#there is exactly one perfume I’ve ever found that does not crawl right up behind my eye and kill me

[thefearofcod]

someone should design a perfume for me that doesn’t hurt

[athena-is-a-chaotic-lil-shit]

Of Ice and Blood

Part 3

Hey there! Thank you for taking the time to read this

There are so many left out details here that I did on purpose for future explanation within the fic for the element of mystery I'm trying to brew . Hope you don't mind! Enjoy reading❤

Part 1

Part 2

Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

1.7k words.

Pairing: Tai'chi Kashharzol (Orc) x Pearl Blackbell (Human OC/Reader)

Warnings: cursing, violence, injury and fighting.

*

Without thinking, I drove my fist towards the voice, regretting it the instant I recognized who it was.

Tai'chi.

I shouldn’t have been surprised when I found my fist encased in his hand. He seems unfazed by my reaction, seemingly expecting it.

“Oh shi— I’m so sorry!”

How the hell did he sneak up on me without making a sound??

“Feisty- I mean, I should be the one sorry, for startling you...And for following you. I just wanted to, make sure you were alright.”

I blinked. He was concerned?

He spoke up when I didn’t respond.

“So, are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah. I’m fine. Just, disappointed.” I breathed in and sighed as he gently let go of my fist.

Oh, and his scent helps right now. He smells so...wonderful I don’t know why. It’s not like I’ve been surrounded by disgusting odors my entire life. I swear I’ve inhaled appealing scents like lilac, sandalwood, cinnamon, even rain has its particular smell! But Tai'chi, he—he’s something else entirely.

“Shouldn’t you be somewhere else like, I don’t know, maybe getting lunch with some of your friends or in a classroom?” I asked. I wonder why he would even bother to be in my presence. Anyone should be creeped out by the way I spoke up earlier. I mean, who does that? Plus, I did throw a stranger down to the floor. But part of me knows he deserved that.

Definitely.

“Want to talk about it?” He ignored my question. Tai'chi was now sitting cross-legged beside me, the oak’s root in between us. His deep azure eyes studying, watching me carefully.

“What?”

“What you did back there, wasn’t something a plain, timid college girl would do.”

Wait. He knew I was pretending to be one?

“Yes, I knew.”

“You can read minds?!” I stammered out. He can read my mind this whole time?! Shit.

He held up for a second before a boisterous laugh broke out of him and echoed through the circling trees, scaring away some birds perched above. I don’t know if I should be offended or flustered by his guffaw. It was so, so deep and rich and —

What the hell Pearl? What if he's reading your mind??

Tai'chi faced me again, sighing once he calmed down.

“To answer your question, no, I can’t read minds. But like I stated before, your face gives it away. Or your brows since you’re wearing a mask, but I can imagine your expression.”

I let out an incomprehensible noise.

“How did you find out I was pretending to be…you know,” waving my hands around.

“The moment we made eye contact this morning when you entered. And the way you shifted your body at the last second to prevent yourself from plunging into the trash bin, I knew you were something more. Your eyes and your actions show your experience in combat. A skilled warrior would notice these little things right away.”

My jaw fell open, and I’m sure he knows. He left me speechless.

Should I tell him I am a trained martial artist and a weapon wielder?

But we just met like 5 hours ago!

He seems trustworthy. And he’s an orc, didn’t they have a code of honor or something?

My thoughts ran wild I swear Tai'chi could hear my mind, screaming.

“Hey, it’s okay if you don’t wish to. And I must’ve sounded, creepy when I admitted I’ve been observing you. But before anything else, will you allow me to introduce myself, for real this time?”

“You mean your name isn’t Tai'chi?”

Letting out a chuckle, he replied, “I swear to you, my name is Tai'chi. What I mean is, I want you to know my full name. Do you understand what this implies, Pearl?”

I racked my brain for a moment, trying to recall what my parents said about orc traditions when my uncle, papa’s brother, married the orcess he fell in love with. Something about an orc’s real name being reserved only to those they’re close to?

“I guess so? But what exactly?”

“I want to become your friend.”

I couldn’t help the slight warmth creeping into my cheeks behind my mask. He can’t see it, can he? A friend, he says. A friend!

“Oh,” was all that came out. A pause and;

“Uh, I mean, I’d love to be your friend! I never had an actual friend before. I mean, have cousins, but we aren’t acquainted enough to consider myself their friend— I mean— uh, what should I do?” I blurted out a little rapidly.

He smiled. He actually smiled! Oh, damn, it was adorable!

Tai'chi was about to say something, but he snapped his mouth shut and grimaced. I was confused by his sudden change of mood, along with his scent.

Then it struck me.

The two of us shot up when multiple smells filled the air, making my stomach clench.

We were followed, not just one but six individuals. One of them was the pretentious human from earlier.

My day can’t get any better. And is that a baseball bat? Great. Fucking great.

I swear. I’m cursed to find trouble anywhere I go.

“Hello, freaks.” The guy in the middle began. “Whatcha doin’ out here in the forest?”

The others began spreading out and surrounded us.

“Planning something nasty I bet.” A human to my right spat.

“You will pay for what you did to me, you bitch. Just so you know, my father is the dean of this university. No one will ever hear a word of what I did here and what we will do to you.

'Dean’s son, David Silverstone, assaulted by an insane student in the woods within campus grounds. His friends graciously helping him fight off the lunatic until she passed out and was carried to an isolation chamber for monitoring, later finding out about her severe psychological disorder.’ Now wouldn’t that be a hit in the papers!” The bastard and his companions cackled and snickered, some of them stealing glances between my legs and I felt my skin crawl.

Tai'chi growled lowly, silencing them for a brief moment. He was getting mad but held his ground.

“And you,” the human pointed, “you beast. It won’t be hard antagonizing you, people will no doubt believe you were the one who violated the schoolgirl and left her in the woods to die.”

This fucking—

I felt a hand on my shoulder just as I was about to start, gently gripping, in hopes of trying to calm me down. He knows they were baiting us on making the first move. He shook his head, and an idea popped up.

Taking a deep breath, I attempted to make my voice as girly as possible, sounding so hilarious, like those overdressed, flashy high school girls with flowery perfume so strong I wrenched every time I get a whiff of it.

Provoking them would do.

“Oh, I’m so scared! Should I get on my knees and beg for mercy? Oh please, great and noble one, have mercy on my poor soul.” My voice laced with mockery and sadness, with my legs fake trembling and my arms flailing.

And did Tai'chi just snort?

“If you beg nicely, I will perhaps give you a chance to— ”

My sudden wheezing interrupted him and I laughed. Hard. I can’t believe he bought my terrible acting! I expected him to straight-up be offended rather than actually bite the false bait. He is dumber than I thought.

I was holding my middle by the time I was done. Tai'chi’s shoulders were moving slightly, probably chuckling and trying to hold back his amusement.

“Did you honestly take it seriously??? I can't— oh my God!” I choked out once more before I went on.

“There’s no chance in hell I’m gonna bow to you, not even one degree of an angle, you foolish, idiotic, spoiled, bastardized son of a bitch.”

His face was turning red out of rage and oh! Wasn’t that a sight to behold?

“You brat!” Turning his head to the others, he yelled, “What are guys standing there for?! Get them!”

Good.

Perhaps they didn’t catch my hands slipping on my beloved crimson knuckle dusters out of the bag when I was laughing then, tugging down my hoodie’s sleeve to hide it.

“Don’t move.” I told the orc, whose eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“But—”

“Just don’t.” I said with my voice firm. I will take them on my own. I can’t have him getting in trouble and people blaming him for being an orc. Imagine that. The ones who attacked him will be viewed as victims because they were up against him, an orc. Numerous humans will jump at the chance to throw dirt at their race, a single act of self-defense treated as a one-sided assault to humans, the thought of it being enough to somehow remove all of them from the city, but everyone knows it's not that simple. Dimwits.

I strode forward without earning his response, waiting for the first person to come at me.

I took my stance, although it was more of preparing half of my body since I was still hiding both of my hands.

They all seemed confused and hesitant, which was what I was going for. To me, and those with experience in hand-to-hand combat, this is one of the most basic stances, but fundamental, nonetheless. A simple form that can determine the outcome of a fight. With my right foot forward, left foot back, both firmly planted to the ground, and my dominant hand wearing my dusters. In their eyes, it was…wrong, foreign. Some may even say it’s an open vulnerability, showing how inexperienced the opponent is, but oh, it is the exact opposite.

I didn’t see Tai'chi’s expression, though. I was on alert and getting into my zone to peer at him, one motion that can put me in a compromising position. Did he notice my brass knuckles? Likely.

“Scared to hurt a little girl like me?” I enticed.

Finally, the one beside their alleged leader charged at me.

A typical amateur approach.

The guy, about two inches taller than me, threw a right punch, which was a huge mistake.

Predictable.

I smirked under my mask and dodged it not a second before it connected. Making him falter as I grabbed his arm and brought it down to my knee, dislodging his joints.

A high-pitched scream of pain broke out of him as he dropped down on the forest ground, gripping his bent-off arm, cursing, but refused to rise and fight me again.

I gave him one last glance before I looked back at the others.

“Who’s next?”

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

Those human shits just can't leave them alone! Interrupting their supposed-to-be official introduction! There's more to the orc that meets the eye *wink* Who is he exactly? Why was he so... observant?

Part 4 is actually on its third revising— and I'm still trying to come up on HOW to phrase my next words to lead to part 5. I let me brain take a break from spewing senseless words for now so I'll probably post the next part of this later or tomorrow

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! And I'd appreciate it if you have some advice for me, or just point out some mistakes I made! Thank you

Ps. This is really not perfect formal writing if you're wondering. I just type away whatever comes into my mind, and then proofread it to the best I can. And I hope you don't mind me using a lot of spaces. It... sort of makes my mind clear and continue moving forward, and it helps me when I'm reading it again, mentally taking note that with every line between spaces there's a slight pause and again, read it clearly like you were the one thinking it. I don't know how to explain how my own brain works but I guess that's that?

Tags: @kokokatsworld @crackinanutshell

[igirisuhito]

Title: Blue Ram Relationship(s): Komaeda Nagito/Hinata Hajime Rating: Explicit Summary: Hinata thinks he has his sexuality all figured out. Until one day a pretty woman comes to his workplace in the dead of night. Posted for Day 1 of @tropicaldespair‘s #SDR2Giftober Trigger Warnings: Cross-dressing, Semi-public sex, Powerplay, Sexual frustration, Rough sex, Perving a stranger, I’m sorry all the triggery things are horny

[Ao3 Link]

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Hinata Hajime was a regular teenage boy.

He has high grades and attends an elite school, sure. But like most teenage boys, his spare time was spent playing video games, working his part time job, or jacking off to hot girls on the internet.

As vanilla as a teenage boy could get.

Hinata works as a cashier at a convenience store a block from his house. It's your average suburban Japanese 7/11, an average teenage boy's job.

He works this job most nights, and usually does a longer shift on Sundays. In all honesty, he probably works a bit too much, but tuition for Hope’s Peak Academy is incredibly expensive. He had been enough of a burden to his parents for all these years. Besides, here he can continue to fuel his addiction to cup ramen and kusamochi for a conveniently cheaper price.

And that's exactly what he was doing on this humid Saturday night. The rainy season was finally here, and the warmth was making Hinata's work shirt stick to his skin uncomfortably. The air conditioner in the break room wasn't strong enough to combat heat like this.

It had been a quiet night, likely due to the sheer amount of rain pouring down outside. Hinata was the only one on shift, and even he had resorted to hiding in the break room to read manga. It was difficult to focus due to the loud pelting of the rain on the roof and the dizzying humidity hanging in the air.

Hinata yawned, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes that were lazily wiped away. It wasn't unusual for him to work a late six-to-two shift on a Saturday, but end of term exams had been knocking him around quite a bit. The struggle of juggling both studying and work has been causing him to become more tired than usual.

A loud electronic bell and the sound of the automatic doors sliding open broke him from his daze. Placing his manga face down on the table, Hinata stood up from his chair and made his way out of the break room before sliding into his place behind the counter.

Clearing his throat quietly, he put on his best customer service voice. "Good evening! Is there anything I can help you with?"

He glanced towards the door, seeking out the person who was dumb enough to go shopping at 12am in the pouring rain. He was met with a pair of grey eyes boring a hole into him, analysing intensely for any sort of reaction. Hinata's breath caught in his throat.

Standing near the door was a young woman, quite tall for a girl. Her white hair was pulled back into a small ponytail, still dripping with water from the rain. Dark mascara was thickly applied to her long eyelashes, so long he actually assumed they were fake at first glance. Red lipstick had been painted onto her small yet pointed lips and eye shadow of a similar colour was dusted on her eyelids. The bold colours of her makeup contrasted gorgeously against her pale skin. It was surprising that it hadn't washed off in the rain.

A tight black dress with thick straps clung to her body, fabric hugging at her hips and chest in a way that revealed she was lacking in the latter department. Sheer black stockings stretched over her skinny legs, ending in tall red high stilettos that could probably be used to kill a man if she so desired.

Hinata felt dizzy, blood rushing to his face as he brought his gaze back up to where the attractive woman's own was waiting.

"Ah… No… I'm quite alright…" The girl averted her eyes from his. "Thank you."

Her voice was surprisingly deep and sultry, it made her all the more attractive. Though she seemed somewhat shaken, perhaps even nervous?

The lady slowly made her way over to the snacks section, her heels clacking loudly against the floor with every step. Hinata watched closely, entranced by the gorgeous woman he probably had no right to be staring at as hard as he was.

She bent down to pick up a pack of salted pretzel sticks and Hinata just couldn't resist the urge to sneak a peek. He had always been more of an ass kind of guy anyway.

During his ogling, he couldn't help noticing a few small tears in her stockings, just below where her dress ended. His mind quickly became overcome with a dirty thought so jarring that it made him realize just how perverted he was being. For his own moral's sake, he forced his eyes away into another aisle, hoping she hadn't somehow been able to feel his stare.

She straightened herself up again and grabbed a cold can of Blue Ram from the fridge nearby before heading to the counter where Hinata waited. He avoided her eyes as he scanned her items.

"T-That comes to a total of 500 yen." He mumbled, finding himself blushing madly now that she was so close, enough so to smell the flowery perfume wafting off of her. Get a grip, Hajime!  

The lady smiled and patted her hands on her hips performatively. "O-Oh dear… it seems I've forgotten my purse!"

What? Are you serious? As if I'm going to fall for that.  

Scoffing silently, Hinata stared down at his shiny black work shoes.

"P-Please don't worry about the cost, m-ma'am." He stammered out.

WHAT?! Stop thinking with your dick! That's your goddamn allowance!!

A toothed grin crawled up on the woman's face as she towered over the other boy, suddenly gaining an air of confidence. "Aren't you a sweetheart! Thank you very much-" She glanced down at his nametag, " Hinata-kun. "

She picked up her items before leaving the store, making her way back out into the pouring rain. She left Hinata red faced and humiliated, wondering if he would ever see her again, hear his name on her lips…

He shook his head, snapping out of his daze. Why did he let that happen? That woman knew exactly what she was doing. It wasn't even like she was a smooth older woman either, she was pretty young! And he just let her walk all over him in those fancy high heels.

He grumbled as he pulled his wallet from his back pocket, adding the missing cost to the till. Now he not only had a hard-on but he was out of pocket 500 yen as well.

With a loud sigh, Hinata made his way to the back room, determined to do something about his newfound problem.

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Hinata found himself still thinking about that mesmerising bitch of a woman 3 days later during a quiet afternoon shift. The rainy weather had eased off for the day, the sweltering sun shining through the poorly cleaned windows. Studying in the barely air-conditioned Reserve Course building all day had already left him in a particularly crabby mood. It seems he can't escape the heat anywhere.  

He truly envied the Main Course students for a lot of things. Their talent, their privilege, their dormitories, their stupid uniforms, their obnoxious laughter as they ate. He especially hated the way they tried to steal stuff from the store despite the fact they could absolutely afford it and then proceeding to complain to the school and get him in trouble with his boss purely for doing his fucking job.

Hinata really did not like the Main Course students.

Which is why his mood grew even more sour now that there were a bunch of them eating here today. Another cackle echoed through the store, causing Hinata's shoulders to tense up in frustration.

The obnoxious laugh seemed to come from this boy with neon pink hair who was sporting an ugly blue jumpsuit. He slurped his soba loudly as he chatted amongst the other two students beside him. They consisted of a boy and a girl, both clothed in the Main Course's rich brown uniform.

The girl had long blonde hair that cascaded elegantly down her back, she didn't seem like she was Japanese, though. Perhaps an international exchange student? And the boy had dark hair styled in a flashy unusual manner paired with mismatched eyes. If his goal was to make people look at him funny, he was definitely succeeding.  

Hinata leaned onto the counter with a sigh, resting his head upon his elbows. His shift had just barely started yet he was already so, so bored. His coworker was hiding out in the back doing god knows what, leaving most of the grunt work to Hinata yet again . Jeez, and the guy wonders why he never bothered to remember his name.

The warm weather pulled at Hinata's consciousness, causing his eyelids to droop shut as he receded into his thoughts. He’d been conjuring up an elaborate fantasy that he found himself regularly indulging in the last few days whenever he had the time to.

It would go down on another rainy evening, the lady would come in wearing white shirt, so completely soaked that Hinata could see the lacy black brassiere underneath.  

There would be tears running down her face, smearing her makeup in a way that she still remained beautiful. She had just been dumped by her boyfriend, all alone and out in the rain, just seeking someone to care for her, to listen to her woes. Hinata would listen, take care of her, maybe wrap her up in a towel and sit her down in the back room.

She would confess that she felt feelings for him when he paid for her food, that he supported her in a time of need. She would thank him over and over again, offering to make up for it with her body. Hinata would politely decline, but she would insist, already unbuttoning her shirt.  

He would take her there, bend her over the table and make her feel pleasure like she never had before. He’d thrust so deeply that she would be crying, cumming over and over again from his well-sized cock. He would grab that little ponytail of hers and pull her face up, kissing her so passionately that he smeared lipstick across his own lips.

And finally he would cum deep inside of her (she would be using birth control, of course, Hinata isn’t ready for kids).

Afterwards, he’d call her a taxi, and she would leave her number, thanking him for the best night of her life. Perhaps she would come back, and they would fuck again and again.

The electronic bell dinged, tearing Hinata away from his sweet, sweet fantasy. The automatic doors opened and in stepped another student donning a Main Course uniform and a face mask.

Hinata rolled his eyes. "Welcome! Can I be of any ser-"

"KOMAEDA?!"

He found himself cut off by a loud screech from the pink haired student. Said student jumped up out of his seat and backed off. "Wh-why are you here! Since when did you come here?"

The dark haired one spoke. "Souda, you behave as if you have just witnessed an apparition. Does Komaeda truly strike such fear into your heart?"

"Of course he does! Nothing good ever happens when he's around! I always end up getting hurt!" The pink haired boy, who Hinata presumed to be named 'Souda', protested loudly.

The blonde girl stood up, slamming her palms on the table. "Souda! That is no way to treat your fellow classmates!"

"A-Ah, you're right… sorry, Miss Sonia…."

The student who had just entered the store laughed in a way that was honestly kind of creepy. It was just way too breathy, too pained.

"No, it's completely understandable! I'm sorry that somebody as terrible as myself has caused made you worry for your safety..."

What was that kid's name, Komaeda?

"I'll make this brief, I only came to get a drink." Eyes crinkling from what Hinata presumed to be a smile, Komaeda proceeded to walk away from the group of students.

The blonde girl, Sonia, if he wasn’t mistaken, gave Souda a glare before hopping out of her seat with an elegant swish of her skirt. She wandered over to where Komaeda stood near the drink fridges, her gait rather sophisticated and regal.

"Komaeda, I noticed you're wearing a face mask today, did you catch a cold?" Sonia asked the other, attempting to strike up conversation, probably out of pity.

The boy reached into the fridge, grabbing a can of drink. "Ah, yes. I was only in the rain for a short while, but this awful luck of mine found a way to get me sick." He finished his sentence with a soft laugh.

"Oh, that's unfortunate! I really hope you get better soon!" Sonia gave him a sad little smile overflowing with sympathy.

Komaeda paused for a second, blinking a few times before tilting his head to the side and looking towards her. "Sonia-san, I'm incredibly grateful, but you shouldn't waste your hope on scum like me."

What the fuck? Who talks like that?

The Main Course boy made his way towards Hinata, placing a can of Blue Ram on the counter. With Hinata's somewhat icy glare, he found himself hoping that his customer service smile was enough to mask the hate emanating from his soul.

Now that he was close, Hinata got a much better look at Komaeda's features. He had messy white hair and sharp grey eyes, standing stark against pale skin.

Wait.

It seemed Komaeda realised it too. He had a frightened look in his eyes, as if he were a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.

