#the writing for characters was shallow because they all must be able to ditch friends family and lovers for Billy

[randomnameless]

tbh, I stopped caring about houses that much when I found out that it's an otome/dating sim game with srpg gameplay sprinkled on top. In other FE games, you either gather supports by pair ups or by having units standing against one another. And mechanics like cooking in Fates were done to get some more stat boosts. And even if the avatarization of the game started with New Mystery, Robin and Corrin feel more like customizable characters than an avatar for the player.

In houses, Byleth is like every typical dating sim protag, that does not speak and the few times they do is by having the player choose options that may raise heart points with a character or lower them, you have to find lost items and when you give them back you gain heart points, you have to give them gifts to gain heart points and cooking now doesn't give you any beneficts in battle and only works for, you've guessed it, getting heart points. And let's not kid ourselves, tea time is like the "dates" in otome games, in which you can spam gifts till you raise the affection to the max. The only thing that distincts those points from the otome ones, is that those are necessary for proficency and for unit classes.

Heck, we even have a ring to give to the chosen blorbo in order to get a special custom made cutscene, when in pasts games getting an S support gave you a broken unit to deploy and a little blurb of text during the credits. And of course, calendar/day systems are also common in these tipes of games too.

People complained about awakening and fates for turning the franchise into a dating sim, but 3Houses is literally one in and of itself, and yet is praised as peack FE experience and as peack srpg.

(I could also argue that is because of this otome nature why the characters are "tell don't show" with their given trauma, unlike in pasts games when it was "show don't tell" (Nino, Reison, Camilla, Leif, Soren...))

Well,

When you put it like that, it becomes obvious that the other games (FEH, Engage) mentionning Fodlan are stuck on the uwu monastery part of the part 1 and not the, y'know, events happening that will lead to part 2 because as you said, the SRPG aspect is just "sprinkled on top" lol

However, the "pair up your units and build their relationships!" has been a non gameplay mechanics for decades now (FE4's was a gameplay mechanic, it had no support convos - FE6 added the support convos and gave a small gameplay boost but it didn't commit and we had no endings, FE7/8 had endings, FE9 had convos but FE10 removed them and yet had endings depending on the pairs, etc etc) even without avatars.

Then we entered the avatar era and if it added the "my waifu and my bae" shenanigans, FE13/14 were still more centered on the story aspect that on the "dating sim" aspect, as in, even if you could raise affinity with a character by doing X or Y, it wasn't really coded in a minigame - came FE16 which you analysed perfectly : tea time, gifts, eating, S-support CG, etc etc.

That being said, FE is a RPG, meaning it has characters : you play FE for the solid gameplay but you also build characters, and imo the best way to develop and write characters is to interconnect them with other characters, and/or with the plot/lore.

Sure, Arden functions as a wall/tank. But through the 5 lines he has, you learn that he is part of a group of knights, has friends who often tease him but is relied upon by those people and takes pride in that, he'd also like to find a wife someday and has self-esteem issues.

Is he as developped as, say, Xillia's Alvin? Hell no! But they're characters from two different genres, Arden has those 5 lines that puts him above any "generic" armor.

(I find it interesting how UO and in a way, FE11, gives you the opportunity to play with generics instead of playing with named characters, in UO generics will turn out to be better since you can change their growths, but they're generics. Do you want the RPG of the Tactics/Strategy aspect?)

So, I'd say that support conversations are important, I love Saias and Ralf to bits, but I'm sure I'd love them more if they had more lines. And since support through battle can be a chore (hello FE GBA and trying to get Bartre and Karla's supports when she joins 2 chapters before the end!), I initially welcome any way to grind those supports faster lol.

However, it can quickly spiral in, well, the otome mechanics we have in FE16 - if you want to build support then why not have an entire mini-game for that, and meals and chorals and whatever else?

It's all about finding balance between developping your characters without turning your game in a dating sim or what I'd call "playing the sims and pairing those dolls with those other dolls you like".

Still, let's not kid ourselves, nowadays the "dating sim" aspect of the series is, while decried by some, very popular - and FE is first and foremost, a series that has to sell.

