi was way ahead, bounding up the steps and glancing back with an impatient wave.

“c’mon!” he insisted, practically dancing in place with excitement. “you gotta see my plushies and my legos! oh, and my origami stuff, and —”

toji opened the front door, and as soon as you were inside, megumi was by your side again, tugging at your hand with a grip surprisingly strong for a kid. “you gotta see everything!” he said, eyes gleaming.

“okay, okay!” you laughed, letting him lead the way.

toji watched, a little dumbfounded. he’d seen megumi excited before, sure, but this was a whole new level. “hey, uh, megs, maybe she’s tired. we don’t wanna overwhelm her, y’know?” he said, trying to sound casual and almost hoping you’d back out to save him from his own nerves.

“no way!” megumi protested, his voice emphatic. “she’s gotta see my dinos and my race cars and my drawings too! pleaseeee?”

“don’t worry, i think i can handle it,” you chuckled, shooting toji a reassuring look. 

he let out a sigh, feeling a mix of relief and… something else he really didn’t wanna unpack at the moment.

megumi practically dragged you down the hall toward what toji modestly called his “suite,” which was more like a sprawling kid paradise decked out in a swanky setup. it was undeniably luxurious — the kind of suite most people would call their whole apartment — but it was still a kid’s space through and through. plushies lay scattered around in a trail leading to the bedroom, where legos, crayons, toy cars, and origami creations decorated the floor in random bursts of color. every available surface was covered in megumi’s little projects and treasures.

“wow, megumi, you weren’t kidding!” you said, genuinely impressed. you walked over to a group of origami animals on his desk. “did you make all of these?”

“yep!” he puffed up his chest with pride, holding up a particularly crumpled paper crane. “this one’s my favorite. it didn’t come out great, but it’s special ‘cause daddy helped me with it.”

toji felt a funny warmth spread through his chest. he tried to brush it off, but it was hard to ignore seeing the two of you in his home, talking like it was the most normal thing in the world.

“and here’s mr. wiggles!” megumi said, suddenly pulling over a massive, well-loved teddy bear that looked like it’d been through a hundred battles. “daddy got him for me when i was little.”

“mr. wiggles is a great name,” you laughed, crouching down to inspect the bear. “i bet he’s been on a lot of adventures with you.”

“yeah, he’s been to the doctor with me, and the dentist, and he helps me with my homework sometimes,” megumi explained with the seriousness only an eight-year-old could muster.

toji chuckled, folding his arms as he leaned against the doorframe. “he’s a busy bear, huh?”

“super busy,” megumi agreed, pulling you over to his lego city next. 

“this is where the ninjas live, and over here’s where the dinosaurs hide.”

“oh, and here i thought ninjas and dinos couldn’t get along,” you teased, glancing over at toji, who was doing a poor job at hiding his amusement. “you must be the peacekeeper, megumi.”

“i am!” he laughed, then suddenly looked up at toji. 

“daddy, can she stay for dinner?”

toji’s eyes widened slightly. he hadn’t even considered dinner yet.

but the thought of you here, in his space, a part of his evening routine with megumi… it felt way too good to resist.

“uh, well, if she’s got the time,” he mumbled, scratching his neck and pretending to be cool about it. “you don’t gotta stick around if you got other things.”

“actually, i’d love to stay, if that’s okay?” you said, glancing between them both.

toji tried to act casual, even though his heart was doing a little victory lap. “yeah, sure. why not?”

“yes!” megumi cheered, already running out the door. “i’ll get the table ready!”

“is he… always this excited?” you asked, turning to toji with a chuckle.

“not usually,” toji admitted, scratching the back of his head. “guess you got that effect on him.”

the three of you settled around the table, megumi proudly munching away on his ironman-themed plate, the red and gold colors a little faded from years of use. he shot you a grin, already halfway through explaining ironman’s latest mission to save the world… for the third time.

toji, meanwhile, sat across from you, feeling inexplicably fidgety as he set down the fine china he’d pulled from the back of a cabinet. he'd dusted off every inch of those plates — his mind still spinning with why he even bothered. 

he wasn’t usually one for this kind of thing, but when he saw how carefully you ladled the stew into the bowls, he couldn’t help but notice you gave that same care to megumi too, nodding along as he chattered away about his superhero theories.

“you know, daddy never gets the cool plates out for anyone else,” megumi piped up, completely oblivious to the faint flush creeping up his dad’s face.

“oh really?” you chuckled, raising an eyebrow in toji’s direction. “well, i feel honored then. i’ll try not to drop it.”

toji groaned internally, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. “kid’s got a big mouth,” he muttered, shooting megumi a faux warning look, though his own ears were burning.

“you’ve got good taste, though,” you teased him lightly, glancing down at the pristine white china with intricate blue patterns.

“yeah, well… s’just plates. they’re old,” toji shrugged, hoping that downplaying it would erase any significance you might read into the whole situation.

“old but pretty,” you said, not looking up as you ladled some stew for megumi, who was eagerly waiting with his bowl stretched out. “here you go, megumi. i made it a little less spicy for you, just like you asked.”

megumi’s eyes sparkled as he accepted the bowl. “thanks! you make the best stew!”

toji watched as you smiled back at megumi, completely absorbed in whatever he was babbling about, offering little “uh-huhs” and “reallys” as he animatedly described his favorite ironman scene. watching you like this, giving his kid your full attention even while busy in the kitchen, felt so… weird. 

like something he didn’t realize was missing, but now that it was there, he couldn’t imagine going without it.

“and then ironman totally blasts the villain’s robot suit — kaboom!” megumi finished, flinging his arms wide as if to demonstrate the explosion.

“kaboom, huh?” you laughed, sitting back in your chair, clearly enjoying his enthusiasm. “sounds intense.”

“yeah! ironman doesn’t mess around,” megumi said with a sage nod, as if passing on some universal wisdom. “but he’s gotta protect everyone, even the people who don’t like him.”

“sounds like a pretty cool guy,” you mused, glancing over at toji with a small smile. “maybe you two have something in common.”

“oh, god,” toji groaned, but he couldn’t fight the smirk that tugged at his lips. “don’t give him ideas, he’ll think i’m gonna go fight crime or somethin’.”

“wouldn’t that be so cool?” megumi interjected, eyes sparkling. “you could be like… iron dad!”

toji rolled his eyes, but he caught the look on your face — amused, warm, like you were seeing a side of him that no one else really noticed. 

and for some reason, that was way too close to the truth for comfort. 

he cleared his throat, glancing down at his stew to avoid meeting your gaze.

“maybe i’ll just stick to keeping this kid in one piece,” toji muttered, but his heart was beating a little faster than usual.

and as megumi kept up his enthusiastic rambling, it all started to feel too cozy, too right. the clinking of plates, the soft warmth in the air, the way you didn’t rush megumi but let him take center stage as he shared his endless thoughts — it all blended together into something that felt like home, even if toji wouldn’t dare say it out loud.

as you reached for another spoonful of stew, listening intently to megumi’s latest story about his lego creations, toji realized that, yeah… this felt pretty damn right.

megumi clutched his book eagerly, eyes shining as he snuggled into bed, clearly over the moon that you’d agreed to stay for his bedtime story. he gave toji a serious look, announcing, “since daddy can’t do girl voices — cuz he’s a voicing actor, but he’s not that good — you gotta help with the girl lines, okay?”

“oh, yeah?” toji shot him a mock glare. “that’s a pretty big request, squirt. you sure i can’t just, y’know, growl like a tiger or something?”

megumi shook his head, adamant. “nope! you’re supposed to be the bear prince, and she’s the bunny princess! and then they meet at the river — just read, daddy.”

toji rolled his eyes, though he couldn’t hide the faint smile as he settled in beside megumi, 

taking the book from his son’s hands. “alright, alright, let’s do this right. bunny princess and bear prince — sounds about as weird as it gets, but we’ll make it work.”

with megumi sandwiched between the two of you, you leaned over to see the page. 

“the bunny princess hopped through the forest, searching for her friend, the bear prince, who was known for his wisdom and strength,” you read in a soft voice, giving it your best princess tone.

megumi nodded, satisfied. “much better than uncle gojo,” he whispered to you in a conspiratorial tone, “his princess voice is just… weird.”

toji stifled a snicker, picking up the next line. 

“the bear prince, with his deep, growly voice, stepped out from behind the tree, saying, ‘i hear you’re lookin’ for a friend. well, look no further.’”

megumi giggled, clutching the blanket as he looked up at toji in admiration. “now that’s a good bear voice, daddy! you don’t gotta growl or nothing.”

you shot toji a playful look. “see? you’re already halfway to voice actor stardom.”

“sure, sure, as long as i don’t have to wear princess crowns, i think i’ll survive,” he smirked, giving the book back to you to read the bunny’s next line.

“‘oh, bear prince, i’m so happy to see you!’ the bunny princess chirped, hopping closer. ‘the forest feels so safe with you here.’”

toji took his turn, grinning. 

“‘that’s right, princess. stick close to me, and nothing can harm you — not even that pesky fox from the riverbank.’”

megumi, eyes already starting to droop, nodded in sage approval, mumbling, “bears are super strong…”

as the story unfolded, with each of you taking on your character’s lines, you couldn’t help but notice how megumi’s little body relaxed more and more, eyelids growing heavier as he listened to the tale of the bunny princess and bear prince’s forest adventure.

 finally, after you’d read the line where the bunny and bear bid each other goodnight under the stars, you heard megumi’s soft, even breathing.

you and toji shared a glance, both of you lowering your voices.

“looks like our audience conked out before the big finale,” you whispered with a smile, your voice barely above a murmur.

“heh,” toji chuckled, glancing at his son’s sleeping face. “usually he stays up longer, keeps asking for more.” he paused, watching you with a look that seemed to say more than his words. “maybe he’s just got a soft spot for princess voices… or maybe, you know, a good storyteller.”

a soft warmth settled in the quiet room, the gentle rise and fall of megumi’s breathing filling the space as you both stayed still for a moment, neither wanting to break the spell.

you stood up slowly from megumi’s bed, glancing down at the little guy, still out cold, his mouth slightly open as he clutched his iron man plush. the clock on the wall blinked “9:00 pm,” and your stomach sank a little — hadn’t you meant to leave hours ago? 

but when you made a quiet move toward the door, toji was right there, leaning in the doorway, hands shoved in his pockets.

“you, uh, really don’t have to rush,” he said, almost nonchalant, though his gaze flicked over to megumi. “i mean, for his sake, y’know. wouldn’t want him freaking out if he wakes up in the middle of the night and you’re gone…”

“oh, of course,” you murmured, feeling a warm, slightly strange fluttering sensation at his words. 

“just… so he doesn’t get scared. yeah.”

you glanced down at yourself. god, what were you going to sleep in? your work clothes? 

toji seemed to read your mind, though, tilting his head a bit. “i think i got some old clothes you could wear if you want,” he offered, looking you up and down with that calm, appraising look that made you feel like he saw a bit more than he let on. “not the most fashionable, but they’re clean.”

“thanks, that’d be great,” you said, offering a small smile, and you turned to head toward the door to the guest room — then stopped. “wait… i think i left my phone on his nightstand.”

before you could overthink it, you turned back abruptly, intending to slip past toji back into megumi’s room. 

but somehow, in the dim lighting, the narrow doorway, the warmth of the moment… your face collided with his chest, and then, your lips met his, soft and sudden and all-consuming.

for a heartbeat, everything else fell away: the gentle ticking of the clock, the faint whirring of the a/c, even the warmth of megumi’s room. 

you felt nothing but the weight of toji’s lips against yours, the subtle intake of his breath as he seemed to register just what was happening. there was a moment of hesitation, and then his hand instinctively moved to your waist, pulling you closer with a soft, undeniable insistence.

his voice was a low whisper, barely more than a breath between you. “so… you were just gonna leave without even saying goodbye?”

for a split second, everything froze — the dim hallway, the soft, ambient sounds of the house, the fact that you were standing right outside megumi’s door, where one sleepy sound could catch you both. 

but that one breath against toji’s lips, so close, melted everything else away.

he didn’t pull back; if anything, his hold on your waist only tightened, fingers pressing just enough to send a warm ripple up your spine. his eyes met yours, slightly wide, as if he couldn’t quite believe he had you like this, so close. you could almost feel his heartbeat thrumming in sync with your own, and you let out a shaky breath, your lips brushing his again.

“this… is not what i planned when i came over,” you murmured, barely able to get the words out as your forehead touched his. “not — not in front of your kid’s room.”

“mm,” he whispered, gaze dropping to your lips, that barely-there smirk flickering across his face, “it’s a first for me too.” he held your gaze, his expression softening, something almost tender in his eyes as he raised his hand to gently brush a strand of hair from your face. 

“but if you wanted to leave… you would’ve pulled away by now.”

you bit your lip at the way his thumb lingered on your cheek, his breath warm against your skin, and before you knew it, your lips found his again. this time, it was slower, unhurried, like you had all the time in the world to feel the way his mouth moved against yours, soft and then a little firmer, as he seemed to lose himself in the moment.

he leaned into you, pressing you just slightly against the wall, his hand sliding from your waist up to the small of your back, drawing you close. the quiet was filled only with the shared breaths between you two, a quiet hum that passed between your lips, as if even the smallest sound might wake megumi just on the other side of the wall.

you found your hand on his chest, fingers curling in his shirt, pulling him a little closer, wanting to deepen the kiss even though every bit of common sense told you to stop. his lips parted, pressing small, lingering kisses along your lower lip, his fingers tracing gentle circles along your back as though he was trying to savor every second. you were barely breathing, lost in the warmth of him, feeling him melt just a little against you.

“god, you’re making it hard to stop,” he murmured against your lips, his voice almost a growl but so quiet it barely even registered.

“i don’t think i want to,” you whispered back, eyes meeting his in the dim light. he held your gaze, his thumb tracing a soft line along your cheek, but he didn’t move away, staying close, his nose brushing yours in a way that was so tender you almost forgot how precarious this was.

you both laughed quietly, the sound soft and low, the kind of laugh that was more of a breath shared between you. toji glanced back at megumi’s door, and for a second, his face softened in a way you rarely saw, as if he couldn’t help but feel this moment was just a little forbidden.

“maybe we should… try this somewhere a little less dangerous,” he muttered, though he didn’t make any move to let go, his gaze flicking back to yours.

“you mean… like a first date or something?” you murmured, lips curling into a soft smile.

“guess i don’t mind a second kiss either,” he replied, brushing his lips against yours one last time before stepping back, the space between you suddenly feeling too cold, too quiet.

as he stepped back, the reality of the hallway — the very literal door to his son’s room right beside you — set in, but the warmth still lingered, and the smile he gave you as he walked you down the hall felt like a promise for something more, something you both couldn’t wait to explore.

the “boys night” at gojo-sonic’s swanky office was nothing short of its usual absurdity, with gojo dubbing it the “greatest tradition ever” as he practically threw around the “finest” sweet alcohol like it was candy. 

toji was there, albeit begrudgingly, mostly due to gojo’s persistence (“c’mon, you’re the only one who knows how to enjoy this premium stuff!”), and suguru joined from a dimly-lit zoom window, his face half-smiling, half-tired as he sipped on a glass of his own.

“missing out, suguru,” gojo teased, tilting back his drink. “oh, but thanks for the wine, by the way. nothing says ‘wish i were there’ like sending over a box of booze from you and your business partner.”

“oh, for heaven’s sake,” suguru muttered, though his smirk suggested he didn’t mind. “it was a halloween release. figured it’d keep you all happy and…unbearable.”

toji chuckled, swirling his glass and trying not to roll his eyes as gojo feigned offense.

“unbearable? me?” gojo put a hand over his heart. “if you actually joined us in person, you’d see i’m the highlight of this ‘boys night.’ it’s practically a public service, sugu-boo. oh, and shoutout to persephone for making it possible, of course.”

“yeah, yeah, you’re a real gift to mankind,” suguru replied, his tone deadpan, but his smile lingered as he took a sip. 

“so what’re you boys talking about? since i can’t be there to hear it firsthand.”

toji shifted, debating on whether or not he wanted to launch into the mess that had been swirling in his head all week. but with the alcohol settling in and gojo’s usual chatter as encouragement, it was hard to hold back. he sighed, resting his elbow on the arm of the chair, looking anywhere but the screen.

“oh, just, y’know… kid stuff.”

gojo raised a brow. “kid stuff? you mean, how megumi’s practically obsessed with y/n?”

“please,” toji groaned, rubbing his temple. “that kid’s dragging her around like she’s his second parent.”

“sounds like he’s got good taste,” suguru noted with a grin, sipping his wine. “and from what you said last week, he’s already planning on keeping her around for life, huh?”

toji shot him a look through the screen, but he knew they were right. megumi was over the moon whenever you came around, from showing off every little toy he owned to making you part of bedtime stories. 

it was adorable, sure, but it made this whole situation way more… intense than he’d signed up for.

“kid talks about her all the time,” toji admitted, swirling his glass again. “like, even his teachers thought she was his mom or something. and she…well, she’s good with him. she’s damn good.” he looked down, a smirk tugging at his lips. “which, believe it or not, i didn’t expect when we first met.”

“ohhh?” gojo leaned in, that smirk of his spreading as he raised a brow. “and you? what did you expect?”

toji glanced away, that hint of a smirk still there, despite himself. “don’t make me say it.”

“oh, we’re making you say it,” gojo teased, sliding another drink his way. “so, you’re saying she’s…wife material?”

suguru nearly choked on his drink, and the way he was watching toji from the screen made it clear he wasn’t missing a second of this.

toji scoffed, taking a gulp to keep from saying anything too embarrassing. “she’s… special. hell, i didn’t plan on getting attached, and yet —” he paused, chuckling almost self-consciously. “i feel like a damn teenager.”

“and here i thought you were the king of nonchalance,” suguru teased, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

“yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” toji muttered, trying to shake it off. 

but the truth was, the second he was alone, he found himself thinking about you, about the way megumi’s face lit up when you were around, the way you just… fit into their little world without even trying. 

it was surreal. 

the damn wine probably didn’t help, either.

gojo slapped him on the back, clearly enjoying this way too much. “well, for what it’s worth,” he said, his voice surprisingly sincere, “megumi deserves someone good. and maybe you do too.”

toji rolled his eyes, but he didn’t bother denying it. if anything, he felt the tiniest glimmer of hope. 

that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t screw this one up.

gojo snickered, his smirk all-knowing as he raised his glass. “i’ve got it,” he said with way too much enthusiasm, the kind he only had when he was on the brink of embarrassing the hell out of someone. “toji, you and y/n could do a joint wedding with suguru and his ‘business partner.’ i mean, if suguru grows a spine and confesses, that is.”

on the other end of the zoom call, suguru’s smirk vanished as fast as it appeared, and he looked away, running a hand through his hair. “not happening,” he muttered, all but glaring at the screen. “it’s… complicated.”

gojo pouted, tilting his head in mock sympathy. “oh, come on. ‘complicated’? it’s not that deep. just throw her some wine, flash that tragic backstory, and she’ll be yours in no time.”

“it’s not that simple,” suguru snapped, though his face softened as he leaned back, sighing. 

“besides, we’re in… limbo, i guess. we’ve had our confessions, but there’s no label. not yet, anyway.”

“awww,” gojo teased, his voice dripping with feigned sympathy. 

“look at us! a bunch of grown men, all hung up on love troubles. what happened to the days when it was just work, money, and some good old-fashioned ego trips?”

“those days are over,” toji grunted, crossing his arms as he glanced at the screen. “but you’d know a thing or two about those ‘ego trips,’ wouldn’t you?”

suguru let out a snort of laughter, finally letting himself relax a little. “and don’t forget ryomen sukuna,” he added, the name alone making everyone groan. “that bastard practically swooped in to turn our business lives upside down and make everything more… interesting. joint venture or not, the guy’s insufferable. he’s like a cat, always hissing and scratching his way to the top.”

gojo laughed, tipping his drink toward the screen. “tell me about it. it’s like everyone has a thorn in their side when it comes to love these days.” 

he smirked, nudging toji. “and you, my friend, are no exception. so when’s the confession, huh? are we waiting on some fairytale moment here?”

toji rolled his eyes, swirling the last of his drink. “i’m not confessing to anyone,” he grumbled. “i’ve got megumi to think about.”

“right, right, megumi,” gojo said, drawing out the name with a grin that was anything but innocent. “and here i thought you liked y/n for yourself.”

“and here i thought you’d shut up at some point tonight,” toji shot back, but his lips betrayed him with a faint, reluctant smirk.

suguru leaned forward, his voice softer. “well, at least megumi’s happy with her around, right? maybe… it’s worth taking a chance.”

toji’s smirk faded, his expression thoughtful. “maybe.”

“see?” gojo beamed, practically giddy. “love is in the air, boys. even for the most stubborn among us.”

suguru shook his head, a smile creeping back onto his face. “well, here’s to complicated feelings and maybe, just maybe, getting them right someday.”

they all raised their glasses, clinking to their shared madness in work, love, and everything in between.

you flopped back on your bed, barely able to keep the grin off your face as you hit the facetime button for shoko. she picked up after a few rings, a cigarette lazily dangling from her fingers, eyebrows raised as she took in your expression.

“uh-oh. what’s got you looking like that?” she asked, smirking.

you let out a giddy little laugh, immediately burying your face in your hands. “shoko, i swear i’m losing it. i’m a grown woman, but i feel like a teenager. it’s embarrassing.”

“this better be good,” she drawled, putting the cigarette to her lips and leaning back, looking every bit the part of the unimpressed but totally-invested best friend.

“okay, okay,” you said, voice dropping to a dramatic whisper. “toji kissed me. twice — by accident, both times. twice, shoko!”

she let out a low whistle, blowing out a plume of smoke. “so the ‘brooding single dad’ finally made his move, huh? you know, twice starts to sound less like an accident and more like he’s got a thing for you.”

you laughed, covering your face with your hands. “oh my god, don’t say that! i can’t even handle it. and he’s just… so close all the time. it’s like every time i turn around, he’s there.”

“that sounds terrible,” she said, rolling her eyes in mock sympathy. “a tall, ridiculously hot single dad, right up in your personal space. how are you surviving?”

you groaned, flopping back dramatically. “it’s not just that! i mean, megumi’s there too, and he’s the cutest kid. he loves me, shoko, i’m actually losing my mind. i feel like i’m part of their lives, and it’s… weirdly nice?”

shoko’s smirk softened a little, her gaze warmer. “sounds like you’re finally finding something real,” she murmured, her voice thoughtful. “i mean, not just with toji, but… you know, with people. gojo insisted you needed someone to keep you on track, but honestly, it sounds like you’re just finding your own way.”

“thank you for not thinking i’m insane,” you muttered, grinning at her.

“please, i’ve been waiting for something juicy like this to pop up in your life,” she replied, flicking some ash into an ashtray with a smirk. “so tell me everything — i want the full rundown on these ‘accidental’ kisses.”

you launched into the details, recounting the flustered stammering, the way you could hardly breathe when he got that close, how you felt like you were in some kind of slow-motion rom-com. shoko didn’t bat an eye, laughing in all the right places, raising her eyebrows at the moments you whispered, and shaking her head whenever you sounded downright ridiculous.

“y’know,” she finally said as you caught your breath, “if this is what being your manager is gonna be like, i might just be here for it. international author and all,” she teased, quoting gojo.

“i’m just glad i have someone who gets it,” you admitted, voice softer. “this is all new to me… the book success, this... love life thing.”

she gave you a small, knowing smile. “well, get used to it. sounds like there’s a lot more coming your way.”

the month flew by in a series of stolen moments that made you feel like you were the protagonist in one of your own novels. 

and, true to his nature, toji somehow managed to sneak in a kiss (or two, or three, but who's counting?) whenever he found you alone at the studio, away from gojo's incessant commentary, the other voice actors, and the wandering eyes of your new manager, shoko ieiri.

you still couldn’t forget that first almost subtle kiss, right outside the recording booth. 

you’d just handed him his revised lines, trying to ignore the way his fingers brushed against yours as he took the pages.

“y’know, you keep handing me all these steamy lines,” he murmured, voice dropping, his mouth way too close to your ear. “someone might think you’re just giving me an excuse.”

“i-it’s for the story,” you stammered, and before you could process it, he leaned down, catching you in a quick, teasing kiss.

“mm. very convincing.” he smirked, straightening just as someone walked by.

“toji!” you hissed, glancing around like a guilty teenager.

“what? i thought it’d help with the performance.” he gave you a half-shrug, that lazy grin of his making your pulse jump. “gotta sell the romance, right?”

then there was the time in the elevator after one of his late recording sessions. you’d been babbling about something mundane, trying to fill the quiet, but he wasn’t paying attention to your words; instead, he just watched your mouth. 

before you knew it, the doors slid closed, and he had you pressed against the mirrored wall, his mouth on yours, hands braced on either side of your head.

“you know,” you whispered breathlessly when you finally broke apart, “if shoko sees us, she’s gonna kill me.”

“good thing we’re alone then,” he murmured, not bothering to step back, his eyes dropping to your lips. “wouldn’t want her thinking you’re getting… distracted on the job.”

“me?” you managed, swallowing a laugh. “you’re the one who can’t keep his hands to himself!”

“maybe i’ll try harder,” he whispered, brushing his thumb along your jaw in a way that felt anything but apologetic. “or maybe i won’t.”

of course, he didn’t. 

the next week, you’d been huddled over a script in the empty break room, reviewing edits from gojo. you barely heard him come in before he slipped up behind you, one hand casually planted on the table as he leaned over your shoulder.

“need any help with those lines?” he asked, voice low, right against your ear.

you barely suppressed a shiver, trying to focus on the paper in your hands. “i, uh… no. no, i think i’ve got it.”

“you sure?” he murmured, lips grazing your ear this time. “because i think i could add a little… flair.”

you turned, and his face was right there, too close to pretend this was anything but what it was. 

before you could tell him off, he closed the gap, kissing you slow and deep, like he had all the time in the world.

“toji,” you finally managed, pulling away, your face burning. “we are at work!”

he shrugged, utterly unbothered. “yeah, but no one’s around, are they?”

you glared, trying to look serious, but he just leaned back, smirking. “besides, i’d say that counts as research.”

“research?”

he grinned, eyes twinkling with a playful light. “gotta stay in character, right?”

every encounter was a tug-of-war between professionalism and… whatever this was. you couldn’t deny you looked forward to the thrill of these secret kisses, even though you spent half your day looking over your shoulder, waiting for shoko to round a corner and catch you in the act.

toji, on the other hand, was infuriatingly nonchalant. like he didn’t care if anyone saw — like he almost wanted to be caught. and he never missed an opportunity to remind you of that.