"You…"

Gritting his teeth harshly, Hinata closed his hands into fists before swinging one of his arms forward, pointing an accusatory finger at the boy.

"You took my fucking money!!"

Panic set in on Komaeda's face, and hearing Hinata yell was enough to force his primal instincts to kick in. He broke into a full sprint out of the store, knocking down a shelf in the process. This shelf just so happened to come down on Souda, who screamed out in pain as the metal pinned him beneath.

Hinata slid across the counter and took chase, abandoning the store and the mess in his haste. Never in his life had he been this angry about 500 yen. Well, it wasn't really about the money, it was about the fact he'd rubbed one out to a man dressed as a woman, that he had been fantasising about a man dressed as a woman. His pride as a teenage boy had been destroyed in one swift moment.

Fancy dress shoes clacked against the pavement as Komaeda ran down the street, desperate to get away from the angry store clerk mere metres behind him. His stamina was incredibly poor. Hinata's wasn't great, but at least he was forced to participate in PE and maintain his health.

Hinata noticed Komaeda was beginning to slow down and the gap between them shortened. Outstretching an arm, he reached for the back of the boy's jacket, fingers barely brushing the material the first go. With a rush of determination he reached out again, this time getting a solid grip, yanking the boy to him.

He clearly hadn't considered what pulling 65 kilograms towards yourself whilst you're still moving would do, because the next thing Hinata knew he was colliding with the Main Course student and falling forward into the pavement. He hissed as gravel dug into his skin, scraping up his hands and elbows as he landed on top of the other student.  

Hinata grabbed the other boy by his hips, flipping them over and straddling his body to prevent any chance of escape. He glared into Komaeda's narrowed eyes, both boys panting heavily in an attempt to catch their breaths.

"You... hah… owe me…" Hinata barely got the words out.

"I… ah…. haha…. I don't…. know you…" As Komaeda wheezed, he tilted his head back to rest against the pavement.

In an attempt to calm his racing heart, Hinata took a big breath of air before exhaling shakily.

"You… you played that sick prank on me… and then you took my money… and now you have the audacity to say you don't know me?!"

"You… you're the one who gave it to me…" Komaeda shot back, a smirk growing on his face.

It seemed Komaeda's mask had been ripped off in the fall, now loosely hanging from one of his ears. His nose was beginning to bleed, crimson liquid dribbling over his dry lips and teeth. His forehead had been grazed as well, Komaeda really had taken quite the tumble.

Suddenly he pushed Hinata hard in the chest, forcing him off his body. An aggressive cough racked Komaeda's lungs, forcing him to sit up as he choked.

"H-hey… are you okay?" Hinata sat back on his knees, feeling a pang of guilt upon seeing the state of Komaeda's physical condition. Had he really just chased down a sick kid?

Komaeda laughed, an incredulous expression painted on his face as he pulled the remaining loop of the mask off his ear. "Don't get all soft on me now, Hinata-kun. I don't need lowly Reserve Course students worrying about my health."

With his patience instantly running out, Hinata was left fuming. Why on earth did he even ask if that guy was okay?! He was clearly just another stuck up rich prick from the Main Course.

Rising to his feet, Hinata wiped some of the dirt off his hands, wincing at the open wounds that had been left from sharp gravel tearing through his skin.

"If I get fired it's your fault!" He spat back, unable to think of anything else to say to save his dignity at this point.

Clenching his hands into fists, Hinata turned away from Komaeda, who was still sprawled out on the pavement. He began his walk back to the convenience store, a little anxious about his employment situation.

Why would a guy even dress up as a chick? Was he getting off on it? Hinata wondered as he walked.

Was Komaeda gay?

Wait, why did the sexuality of a Main Course student even matter to him?

Was… he gay?

Even after finding out that beautiful woman was a man, he still felt so incredibly attracted to him. That flushed out face and those reddened lips had him having physical reactions that he really shouldn't be having.

Hinata buried his face in his grazed palms. This was way too much to process in one day. He paused and took a deep breath, regaining his composure before stepping back into the store.

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After Hinata returned he lied to his coworker, saying Komaeda had been stealing, which was why he left the store so suddenly. Surprisingly enough, Komaeda's Main Course buddies backed up that refute, claiming, "Trouble just follows that guy everywhere." Hinata almost felt bad for him for a second, until he realised it was himself who had to clean up the knocked over shelf.

He didn't see Komaeda again after that.

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Exams were finally over and Hinata now had a chance to relax. He took the late evening Saturday shift to make up for all the shifts he didn't work after the incident, partially due to exams, partially due to fear of running into that Main Course student again. So even if Komaeda had been by, he wouldn't have known about it.

It made the week incredibly boring and frustrating. For some twisted reason, he wanted to see that boy again. He wanted to cuss him out and punch him, show him how useless that Super High School Level title really was against his fists and prove his own worth.

Though, of course, he would be kicked out of Hope's Peak faster than he could agree to the Hope Cultivation Project.

Leaning his elbows onto the counter, Hinata let out a loud sigh at the realisation that Komaeda wasn't the only thing he had to worry about. If he agreed to the project, he could probably quit working. But that would most likely mean he'd never have the chance to see that boy again. Though, it's not like he'd have the balls to approach him on campus anyways.

But if he was talented, he wouldn't have to worry about that kind of thing, right?

Hinata shook the thought from his head, this really wasn't what he wanted to preoccupy his mind with right now.

Perhaps now would be a good time to check if anything needed restocking. Not a lot of people tend to come by after 10pm, which made working these shifts so easy. Though, you were more likely to encounter drunks and unfavourable people. Not to mention the beating Hinata's sleep schedule took if he ever took one on a weeknight.

He yawned and straightened himself up, beginning to peruse the shelves. Usually he left this kind of thing to whoever worked the Sunday morning shift, but he was feeling particularly bored tonight. Somebody must have restocked during the day though, as there were still plenty of snacks stacked on the shelves.

Ugh, the one time he actually wants to work for his money…

Hinata needed something to keep himself from dozing off out of sheer boredom, so he grabbed a can of coffee from the fridge before returning to the counter. He put his palms down and hoisted himself up, sitting up on the surface with his legs hanging down.

Hinata picked his drink back up, cracking it open with a hiss as the air escaped. He took a few large gulps before placing it back down.

He said he wasn't going to think about the Project when he was feeling so tired and distracted, trying to relax, but he really did need to make a decision. He was already in his second year and still unsure of what to do. They were probably going to dump him if he didn't decide soon, and having that choice taken away from him worried him more than agreeing to it.

But he was particularly worried about the consequences of agreeing. There was such a high chance that the surgery could go wrong, be botched. Well, they actually said the risk was rather small, that the Super High School Level Neurologist would be the one leading the surgery. And sure, he trusts in his talent, but letting somebody into your head is just… terrifying.

The door slid open with an electronic ding, startling Hinata. He threw himself off the counter quickly and yelled out his scripted greeting. "G-good evening!! C-can I be of any service?!"

Hinata spun around, turning his eyes to the door and picking up the lingering can that sat on the counter, in full view for any customer to see how he had been slacking off. He saw the familiar brown pleated skirt of the female Main Course's uniform, so naturally he was expecting a girl, yet when he let his eyes wander up he found himself staring at a painfully unforgettable mass of white hair.

"Ko-"

"Ah, you're working tonight. I was expecting the other one." Komaeda muttered, stepping into the store with a rather exaggerated sway of his hips.

Hinata blinked hard, attempting to keep calm enough to recall his coworker's name. "Uh… the guy with black hair?"

Komaeda paused and blinked in return. "What? You don't even know his name? You truly are useless Reserve Course garbage, huh?"

"Hey! I'm not garbage! If anyone here is garbage it's you!" Hinata yelled, slamming his hands onto the counter. "Coming here so late at night in a girl's uniform, what the hell is wrong with you?!"

A sick grin crept up on Komaeda's as he began to move close to Hinata, allowing the other to get a better look at his getup.

He was wearing tall white socks with black flats. His skirt was much too short, showing off an inappropriate amount of thigh with every movement. Beneath the matching brown blazer was a beige cardigan and a white dress shirt, tied up cutesy with a red ribbon tie. This time he wore no makeup and had done nothing with his hair, just the girly clothes.

"It's true, I am pure scum. This hobby of mine may be disgusting, perverted, messed up, whatever word you want to use to describe it." Komaeda paused for a second before leaning closer. "But nothing I do will ever be as shameful as your pathetic attempts to be something you could never be."

Something in Hinata snapped at those words. He found himself grabbing Komaeda's collar, gripping the fabric tightly in his fist before pulling him across the counter. Hinata raised his fist, gritting his teeth as he went to take a swing at the other boy. However, a coherent thought reached his mind in the last second, and he stopped himself before it could make contact with Komaeda's face.

Komaeda's face twisted into a big grin. "Do it. See what happens. I dare you." His eyes swirled with a strange emotion. Excitement? Fear? He couldn’t say for certain.

Hinata's teeth worried at his lip as he considered it briefly. He could hit him, he was right there. Hitting him would bring him the justice and the relief he had been craving all week, spite that had wound tightly up in his gut whilst sitting all those horrendous exams.

He bit down on his lip hard, before letting go of the other boy with a sigh. "You're not worth it."

Leaning his elbows onto the counter, Komaeda propped his chin up with his hands and gave Hinata a wide smile. He kicked his legs up off the floor, allowing it to bear his full weight. "Say, Reserve Course, why are you so angry anyway?"

"I have a name." Hinata snapped at him. "And why wouldn't I be mad? You deceived me and have the gall to keep insulting me like that."

"Calling you Reserve Course isn't an insult, it's a fact. If you're the one getting upset, then you must truly realise how much of an embarassment you are huh?" Voice practically dropping with mockery, Komaeda tilted his head slighty to the side.  

"Shut up. I can tell you're just trying to rile me up." Hinata spat, looking away from the boy in front of him. "Get off the counter before somebody else sees you."

"No thanks! Is that really what you're mad about? A random stranger whom you have nothing to do with just so happens to be crossdressing? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're either a homophobic prick, or you're mad at yourself for being into it." Komaeda stared right into Hinata, refusing to avert his eyes in an attempt to draw his attention back.

And he was successful, as Hinata was now staring with his mouth agape and cheeks red. "I- I'm not into it!"

"I see! So you're homophobic then?"

"No!!"

"Are you sure?"

"Very!"

"Hmph, suit yourself." Komaeda laughed softly before shimmying himself back off the counter. He picked up Hinata's can of drink, making eye contact with the boy as he took a sip.

"H-hey! That's my drink!" Hinata stuttered out, still somewhat shaken by the accusation.

Komaeda recoiled and groaned. "So bitter… how can you drink this stuff?"

The other boy shrugged. "It's coffee, it's always bitter. Why did you even drink it if you don't like it?"

With a dramatic roll of his eyes, Komaeda placed the drink back onto the counter. "Are all of you Reserve Course students this inane?"

"What? What are you even talking about?" Hinata blinked hard, trying to recall if he had missed something.

Komaeda made a frustrated noise before walking around to behind the counter with yet another expression that Hinata couldn’t quite place. He blurted out a "Hey, you can't be back he-" before having his words cut off by the other boy grabbing his shirt with two hands and planting his lips on his.

Hinata gasped, which gave Komaeda the chance to deepen the kiss and lick at the inside of his mouth. His brain was now running at a million miles an hour, trying desperately to comprehend what the fuck was going on.

The guy who's been making him question his sexuality rocks up to the place he works, dressed in a girl's uniform, and then proceeds to rile him up, insult him, before shoving his tongue into his mouth?

Hinata pushed the other boy away from him, his face rapidly heating up and his pants feeling a bit tighter than before. "Look, Komaeda, I really don't appreciate you making fun of me like this!"

There was an utterly dumbfounded look on Komaeda's face that simply furthered Hinata's confusion. "You still don't get it? I'm trying to seduce you."

"Hah?"

"I want you to fuck me, Hinata-kun."

Hinata's mind completely blanked. That was ridiculous. Komaeda was a rude Main course bastard who seemingly just swung by Hinata’s workplace to make a mockery of him, the dots didn't connect whatsoever. Complications aside, he couldn't deny those words sent his teenage boy heart racing. "B-But you hate me?"

"And?"

"And?!"

"You're hot." Komaeda took a shaky breath, suddenly getting a little more nervous, "Just… say whether or not you want to have sex with me."

"I-I do!!” After blurting out the confession, Hinata averted his gaze to the floor. His face felt like it was on fire at this point. “It's just… uh… I've never done anything… uh… with anyone before."

A loud, wheezy cackle left Komaeda, one that caused him to shake and grab at his shirt as he howled. Hinata watched in confusion and Komaeda fought for his breath, still giggling away until the humour finally began to wear off. He stopped and suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh good, I thought I was going to have to break it to you that you’re gay."

"Shut up." Hinata hissed. "You pretty much already did, anyway."

For a second there, Komaeda almost looked shocked, but his expression quickly morphed into a grin. "Was I the one who awakened you? That's incredibly high praise, Hinata-kun."

He draped his arms around Hinata's shoulders, still wearing a cocky smile as he leaned in close once again. This time Hinata took the initiative, twirling Komaeda around and forcing him into the wall behind them before desperately kissing him.

Komaeda flinched, not expecting the rough treatment, but definitely welcoming it. He bit at Hinata's lips as the boy's hands slid down his sides, feeling him up. A moan slipped from Komaeda as a hand ran up his shirt, fingertips grazing along his skin and up to his chest.

Upon feeling lacy fabric, Hinata pulled away from the kiss for a moment. "Are you… wearing lingerie?"

Komaeda giggled softly. "Of course I am, there's no point in dressing like a girl if you aren't going to go the whole mile."

Hinata shook his head, chuckling to himself at the absurdity of the situation. "We're really doing this huh? I don't even have any condoms or lube…"

Komaeda glanced behind Hinata, eyeing the shelf of 18+ items. Hinata followed his eyes, breathing an "Ah." in response. "But what about the store?"

"I can guarantee right now that nobody will come in. I'm not good for much, but this kind of thing I am." Komaeda cracked a near elated smile, happy to finally have his talent be useful.

Despite still seeming somewhat confused, Hinata nodded in agreeance. "Okay… but what about the cameras? Surely they wi-"

That smile on Komaeda's face fell. "If you make another excuse I'm leaving."

"Okay okay!" Hinata put his hands up, stepping back from Komaeda with a huff. He wandered to the front of the store to flip over the 'Back in 5 minutes' sign and lock the doors. He felt it was completely unnecessary, but Komaeda let Hinata waste his time with it anyway.

He decided to take advantage of the moment and grab a pack of condoms and a small tube of lubricant. Any footage on the cameras of him taking the items would go mysteriously missing, after all, the sheer amount of bad luck he had been experiencing for the past week practically guaranteed the night's success.

He opened up the condom pack, ‘Ribbed for her pleasure.’ He couldn't suppress the urge to giggle, pulling one out before slipping it into the breast pocket of his shirt.

When Komaeda looked up again, Hinata was watching him with a nervous stare. His forehead shimmered a little with sweat from the head, and the tight sleeves of Hinata's shirt squeezed around his biceps. He was well built, shirt fitting a little too snugly around his pecs.

He could only hope this Reserve Course boy was as good as he looked.

"Where would you like to do it then, Hinata-kun?"

Hinata shuddered, a rush of arousal burning through him at the sound of Komaeda's sultry voice. It was embarrassing just how much it turned him on.

"T-The back room…" He stammered out, once again forcing himself to look away from Komaeda.

"Well then," Komaeda grabbed ahold of Hinata's twist, causing him to gasp, "The back room it is."

The irony of being led around his own workplace escaped Hinata, who was currently too dizzy with arousal and heat to even walk straight.

Komaeda pushed the door open, pulling Hinata into the break room where it was much cooler, seeing as the air conditioner didn't have to fight with the heat exhaust from the fridges. The two of them paused for a moment, revelling in the cool air as Komaeda swiped at his brow and Hinata aired his shirt.

"S-So, uh…"

Before Hinata could stammer out whatever stupid question that would kill Komaeda's mood, he turned to face him with a smile and put his hands on the boy's hips. Hinata complied as he was slowly walked backwards, admiring the passionate look burning in Komaeda's intense grey eyes. The same ones he admired so deeply upon their first encounter, yet avoided out of nervousness.

This time Hinata was still shaking with nerves, making a startled noise when the back of his knees hit something hard. Komaeda chuckled at his apprehension, voice calm and soothing as he guided him down to sit on the object he presumed to be a chair.

Hinata's thighs shook as Komaeda leaned his hands onto them, using them to balance himself as he straddled his waist in a way that pushed their groins much too close. A soft sigh escaped Komaeda's lips as he settled into Hinata's lap, a smile turning up at the corners of his mouth.

"A-Are you sure this is safe? These chairs are kinda, uh, shitty." He averted his gaze, mouth going dry as he babbled out the words. "I-I-I mean, t-they aren't really meant to support, uh, lots of weight…"

That smile simply got wider, flashing Komaeda's pearly white teeth beneath it. "Mm, we'll see."

Before Hinata could blurt out another objection, Komaeda's lips slotted against his in an aggressive kiss. He barely realised what was happening before Komaeda was already giving swipes of tongue against his lips.

Apparently that was all it took for Hinata's brain to give up on caring about Workplace Safety. His head felt light and dizzy as he reciprocated the movement, moaning softly against the other's lips when their tongues made contact and indulged in a sweet moment of friction.

Komaeda sucked passionately at his tongue in a way that created all sorts of lewd and slick noises that went straight to Hinata's dick. He must have felt it too, because next thing Hinata knew Komaeda was rolling his hips forwards, grinding into the other's crotch in a way that made both of them moan from the soft friction and pressure.

When they finally broke off the kiss, Komaeda was left panting with a little smirk on his face. His cheeks flushed a soft red as his eyes slid down over Hinata's reddened lips, wandering until they fell onto his chest. Pale hands wandered to the collar of Hinata's work shirt, fingers taking hold of the fabric and beginning to undo the two buttons.

With a little bit of Hinata's chest exposed, Komaeda could finally start to see what it was he had been working so hard for. He pressed his hands against Hinata's pecs, smoothing them down across his torso until he reached the hem of the fabric. For the first time tonight, Hinata was completely focused, already raising his arms to make it easier for Komaeda to pull his shirt up and over his head.

The shirt was quickly tossed aside, left abandoned on the floor as the fabric was replaced by hands stroking over Hinata's chest.

A pleased hum could be heard as Komaeda gave his pecs a gentle squeeze. "That shirt isn't very flattering for your body, it makes you look skinny."

“Uh, thank you?”

Hinata wasn’t really sure what to do with his hands as he raised them up to rest on Komaeda’s shoulders, an action that brought out another gentle laugh from him. Removing his hands from Hinata’s chest, Komaeda placed them on top of his own, guiding them downwards past his collarbone and over his chest. Not once did Hinata’s eyes stray from his hands.

Komaeda continued to guide them down, over the subtle curve of his hips until they settled into the pale flesh of his thighs. A light pressure was applied as Hinata buried his fingers into the soft skin, squeezing slightly. This elicited a pleased sigh from Komaeda, who shifted forwards to guide Hinata’s hands to his ass.

A groan barely escaped past Hinata’s gritted teeth as his pants rubbed against his erection. He gripped the flesh tighter, spreading Komaeda’s ass cheeks as he ground his hips upwards. The sensation was overwhelmingly good, sending shocks of pleasure down Hinata’s spine and making his head spin with need .

Those slender fingers returned to Hinata’s chest, brushing over his nipple before taking it between two fingers and squeezing gently. This pulled another moan from Hinata’s throat, and he thrust his hips up again.

“You’re awfully sensitive.” A tighter pinch had Hinata letting out a high squeak, which made him flush bright red in embarrassment. “I know I’m the one wearing a skirt, but if anything you’re more like a girl than I am.”

Hinata resented the way Komaeda’s teasing seemed to go straight to his dick. He pushed his hips forward again, repeating the motion in order to get more friction on his unbearably hard cock. Another rush of pleasure shot through his veins, making Hinata shudder and moan.

In order to silence the awful comments that were shortening his patience in more ways than one, Hinata leaned upwards and pulled at Komaeda’s bottom lip with his teeth. This seemed to get the point across, as Komaeda stopped teasing at his nipples and kissed Hinata deeply, open mouthed and messy.

No teases of tongue, the kiss instantly descended into something filthy and desperate. Teeth clacked against each other painfully as both boys tried to taste as much of one another as they could, the bitter taste of coffee still lingering on Hinata’s tongue.

Hinata’s eyes fluttered closed as he drank in the sensation of Komaeda licking into his mouth and grinding against his crotch. With each breathy moan from the boy above him, he could feel a heat tightening more and more in his lower gut. He moaned against Komaeda’s tongue, gripping his ass tighter and he began to shake slightly with the need for release.