3H is not peak SRPG not peak gaming experience or even in FE gameplay that'd be FE5 but I can't ignore the fact that its dating sim aspects might be part of the reason why it's still very popular.

[xmxisxforxmaybe]

Thank You

I don’t typically write for Rami bc I prefer to write for his characters; however, I’ve reached 200 followers, and I think that’s really cool. I’d like to show my appreciation by sharing a Rami story because he is just SUCH a teeny powerhouse of a muse. 

I want to first say a great big thank you to the folks in the Rami fandom who have made me feel so welcome. I write for myself because it “sparks joy,” but I post for YOU because you’ve been so kind and encouraging. 

So, thanks to all of you for following my blog. I love you all. Here’s a fic about those goddamn Bafta pants. Author’s Note: There is no rhyme or reason for this other than smut, so don’t overthink the context or surrounding details. I am not making any statement other than I found those pants . . . inspirational 😉

Warning: PWP, no under 18s

At some point during the BAFTAs After-Party, Rami ditched his perfectly white jacket, dropping it onto the chair behind him at the bar, leaving your main focal point for the entire night unblocked. You listened as he laughed, his glass of champagne sloshing a little as he moved his hands, telling the group of people around him something that made them all laugh, a tiny roar that drew the momentary attention of other partygoers.

You had damn near had enough of his teasing. He knew how good he looked in that suit and he was riding a high wave of confidence after his win. Every now and then, he’d shoot you a glance, an arrogant smirk planted on his face because he knew exactly what he was doing to you. He was an actor, a multiple-award-winning actor, and he knew how to use his face, and in the case of this evening, also his trousers, as a weapon.

You set your own drink down, gathering the long, slinky fabric of your dress in your hand and crossing the room. Rami was listening to another person in his circle, so you were able to step slightly in front of him and place your hand on his shoulder. You leaned into his body and with your lips right next to his ear, you whispered, “You’ve teased me long enough. I want your cock in my mouth. Have your driver drop you at my place, Mr. Malek.”

And you left as Rami shifted uncomfortably; you could just make out the blur of him yanking his white jacket off the bar chair, probably using it to cover the twitching hardness those fucking pants were not going to be able to hide on their own.

You left with a smile of satisfaction on your face, nodding to some people you knew as you ducked into your waiting car.

* * * * *

You stood at one of the full-length windows that lined your corner apartment, displaying spectacular views of the city which was lit up as far as the eye could see. Stripped down to your sexiest black underwear and bra set, your ass cheeks perfectly framed with lace and on display for when he walked through the door, you drank your champagne as you continued to wait. Your hair was still piled onto the top of your head in a pretty updo, but you’d taken most of the thick Red Carpet makeup off, leaving only your eye makeup because you knew it’d add to the effect of what you were about to do to your little tease.

When the key turned in the lock and the door opened and closed, you couldn’t help but smile. It had been less than an hour, so he must have given himself just enough time to say his goodbyes before he left to follow you.

You continued to sip your champagne and watched his reflection as it approached you, the beautiful white suit standing out in the window as the rest of him appeared to blend in with the city. His hands slid around your waist and his thick fingers crawled across your abdomen.

He pressed his body close to yours and leaned in to rest his chin on your shoulder, his face just starting to grow some stubble in the late hours of the night. His scent was a glorious mixture of his expensive cologne and the sweetness of the champagne on his breath as he contentedly sighed, turning his head to nuzzle his nose into your neck.

He almost got you with that move, too, your eyes slipping shut before they blinked back open; now that you were alone in your apartment and not surrounded by hundreds of other people, you were in control. And Rami had been a bad, bad boy.

“You smell so good,” he whispered, his tongue tracing the shell of your ear.

You ignored him and continued to sip your champagne.

Rami kissed down your exposed neck and chuckled into your skin.

“You mad at me?” he whispered as his lips ghosted across the base of your neck.

“I’m so happy you won, darling,” you said, your tone cheerful as you continued to ignore his kisses.

“But I’d like to spend some time with the real star of the evening,” you said, your tone turning seductive.