“so, what’ll it be?” he asked one afternoon as you tried to dodge his latest attempt in the hallway. “you gonna keep hiding from me? or are you finally gonna admit you like it?”

“i’m not hiding,” you replied, trying to ignore the heat rising in your cheeks.

he laughed softly, the sound low and warm. “you’re a terrible liar.”

just then, footsteps echoed from around the corner. you froze, but toji just gave you one last teasing look and walked off, as if nothing had happened.

and maybe that was the worst part — no matter how many times he pulled you in, kissed you breathless, he could just walk away, leaving you wondering if you’d imagined it all.

toji fushiguro, love-struck fool of the century. 

and he hated it. 

he’d scoffed his way through plenty of rom-coms, rolling his eyes at any lovesick protagonist with that stupid, half-dazed smile, lips still parted like they’d just been kissed breathless. 

he never thought he’d be one of them. yet here he was, pacing around his apartment, occasionally touching his lips like some starry-eyed teenager.

“you’re acting like a damn idiot,” he muttered to himself, brushing a hand through his hair, but even that couldn’t erase the lovesick grin creeping onto his face. he barely noticed his phone buzzing with the weekly roster of sugar mamas and daddies, all waiting for their weekly breadcrumb texts from him. hell, he even felt guilty about it now. 

because compared to you? they didn’t stand a chance.

case in point: a text popped up from mona, the one who liked to send him extravagant gifts just for existing.

mona [7:40 pm]: missed u this week. dinner on friday, baby?

toji squinted at the message, thumb hovering over the keyboard, debating if he should even respond. yeah, he probably should. he sighed, cracking his knuckles before halfheartedly typing out a response.

you [7:45 pm]: kinda busy friday. rain check?

there. short and sweet. 

in a past life, he would’ve at least flirted his way out of it. 

but now? he couldn’t muster up anything more. 

god, you’ve got it bad, he thought, half-annoyed at himself as he imagined the smirk gojo would throw his way if he ever found out about this pathetic show of loyalty.

and speaking of the devil —

“toooji!” gojo sang as he slid into the studio the next day, obnoxiously loud.

“man, you’ve been… awfully serious lately. not a single call from mona? or was it alicia? both?”

toji barely glanced up, trying to keep his face as neutral as possible. “i’ve been busy. work.”

“work,” gojo echoed, eyes narrowing with a knowing gleam. “right. and what kind of work are we talking about? the kind that comes with a certain… author’s name attached?”

toji’s lip twitched, but he ignored him. he figured the less he reacted, the less ammo gojo would have.

“oh, come on!” gojo crowed, leaning over the soundboard with an irritating grin. “you really think i haven’t noticed? the lingering looks, the way you sneak off for like ten minutes every time she’s around. you’re a mess, toji.”

toji rolled his eyes, folding his arms across his chest. “i’m not a damn kid, satoru.”

“coulda fooled me,” gojo teased. “god, you look like you’re on the verge of a love confession every time i see you two. why not just go full rom-com mode and declare it in the rain or something?”

“shut your damn mouth,” toji muttered, feeling his ears heat. 

the idea had crossed his mind. he thought about it every damn time he saw you smile or catch his eye across the studio. 

and it was driving him insane.

“speaking of confessions,” gojo continued, not missing a beat, “heard you’ve been turning down… basically everyone these days. sugar mamas, sugar daddies — wow, your self-control’s really kicked in.”

toji groaned, half in frustration, half in something else. it was true. he hadn’t even looked at his inbox in days. 

just not interested, he’d told himself, ignoring how pathetic that sounded.

“oh, oh, oh, don’t tell me…” gojo grinned, the realization dawning on his face. “you’ve gone monogamous, haven’t you?” he snorted. 

“god, you’re whipped.”

“i’ll let you live if you shut up now.”

gojo snickered, unbothered. “what? i’m just giving you some friendly advice, toji. tell her already. do the whole romantic declaration thing. maybe some roses. oh, or better yet, just kiss her the way you keep fantasizing about.”

toji rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “fantasizing, right.”

“admit it, you’re lovesick,” gojo replied with a smirk. “how’s that feel, big guy?”

just then, his phone buzzed again, and he glanced down to see a new message from larry, one of his sugar daddies.

larry: fancy a weekend trip? all expenses on me, baby ;)

toji groaned and quickly sent back a “no thanks, busy,” before slipping his phone away. he looked up to find gojo staring at him, practically vibrating with amusement.

“see? whipped!” gojo announced, loud enough for half the floor to hear.

“keep it down,” toji growled, but he couldn’t keep the ghost of a smile off his face. he knew gojo was right, even if he hated admitting it. he was done pretending it wasn’t true. 

hell, he could barely go an hour without wanting to text you, wanting to see you.

“you don’t get it,” toji said, more to himself than gojo. “she’s… different.”

“oh, i bet she is,” gojo said, nodding like he understood. “now, are you gonna be an idiot and keep pouting like you’ve got something to say? or are you gonna tell her?”

toji didn’t answer, just glared at him before heading for the studio door. but he knew gojo was right. 

he’d run out of excuses, out of distractions. maybe it was time he did something about this ridiculous crush.

as he walked out, he could practically hear gojo’s smirk follow him. 

great.

toji could barely keep his heart from jumping out of his chest as he slipped the little origami ring into your hand, all smooth-like, muttering, “megumi made it for you.” 

but even as he said it, he could feel the heat creeping up his neck, knowing damn well it was mostly his work.

he’d sat down with megumi, who, after a long day of being “helpful,” had finally agreed to show him how to fold paper into something that resembled a ring. and it hadn’t exactly been easy.

“so, kiddo,” toji had started, fidgeting with the corner of a bright blue square of paper. “think you can show me how to, uh… fold this thing into a ring? for… you know… someone.”

megumi squinted up at him, hands on his hips like a pint-sized supervisor. “for her, right?”

toji cleared his throat, looking away. “yeah. something like that.”

megumi snorted, already getting a bit too wise for his age. “you don’t even know how to fold paper, daddy?”

toji groaned. “it’s harder than it looks, alright? just show me how you do it.”

the kid just shook his head, exasperated, but started showing him each fold with careful, precise fingers. they worked through a couple attempts, most of which looked nothing like rings and ended up in the growing pile of crumpled paper on the table. 

it was late, and toji couldn’t remember the last time he’d concentrated this hard on something so… simple. why the hell am i doing this? he thought, glancing at the clock. 

he had work in a few hours, a whole recording schedule to plan for, and yet here he was, folding paper with his son.

“think she’ll like it?” toji asked, holding up one of the finished attempts.

megumi shrugged, but he looked oddly serious as he studied the makeshift ring. “i think she will. ‘cause it’s from you.”

something in toji’s chest squeezed at that, and he clapped a hand on megumi’s shoulder. “don’t go telling anyone about this, alright? not even your uncle gojo. especially not him.”

“why?” megumi asked, genuinely curious.

“because he’ll never let me hear the end of it,” toji muttered, trying to ignore how ridiculous he sounded even to himself. 

yeah, making a paper ring at one in the morning for someone? absolutely insane, but he couldn’t shake the thrill of it, of imagining you smiling when he handed it over.

so, fast-forward to now: the ring was in your hand, your fingers slowly unfolding to reveal it. you glanced up at him, eyes soft with a mix of confusion and surprise, and damn if he didn’t feel his heart do a backflip right then and there.

“he… made this for me?” you asked, voice quiet, almost disbelieving.

“yeah,” toji replied, trying to sound casual but failing spectacularly. “thought you’d like it.” 

he rubbed the back of his neck, fighting the urge to look anywhere but at you, but he couldn’t resist sneaking a glance at your reaction.

you turned the ring over in your hand, a small smile tugging at your lips. “you sure it was megumi who made this?”

his throat went dry. “uh… mostly,” he admitted, feeling that warmth creeping up his neck again. “i might’ve… helped a little.”

“a little, huh?” you teased, eyes sparkling as you slipped the ring onto your finger. “so, is this, like… an official thing now? sealing the deal or whatever?”

toji felt his mouth go dry, a mixture of nerves and excitement coursing through him. 

he hadn’t planned on this meaning anything official — well, maybe he had, but he hadn’t exactly thought it through. 

yet seeing you wearing it, even if it was just a silly piece of folded paper, felt… right.

he shrugged, trying to keep his voice steady. “just thought you deserved somethin’ nice,” he said gruffly. “even if it’s… you know, paper.”

your fingers brushed his, a soft, barely-there touch, and he swore his heart skipped a beat. “i think it’s perfect, toji. no one’s ever… done something like this for me before.”

he felt his chest tighten, the weight of everything he wanted to say pressing against his ribcage. 

all those dumb, sappy things he’d been feeling lately, the way he couldn’t stop thinking about you, the way he felt like a lovesick idiot every time you smiled at him. but he couldn’t bring himself to say any of it, not yet. 

so instead, he settled for squeezing your hand, his thumb tracing a soft circle over your knuckles.

“good,” he mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper. “’cause i don’t think i could stand it if you didn’t like it.”

you laughed softly, leaning into him, and he swore he felt the world narrow down to just the two of you, the faint rustle of the paper ring against your finger.

“guess i’ll have to keep it safe then, huh?” you murmured, looking up at him with that smile that made his heart do all kinds of dumb things.

“yeah,” he replied, voice low, unable to stop himself from leaning down to press a soft kiss to your lips. “yeah, you do.”

toji’s eyes nearly pop out of his head when he spots you at the office, that damn paper ring dangling from your phone charm. his paper ring — okay, technically megumi’s paper ring, but still, the one he’d folded with his own hands. he’d thought you might just tuck it away in a drawer or something. 

but here you were, letting it swing around proudly like some priceless gem. he’s not gonna lie — his heart just about catapults itself out of his chest.

he’s doing his best to keep his cool, but the urge to grab you right then and there, haul you over to a quiet corner, and ask you out on a real date feels stronger than ever. propose even. 

god, if he wasn’t too far gone already.

“what’s that little add-on?” gojo’s smug voice cuts through the air, and you laugh, holding up your phone so the charm dangles freely. gojo squints, pretending he’s inspecting it, but there’s a glint in his eye. “who’s the secret admirer, huh? must be a serious romantic to give you something… hand-crafted.”

you shrug, grinning a little too wide. “oh, just… something someone special made for me.”

toji’s face heats up, and he tries to look busy adjusting his microphone levels. 

dammit, did you have to say it like that? he catches gojo’s gaze lingering on him, eyebrows raised. 

oh, he’s got an idea all right.

“hm, special someone?” gojo teases, nudging you, then pretending to look around the room as if your admirer might jump out from behind the studio wall. “wonder who that could be, huh?”

you shrug, pretending like it’s nothing, though you shoot a sly glance in toji’s direction. “maybe he’ll make a move someday. he’s pretty bold but… you know, takes his time.”

toji’s pulse hammers away like a damn drumline, and he clears his throat, trying to sound nonchalant. “yeah, maybe he’s just… tryin’ to find the right time or somethin’.”

“aww,” gojo coos, looking between you and toji with a mischievous smile. “poor guy. wonder if he knows he’s got competition. think he can handle it?”

toji rolls his eyes, shooting gojo a glare. “ain’t nobody competin’,” he says, voice low but firm. “whoever this guy is… he’s got it handled.”

you laugh softly, the sound filling the room, and you hold up the charm, letting it dangle right in front of him as if it’s some sort of challenge. “think he’s ready to seal the deal?”

toji’s gaze flickers to the paper ring, then to you, and suddenly he feels this overwhelming urge to just… go for it. 

he could give you a real ring, sure, someday maybe, but there’s something about this little thing you’ve turned into a charm that makes it feel so much… bigger.

“actually…” he mutters, feeling heat crawl up his neck. “i was thinkin’… maybe i could take you out this weekend. just us.” he looks at you, eyes intent, and there’s a rare seriousness in his voice. “someplace nice. no studio, no interruptions.”

you blink, clearly a bit surprised, but your smile grows, softer now, almost shy. 

“are you asking me out, toji?”

he shrugs, feigning nonchalance but failing miserably. “yeah. maybe… maybe i am.” he reaches out, tugging the charm lightly, letting it dangle between you. “figured it was about time we took this thing seriously.”

gojo bursts into laughter, clapping his hands. “ohhh, i knew it! all this sneaking around, and here you are, finally getting down on one knee — metaphorically, of course.”

you nudge gojo, laughing. “shut it, satoru.”

but toji doesn’t even hear gojo’s teasing anymore. all he sees is you, with that damn paper ring swinging from your phone, smiling at him in a way that makes his chest feel tight. 

and suddenly, the idea of getting down on one knee doesn’t seem all that far-fetched after all.

“so… this weekend?” he asks, his voice a little softer now, just for you.

you nod, still beaming. “this weekend,” you confirm.

toji, scrolling through your message with a slight frown, reads your rain check about having to edit your book draft instead of going out this weekend. 

he's in the middle of what can only be called a hurricane of preparation — megumi is zipping around the house, declaring he’ll help his dad look “very handsome” for his “playdate with the pretty lady.” in the midst of this, toji can’t even get a word in to explain that, uh, the plans may be changing.

princess [7:08 pm]: hey! i am SO sorry, but i may have to rain check today. i really thought i’d finish up the first draft of the dragon king’s sequel. but i got so behind, and now i have to edit this whole thing </3 you [7:09 pm]: can’t believe my competition is a bunch of words on a page, but…i get it.  you [7:09 pm]: any chance you could still use some company for that “editing?”

he’s barely finished typing his message when megumi tugs at his shirt, holding up a navy button-down that practically drags on the floor.

“isn’t this the one she likes, dad? wear this!” he says with a look that might as well be called “fushiguro persuasion.” toji chuckles, ruffling megumi’s hair.

“hey, buddy,” he says, crouching down to megumi’s level. “plans changed a little. she’s gotta work, so i’m going over there instead, alright?”

megumi narrows his eyes in the way only an eight-year-old can. “so... no fancy date?”

“nah, kid,” toji says, trying to sound casual as he rolls up his sleeves. “i’m just gonna keep her company while she works.”

megumi grins, a mischievous glint in his eye. “so like, a home date?” he asks, with all the implications an eight-year-old can muster.

toji chuckles, ruffling his son’s hair. “something like that.” he gives megumi a quick fist bump. “hold down the fort for me, alright? i’ll be back before bedtime.”

and with that, he heads out, his heart pounding just a little too fast for his own liking. he’s ready to face you with a low-key offer: if you’ll allow it, he’ll stay in for a “working date” and keep you company, just the two of you, with no plans other than being there.

toji ^.^ [7:15 pm]: well, what if the mountain comes to you instead of you coming to the mountain? i’ll bring snacks and stay out of your way. i’ll even help you proofread if you need it.

your heart nearly stops when you see toji’s message, and you almost drop your phone… straight into your bowl of instant noodles. 

he wants to come over? to your place? 

you glance around your apartment, and it’s a scene straight out of a disaster movie.

there’s a pile of bills stacked haphazardly on the coffee table, all of which you’re waiting for shoko to graciously come sort through for you. right next to it is a mountain of pr packages you haven’t had a chance to open — typewriters from some luxury brand, fountain pens with gold-tipped nibs, notebooks wrapped in satin, and… is that your favorite set of lingerie drying on top of the lampshade?

“oh, god.”

you glance at the time and frantically calculate: how long would it take to clear at least half of this mess? 

no, scratch that. how long would it take to get yourself presentable? you rush to your room, tossing things left and right in an attempt to find something clean and comfortable, feeling your face heat up just imagining toji seeing your place like this.

you [7:17 pm]: are you sure you wanna come over? i’m warning you. it’s, uh, very lived-in here. toji ^.^ [7:20 pm]: hey, i’m not gonna judge. besides, how bad can it be?

you stare at his reply, chewing on your lip, and quickly text back.

you [7:21 pm]: imagine a tornado hit a bookstore you [7:21 pm]: and a clothing store you [7:21 pm]: and, maybe a warehouse full of typewriters and fountain pens. toji ^.^ [7:23 pm]: you know what? sounds cozy. i’ll bring some snacks and maybe a cleaning crew if necessary 😂

the doorbell rings before you could even realise, and your heart nearly leaps out of your chest. 

you’ve got a solid three seconds to take it all in: you’re wearing a three-day-old shirt that, if you recall correctly, was originally your dad’s from the 80s, your hair’s in a bun so messy it might as well be a bird’s nest, and there are bags of trash you’ve hastily crammed into every drawer within reach.

there’s no hiding the pile of unopened pr packages by the couch, though — one of which has a half-torn label boasting a “vintage, limited-edition typewriter experience.” right next to that, there’s a fancy pen set, still in its plastic wrap, resting on top of… is that a stack of half-eaten takeout containers? 

oh, god. why couldn’t you have had a warning before he showed up?

you take a shaky breath and yank the door open, plastering a smile on your face as if this is all completely normal.

"hey," toji says, looking you up and down with an easy grin. “lookin’ cozy.”

“uh... thanks?” you blurt out, mentally slapping yourself. cozy was definitely one way to put it. 

“come on in. sorry about the… ambiance. i wasn’t really expecting to have a, uh, guest.”

you step back, and he strides in, immediately taking in the organized chaos that is your apartment. his eyes linger on the tower of pr boxes and that unmistakable stack of overdue bills. he whistles low under his breath, clearly trying not to laugh.

"so, this is the writer life, huh?" he asks, picking up a typewriter package with a raised eyebrow. "fancy stuff. do you, uh… actually use any of this?”

“i try,” you mumble, crossing your arms defensively, though you can’t help smiling. “but the whole ‘starving artist’ vibe means these typewriters just end up as very expensive paperweights. which, ironically, i can’t even afford.”

toji laughs, setting the box down before glancing around again. his gaze falls on the lampshade, where your black lace lingerie is very prominently draped. you feel your face go hot as he smirks.

“i like the decor,” he says, nodding toward the lingerie with a wicked grin.

“oh, my god,” you groan, covering your face. “listen, i was not expecting company today, so please, feel free to avert your eyes.”

"nah, i think it's got… character," he teases, leaning in just a little too close. “besides, i don’t mind a little mess.”

"well, great, because this is as real as it gets," you reply, huffing as you try to look anywhere but at him. "you’re in the trenches now, toji.”

he chuckles, moving to pick up a crumpled, half-empty bag of chips from the couch. "hey, trenches i can handle. i’ve got an eight-year-old at home, remember? my place is an organized war zone on a good day."

you snort, still feeling a bit mortified. “and here i was thinking i could at least fake having my life together in front of you.”

“oh, please,” he says, brushing a stray hair from your cheek. “you should’ve seen me back in college. this? this is nothing. plus,” he adds, his voice dropping slightly, “it’s kind of… cute.”

cute. did he actually just call your disaster zone cute?

before you can respond, he grabs one of the unopened PR boxes and raises an eyebrow. “so, what’s in this one? wanna have an impromptu unboxing?”

“toji, i swear if you open that —”

“c’mon,” he says, grinning as he peels the tape back. “think of it as the highlight of our first ‘official’ homebody date.”

you shake your head, both amused and exasperated, watching him fish out an overly ornate fountain pen, which he holds up like it’s the holy grail.

“look at this thing,” he says, turning it over with a smirk. “you could probably sign million-dollar deals with this alone.”

“or, you know, sign off on all my overdue bills.” you laugh, unable to stay embarrassed. “go on, add it to the pile. it’s practically a landfill at this point.”

he laughs, setting the pen down and stepping closer, his voice low. “listen, i get it. my place might not have bills stacked up, but it’s full of… reminders that i’m a work in progress too.”

you glance up at him, and suddenly, all the embarrassment melts away. you’re in your messy apartment, standing in an ancient t-shirt with this man who’s managed to turn your chaotic night into something unexpectedly comforting.

"thanks for not… judging," you say softly, feeling yourself relax for the first time since he walked in. “i know i’m not exactly put together, but —”

“hey.” he cups your face with a gentle smile. “don’t worry about it. you’re perfect like this. messy, comfy, real.”

before you can stop yourself, you lean in, and he meets you halfway, his lips brushing softly against yours. it’s not hurried, not desperate. just… perfect.

it hits you about a second too late — you’re kissing toji in the middle of your apartment, clutching a bag of trash. oh god, and it reeks of stale mountain dew and monster. 

classy.

you pull back with a mortified look, though toji’s face is the exact opposite, his smirk spreading like he’s just unlocked a secret treasure.

“don’t stop now,” he murmurs, glancing down at the offending trash bag in your hand. “but, uh… maybe lose that first?”

“yeah, i think we’re past the first-date mystique at this point,” you mutter, feeling your face heat up as you chuck the bag towards the corner, praying it’s out of sight enough to ignore.

“oh, yeah, you’re really blowing my mind here,” he teases, chuckling as he takes in the apartment around you. “all the caffeine fumes, that questionable takeout smell. smells like home already.”

“oh, shut up,” you laugh, covering your face, because this man is about two seconds from making you combust. “i’m surprised you even wanted to stay for dinner after walking into this disaster.”

“well,” he says, trying and failing to look innocent, “you haven’t seen the other disaster i brought.”

you raise an eyebrow as he gestures to the counter, where multiple takeout bags are somehow all stacked up.

“toji, what is all this?” you blink, shuffling over to the spread.

“look,” he says, scratching the back of his neck. “i couldn’t decide what you’d like, so i just… went with options.”

options is a gross understatement. 

there’s a bag from the local thai place with an array of curries and pad see ew, another filled with boxes of sushi, and an entire tray of tacos, complete with mini bottles of hot sauce. you spot a large pizza box (of course), and is that… baklava?

“uh, toji? are we feeding a small country tonight?” you laugh, bewildered. “what were you thinking?”

“honestly? wasn’t thinking. just grabbed whatever looked good,” he says, giving you a sheepish grin. “but c’mon, if you don’t like one thing, there’s a million others.”

you give him a look, half-amused, half-exasperated, but it’s endearing in a way only toji could pull off. who even does this?

“i mean, don’t get me wrong,” you say, nudging a pizza box to make space for the taco tray, “i’m glad you thought of all the options, but… what exactly were you planning for us to do with all this?”

he shrugs, coming up beside you to open one of the sushi boxes. “eat as much as we want, throw the rest in the fridge. ‘course, that’s only if you’re not gonna make me eat it all myself.”

you snort, imagining him single-handedly tackling all of it. “if you can handle it, be my guest.”

he leans in close, voice dropping to a rough whisper. “oh, i can handle it.”

you roll your eyes, but you’re grinning like an idiot. “god, you’re impossible.”

“hey, you invited me over,” he says, opening a little container of wasabi and gesturing for you to try a piece of sushi. 

“besides, i figured it’s a good way to cover all bases. what if you didn’t like tacos? or pizza? or… god forbid, baklava?”

you can’t help laughing as you pop the sushi in your mouth, appreciating the deliciously over-the-top effort he put into this. “for the record, i love all of it. but you, on the other hand, have a questionable appetite if you thought this much food for two people was necessary.”

“trust me, if this is what it takes to keep you happy, i’ll bring twice as much next time,” he says, dead serious.

“oh no, please, i don’t think i can handle that.” you give him a look, incredulous. “i’ll end up eating myself into a food coma, and then what? you gonna carry me to bed?”

“well,” he says, leaning in again with a devilish grin, “i wouldn’t mind. but i was thinkin’ more along the lines of a movie marathon to work off the calories.”

“movie marathon and food coma?” you raise an eyebrow. “toji, you’re dangerously close to making this a slumber party.”

he shrugs, his face playful but there’s something softer in his eyes. “would that be the worst thing?”

you feel a flutter in your chest, something that almost surprises you with how much it settles you. here he is, surrounded by mountains of takeout and your chaotic apartment mess, looking like this is exactly where he wants to be. 

it’s… kinda nice.

“alright,” you say, nudging him with your elbow. “you win. let’s have the weirdest, most food-filled homebody date ever. just, uh, ignore the mess. and don’t laugh at me if i pass out halfway through a movie.”

“promise.” he raises a hand, eyes glinting with humor. “cross my heart.”

the two of you start to dig in, laughing as you make jokes about how this is probably the strangest spread of food you’ve ever seen. every now and then, he’ll steal a quick kiss when he thinks he can get away with it, and you’re reminded just how much this man has wormed his way under your skin.

you’ve got no idea where this is going, but, staring at his smirk as he attempts to down an entire taco in one bite, you kinda hope it’s somewhere good.

the two of you stand side by side at the sink, the remnants of your feast sprawled across the counter. you’re scrubbing a particularly stubborn pan when you decide it’s the perfect time to hand toji the aux.

“alright, mister fancy chef,” you say, smirking as you pass him your phone. “you get to choose the soundtrack for our post-dinner clean-up. no pressure.”

“oh, no pressure at all,” he deadpans, scrolling through your playlist. you catch a glimpse of the mischievous grin creeping onto his face as he lands on an old favorite.

the unmistakable intro of dancing queen by abba fills the kitchen, and your mouth drops open in disbelief. 

“seriously? this? right now?” you laugh, a mix of amusement and embarrassment bubbling inside you.

“hey, don’t knock it till you try it!” he shoots back, raising his hands as if to defend his choice. “it’s a classic. plus, it takes me back to that night at the bar when you were all... well, you.”

you roll your eyes, but you can’t help the smile that creeps onto your face. “i was a mess.”

“yeah, but you were a cute mess.” he chuckles, and you feel the heat rise in your cheeks at the compliment.

as the upbeat tune plays on, you both start washing the dishes, swaying your hips to the rhythm. 

“you can dance, you can jive…” the lyrics echo through the air, and toji’s energy pulls you in. 

you catch him glancing at you with that smirk again, and the way his eyes light up makes your stomach flutter.

“just imagine,” he says, a teasing glint in his eye, “the two of us back at that bar. you, all over the place, and me just trying to figure out how to survive the night.”

you laugh, feeling nostalgic. “yeah, and then i somehow managed to puke all over your shoes.”

“my favorite shoes,” he says dramatically, rolling his eyes, but there’s a playful warmth in his tone. “but, honestly? worth it.”

the song builds, and you’re both lost in the moment, laughter and soap suds flying everywhere.

“see that girl, watch that scene…”

“how did we go from that night to this?” you ponder aloud, glancing at him. “i mean, here we are, washing dishes and dancing to abba.”

“it’s an upgrade he says, giving you a lopsided grin. “you know, from drunken disasters to… kitchen romance.”

“romance?” you raise an eyebrow, challenging him.

“oh, come on,” he says, stepping closer, the teasing slipping away from his tone. “there’s definitely something romantic about this. a pair of idiots like us, sharing this weird, beautiful mess.”

you can’t help but blush, your heart racing as you take in the way his gaze lingers on your lips. “digging the dancing queen…”

“you know, if this song gets stuck in my head, i’m blaming you,” you quip, trying to deflect the intensity of the moment.

