#they were both life-or-death one or the other scenarios though
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oleandequill · 22 hours ago
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You know, it drives me crazy to know that technically there’s two (at least in terms of prominence cause I think there’s also a TFA one though it doesn’t seem as talked about) canonical Shattered Glass continuities: the one made by FunPub and the IDW reboot.
Cause the thing is, those two comics have vastly different Megatrons and Optimus Primes.
Like we have FunPub Megatron who is a mathematician and Optronix who was a librarian that backstabbed his way to the top.
Then we have the IDW versions where Megatron is a miner/civil activist who keeps getting tossed into jail and Orion Pax who is a senator in this version.
And what fascinates me is that in the FunPub version, Optimus actually lives (though he becomes Nova Prime). Meanwhile, in the IDW version, I think he dies (?) or well his fate is much worse in comparison to FunPub!OP.
Also what’s up with both Megatrons having a fakeout death? FunPub!Megatron does get killed by Cyclonus but he comes back as Galvatron. Meanwhile IDW!Megatron gets defeated by OP and is momentarily thought to be dead (he just went into self-exile).
There’s not actually a lot of difference between the two OPs (cause honestly they both seem insane), though I guess one could interpret FunPub!OP as much more depressing cause the only reason he’s evil is cause he saw life as meaningless unless history remembers you and when he becomes Nova Prime, he’s still a little jerk but he’s tamer so I assume that was his original personality. IDW!OP just wants total power and only initially hides behind a nice facade.
The two Megatrons are vastly different though in my opinion. Cause FunPub!Megatron really was just some guy who predicted civil war and was good enough to want to stop it (this Megatron wasn’t affected by the caste system, he just genuinely saw something wrong was happening and chose to do something about it). IDW!Megatron was someone who was affected by the caste system and was trying his best to bring attention to it. FunPub!Megatron is also very nice (like not overly nice but he’s genuinely such a nice guy and this is why he’s my favorite aside from him being a nerd lmao). IDW!Megatron is a bit more jaded (which is fair cause the caste system is horrible and his “friend” is an asshole).
Even the relationship between OP and Megatron are different in both continuities. I’m pretty sure in FunPub these two never interacted before the war, where OP gets pissed that this random mathematician is opposing him. In IDW, OP and Megatron were “friends” with OP even bailing Megatron out of jail, though their “friendship” was already toxic even before the war cause Megatron seemed to really see through OP’s BS.
All this to say, there should really be a crossover between both continuities.
SGFunPub!Megs and SGIDW!OP meeting would be kinda fun and dangerous, especially if they meet each other before the civil war broke out. Megatron wouldn’t know who OP is while OP would see another version of his Megatron who he could possibly trick. Also this has the added bonus of a hilarious scenario where Megatron predicts OP is the cause of the civil war through math and that pisses off OP cause genuinely tf you mean you computed that through math. This one is more dangerous though as OP genuinely wants power and will not be swayed by whatever Megatron says.
SGIDW!Megs and SGFunPub!OP might honestly end up the happier version ngl. Cause OP clearly has an existential crisis that Megatron can probably fix by convincing him that OP can still be remembered in history by doing the right thing… such as being a civil rights activist. Like… I’m just saying maybe FunPub!OP needs therapy (and unlike IDW!OP, he actually gets a canonical redemption arc so he’s not completely lost).
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Anyway, will I write this? Maybe (I really shouldn’t though cause I have a series and two writing requests to finish lmao). Because I am officially employed now and thus have a fixed schedule unlike the previous weeks where my schedule was erratic (which is not good for my OCD as I need a fixed schedule or I will be very upset sksksksk) as I had nothing to do but read, play video games, and exist lmao
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writingpoorly · 2 days ago
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This could go so many fun ways!
Ramble under the cut <3
Dick with Harley? (You could also play off of Joker jr for the angst) peak chaos circus vibes (the joker has disappeared under mysterious circumstances and not even Batman can prove that Dick did anything). Maybe he could be called Jester and do a lot of exposing the upper-class in Gotham. Since Jesters are traditionally the ones that would call out the king etc.
Barbara with Ivy? Killer combo. (I've also written her as a grey hat hacker in one of my fics before, but that feels a little uninspired. Plus in my proposed scenario Joker gets killed early on so even as smart as Babs is, she wouldn't be forced into an admin position, so likely wouldn't be as likely to take one.) One of the Batman cartoons has the two of them be friends before Ivy gets mutated and I love the idea of Babs putting her mega brain toward saving the earth. Pollution would have ended. (I'm also a sucker for DickBabs and HarlIvy and the comedic potential my scenario presents? hilarious.)
Jason with Selina? (Honestly any of the kids could go to her but I like mama's boy Jay I've also seen him go to Ivy, but I don't really see that for him?) he'd be such a good thief pupil. Just scrappy street kid Jason turned international thief Stray that still goes back to the Alley to help the kids as much as he can. He'd be more cynical in this version when e finds out about his birth mom and wouldn't be as trusting so likely no Jay death.
If Tim was a rogue he'd be his own i think. Very unsocialized genius vibes (stalking as a form of affection, gets angry w bruce for any perceived unheroic behavior) Shutter or Timothy Jackson Drake totally honest business man (Chess master?)(naturally he takes over a lot of Penguin's enterprises, or perhaps others in an absolute brutal and sudden takeover). Though I do also like Riddler taking him in and them trying to outsmart each other (it's not really a contest, but Eddie gives Tim more positive attention from a parental figure than he's ever gotten in the rest of his life.) I think Myst, the creator and solver of mysteries could be a cool name for this version.
Stephanie would NOT be Cluemaster's pupil. She became Spoiler for good reason! (maybe goes to Riddler just to be petty) If she's nit a straight up vigilante, ruining the plans of the rogues, I'm not sure she'd be involved in the hero/villain dynamic at all. Maybe she shoes up on one of their doorstops and demands they train/take her in, but she just so independent I think she'd be Spoiler again. Maybe someone else can figure out how to flavor that as not a vigilante. I mean, if she's still stopping the rogues who's to say who's a vigilante and who's an anti-hero?
Cass and Damian (make me very sad) were both raised to be assassins/weapons (albeit differently) so in a universe where the kids don't become vigilantes I think they'd continue on those paths. Maybe Cass gets taken in by Lady Shiva, maybe she never escapes David Cain, maybe Cass kills her birth father (trainer, abuser) and lives the rest of her life as a shadow. In the same vein Damian has a lot of maybes surrounding him. I do think in a world where Bruce doesn't have to temper himself by caring for a kid that he wouldn't necessarily be as kind, which is crazy to think about. Maybe Talia wouldn't feel Damian would be better with his father. Maybe when she feels it's unsafe for Dami in the shadow of his Grandfather she kills her father instead of sending her son away for a (hopefully) safer life. Maybe Damian Grows up as his mother's right hand and eventual enforcer of her will before he takes over or his heir(s) take over their empire.
Duke is interesting in my proposed universe, I've killed off the Joker so Duke's parents would be fine. Maybe his powers wouldn't awaken because he's under less stress? He'd still be charismatic and a magnetic leader, though I think that gets glassed over. Capitalizing simply off of that, maybe he takes over for Sionas one day. In such a way that no one even protests the change. His organization gains a better reputation, though the shadows of it's past are just barely hidden behind Duke's magnetic light.
Jarro never breaks off of Starro :(
I don't know enough about the others to speculate, but feel free to add to this or respectfully tell me why I'm wrong. ^v^
I’m definitely an au where some of the bat kids are villains or anti heroes and raised by various rogues instead of Bruce but I need some ideas
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sewingseraph · 1 year ago
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Tim Drake, watching both King Snake and KGBeast plummet from several hundred feet in the air: “… Gravity counts as natural causes.”
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vanteguccir · 1 month ago
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── ୨୧ ! HER WEAKNESS
matt sturniolo x mafia!reader
SUMMARY: Where Matt's secret relationship with Y/N, the boss of LA's most feared mafia, is revealed to the media in seconds. Now, Matt is in danger, and Y/N isn't afraid of burning the world down to protect him.
WARNING: Use of guns, car racing, blood, injuries, mean!reader ('hate the world but love him' trope), mentions of death, dark romance.
REQUESTED?: No.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: That is MY idea and work, I DON'T authorize any plagiarism, copy, or "inspiration"! | English isn't my first language, so I'm sorry if there's any grammar error.
A/N²: I'm super into this trope of famous!matt x mafia!reader, and I want to write more for it, so feel free to send requests for scenarios inside this universe <3
   ༻✦༺  ༻✧༺ ༻✦༺
Looking back, it was hard for Matt to remember a time when his life wasn’t full with the kind of fear that made him look over his shoulder every five minutes.
It wasn’t the kind of fear born out of paranoia, no, Matt wasn’t paranoid. He was just aware. Aware that being the boyfriend of Y/N Y/L/N, the most notorious name in Los Angeles, came with its own set of risks. Risks that loomed like shadows, thick and suffocating, creeping into every corner of his existence.
Becoming her boyfriend had been as exhilarating as it was terrifying. Y/N wasn’t just anyone. She was the Y/N Y/L/N, the Queen of Los Angeles, a woman whose name was whispered in hushed tones, whose reputation alone was enough to make the strongest men cry. She wasn’t just the boss of a mafia; she was the boss. Every move she made sent quakes through her world, her presence commanding respect and fear in equal measure.
To the rest of the world, she was the devil. But to him? She was something else entirely.
Matt often found himself thinking about the contradictions of their relationship. There was no point in explaining the downsides of being with someone like her; even with the constant threat of danger, the late nights spent waiting for her to come back to him, the uneasy knowledge that she ruled a world where mercy was a foreign concept, all of it came with the territory. And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to regret it.
Because Y/N, for all her sharp edges and lethal reputation, treated him as if he was the one ruling. She hated the world, but she loved him. And not just him, his brothers, too. By extension, Chris and Nick had become part of her orbit, and she cared for them in a way that left Matt awestruck.
She always put him first, ensuring that he never wanted for anything, that he was shielded from the worst of her world even as he stood at its edge.
Her kindness to him came in forms, both small and extravagant. Expensive gifts appeared without occasion - jewelry that gleamed under the light, tailored suits he’d never wear unless dragged to one of her events, a vintage drum he’d only dreamed of owning. Once, she’d surprised him with a trip to Paris, casually booking an entire penthouse suite as though it were nothing. It baffled him sometimes, the lengths she went to just to see him happy.
She treated him like he was the most important person in her world, and maybe he was. He felt it in the way she looked at him, her eyes softening in a way they never did for anyone else. He felt it in the way her hand would linger on his arm, in the whispered words she saved just for him. With her, he wasn’t the Matt Sturniolo, one of the triplets that made worldwide success. He was hers.
Still, there were moments when the weight of her world pressed down on him, moments when the reality of who she was and what she did became impossible to ignore. Her enemies weren’t nameless shadows; they were people with resources and vendettas, people who wouldn’t hesitate to affect her, no matter how.
It was late at night, and Chris was sprawled on the couch, one leg hooked lazily over the armrest, the other propped against the coffee table. The glow of his phone illuminated his face, basking in the steady stream of comments that flooded his Instagram live.
"Yo, what’s up, everybody?" He drawled, the words slithering out while a grin painted his face. "Where’s Matt and Nick?"
He paused, scratching his stubbled jaw.
"Nick’s upstairs, probably editing our next video. And Matt? He’s over there being my personal maid."
The front camera changed its focus abruptly, revealing the kitchen in all its warm, domestic glow. Behind the table, Matt stood hunched over a cutting board, his movements clumsy as he sliced through a pile of vegetables, ready to make simple sandwiches for them.
Without missing a beat, Matt flipped him off, his voice a low, exasperated rumble.
"Chris, shut up."
The live chat erupted with reactions and comments. What Chris didn’t notice - but the viewers certainly did - was the figure walking from Matt's bedroom toward the kitchen - or, more specifically, toward the middle triplet.
Y/N moved silently, her steps deliberate, her presence commanding despite the casual simplicity of her appearance. Black sweatpants clung to her legs, and an oversized shirt - Matt's shirt - draped her frame, covering the gun holster that held her black Glock; an intentional option of indifference, one that she only used when she was at his house. But her eyes betrayed her.
They were sharp, focused entirely on Matt as if he were the center of her universe - only traveling briefly to Ricardo and Lucas, her bodyguards who stood like brick walls at the top of the stairs that lead to the main entrance, watching over them like hawks.
They were always the ones who Y/N chose to follow her when she went to the triplets house, since both of them were the best at treating the brothers as 'normal' as possible, and not like people who were under extreme protection 24/7.
Just as Chris turned the camera back to himself, Y/N reached Matt, her arms encircling his waist in a gesture that spoke volumes. Matt didn’t flinch - he never did when it came to her - but his body softened, the rigid lines of his shoulders easing as a faint smile ghosted across his lips.
It was nice to have her close.
"Hey." He murmured, his voice a private sanctuary meant only for her.
"Hi." She replied, her tone quiet but rich with adoration. Her guard lowered just enough for a hint of vulnerability to escape.
"You okay?" Matt asked, tilting his head slightly, his knife pausing its steady rhythm against the cutting board.
"Always." She answers, ignoring the way her voice showed the weight of a day that had pushed her to her limits. "Missed' you today. So fucking much." She moved her body slightly, searching for more skin to skin contact - no matter their clothes, ignoring the way Matt shivered when her covered gun pressed against his lower back.
"... going to feed me good, obviously." Chris joked from behind them, oblivious to the intimacy unfolding mere feet away.
Matt tuned him out, his focus narrowing to the woman resting against him. Her forehead pressed into his shoulder, and her breathing slowed, each exhale a quiet surrender. In his arms, she allowed herself to just exist, an escape from the chaos of her world.
The fragile peace shattered as a ringtone erupted from the hallway, its shrill insistence cutting through the air like a blade.
Her body tensed immediately, her muscles locking as if bracing for an unseen attack.
"Your phone." Matt whispered, his tone calm but underlined with an edge of concern.
"I don’t want to get it." She muttered, her reluctance heavy.
"It might be important." He pressed gently, his words carrying a logic she couldn’t ignore.
She sighed, frustration and resignation mingling as she withdrew from his warmth. She had already spent the whole day dealing with imbeciles who thought that owing her was a good idea. Her mind was in no right place to deal with more problems.
The absence of his touch felt immediate, a cold void where safety had been moments before. Her fingers brushed lightly against his back as she stepped away, a silent promise that she’d return.
Matt caught her gaze as she moved toward the bedroom, his eyes steady and reassuring, a quiet affirmation that he’d be waiting, always.
The sound of the ringtone grew louder as she neared the door.
The muffled sound of Chris's voice was grounding, but it suddenly turned distant, irrelevant, as her gaze locked onto the glowing device vibrating against Matt’s nightstand.
Raphael.
Her blood chilled at the sight of the name of her right-hand, her fingers flexing instinctively at her sides. Raphael never called unless it was urgent - unlike the idiots who bothered her minute by minute to ask mediocre questions and made her want to pull out her gun and see blood, and in her world, urgent rarely meant anything short of catastrophic.
The moment her fingers wrapped around the phone, she pressed it to her ear, the cool surface grounding her.
"Raphael." She said, her voice clipped and razor-sharp, an edge of control that allowed no room for weakness.
"Y/N." He began, calling her name in the way only he could, his tone level but brimming with tension. "We have a situation."
The words hit her like a punch to the chest, though her expression didn’t waver. Externally, she was unflinching. Internally, a darker part of her coiled, poised to strike. She had navigated countless crises since she was seventeen, each one making her tougher. But no amount of training or experience prepared her for the particular dread that crawled beneath her skin at the word situation.
"What kind of situation?" She demanded, already bracing for impact, her voice an anchor of authority. She hated when they told the bad news but didn't explain it.
Raphael exhaled sharply, closing his eyes tightly behind the call.
"Our tech team flagged something around the internet. There’s a picture of you circulating online. It’s starting to spread."
Her grip on the phone tightened, her knuckles blanching as she steadied her breath.
"Explain." She commanded, though her pulse betrayed her, a frantic drumbeat against her ribs.
"It seems to be from Christopher Sturniolo's live thing. It's barely a second of footage." Raphael explained, his voice tight with urgency. "But it’s enough. Fans are analyzing it, trying to figure out who you are. Threads are blowing up. And..." He hesitated, his pause causing Y/N's eyebrows to furrow. "They’re connecting it to Matt."
A visceral reaction clawed its way to the surface, her breath catching in her throat.
Matt.
His name wasn’t just a word; it was a weapon, one capable of splitting her in two. The image of him - standing in the kitchen, his shoulders relaxed, his focus far removed from the chaos - flashed in her mind. He was a constant in her life, someone who turned her softer, someone she couldn’t afford to lose. The thought of him being dragged for life into her world - her dangerous, unforgiving world - sent a sharp pang of desperation through her entire being.
"Y/N?" Raphael's voice pulled her back, a glimpse of worry shining between his words.
"How far has it spread?" She asked, her tone glacial now.
"Far enough." He replied grimly. "If we don’t act now, it’s only a matter of time before someone makes the connection."
Her mind was a battlefield, each thought a calculated move in a war she refused to lose.
"I want it gone." She said, each word deliberate, unyielding. "Every post, every thread, every trace. Use whatever means necessary, bribery, threats, force. I don’t care how you do it. Just erase it."
"You got it, Boss." He didn’t hesitate, changing his demeanor abruptly, the sound of keystrokes filling the silence on his end.
"And Raphael." She added, her tone softening. "Leave nothing behind."
"It’ll be done." He affirmed, his voice steady. "Anything else?"
Her throat tightened, her guard faltering for just a heartbeat. She leaned against the edge of the bed, gripping the phone like a lifeline. She would have to tell Matt eventually, but not now. Not when her own composure was hanging by a thread.
"No." She said quietly, her voice betraying none of the chaos beneath. "I’ll handle the rest."
"Understood." The line clicked dead, leaving her alone with the silence.
Y/N lowered the phone, her hand trembling slightly as she set it down. She had always known this day might come, always known that her careful steps could fail, leaving Matt exposed to her world - or her to his. But knowing didn’t make the sting any less painful.
Her gaze drifted to the doorway, her thoughts spiraling to him. She despised herself in that moment; for the danger her presence brought to his life, for the quiet desperation she felt whenever she thought of losing him.
But she couldn’t lose him.
Straightening her spine, she forced the vulnerability back, locking it behind the iron walls she took years to build. She was a leader, a protector, a force to be secured with. And no one - not her enemies, not the nameless, faceless masses online - would take what was hers.
The air in the house had shifted, thickening with an invisible tension that Y/N could feel in her bones the moment she stepped out of Matt’s room.
Her sharp gaze swept across the living room first. Chris was slumped on the couch, looking almost guilty. His phone lay discarded beside him, screen dark, as though it had betrayed him. His face was pale, lips pressed into a tight line, and he stared at the floor with the kind of intensity that suggested he wished it would open up and swallow him whole.