Rami stopped, his lips on your shoulder, and you were sure he was holding his breath.  

You turned around and he stepped back, releasing you from his lips and his hands. Rami’s eyes flicked over your face and his lips were drawn into a tight line.

“Let’s see,” you purred, your hands coming up to touch his face.

“Such expressive eyes. Think maybe that’s what the magazines will talk about tomorrow?”

Your fingers traced over his brows and across the soft skin underneath his eyes. You lightly trailed a finger over each set of eyelashes, before whispering, “No. Not the eyes.”

“How about this mouth?” you said as you traced his lips with your fingers, and he opened them, responding to your touch. “Such a pretty little pout.”

You moved forward to grab his bottom lip between your teeth, pulling it out and swiping your tongue over it before releasing it.

Rami grabbed your hips, his fingers digging into the upper sides of your ass as he steadied himself. You could see his chest rising and falling, his breaths becoming more shallow as you played your game.

“Hmm. Still a no, though. I guess there’s always this jawline,” you said turning his face a bit roughly with one hand then reaching up to trace the angles with your other.

“So defined. So handsome,” you said before trailing your tongue along the bone from ear to chin.

“Y/N,” Rami breathed, his fingers flexing and his hips pushing toward you to try to get some friction. “Please.”

You chuckled into his ear and released his jaw. His eyes snapped to yours and he tried to close the distance and kiss you, but you pushed into his shoulders, holding him at bay.

“So well-proportioned,” you said in the same tone, refusing to acknowledge his need for you. “Maybe that’s what they’ll talk about tomorrow? The perfect cut of this jacket?”

You pushed his jacket off his shoulders, the white material separating from his black shirt easily, landing in a ripple on the floor.

You slid your hands up and down his arms, grasping at his biceps before moving across his chest and squeezing his pecks, his nipples already hard and visible through the thin, silky material of the shirt.

You shook your head no as you lightly scratched at his nipples, and tsked your tongue. “Nope. Not the jacket.”

You slid your hands down, stopping at the top of his trousers. Rami was watching your every movement, his eyes begging you to fulfill the tease you whispered as you left the party.

You gave him a seductive smirk as you dropped to your knees.

“Oh!” you gasped, feigning shock. “What a pleasure to meet you!”

You spoke to Rami’s growing cock as it strained against his white pants.

“I’ve known about your talents for a long time, but how nice to see you finally getting the recognition you deserve,” you said, looking up to meet Rami’s eyes, his face split into a wide grin, his perfectly white teeth a match to his perfectly white suit.

Rami slid his hand under your chin, grasping it, locking your head in place to force your eyes to remain on his face.

“You are such an asshole,” he said through his wide smile.

“Your world-famous friend doesn’t seem to think so,” you shot back.

Rami released your chin and moved both of his hands to your shoulders.

You turned your attention back to the evening’s real star and ran your fingers down over the front of the soft fabric that covered his thighs, knowing he was still watching you with those big, gorgeous eyes. You looked at his clearly defined bulge again and thought about how worthless a pair of pants like this really were; they served one purpose and one purpose only—to highlight Rami’s perfect anatomy.

What a little slut, you thought as you leaned in and ran your tongue over his cock, stopping to play with the tip by tracing the ridge of his head.

Rami groaned, an obnoxious, half-growl, half-moan as his hands gripped your shoulders.

You continued to mouth over his hard cock, lightly biting down on the thickest part of his bulge as you reached around to grasp his ass.

“Ohmyfuckinggod,” Rami mumbled through another obnoxious moan. “Please, Y/N. You’re killing me.”

“You’ve been sucha bad, bad boy Rami,” you said as you nuzzled his dick through the fabric. “Now you have to be patient.”

He whimpered and you almost felt sorry for him.

Almost.

After all, he was the one who chose those goddamn pants.

You continued lightly nuzzling and licking at his cock through the pants as you ran your hands over his ass, his thighs, and his calves, touching everywhere you could reach.

“I—” he began, his breath hitching. “I’m so-sorry. For being a tease.”

You paused and looked up, arching a brow, a smirk of victory on your lips.