“good luck with that,” he chuckles, moving even closer, the space between you almost nonexistent now. 

“night is young and the music’s high…”

his fingers brush against yours, the innocent touch sending sparks up your arm. the beat continues, your breaths getting heavier as the song builds up to the chorus. 

“dancing queen, feel the beat of the tambourine…”

you’re both staring at each other, and suddenly, the kitchen feels too small, too charged with the electricity of the moment.

“toji…” you start, but the words die on your lips as he leans in, his intent clear.

“just one kiss,” he murmurs, the corner of his mouth lifting in a seductive smile. “for old time’s sake.”

before you can reply, he closes the gap, his lips capturing yours with a gentle yet insistent pressure. 

it’s like a scene from a movie — the soft warmth of his mouth against yours, the playful scent of the takeout wafting around you, the soft glow of the kitchen light illuminating his features.

you melt into him, heart racing as you kiss him back, losing yourself in the moment. the lyrics of the song seem to fade into the background, leaving just the two of you — the world outside disappearing entirely. 

when you finally pull away, both of you breathless, there’s a glint of something deeper in his eyes. 

“wow,” he breathes, still holding your gaze. “i think i like this new tradition.”

you chuckle, still buzzing from the kiss. “yeah, who knew washing dishes could be so… eventful?”

“well,” he says, leaning in closer again, voice low and teasing, “we haven’t even finished the song yet. you ready for round two?”

you’re half-dazed, your heart racing as you sit on the kitchen counter, toji’s arms caging you in, keeping you close. dancing queen continues to play in the background, but all you can focus on is the warmth radiating from him and the way his breath mingles with yours.

“you have got to stop making these kisses a regular thing,” you tease, half-heartedly trying to sound serious, but the playful glint in your eyes gives you away.

“especially when i’m propped up on my kitchen counter like this,” you add, trying to maintain some semblance of decorum, but you can’t help but smile as you wrap your legs around his waist, pulling him in closer.

“liar,” he laughs, a low rumble that sends a thrill through you. “if you didn’t like it, you would have pushed me away, not this.” he gestures to your legs around him, grinning like the cat that got the cream.

you roll your eyes, but you can’t hide the warmth spreading through your cheeks. “okay, fine. maybe i’m a little into it,” you admit, and his grin widens, satisfaction dancing in his eyes.

“a little?” he echoes, raising an eyebrow, his hands tightening around your waist. “you’re a whole lot more than a little, and you know it.”

the cheeky banter flows easily between you, and as you gaze into his eyes, you realize just how much you’ve come to enjoy this — the closeness, the warmth, the undeniable chemistry crackling in the air.

“you know, it’s a bit unfair,” you say, tilting your head back slightly to meet his gaze. “here i’m trying to be responsible and not let you distract me, and yet…” you trail off, your fingers playing with the collar of his shirt.

“and yet,” he finishes, leaning in slightly, his breath warm against your skin. “here i am, being irresistible.”

“definitely not irresistible,” you say, feigning indignation. but the way your heart races gives you away again.

“oh, come on,” he smirks, tilting his head slightly. “who else do you know can kiss you while washing dishes?”

you laugh, shaking your head, and the movement sends a wave of giddiness through both of you. “you might be right about that one,” you concede, biting your lip.

the song transitions into another upbeat section, and toji shifts his weight slightly, nudging your legs apart just enough to step closer, creating a tighter cocoon of warmth between you. 

“so, what now?” he asks, his voice dropping an octave, the playful tone replaced with something more serious, more intimate.

“what now?” you echo, feeling the tension shift slightly, the air thick with possibilities. “we could, um… finish washing dishes?”

“how boring,” he murmurs, and before you can say anything else, he dips his head down, capturing your lips again in a slow, lingering kiss that makes your head spin.

this kiss is different — softer, more explorative, as if he’s savoring the moment, the taste of you lingering on his lips. you respond eagerly, forgetting all about the dishes, the mess, everything else fading away until it’s just the two of you.

when you finally break apart, breathless, he grins down at you, that charming smirk making your heart flutter. “that’s what i’m talking about,” he says, a satisfied gleam in his eyes.

“toji, we really should —”

“don’t say it,” he interrupts, shaking his head with an exaggerated look of horror. 

“don’t ruin the moment with responsibility. just… let’s enjoy this.”

you can’t help but laugh again, the tension between you easing as you lean back against the countertop, your heart racing in a way that feels undeniably good.

“enjoying this, huh?” you murmur, running your fingers through your hair, still feeling the heat of his body against yours.

“yeah,” he replies, that charming smile still plastered on his face. “just two people enjoying a perfectly normal evening — you know, singing abba, eating takeout, and making out in your messy kitchen.”

“the most normal thing ever,” you agree, rolling your eyes, but you can’t suppress the smile that breaks across your face.

“so,” he says, tilting his head, his expression turning slightly more serious. “how about we make this a regular thing? you know, minus the messy kitchen. maybe my place next time?”

your heart skips a beat at the suggestion, and you find yourself nodding before you can think twice. “yeah, i’d like that.”

“great,” he says, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “but for now, let’s get back to the dishes, dancing queen.”

“fine, but only if you promise to keep playing abba,” you reply, giving him a mock-serious look.

“deal,” he chuckles, and as you both start scrubbing the remaining dishes, the music playing softly in the background, you realize you wouldn’t trade this moment for anything.

toji walks into his house, the dopey grin plastered across his face like he just won the lottery. 

his heart feels light, still buzzing from the night with you, and he’s practically floating as he kicks off his shoes and heads to the living room. 

he stops dead in his tracks when he sees gojo sprawled on the couch, a half-empty bottle of whiskey in one hand and a look of sheer mischief on his face.

“what the hell are you doing here?” toji asks, trying to sound annoyed but failing miserably as he can’t help but grin back.

gojo lifts the bottle in a mock toast. “just your friendly neighborhood babysitter, here to keep an eye on megumi,” he says, glancing over to where megumi is sound asleep, sprawled on the floor with a gaming console still clutched in his tiny hands. “figured i’d check out your bar situation while i was at it.” he gestures to the empty bottles lined up on the table. “you know, for quality control.”

toji rolls his eyes but can’t suppress the chuckle escaping his lips. “you’re a real piece of work, you know that?” he says, moving closer.

gojo leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees, a grin spreading across his face as he studies toji’s expression. “but seriously, you look like you just got off cloud nine. spill. what happened?”

toji’s grin widens even more, and he can’t help but let out a little giggle, feeling giddy. “you’re not gonna believe this,” he starts, plopping down on the couch next to gojo, who leans in closer, eager for the details. 

“it was… well, it was amazing.”

“amazing? now you’re really making me curious!” gojo presses, his eyes sparkling with interest. “tell me everything! every little detail!”

toji glances back towards the sleeping megumi, suddenly feeling a bit shy about sharing all the intimate details. “okay, okay. so, we were just supposed to have dinner, but it turned into this whole thing.”

“dinner? boooring. give me the juicy stuff!” gojo teases, waving his hand dramatically. “i want the scandalous details! were there kisses involved?”

toji feels his cheeks flush, and he can’t help but laugh at how ridiculous this all feels. “yeah, there were some kisses… and then we ended up washing dishes together, and somehow —”

“washing dishes? how romantic!” gojo interrupts, dramatically placing a hand on his chest as if he’s been mortally wounded. “you’re a true romantic, toji.”

“shut up!” toji retorts, laughing harder now. “but it was nice, okay? we were just… comfortable with each other, you know? and then we ended up kissing while the song was playing.”

“which song? was it a love song? was it dancing queen?” gojo leans in closer, eyes wide with excitement. “tell me you two were blasting abba and getting all lovey-dovey!”

“yeah, actually!” toji can’t help but laugh again, the memory flooding back. “we were. it was so ridiculous, but it felt so right at that moment.”

“ridiculous how?” gojo presses, leaning back with a smirk. “were you two dancing around the kitchen like a couple of high-schoolers?”

“pretty much,” toji admits, a sheepish grin crossing his face. “i mean, it just happened, and i couldn’t help myself. i’ve never felt like this before.”

gojo raises an eyebrow, leaning back with a knowing smirk. “so, what you’re saying is that you’re head over heels for y/n? you’ve gone soft on us, toji.”

“yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” toji says, trying to sound annoyed but failing as he can’t help but feel giddy about it all. “but i think this is different. she makes me feel… i don’t know, like i’m actually living instead of just existing?”

gojo’s expression softens slightly, nodding in understanding. “that’s deep, man. i’m genuinely happy for you. but seriously, how did you go from makeouts to dinner to feelings so fast?”

“honestly? i have no idea,” toji shrugs, still riding that high. “but it just felt natural. like we were meant to do this.”

gojo is quiet for a moment, taking a swig from the bottle. 

“damn, it sounds like you really like her.”

“like? it’s more than that, i think,” toji admits, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “i’ve never let myself feel this way about anyone, and now i can’t stop smiling like an idiot.”

“good. you should let yourself feel,” gojo says, his tone lightening again. 

“just don’t forget you’re still my bro and not some mushy romantic lead in a romcom.”

toji snorts. “right, because i’m so good at playing it cool.”

“exactly,” gojo grins. “now, what’s the next step in this romance novel? are you going to take her out on an official date, or are you just going to keep sneaking kisses in her kitchen?”

toji thinks for a moment, that dopey grin returning. 

“i want to take her out. something special. not just a random dinner but a real date.”

“awww, look at you being all suave!” gojo teases, clapping him on the shoulder. “i’m actually proud of you, man. just don’t screw it up.”

“thanks for the vote of confidence,” toji rolls his eyes but can’t help but feel encouraged.

“now, let’s celebrate your new relationship status! i say we finish off the rest of these bottles and toast to your love life!” gojo suggests, already grabbing for another bottle.

toji chuckles, shaking his head. “you’re going to end up getting us both in trouble, you know that?”

“who cares? tonight’s all about you, my guy! let’s make some bad decisions!” gojo grins, and as toji laughs, the two of them settle in for a night of ridiculous stories and plans for the future — the dopey grin still plastered on toji’s face.

the day of the audiobook launch dawned bright and buzzing with excitement at gojo-sonic, and the atmosphere was electric. employees and investors milled about the sleek, modern venue, the air filled with chatter and the faint sound of clinking glasses. 

it was a low-key affair, but the anticipation crackled like static electricity in the air. you were among the few chosen to celebrate this moment, standing on the cusp of something big.

you had spent hours getting ready, and with shoko’s help, you looked stunning in your gown. it was a flowing number that hugged your curves just right, accentuating your figure while allowing you to move with grace. your hair was styled in soft waves, framing your face perfectly, and your makeup enhanced your features without overshadowing them. you caught glimpses of yourself in the reflective surfaces, a wave of pride swelling in your chest as you realized just how much effort went into this moment.

toji, on the other hand, was a mix of nervous energy and utter admiration. dressed sharply in a tailored suit, he felt a blend of pride and anxiety as he watched you mingle with the guests. but the moment his eyes landed on you in that gown, his body betrayed him. 

a rush of heat shot through him, and before he could even think, there it was — a very real, very embarrassing hard-on that he scrambled to cover up.

“shit, not now,” he muttered under his breath, cursing himself for being such a damn cliché. he quickly shifted his stance, pretending to adjust his tie as he tried to focus on anything other than the vision of you in front of him. 

like a decent man should, right?

“toji! you okay?” gojo’s voice cut through his thoughts, a smirk creeping across his face. he was leaning against the bar, a glass of something strong in hand, eyeing toji with amusement. “you look like you just saw a ghost.”

“i’m fine,” toji snapped a little too quickly, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks. “just… adjusting my suit.” he gestured wildly, trying to deflect the attention away from his embarrassment.

“uh-huh. sure,” gojo replied, barely hiding his laughter. “just keep it together. we wouldn’t want you to embarrass yourself in front of everyone, especially her.” he nodded subtly towards you, who were now laughing with suguru, your charm radiating like a warm glow.

toji shot him a glare, a mix of irritation and amusement battling for dominance on his face. “thanks for the reminder, genius.”

the event continued, and you were seamlessly blending into the crowd, engaging in conversations with stakeholders and employees, your confidence shining through. 

when you shared a laugh with suguru, toji couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy at how effortlessly charming you were. why the hell can’t i just say something nice instead of standing here like an idiot?

“there she is,” toji mumbled to himself, catching a glimpse of you as you made your way to the makeshift stage for the speeches. he admired how you carried yourself with such poise, the way your eyes sparkled with excitement. and in that moment, he was utterly captivated.

as you stepped up to the microphone, a hush fell over the crowd. 

“thank you all for being here today,” you began, your voice steady and clear, filled with warmth. “this launch means so much to me, and i couldn’t have done it without all the support from my friends and family. especially from those at gojo-sonic, who believed in this project.”

toji watched you intently, his heart swelling with pride. this was your moment, and you were absolutely shining. 

but as you spoke, he felt that familiar urge to approach you, to wrap his arms around you and tell you just how incredible you looked. 

but no, he stood rooted to the spot, reminding himself of the conversation they had before about maintaining a professional facade.

“and of course, a huge thank you to my amazing voice actor, toji fushiguro,” you continued, and the crowd erupted into applause, pulling him back into reality. the sound sent another rush of heat through him, and he felt like he was about to explode — both from embarrassment and pride.

“that’s me,” toji muttered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. gojo was right beside him, clapping exaggeratedly with a teasing grin. “you’re gonna have to give her a proper compliment after this, you know?”

“yeah, yeah,” toji grumbled, still flustered as he tried to focus on your words instead of his growing embarrassment.

when you finished your speech, the crowd cheered, and you stepped down, a satisfied smile on your face. 

you caught toji’s eye, and for a moment, the world faded away. he could see the joy radiating from you, and all his earlier doubts slipped away.

“toji!” you called out, your eyes sparkling. “what did you think?”

“you were amazing,” he said, finally finding the courage to step forward. “really. you owned that stage.”

“thank you,” you replied, your cheeks slightly flushed. “i was nervous, but it felt good to share this moment with everyone.”

as you spoke, toji’s heart raced. he leaned in closer, his voice lowering as he added, “and you looked absolutely stunning, too.”

“oh? just stunning?” you teased, a playful smile dancing on your lips.

“okay, maybe breathtaking,” he admitted, a genuine smile creeping onto his face. 

“and just so you know, i had a minor… situation back there, thanks to how beautiful you looked. so, you know, just keep that in mind.”

your laughter rang out, the sound warm and inviting, making toji forget all about the earlier embarrassment. he realized that whatever the two of you had going on was something he wanted to cherish, something worth pursuing.

and as the night continued, surrounded by the buzz of celebration, toji felt a sense of hope blooming in his chest — this was just the beginning.

as the excitement of the launch continued to swirl around you, suguru approached, a wide smile lighting up his face. 

“there you are! i was beginning to think i’d have to drag you out from behind that mic,” he teased, wrapping you in a warm hug.

“suguru! thanks for coming!” you beamed, feeling the familiar comfort of his presence. “it means a lot to me.”

“wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he said, stepping back to take a look at you. “and wow, you look incredible. seriously, how do you pull off that look?”

gojo chimed in, practically bouncing on his heels. “it’s like she stepped out of a freaking fairytale, right? she’s basically a model now. i’m just a guy over here trying not to ruin the vibe.”

shoko smiled, her eyes soft as she observed the camaraderie. “you all did great tonight. it really was a wonderful launch.”

toji stood slightly apart from the group, hands shoved into his pockets, watching the dynamic unfold. he was proud of you and knew you deserved this moment, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of being on the outside. seeing you laugh and joke with suguru and gojo tugged at something deep inside him, a mix of admiration and protectiveness that made him feel a little more possessive than he expected.

“so, what’s next for you?” suguru asked, leaning in closer, his tone genuine. “another book, or are you taking a break?”

“a bit of both, actually,” you replied, glancing at toji. “i want to explore some new ideas, maybe branch out a little.”

just then, a lecherous-looking man stepped into the conversation, an air of arrogance radiating off him. 

“well, if it isn’t the famed author herself,” he sneered, a condescending smirk plastered on his face. “i have to say, it’s impressive how you’ve managed to carve out such a niche for yourself.” “free-use woman, is that what they call it? quite the career choice, huh?”

the moment the words left his mouth, the atmosphere shifted. toji's heart raced, a cold wave of irritation washing over him. he could feel his jaw clenching as he shifted his weight, bracing himself for whatever would come next. 

the man had no idea what he was stepping into.

gojo’s expression darkened, his casual demeanor evaporating. “who the hell do you think you are, talking to her like that?” he snapped, stepping in front of you protectively. “you’re clearly out of your depth.”

shoko frowned, her eyes narrowing at the man. “that’s incredibly disrespectful. you should apologize right now.”

suguru, leaning closer to you, was already assessing the situation, his gaze piercing. “it’s brave of you to come here and talk to her, but if you think you can just waltz in and make those kinds of comments, you’re sorely mistaken.”

toji felt a surge of possessiveness overtake him, and he stepped forward, arms crossed tightly over his chest. “listen, buddy, you don’t get to come here and treat her like she’s some sort of object. she’s worked hard for everything she has, and you’re just jealous that you’ll never get anywhere close to her level.”

the man scoffed, clearly unfazed, but the looks on the faces of gojo, shoko, and suguru sent a wave of intimidation over him. “oh, what? you’re one of her little fanboys now?” he mocked, trying to play off the tension.

“she’s not just some girl for your amusement,” toji replied, his voice low but full of intensity. “if you can’t see that, then you don’t deserve to be in the same room as her.”

you were taken aback, a mix of shock and warmth flooding your chest at toji’s fierce defense. it was a side of him you hadn’t seen in this context, and it made your heart race. you quickly interjected, trying to defuse the situation. 

“it’s okay, really. i don’t mind —”

“no,” suguru cut you off gently but firmly, glancing back at you with concern. “you shouldn’t have to put up with that kind of trash talk. you’re better than that, and we’re here for you.”

“yeah,” gojo added, his expression serious. “this guy doesn’t know who he’s messing with. just because you think you can get away with it doesn’t mean you should.” he turned to the man, a fire burning in his blue eyes. 

“i’d suggest you leave before things get ugly.”

the man’s bravado faltered, and he hesitated, clearly weighing his options. 

“whatever, man,” he spat, finally backing away, a look of disdain on his face. “i didn’t want to talk to you losers anyway.”

as he walked off, toji felt a wave of relief wash over him, but it was mingled with something else — something like pride for you and his friends, who had stood up for what was right. 

he turned to you, catching your eye. “you alright?”

you nodded, still processing what just happened. “yeah, thanks. i didn’t think he’d go that far.”

“he’s a fucking idiot,” toji replied, shaking his head. “you deserve better than that.”

“you all really stood up for me,” you said softly, feeling gratitude swell in your chest.

“of course we did,” shoko replied, her expression warm. “we’re your friends, and we’ll always have your back.”

toji stepped a bit closer, and for a moment, the noise of the event faded into the background. “just remember that,” he said, his voice low and sincere. “you’re not alone in this.”

and as the night continued, surrounded by friends who cared deeply for you, toji felt a sense of belonging that he hadn’t anticipated, realizing just how much he wanted to protect that warmth — protect you.

the event wrapped up smoothly, but leave it to gojo to suggest a “girls day out” to celebrate – the “girls” in question, of course, were all of you.

“come on!” gojo insisted, practically bouncing as you all filed out of the venue. “a little lunch at this fancy new place! i already reserved us a table. trust me, you’ll love it.” he flashed that signature grin, one that sparkled with both charm and mischief.

“i thought you called this a girl’s day out?” toji raised an eyebrow, looking mildly exasperated. “you’re delusional if you think i’m your girl, gojo.”

gojo only smirked, looping his arm through toji’s despite his attempts to shake him off. 

“toji, honey, everyone’s my girl,” he teased. “besides, i knew you’d say yes deep down.”

“keep telling yourself that,” toji muttered, though a small smirk betrayed his amusement.

suguru shook his head, amused, as he watched their dynamic. “sometimes i think we enable him too much.”

“you definitely do,” shoko chimed in, already lighting a cigarette as you walked along. “but at least lunch on gojo’s tab makes it worth it.”

soon enough, the five of you strolled into the swanky restaurant, where the hostess greeted gojo with a wide smile. “right this way, mr. gojo,” she said, leading you all to a secluded table with an impressive view.

gojo waited until you all took your seats before he threw himself down, stretching out like he owned the place. “order whatever you want, my treat!” he announced, flashing a grin at the menu. “the foie gras here is to die for.”

“you’re ordering foie gras?” you raised an eyebrow, half-amused and half-horrified.

gojo shrugged, feigning innocence. “what? it’s delicious.” he turned to toji. “you’re in, right?”

toji gave him a dry look. “i don’t even know what that is, gojo.”

suguru snorted into his drink. “you’re so cultured, toji.”

toji rolled his eyes, shoving a breadstick into his mouth with exaggerated indifference. “as long as it’s not something gojo personally cooked, i’ll eat it.”

gojo gasped dramatically, clutching his heart. “you wound me! i make a mean ramen!”

shoko raised an eyebrow at him. “instant ramen doesn’t count, gojo.”

as you skimmed the menu, suguru leaned over to point out some of the more “normal” dishes. 

“i’d stick to these if i were you,” he chuckled. “unless you’re ready for gojo’s idea of exotic.”

“good call,” you replied, grinning. “i’m not trying to eat anything that still has a face.”

just then, gojo noticed a seafood platter being served at a nearby table, and his eyes lit up. “oh, look at that! who’s in for oysters? fresh from the coast, or so they say.”

toji grimaced, pushing the menu away. “you’re kidding, right? i don’t eat anything slimy.”

gojo wagged his finger at him, smirking. “toji, you’ll never know the finer things in life with an attitude like that.”

“if the finer things in life involve slimy food, count me out,” toji retorted, crossing his arms.

you couldn’t help but laugh, catching suguru’s eye. he shook his head, a faint smile on his lips. 

“some things never change, huh?”

“yeah, especially gojo’s tastes,” shoko muttered, taking a sip of her drink.

as the food finally arrived, the table was soon filled with laughter and stories, everyone swapping tales about work, life, and everything in between. gojo, unsurprisingly, dominated the conversation, though he was more than happy to playfully drag each of you into his stories.

“and then, get this,” gojo laughed, his shoulders shaking. “i convinced the poor guy i was a psychic! he walked around with a ‘cursed’ amulet for a week before he realized i was just messing with him.”

“i don’t understand how anyone falls for your crap,” toji said, shaking his head, though even he was hiding a smile.

“it’s a gift,” gojo replied smugly, before winking at you. “isn’t that right?”

“oh, definitely,” you replied dryly. “a gift and a curse.”

“mostly a curse,” shoko agreed, patting gojo’s shoulder.

after a few rounds of drinks, everyone had relaxed into the easy camaraderie, passing dishes and laughing as gojo continued his dramatic retellings, complete with hand gestures and questionable impressions.

“so, toji,” gojo leaned over with a sly grin, “how’s… life?”

toji eyed him, wary. “life’s fine, gojo. what are you getting at?”

“nothing!” gojo held up his hands innocently. “just curious about your… extracurriculars.”

toji rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath as shoko smirked, clearly entertained by toji’s suffering.

suguru leaned in, murmuring to you, “you think he’ll make it through the whole lunch without snapping?”

you laughed softly. “he’s holding up pretty well, all things considered.”

as dessert rolled around, gojo ordered a massive platter of sweets “for the table,” though everyone knew he’d end up eating half of it himself.

“i swear, if you finish all those eclairs before i even get one…” toji warned, eyeing gojo.

gojo winked, already reaching for a plate. “too slow, toji! if you want something, you’ve got to seize it.”

“yeah? you wanna see me seize it?” toji reached over, snatching an éclair from gojo’s hand in one swift move.

the entire table burst out laughing, gojo’s indignant look only adding to the humor. it was one of those rare moments where everything felt right, like you were all in sync, just enjoying each other’s company.

as you leaned back in your chair, watching everyone banter, you felt a warmth settle in your chest. these were the kinds of moments you’d remember – the laughter, the shared jokes, the way each person’s personality filled the room in a way only they could.

it was a good day. 

and somehow, you had gojo’s “girls day out” to thank for it.

“suguru! where are you going?” gojo called, laughing.

suguru gave a halfhearted smile. “just… need to take this.”

you watched him go, a flicker of concern starting to build when minutes passed with no sign of his return. eventually, you excused yourself, hoping everything was alright.

turning the corner, you found him leaning against the wall, head down, shoulders tense and shaking slightly. the quiet sound of his breath catching, his barely-contained sobs – it was like a punch to the chest. 

suguru geto never cried.

“suguru?” you whispered, not wanting to startle him.

he looked up, his face streaked with tears, a raw, vulnerable expression you’d never seen. he quickly tried to brush it off, rubbing his eyes. “you shouldn’t… see me like this,” he muttered.

your heart clenched as you stepped closer. “hey, i’m your friend. you don’t have to hide from me.”

he looked away, swallowing hard, his voice strained. “it’s… her. she made her choice.” he took a ragged breath. “she doesn’t love me. she’s with someone else now.”

you felt your stomach twist at the pain in his voice, at the way his composure was unraveling before you. you reached out instinctively, placing a hand on his shoulder. “suguru, i’m so sorry. i know how much she meant to you.”

he let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. 

“i thought we had something real, you know? i thought… i thought she’d see me the same way.”

“you loved her,” you murmured, feeling his anguish like a weight pressing on your chest. “you gave her everything. sometimes people… they just don’t see what’s right in front of them.”

“maybe it’s me,” he choked, clenching his fists. “maybe i just wasn’t enough.”

you took his hand, giving it a firm squeeze. “don’t say that. you’re more than enough. she just… didn’t see it. it doesn’t mean you aren’t worth it.”

his face crumpled, and for a moment, he was silent, holding onto you like you were an anchor keeping him from sinking. 

“i feel so… empty,” he admitted, his voice barely a whisper.

“let it out, suguru,” you said gently, wrapping your arms around him. “you don’t have to carry this alone.”

he leaned into your embrace, taking deep, shuddering breaths as he tried to regain control. you rubbed soothing circles on his back, feeling each tremble, each heartbeat, sharing in the quiet vulnerability of the moment.

“i don’t know what i’d do without you right now,” he said, his voice barely audible.