Her eyes flicked toward the kitchen, her stomach knotting at the sight of Matt. He leaned against the edge of the table, arms crossed defensively over his broad chest, head bowed slightly. His brows were furrowed, his jaw clenched, and his warmth from minutes ago was replaced by a cold anger that radiated from him in waves.
"What happened?" She asked, her voice slicing through the oppressive quiet. There was no softness in her tone, only a commanding edge that left no room for staling.
Chris flinched at her words, his head snapping up to meet her gaze. His blue eyes darted toward Matt, searching for guidance, for an excuse, anything that might soften the blow. But Matt didn’t move. He remained locked in place, his intense focus on the floor as though the answer to their problems might be just there.
"Chris." Y/N prompted, her voice lower this time, but no less cutting as she stepped further into the room.
Chris exhaled shakily, rubbing the back of his neck as though the action might somehow delay the inevitable.
"Uh... people saw you?" He finally said, the words spilling out in a rush.
"Are you asking me or telling me?" She asked, her tone firm.
Chris hesitated, glancing helplessly at Matt again. When no help came, he pressed on, his words tumbling over each other.
"During the live stream, you showed up at the camera. It’s everywhere now. They’re asking who you are, Y/N. It’s blowing up..." His panicked voice seemed to start flying up. "I didn’t mean for it to happen. I didn’t even notice-"
"Enough." She interrupted, her tone quiet but laced with an authority that made Chris snap his mouth shut. "I know." She said simply. "It’s already being handled."
Chris blinked, confusion flickering across his face.
"Wait, you already know?"
"Yes." She replied, her gaze shifting briefly to Matt. "And it’s already being handled." She repeated.
Matt straightened at that, his concern breaking through the desperation that had kept him rigid. This was one of the moments when the weight of her world pressed down on him, and he felt scared. For him, for his brothers... for her. He knew that if her picture at his house fell into her enemies' hands, it was the end of peace for them.
"What does that mean, Y/N?" He asked, his voice low and tense.
"It means." She said evenly. "That my people is taking care of it, and soon enough, it'll be as if nothing had ever happened."
Matt’s brow furrowed further, and he took a step toward her, the movement slow but certain.
"And how exactly are they doing that?" He asked. "You're being careful, right?"
Her heart twisted at the concern in his voice, feeling like she could laugh, because Matt was the one who opened the front door for a bloody version of herself earlier, and he was the one who took care of her wounds - the ones that didn't even made her flinch.
"Silly boy." She started, her tone softening just enough to reassure him. "Y'know that I'm always careful."
Matt’s jaw clenched, his frustration evident.
"I don't like that." He said quietly, the weight of his words settling heavily between them.
Her posture wavered for the briefest of moments, but she forced herself to hold his gaze.
"What I need from you two and Nick." She said, addressing both him and Chris while keeping eye contact with Matt, completely ignoring his comment. "Is for you to be vigilant. For the next few days, you need to watch everything, what you post, where you go, who you talk to. Understood?"
Chris nodded quickly - even if she wasn’t looking at him, his expression contrite.
"Yeah. Of course. I’ll be careful."
Matt didn’t respond immediately. Instead, his intense gaze bored into hers, searching for cracks in her armor. Finally, he nodded, though the tension in his shoulders remained.
"Fine." He said, his voice quieter now. "But you’ll tell me if anything happens."
She hesitated, the truth forming on her tongue before she swallowed it down.
"I will." She lied instead. She wouldn't be crazy to involve him in any of this more than he already is.
His features softened slightly, but his worry lingered, etched into every line of his face.
"Good." He said. "Because I’m not letting anything happen to you."
She was the one who wasn't letting anything happen to him.
"I know."
     ༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺
The triplets were now on an empty parking lot, surrounded by the kind of darkness that usually set the stage for their filming sessions. The camera perched on the dashboard blinked red, capturing every move of them.
Matt sat in the driver’s seat, his hands tapping the bottom of the wheel as Chris gestured wildly from the passenger side. His animated voice carried through the car, weaving a story with Nick chiming in from the back seat.
But Matt wasn’t fully there.
His brothers could turn the most mundane story into book-like ones, and while he’d normally give his opinion on each one of them - when they let him, today his mind felt unusually restless. He couldn’t shake the brutal unease that had settled in his chest ever since Y/N’s warning the day before. Her words played over and over in his head: Watch your surroundings. Be careful.
Still, he had tried to shake it off. She worried about him; he got that. But the longer the evening dragged on, the heavier that knot in his chest grew. His brothers’ laughter ricocheted around the car, but the sound barely registered.
"... if we take a right, then a left, and there's a guy down there walking his dog, I'm gonna freak out." Chris was saying, his voice rising dramatically.
"And then we did it, and the guy was walking his dog." Nick completed, widening his eyes to the camera to emphasize it all.
Their voices faded into background noise as Matt’s gaze traveled to a shadowed corner of the lot. He couldn’t shake the prickling sensation that something - or someone - was watching them. His hands tightened on the steering wheel as his mind replayed Y/N’s warning for the thousandth time.
You’re being paranoid, he told himself. It’s just a parking lot.
But paranoia had its place in Y/N’s world.
It was Nick who broke the illusion of calm.
"Hey." He said sharply, his voice cutting through the laughter. His posture changed in an instant, stiffening as his eyes fixed on something outside their car.
"What?" Chris asked, his smile faltering as he followed Nick’s gaze.
"Don’t make it obvious." Nick hissed, leaning slightly forward. "But look. SUV, two o’clock. Isn't it parked way too close for how empty this lot is?"
Matt’s pulse quickened. His eyes darted to the rearview mirror, and there it was, a sleek, black vehicle angled toward them. Its windows were so dark they might as well have been painted. Everything about it felt wrong.
Chris turned in his seat, ignoring Nick’s plea for subtlety.
"Weird." He muttered. "Why park there when the whole lot’s empty?"
"That's what I'm saying." Nick said, his voice lower.
Matt’s jaw tightened, his earlier unease turning into cold certainty.
"Do you think it’s a fan?" Chris asked, his voice tinged with forced optimism.
Matt shook his head, his grip on the steering wheel tightening.
"Doesn’t feel like a fan."
The SUV sat unmoving, its presence heavy and oppressive. Matt’s thoughts spun as he tried to make sense of it. Y/N had warned him about things that could happen since day one, but she hadn’t given details. She rarely did. Keeping him in the dark was her way of protecting him, but right now, he wished he knew more.
"We should leave." Nick said urgently after some minutes of silence.
Chris frowned.
"Leave? We’re in the middle of filming-"
"Forget the video." Matt snapped, his voice sharper than he intended. "Something’s off."
The tension in the car thickened. Nick leaned forward again, his breath brushing the back of Matt’s neck as he watched the SUV through the rear window.
Then, as if sensing that it was seen, the door of the black vehicle opened.
"Guys." Nick warned sharply, his voice tight with alarm.
Matt’s heart slammed against his ribs as a man stepped out. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and dressed in a tailored black suit that screamed professional. His face was obscured by dark sunglasses, even in the dim light. Everything about him was strange, the way he moved, slow and purposeful, like he had all the time in the world.
The man stood by the SUV for a moment, then began walking toward their car.
"Go, Matt." Chris urged, his voice strained.
Matt didn’t need to be told twice. His fingers fumbled with the ignition, the engine roaring to life.
"What’s he doing?" Chris asked, staring at the approaching man.
"Doesn’t matter." Matt ground out. "We’re not sticking around to find out."
He threw the car into reverse, his movements swift but controlled. The tires screeched as he backed out of the parking spot, his eyes flicking between the mirrors and the shadowy figure stopping behind them.
"Is he following us?" Nick asked, his voice tight with panic.
Matt didn’t answer immediately, focusing on navigating the lot. But as he turned onto the main road, he caught a glimpse of the SUV’s headlights flaring to life in the rearview mirror.
"Yes." He said grimly, accelerating into the main road without looking to his side, forcing himself to ignore the loud and random honk that followed his action.
Nick swore under his breath, his hands gripping the edge of Chris's back seat, grimacing.
Matt’s mind raced, calculating their options. He didn’t know who was in that car, but he had a sinking feeling that Y/N did. Whatever this was, it wasn’t random.
And as the SUV closed the distance between them, Matt realized that the shadows he’d been looking over his shoulder for weren’t just paranoia.
They were real. And they were coming for him.
Chris twisted in his seat, his gaze fixed on the ominous car trailing them. His voice cracked with a mixture of frustration and alarm.
"Okay, now that’s not just weird. That’s bad."
"No shit." Matt muttered, keeping his tense posture. "Buckle up." He growled, his tone leaving no room for argument, the adrenaline pumping through his veins like a drug. Before his brothers could react, he slammed his foot down on the accelerator, their KIA lunging forward with a roar.
"What the hell are you doing?" Chris shouted, his hands darting to the door handle as he braced himself against the sudden burst of speed.
"Losing them." Matt ground out through clenched teeth, his voice laced with grim determination. The engine roared, the car slicing through the sparse traffic.
The SUV responded immediately, surging forward with precision, its movements aggressive and calculated. It wasn’t just following them. It was hunting them, and it wasn’t hiding it anymore.
"This isn’t a movie, Matt!" Nick yelled from the backseat, his voice tinged with panic as the car swerved dangerously close to a parked sedan.
"Feels like one." Chris muttered under his breath, though his usual joking tone was replaced with raw tension. His fingers dug into the fabric of his seat, knuckles bone white.
Matt’s focus was razor-sharp, his mind calculating every turn, every gap, every possible escape route. The city blurred around them, streetlights streaking past like shooting stars.
He maneuvered with a precision that bordered on reckless, the heavy van sliding between vehicles with inches to spare. Years of navigating chaotic LA streets had sharpened his instincts like a knife’s edge, but even he wasn’t sure how long he could keep this up.
"They’re not giving up." Nick said, his voice a strained whisper.
Then, out of nowhere, a flash of silver caught Matt’s peripheral vision.
"Matt! Fuck- watch out!" Chris screamed, his voice cracking as a Audi RS7 tore into the intersection from their right to their left, leaving a perfect trail of white smoke behind, its polished body gleaming under the fluorescent haze of the streetlights.
Time seemed to slow. Matt’s heart slammed against his ribcage as he yanked the steering wheel, the van skidding violently to the side, definitely scraping a car or two. Their camera fell from its place with a force that told them itself that it broke. Tires screeched, the acrid smell of burnt rubber filling the air as the RS7 narrowly missed their front bumper by mere inches.
For a small moment, Matt thought they were done for. They would die in the hands of unknown, sick people. But the Audi didn’t slow. Its driver - whoever they were - handled the car with perfect precision, swerving past them.
"What the hell was that?" Nick gasped, his voice trembling as he craned his neck to look back.
"I don’t know." Matt muttered, his chest heaving as he tried to process what had just happened. His foot hovered over the brake, instinct warring with the need to keep moving.
The RS7 didn’t stop. Instead, it sped straight for the SUV, its engine roaring like a beast. It cut off the larger vehicle with a series of calculated moves, herding it like a sheepdog corralling a wayward flock.
Chris leaned between the front seats, looking back, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"It’s... helping us." He paused, his mind racing. "Do you think it’s one of Y/N’s people?"
Nick didn’t take his eyes off the unfolding spectacle.
"Who the hell drives like that?"
Matt didn’t answer. He couldn’t. His thoughts were a chaotic storm, torn between taking advantage of the distraction and trying to piece together what was happening.
The SUV, once so powerful, was now on the defensive, the Audi forcing the larger vehicle toward the shoulder of the road.
"They’ve got this." Matt said, his voice tight as he pressed down on the gas pedal. The van surged forward, putting as much distance as possible between them and the chaos in the rearview mirror.
Chris turned back to face him, his expression a mix of awe and unease.
"You think this is over?"
But that hope lasted only for a minute as the night exploded with sound. The first gunshot rang out like a thunderclap, ringing in the enclosed space of the car, followed by honks and screams. Chris ducked instinctively, his hands flying to cover his ears as a yell escaped his throat.
Nick swore loudly, his voice almost drowned out by the second shot that followed in quick succession. Matt barely registered the sound of it before the driver-side window exploded beside him.
The world stopped.
Glass shards sprayed into the car like a violent glitter storm. Matt flinched instinctively, his head turning away as the jagged pieces tore through the air. His hoodie absorbed most of the impact, but a sharp sting grazed his cheek. Warmth spread across his skin, and the metallic scent made him realize that it was blood.
"Shit!" Matt yelled, his voice shaking as he tried to regain control of the car. His hands were trembling so hard it felt like they would break.
Chris screamed, ducking lower in his seat.
"What the fuck?!" His hands flew to his head, shielding himself.
Nick, in the backseat, was wide-eyed and pale, his voice cracking as he shouted.
"Are they shooting at us?! Why are they shooting at us?!"
Before anyone could fully process the first attack, a third shot rang out. This time, the bullet struck the back of the van with a sickening thud, the impact reverberating through the vehicle. The car jerked slightly from the force, and Nick let out a strangled yelp, gripping the back of Chris’s seat as if it might protect him.
Matt's widened eyes found the rearview; catching just in time the Audi reacting to the shooting and executing a perfect spin, its tires screeching as it turned in a tight circle. The maneuver was so seamless that it felt like a dance. As the car straightened out, it began driving in reverse, keeping pace with the SUV.
From the driver’s side of the Audi, a hand emerged, gripping a handgun with deadly precision. The barrel gleamed under the pale moonlight for only a moment before the first shot was fired.
BANG.
The bullet hit the SUV’s hood, sending sparks flying into the night.
"We're going to die." Chris choked out, his voice raw with panic. "Matt, what do we do?"
"I don’t know!" Matt snapped, his voice sharp as his focus stayed on the road. "I’m just trying to keep us alive!"
BANG.
The second shot took out one of the SUV’s headlights, shrouding it in uneven shadows.
"Is this about yesterday?" Chris asked, looking over his shoulder at the fireworks created by golden bullets.
"What about yesterday?" Nick asked, his voice being cut by other loud sound.
Matt didn’t answer, but the hardened look in his eyes said it all, his eyes running around the street full of scared people and desperate cars.
The Audi’s driver didn’t stop behind them, firing round after round with precision, shielding their van. Each shot forced the SUV to swerve and falter, its pursuit growing more desperate by the second.
Suddenly, a new set of headlights appeared in the rearview mirror, drawing closer at an alarming speed, maneuvering between random cars. Matt’s stomach sank as the black Nissan GT-R quickly closed the gap between them.
"Great, another one." Nick muttered, leaning forward to get a better look.
"Wait." Matt said, narrowing his eyes as the GT-R came closer. It wasn’t chasing them. It was moving with purpose, calculated, and controlled. And then, from the side street, another car emerged.
The third one sped toward them, a Dodge Charger, unmistakable and a far cry from subtle. It closed the gap with ease, pulling alongside Matt’s car.
Chris frowned.
"Matt, who the hell-"
The black window of the Charger lowered, revealing Walsh, one of Y/N's trusted bodyguards who he always saw close by, his expression as stoic and sharp as ever. He glanced at Matt briefly with a knowing gaze before lifting his hand, making a quick, sharp motion - a signal.
"I guess we are following you, then." Matt muttered, his voice resolute as he adjusted his grip on the wheel.
"What?" Nick asked, his tone a mix of confusion and disbelief. "Follow him? How do we know-"
"It’s Walsh." Matt interrupted, already easing off the accelerator slightly. "He’s one of Y/N’s people. He’s here to help."
Walsh accelerated, cutting smoothly in front of Matt’s car and taking the lead. Without hesitation, Matt followed, mimicking his movements as Walsh led them onto a side street, away from the main roads.
From behind, the black GT-R repositioned itself, falling into place directly behind the triplets’ car. It felt like they were being shepherded, boxed in with purpose.
Chris glanced nervously at the vehicles surrounding them.
"This feels like a crazy dream."
"Well, it’s very real to me." Matt muttered, his eyes darting between Walsh’s Charger and the mirrors to keep track of the GT-R.
The streets grew quieter as Walsh led them further from the city center, the cold air of the night invading the insides of the van through the broken window. The Charger weaved through back roads and alleys with practiced ease, its taillights a beacon for Matt to follow.
"Where is he taking us?" Nick asked, his voice breaking the tense silence.
"Not home." Chris replied. "That’s for sure."
They drove for another ten minutes before the Charger finally slowed as they approached a gated property on the outskirts of the city. Walsh leaned out of the window, flashing a badge at the intercom. The gates creaked open, and the small convoy filed through, disappearing into the privacy of the estate.
The driveway was lined with towering trees, their shadows dancing across the cars as they came to a stop. Matt parked behind Walsh’s Charger, the Nissan pulling in behind him to complete the formation.
The silence in the car was deafening as they sat there, processing what had just happened while the group of man dressed in all black suits backed out of both cars, moving around their KIA.
"What now?" Chris finally asked, breaking the quiet.
Matt exhaled, his hands still gripping the wheel tightly as he turned to look at his brothers, his skin itching with the dried blood.
"I don't know."
Then, cutting through the oppressive quiet, the distant roar of an engine reached their ears, growing louder by the second. Matt’s head whipped toward the gates just as the same Audi from earlier burst through.
The car moved with predatory intent, speeding down the driveway toward them. The headlights blazed like twin daggers, slicing through the darkness, and as it neared, it showed no signs of slowing.
The sleek vehicle skidded to a halt mere feet from where Walsh’s Charger was parked, its tires kicking up gravel in a chaotic spray. The door of the RS7 flung open with no ceremony, and at the second that Y/N stepped out, Matt was opening his own car door.
Of course, she was the first to find him. How could she not be? The GPS she’d insisted on slipping into his horse necklace after the last close call wasn’t just a precaution, it was a leash, one she pulled the second something went wrong.
He hadn’t even argued when she’d done it. He’d learned by now that Y/N always had a way of knowing where he was, no matter how far or how fast he tried to outrun trouble.
Her heels clicked sharply against the gravel as she strode toward Walsh, her every movement a calculated strike.
Matt watched her from his standing place, his body still trembling from the adrenaline coursing through his veins. His legs felt weak, the rush of survival not yet dissipating, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her.
She was magnetic, terrifying, and commanding all at once. His fingers twitched at his sides, unsure if he should stop her, but something inside him begged to watch the whole scene unfold.
Y/N’s expression was a storm, her lips curled into a snarl as she closed the distance between herself and Walsh, who was standing near the driver of the Charger. The man had just been speaking, his voice low and controlled, but the second he saw her approaching, he fell silent, his posture stiffening. He wasn’t a coward - years by her side had hardened him - but even he couldn’t deny the raw, violent fury in her eyes.
"Walsh!" Her voice cracked like a whip, slicing through the air.
The men around her stiffened but kept their gazes forward, trained on the horizon. They knew better than to interfere and knew the rules that governed her world.
Y/N didn’t repeat herself. She didn’t grant second chances.
Walsh turned, his face already pale, though he tried to maintain his composure.