His mouth was open and his tongue was darting out to wet his lips before he sucked in the bottom one; your eyes never wavered from his as you brought your hands to the clasp on his trousers.

His eyes flicked to your fingers to watch as you slowly undid the clasp and lowered the zipper even more slowly. You had to tug a little to get them to fall, but they slid down his legs and pooled at his feet.

His cock bobbed as it sprang from the confines of those tight pants and you moaned as you licked a long stripe from base to tip. Rami’s fingers dug into your shoulders, probably hard enough to leave bruises, and he pulled you forward, silently begging for you to take him in your mouth.

Instead, you continued to lick and tease him, tonguing his balls, kissing his thighs, and when you paused as you slid a hand into your panties, groaning low in your throat as you slid through your slick heat, parting your lips and pushing inside of yourself before sliding up to your clit, you saw Rami’s eyes glisten with the threat of tears.

Rami attempted to speak, his voice coming out in nothing more than a rasp until he cleared his throat.

“How wet are you?”

You shook your head no, refusing to show him as you continued to work your clit.

Rami had to shift his stance as he nearly buckled when you then took him in your mouth, your other hand grasping his base as you sucked in as much of him as you could. You held him tight, not wanting him to come too soon as your fingers worked on your own orgasm.

Rami was a panting, moaning mess; his hands were now tangled in your updo as his he fucked your mouth. From his vantage, he couldn’t see what you were doing between your thighs. He could only see the movement of your arm, the dip of your shoulder and the flexing of your bicep and your forearm as you worked to an orgasm, and it drove Rami crazy.

Despite your attempts to hold him back, your teasing had been too much. Rami was so close and you had no intention of stopping, so you moved your hand to his hip. Squeezing and holding him in place to let him know he could come in your mouth.

Your orgasm crashed through you as you thought of him spilling into your mouth and you moaned around Rami’s cock as your thighs tightened and your eyes closed in pleasure.

Rami came immediately, filling your mouth with cum, some of it leaking from the corner of as you continued to bob your head lightly sucking him through his orgasm. You pulled back to look up at him as you swallowed, his eyes heavy lidded, his mouth still parted, and he watched as you cleaned his cum off with your thumb, sliding that digit in your mouth to show him that you swallowed every bit.

Rami had moved his hands back to your shoulders to steady himself and they slid down your arms as he helped pull you to your feet, your hand sliding out of your panties.

He smiled when you were facing him, his expression one of satiation. You smiled back, but it was a wicked little grin as you slid your glistening fingers over his lips, coating the upper and lower in your juices. Rami’s grip on your upper arms tightened as his tongue followed your fingers and you slid them into his mouth, your own breathing picking up as he sucked them, humming around them as his tongue slid between the two digits. As you pulled your fingers out, he bit down and your fingers scraped deliciously between his teeth.

You leaned in to lightly kiss his lips before starting to undo his bowtie, loosening the fabric so it hung around his collar. Slowly, you unbuttoned his shirt, kissing each newly exposed expanse of skin, until you were once again on your knees. You took his softened cock into your mouth and Rami grunted. You released him and chuckled as you reached down to help him out of his shoes and socks, finally able to completely free him from his trousers.

You stood back up and picked your almost forgotten champagne glass off the floor. You walked over to the coffee table to refill it and offered your glass to Rami, picking up another and filling it, too.

“A toast,” you said, turning to face him in all his naked splendor. He grinned and held up his glass, and you smiled as you could see the city lights reflected on his back, his ass perfectly defined in the reflection of the window.

“To your first BAFTA and more importantly, to those fucking white pants.”

You laughed together as you clinked your glasses, both of you eyeing each other while taking long drinks.

Rami reached out and took your glass, setting both of them on the end table. He moved to the sofa and sat on the edge so he could pull you to stand in front of him between his legs.

He reached up, his middle fingers slowly sliding up the outside of your thighs until they met your panties. He slid them under the fabric and then hooked his fingers to finally pull the soaking wet garment off. He kissed across your hips before pulling you to settle on his lap.