“you don’t have to,” you replied softly. “i’m here. you’ll be okay, suguru. even if it takes time.”

as you comforted him, you didn’t notice that toji had also come looking for you. he’d been watching the hallway, glancing at his watch, wondering what was taking you so long. 

a knot of worry twisted in his stomach, his mind flashing back to the earlier incident – that sleazy man at the event who had tried to approach you.

what if something happened again?

when he turned the corner, the sight he found stopped him cold. 

you, hugging suguru, holding him so tightly, your hand stroking his hair as he buried his face into your shoulder.

a strange, hot flare of jealousy surged up in his chest. 

his jaw clenched as he stared at you, his fingers twitching with the urge to do… something. here was suguru, wrapped up in your arms, his pain visible and raw – but still.

 toji couldn’t help the spike of resentment. why did it have to be suguru you were comforting?

why couldn’t you hold onto him like that?

his fingers tightened around the edge of his jacket, his thoughts spiraling. he knew he had no right to feel this way, knew suguru was hurting – but the sight of you so intimately close, your gentle words he couldn’t quite hear, only made his jealousy deepen.

his eyes narrowed as he kept watching, trying to ignore the twinge of vulnerability he hadn’t expected. why did he care so much? he gritted his teeth. 

but when you finally looked up, catching sight of him, his expression was unreadable, masked beneath a carefully controlled look. there was a subtle stiffness to the way he held himself, and his gaze flickered briefly to suguru before settling back on you.

“toji…” you said softly, surprised to see him there.

he crossed his arms, giving a slight nod in suguru’s direction. “everything alright?”

“yeah,” you replied, glancing at suguru, who gave a faint nod, still wiping at his eyes. “just… a hard day.”

toji’s eyes softened slightly as he looked at you, though his expression remained guarded. “you’re a good friend,” he murmured, barely audible, though there was a hint of something deeper behind his words.

you offered him a small smile, sensing the underlying tension. “just doing what anyone would.”

toji’s gaze lingered on you a little longer, his jealousy ebbing slightly, though a part of him still ached to be the one you held so tightly, the one you’d stayed for so long just to comfort. 

but he pushed the feeling down, knowing that tonight, suguru needed you more.

suguru excused himself to rejoin the table, likely gravitating toward satoru, who knew more about his heartbreak than anyone else there. that left just you and toji standing in your little corner, tucked away from the bustling restaurant.

he was looking at you with that smirk of his, the kind that had you already feeling flustered, but determined not to give him the satisfaction. he took a casual step forward, slipping his hands into his pockets, and leaned in close, voice low and almost playful.

“so… what’re you doing over here, all alone with me?” he drawled, eyes trailing slowly from your eyes down to your lips.

before he could say anything else, you raised an eyebrow, folding your arms. 

“you mean, other than watching you try to pretend you weren’t sporting a hard-on for half the event?”

the teasing grin on your lips was unmistakable, and his reaction was instant. toji’s expression flickered, a hint of surprise in his eyes, followed by an intense gleam as he chuckled under his breath. “oh, so you noticed that, huh?”

“noticed? please,” you scoffed, keeping up your confident front even as he closed the space between you with slow, measured steps. “how could i not? it was right there.”

“guess you were too busy looking at me to focus on anything else,” he replied smoothly, his voice dropping a little lower. he leaned in, his lips hovering dangerously close to yours, breath warm against your skin. “maybe i should’ve been paying more attention to you instead.”

your heart skipped a beat, but you didn’t let it show. 

“well, now you know better,” you murmured back, voice challenging. “maybe you should’ve acted on it then, instead of waiting until now.”

he raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. “oh, is that a challenge?”

“only if you can handle it,” you shot back, the thrill of the back-and-forth sparking something between you two.

his eyes darkened, and before you knew it, he had one hand on your waist, pulling you flush against him, his other hand braced against the wall by your head. 

“you think i can’t handle a little challenge from you?” he murmured, his lips so close they nearly brushed yours.

you swallowed, but kept your cool. “if you could, you wouldn’t be hesitating.”

“trust me, sweetheart,” he murmured, voice low and dangerously smooth, “when i’m done with you, you won’t be the one running your mouth.”

before you could come up with a retort, his lips were on yours, firm and demanding, as if he’d been waiting all night to finally do this. you couldn’t hold back a soft gasp as he kissed you deeper, his hand sliding up to cradle your face while his other gripped your waist tightly, pressing you up against the wall.

your hands instinctively found their way to his shoulders, clutching him as he took full control of the kiss, his tongue brushing against yours with a fierceness that left your head spinning. he groaned softly as he pressed his body closer, one hand sliding up the side of your thigh, fingers grazing over the soft fabric of your dress.

“you like getting me all worked up, don’t you?” he murmured against your lips, his voice laced with that smug edge that made you shiver. “can’t get enough of teasing me, huh?”

“maybe i do,” you shot back, though your voice wavered slightly as he bit down on your lower lip, sending a spark through you. “but it’s not my fault you can’t keep your hands to yourself.”

he chuckled darkly, his hands sliding up your sides, thumbs brushing just beneath your ribs as he pressed his hips against yours. 

“yeah? what’re you gonna do about it?” he murmured, leaning in to brush his lips over the sensitive skin of your neck, sending a shiver down your spine.

“you really think you’re in control here?” you asked, voice challenging even as he continued to press you into the wall. “because from where i’m standing, it looks like you’re the one who can’t resist me.”

“careful what you say,” he warned, his tone thick with restrained desire. “i’m this close to dragging you out of here and making you eat those words.”

your heart raced, and even though you were half-tempted to keep pushing him, you couldn’t deny the thrill of having him this close, his hands roaming over you, his lips brushing down your neck. you let out a breathless laugh, threading your fingers through his hair as you tugged him closer. 

“then maybe you should quit talking and show me what you’ve got.”

he didn’t need any further invitation. his grip tightened on you, his mouth covering yours in a heated, almost punishing kiss that left you breathless. his hands roamed over your body with a hunger that was practically palpable, every touch igniting a new spark. 

he was practically devouring you, his breath coming faster as he pressed you harder against the wall, his fingers digging into your waist as he kissed you deeply, thoroughly, like he wanted to leave his mark.

“god,” he murmured, voice husky, “you’re driving me insane.” he leaned back just enough to look into your eyes, his gaze intense. “you really wanna keep pushing me, huh?”

you smirked, your own voice barely above a whisper. “maybe i just like seeing what you’ll do about it.”

on the outside, you were holding your ground. confident smirks, playful retorts, the whole act. but on the inside? 

you were freaking the fuck out. 

here you were, basically mimicking every female lead you’d ever written, pulling from their limitless reserve of sass and self-assuredness to somehow keep pace with toji's relentless flirting. each comeback, each smirk — it was like a mental pep talk to channel all those characters who’d never break a sweat in this situation.

but… oh god. what if things actually got hot and heavy? 

you were standing there, going toe-to-toe with toji of all people, and it hit you — you were completely out of your depth here. this was not your usual flirting, the teasing banter you’d half-heartedly perfected through fictional dialogue. 

this was real.

and suddenly the thought crept in like an alarm bell: you might actually have to… gn?

your eyes widened a fraction as you tried to keep your cool. 

gn. 

get naked, not even good night — although, maybe a good night after the get naked part, if you even made it that far without spontaneously combusting. 

your mind raced, frantically scrolling through every bedroom scene you’d ever written, but realizing none of them really prepared you for this. 

oh my god, you panicked inwardly, just because i write smut doesn’t mean i know what to do when i’m the one gripping the sheets!

“what, cat got your tongue?” toji’s voice interrupted your internal spiral, his smirk widening as he traced a thumb across your cheek, dipping dangerously close to your lips. “not so confident now, are ya?”

you forced a grin, cursing the tremble in your fingers as they clutched at his shirt. 

“oh, please, like i’m nervous,” you shot back, mentally crossing every finger and toe that your voice didn’t waver. 

inside, though, you were a swirling mess, praying he didn’t catch the slightest tremor. 

fake it till you make it, right? 

only problem was, the longer he looked at you, the more he seemed to see right through you.

his eyes narrowed just a little, his smirk shifting into something… softer, a touch more considerate. you wanted to think he’d be gracious, that he’d at least slow down, but no, there was something else in his gaze. maybe a flicker of understanding? 

no, that was too generous.

he was toji.

and as if he could sense your hesitation, he leaned in close, his lips brushing your ear. 

“relax, princess,” he whispered, his tone softer, maybe even gentle. “we can go as slow as you want. besides…” his lips quirked up into a teasing grin. 

“don’t think you’re getting out of this without admitting how much you’re enjoying it.”

relax? yeah, right. 

your heart was doing backflips, your mind racing through every possible move you’d probably never have the courage to pull off. he had you right where he wanted you, and you couldn’t stop the blush rising to your cheeks. 

oh god, you thought desperately, please don’t ask me to make the next move.

just as you were bracing yourself to somehow manage to keep up this charade of confidence, toji’s phone vibrated between you, cutting the tension with a blaring ringtone. and of all people, it had to be gojo. you glimpsed his name flashing on the screen right as toji picked up, rolling his eyes before pressing the phone to his ear.

“what, satoru?” toji sighed, clearly irritated at the interruption.

“toji! man, hurry up and get back here!” gojo’s voice screeched through the phone, loud enough for you to hear the dramatic urgency. “we’ve got a very, very depressed mr. geto here who’s having the existential crisis of the century. we need all hands on deck, and yes, that means you too. and preferably sober, mind you. no drinks this time! none.” 

gojo's voice dropped, muttering something about “banging y/n later if you have to,” but you both caught it.

toji gave you a side-eye smirk, shaking his head at gojo’s predictability, before letting out a sigh. 

“fine. but you owe me one, big time.” and with that, he ended the call, shoving his phone back into his pocket.

before you could even tease him about the abrupt change of plans, he leaned in and gave you a sharp smack! on the ass, grinning at the way you jumped. 

“guess we’ll have to put this on hold, princess. duty calls.” with a wink, he took your hand, leading you back toward the table.

it was gonna be a long night.

back at the table, the scene was…well, not what you’d expected. 

suguru looked rough. 

he sat slumped in his chair, swirling a glass of water (gojo had made sure of it) with a far-off stare that looked like he was seeing into another dimension. gojo and shoko were positioned on either side of him, each with their own ineffective tactics.

“c’mon, sugu, it’s not the end of the world,” gojo said, nudging him with a grin that looked a bit too forced. “i mean, i never liked her anyway. you deserve way better than —”

“she was amazing,” suguru cut him off, his voice flat but tinged with emotion. “you wouldn’t understand, satoru.”

shoko sighed, patting his shoulder. “she wasn’t that amazing. she had weird fashion taste.”

“and didn’t she correct you on every little thing? constantly?” gojo added, crossing his arms with a small smirk.

suguru gave them both a look, unamused. “i liked her fashion sense. and i didn’t mind the corrections.”

toji leaned back in his seat, giving you a subtle eye roll. 

this was what you’d come back for. 

he sighed, then leaned forward, slapping a hand on suguru’s shoulder. “you know, sulking isn’t gonna help anything. maybe it’s time to get back out there, stop dwelling on someone who clearly didn’t value you.”

suguru let out a tired sigh, and gojo jumped in, eyes lighting up. “exactly! there are plenty of people who’d be thrilled to date the great suguru geto!” he gestured around the room as if a fan club might spontaneously form right then and there. 

“you’re smart, you’re talented —”

“and single,” shoko added dryly, sipping her drink with a shrug.

suguru slumped lower, clearly unconvinced. “i don’t want to be single,” he muttered. “i wanted her.”

you winced at the defeated tone in his voice, exchanging a helpless look with toji, who looked equally unsure what else they could say to help. 

gojo, though, was not one to give up. he clapped his hands, as if a brilliant idea had just struck him.

“okay! new plan,” he declared, leaning in with an almost manic enthusiasm. “you’re going to go out with us this weekend. all of us. no work, no responsibilities — just a wild time. we’ll find you a nice rebound —”

suguru glared. “no, thanks.”

shoko groaned, propping her chin on her hand. “well, i’m out of ideas. anyone else?”

you took a deep breath, deciding to give it one last shot. 

“maybe…you don’t have to forget her completely, but maybe you can focus on what made you happy outside of her. like, remember what you love doing?”

suguru looked at you, as if considering the thought, but then slumped back. “it’s not the same,” he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. “it’s just…not the same.”

gojo groaned dramatically, throwing his head back. “i swear, you’re worse than me on my worst breakup day. someone call for reinforcements because i think we’re gonna need a miracle worker for this one.”

the table fell quiet, everyone glancing at suguru, who looked as defeated as ever, and it hit you that maybe tonight, there really wasn’t a solution.

one month later, the dreaded wedding invitation arrived, dropped unceremoniously on suguru’s desk. it was embossed in gold, the bride and groom’s names announced in elegant script, and just looking at it made his chest tighten. this was her wedding — the woman he’d once thought he’d spend his life with, now celebrating a future with someone else.

gojo’s reaction was immediate, bursting out in an exaggerated laugh when he saw the invite on suguru’s desk. 

“are you kidding me? she’s really inviting you? that’s low, even for her. come on, suguru, you’re not actually thinking about going, are you?”

suguru just gave a small smile, almost serene in the face of it all. “actually, i think i might.”

gojo gaped. “what?! dude, they’re practically rubbing it in your face! it’s like sending a ‘ha-ha, we’re in love, and you’re not’ postcard.” 

he crossed his arms, scowling at the offending piece of cardstock. “this is the most tasteless thing i’ve ever seen.”

shoko, who was nearby, raised an eyebrow, half-amused, half-curious. “maybe she didn’t mean it that way, satoru. maybe it’s her way of being considerate, keeping suguru involved as a friend.”

gojo scoffed, rolling his eyes. “oh please, you don’t invite your ex to your wedding, especially if you broke his heart. she should be thrilled he’s not cursing her name in three different languages.”

but suguru only shook his head, calm as ever. “it’s not like that, satoru. we’ve both moved on, in our own ways. i don’t hold it against her. she chose what makes her happy, and if that’s someone else…well, then i wish her the best.” he shrugged lightly. “i don’t see any point in being bitter about it.”

gojo stared at him, as if seeing an entirely different person. “you’re joking, right? this is not you. the real suguru would’ve burned that thing or at least made a snarky comment about her dress being too ‘last season.’”

suguru laughed, an easy, relaxed sound that caught them all by surprise. “that’s exactly it, satoru. i don’t want to be that guy anymore. i’ve spent enough time with those feelings. they’re…exhausting. if going to this wedding gives me closure, then why not?”

gojo looked like he was about to combust. “closure? closure is just a fancy word for ‘let me put myself through hell for no reason.’ honestly, suguru, you’re giving her too much credit. she’s the one who ditched you, remember?”

suguru tilted his head, offering gojo a gentle but pointed look. “maybe it’s not about her anymore. maybe this is just about me.” his voice was calm, but there was a certain finality in it, as if he’d already come to terms with everything.

gojo, meanwhile, huffed and crossed his arms, looking thoroughly unimpressed. “well, i think it’s ridiculous. she doesn’t deserve any more of your attention.”

suguru sighed, but there was a faint smile on his lips, as if gojo’s dramatics were somehow endearing. 

“satoru, not everything is a personal insult. people make choices. sometimes they’re not the ones we wanted, but that doesn’t make them wrong.”

gojo let out a long, exaggerated groan. “you’re way too good for this world, suguru. like, way too mature. no one deserves you. i’d be sending her a glitter bomb or something, just for the hell of it.”

shoko chuckled, patting gojo on the back. “maybe you should take a lesson from suguru. not everyone has to nurse their ego through every breakup.”

gojo snorted, still glaring at the invitation like it had personally offended him. “fine, go ahead and be the bigger person, suguru. but if you even think about bringing me as your plus-one, i’m causing a scene.” 

he folded his arms defiantly. “i’m talking upstaging the bride type of scene.”

suguru’s smile widened, genuine and peaceful. “noted, satoru. but i think i’ll be alright.”

and in that moment, watching suguru handle what should have been a painful reminder with quiet dignity, even gojo’s bluster faded just a bit. sure, he might think suguru was handling it all wrong, but deep down, he couldn’t help but admire his friend’s strength.

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[mrsbsmooth]

Smut writing 101: What I wish someone had told me when I first started.

So a conversation with @queen-of-boops and @longbobmckenzie sparked this post. Sarah already wrote a list of tips for writing a villa fic which was really helpful and people expanded on it a lot, so we thought it might be helpful to share a few tips for writing smut from some of the writers that do it a lot.

This is a long-ass post, because I've learned a lot over the years. So right at the end, there's a mini how-to guide for how to turn your smut from IKEA instruction manual into an explosion of sexual tension.

In addition, I would love for others to add on to this. This fandom is horrifically talented especially in writing brain-melting smut, and this is just what I could come up with in a few hours. But I'd love to hear from other people and have them add on extra bits!

A few resources before we begin:

The Smut Writer's Dictionary

The Ultimate Guide to Writing Smut Fic [HIGHLY recommend sections ii (Reaction words), iv (sexy alternatives to 'said'), xii (generally acceptable slang terms) and xvi (Some do's and don'ts of smut writing).]

OneLook Thesaurus is much better than other thesauruses at suggesting words for smut (I've found).

Now, on to the advice!

Tip #1 - It's normal to find it difficult and cringe to write. Own it.

Smut can be intimidating. It can feel really cringe and awkward and you might feel like people are judging you for it, and you know what? Sometimes they are. Smut isn't for everyone, and not everyone wants to read it, and that's why ratings and tags exist on Archive of Our Own. But you shouldn't be ashamed of writing it. Smut is fun and awesome and people who do like reading smut often love reading it, and will absolutely eat up whatever you give them. So go nuts. Write what you want to see, write what you want to read. That's advice for everything, but it's especially relevant for writing smut. Because if you feel awkward, it can sometimes show through. Lean into it. Let it happen. If you make yourself blush, you’re doing a fucking awesome job.

Tip #2 - Writer’s block.

I've written hundreds of thousands of words of pure, unadulterated filth, and I still struggle to push into it sometimes. The leadup comes so naturally, the tension builds, they're kissing, they're starting to touch each other, and then-- writer's block. I stare at the page and tap my fingers and go... huh. Same with writing really effectual kisses, or writing orgasms. There's all this pressure to make it the best written orgasm that's ever existed in the English language and it really doesn't need to be. Just put something down. 

If your doc looks like this:She clawed at the wall, knowing she was coming apart at the seams, the pressure building inside her. He didn’t let up. [orgasm bla bla bla]. She took a deep breath. She drew herself off him. She turned around. And she fell to her knees. [blowjob and he's loving it].

Then your doc looks just like mine.

Tip #3 - Pick the right words for everyone’s bits. 

See the resource above for suggestions! People have very different preferences when it comes to what to call a cock or whether or not to use the word ‘cunt’. Adjectives, adverbs– there are so many different opinions. Like personally, I have to physically restrain myself from throwing a fic across the room if it uses the word hole but that is my personal preference, and I am massively in the minority there. But my advice is threefold:

Read widely to find out what you like,

Write what you like,

Know your characters. 

Language will vary by fandom, by character, and by setting, and it’s an opportunity to really solidify their characterisation by carrying this into smut. An arrogant fuckwit who’s bedding his mortal enemy in a fit of hate-sex might use ‘into her slick cunt’, whereas a sweet, wholesome guy who’s desperately in love might say ‘pushed inside her’. But the more you read, and the more you write, the more you’ll find certain words or phrases you’re more comfortable with. 

The more smut you read, the better understanding you’ll have of what you like. The better understanding you have of what you like, the easier it will be to write. 

Tip #4 - POV can help you

Picking the right POV can make your life easier. For example, I once wrote a M/M/M threesome. That fic ended up being my very first ever 'first person POV' fic. Why? Because it turned one set of ‘his hand’ into ‘my hand’. Made it easier to understand the logistics of ‘his hand on his waist’, etc. Maybe it's lazy, maybe it's genius. I thought it was a bit of both. 

Consider whose POV is going to be the most impactful. If you’re not sure, try writing a paragraph from each. You’ll figure it out quite quickly. 

Tip #5 - Dialogue

You don’t have to include dialogue in your smut, but it can really help with pacing things and showing when the ‘end’ is approaching. Anyone who’s ever read any of my smut ever knows I’m a huge fan of cutting people off mid sentence in smut dialogue. 

They start out with “Oh yeah? You think you can make me X?” And the other person goes “Sweetheart, I’m going to make you X so hard you don’t Y for a Z.” 

But then by the end it’s “You feel–” and everyone’s gasping “Oh, fuck–” and sobbing out “I’m so– I’m gonna–” 

To me, this helps to build pacing and tension and show without telling that the end is approaching. But honestly, that’s just me– I enjoy reading people being very vocal in smut, so that’s how I write them. If that’s not your thing, then don’t do it. Simple as that. 

Tip #6 - Don’t skimp on the finale

Orgasms are hard to write. We all know that. There’s all this pressure to write the best most explosive monumental earth-shattering orgasm that’s ever existed in fiction, and honestly, it probably won’t be. But you still need to give it the time it deserves. 

As an avid consumer of smut, there is nothing more frustrating than five pages of buildup, incredible smut, tension rising, rising, rising– and then the orgasm happens in two lines and they’re immediately having a conversation afterwards. This is, no pun intended, the climax of your scene. Give it a paragraph. Hell, give it two paragraphs. Give it four. The climax is something you can write in excruciating detail and it will almost always be better for it. You can decide whether they come at the same time, or whether one comes immediately after the other (personal fav so we get to read two orgasms. Yay! Two cakes!) You can hyper-focus on every single sense. Here are some examples for writing orgasms:

Feel/Touch

The feeling travelling through the character’s body/ zones: up their spine, through their thighs, ‘deep inside them’

Their partner continuing to thrust/move

Their partner’s grip on their body, or maybe a kiss

Fingernails digging into shoulder or raking down a back

Legs squeezing

Smell

Personally I think this works better for the leadup and afterwards, but if you want this in here you absolutely can. Pheremones, cologne, aftershave, perfume, sweat, hair gel– whatever makes them smell like them. 

Sight

Their partner’s face and get detailed! Lips parting, brow scrunched, eyes closed, face in beautiful agony, wax poetic as fuck about their partner's face! What is hotter than making someone come and watching their face while you do it!??!!?

Darkness (blindfolded 👀)

‘White light behind their eyes’ is a cliche for a reason (fucking love this one)

Seeing stars/heaven see above lol

Taste

Harder to put into an orgasm but salty skin, lipgloss/lipstick? Whatever you want really

Sound

Big one. Their partner’s breath or moan as they watch/feel character’s peak

Their own breath/moans (or lack thereof can be just as effective, a ‘sudden silence’ as their breath catches in their throat can work WONDERS)

Bodies slapping together (doesn’t always work but when it does it does)

External sounds, especially rhythmic ones. A train clacking or a club baseline could simulate a heartbeat/shockwaves that you could lean into.

Pick multiple senses and focus on them. This will fill up a good bit of your climax writing. 

But you should also let them come down from it! DON’T SKIMP AFTERCARE (or after-hate??)

Tip #7 - Aftercare!

I missed this so often when I was new to writing smut and I didn’t realise how effective it could be! I always just faded to black immediately afterwards because I didn’t want to deal with the ‘cleanup’. And you don’t have to go into detail, but at the very least, give them a few minutes– a paragraph or so after the sex. The immediate aftermath of the act itself when you can really focus on the relationship. 

If they’re mortal enemies who’ve just fucked and are now horrified? Have them panting into each others’ skin. Their breaths suddenly become sharper and more reserved. They pull back from each other. Someone glares or someone says something snarky or awful. Someone showing aftercare or affection here (or being particularly cruel) reveals a lot about their character.

If they’re deeply in love and it’s comfortable for them to do so, maybe let them just lay there for a second, enjoying the feeling of each others’ bodies and letting breaths fall warmly and smiles tug at cheeks. Soft kisses, laying in silence, affection, etc. 

If they’re best mates who just fucked by accident, have the silence be awkward and have no one breathe at all. It’s tense and awkward and one has to ask the other to go get a towel or something and the other is like ‘oh, yeah, um, right’. 

Don’t skip this! It can be so impactful!

Overall Tip - Beware the ‘IKEA Instruction manual’!

The #1 most common mistake, in my opinion, in writing smut is ‘Insert Tab A into Slot B’. It’s things like, 

He moved his leg A, she touched B. He lifted her arm to C, holding her D’s, before slipping down to cup E. She ran her hands up F, touching his G, feeling his Hs caressing her I as she lifted her J and draped it over his K.

When I read this, I’m not focusing on the smut. I’m doing mental gymnastics trying to keep track of what position they’re in in my head because I’m assuming that it’s important. If you feel yourself doing this, stop. Refocus. Remember whose POV you’re in. This isn’t to say you should never tell the reader what’s happening. Just make sure to break it up a little!

Balance actions with senses. 

Let’s say you start with a basic action. (The example is buildup to smut, not actual smut, but the idea is the same)

“His hand moved from her knee to her thigh.”

-> Instead of writing what they’re doing, write what they can sense.

“His hand moved from her knee to her thigh” becomes “She felt his warm hand slide from her knee to her thigh.”

-> Now, make the phrase active. Instead of ‘she felt’, make it a description.

‘She felt his warm hand slide from her knee to her thigh’ becomes ‘Warmth erupted on her skin as his hand slid from her knee to her thigh’.

-> Give it details, and draw focus to them.

His fingertips skimmed her inner thigh as his hand slipped from her knee and moved higher. The silk of her skirt gave way to the warmth of a coarse, rough palm. Her skin seared beneath it. But every other inch of her shivered with anticipation.

In three steps, you’ve gone from IKEA tab A to slot B to a pretty good section for building tension. 

Examples of writing senses:

What can they feel? - ‘She’d never been so pent up, so wired, so on edge, and every flit of his practiced fingers on her waist had goosebumps shooting up her spine’.

What can they taste? - ‘She could taste the sweat on his skin, the coconut suncream on his shoulders, the salt of the ocean on the hints of stubble at his jawline.’

What can they smell? - ‘Her forehead pressed to his, that smokey, heady cologne engulfing her; curling her closer in time with his arms around her.’

What can they hear? - ‘He watched her every move, breathing quickly, so she looked him directly in the eyes as she undid his belt. Belt. Button. Zip purring as she tugged it down towards her.’

What can they see? - “Then, they opened, and he was treated to the sight of her looking up at him from her knees. Her eyes said fuck me. Her mouth said fuck me. Everything about her. Fuck me. Fuck me.”

I hope this was helpful in some way. I really would love to hear any other tips and tricks that writers would like to add to this. Obviously Mo and Sarah are already tagged, but this is a full and open free-for-all.

Add your thoughts! Add what you've learned! Add what you wish you knew!

I'd love to hear it <3

[cosmicstarlatte]

Submissive & Breedable (Obey Me!)

━━━━━━━━━━ ✦ ━━━━━━━━━━

You tell the brothers they're looking very submissive & breedable...in front of others.

»Characters: Demon Bros + seperate Dia & Barb mini stories at the bottom.

