#they watch the pair for a moment more before lighting the match they're holding. it falls against the ground

[golden-cherry]

deal - cl16 (24/?)

Pairing: Charles Leclerc x Reader

Series Summary: Your whole life has gone to shit. Your boyfriend broke up with you, you just lost your job and the Monegasque, who suddenly stands in your doorway, claims that it’s his apartment.

Chapter Summary: Furniture shopping is more exciting when there's talks about buying new stuff - like a bed.

Warnings: 18+ (mentions of smut), fluff, Kika is the bestest friend on this planet

Word Count: 3.4k

series masterlist

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A/N: hello loves! part twenty-four is here and I hope you enjoy it! feedback is appreciated!!!

The fact that Kika is just lying on your bed instead of snuggling up completely in your fluffy blanket is a miracle. 

"I liked the light blue mom jeans best," she says as you stand in front of the large mirror leaning against the wall next to the door to your room and look at yourself. "With the white oversized turtleneck - smash."

You look at her through the mirror. "Haha."

"I'm serious." She leans on her elbows and tilts her head. "If you wear white sneakers with it, it'll even work with the sandwich method. I've seen it on TikTok. And I swear to you - people will turn their heads to look at you."

"I don't want people turning their heads at me," you confess quietly, adjusting the soft fabric of your top. "I just want to look halfway okay."

"Trust me. You look more than okay."

After Kika and Pierre have stormed your apartment with their spare key - which at first annoyed you, but in the next moment made you feel quite relieved - your girlfriend has taken it upon herself to unpack your suitcase and pick out an outfit for you that matches your trip to the furniture store.

Unpacking your suitcase simply consisted of pulling out one item at a time and tossing it aside if it didn't meet her expectations. The pile of clothes next to the bed is the result of her search.

" Let it go," she warns you as you adjust the position of the hem of the sweater on your shoulder. "You look good. When I think about my first outfit as Pierre's girlfriend - it was pure horror."

"But I'm not a girlfriend," you reply as you reach for the jeans Kika is holding out to you. "I'm his friend. His roommate. Nothing more," you exhale, "and nothing less."

The Portugese woman watches you slip into your pants. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Caught off guard, you look at her. Are your feelings for the Monegasque so obvious that she can even see it on your face? Is your affection written all over your forehead? You can't name your emotional state, you can't say a word that could even begin to describe what you feel for Charles - but there's no question that it's definitely something other than pure friendship. 

No matter how often and vehemently you try to convince yourself that Charles is your friend, you are an incredibly bad liar. 

"I remember being incredibly nervous the first time we went out in public. I think I changed outfits three or four times before I was halfway happy."

Oh.

You sit down on the edge of the bed with her. "I want all of this. I want him." You clear your throat as Kika gives you a meaningful look. "His friendship, that is. And I'm also willing to take the risk of people not liking me and talking badly about me." You clasp your hands in your lap.

Kika sits up straight. "But?"

You curl your lips into a thin line. "I - I don't know." How do you explain to her that you're worried that his fans could dislike you so much that they doubt Charles? You're going public as friends, something that bothers you a little more than it should. But the Monegasque has also said that people will think what they want. 

What if they hate you so much - your looks, your mediocrity, your being - that Charles catches on and he realizes they're right in their opinion?

"I just want to make a good impression."

Your friend reaches for your hand. "You will. And after all, you're just friends. The public's opinion isn't all that important." You don't see her look, which says so much more than what she actually says.

"Right."

Kika lets go of your hand and stands up from the bed. "I'll be with you the whole time. We'll work it out. I promise." She tosses her long hair over her shoulder. "So, let's get going. This room is pretty bleak and could use some color," she says before pulling you off the bed and out of the room.

As you slip into your shoes at the front door, the men join you.

"So, Pierre and I are sitting -" Charles begins, but suddenly stops when he sees you. His eyes wander over your body and goose bumps spread along their path. He remains silent until Pierre nudges him. "Uhm, sorry. Yes. We - um - we're both going to sit in the front of the car because -" He scratches the back of his neck nervously, but can't take his eyes off you. "The plan is for Kika and you to go through the furniture store together and Pierre is coming with me. Just so that we are seen together as little as possible, but are still out and about together," he explains. 

You understand why this is all going to happen. He wants to protect you and you want to let him, but you can't stop your heart from getting a little bruised. 

When Kika notices your offended look, she crosses her arms in front of her chest. "So much planning for simple shopping with friends? Is that really necessary?"

As you look up from your shoes, you look straight into Charles' beautiful green eyes. Something that looks exactly like how you feel flickers across his face. "It is." He stands up straight. "Shall we?"

Kika smiles gently at you. "Let's liven this place up a bit, then." She grabs Pierre's hand and together the two of them walk out of the apartment towards the elevator, while Charles and you stay behind. You both look after them. 

"Is everything all right?" asks the Monegasque and stands next to you. 

"Everything's fine," you answer him curtly. You don't dare look at him. 

"Y/N," he says as he gently grasps your wrist and turns you towards him. "Mon amour, you know why I'm doing this, don't you?" His hand slips a little lower so your fingers can intertwine.

"'Mh-hmm." 

"Hey." His other hand rests gently against your cheek, making you look at him. "Hey." His thumb gently strokes your cheekbone. "I'm trying to protect you. That's my priority. Making sure you're okay is my priority. And if that means we can't walk through any stores next to each other for now, just so the public can get used to you, then I'll put up with it." His gaze twitches briefly to your mouth. "Even if it's not what I want."

You nuzzle your face against his warm hand. "And what do you want?" you ask softly. 

"You." 

His answer makes the blood sizzle in your veins. It feels as if the warmth of his skin is burning through your face, as if the nerve endings under your skin are sending little electric shocks through your muscles and forcing your heart to stop. You take a deep breath.

"I want you near me." He squeezes your hand twice before pulling away. Your skin feels cooler without his touch. "But I'm responsible for what happens in public. And I don't want to risk anything happening to you because of me."

You nod weakly before wordlessly following the befriended couple. You hear Charles behind you, but you don't wait for him as you walk quickly to the others. The atmosphere in the elevator is tense as you are transported towards the underground garage, but no one tries to ease the tension. Kika and Pierre look at each other a little uncertainly, something that doesn't escape your gaze, and you can't blame them. The situation is just awful.

Pierre has thought far ahead, because when he presses a button on his car key, a large SUV opens up in the underground parking garage, sure to fit some decorative items. Charles' Ferrari, or God forbid your old Renault, might have been able to fit a picture frame, or at most a small mirror. 

You sit behind Charles, who has taken a seat in the passenger seat. Kika and Pierre are talking through the rear-view mirror while you look out of the window.

The longer you think about what Charles said - or didn't say - the more uncomfortable you feel. The hem of the sweater seems to have slipped, the collar feels too tight and the sleeves are scratching your elbows. You're not sure what you were hoping for, what the right answer would have been. But you're not particularly happy with the one you got. 

You also want to be close to him, permanently. And you can also understand why the plan involves you staying away from each other inside the furniture store. But is that really necessary if you're just friends? Has he done something similar with his other female friends, or are you the only one who has to put up with this fuss? 

Your thoughts are going round and round in your head, but as if by magic they suddenly come to a standstill. But it's not magic, it's Charles' hand that has squeezed past his seat on the right and is now gripping your leg. You feel his fingers slide under the fabric of your jeans, where they rest against your calf. 

You try to regulate your breathing, but you can hear the blood pounding in your ears. Charles touching you is nothing new. You've been touching each other non-stop since last night, which doesn't help your feelings or your friendship, but it still feels indescribably good. 

It feels right the way his calloused hand wraps around your soft calf. It felt right the way his thumb stroked your cheek. It felt right to lie half-naked next to him in bed. 

It felt right to want him as something more. More than a roommate. More than a friend. 

And that's exactly why you slide your foot towards the car door, so that Charles can touch you more easily. You block out the voice that keeps whispering hypocrite to you as best you can. And the warmer his skin feels on yours, the tighter his fingers close around your calf, the better it works. 

"I'll let you both out right at the entrance and we'll park in the back of the parking lot," Pierre interrupts your thoughts before they're no longer PG. "You can go inside and we'll follow. That's the easiest way."

"Thank you very much," Charles says. "I'm sorry we're shamelessly taking advantage of you."

Pierre has to grin. "You're welcome to give me a position in Bahrain, then we'd be even."

"You'd have to get close to me on the track first."

The two men argue amicably until the car comes to a halt in front of the deserted entrance. Just as you are about to open the door, Charles's fingers gently squeeze your leg twice and you have to suppress a smile, otherwise Kika would tease you endlessly. As you both get out and the car drives away, she latches on to you. 

"Are you ready?" she asks as you walk towards the glass door together. 

"Definitely."

Kika has very good taste in decorating and if she hadn't become a model, she could definitely have worked at Ikea putting together those fake rooms. As you push a shopping cart in front of you, she skips through the aisles, grabbing anything that matches in color or style. Picture frames, vases, mirrors and fake plants that would look good on the windowsill in your room. 

She's examining which of the candles in front of her would go better with the vases in the shopping cart when your cell phone vibrates in your pocket. 

Charles: If one of the candles burns down our apartment, I'll have to charge you rent. 

Confused, you read the message before looking up and around. Charles is standing about twenty meters away from you, smiling at you over the shelves. You bite the inside of your cheek.

You: You don't need my money, Mr. Ferrari. After all, you make millions a year. 

You raise an eyebrow challengingly as Charles reads your message. You can see his grin clearly, even from this distance. 

Charles: If you burn down my expensive apartment, I'll have to find a new one, and they're not exactly cheap in Monaco, as you know. 

You: I thought it was our apartment?

Charles: If you let it burn down, you're welcome to keep it.

You: So you'd let me keep it? Our apartment?

Charles: I'd give you anything, mon amour. You just have to ask for it. 

You don't have time to think about his answer because Kika throws a stuffed animal dinosaur in your face. 

"Are you done flirting?" she asks, playing annoyed. "I'm trying to decorate your room and you'd rather flirt than help me."

You feel the blood rush to your face. "Excuse me?"

Her grin almost reaches your ears. "Gotcha."

"You can't possibly have caught me doing something I wasn't doing," you try to wriggle out of it, but Kika has bitten down like a little terrier.

"And why are you looking like you've eaten the last spoonful of tiramisu without asking if anyone else wants the rest?" 

"I haven't eaten any tiramisu," you defend yourself and hug the green stuffed animal tightly to your chest. 

"Not yet," she says gently and puts one of the candles in the cart with the rest. "But I'm afraid you could get diabetic if you're not careful with the tiramisu. A small piece is fine, but a double portion could almost be too much." 

You narrow your eyes. "I haven't eaten any tiramisu." Without taking your eyes off her, you put the green dino in the shopping cart too. "And I don't intend to."

"You're a bad liar," she says and stands next to you, wrapping her arms tightly around you. "But that's all right. I still love you. And when your room looks really cool soon, I'll take the outfit pictures for my Instagram in front of your mirror."

She gives you a peck on the cheek and you roll your eyes. "Charles was right. We need to change the locks, then you can't disturb us anymore."

"Disturb? Disturbing what? Eating tiramisu?" she grins and you would have loved to suffocate her with the green dino. Apparently Kika can read minds, because she quickly lets go of your arms and continues to skip happily through the corridors while you follow her with the shopping cart. 

"How much do you think the things you picked out for me cost?" you ask her as she picks out more plants.

She takes a look at the shopping cart. "Something between two hundred and five hundred euros," she replies with a shrug.

"Kika, that's too much. Way too much," you try to stop her as she walks over to the rugs on display. "I can't pay for it. I'm unemployed, remember?" You're about to turn the shopping cart around and return the selected items to their rightful places, but Kika stands in your way. 

"Charles offered to pay for this," she says, confused, resting her perfectly manicured hands on the metal grille of the cart. 

"He what?" you ask, looking around in the hope of spotting Charles somewhere. But he's nowhere to be seen.

"Pierre sent me a text message to leave the car at the checkouts when we're done. He said that Charles wanted to pay for it and that we should wait outside for them," she explains, tilting her head. "I thought he would have told you. I know you're unemployed, but because of the text message, I thought that - I assumed we could just pick out nice items without looking at the price."

You run your tongue over your teeth. "Give me a moment, please," you say briefly and leave her standing there with the shopping cart. 

You walk through every aisle, looking over every shelf in the hope of seeing Charles standing somewhere. And when, after ten minutes, you spot his brown curls in the furthest corner of the store, you don't care if the two of you are seen together. He's standing in front of a gray, hip-high box spring, with nice, dark bedding and comfortable-looking pillows placed on it. When you stop next to him, he doesn't look at you.

"I want to buy a new bed," he begins the conversation. "The one I have now is too low for me. What do you think of this one? I've tried it out. It's really comfortable and the perfect height for -" He falls silent before he can finish the sentence. 

"Kika says you want to pay for my things," you change the subject without answering his question. You don't take your eyes off the bed either. 

"That's correct."

