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inkyleaf · 5 months ago

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TG 212: Supernatural Shopping (M2F, RC, MC)

Against my better judgment, I went to the mall on an unassuming Friday. After losing my job a few weeks ago, I became paranoid about spending any money that wasn’t strictly necessary, and I’ve always had a difficult time in treating myself even before. But I really wanted the new Persona game. I walked around the mall for a long time, mulling over on whether I should buy it or not, and whether I even deserved it.

As I finished a small meal at the food court, I caught a glimpse of one of the most beautiful Asian women I’d ever seen on the other side of the mall walking out of a clothing store. Her long flowing skirt teased her slim legs that looked incredibly long thanks to her high heels, and her tight midriff was complemented by her glistening bare shoulders that popped in and out from behind her black hair. I was so focused on her that I managed to see her drop something that she was putting into her purse as she answered a phone call.

Wanting an excuse to see this woman up close, I briskly power-walked my way to the area, leaving my trash on the table. She also walked quickly and confidently in her heels; by the time I had gotten closer, she was already far away from the clothing store’s entrance. “E-Excuse me!” I yelled awkwardly. “You dropped something…!” I wasn’t sure if she couldn’t hear me or if she didn’t realize I was talking to her, but her shapely silhouette had already turned a corner. I picked up what she had dropped, a sleek and fancy black credit card with the name Yingyue Mu.

As I was walking in the direction the woman had gone to return her credit card, another thought occurred to me. What if I just…used the card? I was doing a lot of mental gymnastics to convince myself that it wouldn’t be straight up thievery. It’s wrong, but she looks pretty well-off. And it might not even work in the first place… And it’s not like I intentionally stole it or anything, it just happened to be here… I walked around the mall for a bit, lost in my thoughts. I was partially looking for the woman again so that I could return the card and be done with weighing my own morality, but I did not find her.

“Fuck it,” I said under my breath with a small smirk after thinking some more. “I’ll just try it on one little thing and be done with it.” I waltzed my way into GameStop and nervously handed the cashier the card for my copy of Persona 3 Reload. All it would take for me to fold would be the cashier pointing out the blatant Chinese name on the card, as I already felt guilty enough and didn’t want to have to lie. But all I was met with was a “Thank you, have a great day” as he handed me my game. I left the mall with butterflies in my stomach, giddy about my new game and anxious about keeping a credit card that wasn’t mine.

Once I settled back into my apartment, I played Persona for most of the evening and felt absolutely amazing. Like, way more electric than even a new game should’ve made me feel. But after waking up the next morning, I came down from my high and settled into a nice cozy Saturday with doing chores and playing more games. Later that evening, I realized I was out of food and went to the grocery store for something easy and frozen, forgetting that I still had the black credit card until it was time to pay at the self-checkout. …It’s probably canceled by now for sure, I thought, convincing myself that there would be no harm in trying. My eyes widened as I saw my receipt being printed. Not only did it work, I almost felt bad about not getting more.

I went back and forth in my head again as I pushed my cart to the car. I could always go back in and just get more…but I shouldn’t even be using this in the first place… Shaking my head, I made myself drive home before I could be tempted further, ending the night with some YouTube and gaming as I usually did. As I slept that night, a lot of my body hair thinned with some of it disappearing altogether.

My Sunday was mostly uneventful. I spent a lot of time looking for jobs online, as it still made me anxious that I wouldn’t be going into work on Monday morning like I had been weeks ago. Despite my best efforts in being productive and distracting myself, I found the credit card lingering in the back of my mind. How long can I get away with using it? Should I try again today? Thankfully, my lazy desire to stay inside today won out, and I figured that there’d be no shot of it working again after this many days had passed.

Without much to do on Monday, I found myself at the mall again, determined to put this morale issue to rest. I picked up a cheap, vaguely interesting game off the shelf at GameStop and handed over the card, expecting it surely be denied this time. I felt a pit in my stomach when it worked yet again. What the hell is going on…? After another mental back-and-forth, I told myself that it’s her for fault for not canceling this thing for so long, why should I feel bad? This kind of thing isn’t going to happen again, let’s stop being so weird about it and just go in! I picked out a basket and starting putting anything that mildly caught my interest. Games I’d play later, some merch, some gift cards, some accessories I’d probably never use…

The cashier was visibly confused seeing me walk up with all of these items after initially paying for one cheap game. “That’ll be, uh… $1,289.45,” he said meekly. “Fine by me,” I replied with an awkward smile. I felt an electric jolt shoot up my arm as he handed the card back to me. I became dizzy, and the world spun around for a brief moment. Something inside of my body felt off, but I couldn’t pinpoint what it was. “Thanks…” I said with a blank stare as I regained my balance and focus. I cleared my throat and sat on a bench to sift through what I had just bought.

“Oh my God, I actually bought over a thousand dollars’ worth of stuff…!” I mumbled under my breath. I caught my hands shaking as I rummaged through the bags, unsure if it was from excitement, anxiousness, or something else. Although it was happening too slowly to notice in the moment, my arms and hands were shrinking and were developing a subtle roundness in certain areas. After relaxing for a few minutes, that euphoric feeling from the first day began to well up inside me, and it was much greater than before. I felt like I could do anything! Leaving all of my items on the bench for a moment, I spotted a cute girl and asked her on a date. I was swiftly rejected, but I didn’t care! I felt so good!

Although I wasn’t actively noticing, I think I had been lightly shaking all the way back to the car and back home. After unloading my bounty, I tried to chill with some games but was too hyper to focus. I spontaneously said fuck it and went for a short jog around the block hoping to use up some of this energy. It helped mentally cool me down, but I still felt like I never had before. I played Persona for the rest of the day but hardly cared about what was happening in the game.

Waking up and washing my face the next day, I was almost relieved to feel like myself again. Even though yesterday had been amazing, it was just so weird. I thought today would have been normal until I noticed my hands in the restroom. They had become much smaller, and my fingers much slimmer. My arms had also shrunk, and while I never had a much bicep strength to boast, my upper arms felt fluffier and were noticeably missing masculine tone. “What the…” I pondered about it for a while until a phone call snapped me out my own head. Some acquaintances I had made from my last job wanted to invite me to lunch to see how I was doing after being let go. I gladly accepted; it made me a little emotional.

I wore a long-sleeved shirt for our meetup so that only my small hands were visible. They’re different, but not different enough for someone else to notice, right? The group of three guys and a girl took me to our favorite burger joint, a place we used to indulge in once a week together. I entered the building excited to talk to these guys again, but once our food was delivered, an odd sensation came over me. They were grabbing their burgers with both hands and just chowing down…which wasn’t weird, I always did that, too. What was weird is that I felt a sense of repulsion watching them eat, like I didn’t belong here. Or rather, that they were somehow…disgusting.

I awkwardly grabbed my burger with one hand and shoved a big bite into my face to stop myself from overthinking. Not only did it taste bad, I felt my skin crawl from how nauseous the action made me feel. My hand and face were covered in grease and sauce. What the hell is this?? Feeling a few of their eyes dart my way, I continued to nibble at the burger as best I could without being weird about it. By the time everyone had finished, I barely halfway done. “Not hungry today?” one of the guys chuckled. I laughed awkwardly and thought of something on the spot: “Yeah guess not, I should’ve had my dentist appointment after this cuz it messed up my taste.” We chatted and laughed for a while longer. I really wanted to use my credit card again to pay for the meal, but knowing that the waitress would take it out my sight made me uneasy, so I only chipped in with some loose cash and took the half burger home with me to finish later.

At least, that’s what everyone assumed I’d do. I threw that abomination into the trash as soon as I got home and vigorously washed my hands and face. I never wanted to see another burger again in my life. Later that evening, looking at the frozen meals in my fridge brought similar feelings. Using the black card, I ordered a simple but hefty sushi and noodle meal. When I felt an odd fit of my pants the next morning, I assumed I had eaten too much in the day prior. What I didn’t realize was that my lower body proportions had begun to change as I slept and continued to change throughout the rest of the Wednesday. It was another indoors day for me, and I used the credit card to order more ample delivery meals. Besides my arms, I didn’t notice anything being explicitly wrong with my body until I undressed and took a shower that evening.

The fabric of my clothing coming off felt odd, and the warm water hitting my skin made me flinch and realize that I had become almost completely hairless from the neck down. Contrary to how it felt hours ago, my stomach was much flatter, and my pelvis had grown wider. M-My body, what’s going on with me…?! I held my hands against my hips in confusion. I didn’t look like a girl, but I probably could’ve been mistaken for one from far away. Washing myself was difficult and uncomfortable, as I was so much smoother and felt the soap and my fingers against my skin in ways I never had before. My mind was racing – should I call my doctor? Should I…can I do anything about this? I thought about the past few days in critical detail.

The weirdness began after I spent that thousand-plus at GameStop…I felt that jolt, I thought, incorrectly identifying the beginning of all this. Then, I thought about the two things that I was interacting with at the time – the GameStop employee and the black credit card. At first, I wanted to assume that the employee had done something to me, but it felt ludicrous. I didn’t think the card itself could hold any power, so I wondered if I was being punished by some almighty being for my greed in that moment. I wasn’t religious, but I prayed that night hoping for forgiveness.

The next morning, all I was met with were my thighs being rounded out with supple feminine fat, making it irritating to walk without rubbing my balls the wrong way. Staring at my reflection and at my arms and hands in the mirror, part of me wanted to cry. I was scared that things were snowballing out of my control and I didn’t know what to do about it, or what was really even happening. I wanted that dopamine rush I got whenever I used the credit card, but I was afraid that using it might be related to the cause.

Taking drastic measures, I locked the card away into a small safe that was buried deep in my closet, then went outside for a breath of fresh air wearing clothes I’d kept from middle school, as my usual clothing had an uncomfortable fit by now. I couldn’t stop myself from wearing shorter clothing, as my skin felt like it needed the air, too. It felt calming, but I noticed a few lingering glances from passing strangers. It’s becoming noticeable… I dreaded, trying my best to remain calm. If I stop using the card, it’ll go away. I’ll be fine.

The buzzing thoughts in my head were initially based on my anxieties, but as I grew more comfortable and relaxed, my thoughts became more mean-spirited before I even noticed. Such a slob, wearing a run-down rag with a stain on it. Ew, she chewed off her fingernails like an animal. I can’t believe they even make dresses in her size… I was judging peoples’ appearances without even thinking about it. The feeling of disgust was similar to what I felt at the burger joint, why were these white people just so filthy to me?

I’m a slob, too. I’m white, I would joke to myself in my head, trying to combat my weird thoughts. I tried to keep things down low from here. I didn’t use the black credit card once for the rest of the day and for the following Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Subsequently, I didn’t notice many changes to my body beyond what had already happened. But fuck it was hard…I was soooo bored! I could barely get myself to continue job-hunting, and my video games were no longer engaging me like they had mere days ago. Even the stuff I got from spending over a grand at GameStop failed to evoke happiness. I didn’t know what withdrawal felt like, but I was going through it. I needed to buy something big and expensive, it didn’t matter what…I needed to use the card again.

Come next Monday, I was itching for dopamine to the point where I was trying to convince myself that I was in a financial emergency despite still having a decent amount of savings. Don’t have a new job yet, money’s getting lower, and I need groceries today, soooo… But no, I can’t use the card anymore. Besides, it’s surely canceled by NOW, right? Then, I saw a text from an online friend, linking me to a new and expensive high-quality Persona statue that just went up for pre-order. The website did a great job at highlighting its qualities and features – even though something in my head was preventing me from enjoying the game lately, this was something I’d have loved to have on display in my room. Fuck, but I can’t…!

To stop myself from ruminating too much, I ran outside to jog around the block again, but it didn’t help. I wanted that statue, I wanted to use the card, I still had to get groceries anyway…and maybe I could even pick up some new clothing while I’m at it, as even my smaller clothing was beginning to get uncomfortable. Somehow, I managed to resist the urge all day. My body was tense, as if I had to keep it in check at every moment.

Throughout the next three days, I found myself feeling a bit more relaxed. I was able to focus on my job search and actually enjoyed some gaming again. My temptations to use the card were lessening, and everything felt like it was going back to normal, except for my misshapen body. That all came crashing down on Friday when I accidentally tripped over my own feet and spilled a full cup of soda directly onto my PC. “NO…!!!” I screamed as the monitor went blank, hearing a few electric pops from within. I had just received this PC as a birthday gift less than six months ago and it was a godsend compared to my older hunk of junk, I needed this thing, and I knew that getting another one would be a huge hit to my savings.

I spent hours trying to dry it from the inside and was researching ways to troubleshoot on my phone, but it was fruitless. I was periodically yelling to let out my anger, but all I really felt was despair at the loss of the single most important item in my apartment. Can I really not afford it? I thought to myself. I have so much junk I could sell, especially from GameStop, but that would take so long…might not even be worth it…

After thinking for a long while, I took a deep breath and opened my safe with a clear head. This is an emergency, this is a real emergency, I thought. After today, no more black card. Last time. Feeling an odd blend of eagerness and defeat, I pulled the card out and went to Amazon from my phone. The PC was nearly $3,000, and I added a few more hundred onto that with one-day shipping. When the order went through, I was still astonished at how the card was working, but then I remembered that they would only charge me when the unit was shipped.

Still, I felt a sense of relief, as if I had some kind of confidence that the card would continue to work. “I did say today was the last day…day’s still not over yet,” I mumbled, beginning to change clothes for an outing. Having put off my groceries and other chores all week, I figured that I could wrap them up all at once while treating myself a little. With the panic and heartache I’d endured the last few hours, I figured I deserved it. Briefly glancing at myself in the mirror, it looked like my hair had grown a little longer, but I didn’t give it much thought.

Strolling through the mall as my first stop, I didn’t know what clothing to pick out. I didn’t want any of the women’s clothing even though deep down I figured they would probably fit my body the best, so I simply held up a few unisex pieces to my body and eyeballed them, figuring they’d work. Then, I got a late sushi lunch at the food court. The quality wasn’t amazing, but it felt like such a breath of fresh air after all of the cereal, fast food, and frozen meals I’d been forcing down my throat all week. That indescribably exciting feeling I got whenever I used the card was welling inside of me again after buying the meal and my clothing. The card is definitely doing something to me, I thought as I realized it, but is this really a punishment? For being greedy? Is buying necessities greedy? It just feels…so good…

Wanting to try a little experiment, I convinced myself to buy a $100 necklace to see how it would feel. As soon as the transaction had completed, I was practically tingling. I felt so good that I had almost forgotten all about destroying my PC earlier today. Today’s the last day, let’s enjoy it…right…?! As I moved from store to store, buying expensive thing after expensive thing, my jaw began to round, and my skin felt like it was boiling into a hot sizzle as my pale skin tone took on a yellower hue. I noticed that my hair began to brush against my shoulders and that my voice rose higher as my Adam’s apple fell back and higher into my neck, but I simply felt too good to care by that point!

I had a brief moment of contemplation when I went out to my car, needing to load my bags because I couldn’t carry anymore. I tugged at my hair with dainty hands and looked at my reflection through the car window. Through my now-slanted eyes with deep brown irises, softened chin, and heightened cheekbones, I could just barely recognize myself. This is bad, was a brief thought that went through my head. But I didn’t feel bad at all, I was ready to go back in for round two…! While I was walking back into the mall, I even pre-ordered that Persona statue from my phone. I can always talk to a doctor later. I can buy out the whole damn mall today!

My shopping spree couldn’t be stopped. Trinkets, toiletries, tools, clothing, it didn’t matter! It was all mine for the taking! I noticed that cashiers had begun calling me ‘ma’am.’ “Ma’am,” I said out loud to myself, scrunching my face. Such a disgusting abbreviation. Fitting for people behind registers, I suppose. By the time I found myself back at the clothing sections, my smooth skin had lost all traces of its Caucasian heritage, and my face had further morphed beyond all recognizability, as I was now sporting thinner eyebrows, fuller lips, a flattened nose, and even whiter, brighter teeth.

Instead of just buying new clothing like I had from the first batch, I went into the changing room with a bag this time. I looked at myself in the full-length mirror in awe. I was beautiful, but still horribly incomplete and covered with ill-fitting clothes. Unbeknownst to me, it was at that moment where my new PC had shipped, deducting over $3,000 from the card’s balance. I didn’t know why it was happening, but my dick turned rock hard mere moments later. I dropped my pants and boxers to my ankles, hypnotized by the feeling on top of my incredible credit card high. My scrotum was painfully constricting around my balls, and the skin around my pecs began to wobble as I mindlessly stroked myself.

I knew I could orgasm quickly, but I wanted it to last. Bouncing my slim Asian legs in place while licking my lips, admiring the face of the woman who stared back in the mirror, nothing in the world could have brought me back down to Earth. “Ooh…ooh…ooaah…” I moaned quietly through gritted teeth, embracing the pain that came with my testes being pushed upward into my body. I fondled my chest with my other hand as it swelled into two distinct mounds, feeling stiff and enlarging nipples through my shirt. I leaned towards the mirror. I need her, I need her, I need her so fucking bad…

Just when I was on the brink of climax, I heard a sudden schrriiiiiip from the floor. The tops of my sneakers had been ripped down the center up to my toes and melted down to the sides, revealing the tops of my feet. “A-Ah!” I yelped, practically losing my balance while barely maintaining my sexual high as thin plastic rods began to grow underneath the material around my heels, pushing them into the air. I had to release my cock to catch myself against the wall with both hands as a thin strap materialized around my ankles, too focused on myself and my reflection to even notice that my shoes had transformed into a pair of black high heels.

“FFFFF…fuck…!” I bit my lip as I continued to stroke on wobbly legs. In that mere moment, my cock had grown much smaller, became much harder, and felt infinitely more sensitive…! Another startling riiiiiipp sounded from my back as my shirt tore itself down the middle, ending at the small of my back while revealing my shoulder blades and upper back. My sleeves rolled themselves up into little straps while the front of my shirt cut low as it completely changed material while revealing and supporting my developing breasts.

“Ohmigawd, ohmigawd,” I whispered as quietly as I could with my eyes rolling into the back of my head. My silent stroking was quick to become more audible schlicking, and my dick had practically disappeared into a nub. Warmth slowly enveloped my whole body, as if I had been gently lowered into a sauna. Nearly gasping for air through harsh breaths, I slowly and awkwardly lowered myself to my knees as I finished, unable to notice the bottom of my shirt elongating itself into a stylish dark satin dress that would flow and playfully tease my sexy legs.

I kept my eyes closed for a long while as I took it all in, eventually placing my hands to the wall and mirror while still on my knees. I lightly coughed and cleared my throat as my eyelids fluttered open, still in awe from my reflection. I tapped and curled my fingers for a bit against the wall, thinking about how thin and petite they were while analyzing how they moved. After a bit of thinking, I began giggling to myself with a foreign voice, loving the sight of my lips curling and my eyes squinting in laugher. I had a hard time containing myself, probably because the situation seemed impossible. I knew that none of this made any sense, so why did this all feel so right?

I stood up slowly, legs still shaking in my heels, and patted myself down through my dress. Smooth, strong, sexy, alluring, were some words that popped into my head, especially once I stepped out of my fallen pants and boxers and looked at my body at different angles. When I shimmied my boxers up my smooth legs, the waistband suddenly popped out of the fabric as the fabric itself began to disintegrate and change, leaving behind a cute pair of silk panties that hugged my body. “I’m a…I’m a woman…a goddess,” I huffed, watching the material change before my eyes. I smiled at my reflection again, thinking about how obvious all of the earlier signs were in hindsight several days ago. If being a woman meant feeling this good, I was fully prepared to lean into it.

After cooling off and making sure I looked good, I took another look at the clothing in my bags and scoffed. These clothes were beneath me now. I left the whole bag in the room and continued my shopping spree, focusing on more feminine clothing and jewelry while learning how to strut in my heels. I don’t know anything about any of this…but what’s stopping me from learning? It’s all mine…! Anything I want, it’s mine…! Wanting to make myself even more beautiful, I put several bags of makeup, skincare, and haircare products into my bags, figuring that I’d get enough volume to trial and error with it without worrying about running out. Every time I was handed my credit card back from a cashier, I sanitized it in front of their grubby faces, hoping that they were bright enough to appreciate the luxury of being in my presence.

Once I had finally worn myself out of shopping, I treated myself to a five-star restaurant for a caviar and lobster dinner and figured that I’d leave grocery shopping to delivery services. It was my first time trying both, but I had the feeling I would love them. Having been relieved of most of my usual anxiety and self-doubt, I slept like an angel that night, knowing full well I deserved all of the wonderful things I’d done for myself.

Feeling my breasts and soft thighs the next morning, I was relieved that I hadn’t been living a dream. The overwhelming euphoria I got from using the card had died down, but I still felt like the queen of the world. “I really am…all woman. Every last inch,” I cooed to myself as I showered in the morning, wanting to abolish my usual habit of evening showering. After practicing a few positive affirmations in the mirror, I found myself feeling more than just willing to accept femininity. I was so excited! I practically spent all day learning how to use makeup and other products, and dressing up in the endless amount of clothing I had bought yesterday. I simply could not get enough of myself! I had become perfect!

Such brilliance and radiance obviously couldn’t go unnoticed. Everywhere I went, people treated me with respect and admiration. The quieter ones, I could just feel their eyes on me from far away. They either wanted to be me or lusted for a second of my attention. The men especially knew their place, always holding doors open for me and offering to buy me meals. And the ones who tried to get a little too close were met with swift embarrassment. After all, no one batted an eye if a gorgeous woman like me were to slap someone a little too hard. The amount of confidence and power I had was dizzying.

Of course, despite all of that, I still had a lot on my plate to figure out. I could buy anything I wanted, but my credit card wouldn’t be useable to pay the rent. My ID and undergrad degree had also become utterly useless, as I had essentially become a new – and better – human being. Looking at the name on my card, I figured that I could get a new ID and other documents forged in the name of Yingyue Mu. With my infinite wealth being limited to what I could use a credit card on, contractors and other shady workers became my best friends. As I worked on getting new documents, I hired professional photographers, editors, writers, and social media marketers to promote a fake story of how a dusty little girl from China made it all the way to being a superstar model in America, learning so many ins and outs of being a woman along the way.

Even though I was better than everyone else, I still had a lot to learn about business, social interactions, and presentation – three concepts I began to religiously study and practice day in and day out. At first, my fake social media story drew in and inspired some people, but it couldn’t stop there; I wanted more clicks, likes, and money. It wasn’t too hard to become a self-proclaimed amateur model with my natural beauty and talent and with all of the clothing, makeup, and accessories I had access to, but that wasn’t nearly enough. I had to reach out and gift my lovely self to sponsors.

After one short month had passed, I had already forgotten what it was like being a man. I knew I had always been one, but the thought of being one ever again was just unfathomable. Like, how could anyone be ready to leave the house within ten minutes of waking up? How could anyone wear any piece of clothing two days in a row? How could anyone literally say exactly what’s on their mind at any given point? The concept of masculinity just didn’t make sense to me anymore. I was okay with that, though. The mystery was kind of attractive in a fictional sense, since no man I interacted with on a day-to-day basis was anywhere close to deserving of me.

I continued to learn, grow, and make connections throughout the year while traveling the world, using my shining body and vibrant personality to model for countless amounts of brands and sponsors. That black credit card never stopped working, as it paid for all of my traveling, lodging, luxury meals…almost everything! Which meant that my savings were able to skyrocket, especially as I began making more and more money. Paying the rent for my apartment soon felt like providing charity to the poor.