“Wait wait wait.” The boy above him suddenly pulled away, leaving a long string of saliva that broke in the air. He stilled the movements of his hips and spread his palm against Hinata’s chest, “You’re way too worked up. I know you’re a Reserve Course and everything, but surely you’re not going to cum in your pants before we’ve even started?”

There was an annoyed look on Komaeda’s face, one beyond the cocky teasing, like he was genuinely upset by the reaction he had drawn from Hinata.

Hinata’s brow furrowed. “What does being from the Reserve course have to do with anything?”

With a soft little “Hmph,” Komaeda shifted forward and lifted some of his weight off Hinata’s lap. He reached into the pocket of his blazer, pulling the bottle of lube he’d acquired earlier out before shedding the garment and dropping it onto the floor where Hinata’s shirt had landed previously.

Holding the lube in one hand, he began to undo the buttons on his cardigan. Hinata watched closely, focusing on Komaeda’s careful fingers instead of his painful erection in hopes of getting his heart to calm down. Once he’d undone the buttons, Komaeda removed his cardigan, leaving him in a well ironed long-sleeved dress shirt that was rather loose in the chest area.

“U-Um… I’m a little uh…” Hinata’s eyes followed the movements of Komaeda’s hands as the boy uncapped the bottle and drizzled some of the clear liquid onto his fingers.

A rather sadistic laugh echoed off the walls of the room as Komaeda cackled loudly. “You’re so precious Hinata-kun! Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything. Unless you would like to help?”

“Uh, yeah, sure,” Blinking away the confusion, Hinata stared up at Komaeda expectantly, “Just tell me what to do.”

The lid snapped shut and the bottle was placed onto the table next to them. Komaeda brought his fingers behind his back with a flirty smirk. “Well then, could you please move my panties out of the way?”

With a nod, Hinata slowly brought his fingers forward, hooking one around the lacy thong before tugging it out of the crevice of Komaeda’s ass. He tried to ignore the burning in his face as he tugged the cheeks apart a little, giving Komaeda better access as he brought his fingers to his hole.

There was a pause of silence, before Komaeda let out a rather gentle sigh, relaxing his whole body. He then pushed two fingers into himself with relative ease, having already been there numerous times this week. Entranced, Hinata watched Komaeda’s expression soften as he adjusted to the feeling of having something inside him.

It didn’t take long for him to begin moving his fingers, slowly thrusting them inside himself and drawing them back out again. He scissored the digits apart, stretching the tight muscle and ignoring the slight burn.

Unsure of what to do, Hinata settled for observing every little reaction on Komaeda’s face. The gentle bites of his bottom lip, the soft gasps that came whenever he pushed further than he expected to, the dusting of blush on his cheeks. He couldn’t get enough, it was simply so erotic to watch and only made him more excited for the final act.

Noticing Hinata’s interest, Komaeda placed his free hand over Hinata’s right, pulling him closer. He pulled his fingers out of his hole before rubbing some of the lube off onto Hinata’s index and middle finger. The guideless letters floating in Hinata’s mind finally spelled out an answer, he wants me to finger him .

Swallowing down the lump in his throat, Hinata nodded and rubbed his fingers against Komaeda’s entrance. He tried his best to go slow so as to not hurt him, but his fingers easily squeezed in, much to Komaeda’s delight.

All Hinata could process was how warm it was inside another person. He moved his fingers experimentally, rubbing at the soft walls with a childish feeling of intrigue.

“Doesn’t it feel nice?” As soon as Komaeda said that, he clamped down against Hinata’s fingers, drawing a gasp from him. “Think about how good it will feel to be inside an Ultimate. Wouldn't you like that, Hinata-kun?"

Hinata did allow the thought to pass through his mind, being buried balls deep within that soft warmth, the friction as Komaeda squeezed down around him. To answer Komaeda’s question, Hinata pushed his fingers deeper, eliciting a gasp from the other.

“You know… you never did tell me your Ultimate talent?” Lowering his voice, Hinata tried to sound like he had a better grip on the situation than he actually did.

Komaeda fluttered his eyelashes innocently, Hinata couldn’t tell if it was intended or not. “Ah, I never did, did I? It’s a rather boring and worthless talent, but a talent nonetheless.”

Ignoring the seething little rage that burned in his chest at hearing Komaeda say a talent was ‘worthless’, Hinata withdrew his fingers. “So, what is it then?”

There was a soft hum of appreciation from Komaeda, and he slid off the other’s lap. “I won the lottery for my year, I am the 77th’s Ultimate Lucky Student.”

“Seriously?!” Hinata had to keep himself from gasping in excitement, his obsession with talent coming close to overriding all horny thoughts from the moment prior. That’s so--!”

“Lucky?” As he planted his feet on the floor and stood up, Komaeda couldn’t help but insert the snarky comment.

Pursing his lips, Hinata watched as Komaeda leant down and brought his hands to Hinata’s belt. “Cool... I was going to say cool.”

Another soft hum left the other boy as he unclasped Hinata’s belt. That was enough to bring Hinata’s thoughts away from Komaeda’s talent and back to how hard he was. Komaeda undid the button and fly of Hinata's work pants, the other helped by lifting his hips and shucking them down slightly, exposing part of his ass to the uncomfortably cool metal of the chair.

Reaching into Hinata’s boxers, Komaeda wrapped his fingers around the length before pulling it out from beneath Hinata’s sakura printed boxers. Both the relief of being freed from the tight fabric and the sensation of being touched by a hand that wasn't his own were overwhelming, and Hinata practically stopped breathing right then and there.

“Wow, you’re bigger than I expected a Reserve to be.” Giggling at Hinata’s reaction, Komaeda gave his cock a gentle stroke downwards in order to expose the flushed head.

Hinata blinked hard, processing just how stupid that comment was. “I still don’t understand why you think talent and dick size have any correlation.”

Shrugging his shoulders, Komaeda began to slowly jerk Hinata, spreading precum across the shaft whilst bringing his other hand to his breast pocket. There was a loud moan of relief from Hinata, and he allowed his eyes to fall on Komaeda’s hand, his brain dismissing his incredulity.

Withdrawing a shiny packet from his breast pocket, Komaeda brought it to his mouth before tearing it open with his teeth. Using one hand, he pulled a translucent green condom from the packet, allowing the litter to fall to the floor.

He removed his hand from Hinata’s dick, drawing a whine of impatience from the boy that amused him greatly. He brought the condom to the head, pinching the tip as he began to slowly unroll the latex down to fit snugly around his cock. When he looked up again, Hintata was biting his lip and watching with bated breath.

“Adjust it if it’s uncomfortable, otherwise it’ll probably end up tearing.” Straightening himself back up, Komaeda placed his hands on his hips with a soft sigh.

With a gentle nod, Hinata brought his hand down to adjust the condom. It was an incredibly foreign sensation, but necessary, at least this time.

Komaeda slid his hands down his hips, then under his skirt and back up again, giving Hinata a glimpse of the lacy pink panties hidden beneath. He hooked his thumbs around the waistband, and pulled them down to the floor before stepping out of them.

Flashing a flirty smirk, Komaeda wrapped his hand around Hinata’s erection, drawing a surprised yelp from him. He swung a leg over Hinata’s waist, beginning to mount him once again. Angling Hinata’s cock, he attempted to bring it to his prepared entrance. He seemed to be struggling to find it, and bending his arm back was beginning to hurt. Seeing his difficulty, Hinata placed his hand over Komaeda’s and helped him line it up with his hole. With a satisfied exhale, Komaeda placed his hands on Hinata’s shoulders and began to slowly sink down.

Nothing could have prepared Hinata for the sheer heat that engulfed his cock. It felt so much better than his hand ever could, even more so than having his fingers inside Komaeda did. It seemed that Komaeda was enjoying it too, because his eyes were squeezed tightly shut and mouth open wide in surprise.

“Oh shit .” Hinata gasped as Komaeda lowered himself completely, taking the entirety of his length with one movement. He gripped at those skinny hips, desperately seeking something to put him in a little control and his brain succumbed to ecstasy.

"Haha!" Giggling to himself, Komaeda slowly drew his hips back up. "You really are a virgin, aren't you Hinata-kun?"

It felt as though Hinata's face were on fire, "I-I already told you that!"

Bony hands fingers dug into Hinata’s shoulders as Komaeda dropped back down again, forcing Hinata to bite his lip so as to not let out another embarrassing sound. Slow drags up and down, plunging Hinata back into that tight heaven of friction and ecstasy. He allowed his head to tilt back, letting out a gentle sigh as Komaeda set a slow yet pleasurable pace. The kind of pace that set the mood, eased him into it, left both of them craving more. When his eyelids inevitably flickered shut, Hinata felt as though he were floating. The humidity was getting to him, along with those sickly wet sounds and heavy breathing warm on his skin. The warm weight of Komaeda’s body pressing against his made it all too easy to take whatever he was offering, to forget all of that assholeish shit he said and did in the past week.

The need winding around his gut was pulling tighter and tighter, his hips beginning to move up to meet Komaeda’s. He wanted more, if he was going to cum he needed more than just this. Hinata’s eyes flittered open, and he glanced down to his hands. Komaeda’s pleated brown skirt rested just beneath his fingertips, material all bunched up at the sides with a little bulge tenting it at the front. He couldn’t resist the urge to slide his right hands down Komaeda’s pelvis, carefully dragging his fingers over the bulge until he reached the tip.

“A-Ah!”

Startling, Komaeda almost jumped right off Hinata’s lap. His breathing was heavy and wheezy, lungs quietly rattling as he tried to catch his breath. The pale skin of Komaeda's face had flushed to a bright pink, he looked like he was going to throw up.

"Hey, wait…" Hinata murmured, tipping his head back up. "You don't look too hot."

There was a soft chuckle, followed by Komaeda clasping a hand over his mouth as he broke into a coughing fit. He dug his left hand tightly into Hinata's shoulder, stabilising himself as his body shook.

"Have you finally come to your senses, Hinata-kun? Though, can you really be that picky?" He croaked out, giggling between coughs. "You are a Reserve Course student, after all."

Sitting up, Hinata grabbed hold of Komaeda's waist again. "Hey! No no I'm not talking about that. You were sick the other day, weren't you?"

"Ah, I've had a cold that has been rather difficult to shake." Sheepishly, Komaeda averted his gaze to the floor. "Are you worried about catching it? I'm sure it's not something viral."

"I'm not worried about that, I'm worried about you going into respiratory failure!"

Komaeda laughed dryly, an almost bitter sound. "It is always a possibility! Trust in my luck to kill me the second I get a good thing."

Confused, Hinata blinked a few times. "Do you want to stop?"

"Do I want to stop…?"

Komaeda paused, repositioning himself in Hinata's lap as he considered his next move. He didn't want to stop; he was so glad to be finally here, to be doing this. Something so dangerous and taboo, and with a student who was not only beneath him, but a complete stranger.

The exact kind of scenario in which his luck could be completely unpredictable. The nervous feeling bubbling in his chest caused a creepy smile to twitch at the corners of his mouth.

"Not at all!" He chirped.

The cheery tone only furthered the furrow in Hinata's brow. "Seriously, you look like you're about to pass out, let me-"

"Don't get all soft on me now, Hinata-kun. I don't need lowly Reserve Course students worrying about my health."

Hinata blinked hard, recalling what Komaeda had said to him the day he'd discovered his dirty secret. The scowl on Komaeda's face as he glared up at him, the blood dripping down his lips, only to spatter against the concrete.

Komaeda didn't need sympathy. Komaeda didn't want sympathy.

His hands slid under the other's boy's thighs, gripping tightly and pulling him closer. Before Komaeda could understand what was happening, Hinata rose to his feet, picking up Komaeda with him and causing the other to gasp in surprise. He wrapped his legs tightly around Hinata's torso, fearing that he may be dropped.

Hinata pushed him down into the table, forcing him forward until his back was flush against the cold plastic. A can of drink was knocked over in their wake, and Komaeda did not neglect to notice the open manga and discarded plastic wrappers by his head.

Messy…

"Oh? Getting rough with a Main Course student are we?" Komaeda giggled, setting himself off into another series of coughs and barks.

"You were taking too long, it's my turn now."

Hinata slammed his hands down beside Komaeda's head and thrust his hips forward, pressing himself deep into the other boy. Blunt nails scraped against the plastic as Komaeda wheezed, his legs strangling around Hinata's waist.

"You really love this power dynamic thing, don't you? Did you seek me out specifically because you wanted to be fucked by somebody inferior to you?" Digging his nails into Komaeda's skin, Hinata moved with reckless abandon. "You're disgusting, Main Course students really are all the same."

It made Hinata seethe with an unbearable anger. He had never felt this pissed in his life, wound up so tightly that all he wanted to do was hit Komaeda until that stupid smile fell right off his face. But he couldn't deny just how good it felt, being put in his place by a girl dressed in her school uniform, the irrefutable proof that she was better than him.

But Komaeda was not a girl. No matter how feminine he looked, his hips were narrow and chest flat. His skirt had ridden up, exposing his cock that was bouncing against his stomach as Hinata fucked him, having slipped out of his lingerie quite some time ago. His little raspy moans and gasps sounded pretty girlish, though, and that was enough for Hinata.

“A-Ah you’re… hah! Come on you can do a little better than— f-fuck!”

Unable to resist the urge, Komaeda kept taunting him. Hinata was endlessly unamused by this, resorting to tilting his hips in order to get closer to Komaeda's prostate.

At least, that's what he was hoping. It was up, right?

A lucky guess, he supposed, and Komaeda was broken into whimpers. He scrabbled for the edges of the table, gripping tightly as it creaked beneath him.

It was overwhelming, the pleasure and excitement becoming too much for Komaeda. It felt like he was going insane, being rocked into so hard it was almost painful. The little giggles he made amongst the moans and whimpers were involuntary, but with every passing second he felt higher and higher. Closer and closer to reaching something amazing.

Is this what hope feels like?

It was a stupid thing to wonder.

Hinata himself felt as though he were melting, brain fuzzy with anger and arousal. He could hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears as he panted, exhaustion beginning to catch up on him even though he was oh so close.

He leaned in close, burning his face in Komaeda's neck as he panted. The movements of his hips were beginning to stutter and slow, he was failing.

"Please…" Komaeda whined, wrapping his arms tightly around Hinata's neck. "Please please come on even a useless Reserve like you should be able to finish me off!"

"Sh-shut up."

The growl came out harsher than Hinata had expected. To apologise, he grabbed ahold of Komaeda's face with his left hand, kissing him firmly on the lips as he attempted to move faster. Komaeda eagerly licked into his mouth in gratitude.

Hinata was unable to hold down all of his sweet moans and pants when Komaeda was tonguing his gums like some kind of puppy. He groaned into the other boy's mouth.

How is he enjoying this so much? Surely it can't feel that good down there…

He creeped his other hand down to Komaeda's skirt, sliding his hand beneath it and carefully wrapping his fingers around his cock. His dick was practically drooling with precum, wet enough that he probably could have been mistaken for a girl. Komaeda's eyes widened in trepidation, and he pulled away from the kiss as Hinata stroked his hand down the shaft.

The word didn't even make it past Komaeda's lips, all he could do was mouth "Faster."

Thus Hinata obliged, allowing his hand to glide faster with the slickness of Komaeda’s skin. It felt incredibly awkward, moving his hips desperately whilst jerking his lover at a much faster pace than he could synchronise with, not to mention just how sloppy and pathetic their kisses were becoming with each passing second. At this point they were just pressing their lips against one other’s and licking.

At least Komaeda wasn’t hypocritical enough to make fun of him for his technique.

Komaeda’s thighs were tensing, and his hips were lifting from the table. He was whimpering like a dog in heat, barely breathing little pleads and begs. He was clearly so close, and Hinata could feel his own release creeping through his guts too.

He broke off whatever semblance of a kiss they were still doing pressed his left hand against the table, using it as a support as he practically jackhammered Komaeda’s ass.

The room was filled with the sound of skin slapping against skin, panting and moaning, as well as the squeaking of the table beneath their weight. Komaeda suddenly yelled out, digging his nails harshly into Hinata’s back as his hips thrust up to meet his hand.

His voice broke as he came, white stripes of cum painting his dress shirt as Hinata stroked him through his orgasm. Komaeda was shaking beneath his touch, breaths laboured and wheezy.

A rivulet of sweat rolled down Hinata’s forehead. He kept thrusting his hips, unconcerned with overstimulating the boy beneath him. He was just so close, he could feel it rising in his chest. Just a little more, just a little more and--

“Hinata-kun!”

There was a loud crack, followed by the sound of metal scraping against itself, and suddenly they were both falling to the floor.

Hinata grabbed a tight hold of Komaeda, gasping when they both landed on the cold linoleum. It all happened so fast. With so much adrenaline pumping through his veins, Hinata didn't even notice he had squeezed his eyes shut at some point.

Slowly opening them again, the first thing he did was look at Komaeda. The boy’s grey eyes were open wide in shock, face still flushed red and lips swollen from their activities, but he seemed mostly unharmed.

He pulled out of Komaeda, dick still aching with a need left unfulfilled as he crawled off of him. Komaeda also sat himself up, dusting off his shirt dramatically as though he hadn't cum all over it moments before.

“Hey… are you okay?”

Komaeda’s only response was to look at Hinata with those wide eyes, then to stare straight past him. A few seconds later he was giggling, soon breaking into a fit of raucous laughter.

Confused, Hinata turned around to look behind himself, eyeing the folding table in a crumpled heap on the floor.

He couldn't believe it.

They’d broken the table. They’d broken the fucking table, he’d been blue-balled by a fucking table, and Komaeda was sitting there laughing like it was the funniest thing he’d ever seen.

[peterthepark]

Sleepwalk

Steve Harrington x You

Summary: Moving on from the past is hard, but forgiveness is a bit harder.

Warnings: lots of fluff, some angst

“No, we are absolutely not sharing a bed.”

You actively wave your hands about, bewildered with shock as Steve and Robin stand in front of you.

The hotel room reeks of cheap perfume, and you slowly feel yourself losing your mind. How could this happen? Was this some sick prank? Maybe you were exaggerating.

But this was something to exaggerate about. Steve and Robin exchange glances, both of their hands resting on their hips.

“I really thought I reserved two rooms, Y/N. I’m serious. Maybe they - they ran out of space so they had to give us one room altogether, you know?” Robin explains, face filled with concern as she plopped onto the couch. “But I mean, there are two beds.”

“Yeah, obviously, so why can’t I share a bed with you?” You cross your arms against your chest, clearly affected with the situation. Robin shrugs with a troublesome smirk, and you know exactly what she’s up to.

You’ve had mixed feelings for Steve Harrington for quite some time now. Ever since he had started working at Family Video, you were sort of encapsulated by his stupid hair and his stupid smile.

Now, sharing a bed with Steve wouldn’t be the best choice for someone who is trying to move on and for someone who thought that he was kind of an asshole. Although, you knew that Robin was only trying to help and mend your broken relationship with her newfound best friend.

But the feelings were again, mixed. Robin believed that you were in denial. To which you were - mostly.

Steve was a bully to you. He was nothing but a dick. Sure, that was all in the eight grade, maybe even a little ways into junior year, but he was mean and let popularity get to his head.

That big-haired boy had the audacity to call you names. He even had the wicked thought to ask you out as a joke for homecoming of sophomore year. You, mistakenly, had thought he was serious. You were stood up when you got to the school, all dressed up and fancy.

Steve Harrington was out of your league. He knew it. You knew it. Yet you still fell for one of his pranks.

It’s not your fault that you were here - stuck sharing a hotel room with ‘The Hair.’ In short, Robin had actually invited you on a road trip to Michigan, hoping that you could tag along with her, her other friends, and their younger siblings.

She never mentioned that King Steve would be there.

“It’s fine. I’ll take the couch.” Steve rolls his eyes, brushing past you with a clear frown. He sets his bags by the window, rustling through various jackets and clothing.

He gets why you’re angry at him. He admits that he was a dick - back then. But why can’t you focus on what he is now? Didn’t you see how much he’d changed since then?

You turn to Robin, questioning her actions through mouthing words at one another. She’s looking at you with wide and excited eyes, gesturing from the bed to Steve and back again. You shake your head at her, stepping closer so that you could really tell her how screwed up this was.

“Not cool! What the hell are you doing?�� You whisper to her, pulling at the roots of your hair. “I don’t like him like that! I don’t like him at all!”

“Keep telling yourself that. Maybe it’ll actually manifest into reality.” She snaps back with wit, grinning widely when Steve turns around.

He looks at you, then Robin, before he sighs. Did he know? Did he hear you guys?

Great, you couldn’t wait to relive high school again.

“Is there a blow dryer in here? I don’t think I brought mine.” He scratches the back of his neck, where a pink blush starts to rise. “You don’t happen to have a blow dryer, right?”

Robin bites her lip, eyeing you. “Think Y/N does. She always seems prepared.”