"I don't want that," you say tersely. "I don't want you to pay for it."

"But I want to," he replies, looking at you out of the corner of his eye. "Think of it as a gift."

"As a gift?" You raise an eyebrow. "As a gift for what?"

"For your friendship."

"You can have my friendship without buying me new things," you assure him, but you fall on deaf ears. 

"But I want to. I have so much money that I can't spend on my own, so I want to buy you nice things." He leans a little towards you so that your hands touch. "How expensive are the things? One thousand, two thousand euros?"

"Kika says five hundred at most."

"Then think of it as a small, early Christmas present," he says gently. Before you can object, he continues. "I want you to feel comfortable and if it costs me some money, then so be it. And it won't hurt my bank account in the slightest. So just say thank you and accept the gift."

"Thank you," you whisper reluctantly, but you know that it wouldn't do any good to go against his wishes. "Did you find something you want to buy?"

He smiles. "This bed, apparently. And bedding. And a mirror."

"Doesn't sound bad. I just hope you have as good a taste as Kika. After all, our things have to match," you joke.

Charles turns his head in your direction. "Then lie down on the bed, mon amour. I'd like to see how you look on it before I spend thousands of euros on it." As he says it and his fingers curl around your wrist, that feeling blossoms in your chest again.

You want to throw him on the bed in front of you, kiss him until you can't breathe and touch him until you can see stars. You want to feel his warm skin under your fingertips, feel his muscles tense as he pulls you on top of him and presses you against his firm body. You want to feel his weight on you as he lays you down on the bed and his lips trail down from your mouth. You want to - 

"Do you really think I'm going to try sleeping without you again when we've figured out that we both sleep better when we're together?" he asks, gently stroking the thin skin on your wrist with his thumb. You hope he can't feel your racing pulse underneath. "When we first met, you said that you hadn't had a decent night's sleep in a long time. And if it means I have to hold you in my arms so you can get a good night's sleep, then so be it. And it's not as if I don't enjoy having you close to me."

Before you can answer him, you feel a person standing at your other side and when you look, Kika is standing there. Her gaze flickers briefly to your hands before she turns to the bed as well. "Do any of you fancy a bite to eat?" she asks. "There's a restaurant nearby that serves incredibly good tiramisu. And it's never busy. We can go there if you like." She turns slightly in your direction and nudges you. "What about you? Do you want some tiramisu?"

More like a need than a want.

[voxmortuus]

3 and 12 with Benny Cross where he's overstimulating the reader?

⇘ PAIRING:⇙ Benny Cross x F!Reader ⇘ UNIVERSE:⇙ The Bikeriders ⇘ WORD COUNT:⇙ 563 ⇘ TRIGGER WARNINGS:⇙ Overstimulation | Begging | PWP | Pure Smut | P-i-V | Hand Holding During Intercourse | Creampie | Reader Gets To Finish | Reader Gets Called a Good Girl | Benny fucks reader into being a stupid girl... | Benny calls reader a stupid girl... with affection of course. | PLEASE TELL ME IF I FORGOT ANYTHING!!! I want to make sure readers are fully aware of what they are getting themselves into when they read this… ⇘ NOTES:⇙ Sorry if this is total ass... but I hope this brings you some joy. Prompt from this list. ⇘ DIVIDER CREDIT:⇙ @nyxvuxoa ⇘ IMAGE CREDIT:⇙ @echoinyourshadow ⇘ My Master Masterlist ⇙

It was how he ground against you, that perfect friction against your swollen bud. Wet, slick, and utterly sensitive, your moans are a rhythmic musical that fills the air. The creaking of the bed, the grunts and groans that matched your own. The room was dark, with the exception of maybe a single street light shining through your curtains. He kept thrusting, your hands in his, your fingers locked together, using you as momentum with each thrust. Each push, each pull. The way he used you caused you to shiver and quake.

Your breathing picks up, feeling the stimulation to your bud, your eyes close as you spread your hips a little wider. Needing to feel more of him, wanting to feel more of him, wanting him deeper, but the way he moves, not only does it cause him to go deeper, it forces more stimulation in places where you couldn't catch your breath. You grip his hand tighter, he moves his hands above your head, taking yours with them pinning them above you as he picks up the pace, thrusting harder, faster, and now deeper. More moans escape you. The stimulation becoming almost unbareable, but not in a bad way.

With your moans, your whimpers, you begin to beg and plead.

"Benny! Oh fuck! Please... I can't. I need to... I... FUCK!" you moan loudly.

It's like you want to beg him to stop, but you can't. You don't want to, the sensation feels so good, but you feel you can't release, but not in a bad way, in such a way that it's so overwhelming you're wanting to hang on, to keep going to ride it out as long as you can. Clencing your jaw before it slacks you try to find the right words again.

"P-Please! Oh... my... god! Benny... You feel... I feel... it feels... FUCK!" you cry out again. Why can't you find the right words.

Your brain starts to feel like mush, your eyes roll as they close, you bite your lip as your legs begin to shake, your insides feel like they're quivering with so much pleasure. But is it too much? Has Benny fucked you into stupid? It sure feels like it.

"Have I fucked you stupid, Darlin?" He smirks looking down at you as he continues to thrust and press deeper, keeping that stimulation right where it needs to be.

"You've fu-fucked me, int.... in... into an overstimulated stupid girl... FUCK!" you growl.

He chuckles and looks over your face. "Okay stupid girl... beg for me." He mused, his low husky voice carried.

"Please... please let me cum... let me make a mess... let this stupid girl make a mess." You beg.

He looks over you, tilting his head, he chuckles as he slows ever so slightly for you to catch your breath, and for you to feel that finish slowly seeping from you, you're a wet, drippy, stupid mess. You let out a long, drawnout, much needed moan. Your whole body convulses as he presses himself deep inside you, releasing his own finish. When you've both had a moment of calm he smirks looking down at you, slowly pulling from the mess you've both made between your legs, he kisses your forehead.

"Good girl." He smirks. Kissing you again. He watches you intently before he falls to the side laying next to you.

[vin-taege]

How It Starts, How It Ends

summary: a series of pivotal moments in your relationship with Chishiya, pre and post-Borderlands.

genre: some fluff, heavy angst, established relationship

pairing: chishiya x art student!reader

words: 3.5k

warnings: major character death, hurt no comfort, depression, possible spoilers for S2

First Meeting

"Look at this cute beetle I found."

The small insect gently crawled up your pudgy hand as you held it out. The boy in front of you didn't seem too impressed, responding with only a blank stare. You had always seen him by himself during recess and felt bad that he had to eat alone daily. The other kids were either scared of his dad or thought he was weird—but you minded no such things.

"Those carry germs. Some species of them even hiss or bite," he deadpanned.

"But not this one," you pouted, nudging your hands closer to him. "Look, I think he wants to meet you."

Truly enough, the beetle was inching its way off your fingers, seemingly heading towards the stoic boy. He glanced at it before looking back at you, then he sighed. He didn't think he could get rid of you, so he'll entertain you for now.

"I'll pet it, but I'm not gonna hold it."

"Deal!" 

The way you beamed at him made him feel weird, like something was stirring in his chest. Interesting, he noted.

"I'm ___," you smiled, watching him swipe his finger back and forth the beetle's shell.

"I'm Chishiya."

   .❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

First Date(ish)

"I'm about to implode."

Chishiya looked over your notes and let out a snort. Almost everything was highlighted and it all looked like one big splotch of spilled ink on paper. You ignored him, opting to rearrange your home-made flashcards instead. 

"Physics isn't that hard," he murmured.

"Yeah," you glared at him. "For you."

He chuckled again before getting shushed by someone sitting a shelf away from your table. This made you snicker, worry melting away for a split-second. "I don't get how you can grasp this so easily. The formulas all look the same and I don't know which one to use."

He hummed thoughtful before scooting his chair nearer you. "Just start by focusing on the question. Look at what variables they're giving you and at what's missing, then just match them up with the formula that fits."

"I know~ but—" you huffed. "It's a no-formula-card type of exam."

The way you pouted at him almost looked exactly like how you did all those years ago. You were his first—only—friend, and over time, him simply tolerating you had turned into him growing fond of you.

"How many formulas have you memorized?"

"Two, almost three."

"There's six right? Almost there," he gave you a genuinely encouraging smile.

You loved Chishiya for all his snark and cleverness, but you also loved how soft and supportive he can be when it comes to it. These were small moments you held near your heart, and you doubt you'll ever let them go.

He gently took the flashcards from your hands, tapping rhem on the table to align them. He moved a little so the blank sides were facing you and peered at you over the cards. "If you can get this all down by 5 pm, I'll buy you a snack."

"I want a box of macarons."

"I'll buy you a snack that I can afford."

"Deal!"

   .❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

First Milestone

"How was your finals, doctor?"

A light blush bloomed across Chishiya's cheeks. You were a constant pillar of support for him in life, one he hadn't experienced before from anyone else. Since college had begun for the both of you, you were consistently waiting for him after every finals exam he had—a small strawberry cake roll ready in your hands as a reward for him. It became a tradition for the both of you, and even though Chishiya wasn't the best with words, you knew he was appreciative of your actions.

"I've been offered to intern," his voice was neutral, though you know he was at most pleased with himself with the way his eyes crinkled up. In his mind, however, he was more excited about the cake in his hands rather than the position.

"Holy shit?!" you wrapped your arms around his neck, careful not to squish the frosting. His breath hitched for a second, before he wrapped his free arm around you. He buried his face in your hair, lips quirking up as he shut his eyes to savor the moment. "I'm so proud of you, Chi."

The sunset was slowly trickling into the wide windows of the school hallways. Chishiya didn't expect to be in that laboratory for so long, and it was only now that he realized how long you must have waited. Reluctantly, he pulled away from you to see your face better. 

"Have you eaten yet? You might get an ulcer."

You chuckled lightly, "I've eaten lunch a few hours ago. I wanted us to have dinner together, but I've eaten some crackers while I was waiting."

"Crackers," he pressed his lips in disapproval. "Those aren't nutritious."

Lightly chuckling, you took his hand, leading him out of the building and soon, the campus. The weather was a bit chilly even though you had worn a jacket. Still, you were too stubborn to say anything. Fortunately, Chishiya read you like an open book. Without prompting, he took your hand in his.

"How was your finals? Did your prof like the color application?"

Your heart swelled up. You honestly didn't expect him to remember.

The final project your professor gave you for color theory was to pick an existing painting and evoke the opposite emotion of it by changing the colors and composition. It seemed easy enough, but it had stumped you since you wanted to pick just the perfect base.

The night you were finishing it, Chishiya stayed over at your apartment to "make sure you were eating"—an excuse for him to spend more time with you. He was adamant about getting you to sleep early for the sake of your circadian rhythm, and when he couldn't convince you, stayed up with you instead.

"He seemed to like it, thank god. The composition flowed well and he like that I used a tertiary color scheme."

"I told you the risk would pay off," he smirked.

"I know," you stuck your tongue out. "I should listen to my all-knowing boyfriend more."

Boyfriend. 

He loved it so much when you called him that. Until now he couldn't believe you were real, that what you had was real. He would give anything in the world to stay with you forever.

You passed by a ramen shop, stopping in your tracks to scan the bowls of steaming noodles in longing. You had badly wanted something to heat you up, but one glance at the prices shot down your hopes. 

"I'll treat you," he said softly. "You deserve it."

"But you're the one who got the internship," you pouted at him.

"I'll be treating myself too by buying myself good ramen," he raised an eyebrow, silently pleading that you'd just give in. "And you did treat me. You got me cake."

He raised the small box by the ribbons wrapped around it. When you stayed silent for a couple of seconds, he sighed. You were still stubborn about having to "owe" people things, especially if you felt like you "didn't earn it."

"Fine. I'll buy you ramen tonight and you can make it up to me by taking me to the cafe next week."

"Deal!" you gave in.

   .❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

First Game

Your first game in the Borderlands already had you running for your life. It was a five of clubs called Cat and Mouse. Set in a large office building, you needed to find the four mice scattered all over the place and take their tail—the twist being that the "mice" were actually people donning masks and guns. Red bandanas were attached to their belts, the tails you needed to get.

Chishiya was just behind you, heavily breathing as he slid between the winding hallways of the game arena. His hands were still in his hoodie pockets, much to your dismay. You had told him it'll slow him down, but he just shrugged you off. 

"I know where the final mouse is."

The gunshots faded as you ran farther away from the main room. The two of you teamed up with a group of three other players, and Chishiya came up with the idea to lure the third mouse so you can ambush him.

You had seen another player holding a bandana, and by Chishiya's deductions, you only had another tail left to catch. "The gunshots stopped. We know that there's two mice either dead or incapacitated. Judging by how they seem to be on defense, I think there's only one left."

"Because it would be risky for the last one to come out," you murmured moreso to yourself, completing his thoughts.

He hummed in approval. "We need to find the other players to see if we can cover ground faster. Unless..."

He halted, staring straight down the dimly-lit hallway. You nervously looked around, readying the crowbar you held tightly in case anything were to pounce on you. Chishiya. 