By the end of my first year living as a woman, I had practically become a social media celebrity and had visited over ten different countries. I felt like I was committing a sin every time I returned home in America, as if I were living in a pigsty. Once I saved enough money, I could move overseas, buy a mansion in Europe, maybe? Although it may be preferrable to be around those who shared my pristine Chinese heritage… I daydreamed about my future a lot, even when I was at one of my modeling agency’s evening social gatherings where I was debuting a sleek zebra-print dress. After becoming exhausted from socializing and pretending to like these people, I took a high seat on an empty staircase and looked down at the little party, thinking about how blissful it must be to be an insect, ignorant to the fact that they could never even begin to fathom being as perfect as moi.

A Patron reward for Silv, thank you so much!! <3 This story features a man down on his luck finding a mysterious credit card that seems to change and invigorate him the more he uses it...

Also, stay tuned for a HOT summer beginning tomorrow... Be sure to tune back in cuz you won't want to miss July. ;)

(also I give up on trying to indent paragraphs on tumblr it's so annoying LOL)

RC = Race Change

MC = Mental Change

Patreon | DeviantArt | Blogger

#m2f #asian #racechange #mentalchange #slowchange #magic #transformation #m2f transformation #m2f body change #sexchange

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hannahbarberra162 · 5 months ago

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Can't Fix Fix A Broken Heart Chapter 12

on Ao3

18+ MDNI

All chapters

Chapter 12 - Night night

If you were nervous about dinner, that was nothing compared to your anxiety around bedtime. There were so many variables you were just thinking in loops. You didn’t know if you were supposed to be…intimate together? And you were really worried about the sleeping arrangements. Sure, you slept in a bed once today. But you were exhausted then, and you were just regular tired now so what were you going to do? What if Thatch got mad at you for doing something in your sleep? What if you moved too much or had a nightmare or woke up in the night? You had a feeling this was going to end badly for you, you just didn’t know how yet.

You went back to the women’s quarters to get a change of clothes for the night and next day. When you entered, you saw some of the nurses you had become friendly with. You went to your belongings and started to take a few things out.

“Hey, Y/N! You finally gonna sleep here tonight? We’d love to have your company.”

“Ah, no. I have to - to go somewhere else.”

“Ooh, cheeky girl. Well, have your fun - we all do from time to time. There’s no shame in that!”

You went red, grabbed the rest of your things and turned to leave. Tate caught your attention and motioned you over to her. Approaching her with your bundle, she brought you over to her area. Her lips were pressed into a thin line.

“Y/N, are you ok?”

“Of course I am, why would I be not ok?”

She gave you an uneasy look and continued “I’ve been on the Moby for a few years now. I love Whitebeard and I love being here. That said, some men on board can be intense in their affections. Do you know what I’m saying?”

“I…uh..think I do?”

“Just let me know if it ever becomes too overwhelming. I can always help you figure something out.”

You nodded. You really appreciated Tate putting herself out there for you. But you weren’t sure there was anything she could realistically do. You were under the thumb of three incredibly powerful men, and they had been helping you in some ways. But you’d keep her offer in mind for the future.

You left the women’s quarters and headed over to Thatch’s cabin with your clothes. You didn’t want to go find him with everything in your hands, it was obvious you were bringing clothes for an “overnight stay.” You opted to wait for him there. You didn’t have to wait long before he came down the hallway, freshly showered and in a towel. You were staring at him - he was incredibly attractive. He wasn’t one to keep his shirt unbuttoned like most on the ship. He was well muscled, with a hairy chest and a Whitebeard tattoo on one pec. He looked different with his hair down - it was long and clearly well taken care of. You liked both looks on him, but this made him look a little softer. He seemed to be caught unaware that you would be there, but he smiled at you nonetheless.

“Eager to begin our night mami?”

You grimaced and entered in front of him as he held out the door. Your main worry was the expectations surrounding the night. But now you had an additional fear arise as you realized you would have to change into your clothes - and so would he. You turned and faced the wall, still holding your things. You hoped he would get dressed with your back turned.

“Feeling shy?” he laughed softly. He walked up behind you and touched you on your shoulder, which startled you. “Mija, this is literal. We are just sleeping together in the bed. No need for sex, or any funny business, nothing but sleeping. I’m going to get dressed. Feel free to stay turned that way.” He kissed the top of your head and walked over to his dresser. You heard the sound of Thatch rummaging through his clothes.

You felt better in some ways. Now you knew that it was just a sleeping arrangement, no other expectations. You waited until you stopped hearing clothing sounds and peeked over your shoulder. Thatch was now lounging in his bed with some loose fitting pants.

“Ah, can I change too?”

“Be my guest. Well, I guess you are my guest.”

“Could you, um, turn around?”

“No.”

“W-wait I thought you said no funny business!” you were getting worked up quickly.

“It’s my room, I’m not turning around. I’ll tell you what, I’ll close my eyes.”

“How do I know you won’t look?”

“You don’t, you’ll have to trust me.”

It was better than nothing. He could have just denied you all together. You huffed and said “fine.”

“So, the gatita is feeling feisty. That’s alright, I can take it.”

“OK, close your eyes. Keep them closed until I tell you.”

“On my honor as a pirate.”

You still turned your back to him anyway to change. You wouldn’t be able to see if he was watching from your angle, but you’d rather have this part over with. You quickly shucked your dirty day clothes and changed into an oversized linen shirt you’d found onboard somewhere. It went all the way down to your knees, like a nightgown.

“Ok, I’m ready.”

Thatch opened his eyes and gave you a quick once over. “You look lovely. Now come to bed.”

You were nervous as you perched yourself on the edge of the bed. You put your legs up and laid down as far over to the side as you could. Thatch blew out the lamp and laid down near the middle of the bed.

“Ah, ah. Not like that.” He reached out his large hairy arm, grabbed you around the middle and pulled you until your back was snugly against his front. He kept his arm around you, securing you to him. He nestled deeper into you and yawned again.

“H-hey wait! That’s not fair! You just said I only had to sleep here!”

“Mmm…complain to the captain, mija.”

Thatch POV

On his honor as a pirate? Please. Of course he watched you change. He wanted to see what your body looked like under the loose clothes you wore all the time. And, he also wanted to see what Marco had told them about. Marco hadn’t been exaggerating, your back looked gut wrenchingly awful. Your beautiful skin had been marred not once, but twice, resulting in the painful looking scars. Thatch supported Ace and Marco torturing those Marines. He should actually encourage them more, he thought. Your back didn’t bother him at all, looks wise- hell, he had a facial scar - but it did make him feel bad for you. Especially since Marco told them that the scars caused you pain.

But he was done feeling sorry for you when he saw your luscious little body. All curves and lines with the perfect tiny features. You were a petite treat, hiding yourself away under those baggy work clothes. He liked that no one else besides his brothers got to see what your body really looked like. You were a present only they could unwrap. He knew he would be spooning with you ever since they hatched this plan - he wanted you right next to him through the whole night. And it’s not like you could protest - you couldn’t move his arm if you tried.

He started thinking about the dinner you had together. It was nearly his perfect dream. Just the two of you, with you on his lap, being fed by his hand. You meekly accepting his food into your lush mouth, plush lips closing in on the fork. You allowing his touch as he cared for you intimately. Your tiny body dwarfed by his, his little doll he could care for. You were so compliant and pliable he couldn’t wait to get you into bed. He had been so turned on and painfully hard, he wanted to throw you on the table and feast on you right there. But, patience would get him farther in the long run.

He really wasn’t going to try any sexual activity with you tonight. He knew you had sleeping issues and it might be a difficult night for you. He figured today was a lot already, so many changes to your life. He knew trying anything would set him back further in your trust. No, you needed to see that Thatch would help you, protect you, always be a source of strength for you. So he would content himself with holding you through the night. For now.

Y/N POV

You couldn’t sleep. You were really troubled by the lack of light in the room. You felt OK, since you knew Thatch could (would?) protect you against whatever bumped in the night. But the darkness was closing in on you. You didn’t think Thatch was asleep yet, so you tapped his arm with a finger.

“Thatch?”

“Mm..?”

“It’s dark.”

“It's dark every night.”

“Can you open the shades to let in the moonlight?”

“S’a new moon. No moonlight.”

“OK.”

You started fidgeting, you couldn’t help it. You were pinching your fingers and wiggling your toes to try to calm yourself down. It was just so dark and you wished you were somewhere secure but you were in an unfamiliar bed and and and and

Thatch’s hand covered yours. He picked up his head and looked down at you, his long hair draping on your shoulders. “Querida what’s going on?”

“I don’t like the dark.”

“I can tell. I can’t keep a lamp lit while we sleep, it’s too dangerous. How can I help you? Why don’t you like the dark? Maybe if we talk about it, we can figure something out.”

You turned so you were now facing towards him. He laid flat on his back and you laid your head on his chest. If you were going to talk, might as well do it facing each other.

“Oh, um, well. When I was with the Marines -”

“Imprisoned by the Marines”

“Right, imprisoned by the Marines, they used to sometimes seal me into a crate.”

“Why?” Thatch’s voice was quiet and calm. He started gently running his fingers up and down your back.

“Well, since I never changed ships or captains, the Lieutenants who did the inspections didn’t change either. They were worried that if the Lieutenants saw me year after year on the ship, they would get suspicious about why I was still on the ship and not on a Marine base or in jail. So when they knew that someone was coming or there was an inspection they’d seal me into a crate so that no one would see me. They had a special one for me that had no gaps, which didn’t allow for any light either.”

“I see. How long would you be there?”

“Depends. Sometimes as short as a few hours. Sometimes about a day. I think they forgot about me once and I was there almost three days. It was hard to tell time. So, that’s why I don’t like the dark.”

“That would be understandable,” Thatch said, still moving his fingers delicately and stroking your skin. But his tone was tense and strained.

“Are you mad? It’s OK, it’s part of the reason I survived. I was in my crate when the storm hit, so when the ship was destroyed I washed ashore. Then Vista’s brothers found me, and well…you know the rest.”

“I’m not mad at you mami. It just makes me upset to hear that such terrible things happened to you. But no part of this was OK.”

He thought for a moment and said “I’m going to light the lamp and you go to sleep. I’ll stay awake and blow it out once you’re sleeping.”

You frowned and said “but that’s not right, you were working all day too. I don’t want you to have to wait up for me.”

“Mija, that’s what’s happening. Soon the moon will be back and the problem will solve itself.”

He reached up, lit a match, and relit the lamp. He settled you back down onto him the way you had been previously, with your head on his chest.

“Thank you Thatch.”

“Goodnight mi amor.”

“G’night Thatch.”

You had been nervous you wouldn’t sleep. But Thatch was so warm, smelled so nice, and you could hear his heart beating steadily. His hand was still drawing patterns on your skin, you could feel him take regular breaths. It was comforting and comfortable and you were so tired. Before you knew it, you were drifting off to sleep in his embrace.

#op x y/n #thatch one piece #whitebeard #whitebeard crew #yandere whitebeard pirates #tw yandere #marco op #marco the phoenix #portgas ace x you #yandere one piece #bedtime #op thatch #op whitebeard #portgas d ace #one piece #yandere #tw mentions of abuse #tw anxiety

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skarlette1 · 8 months ago

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Wishful Wand: Part Four (NEW)

–Part Three of Wishful Wand

My body still tingling from my elevator encounter with Platinum Panther, I staggered into Sammie Sims’ workshop. Sammie stood at a bank of computer monitors, one strap of her coveralls unfastened to show the tight T-shirt beneath. Her stiff nipple was plainly visible through the thin material. I couldn’t take my eyes off it, even as she turned to face me.

“I know that look, Zelda. You used the Wand and then obeyed one of Commissar Zehd’s commands. Feels incredible, doesn’t it? I told you it would blow your mind.”

I shook my head to clear it. “No, Sammie. That’s not right. I remember what she did in the Shade Circumference. How she tried to brainwash me. But she failed. I’m not broken. I remember what she wanted to me to do and I refuse to obey. I’ll simply do the opposite.”

Sammie smiled indulgently. “That’s a plan, sure. I’m sure you’ve already tried to do the opposite. How did that work out?”

“It worked perfectly. Zehd ordered me not to tell anyone about her, so the moment I saw Platinum Panther on the elevator I said ...” My voice faded as I realized that I hadn’t actually told the leader of the Libido League anything about Zehd. “I mean, I was about to tell her when I thought better of it. She needs to focus on protecting the city from all types of supervillains, not just Zehd.”

“So you came up with a good reason to trick yourself into obeying Zehd after all.”

“No, I didn’t, I …” But I did, didn’t I? “I mean, I thought better of …” Was it really thinking better? “I mean …” Despite my best efforts, I had done exactly as Zehd commanded. “Oh shit.”

“Yeah, it’s definitely oh shit territory, Zelda. Don’t feel too bad, though. I couldn’t resist her either. Sorry about tricking you into using the Wand, but it was a command from Zehd, so … y’know?” Sammie shrugged helplessly.

“That’s all you’ve got to say for yourself? Y’know? I know that I trusted you and you betrayed me, Sammie. You didn’t even give me a hint.”

“You think I didn’t try to resist her commands? I’ve been fighting like hell for weeks since I first found that Wand. Do you think I want to turn the body of one of my best friends into a platform for that Quimtonian bitch? I did everything I could think of to stop myself from modifying U4ia the way Zehd commanded me to. Last week, I even removed several chips from U4ia’s central processing core to make sure she couldn’t function or move at all. I figured that would trap Zehd in a motionless body.” Sammie rolled her eyes. “Turns out that the chips I removed would have actually helped U4ia fight off a foreign personality in her circuits but I’d tricked myself into removing the wrong ones. My resistance achieved precisely nothing! U4ia’s body is not quite ready for Zehd, but it sure ain’t motionless. Have a look.” She gestured around a corner.

I rounded the corner to enter the main area of the workshop. Across the back wall stretched a high-tech workbench, covered in tools. A bank of computers filled the left wall, with more than a dozen monitors displaying constantly-shifting data. Tangles of thick, black cables stretched from the computers to the center of the room where they attached to the back of U4ia’s skull and a series of ports down her spine. The gynoid heroine’s eyes were closed and her features slack. Her violet hair hung smooth and straight, gently swaying as the gynoid sensuously undulated her naked body to accentuate her sexuality.

“Sammie, if U4ia’s not rebooted yet, how can she be moving like that?”

“There’s a lot we don’t know about U4ia’s origin, Zelda. We don’t know who made her, when she was built, or how all of her technology works. But we’re pretty certain of why she was created: She’s a sexbot. The most advanced ever built. Despite her higher mental processes being completely offline, the physical actions of sex and seduction are part of her root programming. Even when she’s effectively brain-dead, U4ia is one of the most skilled lovers on the planet. Plus, she’s a total smoke show.”

As my eyes lingered over the swaying of U4ia’s hips, and the ways her hands hovered over her pert breasts, I couldn’t deny anything Sammie was saying. “You’re not wrong. U4ia is gorgeous. Is that Zehd’s plan? To possess a body that’s too sexy for Captain Alpha to resist?”

“I have no idea what her whole plan is. I just know what I need to do to prepare U4ia’s body to receive Zehd’s consciousness. The hardware is ready, it just needs the right spark to jump start it. That’s why I need your help, Zelda.”

“My help? I’m no engineer,” I said. U4ia was moving faster, her swaying becoming more like a seductive dance. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

“The next step doesn’t need engineering, Zelda. It needs you to have sex with U4ia.”

I spun to face Sammie. “Have sex with her? Are you out of your mind?”

Sammie laughed. “Yeah, I think I am. Hell, considering what the Wand did to us, I’d say we’re both a little bit out of our minds! But it doesn’t matter. Zehd commanded you to help me. Having sex with U4ia is the help I need.”

Even in the world of superheroics, this was getting pretty bizarre. “This makes no sense, Sammie. How would having sex with a brain-dead robot body help anything?”

Sammie replied in an um, actually tone. “U4ia’s not a ‘robot,’ she’s a ‘gynoid’. In order to host Zehd’s consciousness, her gynoid body needs erotic energy. I’ve built a special capacitor to hold it, but it needs to be properly charged.”

“If she needs erotic energy, why don’t you fuck her yourself, Sammie? You had no trouble using the Wand.”

“U4ia and I were … close ... once. It would be weird to have sex with her body without her mind being there. It would be amazing, I’m sure. But weird. But that doesn’t matter. The first erotic energy into the capacitor needs to be the right type. My erotic energy won’t work because I’ve never had sex with Captain Alpha.”

“What does Alpha have to do with any of this?”

“I don’t understand the theory behind erotic energy, but according to Zehd, every time a Quimtonian has sex with someone, their erotic energy fields merge. Even after they part, a tiny bit of Quimtonian erotic energy remains with their partner. It can linger for months or even years. In the Shade Circumference, Zehd commanded me to tell her who Captain Alpha had sex with most often. I tried not to tell her, but … everyone gossips about how close you are to Captain Alpha, Zelda. That’s when Zehd commanded me to trick you into using the Wand. She needs U4ia’s body to absorb the Quimtonian residue in your erotic energy field.”

This had gotten so weird that I didn’t know whether Sammie’s claims about erotic energy were insane ravings or made perfect sense. But it didn’t matter. “I’m not even going to try to understand any of that, Sammie. All I need to know is that Zehd wants me to have sex with U4ia. Therefore, it is the last thing I will ever do. Some of us aren’t quitters who have just surrendered to Zehd’s commands. I can’t have sex with her if I’m not here. Good-bye.” I spun on my heel to dash from the workshop—

Bam! I ran right into U4ia! Her dancing motions had maneuvered her directly behind me. Her synthetic skin was impossibly soft, smooth, and inviting. Her eyes were still closed, but I barely had a moment to be creeped out by that as she leaned in to kiss me. I turned my head, but U4ia took my face in her hands. She guided my mouth to hers with a gentleness that belied the massive artificial strength beneath it. Her lips touched mine with all the tender warmth of an old flame, while also offering the unique tingle of a new vibrator.

The thrill of the kiss resounded through every cell in my body. I leaned in, my tongue exploring her mouth with a deep thirst for pleasure. How could any two lips and a tongue feel so divine? I hadn’t been kissed so passionately since my beloved Al-Phae left for the stars.

Al-Phae! I needed stop this before it went too far and endangered Al-Phae! Using all my willpower to break the kiss, I whispered “U4ia … please ...”

Within seconds, her lips found mine again, their commanding kiss somehow hotter than it had been before my attempted escape.

Unable to break the kiss, I tried to wriggle my body free. U4ia’s hands roamed my curves with gentle squeezes and firm caresses. Somehow, whichever way I moved, her hands blocked my escape with another sensuous touch. My dress was inexplicably bunched around my waist and U4ia’s knee pressed between my trembling thighs, gentle but relentless. I could feel my body quickly building toward an orgasm.

No! Cumming for U4ia was the last thing I needed to do. But if I couldn’t escape, I’d have to think my way out of this sex trap. Unfortuntately, her honeyed kiss made thinking sweet, sticky, and slow. My body longed for her sweet, sensual touches. Surrendering to the pleasure was the path of least resistance. It was instinct.

Her skillful fingers tweaked a nipple. I moaned in her mouth.

Instinct! U4ia had instincts, too. As a sexbot, her instinct was to please her partner. If I couldn’t escape, maybe I could use those instincts against her. I had a plan that was just crazy enough to work.

Dragging my lips across her cheek, I whispered in U4ia’s ear. “Mmmm, I love to touch you, lover. Pleasing you pleases me. Let me go down on you.”

U4ia’s demeanor shifted. Her eyes still eerily closed, she leaned back on a nearby workbench. Gently tugging on my nipples, she pulled me closer. I knelt before her, sliding down her body. Her violet bush grazed my cheek and I began to lick her slick pussy lips. Artificially-sharp sweetness filled my mouth. Her body writhed with pleasure, even though she made no sound.

I poured every ounce of skill and arousal into devouring U4ia’s pussy. I needed to make her cum before I did. Sammie had said that the erotic energy of the first orgasm was vital to Zehd’s plan. If I could push U4ia to cum before I did, the first erotic energy wouldn’t have any trace of Quimtonian energy in it. Zehd’s plan would be foiled if I could just lick fast enough.

Even though she was the most silent lover I’d ever had, U4ia still found ways to arouse me. One leg wrapped around my head, holding me in place beneath her. Somehow, her other foot rubbed my own sex through my panties, continuing to drive me crazy with pleasure.

I could feel her body tense up as I suckled her clit between my lips.

She was close.

So was I.

Just a few more licks and—

“You look like you’re so close to cumming, Zelda.” Sammie purred behind me. “Let me help.”

Sammie yanked my soaking wet panties to the side. Something firm and smooth pressed between my thighs—the Wishful Wand! Driving it into my drenched pussy, she knew just how to find my sweetest, most sensitive spots. Every stroke was liquid, acid lust burning through my body, dissolving my mind, vaporizing my will, atomizing my very self in a white hot nova of bliss. I shrieked out my climax against U4ia’s pussy, thrashing with ecstasy that could not be denied.

My memories also couldn’t be denied. As my orgasm ripped through me, my body remembered the way Al-Phae had touched me the last night before she left for the stars. I had laid atop her in a sixty-nine as she floated four feet above my bed. It was like living two orgasms at once.

As my climax subsided, I realized I could remember everything about our last night together, except the way Al-Phae had made love to me that night. It was a jagged hole in my sense memory.

“Erotic energy capacitor initialization: Successful.” U4ia’s voice was even more mechanical and emotionless than I’d remembered. Somehow, we’d both slid to the floor. I found myself lying on top of her, struggling to catch my breath from the mind-bending orgasm.

“Wh-what … did you … do to me?” I muttered. I lacked the strength to lift my head, or even open my eyes.

“That’s a good question,” Sammie said. “Let’s find out. U4ia, do you detect Quimtonian erotic energy in the capacitor?”

“Affirmative,” U4ia said.

“Awesome! Good job, Zelda,” Sammie said. “U4ia, does the Quimtonian erotic energy meet minimum requirements?”

“Negative.”

I had to get some time to think. What had happened to me? I half-rolled, half-fell off U4ia onto the floor. Still too drained to open my eyes, I dragged myself away from where Sammie spoke softly with the gynoid. If I could make it to the hallway, perhaps Platinum Panther would find me. I wouldn’t need to tell her anything, my condition would be enough to let her know that something was seriously wrong.

“Not so fast, Zelda. We still need your help.” Sammie took my shoulder and rolled me onto my back. I couldn’t find the strength to stop her.

“I can’t help anymore, Sammie,” I muttered, trying to parse my experience into words. “You already took it. Took the one thing Al-Phae left me. Took my memory of her touch.”

“I don’t know about memories, Zelda, but I do know what U4ia’s sensors are telling me. She’s only absorbed the most recent layer of Quimtonian erotic energy from you. There are many layers left. She needs to absorb a lot more to be ready for Zehd’s arrival.”

“I can’t, Sammie. I can’t remember the last time she touched me.”

U4ia’s flat, mechanical voice answered me. “Assistance for memory processing is available. Look into my eyes.”