He reached up to pull your face to meet his so he could kiss you, really kiss you. You shivered as his tongue twined with yours and as he nipped at your lips, opening and closing the kiss with a frenzy.

When both of you were panting, your lips glistening and swollen, he moved to kiss your neck, sucking lightly on the spots that made you moan. His hands reached behind you to unhook your bra, and he slid the straps from your arms, tossing the garment somewhere behind him.

“I want you so much,” he whispered, kissing across your breasts as your hands ran through his hair, ruining the perfect style.

“Will you let me have you?” he said, pulling your chin down to force your eyes to meet his. They were so bright and intense that it took your breath away. You loved him like this—quiet and soft, focused only on you as if all the noise of his very, very busy life had finally faded to nothing more than a quiet din, miles away.

“Always,” you whispered, moving from his lap and standing, pulling him up so he could follow you down the hall to the bedroom, those fucking white pants crumpled and forgotten on the floor.

[littlebitoffanfic]

Secrets

Fandom: IT Character: Belch, others mentioned Relationship: Belch/reader Request: I loved your dating belch headcanons!! Can you please write a fic for him? Where he keeps the reader from the gang even though they are in a relationship but one night after sex, the gang comes to his and he shoves the reader out the window in her underwear or something to keep them apart. The reader thinks hes embarrassed about her but its because hes trying to protect her. Maybe the reader gets sick and he comes to take care of her? Fluffy ending? sorry if this is soooo long. You lay in Regs bed, your head on his chest as you drew circles on his skin with your finger tips. He had his arm wrapped around you, the other behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. You smiled lazily as you cuddled in closer, your body still riding on the high of the previous events. The way the two of you had stumbled into the bedroom, clothes flying and lips locked. Or how he groan every time your hand brushed against his cock. As normal, the sex had been amazing. Passionate and pleasurable. You lost count about an hour ago to the amount of orgasms you had had but you did remember that every time you came, Reg would have a very proud look on his face. Every chance he got chance to prove you had a reason to be with him, he would take. He’d make you cum as much as he could, he’d take you place and come pick you up at the drop of a hat, he would literally try anything to keep you by his side. Apart from one situation. When his friends were about. Reg had made a very big attempt keeping you all apart, even going to the lengths of keeping your relationship a secret. You didn’t understand it all, but you never really questioned it simply because you loved him. You had been dating for just over a year and the time had flown by. At the start, it had been just sex. It just so happened that the two of you you sat up, much to Regs displeasure. “Whats wrong, baby?” He sit up as you stood but you smiled at him. “Nothing, I just need a drink.” You reassured him as you quickly pulled on your panties and then grabbing the shirt Reg had been wearing. Once it was on, you looked at him and saw his eyes light up at the sight of you. You knew he loved it when you wore his shirts, especially after sex. Reg seemed to agree with you as he also got up, shoving on a pair of boxers before the two of you headed down stairs to the kitchen. You spent a lot of time at Regs, so you knew were everything was. Pulling a cup out the cupboard, you went to the sink and started to pour water into it. Reg walked up behind you, his arms circling around your waist. “You’re beautiful.“ He mumbled as he buried his face into your neck, enjoying the smell mixture of sex and him on your skin. you giggled, placing the glass down and turning in his arms to press your lips to his in a lazily but sweet kiss. He smiled into the kiss, his whole body reacting to it as though it was the first kiss. He did this often. Reg suddenly pulled away, his demeaner changing as he looked to the side. “Baby?” You asked, trying to draw his attention back but he let go of you and then you heard it. Voices, loud ones. You recognised one of their laughs and knew instantly who it was. SO did Reg. “You have to go.” Reg suddenly snapped as he darted across the kitchen to the laundry pile and hauling some jeans and a tee-shirt. “w-what?” You gasped, both scared and angry. “Its dark and the middle of winter. It was fucking snowing yesterday. And im only wearing this!” You gestured to yourself as he pulled on the clothes. “im sorry, I really am. But-“ He was cut off when the sound of the front door opening and Patrick called into the house. “Belch!” You barley had a moment to think as you were grabbed and pushed to the back door which he opened. In one second, you were pushed into the cold and the door was slammed shut. It