And Steve cringes inwardly at the glare you’re giving him.

“Yeah. Sure. I have one.” You reply shortly, moving to rummage through your duffel bag. You clench your jaw as you hand the object to him, wincing when his nails scratch against your skin. “Just give it back when you’re done.”

“Yeah. Uh, cool. Thanks... Y/N.” You can hear the hesitancy in Steve’s voice, the anxious feeling of not knowing if he was over-stepping his boundaries with you.

He wanted to fix things. He really did.

But you were so set on ignoring him - completely looking over the fact that he was no longer the selfish prick who had ruled Hawkins High and dated the perfect Nancy Wheeler.

You watch with narrowed eyes as Steve gathers his belongings and rushes into the bathroom, giving you a shy glance before he shuts the door behind him. You hear the shower turn on, and you sigh loudly, slapping at the sides of your face as Robin starts to talk.

“I’m telling you. He’s changed. Give him a freaking chance.”

“Everytime I see him, I feel like I’m reliving sophomore year over and over again.” You explain, curling into yourself. You suddenly feel smaller, frustrated that Robin doesn’t seem to understand your fear and reluctance towards him. “All I can hear is the - the demeaning laugh he gave me when he found out that I actually went to the dance. Like come on, Robin. That scars a kid.”

“I know,” She bites her lip, before leaning over to squeeze your hand. “He’s hurt people before. And I get it, if you aren’t ready to forgive him, but he’s good. He’s a dingus, but a good guy, Y/N. He knows about the thing, too, yet he hasn’t once made fun of me about it.”

“I guess that’s a good sign.” You say, still uninterested in making amends with the asshole in the shower.

Speak of the devil.

Steve shuts the bathroom door behind him, ruffling his damp hair as he steps into yours and Robin’s conversation.

“So!” He claps his hands together, eyes darting between the both of you. “What will we be doing on this fine fine evening?” He knows he shouldn’t look at you, but he does, and catches your stare before you look away.

“Do you guys wanna watch a movie?”

And that’s how you all end up on Robin’s bed, cheap popcorn falling onto the ugly floor as you each try to toss it into your mouths. You’re rejoicing when you finally catch it, earning a needed high five from Robin.

That’s when Steve tries to high five you as well, and you can only narrow your eyes at his palm in the air. You give it a weak slap, hearing his awkward chuckle die down when you redirect your attention to something else.

Suddenly popcorn was the most interesting thing in the room for you.

“Jesus, it’s already late.” Robin breathes out, glancing down at the clock on the nightstand. She yawns, rolling up her empty bag of popcorn to toss it into the trash. “I’m gonna knock myself out. So, uh, get your own beds.” She shooes you and Steve off, chuckling tiredly as she begins to bury herself under the blankets.

Steve appears as if he’s about to say something, but you interject before anything - only for the both of you to talk over each other.

“I can take the couch.”

Fuck this.

“You can have the bed.”

You clasp your hands together, intertwining your own fingers as you realize how awkward this is.

You’d rather crawl into a hole... and wither.

As if this wasn’t a slow and painful death already.

“No, you take the bed.” Steve states, nodding over to the couch, “I’m fine here. Couch looks comfier anyways.” He exhales deeply through his mouth, hands rubbing at his forearms. “Uhm, good night, then.”

“Yeah. Night.” You respond politely, dragging your feet towards the empty bed while Steve plummets onto the couch. Your lips twitch into a small smile when you hear him curse at himself. You roll into the bed, head peeking out from under the covers as you look towards the couch.

He’d always be King Steve to you.

-

You can’t sleep.

After hours of tossing and turning, sighing and closing your eyes, nothing has worked. You can only stare up at the ceiling, trying to count sheep as a last resort to exhaustion.

Yeah, still can’t sleep.

You peel the covers quietly off of your body, swinging your legs over the edge of the bed. You carefully stand up, not wanting to wake anyone up. Robin snores softly, while Steve sleeps like a little baby. You take a cup of water from the fridge, sipping quietly as you lean against the TV stand.

Maybe fresh air would be helpful.

You gulp down the rest of the water, taking a blanket with you as you go to stand outside.

The late night is chilly, and you can barely see the sun on the horizon. You can hear the soft creaking of a bed from a few doors down, and you scrunch up your face in disgust. Strands of hair fly into your face as the wind begins to pick up. The parking lot of the motel is empty, except for the big van that Robin had used to drive here. The water of the motel pool reflects onto the walls, and you find solace as you take a seat on one of the deck chairs.

The door to your room slowly swings open, and you turn to the sound with a look of surprise. Steve looks out from the narrow crack between the doorframe. He smiles at you with his eyes, before he steps out as well. He’s still in his pajamas, sweatpants hanging low on his hips as he tugs on a sweatshirt.

“It’s freezing.” He shivers, making his way to your place by the pool. His eyes are laced with sleep, his hands rubbing at them harshly as he takes a seat in the chair beside you. “Couldn’t fall asleep?”

“No,” You shake your head, staring out at the sky. “You? Seemed like you were sleeping just fine in there. Maybe the couch was better after all.” You say with a lighthearted tone.

It’s the first time you’ve actually held a conversation with him.

Steve feels appreciative.

“You’ve ever been to Michigan?” He asks, clearing his throat as he looks down at his slippers.

“First time, actually. I’ve always wanted to visit.” You nod, chuckling. You play with the drawstring of your hoodie, looking anywhere but Steve.

Maybe now was the time to make amends.

“Y/N?”

“Yes?”

Steve turns his head to look at you. Your eyes are droopy, cheeks pale and lips chapped from the cold. The pool lights illuminate his face, his strong jaw accentuated as the early morning rises. “I’m - I wanna apologize. For... for everything that happened in high school.”

“Look, I’m really tired. I should - I have to-“ You try to walk back inside the room, but Steve blocks you from going anywhere.

You finally lock eyes with him, and it’s like a flip inside you has switched.

King Steve wants to apologize.

“I know that you don’t wanna talk to me. And that - that I’m the last person you’d wanna share a hotel room with.” He holds a hand up before you can interject. “But seriously. I’m so sorry for being that big of an asshole to you.”

“I was really hurt by what you did.” You gulp, running a hand through your hair. “I was humiliated and I felt betrayed because... Steve, I thought you liked me.”

He forgets to breathe.

Because it’s the first time you’ve said his name in ages.

“I did like you.” He states guiltily, hands clutching at his hair with frustration. “I didn’t wanna leave you hanging at the homecoming dance, but - but Nancy.”

“Nancy.” You smile sadly.

“I remember wanting to go, so bad. But my group of friends back then were different. They were ‘cool’ and I wasn’t like them, and I told myself that I would fit in if I did everything that they did.” He explains. He licks his lips, teeth chattering. “So when they told me all about ‘Miss Perfect Nancy Wheeler’... I forgot who I was. And I - I thought that she would be my chance to fit in.”

“At my expense.”

“I was a fucking dumbass, Y/N.” His hand twitches against his thigh, and it’s as if his fingers are reaching out to touch you. “You had me in chemistry, for God’s sake. I was mean and - and stupid.”

“Yeah,” You laugh, before blushing. “Yet I still liked your dumbass.”

Steve’s angry at himself.

All the memories of him hurting you come flooding to his head. He wishes he’d been nicer.

“I don’t get why you’d like someone like that.”

“Hey.” You tug at the sleeve of his sweater, bringing him back to reality. “Don’t wallow in self-pity.”

“I know. I know. Sorry.” He scoffs, glancing down at your hand that was dangerously close to his. “I - I should’ve been a better person to you. Makes me angry.”

Give him a chance. You hear Robin’s words in your head. He’s changed.

“Who said it was too late to start being a better person now?” You pipe up, a smile tugging at the corners of your lips.

Lovingly, you reach over to place your hand over his.

It’s a gesture without pride, a vulnerable action that almost brings Steve to tears.

Forgiven.

He sniffles, glancing around as he tries to blink away the tears.

“And I think I should apologize, too.” You begin, brushing your thumb over his knuckles. “For not giving you a chance.”

“You’re giving me one now. That’s all that matters to me.” He returns the smile, entangling his fingers with yours.

Steve doesn’t see the anger and the fear in your eyes anymore.

“Why don’t we go back inside?” You let go of his hand carefully, giving him a bashful gaze as you tighten the blanket around your shoulders. “We should get some more sleep.”

He follows you without question. His strides are giddy, and suddenly, Steve feels a weight lifted off of his chest.

He locks the motel door behind him, creeping around to rest on the couch.

“Steve?” You call out to him from the bed - your voice is small, filled with curiosity and hope. Steve looks over the back of the couch, acknowledging you. “The bed is big enough for two people.” You raise the sheets, swinging your legs to lay on the mattress. He raises his eyebrows as you pat the empty space beside you.

“Are you sure?” He asks.

You nod rapidly, looking up at him with soft eyes as he scoots into the bed with you.

“Good night, Harrington.” You mumble into the pillow. “Don’t let the bed bugs bite.”

“Don’t let the bed bugs bite you either, Y/N.” He repeats raspily, closing his eyes as soon as he sees your body still.

King Steve wasn’t so bad after all.

[artificialqueens]

Tree House Kisses, Chapter 18 (Adorney) - Scorpio and Veronica

A/N: Click here for previous chapters. Xoxo!

Chapter Summary: Someone’s planning a super sweet sixteen, and love is in the air...

Chapter 18: Those Magic Changes

Courtney skipped into the kitchen, trilling, “Gooood morning, mommy!” and giving Karen a big, warm hug. She turned to Karen’s new boyfriend, who was struggling with the coffee maker. “Hi, Todd. Let me help you with that.”

Karen raised an eyebrow at her daughter’s sunny disposition. “Okay, what do you want?”

“Well, now that you mention it, I was thinking about my party…”

“Oh god, here we go--”

“Moooom,” Courtney whined good-naturedly. “It’s my sixteenth birthday. We’re doing it here in the backyard, that’s saving a lot of money, right? I mean, Kim’s was at the Hilton.”

“Courtney, I don’t need to remind you that both the economy and our financial situation were very different back then, right?”

Courtney smiled and put her arms around her mom’s shoulders.

“I know, mommy. That’s my point. Kimmy had a booming economy and the emotional stability of two-parent family. I mean, I’m dealing with a divorce and two wars and a terrible president. I should have a nice birthday party, don’t you think?” Courtney pouted her lip.

Karen laughed. “Well, when you put it that way…”

“So listen,” Courtney said, getting down to business, “Roy’s cousin Tomas is a DJ, and he said he’ll do it for the friends and family rate.” She placed a business card on the counter. “I found a caterer in Pasadena that has tons of vegetarian options and she gives a huge discount if you go pick the stuff up from her.” She put a printout of another business card down carefully. “And she’s like 2 blocks away from a bakery that does vegan cakes and look at this!” Courtney pulled out a picture of a black and white cake with a bright pink bow. “It’s my colors!”

Karen shook her head. “I thought we’d get a cake from Costco, honey.”

“Mother. Costco?” Courtney clutched her chest dramatically. “Omigod, this is worse than the divorce.”

Todd, who had been silent, began to laugh. “I’m pretty stoked on the vegan cake idea, Court.”

“Thank you! Oh, and Party Planet can deliver tables, chairs, lights, decor, everything, early in the morning and then pick it up the next day. They did April’s quinceañera last year, and they are AMAZING.” She put the last piece of paper down triumphantly. “I’ve been doing a lot of research and these are the best deals in town, mom.”

Karen shook her head. “Fine, I will talk to these vendors. I’m not promising anything, though.”

“Thanks, mommy! And remember, we’re also saving money since Darienne and I are doing the invitations and placecards ourselves.”

“You spent three hundred bucks at Michael’s, Courtney. I don’t know how much money that saved.”

“Mommy...have I told you how beautiful you look today?” Courtney batted her eyelashes. “And so young…”

“Go get dressed for school, Courtney.”

She kissed Karen on the cheek and departed from the kitchen, singing, “This will be the best party ever! Because I have the best mother!”

Todd shook his head. “You’re getting so played.”

“I know,” Karen sighed.

-

Adore and Willam were the last to arrive at lunch; Fame and Pearl were deep in conversation about who knows what and Violet sat across from Trinity, giving her answers to some homework that she didn’t do.

“What’s up, guys?” Adore asked, plopping down in the grass next to Violet and Trinity. Willam sat against the tree butting his way into Fame and Pearl’s conversation.

“Hey, Adore. Just trying to get this finished before class--heard Mrs. Davis is checking for correctness.” Trinity rolled her eyes in annoyance.

“And Violet's helping you. Aw, look who's being nice today,” Adore teased Violet, trying to elicit some kind of response from the girl. Violet had been ignoring Adore since the locker incident and she just wanted things to get back to normal between them. Or as normal as possible, under the circumstances.

Adore sighed when Violet stared at the paper in front of her.

“Did you read the story at all Trin? He dies at the end,” Violet grabbed pencil from Trinity, erasing her answer.

“Lenny dies?!”

“Yeah-” Adore started only to be interrupted by Violet.

“Maybe, you should have read the book. I don't even know why I'm helping you,” Violet passed the paper back.

“Because you love me and like to see me succeed in life,” Trinity flashed a smile and Violet playfully rolled her eyes.

“Never suggest such a thing.”

Adore let out a frustrated groan before flopping back onto the grass between the two girls, “Can you, like, stop acting like I don't exist.” Adore said, a pout on her lips, hazel eyes blinking at Violet.

“Fame,” Violet called over Adore.

“Yes.”

“Do you still have some grapes left?”

“Mhm,” Fame nodded, ready to toss the ziplock to Violet.

“I'll come get them,” Violet said, crawling over to the others.

Adore sat up on her elbows, watching Violet crawl away. Then looked up at Trinity who was shaking her head, “Can you talk to her?”

“I'll try, but you know how Violet is.”

-

The cast was scattered all over the place waiting their turn to get on the stage and go over blocking and lines. And Adore didn’t hesitate to find her way to where the other pink ladies sat in the back of the theater, plopping down beside Raja.  

“Hey,” Adore said softly, bright eyes admiring the beauty of the older girl.

“Sup,” Raja nodded, pulling the headphones off her ears.

“You look good,” the words left Adore’s lips before she could stop them and her face reddened in turn.

Raja was wearing a Cyndi Lauper t-shirt under a frayed jean jacket, patches sewed carefully along the sleeves and front. Her caramel skin peeked through the rips in her jeans, her long dark hair was braided back, bangs swept to one side, and battered black boots giving her more of an edge and pulling the entire look together.

“I ‘look good’?” Raja raised a brow and Adore face grew redder but she nodded, because it was true. “Thanks for the compliment but I threw this on in two minutes. You, look like you took some time getting ready this morning, though,” Raja said, putting her feet up on the seat in front of her.

Raja wasn't wrong, Adore had been spending more time in the mirror in the mornings than usual.

“Not really,” Adore lied, remembering how she kept messing up her eyeliner and nearly wanted to cry because her right eye wasn’t perfect.

The smell of weed and Raja’s perfume had Adore’s stomach doing flips as she leaned in close; the music from her headphones echoed between them.

“Well, you look good,” Raja looked over Adore, before moving to take her feet off the seat.

“Thanks.” Adore tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

“Wanna go to the vending machine with me?” Raja asked.

“Yeah.” Adore hurriedly stood up, the pair making their way out of the theatre.

“Have you seen the jackets?” Raja asked as she put her money in the machine.

“No, have you?” Adore leaned against the machine as casually as possible.

“Yeah, I’m helping with the costumes. I gotta show them to you when we get a chance.” Raja said, moving closer to Adore after grabbing her pack of skittles. “Maybe try them on to make sure they fit?” Raja suggested, fingering at Adore’s jacket, brown eyes staring intently into Adore’s.

Adore’s thoughts raced with possibilities, but she only nodded in response.

“Uh, you wanna hang out later?”

“Sorry,” Raja smacked her teeth, stepping back and opening the bag of skittles. “Got work, but another time, okay?”

“Yeah,” Adore nodded.

Once back in the theatre, Raja put her headphones on Adore, going through her music seeing if the younger girl could name the songs from ear.

“You don't know this one,” Raja teased.

“Yeah, I do. Give me a sec; the song just started,” Adore smiled.

“Let me see what part it's on,” Raja leaned in, her scent filling Adore’s senses again. Raja’s hand found a spot on Adore's thigh as she leaned toward her. Raja put her ear to the outside of the headphones and the pressure on Adore’s thigh made it hard for her to concentrate on the song.

“If you haven't gotten it by now, then you're not going to get it,” Raja laughed, hand squeezing Adore’s thigh slightly. Adore turned to look at Raja, heartbeat speeding up when she noticed how close they were to each other; noses nearly touching.

“Whatever, it's all stuff from before I was born. It’s stuff from before you were born,” Adore pulled the headphones off.

“Exactly. When you come to my place… I'm going to have to get you acquainted with some real music.”

-

Courtney walked back to her seat, trying not to watch Adore’s ridiculously obvious flirting. Frankly, she found Raja to be a little bit pretentious and full of herself, but Adore seemed to think she walked on water, so she was just keeping her opinions to herself.

It wouldn’t be so bad, but she’d canceled their plans twice in the last week, which irritated Courtney to no end. She couldn’t be totally sure that the last time had to do with Raja, but Courtney had her suspicions. She sighed, approaching Roy and Darienne, who were of course dutifully studying for a US History test while everyone else in the theatre was fucking around.

“You alright, babe?” Roy asked.

Courtney looked down at him and smiled sweetly. “Mmmhmm…” She ran a hand through his thick hair and settled into his lap, demanding attention.

Roy grinned, dimples deep in his cheeks, and went in for a long, slow kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“Roy, when did Teddy Roosevelt start the National--” Darienne began and then looked up, rolling her eyes. “You guys, come on...”

“Sorry, am I interrupting?” Courtney asked coyly, batting her eyelashes.

Roy laughed and sucked on her pulse point, one hand trailing down her thigh. “Yes. And don’t stop.”

“You used to be a really responsible study partner, you know!” Darienne said.

Courtney giggled as Roy buried his face in her hair, giving Darienne an apologetic shrug. “Sorry.”

“Whatever. I guess I’ll just be ruining the curve by myself now.” Darienne flipped her hair and went back to her textbook.

Roy lifted his head, eyes blazing. “Fuck you, I’m still gonna ruin the curve. I’ll get a higher grade than you without even studying.”

“Wanna bet?”

“Twenty bucks says I beat your grade on Friday without cracking this book.”

“Deal. Give me the book.”

“You don’t trust me?” Roy clutched his chest in mock dismay.

“Not as far as I can throw you, Del Rio.”

“Hmph. Well, you’re smarter than I thought.” Roy handed over his textbook, chuckling.

-

“Knock knock…” Adore said, standing at Courtney’s back door.

Courtney pulled off her headphones, sweaty after just getting back from a run, and threw open the door. “Hiya babe, come in!”

“I’m just here to hand-deliver the RSVP for the most ridiculous invitation I’ve ever received.”

Courtney clapped her hands, jumping up and down excitedly. “Did the glitter go everywhere?”

“Yes. You goddamned asshole.”

“Roy was so pissed. He was sitting on his unmade bed and now it’s like, in his sheets. And when I saw him there was even a piece of pink glitter in his eyelashes,” she doubled over laughing. “He said he’s gonna have his mom put a Santeria curse on me.”

“I’d support that.”

“Too bad she loves me!” Courtney giggled mischievously, then sat down at the table, sighing dreamily. “This party is going to be amazing. I almost feel bad for using the divorce to manipulate my parents into spending so much money…”

Adore laughed. “Almost, but not quite?”

“Well, do you remember Kimmy’s sweet sixteen party, at the Hilton?! Come on! I deserve this!” Courtney pouted.

“Of course you do, princess. So...I wanted to ask you a question about the guest list.”

“Yes, I invited Pearl and Willam and no, I did not invite Violet.”

“Noted. But, I was wondering if I could invite Raja.”

Courtney stared at her for a moment, blinking rapidly.

“I mean, you know, we’ve been hanging out, and...things are...why do you look like that?”

“Because Raja has never even said one word to me.”

“Well…” Adore bit her lip. “Maybe, she can just be my plus one.”

“This party is about me, Adore. Why would you need a plus one?” Courtney whined.

“Uh...” Adore hesitated, knowing how Courtney got when it came to her birthday. She was the most important person that day and she’d fight anyone who said otherwise.

“Whatever,” Courtney finally sighed crossing her arms in annoyance.

“Whatever? So, I can-”

“Yeah, you can invite her, I guess. But I expect your present to be the best one I open at my party. I want to be wowed and everyone else to be jealous that you’re my best friend.” Courtney raised a brow, challenging Adore.

Adore let out a nervous chuckle at her friend’s ridiculousness.

“Okay, yeah, it’ll be the best present you could ask for. I promise.” Adore leaned across the table planting a kiss on Courtney’s cheek.