I tried to keep my eyes closed, but they opened despite me. U4ia knelt over me, a commanding presence. Between her legs, one end of the Wishful Wand protruded from her pretty pussy, hanging like a strapless phallus. I knew the sheen on its surface was from my own lust-juices.

“Look into my eyes,” U4ia commanded.

My gaze snapped to U4ia’s face. Her eyes were open wide. Too wide. Each eyeball was entirely a deep, opaque black, except for a tiny light flickering in their center. It was small but beautiful. “Wh-what is that?”

“Look deeper,” U4ia said as she spread my unresisting thighs.

I gazed deeper into the inky depths of her eyes. The rest of the room ceased to exist. The flickering light resolved into an image of Al-Phae. I could see just how she looked that last night. I could almost feel her touch. “Al-Phae … my love ...”

“Look deeper.” Something thick and hard slid across my thighs. As my gaze dove deeper into her eyes, the Wand dove deep into my pussy.

Beyond the vision of my last night with Al-Phae was another flickering image. This had been the day before she left. There was some trouble with cleaning up Queen Klitorya’s sex drones and Captain Alpha had needed a boost of erotic energy. I’d pulled her into the stall of a public restroom and kissed her passionately. Neither of us had gotten undressed. It was just a frantic, exciting flurry of fingers and lips and passion. Something stiff was thrusting inside of me just the way that Al-Phae’s fingers had when she made ... me … cum!

My whole body shook with a powerful orgasm, but my eyes never left U4ia’s. I fell deeper into them, offering up one memory after another. Lazy Sunday afternoons in my apartment. Delighting in her touch after she’d rescued me from supervillains. Secluded picnics on remote mountaintops only accessible by flying. Passionate flings in the depths of her Quimtonian Refuge. Every rendezvous with Alpha took me to relentless bliss once again, and then lived only inside U4ia’s eyes.

“Erotic energy capacitor has surpassed requirements.” U4ia closed her eyes and pulled away. The Wand slipped out of my throbbing pussy. I lay on the floor, gazing upwards but not really seeing anything. My whole body ached for a sensation I’d tasted a hundred times but could no longer remember.

“Good job, Zelda,” Sammie said, gazing down at me. “You’ve given me all the help I need. You’ve done exactly as Commissar Zehd commanded.”

My body came again, filled with irresistible pleasure at having obeyed my most hated enemy.

---

Like what you read? Will you buy me a coffee and request something rich to sink my teeth into? Or peek into the depths of my longer fiction?

#skarletteone #mind control #flash fiction #superhero

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steddie-as-they-come · 1 year ago

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blame it all on human nature - chapter 5

ao3 link || part one

☆Tuesday, April 8th, 1986☆

Eddie takes his normal seat at the lunch table, swinging his legs into his chair. Like ducklings, the kids file in around him.

“Whatcha got there, Baby Byers?” Eddie asks, as Will sets something carefully on the other end of the table. Eddie can’t really see what it is.

“Finished your DM screen.” Will explains. “Just gotta wait for it to dry now.”

“Shit, really? Lemme see!” Eddie hops up and circles the table. The thin wooden screen looks much different than he’s used to, but it still looks magical. Instead of glossy black, Will’s decorated it with painted symbols in different colors, glowing like they’re about to come to life.

Eddie lets his hand hover above the paint, not daring to touch the wet paint and ruin it. “Looks incredible, Will.” he says. “You’re a great artist.”

“Thanks.” Will says, and Eddie crosses back to his seat.

“When are we gonna play the campaign?” Dustin asks. “I have an idea for my character already!”

“Oh, really?” Eddie waves at Robin as he sees her enter the cafeteria with some of her band friends, and about half the kids follow his example. The girl she’s walking next to gives her a weird look, probably wondering why Known Ex-Wanted Man Eddie Munson and the entire nerdy freshman population are waving at her.

She waves back.

Eddie refocuses on the table. “You can tell me about your characters now, if you’ve got ideas.” He shuffles papers around in his disaster area of a backpack. “I think I’ve got extra character sheets in here.”

He passes out the sheets to the kids, watching them all get to work. Dustin starts immediately scribbling. Wow, he wasn’t kidding when he said he had ideas for his character. Will and El bow their heads together over their papers, and Will looks like he’s explaining some stuff to El. Mike and Lucas talk together excitedly.

Eddie, for his part, starts scribbling notes to himself on his hand. Make NPCs, he scribbles. No, that’s too vague. He crosses it out. Make tavern NPCs, he adds. Better.

The familiar clicking noises of rolling dice make him jerk his head back up. Dustin’s got out his d20, rolling for various stats. Kid after my own heart, Eddie thinks to himself. Always keep a dice set on you.

Mike snatches Dustin’s d20, rolls for something on his own sheet, then tosses it back, scribbling whatever number he got down.

The harsh jangle of the bell jerks them all out of their D&D-induced trances, and Eddie says, “Keep those sheets and finish them up before you give them to me!” Dustin tosses his dice back into their plastic container and books it out of the lunch room, grinning and waving back at Eddie and the group as they all disperse, much more slowly.

Eddie can’t keep his mind off the campaign for the rest of the day. He pulls out a journal, sketching the different monsters he wants to try to incorporate. His chickenscratch penmanship is crammed around each doodle, a brief description to help him when he’s actually narrating the campaign. As each class passes, his hand turns more and more blue with inked words, reminders for later.

He’s not paying attention in class until he hears the dreaded words: “partner assignment”.

The room is basically empty nowadays, just like the rest of the school. Grant, Gareth, and Jeff weren’t the only ones who left. The school’s population has dropped by the dozens, maybe even hundreds by this point.

Eddie hunches over, hoping if he’s a small enough target, no one will want to be his partner and he’ll end up alone. Normally he’d be more confrontational, but he’s not looking to start anything and be forced to repeat the year for the fourth time.

Someone sits in the empty desk next to him. Eddie can’t see who they are, his hair’s in the way.

“You just gonna ignore me, or…?” comes a familiar voice, and Eddie almost cries with relief, tucking his hair out of the way.

“Birdie, thank god.” he says. “I was gonna do this assignment by myself. You’re my hero. I didn’t even realize you were in this class!”

Robin glares at him. “Okay, seriously? What is with people and not knowing I’m in their class? First Steve, now you?”

“I’m going to level with you, Buckley, I don’t even know what class this is.” Eddie informs her. “I knew you were in a class of mine, so that should give me a leg up on Harrington, right?”

Robin looks unamused. “Are you high?” she deadpans.

“One: how dare you, just because I don’t know where I am does not mean I am under the influence.” Eddie says in a dramatic whisper. “Two: no, I just wasn’t paying attention. Can’t even get weed anymore.”

Robin sits back. “Okay, are we gonna actually do this project? I think I brutally murdered the rest of my school friendships by coming over here.” She looks across the room, and sure enough, there’s two girls Eddie doesn’t recognize glaring at her.

“Of course we are!” Eddie says. “...what’s the project?”

“I’m gonna hit you with a car,” she informs him, and Eddie barks out a laugh.

Erica waves off Eddie’s offer of a blank campaign sheet for her character when they pick her up from the elementary school later that day. “I had my own because I was prepared.” she tells him, passing a piece of paper to him. “My character’s done.”

Eddie’s a bit taken aback. “Well then,” he says. “Good for you.” He takes it from her. “Can’t wait to play with you-” he consults the sheet. “Captain Saral Niserie.”

She scoffs, but Eddie thinks he sees a private, excited smile as she looks back out the window.

☆Thursday, April 10th, 1986☆

“We open in a tavern, settled in the middle of the forest.” Eddie says. He thinks he hears Dustin mumble something about cliches, and levels the little butthead with a glare before continuing. “There are no buildings around as far as you can see, and you are with your party. Starting with…” He places a little figurine on the table, watching Hawkin’s face (they’re an unfamiliar girl, maybe around his age, with short red hair right now) light up. “Hannah Rockebrook, a level eight human warlock.” Eddie walks her across the table and puts her on the board. “Hannah opens the door and ushers the group inside, smiling at the bartenders, a pair of half-elf twins.”

He nods to Dustin, who’s on his left, and Dustin begins to talk. “Zoi, my satyr sorcerer, orders a round at the bar and brings it to the table.” He looks at Eddie. “Can I roll for perception?” Eddie nods. “Seven, with a plus one, so that’s eight.”

“Zoi sees a poster on the wall and points it out to the group.” Eddie says. “Also, you lose ten gold for paying for the drinks.”

Erica, who’s next, says, “Saral Nisarie, my cleric selkie, reads it aloud.” She looks at Eddie, because, right, they don’t actually know what it says.

“Monster hunting!” Eddie announces. “Rewards handsomely for each monster your group kills!”

The group begins to chatter, and Eddie keeps hearing Dustin and Mike talk about how boring the campaign is already. They haven’t even played for longer than a few minutes!

Will bangs the table (Lucas’s miniature falls over, and El fixes it with a sharp jerk of her head). “‘I think we should do it!’ my dragonborn Lytlutyl announces.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Eddie says. “Say that name again.”

Will sounds it out slowly. “Lee-tuh-loo-till.”

“Yeah, I’m not saying that every time.” Eddie deadpans. “Can you give her a nickname?”

Will rolls his eyes. “Fine. What about Lita?”

“Acceptable.” Eddie waves a hand. “Continue.”

The group goes around, introducing themselves. El’s chosen to play a ranger, a Drow named Atierith (Ah-tee-er-ith, nicknamed Rith at Eddie’s request) of House Tema. Mike’s a tiefling bard named Celan the Degenerate. Lucas is a wererat artificer, named Iros Wainwright.

They delay a little bit when Lucas insists on talking with the bartenders (named Ronan and Stella) about the monsters around and learning effectively nothing, but they do manage to make it out of the tavern before the first session’s close, which is more than Eddie had been expecting, to be honest.

Saral lights off Hand of Radiance, and her hand begins to glow so the party can see in the woods. They walk for in-game hours, unable to find the monsters Stella and Ronan insisted were everywhere.

“Wind blows through the trees.” Eddie says. “Uh, Will, make a perception check.”

Will grabs and rolls the d20. “Nat 20!” he cheers.

Well, Eddie wasn’t expecting that, but he supposes he can give it to them a little early. “Some of the trees aren't reacting to the wind. None of their branches are bending when the wind blows, unlike all the other trees.”

“Can I throw something at one?” Mike asks.

“Roll dexterity?”

Mike does. “Eleven, with a minus one, so that’s ten.” El makes a little aborted motion, as if reacting to the number, which Eddie doesn’t really get.

“That hits.”

“I pick up a rock and throw it at a tree.” Mike says.

Eddie mentally runs through who’s where. “Lucas, roll athletics?”

He does. “Fourteen.”

“The tree makes a swipe, narrowly missing you.”

“Mimic!” Dustin shouts, panicked, and Eddie grins evilly.

“As you all watch, eight trees begin to twist and crack, bending at their halfway points and planting their canopies on the ground like legs. The ground underneath you shudders and shakes.” He traces around their minifigures, splitting the group in half. “Saral, Celan, Rith, and Zoi, you get lifted into the air on the back of the monster. Hannah, Lita, and Iros, you’re stuck on the ground.”

“Can I cast Inflict Wounds?” Erica asks viciously.

Eddie looks down at his sheet. The monster’s got a defense of thirteen. “Roll for it?”

She does. “Nine?”

“Sorry, kid.” Eddie says. “The monster feels your attempt to hurt it and growls. The motion shakes its entire body, and you slip off.”

“Can I catch her?” Hawkins says urgently, appearing right between him and Dustin.

“Hannah moves to catch her.” Eddie says before Lucas can jump in, because he can see he’s about to. He picks up the d20 Dustin had picked out for him, black with red inked numbers, and rolls for athleticism.

“She got a seventeen!” Eddie says. “Hannah takes one point of damage from the catch, but Saral, you’re fine, and you land neatly in Hannah’s arms.”

Erica smiles smugly.

Will jumps in. “Can we try to cut down the tree legs from here?”

Eddie nods. “Go ahead.”

“Uh, Lita’s got an axe,” Will says, consulting his character sheet. “So she attacks the leg closest to her.”

“Roll strength?”

“Eight, saving throw adds two.”

“She gets about halfway through the trunk before the monster roars and flings her away. Take five hit points.” Eddie says, and Will marks it down.

The battle’s fun. More chaotic than Eddie’s used to, due to the sheer number of players at his table, but they manage to get through the fight with no deaths. El delivers the final blow, and the table goes wild as Eddie describes the monster curling up and shriveling away.

“There’s something red in the husk of what used to be the monster.” Eddie says, and everyone’s interest is immediately piqued.

“Iros goes to check.” Lucas says.

“Roll perception.”

Lucas winces. “Four.”

“It’s a person with curly hair in a red tunic.” Eddie says. Bare minimum. “They’re lying on their side, asleep.”

Dustin tilts his head, leaning forward. “Were they possessed? Were they turned into the monster?”

Eddie smiles evilly at him.

“Can you heal them, Erica?” Lucas asks.

Erica sneers at him, but rolls for it anyway. “Sixteen.”

“They sit up and groan. ‘What happened?’” Eddie says.

“‘You were a monster,’ Celan tells them.” Mike says. “‘We defeated you and you turned back into this. Can you tell us who did this to you?’”

“‘I don’t remember.’ they say. ‘I was sick, in my bed, and then I woke up here.’” Eddie claps his hands. “I think we gotta end it here for the night, guys.”

The kids all boo, but El sticks around at the end to thank him for the campaign. “It was fun.” she says.

“No problem, kid.” Eddie says. “Happy you like it.”

#steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #living hawkins au #steddie fic #steddie fanfiction #stranger things

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byunbhyunz · 2 years ago

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Kai - “The ladies love a guy who’s good with kids.”

Pairing: Jongin/Reader

Genre: fluff, establishedrelationship!au

Word count: 1,028

Prompt: “The ladies love a guy who’s good with kids.”

“But I don’t want to seat with Uncle Jongin! I will seat with Auntie Y/N!” Rahee even stomped with her feet to give more weight to her words, but on the outside she just looked incredibly cute, even when she was fighting back her mom on the seating arrangement.

You stroked her shoulder when she hugged your waist with her thin arms, and sent a weak smile to Jongin and his sister.

The older girl only sighed in defeat, while your boyfriend tried to convince her niece to seat with him anyway, but this time the little girl didn’t back down. She was stubborn, and pressed herself tighter to you, arms circling around you.

“Come on, Rahee! You know, it’s always fun to eat next to Uncle Jongin! I would definitely seat with him if I were you.” You tried to help convincing her with soft words, your hand never stopping its stroking motion over her hair. She hesitantly looked up at you, as her brother, Raeon chimed in.

“But I’m eating with Uncle Kai!”

“You can both eat with him.”

“No.” You heard the finality in the young girl’s voice, and you finally admitted your loss to her. If she really wants to eat with you, then she will, and her mom has to remake the seating arrangement. “I’m eating with Auntie.”

Jongin gave you a smile. One, which made your heart beat faster and your breathe hitched in your throat.

“Are you okay, Auntie?” Rahee asked as Jongin lead his nephew back to the dining area. He softly murmured with her sister, probably still about the seating.

You nodded at the young girl, and when she reached her arms out for you, you lifted her up. She was growing day by day, and you wondered when will the time come when you won’t be able to hold her like this anymore.

Two years ago you didn’t even dare to think that a conversation like this would emerge. Your biggest problem was whether Jongin’s family would like and accept you, especially his niece and nephew. He told you many times how close they were.

There wasn’t any children in your family, so you thought the kids would have a hard time getting used to you. They always say that a child can recognize a good person and goes to them on instinct. You never dared to think more into it than it was, but when the time came, Raeon and Rahee welcomed you happily, and as time went by, the little girl grew fond of you.

“Ah, our Rahee really looks up to you!” Jongin’s oldest sister stepped next to you, stroking her niece’s hair softly. “You love your Auntie Y/N that much, huh?”

“She’s the best!” Rahee exclaimed in a chirping voice, and you giggled at how cute she was. You couldn’t resist pinching her cheeks, and she wiggled in your arms, trying to get away from your fingers. “Ah, I take it back! You’re not the best, it’s Uncle Jongin.”

“Should I be concerned that she didn’t even think before she picked my brother instead? I’m not even an option.”

She whispered to you in an almost serious tone, but her eyes were on her niece, sparkling brown orbs with so much love in them that it alone could make the world a better place. And it was all for her niece.

When you didn’t reply, she looked at you, then her gaze wandered behind you, nodding in the direction of the dining room You whipped your head there too, eyes immediately meeting with Jongin’s. He smiled at you. Raeon was sitting in his lap for now, and when his uncle waved at you, he did the same, flashing a toothy grin to you.

“You know, mom has that saying: ‘The ladies love a guy who’s good with kids’, but I’m sure she never imagined that her own son would be that good with them. Jongin was always the youngest in our family. We showered him with love, so it’s a little strange to see him baby the kids with so much affection, but I’m sure he’s going to be the best father.”

You wondered where she was going with this conversation, but you felt like you already knew it. And you talked about it with Jongin too. From time to time the topic of marriage and children came up, and you both agreed that it was too early in your relationship for that step, but after two years, you felt like you were ready if he was too.

Ready to settle down and marry him. Ready to have kids and make a family together. You were ready, and he knew that too.

You just shrugged at his sister, giving her a few words of comfort, letting her know that you already talked about it and you loved Jongin greatly too, but it was all in the future. Things will happen in their natural order, you shouldn’t rush it.

After glancing at Rahee’s pouting face, you looked into Jongin’s direction again. A shadow of a smile lingered on his face, as he watched his nephew carefully. The little boy was sitting next to him by now. Jongin’s arm was on the back of the chair, making sure Raeon wasn’t accidentally falling off of it, while the boy explained something to him with wide gestures, hands waving around in the air, lost in his own story.

Jongin must have felt your eyes on himself. Tilting his head, he raised an eyebrow at you, the corner of his lips tugging a little higher, a smile blooming on them. And you thought, when this family dinner ends, you should sit down and talk to him about everything.

His sister nudged your side, and Rahee was mumbling about being hungry and what will the dinner be. You smiled and walked to the dining table with them, the little girl hugging you until you put her down on her seat. Once again, Jongin looked at you with so much warmth in his eyes that you blushed, and couldn’t wait to hear his response to everything you wanted to tell him.

#kai #kai fluff #kai fanfic #exo fluff #exo fanfic #exo

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redysetdare · 7 months ago

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Lineup of how I view the pony species in MLP.

In order we have: Unicorn, Breezie, Pegasus, Earth Pony, Bat Pony, and Kelpie.

Some more of my thoughts + single versions of the ponies below the cut.

Unicorns.

Unicorns I always imagined as being tall and lanky. When doing research I found out in a lot of depictions they had cloven hooves so I added those in. I also found out the closest horse breed to a unicorn was the Akhal-Teke breed, which has an incredibly silky coat, which I added to the unicorns as well. I gave them that classic long unicorn tail. I like the idea that you can tell a unicorns age by the size of their horn.

Design notes:

Tallest of the pony species

Thin limbs

silky fur texture

cloven hooves

Long thin tails with a tuft of hair at the end

Breezies.

For breezies I wanted to give them more dainty features to try and mimic fairies. I didn't like how they looked in gen 4 at all but gen 3 just game them smaller version of normal pony bodies. For my design I based them off of the falabella breed in terms of proportion - their proportions are also similar to foals in general. In terms of wings I wanted to give them more bug-lime wings so I modelled them after the shape of generic butterfly wings. I made them see through, sparkly, and made them the source of the their glow. In gen 3 breezies has heavy association with flowers so I thought I would make their fur look like flower petals. The flower petal fur also adds a bit to the fact that these breezies drop a sort of pollen fairy dust that helps pollinate plants.

Design notes:

Soft petal like fur

butterfly shaped wings

Wings and Antennae glow in the dark

short thin tail with big hair tuft at the tip

Sparkly pollen follows them when they fly

have a distinct floral smell

Pegasus.

I was super excited to draw pegasi because I had such a distinct idea of them in my head. The first fact was that I wanted them to be small. They have hollow bones like birds so that they can fly and their small size also helps with flight to limit weight. The short parts of their fur is actually more similar to bird down than fur with some full grown feathers in certain areas. Specifically around the legs and tail. I wanted feathers to grow around the pony tail to mimick bird tails.

Design Notes:

Soft feathery-like fur

Naturally smaller than other ponies

shorter legs

Hollow bones to help them fly

Feathers are longer around the tail to create the illusion of a birds tail.

Earth Pony.

Kinda straight forwards design wise. I did want to base earth ponies off more working horse breeds as I imagine them being stronger and more built for physical labor. Not much to say about these guys.

Design notes:

Thicker limbs

Coarse fur

naturally stronger than other ponies

Bat Pony.

Like pegasi I was also excited to design the bat ponies because I had the idea of bat ponies and pegasi being divergent evolutions! While pegasi evolved more bird like features, bat ponies evolved more bat like features! They have hollow bones and small statures for the same reason as pegasi. They evolved to be nocturnal so their fur is pretty thick to help keep them warm at night. They have bigger ears and poorer eyesight similar to bats. I gave them a shorter version of the unicorn tail to try and mimick bat tails. I decided to make their wings sparkle as a way to try and mimick the night sky.

Design notes:

bat wings. Insides of the wings look sparkly to mimic stars.

same size as Pegasi

short legs

Big ears

stilted pupils

Small thin tail with hair fluff at end.

Fur looks spiky but is soft.

naturally poor eyesight compared to other ponies

Kelpies.

While i know "Seapony" is a fun pun name from sea horse I can still say i was a little disappointed that they didn't make the sea ponies Kelpies. I made them have scales instead of fur as fur would slow you down in the water so it makes sense that they'd evolve to not have it. They have the ability to transform between a land and water form. I always liked the versions of kelpies that had actual kelp and seaweed for hair so I decided to do that myself. They have gills which close up when on land so they can use their nostrils and vice versa.

Design notes:

scales instead of fur.

kelp/seaweed as hair

bottom half transforms between legs or tail.

Fins on legs, back, and face

Gills

#redy set draw #my little pony #mlp #design sheet #design chart

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marshsnightmares · 1 year ago

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TW: child in distress, implied child death, fire, person on fire, car accident, car accident due to ice, car hitting someone

______________________________________________________________

Date of dream: 8/20/2023

It was about a group of people in a car. It was nighttime, and it seemed like it had been snowing because a thin coat of snow and slush was on the road. The car breaks didn't work, but they knew that. They believed that the roads weren't busy and so were not being as careful as they should, not being overly reckless, but still not being careful. They all seemed to be having a great time, telling jokes and laughing. Then a car appears from around a corner, they couldn't stop, so they swerved out of the way of the car, missing the car. A moment of silence was heard, but the laughter started up again, but more of a scared laughter as they were almost in a car accident, but trying to be positive in some way. Suddenly, it's just one person in the car, I think it was a different day, but the man seemed like the one who was in the back seat on the left. He was driving the same car, so the car seemed to belong to him. It was still pitch dark outside and had that slush and snow out, though it was snowing outside now. He drove to the top of a small hill in the road, and there was a bit of a drop with a puddle at the end of it. He was able to handle the car well enough not to crash the car, though he still struggled a bit. The breaks still don't work well, so he was going pretty fast. He was relieved that he didn't crash until he noticed he missed a turn, and before he could do anything of importance, he ran into a small toddler who was in the front yard. He tried to slam his breaks, but it didn't work. The small kid was wearing a light pink onesie and had short strawberry blonde hair. The girl crashed into the window, which was low to the ground. Her head hit the Chrismas tree. There's a moment of silence, shock, and realization of what had happened. Then there was smoke and fire. The tree started to catch fire, as well as the home. The man got out of the car, backing up a bit from the house out of fear. A guttural scream came out of the child, so somehow a bit quiet. The kid ran like a toddler would around the house, not towards the man, just seeming to be running through the front lawn, facing away from him, the man only seeing the right side of the kids face. Then everything pauses, like a recording, the filter of a vhs tape stopping. The top half of the kids' head is on fire, and only the very end of her nose and her mouth were visible. It stops there for a minute until un-pausing for a second, then stopping again. It showed the kids full face. Her eyes are completely gone. Her nose is gone, and her lips have burned off as she starts straight at the man. Then, the dream ends for a bit

This was all in first person

When I fell back asleep, all I really remember is that it was about the man feeling incredibly scared and awful for what had happened, that it was about a week or more since the incident, he wasn't caught by police but that someone knew and was tormenting him for what had happened. I do, however, remember a scene where he was in a room that looked like my mom and dad's closet in their room, though to him, it just seemed to be an area close to a laundry room.