"Boss, I can expl-"
She didn’t let him finish. In a blur of motion, she reached for her knife, the familiar silver weight of it reassuring in her palm, small droplets of blood stained its holder, being there for a long time now. Before Walsh could react, she had him pinned against the side of the car, her arm pressed against his chest with force, knocking his breath away. The knife’s blade kissed his throat, the edge cutting just enough to draw a thin line of blood that trickled down his skin.
"You dare speak?" She hissed, her voice low and venomous. "You fucking dare?"
"Boss, I-"
"Shut your fucking mouth." Her voice was a growl, more animal than human, the kind of sound that made grown men cower. "You had one job. One fucking job! Protect them. Keep them alive. And you-" She pushed the blade harder against his neck, the blood now dripping faster, staining the pristine collar of his shirt. "Fucking failed.”
Matt’s stomach churned as he watched, his chest tightening with every word. Her rage was consuming, and while he’d seen her like this many times before, it always felt like the first time.
Nick had turned away, his face pale. He hated blood and hated violence, and now, he stared at the trees as if they might somehow shield him from the scene unfolding before him. Chris, on the other hand, kept his eyes glued to the ground, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. He still carried fear for her when she acted like that, so he didn’t dare look up.
But Y/N wasn’t done. Her grip on Walsh’s collar tightened, and she yanked him forward, slamming him back against the car. The sound reverberated, as if she wanted the car's bodywork to deform under the weight of his body. And if it did, she would make him fix it with his bare hands.
"Where the fuck were my men?" She demanded, her voice rising now, echoing against the estate’s high walls. "I left five of my best men guarding them. Where the fuck were they, Walsh?"
Walsh’s lips trembled, his composure faltering for the first time.
"They’re dead." He admitted, his voice hoarse.
Y/N’s eyes darkened, the fire in her gaze burning hotter.
"What?"
"They killed them." Walsh continued, his voice steadying as he spoke. "All five of them. The second the brothers left the house, they were dead. By the time I got the call, it was already over."
The weight of his words hung heavy in the air, but Y/N didn’t flinch.
"I didn't thou-"
"Shut up!" She muttered, her free hand slamming against the car beside his head, her knuckles grazing the metal. "Shut the fuck up! Where the fuck were you? You’re supposed to anticipate this kind of shit. To have eyes everywhere. And instead, what do I get? Five man dead and a fucking alarm telling me they’re being hunted!"
Walsh kept silent. His hands stayed at his sides, fists clenched, but he didn’t dare move.
"You think I keep you around to stand there looking pretty, huh? You think I pay you to sit on your ass while my people are being slaughtered?"
"No- ma'am-"
"You’re lucky I don’t kill you right here." Her tone dropped into a deadly whisper, more chilling than her shouts. "You’re lucky I don’t slit your throat and leave your corpse here for the crows."
Matt’s breath hitched at her words, his chest tightening as he watched her, feeling a strange mix of fear and something deeper - something that made his pulse quicken.
"You’re worthless." She hissed. "A fucking liability. And if I ever-" She fist his hair, slamming the back of his head against the car for emphasis, almost begging for a concussion. "Ever see you fuck up like this again, I won’t hesitate to kill you. Do you understand me?"
"Yes." Walsh croaked, his voice barely audible because he does understand it. Because he knows that she could kill him in seconds with her bare hands if she wanted to. Putting the triplets brothers in danger could drive her to burn the whole world down.
"I said, do you fucking understand me?" She shouted, her voice echoing across the estate.
"Yes!" Walsh gasped, his face ashen.
Satisfied - for now - Y/N finally stepped back, her hand still gripping the knife tightly. Blood coated the blade, glinting in the faint light. She wiped it on Walsh’s shirt, the act casual and dismissive, before putting it back at her hip.
He should be grateful that he still had his head glued to his body and that she didn't treat him like one of her enemies. Because if she had, his organs would probably be scattered across the front yard.
Y/N adjusted her blazer, her movements sharp, and turned on her heel. Her security detail remained impassive, and their faces were unreadable as they stood at attention. They knew better than to question her.
"I want to know who's the son of a bitch who dared to go after what's mine. I don’t care how many men we have to send. You find him. And I want him, and anyone else involved in this shit, dead. You hear me? Dead. No fucking exceptions." Y/N's tone was ice, colder than the Siberian winters, and it sent a chill through the men standing nearby. "Now, get the fuck out of my sight."
The bodyguards didn’t hesitate, retreating without a word, their heads low. Even Walsh - still pressing a hand to the bleeding cut on his neck - scrambled back, keeping his distance.
Y/N didn’t so much as glance at them. They were beneath her attention now. Her focus was singular, her sharp eyes scanning the scene before her as she stalked toward the three brothers.
Nick and Chris stood stiffly by the car, their postures tense, the weight of the night etched into their faces.
Y/N stopped in front of them, and for a moment, she said nothing, her icy gaze raking over their bodies like a surgeon searching for injuries.
"Nick." She called sharply, a softness hidden behind her tone.
Nick looked up at her, his hands playing with the bottom of his sweater. Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized him.
"You’re not injured?"
"No." He muttered, shaking his head. "I’m fine."
She turned her attention to Chris, her cold stare unwavering.
"Chris?"
Chris hesitated, swallowing hard before answering.
"I’m fine too."
Y/N’s gaze lingered on him for a moment longer before she nodded curtly, her lips pressed into a thin line.
"Inside." She ordered. "Grace's here, find her. She’ll take care of you."
Nick and Chris exchanged a brief glance, neither daring to argue. They gave her a quick nod before turning and walking toward the mansion to look for Y/N's maid, the one who treated them like a loving mother. Y/N’s eyes followed them until they disappeared through the front doors, their figures swallowed by the shadows of the estate.
Only then did she turn her attention to Matt.
He was standing a few feet away, his arms hanging limply at his sides, looking like a wall in front of his side of the car, his face pale but his eyes wide with worry. His breath hitched as she approached, her movements deliberate, predatory.
"Y/N-"
"Quiet." She snapped, cutting him off as she reached for his face. Her hands, rough and calloused, cupped his cheeks, forcing him to meet her gaze. Her touch was firm, almost harsh, as she tilted his head this way and that, her eyes narrowing as she examined him closely.
Matt stood frozen under her scrutiny, his heart hammering in his chest. He felt small under her intense gaze, like a child caught misbehaving.
"I’m fine." He tried to say, his voice barely above a whisper. "Really, I-"
"Shut up." Her tone was sharp. Her thumb brushed over the dried blood that covered the small cut on his upper cheek, and her lips curled into a sneer. "Fine? You’re fine, you little shit? You think I should believe this?"
Matt swallowed hard, his throat dry. He wanted to protest, to reassure her, but the look in her eyes stopped him.
"You’re a fucking idiot." She spat, her voice low and venomous. "A fucking brat. You knew something was wrong, and you didn’t call me. You didn’t fucking call me." Her grip on his face tightened, just enough to make his breath hitch.
"I thought I could handle it." He muttered, his voice breaking. "I didn’t want to bother you."
Y/N’s laugh was sharp, bitter.
"Handle it?" She repeated, her accent wrapping around the words like a blade. "You thought you could handle it? You? Alone? Against men with guns?"
Matt looked down, unable to meet her gaze.
"I-"
"Do you know what I should do to you?" She hissed, her voice dropping lower. "I should kill you for this. For almost fucking dying on me. For being so goddamn reckless." Her fingers brushed against the necklace around his neck.
Matt’s lips twitched into a small, nervous smile.
"Thank god you put this thing on me then, huh?"
Y/N’s eyes darkened, her lips curling into a snarl.
"You think this is funny? You think I do this because I enjoy babysitting you?" She shoved him back slightly, her hands still gripping his face. "If it weren’t for this-" She tapped the tracker, her voice rising. "I wouldn’t have known. I wouldn’t have found you."
"I know." He whispered, his voice trembling.
"You’re fucking stupid." She muttered, her tone quieter but no less sharp. "You’ll be the death of me, you know that?"
Matt nodded, his cheeks flushing under her intense gaze because he knew. He knew that he was her weakest stop, the one who could make her lose her mind without consequences.
"I’m sorry." He said softly.
Y/N sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly as her hand softened its grip on his face.
She let her gaze actually register his state, noticing his still trembling hands gripping the bottom of her jacket, and her jaw tightened. For all her strength and control, seeing him shaken dug into her chest like a dull blade.
"You really should’ve called me." She repeated, her tone no longer scolding but laced with a quiet plea this time. Her fingers moved from his jaw to his hair, threading through the strands in a gesture that was both tender and grounding. "Do you hear me?"
Matt smiled slightly, trying to ease her - and his - tension.
"I’m okay, dove." He murmured, risking using her favorite pet name, his voice low and calm, though it wavered slightly. "Just a little shaken up. A cut or two from the broken window. But... you saved me. Like you always do."
Her hand faltered for a moment in his hair as his words settled over her, turning her head slightly, breaking their gaze as if the vulnerability in his voice had pierced through her armor.
But Matt wasn’t about to let her retreat. His hand came up, his fingers gentle as they took her chin, forcing her to look at him again.
"I’m fine, Y/N." He said firmly, his voice carrying a quiet conviction that made her chest tighten. "Really. You don’t have to keep punishing me or you for this."
Her lips parted, a protest hovering on the edge, but he didn’t let her speak. Instead, he pulled her into his arms, wrapping her in a hug that was warm, strong, and grounding. Y/N stiffened for a moment before melting against him - in the way that she only let herself do in his arms, her hands clutching at his back as if he might disappear if she let go.
"I don’t want to see you in the line of fire because of me ever again. Do you understand me?" Her voice was a whisper against his chest, rough and laden with emotion.
Matt’s hands moved soothingly from her hips to her waist and her back, his touch steady.
"Y/N." He began, his voice gentle but insistent. "You need to stop blaming yourself. None of this is your fault. It’s just how things are. I get that. I chose to stay by your side, knowing exactly what it meant."
She shook her head against him, her arms tightening around his waist.
"You don't understand, I could’ve lost you tonight." She said, her voice breaking in a way that she despised. "I can’t-"
"You didn’t." He interrupted, leaning down to rest his chin on top of her head. "You didn’t lose me. You won’t lose me. Not tonight. Not ever."
The sincerity in his tone made her chest ache, and she closed her eyes, letting herself press closer. She nosed along his jaw, breathing him in, her mind desperate for a piece of peace amidst the chaos. His scent - clean and familiar - grounded her in a way nothing else could.
"You know." She murmured after a moment, her voice quieter now, almost teasing. "It’s your fault. You got me hooked from day one, making me worry too much."
Matt let out a low, warm laugh, his breath tickling the top of her head.
"Lies." He said softly, his tone playful but affectionate. "You wanted to kill me for the first few months we knew each other."
Y/N let out a quiet scoff, a small smirk tugging at her lips despite herself.
"It doesn’t mean I didn't want to have you to me." She admitted, though the sharpness in her voice was covered with affection. "You were insufferable, you know? Still are."
He leaned down further, brushing his nose against hers.
"Yeah, well, you wouldn’t have it any other way." He murmured.
She didn’t respond, but the faint, almost imperceptible curve of her lips was answer enough. Her fingers wrapped around his hoodie strings, bringing him closer until their lips touched, the force of her kiss taking him off guard.
It wasn’t the kind of kiss meant to soothe or console. It was possessive, claiming him in a way that made it clear he wasn’t just hers by circumstance. He was hers by choice.
Her hand slid up the back of his neck, fingers back to threading through his hair as she deepened the kiss, desperate to taste all of him as a way of reassurance, and Matt melted into her without hesitation.
When she finally pulled away, her lips still slightly parted, Matt stared at her, his expression a mix of surprise and arousal. She smirked faintly, wiping her thumb across the corner of his mouth before leaning back, leaving him dazed.
"Uh..." He exhaled slowly, trying to collect himself, though his heart was racing faster than he cared to admit. "I think I need you to get my window fixed." He gestured toward the gaping hole where his window used to be, right behind his back, shards of glass still clinging stubbornly to the edges.
The response came so casually that it almost didn’t register at first.
"No." Y/N said dismissively. "I’ll just buy you another car."
Matt blinked, his jaw dropping as he turned to face her.
"You’ll what?"
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tossawary · 4 months ago
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It's funny to think about a scenario in which Luke manages to get Yoda off Dagobah and bring him back to the Rebellion. Maybe Obi-Wan left a message with R2 as a backup plan or something, so Luke got the message much earlier. Yoda is still too old and injured to fight, but he can train Luke while moving around as the Rebellion's new grandpa (and potentially reunite with characters like Ahsoka and Kanan and Cal and so on).
This AU is important to me because how it would look from an Outsider's POV:
"Uhhh, Luke," Han said. "What's that?"
"What's what?" Luke said, turning to look across the hangar bay. "Oh. That's Master Yoda. I went to Dagobah to get him, remember?"
Han studied the small, green, vaguely amphibious creature with long pointy ears and wisps of white hair, crouched underneath Luke's X-Wing and steadily eating its way though a bucket of... what the hell were those things? Eggs?
"That's your great Master Yoda?" Han said dubiously. He couldn't have helped it, so he didn't even try not to sound skeptical. "The one who's going to train you and Her Royal Highness in this... uh... penetrating life field magic?"
Those ragged brown blankets that it seemed to be wearing looked not unlike the dusty robes that Luke's old man had been shuffling around in, before getting killed back on the Death Star. Maybe.
"He's the wisest and most powerful Jedi Master alive," Luke said, like he was determined to be upbeat about it. "He's 900 years old. He said."
Han watched the creature dig around in the bucket some more, nearly sticking the entire upper half of its body inside. Its long ears wilted when it came up empty. It sat back with a loud, high-pitched harrumph and its wrinkled face scrunched up like a fruit rotting all at once.
"Yeah," Han said. "He looks it."
Luke shot him a betrayed look and Han just shrugged. He didn't have a problem with the kid and the princess finding some comfort in some hokey old religion. The kid's family had apparently been killed by troopers the day that Han had met him and Leia had watched her entire planet be destroyed, so whatever touchy-feely nonsense helped them deal with that helped.
But that didn't mean that Han wasn't going to call it like he saw it- "Uh, kid, is that your storage unit he's searching now?"
Luke groaned and put his head in his hands. "I left some ration bars in there, I think. I bet he can smell them."
This great Jedi Master was making a real mess of it. He threw one of Luke's things over his shoulder, where the tool hit R2-D2, and the small droid immediately let out a shocked series of beeps and chirps. The outraged blare when the droid traced the missile back to Yoda was even louder.
Han watched as the droid whirred briskly up to Yoda, then reached out with an extended grabber and yanked at the old Jedi's stick. Yoda shrieked in surprise. A tug-o-war started, which looked like it was going to have one or both of them falling over.
"Oh, no," Luke said.
People around the hangar bay were starting to stare. Han couldn't look away.
The droid released the wooden stick and Yoda let out a cry of triumph. Which turned into a yelp of pain, because R2-D2 had just zapped him with another extended tool, which crackled like a threat that the droid would do it again. Yoda's response was to smack the droid with his stick, repeatedly, grunting with the effort - and the loud clanging caught the attention of everyone who hadn't already been looking.
"You gonna, uh, you gonna do something about that?" Han said to the kid.
Luke sighed heavily, which definitely meant that this wasn't the first time something like this had happened. He stood up and waded into the mess, catching the stick with one hand and physically pushing the droid back with the other, ordering the old astromech and older Jedi Master to knock it off. He sounded just like a parent about to hand out some punishments.
R2-D2 beeped petulantly at Luke.
"I don't care who started it!" Luke said, his exasperation carrying. "This time or last time-! Ow!"
The great Jedi Master had just smacked Luke in the shin with that stick. Luke hopped on one foot for a few seconds, biting down on what probably would have been some nasty Huttese cursing. Yoda harrumphed again and then lurched back over towards his empty egg bucket.
R2-D2 made a sound that Han had, whether he liked it or not, already come to recognize meant: "I told you so."
"Oh, fuck off," Luke snapped.
Han threw back his head and laughed.
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delusional-mushroom · 5 months ago
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Aaravos x reader where reader is also a startouch elf who was Aaravos’s lover but got imprisoned at the same time he did but in a different prison so instead of trying to lead Claudia and Viren to his prison he’s insisting they save his lover (but in his own ‘No! You can’t do it on your own you need this elf’s help!’ To avoid revealing something that would break his mystery facade- maybe reader had like a pet that guards their last residence and Aaravos is just like ‘oh yeah, that’s just ___ he bites.’ Feel free to add some plot to this it’s just a lil scenario that poofed into mah brain hole.
🌟 anon
Oh hello 🌟 anon. Thanks for the request >:3
Side note: sorry this was a bit rushed, especially towards the end. I’d be happy to part two it if you guys want.
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After Leola’s death, you and Aaravos shared your grief. When you had no more tears to cry, and the crater of her demise was full to the brim, you began plotting your revenge.
At first, everything was going great. No one suspected a thing.
But then, a human girl— A human girl, had the audacity to stick her nose into where it did not belong, and rat you two out to the arch dragons.
It all happened so fast, one moment Aaravos was shielding his lover from the onslaught of attacks; and then the next they were both enveloped in a crude, blinding light.
Your look of horror was the last thing he saw before he too was imprisoned.
The two of you were both granted a visage through intricate looking glasses, spared with only one shellshocked glance at each other before you were given to the arch dragon of ocean, Domina Profundis.
Every day, and every night, Aaravos cried in his prision.
First Leola, his kind and loving daughter, and now his spouse: the only thing he had left in this cruel world.
Everything seemed hopeless.
He might never hold you in his embrace.
You two might never see each other again.
That was until a middle-aged dark mage stumbled upon his looking glass. How it got from the clutches of Avizandum and Zubeia to the treasury of Katolis, he didn’t know. But old habits die hard, and Aaravos didn’t mind reusing some old tricks…
“Avizandum is dead.”
What…?
Avizandum, King Of The Dragons, the ringleader in his and his lover’s imprisonment. He was dead.
Aaravos felt a satisfaction he had not felt in a long time. Not only was this going to make his schemes easier, but hearing the news of his passing made Aaravos almost giddy with joy. Maybe he wasn’t the one to end Avizandum’s life, but knowing of his death was almost just as good.
Maybe this middle-aged, emotionally fragile man had potential. Maybe he would be a useful pawn.
Finally, after centuries in his prision, escape was within his grasp. He could leave this dreaded place. He could take revenge upon those wretched dragons and elves.
But in a final moment, he relented.
“No.”
“What do mean ‘no’? We’re this close to freeing you!” Claudia squawked indignantly, pinching her fingers together to emphasise her point.
“You need to free someone else first. Someone just as powerful, and just as essential to the plan.” Aaravos insisted, his ghost-like apparition pointing a finger to a second dot on the map.
“And who would that be?” Viren inquired, Raising and an eyebrow in suspicion.
The star touched elf resisted the urge to roll his eyes. His use for the old man was beginning to dwindle. “You will see when the time comes.”