"Maybe we shouldn't stop in the middle of the hallway," you chided him, though he was still deep in his thoughts.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up with a realization. "Unless the mice aren't on the floors."

You're gaze trailed up to the ceiling, landing on the thin slits marked on some parts. Chishiya grinned proudly. Your intelligence has once again made him fall impossible even deeper. 

"They're in the vents," you surmised. He nodded, looking at you in awe and love—as if you were God who came down from heaven to bless him, your devout worshipper.

"We need to tell the others so we can prepare another ambush then." You had considered going back to the main hall, but the other players might have left or been dead by then.

"Don't you want to rest first?" He asked teasingly. 

You snorted. "Shuntaro, we have—" you glanced at the phone, "—five minutes left."

He hummed, feigning contemplation. That name was reserved only for serious occasions, and he knew you were getting riled up. "How about this: we tell them now, but we let them do the handiwork."

This was a side of him that you dreaded seeing. His entire "pawns go first" philosophy bothered you—in fact, you were strongly against it. You didn't like how this place brought out the worst in him, how it brought out the coldness and slyness of his heart.

Yet here you were, unable to leave him. You knew that he was only doing it to protect you. He wanted you to go back together safely as much as you did, but he did it in his own ways.

You bit your lip, voice laced with hesitation.

"Deal."

   .❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

First and Last Goodbye

The first game of the face cards round decimated what might as well be half of the players. 

During the first onslaught King of Spades, you and Chishiya got separated from Kuina, Arisu, and Usagi. The crowbar you had kept from your first game served its last purpose when you used it as a makeshift golf club to hit the grenade away from you. Just as you did, Chishiya dove and pulled you downwards with him to take cover.

You eyes were closed tightly, and the only things you could hear were the ringing in your ears and the beating of his heart. For a second, you swore you had died. Then the arms wrapped around you loosened, followed by a hand running through your hair.

"Are you okay?" Chishiya whispered. His eyebrows knit in worry. "We need to move. Now."

You nodded wordlessly. slowly and quietly rolling off him. Screams and the roar of a rifle were still audible near you, but seemingly moving in the opposite direction. He helped you up, giving you a quick scan to make sure you weren't heavily injured.

"We need to find a sparsely populated area," he spoke once he deemed the King was far enough. "Looks like he's going after large crowds."

"We can go to the edge of the city and follow the river. We're bound to hit a forest sooner or later," you suggested.

"That might take time." He looked your tired state. The bags under your eyes darkened and small scars littered all over your body. An almost empty backpack slung over your shoulder, looking almost as sad as you were.

He weighed out his options: what you suggested was the ideal choice, but you were in no condition for a long trek. Finally, he came to a decision. "But that'll work. We need to do a supply run first."

Was it risky still being in the city? Yes. Did he want you to starve? No. As a compromise, he steered clear of the shops on the main streets. Unfortunately, the smaller stores you ventured into were already looted, only expired goods left in the wreckage.

You could tell Chishiya was getting frustrated. His jaw clenched each time you failed to find food or water. His composure was starting to crack for the first time since you got here. You sidled next to him, slipping your hand into his. He relaxed a bit, though his lips were still pulled into a small grimace.

"We'll be okay," you offered him a small smile. He kissed you on the forehead, returning only a small hum in response.

After thirty more minutes of searching, the two of you finally stumbled upon a shack that had edible food. There were candies at the front, the strawberry ones catching your eye.

Grabbing a handful of them, you strode up to Chishiya. His back was turned to you, the blond busy searching through shelves of cup noodles and biscuits. You tapped him on the shoulder. 

"I got this for you," you brought up the candies like an offering. His eyes sparkled, and he couldn't help the grin that broke through his face. 

"Charming." It was supposed to be teasing, but it came out genuinely grateful. He turned the backpack he was filling up towards you so that you can drop the candies in.

He held it in place for a few seconds longer, looking at you as if he wanted something. You raised your eyebrow in question. He hesitated for a bit, before leaning forwards and connecting his lips with yours.

You reciprocated the kiss, pressing closer to him. The bag landed with a thud on the ground, him favoring pulling your waist closer instead. He was rarely the one who initiated physical affection, but it only took him a bit of prodding to follow through.

He broke away, only to look you in the eyes. "I'll take you home. I promise."

"We'll take us home," you gave him one last peck on the lips. 

For a moment, it felt normal again. It was just you and him against all odds. You were in your little bubble near the outskirts of town, safe from all the hurt.

Then the gunshots started again and they were scarily nearer this time.

Your eyes widened and Chishiya froze. You quickly picked up the bag while he slowly peered out the glass panes of the shop. The caped King was just down the road, a shotgun in his hands. He shot towards the inside of a shop, and Chishiya was certain he hit whoever his target was.

"That's not good," he muttered to himself. "___, run when I tell you to."

"I won't leave you," you snapped.

"I'll be right behind you. I promise." He gave you a reassuring look before peering out the shop window again. 

"Fucker must have tracked us." With the crowbar gone, you had only the small bomb Chishiya made for protection.

He took it out of the inside of his jacket, waiting until the King got close enough. Chishiya knew it wasn't enough to kill anyone, but it would buy you time. That's all that mattered to him.

The crunching of boots on gravel drew closer. Chishiya twisted one of the wires around his finger, ready to pull the activator. The King shot into another store, closer to the one you were in this time. He emptied the round and lowered his gun to reload. In one swift movement, Chishiya pulled on the wire and chucked it as hard as he can.

"Go!"

The two of you sprinted out the shop. The can clunked on the ground as it landed before splintering into pieces with a loud boom. Chishiya yelled after you.

"Don't look back!"

Yet you did, just in time to see the King dodge behind the doorframe. Just in time to see he had the now loaded gun pointed at Chishiya. 

In a split-second, you turned on your heel and pushed Chishiya into an alleyway, the bullet meant for him digging its way into your chest. 

The impact slammed you against the brick wall. There was ringing in your ears and your eyes were blurred by tears. When did you start crying?

Chishiya grabbed your upper body, dragging you deeper into the alley. You could see his lips moving. He was trying to tell you something but everything was so fuzzy.

With adrenaline pumping in his veins, he scooped you up, carrying you as he ran. There were footsteps following not far from him. Pushing his legs to go faster, he inched around the twisted alley, slinking in and out of connected rooms, running and running until he found a door to a semi-basement hidden behind tarps.

He forced it in with his shoulder, careful not to hit you. The room used to be for storage—construction items and dust filling the space. He slid behind a pile of wooden beams, gently setting you down. The surroundings outside settled, and he knew the gunman had lost you.

But god, the bloodbath before him was the scariest.

He'd seen this happen before. He's seen how pale a person could get after so much blood loss. He's seen how it becomes more evident with the lips, cheeks, the tips of your fingers. He's seen that faraway look, the one where he knew the person was starting to drift away.

He put both hands on your chest, putting pressure on the wound. Your blood leaked through your shirt, soaking his hands. Frantically, he took his hoodie off and pressed it against you too. 

"Don't die on me, ___. Please." He whispered, voice breaking.

His words brought you back, tearing your eyes away from the corner of cement bricks and bringing it back to his warm, brown ones. Tears pricked at the corner of his eyes. He's never cried before.

You tried to move your lips, only a croak escaping from your throat. "Chish..."

"Don't leave me, please. Please, ___."

A crimson puddle on the ground was growing at an alarming rate. He had no tools, no help. He was a doctor but he couldn't fucking save the only life that mattered to him. 

Shakily, he held you closer. His voice never sounded this gentle before. "Stay with me."

"C-candies. Eat well... okay?" Your voice was hoarse. The humid room felt colder now. "L-love you."

"We'll eat well together. We'll go back together, I promised you. I'll get you macarons and ramen and those paints you've always wanted, okay? Deal?" His voice was wavering. He tightened his grip on you, pressing your chest harder with his other hand. "Deal?"

You looked up at him with a sad smile. With the last bit of your strength, you brought your hand up and pressed it against his. He laced your fingers together.

"___?" He whispered, finally letting the tears fall. "Deal?" 

You didn't respond. You didn't get to hear him say he loved you too.

   .❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

First Grief

One minute.

Landing in the Borderlands. Cat and Mouse. The Beach. The face cards. Losing you.

It all happened within a minute in the real world.

Chishiya made a promise to himself while he was in the Borderlands. When the candies would run out, he'd stop fighting. When the last traces of you would leave him, he'd join you. Yet by divine intervention, they lasted enough until he beat the King of Diamonds. Long enough until Arisu and Usagi cleared the final face card. 

And now here he was. Sitting on a hospital bed, knowing that he wouldn't find you anywhere in the hospital or the Earth for that matter. 

He hadn't spoken since, only nodding or shaking his head in response to the doctor's questions. As a doctor, he'd known he would've been pissed at a patient that acted like himself. But nothing mattered anymore.

"We found you holding this. Your fist was wrapped around it pretty tightly that we thought the blood had cut off," a nurse told him. She placed a singular piece of strawberry candy on his bedside table.

He looked at it with mixed feelings of remorse and dread. He waited for the nurse to leave the room. Wordlessly, he reached over to close the curtains separating him from a patient with burn injuries. He allowed himself to break down again that day.

When his wounds had recovered enough for him to stand, he found himself sitting in the garden area. The candy was still unopened, sitting on the oak table in front of him. A part of him still hoped that you'd join him out of nowhere. That he'll hear your voice like tinkling bells calling out to him.

"I promised," he thought to himself. How was he supposed to continue everything you've built without you? How was he supposed to go home and face all the things you've left behind?

He wanted to cry again. He wanted to tear his heart out so he'd stop the hurt. He wanted you back. He'd give anything.

The small buzz of wings pricked his ears. He lifted his hand a little, discovering a tiny beetle that had landed near him. He stared at it for a few seconds before gently nudging it with his finger.

It grasped his skin, spiky limbs crawling up his hand.

"___ would've loved you," he whispered.

[itadore-you]

just for me

pairing: katsuki bakugo x gn!reader w/c: ~ 1k c/w + context: comfort fic. big ass panic attack. if this may trigger you, pls steer clear of this one!

════════════════════════════════════

The violet void of the night has claimed you as a victim once again. It has invisible toothpicks for nails that pry open your eyelids for inspection, declaring you blind. 

"Are you scared yet?" It rasps.

You tremble, because you already know what it'll say next.

Nothing. It won't say a word.

Its silence prompts your subconscious to speak for itself, letting the undead scream. Once they're woken, there's no shutting them up. The voices don't come alone. Like a pretty Russian doll, there's always more. Hordes of images; so much that you have seen. They blot across your vision, so viscerally colourful against the dark of night. You're certain that you will die.

All of a sudden, the dark grows hands that hold onto yours - they're smooth, they're warm, and they … aren't to be trusted when you get like this. 

Your first instinct is to slap them away. Nothing is safe in the minefield of your mind.

"It's me," murmurs a low voice from beside you. "I'm right here."

"Kats- Katsuki?" 

You sound broken. It makes him grit his teeth, knowing what's happening to you. It doesn't happen often, but it happens often enough that he knows the signs. He knows how to help, but not how to fix, and it pains him. Quickly he illuminates the room with a light spark from one of his palms, the crackle emphasizing his presence.

"Yes," he continues to slowly reassure you. "Me. Katsuki. I'm right here."

He wishes he could promise it. He wishes that he could fight alongside you. Blow it all up, leaving those nocturnal demons charred and in pieces. He knows, that even by being here right now, it's not going to stop it on its own. He's reached a limit that he can't force himself through. 

He takes in a deep breath as he holds your hands a little tighter, and he continues. 

"Squeeze my hands back."

It takes several moments for you to manage the movement. These "attacks" often leave you fucking paralysed after all. But once you grip Katsuki's hands, you keep squeezing, tighter and tighter. 

He smiles a little at that, knowing that it's somewhat broken the trance. 

"Good. You can keep going." 

He doesn't mind it, no matter how hard it hurts, because he won't let you keep feeling so hurt, all alone. He still remembers seeing your first episode, the uselessness that weighed down his heart as he watched the person he loved whilst he did nothing, he couldn’t do anything. Never again. 

Never.

You hold onto him tighter over the next couple of minutes. Slowly he offers his arms, and eventually, you accept his embrace - he knows to not constrict you fully in his arms, but instead help you feel grounded. 

It takes time before the tempo of your breathing matches his, no longer shallow and rapid. Even in the dark, you can now find the fierce red of his eyes meeting yours. He knows to hold your gaze like this, to silently reassure you that you’re going to be OK. 

He whispers a couple of words, asking if you feel like you can stand. He doesn't let go of your hand as he gets you on your feet, motivating you to move with him as he ambles over to the side of your shared bedroom. 

It's nice, not to remain curled up beneath a duvet until you sweat buckets, and you can’t tell the difference between perspiration and tears. 

Katsuki notices the vacant look in your expression as you motionlessly stand next to him. He's got to be careful now, because that break of clarity is not always the ‘calm after the storm’. Sometimes it comes right back, striking fast like a viper. 