»Tags: ⚠️🔞 Suggestive 18+, Shitpost, Bulleted Style fic, Gender Neutral, Levi Is Precious

Lucifer:

"Luci! You're looking highly SUBMISSIVE & BREEDABLE today!" You screeched in the hallway, waving a hello at him. Everyone stared...in horror.

Lucifer.exe has stopped working

Rebooting

You did not just say that to the avatar of PRIDE

His eyes narrow & he gives you a small tight chilling smile before grabbing you by the collar & dragging you away

"I see. You're confused about your place. Very well."

You're severely regretting every choice you made that lead up to this moment

But also kind of turned on

Diavolo tried to step in but even Barbatos stopped him, shaking his head

You were gone for three days

You came back on crutches

Mammon:

He was doodling something on the board. You slap his ass in front of the entire class. "How's my submissive & breedable demon today?"

"HEY! NO TOUCHIN'! Grrr!"

Blushing furiously

[Secret happy Mammon noises]

His human wants him!? ♡

tsun-tsun activates tho

"The Great Mammon bows to no one, especially a dumb human!"

"Okay nevermind then. Levi where are you!?"

"Wait! Come back!!!"

Levi:

"Leviaaa...chan!" You sang out loud in the full common room. Levi looked up from his console & blushed in surprise. You strode over to the couch & pet his head. "You're looking very submissive & breedable today!"

P A N I C

you finally did it

you broke the otaku

Poor thing is a confused stuttering mess

Tries to leave the room in a hurry & keeps tripping

It's humiliating but you know he secretly likes it

After all you're claiming him in front of his brothers...so openly!!!

Finally makes it to his room & texts you

"I'm ready! I'll be a good boy!"

Originally, you were only teasing, but ran towards his room like lightning

Hes so pathetic I love him so much

Satan:

You saw Satan chatting with a few friends at lunch. You come up behind him & scratch behind his ears. He was a little surprised but let it continue. He was practically purring. "That's my little submissive & breedable demon."

He did not process what you said

Continued purring

Looks around at everyone giggling

"Huh?"

...

ohshitohshitRUNNNN

You spend the entire day running around RAD

The largest cat & mouse game anyones seen

Mammon was taking bets on your life

After RAD, you manage to run to the cat cafe

[Achievement Unlocked: Death, Diverted!]

Satan pet all the kitties and forgot about lunch

Meowww!

Asmo:

Every morning Asmo flirts with you at the breakfast table. For once, you decide to play around & tease him this morning. You say your hellos to everyone before looking directly at Asmo. "You're looking very submissive & breedable today."

He froze mid-bite before launching his food at Beel

In the blink of an eye, he starts taking his clothes off

"LETS GOOOOO!!!"

He starts chasing you around the house

Lucifer chases after him to cover him up

Everyone else joins the chase to stop Asmo

You were all late to RAD & Lucifer handed you extra homework for the chaos that morning

You got a text mid-class

"I'll catch you later! ♡"

Beel:

You decided to stop by the RAD gym after Beels practice. He was happily chatting with his team when he saw you & waved you over.  You decided to tease him in front of his team for fun. You got on your tippy toes & cupped his face, he smiled & nuzzled into your hands. "Oh very submissive & breedable today, hm?" You purred.

His eyes widened

He looked thoughtful for a moment & smiled brightly

"You mean you right?"

What?

UNO REVERSE [DJ Air horn effect]

He smiled & picked you up, slinging you over his shoulder

He ran out the gym with you as his team cheered

A few whispered prayers for you

Let me live my feral beel dream

Belphie:

You & the brothers head to the movie theater. Mammon keeps picking on Belphie to stay awake. You intervene. "Leave my precious submissive & breedable demon alone."

He let out a soft chuckle

"Is that how it is?"

Slips into demon form & wraps his tail around your waist

Clings to you & doesn't let go

"Only me right? Everyone else can fuck off."

Levi starts whining

Him & Levi have an intense simp-off

A wild Mammon joins the battle

Lucifer had enough & punishes them all

Bonus

Diavolo:

You & Diavolo were studying alone together. He kept looking to you & sighed. You asked what was up. He blushed. "You're looking very submissive & breedable today. I was told it was the highest compliment one could give." He said sheepishly.

"You need to stop hanging around Solomon."

Barbatos:

You went to visit Barb in the kitchen. You hug him from behind. You open your mouth & before you can even speak, he whips around & gives you a small knowing smile. He grabs your chin and presses his thumb on your bottom lip.

"How about you enlighten me on the subject?"

⬦You might also like: Thong︱Virginity︱Flirting With Others

[b-o-e]

late night confessions Wally Darling x Reader

Warnings: confessions!!! the L word!!! AHHH!!! a bit of julie slander ahbha! reposted cause tags weren’t and still aren’t working, on the one I was most excited for :’)

although it is not necessary, I highly suggest reading my fics in their recommended order for the best experience! here is the link to all my silly lil wally fics in order. this is #5 :)

The phone ringing late at night allows opportunity to come knocking.

“Hello?”

Who was it calling him at this time of night? Isn’t everyone usually asleep by now? Was something wrong?

“Hi,”

Your voice emitted softly through Wally’s phone.

… Oh?

“... Are you alright?” Wally quizzed, holding his handset between his shoulder and ear. He picked up the base of it, twisting his torso to get a glimpse at the clock. “It’s late,” he mumbled, grasping the phone back in his hand.

“I’m sorry,”

“I don’t mind in the slightest,” he soothed your worries. You went quiet, but Wally gave you the time. He didn’t mind waiting for you. A few moments later, you spoke again. 

“... I couldn’t sleep,” you admitted.

“Ha ha, I think I know how that feels,” Wally jested, earning a giggle from you. The corners of his lips subconsciously tugged upwards a little more at the pleasant sound.

“I suppose I shouldn’t be one to speak, huh? That was insensitive,” you chuckled, apologizing.

“I don’t mind, I’m quite used to it.” He reassured, “What keeps you up though, neighbour?”

Silence fell, until there was a bit of shuffling from your side of the line.

“I’m not entirely sure,” you sighed, seeming distressed. “I just… maybe my brain is being too loud, tonight.”

“Is there something on your mind you’d like to speak about?” Wally took a seat on his arm chair, left leg crossing over top of the right. The phone base rested on his knee, now, his free hand toying with the line.

“I…” your voice trailed off, “I’m not sure, honestly,” you grumbled. “I think…”

“I think I just wanted to hear your voice,” 

Wally gaped, eyes widening. 

His voice? 

He was flattered to hear that. Especially coming from you.

“Wally?” 

You chuckled softly, “sorry, that was probably a strange thing to say, wasn’t it?”

“Not at all,” he spoke quickly. “I’m honoured to hear you say that, neighbour,”

“Okay,” you murmured. 

It went quiet again. Wally picked at a loose thread on the arm of the chair, trying to figure out what to say next.

“Would you mind…”

He paused his movements. Seems you beat him to it. He waited patiently for you to finish your sentence.

“Would you mind, just… talking?” You requested shyly. 

His smile grew a little wider. You’d called him, just to hear his voice? His belly twisted with glee.

“Hmm…” 

Wally thought for a minute, wracking his brain for anything interesting. “Would you like me to talk about anything in particular?”

“Anything,”

“Anything…” Wally repeated, humming. His thoughts drifted back to what Eddie and Frank had told him the other day…

“Simply and utterly, I’ve run out of ways for you to drop hints,” Frank admitted, rubbing his temples. 

“Me too, if I’m being honest,” Eddie chuckled, “I think you’re just at the point where you need to say it, in the way that is the most natural and the most… you,”

“‘The most me’?” Wally reiterated, “how so?”

“Hmm… give them a call, perhaps?” Frank pitched, “That’s very you,”

“Yeah, it’s like how my staple is letters, yours is sorta calls,” Eddie agreed.

“No interruptions this time, too, that’s a guarantee” Frank uttered with a huff, reflecting back on their last plan. Darn Julie…

“Give them a call…” Wally hummed in thought, twiddling his thumbs. “I suppose that could work,”

“But,” Frank raised a finger, “you cannot simply call them and say it out flat. Timing is important!”

“Oh. How will I know when the right time is?”

Frank faltered. “Huh. How do you know when the right time is?” He turned to Eddie.

“Err… I don’t know? I mean, you just feel it, I guess,” he shrugged, hands raised defensively. “That's all I can think of. It just came to me, personally. I just… knew,”

Wally pursed his lips in thought.

Was this that time?

Nerves tangled inside of him like the phone cord around his fingers. 

It felt like it…

He sucked in a deep breath, slowly releasing to calm himself down.

“Can I… confess, something to you, neighbour?”

“Of course you can, Wally. I’m always here if you need me,” 

“... Do you promise?” He murmured softly.

“Cross my heart, always and forever…” you recalled words he’d once said to you. He found his smile twitching upwards a little more, cheeks warming.

“Well,” Wally stood up out his chair, slowly walking to the window. “I have… a secret. One that I’ve been keeping from you, that’s about you. One that I've found to cause me some distress,” he admitted.

“I hope I haven’t done anything wrong,” you fret, your concern clear in your voice.

“No, no, you’ve done nothing wrong at all,” Wally clarified, smiling to himself. Of course that’s where your head went.

“Thank goodness, I was terrified,” you chuckled with relief.

Wally hesitated. How was he meant to do this?

“Sorry, neighbour,” he apologized, realizing he had not said anything for a while. “I’m struggling to find the right words to say it to you,” he sighed.

“Take your time, Wally.” you comforted, “There’s no rush. I’ll be ready when you are,” 

Wally sucked in another deep breath. This was why, he realized, why he felt the way he did about you. Your consideration, your empathy, your patience… everything.

Slowly, he exhaled, letting his eyes fall shut as his body relaxed.

“Your eyes…” He murmured. By instinct, the image of you popped up in his head.

“They rob the words off of my tongue,” 

He heard the hitch of your breath.

“My heart,” He continued, “it sings with euphoria every second you are near,” he pushed out a light, shaky chuckle. “Ha ha… we may as well call it yours, with how full of you it is,”

His eyes drifted to the wall, examining one of his favourite art pieces in his possession. 

“It’s no secret how I enjoy indulging in art quite frequently, and yet, you manage to be the most extravagant masterpiece I’ve come across,” he murmured, voice holding nothing but sincerity, among something else.

“You’re unfathomably endearing. I crave more of you every time we part… that night we spent time together under the stars?”  He stared out the window, into the night, reminiscing back a few weeks to a time he had nearly confessed, only for it to have been ruined by Julie interrupting them. 

“There were so many things I wanted to say to you then. I wanted to tell you that if you asked me to, I’d figure out a way to give you the moon. That, despite the sky full of them above us, you shine brighter than any star up there in my eyes,” 

“And here I am, after all this time, still dancing around the point that I’m trying to get across, ha ha,” Wally’s eyes wandered to his desk, gazing among the disregarded letters laid upon it. Spit it out already, he thought. He’d taken long enough already.

“The truth is, my darling,” he murmured, soft and sweet, squeezing his eyes shut.

“I’m in lo–”

Click!

His heart skipped a beat, eyes shooting back open.

…

The line went dead.

…

“Oh.”

His heart plunged into his stomach. His legs refused to move.

His arm slowly dropped to his side, fingers still tangled in the coiled cord.

… 

He’d been rejected, hadn’t he?

…

What now?

Well, he hadn’t exactly thought this far ahead.

When he had, it wasn’t with an ending like this.

What did he miss?

Despite Eddie and Frank’s assurance that you were returning signs of attraction towards him, he always had a twinge of insecurity in his mind. Maybe he should’ve paid more mind to it.

Had he been too forward? Moved too fast?

It hurt. 

His chest felt tight. His free hand raised, clutching onto the front of his shirt.

It hurt badly.

His body was tingly, and his eyes were beginning to sting. He brushed his fingers against his cheek, meeting with the wetness on them.

“Oh...” He repeated, voice breaking as he slid his back down the wall as his legs gave, sinking to the ground. 

So you hadn't felt the same, after all.

AVHAGHGSHA hi :)

I hope you enjoyed! expect the unexpected! there is still more to come for this though, please don't hate me too much abahaha! if you haven't read the other fics but are interested, here they are, in their recommended order!

here is a link to my silly lil wally fics in their recommended order if you would like :) these can also be found on my ao3 B) I also have a ko-fi if you'd like to support me!

thank you for reading! likes and reblogs are very appreciated (especially cause my tags decided not to work today gsdfhdd) and are my main source of dopamine abhsabba B) UNTIL NEXT TIME!!!

Posted Tuesday, May 2, 2023, at 10:46 AM

[notsoattractivearenti]

Wanna Prove It? (Christian Pulisic x Fem!Reader)

WC: 800+

Warnings/Tags: pure fluff

A/N: a short one cuz i need to get it out of my system lol. he really is gonna be a great dad one day to our children cuz christian and babies = 🫠😍💗💗💗! btw no it's not dad!pulisic (y'all gotta wait until christmas 😋). anyway hope you guys enjoy and i’d love to hear your thoughts thru ask/reply/reblog 💗 apologies for any errors! feedbacks are highly appreciated 🤍 (ps: if you want to be added in my taglist just lmk!)

—

Christian and I are having a chill night in, and we spend most of the night laying on our couch with TV on. He gets up into the kitchen to get us some ice cream while I scroll through my Instagram feed on my phone – until I stumble across a video posted by USMNT of Matt Turner and Tim Ream answering a couple of "dad" questions. Just in time, Christian walks back into the living room holding a pint of ice cream and two spoons in his hands.

“Babe, have you seen the video USMNT just posted on Instagram?”

“What video?” He replies.

I show the post to him briefly as he sits back and puts the ice cream and spoons on the table in front of us.

“Oh it’s Matt and Tim! I thought it was another VW video I did!” He laughs. “ I haven’t seen it. Let me have a look.”

“Watch it until the end, I think you’re going to love it.” I suggest as I hand my phone and grab the ice cream.

He watches the short clip and makes some little comments during. He isn’t aware at the moment but from my point of view, excitement is written clearly on his face. There’s no denying he genuinely loves his national teammates (or as he usually calls them: buddies) – he does have some wonderful bonds with most of them.

“Yeah, I can see Joe and Brenden being terrific dads.” He agrees with one of Matt’s answers on the video.

“Wh- Aww, stop it.” Christian slightly blushes when Matt stated Christian would be a great dad and Tim agreed with it. “They’re so nice for saying that.”

“I do love their kids. They’re adorable and sweet!” He excitedly adds. “Also, who doesn’t love to hold babies!?”

“People who don’t like babies, I suppose.” I spontaneously answer him with a mouth full of ice cream – even though he doesn’t ask for one.

“Well, I think they are missing out on one of the best things in the world.” He comments back and it makes me chuckle.

I want to get more reaction from him so I ask him, “Do you think they’re right? That you’re going to be a great dad?”

“Uh…” He pauses. “Do you?”

“Hey, I asked you first!” I jokingly point my finger at him. “Don’t turn it back at me.”

“I mean, I hope I will…” He shyly hesitates. “But I don’t know. I don’t want to sound so cocky...”

“I know you will.” I wink at him.

His face suddenly turns pinkish red but his eyes lighten up so quickly.

“Y/N…”

“Say what you want Chris, but you know I’m right.” I try to convince him.

“Maybe…” Though he sounds unsure, he still agrees with me. “You know, I’m glad you think that way.”

With a spoon still in my mouth, I give him a little smile and nod my head. “Mmhm, you’re most welcome.”

The conversation ends there and we go back to finishing our pint of ice cream - or so I thought.

“You wanna prove it?” He breaks the brief silence.

“Huh.” I think I know what he’s implying but I’m not quite sure. “Prove what?”

“We can make a baby right now and prove I’m capable of being a great dad.” He smirks as he gently grabs my shoulder, pulls me closer then whispers in my ear, “We don’t need to wonder no more…”

Yup. That is exactly what I thought when he said “prove it”. Now it’s my face that turns so red and I nearly choke on my ice cream when he whispered so seductively. Oh, he surely knows how to get me good – what a cheeky man my boyfriend is!

“Christian Mate Pulisic!” I playfully gasp. “You can’t be serious!”

“Do I look like I’m kidding?” He laughs seeing me so visibly flushed. “I am just offering something you and I both want, sweetheart.”

“Why are you so sure I want it?”

“Well, I mean, you literally talked about always wanting to have babies on our first date, didn’t you?” He states. “You can’t deny it. I remember every word you said, Y/N.”

“And I remember I specifically said one day when I’m finally ready, Chris!” I clarify his statement before he continues. “I am totally not there yet.”

“Okay, but you do want babies right? So my offer still stands.” He moves his eyebrows up and down while giving me a cheeky grin.

“Oh…” I cover my face and shake my head. “Of course but not now, babe! Besides, if I get pregnant today, it’ll be like… A teen pregnancy!”

“You’re in your 20s, Y/N!” He cackles at my remark.

“Still! I feel like I’m way too young to have a baby. I’m still one myself!” I jokingly whine.

“My God, Y/N, you are a baby.” He says sarcastically. “I’m just messing with you, my love.”

“I know, Chris, I’m not dumb.”

“Don’t worry, no need to rush, yeah? We can definitely wait.” He kisses my forehead. “‘Cause you’re the only baby mama I want.”

—

taglist: @pulisicsgirl @neverinadream @swimmingismywholelife @chilwellspulisic @bracedes @lovelynikol16 @thoseboysinblue @lizzypotter14 @masonsrem @landoslover

[gravehags]

sweet treat

pairing: cardinal copia x curator!reader (plus bonus ghoulettes)