Reluctantly, he managed to get Viren, Claudia, and Terry to agree, though the earthblood elf didn’t really put up much of an argument.
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Roaring and ticketing sounded through the mountain where your prison was kept. Allegedly, the magic orb that contained you was imbedded into an ancient tree. In order to acquire it, the tree needed to be felled. Easy, right? Wrong.
The tree was guarded by a serpent-like dragon by the name of Mortem, who’s bite held enough venom to kill an archdragon.
“Don’t get bit.” Aaravos instructed.
He was so close to you. He could feel your energy radiating through the mountain.
And somehow, the earthblood elf managed to lead Mortem away and distract him long enough without getting bit for Claudia and Viren to cut down the tree and grab your prision.
The scrambled journey back down the mountain made his breath bait in anticipation. This was it. He was finally going to be able to see you again.
Once the ritual was complete, your giant form kneeled down to look the three mortals in the eye. Shrinking yourself down, his ghostly appearance caught your eye.
“Aaravos?” You ask incredulously.
“I’m here, beloved.”
I’m here…
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meanbossart · 6 days ago
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Here's a few dreams & daydreams people have shared with me, I didn't want to publish them at first because, often, I get things in my inbox that seem more like fun thoughts folks wanna tell me about and not necessarily share, but at this point It has amounted to a collection that deserves an exhibit of its own, I think LOL
(RIP to the one I remember getting where anon was stuck in a car with DU drow in the driver seat. I Can't find that one for the life of me. Though I guess that one belongs in a straight up night-terror compilation instead of this one)
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Can I just say, for all of his flaws, DU drow would be so good at being the friend who waits in the doctor's office while you get your tunnels checked.
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I think the best part about this one (besides the obvious) Is that at first, I assumed the Greenwood quote was itself a fabrication of your dream. Like, that the whole full face covering and detailed erogenous zones were a part of what made the dream so strange, and not just straight up canonical information... WELL, now I know better!
Anyways, hang on, I gotta doodle something.
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This one is so cool and so perfectly in-character for all involved, honestly. I love how despite the potentially-near-death scenario they both just start ragging on each other as soon as things clear, with Astarion going into whinge-mode and DU drow literally doing the "sniff my finger routine" 😩 It's very like them, to want to distract each other from a frightening scenario instead of letting it sit. This one is probably just something that happened at some point.
Thank you all for sharing! I'll be doing a proper ask compilation later today, I apologize that those have been scant. Between all my drawing ideas and everyone's messages I tend to get overwhelmed quickly, but as always I want to make it clear how much I appreciate all of the interest and support in my art and characters!
And feel free to send in more like these as well! I might end up making "fun scenarios that people send me about the boys" its own tag or something.
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animeyanderelover · 23 days ago
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Anon: Sukuna and Gojo falling in love with the same darling?
Tw: Yandere themes, possessive behavior, obsession, clinginess, overprotective behavior, sadism, isolation, violence, abuse, mentions of cannibalism, death, non-con, Sukuna gloats about how he forcefully took you in front of Gojo
Tags: @lovley-valentine7
Falling in love with the same darling
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🗾🩵Before Sukuna there is Gojo in your life. A presence that is already suffocating and smothering enough. A man who has all of the riches, the looks and the power to stand on top. Never in your life would you have ever imagined that one random meeting in a city would lead to you being locked away in Gojo's apartment, isolated and left to endure his unbearable clinginess. For someone with such powers and abilities you discover quickly that beneath that majestic and allmighty appearance is a man who is surprisingly fragile. Gojo is paranoid, he's needy and there is so much of his thoughts and his heart that he only reveals to you. So close yet simultanously so far away, a paradox shouldn't exist yet with him it does. There is so much that you know about Gojo. You know all of the little details about him. You know that he loves his sweets, realise that pouty expression that he gives you means that he feels neglected and know the feeling of his warm body wrapped around yours. Even if you were to close your eyes you would be able to perfectly recall messy, white hair and brilliant blue eyes, a figure out of a fairy tail yet he is no prince that rescues you from your cage. He coats it in gold instead.
🗾🩵Potential threats there are many as the one on top is always the one people wish to bring down. Only that this king is untouchable and unbeatable. He cannot be brought down for no one knows how to bypass his Infinity. No one dares touch him. However, you are reachable. A non-sorcerer,a prey as easy to crush as a flower beneath a shoe. If Gojo has one weakness then it would be you. You are nothing in comparison to him nor would you be able to fend against even those sorcerers who have a low rank. It's this fear of his that has led Gojo to isolate you from the world as you know it all because of his world, a world that you know nothing about. A world that is kept away from you as Gojo tells you so little about it. You know that there are powers and abilities that you cannot comprehend, strange beings in this world that you are unable to perceive. A fear of the unknown, invisible but present all the time. Perhaps it is wishful thinking of Gojo that you do not need to know about everything as he is there with you. As delusional as he tends to be, he knows that he would shock your view of the world if he were to reveal to you about the existence of curses.
🗾🩵Despite all the what-if scenarios that have led to your current demise there has never been a point in Gojo's life where he has ever been seriously terrified for your safety. There is no one in this time that who surpass him and it is the aspect of being hunted down by the blue-eyed king that keeps even those who know of your existence and significance to him away. Nothing has ever shaken him seriously, no one has ever made him fear for your life. Until the King of Curses is reincarnated into Itadori. Still bound by a weakness that can only be fixed by consuming all of his fingers yet already his appearance has the world of sorcerers shaking. The strongest of today meets the strongest in history. Immediately it is obvious that Gojo is meant to guard and guide Yuji, the only sorcerer capable of keeping Sukuna under control if Yuji should be turned into a vessel. It couldn't be more obvious that a fight between those two has already been written down in the future and both of them are aware of this unavoidable fate just as much. Both are confident though, confident that even though their opponent is strong that they will still win. Perhaps both even anticipate their battle against each other.
🗾🩵Never did Gojo plan to let Sukuna find out about you though. He will not be cocky when it comes to your safety hence all of the isolation. Yet still, Sukuna discovers you and perhaps it is the only thing that he will ever give Itadori credit for. After all it is Yuji who one day spots his sensei and you on the streets. It couldn't have been more glaringly obvious that you are someone important as Satoru is basically glued to your hips, pressing little kisses all over your face to further annoy you. The typical grin on his face when Itadori jogs over to him and you though you notice how he tightens his hold on you ever so subtly. It's not because of Yuji though, never because of a boy with such a good heart. It's because of the demon lurking within his soul that Gojo is so wary, keeping any private information about you as confidential as he can. The damage has already been done though as Sukuna can only perk up with some subtle interest as he recognises the low hanging fruit that has just been offered to him. Attachment and love have never been a strength in his mind, only ever a weakness. Just now, in this moment, he discovers the secret of the strongest sorcerer of the present.
🗾🩵You are going to be Gojo's downfall, a toy within Sukuna's schemes to play and torture as he breaks down the blue-eyed king of the present. The moment Sukuna knows of your existence he is taunting Gojo all the time. His mouth pops up constantly on Yuji's body, a gleeful and toothy grin as he reveals his twisted and sick plans and fantasies. He's sure that you must taste delicious~ Oh, he is going to relish in the tormented screams and pleas of yours as he feasts on your body, watching the light slowly leave your eyes. Fantasies he describes in such horrific details that even Gojo loses his composure, blue eyes darkening with feelings so unlike the light-hearted teacher he usually appears to be, his cursed energy enough to have even the air trembling. Itadori is always left shaken whenever he is exposed to his sensei's wrath all whilst Sukuna is cackling within his head, treating it all like an entertainment show made for only him. Sukuna's attention is now on you, a target on your back that has Gojo worrying as the words of the curse haunt him when he is alone with you. You do not understand where those promises of eternal protection come from as he smothers you in kisses and hugs.
🗾🩵Then Shibuya happens though. Gojo is sealed away, leaving you free for the first time in years. You can barely believe it when you step out of the apartment you have been stuck in for so long now, taking in a deep and shaky breath as an overwhelming feeling of freedom overcomes you. There are so many things you have always wished to do ever since you were stuck in that golden cage and now that you are out here you don't even know where to begin. Your plans are big, your possibilities seemingly endless. However, your freedom doesn't last long. Within only a few days after the terrifying Shibuya accident that is all over the news you are abducted once more. They introduce themselves as Uraume, briefly explain to you that they serve someone known as Sukuna and that their master is looking forward to meeting you as soon as he has finished some urgent business. Uraume is part of the world that Gojo has never taught you about but never before has it felt as real and scary as with Uraume. One time. You only attempted to escape one time yet the sensation of your entire body being encapsulated by ice strikes enough fear within your body to never run away again.
🗾🩵Your feelings are a mess. You mourn the short taste of freedom that you had, almost miss Gojo at times before you are reminded that it is his fault to begin with that all of this happened to you. Uraume isn't bad per se but they do not interact with you a lot as they only see it through that you are taken care of enough to survive. Otherwise they leave you alone with your spiraling mind, as elusive about everything that happens around you as Gojo was. You can only sit and wait like a caged bird. All of it to build up to the moment where Sukuna returns, in possession of a vessel that he has full control over. His presence is oppressing, frightening, enough to have your heart stop in the confines of your chest as you stare at him with wide eyes. A twisted grin rests on his face as his eyes rest on you, his hand grabbing your chin harshly as he muses to himself that he cannot quite understand why a sorcerer as powerful as Gojo would settle for someone so little as you. He could easily kill you right here and now, slash you into little pieces and devour you just like he has told Gojo. Yet Sukuna decides that it is too soon for that. He will wait until Gojo returns so that he can see the wrath and grief on his face.
🗾🩵If Gojo has kept you away from his world, Sukuna throws you straight into the flames without caring how severely he burns you in the process. Gojo must have been indeed made weak by his feelings to coddle you as much as he did but to your personal demise Sukuna doesn't hold affection and love in any regards. The only person he cares about is himself, the only desires he cares to satisfy are his own. And oh, what a delight it is to see you falling into despair as he pushes you over the edge that Satoru always steered you away from. He reveals to you just how naive and dumb you have been your entire life, his heart racing with euphoria as he sees how you crumble apart as you come to realise about the horrors that have surrounded you your entire life without you even being aware of it. You fall into a deep-rooted paranoia, constantly awake at night as you fear about monsters in your room almost as if you are a child again afraid of the infamous beast underneath the bed. Only that now you know that the monsters you are fearing right now are real yet remain hidden from your senses. Everything takes a toll on your mental health as Sukuna breaks you over and over again and keeps the shards to himself.
🗾🩵Scars, missing chunks of flesh, insults and a haunting laughter that you hear whenever you close your eyes. You can only grieve and regret every bad thought that you ever had about Gojo as you are subjected to a man who treats you like an disposable object. There is no ounce of humanity or kindness within Sukuna as he treats you like a toy, solely keeping you alive to showcase the broken shell of you to Gojo as soon as he has escaped his prison. It is for this sake only that he keeps you alive, forces water past your chapped lips and stuffs mushy food in your mouth, forcing you to swallow it painfully. That has been the plan from the beginning. That was supposed to be the plan. Yet why do you need to riddle him with the same disease that you have already cursed Gojo with? You do not understand the sudden increase in violence that Sukuna shows you. Uraume has a feeling about what is going on but remains quiet as they understand that the King of Curses would kill everyone who would dare to point the current situation out to him. The very same affection that he has ridiculed Gojo for seems to have now infected him as well, feelings he was never supposed to have blossoming.
🗾🩵There is more than one situation where you truly believe your end to be near and perhaps that thought crosses Sukuna's mind more than once as well. His body never cooperates, leaving a bitter rage within his heart as he deep down knows that it isn't the weak will of his vessel that is holding him back. It is his own. He can only leave quietly to quench his wrath by slaughtering some innocent people yet there is always a silent command of his that leaves Uraume catering to your severely injured form as Sukuna bathes in the blood of humans. Something is different, something has changed. Even to you this becomes eventually obvious as you notice Sukuna's presence inspecting you more often, not taunting or torturing you but instead observing you quietly with an intensity that almost reminds you of Satoru at times. Hands that have only hurt and murdered suddenly attempt to be gentler at times though his grip is still harsh and painful as if unfamiliar how to show affection. Every session of pain is suddenly mingled with bits of rough and reluctant affection. It is a strange transition within the simple and cruel relationship the two of you had had so far.
🗾​🩵​The moment Sukuna has acknowledged his own emotions for you he simply decides to do what he has always done. Satisfy his own desires and do whatever he wants without caring how much misery he will inflict upon innocent people. You are his from now on. Do not even think for even one moment that he will treat you like that white-haired fool did. You will not be spoiled and coddled. You will bow your head and obey, will know that you belong to him and will never even mention the name of your past lover. Sukuna clarifies to you that he plans to kill Gojo as soon as he has broken free from his seal and that you will be truly his to own and use after the death of the one who owned you before him. Truly, it is his biggest resentment to know that you already belonged to someone else before him, his possessive feelings seething deep down that someone else claimed you and took you before him. A used toy would normally provide little fun for him yet still you manage to catch his eyes. You really are a strange human, you know? Sukuna will erase every single trace of Satoru from your life and your body though until it is only the pleasure and pain he has inflicted on you that you can recall.
🗾​🩵​When Gojo finally breaks free from the Prison Realm his heart and soul ache for you yet he is in for a nightmarish surprise when he is met with the cruel and unforgiving reality. Sukuna has already gleefully awaited his return as he declares that there has been a subtle change of plans. He intends to keep you after he has killed Gojo, even thanks the blue-eyed sorcerer mockingly for having found someone as entertaining as you. Every word leaving Sukuna's mouth leaves Gojo with a hollow feeling of dread and rising rage as the curse provokingly lets him in on how amazing your body always feels when pressed beneath his, how wonderful your cries of pain and terror always sound whilst he pounds into you. He does not have to worry though for Sukuna will from now on guarantee that absolutely no one will murder you or harm you for it is only through his hands that you will experience any agony. A crazed gleam takes over Gojo's eyes, a broken laughter escaping him as his rage threatens to spill out of him. A lopsided grin that doesn't even attempt to hide his bloodlust appears on his face as their cursed energy clashes. This fight will decide who truly is the strongest, who has the right to keep you.
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thearcaneuniversity · 12 days ago
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People haven’t gotten dumber this season - the rules have simply changed.
In both seasons 1 and 2, we witness people with intricate motivations and nuanced reactions, shaped by their unique backgrounds. Often, these choices stem from deeply personal places, perspectives that the audience isn’t always privy to.
In season 1, the stakes were absolute: you either played to win everything or walked away with nothing. Except for the brief opportunity to exit after the first game, there was no turning back.
In season 2, however, the dynamic shifts. After each game, players are given a choice - leave with a portion of the winnings divided among the survivors or continue. This open-ended structure fundamentally changes how participants approach the games.
It’s no surprise that such contrasting scenarios would alter people’s outlook and behavior.
In-ho understands this better than anyone. He’s seen it unfold year after year, and his perspective is clear: put people in extreme situations, and their most primal, ruthless selves emerge. This is the lesson he tries to impart to Gi-hun. From In-ho’s experience, people don’t change. Most believe they’re the exception - that they’ll survive while someone else falls. This mindset, while self-serving, is often what carries them through life-or-death situations.
Gi-hun, however, tries to challenge this narrative. He clings to the belief in humanity’s inherent goodness and strives to inspire change in others - a noble but arguably naive endeavor given the circumstances. His core argument holds weight, though: who created the games in the first place? Why do they exist at all?
For In-ho, the why doesn’t matter. The games exist, and that’s the end of it. Gi-hun refuses to accept this fatalistic view and seeks to confront the system itself.
However, this is why Gi-hun is set up to fail now. His naivety, while not inherently wrong, doesn’t account for In-ho’s perspective. He won’t succeed with his current approach because the cancer must be eradicated at its source - a mission he initially seemed prepared for, as we saw in his converation with Jun-ho: killing the Frontman won’t make a difference - it’s the benefactors who must be eliminated.
Yet plans shifted, and he found himself drawn back into the games, forced to play by their rules once more. It’s a fascinating dynamic - one in which In-ho currently holds the upper hand.
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youareatragedy · 16 days ago
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I’d bet my firstborn that if it had been Elain, not Nesta, who saved the dumbass couple with that death pact and went on to save both Prythian and Midgard, Elain would be celebrated as a hero by the IC and would only get a slap on the wrist for handing over the mask.
I bet the whole fandom would praise the hell out of Rhys if he saved Nesta’s life and both Prythian and Midgard at the same time, even without consulting anyone and they’d just say, “Oh, he’s his usual self-sacrificing self and so kind, even toward ungrateful Nesta.”
I bet the whole fandom would turn a blind eye and not take it seriously if Feyre were the one handing over the mask to Bryce—even though Nesta didn’t give her permission (it was hers remember??)—and instead, they’d turn on Nesta with nonsense like, “What is Feyre supposed to do? Not save Midgard? They’ll come to Prythian next! Nesta is such a selfish, dumb cunt.”
There is no scenario where any of these three would face the same kind of anger from the IC and fandom that Nesta gets for saving that dumbass couple’s asses and then saving two universes. And you know it’s true because to them, Nesta sacrificing her power to save the selfish couple who think they deserve to be parents is STILL not enough for the fandom and Rhys. Meanwhile, Elain just staying quiet and baking in their mansion’s kitchen is enough for the fandom and the IC.
Nesta should have just pointed her finger at the cult leader, Rhys, and let them all die. I’d rather see Nesta raise Nyx to not be a selfish asshole and become an actual good leader, rather than watch him be taught how to paint, pick crowns, build another mansion, tell a suicidal person to “just do it”, tell a depressed person to “get with the program or go back to a place where she’ll be persecuted” and claim, “I’m actually the most powerful High Lord that ever existed... but only in my elite city. I’m ‘powerless’ to stop female mutilation in other parts of the country or to help oppressed females elsewhere.”
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himasgod · 1 month ago
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Kinich x Reader childhood enemies to lovers
Where, after having found your life ruined, you return to the tribe without being the spoiled princess that Kinich always hated.
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SCENARIO: You were always upper class, a girl with money and treated with somewhat classist values. And that made you and Kinich hate each other to death when you were kids. However, when your family goes bankrupt and you have to return to the tribe, your values ​​change, and seeing Kinich again after years becomes uncomfortable.
(I LOVED DOING THIS TO BE HONEST. I MADE IT AS LEAST CRINGE AS POSSIBLE, I HOPE YOU LIKE IT 😭)
In Natlan, the heat of the sun was incessant, as were the memories of childhood days. And, try as you might, you couldn't stop Kinich's name from floating in your mind.
When you were a child, he represented everything that irritated you. That wild boy, always dirty, always disobedient. He was the complete opposite of you, raised in a home that prided itself on good manners. You were the good girl, the one who never got her hands dirty or broke the rules.
But Kinich didn't just bother you for being dirty or noisy. There was something about him that unsettled you, something about his mocking laugh and incisive gaze that made you feel small, although you would never admit it.