The click of your kettle sounds and an impending crescendo ensues as the water boils. The sound is like a pleasant white noise that fills the empty air, static that your brain can't be louder than. You could swear that you kept the kettle in the kitchen, not in here. Katsuki must have brought it, as well as the cup he grabs from seemingly nowhere, and the faint aroma of chamomile starts to arise in the room. 

Another click from the kettle, alerting you both that the water has finished boiling. As Katsuki pours the stream of water into the cup, the smell of chamomile grows stronger. You notice that your lungs seem to expand double the size from before, breathing in the calming scent. 

Bakugo lifts the steaming cup to you, watching as you take deep breaths. He knows you like the smell and taste of the tea. It's something so basic, so seemingly trivial, but it works. 

Out of all your five senses, he's the one that makes the most sense. Bakugo stands before you, untainted and real - more real than what was happening inside of your mind.

He stays with you like that for a while, waiting for the tea to cool down so you can drink it. In the meantime, he talks about a couple of things. He brings up some stupid banter from the conference room yesterday; still finding it stupid, but knowing that you'd find it funny. He mentions, on the side, that he wants to buy some poppy seeds for your garden. It sounds random, but each one of Katsuki's words is chosen with care to distract you from your thoughts.

All the while, he can see a spark start to come back in your eyes. They’re no longer as dull and dead as they were before. 

He's glad.

He’s not going to ask if you feel better.

He already knows.

[softly-potter]

Like Fireworks

Summary: Blake & Yang help Ruby come up with a way to ask Weiss out on the Fourth of July.

Pairing: Ruby x Weiss, Yang x Blake

Word count: 800

Warning: none

A/N: this was written in 30 minutes and no beta testing sorry not sorry. Happy Fourth of July!!

-

"That dress is going to get you more than just attention."

Ruby flushes, pressing down the pleast of her outfit. "I'm...not sure what you mean."

Blake leans back into Yang against the knitted picnic blanket beneath them, smirking. "You know exactly what I mean.”

"She hasn't kept her eyes off you." Yang adds, wiggling her brows. as if on instinct, Ruby glaces over her left shoulder. Standing beside the punch stand, Weiss is in light conversation with Neptune, a cup held in her hand. She's talking, but her eyes are locked on Ruby, baby blues intense and piercing. Having been caught, Ruby looks away and feels the heat creep to her neck:

"I can't do this." Ruby whispers. She can practically feel Yang's eyeroll.

The confession during the school's annual fourth of July fireworks picnic had been Blake's idea. After watching the pain-staking dance that Ruby and Weiss did around one another, she had finally broken and approached Ruby about it. With Yang's encouragement, the girls had come up with an easy enough plan to get Weiss and Ruby alone.

"Cherry punch?" Weiss's voice nearly makes ruby jump out of her dress, and she hiccups in surprise. Raising a hand to her mouth, Blake weakly hides her giggle as Weiss sits down between them, folding her legs delicately beneath herself.

"I- thanks Weiss!" Ruby chirps, electricity bouncing through her skin as her hands brush weisses fingers when she grabs the cup. "Nice Weiss strikes again."

Weiss smiles and tucks a strand of white-blonde hair behind her ear.

"The show will be starting in 15 minutes! Please take your seats." the announcer's voice boomed over the loudspeaker, capturing everyone's attention.

Blake jumps to her feet. "Yang! I want a candied chocolate candle."

"A what?" Yang asks in confusion, allowing Blake to pull her to her feet.

"I think they're out," Weiss interjects, taking a sip of her punch. Blake blinks for a moment and yanks at yang again, harder this time.

"Then I want a Cherry Clock!" she demands, and she practically hauls Yang away. Ruby rubs her temples in slick embarrassment.

Weiss wrinkles her nose as she watches Blake and Yang disappear into the crowd. "What's up with her?"

"she ah...has a sweet tooth?"

Weiss sips her punch again with a light shrug. "Maybe. How's your drink?"

Ruby holds up her cup with a smile, and they click the plastic drinks together with an easy laugh. "It's great, nearly matches my dress."

"I...agree with that sentiment." Weiss says carefully, and her eyes rake down Ruby's body, sending a shiver through the red head. Ruby knows she's flushing and looks away, tapping her finger on the rim of the now empty drink.

"Hey, um..Weiss?"

There's a hiss and a pop, and a dazzle of sparkles light up the sky. A stream of light blue fireworks erupt in the sky, sending cascades of light across the clouds. another pop, and bright red fireworks explode, like rapid gun fire.

"It's starting!" Weiss says happily with a clap of her hands before turning back to Ruby. she has to project her voice to be heard over the fireworks. "What were you going to say?"

There's another pop and there's a discharge of golden light. it swirls and deeps, glittering calligraphy in the night sky, the clouds it's canvas.

"I just- i wanted to ask-!" ruby tries, but her voice is captured by the bang of the fireworks and her head feels warm, nerves swirling in her stomach. "I wanted to ask if i-i could take you out?"

"What?" Weiss cries, her brows knitted in confusion. Ruby swallows thickly, wipes her sweaty palms on the fabric of her dress.

"go out with me!" she tries again, and Weiss cocks her head.

"Where?" she calls back, leaning forward. Ruby swears under her breath. Maybe proposing the idea during a loud expression of light wasn't the best idea. she looks up, tries to put a smile on her face.

"Forget it!" She chirps, wrapping her arms loosely around her knees. "Later! We can talk later!"

Weiss pauses, the lights of the fireworks dancing across her features. A look of determination settles across her face and she scoots forward, leaning her face towards the side of Ruby's head, her balance being held by her left arm.

"Oh no you don't." She murmurs, and using her right hand, she grips the collar of Ruby's shirt, and pulls her close before pressing her mouth to hers.

Ruby squeaks in surprise, the sound muted by the smooth expanse of Weiss's lips. Fireworks shoot off above them, red and green and purple and blue erupting in the night sky, and when Weiss pulls back, she's smiling.

"Now about that date," She murmurs, her lips glossy, and Ruby smiles.

[kungukingi]

Meditations on bris/isbr [11/?] "A Moment Just for Them (Because Why Not)"

Link to previous part.

After the match, Team White settles down in their new room, and Isagi already has his eyes on the next match-up. He wants to play against Rin's team next, and tries to get everyone's attention to confirm that they're fine with the plan.

None of them seems to listen though, what with Barou being occupied with fixing up his new bed, Nagi by the videos on his phone, and Chigiri with his hair.

Isagi starts wondering about how difficult their living situation is going to get when the team already had Nagi and Barou in it, who not only don't get along, but who are also don't like to compromise about anything.

As if on cue, Barou starts berating Nagi and Chigiri: One has left a towel on the floor, the other one a pair of socks; one does not dry his hair enough, one is taking too much time to do it. And what's worse, neither of them seems to acknowledge his authority.

While this is happening, Isagi is notably exempt from this tirade of criticism, and in light of what we learn later from Episode Nagi, it seems likely that this is because his cleanliness and efficiency have quickly risen to levels that meet Barou's standards... to the point that Barou will later lament and curse his departure from the team after having spent just a couple of days together.

But more on that later.

For now, Isagi gets alarmed by the undesirable chemical reaction that seems to be happening between the three other members of his team, and attempts to diffuse the situation by suggesting they all have dinner together.

It doesn't play out like he hopes, since Nagi and Chigiri shoot him down immediately. Nagi wants to keep watching his videos, and Chigiri has his knee to take care of. Isagi gets frustrated at their lack of cooperativeness, but then Barou cuts in to say that he'll go with him.

Isagi is understandably surprised. Chigiri is his teammate from all the way back to Team Z, and he's stayed with Nagi for the whole duration of the Second Selection. Both are rivals and friends to him at this point, and he's very comfortable around them.

What comes to Barou though, so far all attempts Isagi has made to try to get closer to him through friendly approaches have been duds. Not to mention even their rivalry has been one-sided up until earlier that day, when Barou made it mutual with his declaration to never lose to Isagi again. And that only happened after Isagi put Barou through the wringer, crushed his spirit, and made him question his whole life.

So it is surprising that Barou would so readily join him to eat dinner in private while exuding this nonchalant air about it.

When the dinner scene opens, they appear to be the only ones present in the cafeteria. They take their seats at a table next to each other, and eat in silence for a while as Isagi waits for Barou to initiate a conversation. He has to have some reason for taking up his offer, after all, right?

Isagi is suddenly reminded of the moment he called Barou 'loser' in the match earlier, and wonders if he's still holding a grudge about that.

Could it even be that Barou accepted his offer specifically so that he'd have a chance to corner Isagi and beat his ass without the other two interfering? He is prone to threats of violence and did seem to really hate getting called a 'loser', so it would make sense, wouldn't it?

When Barou finally addresses him, Isagi flinches and wonders if this is the way he's going to die, but then:

Everything about this must go against the image Isagi has of Barou in his head based on their interactions so far.

The normally so decisively speaking Barou starts by hesitating: He pauses, uses a filler word (uhh), and then asks Isagi to tell him about himself. I'm not 100% certain [and might check later], but I think this is the first time we've seen Barou do either of these things (hesitate while speaking, ask a question like this) with anyone. But it does make sense.

Before this day, the world made perfect sense to him, and he had unshaken confidence in his own place within it, as well as on his own ideals and methods.

Isagi made him recontextualise and reconsider everything during that match, and now he's coming forward with a new approach; speaking cordially to Isagi to get to know him a bit better. And the question he asks Isagi is the exact same one Isagi approached him with previously, which just underscores how much their relationship has shifted in such a short amount of time.

It's a huge show of respect from someone like Barou, and Isagi is exactly the right amount of surprised for it.

Isagi answers him by telling him about his weapons, and Barou easily draws the connection between them and how they help Isagi control the whole pitch. He also proves how uninterested he was in Isagi previously by saying Isagi should've told him sooner, to which Isagi replies that he did, while thinking to himself that Barou wasn't willing to listen.

(In truth, Isagi didn't actually even get around to telliing Barou about his own favoured playstyle and weapons when he approached him before, but that's beside the point. Even if he had told him, Barou wouldn't have cared.)

Now he is listening, though, and he does care.

Flustered by Barou's sudden interest in him and shamed by the grace he's currently showing, Isagi apologises properly for the things he said to him on the pitch. But Barou surprises him again by telling him that they already settled that when he made Isagi take back the 'loser' — and continues to say that everything else Isagi said was true.

While casually munching on his steak, Barou admits that his mentality wasn't good enough. He had room to grow, and now that he's absorbed the lesson, he's showing that he harbors no hard feelings towards Isagi for it.

The way he's acting supports the opposite interpretation, in fact: Even though he doesn't say it out loud, I think he's feeling grateful to Isagi, and this is his way of showing it.

Sure, he's interested to learn about Isagi as a player just for the sake of their rivalry, but the fact that he goes about this by asking the exact same questions Isagi asked him before is a bit too on the nose to be a coincidence.

I think this is Barou's apology for dismissing Isagi before, his show of gratitude for the lesson he taught him, and his peace offering — all rolled up into one. I don't think this is entirely conscious on his part, but that's what I think this is, regardless. They're rivals on the pitch, but that doesn't mean he dislikes Isagi.

Isagi, of course, thinks this is all very cool of him, and rightfully so. It demonstrates that Barou is able and willing to tap into the vast potential Isagi always saw in him. It also shows Isagi that Barou, much like Isagi himself, can put his whole being and emotional spectrum into the game while on the pitch, and still rise up above it afterwards.

It's as admirable and relatable as it is surprising, and it must also be very flattering to Isagi. At the start of Blue Lock, Barou dismissed him as someone who did not 'have what it takes' to be a striker. And yet here they are now, talking about their mutual passion as equals.

So it's no wonder he gets caught up in the moment and voices his honest feelings.

It's wonderful when characters sometimes just flat out tell what they're feeling, so that you can always pull up the receipts when someone mistakes banter on the pitch as proof of two characters hating one another.

This is one of those instances.

This whole moment also parallels Isagi's dinner with Kunigami early on in the series, and for those two the scene was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. From my perspective, the fact that Kaneshiro decided to include this whole scene at all, is indicative enough of the fact that the readers are supposed to assume that Barou and Isagi are on good interpersonal terms from now on.

Even though in the future we'll get to see repeatedly how Isagi and Barou clash on the pitch as emotions get heated, it's clear to me at least that, after this moment, Isagi has learnt to like Barou as a person. He already admired him tremendously as a player and found his attitude cool, but this is the moment he's won over by Barou the Guy as well, not just Barou the Symbol.

What comes to Barou, it's less clear how he feels about Isagi as a person as of now. However, looking at this moment with the knowledge of the kind of tsundere tendencies he'll starts exhibiting in the future, and knowing how absolutely preoccupied he becomes with Isagi soon, I'd say his reaction here might give us a hint.

He quickly turns the focus on himself and explains his interest as him just being on the lookout for any and all information that might help him obilerate Isagi in the future.