-

“Pearl, if you can do the school over here, I can work on the foreground,” Sasha said.

“Sure!” Pearl settled down over by the corner as directed, arranging her brushes, chatting with Sasha about the plans for the other backdrops. She was especially excited about getting to take the lead for the drive-in, since Sasha had loved her sketches.

“Sasha! Did you know that the US History test is tomorrow?!” Shea came running around the corner in a panic. She glanced down at Pearl and tried to regain her composure. “Hey Pearl.”

Pearl flashed a coy smile and Shea returned a shy grin.

“Yeah, hon, I know. Do you wanna come over and study later?”

“Uh, yeah, duh. And can I borrow your notes too?” Shea smiled charmingly at her friend.

Sasha laughed. “Sure. I’ll go get them.” She rose from the ground and walked over to her backpack.

Pearl looked up at Shea, standing with one hip cocked, head tilted. She was just so damn cute.

“Shea, I love that dress. Where did you get it?”

“Oh, um...I made it.”

“You made it? Are you serious?” Pearl jumped up to examine it closer. “You are kidding me; this is incredible!” She ran a finger over the colorful fabric.

Shea cleared her throat. “Thanks.” She took a small step back and Pearl wondered if she’d crossed some boundary.

“You know, I heard that they need someone else to do costumes. If you’re interested, I bet Thorgy would kiss your feet.” Pearl tried to give her a friendly, non-predatory, no-homo smile.

“Cool, yeah, that’s…” Shea trailed off, looking into Pearl’s eyes, clearing her throat.

Sasha handed a red notebook to Shea, looking between them with an amused expression. “Here you go. I’ll be done here by 4:30.”

“Okay, thanks. See you later,” Shea said, quickly taking the notebook and bolting.

“Something I said?” Pearl asked.

Sasha laughed. “Don’t take it personally.”

-

“So, mother,” Courtney skipped into the kitchen, a sly smile on her face and a piece of paper in hand.

“Courtney, please don’t tell me-”

“Just a few last-minute things that I must have for my party.” She held the list out for her mom to take, but Karen only glared at the paper.

“Come on. It’s not bad, I promise,” Courtney waved the paper in front of her face, coaxing her to take it out of her hand.

With a sigh, Karen took the paper from Courtney, folding it up.

“Wait, what are you doing, look at it.”

“I will, when I have time.” Karen assured.

“What’s more important than your baby girl’s sweet sixteen?” Courtney crossed her arms.

“Courtney, don’t start,” Karen squinted at Courtney.

“Ever since you and dad finalized your divorce, it’s been like I don’t even matter,” Courtney eyes watered and her bottom lip quivered for effect.

“You know that’s not true,” Karen sighed, knowing Courtney’s tactics, but couldn’t help feeling the guilt that would eat her alive if Courtney didn’t have the birthday she wanted. “Let me see what you wrote.”

“Two cakes and an ice cream cart,” she looked up with wide eyes.

“We’re doing the vegan cake from Sweet Pea, plus I want a regular chocolate cake for everyone else and an ice cream cart for people who don’t like cakes plus it’s cute and fun and the awning matches my color scheme.” Courtney smiled and Karen rolled her eyes.

“You’ll get the vegan cake and one or the other; not both,” she said before she continued reading. “Smoke machines, strobe lights? Disco balls? Courtney--”

“They are just little add-ons to the lighting package! It’ll make the dance floor sooo much more fun, Mommy, please!”

“Balloon arch? Confetti cannons? A photographer AND videographer? Do you want a clown too?” Karen murmured under her breath, but Courtney heard her mother and only rolled her eyes.

“Mom, we need production value, and the photographer is to capture the memories, it’s going to be such a special day.”

“We can all take pictures. I have a camera, and so does your father, and Todd, plus I’ll borrow the video camera from Bonnie. And doesn’t your friend Thorgy take beautiful pictures?”

“Yeah, but that’s not as good as a professional!”

“Whatever,” her mother shook her head.

“Keep going,” Courtney waved her hand. Her mother grew silent as she continued to read the list.

“Okay, Courtney. No!” Karen slapped the paper on the counter, wanting to get it out of her hands as quick as possible causing Courtney to frown.

“What?”

“No spray tan, no teeth whitening! Even if we had that kind of money, which we don’t, that stuff is full of toxic chemicals.”

“But, mom, it’s winter and I’m so pasty, I need a tan!” she whined.

“I said NO! And I’m not hiring a professional makeup artist, or hairstylist either. Kimmy can do your hair and makeup. I don’t have the money for this stuff and you know it.”

“What about daddy?” Courtney asked. Did she know her list was a bit much, yes, but did she think it was unreasonable, no.

“Pick out three things that you really want from this and then I’ll call your father,” she slid the paper across the counter to Courtney.

“Mommy!”

“Courtney. Don’t.”

They glared at each other, before finally Courtney decided to give in.

“I’ll rewrite the list.”

“Thank you, I’ll call your dad.”

-

Fingers intertwined with Roy, Courtney made her way to her locker, going on and on about her plans for the party in a couple of weeks.

“I already have it narrowed down between three outfits that I might wear for my party. I just can’t figure out which one would be the best one,” Courtney pouted.

“You’ll look beautiful in any outfit you choose,” Roy leaned in, placing a soft kiss to her cheek.

“You haven’t even seen the outfits. How would you know?”

“That’s because you won’t let me and you’re the most beautiful girl no matter what you wear,” Roy smiled, tugging Courtney’s hand, pulling her into his chest as they walked up to Courtney’s locker.  

All Courtney had been able to talk about for the last week is party plans and Roy found it absolutely endearing how adamant she was on making sure everything was less no than perfect. His only job so far was to find the perfect birthday gift for her, which was stressful in its own right.

“Thank you,” Courtney said, stopping in front of her locker before pulling Roy into a sweet kiss, “but you’re no help right now. I just have to decide on what color I want to wear and then it’ll really narrow it down. Everyone else will be wearing black and white so that means I need to pick the perfect color to POP compared to everyone else.” Courtney continued as she unlocked her locker.

“I thought you’re wearing pink.”

“Oh my god, do you know how many shades of pink there are?” she rolled her eyes. “I mean- OHMYGOD!” Courtney squealed as she opened her locker, startling Roy.

“What!? What’s wrong?” Roy pulled the locker door open wider to see a black box decorated with glittery numbers saying “1996” sitting on top of a note. His brows furrowed in confusion as Courtney bounced on her feet in excitement.

She grabbed the box out of her locker and opened it, another squeal leaving her before she closed the box, looking up at Roy with teary green eyes. She reopened the box a big smile spreading across her face as she ran her finger over the pretty silver brush and pulled out a familiar bright red hair bow and slipped it onto her wrist.

-

Courtney sat at the table watching her mother take the cookies out of the oven, setting them aside to cool down.

“Are we going to take allll the cookies over there?” Courtney asked, blinking up at her mother, hoping that she would let her keep a few for herself; it had been her idea to bake cookies for the new neighbors instead of the lasagna Karen wanted to take over, secretly hoping that she’d get some cookies too.  

“We’ll keep a few here, since you were so helpful today,” Karen said taking her oven mitts off, “Now go wash up while the cookies cool down.”

Later, Courtney skipped down the sidewalk at her mother’s side, excited to be the first one to meet the new family out of all of her friends.

“Does the new neighbors have kids?” Courtney asked.

“Well, I saw a boy a little older than you and I saw a little girl around your age, when they were still moving yesterday.”

“I’ll ring the doorbell!” Courtney yelled, running up to the door and pressing the button, beyond excited to meet these brand-new kids.

“Just once,” Karen swatted Courtney’s hand away from the doorbell as she went to push it again.

Courtney mimicked her mother, smiling wide when the door swung open to reveal a woman with dyed curly blonde hair and a young girl hiding behind the woman’s leg.

“Hi! I’m Karen and this is my daughter, Courtney. We thought we’d welcome you to the neighborhood with some homemade cookies.” Karen held out the container.

“They’re vegan!” Courtney added, smiling up at the woman.

“Thank you! Vegan cookies, wow. Never had them before.” Bonnie gave a tight smile, taking the cookies from Karen.

“They’re really really good,” Courtney said, addressing the girl behind the woman’s leg more than the woman herself, hoping that they would like the cookies as much as she did.

“This is really appreciated. I’m Bonnie, and this is my baby girl Adore,” Bonnie said. “Do you want some coffee?”

“I’m not a baby!” Adore exclaimed, before hiding again, biting her lip.

Courtney smiled at Adore, wiggling her fingers at the dark-haired girl. She couldn’t see much of her as she peaked at Courtney from between Bonnie’s legs; but the bright red bow wrapped around the girl’s ponytail caught Courtney’s attention and she had an urge to tug it.  

Courtney was shaken from her thoughts as Karen’s hand on her shoulder guided her into the house.

“Adore, why don’t you and Courtney go play. You can show her your new bedroom,” Bonnie suggested, and headed into the kitchen, chatting with Karen along the way.

“I really like your bow. It’s so pretty, I don’t have any bows,” Courtney said reaching to tug at the bow, but Adore moved out of her reach, causing Courtney to frown for a moment until she saw a big smile spread across Adore’s face.

“Do you want to go upstairs and see my other stuff? I have so many bows,” Adore touched her own before turning to run up the stairs and Courtney followed.

-

She closed the box sitting it back in her locker and picked up the card that the box had sat on.

“Uh, so who is it from,” Roy asked even though he was ninety-nine percent sure he knew who it was from.

Courtney ignored him as she read the card:

Remember my favorite red bow I used to always wear? When we first met, you’d beg me to let you wear it. When I finally gave in, you lost it the next day. I can’t believe we stayed friends after that. :p It must be because you were the only one who had patience for my “tender-headed bullshit,” to quote my lovely mother. This is gift 1 of 10, for our 10 years of friendship. -Dory

-

Courtney watched Adore whimper, grit her teeth and stomp her feet as Bonnie detangled her hair.

“It's okay, Dory,” Courtney said softly, hating to see Adore like this. She sat in front of Adore, trying to distract her from the brush running through her hair.

When Adore let out a cry as the brush snagged on a particular knot, tears started to fall from her eyes. Courtney leaped forward, pulling Adore into a tight hug.

Bonnie shook her head, finding the whole scene adorable and over-dramatic.

“She'll be fine, Courtney.” Bonnie assured.

When the girls didn't let go of each other, Bonnie decide to send Courtney off.

“Courtney, can you be an angel and go get Adore's big red bow out of her bedroom for me.”

Courtney nodded, peeling away from Adore, running to get the bow, knowing that it was Adore's favorite and wanting to get back to her as soon as possible.

Running as fast as her little legs could carry she burst through Adore’s bedroom door, grabbing the red bow from her night table. Courtney hesitated for just a moment, admiring the brightness of it before Adore’s yelp from downstairs pulled her out of her thoughts, causing her to spring back into action.

Passing the bow to Bonnie, Courtney plopped back down in front of a crying Adore.

“Hold my hand, Dory.” Courtney said, shoving her hand towards Adore and they stayed like that until Adore’s hair was finished.

-

“Babe, are you crying?” Roy wrapped his arms around Courtney.

“No,” she sniffed, “I just really miss that red bow,” she turned around to face him.

Fuck, he thought, he completely forgot that he was going to be going up against Adore for the title of best gift. Best friend vs Boyfriend.

Around the corner, Adore watched Courtney’s emotional reaction to her gift with a satisfied smirk. Nailed it.

-

“Dory, pretty pleasssseee,” Courtney begged, hugging Adore tight.

All Courtney wanted was to wear Adore’s red bow, when her Grandma Muriel came to visit tomorrow, but Adore didn't want Courtney to wear it because it was hers.

“No,” Adore huffed.

“But I promise to bring it back,” Courtney pouted, blinking those wide green eyes.

Adore crossed her arms, red bow tight in her hand. Courtney smiled mischievously hand inching toward Adore's. She gripped the tip of the bow and tried to lightly tug it out of Adore’s hand.

“No, Courtney!” Adore yelled, hopping off the couch. Crossing her arms and turning her nose up.

“Pretty please! With cherries on top,” Courtney bottom lip quivered, her feelings hurt that Adore was being so mean to her to today. “I thought you were my best friend.”

“I am.” Adore uncrossed her arms nodding.

“No, you're not because you won't let me wear your bow.” Courtney pouted.

Hurt was evident on Adore’s face at Courtney's statement of no longer being best friends. She looked down at the red bow that she had taken off her hair earlier and contemplated her options. The red bow was hers and it was her favorite. She also liked being Courtney's best friend; they played together all the time, watched movies and did everything together.

She was scared Courtney would try to keep her bow, but she didn't want to stop being Courtney's best friend.

“Okay,” she sighed, “you can wear it.” Adore held the bow to Courtney, who squealed in delight, attacking Adore in a tight hug, sending them both to the ground.

-

“Here, hold this,” Courtney shoved the box and the card into Roy's hands. She raked her hair high above her head like she’d do on game days and wrapped the bow around her ponytail.

As Courtney fixed her hair, Roy noticed Adore moving toward them from the lockers behind them. Eyes wide in surprise that he hadn't noticed her there earlier, he moved to the side as Adore snuck up behind Courtney, wrapping her arms around his girlfriend’s waist.

“P.S. I'm still a little bitter about you losing my bow, even though your mom bought both of us replacements,” Adore snickered as Courtney squealed for the third time that day, turning around and throwing her arms around her neck.

“I didn't do it on purpose,” Courtney pouted and Roy cleared his throat. Adore immediately noticed the intimacy of their position and stepped back.

Courtney, distracted by the surprise, only turned back to the locker.

“Does it look good?” she asked straightening it out trying to look in the small locker mirror.

“Looks amazing,” Adore smiled.

“It looks perfect,” Roy nodded, before shooting Adore a quick glare, wracking his brain for the perfect gift to beat Adore’s.

[writingismyhappytime]

Marry Me (Part 2)

Ricky x Reader 

Warnings: Language 

"So that's the plan? You're just... gonna do it?" You groan as you push yourself out from under the mini van, grease streaking your cheek. Ricky is squatting down beside you, nodding.

The shop is busy, it's a Monday so all the guys are there. It's loud with everyone working on vehicles, but Ricky is trying not to talk loud enough where anyone else can overhear.

"Yep."

"Ricky, that's not romantic at all," you complain, holding a wrench in your hand as you shift. You frown at him, pushing up onto your elbows. "You can't just shove a box in my face in front of everyone and ask. That's lame."

"But I bought the ---."

"I don't want to know!" You hiss, huffing as you finally sit up completely.

Ricky sighs; you're wearing that stained jumpsuit again, skin gleaming with sweat from the horrible heat. He's not sure how you're going to pull off the whole girly-shocked act when he does propose.

"When do you want to do this then?" He asks, sounding irritated as you finally crawl to your feet, setting your silver wrench to the side. You put your hands on your hips, frowning.

"Well, it's going to have to be soon, isn't it? Within the next month?"

"Yeah." He shifts uncomfortably. Can this even happen within a month?

"Huh. Well," you glance around, then gesture for him to follow you into the office, not wanting to be overheard. You still can't believe you agreed to such a thing, but why not? You'll get a pretty wedding you can remember forever, and Ricky gets his daughter; you can always divorce later when you have the money.

You hold the rickety door open for Ricky, then kick it shut, the glass rattling in its pane.

"Okay, so here's the plan," you lean your hip against the cluttered desk, dust collecting on the filing cabinets stuffed in the corners, the black phone held together with purple duct tape. There's ancient calender's on the walls, dating back at least ten years, and the photos on the walls show your grandfather and father opening the shop together, your family through the years. "Who's having that party tomorrow that's going to have everyone there?"

"Uh, Balz. It's a, um, grand opening party for his new store." Ricky shrugs his shoulders. Balz might not be in the band anymore, but that doesn't mean that he's still not one of them. He's  opening a new shop, and he's having a small party to celebrate.

"Okay, so we do it then." Sounds easy enough. Sure, you've never met any of the rest of his band. You've seen pictures of them, and you've met Ryan, because you've been to Ricky's house to help him change his oil, so you're sure this is going to be a shock for them. "Just don't go around telling everyone why we're getting married, alright? If a lot of people know, then they're going to blab, and that'll get us in a load of shit, okay?"

"I know better than that," Ricky grumbles, crossing his tattooed arms over his chest. He looks worried, and you know he's thinking about his daughter; he isn't going to do anything that would make him lose her. "So you want me to propose then?"

"Yep."

"Alright. Do you have a dress or something you can wear? Or... something nice? Balz told us all to dress up because he's going to be taking a lot of photos for his website."

"I own dresses, Ricky," you look at him, miffed. "And yes, I'll even make sure to wash the grease off first."

He flushes. "That's not... exactly what I meant."

Well, you can't really be mad at him for the comment. He's only ever seen you while you're working or getting off, and having black on your hands isn't something you can avoid. You sigh, hoping this isn't going to be a disaster.

"I'll pick you up around six," he says, chewing his lower lip, the buzzing light above glinting off his lip ring. "We'll go, we'll mingle a little bit, let Balz have his moment. Then, when it seems like shit is getting dull or something, I'll propose. Since Balz is taking photos anyway, I'm sure he'll capture the moment and blast Twitter with it."

"Ahuh. You know Claire will immediately start calling the instant she sees it."

"I know." He looks uncomfortable. "But I gotta do this for Chloe."

"Yeah." He doesn't have to make it sound like it's going to be a task. "But hey, you'll totally love being married to me. I make excellent pasta."

He chuckles; you really do. He takes a step to your side, leaning back against the desk, bumping your shoulder with his. You smell like an oil rag, but it doesn't bother him anymore. He's grateful you're doing this for him, putting on this grand charade. It's going to be a task, making everyone believe that you've been having a secret relationship from everyone, and then out of the blue he decides to propose without even warning his family or friends.

"So, when you propose, make sure you do the whole down on one knee thing," you say after a moment, tendrils of your hair framing your face as you lean back on your hands. "Complete with the whole, 'I love you' speel."

"Should I hire an orchestra and everything?"

"If you think it'll make the moment more believable."

He rolls his eyes. "I still don't see why we can't just elope."

"Eloping makes it look suspicious, doesn't it? If we do everything very publicly, it'll look like we have nothing to hide and nothing to dig for. You can move your stuff into the spare room upstairs, I'll get my name changed, and everything will be as official as fuck. After you get Chloe and a couple months down the road, we can get a divorce. Should just be a couple thousand, I guess."

Ricky grimaces. "Maybe more than a few months then."

"Well, alright." You figured he'd want to get a divorce as quickly as possible. "So you propose, I say yes. I'm already looking at venues, and I think I found one already. I don't want to call until you do the thing, though, just in case."

"That's fine. The sooner we get this done, the better."

"Cool. Also, I found a place online that we can order a tux from," you glance him over. "And I'll see about finding a dress. Did you think about your best man and all that? Chloe can be the flower girl if Claire doesn't kill us first."

"Uh, no, I haven't thought about it." Ricky hasn't given any of the wedding much thought, he's been trying to avoid it. He's been busy with worrying over Chloe, his finances, how the guys and his family is going to react to the sudden news of his impending wedding.

Talking about having to clear your schedule in a hurry.

"So you have the ring then? And don't be like, predictable. I need to be surprised."

"Predictable?"

"Yes. Don't go in, immediately be like, 'I need to say something', because then I'm going to know. Catch me off guard."

"I feel like you're making this more complicated then it should be."

"Welcome to marriage."

~~~~~~

You look at your reflection, wondering if you look okay. You have dresses, you just never have an opportunity to wear them! You've curled your hair in pretty ringlets around your shoulders, applied makeup you never get to wear, and in your opinion, you look damn good.

Your dress is cute, with a swirly skirt to your knees. You put on some flats, you don't want to be taller than Ricky, and it's basically sleeveless. You purse your lips, your hands resting on your hips as you gaze at your reflection.

Ricky should be impressed, right?

You're irritated with him over that comment, you do have nice things. You can't exactly wear them while you're beneath a greased down machine, now can you? No, you have to dress appropriately.

You've made sure to spray your perfume, checked there's not a speck of grease or black on your skin, and you even painted your nails! You look like someone going on a date, or to their impending future engagement party. You hope Ricky's friend isn't mad that he's going to steal the spotlight, but maybe he'll be understanding.

You bite your lip, glancing at the time on your phone. Ricky should be here any minute, and you hope he likes how you look. You're a bit self-conscious about the fact you look so guyish all the time, and his comment didn't make you feel any better about it. Some men are intimidated that you're a better mechanic than them.

Maybe he'll approve.

~~~~

Oh.

Damn.

Uh.

Ricky stares at you, his eyes wide as you step out of your garage. You're actually wearing a dress, and you have hips! Lovely hips, actually, and quite a nice figure now that he really looks.

You're pretty.