rating: T for suggestive content

tags: summertime activities, gelato, ghoulettes cockblocking (affectionately), flirting, copia plotting

~~~

"Ah, feels good to be home!"

The man walking at your side turns to you with a devilish grin, reaching behind you to grip you by the ass and pull you towards him, chuckling sinisterly.

"Copia," you giggle, playfully shoving him away, "you're insatiable."

"Sì, and? I don't recall hearing any complaints about it last night when I had you bent over so prettily an--"

"Copia!" you stage whisper, looking around the silent country road. The only sounds in the warm air are cicadas buzzing and your footfalls on the hot pavement.

"Dolcezza, there is no one around but us. If I wanted to pull you into that bush over there and have my wicked way with you, there would be no one to save you."

Well that's a thought. You stop and consider it, ultimately deciding--

"Hey!" a feminine voice calls in the distance, "Wait up!"

Copia groans in frustration as the two of you turn and behold two figures lightly jogging towards you. You immediately recognize them as Copia's ghoulettes - Cumulus and Cirrus. They've abandoned their uniforms for something more weather appropriate - glamours cast. Cumulus' long white curls are piled high on her head in a messy bun, and she looks sweet enough to eat in her tanktop and Daisy Dukes. Cirrus, on the other hand, with her long dark hair, wears a pair of loose basketball shorts and a sports bra. They're both smiling as they approach, panting in the summer heat.

"Afternoon ladies," you say, "You wanted to get gelato too?"

Cumulus nods eagerly while Cirrus gives you a playful little eye roll.

"Mind if we tag along?"

You turn to Copia who looks as though he does, in fact, mind, but you also know he adores his ghoulettes and can't deny them anything, much like he can't with you.

"Come along, bellezze mie," he says, waving them into step with you. You really liked the ghoulettes - thought they were so charming (and beautiful), you never complained about an opportunity to chat with them. Cumulus slings an arm around your waist and pulls you close.

"He treating you right?" she whispers loudly, causing Copia to whip his head around with a pout. You laugh and lean into her.

"Yeah he's not half bad," you whisper back, giving the ladies a wink, "Just between us girls I'm using him for his money but he doesn't know that okay?"

Cirrus snorts loudly and grins.

"How much does being a Satanic cardinal pay these days, huh?"

"Since becoming the head of the Ghost project," Copia interjects loudly and archly, "A considerable amount. But that's entirely none of your business, ghoulette."

The ladies dramatically "ooooo" while you bump his arm with your shoulder.

"He's just sensitive because Imperator had to confiscate the Ministry credit card."

"Amore!" he squawks, glaring at you. You shrug with a smile.

"Boss what did you buy that pissed Imperator off that much?" Cumulus inquires, highly intrigued.

He's really pouting now, mustache twitching as he frowns deeply.

"I don't want to talk about it."

They look to you and you mime a zipping motion over your lips, giving them an apologetic, yet amused, glance.

The four of you walk in silence for a few minutes and you reach up to wipe the sweat from your forehead with the back of your hand. Which is also sweaty so it really doesn't make much difference.

"This humidity, huh?" you pant, using the hem of your sundress as a fan for your legs, "You girls must hate it."

"We do," they say in sync, "but we run cooler by nature so that does help."

"Oh yeah?" you ask, fascinated, "because you're air ghouls? Or do you have some other infernal secret?"

"The air ghoul thing," Cirrus confirms before waving you over to her, "C'mere"

You step over to her and she looks to Copia for a moment, who nods, before wrapping her arms around you. All of a sudden you're awash with deliciously chilled air, and the feeling makes you moan. Cumulus, not wanting to be left out, embraces you from behind with a grin.

"It's like being inside an ice cream sandwich," you marvel, "This is divine. Copia have you tried this? Copia?"

The man in question is standing, watching the three of you with a peculiar look in his eye. If you didn't know any better you'd say it was...hungry. Predatory, even. It's as if he doesn't hear you as his gaze flicks between the three of you. The ghoulettes catch him staring and slowly pull away, the loss of your air conditioners making you whine.

"Come on, village is close," Cirrus says and you spot her giving Copia a wink and a grin. You have the distinct feeling that a plot is being hatched but before you can air your suspicions, Cumulus grabs you by the hand and drags you up the street.

"Look at these!" she gushes, gesturing to the small yellow climbing roses on one of the storefronts. She reaches up and picks a bundle, tucking it behind your ear with a soft smile.

"Beautiful," she murmurs, "they suit you."

Something about the way she regards you makes butterflies flit around in your stomach and you open your mouth to thank her when Cirrus and Copia catch up to you. Copia gives you a soft, knowing look that makes you cock your head but you stay quiet. The gelato shop is only a few doors down and is mercifully quiet. The owner knows the two of you by name and greets you warmly. You all place your orders (stracciatella for you, lemon for Copia, mandarin for Cirrus, and fior di latte for Cumulus) and step outside with your prizes.

"Stracciatella," Copia sniffs, "You've been spending too much time with Terzo."

"Oh excuse me, signore," you say archly, "Not all of us like sour fruit flavors. Next time I'm ordering two scoops just to piss you off even harder."

Cirrus snorts mid spoonful and looks at Cumulus, who grins into her treat.

"Guys," you say, playfulness dropping from your face and voice, "I have some really fucking bad news."

Copia looks so intensely concerned as he comes to your side and cups your elbow you nearly laugh.

"Dolcezza, what is it, what's wrong?"

"We've got to walk all the way back to the fucking abbey after this."

A silence falls on the three of you before Copia speaks.

"I'm calling a ghoul to pick us up."

[randomyuu]

so hold my hand (consign me not to darkness) [1/4]

Ah, yes. The fic that made me realise I’m in desperate need of Cursed Spirit Gojou in my ever-growing favourite GoYuu tropes.

Content Warning!

Major Character Death. Other characters are disrespectful to the corpse.

I highly suggest you read the fic first, or just the fic, since I don’t think I was properly able to adapt it into drawings. While I managed to use roughly two weeks of on-and-off planning, researching, and storyboarding, I only had a full week to finish it. You can read more of my thoughts below the comic if you’re curious.

Title: so hold my hand (consign me not to darkness)

Author: qalb_al_louz

It’s ongoing, and as of this drawing, the fic is in its third chapter. While this is (sexually) SFW, always be mindful of the tags! Please keep yourself safe and sound.

Please read from right to left, and enjoy!

You can only upload 30 images in one post, huh Damn, I gotta divide it into parts

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Alrighty, I'll put my watered down unhinged thoughts below. No extra drawings down there if you're curious haha (unless you want to see the storyboard and the characters' full body character sheet, lemme know). You can skip the stuff underneath the Keep Reading for all parts.

This fic had me grinning from ear to ear every time I read this. The atmosphere, how it goes from POV to POV—of pure fear and panic—and the peak excitement I got when Yuuji properly meets Gojou, like brooooo 😭

Gosh I cannot emphasise how much I love this fic. I’ve always been wanting to make a whole comic out of it, especially since it was 2 chapters and it doesn’t look like the author will update it, but it just… kind of forgotten ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿

But then the author posted a new chapter and I told myself this is a sign I should really start.

also goddamn I was so naive to think I can tackle 2 chapters as comic—no I was in fact cannot

The moment I laid my eyes on the first paragraph, things were portrayed very vividly in my mind. The panel, the angle, Gojou's head rolling down... I was like, hell yeah. Then I continued reading and I finally succumbed to my desire to draw this out.

At first I want to adapt this into a vertical format like those manhwas. However the longer I try to learn and storyboard it... I am simply not yet comfortable with it, especially for such a big project. Even the 1st storyboard starts vaguely vertical before the panels quickly crammed into that B4-B5 format lol. The first sketch estimated 69 (heh) pages for 90% of chapter 1. I said "no" for my own sanity and fully focused on the usual manga format and it was narrowed down to 60. Still a lot though, quantity and time-wise. So with a heavy heart, I can only do the majority of chapter 1 :”) I really really want to draw Sukuna talks back to Gojou—do you have any idea how good that scene was??? Gojou tried so hard to restrain himself, he’s so other I love him 😭

Due to the sheer length of this comic (I'm still in disbelief), I have limit lots of things, and that includes the drawing. If you've seen my other JJK fanarts, they are more rendered than this one. Well, this one is purely sketched with the help of the eraser to tidy up some lines. This is also the first fanart that I did purely on Photoshop, so I can control the typesets and drawings in one place. Usually, I use Photoshop for panels and typesetting and Krita for drawing.

I don't really like Photoshop's brush, but it did really well in curbing my perfectionist tendencies, so that's good.

It's also been quite a while since I draw in general (sobs) so... yeah, you might find differences, or not ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!

I know setting is important, but maaan I genuinely won't miss rereading chapter 83-93 with a heavy focus on background and character locations. I just want to read the action and dialogue😭 However continuity is really important. But my spatial intelligence is almost non-existent even GPS sometimes can't help me. All I'm saying is that if you find some silly drawing mistakes, do forgive me ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿I only drew all this in a week because otherwise I won't have another chance to complete this.

Well, lots of things I won't miss from this project, but haha let's talk about the characters instead because holy shit what was I thinking, starting this year drawing this many characters in the same project??? I have never drawn anyone here except for Yuuji, Gojou, Nanami and Megumi. I don't think I've ever drawn older Getou before. I already forgot how to draw my boy Yuuji and I gotta draw all these people???

This is what you call making a bad decision, kids. Don't do your "drawing warmup" after months of not drawing and tackling a project of a scale way bigger than you've ever tackled before.

Thank you for reading this far! I hope you find my complaint entertaining! But make no mistake, I genuinely still love the fic. Drawing this, even with all the headaches it gave me, only makes me adore this fic even more.

Thank you very much to each one of you who follows and leaves comments and tags on my silly art—it never failed to make my day :D And I sincerely wish this one also made your day or even made your minute! I'll see you in the next part!

[dead-boys-club]

†  a day out : kawata twins.

❥ scenario: tagging along on a day out. ❥ no triggers; not rated. ❥ i don't have any beta readers - you get what you get. ❥ requested! for @ryuukeymir -- i am super sorry it took so long to get out. muse is a struggle.

❥ i am going to be 100% honest and say: i loathe this <333 but here ya go.

roaming the busy streets of shibuya, enjoying a rare day off, you were expecting to grab a few things and head home but that wasn't possible when you spotted two familiar faces in the crowd. the twins were pretty easy to recognize and of course, you couldn't just not say anything to them. you decided against sneaking up on them, recalling what happened last time you made such a silly mistake.

'hey!' you called, waving as you dodged people to get closer.

nahoya's smile widened, which you didn't know was possible, while souya's expression softened in the slightest. 'hey there, pretty boy. fancy running into you here,' nahoya greeted, instantly lifting your spirits, immediately pulling you in by the shoulders when you got close enough.

souya offered a small nod acknowledgement, head falling into a tilt. 'what brings you out here?' he asked, tone a lot friendlier than his expression would suggest.

'just.. wandering around, finally got a day off. you guys?' you questioned, sinking into the olders side. you generally didn't make too many affectionate gestures towards souya as he preferred those things to be done in private.

'we were thinking of grabbing some food, maybe hitting up a few arcades or something,' the pinkette shrugged, 'wanna tag along?'

'a day out with you two? am i going to say no?' you mused, eyebrow raising.

your response was met with an eyeroll and a headshake. as the three of you went about your adventure, chatting and joking, looking for somewhere new to eat, you at some point shifted from one side to the middle. between the light hearted jokes and dry humor, you found yourself stuck in the midst of a perfectly balanced exchange, highly amused with just listening to the back and forth. following a meal, you wandered through the shopping district, stopping at random stores to check out little trinkets and cool clothes.

of course, you stubbornly denied any gifts. and, as always, that was met with the same stubborn attitude when you ended up with said gifts anyway. you'd been prepared to blow your last paycheck but that apparently wasn't going to be an option. the only answer you got being 'you should have known better.'

the arcade was mostly nahoya's zone, challenging you and his brother to various games that didn't go in either of your favor. though, his competitive spirit was always contagious which lead to your defeat in a far too intense battle of air hockey. you left him to his own devices after another round, joining souya in his successful endeavor with the claw machines. you weren't sure when but he'd, at some point, grown a collection of winnings.

being dark and not very populated, you tested the waters by settling your chin on his shoulder, hugging him lightly from behind. 'whatcha trying to get?' you asked quietly but you didn't get a verbal response, just watched the claw drop down around a little blue bear. you didn't really need an answer at that point.

'you're a natural at this, huh?' you mumbled as the bear was dropped to the door, pulling back for him to collect him. you couldn't remember the last time you won something from a claw machine, let alone more than one something.

'it's just practice,' he answered with a faint blush and the ghost of a smile forming as he handed the bear off to you. you just beamed and hugged it close, glancing around before planting a kiss on his cheek.

the day went by in a blur, leaving the three of you on a bench, taking the moment to relax from all the walking and fooling around. the sun was beginning to set, vibrant colors painting the sky.

'today was pretty fun,' nahoya spoke up, leaning back on his palms with a sigh.

'yeah,' you nodded a little, glancing over to him. 'we should do this more often.. i'll try to get a better routine with my schedules.' you smiled sheepishly, knowing that most of your time spent together was at home thanks to being busy or tired.

souya nodded in agreement. 'i wouldn't mind that.'

the walk home was easy, swinging both of their hands. as much as you didn't want the evening to end, it had to and soon enough you were waving by as they headed off. you were already on your phone, trying to figure out when you'd have the time again.

[xxsycamore]

𝙂𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙤 (Leonardo x reader)

↬ 🐈 Some period cramps can be cured with the help of a cuddly little kitten, and some others require a bigger, cuddlier cat.

Leonardo da Vinci x reader • rating: G • tags: Menstruation; Period Cramps; Fluff; Pets; Lumiere • wordcount:  743 • masterlist

a/n: You voted for Leonardo! Here it is, another fic in the series! If you happen to suffer from cramps and you want your favorite ikevamp suitor comforting you in their own unique way, may I offer: Napoleon, Comte, Mozart, Theo 💕(All fics in this series share the same opening scene!)

It’s another beautiful day at the mansion, and the sun is continuing to shine brightly outside as afternoon settles in. Your list of chores is more than half-way done now, the morning was a productive one and you pat yourself on the back for pushing through at your usual pace, even if your period surprised you early this morning. Sleeves rolled up and armed with a feather duster, you march towards the lounge room to take care of another chore.

Specks of dust dance in the afternoon sun, windows wide open, as you complete your task little by little. Soon the sections left to dust decrease and you start to tire - a minor pain in your tummy appearing as well, as if to persuade you into taking a short break. You throw a look at the grandfather clock. You’ve been a busy bee; not even the distraction of dusting off some of Comte’s highly intriguing antiques couldn’t get you late on your own schedule.

You sit down at the spacious couch area, grab a throw pillow to hug, and fall on your side - shoe-covered feet juust hanging off the couch because it won’t be worth the effort of taking them off for just a minute or two of rest.

Uh-oh! The pain doesn’t go away and only gets worse instead. Suddenly moving as much as a millimeter equals signing a death warrant.

“Help” You whisper to yourself, clutching onto the throw pillow.

***

" 'Scusa Cara mia, may I interest you in switching pillows with me?"

Startled, you open your eyes to discover Leonardo looming over you - you must have dozed off. With the melodic, deep voice you're familiar with, the surprise lasts a mere second before melting away, and in its place grows a sprout of affection that whispers 'I missed you'. Those sentiments have to get squeezed into a minuscule timeframe, because you have to react to the "pillow" trusted in front of your chest - it's black and furry, and it meows in a confused greeting.

Most naturally, you take Lumiere in your hands, accepting the deal gladly - and Leonardo takes the throw pillow instead. Shifting to lie fully on your back, you welcome your favorite little gattino to cuddle close to you, and he makes himself comfortable on your stomach. Any suspicions that the little angel in a devil's disguise would add to your pain vanish the second you find yourself relaxing into the couch, with Lumiere on top of you.

You gaze up at your wonderful dopamine dealer, wondering if he's truly content with what he got on his side of the deal. He puts the small pillow behind his head and sinks into the nearby armchair, admiring the sight of his two favorite creatures stacked atop of each other. He chuckles and crosses his legs at the feet.

"I was going to suggest medicine, or a message. But that would've gotten you back on your feet too soon, and you gotta rest. But now I guess it's no more moving for you, huh?"

You look at Leonardo with defeat, but also with thankfulness as soon as the impending sigh leaves through your lips. There indeed is no moving when precious Lumiere is on top of you, and there indeed is a certain need to rest that your body has been trying to signal about.

"…Leonardo? How did you know?"

"I have my ways, tesoro. Been noticing the signs, I knew it would be one of these days. Took a wild guess when I peeked inside and saw you on the couch."

Your second sigh is carrying a bit of that gushy embarrassment, but it's cut short because of the sensation of Lumiere jumping off you. He sneaks out through the left-ajar door, leaving only the memory of the soothing warmth on you.

"Nooo…"

"Must've heard Sebastian making the pots and pans noise, eh? Acting like I don't feed him…"

Your outstretched hands and the little overdramatic frown on your face carry the power of getting your mountain of a boyfriend to his feet despite his well-anchored state. Before you can decide what is he approaching you for, he sinks to his knees and… lays his head down on your belly. Gently. Right where Lumiere was a second ago.

The warmth is back, but this time it spreads all the way to your cheeks.

"It seems like a bigger cat came to make sure I won't be able to get up…"

Taglist: @arsnovacadenza @ale-teodora @kimi00twin @otomelady @privilegedpancake @g-kleran    @pumpumnnnp @thesirenwashere @ravenarld @kimmy-banana @devonares @animeworldsposts @randomanimatedhusbandoseeker @galaxyprison @sadshaxk @starshards26 @pro-cat-stination @acethephoenix256 @ikevamp-shrine-2 @nad-zeta @crystal13unny @keen19thcenturygoatsstudent @lordsister @ikemen-banshou   @themysticalbeing @canaria-blackwell @otome-scribbles @rhodolitesrose @coornn @kpop-and-otome @queen-dahlia @kisara-16 @chaosangel767 @ikemenlibrary @queengiuliettafirstlady @aurora-morning @aquagirl1978 ​ @ikemenlover24 @violettduchess @mcofthemansion @joy-the-reader @katriniac @ikemen-writer @tele86 @cilokgoang Let me know if you want to be tagged/untagged!

[existslikepristin]

Nothing extra to say this time

Tags: NSFW, S.M.U.T., genie

(Story Index)

Infinite stamina!

You put on your coolest expression, giving Joy a raise of the eyebrows. “If you enjoyed that, just you wait. I wish for infinite stamina. I’ll fuck you until you can’t walk or fly stra—wait, can you fly—no, let’s worry about that later. Yeah, I wish for infinite sexual stamina.”

Joy begins to laugh immediately. “Ha! Good one, master.”

You can’t help but shift your very cool expression to one that’s a bit more confused.

“Oh,” Joy’s laughter slowly stops, “Oh, you meant it?”

Her expression shifts too, but to something akin to your friend looking at your dog and trying very hard not to tell you how ugly it is.

“Well, you win some, you lose some… Master, you know how I said I’d give you a warning if you made a stupid wish?”

“Yeah…” you nod, already seeing where this is going.

“You should know that I try not to do that unless the wish is genuinely stupid.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Unwise, you know?”

“Okay,” you sigh.

“Trivial, obtuse, or witless.”

“Okay, I get it.”

“Really deficient in the brain department, if you know what I’m saying.”

“I know what you’re saying! But why?!”

Joy puts a condescending hand on your shoulder, and the other condescending hand on your dick. Within a quarter of a second, any fatigue you were feeling, whether from the sex or from the rest of your day, is gone. “Because, you silly silly duck master, I’m an entity with nigh unlimited control over reality. You should be wishing for something interesting… Also I’m a slut who gets off on you getting off, so you basically get infinite stamina from my mere existence. And of course I can fly. That’s just Mythological Being 101.”

You squint. “There’s class involved in being a genie?”

“No. My last master was a recent college grad.”

“Okay, well if you don’t think I should wish for infinite stamina because it’s sexual, and you get off on me getting off, why’d you suggest I wish for some good pussy earlier? Were you going to make fun of me if I did?”

Joy laughs again, steps around you on her toes—no, wait, she’s floating a bit off the floor—, and pops your cupboard open. She looks the sparse selection up and down before pulling out a box of tea. “No, the good pussy has more to do with the fact that I’m not going to be your slave forever, and I highly doubt that you’re going to be satisfied with not making your final wish before you die of natural and/or human causes (not to make you think about your inevitable mortality… even though it’s definitely coming).”

“It’s coming?!”

“Well duh, but not at this very moment. What do you expect? Random meteor strikes? Chill. Death is cool.”

“No it’s not!”

“No seriously, Death is cool,” Joy says, casually looking through your cabinetry for a mug, “If he comes around, I’ll let him know you’ve got wishes left and he’ll be like, ‘No big D, Joy. Wanna get churros sometime?’ I’ll obviously take him up on it and you can fuck your harem, if you wish for a harem, while I’m out pretending some churros are necessary to save you from an early grave.”

“You know the grim reaper?”

Joy runs some cold tap water into your mug, dips your tea bag into it, and it’s suddenly boiling. “Ugh. Don’t remind me about those guys. No, I know Death.”

“Uh, can I wish for immortality? It’s not against the rules and suddenly feels applicable.”

“Oof. Yeah, you ain’t gonna want to wish for that. Anyway, you wanted to fuck me again, right? Over the table again, or do you want to take it to the bedroom?” She sips on her tea. “Oh shit, that’s good stuff… We could go somewhere more exotic if you’re feeling adventurous.”

You look Joy up and down. She’s way more lackadaisical about everything than you’d expect from a woman roaming your kitchen in the nude.

Options:

You wanna know what’s so bad about immortality versus death.

Nope. Nope. You just want to go to the bedroom to keep fucking.

Joy’s not acting especially slave-like! Tell her to take you seriously!

How about going somewhere exotic? As long as it won’t burn a wish.

Speaking of wishes, make one that she’s not going to reject already!

… Just fuck her on the table again.

[blackleatherjacketz]

Lucky Guess

Max Burnett x Female Reader

Summary: Waiting on your date, you run into Max, a handsome stranger at the bar. Things turn out better than you ever could have imagined... or did they?

Warnings:18+ Only!, Explicit Smut, Emotional Manipulation, Con Men, Max Being Charming, Alcohol, Threats of Violence, Hand-Holding, Kissing, Biting, Face-Holding, Max Undressing You, Suggested Voyeurism, Vaginal Sex, Outercourse?, Hotel Sex, Woman On Top, Soft Dom/Sub Themes, Multiple Orgasms, Unprotected Sex

Word Count: 3.8K+

Tags: @bullet-prooflove​ @skittle479​

Read more of my stories HERE!

A jazz quartet plays a random selection of top forty hits in the corner of the hotel bar, the tunes barely recognizable as the drums and saxophone echo off the dark, sleek walls of the four star establishment. You look at your watch for the third time in ten minutes, stealing a glance toward the glass door of the restaurant’s entryway as you decide to settle into the bar stool that’s just a little too tall for your liking.

“A glass of moscato, please,” you tell the bartender as he makes his way over to you. You decide that you can at least stay a while and enjoy yourself even if your date has lost his chance to buy you dinner by showing up late.

“Sure thing, doll.” The bartender winks with a snap as he points at you, turning in the direction of the back room where all the chilled wine must be kept.

You fold the drink menu in on itself, pushing it away from you with a heavy sigh, wondering how this man who was so eager to ask you out last week could have possibly forgotten to meet you here. A younger version of yourself might linger on those thoughts a little longer, might over analyze every text message and phone call in between your first meeting and now, but you don’t have time for all that. You only have a select amount of nights to yourself, a few precious moments away from your kids and your job, a much needed break from the chaos that crowds your mind. You’ll be damned if you waste one of those highly coveted nights on someone who can’t respect you enough to prioritize your time.

“One glass of moscato!” The bartender returns from the back room, holding your glass of wine at the base before setting it in front of you. He points at you again before gesturing toward the cash register. “Keep it open?”

“Sure,” you nod, pulling out your card and sliding it over the countertop as he pushes the glass of wine toward you. “Why not?”

“You bet.” He grins, tossing a fresh towel over his shoulder as he palms your debit card. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

“Sure thing,” you smile, tracing the rim of the glass with your fingers before picking it up.

“How late is he?” The man who sits down next to you asks, chasing his question with a long draught of his cocktail as he adjusts his weight, turning in his stool to face you.

“Excuse me?” You look over as you take your first sip of wine, it’s tartness brushing over your taste buds as you notice just how attractive he is. His dark hair and chiseled features instantly send a trickle of butterflies into your stomach as the words ‘devilishly handsome’ come to mind. There’s something you can’t quite put your finger on, something about him that’s different, dangerous.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help but notice you staring at your watch for the past fifteen minutes.” He swallows another mouthful of alcohol, bringing his glass down in front of him before setting it down on the counter. “A woman like you could only be waiting on one of three things.”

“A woman like me, huh?” You lead, raising an eyebrow. “And what would those be?” You find yourself subconsciously turning into him, eager to hear his theories about what could have possibly brought you here tonight.

“One,” he smiles wide when he notices you looking at him, blue eyes sparkling as he grasps onto his glass with a laugh. “You’re having an affair and you don’t want to be found out, that’s why you’re meeting him at a hotel bar instead of a restaurant. But he’s running late, and that window of opportunity before your husband comes home from that business trip is closing fast.” He brings his glass up to his lips, pointing at you with its rim.

You crack a smile with his unfounded prediction before taking a congratulatory sip of your wine, the carbonation wrinkling your nose as you try not to laugh. “And your next guess?”

“Alright.” He leans into you with a smirk, making a point to reach over your shoulder as he takes his time hovering over the bowl of cherries behind the counter. You try your best not to get lost in the scent of his cologne as it surrounds you; the deep, smoky notes of cedarwood drawing you in as he exposes his neck before finally grabbing the stem of the fruit that suits his fancy.

“Two,” he continues his speech, leaning back in his seat before dropping the cherry into his drink. “You’re not married, but you’re still meeting someone here. Nothing serious of course, just drinks. Maybe a first or second date, but he’s more than a little late, and you’re thinking he might even be standing you up.” He glances at the empty doorway before looking back at you, his eyes traveling up and down your figure before finally settling in on your lips.

“And the third option?” Another modest sip of your wine.

“You’re just thirsty.” He rolls his tongue along the inside of his cheek with a tilt of his head as a sudden heat rushes into your chest. “And you’re waiting to see how long it will take for a handsome stranger to come up and offer to buy you a drink.”

You hold his gaze as you tip the bottom of your wine glass into the air, swallowing a bigger swig of it before setting it down on the napkin between you. “A handsome stranger, huh?” You smirk, enjoying the rare feeling of being actively pursued as his eyes work together with the alcohol to warm you up from the inside. “Those are some pretty wild theories.”

“Hey!” A third party’s voice interrupts your back and forth, drawing your attention to the man who was supposed to meet you here over twenty minutes ago. He doesn’t look flushed or worried, not maimed or disheveled as he approaches the bar at a slow, unbothered pace. “I lost track of time, but I’m glad you’re still here.” He looks at your new friend for a split second before he begins unbuttoning his suit jacket.

“What are you doing?” You spin around to face him fully, your back now facing the bar.

“We have a date.” He unfastens his button as he looks at you. “I’m gonna order a drink.”

“We had a date, yeah,” you look down at your watch, noticing that your conversation with the stranger has made time pass by a little quicker than you thought. “That was at six o’clock. It’s now six thirty.” You cross your legs together in your stool, watching his face drop in disbelief.

“I told you, I lost track of time.” He looks over at the stranger, his hand still nervously holding onto his suit jacket before focusing back on you. “You’re not really going to be like this, are you?”

“Be like what?” You double down, keeping your tone as cold as possible. “Expect a courtesy call or text if you’re running late? A telegraph or smoke signal at the very least?”

“I told you, I lost track of time.”

“I didn’t hear an apology anywhere in there.” You look to your new friend who seems to be utterly rapt with your interaction. “Did you?”

“No.” He shakes his head without missing a beat, hiding a smirk behind his glass.

“Yeah, I’m sorry Josh, but you lost your window about twenty minutes ago.” You fold your arms across your chest as his features contort with anger.

“Who the hell’s this guy, then, anyways?” He points to the stranger, the veins in his neck bulging as he steps closer to the both of you. “You move on that quick? Huh? Whore?”

Before you’re even able to respond, the man sitting next to you steps out of his chair, towering over your would-be date in the most menacing stance you’ve ever seen before in your life. You allow him to take charge for a moment, your feeble attempts at cutting your interaction short failing to get the job done. “The lady made it pretty clear she wants you to leave.” His dark tone is practically unrecognizable from the light and airy conversation you were having before.

Your date stares at the stranger, slowly stepping backwards as his anger visibly morphs into fear. Droplets of sweat begin to form at his temples, racing down the sides of his face as he nods his head, almost as if there are some unspoken words between them to finally get the message across. He looks at you one more time, muttering the word ‘bitch’ or something like it before turning on his heel to make his hasty exit.

“You didn’t have to do that,” you tell him as he takes his seat back next to you, sighing in relief as he swivels in his stool.

“Yeah well, some men only respond to the presence of another man.” He runs a hand through his hair and tosses the rest of his drink back, motioning for the bartender to get him another. “You okay?”

“I think I’ll survive, thanks.” You follow suit and finish your glass of wine, smiling at his instinctive act of chivalry.

“So I was right,” he picks up your previous conversation, leaning his elbow against the bar to face you again as another glass of moscato appears in your peripheral vision. “It was number two.”

“Lucky guess.” You scoff, wrapping your fingers around the base as he attempts to lighten the mood.

“Well I figured it couldn’t be number one, there’s no ring on your finger.” He reaches out and touches your hand, loosening its grip on your glass as his fingertips begin massaging your palm. “Unless you’re just not wearing it tonight.” He bites his lower lip as his thumb brushes over your barren ring finger, his pupils expanding as he pulls you in a little closer.

“I’m not married, if that’s what you’re trying to ask.” You whisper as the space between you closes, his scent now swimming through your senses as he continues massaging your hand.