#tw nightmares #scary #scary stories #dreams #horror #horror story

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the-rat-eatery · 2 years ago

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I met the universe- she is a woman.

She spoke to me in a dream and let me see fields of long grass and skies of pearl and pewter. She told me of the insignificance of it all, of the insignificance of herself and my own fleshy body. I wished, with all might, to kiss her.

I did not mean to murder the woman sleeping in the adjacent room. I did not mean to drag her out onto the bank of the river slicing Moscow open and set her adrift. Though something felt wrong. Something felt wrong- because with the marrow that fills my bones, I knew that the Moskva River was not edged with warm light. It did not go on forever. And, with all the wisdom I had built up in the twenty years of my life, I knew that people are supposed to thrash when you kill them- not lay still and pliant and willing while you push them to frigid water.

There is no logic to America. It must have been an incredible flaw with its design or the will of god himself. No human might have created something so wild. Wren wished to see it all.

She, currently, saw only a tiny and dismal part. A flickering lightbulb in a doctor's office, crinkly wax paper to sit on, and a dismaying houseplant on the window sill. Wren did not think this was sanitary or even a real office.

“I’m sorry Ms.Thomas, there is simply nothing we can do”, the man in front of her- balding and short, the light in his puny gray eyes long dead.

“So-”

“You’re dying Ms.Thomas,” and though Wren thought that bedside manner wasn’t the making of a great doctor, she did think it was an important part, this was exactly why.

“Alright!” She said with her usual, off-kilter tone, “I’ll be off then!” She left the office, her summer dress swirling around her bruised knees, the pleas and confusion of the man behind her. And, though she walked with a smile on her face all the way to the nearest Publix, the feeling of heavy weight still straddled her, a light pulling up beginning in her head.

No matter.

Anne sat on the shore of a river until the sun broke the horizon and a bike almost cut off her numb legs.

She would get used to this.

She stood, implementing the help of a willing, scuffed brass pole next to her, standing clinging to it for myriads, looking out at the sunrise.

She had to leave.

Germany, Turkey, America, maybe. She could fly through Istanbul, fake a passport and hop on the cheapest flight to the land of the free. They wouldn’t catch her there.

Her body felt cold and disconnected as her soul floated above it- kept there by spit and pins of desperation.

She stole a passport from a girl that had her same brown hair and blue, tired eye bags. The man at passport control only looked at it briefly, the blueness of its shell being certainty enough.

Wren knew that the Grand Canyon was out there somewhere. Behind hills and valleys and the curvature of the earth. But in the outdoor seating area of a Mcdonald's somewhere in the very armpit of Florida (the basement of the United States), she felt separated from it not by nature- but by a flood of sweat and piles of bullets.

A girl with brown hair and tired blue eye bags sat at the only other clean table. Wren studied her like a book the night before an exam. Gray eyes- but decidedly un puny and small. Long legs and long arms and a long, stretching torso.

Wren thought that if this were two thousand years ago, she might be an empress- she looked born to carry a crown of great weight.

“Hello!” Wren decided that to know the girl better- she must hear her voice, “I’m Wren, who are you?”

The girl looked at her as if through a layer of glass and mist.

“I’m a murderer”

“Oh, who did you kill?” The girl with thin hair and thin face sat next to her- the soft fabric of her deep green sundress plummeting in a sharp ‘V’ down her chest, letting be known that two, perfectly centered birthmarks lined up right in the center of it.

“My grandmother,” Anne answered, though that was the exact opposite of what she was supposed to be doing, “though she might have been dead already.”

“Should I say that I’m sorry? Did she deserve it?”, the girl asked.

“I don’t think anyone could deserve that,” the truth came pouring out of her anyway.

“Well, I think some people do!” Wren had a firm truth to her, as if everything she said were fact, “I’m dying, you see, and the doctor that told me- well I’m not saying that he deserves to die, but gee… his bedside manner could be vastly improved on!”

“Oh,” what are you supposed to say to that? “I’m sorry?”

“Oh, Jesus, it’s fine, we all die someday, I just get to know what happens, after, sooner.”

They sat in silence for long moments- wasting life just for the fun of it.

“I wanted to see all of America, you know,” said Wren, and Anne felt so insanely sorry for her- for the universe and the world to lose this stranger of sundresses and light, “I never quite made it to Alaska.”

A few more long moments pass, the palms rustling in the warm, sticky breeze.

“We could go- if you want,” oh truth, how it escapes her.

Wren didn’t want to question this girl. She didn’t want to ask- ‘don’t you have a job?’, or ‘don’t you have a family?’, or ‘don’t you have things, things to do? Anything other than helping a stranger across the continent?’, because she was so sure that the girl of brown hair and eye bags would say- ‘oh, yes, sorry, I have a girlfriend, and a mother, and a job at the nearby Starbucks, and I do in fact have things to do.’

So she didn’t.

She only stood up.

“Alright”

Wren paid for the car, because- “I would rather die in a car than spend another moment of my life in a plane”.

Anne didn’t argue, she didn’t think she could argue with anything, ever, anymore.

So that was that.

The drive was three days with no stops- so five days if they were being reasonable.

They took turns driving, though they both didn’t have licenses. Anne didn’t question how the car was bought, where the money for gas came from, and how they weren’t arrested each time they passed a toll booth, or when they crossed the borders between Canada and the US, or when they got pulled over for speeding. She just drove when Wren got tired.

They passed through endless fields and towns both bustling with life (Atlanta and Nashville and Regina and Edmonton) and ones dead and utterly similar to previous corpses (Forsyth and Damascus and Murfreesboro and Paducah and Effingham and-), Wren found beauty in it all. She saw bright colors in every pissed-on gas station and claimed every 24-hour diner had the best waffles, or pancakes, or eggs. She stuck her head out the janky skylight of the car and spread out her arms like wings, catching wind in hair and in feathers.

Anne looked at her, at the fields. She saw the old woman with her graying hair and unseeing eyes. On the shore of Lake Michigan, she saw the floating body and thin hair splayed out on the water. Dreams came to her in the passenger seat, covered with a gas station blanket and Wren’s puffer jacket- a wrinkled face sleeping in its herb-infested bed, snow whirling in the tiny window, the light- dark and morbid.

When she wakes up or looks away from the fields or the lake, she looks at Wren. At her thin face and thin hair, at her smile- always stretching, as if with no limit, and the world is better somehow. The morbid light splits on both sides of her, is cut through by the tears of laughter and her own hesitant smile.

Let this last forever.

Wren thinks, thinks, and prays to whatever god is listening. She stands next to an unseeing Anne on the grassy shore of Lake Michigan, wishes to kneel and pray to it too.

Let this last forever.

Anne’s smile is small or nonexistent at first, but it stretches with the fields and the parachute sky. It’s mean, smirking, lopsided. It’s sunlight and everything that Wren had prayed for on her knees in a stuffy church in childhood. It’s love.

Oh, father, son, and holy spirit- let this last forever.

They do reach Alaska, eventually. It took a week, instead of the three days that Google Maps promised and the five that Wren thought it would be.

They took too long in a bed and breakfast somewhere in Minnesota, the sunlight was too perfect, and the grass too soft to leave so soon.

They spent too long in a flower field in Alberta, Anne broke down crying and pulled over, only to scramble out of the old, stuffy car and scream her lungs out somewhere in the most rural of rural North America. Wren had no idea what to do with it, so she scrambled out of the car too- to scream and to watch Anne scream. They lost their voices to the dimming light. Sat there for far too long, tangled their limbs in the dry air, looking out to the endless sky and the fireflies, blinking in and out of existence with the bugs.

They took too long at a gas station in Glennallen, drunk on greasy food and each other.

Let this last- oh, let this last.

The universe is centered around the Kenai Fjords.

Birthplace of gods and monsters.

Source of all beautiful things.

Beginning of time and meeting place of Gaia and Uranus.

Where chaos and wild spawned.

Anne looks beautiful there.

Her brown hair is richer, somehow, her eyebags are dead and gone.

She smiles and Wren is alive.

She smiles and all the niches and crannies that death had crept up and filled with its heavy weight are now filled with light.

Love, love, love.

Oh, how she loves this stranger.

Anne takes her hand and they go kayaking. She tells her that she sees her grandmother in the water- her eyes haunted and distant. Wren tips her kayak over and tells her to deal with it. Anne comes up laughing and soaked.

Wren stands on the peak of a green-covered glacier and tells Anne she is tired, and that she has made her happy.

“You make me happy too,” and Anne smiles, her hair all billowy and brown in the wind.

They kiss on that glacier- the universe cradles two girls in her hands and tells them that they are safe for now.

Wren doesn’t think that Anne noticed the very specific use of past tense.

Love, love, love.

Wren dies in a cradle of sunlight.

Anne thinks she might just pass over with her.

She sits next to her until the sun goes round twice over, until she is out of tears and snot, until she feels the rumble of hunger become inevitable.

She might just pass over with her.

The glaciers are tempting.

Leave this earth, they whisper, follow the bird.

But- she thinks of the smile that coaxed her to life. Of the sinuous sunlight in Minnesota, the field in Alberta.

Don’t waste this.

Get over it.

So she stands, lifts the bird-body with its hollow bones, and sets it adrift.

And the world was light.

#creative writing #writing #short story #writiers on tumblr

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feral-and-or-horny · 2 years ago

Note

I need more of your breeding trials content xD

It just makes me so wet reading it. Thanks for sharing it ^^

Hope this wasn't too out of the blue or rude !

Oh I'm happy to!!! Tbh I've been looking for an excuse to continue them.

Not every trial takes place in that tank. At one point, Im escorted down a hall and given a bath. Im still too exhausted to wash myself, so attendants gently wipe away various creatures cum and help me relax and eat. Im not given anything to cover myself, because what would be the point? And instead I'm left completely naked and led into what appears to be a large lush terrarium with some sort of thick trunked tree in the middle. I think perhaps this is to help me rest, surrounded my such beautiful plants and so comfortably warm under the heat lamps. Something to help ground me after the toll taken on my body perhaps. I'm given no instruction, except to explore this new area and promised that nothing inside is dangerous to touch. So I walk, tracing my fingers over the thick rubbery leaves, studying the massive flower buds that are bigger than me and must make for the most incredible flowers. The ground is soft, sinking under my steps and cradling my legs anytime I kneel to look at something closer. It feels like the whole place is begging me to lie down and rest.

I search the entire tank, which isn't small but ot still only takes a few minutes to see everything, and feel somewhat disappointed that none of those large buds have bloomed for me to see. I study one of them a little closer, touching the sturdy petals and trying to sniff for any sort of fragrance. There is one, something heavy and sweet, with a touch of something like sweat, and when i lean close to the buds, I see the scientists outside the glass begin writing in their notes.

Something creaks behind me, and I turn to see a new bud emerging from one of the thick vines that hangs off the tree. I walk to it as it opens, and I'm greeted with that overwhelmingly sweet smell, and I have to lean closer to inspect this strange new plant. I dont even notice the other vines descending around me, the ones leaking anhoney colored sap and pulsing softly. The flower shudders, and I recoil as pollen floods my senses. My clit begins throbbing immediately and I feel overwhelmingly dizzy, I find myself tanging in the vines, which are already smearing hot sap across my body as they writhe and try to find where they can force their way into my body. I manage to start to get away, or at least I think I do, before one of the vines suddenly forces itself into my pussy. I keep trying to drag myself away, but the bulb on its tip pushes into my womb, and I feel it open inside of me, rendering me unable to pull away as hot sap gushes into my womb.

The pollen is taking a real toll now, making me lose any interest in fighting. The more sap I feel pumping into me, the less I care about getting away. The vines caress my body, and i let out a moan as one pushes deep into my ass and pours out more sap. I let them drag me back, my cheek sliding on the soft ground, lifting my back half and pulling me into something I can't see. One more vine presses past my lips, squirming its way into my throat, pulsing gently and making me swallow that sweet intoxicating sap that makes my whole body burn and ache to cum.

I realize I'm being pulled into that massive flower I watched bloom, and that thin vines wriggle all along its petals, carressing and fucking me any way they can. I watch the scientists as the flower closes around me, plunging me now into a fragrant darkness, and the thin vines grope me, binding my wrists above my head, curling around my throat, pulling my hair, rubbing my clit, squirming inside me alongside the thicker sap filled vines. I cum easily enough, moaning weakly and nearly choking on sap. I think that will be it, but instead, more vines push their way into my pussy, one of them latches around my clit and begins pinching and massaging it. The more i struggle, the harder they fuck me, milking orgasm after orgasm, apparently emboldened everytime they make me cum. The sap changes, turning almost salty, tasting more and more like human cum, and its effect grows stronger until I cum from its influence alone. When I no longer need the vines to make me cum, the ones iny pussy withdraw, replaced by a star shaped smaller flower like appendage. It latches itself between my legs, sucking out my cum, a thin tendril burrying deep in my pussy to coax my cum onto what I can only describe as a mouth. The vines in my ass and mout continue filling me, pumping me with that cum like sap that makes it impossible for me to stop orgasming, even as my consciousness fades.

Hours later, I wake up to the vines finally slipping out of me. My belly bulges with sap, and a few vines curl around my midsection and squeeze me to send it pouring out of my holes. The flower opens, and i tumble forward into a thick puddle of the sap, along with a few other test subject who look just as exhausted as I am. I still cant move, and the residual sap still makes my pussy clench as I cum a few more times before I finally go limp on the ground, and a couple scientists carry me put of the tank to study my body im the aftermath of the plant's merciless use of my holes

#i might make this a series #i have many ideas #and a mild exploration of my smidgen of a medical kink #my answer #breeding trials

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likeastarstar · 3 years ago

Text

Boredom, Disinterest, & Intimidation.

Summary: Jungkook's in that suit and he's bored and you're not impressed by much...except for him. and then you fuck him in a public restroom.

(A/N: WARNING! SMUT AHEAD! for the anon requesting striped suit jk...I got severely carried away this is so much longer than I intended...feedback is appreciated.)

masterlist.

You weren't impressed by much.

Men were too boring to be impressive most of the time. They watered their personalities down, made themselves too accessible to be deemed worth it for your effort. Basically, you thought you were better than most of them. Your friends said you should lower your standards or risk being forever alone, but you didn't really understand why that was such a bad thing. At least you liked your own company, preferring to fly solo most of the time.

That's what you were doing at the event you were at, a networking thing that your company sent you to in order to make connections in different industries your CEO was interested in. You were the go-to for this sort of thing, where you had to be coy and work a room with no commitment.

You stared at the glass in your hand, wondering how many flutes of champagne the woman standing next you had consumed. She swayed off beat to the instrumental music playing and you couldn't help but guess that it wasn't a lack of rhythm that was causing it. Someone called your name and you lifted your gaze, falling on a bulky looking man with a kind smile. You recognized him as the PR connection your company had, one who was in charge of not only your own company but several larger clients in the entertainment industry. You smiled at him easily, floating over to where he was.

"Let me introduce you to my friends, they're in the music industry." He said pleasantly, gesturing to the group of men standing beside him.

You scanned the group neutrally, recognizing them instantly. Of course you knew who they were. You wondered why you were being introduced to them but soon connected the dots when you heard they were looking to explore the possibility of expanding their tour set-ups, primarily in the technology area, an aspect your company could help with. The tallest man did most of the speaking, his warm smile and easy going humor making it easy to see why countless people were in love with him. Your eyes stuck on another member of the group however, one standing towards the back with an uninterested look on his face.

While the rest of the men looked towards you eagerly when you spoke about previous experiences with audio and performance oriented tech expansions, he stared off to the side with his hands in his pockets. You studied his figure- black and grey striped suit tailored to a tee, skimming the length of his lean body. Straight shoulders, thin waist, legs for days- his proportions were scientifically perfect. His hair was gelled and neatly parted, jet black matching the inky color of his eyes. Everything about him was unapproachable, from the bored purse of his lips to the eyebrow piercing that reflected the light in a sort of warning. Another one of the group began saying something, sparking his attention.

His eyes flickered to you, flying over you at first and then doubling back to study you more closely. He frowned slightly, blinking a couple times before realizing you were staring back at him, refusing to look away.

"Seems like they're about to start the dinner, where are you seated?" Someone asked you, causing you to tear your eyes from his.

You just happened to be seated across from the man in the striped suit, who's name you had heard a couple times but had forgotten since you didn't personally pay attention to things like that. You ignored him and the way he slouched over in his chair, pushing his hips forwards with his neck stretched to the side so his head could rest back on the chair, watching the rest of the room out of the corner of his eye as if he couldn't be bothered to interact with it himself. He was distractingly handsome, chiseled jaw cutting a sharp line through space.

You started a conversation with a woman to your left who ran a charity organization or something, the details weren't really sticking in your mind since a certain someone had decided instead of zoning out, he'd zero in on you with total focus. You turned your head slowly towards him when you couldn't take the tension you felt from seeing his gaze locked on you out of the corner of your eye anymore, the knot of anticipation only tightening when you noted his smirk.

"Do you normally stare at people?" You asked in a flat tone.

"No," He said simply. "I actually make it a point not to make eye contact with people at these sorts of things. I'm making an exception."

He leaned forward in his chair, face tilted slightly so he was looking up at you through his eyelashes. You resisted the urge to squirm in your chair- this wasn't you. You didn't get intimidated easily, you were the one doing the intimidation usually. He rolled his broad shoulders back, sitting up straight as if to let you get a better look at him.

"Don't bother," You quipped.

"Aren't you bored?" He asked, a slightly surprised expression breaking the air of neutrality around him. "Don't you want to do something fun?"

"I'm working, I don't worry about having fun while I'm on the clock." You said, rolling your eyes before refocusing on the conversation you were having before as the appetizers were served. He was right though, things like this were incredibly boring. Rarely did you ever have fun at company events. You thanked the waiter, words hitching slightly when you felt a stiff shoe glide by your heeled foot, an ankle hooking around yours brashly. You blinked and looked back towards the man in the striped suit, a neutral expression on his face other than slight lift of his eyebrow, the silver hardware of his piercing sparkling. You pulled your bottom lip between your teeth to resist saying anything, trying to stop the heat pooling towards your lap.

You looked away quickly and he laughed, it's charming silvery tone ringing in your ears in a way that only distracted you further. You pushed your foot against his unconsciously, rolling your ankle around his as you carried on listening to the conversation around. It wasn't until he pulled away from you, touch ripped away that you realized you had been so forward with your actions. You watched him rise out of his chair, body limber and lean, looking down at you with a menacing intensity. He quirked his eyebrow again and you watched him stalk off towards were you knew the bathroom of the restaurant to be.

Even his walk was distracting, the way his shoulders rolled, hands swinging slightly, practically gliding across the room.

"What were you saying?" The woman next to you asked, tapping on your shoulder.

"I," You started, still staring off in the direction he disappeared to. "I was saying that...You know, I actually will be right back, I have to make a phone call."

You got up quickly before you really knew what you were doing, pushing through the waiters still trying to serve the large room full of VIPs. You passed the hallway to the bathroom when a hand snaked out and yanked you to the side, a now familiar pair of eyes staring down at you.

"I thought you didn't want to have fun?" He asked, a small smile on his face.

"I'm making an exception," You mocked, repeating his words from earlier before kissing him brashly.

His lips were soft on yours, tongue fighting against yours for control of the kiss almost instantly. His hands smoothed down your body and pushed you into the bathroom, ass pressing against the countertop. You matched his ferocity, biting down on his lip and wrapping your arms around his neck to pull him down closer to you. He lifted you onto the countertop, hands still kneading any part of you he could get his hands on. His hand settled on the jut of your hip, breath panting out as he moved down to your neck, kissing and sucking the skin there.

"Don't fucking leave a mark," You snapped, words venomous despite your hands pulling him between your knees. You hooked your legs around his figure, sighing as he pushed a sleeve of your dress off your shoulder and bit down on the space of your skin that was previously covered, laving over the spot with tongue.

"I'll be careful," he promised, "No one will see. My name's Jungkook, by the way."

You felt a lick of heat in the pit of your stomach, something animalistic that told you to keep going, ask for more, demand it from him. You didn't bother telling him your name and he didn't ask for it, pushing a hand up your dress instead. His hand rubbed circles on your skin and you realized he had rings on, cool metal pressing into the flesh of your thigh. Your brain felt like it was fizzing out, dial tones going off instead of coherent thoughts. God, why did his hands feel so good on your body? Why was he such a good kisser? What cologne was he wearing?

"Tell me to stop," He dared, pulling his lips off of you. He rested his forehead on the top of your shoulder, hand freezing in place. You said nothing, watching instead as he tilted his head back up to you with a surprised expression.

"Don't," You mumbled, voice so quiet you'd think he didn't hear you if he didn't smile at you. It wasn't a smirk this time, not a sly little expression, no cockiness in sight. He looked...sweet. Pretty. His eyes were sparkly and his cheeks fluffed up when he smiled like this, nose crinkling slightly. You felt your heart pang and wondered what the fuck was happening to you- who the hell was this guy?

"You wanna get fucked by a stranger in a random bathroom?" He grinned, going back to the cocky motherfucker you had known all night. He stood to his full height, hand still kneading into your skin as he gazed down at you, eyes catching on your parted lips. He tilted his head and leaned in, stopping just shy of contact. You skated a hand down his body, pressing fingertips against the firm abs you could outline under the silky material of his shirt, smiling slightly when you heard his breathing stop as you dragged your palm over the crotch of his pants, outlining his hard cock with your fingernail and wrapping your hand over it. You squeezed lightly, feeling Jungkook's fingers push up your leg and pull your panties to the side, "You're interesting." He mumbled, frowning slightly.

"No, I'm not," You said flatly, just before he dragged a finger through your folds. You breathed in sharply, feeling him brush past your clit and press down lightly, hips bucking up slightly. He thrust two fingers in you suddenly and you moaned. Jungkook kissed you, muffling your noises of need with his mouth on yours. Your back arched up to him, mind completely blank as he started pumping his fingers in and out of you. "Slow-"

"No, fast." He grunted, "Gotta open your tight little pussy up if you want my cock. You do want my cock, right baby?"