"You look nice," he says finally as you start across the paved parking lot, and you give him a bright smile at his words, cheeks heating.

"Do you like it?" you ask dryly, giving him an experimental twirl. "It's been in the back of my closet for months now. At least I finally get to wear it."

"I'm surprised you own dresses," he chuckles, stepping around the car to open your door for you. "I've never seen you out of that jumpsuit."

"Because you only ever see me when I'm at work or I'm balling my eyes out," you reply, pleased that he likes your dress. "You look nice too." You tug at the collar of his black shirt, getting a whiff of his cologne. "Almost fancy."

"I try." He shuts the door behind you, glancing around the vacant parking lot of the auto body shop. There are some streetlamps coming on, but otherwise it's pretty vacant. Sure, there are some extra cars, probably ready to be taken into the shop in the morning, but that's about it.

Admittedly, Ricky's nervous, and his palms are slick. He's not sure if he's going to be able to pull this off tonight, although with you on his arm it's going to be a little easier. You're always so confident like you have everything under control, he admires you for that. It'll go smoothly, at least he knows you're not going to reject him.

That's a... plus, right?

~~~~~~~

"Don't be so nervous," you whisper in Ricky's ear as you enter the decorated shop, your arm curled through his. You're all bright smiles and long legs, and Ricky almost cringes.

Everyone has noticed the two of you come inside. That, or he's incredibly paranoid and thinking everyone is staring him down.

You're so pretty tonight, he likes the way your dress clings in all the right places. He'd been incredibly nervous about the whole thing, he still is but... well, having you at his side really helps.

"I can't help it," he tugs anxiously at his collar, giving Josh a nod from across the room. It's not a huge party or anything, mostly just friends and family. This is the second shop to open, filled with odd amenities and definitely some creepy items.

"Hey, it's gonna be fine," you take his hand as the two of you step into a corner, lacing your fingers through his and squeezing. "Just don't bail on me, alright? I wore a dress for this."

Ricky snorts. "You're making it sound like that's some great accomplishment."

You frown at him. "I should have worn heels, I would have been towering over you."

He huffs. "Yeah yeah."

Your eyes flick around the room, hearing faint music playing in the background that you recognize; the guys are usually playing it in your shop, and Ricky listens to it a lot at his own house.

You smile at Ryan as you see him heading towards the two of you, his eyes curiously landing on your entwined fingers.

And so it begins.

"Hey guys." He says with a sigh as he steps over, running a hand through his hair. He looks relaxed, wearing a nice black shirt and casual jeans. He's not super dressy, no one really is, and that makes you feel better that you didn't go over the top with your outfit.

"Hey Ryan." You greet, feeling Ricky tense beside you. "Has it been pretty smooth so far?"

"Yeah. Balz hasn't had his grand speech yet, I think he was waiting for Rick to show up." He glances behind him. "You're late, dude."

"I had to pick her up, and traffic was more than what I thought it would be," Ricky grumbles in response. "But hey, I made it."

"Yeah. You guys had anything to drink yet?"

"No, is it spiked?"

"Don't think so."

"Then I'm fine," you sigh, shaking your head. Honestly you're a little nervous about the evening as well, although you're not going to let Ricky, who's a firework of panic ready to explode, know that. You figure he's not even going to surprise you, that you're going to have to goad him into action because he can be such a little bitch sometimes.

Ryan chuckles at your answer, relaxing. He's always really liked you, you're so chill and he likes hanging with you, you're another one of the guys. Plus, you're sort of more manly than Ricky is, mostly because you know everything about cars and half the time your mutual friend can't even get his key fob to work.

"Everyone!" Josh calls, the music fading in the background. All eyes turn to the former keyboardist where he stands on a little stage --- or pedestal for some statue you're sure. You recognize him from photos you've seen, although you've yet to personally meet him. He seems nice, even if he left the band, and he's still close with all the guys.

"I want to thank everyone for coming tonight," Josh continues, and his speech goes on for a moment. You sort of lose interest halfway through, absently picking at a string on Ricky's shirt sleeve; he really needs to cut it off. Your hand is still in his, although it's getting a little too warm in your opinion.

You're so relieved when he's done and there's the mandatory clapping and cheers --- at which someone shoves a champagne flute in your hand full of... something not alcoholic, unfortunately. You sip politely but not because you want too.

Ryan wanders off into the crowd, and you look at Ricky pointedly. His hands slip anxiously into his pockets as he takes a step from you. He can feel the ring box, and his fingers clench around it nervously.

Oh shit.

He's actually going to have to do this, isn't he? He doesn't mind the action itself, just the aftermath of everyone freaking the fuck out.

"Go mingle with your friends," you nudge him slightly. "And stop looking like you're going to be sick, you're actually turning green at this point."

"I'm not green."

"You're getting there." Your hands go to your very shapely hips. You quirk one brow at him, tapping your fingers impatiently before he sighs.

"Fine. Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone." He offers his hand with a grimace, and you actually scowl at him, a little hurt.

"You can stop acting like this is literally painful for you," you snap, starting to feel foolish. "You asked me to come, remember?"

"It's not painful," he defends himself instantly, glancing around as your harsh tone garners some attention he definitely doesn't want. "It's not like this is easy."

"Why not? You're just introducing me, Ricky, not ---."

"It's not that, Jesus. It's--- well its what happens after and having to make up some excuse, yknow? I don't want to lie."

Seriously!?

"Ricky, I swear to god. If you're going to be a baby and back out, tell me right now so I can go home." You order, put out. He's acting as if being around you is embarrassing, he hardly said two words to Ryan while he was standing with the two of you. If this is how he's going to act now, the rest is going to be a disaster!

"I'm not going to be a baby, I ---."

"I understand if you're nervous, this is kind of a big deal, but you're making me feel like crap. Do you want me here or not?" You demand, glaring openly at him. Maybe you've been around men too much, but it's made you incredibly blunt and you rarely put up with anyone's bullshit. He's pissing you off!

He flushes beneath your glare, but he knows you're right. He really needs to get it together, doesn't he?

"You're right," he mutters reluctantly after a moment, but he knows if he doesn't agree you'll just continue to make him feel stupid until he admits you are. "I just... I'm so worried about all of this."

"I know, I get it." You soften slightly, taking his hand and squeezing. You give it a moment, then brazenly lean forward to kiss his cheek, seeing him blink at the unexpected action. "But you have to stop acting like such a little bitch or this is going to blow up in our faces."

His expression sours. You literally had to say it that way, didn't you?

"Hey, Ricky."

Ricky straightens immediately, turning to look up at Chris as he and his girlfriend step over. Your eyes flick over them curiously, seeing they rather complement each other with their equally dark and foreboding looks; you've never been one much for hair styling or lots of makeup, but his girlfriend definitely makes you wish you'd put even more effort into your appearance.

"Hey. You guys this is (Y/N)," Ricky introduces you, and you smile, trying to seem a little more friendly than what you really are.

"The mechanic, right?" Chris looks down at you curiously; he's vaguely heard Ryan and Ricky talk about you in passing, so he'd had a muscled up woman eight feet tall with car tattoos sort of pictured in his head.

You look nothing like he'd pictured; you're pretty, wearing a dress and flats so you're not taller than the guitarist. Your hair is done, nails painted --- much girlier than he expected.

"Yes." You nod your head, a little surprised; does Ricky talk about you or something? How did he ---?

"You're a mechanic?" His girlfriend seems surprised.

"I own a shop in town." You say after a moment, shifting your weight. You kind of don't like how she's looking at you, as if getting ready to use those long black nails for dissection.

"Oh. So do you hire or ---?"

"I work on the cars as well." Why does everyone always think you just do office work? You literally look and smell like a grease rag most days, and you kind of can't afford not to work, either. You've got bills and it takes a lot of money to keep a car shop going; the tools, the labor, just trying to keep a long stream of customers --- sometimes you're up all night just trying to figure out a way to make sure you always have business!

"How interesting! I know Ricky doesn't even know how to change a tire," she chuckles, and even Chris looks slightly amused.

Ricky rolls his eyes. "Can we let that drop please? And it was on the bus, not like any of us could do much for it!"

The bus?

"What happened?" You ask curiously, feeling Ricky start to relax beside you as Chris and his girlfriend tell the story --- or mostly Chris with his girlfriend chiming in occasionally when he forgets a slight detail.

You laugh at the end with them, purposefully leaning casually into Ricky's side. After a moment you feel his hand rise to rest on your lower back, just like you'd been hoping it would; you're going to have to keep up an appearance right now after all.

You're way too good at this. Ricky keeps his touch light on your back, knowing exactly what you're doing. Usually you might just nudge his shoulder or flail at him, you're not actually this touchy of a person.

He's taking cues from you the best he can.

"So how long have the two of you been together?" Chris girlfriend asks after a moment, finally voicing the question bouncing around in his head; Ricky has been so focused on his daughter and getting her from his ex, he's not exactly had time for dating.

Or has he?

"A little while," Ricky shrugs nonchalantly. You're a little impressed that he doesn't immediately cringe and give his lie away. "We've been friends and just decided to take the next step."

Riiight.

More like huge fucking leap.

You don't disagree, just squeeze his hand and cut your eyes at him. He doesn't need to say too much; Chris, who you're pretty sure is the front man of the band they're all in, isn't quite buying the bullshit line.

"That's so sweet," his girlfriend says, but you can't tell her level of sincerity. You just shrug your shoulders, wondering why you didn't bring even a mini bottle of alcohol with you to get you through this night.

Just please don't be a disaster.

~~~~~~~

Ricky is frowning.

He's standing with Ghost and Balz, a black cup in his hand as he looks across the crowded room. Chris pestered him for a few minutes about his very sudden, unexpected relationship status, but eventually let it go.

None of the other guys seem to care that much, although annoyingly Ryan hadn't seemed very surprised; honestly he figured you guys had been fucking for a while. You're just too good of friends to not have been.

Still.

Doesn't mean Ryan has to be making you laugh and giggle and stand so close to you. What the hell does he think he's doing, anyway?

Ricky sips his drink, scowling.

Now since the focus has been on Balz, the party is starting to dwindle. Some people are already leaving, it's getting late --- maybe now is the perfect time to do the thing?

Operation grow-some-balls and propose?

Your name for it, not his.

"So, when did you ask her out and why did none of us know about it?" Ghost huffs, miffed at being out of the loop. He usually prides himself on knowing the relationships of his friends, and he finds it very irksome he was left in the dark in this particular situation. He's seen pictures of you before, but you seem pretty normal, no tattoos he can see. You got some nice legs, admittedly, but you're not his type.

"It was pretty sudden." Ricky mumbles, wishing he would let the subject go. He's not really one for public spectacles, he'd rather just shove a ring on your hand and tell the guys about it later, but this is something you want.

It still bothers him you think a guy isn't going to do this for you one day. You want a pretty wedding and the romantic proposal, but he's pretty sure that when you find someone who really loves you, you'll have that.

It's why it makes him feel bad and he doesn't want anything fancy. He feels as if he's ruining it for you in the future.

Still, though, this is what you want and he kind of owes you.

"Sudden?" Balz looks amused. "Most definitely. Dude, I've never even heard her name before."

"Well we were always just friends before, we ---."

"So what changed? When did you start fucking her?" If anything, eloquent Ghost is not. Ricky sighs at the bluntness of the question, but he's not very surprised.

"Devin."

"I just don't see why you didn't mention anything before, alright? Not to any of us."

Yeah, Balz has to agree it is a bit strange. Sure, Ricky has always been the most private out of all of them, he never really posts about his life on social media or puts a lot of gossip out there, especially since he had his daughter.

Speaking of which.

"Uh, Ricky." Balz blinks, and nods his head forward.

This is going to get ugly.

Ricky turns after a moment, his hand suddenly clenching around his black cup and causing the contents to immediately cover his fingers.

Oh no.

Oh holy fuck.

It's over.

Everything is ruined.

His eyes widen in horror as he sees his ex girlfriend standing by the door, fake blonde hair trailing down her shoulders and makeup a bit too much for her.

"Satan has arrived," Ghost breathes, crossing himself. "Did you bring the holy water and sage?"

"Fuck, what's she doing here?" Ricky gasps, panicked. Where the hell can he go!? Is there a table or a trap door he can disappear through!?

What did the woman want!?

"Uh. I did not invite her," Balz wants to make that clear. He never liked her, honestly, but he's always tried to be friendly. He's not sure how she even found out about the party, he kept the guest list pretty short.

"I didn't figure you did," Ricky's shoulders hunch, but he knows his ex isn't going away until she finds him. She's persistent and stubborn and brings out the worst in Ricky, and he doesn't need that right now.

He just wants to propose to you!

Why is that so hard!?

"Uh oh." Ghost says.

"What!?" Ricky turns anxiously, tossing his cup into the nearest bag he can find. His heart stutters a little. "Oh no."

You saw Claire.

Now, one thing Ricky has always admired about you is your brazen attitude and how very unafraid you are of confrontation. You'll bitch out one of your mechanics in front of God and his disciples, you don't give a shit.

Suddenly that's unfortunate and Ricky doesn't need you beating up his ex, that's not going to look good in court!

Because you will, beat her up that is. You don't fight with silly slaps and hair pulling, you go full force with a punch to the face and he doesn't have the money to bail you out right now.

"Rick, don't worry. Claire isn't going to scare her off," Balz offers after a moment, internally sighing; he really doesn't want drama at his opening!

"That's not what I'm worried about," Ricky says anxiously, every alarm bell in his brain ringing loudly. "I'm worried Claire is going to piss her off and (Y/N) is going to beat the shit out of her. Oh fuck!" He groans, seeing you part from Ryan and stride in Claires direction.

What the hell are you doing?