“That’s good.” He leans in to properly study your face as he squeezes your hand affectionately, his thumb exciting the tiny hairs on the back of your hand. “I’m not married, either.”

“That’s good.” You repeat back to him, wondering just how skilled the rest of his fingers might be.

“Yeah?” He lets go of your finger and leans back in his seat, those crystal blue eyes of his never leaving your face as he sighs to part his lips in a real, genuine smile. “Any chance that number three is still an option?”

————————-

The view from his hotel room is absolutely stunning, the street lamps and office buildings of New York City illuminating the night sky for miles in front of you as his hand gently squeezes the base of your neck. You hadn't done anything like this in years, hadn’t tossed your inhibitions to the wind in exchange for a night of attention and pleasure with a complete stranger. Your life was so structured, so compartmentalized that you had to meticulously schedule a night to be free, a night to feel anything at all, and he’s been generous enough to offer you an entire range of those feelings. You smile at your translucent reflection as his other hand finds its way onto your hip, pulling you back just enough to feel him flush against you, his lips just barely touching the shell of your ear.

“I can’t believe that guy was stupid enough to blow a chance with you.” He whispers, tracing his fingers down your spine to the zipper of your dress.

“Well, they can’t all be winners.” You shrug as he starts to unzip it, taking his time pulling the fabric apart as he breathes against your neck, forcing you to inhale quickly in response.

“No, they can’t.” He kisses a trail down your neck as a cascade of goose flesh follows, the zipper stopping just shy of your tailbone as he exposes your back. His kisses deepen into the nape of your neck as he removes his other hand from your hip, smoothing it up your back to push the straps off of your torso. You finally exhale as the black cloth leaves your body, silently falling onto the floor as his mouth moves onto your shoulders, his lips parting just enough to taste your skin as it shivers beneath his touch.

“These windows are so big, anybody walking by could see us.” Your insecurities rear their ugly head as he kisses his way down your shoulder blade and lower back, getting onto his knees for better access to the rest of your body.

“Then let them watch,” he mutters matter of factly against your bare ass, barely covered by the lace thong you're sporting as he pulls it down over your hips, playfully nipping at the skin just above your thigh.

You gasp at the intensity of his bite, relishing in the feeling of warmth his mouth and hands send into your core as his lips cover nearly every inch of your legs. You hold onto that breath, letting it expand in your chest as he slides your underwear over your knees, past your calves and onto the floor. He lets them drop without a word, his lips peppering slow, affectionate kisses onto your skin before squeezing his fingers against your ankles and into the arch of your foot. One by one, he lifts your feet up and out of your heels, watching you step over the crumpled fabric of your dress now pooled around them before running his hands up and down your legs as you turn around to face him.

The city lights cast such a beautiful hue on his handsome face, highlighting his cheekbones and darkening his eyes as they look up at you from his position on the floor. You reach out to touch him as his hands remain on your calves, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear as his eyelids close for a brief second. You can’t believe how lucky you are to have reached this moment with him, wondering how much your luck would have changed if your date had shown up on time.

“Matching lingerie,” his words interrupt your thoughts as his eyes open back up, locking onto yours. “It’s almost as if you wanted someone to see.” His lips curl into a smirk with his teasing tone, his breath warming a path up your body as he rises to his feet, just barely brushing his palms over your thighs and hips on his way back up.

“Well, you can never be too prepared,” you start to rationalize your wardrobe choices to him before his hands slide up your stomach and back, stopping once they find the hook of your bra.

“Oh, I’m not complaining.” He brings his lips closer to yours as he works to unfasten it, pulling the restrictive bodice down your arms and dropping it onto the floor with the rest of your clothes. “I’m just glad I’m the one who gets to see it.”

The phantom flavor of whiskey mixes in with the sweet aftertaste of wine as your lips part to welcome his, gasping as his hands graze over your newly exposed breasts. You can feel your nipples harden against his palms as they curve to cup around them, lightly squeezing before smoothing up your chest and neck to cradle your face and savor your kiss. He pulls back just enough to glance down at your lips again, pausing for what seems like an eternity before looking over at the armchair in the corner of the room. He kisses you again, this time a little deeper, a little longer before gently stroking your cheeks with his thumbs as he pulls his hands off of your face, reluctantly breaking contact.

“I’m Max, by the way.” He whispers his belated introduction, slowly turning away from you to head toward the chair as he begins unbuttoning his own dress shirt.

Jesus Christ, have you been that enamored by him that you really forgot to ask him that? His fucking NAME? You watch him pull the tails of his shirt out of his waistline, shrugging it off his shoulders to reveal a body just as chiseled as the features of his face. Goddamn it, you’re in trouble. You can feel a bit of moisture start to collect between your thighs as you stare at him, hearing your own voice instinctively recite your name out loud as he makes his way over to the chair, undoing his belt and pants.

“Now we’re no longer strangers,” he starts, winking as he pushes his pants and underwear down in one fell swoop. “Do you have any idea how gorgeous you are?” He kicks off his shoes and steps out of his clothes, backing up to sit down on the empty chair that faces you.

“Am I? Do I? Umm… thank you.” You stare at his naked silhouette, the sheer sight of him tying a knot into your stomach as he settles into the armchair, your whole body tensing in anticipation. “You look… good, you look umm…” you stammer as you watch him spit on his palm, slowly gripping himself in the darkness as he silently takes you in.

“Come here.” He interrupts your brain’s mad scramble for words as he beckons you with his opposite hand, patting his thigh. “Take a seat.”

Your eyebrows dart into your hairline as you gawk at him, unable to reply as your throat dries up and your thighs rub together to contain the arousal nearly dripping between them. You watch him stroke himself in a grateful mixture of both desire and disbelief, forcing your muscles to move your body forward as you eagerly make your way toward him.

The fabric of the chair bends beneath your knees, its plastic blend cracking and pinching into your skin as you straddle his thighs, his mouth falling slack as you grab onto his shoulders for support. His other hand snakes its way up the back of your neck, fingers gripping onto your hair just tightly enough to control your body and guide your movements. He lowers your hips down as you roll them toward him, looking up at you as he carefully glides the head of his cock in between your folds, spreading your juices up and down your length.

“Right here?” You tease, nudging against him at the most delicious angle as his grip on your hair tightens with a slight moan from his lips.

“Yeah,” he mutters, eyelids fluttering shut as he tries his best to control his breathing, careful not to enter you just yet. He continues to coat himself with your arousal, pressing his tip against your bud as he opens his eyes to watch the rhythmic movements of your body in complete and utter awe. “Right there, just like that.”

“Okay.” You suck your breath in through your teeth as he brushes over your clit, showering your senses with dozens of little bursts of pleasure, each upward motion of his tip quickly countered by a downward thrust of your hips until all of those pulses finally build up inside of you. That ecstasy you so rarely get to experience heats to a boil, rising up in your blood until you can feel it race through every inch of your body. Every time he rubs himself against you, that pleasure acts like a drug, traveling further through your blood vessels and up into your heart and lungs. It spreads like oxygen through your circulatory system as it pulses through your arteries, giving your brain and body the intense high that you’ve been craving, the high that you’ve been needing.

You moan against his forehead as that blissful delight suddenly takes over, pushing through your veins and capillaries, saturating the very tissue of your muscles as it makes you shiver uncontrollably. You cry out as it works its way through you with each beat of your heart, feeding every organ, vessel and nerve with a pulse of euphoria that violently rattles itself into your bones. You arch your back as your thighs quake against the chair’s armrest, pulling his head into your chest until there's nothing left to fuel your cells, nothing left to hold you up as your muscles momentarily fail, lowering your hips down onto his.

He groans as you sink down onto him, pushing himself up inside of your heat, feeling you shudder and spasm around his cock before he’s even lifted his hips up off the chair. He grins into the delicate skin of your chest, holding on tightly to the back of your head as he continues to bury himself deeper into you. All sense of restraint and control he’d practiced before seems to melt away with each consecutive thrust, his moans becoming more feral, more sporadic as he kisses his way up your neck and chin. He loses himself completely, kissing your lips with reckless abandon as he pulls your body down in one final blow, snapping his hips up against your thighs, suddenly spilling his release.

He grunts as he holds you close, each twitch and spasm of his pelvis coating your inner walls white as a trail of sweat runs down your chest and onto his. He grins as another wave of pleasure rolls through you, vibrating every cell in your body as it clenches your muscles around him, turning his grunt into a groan as he moans the extent of his orgasm into your lips. He kisses you harder as your fluids mix with his, the two of you moving together in a mesmerizing rhythm as he sucks your tongue into his mouth, scraping his teeth across your taste buds.

“You look so perfect when you come, you know that?” He whispers his praises into your mouth as his breathing slows, nipping at your bottom lip before kissing it again with a smirk.

“Uh huh.” You whine, barely able to put words together as your skin still tingles with the aftershock of your bliss. You hold his face in your hands as you kiss his lips, moving your mouth down to taste the sweaty skin of his jaw and neck before resting your head on his shoulder. “You do, too.”

“Yeah?” He holds himself inside you, running his hands up and down your back in an attempt to ease the process of coming down from the chemical high you both just shared. “I didn’t think it was possible for you to look any more beautiful than when I first saw you downstairs, but this…” he kisses your hair, inhaling your scent. “This is better.”

[carmensandcastle]

"I finally managed to check in! It took a while, I guess the desk guy is a new employee, haha…"

"Huh- Oh! Hi, my name's Carmen! but feel free to call me anything you like, Im on vacation with my friends for a couple of days though Feel free to ask questions!"

The image above is by @llocket

BELOW ARE RULES AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THE BLOG!!

The mod is a minor however you are allowed to ask somewhat suggestive questions (Nothing too far same goes for violence)

please specify if you're talking to Carmen or the mod who will go by Gloom and speak in purple while Carmen talks in red

im okay with interacting with other blogs! Id love to in fact, And I am okay with shipping being brought up as long as it isn't too far

Feel free to show your OCs too! I'd love to see them and crossovers are okay too, highly encouraged for both of those things as well!

No homophobia, transphobia, racism, harassment, etc. yknow the basic things

Id appreciate it if you could be patient when it comes to roleplaying and asks! I do have things to do and want to take my time to make sure I'm getting this character right

This blogs tags is "CarmenSandCastle"!

-Gloom

[cannibalismyuri]

way to take things out of context <33 lemme show u some things i said in the actual post that aren't taken out of the connotations i meant to imply them with?

"they also are popular bc they're seen as Better than other creators and put on a pedestal. which is both uncomfortable for them and Highly discouraging for others." this was the whole sentence. way to take things out of context huh.

"many people just disregard other rlly talented creators in favor of the already popular ones (who are popular for a reason. their art / fics / wtv Are really good and i read their stuff too! not trying to put them down here, just trying to lift other people up)" so where in this sentence do u see me saying that they aren't good writers?

"also bragging rights? babe nobody's bragging abt how they get more interaction. that's rude asf and entirely out of the question. and those popular writers ur talking abt who Could brag if they wanted to DON'T. bc they aren't despicable human beings who love to put others down." so did i or did i not clarify that i think the people byler tumblr puts on a pedestal handle it gracefully.

also the way u phrased this is Exactly what's wrong with this fandom. have u ever read anything that wasn't be the 10 writers u idolized? i've found some AMAZING, FREAKISHLY TALENTED, SWEET AND ALL-ROUND LOVELY writers in fandom whom i never would've found if i didn't Specifically try to broaden my horizons. the way you phrased this implies that there is simply nobody who compares to the writers with most engagement and like... how would u know? isn't this exactly the kind of behavior i was saying was Not It? ur putting them on a pedestal and refusing to acknowledge other people, no matter how talented they may or may not be. i'm not saying everybody is an amazing writer right off the bat and that these writers aren't amazing; i'm saying that others may be just as good. i know Several amazing writers eho dont get half the recognition as mediocre writers in other fandoms (NOT! TALKING! ABT! BYLER! HERE!) based on luck and when exactly they post. u guys will never branch out and Try to support these other fic writers who are helping keep this fandom alive and contributing Beautiful fics and then say that the tag is dying just bc UR personal favorite creators aren't creating as much. this doesn't in any way diminish the obvious prowess and skill of the Big writers, bc they're amazing writers and people, but u suggesting that nobody else even comes close? this is NOT nyt bestsellers this is FANDOM. its common courtesy to atleast respect people who write these fics for free and if u can't provide basic respect by trashing others' writing that u haven't even read bc its not one of the Big writer's writing... ur part of the problem.

and im going to say it for the last Fucking time. dont bring my fics or engagement into this. im speaking for so many other people and im trying to demand support for Everyone. this was never just abt me. i said this previously too, but i made a whole ass EVENT to shine light on less popular writers. bylerficrecweek was made for a reason. if it was just abt me and my engagement i never would've wholeheartedly put my whole heart into that project. and don't u Fucking dare insult my writing. "maybe you're not as good at it as you think"? im fucking tired of u coming on my blog, claiming im saying a bunch of BULLSHIT and recontextualizing everything i say and insulting my writing on top of that. you won't see this bc ive blocked u now but. im genuinely so fucking tired. im turning off anon. clearly who ever is sending these has a problem with me personally; so say it with your whole pussy to my face now. ok thx and im Really Fucking Tired please read the post for what its meant to be before mindlessly accusing me of shit.

[n0v4t33z]

Dark Desires: Chapter IV - The Gift from the Dead

Pairings: VampireCatHybrid~Seonghwa x Female Reader, VampireCatHybrid~Ateez x Female Reader

Genre: Horror, Angst, Romance, Vampire Ateez, Paranormal?

Word Count: 11.1 k

Tags/Warnings: For Mature Audiences, Violence, Language, mentions blood, Magic, Fantasy, Some Fluff, Highly Suggestive at times (This is a warning for the whole story overall)

Chapter specific: Death, lots of blood, kidnapping, lying and manipulation, violence, themes of horror and paranormal things happening, ghosts, some lame magic scene? (lol it was hard and confusing) , language, y/n gets her ass handed to her at one point, villain says some suggestive things, villain is aggressive overall, self harm (y/n doesn't do it by the way Hwa does but like not like in a bad way, it was a matter of life or death!), (will update if anything else comes up)

Author's Note 💌: So this is the second to last chapter and I'm going to be honest I'm scared for the last chapter because it's not even written yet.. (lol) 💀 Originally I stopped here but I honestly just wanted to do a little bit of fluff at the end with all of the guys and just one whole last chapter to make it feel more complete and less loose ended yk? If I'm being honest though I'm not really happy with this chapter, I feel like some things were redundant and idk I'll probably come back to it one day and fix it. Even then, I hope whoever enjoys it does so and if you don't that's cool too just keep it to yourself! Please look forward to the last chapter sometime next week! -N💜🌙

Spotify Playlist🩸

☽ ──── ༺𖤐༻ ──── ☾

It’s the next day and while there was no sign of Draven, everyone including myself are still on edge. So much so I stayed up pretty late reading the books Yeosang lent me. Usually when I begin cooking I wake up and function normally but at the moment I’m so tired my eyes feel like they’re going to shut any second. So while I cut some vegetables and I try to keep my eyes open at the same time I accidentally cut my finger and I let out a quiet yelp. Immediately I look down at my finger and see the crimson blood flowing out of the wound and onto the white chopping board. I rinse out the wound and while I wrap up my wound in a napkin I hear something outside, a small crashing noise. It might be San playing outside, I should call him in for a snack since it’s around the time he asks for one anyway. I walk outside and I look around scanning the area while I call out “Master San it’s almost time for your snack do you want me to bring it out?” I see a figure behind the gazebo in the distance and I smirk. I walk towards the gazebo and I say loud enough so he could hear. “I wonder where Master San is…” I check behind the gazebo completely expecting to see San but I see no one. "Huh, that's weird-" Suddenly I feel a hand with sharp claw like black nails cover my mouth but before I’m able to turn around they put their other hand on the top of my head and I instantly black out. 

The strong smell of old blood and dust permeates my nose and wakes me up, I slowly open my eyes and feel both of my ankles and arms were tied to a stone cold wall in a room with some lit black candles. I notice that next to those candles is that same hourglass like in the forbidden room at the vampires’ mansion and In the middle of the floor is the same sigil in the room where Sumi was sacrificed only there was a puddle of a dark liquid in the middle of it presumably being blood. That's when it hits me that I’m no longer in their house anymore, something in me tells me that this was Draven's doing. He’s going to hurt Seonghwa and the guys I feel it. I look at the door while I frustratingly try pulling my legs out of the chains but they were on very tightly including the ones on my hands and before I know it tears slowly begin to blur my vision. “Let me out of here!” I cry out repeatedly until a few etrenal minutes later I hear the door swing open and the very same man I saw yesterday was standing before me. This time he was wearing a white dress shirt, some black dress pants and a black blazer with the same scarlet jeweled necklace and his long black hair in a neat pony tail tied with a red ribbon. It’s scary to think this well dressed man is the one who the guys fear of the most and the one who killed his own brother and the guys’ beloved mentor. “Mister please let me go! You’ve got the wrong person!” He begins walking towards me with a smirk plastered on his face he then leans in a few centimeters from my neck and takes a deep breath and slowly exhales and lets out a satisfied sigh “It’s nice to see you’re awake now but you’re mistaken young lady, you’re exactly who I was looking for.”

He gently runs his claw on my cheek and says “I hate witches but you smell exceptionally divine, reminds me of another powerful witch who once had blood like yours. She’s dead now of course and that was hundreds of years ago but even then this is very familiar to me..” I slowly shake my head giving him pleading eyes “My powers haven’t awakened yet so I’m sure my blood isn’t anything special. Please just let me go.” He glences at me for a few moments with his pitch black eyes then he lets out an eerie cackle “Why would I let you go? You’re going to be my power supply, just smelling your blood excites me with the power it holds.” His hand slowly moves down to my neck and tightly wraps his cold hand around my neck with his sharp claw like nails digging into my skin.

“Look at you, no wonder those eight weak wretched vampires wanted to keep you all to themselves. You're beautiful. What a shame you’re a filthy witch or I would have had you bear me a child..” I tightly clench my hands, anger begins bubbling inside me. How dare he. This man is beyond perverse and disgusting. I move my head back trying to escape his grip but he leans in and whispers in my ear “I wish I could see the look on their faces when they realize you’re gone because that’s when those little cats are going to realize their mistake for keeping such a precious thing away from their master.” he lets go of me and smirks. “And when they come here to come look for you is when I’ll show them not to ever lie to the hand that feeds them.” I shake my head trying to hold back tears again “Please don’t hurt them. Take my blood but please don’t hurt them!” He turns his back towards me and walks towards the door again “No, they’re going to learn not to ever try and deceive a demon’s contract.” He closes the door behind him and leaves, leaving me alone in the lowly lit room. I quietly begin to cry again and I say under my breath “Please aunt Ursula, I need your help. I know you can hear me, and I’m sorry for disturbing your peace but I have to save my friends and the love of my life. It’s the only time in my life where I truly feel happy and it was ruined by this asshole demon so please help me…I'm so sorry.” 

I stare at the flames of the candles flickering while I rest my head on my arm for what seemed hours. “I’ve been trying for who knows how long but everything I read in those books is useless, I don’t have powers. I’m dead weight to them and it was a mistake for them to have been so kind to me, I should have died. I bet this is karma for what happened to Sumi. For what I did." I’m so sorry Seonghwa, but finding me was a mistake. When the door opens once again and it was Draven, he walks towards me and wastes no time to rip open my dress popping the buttons on the top half and grabs my jaw and smirks. His hand was huge and it was scary how easy my head fit in it.

“It’s time.” He tightens his grip on my jaw, slightly tilts my head to expose my jugular and he lets out a low growl like groan. I instantly close my eyes and begin to feel nauseous the moment he gently runs his tongue along my jugular vein. So when he bites my neck I let out a cry of pain when his sharp fangs pierce my skin he slowly tightens his grip on my jaw and tightly holds on to my shoulder while burying his sharp claws into my skin. As he feeds on my blood I begin to feel lightheaded and weak and as much as I try to wriggle away his claws dig into my skin to keep me from moving too much. Soon I lose my strength to stand up so I fall to the floor with my hands dangling from the chains around my wrists while Draven holds my limp body. When he finishes he lets go of me and I try and force myself to stand up, completely failing to do so my body hangs from the chains on my wrists. He wipes his bloodied mouth and says “Oh come on stop exaggerating. I only had a small drink.” He grabs a handful of my hair and lifts my head up to meet my gaze with his, his pitch black eyes now have dark red irises glowing. “I’m going to try and keep you alive as long as I can because I don’t think I can ever go back to regular blood. It’s been too long.” Too weak to reply I manage to incoherently say “Y-You...Disg-ust...Me.” He smirks and says “I like it...Hate me all you want but that’s not going to change the fact that you’re mine now. ”

I shoot him a dirty look and he laughs “Oh my, I can definitely see the hatred in your eyes now.” Disgusted, I look away focusing on the flame of the candle to keep myself grounded and try to somehow move it or manipulate it but Draven turns my head to face him “If you act like a bad little witch I’ll make sure you watch them suffer so you know I’m not messing around. ” Suddenly the door swings and a panicked guard enters and mumbles “S-Sir, they’re here and they’ve already killed the guards at the door.” Draven rolls his eyes and turns to the guard "Who's here you imbecile?" The guard nervously furrows his eyebrows and says in a slight hushed tone "Sir Jongkook's creations- his eight boys. The black cats.." Angered by this Draven lets go of my face and his cocky expression changes to a dark one “Why wasn’t I told when they arrived at the gates?!” The guard begins to fidget with the hilt of his sword and says “I uh- You said not to bother you when you feed so we tried to handle it ourselves. We didn’t know they'd gotten this powerful.” Draven clenches his fist on his side then talks between his teeth “You useless piece of- Go help the others you worthless mortal!!”

The guard jumps and runs away closing the door behind him, Draven then turns back to me and says “I have to hide you, I don’t want them to find my source of power.” he pulls out a set of keys from his pocket and undoes the chains from both my hands and feet and I fall to my knees still feeling exhausted from the blood loss. He grabs my limp body and easily hoists me over his shoulder, and begins to walk down a long dark hallway and at the end of it In the distance I hear the blood curdling screams of the guards begging for mercy. Draven opens a wooden door leading into another room to which it just looks like an ordinary small library until he manages to make one of the shelves open. I take the opportunity of his distraction and kick him in the stomach while I push myself away from him causing me to fall on my side.

I clutch my arm in pain and with the last strength I have left I get up and run to the door and open it and as loud as I can I scream "Guys! I’m here!” Right before I continue running Draven puts his clawed hand over my mouth and tightly squeezes my face with his claws painfully digging into my skin hissing through his teeth “What did I say about you being a good little witch? You’re lucky your blood is precious now, quiet down and be a good little witch. You really don’t want to anger me..” He puts his other hand over my head and I fall back onto Draven’s arms only this time I didn’t black out. I try to move my hands but my body isn’t responding, I can't move. Did he paralyze me? How?  Draven grabs me again and slings my paralyzed body over his shoulder only this time more aggressively and walks towards the open hidden door. It was a portal, the dark red light emanating from the portal seemed like maybe it was a portal leading to somewhere in the underworld but as soon as he steps into the portal we enter a room that looked like a regular bedroom except the windows had metal framework over them meaning I couldn’t escape.

Immediately when I looked out the windows it was dark but after a few seconds my eyes adjusted and I noticed I was somewhere up high kind of like a tower of some sort. In the horizon I see that this tower is in a place of darkness with the distant glow of the eternal fires of the underworld and distant wailing of the lost souls. Draven walks over to the bed and lays me down carefully onto the blood red satin sheets. “Those little cats won’t ever find you here, just know that if I don’t manage to come back you’re stuck here forever so you better hope I survive.” He gently taps my nose and smirks “Be grateful I’m sparing you from having to witness the wrath these good for nothing bastards will have to endure.” He adjusts his blazer and walks towards the portal and exits the room, as soon as he’s gone the dark red portal closes leaving a bare black wall in its place and leaving me regaining my ability to move again. Sadly, my body felt too weak from the blood loss and I didn’t have the strength to get up, I lay here until I eventually fall asleep.

 Once I open my eyes I look around and note that I’m laying on the ground in the forest. It wasn't until I hear a faint whisper call out to me “y/n, over here!” That voice..It’s so familiar. “Hey!” I sit up and hastily look in the direction the disembodied voice comes from and see nothing but dark forest and slight fog. Suddenly right behind me I hear “Psst! I’m right behind you..” I gasp and crawl away screaming from the source of the noise scaring me half to death. When I turn I see the familiar long dark locks. “Sumi?” There’s a giggle coming from the long haired woman in the gown. “Hey..” My eyes instantly tear up once I manage to recognize her voice “Are you okay? I thought you died?” She walks towards me, her gazing looking pretty neutral and content “I did, in the physical world.” She kneels in front of me and I slowly reach towards her “So, you’re a ghost?” She smiles causing a shiver to run down my spine. “I’m sorry.” I blurt out, she raises her eyebrow and  tilts her head “For what?” Tears run down my cheeks again falling onto the cold soil below me “I knew what was going to happen to you, you died because of me.” She giggles “I know, I was watching. I watched you when you were having that conversation with the silver haired vampire, your boyfriend.”

I blink in confusion “You were watching me?” She nods and sits next to me “Yes, after I died my soul lingered in that house for a little bit, but not before I was able to see what happened. Although I’m angry I’m dead, I know somehow my death is not in vain and that you’ll be able to stop those pointless sacrifices to that stupid demon vampire thing so no more people suffer, females in particular.” I bury my face in my hands and sigh “That’s what I was trying to do but I was caught.” Sumi lifts my face to face her, her once beautiful chocolate brown eyes looking like the dark void from the low light, she gives me a soft smile gently stroking my hair “Which is why I’m here, close your eyes until I tell you to.” before I’m able to say anything she puts her hands over my eyes to close them.

Once she removes her hand a few seconds go by but all I hear is silence, It wasn’t until I hear a small meow I open my eyes and see a black cat sitting in front of me “Sumi?” The cat intensely stares at me for a few seconds then it runs away as soon as it hears a branch snap. I gasp and see a woman wearing a dark hooded cape with a beautiful dark flowy dress and a scepter with a soft blue gleaming glow. I scoot back with my back towards the tree trunk while I shake my head in fear then I manage to blurt out “Please don’t hurt me!” The woman slowly begins to walk towards me until she’s a few feet away she then extends her hand towards me almost like she was helping me up. I grab onto her hand and stand up and as soon as our eyes meet she pushes her hood off of her head revealing beautiful dark curly locks and beautiful round brown eyes and croons “y/n, my child you called?”

I blink a few times at the sudden realization this woman was my great aunt Ursula. “Great aunt Ursula? This is you?” She gives me a small smile “Yes my dear, this is only the embodiment of my essence being transmitted through your dreams as It is the only way I can communicate with you since your powers haven’t awakened.” I reach over and hold my aunt’s hand and hold it close to me. “Please, you’ve got to help me great aunt Ursula. This vampire demon guy named Draven is going to kill my friends and my boyfriend and I have to save them but I don’t have my powers activated.” She looks a bit off to the side for a few seconds almost like she was thinking then she turns back to me “Well, it seems like I recognize that name... I can help you. I can possess your body and help defeat that creature, the only downside to it is since your powers haven’t been awakened as soon as I leave your body you will die since you’re still technically your body cannot handle the force of the power leaving the body.”

I look down at the forest floor and my eyesight begins to blur with tears, I don’t want to die but at this point I have no choice if I want to save them. I’m scared. I gently squeeze my aunt’s hand then I wipe my tears with my other hand “I’ll do it, if it means they’ll be safe.” My great aunt Ursula slightly tilts her head causing her dark curls to cascade a little lower from her shoulder “Are you sure my child? You don't seem too sure about it.” I shake my head aggressively almost like my body wanted to show her how urgent it was to attain her powers. She gives me a slightly worried look until she finally caves in and says “Alright you’ll feel a slight pressure in your chest.” I step back a bit and straighten out my body then my aunt’s body turns into a gleaming blue mist that surrounds me and slowly seeps into my body until the only thing that remained was a faint blue glow then it completely disappears. 

I wake up and gasp feeling a slight pressure in my chest not being able to breathe for a few moments. I sit up and look at my hands and notice the slight blue glow in my hands then I hear a meowing noise and see a dark grey cat with blue eyes sitting on the window sill. I get up and walk towards it and say “Oh, hi I didn’t see you in here.” Suddenly I hear a voice interrupt my thoughts and says “Hi I’m your familiar, my name is Astra.” I slightly jump from surprise before I could reach over and pet the cat I respond in a slightly confused manner “Uh, wait what? How are you in my head? Can you read my mind?” Almost immediately the voice returns and says “No, I can’t read your mind I can only talk through your mind. I’m tasked to look after you and guide you since you’re wielding very powerful powers.”