One could call it falling back to a more secure and unambiguous mode of relationship — their mutual rivalry — when Isagi pushes at a boundary Barou is not entirely comfortable allowing him to cross yet. Villains and heroes are easy for Barou to understand, but I'm pretty sure that he does not have a lot of experience in friendly relationships where he stands on an equal footing with someone else.

Isagi is unbothered though, and challenges Barou to go ahead and try, because he's willing to be an open book for him. Villains and heroes, rivals or friends, Isagi is just happy that they're able to have this kind of a relationship.

Speaking of relationships, I divide Isagi's rivals into two groups based on his primary mode of relating to them:

Rivals first: Barou, Nagi, Rin, Kaiser, Yukimiya, the rest of Blue Lock (and the rest of the football world, to be entirely honest) Friends first: Bachira, Kunigami, Chigiri, the rest ofTeam Z

To this date [chapters up to 254 have been published by the time I upload this meta], Barou is the only one of Isagi's rivals from the first category with whom Isagi has shared such a casual and intimate friendly scene together.

Even Nagi hasn't had this type of scene together with Isagi, despite having spent the most amount of time in private with him out of this group. A scene that is based on mutual interest in each other outside the context of immediate tactical and strategic concerns. While football is what Isagi and Barou talk about, they're acting relaxed about it, and the conversation doesn't go anywhere near the next match, even though it's what Isagi has been waiting for ever since Rin stole Bachira from him.

Isagi does not have any revelations about himself, or about anything that would relate to the next match, or the ones after it. We learn that Barou is not as sore a loser as one might've initially assumed based on what we know of his character, but that information is of peripheral importance compared to what we learn about his changed perception of Isagi.

The chapter starts with Isagi thinking about the next match, but only after Barou and Isagi depart in comfortable silence does Isagi return to thinking about it. While they dine together in the empty cafeteria, it doesn't even cross his mind.

Bottom line is: This whole scene is about how the relationship between Isagi and Barou has evolved, and nothing else.

Link to next post.

[dehydration-stati0n]

Hi there! This is my first time requesting for this blog and I must say I enjoy your writing a lot! It's kinda hard to find good One Piece blogs so I was happy to stumble on yours!

I saw the friendship HCs and I loved Ace's a lot, so I was wondering if I could request a oneshot for Ace and his best friend reader hanging out together and reader stops midway and tells Ace to stand still and wait for them before they enter a jewelry store, and when they come back they're wearing a pair of red pearl bracelets similar to Ace's necklace and two pairs of earrings they brought so that they could match, I think it's a very wholesome idea since as you mentioned he'd like for us to have something that matches him!

I hope this made sense, English isn't my first language😅

Pearls{Platonic!Ace x Reader}

AHHAHA TYSM BABES I was hoping someone would request something like this, platonic relationships are one of my favorite things to write :))

Rules Word Count: 0.6k Spoilers: None

You leaned against Ace, the rays of the sun glowing down on the two of you as you sat on a crooked bench. You had agreed to follow Ace on his mission to find and assassinate Blackbeard. The passion and respect he held for his crewmates and captain had caused a certain adoration to grow within you. So much so that you couldn't find it in yourself to refuse him when he approached you that one night and asked you to come with him to avenge Thatch.

You now found yourself in an unfamiliar town. The two of you probably looked homeless with how casually you both wandered and slept on all these foreign islands. Just out in the open, with no regard for if you'd get shanked or not in a back alley somewhere. The carelessness of it all almost made the adventure more fun- more exciting.

Ace straightened up suddenly, causing you to also jolt upright against the warm wooden back of the bench. He pushed his hat back from over his eyes. "How long was I out?"

"15 minutes. You good to go?"

He stretched, grinning at you before replying with a simple, "Yeah,"

Ace's sleep habit was a little annoying at first but you eventually found little things to do while he was down. Your favorite thing was to people-watch. It helped to ground you back into reality a lot of the time and to keep an eye out for possible enemies.

The two of you then stood up and started forward once more, the warmth of the sun placing comforting arms around you as you walked with your best friend. It was moments like these that made it hard to feel anything but relaxed as you soaked in the feeling of peace. Your eyes fluttered open again and landed quickly on a peculiar store on the side of the dusty path.

You stopped suddenly, the ravenette crashing into you softly as you did so. "Hold on, I need to go in and grab something real quick." He saluted you as you disappeared into the shop.

A little bell chimmed as you pressed your body into the glass door, the shop was dim, but cozy. The warm, artificial lights that hung on the walls at random only added to the fuzy feeling it emitted.

Your gaze dragged over the nicely decorated place as you approached the register near the front. "How much for the red pearls?"

----------

You walked out, a smile on your face as you neared where Ace had fallen asleep on the road. You stared down at his unconscious body for a moment before kicking him gently in the side.

"Well? What do you think?" You asked, gesturing to your new accessories as he slowly stored awake.

Two bracelets made of similar red pearls to his necklace adorned your wrists, along with a pair of new earrings that hung five beads down from your ear. You jokingly posed for him as you watched his grin grow wider at the fact you were both now matching.

You let out a surprised yelp when you felt his arms wrap around you, squeezing you into his chest. His contagious laugh sounded next to your ear as he replied, "This is great! Now that you finally look good we can go and kill Blackbeard!"

You smacked him lightly on his shoulder, "Yeah whatever, I looked great before."

You sat there in his embrace for a second more, before he let go, draped his arm over your shoulders, and started to ramble on about this dream he had. You both strolled down the dirt path once again, giggling and shoving each other as you tried to come up with a plan to try and catch Blackbeard off guard.

[lil-moth-goth13]

Aziraphale and Crowley CG ficlet!

Aziraphale + Crowley CGs + GN regressor! it's evening in the cottage, and you're sitting comfortably with Crowley on the couch; the only sounds filling the sunset-soaked room are the soft noises of Aziraphale in the kitchen. You can smell the first batch of cookies as he pulls them out of the oven, and you smile to yourself, looking at your little plastic dinosaur in your lap. Crowley turns his face away from his phone to look at you, and you look at him. For a moment, you're in a staring match - he's almost as mischievous as you, and you're prepared for anything he could throw at you. You've got your game face on.

He makes a grab for your dino, and you laugh, pulling it out of his reach - then he kisses your nose, and you squeal in surprise, giggling uncontrollably; he takes your dinosaur, making it kiss your cheek, and you shriek joyously. Over your own laughter, you can hear Aziraphale chuckle in the kitchen; Crowley's eyes light up as he stops his playful attack, a smirk slithering across his face.

"Button," he says quietly. "How about you go get us some cookies?"

"But they just came out," you say. "Azi wants them to rest."

"Oh, they'll be cool when you grab them," he takes your hand and kisses your fingertips, making your skin tingle. You grin; Crowley's miracles always help you regress. You hop up and tip-toe over to the kitchen, watching the hem of Aziraphale's dress brush against the bottom cabinets. You know Aziraphale is particular about his cookies... but it's just two, and Aziraphale won't even see you. When he turns his back to pour himself a new cup of tea, you run past him on tip-toes, trying to hold in your mischievous giggles - you can hear Crowley chuckle under his breath from the living room. You grab two cookies, miraculously cool against your hands, and run swiftly back to the living room before Aziraphale turns around.

Crowley opens his arms as you run back in, and you half-sit, half-fall into his lap. He holds you tight and rubs your back,

"There we are, brave little spy," you feel him smile against your head. "Now, let's have our spoils, hm?"

You give Crowley a cookie - it's a little bigger, and more golden than brown - and he smiles. The pair of you tuck into them, and though they were cool against your hand, they're warm and delicious in your mouth; perfectly sweet, but not too much; Aziraphale's baking is always magnificent.

Your victory is less sweet, however, when you hear Aziraphale say from the kitchen, "Could have sworn there were twelve here. Now there's... oh, lets see... eight, nine, ten." You can almost hear a smirk in his voice. "I seem to be missing two cookies, and it's suddenly awfully quiet..." You hear Aziraphale's heels tap against the tile, and you and Crowley exchange a wide-eyed look. You quickly finish your cookie and he follows suit, then licks his thumb and gently wipes a smear of chocolate off your face - both the picture of innocence as Aziraphale walks in, one eyebrow raised and a poorly-hidden smile on his lips.

"Tell me, my darling doves," he furrows his brows and pretends to be cross, and you can't help but giggle. "Did you see any cookies grow legs and walk out of the kitchen?"

"Nuh-uh," you shake your head confidently. "Cookies don't walk."

"Ah, I see." Aziraphale sits on the couch, taking Crowley's hand in his, biting back laughter as he looks pointedly at the chocolate stain on his thumb. "Been gardening, dear?"

"Cacao beans," Crowley sighs mournfully. "Such messy plants."

"That's not how cacao beans work," you whisper helpfully. Aziraphale looks at you and smiles, "now, then, cherub, I know you'd never lie to me. Did you take a cookie?"

You look to the floor. "Maaaybeeee..."

"Maybe?" Aziraphale scoops you up in his arms, and you giggle. "Okayyy. I did. I took two."

"Thank you, sweetheart. Now, I'll let it go this time. But do you know why we let the cookies rest?" he carries you over to the kitchen, Crowley following suit.

"Ummm... not really." Aziraphale sits you down on the counter, turning towards the sink.

"Because if they're too warm and too soft, they might fall apart in your hands, or get chocolate all over you." He raises a warm, wet towel to your face, wiping your cheek; you lean into the touch and he smiles. "And, if they fall apart, you can't dip them in milk."

"Oh, true!" you grin, kicking your feet. "Can we have some milk now?"

Aziraphale turns his eyes to the tray of cookies. "No, not quite yet, I don't think. But you can help me put cookie dough on the tray, and put that in the oven. By the time that's done, the cookies will have rested long enough. How about that, cherub?"

"M'tay," you clap softly, "I like that idea!"

"Sounds good," Crowley smiles, reaching around Aziraphale to snatch a cookie. "More for me!" as he brings it to his lips, the cookie crumbles and falls on his shirt; he scowls, and Aziraphale chuckles.

"Do you need one of the bibs, dear?"

[archive-of-the-lost]

𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 @bibururokku

Your ideal match is…Yukimiya Kenyu!

♡ As charming as Yuki is, he isn't overly friendly and doesn't seem like the kind of person you would end up being friends with naturally. Which leads me to believe the two of you were grouped together for a project in high school, creating the opportunity to get to know each other. He would be drawn to your cute and sweet demeanor, and seek to spend more time with you even after the project ends.

♡ When you get to know him enough to start being sassy, it's a pleasant surprise for him. He wasn't expecting your sense of humor to be like that, since you seem like such a nice and chill person, but he gets used to easily enough. He quite likes this side of you actually, as he's also the straightforward type that doesn't mince words.

♡ He stated his type as someone who will always watch over him, so when you both grow close enough for you to be more concerned for his wellbeing, it's over for him. He's plenty independent, but perhaps he likes having you check up on him. A while after he realised he developed a crush on you, he cheekily showed you his bruises from training just to get you to worry about him for a bit a few times.

♡ Your explanation for why you live life to the fullest without taking things for granted sounds just like Yukimiya, though your reasons do differ. Yuki likes ephemeral things like cherry blossoms, likely because they remind him of how things are fleeting and never guaranteed, like his eyesight. His diagnosis gave him a strong sense of Mono no Aware, allowing him to appreciate everything in a new light. Pertaining to you, he treasures every moment spent with you and tries to make sure you know it. Once you two begin dating, whenever you have to go your separate ways, his hold on your hand always lingers longer than necessary, and he bids you goodbye with a kiss to the cheek.

♡ Reading is also one of his hobbies, so that's something you both bond over! He likes reading biographies about the lives of important people, which you might be interested in due to your liking for historical books? Likewise, he's also likely to be interested in your historical books, perhaps slice of life too. The scene of the two of you, sitting side by side on bed, engrossed in a book is quite common.

♡ His worst subject is art (because it strains his eyes), so he appreciates your drawing abilities and how you're attending art school. It's the kind of thing where one admires their weakness being a strength in someone else. He likes to see what you're working on, because the process is more interesting to him than the final product. But if you're not comfortable with showing him, he won't push for it.

♡ Yukimiya doesn't bake or cook often, but he's happy to help you when you do it then watch as you get to work. He'll put some background music on if you don't do that already, which usually leads to him pulling you into a clumsy waltz in the kitchen while the food waits on its plate. The waltz is clumsy because he doesn't actually know how to dance, he just pulls you around in what he thinks a waltz looks like. Most of the time he has enough self-control to end the dance before the food goes cold. Most of the time.

♡ His giving love languages suit you so well! I'm sure I've made quality time obvious enough, and physical touch was teased a little in the Mono no Aware point. He likes having excuses to snuggle up close to you even when outside, like under an umbrella when it's raining or during the winter when it's super cold. He's such a gentleman, definitely loves giving kisses to your hand (to fluster you). He really appreciates your giving love languages as well! He secretly likes being pampered, and will melt internally whenever you do things for him, especially after a tiring day of soccer practice.