"You're always covered in mud. Clean yourself." you used to say disdainfully, crossing your arms haughtily.
"And you always have that ugly princess face," he replied, smiling with a smugness that made you boil with rage.
Kinich drove you crazy just by existing, and you hated him. And you did the same to him, although for different reasons.
Years passed, and life changed for both of you.
The tragedies that had struck your life forced you to leave the comfort of your home. You discovered how cruel the world could be beyond the safe walls that protected you. Meanwhile, Kinich had also grown, shaped by the losses and chaos of Natlan.
When you returned to the tribe after years away, the last thing you expected was to see him. But there he was, like a shadow impossible to ignore.
The boy you remembered had become a man. Taller, with firm muscles from so many hunts, with a confident demeanor that was now even more intimidating than when you were children.
And you… you felt uncomfortable.
The first meeting after years was at the tribe market. You tried to avoid him, but, as always, Kinich was faster.
"Is it my imagination, or has the good girl returned?" he asked, leaning against a fruit stand with that mocking smile you had hated so much as a child.
"I haven't been back to see you" You answered coldly, although your tone wasn't as firm as you had hoped.
He laughed out loud, as if your answer was the best joke of the day.
"Always so charming. Do you still think you're better than everyone?"
You stared at him, but that haughty look you practiced so much had no effect. There was something different in his eyes, a mix of defiance and something you couldn't decipher.
"And you're still just as unbearable"
You answered before turning to leave. But even as you walked away, you could feel his gaze fixed on your back.
Despite your attempts to avoid it, circumstances seemed to conspire to keep you close. Community work, meetings, or simply paths that crossed. Each encounter was fraught with the same tension you remembered from childhood, but now it was different. You weren't kids anymore.
At one such encounter, you were both assigned to prepare provisions for a group of hunters that would leave at dawn. Kinich worked beside you, and though neither of you said much, the silence wasn't exactly comfortable.
"You don't mind getting your hands dirty?" He asked suddenly, breaking the silence.
"I'm not the same girl." You replied, trying to remain calm.
He paused for a moment and looked at you, really looked at you, as if evaluating your words.
"I already know that. But you seemed very proud of being the spoiled princess girl. I have a hard time imagining you any other way."
You let out a sigh, putting aside what you were doing to face him.
"You know what bothers me about you, Kinich? That you always think you know everything about others."
He arched an eyebrow, surprised by your answer.
"And what do you think I know about you?"
"You think I'm weak. You think I'm the same girl who looked down on you because she didn't understand your world. But you don't know anything."
There was a moment of silence, a heavy one, filled with something you didn't know how to define. And then, in a softer tone than you expected, Kinich said:
"Maybe I don't know you. But if you want, I can try."
The weeks that followed were filled with encounters like that. Tense moments that slowly began to transform into something more. Kinich wasn't as brusque as you remembered, and you began to notice things you'd ignored before: his way of caring for the youngest members of the tribe, his ability to read the changes in the wind and predict a storm, the way his mocking smile softened when he thought no one was looking.
But the biggest change happened one night, under a starry sky.
You had stepped outside to get some air after a long day, and there he was, sitting by a small campfire. You hesitated to approach, but when he saw you, he gestured for you to join in.
“I don’t bite, you know?” he said with a smile.
“You used to say that as a kid, and it wasn’t true,” you replied, reluctantly sitting down.
“You know? I always wondered why you hated me so much” he said after a while.
You looked at him, surprised.
“I didn’t hate you… well, maybe a little. But only because I didn’t understand how you could be so… free.”
He frowned.
“Free?”
“You did what you wanted, no matter what other people thought. That made me nervous. I was jealous of you, probably.”
Kinich fell silent, his gaze fixed on the flames of the campfire. Then, in a low tone, he murmured,
“I hated you because I thought you always thought you were better than others. But I think it was more my problem than yours.”
You stared at him, surprised by his honesty. Before you could respond, he leaned toward you, his lips brushing yours softly. It was a cautious gesture, as if he were giving you the chance to pull away.
But you didn’t.
When they separated, they were both out of breath, but with smiles on their lips.
“I guess we’ve changed, haven’t we?” you murmured.
Kinich smiled, one of those genuine smiles you didn’t remember seeing before.
“Yeah. And I think I like this change.”
Here is my masterlist, in case you are interested in any more of my work or want to send me a request <3
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vandal-flower · 4 months ago
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Great Power Comes with No Responsibilities
Ror men with a powerful but lazy s/o.
Requested by 🦅 anon.
Characters: Qin Shi Huang, Jack the Ripper, Buddha and Loki.
Warnings: A bit of angst in Jack's part. 😶
Notes: Do you think I wrote too much this time?
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Scenario:
"Female god reader who is extremely powerful but lazy , lazy in the means she liked to lie down and sleep a lot , if she wants to she could kill zeus and she can be really intimidating but shes soft around them."
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Qin Shi Huang
He didn't even notice you were a god.
You looked too exhausted to function, and yet you were ready to fight whomever tried to harm him.
He would take care of any obstacles that would dare present itself to him, but he loves how you sort the situation than he does.
There were times where you offered to lift his curse, but he declined.
According to him, if he as an emperor could not endure this curse, how could he rule a nation.
You haven't heard such wise words from anyone else before. You smile at him, and gently give him a kiss on his head.
No one dares to challenge either of you as they fear the both individually.
In private, he declares his love and loyalty for you, as the two of you embrace each other.
"Even if the Heavens dare to object our love, we'll remain ontop."
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Jack the Ripper
He's honestly surprised how someone like you could love a man like him.
He has faced many hardships, threats and much more from people who knew him and those who don't.
However, when it comes to you, he can't help but cry a little at the smallest hint of love and kindness someone has ever given him.
Someone who is even more powerful than Zeus himself. Despite your intimidating nature, he finds it soothing.
Especially when you are so soft around him. He often wonders what he did to be loved and cherished by someone like you.
Many wanted to end his life even before he fought Hercules. He is very thankful that you continue to defend him even with your reputation at stake.
You often don't mind defending him against the other gods, after all he is your lover.
It's unknown how you two got together, but it does not matter as the two of you are head over heels for each other. (Good for you.)
"I don't know what I did to have to have you in my life, but I promise to cherish our time forever my dear."
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Buddha
My guy here is taking advantage of the whole situation.
You can't blame him though, he is literally in a relationship with someone who is as strong, if not stronger than a primordial god!
Many wonder how in the world did you end up with someone like him, but seeing how lazy you are, it makes sense.
Often times, when Zeus threatens to punish him, you put Zeus in his place, promising an eternity of pain should he ever hurt your lover.
The smirk on his face says it all. (Me too.)
He is happy at the fact that even though you are powerful enough to defeat Zeus, or any chief god, you don't get arrogant.
Despite how powerful you are, he treats you the same way he treats everyone, just with more affection.
You bet he's telling Jataka about you, and how much he loves you!
"Thanks for taking care of the other gods for me. I'll cuddle you later if you want honeybun."
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Loki
Another one on the list of taking advantage of this, however to an even greater degree. (What did you expect?)
Whenever he pranks Thor or Odin, he immediately runs to you. The two can't do anything but give him a death glare.
He's busy giggling his bum off behind your back, as you wake up from your nap and question who woke you up.
He often questions you if Zeus truly is the Grandfather of the Cosmos. To which you reply an exhausted, "No, it's only because he is powerful and looks older than he is."
At first he thought you were a demigod due to how sluggish you were acting. But quickly straightened up after seeing Zeus treat you with more respect than anyone.
He tried pranking you, but you were too tired to notice anything. And when you did notice, it backfired on him, resulting to him being confined in the emergency room.
He definitely thinks you're weird and has voiced this, but knows you won't care either way. He also tries to get a reaction from you.
He likes telling you the latest stories (or gossip) from the Heavens. You sometimes stay awake just to hear them.
"Apparently there was a rumors spreading around about Aphrodite's beauty salon."
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I probably wrote too much didn't I.
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delicrieux · 3 months ago
Text
…TAKING WHAT’S NOT YOURS ! ⋆。°✩
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⋆⭒˚.⋆ chapter summary. the fireworks festival.
pairing. gojo satoru x f!sorcerer reader warnings for this chapter. swearing, character death (off screen, dw) wc. 6.3k author’s note. gege deserves to be charged for war crimes for what he's done, but besides that, thank u for reading once again. i really loved writing this story and agonizing about what it would be like to be with our dear satoru. he is, without doubt, a character that deserved so much better. but anyway, thank you again!!!! c u at the end of this xx
ੈ ✩‧₊˚
masterlist | buy me coffee☕ | twny masterlist | < back |
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CHAPTER 14: you know where to find me & i know where to look
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you will not lie and tell yourself that being away from gojo isn’t strange and off-putting, even if you would like to. it’s different when either of you are on a mission, because, theoretically, now you know he’s just on the other side of the wall and you have chosen to not curl up beside him. you have slept alone for a long time, and it had never been an issue until now – there’s no one to be too warm against, no one to hog the sheets, no one to chew on your hair dreaming of something sweet.
the stockholm syndrome really got you, huh?
still, you sleep well. there’s enough space and you awake refreshed, with no limbs tingly or numb, but a bit lonely. the room is too big, and even if the view behind the curtain is nice enough to snap a picture, it’s not as charming without gojo pointing and saying, “heh, look, a bit more rain and it’s gonna be a landslide,” and you, naturally, nodding along, because he must be right.
you dress and douse yourself in a heavy, heavy cloud of the perfume he got you. gojo insisted on this one because he liked the way it smelled, and you are feeling better today and are willing to hear out another heartfelt apology. you are very nice and very merciful and deserve the very best for your endless efforts to steer this relationship into something at least vaguely harmonious.
maybe you can reconcile during a tasty breakfast with a cappuccino syruped with caramel and the foam resembling a cat. yes, you have put the pieces together – normally, you wouldn’t consider yourself a great strategist, but surprisingly, last night you had ran this situation through your head over and over and over again till every possible scenario and an equally possible outcome was engraved into the squiggly lines of your brain. you have never been more prepared for anything in your entirely life.
“i’ve learned my lesson,” are the very first words you hear when you open the door, met with a head hung low and an unhappy gojo satoru.
alright, this you did not anticipate. he looks a bit miserable. gojo always hated the silent treatment or the ignore policy the most, even when he was harassing you for his personal entertainment, but you didn’t think eight hours apart would make him like this. suppose he might not have slept at all; suppose you did leave on a sour note, a small good night and a strained smile he tried to mimic but failed, waiting till you shut the door before heading to his room.
you wonder how long he’s been antsy behind your door, waiting like a lost pet. you decide to assume he just got here instead of thinking of the more likely scenario that he sensed your cursed energy spike once you rolled out of bed and was at attention ever since.
“that’s nice,” you tell him. a soft kiss to his cheek seals the deal for both of you, and an ache you didn’t realize you were suffering from lifts seeing him instantly brighten.
“you smell nice,” he leans in, happily nosing the side of your neck, “and look nice. super nice. hello.”
“hi, good morning.”
“yes,” a toothy smile, and your fingers twining with his, “great, even, actually. didja miss me?”
you will not lie to yourself, but you will lie to him. you shake your head, as though disappointed by such an unfair and silly line of questioning, “it’s barely been a night. i was relieved, if anything.”
he wrinkles his nose, a look that borders on not so playful if taking in the arctic gleam of his eyes, “not funny,” the comedy will have to wait, it seems, he’s serious, “no jokes about that. or separation. ever. you and i are conjoined twins from now on. we could be permanently glues together by my infinity. now that’s an idea.”
a bit too frankensteinian for you, so you have to pass, “let’s leave the morally questionable experiments to shoko, please.”
“if you insist,”
well, now that the apology is out of the way and the awkwardness is cleared, you are prepared for a feast that he will pay for, “let’s go down to eat?”
if it weren’t for the slight downward twitch of the corners of his lips, you might’ve been fooled that all is fine and dandy. apparently, it is not. hesitation, from him, only comes when he’s preparing for something major and likely emotionally taxing. this, on an empty stomach, will not do, but drawing it out isn’t an option, either.
he squeezes your hand before you can come up with an excuse to avoid breakfast or this conversation, as this isn’t going at all like you have pedantically strung together. another squeeze, and you decide to never plan anything ever again, “…can we order room service instead?” he inquires, and you relax a little, glad you won’t have to have this conversation mid-hallway where any other guest could sneak up, “i, uh,” he won’t meet your eyes, “i’d like to talk a bit. first. if that’s okay?”
your insides are twisting into knots – not from the present anxiety but from the honesty in his quiet voice.
“sure,” you settle.
he nods and takes the lead, hand a little sweaty, face a little flustered – all very out of character, but very sweet. you let him drag you the whole of the next door down and you’re graciously let into the spotless, untouched space he had spent the night in. the curtains are open, the bed is pristine, and gojo is never this clean so it can only mean he hasn’t used it. you glance at him with a wordless question but he’s still avoiding your gaze.
has he really agonized over this the whole night? you have, too, a bit, but seemingly not nearly enough. maybe it’s his first time having a fight with someone; maybe it’s his first time being in the wrong and knowing that he is and actually doing something about it. too many maybes. you think he might be just as confused as you.
once the door is shut, he breathes out. perks up, finally, once you’re safely secured in his perimeter. he gestures toward the expanse of the bed, face morphing back into a rather placid expression that betrays nothing but an odd edge that doesn’t manage to leave his eyes entirely.
“after you,” he announces chivalrously. no ulterior motives there.
“uh-huh,” you sound, toeing the slippers off and climbing in. you scoot back till you’re pressed against the pillows, leaving ample space for him to join. he chooses a spot by your thigh, warmth pickling against your skin, and you really do forgive him, you decide, and you would probably forgive him again even he pulled the same stunt at this very moment. no, that is terrible, how has this idiot managed to ensnare you so completely?
once he’s fidgeted enough, he moves onto his next agenda, “the menu,” he pulls out a booklet from the drawer, placing it on your bent knees like a little gift. this all feels vaguely rehearsed, “pick what you want.”
that was always the intention, but you see that he’s trying very hard to work up the courage to something he wants to say, so maybe some good old fashioned enthusiasm from you will help him relax, “alright,” a hum for added measure, “hmmm…. mhmmm…. ooh, pancakes sound nice. like, maybe a mountain of them.”
“yeah?” his chin finds its usual spot on your shoulder, “pick between the triple and a tower.”
the picture showing off the pancake tower does look very impressive, not to mention delicious. however, you aren’t entirely certain you would finish one, as the heading reads over one meter!, which is simply ridiculous. thankfully, you have a man with a black hole for a stomach right next to you, “i’d like a tower.”
“sure, whatever you want.”
“and a cappuccino,” you’re not skimming out on that, even if it’s unlikely the barista will make you cat-shaped foam. maybe you can press gojo to bully them into doing it, but pressing gojo into anything at this moment would likely lead to another disaster, “with a double shot. possibly triple. how many shots do they do?”
“think one’s plenty enough,” his tongue darts out, wetting his lips. they appear  bit chapped, but nothing you can’t fix, “…can i get a kiss?”
…so much for wanting to talk. this is already familiar. he’s trying to change the subject.
“for good behavior?” you venture coyly, peeling your gaze away from the breakfast details to gauge his expression.
it makes him smile, small and wicked, “yup. best behavior, actually. i said sorry, it counts. right? say yes.”
“mmm,” you manage, thinking up another scheme. you would like to keep this on track. it’s likely he won’t dare to say it again and the implication of it will hang between the two of you until another fight, and another, and it’ll keep stacking up and up and likely higher than the famed pancake tower. his pupils grow larger the longer he waits for your permission. a small sigh, and your nails scratch at the nape, “maybe let’s eat first?”
his gaze flickers for a second, and then he gives you a kind, patient smile, “alright,” because he meant it when he said whatever you want.
“so nice of you,” you praise. his grin shifts. you recognize i – it’s the one he dons when he’s winning.
a quick call to reception, gojo’s back to holding your hand again, softly as not to crowd you. his fingers really are much longer than yours, and he measures them idly, more than used to the sight but still somehow mesmerized by it.
“i don’t like fighting with you,” he starts, voice even, though low, “the rest i don’t really care about, but you,” he tugs on your finger, “you just, doesn’t…” he trails off, confidence shaken by something invisible.
“i don’t like fighting with you either,” you share, hoping it will ease him. it seems to work, but only a little, “it sucks.”
“yeah,” he huffs, “super major sucks,” he draws closer and the mattress shifts. he finds home beside you, head once again nestled into your shoulder, like it’s the safest place on planet earth.
gojo always seeks refuge in physical affection. it’s a way he can express himself without using words. suppose you can pull him into your embrace and calm him like that; suppose he’ll feel a bit braver without your eyes so deeply focused on him, even if there’s always a chance he’ll take the easy way out and refuse to speak at all.
but that’s not what happens, “i just wanted to find a spot where we could watch the stars together.”
“oh,” you utter, unsure what to make of this yet. you are glad he has finally told you, but that still doesn’t explain why he was acting, dare you say, nervous before the argument. there has to be more. there always is, but you will never pry, because it’s painful enough for him already.
“didn’t work out the way i had hoped it would, though,” and now he sounds genuinely sad. a horrible feeling surfaces in you, “but we can still watch them tonight. if you want.”
“i do,” you assure him, “but you have to talk about what’s bothering you. i can’t read your mind.”
“thank god you can’t,” a hollow chuckle follows, “it’s a secret anyway. none of your beeswax.”
impossible, like always, but you wouldn’t really have it any other way. you card your fingers through his hair and he relaxes further, warm breath tickling the side of your neck. a small sigh, this time from him. now that he’s said all that he has wanted to say – which still doesn’t really explain anything, but is more than enough – he can pretend to be an overgrown cat and bask in your affectionate gestures.
it’s going to be okay. you hope he doesn’t see your little smile. lucky.
*
“is this supposed to be a white tiger?” you inquire, holding up a glass phone charm for his inspection. another pale, blue-eyed thing that has caught your fancy. soon, your dorm room will also include a private zoo of all the cute plushies and ornaments you’ve managed to collect with gojo’s money.
“doesn’t have any stripes,” he hums, twisting and turning the vaguely animal-shaped object in his palm. dusk falls on his shoulders, tinting the edges of his hair a soft lilac, “maybe a polar bear?”
suppose it doesn’t really matter, since all charms displayed at this stall look the same, and it surely has nothing to do with the talent of the man that made them. he gazes over them proudly, each sat in a small leather box with a lavish seat, ready to be taken home and hung by the mirror or looped around a cellphone. the monkey ones could maybe resemble monkeys if you squinted and took a lot of creative liberties, and the rest are just shapes with four legs and a snout. oddly cute, in an incompetent, unexplainable way.