I look over at the wall where the portal should have been then I walk towards it with Astra following behind me “Ah, so how do I open the portal here?” Astra replies “Put your hand on the wall and concentrate your power to open a portal, envision yourself opening that portal. It might take you several tries if you don’t concentrate enough.” I put my hand on the black wall and concentrate, envisioning myself opening the portal and walking through it and just like that I hear and feel the blue hued portal open. When I walk through it I end up in the same room before I entered that odd tower. I leave the room and run down the dark hallway, while running I notice the end of Astra’s tail has a blue flame to help illuminate my path. In the distance I hear Wooyoung shout something followed by a loud crashing noise, the noise came from the big wooden door straight ahead. When I run up and open the door I see the guys fighting the guards. The problem is I didn’t see Draven anywhere, then I notice Yeosang in particular was having a bit of a problem fighting off 4 guards ganging up on him. I extend my hand and use my abilities to move the guards away from Yeosang and smash them against the wall killing them instantly from the impact. Then I run over to Yeosang to check if he was okay. “Master Yeosang are you okay?” In shock, Yeosang nods then gets up and continues fighting.

 A few minutes later the room was scattered with the lifeless bloody bodies of Draven’s guards. I look around in search of Seonghwa until my eyes meet his, his expression lit up as soon as he saw me then I run into his arms holding back tears. He kisses the top of my head and holds me tight in his embrace then says “My love, are you okay? Did he do anything to you?” I pull back and nod reluctantly moving my hair aside to show him the bite mark on the left side of my neck. Seonghwa’s gaze darkens to a very angry expression and begins to walk towards the door only for Hongjoong to stop him from walking away “Hey! Where are you going, what happened?” Seonghwa turns to Hongjoong and says in a low voice “Draven fed on her.” everyone makes a collective gasp while Hongjoong looks at me with a shocked expression.

“Did he turn you? Is that how you got those powers?” I fidget with the ruffles on the corner of my apron and shake my head “No, actually my great aunt Ursula lent me her powers.” Astra walks up in between me and Hongjoong and circles around his ankles, slightly startling him when he looks down his eyebrows inch together “What about this cat? Where did it come from?” I grab Astra and pick her up in my arms “This is Astra, my familiar.” Wooyoung skeptically answers “But you just said you haven’t awakened your powers, how does that work?” I put her down and shrug “I don’t know she was in that room with me when I woke up from a dream, that’s where my great aunt Ursula lent me her powers. It was weird. I also saw Sumi..” Yeosang worriedly looks at me then looks down at the ground. Wooyoung gives me a slight uneasy expression, like her name was some sort of bad omen to them. "What do you mean you talked to Sumi? That girl we sacrificed a few days ago?" I nod and set down Astra "Yeah, long story short after she died she roamed the house and found out about Draven. She also found out about me trying to get my powers and helped me contact my aunt." San blinks and looks slightly spooked at the ground "No wonder I felt like I was being watched a few times in the shower.." Hongjoong glares at San and shakes his head, Seonghwa trying to move on clears his throat and says in a serious tone “Okay, we have to find Draven and end him, my guess is Sumi is also counting on us for that too not just for ourselves.” Yeosang then interjects “Especially now after we know he’s fed on Miss y/n’s blood. He’s severely dangerous now.”

San points behind us and says “Um...guys he already found us.” Draven enters the room and looks around and laughs “Wow, you little cats sure did a number on these guards. I thought it’d take you longer.” While scanning the room his eyes meet mine and he smirks “Oh, you shouldn’t be here. I thought I asked you to be a good little witch and wait for me in your room.” Seonghwa gives him a disgusted look and says “You’re foul for this Draven, we made it up to you for not sacrificing her.” Draven lifts his finger signaling him to quiet down then he says “That’s not how it works, you out of everyone here should know that. Yes, it even applies to your little maid here. Especially with that powerful blood of hers you were keeping a real gem from me. That reminds me, you guys probably have fun with this little witch every so often hm? Is that why you didn’t want to give her up? Is it because you’re scared you’re going to lose your little toy? Or was it the blood too? ” Seonghwa glares at him almost like he was shooting lasers out of his eyes. How is it even possible to look even angrier than he did a few minutes ago?

Draven smirks and walks closer to Seonghwa without hesitation “What? Cat’s got your tongue?” He reaches out and grabs Seonghwa by the throat then Mingi instinctively pulls his Anti-Vampire crossbow and points it at Draven while everyone else tenses up ready to attack then I blurt out “Please let him go, just take me I know I messed up. I’ll stay here until I'm no use for you, please.” Draven looks over at me smirking then squeezes Seonghwa’s neck a little harder “Hmm, how about I keep you and kill these guys? You know I’m not going to change my mind about that right? I gave you a chance to be a good girl.” Mingi shoots Draven in the chest and he immediately lets go of Seonghwa’s neck and clutches onto his chest while clenching his jaw then pulls out the silver tipped wooden arrow. Seonghwa reaches over and punches Draven in the face then telekinetically throws him on the wall then a few seconds later demon like creatures spawn into the room and attack the guys and myself while Seonghwa is left to deal with Draven by himself. While I help the others fight off the demon-like creatures I notice Seonghwa beginning to take quite a bit of damage. I can’t let him fight alone.

”Astra, how do I get rid of these creatures? They’re not dying!” Astra stands next to me while I suspend the creature in the air waiting for her response “You can control them, you’ve got powers remember? Use them to your advantage. Concentrate and envision yourself controlling them, your blue flames cleasing their evil.” I take a deep breath and raise all 6 demon creatures telekinetically then a red glow emits from them until blue flames consume the creatures. “Destroy..” Then I set them down, the flames still burning giving them a blue hued aura. Their attacking stops and their attention changes to Draven and begin to attack him then I shout over at the guys “It’s okay, they won’t attack us anymore!” Draven turns his attention towards me and teleports behind me and tries to knock me out with his powers luckily I manage to spot him and mystical energy surrounds my body causing Draven to be pushed away from me a few feet. Everyone uses their telekinetic powers to restrain Draven while Seonghwa looks in my direction. “y/n!” I slowly start stepping away from Draven "I'm fine!" he gives me an acknowledging nod and a faint smile.

Meanwhile Astra runs over to me and hurriedly says “y/n! Now’s your chance to use fireballs!” I get fireballs? I extend my hand and a blue flame ball appears in my hand and I throw it directly at Draven causing his pant leg to catch on fire causing him to shout in pain. Suddenly I get an idea so I begin to use both my hands to summon fireballs throwing them at him, he gets hit a few times but then manages to shield himself with some sort of energy forcefield. 

 Seonghwa gives me a look of awe and the guys stand there in shock. Unfortunately the looks of awe turn into looks of horror when the dark energy begins to surround Draven and he breaks free from the guy’s combined telekinetic powers. Draven’s power levels begin to increasingly go off the charts and hovers towards me with a look of annoyance in his glowing eyes while his fists clenched to his sides. “I underestimated you, but now you leave me no choice but to destroy you because you’re going to get in the way.” Seonghwa and the rest of the guys are turned into black cats and are put in a cage made of dark energy. That’s when it began to sink in that Draven can flawlessly control his powers. Meanwhile, I’m having trouble remembering the simplest spells even though I studied and read about them not too long ago. I’m sure he’s had prior experience with this power there is no other logical reason as to why he’s so well off using his powers. I’ve dug myself into a deep grave now, I can’t lose now that I’ve angered him. Astra hides behind me and says "Those Doromons are still possed by your flame!"

I can have them attack Draven again, they might not have worked the first time but maybe this time around something will happen. “ Doromon’s attack!” The demons continue to attack Draven but it was no use, before I’m even able to turn my attention to the guys Draven disappears the demons in a blink of and eye. He hovers over a few feet away rendering me unable to even have a shot at breaking that cage to set them free “You really thought you did something there didn’t you? You don’t even know how to use your powers.” I start practically speedwalking a few meters away from him. I can’t let him get too close. “You’re right. I don’t know how to use my powers but that won’t stop me from fighting you to the death. I won’t let you hurt anyone else. You've claimed enough lives already.” In the distance I hear meowing, it’s coming front the guys suddenly I hear San shout from the distance “Miss y/n please don’t do this!” Wooyoung then follows up with “It’s not worth it!” That’s where they’re wrong, I grew to care so much about them, and him.

I have to protect them. The guys stick their paws out as if to try and release themselves from their confinement to no avail. Draven cackles and hurls a ball of dark energy towards me, unable to dodge it due to the speed of it, the ball hits me in the chest so hard that I fall on my back letting out a loud gasp. Oh my god this hurt way more than I was anticipating.. Before I knew it Draven goes for another hit this time hitting me in the stomach causing me to lose my breath. In the distance I hear the guys yelling undecipherable phrases in anger while Draven picks me up with his telekinesis and crushes me and hearing the crunching of a few bones. I let out a blood curdling scream feeling evrey small bit of pain shooting through my body. Am I going to die? He unempathetically laughs and lets go of me, I fall to the ground hitting the stone floor hard. The guys all let out a screams of terror along while trying to destroy the cage unfortunately the dark energy forcefield sends a shock of pain if the bars are touched in any way. Seonghwa in particular tries to squeeze his tiny body between the bars screaming and grunting in anger. For a few moments I lay there in a daze, watching my friends nearly kill themselves trying to escape that cage. Unable to speak or even make a noise my eyes tear up from the huge amounts of pain and frustration. I feel warm blood running down my chin onto the stone floor below. I try to move on my side but I begin to choke on the massive amounts of blood and I spit out a whole mouth full of it onto the ground below me. “You should stay down if you know what’s best for you dear..” Astra runs next to me “y/n! Are you okay?! Use fire whip!”

I manage to let out a low guttural groan and extend my hand and I begin to concentrate a big fireball made of blue flames. Draven begins to move close to me and out of anger I disperse the blue flames in his direction, easily he blocks them but not without part of his arms , chest and face catching on fire. Get up. Must get up. I struggle to get up but I manage, unfortunately from the way I'm struggling to breathe and how I can't move my arms very much my left arm and a few of my ribs are probably broken and who knows what else ruptured.

Feeling the warm blood drip below onto my uniform I create a big fireball again, Draven lets out a maniacal laugh getting awfully close “Oh look a scary fireball, how fancy.” The ball of flames eventually becomes too big for me to hold in my hand so I directly throw it towards Draven but he stops it right in between us and begins to beam his evil energy into it to try and send it back to me. His dark power slowly pushes a mixture of the ball of energy and fireball dangerously close to me, the ball resembling almost like a small scale version of the sun only it glowed a menacing dark glow with a blue hued aura. I concentrate as best as I can but panic slowly creeps and my powers begin to lose strength. Draven completely letting the dark power have complete control over him he says with no remorse in his voice “As much as I wanted to keep you alive you leave me no choice..”  Seonghwa yells and says in a terrified voice “y/n please! Just let us die, don’t do this!” Draven lets out a loud manically scary cackle.

As fear takes over me I feel something shift in my body then I notice my body is running on autopilot. It feels like I’m just watching everything going on now. My other broken hand by some miracle moves helping me create a scepter with a silver handle and a black stone at the end, it was very beautiful and sparkly. Immediately the gem catches fire and black flames consume it staying lit. I grab the scepter with both of my hands to help me project more of the fire into the energy ball eventually turning the ball into a big firey dark ball of energy. As soon as the dark ball of energy begins to gain more strength I feel and see the blue flames appear on my arms and body “I’ll take it from here my child.” says my great aunt Ursula’s voice. Draven gets a panicked look on his face realizing how increasingly powerful the ball of energy was getting. He then says in a panicked voice “No, it can’t be. I haven’t seen that much power being exerted since…Ursula?” With quickness and ease my Aunt shifts the ball towards Draven who could no longer keep the ball away from him due to how powerful it had become causing it to explode in a black firey explosion right in front of him, engulfing him into the explosion completely destroying him with only his red jeweled necklace being the only remnant of him.

They're freed from the prison they were in, they’re safe now. I glance in their direction and see the guys turning back to their vampire forms and see Seonghwa running towards me that’s when my legs give up and Seonghwa manages to catch me before I fall to the ground. “I’m so happy you’re okay.” He holds me tight in his arms. I weakly smile and reach over to stroke his cheek, his skin being soft and cool to the touch something that even now I’m still not used to. “I’m so proud of you y/n, he’s gone now and won’t ever bother us again. We can finally live in peace now.” The guys catch up with us and San sits next to me and says in a panicked voice “Miss y/n? Is she okay?” I hear my aunt Ursula say “It’s time for me to go my child, my work here is done. Don’t be scared. Everything will be okay.” My eyes begin to tear up then I say in a soft voice “Hwa, I love you.” He softly smiles and says “I love you too my love..” My body glows a faint blue color and the energy slowly begins to leave my body, a little panicked Seonghwa looks over at Yeosang and says “Yeosang, what’s happening?..”

Yeosang glances at me giving me a sad expression then looks over at Seonghwa and says “Her Aunt’s power essence is leaving her body and since her powers never awakened her body won’t be able to handle it so once the essence is gone so is she.” Wooyoung grabs Yeosang’s shoulders and says “So you mean she’s going to die?!” Yeosang uncomfortably nods then Seonghwa strokes my hair and begins to panic “No, no, no is there a way to fix this? y/n please. You can’t leave me.” He rests his forehead on mine for a few seconds then Hongjoong says “What if you give her some of your blood?” Yeosang then continues “Yes, our blood is healing to humans in small doses, Miss y/n is still human since her powers never awoke.” Hongjoong walks behind Seonghwa and gently pats his back “You can still save her that way but that’s all up to you.”

Seonghwa lifts his head and says in a low tone “Mingi, I need the silver blade.” Mingi looks over at Yunho slightly concerned then he pulls out the blade from his inside pocket and passes it to Seonghwa while Jongho quietly sits next to San and whispers under his breath “Please, this has to work.” San then gently pats Jongho’s back trying to comfort him. Everyone was dead silent while I lay there unable to move due to my body being in inmense pain slowly feeling heavier and weaker by the second. So tempting to just let myself go. “Hwa-.” I feel so weak, I feel tired. I can't even speak.Is this what death is like?  I blink trying to keep my eyes from closing but it was so hard. They say when you’re about to die that life flashes through your eyes but it doesn’t, it just slows down so you can savor the last bit of mortality you have left.

 Seonghwa puts me in Jongho’s arms while he takes off his waist length blazer, he rolls up his sleeve then grabs the silver blade and makes a deep gash on the palm of his hand and almost immediately black blood begins to flow out of his wound. He immediately hovers his arm over my mouth and lets his dark blood fall into it with a bit of it dripping onto my lips and chin, the taste being exactly what you’d expect from regular blood to taste, very salty and metallic. As much as the thought of me drinking blood nauseates me, the desire to live and stay by Seonghwa’s side helps me keep it down and I slowly let the blood trickle down my throat. A few moments later after ingesting the blood, the blue essence fully disappears and my eyes become so unbearbaly heavy until it goes completely black.

“She’s not moving…Is she dead?” Wooyoung furrows his eyebrows, Yeosang hushes Wooyoung and reaches over to grab her wrist to check on her pulse “She’s dead, but she’ll come back. Remember she was bitten by Draven, so we just partially completed her transformation by giving her Seonghwa’s blood..” Jongho gently sets y/n down on the ground while Hongjoong squats next to Yeosang “So are you saying Seonghwa’s her sire now?” Yeosang nods thickly swallowing while Hongjoong glances at Seonghwa “I trust you’ll be responsible about this…” Seonghwa gazes down at y/n with a determined look gently stroking her cheek with his thumb “I promise you, I’m not who I once was. I promised I would be better, and disappointing her is the last thing I want. If that means giving her free will then so be it.”

Hongjoong reaches over and pats Seonghwa’s shoulder giving him a small smile “You’ve grown alot, I’m sure Sir Jongkook would be proud if he saw you now.” Seonghwa nods biting the inside of his lip trying to hold in his tears. Mingi finally speaks up “So just making sure you won’t take advantage of her right? You won’t ever choose for her?” Seonghwa glances up at Mingi who was looking down at him slightly worried “Of course not, I don’t think I have it in me to do it.” San gasps and peeks behind Yeosang’s shoulder “Look! She’s waking up!” Hongjoong hushes San while Yeosang says “Someone needs to bring her blood to feed on…She’s going to be really hungry.” Yunho responds “We have some blood bags back home will that do?” Hongjoong shakes his head “No, she has to feed from a human when she feeds for the first time, it has to be pure from the source.” San furrows his eyebrows “I don’t think that’s a good idea, she might not be comfortable with that.” Wooyoung signals at y/n with his eyes “We’ll have her choose, like Seonghwa said we’re not going to force her to do anything thing she doesn’t want to.” 

 Slowly I open my eyes, I see the guys gathered around me cautiously watching me. I don’t know how to explain it but everything felt more “lively” my sense of smell and hearing feel much more sharp as I’m now able to smell the incense and the smell of mildew very strongly. My eyesight is much more clearer than before which made everything have a much more vibrant look to it. I feel different, what exactly happened? Was I healed with Seonghwa’s blood? Why do I still feel like shit at the same time? Seonghwa sighs deeply lowering his head. He then lifts his gaze in my direction and pulls me in for a hug, it was one of longest and tightest hugs that I’ve ever received from him but none the less I felt his urge and need for this hug. He buries his face on the side of my neck and huffs "Thank God." When he pulls back I look at his gorgeous face and noticed he’s crying, it looked like blood. I slightly panic and hold Seonghwa’s face in my hands looking at the blood. “Oh my gosh are you crying blood? Are you okay?” I gently wipe them away while I look into his beautiful emerald eyes. He slowly leans in and kisses my forehead and hugs me tightly “ I am my love, this is just how us vampires cry. It’s not as beautiful as they make it seem in movies but I’m glad you’re okay now.”

I rest my head on his shoulder and shut my eyes to hold back tears, my voice slightly getting a little low due to the knot in my throat “I’m sorry I worried you, I just didn’t want you or the rest to get hurt I did what I could to help because he was seriously planning on hurting all of you and If I didn’t do something I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.” I pull back then he gives me a warm smile with his thumb gently stroking my cheek “Hey, no don’t cry. See? We all made it out alive, don't worry my love. We all live to serve you now, we owe you.” I look over and see the guys were patiently looking at both Seonghwa and I with a small smile on their faces. “So I have a question..I feel weird. Like my eyesight is oddly good and my sense of smell and hearing is also very good. Does your blood really just cure all of that?” Seonghwa pushes back a strand of my hair and looks down sighing softly “I- My love, I had to turn you in order to save you.” My stomach drops and I reach for my chest only to feel nothing. No heartbeat, just stillness. I’m fucking dead. What the fuck? My breathing speeds up while I reach up to cover my mouth in shock. Seonghwa reaches over to me and hugs me “I’m so sorry.” I was not expecting this..Not the dyling part but the whole being a vampire thing makes sense now. “So I’m one of you guys now?”

They all nervously look at me and nod in silence then Yeosang says “You were turned due to Draven’s bite when we tried to save you by giving you Seonghwa's blood." I mean I'm not shocked I died, I'm just shocked I was turned into one of them. Yeosang continues cautiously “Since you consumed Seonghwa’s blood, he now sires you.” I hold my hand up “Please don’t tell me what that means, that sounds bad…” Hongjoong chuckles “It’s just a fancy way of saying you have a bond of loyalty with him since he turned you into one of us..” I slowly nod “Ah, I guess I understand now.” Seonghwa gently pats my head “My love you need to feed on blood, would you like to go hunt or is bagged blood okay?” I furrow my brows “Wait, you’re calling it hunt because the person dies right?” Everyone looks at each other in silence not having the heart to say anything until Wooyoung blurts out laughing “Yes y/n they die, that’s why it’s called hunting..” I shake my head “No, I’m good with bagged blood then.” Hongjoong furrows his brows “Wh-” I shake my head “No. I’m sorry I can’t do it.” Yeosang raises his eyebrow and utters “Well, I can’t say I’m shocked by her answer but I saw this coming.”

San chuckles “Honestly I find it adorable, besides it never said anywhere that you need to drink straight from the source right Seonghwa? As long as it’s human blood she’ll be okay.” He nods “Although it might not be the most traditional way of finishing the transformation San is correct, as far as I know she should be fine not having to drink blood from a hunt as long as it’s human blood.” Jongho shrugs “As long as she’s comfortable I don’t think it should matter.” Hongjoong nods “Bagged blood it is then..”

 Jongho helps me up and immediately after that Wooyoung and San give me a big hug with San saying “You were really cool defeating Draven Miss y/n.” Wooyoung then says “I’m sure Seonghwa thought it was cool too. Right?” He winks at me with a huge smirk on his face while looking over at Seonghwa. I nervously laugh gently patting Wooyoung's shoulder "You really like to instigate things don't you?" Jongho walks over to me and holds both my hands and smiles “I’m glad your liveliness returned to you Miss y/n, you may not have the warmth of a human anymore but your smile is much more meaningful because you’re alive...” I nod and smile while I fix his collar and dust off his shoulder from debris. “I’m glad it came back too or I wouldn’t have been able to hear your beautiful singing anymore, it’s one of the few things I love in this world, you know besides my family, Seonghwa, or my friends..” His eyebrows slightly rise in surprise and gives me a bright gummy smile. Both Hongjoong and Yeosang stand up almost instanttaniously after Jongho backs away and walk over to me. Hongjoong looks at me deep in the eyes with a very kind look in his eyes, completely different from the deranged and evil look he had when I first met him.

“What Seonghwa said is correct, you saved our lives and for that we are indebted to you. If I’m being honest I don’t think we would have been able to defeat Draven alone as our powers are not sufficient, we came here fully expecting not to make it out and only came here to try and save you not just on Seonghwa’s account but everyone here as well because the short time we’ve all spent with you we grew to care for you. Thank you for helping us defeat the entity who’s made our entire immortal lives a living nightmare.” Yeosang clasps his hands together in front of his body and shyly smiles “I hope you realize how much you’ve changed everyone's life here for the better Miss y/n, thank you.” I shake my head and a nervous smile makes its way onto my expression. “No need to thank me seriously, it’s what friends do. You guys have changed my life too, especially Seonghwa. I didn’t know I was capable of loving and being loved by someone so deeply. I also didn't know how deserving I was of having friends who care for me and enjoy my prescence.” I look back at Seonghwa who was looking at me admiringly and he gently kisses my temple. I continue by saying “So you really don’t have to feel indebted to me, just being friends is enough for me.”

Hongjoong looks over at Mingi then tilts his head “What about Mingi?” I swallow hard, I knew this was going to come up eventually. Mingi props his glasses behind his head and looks at me with pleading eyes almost like he was begging me not to reveal our interaction. “Of course, even if I’m still a bit scared I still consider him a friend. I can’t judge him harshly because even after all these years being a new vampire is very hard. I guess I’m seeing proof of that right now seeing I’m not feeling to well right now.. Not to mention that misunderstanding we had all started because of me so I can't blame him for getting upset.” Mingi’s piercing ruby colored eyes lock onto my gaze and without breaking eye contact he walks up behind Hongjoong and Yeosang walking in between them, easily towering over both of them. “I know I’ve given you more reasons to hate me than to trust me but thank you for not only saving us but for wanting to be my friend even after what I did to you. Being upset wasn’t an excuse for almost taking a life and neither is hating you over something out of your control." I smile and extend my hand towards Mingi “Friends?” He happily smiles with his eyes turning into tiny crescents and extends his arm and shakes my hand firmly, almost a little too excitedly “Friends.” I notice Yunho standing behind Mingi quietly then I say “Master Yunho, we’re friends too right? Remember when we cleaned up the chapel? Wasn’t that fun?” A small smile grows on his puppy like facial expression almost like he’s remembering the day.

“Of course we’re friends Miss y/n, that day was actually one of the most fun days I’ve had. Who knew cleaning could be fun, especially with a friend.” His voice trails off and and his expression falls back to a more serious one then he looks down and closes his eyes for a second and lets out a sigh. He lifts his head back up again and stipples his fingers for a few seconds then shoves his hands back under his cape. “I’m sorry about the way I acted towards you Miss y/n, I was just trying to protect my best friend. I hope you understand. Everyone was just ganging up on Mingi and I just couldn’t have that happen. He's my best friend.” I shake my head  “No, it’s okay I understand. There’s no hard feelings I promise.” Yunho cocks an eyebrow giving me a confused look “So you’re not mad? Are you sure?” I nod “Nope, I know where you’re coming from because I would have done the same thing.” Wooyoung smirks as he gently nudges Yunho’s arm  “See? Miss y/n is one of the sweetest people. I see why Seonghwa was persistent in finding her.” San turns into his cat form and meows for me to pick him up. I look down and pick San up and hold him in my arms while I scratch behind his ear then I say “So, how are we going to get home? I’m kinda feeling that hunger you guys are always talking about.” The guys look at each other awkwardly then Seonghwa says “Well, here’s the problem. We exerted so much energy into the hourglass that opens the portal to get here that it was destroyed..” I gasp and smile excitedly “Ooh! Maybe Astra can help us!” I look around for Astra but she’s nowhere to be found “Astra?”

Yeosang then says a bit cautiously almost like he didn’t want me to get disappointed “Astra is gone Miss y/n. She’s gone along with your Aunt’s powers, your familiar will return once you’re able to awaken your powers.” I disappointedly look down and San rubs his tiny head on my cheek to comfort me while Seonghwa gently squeezes my shoulder and kisses the top of my head. “It’s okay my love, Astra will be back one day don’t worry.” Mingi then says “How about we look at the guards’ shed. They’re not able to open portals unless they have those portal crystals, remember most of Draven’s guards are mortals so they’re easily replaceable except of course the higher ranking guards who are just lower level demons. We also need to get Sir Jongkook's ashes from Draven's bedroom...” Hongjoong snaps his fingers and says “Good idea, the shed is near the entrance. Wooyoung and Yunho go get Sir Jongkook's ashes and Jongho, come with me to the shed.. Everyone else wait here we’ll be back...” 

After a while goes by of me playing with San, Seonghwa and the rest of the guys talk for a while then we see Hongjoong come back with Jongho carrying some sort of big black bags filled with something presumably the crystals. While Yunho and Wooyoung come back with their creator's ashes. The urn being gunmetal in color with beautiful intricate sculped details with a beautiful carved crest with an hourglass in the center. Seeing the urn makes a big knot grow in my throat. it's intresting i'm in the presence of the man who created these vampires almost 500 years ago. I wonder how old he would have been now? It must have been emotional seeing his ashes for the first time in a long time.

Yeosang slightly squints his eyes and says “What’s in the bags? Is all of that Portal Quartz?” Hongjoong walks over to Yeosang and gives him a clear crystal that almost resembles glass, with the distinguishing features of the bottom half of the crystal having hundreds of tiny crystals encapsulated within the crystal giving it a very glittery appearance.  “Yep, we have enough crystals for a while, now that our hourglass is broken. Now let’s all charge it.” Everyone hovers their hand over the crystal then San jumps out of my arms and turns back into his vampire form and lays his hand on top that’s when the crystal shines brightly almost like the crystal was creating its own light of its own this continues for a few more seconds until the crystal was left with a soft glowy light and while Hongjoong holds it out in front of him he says “Unveil!” The glowing rock creates a golden portal and before stepping in he puts the glowing rock in his jacket’s pocket.

Everyone begins to walk into the portal clearly very happy we were finally heading home. That's when I feel something telling me to look back, immediately I locate the glint from Draven’s jeweled necklace in the distance and run back to pick it up. I carefully examine the piece and notice the beautiful rubies are still in place like nothing ever happened. This will be my constant reminder to work hard and get my powers. I need to free them from their curse. Seonghwa’s voice then chimes in and says “y/n, my love? Are you coming?” I nod and hurriedly walk back to Seonghwa and enter the portal instantly leading us back home. As soon as we were home, I feel a sense of peace knowing nothing was out to get us anymore and that my favorite person in the whole wide world is safe. Now, I need some of that bagged blood right about now. I’m starving.

☽ ──── ༺𖤐༻ ──── ☾

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Last Chapter |

[rumble-aint-a-rumble-without-me]

I’ve been reading your rodeo writings and wanna ask if you could write about being Dallas’s S/O who does barrel racing?

A/N: Sure thing, Nonny! Coming right up!

So, Dally with a barrel racer, huh?

Well you know exactly what I’m interested in working on, don’t you Nonny?

Let’s jump right in <3

From a character stand-point, I have no doubt that Dally’s been involved with at least one barrel racer before

It’s canon he’s close to Buck and since Buck works rodeos, Dally’s going to be around a lot which means he’s going to spend some times around the barrel racers

So it only makes sense, realistically speaking, that Dallas spends some time with that group, even if it’s only in passing

You being a barrel racer? Definitely up Dally’s lane, rest assured he’s interested in you doll <3

If he didn’t already go to all the rodeos with Buck, he’s definitely tagging along a lot more now, begging Buck to just let him hang around and get a ride to the rodeo grounds

He makes sure to catch all your rides, he’ll stand right by the panels so he can have the best view!

You’ll flirt, toss compliments and insults back and forth until Dallas finally asks you to come out to the Dingo with him and get something to eat

From then on? You two are practically inseparable and totally rule the rodeo grounds when you’re going out together

Barrel racing is a sport that requires a lot of effort and anyone else who tries to say different will have to answer to Dally once the New Yorker hears about what’s going on

He hypes you up, at least to his friends, bragging about how he’s got the best barrel racer on the circuit and how the other riders have nothing on you when it’s time to race

I have a feeling the other riders might kind of hate him?

But, y’know, we are talking about Dallas Winston, I’m pretty sure a lot of people are going to hate him

So he really doesn’t care about their opinions, you’re the only barrel racer he’s really going to ever listen to

I highly suggest, highly highly suggest to try and coax Dally into riding in a rodeo event, I doubt it would take too much convincing if you go about it the right way

Oh! And your horse!

There are two routes for your horse to go with Dally, either your horse is going to love him, or your horse can’t stand him

If your horse loves him, they’ll chew on his sleeves, his collar, nuzzle at his hair and poke at his pockets to see if Dally brings any treats

If your horse hates him, they won’t so much as let Dallas touch their mane, heaven forbid let him help you with the tacking

So yeah! That’s a bit of Dally with a barrel racer, thanks for the request!