would seem just in time as you heard voices fill the kitchen, laughter including Regs. The cold hit you like a ton of bricks and you started to shiver violently. Tears streamed down your cheeks and your heart broke in two. You were tempted to go back in there and scream at him, but you didn’t. “We’re done.” You whispered, angrily as though he would be able to hear you. Turning on your heel, you knew the only way you were getting home was on your own. The walk back to yours might have been a nice one, if it wasn’t dark, freezing and your heart wasn’t breaking. by the half way point, your teeth were chattering, your breathing was shallow but slow, your hands were fumbling. When you got home, you didn’t go to bed. Something was really wrong with yours body, you knew it. Your pulse was weak and it scared you. Instead, you went straight to the phone and dialled 911. --------------time skip -------------- Something was wrong. Reg knew it. 2 weeks he hadn’t seen you or heard from you. 2 weeks since he had pushed you out the back door. and it was all for nothing. Patrick had went upstairs and found your clothes, including underwear, lying on his floor. He knew how frustrated you were getting with the situation and told them everything, leaving out how you had been here moments before. The reaction was far better than he expected. They playfully punched his arm, congratulating him on getting laid. Patrick made a couple of comments but nothing too vulgar. He had agreed with the guys to introduce you the next day at school. In fact, he had driven up to your house that morning, going to pick you up and explain everything to you. But you weren’t home. No one was. He just assumed you had left early. But you weren’t at school. None of your friends had seen you. That was when he started to panic. What had happened to you when you walked home? Images of your body lying somewhere in the woods quickly swooped across his mind and he was nearly sick. He ditched school early, not even waiting for the guys as he drove to your house which was still empty. He waited there for hours, till well after sun down, before one of your neighbours walked by. He asked if they had seen you and the next words made his world stop. “Shes in hospital.” he went straight to the hospital but when the nurses asked his name and he told them, he was told he couldn’t go in and see you. He had nearly kicked off then and there in the hospital, till the nurse said you had specifically requested no visitors. The next few days were a haze for Reg. he didn’t go to school, didn’t really go home at all. He spent his time dotting between the hospital and your house. He knew your parents were working abroad. You were old enough to stay home alone and they had arrangements with the neighbours to keep an eye on you. It wasn’t until he saw a taxi pull up at your house on the 4th or 5th day that he was snapped out of his daze. You got out of the taxi, wincing slightly as you did so. The driver must have been happy to get you out since you had done nothing but cough all the way back from the hospital. Your body was still incredibly weak, but you wanted home and the doctors agreed. Your parents had phoned, telling you that they couldn’t come home because of a storm which had grounded all planes. They told you they had sent money so if you needed to stay in hospital, you could. They also called Regs mom, not that you knew. to be honest, you didn’t really know what was going on around you until you felt a hand around your waist. You jumped, looking to the owner of the hand and finding Reg. His eyes were filled with fear and confusion and his whole body was tense. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. “Get off me.” You mumbled, attempting to push him away but you were far too weak. You had used all your energy persuading the doctors to let you out and now you just wanted to sleep. You were very worried you would just collapse on the floor. “I’ll help you.” Reg mumbled, meaning for it to sound like a question but it was more a demand. SO he bent down and picked you up bridal style. He had done this loads of times and would normally result in your giggling but cuddling into him. Instantly, he felt how much weight you had lost in such a short space of time. “How…?” he trailed off, unable to believe that the person in his arms was the same as the one he’d pushed out 5 days ago. “Hypothermia. Got taken to hospital. But there were complications. Now its pneumonia.” You tried your best to explain. You were too weak to even argue because you knew there was no point. You needed the help and while your pride was taking a hit, you knew he could at least get you inside. you lolled your head against his shoulder, silently rejoicing at his warmth. you nodded in and out of sleep, thankful Reg knew where your spare key was kept. You woke up in the hallway. Reg went to take you up stairs but you shook your head. “No, no, not to my bed. Living room.” You managed to mumble but you saw he was confused and obviously you had to