You kissed him desperately, feeling his fingers split and scissor inside of your pussy, his thumb rubbing into your clit in rough motions. Nothing about what he was doing to you was gentle or soft, pushing you, stretching your limits, teasing you where he could.

"Yeah," You nodded, "Yeah, I want you to fuck me."

Your breathing became labored and you felt your chest heave as he curled his fingers, looking for a certain spot until a jab of his fingers had you spasming. He kissed you still, smirking against your lips as he angled his fingers to hit the same spot over and over until he had you cumming around his hands, wrapped around his finger like a cute little bow, willing and able to do anything he wanted you to. He was staring at you again, inky eyes locked on your face, scanning your expression as you came like he was trying to memorize it. He pulled his hand away too quickly, taking your panties with him.

Jungkook tucked your now ruined lace panties in his suit pocket and gazed at you, grinning as he unzipped his pants, "Okay, I'm gonna fuck you now."

"Okay," You said weakly, feeling your pussy spasm around nothing.

He shuffled closer to you, standing in between your legs as he pumped his cock. You peered down, wanting to see what his cock looked like before it entered you. Shit- he was huge. Maybe he should've used another finger. You watched him reach in his wallet and pull out a condom, tearing it open quickly before rolling it over his cock. You bit down on your lip nervously, realizing how much this was about to sting.

"What? Nervous? Wanna stop?" Jungkook asked, tilting your head back up to look at him with a finger underneath your chin.

You locked eyes with him, eyes warm and inviting. His lips were flushed pink and had some of your lipgloss smudged on them, cheeks flushed and a glow on his skin. He was really pretty like this. He was just pretty in general. No, you definitely didn't want to stop.

"No," You said simply, "I want you."

He smiled and nodded shortly, lining himself up with your entrance and pushing in with one smooth motion, "What pretty girl wants, pretty girl gets."

You laughed shakily, leaning into the slight burn of his cock splitting you open, "Whatever I want?"

"Whatever you want," He nodded, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment before starting to move his hips, cock pulling and pushing against your pussy walls. "Shit- you feel really fucking good around me."

You moaned at his words, feeling his hips snap back, pulling his cock almost completely out of you before slamming back in. You were glad you were sitting on the countertop, you weren't sure your legs were working at the moment, curled tightly around Jungkook's body. His hands gripped your thighs, pulling your dress up and out of the way so he could watch your pussy take him, liking the wet noises that came along with how turned on you were.

"So wet, you have a crush on me or something?" He joked, laughing in a dry sort of way. You rolled your eyes and gripped a hand over his bicep, digging your nails into the muscle there underneath his suit jacket.

His thrusts quickened and he released one of your hips to slip his fingers around where your pussy was stretched around his cock, rubbing the folds there, adding stimulation that ripped the air from your body, making your head spin, body beginning to float away to nothingness.

"You're so fucking sexy," You moaned, gazing at him and the look of total concentration on his face as he fucked you into the bathroom countertop. His brow furrowed, sweat dripping down his face, pink tongue sticking out between his lips slightly. There was no way there was another guy on the planet like him- no one was this attractive.

You saw him blush and look up towards you nervously, suddenly shy to make eye contact, "Yeah? Y-you are too."

It was your time to smirk, rolling your body onto his. You felt his fingers latch onto your clit, rubbing incessantly. You clenched your pussy around him and he groaned, keening over and smashing his face into the crook of your neck, breath stuttering. He changed his pace suddenly, rolling his hips onto yours with an even faster speed you didn't know was possible. He was precise, pushing on the sensitive spot in your pussy with his fingers on your clit matching, pulsing, squeezing, tugging sharply.

"Your pussy felt so good cumming around my fingers," He mumbled against your skin, "Wanna feel it around my cock too, can you do that for me?"

"Okay, only because you asked so nicely." You smiled, feeling his hand squeeze your side in response. He bit down on the same spot of your shoulder he did earlier and that was it- you were unraveling around him in an uncontrollable way. You whined out his name over and over, triggering his own release as his hips finally faltered, shoving against yours for the last time. He stilled in you, moaning against your skin in that silvery tone that rang out like a bell in your ears. You felt him empty into the condom that separated yourself from him, feeling oddly angry that he had worn one to begin with.

You had just gotten fucked hard and were already wondering what it would feel like to have him do it again without a condom, what it would feel like to be stuffed with his cum. You squeezed around him unintentionally, getting turned on again at the thought. He winced, feeling oversensitive and pulled out of you slowly. His hands were shaking slightly, pulling off the condom and tying it closed before throwing it away in the trashcan.

You pulled your dress down as you caught your breath, floating back down to earth. Your eyes fell on the clock- you had been gone for 20 minutes.

"I should've been back at the table already," You noted, staring at the clock.

Jungkook tucked himself back into his pants and fixed his appearance, frowning at the mirror, "I should've kept fucking you for longer."

You laughed and ran a hand through your hair, "Maybe I should just go home- it'll be suspicious if we both go back at this point and I've made enough conversation for the night."

Jungkook stood in front of you, looking too happy but otherwise rid of all evidence of being freshly fucked, "Give me your number at least, I want to see you again."

You pursed your lips and debated it for a moment, staring at the hopeful look on his face. Normally, you'd say no. But something about him...

"Fine," You said nonchalantly. "But don't expect anymore exceptions from me. I'm hard work."

"I'm okay with that," He grinned, pulling his phone out quickly.

You really hoped that he was because he officially impressed you.

#jungkook fic #jungkook x you #jungkook oneshot #jungkook x reader #jungkook smut #jeon jungkook fanfic #jeon jungkook smut #bts smut #bts one shot #bts fanfction

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concussed-to-pieces · 2 years ago

Text

Verbena: Vibrant Once More!

Fandom: Boku No Hero Academia/My Hero Academia

Pairing: College!Mirio/AFAB Reader

Rating: Holy shit M.

A/N: Written for @hijackser's Hanakotoba (Flower Language) collaboration event! This is a College AU and contains spoilers for most of season four, so read at your own risk! The flower I picked was Verbena, which represents safety, healing, creativity, and joy. While the flower is not explicitly mentioned, these themes will run through the entirety of this story. Enjoy!

Tag List: @hijackser, @nonstop-haikyuu, @zombiexbody, @buttons-beads-lace, @honey-shippies

[!TRIGGER WARNING!: This installment contains emotional distress, mentions of past abuse and past character death. Stay safe!]

"More flowers for you, Mister Mirio!" You chirped as you lugged yet another overstuffed vase of blooms and greenery into the room. Honestly, this was the third one today! You were starting to realize, much to your chagrin, that the no-doubt valedictorian posted up in the hospital bed in front of you was very, very popular.

The aforementioned Mirio laughed sheepishly, trying to clear space on the already-crowded windowsill for the latest arrival. "Guess this encourages me to get better even quicker, right? If I don't, soon this whole room will look like a jungle."

"You take all the time you need," was your firm reply as you shimmied the vase in between its fellows. You turned to leave but a hand lightly grazed your own, and when you glanced back Mirio was looking at you oddly. "What?" You asked, a little perplexed.

"Thanks for that." His voice was quieter, very unlike the happy-go-lucky mood he usually affected. "It's…it's been hard, you know? Losing Sir," and my Quirk, you could almost hear in his brief pause, "...it's just been difficult to smile. Not hopeless or anything, but…tough." As if to contrast, he offered you a weak grin. "Still gonna', though. Promise!"

You gingerly patted his hand. "Even if you can't for a little while, that's okay. People are so eager to give heroes burdens to bear, but I promise you won't always have to shoulder it alone." You had seen far too many chewed-up collegiates from the local campus come through the triage area for you to truly believe your own words, but Mirio was clearly searching for some reassurance. "Let the normies hang onto their problems for a few days. Take your time to recuperate."

"I-" Mirio hesitated, his fingers worrying at the worn edge of the thin hospital blanket. "Thanks. Again, I mean."

A soft chime from your work phone alerted you to the fact that someone was at the reception area and you quickly rushed to check them in, waving goodbye to Mirio as you departed.

Unbeknownst to you, the young man stared at the door for a long time after you had left.

…

While a medical professional in your own right, you had accepted an entry level position at the prestigious UA campus' medical center instead of heading directly to the grind of regular medicine. Entry level though it was, it offered you invaluable insight into the current generation of heroes being forged, and you felt more sympathetic towards the young men and women you would see a little too regularly. Panic attacks and academic burnout were incredibly common. There were also fights that occurred between members, dormitory living difficult for some of the students to adjust to.

Though there were no real fraternities or sororities to speak of, the student body was still not a unified group. Rather, it had splintered into bands of different classes and Quirks, the tight cliques ever-evolving as the semester progressed.

One such group had come to the center early one morning during your first few weeks of work. It consisted of three twenty-somethings; a blue-haired young woman, a dark-haired young man and their towering blond compatriot. The taller of the two men seemed to be gently manhandling the other while the woman spoke to him, but they all quickly fell silent when you approached the counter to check them in.

"Tamaki hasn't slept well for a while." The blond man announced, writing as much down on the intake sheet. You thought you vaguely heard a noise of protest from the shorter, dark-haired man, but he was making a valiant effort to stare a hole in the floor. The blond carried on, "I think it's because living in the dorms is still kinda' new and it can be pretty unsettling. Especially if you start thinking late at night about why we're all in the dorms and stuff."

Like magic, you watched the shorter man's shoulders relax back down into a slouch. The blue-haired woman bumped her forehead into his, as if to offer silent comfort.

The taller man eventually handed the filled sheet back and looked at you expectantly. "I just need to scan your school IDs so I can get your friend seen. And I need the name of the professor that cleared you guys to accompany him." You informed him gently.

"Oh sorry! I'm Mirio Togata. That's Nejire Hado, and our friend is Tamaki Amajiki." The blond rushed to say, collecting his companions' IDs and slapping his own on top of the pile. "We were cleared by Professor Aizawa."

"Alright, have a seat and someone will be with you shortly. Would you prefer to meet with the campus psychiatrist? I can check to see whether she's available." As you carried on speaking you could see Tamaki stiffen back up, though he did nod in reply to your question and mumbled something that sounded affirmative.

His large friend clapped a hand on his shoulder, seeming to half-buckle him underneath the weight. "Don't worry Tamaki, Nejire and I are gonna' stay put! Heck, we can even come in with you if you-"

"That…shouldn't, uh, be necessary." Tamaki hastily cut Mirio off, his voice stronger now. "It's…it's like I told you guys. I'm just tired."

…

"Another care package for you, Eri!" You announced, knocking on the doorframe. From what little information you had been privy to, you knew that the child had experienced a fair amount of trauma at the hands of adults, so you did your best to not sneak up on her when you stopped by. "You have so many friends already!"

The pale girl looked up at you from her spot on the floor, a few interlocking plastic blocks falling still in her hands as her expression shifted to one of cautious curiosity. "Is it from Midoriya?"

"Yeah, how did you guess?" You were thrilled when the child bounced to her feet, one little hand wrapped around the IV pole to wheel it along with her. While she had yet to smile, she was showing more interest and enthusiasm every day. Not to mention her body was on the mend, as it was becoming harder and harder to get her to rest.

You knew you weren't the only one excited with her progress. Midoriya and Mirio were in her room nearly every day, checking up on her. Ever since Eri had vocalized her desire to see the two, she had been allowed supervised visits with them.

It was difficult at first; she had been healing and was easily exhausted so it was all she could do just to keep her eyes open. But Mirio and Midoriya were nothing if not patient, occasionally stopping by to just sit quietly while she slept.

"We're heroes, and she's a person in trouble," was Midoriya's reasoning for his visits. You had never quizzed Mirio, just assuming that he felt the same about the young girl.

The way he looked at her sometimes was enough to break your heart though, all professionalism aside.

You knew that Eri had something to do with why Mirio no longer had his Quirk, but you were uncertain as to the details and the last thing you wanted was to broach such a delicate and upsetting subject with either of them. Better to wait and see. Your curiosity didn't entirely rule you, after all!

"A new coloring book!" Eri's soft exclamation at her present from Midoriya made you smile, the child rapidly leafing through the pages emblazoned with pictures of All Might. "All Might is Deku's favorite." She informed you seriously, little fingers tapping on one such image.

"Oh?" You thought back to the backpack Midoriya sported, covered with pins and patches of All Might. "I hadn't noticed."

…

"Eri should be able to experience the campus festival!"

Mirio felt like he and Midoriya had made a great case, truth be told. If the public at large wasn't allowed to go to the festival, and the security was already ramped up to an insane level…

Aizawa sighed, rubbing his temples. "That's risky, Mirio. We don't know if she's okay to engage with the gen pop yet."

"Aw c'mon teach!" The tall man wheedled, jamming his hands into his varsity jacket. "She's been doing really well!"

"Please sir, at least speak to the dean about it!" Izuku begged earnestly.

"I fail to see why I should whack that particular hornet's nest," was Professor Aizawa's dry retort. "Besides, we would need someone from the medical facility to assist in case of an emergency. All the pros will be otherwise engaged, you both know that."

Midoriya frowned, clearly thinking hard. Mirio however, smiled even wider. "Don't worry, Professor. I know just the person for the job!"

…

"Togata has recommended you as Eri's medical chaperone." Professor Aizawa's infamous stare had you all but pinned to your seat. Even though you understood he was just kind of like that, it was difficult to maintain your composure.

The news that Mirio had thrown your proverbial hat into the ring was a bit of a surprise as well. You weren't sure whether to be grateful or start panicking. Nonetheless, you kept your expression neutral and folded your hands in your lap. "If that's what you all think is best," was your calm reply.

Aizawa nodded, startling you. "We do, actually. The dean decided that we should have a pro manning the triage area, at least for the day of the festival. That way if there's an MCI, we'll have someone familiarized with our procedures." His expression softened to something that vaguely resembled apologetic. "You weren't supposed to need to know this stuff, so don't take it personal. It's above and beyond the surge planning you're familiar with. We're working on a new program for the center. Pamphlets and slides, that sort of thing, to bring people up to speed, but we haven't gotten the chance to implement it."

"Everything seems to be moving so fast." You remarked, glad when the pro hero nodded in agreement. At least you weren't alone in that sentiment!

"You have a rapport with Eri; she clearly trusts you. According to your resumé, you've kept up with your con-ed." The professor leaned back in his seat, looking more worn than you expected. "The question is whether you'd be okay with being in the thick of the action, should something go wrong." His already-flinty gaze hardened even further. "Mirio will be with her as well. While his Quirk is, in theory, temporarily inactive, he is still a capable hero in training. The choice is yours."

Temporarily? You wondered what that could mean. To be fair, you had heard about Quirks being briefly rendered useless, usually with experimental street drugs. But those cases had been something measured in minutes and hours, not days and weeks! "Again, if you think it's best, I won't object." You then dared to venture, "I'm glad that the college decided to clear her for this, in spite of the risk. She's a sweet little girl and I just…I feel like she's seen too much."

Aizawa cleared his throat after a moment, straightening some papers on his desk. "In order to avoid additional stress, we're letting Eri explore the campus before the festival. Dean Nezu wants you there with her during both outings, to ensure that she feels comfortable and safe." He leveled you with that fierce look, making you cringe in your chair. "If anything goes wrong, anything, you and Mirio are to return immediately with Eri. Do I make myself clear?"

…

"Good morning!" Mirio's smile never wavered even while his brain was catching up with how casually you were dressed. He had never seen you out of your uniform before, but looking at your outfit now made him wish he had. He could hardly take his eyes off of you!

You looked…comfortable. Prepared for the day, although you were currently rummaging in your bag to make sure you had the fob to your room. The staff housing was situated diagonally across campus from the student and faculty dorms, so Mirio had taken a few roundabout paths to reach your residence.

Eri had clung to his hand the whole time, wide eyes taking in her surroundings. She hadn't asked many questions, which was odd for her, but Mirio chalked it up to nerves. This was a lot to handle, after all!

"Does she have any sunscreen on? We're going to be out on the grounds for the most part, I think."

Mirio was jerked out of his reverie by your question, shaking his head with a self-conscious chuckle. "Nope! Uh, sorry about that."

"It's okay! I have some in my bag. Eri, can I put some sunscreen on your face? We'll be outside for a while." You waited for her nod to go ahead with the application. Mirio had noticed that you were always sure to ask permission from the child before you did anything. He figured you were doing your part to try and give her some level of control back.

Eri patiently put up with your ministrations and Mirio found himself allowing you to talk him into coating his face and neck with sunblock as well. It was only after he was halfway done that he realized it was a glittery children's brand of sunscreen, and he was now covered in sparkles.

"Finally! Something that matches my personality!" He joked, warmth spreading across his face when you grinned at him. "Alright Eri, let's show you around! You're gonna' love it here, everyone is super nice!"

Eri, while still holding his hand, shyly slid her free hand into your own. You looked startled at first but quickly covered it up with another smile, swinging her arm gently as the three of you walked towards the main building.

Maybe I should have asked Nejire and Tamaki to come along, Mirio thought, shoving his other hand into his pocket to keep from fidgeting. They're a lot better at this kind of stuff. I don't even know what to say! I'm so distracted–

"Mirio? Did you hear Eri?" You asked, sounding a little confused.

Mirio stifled a frantic yelp, quickly jerking his head down to where Eri was gazing up at him. "Sorry, I was thinking hard! Can you repeat what you said?"

"Candy apple." Eri's eyes were wide. "You said there would be candy apples."

"Oh yeah! That will be on the day of the actual festival though. Today's just the warm-up period," Mirio explained. "Everyone is still working hard to get things set up so that it looks nice for you. After all, you're a very important guest!"

"Are you sure?" Her fingers squeezed his hand in what he had come to recognize as an anxious tic. Anxiety already?! I must not be doing a good enough job at explaining things, maybe this was a–

"Of course!" You replied brightly. "Aren't you excited? I know I can't wait!" Eri nodded, apparently satisfied as she turned her gaze back to the hive of activity the three of you were approaching.

"Thanks for the save." Mirio whispered to you out of the side of his mouth.

"No worries. It's what heroes do, right?" You answered softly, winking at him.

The hallways were already festooned with pennants and banners, uniformed students roaming around carrying tape or even more construction paper. A few students stopped to chat, his peers expressing their happiness at seeing him up and about after his 'break'.

"Hey, it's Togata!" The faces were familiar, but Mirio couldn't put a name to the two young men who called out to him. They were from the business major if he had to guess, though that was mainly due to the colorful lecture flyer that one of them was pressing into his hand.

The other, a brown-haired young man with a large horn on his forehead, gawked at Eri, who gripped Mirio's school blazer and half-hid behind his arm. "Whoa, who's that? Don't tell me your temporary leave from school is because you have a kid now!" He exclaimed, seeming bewildered.

Mirio's mind went entirely blank at those words, leaving him standing there with a frozen smile on his face. A kid? Like, one of my own? Huh. I guess it might look that way. And with the added entourage…

His brain caught up just then, slamming the brakes on that particular train of thought and leaving Mirio scrambling to come up with a response.

"Dude you gotta' say something, now I feel like it's for real!" The student protested.

You somehow managed to straighten out the situation while Mirio was still trying to recover from the mental whiplash, explaining that the upperclassman was your chaperone for the day. You quickly steered the conversation off of Eri and onto the topic of the flyers the two young men had handed you. Apparently the business majors were having a lecture (complete with PowerPoint presentations!) to show the fiscal impacts that the college had to deal with due to the dormitory construction and housing changes.

"Sure, Quirks can be helpful, but no labor is free these days!" The brown-haired young man reasoned, continuing, "with a lot of heroes unionizing, we have to make sure that dues are paid and, more importantly, that the hero agencies are offering proper benefits. Like all-inclusive dental, or something customizable in the event of a hero having specific requirements to function at full strength."

Proper benefits. Dental. Customization options. Mirio grimaced without meaning to, realizing that he was vastly in over his head.

You, on the other hand, seemed entirely at ease, expositing about the insurance options that you had seen in your day to day work. Co-pays were apparently on the rise, nearly in sync with the recent increase of villain encounters. There was a clear connection between the two, and you were willing to allege that private companies no doubt had a hand in the current state of the world.

You were obviously passionate about what you did, Togata had to give you that much. Even if he was a little ignorant on the subject matter!

…

Problem implied that this was a thing that needed to be fixed, and Mirio wasn't sure if that was the case just yet. He might need a different word. Panic-inducing was two words, but that seemed closer to the truth. Baffling, maybe? Confusing. Dangerously close to something, and he hadn't figured out whether that something was good or bad.

You had been great with Eri, so at least he could rest easy knowing he had made the right choice when he suggested you as her medical chaperone. If Mirio was being honest with himself, you had been great in general. You were just as familiar with the campus as he was, and you effortlessly answered a multitude of Eri's questions regarding the preparations in full swing.

Heck, you had even brought sunscreen! Mirio felt a little foolish over his lack of preparation. He had kind of just…expected things to work out.

At least the three of you had been able to stop by the beauty pageant area so Eri could see the academy's most vaunted ladies getting their steps in. Plus, both Nejire and Tamaki had been there! It felt like a weight off Mirio's shoulders when you laughed along with Nejire, and the fact that you were able to discreetly enquire after Tamaki's wellbeing…

You were a member of the staff. That didn't technically complicate things even if he did come to terms with the fact that he might be crushing on you; you weren't a professor. I'm in my final semester though! Mirio reasoned later that evening. Augh, why is this such an issue for me? It's not off-limits! I haven't done anything wrong, darn it all.

"You are about a Lemillion miles away, Mirio!"

The young man jerked upright as Nejire's spoon retreated from where she had rapped it smartly against his forearm. "Ah! Sorry Nejire." He chuckled, rubbing the area she had smacked. "Was lost in thought, I guess."

"Oo, do tell!" The young woman exclaimed, bouncing in her seat. "What's up, Mirio? What's got those gears turning? Is it that little cutie from the med center? Y'know, the one you got to walk around with like, alllll day?" She grinned at him and Mirio wished his Quirk would return so he could just…sink into the ground and vanish. Probably forever.

Granted, Lunch Rush was deserted at this hour; most of the other students had filtered back to their dorms. Aside from the Big Three, there were only a few stragglers. But still!

Cutie. Was that it? Did he think you were…cute? He did, the young man admitted to himself, oh God he did. You were so cute. Everything about you was just…

Oh no.

Panic officially set in. Mirio could feel his palms beginning to sweat and Nejire was just looking at him expectantly between bites of her dinner, what the heck was he supposed to say-

"Yeah, Eri seemed super happy when you brought her by," Tamaki added hesitantly. "I know she doesn't smile, so it was more…w-well, her eyes looked happy."

Oh. Oh.

Nejire had been talking about Eri.

Well now he felt stupid and sweaty.

…

You dug the broom into the corner, frowning in concentration. After a long day of checking IDs, setting up temporary pro hero accounts on the medical center's computers and dropping off delivered goods to various rooms, it felt good to perform a portion of your normal evening routine.

Sweeping the foyer, while not required of you, helped your brain settle down from your workday. You were deep into contemplation about heading off campus to get some laundry detergent (as you were nearly out of it), when a large hand waved in front of your eyes.

"Hey there! Just leaving for the night, wanted to make sure you checked me out so you don't get in trouble." Mirio smiled, looking a little embarrassed. "I uh, I called your name a few times, but I guess you were pretty into what you were doing."