“you wanna…?” gojo raises a brow, shades blocking the double-check he no doubt sends you. you nod vigorously.
he has learned his lesson from last time and carries a concerning amount of cash in his wallet. your tiger-bear is placed in its box and then wrapped in a little bow before being hidden in a colorful plastic bag that eventually makes its way to you. you bow in thank you.
the matsuri continues. the winding streets are blocked from traffic yet crowd with too many patrons; gojo pinches your sleeve and tugs when a particularly large wave of people try to separate you. even when they manage, and you’re momentarily disoriented from the sounds and smells and sights, he always manages to spot you first. maybe he just knows where to look.
gojo has changed from his usual garbs into a baby blue yukata. blue really is his color, and he looks so infuriatingly handsome that you have to glare at a sizable amount of people to let them know he is not available to be admired now, or ever, really. you have contemplated buying him a kabuki mask, but even then, his height and broad shoulders – not to mention that unshakable gait and all-over enticing confidence! – would somehow reveal him, and people would still stare or try to grab his attention. perhaps the mystery of the mask would be even more alluring. your hairs stand on end at the thought.
“m?” gojo, never one to miss anything and still latched onto your sleeve, tilts his head, “are you hungry? i sensed murderous intent.”
you hide your lips behind your fan – an expensive trinket gojo insisted to get you since it would match your baby pink yukata. yes, you have come in matching bubble gum ice cream flavors. when your head moves even slightly, the hairpins clink. the sound is light and satisfying, or so he said. you can’t hear it over the noise.
“no, not really,” you say, though the dango stand does look delicious, and the twinkling lights are inviting. your displeased eyes do not leave the group of high school girls donning their flowery yukata and giggling into their kakigori bowls. it is truly a blessing you have been born with a useless amount of cursed energy, because you would definitely use it for evil.
maybe gojo knows, and he graciously steps forward, blocking your sight from the rest of the people. another tug, and you snap into motion.
around you, lanterns sway, alight and warm; they cast low over the sidewalks and shine bright against the cobblestone walkways. in the corners of your vision, the glow swirls into endless rainbow-colored ribbons.
“how good are you at shooting?” he asks.
all dolled up and pretty, you can only clap your lashes  few times at the absurd question, “really well, why?”
“like, a bow or  a gun?”
“does it matter? both require concentration and precision,” you explain, “still, are we planning a heist or something? i don’t have any cursed tools on me,” and while the prospect of danger and adventure is enticing, you really are having fun just being here with him and would rather stay.
“nah, just a bit of friendly competition,” he grins, glasses drooping just enough to catch the mischievous twinkle in his eye, “wanna go against the strongest? you’ll be the only one to that lived to tell the tale.”
wanna do this, wanna do that? want food, a plushie, something absurdly expensive? if you asked for the moon, you wonder if he’d try to retrieve it. perhaps calculate if a missing edge wouldn’t spin the planet out of orbit and bring it back to you as a souvenir.
“i’d like a soda,” you say.
“let’s get you a cola,” he switches directions so quickly you almost collide into an equally mushy couple enjoying their date.
only you and gojo are not a couple, and this is not a date, and each time he recalls an insignificant detail about you and goes out of his way to do something small for you only because he wants to do it, it becomes harder and harder to remember the fact. pretending is awful, and it burns strangely acidic in the back of your throat. but it’s so warm, too, and you want to cling to his arm and press your cheek against his yukata. hide there, in his sleeve, like he always does in the crook of your neck.
gojo wouldn’t mind. once he gets you your tasty drink, you paint a kiss mark on his cheekbone with your lips. it’s faint and pink, glossy against the rose that steadily rises onto his face, and he doesn’t wipe it off, only smiles sheepishly.
eventually, you make it to the shooting range. it’s a large stall decorated with sea creatures and varying shades of purple and blue. you’re handed a large water gun and told to hold till the targets – large jellyfish – fall over, officially earning you a point. depending on the amount of points one receives, one might win a prize, or so the man in a pirate costume explained.
“ready?” gojo asks, fixing his glasses. you’re not sure how serious you should take this. your pride may be on the line, but this game is likely extremely rigged. he’s already the strongest, and whatever he’d receive from the pirate would ultimately make it into your hold without you having to steal or resort to anything desperate, like politely asking.
still, you are a sorcerer. if a friend and colleague is requesting, you must put on a brave front. it is the morally righteous thing to do, after all.
you put your hand on your hip and nod.
the game begins. three seconds into it you realize that the water stream is much too weak for you to successfully take down a significant number in the modest time allocated for this quest. still, you keep going, and several jellyfish fall by your skillful hand and steadfast accuracy.
no matter the physical differences or innate abilities, there should not be a lead in this competition, and if there were to be one, it would be you and your clear head compared to gojo’s impatience and petulant whining. as a matter of fact, he is not whining, nor is he sulking in defeat or trying to sabotage your chances.
he is barely containing his cackle over tightly pressed lips and quivering shoulders, his grip on the plastic so tight the bright red grip cracks a little.
the jellyfish stood in his path to victory keep falling one by one so quickly you take a second glance to ensure he’s not using an actual gun to knock them over. cursed energy permeates in the air like static after a storm, and you sigh, lowering your water gun before the timer’s up.
he's cheating. somehow you didn’t expect this, even if it was obvious from the start. should you scold him and be disappointed, thus ruining the fun for everyone out of principle?
you feel like he’s been through enough. even a fake argument would leave him discontent, and you even more so. besides, you doubt either of you would have won even the most useless trinket if you played fair and square. this you judge from the absolutely aghast expression of the stall’s owner, who might snap his neck at any moment if he keeps swinging it from jellyfish to gojo and back.
the bells chime. the game ends. with trembling hands, the pirate picks up the stuffed animal gojo pointed at and hands it over.
 “there you go,” gojo thrusts the penguin in your arms, and you take it, all fluff and cold seams, “for you.”
“okay,” you concede, cradling the stupid looking bird. it's cute.
you do not miss the owner checking gojo's gun for a malfunction. he does not miss the sly look you send his way before departing.
“where to next?” you can't wait. you have had fizzy drinks, munched on so many yakitori skewers you've lost count, watched a truly horrendous standup comedian and stayed till the end of the performance out of pity, and exchanged three handmade charms for a total of two plushies. your penguin will be named yukihira because that was the name of gojo's pet koi fish.
pet, as in it was in the pond, and gojo liked looking at it the most, hence he named it. there were no pets allowed in the gojo household, or any fun, for that matter. you didn't understand, not entirely, but you wanted to. a lackluster childhood burdened with responsibility so vast and complex it's hardly comprehensible. he wouldn't elaborate further, simply bury his face into the bend of your neck and kiss until the memory had finally, and perfectly, faded from your mind, and you could breathe just a bit easier.
“to sit,” gojo says, indicating the lone bench beneath the awning across the stall, “exhausted. gotta recharge for the next conquest.”
“how dramatic,” you comment, but take his extended arm and accompany him.
together, you remain unbothered, a tiny island amidst a current of shifting yukata, cork shoes, and the occasional colorful sandal. fireflies wink around, chasing each other like sparklers.
gojo fishes out his phone and clicks his tongue, reading the message you know is there. most likely another important thing to deal with. you wish he wouldn't have to worry about anything ever again, but that sounds ridiculous even to you.
“what's up?” you lean your shoulder on his. the penguin sits on your lap, quietly reflecting your somber gaze. it's round, black eyes are welcoming, so you poke its nose.
“nothing,” he decides, waving the thought away, “it can wait, probably.”
you make a face, “that doesn't sound very assuring.”
“unlike some, i have a healthy respect for privacy,” he grins, not taking his eyes off the device even when his tone softens considerably, “i won't interrogate you if you don't want me to. so the same goes for me.”
you snort. that's a lie if you've ever heard one, because he has never shied away of reading your messages along with you or providing helpful responses. still, you won't push. you trust him. if he says it's nothing, it means it's nothing.
a short silence settles. the air feels balmy, and a phantom wind circles you. one of the lanterns has blown out, and a little trail of smoke floats to the sky.
“huh,” you blink, the information suddenly resurfacing in your brain, “the sister event is next week.”
“ugh,” he shoves his phone back into his pocket only so he could rub the disgust off of his face, “don't remind me.”
you grin, “heh, how come? we can just send you alone. we'll win anyway.”
“always gotta do all the work,” he groans, then leans his head back, fixing you with a knowing look from the corner of his eye, “aren't you going to hold my hand?”
“want me to?”
his throat bobs, the simple question alone making his breath stumble as if he was walking down a dark alley, and hearing your voice had given him goosebumps. his voice is steady when he answers, “yeah.”
with one arm securing your precious yukihara, you reach over and take his hand. his larger fingers slide over yours, catching.
“so spoiled,” you tease. he lifts your hand to press his lips to your skin. now it's your heart's turn to waver. his eyes are crinkled happily, the crescent of his smile lighting up in the growing shadows. there's something playful hiding there, too, something secretive that he wouldn't share until he was sure you'd like it, and that patience of his, newfound and endearing, spreads like sweet nectar down your throat and bubbles a giggle.
“yep,” he agrees, so delighted his nose scrunches adorably.
you could stay like this forever, watching and enjoying the thrum and beat of a summer festival. the atmosphere, the laughter and tittering, the low chatter as people find their way from one thing to another. live in this moment, like a firefly caught in a glass jar.
at one point, gojo's cheek rests on your head, and you soak in the warmth. perhaps this is his favorite part. the glow of the lanterns is just the right side of orange and highlights the angles and divots of his face, while his other hand stays coiled around yours, and his thumb rubs small, soothing patterns into your knuckles.
“let's sit it out.”
“hm?”
“the sister exchange event. haibara-kun, nanami-kun, and suguru can participate for us,” you tell him, “we could hide in the clinic with shoko.”
he pulls back from his position, but only so he could survey you properly. his stare is less calculating than it is contemplative. behind his glasses, his eyes are burning quietly. at times, there's something almost solemn glazing over his expression, softening the sharp lines and allowing his features to relax. it makes him seem so much more mature and so unlike himself that you never know how to react.
“can't,” he says with a small sigh, finally coming to stand. he pulls on your hand and you scramble, grappling to keep yukihara from falling along with all of your things, “yaga would definitely beat my ass if i ever tried pulling something. but that doesn't mean i don't want to,” his smile widens, “thank you for the offer, though.”
“wow, a sincere and gracious rejection. thanks, satoru.”
“anytime,” he winks. you flick his forehead.
no pouting this time, though, no furrowed brows or crossed arms. instead, he bites his lower lip and seems to be wrestling with himself not to jump you. he is behaving extremely well by comparison, his touches never bordering on anything even remotely inappropriate for a public settling.
you appreciate the consideration. even despite the crowded space, he is focused solely on you, his finger grazing along your palm, tickling your wrist. if you smile any wider, your cheeks will start hurting. and if he continues looking at you like that over the rim of his sunglasses, your heart will start hurting instead.
“should we head to ashinoko?” you ask, keeping yukihara close, “or will there be too many people there?”
“probably, but it doesn't matter,” he reassures, “we'll find a spot. worst case scenario i'll let you sit on me. my shoulders, to be exact.”
how would you explain the sudden rush of blood to your head? “that won't be necessary...”
“why not? can't get much of a better view. and you get to play with my hair, too,” he tacks on, “or maybe i could hold your legs and give your-”
you take back everything you thought of good behavior and growth as a person, he is nothing but a lewd pest wanting to embarrass you in the middle of a romantic setting, the absolute traitor, and you have half a mind to stomp him to death right then and there. all the private tutors in the world couldn't teach him manners, and no stifling house rules could condition him out of his shit eating grin.
he is terrible, and you like him still, more and more each day. even now, when he looks on the verge of laughing, so pleased to have flustered you, while you try and fail not to panic.
“kidding,” he assures, “mostly. i would, if you asked.”
“satoru, pl-”
“wouldn't even question it.”
“sa-”
“got a list of places i could put my mouth. just say the word.”
you've lost. completely and irrecoverably. your shoulders slump, too tired to continue picking the pieces of your shattered dignity, “yes, yes, i get it. please stop talking.”
he shrugs, unbearably nonchalant considering he basically propositioned to make you cum between fireworks displays, “if you insist.”
unruffled by any objections, like he'd simply whisk you away to somewhere secluded should you demand him to, and it would be so easy. like he's itching for a chance, a sign, a simple smile. like he'd drop to his knees if you only said yes. you're almost appalled by his shamelessness, yet that, unfortunately, is part of his charm as well.
still, what a tease. you wish yukihara wouldn't have to hear such things. your dear penguin doesn't deserve to experience such trauma so early into your care. you are so very sorry.
“then...” you steer the topic back to where it's mostly harmless, not counting his smug look that would haunt you till the end of days, “let's go?”
“okie-dokie.”
you fall back into the crowd and lose all traces of rhythm. children push past you, twittering and shrieking, with their chaperones stumbling after them and rapidly bowing apologies left and right. the ground is smooth beneath your feet, stone flattened in ages by carts and soles alike. the two of you branch off and enter a lesser known forest path to avoid the onslaught of people rushing to see the performance at the hakone shrine before the fireworks.
the change in scenery is instantaneous. the suffocating density of bodies disappears, as well as the oppressive humidity. it's darker without the fairy lights and lampposts, the cicadas overlapping everything else. the air smells like fern, cut grass, and wet tree bark, oddly fresh and cool closer to the lake.
gojo stores his sunglasses into a discreet inner pocket. his eyes glint under a stretch of tree shadow, emitting a faint bluish glow, not bright enough to lighten his features yet remaining ever present. ever so beautiful. the woods seem to sigh around you, branches fluttering nervously above as he leans in, almost a specter.
“what's wrong?” your question brushes against the fringes of his hair.
“you're looking at me funny.”
“i am? sorry.”
“like you have so much you want to say.”
“oh,” you blink, then stare down at your shoes. a fallen maple leaf rustles when you step on it, giving a dry crunch, “not really.”
“yeah, well,” he scratches his cheek, “me too, kinda.”
a soft smile, this time, something private and indulging.
for a while you don't speak, not because you can't think of anything to say, but rather can't choose the right words. none of them seem enough, too sweet or too plain. the small trek through the damp forest path leaves your shoes a bit muddy and the hems of your yukata covered in dry flakes and pine needles, most having already blown away.
you hear it first – the deep, thunderous sounds of drums coming from the direction of the shrine. then, ways down the twisting tree line, you spot dancing lights. closer and closer, and the sounds become powerful enough to shake you, vibrating through the ground up to your legs. you hold on just a bit tighter, and gojo returns the gesture firmly.
he is quiet. his head is bowed, gaze focused ahead and somewhere else at the same time, like he's thinking about other things, which, knowing him, can be anything. he leads you off the path and you follow, passing between the foliage and low hanging branches. the weather grows colder. you're approaching the shore.
finally, the landscape clears. a thin border of black pines separates water from earth. wisteria vines drape over the whole scene like curtains on windows, billowing gently. the noise of the show is still loud and beats to the drum of your heart, each thud somehow too close and too obvious. from here, you can see the massive red torii gate stood in the shallows.
the water sloshes by your feet, and the sandy soil squishes pleasantly. far and wide, there are others waiting, too, all finding their own spots amongst the reeds and gravel. a few lanterns float in the moonlit surface of lake ashinoko, bright and orange, like the ones in the market district, and you watch, captivated, as their reflections spill over the shifting water. the chimes wind up to a symphony. it's beautiful.
gojo tilts his head to you, and his lips move, but you can't hear what he's saying.
“what?” you call, ticking a waiting ear in his direction.
the boom cuts through everything, the flash of gold drowning out his face, and you realize way too late what's happening. the crackle continues, and the air trembles, releasing another burst of fireworks. the light leaves fractals dancing over him, each one landing just so, as if aimed, cascading over his eyelashes.
he repeats the words, and something about his expression makes your heart stutter: longing and apprehension quickly replaced with shyness, almost endearing as he watches you expectantly. the sky glitters around, awash in blues and greens and whites, brilliant enough to blind. you can't look away from him.
he says it again, and again, and again, and you can't read the shape of his mouth because you're too afraid of what you will find there. the drums, the cheers, the changing lights, the words airy against your lips. he kisses you. you understand the phrase now, or you hope that you do, so you tell it back, quietly, so he couldn't hear you either:
“i like you.”
your hand finds purchase on the fabric at his chest. it's tight, and his grip is strong, cradling you with such care you can't help but shiver. each kiss is like that, little sips of air, barely enough to sustain either of you, and then he holds you and you let him, boneless, allowing yourself melt into the sure, enveloping warmth.
the light is dying, and you're dizzy. yukihara sits as a witness between your pounding hearts.
eventually, the display fades away into starlight. you want to say it again, but neither of you are brave enough to do it.
*
gojo: just waved nanamin and haibara bye bye on their mission 4:56pm
gojo: can’t believe you all left me w ijichi ( ⩌'︿'⩌) 4:57pm
you: where’s shoko? 4:57pm
gojo: clinic like a loser i dont wanna go down there lol might catch smth 4:59pm
gojo: when are u coming back 5:00pm
you: i just got here (˶˃⤙˂˶) but probably in a few hours, i won’t stay overnight 5:01pm
gojo: yeah u wont the hell 5:02pm
gojo: my girl gotta get back to me asap ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧waiting impatinetlyyyyyyy 5:03pm
you: omg lol just bumped into some salaryman and he almost knocked me over. i think he was frightened of my poorly concealed weapon and apologized heh 5:05pm
gojo: where is he? give him ur phone i wanna talk 5:05pm
you: he left already, it’s ok 5:05pm
gojo: teleporting rn 5:06pm
you: ? you can’t do long distances stupid 5:06pm
gojo: yeah and he better be grateful that i cant 5:07pm
gojo: r u done yet want u home 5:41pm
gojo: hello? no ‘yes my gorgeous blue eyed king'? rude 5:42pm
gojo: ok it has been an hour im gonna be serious, did you meet another boy or something? cant wait to murder him 6:33pm
gojo: dont tell me you got kidnapped. i will purple the planet 7:01pm
gojo: 10 mins until i start ripping at the seams and go psycho and rip the roof off the entire city. call me rn, and then, when youre done, i'm stealing you away for a month 7:15pm
gojo: ok in a bad mood now 7:46pm
gojo: we’re talking cthulu levels of bad 8:00pm
gojo: would it be dramatic if i were to jump over a cliff 8:10pm
gojo: hi this is principal yaga gojo has jumped to his death please text back and list everything you love and find sexy about him 8:12pm
gojo: ok ur freaking me the fuck out im coming to get u u can cry abt it later and yaga can scream and shit all he wants grade 3s shouldn’t take this long 8:25pm
gojo: gonna text u till you respond, u know that, right? 2:00am
*
MISSION REPORT: 15.08.2009
LEAD ASSIGNED OFFICIAL: YAGA MASAMICHI, 1ST GRADE
SORCERER: KAWAKAMI Y/N, 1ST GRADE
PROBLEM DESCRIPTIONS: 3RD CLASS CURSE CONFIRMED DISPELLING PROCESS (UNKNOWN – FIRST RESPONSE TEAMS)
REPORT REGARDING JOB ACCOMPLISHED: KAWAKAMI LOCATED CURSE SITE (CHICHIBU STATION UNDERGROUND) – SCAN FOR TARGET, CRITICAL INJURY; CURSED INHERITANCE-TYPE SPECIAL GRADE – ATTEMPT AT SEALING PROCESS FAILED, DISEASED APPENDAGES, LIMBS & 80% NECROTISED FLESH - UNKNOWN ANGULATION - TIME OF DEATH, 15.08.2009. 5.13PM.