♡ Finally, INFPs and ENFJs are known as a golden pair! They're highly compatible, usually having similar values which makes for a harmonious relationship. The both of you are so considerate of each other, caring and willing to compromise. Couple goals honestly.

[winged-golden-wanderer]

--- [ATTACHED: A video, taken from Goldie's wristwatch.

They're walking down a dark, narrow corridor leading through Mt. Moon. Lizzie leads the way, her tail flame providing a dim orange glow to illuminate the rocky path ahead.

As the two trek forward, you listen to the sound of water dripping from stalactites above, and the occasional chattering of Zubat overhead. Every now and then, you see the outline of a Geodude or Clefairy move in the shadows, watching the trainer and their guide curiously from behind large boulders as they pass by.

Eventually, Goldie comes to a sudden halt. Lizzie rumbles and looks back at her trainer, seeming perplexed.

After a brief pause of silence, Goldie speaks up softly. You can sense an edge of urgency in their voice. "...Sense something. Gotta keep moving."

There's a glint of concern in their Charmander's eyes, but Lizzie just gives an understanding nod and continues onward.

Everything seems alright for a moment, and you wonder what Goldie meant when they said they picked up on something nearby. But that confusion is quickly diminished when the audio picks up the sound of footsteps rushing up behind them.

Whatever they belong to jumps in and grabs Goldie in a headlock before they can have a chance to react. They let out a yelp of surprise, and as they try to pry the arms around them off you think you see a black shirt with an "R" symbol printed on its chest.

"Quit strugglin' kid, or I'll knock ya lights out!"

Goldie freezes up quickly, eyes blown wide with terror as they tremble in the attacker's arm. Then, their wristwatch begins to slip just as you hear the growl-y cry of a Pokemon, and you see a second man in a black suit with the same insignia holding Lizzie by the tail.

"This Charmander's got spunk," the Charmander's captor remarks as she thrashes and squirms about, trying to get free. "We'll bag it. Brat's got any others on them?"

"I think so," the second man replies. "Alright kid, here's how this is gonna go; I'm gonna let you go, you're gonna hand over all the Pokemon 'n cash you got on ya, and no one gets hurt. Capiche?"

Goldie quickly nods, and the thug pushes them forward. They quickly un-clip all three of the remaining Pokeballs on their belt, and release the rest of their team onto the cave floor- all besides Gilly.

The thugs eye over the Mankey and Pikachu, before the one holding Lizzie captive glares the young trainer down with scrutiny. "What's in the Lure Ball?"

"M-Magikarp," Goldie squeaks out, voice trembling.

"Seriously? Bah, you can keep that piece o' trash. We'll be takin' the other two, though, if you don't mind."

"And even if you do, nothin' you can do about it!" The lackey behind Goldie snickers, and they tense up as he shoves past them.

"Man, we shoulda just done this from the start instead o' digging around for some damn rocks like the captain told us to."

"Yeah! Honestly, the boss oughta fire him and make one o' us cap-"

"GRRRROOOOOOORRR..."

The two grunts stiffened, slowly drawing their eyes over to Goldie- or more accurately, something behind them. Goldie turns, only to become petrified themself at the sight of a massive Nidoking looming over them. That isn't all, though- you quickly notice it's accompanied by a trainer. A lean-looking young man, with medium-length violet hair and a narrow pair of eyes that match. He wears a white suit over a black turtleneck, with the same R design over his chest as the other two.

"What..." he pauses, his voice low and menacing as his gaze flicks from Goldie to the pair of attackers. "...are you two imbeciles doing?"

"I-I- we- um-" The only holding Lizzie fumbles awkwardly over his words. "H-hey, captain, we were just talkin' about you!"

"So I heard."

Both thugs shrink back, exchanging a nervous glance as the second one swallows a lump in his throat. "We- we was just uh- we were just jokin' around! Honest! N-Nobody could replace you as captain, Donte!"

"That's not what I'm concerned about," this "Donte" character answers calmly. "What I'm wondering is why you two are over here fooling around with some kid like a pair of lowly schoolyard bullies, instead of carrying out the job I assigned you to."

"U-Um- well-" The grunt nods over at the Charmander dangling from his teammate's hand. "We er, found this twerp lurkin' around, lookin' like they were gonna get up in our business here! S-So we acted accordingly, sir. A-and we thought why not nab their Pokemon while we're at it? Could be a good present for the boss!"

The purple-haired man stares them down for a long time, then sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. "I explicitly told you two we've come here for fossils. Nothing else. Especially not some newbie trainer's low level, worthless Pokemon."

"W-we- we-" The grunts try to stammer out anything to say, but eventually, hang their heads in shame and defeat. "R-right. Sorry Donte."

"That's captain to you." "S-sorry, captain, sir!" The captain's eyes fix on Goldie once more, and they visibly shrink under his glare. But, they don't linger there for long, before he's back to bossing the two underlings around. "Release the Pokemon and get a move on. Don't let me catch either of you screwing around again. Next time I see you, you've both better have dug up some fossils." "Yes, sir!" The two lackeys straighten up, dropping Lizzie back onto the ground before hurrying off down the corridor and vanishing from view. Lizzie runs up to her trainer, quickly hugging onto their leg and whimpering. Goldie crouches down, giving the Charmander a soothing scratch atop her head. You hear footsteps, and they turn their head up to see the man from before standing beside them as he returns his Nidoking to its ball. He's silent for a moment, and you can tell Goldie is considering just getting back up and walking away. But, before they do, he finally speaks up. "Are you hurt?"

Goldie simply stares at him for a long while. His brow creases a bit in annoyance.

"Answer the question, kid." "N-No," Goldie squeaks out. "Hm." He hums, and looks away. You swear you see his face visibly relax. "Good." He takes a few steps forward, seeming like he's about to take his leave. "For future reference, you ought to stay out of Team Rocket's affairs. I have some... colleagues, who would have gladly endorsed the behavior my subordinates displayed just now. Probably even partake in it themselves." He looks back, and you can't help but notice his eyes seem drawn to their scarf in particular. As if he seems to recognize it. "...You're a new trainer, yes?" "...Yeah." "Hm... I'm assuming you're looking for the next gym. Take a left turn up ahead and keep going straight until you reach the cave exit. That'll get you to Cerulean City." Without another word, he walks away. All of Goldie's Pokemon rush to surround them, Cheese climbing up onto their shoulder and Peanut dangling from their arm. The video ends as they all watch the mysterious man disappear from sight.] ---

[feralghxuls]

Mushy May Day 3 - Pre/Post Show Rituals

Rating: Mature

Pairing: Mountain/Ifrit

Tags: Fluff, Comfort, Implied sexual content, Ghoul magic, Era III

Word Count: 962

mushy may prompt list put together by @forlorn-crows !!

Ifrit’s not exactly sure when Mountain became his go-to ghoul before rituals, but at some point he’d started to feel weird if he wasn’t searching for him in the dressing rooms and cramped maze of backstage, stepping over tangled coils of wires in the dark while the muted buzz of the opening band reverberates lowly through the walls. Tonight, he finds him in the last dressing room, leaning in close to the mirror to dab grease paint around his eyes, the tip of his tail flicking behind him in his concentration. Ifrit shuts the door quietly behind him, twisting the knob to help the latch slide home near-silently, and the distant sound of the band fades even more. He steps across the small room, his shoes clicking and creaking softly on the shitty, cracked linoleum tiles; he reaches up to pull his mask free in the space of the few steps it takes him to reach Mountain. He flicks an ear towards Ifrit, acknowledging his presence and keeping his gaze focused on his reflection. 

Read the rest on Ao3 or under the cut!

Mountain's quiet. Steady. Maybe that's why Ifrit is drawn to him, especially in these last few moments before they go onstage. He drops his mask onto the dresser and presses himself gently against Mountain's back, arms winding slowly around his middle until he can link his own fingers together. Ifrit draws in a long breath, bringing the scent of freshly tilled soil and sun-baked trees into his lungs. He exhales when Mountain does, matching their breathing. He could never do this with Dew or Aether before a show; their idea of pre-performance rituals is more along the lines of shotgunning shitty beer and challenging each other to see who can play Mary Had A Little Lamb faster. He knows Dew takes his quiet moment roughly thirty seconds before they spill onto the stage, when he stands poised, staring at the curtain with his hands quiet on his bass, head tipped back. He stays like that until their cue, when he'll slowly level his chin and exhale all the air in his lungs in a slow deflation just before he lights up with energy and strides out onto the stage. Aether meditates on the bus on the way over; while the rest of them are still rambunctious, he sits quietly near the front of the bus and watches the driver's hands on the steering wheel, entirely still despite the rock and sway of the vehicle. 

Zephyr keeps to himself, fingers playing patterns against his knees as he sits apart from the rest of them, occasionally chiming into whatever they're chattering about. Sometimes he'll let Ifrit sit beside him and watch him play out his solos, but usually Ifrit's still caught up in the rapidfire conversation with Dew and the anticipatory buzz that fills his veins. Mountain doesn't quite match their level, but he gets close sometimes. You have to watch for it, listen to the volume of his laughter and catch the angle of his grin; it's not obvious, but Ifrit's learned his tells. As soon as they get to the venue, he does his part unloading and slinks off without a word. What he does between that moment and when Ifrit makes his way to him halfway through the opener's set, he has no idea. 

Now, though, he's finished with his paint and straightened up, leaning back against Ifrit, palms warm where they settle over his wrists snug against his belly. He doesn't say anything, and that's what Ifrit likes about him in these moments. He presses his ear to Mountain's back, listening to the steady beat of his heart and the soft purr that rumbles in his chest. Sometimes, when Mountain's scent holds warm, salted undertones, Ifrit will dip his hand into his pants, work him over slowly and steadily and listen to how his breathing goes heavier, how it catches in his throat when he gets close, feel how he shudders and trembles against him when he comes. Those nights, Ifrit knows that Mountain will seek Dew out after the show, that he'll get Zephyr all to himself. It's a toss-up as to where Aether goes to work off the energy of the show, the crowd's spirit and vitality absorbed over the course of the ritual. Sometimes Aether disappears on his own, and occasionally he'll drag Terzo into a dressing room, but more often than not he attaches himself to a pair. 

Tonight isn't one of those nights. Mountain's scent is fresh and quiet, settling over Ifrit and quieting the nerves that never quite go away, no matter how many times he's stepped on that stage by now. He closes his eyes, imagining that they're back at the abbey, that instead of in a dressing room they're standing in the forest with the trees whispering around them and the moon looking down on them from its place in the sky. A sense of calm washes over him, comfortable and grounding, tying him to the earth. He's never quite sure how much of it is Mountain and how much of it is him, but Ifrit finds that it doesn't much matter. 

They stay like that until a stagehand knocks firmly at the door. Time to go. 

Ifrit draws back, turning Mountain in his arms and stretching up to press a soft, chaste kiss to his lips, relishing in the quiet smile he receives. He lingers for a moment, long enough that Mountain reaches beside him for their masks, picking them up one at a time. He settles Ifrit's over his face first, gaze quiet and focused, and then his own.

Ifrit steps forward to wrap his arms around Mountain and press himself against his chest, one more moment of quiet before they have to break the spell.

[tookishrogue]

ready now

a/n: for @toadstool-amongst-the-tulips! sorry this took so long! I hope you like it!!

pairing: none!

warnings: very brief mention of alcohol; implied depression

taglist: @blueberryrock, @to-be-frank-i-dont-care, @zalie, @scyllas-revenge, @justmemyselfandthefridge, @heckin-music-dork, @frodo-with-glasses!

Y/N wrinkled her brow and idly picked at a blade of grass, peeling sections of it apart and twisting the pieces together. After several minutes of this, she leaned against the trunk of the tree she'd been sitting under, the rough bark scraping against her back through her cotton dress. Even the grass seemed dull; spring hadn't quite taken hold of the terrain yet. Various shades of brown and gray painted the scene, a small handful of red buds on the trees providing the only source of bright, hopeful color; a whisper of spring in a barren, winter-worn world.

A soft, gentle voice broke the silence. “Y/N? You were saying?”

“Oh, sorry. I, er, don't remember.”

The russet-haired halfling shifted, turning to face his companion. Dark circles had taken up residence under her eyes; her bright smile had all but disappeared. “Is it bad again?”

“What?”

“Sorry for mentioning it, but you seem…gloomy. Is there anything I can do?” Worry crept into Pippin’s voice, his eyes fixed on her.

“Not really. Just one of those days, I guess.”

Pippin nodded and fell silent. The pair watched as the bare branches of dozens of trees swayed in the tepid spring wind. Silver clouds blanketed the sky, begrudgingly revealing only small patches of white sky. A songbird chirped in the distance, a short melody cutting the silence. Yellow and brown created an odd quilt-like pattern in the grass, only small portions brandishing a shining green hue. Y/N tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and withdrew into her shawl in an attempt to shut out both the cold and the heavy mental fog she was experiencing. Pippin glanced over at her, his brows knitting together in worry. He leaned back again and rested his head against the tree, deep in thought.

After a moment, he stood and held out his hand. “Come on, I have an idea.”