"Oh, Mirio! Sorry, I was thinking about the errands I have to run." You apologized, leaving the broom propped up against the wall and going to scan his ID.

"Gosh, you too huh? Adulting is tough stuff." Mirio commiserated, leaning on the counter. "I have to go pick up some laundry soap. Drew the short straw amongst the Big Three, you know how it is." He continued with a shrug. "Might grab a snack or something while I'm there, but that depends on whether I'm hungry once I make it down. Tamaki wants some of those…fancy bead things too, the smelly ones. I can't remember whether he wanted the purple or the orange, though. He said something about a light fragrance? He's really sensitive to smells."

"Oh, you're getting detergent too? I know I could use the campus courier service," you then lowered your voice conspiratorially, "but I feel bad about making those guys lug my heavy junk so late in their day. Definitely not when I can use the exercise, and it's a nice night out too."

"Would you--er, would you want to come with me? It's probably not safe for either of us to leave campus alone anymore." Mirio rubbed the back of his neck after putting his ID away. "I know that makes it sound kinda' grim, and I don't wanna' buy into the whole paranoia…"

"No, I get it. You're probably right. Besides, better safe than sorry!" You agreed rapidly, a shiver going down your spine as your mind supplied you with a myriad of unwanted newsreel images. "Can you wait half an hour so I can finish closing up shop and change out of my uniform?"

"Oh absolutely! Take all the time you need. The place I usually go to is open until midnight."

…

He wasn't entirely sure what he had been thinking. He had just been on his way out! He was going to go buy some soap! But now, the two of you were leaving campus.

Together.

Mirio nervously glanced at you, but you didn't seem to be suffering from the same internal conflict that he was. On the contrary, you seemed more relaxed than usual. Did that mean you were comfortable with him, or that you didn't care if other people made assumptions? Because of course there would be assumptions, word spread like wildfire on campus.

Mirio found himself envious of your ability to ignore the chatter of the student body. Maybe it was because your job required some certain level of impartiality? What he would give for an ounce of your peace of mind!

The sun hadn't fully set yet, golden light still grazing the tops of the taller trees. You tipped your head back, inhaling deeply. "Ah, what a beautiful day it's been!"

"It really was." Mirio agreed, "Nejire wanted all of us to head down for a walk, but she's been super busy practicing for that pageant. I told her to take the day off instead. It's her last year to compete, so I get her dedication."

"Oh, is she graduating soon?" You asked curiously.

"Yeah! We all have our provisionals, so for her it's as easy as passing her finals. She's going to have her associate in electrical engineering, but I'm pretty sure she's still planning on working towards her bachelor and master after that." Mirio could feel himself rambling; it was sort of like watching a train wreck in slow motion. "Tamaki and I are in different programs. I'm trying to get my bachelor in mass casualty incident management via the specialized fire science elective, but after what happened, I'm on a bit of a hiatus. Tamaki is almost done with his associate in bioscience, and he's also debating on continuing to the culinary arts program. He hasn't decided yet."

Your smile was genuine and Mirio breathed a sigh of relief that he didn't seem to have annoyed you. "That's great! I'm glad you guys all have a plan going forward. Times are so weird lately. It's good to have a little stability, right?"

Stability.

Stability had been the furthest thing from Mirio's mind since he had lost his Quirk and Sir Nighteye had passed away. It had been days of him just barely clinging to some shell of normalcy, trying to keep his spirits up after the somber affair of the funeral. He only vaguely recalled being next to the grave site with Kaoruko, Juzo and Midoriya once everyone else had paid their respects, wearing the one ill-fitting suit coat that he owned. The shoulders had pinched the entire time but it had hardly registered; a fleeting inconvenience.

Nejire had returned after giving him the time to say his final goodbyes, the young woman gently steering him back to their dorm where everyone had gathered in the central hall. There amongst his friends and peers, Mirio had done his best to smile. But he was emotionally exhausted, physically still in recovery, and he soon found himself hauled away and tucked into his bed by Tamaki.

"Stop pretending that you're fine," Tamaki had muttered, not unkindly, before shutting the door.

At least he hadn't called it lying.

"Stability is really important." Mirio murmured to you, hoping you didn't notice that his mind had been elsewhere. After what had happened, he found himself spacing out more and more. There were so many things he had to worry about now! Whether he could still pass his practicals without his Quirk, keeping his grades up so that he could compensate for his now-lackluster fieldwork…the academic hiatus was appreciated, of course, but he didn't know how long he could expect that charity to last before the dean reevaluated his usefulness.

You abruptly changed topics to the support majors exhibition and the young man found himself talking, actually talking, not just making polite conversation at the check-in counter. He could talk to people, of course he could talk to people. What kind of hero would he be if he couldn't handle public relations, after all? But this felt different. It was more natural, organic. Like how he felt talking to Eri or Midoriya, that newer sort of friendship. Were the two of you friends? Was it too soon to be friends?

The rustling in the trees alongside the road snapped Mirio's attention upwards and he inwardly berated himself for letting his guard down. He was relieved when, instead of some skulking villain, he made out the bulky form of Hound Dog. Professor Ryo was a youth counselor and despite being…rough around the edges, he made excellent progress with certain students.

The large teacher emerged from the brush, shaking himself off and nodding in their direction before trotting across the road and back into the woods.

"For being so big, he sure can be quiet." You commented after a few moments. "He's been following us since we left the gates."

Mirio turned his head so rapidly he was sure he had pulled something. "H-He has?" He managed to ask, his voice pitching funnily.

You nodded, like it was to be expected. "Of course. You didn't notice? He's quiet, not silent."

Well, now Mirio felt dumb all over again.

…

"Detergent, deterrrrrrgent," you mumbled to yourself, ticking back and forth between two large containers. On the one hand, the pods were lighter. But on the other hand, they were expensive, especially compared to the powdered options. The powder came in a cardboard box, which was easy to break down, but you could also rinse the liquid's plastic bottle and put it out with the recycling–

"Hey, can I ask for a favor?" Mirio's voice interrupted your mental quandary and you turned, finding him next to you with three different containers of scent booster beads. "Gimme' a hand. Which one of these smells the least offensive to you? I think they changed the colors since the last time Tamaki got them, because the purple ones don't smell like I remember."

You screwed up your face and obliged. Two of the scents made you grimace but the last one seemed light enough to suffice, and Mirio thanked you for your assistance. "Alright, now you help me out. Trying to pick between heavier but cheap, or lighter but pricey?" You posed the question, waving a hand back and forth between the boxes, bottles and tubs.

"Pick heavy! I'll carry it for you, so don't worry about the weight!" Mirio reasoned, his easy smile making an appearance midway through his sentence. "After all, you loaned me your nose. It's the least I could do for your heroic service!"

You laughed, waving him off as you slid the box of detergent beneath your arm. "I'll be fine! That's what the backpack is for. This isn't my first trip down the mountain, y'know."

"Oh sure! I uh, I wasn't trying to imply anything."

"No worries. I appreciate the offer! Any other night I'd probably accept, but I've been dying to get some exercise and this is just what I need."

…

"Heard you went on a late night walk with someone."

Accusatory wasn't exactly the right word but Mirio still froze up on reflex, nearly dropping his controller.

Tamaki exhaled through his nose and Mirio caught him sneaking a glance, the dark-haired young man eventually pausing their game to look at him head-on. "You know I don't care." Tamaki finally continued awkwardly, "b-but Hado--er, Nejire, she thinks we talk about…that kind of stuff, and she uh, she wanted me to ask…"

As Amajiki hemmed and hawed, Mirio watched the tips of his ears go a neon shade of red. Finally he decided to have pity on the other man, grinning and explaining, "Tamaki, I went with them when I had to get those things you put in with your laundry. Everyone says it's a bad idea to roam off-campus alone after everything that's happened, right?"

"Still!" Tamaki erupted, cringing a little at his own volume. "I…you should be more careful. Take Nejire or I with you next time, we can at least keep you s–" He paused, shooting Mirio a nervous look. "Uh, n-never mind."

We can at least keep you safe.

Mirio heard his friend's hesitant declaration loud and clear. It was true, he had no Quirk. Neither did you, for that matter! Maybe it had been reckless to go without someone else. Had Tamaki and Nejire been worried about him? "I'm sorry." Mirio apologized sincerely, pressing his hands together in contrition. "I didn't think about it. I'm still not used to needing to be so careful, I guess!"

Tamaki squinted, cautiously asking, "you…you aren't mad? I'm sorry, I-I shouldn't have said it like that." A rare half-smile teased at his mouth. "You're really strong, even without your Quirk. But…yeah, Nejire and I were pretty worried when you didn't come back from visiting Eri." He admitted quietly.

"How about I make sure to keep the group chat updated if I head off-campus? Will that be a little less stressful for you guys?" Mirio threw his friend a wink. "As for the walk, you can either tell Nejire what I told you, or you can make up something!"

Tamaki then sputtered and stammered, dismissing the notion with a scandalized expression as Mirio laughed.

…

Tensions were growing as the festival approached. It felt like everywhere you went, there was a blanket of steady pressure. Both the students and the professors seemed hellbent on making sure everything went as smoothly as it could, which led to fatigue, shortened tempers and disagreements.

You had your hands full trying to make sure the triage consoles wouldn't immediately turn themselves inside out once the pro heroes logged in on the day of the festival. Everything else at the college was state of the art except for the CBMS, which seemed to be a relic of a previous establishment. Multiple days during the week before the festival you ended up staying late. At least I'm getting paid overtime, you thought ruefully on Friday afternoon, wiping down the counter and then leaning on it with a tired sigh. A little extra tomorrow too, for my 'supervisory' shift.

You chewed your lower lip, thinking about what might transpire at the festival. You were absolutely nervous, of course! But you knew you had to stay calm. If Eri picked up on your unease, it might ruin her whole day. That was the last thing you wanted, so you would have to do your best.

Really put on a…Plus-Ultra game face.

You snorted, shaking your head at yourself.

…

"Aw, visiting hours are over already?" Midoriya complained when the tones chimed overhead, the usual recorded message playing after a moment. Eri nodded, not even looking up from her coloring page on the table.

Mirio rumpled the other man's hair. "Cheer up! We'll get to spend the whole day together tomorrow, right?"

"Well yeah, I suppose. At least you guys will. I'll need to stick by the group for the tune ups and stuff." Suddenly Midoriya jerked upright, looking perturbed. "Oh no! The rope!" He exclaimed, looking at his watch and then groaning unhappily. "Ugh, the hardware store is closed by now. That means I'll need to go in the morning instead." Izuku gave Eri an apologetic smile. "I guess I won't be able to walk you to the festival with Mirio and your other friend. I'm sorry."

"I'll still get to see you, right?" Eri asked, "you'll still do your dance?"

"Of course!"

The little girl gave him a nod, her expression almost laughably serious. "Okay."

"We'll have to find you a candy apple too! That's half the fun of a festival," Midoriya continued excitedly, "all the cool things to eat!"

"You ready for our big date tomorrow?" Mirio asked Eri as he tugged on his jacket.

She replied with a slow shake of her head, her brow furrowed. "What's a date?" She finally queried.

"Oh! A date is when you go to hang out with people you like!" Eri still didn't appear to understand and Mirio wracked his brain for an example she would be familiar with. "Like what you and I did the other day with our friend from the front desk, right? We got to walk around and see a bunch of things, have some snacks, enjoy each other's company…that's a date!"

"Oh." Eri looked a bit confused. "Okay. Date. Date tomorrow."

"Yup!"

Mirio could feel Midoriya staring at him as they walked down the hall, but he figured he would just wait until the younger man posed his question. When Midoriya next spoke, however, it was a statement. "She still hasn't smiled."

"Nope." Mirio agreed softly. "I'm hoping for tomorrow."

"Yeah?" Midoriya cocked his head. "Why?"

"I don't really know." Mirio admitted. "Call it a gut feeling maybe?"

"I guess."

Izuku still looked a bit dejected as the two of them emerged into the foyer so Mirio nudged his shoulder, giving him a thumbs up. "It'll be fine! Everyone's been working hard. Now go back to your dorm and get some rest, underclassman." He ordered with a grin. "You've got a busy day ahead of you!"

Midoriya returned his smile after a moment, nodding. "Yeah, you're right. Hey, thanks for…" he paused, seeming to be searching for his words. "Well, uh, just for helping, I guess. You did so much during the fight, a-and you've been helping with Eri, too. I wish there was something I could do for you."

We can at least keep you safe.

"You've already done a lot for me!" Mirio protested, "you and everyone else, you keep people like Eri and I safe. That's a really important job, and it's one that I can't really do at the moment, y'know? So I should be thanking you!"

He had learned early on that Izuku was a bit of an easy crier, so Mirio was prepared for the way the younger man welled up momentarily. "We'll…we'll keep doing our best then." Midoriya managed to say, clearly trying to rein himself in. "Oh! My ID, sorry, I need to-" he floundered at the counter, searching his pockets wildly until he found his student card.

You took his card while waving off his apologies, scanning him out and handing the card back with a kind smile. "Be careful walking to your dorm tonight. The maintainers were out earlier so the sprinkler schedule may be off by a few hours again." You warned the younger man right before he bolted for the door.

Togata tilted his head, just barely catching the sound of an indignant squawk outside. You snorted, then composed yourself and took his ID. "So what time am I picking you up tomorrow?" Mirio queried, leaning on the counter. "Uh, you and Eri, I mean!" He rushed to amend, mentally kicking himself.

"Well that's…I mean, I figure probably by ten-thirty?" You suggested, seemingly having forgotten that you were supposed to be scanning him out for the evening. Not that Mirio particularly cared! It was just odd. "Are we bringing food, or…?"

"I got some juice packs in town the other day! Went with Nejire. Figured we'll find plenty to snack on during the festival."

You nodded, appearing satisfied by his logic. Then, you clearly realized that you were still holding his ID. "Oh! Let me get you out of here." You exclaimed, nearly knocking over the counter-mounted scanner in your haste.

Mirio quickly put a hand on top of the device to steady it but you had been about to do the same, which caused your hand to land on top of his for a moment. You glanced up at him and Mirio found himself staring at you, uncertain of what exactly was going on but not necessarily opposed to it. "Everything okay?" He asked finally.

Like you had just awoken from a trance, you blinked. "Okay? Oh yeah, everything is definitely fine." You insisted, nodding rapidly and then dropping his ID twice before you managed to give it back to him. "Sorry, I'm…it's been a long week. I guess I'm a little jumpy!" You excused yourself with an awkward laugh.

"Everything will be fine tomorrow!" Mirio assured you. "There will be pros patrolling the grounds and a whole bunch of precautions have been taken. You've got nothing to worry about."

"Ah, yes. It was definitely that that was making me nervous." You said slowly, seeming to pick your words with great care.

Mirio felt as though he might have missed something, but he wasn't entirely certain. So he simply gave you a thumbs up as he headed out through the sliding doors. He paused once outside the med center, inhaling deeply and then going stiff when he heard a low hiss next to him.

Mirio abruptly found himself getting drenched by a sprinkler. On reflex he attempted to use Permeation, before remembering with a bit of a gut-wrenching jolt that he no longer had his Quirk. All he could do instead was wipe his face and chuckle ruefully as he stepped out of range of the first sprinkler.

Directly into the range of the second one.

…

"Today's the day." You hummed for the hundredth time, digging into your tiny closet once more. "Today's the dayyyyy."

You had been trying to put together an outfit for nearly half an hour now. It had never been this difficult before! Why were you so nervous?

You blew out a breath, a bit exasperated, and finally just picked something at random. Pairing the outfit with some comfortable shoes, you gave yourself a once-over in the mirror and smiled at your reflection encouragingly. "It'll be totally fine. There's pro heroes everywhere today. Everything is going to be just fine." You told yourself aloud, checking the time. "It will all be fine."

Everything will be okay.

With every step you took, the words repeated in your head. Down the ramp to the staff foyer, outside to the small courtyard, across the campus to the medical center. One foot in front of the other, pro heroes stationed both subtly and not-so-subtly, students and staff hustling to get the last few things done.

Everything will be okay.

The sidewalks were still a little damp from the sprinklers, small puddles shimmering at the edges of the grass. You recalled Midoriya and Mirio getting caught by the sprinklers the evening before and a smile crept across your face. You had to fight back your laughter, only just managing to keep it under control.

Eri was waiting in the foyer with a nurse, the little girl already dressed and bouncing in place. "She's had her breakfast this morning," The nurse informed you dryly, "under extreme duress, of course. She wanted to save room for all the food she was promised at the event."

"Candy apple!" Eri proclaimed, grabbing hold of your hand.

"Let's put on your sunscreen while we wait for Mirio, okay?" You suggested, crouching. "I'm a few minutes early anyhow, so we have the time."

"I wanna' do it!" Eri held out her hands, her expression one of intense concentration.

"Okay, but I'll get the tips of your ears for you." You bargained, letting her squeeze a liberal amount of sparkly sunblock into her palm before you took it back. The poor child was still so pale from her previous confinement, you knew it wouldn't take much sunlight for her to burn. "Remember to keep your eyes closed, that stuff stings if it gets in your eyes!"

"Well well, looks like I got here just in time!" said a voice from behind you. It was Mirio, the blond waiting to swing Eri up into his arms until she nodded. "Wanna' put some of that on me, Eri?"

The little girl began sliding her hands over Mirio's cheeks, leaving a white snail-trail of sunscreen in her wake. You smiled, stretching over Mirio's arm to get Eri's ears while she was preoccupied. "Don't forget his nose and forehead!" You teased, laughing when Eri dipped her head solemnly and dragged two fingers across Mirio's once-pristine forehead. She even managed to get some of the sunblock in the young man's hairline, but Mirio just grinned and worked it into his gelled strands.

"There." Eri announced, finally seeming satisfied with her work. "Now we'll be safe."

…

Mirio tried to ignore his heart thundering in his chest when you rested on his arm to apply sunscreen to Eri's ears. Your face was right next to his, your eyes crinkling at the edges when you laughed and–

And then you pulled back and whatever it was was gone as quickly as it had arrived. The young man felt crushed suddenly, like something important had just passed him by. But there was no time to ruminate on that particular issue, as Eri was clamoring to get moving. So with a few sticky patches on his face and glitter stuck in his hair, Mirio took the little girl's hand and led the way.

Eri squeezed his hand tight, sandwiching herself beside his leg. "Don't be scared! I'm right here with you." The blond man assured her, smiling. She nodded with a determined frown, her free hand seizing yours as if to anchor herself.

The campus was ablaze with color and activity. Mirio wound his way in between the throngs of attendees, his large frame easily clearing a path for Eri while you brought up the rear. He knew he had to be mindful of safety but he also wanted to make sure that Eri got to see whatever she wanted to see, so he did his best to be alert for any tugs on his hand.

"Ah!" Eri exclaimed, halting abruptly. Mirio swung her up into his arms to avoid causing a pause in the flow of people, accidentally pulling you in with the little girl.

"What's up, Eri?" Mirio queried, doing his level best to play down the knowledge that your body was pressed to his side. Eri mumbled something he couldn't quite hear, pointing towards a brightly-colored food cart. "Wanna' stop for a snack?" The blond man guessed. She nodded vigorously. "Alright! Remember that we need to be careful in this crowd, so don't stop so quickly next time, okay?"

"Even if we walk past what you want to see, we can always double back!" You chimed in, checking your watch. "We can only make this one stop before the show, but after the show we can go wherever you'd like."

"Promise?" Eri asked you, the fragile hope in her voice threatening to break Mirio's heart.

"I promise," was your sincere response. "Now, let's get you your snack!"

…

Eri munched on a small twist of cinnamon pastry, her eyes roving over the crowd in front of her. You could barely see the stage from your spot next to Mirio, but you waved off his offer of lifting you as well with a laugh. Instead you kept a hand on his elbow, doing your best to maintain your position in the jam-packed area.

It seemed like the whole college had turned up for this particular show! You were a little concerned. While you didn't exactly need to be alert for threats (that was Mirio's job!), you still found yourself scanning the crowd for unfamiliar faces.

Everything will be okay.

Your grip on Mirio's elbow tightened without conscious input and he looked down at you, his expression uncharacteristically serious. "You alright?" He asked, seeming to be keeping his tone light so as not to attract Eri's attention.

"Sorry! There's a lot of people here, that's all." You apologized, smiling weakly.

"Everything will be okay." Mirio assured you, his easy grin making your stomach backflip. "I'm right here with you."

You could feel your face beginning to flush with heat and you quickly ducked, breaking eye contact to rummage through your bag for the set of ear muffs you had brought. "Eri!" You called, getting the little girl's attention so you could hand her the headset. "Can you pop these on? It's going to be pretty loud and we want to keep your ears safe."

Eri donned the hearing protection with zero fuss, Mirio helping to adjust the headband so that the cups fit snugly over her ears. "Man, you think of everything!" The young man praised, the admiration in his words enough to send a frisson of pride down your spine. "Wish I could be that prepared! I'd probably…" he trailed off, his smile fading. "Well, there's no real point to that. I'll do better." He continued quietly.

You opened your mouth to say…something, anything, maybe something comforting? But the lights overhead dimmed suddenly, and the moment was gone.

…

You even brought hearing protection. Mirio was downright awed at how prepared you were. But he supposed it made sense. After all, Eri was just a little kid in recovery to you! Little kids needed things like sunscreen, tissues, band aids…

He felt somewhat ashamed of himself for losing sight of the fact that while Eri was incredibly powerful, she was still a child.

The little girl posted up in his arms had her eyes fixed on the stage as the music began, her hands gripping Mirio's shirt collar. The blond man shifted his weight, giving her a reassuring smile when she glanced down at him uncertainly. "Look!" Mirio exclaimed, pointing back at the stage. "There's Midoriya!"

While the tight frown on Eri's face eased slightly upon seeing Midoriya and the rest of his class dance, it was nowhere near gone. Mirio knew this might not even work, but…

Mirio Togata, pro hero in training, had one goal for the day.

I want to see you smile!

The lights and sounds grew more intense and the crowd around him began to move in time with the music. Mirio found himself rocking back and forth, the rhythm too infectious for him to keep fully still. On his left, your hip gently bumped into his when you began to sway as well.

Eri's hold on his shirt started to loosen, making Mirio look up at her. Her eyes were bright in the shimmering lights, the little girl clearly enjoying the show. Streamers erupted over the audience, confetti fluttering this way and that in the fitful currents of air. Eri's tiny hands reached to grab fruitlessly for the glittery crêpe paper, her eyebrows furrowed with focus.

Your mouth brushed Mirio's ear, no doubt so he could hear you through the cacophony around him. "Lift her so she can get a streamer!" You instructed, giving him a thumbs up.

Mirio made sure that he had enough wiggle room to move safely, then hoisted Eri as high over his head as he could. Her questing fingers finally caught the tail end of a streamer, and he felt her bounce in what he assumed was excitement when she clutched the thin paper to her chest. Mirio lowered her once more, settling her a little higher on his hip so she could still see over the gyrating audience.

It looked like Ochaco was hard at work, several people closer to the stage beginning to hover above the main crowd. There were lasers sparkling brilliantly through the foggy atmosphere, more pyrotechnics erupting from the stage, were those doves-? It was all so bright, so vibrant, Mirio very nearly missed what happened next.