CURSE CONFIRMED DESTROYED: 15.08.2009, 9.59PM, GOJO SATORU.
DEATH REPORTED: 15.08.2009, 11.03PM, GOJO SATORU. BODY RETRIEVED: 12.15AM, MEDICAL TEAM. FINAL EXAMINATION: 2:02AM, IEIRI SHOKO.
ACCELERATED FUNERAL CEREMONY IN EFFECT AS NEXT OF KIN; NONE.
JOB SOLVED: GOJO SATORU.
MISSION REPORT SUBMITTED: NANAMI KENTO, 18.08.2009.
CLOSED.
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author's note:
1) so sorry it was planned from the start 2) i do wonder how long satoru would have really sat there in the ground levels of a train station when the fight was over. he did for an hour, but if he had the time, he would likely have spent more time saying goodbye 3) now u know why the cover image of the masterlist is the specific one where gojo wakes up w tears from a dream he had about his school days
before you lynch me, the technique of our dear reader really was in her lastname - kawakami. i'm a big fan of junji ito, and since there's already a ref in jjk of his manga (uzumaki), i though "huh, it would be sooo cool if the mc had a power like tomie!!!" so i wrote this. i wrote a lot of versions, some were a bit scary, so i scrapped them. tomie kawakami's power is essentially being able to clone and heal herself from a single strand of dna, along with a bunch of disturbing stuff, but that's one of the main components of her power.
so here, i present to you an endless amount of endings (2): a) reader has really died, getou has defected, more nice trauma b) reader has not died and returns at any point after the report is submitted, as per her cool powers. getou still defects im sorry some things are doomed by the narrative
either way, u can't get over something like this. megumi? satoru? suguru? shoko? they could never heal from this, no matter if reader came back or not xx
next time i promise to write something where no one dies and there is a happy ending. but for now, that's all, folks! i love u even tho u probably hate me. that's ok. i, too, am gracious and merciful.
tags (couldn't tag in bold!). @shokosbunny , @jotarohat , @fortunatelyfurrygiver , @alygator77 , @finnydraws , @mastermasterlist1p1 , @eolivy , @letsmyy , @staruus , @k0z3me , @damnshorty , @kaeyakaikai , @n4melesspers0n , @midnightwriter21 , @sillymercury , @byakuya61085 , @stillnotherapy , @mydearchoso , @plutoisaghoul , @byerno6 , @bqvz , @harryzcherry , @noira-l , @your-sleeparalysisdem0n , @satoryaa , @cccandynecklaces , @stuffeddeer , @cherriee-ee , @ducky1232
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persevereforahappyending · 2 months ago
Text
This isn't Your Fault (Rescue)
Pairing: Tara Carpenter x Reader
Summary: During your distracted state Tara took the opportunity to wiggle her arm out of your grasp and began marching down the alley.
Warnings: None
Word Count: 3k+
Main Masterlist | Series Masterlist
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6
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You and Tara walked down the streets of New York to her apartment. You had finished your classes for the semester and were finally on break. It wasn’t often you and Tara truly got to be alone to go out and do something, Sam or your mom were always wanting someone to be around. It was almost a year later when they finally decided to let up and let you and Tara live normal lives again, after a lot of begging from Tara. You personally didn’t mind, you didn’t like to go out anyway, though being able to go over to Tara’s or back to your house without an escort would have been nice.
The two of you had just grabbed dinner at one of your favorite restaurants, and you had your arms wrapped around each other as you walked down the street. You were passing an alley way when you heard something fall. You and Tara both turned, squinting your eyes to see what made the noise but saw nothing. Tara started to pull away from you and move towards the dark alley.
“Didn’t you hear that?” She asked, when you quickly pulled her back to your side.
“Yeah,” you said, looking at her like she had grown two heads. “Which is why I’m stopping you from going down a dark and creepy alley.”
Tara rolled her eyes. “You’re being ridiculous.”
Your eyes widened and you couldn’t help but stare at Tara. Until you were attacked yourself and no longer had to keep your relationship a secret did you truly understand where Sam was coming from. You’d admit Sam was just a bit overprotective, but you also couldn’t deny that with a sister like Tara, her overprotectiveness was warranted. Tara very well knew the dangers of the world and of her life in particular, just because Ghostface was gone didn’t mean there weren’t still the random crazy’s that tried to go after and threaten her and Sam.
During your distracted state Tara took the opportunity to wiggle her arm out of your grasp and began marching down the alley. You snapped out of it almost as soon as Tara was out of your hands and without giving it a second thought you took off after her. You really hoped it was nothing and you wouldn’t have to make Tara feel guilty for the rest of her life if the two of you got murdered.
“Tara,” you whispered. You ran up next to her, sticking close to her side, for her protection, definitely not because you were scared.
The two of you froze when you heard more rattling. It sounded like someone had bumped a garbage can or was riffling around in one. You were seriously hoping you’d find some homeless man digging through trash or a worker from one of the nearby restaurants taking out the trash for the night. Those were the best-case scenarios you could come up with because anything else led to one or both of your deaths.
“Over here,” Tara whispered, seeming to not have heard you, or she was ignoring you. She grabbed your arm and began dragging you towards the trash bins against a brick wall.
You groaned but followed along. One of the trash cans was knocked over, the lid on the ground next to it. You furrowed your brow, there wasn’t anyone near it, and the alley was a dead end so it wasn’t like the person could have run away. There wasn’t anywhere for someone to hide either, unless they were rather small. There was an old pallet propped up against the brick wall and a blue tarp that had been dirtied from the rain and usual alley gunk draped partially over the pallet.
Something shuffled, moving the tarp and making you take a step back. Tara wasn’t deterred though. Tara pressed forward and crouched down, getting halfway under the tarp.
“Wh-what are you doing?” you whispered, your voice going even higher. “Get out of there,” you moved forward and began to puller her back by her waist. Tara waved her arm back, knocking your hands off her. “Tara,” you whispered harshly.
You let out a silent groan and kicked at the pavement. Even if you didn’t die in the alley, you would certainly die if anything happened to Tara. Sam would probably even murder you herself, you being her new favorite person wouldn’t even be able to save you if something happened to Tara while you were with her.
Tara finally backed up out of the tarp and you couldn’t help but let out a sigh, she didn’t get murdered in front of you, but now she was going to have to survive you. “What the hell were you thinking?” you asked, your voice no longer a whisper. “Who goes down a dark alley in the middle of night!” you gestured at your surroundings. “Who goes under a tarp after a strange noise?” you gestured at the tarp. “Seriously, babe, I…” your words quickly died when Tara turned around and in her arms was a tiny kitten.
You were sure you were making heart eyes at the little guy, and you couldn’t stop the smile that spread across your face. “You were saying?” Tara said, raising an eyebrow.
You reached out and scratched under the kitten’s chin with your finger. He was definitely black but if he had any other markings or colors you couldn’t tell, his fur was caked in mud and who knew what else from the alley.
Your head snapped up as if suddenly remembering where you were. “You still brought us down a creepy alley,” you said, taking your finger away from the kitten to point at Tara.
“Here,” she said, shoving the kitten into your arms. You didn’t have time process what was happening as you instinctively reached out, taking the kitten in your arms. “Put him in your jacket.”
You looked down at the little guy in your arms with a frown, you could smell him from where he was. You looked up to see Tara glaring at you. You grumbled and stuck the little guy in your jacket, making sure to keep an arm around him so he was secure and warm.
Tara began walking off back out of the alley finally. You ran to catch up, adjusting the kitten as he squirmed in your hold. “Sam’s not going to be happy,” you said as you fell into step beside her.
“She said I could have a pet,” Tara said with a wave of her hand.
“She said she’d think about it.”
Tara continued facing forward as she rolled her eyes. “It’s basically the same thing,” she waved it off again. “Who cares.”
You let out a shaky breath and continued to follow after Tara. Sam was definitely going to care, and she would be the first to point out that she never officially agreed to it. You weren’t about to try arguing with Tara though and there was no way you’d be leaving the little guy in your arms on the streets now that you’ve rescued him.
When the three of you finally got back to Tara’s apartment, she opened the door as quietly as possible and peeked her head in. “Sam!” she called. “Sam?” you strained your ears, trying to listen for any sign of movement inside. “She’s still at work,” Tara whispered back to you and pushed the door open fully.
You followed Tara into the apartment and instantly took the kitten to the bathroom. You plopped the little guy down in the sink and shrugged off your jacket that you were now definitely going to have to wash. Tara came back in with a washcloth and some hand soap.
“We can’t use that,” you said, nodding at the soap. “Kittens are too sensitive. We either need kitten specific or fragrance-free dish soap.”
Tara raised an eyebrow at you, and you just shrugged. She took the hand soap back and came back a moment later with the correct dish soap. “It’s not a permanent method,” you said as you wet the washcloth a bit before adding a drop of the soap. “But it will clean the little guy up for now.”
“We’ll get you all the proper stuff tomorrow,” Tara said in a baby voice as she scratched the kitten behind his ear.
You raised an eyebrow at her but didn’t say anything. You weren’t sure how she intended to hide the kitten from Sam and also buy it stuff before telling her sister anything. You kept your mouth shut though and got to work cleaning off the little guy. You smiled as you wiped all the gunk off him, making sure to avoid his eyes. The kitten behaved well enough, hardly ever meowing or trying to run away, but you were sure he was just terrified and had no idea what was going on.
“There we go,” you whispered as you finished up. You finished dabbing him with a wet corner of the cloth, making sure to get out all the soap.
Tara shoved you aside when you were done and held him up high as if he were Simba from Lion King. When you got full view of him all cleaned up you saw he was all black and very fuzzy. Little tufts of fur stuck off the tops of his ears, making them look too big for his little head.
“Tara!” Sam called out, making both you and Tara freeze. “I’m home!”
Tara shoved the kitten into your arms and cracked open the bathroom door to peek her head out. “I’m going to distract her,” she whispered back to you.
“Wait, what?” you whispered but Tara was already opening the door. “No, wait, what am I supposed to do with this?” you looked down at the kitten in your hands.
You inched your way closer to the door and tried listening as Tara attempted to stall Sam. You let out a sigh and looked down at the kitten, shaking your head as Tara kept asking questions about Sam’s day. You loved her dearly, but your girlfriend sucked at stalling, if she wanted to make Sam suspicious though then she was doing a fantastic job. You were surprised at times that the two of you kept your relationship secret for so long because of how terrible Tara was at keeping stuff from Sam.
You knew you couldn’t stay in the bathroom all night, so you looked down, you silently apologized to the kitten before shoving him in the pocket of your hoodie. You were lucky he was small enough, he fit perfectly, now you just had to make it to Tara’s room without drawing suspicion. As soon as you opened the bathroom door a little more you heard a meow and looked down to see the kitten sticking his head out of one side of your pocket. You brought a finger to your lips to hush him, as if he could understand you. You put one hand in the pocket to keep it on the kitten, hopefully keeping him in place and quiet for the next thirty seconds.
Almost as soon as you stepped out of the bathroom you were seen by Sam and being called over to join her and Tara. Your eyes widened and you flicked a glance at Tara to see her with the same expression. You swallowed nervously before making your way across the kitchen.
“You joining us for dinner?” Sam asked.
“Sure,” you said. You smiled and hoped it would help cover your anxiety of the kitten moving around in your pocket.
“Assume you’re staying the night as well.” Sam’s back was to you as she opened the box for the frozen pizza, she was getting ready to throw in the oven.
“If you don’t mind.” Sam never minded when you stayed the night anymore, most times she insisted, especially when it was late like it was now. You still always felt the need to ask, you never wanted to seem rude or just assume it was okay for you to stay the night if Sam ever happened to not want you there for some reason.
“Of course,” Sam shrugged like she always did.
Sam put the pizza on the stone and then slid it into the oven. She set the timer and then turned around, leaning against the counter as her eyes flicked from you to Tara. You tightened your grip on the kitten that was trying to escape your pocket. Sam hadn’t looked down to see your sweatshirt moving yet but she narrowed her eyes as she glanced from you to Tara and back.
“What’s going on?” she asked cautiously.
“Nothing,” you and Tara said at the same time. You internally smacked yourself, that was the opposite of not seeming suspicious.
Sam opened her mouth but quickly shut it when a meow echoed through out the room. Your eyes widened and you didn’t even react as Sam glanced around the room. “What was that?”
“Nothing,” Tara said unconvincingly.
Sam narrowed her eyes at her sister, then she whipped her head back around, looking directly at your pocket. You looked down to see the kitten once again sticking his head out. You sighed and took him out the rest of the way since you were officially caught.
“No,” Sam sighed. “No pets,” she looked at Tara.
“You said I could get one,” Tara instantly said, pointing at finger at Sam.
“I said maybe,” Sam raised a finger.
You shot Tara a ‘I told you so’ look which she promptly ignored. “Come on,” Tara begged. “He was on the street,” she gestured at the kitten in your arms. “You really want us to throw him back out there?” she looked up at Sam, blinking with her best puppy dog eyes.
Sam looked at the kitten in your hands as you stepped closer. She narrowed her eyes as the little guy looked up at her, letting out another meow. “He’s a survivor,” Tara continued. “Like us.” You and Sam both gave Tara a sideway glance, she seemed to really be pushing hard to keep the kitten, grasping at whatever straws she could.
Sam looked at the kitten again and sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. “You have to take care of him,” she said.
“Yes!” Tara squealed, not letting Sam finish before she started jumping up and down and running to hug her sister.
“And make sure he doesn’t have fleas,” she pointed at Tara.
Tara nodded. “Of course! We’ll go to the pet store first thing in the morning!”
Sam narrowed her eyes as she stared at Tara for another second before finally nodding, seeming to accept Tara’s answer. Tara grabbed the kitten out of your hands and took off with him into the living room. You gave Sam a grateful smile before following after Tara.
“What should we name you?” she asked, staring at the kitten with a furrowed brow as she concentrated very hard.
“How about Perseus?” you suggested, dropping down next to Tara.
She furrowed her brow as she looked at you. “Greek mythology, really?” she wrinkled her nose.
“He’s a hero!” you defended, frowning at her reaction. “Slayed Medusa.”
“Anything else?”
You glance at the kitten then at Tara. “Joel…” you quickly glanced at the floor, suddenly finding it very interesting.
“The Last of us?” Tara frowned as she glared at you once again. “Really?”
You shrugged and threw your hands up in defeat. “Well, what do you got?”
“Midnight,” she smiled proudly at her option.
You scoffed and gave Tara your own glare. “That’s so basic.”
“I found him, I should get to name him,” she narrowed her eyes at you.
“You found him after dragging me down a dark alley.”
“What?” Sam’s frantic voice came from the kitchen.
“I should get some say,” you continued.
Tara narrowed her eyes, not even acknowledging her sister. “Fine,” she grumbled. “What else you got?”
You tapped a finger on your chin as you looked at the kitten, trying to figure out what name best fit him. “What if we go Marvel?” you asked. “He’s a fighter,” you scratched under his chin, smiling as he lifted his head to give you more access and started purring. “How about Steve?”
Tara bobbed her head back and forth as she considered the name. “Maybe,” she said, still deep in thought.
You smiled, at least it wasn’t a no, the two of you were one step closer. Tara held the kitten up again, tilting her head back and forth as she observed him. You looked at Tara and then the kitten before your eyes widened and you shot to your feet.
“I got it!” you said, a wide smile on your face. Tara raised an eyebrow as she awaited your idea. “Kovu!”
Tara’s eyes lit up as she also jumped to her feet. “Perfect!” she said. She leaned forward and captured your lips, catching you slightly off guard. You barely had time to reciprocate before she was pulling away. “How is it possibly to love you even more,” she whispered against your lips before going in for another kiss, this time you were prepared.
The two of you didn’t pull away until you felt the kitten wiggling between the two of you. You broke the kiss and looked down to see little Kovu was getting squished between the two of you. You both chuckled before dropping back down on to the couch.
Once the pizza was done Sam brought out a plate for you and Tara. Then the four of you sat in the living room, eating pizza and watching a random movie on TV. You and Tara would have to go to the pet store first thing when they opened to get Kovu some food, but you figured he would be okay for the night.
After you guys finished the pizza, you grabbed a blanket to throw over you and Tara as you cuddled up on the couch. Kovu got on the top of the blanket and walked around, kneading his feet as he got comfortable. Before you knew it, you and Tara were passed out, your heads resting against each other, and little Kovu was curled up between the two of you.
Taglist: @lilbitdepressed27 @fanboy7794 @noooodlessstuff @tatumrileyslover @alexkolax @canvascoloredin @youralphawolf72 @xxxtwilightaxelxxx
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islandofsages · 1 year ago
Note
The first years (not Ortho) discovering that they are Yuu's emergency contact. Like Yuu put them as an emergency contact, but he didn't think it would be necessary, but he ends up having an accident out the town and is taken to the hospital, causing one of the first years to be called, so when they ask Yuu why they chose him to be As his emergency contact, Yuu responds that he is the one he trusts the most in the group.
characters: first years (excluding ortho) x gn!yuu!reader
tags: platonic, canon compliant, hurt/comfort, imagines + scenario format; mention of vil in epel's, mention of malleus in sebek's
warnings: accidents, hospitals, near-death mention, the use of the word "idiot" as an endearing term in ace's, hugs and hand-holding in deuce's
author's notes: ngl the pronouns in the ask kinda confused me so i just made this gn reader lol hope you dont mind anon <3
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Ace Trappola
Despite all his antics (or maybe because of them), he really feels that he’s made a genuine connection with you
He won’t say it but he’s really glad that you put up with him and you don’t see him as some one-dimensional jerk you do see him as a multidimensional jerk though /joke
So when he gets a call from your number yet an unfamiliar voice greets him, he immediately grows worried, and for good reason - turns out you’ve ended up in the hospital due to some unknown accident
He drops everything he’s doing and rushes to the hospital without thinking twice. Like, literally rush there. He spares no time to call for transport
…Or ask for details from anyone for that matter. If it weren’t for the staff, he would’ve tried barging into any random ward to find you
When he gets to you, panting and panicked, he goes to steady himself, his hands gripping the sides of the hospital bed so tightly
You’re glad to see his face and he’s glad to see that you still manage to muster up a smile at his presence
That’s when he notices that nobody else is there, and so he asks you where everybody else is. You tell him they only called up your emergency contact which is none other than Ace himself
He asks you why is he your emergency contact out of everyone-
“It’s because I trust you the most, you idiot. I bet you ran all the way here the moment you got that phone call.”