Ghost and Balz look at each other, blinking. How rough are you exactly?

~~~~~~

"Claire. What are you doing here?" You ask sharply as you walk to Ricky's ex, the mother of his child and complete pain in the ass.you hope Ricky hasn't noticed her yet, he'll be having a heart attack.

Claire twists, and she looks at you for several seconds before it clicks who you are. Her nose curls almost instantly, her manicured hands going to her hips.

"I can ask you the same thing." She mutters, and you don't miss the black circles beneath her eyes or how tired she looks. She's dressed normal, jeans and a t shirt supporting some coffee shop --- you'd figured maybe she's here for an early child support check or something.

"Ricky invited me to come," you say after a moment, relaxing slightly; Claire doesn't look like she's spoiling for a fight at all. She looks tired more than anything, whereas you're used to seeing her dressed to the nines and ready to impress.

Claire snorts, brushing her dyed hair behind her ears at your response. "Boring, isn't it? I always hated having to come to these and pretend I gave a shit."

Riiight.

You forgot she's as blunt as you; maybe Ricky has a type and he doesn't even know it.

"Is there something you want?" You cross your arms as you lean back on your heels. You're not really sure what she wants, she doesn't seem aggressive at the moment, but that doesn't mean her mood can't flip like a penny in the air. You don't want Ricky to have to deal with her, but ---.

"I need Ricky to watch Chloe this weekend," she says flatly, her eyes zeroing in over your shoulder, has she spotted her prey? "I'm going out of town and I can't take her with me."

"Where are you going?"

"That's none of your business."

Ahuh.

You frown at her, but before you can say another word Ricky is stepping between you, blue eyes flicking back and forth warily; yeesh it's not like you were going to start a fight with her in public, he can stop worrying! How volatile does he think you are?

"Claire ---."

"I need you to take Chloe this weekend." Claire says before Ricky can say anything else, sounding impatient. "Take her to school Monday morning and I'll pick her up afterwards."

"Uh---."

"She's waiting in the car, I already have her bag packed." Claire continues in that irritating way, as if Ricky never spoke. "She's already excited."

What a bitch.

Did she basically tell Chloe she'd be spending the weekend with Ricky before she even asked him? Now Ricky can't say no, he hates making his daughter feel disappointed!

Fuck!

Claire subconsciously ruined your proposal weekend!

It's like she knew.

"Fine," Ricky says wearily, he's not even going to bother arguing. Really, any time he can spend with his kid he's going to take. "Bring her in and I'll take her."

Claire brightens noticeably. "Good! Thanks. She already won't shut up about it."

You can't stop the roll of your eyes.

Claire pretends she doesn't notice as she turns away, disappearing out into the dark street. You scowl after her, turning to look at your future husband accusingly.

"What?" He asks defensively. "It's Chloe!"

"You could try standing up to her and telling her no for once. She's probably shoving Chloe off on you so she can go party!"

"It doesn't matter if she is, at least I get Chloe and I know she's safe. I'd rather she drop her off with me than take her with her."

You suppose it is a good thing, but still.

"Daddy!"

"Hey, Chloe!" Ricky kneels immediately as his daughter comes barreling into him with out stretched arms. She curls them around his neck with a giggle, a bear clutched in one hand. Her father hugs her tightly, sighing.

"She's all yours until Monday." Claire sighs, holding a Barbie backpack in her hand. You give it a moment before you offer to take it, reluctantly slipping the strap over your shoulder.

Really, it's good Ricky gets to see Chloe this weekend, it's been a bit since he has. You're not upset that he is, you're just irritated with Claire in general.

He can't exactly propose now, which means all your scheduling is going to have to be set back. So no public proposal after all.

Bummer.

Tags:Anything MIW@imaginemiw   @bigdaddyfairywinkle @riegan @lucifersnudes    @horrorshow365    @imjustareject99    @nikkihorrorxx   @miss-evil-one   @itstrashleydude.  @kapowski-sitkowski.    @the-angriest-angel @sumbitxoxo    @batgirl09151997  @ nokomihorror  @svintsandghosts

[that-zambie-writer]

A/N : First post! Requests are welcomed!

“ Told you I’ve killed for less “.

Summary : At the beginning of the war, Daryl is saved by Y/N. It’s clear you’re the key to winning the war against Negan and Daryl brings you into the fold. This imagine follows the events after the war and how he tries to come to terms with accepting your love for him.

The day he first saw you was a day he'd never forget. Not just because you had blood covering you from head to toe or because you had just beaten three men to death for him with your bare hands, but because of the words that came out of your mouth. Daryl had thanked you for saving his life, but all you said was " Don't worry about it. I've killed for less " with a smirk as your nose bled down your lips. Normally, Daryl would've found you to be a psychopath, but in that moment he knew you could be useful in the war with Negan.So without any family or group, you accepted his offer to fight for the good of his people and you did just that.

You slayed through half of Negan’s numbers by yourself and would've been responsible for his death if Rick hadn't told you to stop. That it wasn't what Carl wanted. While you had only known the boy for a short time before he passed, you had to let Rick do this. Even though you wanted the man dead. This gained the trust and love of the various communities which earned you your own place in Alexandria after the war. You'd gained so many friends and admirers, but out of all of them you still gave your full attention to Daryl. He was gold in your eyes, but you seemed never to be able to earn his love.

Which now that he thinks back on it, he was the crazy one. Every guy in any community, even the old saviors who watched you beat Negan to a pulp, would die to be in his place, but he wouldn’t let himself believe it. Even after chasing for him for over a year, he still wouldn’t believe it. Not even when carol herself tried to tell him. Because you were all he’s ever wanted. Why would you want him? Someone could surely make you happy. God knows they were trying to. You wanted Daryl though, but eventually after being ignored for so long you accepted he didn’t want you the way you believed he did. So, you left Alexandria in hopes to put distance between you and him. Rick wasn’t too happy with your decision, but he understood it. And it turned out Carol and the king needed help running the kingdom, so they offered you their head position of security and admission into the kingdom.

You gladly took the position and one month into it, you were starting to feel better about not seeing Daryl every day. Even though you still wonder if he misses the closeness you two shared. Ezekiel and carol began to notice your sadness and begun to suggest you start to date someone they admire, but you always decline. It was only the day it begun to grow cold outside for the second time since the war that you even consider their offer.

" If I agree will you shut up finally ? " You sigh, rubbing your face too avoid seeing Ezekiel's smile. Carol and Jerry grin from his sides " I will entirely shut my mouth if you agree, Y/N ". You peek from between your fingers and roll your eyes at their smiling faces " Fine. Set it up! But I'm only agreeing to fifteen minutes of my time! ". They do a small cheer as this was a big conquest for the three and you left the old auditorium to begin your working day. The chill hit your bones welcomingly and as much as you didn't want things to change for you, you tell yourself that it’s good for you. You aren’t the woman to let a man bring her so down and to be honest you’re lonely.

Atleast when you lived in Alexandria, you had the hope Daryl would come around, but here you felt empty. No hope at all. " This will be good for you " You whisper, moving towards the breakfast line to ensure everything goes smoothly. Generally there are no issues with the food line, other than Mrs.Perkins having a blood sugar spike, but you still like to make sure it goes as planned.

Daryl on the other hand is just finishing his day. He'd spent the entire night hunting , anything to keep his mind off of the reality that you aren’t coming back. He's missing the nights you two spent together. Which was every night. Rather that was you cooking for him, sharing drinks, or watching Judith while Rick got alone time with michonne. It was his routine. It has nearly been a year since you up and left over night. You didn't even say goodbye. He feels responsible. He knows you were waiting for him to put himself out there, but you couldn't wait anymore. What truly hurts the worse for him is that he can still smell your perfume on all of his clothes. He’d given it to you as a Christmas gift and you wore it everyday. He couldn't escape you.

He’s greeted at Alexandria by the usual crew on guard, but he’s in no mood to respond.He’s tired and justs wants to crawl in bed after the long fruitless night he had. Which is exactly what he does, but as soon as he climbs into bed he smells you there too. Memories flood in of your laughter and the nights you slept in his bed, content enough with just being near him and knowing he was near. His eyes locked into the purple wine stain you left one night. You both were so buzzed that it didn’t bother either person and he remembers you tossing the rest of your wine on him. “ What are you going to do about it huh? “ You dare, eyes full and doe eyed waiting for him to react.

He only threw the rest onto your shirt causing you to scream in laughter. You climbed over to him to try and retaliate, but he grabbed both of your wrists before you could " What do you think your doin' ? ". He can still see the dark in your eyes that seemed to draw him in every time and the plump in your lips that begged to be kissed. But he didn't. He let you go. And a week later you were gone. He grips the sheet where the stain was lighter now. As sad as it was, he wants to just stay right here for the rest of his life. Or until your smell fades away. Though the world has other plans for him as his door receives a knock from Rick who lets himself in.

Daryl shoots up and finds him in the kitchen, leaning over the counter with his hands covering his elbows. As soon as Daryl is in his sights , he straightens up and gives him a look over " I need you to go to the kingdom ". This obviously is a lot to ask since everyone knows the reason why he hasn’t returned there in a year. " No.Not happenin' " He grunts, as if the idea hadn't come to him every day. Rick ignores his objections " We need you to go and discuss with Ezekiel about sending more people. I've already asked myself, but he's not willing to give us anymore than he already has ". Daryl scoffs " And what makes you think he's going to change his mind for me? ". It's obvious why as Rick grows silent. " No, no fucking way. She left for a reason " Daryl argues, pacing infront of his friend.

" She's the head of his security, Daryl. She is the only one who can convince him it's ok to lend the people we need to get the extra seeds. We won't survive without them " Rick explains, but Daryl is still pacing. " Then why haven't you talked to 'Er? " He throws his hand towards Rick. That was obvious as well. Not only did you need space from Daryl, but you needed space from everyone who knows what was going on. If anyone from Alexandria planned a visit to the kingdom you would conveniently offer to go on a run. Which Ezekiel agreed to every time. " How am I supposed to convince her to give us anything when she didn't even say goodbye?".

Rick can see the hurt in his words and offers Daryl a piece of advice " I know you don't want to believe it Daryl, but she loved you. When Negan took you she fought like hell to bring you back and she did didn't she ? With no care for her own life? ", he asks and Daryl nods ," So I'm willing to bet she still cares for you and for Alexandria. She just needs to be reminded of that ". Daryl is still uneasy about it all, but Rick now grabs his shoulder " You need to get to her before someone else does ".

---

It's nearly midnight when you find your way back to your home. Or the small office that was turned into a bedroom for you with the adjoined bathroom. It wasn't close to what you had back in Alexandria, but it was enough. You shut your door behind you and strip off your shoes with a yawn. All you want right now was a shower and a half decent night sleep, but you wouldn't get either tonight. You were gathering your clothes to do so, but your radio begins to blare and you furrow your eyebrows at it. " Front gate to Y/N. Front gate to Y/N. We've got a visitor ". You grab the device from your belt and answer it " This is Y/N. Who's the visitor? ". You're already slipping back into your boots to address the visitor. " Uh- I think you should come see for yourself ". You roll your eyes at the man on the other end of the radio. People are so dramatic here.

You leave your room and go back outside , taking your time to get to the front gate. It’s probably just Henry messing around and you would have to tell his parents so you aren't too concerned. Once there, you yell up to the gate keeper " You just made him stand out there? Open it! ". They do as commanded , slightly afraid of your tone of voice since it wasn't that long ago everyone saw you kill everything in your path , and you wait for the gate to reveal a sad looking Henry. " Henry I told you last time if you snuck out again I would tell your mom an- " You begin to scold before you see his face, but stop as your eyes land on the all too obvious not Henry.

You shine your flash light on the hunter and he squints back at you, but says nothing. Your a loss for words for the man you haven't seen in almost a year. What did he want now? " I need to talk to you" He tells you, obviously aware of what you're thinking. You narrow your eyes at him " Talk then ". It's obvious your not as welcoming as you were a year ago, but he expects as much. " Rick sent me here to talk about the run to get seeds for Alexandria ". He watches you grind your teeth, but your words do not come out angrily " Ezekiel already made up his mind. I'm sorry if you wasted a trip all the way here . I'm sure we can find you a room to stay in for the night ".

Daryl takes steps closer so that you can now speak privately " You know Alexandria will fail without those seeds. People will starve ". You switch weight from foot to foot " And I also know that Ezekiel and carol make the rules. They are the ones you need to talk to ". It's obvious Daryl can see right through you " We both know you run security and I'm sure a lot more behind tha' scenes here. If you so much as whisper something their way they'll agree ". He watches your face twist in agitation, but you still look breath taking. " What makes you think I should hear you out ? ". Your statue is intimidating, but he doesn't stand down " Because you never said goodbye and you know deep down your home is Alexandria. No matter how much you try and tell yourself otherwise ".

This causes your heart to twist uncomfortably, but you don't show it. Instead, you nod up at the guard on duty " He's coming in ".

--

You lead Daryl to the building where you interview people for admission into the kingdom. Which hasn't been used in awhile, so you take the opportunity to give it some use. You flip the lights on inside and sit at the desk , purposely keeping your intimidating composure. He sits across from you without hesitation and now in the light he can see the bags under your eyes. You haven’t slept well it quite some time and he knows you can see the same of him. " Why should I risk the lives of my people for seeds ? ". Daryl knew coming into this you wouldn't be happy to see him, but he also didn't expect you to treat him like an outsider. " So that others don't starve. The sanctuary is at risk too".

Your face holds no emotion causing Daryl to lose his patience " You use to see a future for Alexandria and the sanctuary. What changed ? ". For the first time he sees true emotion in your eyes as you stand up from your seat, sending it sliding back from you " Don't you dare sit there and asked me what changed when you're the reason why! Yes, I care for the sanctuary and Alexandria! I risked my life for them and everyone else! Or did you just forget all of the shit I did for you! ". The room grows quiet as you address the real issue between you both. Daryl looks you up and down, finally seeing what everyone has told him for so long. " You did it all for me? " He rasps, now loosing eye contact.

You roll your eyes " Of course I did it all for you , Daryl! What normal person who didn't love you fight for you like I have? Sure, it became more when I met the others , but you and I ... We were family ". Daryl can hear the pain in your voice causing him to stand up and finally make a move. Sure, he isn’t exactly sure how this whole romance thing goes, but he knows he has to do something now or he'll truly loose you. " What are you- " You begin to question as he grabs your hand, but stop yourself as you can see he's finally coming around.

" M'not good at this stuff Y/N .. You don't know how bad all of those nights I .. " He's lost for words, but you understand what he's trying to say. You always are patient with him and he couldn’t be more grateful for it right now." You don't have to " You grab his hand tighter. He shakes his head " I do. 'Cause you deserve that". You smile softly at him for the first time tonight and he takes the opportunity to get closer to you. At this point, your faces are inches away, but he is still hesitant to do anything. So , you being the blunt and impulsive person you are, you place your free hand on the back of his neck and draw his lips to yours. He's surprised at first, but after a moment he's moving his lips with yours in sync. It doesn't take long for him to find his groove with you and he moves you to where your back is to the desk with your fingers dug into his hair.

Oddly, at this moment you remember Carol and Ezekiel set you up a blind date tomorrow which causes you to begin laughing. You pull back as you can't contain yourself and Daryl gives you a confused look " What? ". You try and stifle your laughter " Ezekiel tried to set me up on a blind date for tomorrow. What am I supposed to say now? ". Daryl's eyebrows knit together harshly at the thought of how close you were to being someone else's " Fuck him . You're with me now ". You don't have time to react as he crashes his lips back down on yours, now more confident.

His hands grasp the back of your neck now and he only pauses to ask you " Where's your room ?".

--

The next morning, Daryl wakes up before you. It's clearly later in the morning as he can hear your radio going off with different voices, but he doesn't care that the world outside is wondering where you are. Currently, your cuddled into his side with your head lying on his chest. You've only got a thin sheet covering your frame right now and nothing could be more important than that. He runs his fingers down your side causing you to stir a little, but you don't wake. You haven't slept well in a long time so he doesn't try it again.

But of course the world has other plans for you.

There's a hard knock at the door causing you to jump awake and reach for your gun,but Daryl stops you causing you to realize where you are. You sigh in relief and give him a smile before calling out to whoever's knocking " Who is it ?". There's a pause before the answer " It's jerry. I didn't want to wake you, but you uh have that appointment ". You don't think of a response in time so Daryl gets up and speaks for you. He shoves his jeans on and opens the door enough so jerry only sees him " Cancel it ". You cover your mouth so Jerry doesn't hear you laugh. " Oh Hey Daryl! Didn't know you were here.. Um I'll uh - " Jerry gets interrupted. " -Cancel it Jerry ". " Right " He nods and Daryl shuts the door.

"Daryl! " You laugh, sitting up with the sheet around you. " What ? " He asks, climbing back on the bed as if he didn't do what he just did. " Be more obvious would you! " You shove him playfully. He shrugs , grabbing your hand " Wanted him to have the information right s'all". Smiling, you let his hands trail up your sides as they find their place on your hips.

" 'sides wasn't as bad as Rick and michonne ".

---

- Present time three years later -

" Daddy? " the two year old with his eyes calls for his attention as she plays with her hair. Daryl looks down at her as he fixes your coffee and hums at her. " Mama " Is all she says back, indicating she wants her mom. He smiles full heartedly down at the two year old who was your spitting image, but has his personality. Of course she wants you, she's his child. " She'll be up once daddy brings 'Er coffee " He explains,but she's not happy with that news. " N-now! " she huffs, yanking on his jeans. He just grins as he pours the sugar in your coffee. " C'mon lets go get mommy " He offers, picking her up and setting her on his hip . He carries the mini you and your coffee up stairs to where your undoubtedly still sleeping.

" Mama? " Little rose asks as Daryl cracks open the door. " Is that my little Rosie ? " You ask with a tired voice, causing rose to squeal and squirm out of her dads arms to get in yours. Daryl chuckles and follows her to hand you your coffee . Rose is already sitting in your lap ready to receive your full attention, but Daryl steals it for a moment to give you a kiss " Morning baby ". You grin at your husband before back down at little rose to give her a morning kiss " Your up early aren't you? ". She nods adorably " U-uncle 'ick ". Daryl and you laugh as she still can't say Rick yet. " That's right uncle rick is taking you and Judy to play with the horses! ".

Rose laughs excitedly and wiggles back down the bed " Go! ". You swing your legs off the bed to get her dressed and take her to Rick, but Daryl stops you " I got 'Er. You stay here ". " Are you sure ? " You ask , ready to help get her ready for the day. He nods and presses another kiss to your lips " I've got it. Be ready for me when I get back ". You nod as he refers the doctor visit he set up for you. He leaves to attend your daughter and you can't help, but smile to yourself. Today would be a good day. Rose would get to spend time with Judith, You and Daryl would get to have alone time , and hopefully at the doctors visit you'd find out for sure if you were about to expand your family again. Sure, you have all the telling signs of being pregnant again, but you wanted the confirmation.

It only seemed like yesterday that you told Daryl about being pregnant with rose. A smile creeps on your face as you can still see the shocked smile on his. This time you were hoping for a boy, but Daryl seemed to just want another girl. Rose is truly the light of his world so another little girl to hold his hand was all he wanted. With the thought in mind, you got up to get dressed and began to tidy up after your little family. You managed to clean up roses room before starting on the kitchen, but that's as far as you got when Daryl came home. " Y/N ? " He calls, slamming the door behind him with his usual fashion. You smirk to yourself " In here ". He's quick to find you with a smirk of his own " You ready?". You nod at him, tossing the rag to the sink " Are you ready soon to be daddy of two?".

He just scoffs and leads you out the door mumbling " Been ready".

--

It was as you laid down on the table with Siddiq pointing at the monitor, that Daryl thought back to the days he wouldn't accept your feelings for him. The fact that you were here with him, pregnant with his kid for the second time , and with the biggest grin on your face tells him this would’ve happened years ago. But, he was happy with how things turned out. “ Daryl, did you hear me ? “ You ask , looking up at him now. He returns to reality “ What? “. You grin at him “ Saddiq thinks it’s going to be another girl “. He smiles down at you happily. “ Is tha’ right ?” .

And as the doctor nods in confirmation and begins to explain why, Daryl just looks to your face. Sure when you two first met, it was covered in different colors of blood and you looked psychotic, but as he looks at you now he sees his family. The woman who fought like hell to keep him safe and who would now do the same for his kids. In later years to come, you'd do just that as the whisperers would pose a threat and the two of you would have to go to war once more, but it would be different this time. This time when you took Beta on by yourself to protect Daryl and once again you had a different mans blood dripping off you, Daryl was proud. That was his wife and mother of two that kicked a man twice her size down a elevator shaft.

You of course couldn't let the opportunity pass to grin at him again and say " Told you I've killed for less , Dixon ". He only rolls his eyes in return and wipes your face with a rag " Yeah, yeah. I believed you tha' first time. Didn't need you ta' remind me. Could've gotten killed ". You let him clean off your face and once done you place a kiss to his cheek " Don't worry I'm going to be around a long time. Or at-least long enough to say it one more time ".

And you would, for at-least a hundred more times. That is until Daryl actually saves you from a walker and repeated it to you. Thus, starting a new tradition of who gets to say it the most.

[kawaiikichi]

See You on the Other Side (1/5)

Part one of five of my Saiouma Day one-shot! There is a reason that this is getting broken up into five parts; I will get to that in the notes.

So, this will be a soulmates AU with my own twists put in place. For some reason, I wanted to do something involving angst with a happy ending, so that’s how this idea came about. It wound up being more complicated than I originally thought XD

I hope you guys like it!

Title: See You on the Other Side

Summary: The world works as such: everyone has a soulmate that they must find before either one of them dies. If one of them dies, the other person will become stuck in a loop, starting from a specific moment in time. However, the soulmate indicator changes each time and gradually becomes harder to recognize. This will continue until they find their soulmate.

In a situation as dangerous as the killing game, Shuichi Saihara has no time to bother with finding a soulmate. But, when he sees a mark on the supreme leader’s neck that looks eerily similar to his soulmate mark, he can’t help but grow curious about it...

Notes: This is a mashup of both soulmate and time loop AUs; there are many rules that are put into place in this particular universe (I’m going to put up a set of rules for this universe shortly after this is uploaded); some parts will be longer than others due to how much content needs to be covered (particularly Loop #4); after the Love Hotel scene between Shuichi and Kokichi, Shuichi is actually able to recall small bits and pieces from it; it is implied that they slept together coming close to the end of the Love Hotel scene

Warnings: Character death; read at your own risk!

Link down below:

♾ Next ♾

Continue reading under the cut!

♾ Ｌｏｏｐ １ Ｓｔａｒｔ ♾

There was a purple star on Kokichi’s neck.

Shuichi noticed it the minute Kokichi took off his scarf. The supreme leader had roped him into a game of tag during free time. They found themselves in the pool and Kokichi slipped, falling face first into the water. Shuichi went after him soon after and helped him out, the two of them trudging back to Shuichi’s room to change into their spare outfits.

Shuichi felt the curiosity gnawing at him as he eyed Kokichi. He tried to avert his gaze, but he couldn’t help but gaze at the tattoo adorning the supreme leader’s neck.

It didn’t help that it looked almost exactly like the soulmate mark that was on his lower hip.

Maybe it was just a coincidence?

Or could it be...

Shuichi swallowed.

No, there’s no way. Ouma-kun couldn’t possibly be my soulmate, could he, he asked himself.

He reached up to smack his cheeks.

Why am I even thinking about this, anyway? I have no time to be wondering about my soulmate. Getting out of this academy without having anyone else die is my top priority. Searching for my soulmate can wait until then, he told himself.

But, something was telling him that he should look into this.

He bit his lip as he buttoned back up his shirt.

“...Ouma-kun?” he spoke hesitantly.

“Hm? What is it, Saihara-chan?” Kokichi hummed in response.

Shuichi’s tongue darted out to lick his lips.

“That star mark on your neck...how did you get it?” he asked.

“Star mark? What are you—Oh.” Kokichi reached up to where his scarf covered the mark. “This is a tattoo I ended up getting.” he replied.