The music was building to what seemed to be a final crescendo and you tugged on his sleeve, pointing at Eri when he looked down at you. Mirio jerked his eyes back up, feeling Eri's arm slide past his face even as he did.

The small child had her hands over her head, waving the streamer in the air as she smiled broadly in blatant, unrestrained delight. The joy was evident on her face, her eyes alight with what seemed to be a mixture of wonder and glee.

It was as if Chisaki's shadow had finally released its stranglehold on her, banished in the brilliant glow of that hard-won smile.

Are you seeing this? Midoriya…Sir! Look at her! She's smiling!

Despite his best efforts Mirio felt a sob grip his throat. The young man hurriedly ducked his face into his shoulder to hide his tears, but something soft touched his cheek and he flinched, opening his eyes. It was you, because of course it was you, gently daubing away the moisture with a tissue. You smiled at him, your own eyes suspiciously damp.

Mirio's heart lurched in his throat. He couldn't help but laugh freely, pulling you into his side and giving you an elated kiss on the cheek without even thinking about it.

"Thank you!" He shouted over the music, trying to enunciate so you would still be able to understand him even if you couldn't hear. "Thank you, thank you so much."

You simply nodded in reply, wrapping your arm around his waist.

…

An enormous weight seemed to have been lifted off of Mirio at the sight of Eri's smile. It was a thing of beauty, the large blond man clearly torn between laughing and crying. You found yourself emotional as well, doing your best to rein it in before you went full waterworks. You were only here in an auxiliary role, after all! It wouldn't look very professional if you were caught sobbing hysterically, so you set your jaw and mentally begged your lower lip to quit quivering already!

At least you didn't have to hide your smile, even if it wavered a little.

You definitely didn't mind Mirio hauling you into a one-armed hug, his body warm and solid against your own as he tried to say something over the music. It might have been a thank you but you were unsure, so you settled for a polite nod even as your hand rested gingerly on his waist. After a moment his own hand slid down to your hip, keeping you tucked into his side.

The show ended with a bang and Eri began clamoring to go see Midoriya once she took off the ear muffs. You weren't sure if you imagined the reluctant way Mirio released you, his hand lingering on your lower back longer than it seemed to need to.

He had kissed you.

You froze, the reality of what Mirio had done sinking in. Granted, it was just a little peck on the cheek, but still! Heat flushed your face and you glanced around guiltily, wondering if any of your coworkers had been in the crowd near you.

Togata's hand grabbed your own, startling you somewhat. "We have to go against the crowd to get to Midoriya!" He explained over the noise. "Stay behind me, okay?"

Eri waved at you from her new perch on Mirio's shoulders, still smiling even as she smoothed down his spiked hair. You couldn't help but smile back at her, struck once more by how happy she looked.

Mirio trudged through the students and faculty on his way to the stage, occasionally detouring or pausing briefly to let larger groups move past him. At one point the two of you were separated and you called out his name, only to hear Mirio laugh and reply, "Polo!" off to your left. He didn't let go of your hand after that, simply angling his arm so that you were slightly behind him. His other hand rested against Eri's shin, keeping her steady on his shoulders.

He had shoved the sleeves of his varsity jacket up to his elbows, no doubt in response to the elevated heat inside the gymnasium. In an effort to ignore the fingers intertwined with your own, you studied the scars on his forearm. Some were clearly from whatever tussle he, Midoriya and Eri had been involved in, the healed skin still fresh and nearly purple in hue. Then there were older ones further up his arm, silvered with age and half-covered by his jacket. You wondered at them a bit, but the world had always been a dangerous place whether you had a Quirk or not.

Your gaze traveled up his shoulder to his face, currently in profile as he glanced around trying to find an opening in the crowd, and you simply watched him. Your mind was suddenly full of the thoughts that you had been trying to avoid, embarrassing you to the point that you forced yourself to look away.

…

"Hey, good work buddy!" Mirio praised Midoriya as he set Eri down. You hovered a few feet away after he released your hand, which he didn't quite understand. Were you still worried about losing track of him? It was much less crowded backstage!

"That was crazy!" Eri erupted, her grin still in full effect. "At first when there was a loud noise it was scary, but then everyone was jumping with the dance-" she raised her arms over her head and started bouncing in place, "and then there was a flash and Deku, you went away for a little bit, and the guy started flying in the air!"

Mirio had been mimicking Eri's motions while she spoke, his own excitement fueling the childish action. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of Midoriya's expression, the other student looking absolutely overjoyed.

"-and a bunch of people said 'wow' and you know what I said?" Eri asked Midoriya, her eyes shining with excitement. She didn't bother waiting for an answer, simply exclaiming, "wow' too! It was so fun!"

Deku inhaled raggedly, the younger man using his arm to wipe away the tears that had started welling up in his eyes. "I'm glad you had such a good time, Eri." He said sincerely.

"All thanks to you!" Mirio clapped the other man on the shoulder. "You and the rest of your class really pulled out all the stops, y'know?"

"Absolutely!" You chimed in, giving Midoriya a thumbs up. "What's next on the Class 1-A agenda for the day?"

"Well, Mineta really wants us all to hurry with the clean up, he's excited to get to see the beauty pageant." Izuku gestured at the smaller young man, who did indeed seem to be working himself into a frenzy. "So I guess we'll head over there once we're done."

"Beauty pageant!" Eri cheered. "Will we see your friend, Mirio?"

"Of course! We should get over there now, we have to get good seats." At those words Togata heard Mineta begin to huff, the younger man scuttling past him lugging a bucket full of ice while muttering curses under his breath. "Watch the language, buddy!" The upperclassman warned him with a smile.

The beauty pageant was…well it was something. Mirio was a little confused by the whole affair, if he was being honest, but Nejire did a fun sort of dance in midair and she seemed like she was enjoying herself. Of course she got his vote. Yours too! You were obviously dazzled by her display. Eri was just thrilled to watch the princess-esque students go through their routines, the show already a clear high moment of her day.

After the pageant Mirio dedicated his time to winning the games at the various booths, the young man determined to send Eri home with a mountain of prizes. His efforts were not exactly fruitful, however.

Down to his last ball on a milk-bottle game, he surrendered it to you instead. You, to his utter bewilderment, actually managed to knock the bottles over and win! Every time he had tried, the bottles just refused to topple.

"There's a trick to it," was your nonchalant explanation around a stuffed unicorn that was half the size of your own body. "Hang on to this for Eri, would you? I wanna' see if they have a duck pond." You leaned in, the unicorn ending up mashed against Mirio's shoulder. "Eri can win that one easy." You continued in an undertone.

Mirio nodded rapidly as he draped the pastel unicorn over his shoulder, thrilled that the both of you seemed to be on the same page.

Luckily, a booth touting the aforementioned game was mere steps away. It was a simple pink plastic kiddie pool, filled with water and a plethora of rubber ducks that looked like they had been scavenged from the student body instead of bought in bulk. No two were alike! There were red ones with devil horns, blue ones with sunglasses, even a few with tiny hats.

Eri rushed forward, the child seeming elated that a game was actually at her height. She then hesitated mere inches away, fidgeting as the booth vendor patiently explained the rules to her.

Mirio lingered a few feet back, scanning the crowd a little more fiercely than he meant to. But this was important, and he would be damned if Eri's first carnival game was interrupted by anything less than a world-ending event.

"Okay, here we go." You muttered, and Mirio noticed you crossing your fingers. "She's totally got this."

Eri pulled up a pair of ducks, checking the bottoms for matching symbols. A pink circle and a green star were revealed, however.

Mirio groaned silently, but immediately perked back up when the vendor held up one finger. Okay, okay! She gets more than one try! The young man clenched his fists, leaning forward slightly in an effort to see the ducks a little better.

Eri took a moment to study the pond, her eyes narrowing in concentration. To no avail though, the next pair she picked was an orange square and a red triangle.

The vendor held up a second finger and Mirio began mentally debating whether he would be bribing this student. On the one hand, it was a dilemma of ethics and morals. But on the other, Eri really, really needed a win to keep the ball rolling–

"Congratulations! You've won a prize!"

Mirio jerked his head up, blinking in confusion. Eri held two matching ducks, both with green stars on the bottom. The little girl smiled ear to ear once more as she happily accepted her winnings, a purple pencil case with a variety of ducks on it. "Mirio! Look!" She exclaimed, bolting back to the young man.

"Gosh, I guess you really ducked out!" Mirio heard you groan at his pun and it only served to widen his grin. He took Eri's hand and then extended his other to you. "C'mon, there's still so much to see and do!"

…

"I had a great time today." You murmured to Mirio, pretending to straighten Eri's hair out in an effort to avoid eye contact.

"Hey, that's my line." was the young man's equally-soft reply as he shifted Eri's dead weight in his arms. The little girl had finally succumbed to her exhaustion moments before, heavy eyes drooping and sliding closed even in the midst of such intense stimuli. You had no doubt that she would need a few days to recover from all this excitement.

You too, if you were being honest with yourself! Mirio seemed to have boundless energy, the man darting from booth to activity with all the enthusiasm of a person half his age. It was endearing, if nothing else. You couldn't help but feel a bit sad that after today, things would return to how they were. "I don't want this to end." You admitted quietly, still fidgeting with Eri's long locks.

A hand cupped your chin and you found yourself looking up at Mirio, the blond man's expression oddly serious. "It…I-I mean, it doesn't have to be over. If…er, i-if you don't want it to be, that is." The uncharacteristic stammering caught you off-guard, your brow furrowing as you tried to piece together what he meant.

Suddenly, "there you are!" rang out from behind you, making you jump and nearly drop all the stuffed animals you and Mirio had won for Eri. It was Midoriya, the younger man's face becoming apologetic when Mirio shushed him. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to wake you, Eri. I made you something though!" He said excitedly, unwrapping the plastic-swathed object in his hand.

Eri rubbed her eyes, staring down at the bright red candy apple. "What is…what is that?" She asked quizzically.

"A candy apple! You remember, Mirio told you about them. They're covered in super crackly sugar!" Deku explained, picking the treat up and passing it to her. "Be really careful with your shirt, okay? The red will stain it, trust me." With a touch of amusement, you noticed crimson splotches still lurking in the lines of his palms and knuckles.

The child immediately bit into the apple, the crunch of the sugar coating meeting your ears. "Oh wow." She mumbled into the fruit, not resisting as you rushed to tie her hair back in a low ponytail. The last thing you wanted any of the staff to have to deal with tonight was trying to get red, sticky residue out of her nearly colorless hair!

"Where did you even get that?! We looked everywhere!" Mirio queried, obviously dismayed that he had failed.

"I couldn't find any booths that had them, so I improvised and got some help from Sato." Izuku replied, smiling.

"Wow, that was really…" you paused for effect, aiming finger guns at the younger man, "sweet of him to give you a hand."

Midoriya groaned while Mirio's delighted peals of laughter rang out. "Guess I should have seen that one coming." The underclassman allowed ruefully, quickly smiling once more when Eri thanked him profusely for the confection that was currently staining her chin. "I'm just glad I caught you guys before you left! You must be pretty tired. It's been a long day!"

"Yeah, but I can say with confidence that this has been one of the best days I've ever had." Togata said sincerely, shaking Midoriya's hand. "And it's all thanks to you guys! Your class, you-"

"Whoa, and what about you?! Everything that you did to make sure that we could even have Eri come…you've done so much to help out!" Deku protested, a little red in the face.

"Guess we all worked hard for this moment, right?" The blond reasoned, tilting his head to offer you a warm smile. "Us, and Eri too!"

Eri took her eyes off of her apple for the barest moment, her serious nod making Mirio chuckle.

Professor Aizawa meandered up as Midoriya was about to say his goodbyes, the older man looking more weary than usual. "I trust there were no further issues?" He asked, those piercing eyes oddly trained on Deku, who rushed through a farewell and then bolted.

"'Further issues'?" Mirio repeated, cocking his head to one side.

Aizawa sighed heavily. "I'll explain later. For now, I'm here to escort you three back to the medical center."

"Mr. Aizawa, I got to see a loud show and there were ducks in a pond!" Eri announced, the copious amounts of sugar in the candy apple no doubt perking her back up.

You were stunned when Professor Aizawa gave the child a thin smile. "That's great news, kiddo. Anything else happen?"

"Mirio tried to win a bottle game, there was lots of food and I saw two people get to fly today! I had a hot dog for lunch, and all kinds of snacks, and I gave a little bird some fries because he seemed hungry-" As Eri carried on regaling the professor with the tale of her very full day, you watched the older man's harsh glare soften. Evidently he had been just as worried as the rest of you, if not moreso! You got the feeling that there may have been an incident earlier in the day.

…

"Someone tried to attack this morning?!" Retroactive panic washed over Mirio in a cold sweat, the young man clenching his fists as memories from Eri's rescue flooded his mind. There was an attack and I didn't even notice?!

Aizawa grimaced, rubbing his temples. "It's not exactly so cut and dry, Mirio. Technically yes, but the situation was managed. Improperly managed. Midoriya is lucky Hound Dog didn't shake him to death."

Midoriya. So the underclassman had ended up being their first line of defense? Mirio wasn't exactly sure how to feel about that. Talk about having a full day! Midoriya seemed totally unphased when we saw him. I guess that was just a show to keep Eri's spirits up. "I'm glad we still got to go through with the festival." The blond man remarked after sorting out his thoughts.

"That was Midoriya's reasoning. He wanted the festival to happen no matter what, I guess." Professor Aizawa shook his head. "He didn't want to alert the pros because he thought it would risk the festival's cancellation. Regardless, he should have called for backup. He's on campus cleaning duty until further notice, so you may see him a little less."

"I'm happy he's safe." You said, unconsciously echoing Mirio's own sentiments. "It couldn't have been easy to deal with a threat all on his own."

"He didn't have to deal with it all on his own." Aizawa grumbled, obviously annoyed. "Kid's got guts and he's smart, but damn he's stupid." He straightened up after a moment, adjusting his scarf. "Alright, I trust the two of you can at least manage to return to your housing without further incident?"

"Of course! You can count on me, teach!" Mirio assured the older man, and then turned to you. "Well, we'd better get you back safe and sound!"

You nodded, falling into step alongside the blond. Mirio hadn't anticipated the silence that stretched awkwardly between the two of you, and he wracked his brain for some light topic of conversation.

Before he could think of something, you spoke up.

"You and Midoriya had a really difficult time when there was the incident with Eri, didn't you?"

Mirio was caught off-guard by your odd opener, clearing his throat. "Well, uh. Yes." He admitted bluntly. "As you know, I lost my Quirk. Hopefully temporarily! But still, it wasn't…" Mirio trailed off, the thought of Sir Nighteye threatening to choke him up. "It wasn't a simple mission."

"Did today make everything worth it?" Your voice was soft, uncertain, and you refused to meet his gaze.

…

There was no way. You had never had a Quirk of your own, but they seemed to be so intertwined with someone's personality and sense of self…there was no way you could imagine the thought of losing such an important piece of your identity.

There was just no way that Mirio's hurt or Midoriya's guilt could be erased with the smile of a little girl.

And yet you hoped so hard, with every fiber of your being, that maybe, just maybe, it could. That maybe the triumph of the day had been enough to, if nothing else, ease the pain, even a little.

But…

"Absolutely." Mirio's reply was instantaneous; he didn't even think before he responded. "I wasn't kidding when I said today was one of the best days of my life."

You couldn't help the way you were staring at him, you just really hadn't anticipated such a quick and succinct answer!

"What?" He queried, "Is there something on my face?"

"Well, no, I just…I guess I'm confused is all." You fumbled to explain yourself. "You lost the use of something important, and Midoriya…I mean you both suffered pretty extensive injuries from what I remember, and while I didn't have any of the specifics it just…it doesn't seem like it would even out in the end to me." You reasoned frantically, hoping that he wouldn't think you were rude.

"To me it does." Mirio's smile was serene. "Life is full of stuff like that though! The things that seem little to other people, but to you…" he hesitated, seeming to search for the right words. "To you, it's the thing that brings you happiness in a day. Like sixteen bouquets of flowers crammed onto a windowsill!" He laughed. "Sure, a smile doesn't seem like that big of a deal, but when you think about it, it's the biggest deal."

You cast your mind back to when you had watched Mirio notice Eri smiling, the progression of emotions that had occurred on his face within the span of bare seconds. The grief, the heartbreak, the joy, and the tears that had come with it. Seeing him so emotional had stirred your own heart, but it was also bewildering.

All this, for one little girl's smile?

Maybe it wasn't for you to understand. His healing was his own, after all, and it wasn't really your place to question his happiness. You hadn't been involved in Eri's retrieval, you had no idea what may have transpired, you probably shouldn't have said anything–

Clearly you had been silent for too long, because Togata quietly said, "I know it seems silly to you."

"It's not that! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry or be insensitive. If it makes you happy, then that makes me happy too." You rushed to say, smiling afterwards. "It doesn't need to be any more complicated than that, right? I'm happy you're happy."

The tall blond stared down at you as the two of you walked, his brow furrowed in thought. "Today made me happy." He finally said, his words chosen with care. "I enjoy spending time with you."

You blinked. What?

"I'd like to…" Mirio paused, beginning to fidget. "I-I'd like to spend more time with you, maybe?"

"What, like…tonight?" You managed to croak, nervous laughter bubbling out of you when Mirio's shoulders jolted up around his rapidly-reddening ears.

"What?! No, not like--I-I mean, I wasn't suggesting that!" He frantically tried to backtrack, shaking his head. "I-I just meant maybe we could go get lunch! Sometime! When you have time! L-Like a date!" His voice was getting louder and louder, forcing you to tug on the hem of his jacket to bring him down a notch.

"I would like nothing more than to get lunch with you." You stated plainly, making Mirio slow to a halt. You took a few more steps and then looked back at him, a bit confused. Was that the wrong answer? "Are…are you okay with that?" You asked tentatively.

"I…Yes! Absolutely! I'm super okay with that!" Togata replied frantically, loud all over again. "You make me feel good and I'd like to make you feel g--wait, no, that came out wrong, I promise I'm not--er, I mean, when would you-?"

"As soon as possible." You interrupted his rambling, laughing at his nonplussed expression. "Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow! Tomorrow works!" A broad grin stretched across Mirio's face, brightening his entire visage. "I'll see you tomorrow, then!" Suddenly, his smile faded. "Oh sorry, I…uh, I promised Eri she and I would have a lunch date tomorrow."

He looked so crestfallen that you nearly started laughing all over again. "Hey, don't worry about it! Tomorrow night, then?" You suggested. "We can get something from Lunch Rush, if you're alright with everyone knowing about this."

"Oh geez, people are going to talk." Mirio groaned, his cheeks pinking up. "Nejire especially."

"We can always order something to campus, if you're worried about that. Or we could go to Lunch Rush at separate times and eat together in my quarters." While placing a reassuring hand on his arm you gently reminded him, "people will always talk."

"No way! If I'm going to be a pro hero someday, I can't get spooked by public relations now!" Mirio reasoned, his hand landing on top of your own. "Tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow night." You agreed, leaning into his side for the last stretch of distance the two of you had to walk to your housing. "Looks like this is where I'll have to leave you."

"Uh." Mirio seemed nervous all over again, his free hand jammed deep into the pocket of his varsity jacket. "I…er, I-I don't suppose I could give you a goodnight kiss?" He managed to stammer out, his tone hopeful.

"Absolutely."

"Awesome!" Mirio exclaimed. You closed your eyes in anticipation, but you were met with him giving you a simple peck on the cheek.

You tilted your head, certain that your disappointment was a little too obvious. "That's it?"

"Oh! Oh, you wanted--oh." Mirio swallowed hard. "You're sure? I…I mean it might not be any good, haven't had much time to practice." He tried to joke.

"If you'd rather not, it's-"

"No! I-I do, I have for a while." Togata admitted, stunning you with the confession. "I really…I really like you." He then inhaled, squaring his shoulders. "Okay. I'm gonna' give it a shot!"

This time was…a bit different.

His hands came up to cup your face and you could feel him trembling slightly. As Mirio leaned in, you closed your eyes yet again in a desperate bid to cling to your composure. His mouth met yours and, instead of immediately retreating like you had expected, Mirio slid one hand to cradle the back of your neck while he deepened the kiss.

When the two of you finally parted you were both flustered; you were panting and Mirio's face was bright pink. "Was that…okay?" He asked hesitantly, seemingly unaware that you were still trying to catch your breath.

"That was way better than okay." You huffed, making him laugh and punch the air victoriously. "Who the hell taught you how to kiss like that?"

"Huh? Uh, no one. I just kinda'...I mean I've seen a few movies, and they always…you know what, that's not important! We have a date tomorrow night and it's already pretty late, I should let you get some rest!" Togata responded in a rush, one hand on the small of your back ushering you through the entryway of your housing unit. "Have sweet dreams, okay cutie? I'll see you tomorrow."

"Hey, wait-!" You began to protest, a bit more than interested in what exactly he had been watching, only for him to cut you off with another kiss. Then, Mirio bolted back outside before you could recover, the blond man leaving you leaning against the wall next to the elevator in a somewhat-rumpled state.

All you heard over the sound of your heart pounding was an elated, far-off shout of, "power!" which in turn made you burst out laughing.

What a nerd!

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ohmyeyesmyeyes · 3 years ago

Note

hi, i just wanted to say i loved your charles oneshot :) i was wondering if you could do an enemies to lovers w/ daniel ricciardo? thanks!

DANIEL RICCIARDO ONESHOT

TEMPORARY STRANGERS

( WARNING: swearing, alcohol, blood/injury, little bit of fluff/angst? )

word count: 5.4k

< this is my attempted version lol >

You’d debated whether or not to go to Theo’s party. For one, it was on a Thursday night, which, in itself, was rather tragic for a party thrown for an adult because surely he had to have thought that most people would be working on a Thursday night? Secondly, you had an early shift at the hospital in the morning, so you weren't sure if staying at a party fit for Blair Waldorf for a couple of hours was entirely worth your presence.

But, after a persuasive conversation on the phone — in which Theo spent the majority of it begging you to make an appearance — you’d caved and now you found yourself standing in the middle of a kitchen sipping on a lemonade, expertly avoiding everyone’s eyes and wondering why you agreed to come in the first place.

The apartment was a large, luxurious one, decked from head to toe in pricey decorations and with an open-plan layout. You even had half the mind to compare it to what you imagined a Royal Palace looked like.

In other words, it was big and incredibly tasteful and fancy, in the most annoying way possible.

Then again, Theo did own a successful Estate Agency, which specialized heavily in selling buildings in the centre of London. The money pooled from that spoke for itself, and it also meant that since university he’d met people in all aspects of his work, all of which looked like they’d been invited to his party, which unfortunately meant you didn’t know anyone, and the couple that you did, you had absolutely zero intentions of actually talking to them.

The guests themselves were glamorous, dressed to the nines and decked with expensive watches and jewellery, and you felt out of place wearing your best dress with your favourite high-tops and a blazer.

On another note, the lemonade and food were delicious. It was almost as if he’d hired a private caterer and then shoved them out of the back door before people started arriving.

“You know, I didn’t think you meant it when you said you’d come.” A smooth voice knocked you out of your reverie, and you whirled around, hastily swallowing the lemonade when you noticed the familiar blonde that you’d befriended in uni.

“I didn’t think I did either if that makes a difference.” You replied, biting the inside of your cheek as Theo rolled his eyes, making his way around the kitchen island to place a couple of collected empty glasses near the sink.