Y/N raised an eyebrow and took it. He grinned and helped her up, excitedly rambling in his best Gollum impression in an odd attempt to cheer her up. The two walked back to her home, where he told her to change into her favorite, most comfortable outfit. As soon as she shut the door, he sprinted away, presumably to his own home. A short while passed and he returned, practically vibrating with glee. His telltale crooked grin and shining eyes told Y/N all she needed to know: the Took had something big planned.

The two walked wordlessly for a few minutes before Meriadoc Brandybuck turned up, nodding to each of them. Samwise Gamgee, who had been anxiously watching the trio from his garden up the road, abruptly set down the trowel and tulip bulbs he had been planting. Scrambling through his open gate, he adjusted his jacket and walked beside Y/N, mumbling a quick greeting as he matched her gait. After a few more moments, Frodo Baggins slipped into the group, offering her a soft smile and a knowing look. In all her years, Y/N had never seen the group so quiet. It was highly suspicious.

As they arrived at The Green Dragon, Merry and Pippin each grabbed a door and flung it open. The inn was totally empty.

“Pip, I --”

“Just wait, trust me!”

Y/N raised an eyebrow and walked in, skeptical, the group snickering as she looked around. Dozens of curly-haired hobbits suddenly jumped up from their hidden places behind or under furniture, cheering. A small band burst into song, playing her favorite drinking song. The once-silent bar was now filled with the deafening roars of rowdy, half-drunk hobbits. Merry and Sam had already made for the bar to order drinks while Frodo snagged a table in the center of the room. Pippin remained by her side, a triumphant grin lighting up his face.

“They're all here for you. I invited everyone in the Shire! I wanted to show you how much you mean to everyone. No one here came for the drinks, though it may seem like it. They're here because of you. Because they care about you.”

As she studied the room, the faces of the halflings began to blur and melt; each movement seemed distorted and slow, their voices unbearably loud. Her hands began to shake as tears flooded her eyes. She greatly appreciated the effort Pippin had put into this, but doubt and an odd feeling of guilt were eating away at her. He had done so much for her; he'd dropped everything to do something he knew would cheer her up. All of her dearest friends were here, but she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. Surely most, if not all of the guests felt obligated to come. They'd put a halt to their plans to take their place as bodies in a room, to begrudgingly become a wall of support for one person.

“Y/N? I'm sorry, are you okay? Here, let's get some fresh air--” Pippin stammered, placing a steadying hand on her back and gently leading her to the bench outside. “Here, it's cold. Put this on.” He added, slipping off his coat and wrapping it around her shoulders.

“I'm sorry,” she whispered, frozen in her seat. “You can go on in, I think I just need a minute. Thank you for doing this.”

Pippin rested his arm on the back of the bench and nodded. “I meant what I said, by the way. Everyone here really cares about you. They didn't just show up out of obligation, either.” He chuckled as she gave him an alarmed look. “I know you. I knew you'd be thinking it. Be kind to yourself; for my sake, if it helps.” He nodded to the patch of daffodils under a nearby tree. “Those see your favorites, right?”

“Yes, actually. How did you know?”

“Because I know you.”

Y/N smiled. It had only been a few minutes, but this quiet moment with her dearest friend had calmed her nerves and racing thoughts. She glanced over at him, gratefulness and hope flooding her heart. “Thank you.”

He smiled back, warmth shimmering in his eyes. “Anytime.”

[mxsinizter]

Take Me Away Like A Dandelion Seed

*Hands over Mountain/Cumulus fluff*

Mountain just wants to hang out with one of his girls and appreciate her! (He makes her a cute little gift 🥰)

WC: 1,413

"Psst."

Cumulus turned in surprise, not having realized there was a ghoul at her door. The dim light from her desk caused a small glow on the lenses of the ghoul's helmet, contrasting their dark outfit. Based on the figure and scent, she quickly realized who it was.

"Mountain? You can come in."

He approached her where she sat at her vanity, jewelry box open and accessories neatly scattered across the desk. Cumulus watched him curiously as he reached out for a particular earring, holding it up to one of her lamps.

"This is cute, where'd you get it?" The amusement was clear in his voice and Cumulus giggled when she realized which set he was referring to.

"Hmm, pretty sure one of my best friends made me those, actually." Her smile was wide as her voice feigned ignorance, going along with Mountain's little play.

"Wow, sounds like a magnificent lad." Mountain smirked down at her as his thumb and index caressed her chin.

"Meh, he's alright I guess." Cumulus' shoulders lightly shook as she tried to hide her laughter. Mountain scoffed in return as he carefully laid the earrings next to its companion.

His hands moved to his pocket where he retrieved a small plastic bag, holding it up with two fingers in front of the ghoulette. "Well, now he's thinking twice about giving you these." Although hidden from Cumulus, his face sported a blush and a pride filled look.

Cumulus gasped enthusiastically as she realized what was in the small bag. It held a pair of earrings, wire containing dangling shiny rocks. She took the baggie from his grasp, opened it and carefully extracted both pieces of jewelry.

Mountain chuckled as he leaned against the desk, lightly sitting on it as he watched her. She inspected the earrings, running her fingers along the intricate pattern of the wire. Both rocks were a mixture of blue and white but one was roughly in the shape of a heart while the other resembled a crescent moon.

"Mountain, these are gorgeous! Are they really for me?" Cumulus looked up at the tall ghoul, her eyes shimmering with a child-like awe. Mountain leaned forward, placing both hands on either side of her face, thumbs caressing her cheeks.

"Of course they are. From the moment I found this one," he gestured with his chin to her hand holding the heart shaped rock against her chest, "I intended to make these for you."

Cumulus couldn't help the way her eyes teared up at that. Mountain laughed at the cute and greatful expression on her face. He hunched over to place a soft kiss on forehead, careful that his helmet didn't knock roughly into her horns. "Wanna try them on? I cleaned them not too long ago so they're ready to wear."

Cumulus nodded eagerly, holding the earrings for Mountain to take and tilted her head so her ear was exposed to him. He took them both as he pushed her hair to the side and slide the earring in place, repeating the same on the other side.

Gently shaking her head, Cumulus tried to get the feel of the jewelry; they were comfortably heavy and cool against her skin. She faced her vanity, turning her head to take in the jewelry framing her face. They matched her natural look very well, the white specks on the rocks mirroring her freckles.

Mountain leaned to the side, his head tilted above her as he observed her reflection. "You look as stunning as ever, 'Lus." His voice was soft, but filled the otherwise silent room. She stared at herself for a few more seconds before meeting Mountain's eyes past his lenses through his reflection in the mirror.

Her face was relaxed and joyful as she spoke, "Thank you, Mounty. I really, really love them." She turned in her seat to really look at him and grabbed a hold of his hand to kiss his palm.

"I'm glad, my love. I uh, I also came to ask if you wanted to go on a walk under the stars with me?" Mountain looked at Cumulus with a hopeful expression that morphed into amusement due to the way her earrings swung as she nodded.

"Yeah! I can definitely go for a walk with you - just let me get dressed!" Cumulus scrambled up from her seat and gave Mountain a quick hug before rushing around her room. As she slipped on warm clothes and shoes, he walked over to her helmet and readied it for her.

"There we go! All set." Meeting at the doorway, he helped her slide the helmet over her head, careful to not pull her curls or the earrings. Slipping her small hand into his, the two quietly made their way out the building hand in hand.

- - - - -

There was a peaceful hum coming from Cumulus as they walked. Mountain's fingers thrummed against her soft hand. It didn't take long to reach the nearest door to head outside. Mountain pushed the door open for Cumulus to exit before him, following closely behind. She grinned ecstatically as the cool air hit her skin and rushed ahead pulling a stumbling Mountain along with her.

"Race you to the gazebo?" Mountain's eyebrow upturned as he glanced down at her before looking over at the nearby structure.

"You get five seconds." Cumulus laughed and dashed off, counting down in her head. When she reached five, she sprinted, hopeful when the structure was only a few feet away. Of course, it wasn't quick enough to beat his fast long legs. Suddenly Mountain was at her side, sending her off track. They went tumbling down, Mountain making sure he'd cushion her fall.

The two burst out in laughter as they rolled, struggling to sit up from their position on the damp grass. Eventually catching their breaths, they sat and exchanged grins. Mountain carefully pulled his helmet off and shook off his hair, Cumulus following suit. He let himself fall back, long limbs sprawled across the grass.

Cumulus looked around and picked a dandelion from her other side and turned to Mountain with a teasing smirk, "it looks like you!"

He rolled his eyes playfully and grabbed her forearm, pulling himself up to lean in close to her ear. "You blow me away." Cumulus giggled and blew the dandelion seeds at his face, causing the earth ghoul to sputter when they tickled his face.

Cumulus bit her lip, deciding not to mention the few that stuck to his hair; it was a very cute look on him. His features soft and relaxed made Cumulus feel warm and a small wind swirl surrounding them picked up pieces of the earth as her heart soared.

Mountain broke the stare first as he bumped his forehead to hers, careful with their horns. He rubbed his nose against hers as a hand toyed with the moon shaped earring. His eyes roamed her face in the slightly awkward position which made Cumulus laugh when his eyes went cross-eyed.

"Such a beautiful sight tonight." Cumulus instantly flushed as she lightheartedly pushed him away and looked up towards the stars.

"You haven't even looked up yet since we got outside."

"I don't need to. I have all the beauty I need right in front of me." His hands settled on her thighs with slight comforting movements.

"Dammit Mounty, stop being so effortlessly amazing. Give the rest of us a chance," she joked, looking down at their helmets while a hand tugged on an earring.

"I only dare speak the truth, my sweet amaryllis." Cumulus let her head fall against Mountain's bicep and hugged his arm, a dramatic sigh escaping her.

"I love you, Mountain."

"And I love you, Cumulus. Endlessly." She preened at his words, soaking up the love and glanced up. She took in the sight of the stars glimmering behind Mountain, who's dark eyes never left her. What a sight to behold.

"Thank you, Mountain. You've made my night infinitely better." She placed a hand over his heart, feeling the rise and fall of his chest.

"We can stay until the sun comes up? If you'd like?" Cumulus gazed at him lovingly and grabbed a hold of his face to bring Mountain closer to her eye level.

"I'd love that, darling." A loose, goofy smile found its way onto his face as he cupped her chin. Their lips met as did earth and wind when the night breeze set dandelion seeds free.

[ninjadeathblade]

Moulin Rouge Discotrain AU (part thirty nine)

Summary: Now that they're together, Conductor and Grooves are slowly settling in with their love for one another. Both have strong feelings for one another but don't always know how to express it.

Beginning | Previous | Next

Word count: 799

Warnings: None

Author's notes: So, apologies for the absence from this AU. I was busy writing Empress' backstory which will at least explain a little of stuff that will be coming up soon. But I got a couple more ideas for what to do with the main AU so I'm here. Enjoy!

Weeks passed until it was suddenly February.

Conductor and Grooves were going over the final couple of things for the movie, making sure that the costumes were right, staging was correct, lighting wasn't too bright.

Grooves looked up as Conductor modelled another dress.

The owl was wearing a white bodice with fluffy tails coming out the waistline and behind him, small spots of silver sparkling across the outfit. A pair of shiny heels that came up to his knees matched the glistening parts of the outfit.

“What do you think o’ this one?” Conductor asked, doing a little spin.

Grooves smiled. “I think you look beautiful.”

Empres sighed from where she was standing at the side of the room. “You've said that for every outfit.”

The cat walked forward, crouching down and looking at how far back the fluffy tails went back. “These need to be shorter or you'll trip over during the choreography. Owlice!”

The young owl walked over with a tape measure at the call of her name. “Got it. If we trim off a few centimetres then…”

The owl trailed off as the room grew darker, filling with shadows.

Grooves reached out for Conductor, pulling the owl closer to him.

All of them watched as the room turned pitch black.

Conductor's feathers grew hot and Grooves couldn't help but stare as three pairs of glowing pink eyes opened on his face, feathers shining like when he took off his bracelet.

"Con…”

“Hmm?” His lover looked at him, a strange look crossing his face. “You're new.”

The pink irises enlargened before shrinking back to their regular size.

“A new mate? How peculiar. This one already has had an offspring. And you aren't compatible for replication.” Grooves panicked as the owl eyed him curiously. “Why are you two together?” His eyes changed size again. “He holds strong affections for you. Rather strange, seeing as he apparently hated you before. Tell me, what prompted this change?”

“Can anyone see anything?” Owlice interrupted.

Grooves could just make out the others with the faint light radiating from Conductor’s body.

Empress let out a low growl. “Grooves, step away from it. Slowly.”

Conductor's head swivelled to look at her. “Ah. The depressed furred one. It has been decades since your presence was in this host's life, what is your reappearance for?”

Empress reached out with one paw, tugging Grooves away roughly. “What do you want?”

“What is happening?” Grooves inquired.

Conductor shrugged. “What is happening, new mate of this host, is that this host must have felt rather threatened so allowed me to take over in order to protect you.”