explain yourself. “Kitchens closer. Bathrooms downstairs. Heaters. Phone.” You rattled off, closing your eyes over. Next thing you knew, you were being set carefully down on the sofa. A blanket was placed over you for a couple of minutes so that Reg could run up to your room and grab your duvet, pillows and a couple of other things you might need. When he came back, he slid the pillow under your head and covered you up. He then went to the kitchen and got you water but by the time he came back, you were asleep. He settled into one of your single seater chairs, watching over you as guilt filled his body with every passing moment. Guilt that made tears prick in his eyes, made him feel sick to his stomach, made him loath himself. -------------------time skip -------- Over the next week or so, Reg stayed with you. You spent more time asleep than awake, but Reg quickly realised you had tablets to take so would wake you up when you needed them. He made you soup and other soft foods. The only time he left was to run back to his on the second day of you being home and grab clothes. His mom was worried about him, but when he told her what was wrong with you, she said she would sort everything out. She had known about you and her son from the start and grew very fond of you. She had been away the weekend that it had all happen. She had visited a few time, bringing fresh clothes for Reg as well as small things for you like homemade soup. The first time she walked in and saw you on the couch, she nearly fainted at how ill you looked. But she knew she had to be strong for her son. Reg couldn’t bring himself to tell him mom it was his fault you were like this. But Reg couldn’t even admit it to himself. After about a week, you started to become more conscious. You were able to move about by yourself and weren’t falling asleep all the time. You really didn’t know how you felt. On the one hand, you were in this situation because of him, but on the other, he had taken care of you without even being asked. Even when you were better and able to move about properly, he still stayed to make sure you were okay. Having him around was certainly helpful, because he was able to take care of you such as waking you up to eat or take medication. You were grateful for that at least. He knew something was wrong with you. Not with your health, but with this relationship. You wouldn’t look at him properly, you wouldn’t really speak to him and you seemed slightly resentful he was there. Which you were. You just didn’t know how to feel. One night, it got too much for both of you. “Will you just look at me?” Reg said out of the blue. The two of you were watching TV and Reg had tried to start a conversation but failed. You were on the sofa and he was in the single seater that you were sure he had been sleeping in. “I cant.” You managed to whisper, turning your body away from him. “Im sorry.” “Will… we ever be okay?” He suddenly asked, his voice shaking. This made you look at him, your eyes wide at his sudden question about your relationship. “Theres not a ‘we’ anymore. You made that clear the night you shoved me out into the cold in a tee-shirt.” Your voice was just as shaky as his, your tears welling in your eyes. You saw him wince at your words. “I-I didn’t know this would happen. I just didn’t want you around them.” He mumbled but this got your blood pumping as anger filled your body. “What sort of relationship did we even have that you suddenly care so much for? You didn’t even want to tell your friends about me. You were embarrassed of me so you kept us a secret. I was just a fuck buddie to you!” You snapped at him. “Its not like that!” Reg matched your tone as he sat up properly in his seat. “Do you know what would have happened if Hockstetter had seen you only my shirt?” He gestured at you, but you rolled your eyes. “Probably would have been any worse than if someone had seen me stumbling through the woods in a shirt!” Your tears ran down your cheek as you turned away from him, clasping your hand over your mouth to stop the sobs. But it did nothing. there was a moment of silence, only broken by your tears before Reg spoke. “im not embarrassed by you.” He said and you felt his eyes on the back of your head. “Why didn’t you want to tell anyone about us?” You finally asked a question that was bugging your mind for weeks now. “I just… wanted to keep you to myself.” Reg shook his head as he tried to put it into words. “the guys… I didn’t know how they’d act to you. and I wanted to keep you safe. But they know about you now.” With that, your head snapped towards him. “Patrick found your bra in my room. Its not my size so they guessed.” He told you, and you couldn’t help but giggle a little at the idea of Patrick holding out a bra and quizzing his friend about it. You saw a light in Reg eyes when you laughed. “They wanted to meet you. Was gonna introduce you last Monday at school but…” He trailed off, not need to tell you why you weren’t at school. “Yeah.” Was all you could say as you looked away