“A tattoo, huh...” Shuichi trailed off.

“Sounds like that answer doesn’t satisfy you, Saihara-chan.”

“It’s not that! It’s just...”

“Just what? Were you expecting me to say something else?”

Shuichi pressed his lips together, keeping quiet.

God knows what would happen if Shuichi told him that he was wondering if that was actually his soulmate tattoo or not...

“You know, if you were trying to keep those thoughts to yourself, you sure weren’t trying hard enough.”

Shuichi drew in a sharp gasp, hand flying over his mouth.

“Well, to answer your question, it might be my soulmate mark, it might not be. Who knows~” Kokichi singsonged.

Shuichi furrowed his brows.

“Is that so...” he trailed off.

“Weeeeeeeeell, if you’re done trying to interrogate me about it, then I’ll just be on my way!” Kokichi walked past Shuichi, raising his hand up in a nonchalant wave. “Bye bye, Saihara-chan!” he chirped.

“Ah! Wait a minute, Ouma-ku—“ Shuichi whirled around just as Kokichi stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him.

Shuichi released a sigh.

“And he’s gone...” he murmured.

His lips curled down into a frown as he lowered his eyes down to his lower hip. He ran his fingers along where his soulmate tattoo was under his shirt.

“I know this should be the least of my worries, but I can’t help but be curious...” he trailed off.

Maybe I can look into it while I’m trying to figure out how to get everyone out of here without anyone else dying, he thought to himself.

“I need to look into this.”

💜💜💜💜

His constant observations and spending time with the supreme leader eventually drove Shuichi to a dead end. Every time he brought the subject up, Kokichi would find a way to lie his way out of it. Eventually, Shuichi decided to give up.

He couldn’t find himself to be focused on it when he had other things to take care of.

His efforts to prevent the killings were all in vain, he realized. During the time between now and when he had first asked Kokichi about the purple star on his neck, five more of their classmates had been either murdered or executed by the psychotic bear.

The recent class trial had tensions running higher than ever, with Gonta’s execution, Kokichi spiraling into insanity, and the disaster that took place afterward when Kokichi declared that he was the mastermind and kidnapped Kaito, taking him back to the Exisal hangar. Everyone was more stressed out than ever.

As for Shuichi, he spent a lot of his nights in his lab, thinking over various things.

Why did Gonta have to die?

Why would Kokichi do such a thing?

Why wasn’t he strong enough to prevent anymore killings?

Why did he let thoughts about his potential soulmate take priority?

Why the hell did he feel like there was more to Kokichi’s actions than meets the eye?

He released a loud groan, running his fingers through his hair.

“Why does this all have to be complicated?!” he complained.

He let his head fall back against the chair’s headrest, looking up at the ceiling.

“I never asked for this...” he muttered.

He felt his eyelids begin to grow heavy and eventually, he drifted to sleep.

💜💜💜💜

When Shuichi came to, the first thing that immediately grabbed his attention was the pungent smell of sickly sweet perfume permeating the air.

“What in the...?” he muttered out.

He then took in his surroundings, observing the circular bed he was on, the gaudy colors that painted the walls, the neon glow from the lights, the devices hooked up on the walls, and a carousel horse moving back and forth around the bed.

“What the heck is this place...?” he wondered out loud.

He looked over to the end of the bed and saw Kokichi.

Ouma-kun’s here, too? Maybe he knows why we’re here, he thought to himself.

“Ouma-kun...I didn’t know you were here, as well.” he commented.

“Yeah. I’ve been waiting for you to come to.” Kokichi replied.

Shuichi swallowed, recalling everything that had happened involving the supreme leader.

Was it safe for him to be in the same room as him?

Kokichi let out a half-hearted chuckle.

“There’s no need for you to worry, Shuichi. I’m not going to kill you.” he said.

“How can I tell you’re not lying to me?”

“Because when I summoned you into the love suite with my key, I made it so that we can both be transparent with one another. In other words, I put restrictions on myself. So basically, I am unable to harm you.”

Shuichi blinked his eyes twice at this.

“Is that even possible?” he asked.

“Oh, come on, Shuichi. If you can easily believe that we’re being manipulated by a psychotic robot bear to kill each other as a game, then I’m sure you can believe this, as well.” Kokichi replied. Shuichi’s tongue darted out to lick his lips as he noticed something.

“Wait...did you just say my name?” he asked.

“I did.” Kokichi turned to him. “I mean, we’re lovers, aren’t we?” he asked.

“Lovers...?” the word sounded foreign to the detective. “What are you saying?” Shuichi asked.

“Oh, don’t worry.” Kokichi turned, crawling onto the bed. “You won’t remember any of this in the morning, anyway.” he said.

Shuichi gulped, watching as Kokichi got closer. He backed up until his back hit the headboard. The supreme leader reached up towards his scarf as he climbed onto the detective’s lap.

“Hey...” he began to slowly tug it off, the action mimicking that of loosening a tie from around one’s neck. “Is it wrong of me to want to indulge every once in a while?” he asked, voice low and seductive.

Shuichi felt his heart pound rapidly against his rib cage. The simple action of Kokichi taking off his scarf looked downright sexy. Shuichi looked eyes with him, seeing the lust swirling around in the depths of his purple eyes.

“Ou...Ouma-kun...” he breathed out.

“Why are you being so formal? Call me by my name.” he threw the scarf off to the side. “Like I said before, we’re lovers, aren’t we?” he asked.

Shuichi said nothing as Kokichi looped his arms over his shoulders, pressing their bodies together. His gaze fell onto the purple star that sparked his curiosity from the beginning.

Just as I thought, it looks a whole lot like mine, he thought to himself.

“Ouma—I mean, Kokichi,” he quickly corrected himself upon seeing the stern gaze the supreme leader shot him, “I know you told me to stop asking about it, but that mark on your neck...is it really a tattoo? Or is it actually your soulmate mark?” he asked.

“I told you, it’s a tattoo. Besides, who in their right mind would give someone as wretched as me a soulmate?” Kokichi asked.

“But...everyone has a soulmate. How can it be possible for someone to not have one?”

“Oh, you’d be surprised, Shuichi. And besides, I’m not all that interested in this whole soulmate bullshit. It’s stupid.”

Shuichi furrowed his brows.

“You may say that, but your eyes are telling me a different story. Could it be that you actually want to have one?” he asked.

Kokichi stared at him, his expression turning blank. It was silent between them for a few minutes before he spoke.

“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. The world may never know.” Kokichi replied.

“Kokichi, I thought you said that you were going to be transparent with me. So, why are you lying all of a sudden?” Shuichi asked.

“Ah, that was a lie.” Shuichi glowered at him. “Okay, okay, I’ll be honest! I promise!” Kokichi exclaimed.

Shuichi sighed as Kokichi spoke.

“You won’t remember any of this, anyway, so I may as well tell you. It is indeed my soulmate mark.” he said.

“So, I was right...” Shuichi stared at him. “Do you know who your soulmate is?” he asked.

“No. And if I’m being honest, I don’t think I want to know who it is.”

“Why is that?”

“That’s because I know for certain that the person who’s my soulmate isn’t my ideal soulmate.”

“Your ideal soulmate? Who would that be?”

“You.”

Shuichi blinked, trying to process what Kokichi just said.

“What?” he asked.

“I said my ideal soulmate is you, Shuichi.” Kokichi’s hand glided along the side of Shuichi’s neck. “I want you to be my soulmate, but I know that that will never happen.” he stated.

“Kokichi...” Shuichi trailed off.

“So, before everything is set in motion, I want to indulge in my one guilty pleasure: you. It will be the last thing I accomplish before I go away for good.” Kokichi explained.

“Before you go away for good?” Shuichi felt a sense of dread overtake him. “What do you mean by tha—“ he was cut off by the supreme leader placing his fingers against his lips.

“No more questions. Just let me give myself over to you and you do the same.” Kokichi removed his finger. “Tonight is the night we lose ourselves to senseless passion and lust.” he said.

Cupping Shuichi’s cheek, he leaned in and pressed his lips against Shuichi’s. The detective immediately stiffened as Kokichi’s lips moved against his own. He felt Kokichi press his lips to his a little harder, urging for him to kiss back. He gave in, letting the sensation of Kokichi’s soft, plush lips against his own whisk him off to a faraway land.

Shuichi found himself growing heady, briefly wondering if it was the perfume that made him feel this way. He moaned against Kokichi’s mouth as he reached to undo the buttons and clasps on it. Kokichi rolled his hips against Shuichi’s as he reached to unbutton Shuichi’s shirt.

After discarding their shirts, Shuichi pushed Kokichi down onto the mattress.

“Shuichi...” the supreme leader whispered.

“Fine. I’ll go ahead and play along.” he said before capturing his lips in another kiss.

Kokichi moaned, tears sliding down his cheeks.

“Mmmm...Shuichi...” he drew away from the kiss a couple minutes later, cupping Shuichi’s cheeks with his hands. “I love you...and I’ll continue to do so even after I die.” he said.

Something tugged at the detective the moment those words left Kokichi’s lips. They were morbid, almost sounding as if it were foreshadowing something.

Before he could question Kokichi about it, the supreme leader pulled him back in for another kiss, letting them lose themselves in their passion.

💜💜💜💜

Shuichi woke with a start, nearly face planting into the carpet. He grabbed for the arms of the chair to steady himself.

“What the...? Did I fall asleep here without realizing it?” he wondered out loud.

He looked over at the clock.

“It’s that late already...?” he muttered out.

He stood, stretching.

“I should head back.” he said as he turned and left his lab.

As he walked through the moonlit halls, he began to think.

My mind feels fuzzy...did I dream about something, he asked himself.

Bits and pieces circled about in his mind, but nothing seemed to add up. Then, a voice appeared in his mind.

“I love you...and I’ll continue to do so even after I die.”

Shuichi stopped, bringing a hand up to his chin.

That voice...it sounded like Ouma-kun. But, why would I be hearing his voice? And those kind of words...there’s no way he’d say something like how he loves me, right, he told himself.

He got ready to continue walking when he felt it. It felt like someone set his nerves on fire, his vision turning white.

A loud scream ripped itself from his throat as he grabbed for his head, collapsing to the floor.

What is this pain, he asked himself.

He continued screaming. He felt like his head were to split in two if the pain continued.

This pain...they say it’s only felt if your soulmate dies before you, he thought to himself.

His eyes grew wide.

“Did...my soulmate die?” he choked out.

He never got to answer his question as his vision went black.

♾ Ｌｏｏｐ １ Ｅｎｄ ♾

[valenciat91]

The First Time

By V.C. Turner

She lies on the bed next to me, and all I can think is that we shouldn’t be here. We’re friends. Friends don’t do what I think we’re going to do with one another. Friends don’t touch each other like I want to touch her … and like I think she wants to touch me.

A faint light shines around the room, but it’s bright enough that I can see her. She’s perched atop the emerald green sheets on the bed. She’s wearing a pink button down shirt and a pair of yoga pants. I’m wearing a burgundy tank top and a pair of denim shorts.

           I’m entranced by the way she licks her lips. She tilts her head at me and my heart starts to race so fast I think it’s going to pop out of my chest.

The air in the room soon charges, and we’re both waiting to see which one of us is going to be bold enough to make the first move.

I had no idea I felt this way about her. Then again, maybe I did.

It’s only now that I realize it.

All those times I found myself staring a little longer than necessary -- it wasn’t just about admiring her lipstick. It was because wanted to kiss that mouth. Her mouth. I wanted to taste her and feel her breath on my face.

I now realize I wasn’t just admiring her top all those times.

I was admiring the way it fell across her chest, caressing the tops of her breasts like I’ve wanted to do all this time.

I reach for her. I don’t even realize I have until I run the back of my hand against her cheek and watch her close her eyes and smile. I trace my hand down her neck, noting how incredible she feels, and how incredible I feel just touching her skin.

But this isn’t enough.

My finger traces over her cleavage. I hear her breathing pick up, so I make the assumption that she wants me to keep going.

Maybe I just need to keep going, so I do.

I start to unbutton her top, scooting closer to her because I feel it – I feel everything. I feel this pull toward her that’s growing more intense with each button I tug free from the fabric.

As I undo the last button, she lets the top slip down her shoulders and pool in a heap behind her. She tosses it to the side, but I don’t see where it goes because I’m too busy looking at her with an impossible amount of want.

She’s got on this deep red bra that’s straining to keep her breasts from spilling out.

           All of a sudden, my mouth begins to water. I guess that means I’m drooling over her, but I can’t imagine who wouldn’t drool over this woman. Her dark hair is falling in waves on her shoulders. Her olive skin is glowing in the low lamplight. Her full lips are taunting me – calling me.

           I really want to kiss her, but I honestly don’t know how. I’m stuck. I’ve never been with another woman before and I really don’t want to mess anything up.

I didn’t think this far ahead and I should have.

Would kissing her be any different than I would a man? I always like it gentle. I just don’t get that from the men I date.

           I open my mouth to speak, but I can only whisper because there isn’t enough air in my lungs.

           “I – I don’t know what to do,” I confess, “I don’t know how to kiss you. I just know I want to.”

           She gives me her usual, kind smile, touches my face and responds.

           “Kiss me like you want me,” she said.

           Before I can tell her how much I do want her, she places her hands on my waist, leans in and kisses me first.

           I’m lost. I can’t see. My eyes must have rolled back into my head the second she touched me.

Nothing in my life compares to this – the sensation of her lips gently brushing against mine. My nipples harden, pressing so hard against my own bra that the delicious pain it causes sets my core on fire.

My skin tingles. I grab her and pull her close because I need to hold onto her or else I’ll faint.

It’s too much.

We topple onto the bed, our heads hitting the pillow beneath us but we don’t break the kiss. Her tongue slips inside and strokes against mine. I find myself moaning as I kiss her back, our tongues dancing a sweet waltz in unison.

As a woman brought up to believe that this, this feeling is wrong – now --while I’m in the moment, I can’t imagine anything about this being “wrong.”

I caress her as she lies on top of me. I run my hands up her soft back and unsnap her bra.

She lets out a soft giggle, then slowly rises, seductively pulling off the restraining fabric and dropping it on the floor. I look up and her in wonder, her full breasts summoning me from above.

I reach up to touch them, but she stops me.

Crap. I did something wrong, I think, immediately regretting my eagerness.

She hops off the bed, standing up to face me. She pulls me up with her, takes my hands, and places them on her hips.

“Someone needs to finish what she started first,” she flirts.

Heat surges to my cheeks and I’m so glad she can’t see that I’m blushing.

Her stomach is at eye level and I can smell her lavender perfume and her vanilla soap and it’s driving me insane. She bites her bottom lip and bats her eyes at me. She’s waiting and I’m going to fumble this whole thing, but fuck it, I’m not stopping.

I take a deep breath and pull the yoga pants down to her ankles so she can step out of them. I kiss her stomach and she threads her fingers in my hair as I do. Her breath catches in her throat as she tries to moan my name.

I hook my fingers into her matching red panties and drag them down to the floor, kissing my way back up her thighs.

I hear her panting.

Soon, she groans and yanks me up so that we’re both standing. She pulls me into an aggressive kiss. This one is hotter and possessive and I can’t believe how turned on I am right now even though I’m still dressed.

I feel like I could kiss her forever and that’s exactly what I want to do. I can’t rush this. If this is our only time together; if we never do this again or talk about it again, or even if we go our separate ways afterwards, I just can’t rush this.

She breaks the kiss long enough to pull the tank top over my head. I unhook my bra and let her pull the straps down. As if I haven’t always been naked around her, now I’m stripped almost bare.

She pulls down my shorts and panties and I can’t help but be amazed at the fact that she looks as hungry as I feel. Words can hardly describe it.

Again, it hits me: I have no idea what to do and I don’t know if she does either.

I lie down on the bed and she crawls over me to lie at my side. I don’t know where to start and I’m wishing I could start everywhere.

She looks divine – actually divine - like a Botticelli painting waiting to be appreciated and explored like the art she is. I run my hand over her stomach and notice that goose-bumps are breaking out all over her skin. I ask her if she’s cold, she just shakes her head.

I need to caress her everywhere and she’s allowing me this gift of her warm, eager body.

I cup her right breast in my hand and notice that the hardened nipple tickles my palm.

I lean over to kiss her again. I’m so intoxicated by her that I almost don’t notice her stroking my breast too.

We’re pressed up against each other, writhing in the near darkness.

           My God. I can’t get over how soft she is; how good her skin feels as it’s pressed to mine. I can’t help but touch it because it calls to me. I run my hand down her back, cupping her behind and pulling her closer.

           I don’t think I can ever have enough of this. Her kiss. Her touch. The way she feels in this bed with me. I am praying time stops so this moment is as endless as I need it to be.

           She kisses down my neck until she reaches my breast. She draws a nipple into her mouth, giving it a soft suck before she flicks the tip with her tongue.  She reaches down and runs her hand up my thigh. She dips a finger into my moistened folds.

           Only another woman can understand the need she’s generating in me right now. She teases me, circling my clit with slow strokes that are meant to make me climb the walls.

I need to hold onto something or I’ll fly apart. I know I will. This can’t end this soon and it’s not fair. I want please her too. This isn’t about me. It’s about us. She’s my friend. I have to give her something. She deserves so much.

I pull her up toward the pillow beside me and kiss her again. I then lick down her chin to her collarbone and between her breasts. I pull the left nipple into my mouth and suck on it the same way she sucked on mine. I hold the sensitive bud gently in place with my teeth and flick it with my tongue.

Her back bows off the bed.

I place my hand on her stomach, then trace it down between her legs. I slip one finger inside her, then another. I stroke her folds slowly, then speed up the pace when I hear her breathing pick up again.

She’s moaning. She reaches for me, pulling me up into a kiss as she places her hand between my legs.

As we touch, and tease, and torment each other’s bodies, our moans grow louder. We find a rhythm all our own. I pick up the pace when she does. She slows down when I do. The sensations build up so high I think I will explode from too much pleasure.

Until this night, I never believed there was such a thing: Too much pleasure.

She begins to buck against my hand, so I stroke faster, making sure to send her over the peak of ecstasy. She shudders against my hand, biting my neck as she comes and whispers my name in my ear.

I kiss her softly because I’m so elated right now that I don’t even care if I come – but she does.

She pulls away from my lips, and planting wet kisses down my body as if she’s putting out a fire, although she’s starting one instead.

           My eyes close. My hands clutch the pillow beneath my head. My heart begins thundering again. By the time I feel her tongue swipe against my clit, I arch off the bed – nearly stripping the sheets off as I cling to them.

           She laves at the bud relentlessly as she slips her middle finger inside me and strokes my G-spot. As her finger slips in and out of me, sucking my clit between her lips, I start to squirm out of control.

           She’s winding me up so tight, too tight, I fear my orgasm will kill me once it hits.

But it’s coming.

Oh god it’s coming.

           And then, because my body just can’t take it any longer, my release slams into me, sucking all the air from my lungs and all the vision from my eyes.

           The sensations wash over my body like an unyielding wave of pleasure. She keeps licking, and stroking and sucking – trying to draw every bit of pleasure out of me she can before letting me go.

           When she finally does, I feel heavy and weightless at the same time. She climbs back up next to me, and I have to touch her again. I have to embrace her. I have to hold her. I have to kiss her, so I do.

           She kisses me back and we begin fall asleep like that – kissing in each other’s arms.

I don’t understand what this means for us and for our friendship – but I do understand this: It won’t be the last time.

[kay-imagines]

Wanted {Peter Pan Imagine}

REQUEST: Can you write an imagine with Peter Pan and the reader based off of the song Wanted by Hunter Hayes?

Note: I’ve never tried to write using a particular song so hopefully this turns out okay! Sorry for the wait and enjoy :)

~

Sometimes, you and Peter were almost a normal couple.

When the night finally fell and the Lost Boys were distracted with torturing the pirates, he would sneak from the group and walk the path to your secluded tree house, a spring in his step at the mere thought of being with you again.

You know I’d fall apart without you, I don’t know how you do what you do. ‘Cause everything that don’t make sense about me, Makes sense when I’m with you

You found it difficult to find the correct wording which could describe exactly what you shared with the notorious Pan. He wasn’t from your time- he didn’t see the point of asking you to be his girlfriend and even when he tried his very best to be romantic the darkness of his heart just wouldn’t allow it.

He didn’t believe he had ever experienced love. Not the true, pure kind that the sickening Snow White and Prince David were always bleating about. Considering all that he had seen and done he didn’t know if such emotion was even possible for him.

But what does love matter when what he feels for you is so much stronger? Built on darkness instead of light, his feelings for you could crush an army. You brought him a new lease of life; he wasn’t fighting for himself anymore, he was fighting to keep you on his side. His mind couldn’t quite fathom a time where you hadn’t stood beside him. It was almost as if he had been viewing the world through a black and white lens, and with your arrival you had brought the colour he didn’t even know he was missing.

Fairytale enthusiasts might think that your love could save Pan from his sins, but on the contrary, you fuelled his bloodthirst. He wanted the world for you, and he planned to tear it apart piece by piece simply so he could press it to your palm and feel the sense of twisted satisfaction that came with the knowledge he was the reason for your joy and happiness. You were his obsession, his possession. The dark and dangerous King and Queen of Neverland, and God help anyone who tried to take away his Queen.

Peter had a quick peek through your window, a sense of warmth flooding him at the sight of you sitting cross legged in the centre of your bed, a sketchbook of blank parchment in your hand as you scribble away with pencils and coal. Your treehouse had been decorated with the finest of things he had encountered (and swiftly stolen) on his travels; paintings that depicted exotic foreign realms and coloured glass bottles filled with enchanting perfume. He had made it his personal duty to ensure that you never want for anything.

He knocks a tune into the smooth oak to grab your attention, a smile already threatening his lips as your face lights up in reaction. “Sorry I’m late, (Y/N),” his coming to your treehouse has been a regular occurance these past few months. He couldn’t even recall the last time he spent a night in his own tent, but then again, how was he supposed to sleep without you curled beside him? “Hook can be so resistant.”

“I could come with you, you know.” You suggest as he crawls onto the mattress beside you, your drawings falling forgotten to the floor. A dark expression flickers over his features, something manic, and he lays you onto your back, one hand keeping him hovered above you while the other comes to rest on the warmth of your thigh. “I’ve done it before,”

“Yes, but that was before-” That was before he realised how much he had to lose. That was before you became his weakness and therefore leverage to the pirates. Hook would murder a member of his own crew if it meant holding you in his grubby hand, and Pan refused to give him even the slightest chance. “That was when you practised your magic more often,” He corrects himself. “They’re more cunning than they look,”

“So am I,” you smirk, and Peter catches sight of demons in your eyes that wrecklessly play with matches. He had never seen sparks so pretty.

‘Cause I wanna wrap you up, Wanna kiss your lips. I wanna make you feel wanted, And I wanna call you mine.

He dips his head and pulls you in for a long awaited kiss, the world falling away around you. It was a slow and soft gesture, loving in ways that his words would never be. His hand rested below your ear, his thumb caressing your cheek. Your fingers find the softness of his hair, pulling him closer until there was no space left between you and you can feel the beating of his heart against your chest. To an outsider looking in, you were simply a pair of regular teenagers in love. Sometimes even you couldn’t help but feel like this was the case, the old romantic in you refusing to die.

In your past life you had longed for an existence similar to that of your parents before you. During the 1800’s it wasn’t unusual for girls to marry young and begin their families still in their teens, and you hadn’t expected to be any different. You only realised how mundane this wish really was when, on your final night as a girl and not a woman, a shadow entered the bedroom you shared with your siblings. It came for your brothers but stayed for your fire, and upon your arrival to Neverland you had never looked back.

As good as you make me feel, I wanna make you feel better. Better than your fairy tales, Better than your best dreams.

Peter had known simply by the sight of you that you were meant for a life more than what your world could offer. You were cunning, resourceful and just the right amount of manipulative. You deserved more than the cliché of true love and his desire was to show you what you had been missing. His feelings for you were an oil spill- and now that he had dropped the match there wasn’t a drop of land that wouldn’t burn in his wake. “We’ll go somewhere tomorrow,” he promises against your lips, a mischevious grin forming across his own as he opens his eyes to meet yours. “It’s been a while since you left the island- we can cause havoc elsewhere for a few days,”

You were the sole person he trusted to join him on his travels. Not any of the boys, not Felix, but you. Leaving you behind was not an option, his mind grew foggy if you weren’t with him, his thoughts consumed only by you.

“You want me with you?” You smile almost incredulously. You knew Peter cared for you, but the intensity of his emotion had never been very clear until now.

He stares at you like you’re mad for doubting him. (Y/N),“ he laughs quietly, punctuating each word with a peck to your lips. "You’ll always be wanted.”