“So you aren't Conductor?” Owlice whispered.

“Of course not, foolish one who is anxious,” it replied. “No. However, these shadows are not of my doing.”

A booming voice sounded. “Damn right they aren't! They're mine! I came to pick Em up from work!”

Empress' iron grip on Grooves' shoulder loosened and she looked around. “Snatch?”

A deep rumbling laughter bounced around the room. “Yes! Now, if you'll excuse my intrusion, I do need to borrow her quickly. So, you can let go of Grooves. And try to relax, like you're falling into water.”

“What does that-”

The cat behind Grooves was there one moment and gone the next, seemingly sucked into the floor.

It went silent for a beat before Owlice let out a wail. “Oh my god she's dead!”

“She isn't dead, mortal. Just taken by the creature of shadows and bargains through his void to the birthplace of many of my hosts,” the thing controlling Conductor’s body explained.

“Can I have my partner back now?” Grooves asked shakily.

The creature eyed him warily before shrugging. “I suppose. The danger seems to be receding and his emotions for you are rather strong. He seems to want to be with you again. I shall depart for now but I will return if you are put in danger again.”

Conductor's feathers stopped glowing and his eyes closed, leaving the owl to stand in the darkness. “What's happenin’?”

“You don't remember?!” Owlice squeaked as the shadows around them began to recede.

“No? Why, did somethin' happen?”

Grooves slapped a flipper over Owlice’s beak before the owl could say anything. “Not really, diamond. You just blacked out for a spell.”

Conductor nodded before sitting down on the sofa where Grooves had been. “I'm gonna take a nap.”

“Alright.” Grooves tugged Owlice to the other side of the room before whispering to her. “Listen here, we are going to keep this under wraps for now. I don't know what the peck that was but it wasn't good. So, please, don't say to anyone about this.”

Owlice nodded and looked around. “Just so long as that sort of thing doesn't happen again.”

“Yeah, let's hope it doesn't.”

[thewritersaddictions]

Request: The Adults: Eddie Munson- Blessing

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Chrissy Cunningham

Pov: Chrissy Cunningham

Warnings: Sleepless nights; Eddie!Daddy Mode; fluff; in love with each other; little family vibes; cuteness; babies first words; inner fears; talking.

Summary: A cute midnight moment between father and daughter.

A/n- firefly-graphics for dividers

WC- 1.2k

Requests Master List // Stranger Things Master List // The Adults Master List // Chronicles of Eddie M. & Chrissy C. Master List

The cries are somthing that more books don't prepare you for. The crying never stops until your kids starts to grow up. Needing you less and less until once day they're grown up and leaving for college. Though Eddie and I are far from sending Charlotte off to college rather we just started this journey.

tired it putting it gently. My body aches, and as much as I want to ignore the somber moans coming from the baby moniter I just can't. I hadn't thought that the baby moniter was that loud, but when I shifted to leave the bed a large hand was wrapped around my elbow. "You need beauty rest my love. I will get her." Eddie murmurs, sleep still on his eyes. He pulls the sheets back, and I watch as his boxer butt walks from the bed to the doorway and off to Charlottes room.

I can't rest. My eyes shut sure, but sleep doesn't come. The worried mom part of my brain won't shut up. I just need to check, and it's not that I don't trust Eddie with Charlotte. I just can't help myself. I throw the covers off my body. I can the quiet mumbles of talking as I push up from the bed pushing through the doorway.

I walk down the hallway. a slight sway in my hips as I wrap the belt around my waist and tie it into a knot. When I get out of the darkness of the hallway. The lights in the living are streaming throughout the house. I look over to the kitchen stove. It's nearly three in the morning.

When I look back over to the living room. There's Eddie with Charlotte on his lap. His hand tucked under her armpits holding her upright. Eddie doesn't look up right away, so I make my way toward the couch. Taking a seat next to both of them. "I told you not to come out here," Eddie says quietly while he continues to look at our daughter. She's a spitting image of him. Black hair that has only grown longer than when she was born, brown eyes that beam with excitement almost every morning, evening, and night.

Charlotte is babbling mostly to herself. She hasn't said her first word yet. I push away the stinging feeling in my chest that something might be wrong. I had read a lot of parenting books, and tried to learn all you can before a baby comes into your life. These books that now sit on the books shelves never say anything about the first words.

"You're such a pretty girl," Eddie says softly to our daughter. She smiles a goody one-sided smile. A few teeth sit on the top row of your gums, but nothing yet comes in on the bottom. "A silly pretty little girl." I say to her grabbing the fat on her thighs. She giggles, watching as the two of us make an effort to make her laugh.

The sounds of all of our giggles surround the living room space. Lightening up all of the dark spaces around us.

It’s clear as day, or I guess it’s clear as night considering the time when the words come out of her mouth. She looks between the two of us, eyes with excitement and wonder. “Mama, Papa.” She says. It’s so clear that neither one of us catch the words at first. Until I watch Eddie’s eyes go wide. “Wait what…” The words are rushed out of his mouth as he looks over at me, then looks back at Charlotte.

“Char, can you say that again?” Eddie asks her. There’s a dubious look on her face in a matter of seconds. As if she knows that her father and I want to desperately hear her say the words just once more. She shrugs, and her facial expression matches Eddie in every single sense. Eddie groans in frustration, and just how much his daughter is not only a spitting image of him but dare I say even has the same feisty attitude Eddie has.

“Oh please for Papa!” Eddie pleads with his one year daughter. I watch as the interaction only gets funnier by the second. Charlotte is making at her father, and Eddie only encourages the actions by giving her faces of his own. “Please Char, if not for me then for Mama.” Eddie says pointing towards me on the couch. I smile sweetly at the both of them as they take a good look at me. “Yeah for Mama.” I repeat Eddie’s words. I see her sign a little like she’s done with this shit already.

“Mama, papa.” Charlotte repeats her last set of words. Looking at us, my cheeks burn from the long smile that has taken root on my cheeks. My eyes burn from the tears that have yet to fall. “Good job sweet girl.” Charlotte yawns as Eddie wraps her up in his arms. He get’s up reaching out a hand for me to grab. With Eddie’s help, we walk hand in hand to Charlottes bedroom. On the walk charlotte is lulled back to sleep, so when we make it to her room the little night lamp gets turned on.

Eddie’s hand drops from mine as she maneuvers to get a better, safer grip on Charlottes heavy body. Her mouth is gapped open just a little bit, eyes closed tight. Eddie moves her down and into the crib. Resting her head gently on the small pillow. Placing the stuffy in her clammy small hands. Drawing the blanket over her small frame. Charlotte snuggles up tot he blanket and stuffy automatically.

Eddie shuts off the night light, but leaves the little plugged in outlet on. A unicorn that’s lit with a rainbow, and a white light. He grabs my waist as I rest against the doorframe. “What are you thinking about Chris?” Eddie asks me. I look at the crib, our sleeping daughter cuddled up to her things, and all to the effort of Eddie. The tears fall. Eddie wipes them away, “Come on Chris let’s go to bed and you can tell me as we walk to the bedroom.” Eddie says releasing my waist, and grabbing my hand to drag me towards the darkly lite bedroom.

“You… I was thinking about you Eds.” I whisper into the darkness. Eddie hums in the darkness. “I was just thinking that if I hadn’t come to you when I did. That we… we never would have this family. We’d never have Charlotte.” I say a underlining tone of sadness leaks into the words. “Oh baby.” Eddie goes to say, “You two are the most important things to me. You don’t know how great full I am that you and her are apart of my life.” I say, swallowing down the tears and fears that bubble up in my chest.

I can feel Eddie’s smile as I shift in the bed, throwing the robe off into the chair besides the bed. The bed dips as Eddie grabs me pulling me towards him. I slide easily on the sheets, My head rests on his chest. “Chrissy baby. I know that some things were as conventional as some people would have liked for them to be, but I know that I’m overfilled with joy that I got you in my bed every night. And now it’s even better because you gave me the second brightest light in my life.” Eddie mumbles into my hair as he draws random shapes into my skin on my back.

Completed on: 07/23/23

Posted on: 7/25/23

COEC- @borhapgirlforlife19

[alara-kahya]

Giving him a squeeze in response to his I'd like that comment, she doesn't verbally push it. If he wanted to talk about her now, he would. It was enough that he left the door open, so that when he felt like the moment was safe & right to do so, she had faith that he would. Her eyes soften when he continues to say he wants to tell her more about himself. It felt obvious that she wanted that too, so what she realized was that actually, maybe it was doing that, that scared him. "Can I ask you, is that something you're worried about?" Alara was never one to shy away from her thoughts, this one felt important to address and understand. "What you were saying earlier... about your life with the club, I wonder if maybe it was more than that? Are you worried that you'll tell me something ugly and it will make me not want to be with you?" Looking up at him, she shrugs a shoulder, giving another reassuring squeeze. "Dark times fall on all of us, that's not something I'd ever hold against anyone. I want you to feel like you can talk to me, because you can... But in your own time, too? When you feel comfortable." Rubbing his arm, she wants him to know that there's no time limit here, nothing forcing him to share things he's not ready to share.

"It's only spoilers if you're watching it." Alara chuckled, though, as if the penny in the air dropped to the ground, gasps. "Oh my god, are you watching it?" A dimpled grin, an involuntary, excited squeal, she can't help but giggle. "You are, aren't you? Yes, love that. Feels like a win for me because at some point, you're going to see me and Kian in matching Tardis onesies and I need you to understand that they're cool, and not at all dorky." Still with a grin on her face, even though her cheeks began to hurt she just couldn't wipe it away. "The highest. I've just enjoyed talking to you, you know?" Shrugging softly, she had to say that was her favorite part of the night. The way they just seemed to bounce off each other at the restaurant, laugh, share, it was nice to feel so connected to someone.

"Oh, like, so many..." Her mischief faltered when she peered back into his blue eyes. Now, she finally understood what people meant when they said just a look could steal breath because god damn, she was staring into the eyes of a man who was absolutely breathtaking. "Could you be overestimating my patience?" She whispers, trying to counter his playfulness with a force of her own but really, the way he was looking at her with dark, daring eyes only made her want to swoon. "Maybe," she pouts slightly, obviously not completely agreeing that it would make it better. Though, that was only because she didn't favor the idea of having to wait. "You're teasing me..." She points out in a sulky tone, paired with a glimmer in her eyes and a smirk on her lips. Alara slides her hands up under his shirt, her nails grazing up his spine as she hums thoughtfully. "Just one? Okay..." Stepping up to return the kiss he gave her, she lingers against his lips. "Because tonight, all I want..." Another kiss, "Is to make you see the same stars that are out here." And a final kiss, before stepping back down off her toes with a light sigh. "But you can wait, if that's what you want. I can show them to myself, whether you're there or not, It would be a shame for you to miss out, don't you think?" Alara looks up at him with hooded eyes, the filthy undertone more than obvious, especially with the tone of voice she used to say it.

Looking in her direction he can't quite help the subtle hints of surprise he did feel for her wanting to hear more about his mom, it was something that made him realise that actually he wanted to be open with her. Nate wasn't necessarily used to letting people in and yet with Alara it just felt welcoming. "I'd like that." He just didn't know where or how to start, especially with the band of sadness that wrapped around the majority of the memories he had of his mother. In the back of his mind right now wasn't exactly the right place to dive into that, though perhaps that was linked to a fear of his that she'd learn more and just think he was damaged goods. Equally, he knew he wanted to try and push past that, so... "I know there's a lot you don't know about me and I'd like to change that, too." There was no shaking his thought of and see if you'd still stay, because it didn't matter what was said between them out loud as his mind was still a place that chose to ruin him. Regardless of how happy he did feel beside her.

"Thanks for the spoiler... I guess," his tone held a small hint of sarcasm as he quirked a teasing brow. He had actually started watching the show she was talking about - not that he had gotten far, but he had all intentions of continuously watching more. Nate just wasn't the binge watching type, not that his lifestyle even allowed for him to sit in front of the tv for hours on end. It was a slow process, just like the grin he could feel forming upon seeing her own. It was almost as if he could see that he didn't need to ask her if she wanted to go on another date, because he could see she wanted to. The little bounce on her feet she did only had a chuckle get caught in the back of his throat; it was cute. "High praise, huh? I'll take that." He smirks, knowing he probably sounded overly confident there and yet he didn't care. Every part of him, however, was glad she had a good time. That was what he wanted, anyway.

Chuckling he wrapped his arm around her waist as she huddled more into him, "Oh?" Brow quirking he twists himself so he was facing her now. "Numerous reasons?" He repeated, blue eyes getting lost in her brown - something that seemed to happen quite often whenever he locked onto them. "Don't ya think you'd be able to wait?" His tone was low, a darkened glint to his own eyes, "Isn't that what makes it better?" He was teasing her at this point, it was easy enough to do and he liked it. "Tell me a reason..." he leaned closer to place a brief kiss to her lips, "Change my mind." A light smirk plays on his features, knowing that he was intentionally trying to work her up. The chance was there, right? He might as well take it.