from him. “I didn’t think of you in that way.” Reg said, his voice breaking as he stared at you. “You weren’t just a…” He trailed off, unable to say ‘fuck buddy’ about you. “Then what was I?” You look at him again. “I-i-I-“ Reg stuttered, struggling to put his emotions in to words. Especially about you. He had always struggled with emotions like this. He struggled when it came to first realising, he had a crush on you, struggled when he first asked you out and even when he first kissed you. Every time, you had responded with enthusiasm and mirrored feelings which certainly made it easier to move forward. But right now? He didn’t know if you would. Not that he could blame you. Your reasonings and angry were justifiable and he knew more than anything that he didn’t expect you to return to him. The realisation dawned on him. He continued to stare at you while a storm raged in his mind. You would leave him either way. No one wanted to be with someone who had done to them what he had done to you. He hated himself for allowing you to feel like his interests in you were purely for sex and maybe a little company. Because you meant so much more to him than just that. “I’m in love with you.” He spoke without realising it fully. The words fell from his lips as if it were a dream. He didn’t mean to say it out loud, much less so for you to hear him. your eyes widened at his confession. You looked up at him and he was still staring at you, a mixture of longing and sadness in his eyes. “Really?” You breathed, unable to believe both that he had said those words and how deeply they effected you. “From the start, yeah.” He nodded, leaning back in his seat and slumping while his hands covered his face before dropping away. “I couldn’t believe you wanted to be with me. And I thought it would just be easiest to keep it all a secret.” “What do you mean?” You ask, tilting your head to the side. You could see tears forming in his eyes but he blinked them away. “I know the guys are a lot to deal with, and I thought they might scare you away. I know im not the best lookin’ guy in school and if people found out about us, you would realise you could do so much better. I just wanted to try and keep what we had to myself. I just wanted you.” His voice broke but he had kept speaking, not looking you in the eyes as if he were embarrassed. He spilled his heart and soul out for you to see and mock if you wished. He didn’t care anymore. He just wanted you to know he didn’t mean to hurt you or for things to turn out like this. Pushing the blanket off your legs, you stood up. Reg winced because he thought you were going to leave, to go upstairs or into another room. Or even tell him to get out. But you walked up to him and, much to his surprised, straddled his lap. His hands instantly settled on your sides out of instinct. You ducked your head and placed a soft kiss to his lips. His whole body froze under your touched and yet seemed to bask in it at the same time. His hands squeezed your sides as he kissed you back, a small whimper escaping his throat either out of surprise or relief. He sat bolt up right, nearly sending you flying back but his hands kept you secure. Your wrapped around his neck as he kissed you back with passion. You pressed your whole body against his own, even able to feel how fast his heart was beating in his chest. “I love you.” You breathed as you pulled back for air. You returned his confession with your own. “And now? Can we still… you know? Be together?” He begged you, holding onto you for dear life. You couldn’t help but chuckle a little. “Yes, but on one condition.” You sat back a little as he nodded for your condition. “No more secrets.” “None.” He nodded once again, relieved. “good.” You breath a sigh of relief. “It’s a little cold down here. Wanna go up stairs?” Your question was met with a smile as Reg nodded. You were about to move off him, but he wrapped his arms securely around your waist and lifted you up. Letting out a small giggle, you couldn’t help but lock your legs around his waist to keep yourself up as he carried you upstairs. He pressed small kisses to your cheek and neck as he did so before the two of you collapsed on your bed. Because you were able to move about more, you came up stairs to sleep at night. Your bed wasn’t made, so Reg was able to lie you down and then climb in with you, pulling the covers up to cover both of you. You instantly cuddled into him, having missed these intimate moments greatly. His arms wrapped around you as he pressed kisses to the top of your head. Reg had always thought he would dread the day he had to tell others about you. Not because he was embarrassed by you, but because he knew people would judge and say you could do better. And yet, he wanted nothing more than to walk into school with you by his side, holding your hand. He didn’t care what they thought about him. Now he only cared about what you thought, and as long as you were happy, so was he. And while the secret had been fun, he couldn’t wait for it to be over.