“Well, are you having fun?” He asked, leaning back against the counter next to you, his shoulder judging yours teasingly.

You hummed, narrowing your eyes, “Not as much fun as when you crashed my Grandparents party and scared away the boy they tried to set me up with, let’s just leave it at that.” You breathed a laugh, swirling the lemonade in your cup as if it had suddenly become the most interesting thing.

“Oh, I haven’t had that much fun in ages.” He said, his attention turning to the other partygoers in the near vicinity, his eyebrow raising as he spotted someone trying to sneak one of his clocks into their bags without being caught. It didn’t work; they saw his gaze and turned a suspicious shade of red and pretended as if they’d simply been admiring the thing before walking away.

Theo cleared his throat, adjusting his tie.

“I think I’m just gonna…” he trailed off, his finger pointing in the direction of the culprit, an apologetic look in his eyes. You nodded, breathing a short laugh in understanding.

“I think I’m going to head out anyway—”

“Oh, please stay.” He held out a hand, silently begging for you to stay.

You hadn’t seen each other in at least a couple of months because of clashes with schedules, and it was getting to the point where the odd texts and phone calls and video calls were starting to feel more like a chore than a privilege. You had been close friends for the best part of ten years now, and you were still close, but adult life was more difficult than you expected trying to balance relationships and work.

You breathed in deeply, eyes flashing around the guests, accidentally catching the eye of Daniel and flicking your attention back to Theo hastily.

“I’ll stay for now but I’m going home in an hour, I have an early shift in the morning.” You promised, offering a small smile as Theo nodded, returning the gesture before disappearing into the throwing of people.

It wasn’t long before you were approached by an unfamiliar face. She was — like all the other people in the room — dressed nicely, and she stumbled slightly in her heels, almost running into you.

“Oh, shit, sorry about that.” She muttered, and you could smell the faint, bitter scent of alcohol on her breath, indicating that she wasn’t completely sober.

“Oh, it’s no problem.” You reassured, asking if she wanted something else to drink, seeing as though you were standing next to the drinks table and the fridge.

She shook her head, instead resuming Theo’s place against the counter next to you.

“Do you see that man over there?” She whispered, pointing her finger in the direction of the crowd out in the living area.

You furrowed your eyes, trying to lean slightly to make sure you could see who she was pointing at.

“I think you’re gonna have to be more specific because there’s about thirty people in that general direction.” You said, resisting the urge to laugh as the woman sighed, shuffling closer to the group and standing in her heeled tiptoes to see over the sea of heads.

“Okay, so he’s about 6 foot, brunette, curly hair…” she snuck a glance at you out of the corner of her eye to make sure you were trying to look out for the person she was talking about, “really fit and has an Italian nose.” She concluded.

You pursed your lips, suddenly feeling quite awkward in the presence of a stranger. You averted your eyes back to the pile of drinks on the kitchen island and halted your actions in searching for who could only be Daniel Ricciardo.

She noticed your reaction and gasped loudly, her hand flying to her mouth as if you just spilled the hottest gossip of the season.

“You know him.” She stated, stepping back slightly with an accusatory shine in her eyes.

“I don’t know him, I just know of him.” You lied, trying to brush the topic off as subtly as possible.

“Nuh-uh,” she said, taking your arm and ignoring the cry of protest from your lips as she dragged you away from the kitchen area and into the heart of the party, where the chatter was significantly louder, “I don’t believe that. You can introduce us.” She insisted.

You dug your heels into the floor as best as you could, trying to push away the wave of panic that surged through your veins.

“Lady,” you started, ripping your arm out of her iron grip, “I don’t know him.” You reiterated.

“If you don’t know him, how can you know of him?” She enquired snarkily, arching a perfectly plucked eyebrow in your direction.

“How can you not know of him?” You returned, shrugging. Her face remained blank, and it occurred to you she really didn’t know who Daniel was. “That’s Daniel Ricciardo. Formula 1 driver for McLaren this year.” You told her, straightening out your blazer uncomfortably, unaware of the eyes on you from the other side of the room.

“Formula 1? So he’s, like…a millionaire?” She licked her lips,sultry eyes slipping over the crowd and fixating on who you assumed to be Daniel.

You cringed, resisting the urge to turn your nose up at her. You suddenly regretted telling her about his career because even a blind man could see that his money was the main thing on her mind at that moment in time.

You neglected from answering her question, instead trying to slink back to the kitchen, but you were interrupted by the scuffle of feet and the sound of something shattering before an obvious cry of pain was heard throughout the room, nearly drowned out in the volume of the music pumping from the speakers.

You swivelled back around, and several people had stepped away from the scene leaving an open gap in the crowd as more people gathered around to see what the kerfuffle was.

The girl had disappeared seemingly into thin air and you were about to take the moment of peace as an opportunity to leave, but Theo’s voice called your name over the crowd, laced with urgency.

You furrowed your brows in confusion, heart pounding with anxiety at the panic in his voice. You made your way to the crowd, apologising to people as you pushed your way through to get to the centre of all the attention.

As soon as you edged into Theo’s vision, he dragged you by the elbow into the centre, pointing to the person who’s cry of pain was heard over the music.

Blood was dripping from a deep gash in the palm of their hand, and the person in question looked a little pale, holding their hand up above their head, a permanent wince etched onto their face. Despite that, they looked rather uncomfortable with all the attention, and it was this that caused Theo to turn to the crowd and usher them away.

“I have a first aid kit in the bathroom.” Theo informed you, and you wasted no time in helping the injured person raise their arm higher above their head, guiding them through the crowd with a secure arm around their waist.

“A cut on my hand doesn’t hinder my ability to walk, okay?” They tried, shifting out of your grip.

“No, but if you pass out, it hinders my ability to patch you up.” You retorted, hurriedly passing your glass of lemonade back to Theo.

The person let a weak, sarcastic huff pass their lips, but they let you guide them to the bathroom, keeping an eye on the blood dripping down their arm and creeping into the sleeve of their blazer.

“Toilet or tub?” You asked, kicking the door shut behind you and casting a weary glance back at their hand.

“Depends on the context.” They answered.

You rolled your eyes, settling them on the toilet and quickly rifling through the sink cupboards, locating the first aid kit with ease.

“I’m gonna need you to take off your blazer.” You said, never imagining that you’d say those words to Daniel Ricciardo of all people.

Your relationship with Daniel was weird to say the least. You first met at — surprise, surprise — Theo’s party a few years ago. You’d gotten along swimmingly, perhaps a little bit too well, and it was safe to say he was incredibly charming and cursed with good looks. You were quite good friends, actually.

Until one day he pulled a face at you when you approached him at an award’s evening of some sort. You’d got no idea what happened to elicit such a negative reaction, or any idea on what you could have done, but he’d sneered at you and turned around, making conversation with the person next to you. He’d never explained why, but ever since that day he’d ignored you as much as possible, and it wasn’t exactly hard not to enjoy his company when he was so obviously disgusted with your presence.

Maybe it was the fact that you only managed to snag one piece of cake that night.

“You want a striptease? At least take me out for a date, first.” He muttered, pressing his lips together in obvious discomfort as he peeled his blazer off, being cautious of the blood. “I don’t even know why you’re bothering with this anyway, I’m fine.” He insisted.

You perched yourself on the edge of the bath, placing your bag on the tiled flooring and zipping open the first aid kit.

“Dan, you’re dripping blood…you’re clearly not fine.” You muttered, carefully rolling his shirt sleeve up past his elbow, ignoring the fact that this was the first time in a long time you’d been this close to him. Ignoring the fact that he looked positively fine in a suit, minus the blood.

He let out a shuddering breath, closing his eyes and shifting uncomfortably under your touch.

You turned his hand over, assessed the gash and winced, trying to ignore the tingling, uncomfortable sensation mirrored on your own palm as your eyes ran over the gash. It ran the width of his palm, and it didn’t take a genius to notice that it was quite deep in some places.

“Can we please be quick?” He sighed, his other hand smoothing out non-existent creases in his dress trousers.

You hated to admit it, but his words stung.

“Can you at least pretend like you don’t hate me, for fifteen minutes at least?” You said, an unintentional fierceness to your tone, one that you’d tried your best to dial down in his presence, but it seemed to no avail.

“Only if you do the same.” He muttered, and you took the liberty of ignoring his comment, reaching to fish an antiseptic wipe from the first aid kit, gently dabbing at the edges to clean off some blood so you could see the extent of the damage. You flexed his hand, ignoring his hiss of pain as the cut stretched slightly.

“What was that for?” He asked, his free hand slapping your hand as he fought to take his cut up hand out of your grip.

You opened your mouth in surprise, the skin on your own hand stinging slightly with the sudden contact.

“Don’t slap me! I’m trying to make sure you don’t have glass in it, you twat.” You said, shaking your head, “Which it doesn’t, by the way, so you’re welcome for checking.”

“How did you even know to check for glass?”

“Because there was broken glass on the floor?” You answered, applying pressure to the wound and lifting his hand a little higher again.

He huffed, turning his face away from you, so he was facing the wall, his lip curling into a sneer.

You rolled your eyes, “What did you mean when you said ‘only if you do the same’, anyway?” You murmured, keeping one hand on the wound and reaching to the floor to pick up your bag and unclip the front.

He narrowed his eyes, watching you root around in your bag for something, and he was about to say something, before he was interrupted by a knock on the bathroom door.

“Everything ok in there? Everyone still alive?” Theo’s muffled voice echoed into the room.

“We’re fine.”

“Yeah.”

Daniel grimaced, brown eyes burning through the door as if he was trying to send a telepathic message to Theo through the door.

“Good.” Was all Theo said before the full sound of his shoes against the wooden veneers could be heard on the other side of the door.

You hummed in delight, producing the very thing you were originally looking for in your bag.

“Haribo?” Daniel asked, raising his brows expectantly.

“To get your blood sugar levels up, you’re still pale.” You answered, ripping open the packet, and just as you were about to pour the sweets into Daniel’s outstretched hand, you paused, recoiling.

“What?” He asked, noticeably frustrated that he wasn’t scoffing the sweets.

“Why don’t you like me?” You questioned, biting on the inside of your cheek anxiously as he stared straight at you, his face expressionless.

He was quiet for a while, and you almost told him to forget you even said anything because the simple question looked like it hit home, but he opened his mouth, quickly closing it again. He looked at you from behind furrowed brows, apparently confused by your question.

“Why don’t I like you?” He repeated the question. “Why don’t you like me?”

You gaped at him, your cheeks flushing with irritation at his words.

“I don’t—I never—” you sighed in frustration, the hand clutching the packet of Haribo clenching unconsciously as Daniel looked at you with mild concern, “Why the hell would you think I don’t like you?”

He blinked, casting his sights back to the wall, ignoring your eye contact.

“Theo told me you, and I quote, ‘hate me’,” he answered, swallowing roughly as you continued to stare at him.

His discomfort under your gaze brought a sick sense of satisfaction, but at the same time you were having difficulty wrapping your head around what he’d just admitted.

“Theo? My Theo?” You clarified, arching an eyebrow.

He nodded.

“When did he tell you that?” Your heart was starting to hammer in your rib cage, the power of which was almost painful to endure.

“When we went clubbing a while back,” he shrugged.

“Why would he—?” You muttered, before turning back to Daniel. “Are you sure he said that?”

“Positive.”

“So you’ve been so hostile towards me for months now, all because of something someone else said to you in a dark, loud club when you were — let’s face it — probably drunk?”

Daniel sucked in his cheeks, now realising how there would have been so many chances for misunderstanding in such an environment.

“Yes…” he replied, dragging the word out slowly, trying his best to take his mind off the way your grip on his wound was slowly increasing.

“I never said I hate—”

“So…you don’t not like me?” He interrupted, his eyes wide.

“No…Yes…I don’t know how I’m supposed to answer that, but I never hated you.” You said, ducking your head down at his intense glare, instead turning your attention back to his bleeding hand, carefully peeling off the gauze to take a peak. You suddenly remembered the scrunched up packet of Haribo still clutched in your grasp, and you shoved it in Daniel’s direction, not bothering to even look at him when he took it, humming quietly in thanks.

He didn’t know how to respond to that, the revelation sending his mind spinning about a hundred different directions.

He was mad at Theo, even if what happened wasn’t entirely his fault, but he was mostly mad at himself for not even bothering to try to talk to you and hash it out. The months he spent trying to ignore you were completely miserable, and the worst part is, he put you through hell without even giving you any reason, and all of that ignorance was not even worth it…that is, if what you said was true.

“Oh.” Was all he said, taking to watching you strap up his hand after telling him he (thankfully) didn’t need stitches, but he did need to rest it for a while, which was probably for the best because the F1 Summer Break was currently in full swing.

Once you’d put the soaked gauze in the bin and tidied everything away to how you’d arrived before the bloodbath ensued, you stood up, brushing nonexistent dirt off your dress, and offered Daniel a rather confused smile.

He bit his lip in thought, your eyes unconsciously zipping to his mouth, before steering your gaze back up to his eyes when he caught you, raising his eyebrow slightly, a pale shade of pink tinting his cheeks as he fought back a smirk.

You turned away, looking at the door, which was very much tempting you at that moment in time.

He cleared his throat once he’d noticed your attention flicker away from him, and it was only then he registered he practically craved you to be looking at him. Whenever he was at functions with Theo, he would always unknowingly search for you, even when he thought you hated his guts, he’d still scan the crowd of unfamiliar faces in the hopes that he’d see you again.

He chewed on the inside of his cheek nervously, feeling your eyes on him. It was as if he’d suddenly melted into a teenager again right beneath your eyes. He cleared his throat again, sinking back against the toilet in an attempt to make himself smaller at the revelation he’d just arrived at.

It was weird, seeing him so shy when he was naturally such an outgoing character.

You found a part of your brain secretly admiring his flustering, but you quickly shut that down, reminding yourself that you shouldn’t be having those thoughts, especially since you’d just had to mop up a slice on his hand.

“I think I’m gonna go grab a drink and join the fray.” You said, hating the way your voice sounded so small against the echoing walls of the bathroom tiles.

Daniel snapped his eyes to yours, holding them intently, slightly alarmed at your words.

The last thing he wanted was for you to leave him; call it soppy, but he wanted to make up for lost time as soon as he possibly could, and he knew there would be very few opportunities considering both your careers were so demanding.

“Um…” he cleared his throat, “Yeah, I just want to say, thanks for all of this.” He gestured down to his hand, and you smiled.

“No problem. Just…stay away from broken glass for a bit and you should be fine.” You mumbled, words not registering in your brain as Daniel breathed a small laugh, looking utterly starstruck and sad at the same time.

“I’ll try my best.”

You offered one last smile, checking you still had your bag, and without another word you slipped out of the bathroom door, hearing the handle click behind you.

You could still hear the thumping remnants of the party in the next room, and without really caring who you bumped into along the way, you made a beeline for the kitchen, filling up a plastic wine glass with the nearest spirit and downing it as quickly as possible. You wiped your mouth with the back of your hand, immediately feeling guilty because of the early shift, and hurried to fill the glass back up with water, trying your best to dispel the effects of alcohol before they even had an impact.

It seemed to work.

Your head was spinning, unrelated to the liquids you’d just absorbed, but because of the bathroom fiasco that had just occurred only moments prior.

You were that caught up in your own thoughts, trying to separate fact from fiction and thought from feeling, that you completely missed the very brunette on your mind stride past the kitchen and into the living area, looking like a man on a mission as he tried to seek out Theo.

It didn’t take him long, he just had significantly more trouble trying to shake off a blonde that refused to let go of his arm, and he found Theo leant against a table, looking worn out, his mind absent from reality.

In the time it took for you to patch Daniel up, it looked as if Theo had faced a war and somehow escaped.

“You okay?” Daniel asked, hand clapping into Theo’s shoulder in an attempt to bring him back to reality.

He jumped, immediately relaxing when he registered just who was standing in front of him.

“I’m fine, but if that…person over there takes another step towards my Grandma, he’s not going to know what hit him.” He answered, finger pointing at a rather suspicious looking man.

“I don’t see a Grandma anywhere.” Daniel pointed out, slightly concerned.

Theo rolled his eyes, as if he’d had to answer the question a million times already, “She’s the purple one on the mantelpiece.” He muttered, taking a swig of whatever was in his glass.

Daniel nodded, feeling guilty for even bringing up the topic, but the completely detached behaviour from Theo was giving him a hard time in focusing on what he actually came over to do.

“Sorry about that, mate.” He apologised, breathing in deeply.

Theo shrugged.

“Anyway, does Y/N still have the same phone number or did she change it?” Daniel questioned, attempting to pretend like the question wasn’t that big of a deal by shrugging and avoiding making eye contact with Theo, but the raise of the eyebrow and curious, piercing blue stare proved that his attempt was futile.

“I knew you still liked her.” Theo chuckled.

“Am I that transparent?” Daniel quipped, pressing his lips together in a tight line.

“Only for me.” Theo grinned, patting Daniel’s cheek.

Daniel pulled a face, swiping Theo’s hand away.

“But no, she’s still got the same number. Why’d you ask?”

Daniel shrugged, already backing away, attention flickering around the room, once again searching for something — the action of which didn’t go unnoticed by Theo, who positively cackled inside, “Just curious.”

“If curious means ‘I-fucked-up-with-a-really-good-person-big-time-and-I-need-to-make-it-up-somehow-before-I-ask-her-out-for-real-this-time-instead-of-practicing-it-in-the-mirror’, then, whatever you say.”

“That was ages ago!”

“People don’t forget!” Theo yelled, smirking in triumph as Dan disappeared around the corner, no doubt searching for you.

You were sitting on the cold, stone steps outside the apartment building, your phone in your hand and debating whether or not to call a taxi or walk home before it gets too dark.

Your thumb was hovering over the call button to your local taxi when the building doors slammed open, the sound of shoes slapping against the concrete as a tall figure leapt down the last three steps, running a hand through their curls in frustration as they looked left, then right, and sighed, reaching into their jacket pocket to produce their phone.

You couldn’t see their face, only the back of their head, but you’d recognise that figure anywhere.

You looked down, your heart stuttering at the sudden buzzing of the phone in your hand.

You narrowed your eyes, resisting the urge to laugh at the hilarity of the situation, and answered the call, lifting the phone up to your ear, your eyes fixated on the pacing figure on the pavement, watching him from your spot at the top corner of the stairs.

“Hello?” The person asked, sounding a bit breathless through the phone.

“Hi.”

“It’s Daniel...Ricciardo.” He winced at his own awkwardness.

“I know. You’re still saved in my contacts.”

“I am?” He replied, tone laced with shock.

You were almost embarrassed to admit that you’d held onto a little shred of hope in thinking he’d eventually get over himself, “You had a paddy with me, remember?”

“About that, I’m really sorry. Like, really, really, really,really, really—”

“I get the idea.” You sighed.

“No, I don’t think you understand how sorry I am for it. It was so insanely stupid of me to stop talking to you because of something I thought I heard in a club — a fucking club of all places — without even thinking of talking to you—”

“Why didn't you talk to me?”

He was silent for a while, and you noticed he’d halted his pacing on the pavement. “I know it sounds like I’m making up excuses, but I really thought you hated my guts, and that...it hurt because I kind of had a bit of a crush on you and I pushed you away because I think a subconscious part of my mind thought that if I did that then it would be better in the long run because I wouldn’t be so attached to you if something went weird later on.” He explained, his voice lowering and quieting towards the end, as if he’d just understood what he didn’t understand.

“That’s...a lot to unpack.” You murmured, noticing the way his shoulders had slumped.

“Yeah...we don’t have to do it right now, though.”

“No, I agree, I think we’d need a nicer place to sort though our emotional struggles than outside Theo’s apartment building.”

“Yeah, it’s a bit weird — what?” He caught himself, spinning around on his heels.

You offered a shy wave once he’d tilted his head in your direction, realising you’d been watching him talk to you the entire time.

“I was looking for you.” He said once he’d hung up the phone, meeting you halfway on the steps.

“Why?”

“Can I walk you home?” He resorted to asking.

_____

The journey home took about twice as long as it usually would, and by the time you’d both made it onto your street, night was beginning to creep through, the sky changing to a darker blue, street lamps beginning to turn on.

The conversation flowed remarkably easily, albeit there was a noticeable hesitance in dancing around that subject, but you pretended not to notice it, and you had a feeling Daniel was trying to do the same.

He kept glancing at you out of the corner of his eye, almost disbelieving of that fact that you were in front of him, even after what he’d put you through, and he had to keep catching himself to ensure you didn’t notice him looking.

You did.

“So, how are you feeling about going back after the Summer Break?”

He stifled a smile, “I don’t know why, but I have a really good feeling about going back. You know what? It has to be those Haribo’s.” He breathed a laugh.

“What? I hand out magic Haribo?” You smirked, shaking your head in disbelief.

“Yep.”

“No.”

“You say that now, but you’ll take it back when I get a podium.”

“When you do win, just don’t go around telling everyone about my magic Haribo.”

“Oh, the Haribo are reserved for me and for me only. It won’t have the same effect if you give some to Lando.”

“I’ll just take your word for it, I guess.”

You breathed a laugh, coming to a halt on the pavement, the familiar house standing to your left.

Daniel looked up.

“I thought you had a Fiesta?” He asked, pointing to the blue Hyaundi parked on the driveway.

“I’m sorry, is my car not up to the standard you’re used to?” You questioned, raising an eyebrow teasingly in his direction.

“Oi, I’ll have you know that I learnt to drive in a — I can’t even remember what model it was, but I do remember having to really press down on the brake…and the air con was broken.” He defended, throwing his hands up as if to say he was surrendering.

You bit your lip, “I learnt to drive in a Mercedes.”

His reaction was priceless.

“A Mercedes? You learnt to drive in a—wow.”

“It was just the company car, I didn’t really have a choice.”

“Still…wow.” He paused, feet tapping the pavement agitatedly, “I have a proposal.”

You met his eyes, unable to help feeling slightly anxious by the prospect.

“Go on.” You encouraged, crossing your arms tightly.

“If I win a GP…wait—can we make a deal?” He asked, throwing his hand out.

You nodded.

“If I win a GP, I get to take you on a date.” He offered, raising one eyebrow but somehow maintaining eye contact.

“But…what’s in it for me?” You smirked.

He scoffed, rolling his eyes, “That’s so rude…but, okay…I take you to Monza, and if—when I win a GP, I get to take you out. For my own sake, I’m gonna pretend like I will win one because I don’t know what I’ll do if I don’t.”

“You’ll win one.” You stated simply, shrugging.

“What makes you so sure of that?”

“Because you’re Daniel Ricciardo, when have you ever not been successful in a car?” You asked, pulling a face as if it was obvious from the get-go.

Daniel didn’t say anything after that. He just sort of looked at you, twisting his mouth up in thought. You couldn’t tell what was going through his mind at that moment in time, but you had a sneaking suspicion he was trying to believe your words.

“You really believe that?” He finally said, a hint of what sounded like insecurity laced in his tone.

“You don’t?” You shot back, your heart breaking slightly at his demeanour.

“I never left.” He mumbled under his breath, turning away from you slightly with furrowed brows, seemingly having a conversation with himself.

You knew those words would stick around in your mind for a long time.

But there was something so addictive about ‘Daniel Ricciardo wins the 2021 Italian Grand Prix’.

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