You let out a knowing laugh and Ace pouts as a response, totally not trying to hide the tears that pricked the corner of his eyes
You’re not sure who’s supposed to do the comforting at that moment, considering you were involved in an accident and Ace is on the verge of tears - so you both don’t bother trying. The following conversation carries on as normal
Despite all his antics, you really feel like your faith in him is not misplaced.
Deuce Spade
You’ve always admired Deuce’s strength to change - and he’s always admired your loyalty
Sometimes he’d feel guilty for having you endure having him as a friend and you always have to shut him up by assuring him that there’s really nothing to endure
Even when you have to endure an almost life-ending accident, you can’t help but think of him first and foremost
His grip on the phone alternates between on the verge of breaking and so loose it’s a miracle he hasn’t dropped it yet when he gets the news
Someone goes to fetch him from the hospital and he cries on the way, not giving any room for the person to speak with him
He tries to put on a brave face when he walks through the halls in search of you but when he reaches you, he can’t resist the yell he lets out
“YUU! YOU’RE ALIVE!”
You end up having to calm him down a bit lest you two become the victims of a few dozen glares in that hospital
When he’s down to only sniffing, you tell him why he’s the first person you called
He almost broke down into tears again because of it
He’d hug you or hold your hand if your condition allows it and give you a teary smile that you of course reciprocate
You fill him in on what happened and he’ll listen intently, then offer to be by your side as long as you need him to
He’s always admired your strength - and you’ve always admired his loyalty.
Jack Howl
You always found his stubbornness amusing and honestly, he’s a bit confused as to why you stick by him all this time
Not really in a self-deprecating way - he’s always been more of a lone wolf. Only when he came to Night Raven College does he feel like he’s part of a pack now
And since you’re a part of that pack, he has a strong need to protect you, no matter the cost; so you can imagine his reaction when he got a call about you ending up in the hospital after an accident
The first thing he feels is anger; not at anything in particular yet at everything simultaneously. It’s called an accident for a reason yet why did the universe allow such a thing to happen to you?
He tries to calm himself down on the way to the hospital but it’s nothing short of difficult, even with the help of someone else
When he finally finds you, he finally lets out a breath he wasn’t even aware he was holding
You muster a smile up at him and it takes his all not to let tears break through the surface
“...I was really worried.”
You chuckle - in situations like this, his absent stubbornness really makes a difference, but you appreciate his honesty
He didn’t think twice of the fact that he was the first one you called but you tell him why anyway. A cute little smile adorns his features then
He says he’s honored that his feelings are mutual then swears to you he’ll try harder to protect you, even if it means switching places with you
You brush him off, saying you’d do the same. The conversation goes back and forth for a while after that
He’s always found your insistence endearing and frankly, he wouldn’t have you any other way.
Epel Felmier
A bit similar to Jack, only when coming to Night Raven College does he get to mingle with kids of his age due to his hometown
And one of those kids is none other than you! You two have grown so close and made some unforgettable memories together
Unfortunately though, one of those unforgettable memories includes the news of your accident. Not just for him - some may remember the scream he let out at the news
He begged Vil to let him borrow the blastcycle the Film Research Club has and Vil only nodded solemnly; nobody needs to see him cry on the way to you
He speeds through everything and anything possible; he doesn’t care whatever consequences he has to face after all this is over
When he reaches the hospital, he allows the staff to guide him to where you are as he catches his breath
He chokes out a gasp at the sight of you and calls out to you
“Y-Yuu… I’m so glad you’re alright…”
He sits on the stool provided by the hospital and his head droops low. He’s silent
You give him a moment to process everything. It’s a lot to take in. Even you didn’t think it could come to this
Five minutes pass. You sigh and tell him why he’s the first you reached out to. He mirrors your sigh and a small smile creeps onto his face
He’s grateful that he means so much to you; grateful that he can mean so much to someone. Despite himself, his heart swells with pride
Even when you are inches away from death, he feels like every memory can be a happy one as long as you’re in it.
Sebek Zigvolt
He sees you as an equal - and that’s saying something
He won’t admit it out loud but he feels less lonely for once, seeing that someone understands or at least respects him as much as you do
For once, he feels he can disconnect from his Malleus worship for a while and not feel like he’s betraying his trust
But when he hears news of you ending up in the hospital, he definitely feels a sharp pang of guilt pierce his chest; he’s betrayed your trust
He excuses himself from Malleus and apologizes profusely for willingly leaving his side for someone else, but he simply can’t abandon you
Malleus lets him go of course, even offers to tag along, but Sebek assures that Malleus is needed more where he is
His head rested in his hands while he laments in his transport, breathing heavily
It takes his all not to shout your name in search of your ward when he reaches the hospital; but he can no longer hold it back when his eyes land on you
“YUU…! YOU’RE… You have no idea…”
You wave to him as he runs to your side, tears at the corner of his eyes
You rub his back as he quietly sobs for a minute, even feeling like sobbing yourself at some point; this man holds so much love for you
You tell him why you summoned only him for now - the tears continue to stream but now he smiles and puts a hand to his head
How silly of him. Of course. How could he make such assumptions about your relationship? He could never betray you. Every moment only strengthens your trust in each other.
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lightlycareless · 1 year ago
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Hiii, can i request a scenario on how naoya (when he has reached a point where he loves wife!reader from an arranged marriage) would react to one day not being greeted at all when he comes home? It is completely silent, no response as he calls for her and is getting a bit worried as he starts searching the rooms. But then he sees her laying on the couch, shivering and sweating from a cold that’s so intense she’s barely lucid and can’t even tell he’s there and talking to her
Heya!!
So... I took some liberties when writing this, kind of went a completely different route (the sick part, alongside worried Naoya still remains though), it just occurred to me when reading your ask, but I hope it's still of your liking 🥺!!!
anyways, here are the warnings: mentions of death, miscarriage, a very concerned and overprotective Naoya, a bit of fluff, and everyone wants to spoil you rotten lol.
And without further ado, happy reading!
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“Y/N, I’m home!”
Home.
A word he never really cared for, always considering it sappy, alongside the fondness that was usually assigned to it, which Naoya couldn’t think of as nothing but ridiculous, if not hilariously overrated.
For many years, Naoya thought that a home was simply the place that one was raised in and that’s about it. Nothing of the sentimentality others liked to apply to it, brag about it…
Until, of course, he finally came to understand what the word meant; why it was so special, and why it was important to have one.
A home wasn’t made by the people he knew as family, blood related, found in the place he was forced to be in since he was born, and probably die in—no; it’s the one that was made by the people of his choice, people he met through his course of life, connected with, and now, cherished.
Amongst them, you.
He considered himself lucky to have found the love of his life, a concept he considered so… foreign, impossible for someone like him, if not a stupidity of delusional people desiring more from life.
So was Naoya destined to think for the rest of his existence, condemned by his same family to live a life of loneliness, hatred, and die the same way.
But you’d come to show him otherwise, shockingly, and unexpectedly, and in such a way he couldn’t even put up a fight, completely surrendering to you and the wonderful feelings that being in love with you provided.
Now that he’s experienced them, he couldn’t find the reason as to why his family would ever reproach such beautiful thing as harshly as they did—or that he believed them in the first place…
Well, that’s not something that bothers him anymore; the Zen’in clan could continue on in their hard stuck ways for all he cared; he, on the other hand, plans to spend the rest of his days alongside the woman of his dreams, starting by today, finally back in your arms after days of being pulled into pointless missions after pointless missions, which he would not hear of for a few weeks—having earned a well-deserved break for his consistently good performance.
Naoya even prepared accordingly for the occasion, having bought gifts from all the places he’d been to, as well as ideated ways to distract you from the boring estate and his nagging relatives he knows you don’t enjoy being around with, only tolerating them because they were, well, your in-laws, his family—with exceptions of those you do get along, and for them, he’s grateful that they do.
Ah, he couldn’t wait to see you, your face, and the adorable way it brightens up whenever receiving him.
To tell you of his day while resting his head on your lap, with you passing your fingers through his hair, gently soothing his stresses away as you reassure him that he’s the best sorcerer out there, he’s just… unlucky to bump into lesser talented ones.
Get something to eat too, he’d like his favorite for a start, miso soup—and perhaps have you feed it to him? God, it’s been a while since both have done that, and it’s not because he doesn’t like doing it, or you for that matter, but rather, he doesn’t want to risk being seen by others, it has to be in the utmost privacy, after all! He isn’t to be vulnerable in front of his family!!
Oh, he needs wishes to see you—right now. And he’s absolutely sure you’re feeling the same way…
If so… why hadn’t you responded? Why hadn’t you come to receive him in the same manner you’ve always done?
Naoya knows that his schedule can be a bit… unpredictable, making it difficult for you to know exactly when he’ll come back home—but even then, it didn’t take you that long to meet him after announcing his return.
You’d always come to the entrance, no matter if it happened right that moment, or a bit later; you just… did.
But today… it seems that you opted to break the routine by taking far longer than you usually do.
He’d remain attentive to his surroundings, hoping to either hear your approaching footsteps or voice softly calling for him at a distance, yet as time went on, he was received with neither…. And Naoya only begins to grow more worried.
Your husband tries to not jump to the worst conclusion just yet, opting to think that you were perhaps simply caught up tending to the house, maybe even partaking in an unwanted conversation with one of his relatives and having trouble brushing them off—for no matter the times you’d reminded them that your husband was back, and you needed to be there to receive him, still acted as if it wasn’t that important.
Things that implied that even when running late, you were still ok.
Yet…
“Y/N!” Naoya calls once again, hoping for a change…
Silence.
It’s by this time that he decides it’s better to search for you than to stand around and wait for you to magically appear.
Naoya begins by going into the main wing, eyes scanning through the gardens, your usual place of leisure when not busy, where you’d calmly enjoy the diligently tended for flowers (the ones he had changed to your favorite as soon as he found out which ones they were) while snacking on something, or in the company of your loyal staff—if that were the case of your absence, he understood why you didn’t answer.
But he wouldn’t find you near any of the gardens, or anywhere in fact! A statement that weighed even heavier upon finding out that the staff was in the same predicament as him, for when he asked a nearby servant of your whereabouts, he was received with the following answer:
“We haven’t seen her” Naoya’s heart sinks.
“What do you mean you haven’t seen her?” he breathes. “Where could my wife—did she—did she leave the estate?”
No. You… didn’t. Because that’s not what you told him you’d be doing a few hours ago, after letting you know he was on his way back home; if anything, you replied with how excited you were to see him again and that you’d be eagerly waiting for him!
So obviously, their words didn’t make sense. But if so… where were you?
Naoya now frantically searched for you through every wing, room, space, chamber, closet, just— anywhere, literally anywhere you could be while repeatedly calling out your name in hopes of getting a response, or even a glimpse of you; he doesn’t care what at that point, he’s happy with either!
Yet, the longer he went on without an answer, the bigger his sorrow became, to the point where his mind was machinating nothing but the worst-case scenarios, slowly losing his inhibitions as he repeatedly wondered Where were you? How come no one has seen you? Did he have to escalate this situation?
Just—Where are you, Y/N?!
Thankfully, there would be no need to pursue bigger solutions for he’d get his answer soon enough after entering the east wing, passing through the living quarters, and arriving to the laundry room, one of the last places he’d thought you’d be—rightfully guessing so, for you were there, apparently washing whatever garments you had pending, which you hadn’t been able to wash due to a variety of unknown reasons…
But far from feeling elated to have found you, Naoya felt as if whatever he had left of his heart was effectively broken, which felt short compared to the way he found you.
“Y/N!”
The sight that received him is one that will remain imprinted in the back of mind: you were laying on the floor, on your side, tightly clutching to your stomach as you breathed heavily, eyes tightly shut while groaning in what Naoya could only interpret as pain.
As if his worries weren’t through the roof at that point, this last conclusion is what urged Naoya to hastily make way to your side, swiftly kneeling to your level as he calls out for you once more.
“Y/N—Y/N” He’d breathe, firmly yet carefully placing his hands over you with intentions of picking you up, but his hold falters when his fingers briefly graze your skin, making him gasp in return. “Y/N you’re—you’re burning!”
This would be the only time you’d respond to him, barely able to move your head onto his direction, slightly opening your eyes to see him, a gaze that shows how much pain you were going through, barely able to understand what was going on, except for gently breathing the word that makes his heart squeeze out in pain.
“Na—Naoya…”
Any hesitation is effectively thrown out the window by that point, picking you up and rushing you towards their shared bedroom, all while barking orders to the nearby staff, demanding them to call for a doctor, as quickly as possible, unless they wanted to be jobless by the end of the day!
The staff reacts accordingly, and a few minutes later, the family doctor arrives to the estate, guided to your room and seeing that you were already being tended to, or at least that’s the idea he gets from the dampened towel on your forehead, undoubtedly in efforts of lowering your fever—which unfortunately, had been for nothing.
Well, he was there now, and he didn’t waste time either to get to work, quickly assessing your condition by the apparent symptoms, starting by your temperature, the color of your skin, and even the way you reacted to him while doing so, completely uncooperative—apparently, whatever put you in this state had evoked great instability from you, thus the doctor found it necessary to put you under sedatives.
But even when he was able to quickly gain control of the situation, the doctor still couldn’t arrive at a proper conclusion, less when the people around you had an even smaller idea of what struck you.
“I—I don’t know.” Naoya would respond, angrily, frustrated—and rightfully so. How come none of the servants had noticed your absence? Or worse, hadn’t seen anything that could hint as to what your sickness was about?! “Can’t you just—help her?!”
“That’s what I’m trying—I can’t help her if I don’t know what I’m dealing with.” The doctor responded as calmly as he could, but even he had to admit that everyone’s seeming ignorance annoyed him as well. “But I can still say that this seems much more than just a simple… sickness.”
“What do you mean?” Naoya frowns, the doctor looks at the nearby servants, tasked to be on stand-by if needed.
“I’d like to discuss this in private.” He tells them.
The servants don’t wait for Naoya to repeat the order before they’re already out the room and away from their earshot; a request that while didn’t raise any concerns from Naoya —if anything, he was glad their pesky, useless presence, was finally away from you— the doctor’s face was quick to convince your husband that something far worse than what met the eye.
And this made Naoya’s nerves reach a new limit.
“I told you; I don’t know what happened—” Your husband is quick to defend, believing the doctor was to interrogate him once more, only to be interrupted.
“You don’t need to tell me for me to know what happened.” He interjects, Naoya’s eyes widen.
“I’m lost.” Naoya scowls. “Stop talking cryptically and get on with it!”
“I’ve seen these symptoms before, Naoya. And as I said, these are not from a simple sickness, an allergy or any of the matter” He takes a deep breath. “I heavily suspect she was intoxicated—and not accidentally, but rather, intentionally.”
“Excuse me?” Naoya frowns.  “I told you to stop talking in riddles, say what you—”
“Poisoned, Naoya. I believe your wife was poisoned.”
Naoya’s world comes to a screeching halt.
You…
You were poisoned.
According to the doctor, you—You were attacked, besieged, with malicious intents.
Taken advantage of in the one place you’d never be on edge, your home, the same one he had repeatedly reassured your father that you’d be safe in—the Zen’in estate, home to the prestigious Zen’in clan! There was no safer place in the whole world! There couldn’t!
No one— no one wouldn’t dare do such a thing here—they knew better! Naoya would force them to now better…
Yet, someone dared to commit this transgression against you.
And to make it all worse….
Almost got away with it.
Who would even think of doing such transgression against you?! You?!
You had no quarrels with anyone, and even when you did, you handled things in such an amicable way just so you’d live peacefully, free of nonsensical arguments—you had no space for them in your life!
And yet, this still happened, and right underneath his nose….
There’s no doubt that he’ll put an investigation into order to find the bastard responsible for your suffering, and once he does, he’ll make him regret his existence, to the point he’ll have him begging for mercy—and even then, it wouldn’t be enough for Naoya.
However, that is something that will have to wait until he knows you’re safe, healthier, which the doctor had slowly began to help you with by giving you something that will immediately trap the poison from being further absorbed by your blood—activated charcoal, so he remembers— as well as some other prescriptions for side effects he wishes to prevent.
“Your wife was very lucky to survive, have you waited a second more—”
“I wasn’t waiting.” Your husband immediately responds, offended by his wording. “I wasn’t aware of this until I returned.”
The doctor presses his lips together, taking notice that throughout his whole visit, Naoya has never left your side, nor freed your hands from his.
“And I’m not surprised.” He silently admits.
Naoya hates the notion the doctor was implying, that this was an inside job. But considering the odd behavior of the staff, their seeming ignorance of your location and your status… it all pointed to that same conclusion.
The boiling fury inside him grows bigger.
“How could this be?” Naoya seethes.
How could someone get this far, this close to you, and no one suspecting a thing?
Your husband might’ve reproached the way the doctor expressed himself, but there was an undeniable truth behind them; he truly was lucky to have gotten back home just when he did, for had he taken a second longer, just one, you could’ve die—
Outside of that, the second most important question regarding this whole situation was…where was your staff? Why, of all days, were they absent?
Naoya is confident that if Mariya, your closest confidant, had been around, this would’ve never happened in the first place; the moment she saw anything out of the ordinary, she would’ve pulled all the stops and acted accordingly.
Yet, she was nowhere to be seen, and this makes Naoya both highly suspicious, and furious.
Where was she?  Where are the rest? Why would they leave you in your most needed time? Did they plan this? Plot against you?! Where the hell could they possibly—
“They’re going to be away for the weekend to visit their families.”
He suddenly remembers; you told him so earlier that week through a text.
“Will you be ok?” Naoya also remembers asking; he didn’t feel happy knowing you’d be alone without your most trusted staff.
“It’s just a few days, Naoya. Besides, they deserve a break! I don’t want them to get tired of me, you know?”  you laugh. “But you better come back quickly, ok? Just because they’re not around doesn’t mean I like being alone…”
“I won’t take long. I promise.”
If only he’d kept his word…
Well, if that was to be the answer to their absence, then it wasn’t fair to hold any level of animosity towards them, a weight being lifted from his burdened shoulders upon realizing your staff could strill be trusted in.  
Now all that was left to worry about is finding the culprit… and the status of that too.
“Is she ok?” Naoya would ask.
“She is, I managed to—”
“No, I mean… that.” Naoya’s voice hints to a silent agreement between the two. “Is… that ok?”
The doctor quickly catches what he means, affirming so by a nod. His reassurance lifts an immeasurable weight from his heart, even greater than the alleged betrayal of Mariya and the rest. One less thing to worry about.
“What now, then?”
“Since the damage was limited, to say the least, it won’t be necessary to move her to a hospital, however—”
She’s still in danger. Naoya concludes. More so if the attack came from someone inside… And what makes him think that just because he’s back they’ll stop trying?
If anything, seeing how close they got, they could try once again!
The mere thought is enough to push him into taking what is perhaps the most radical decision he could’ve taken in this situation, something that might come to torment him in the future, but until then, he won’t care, not even a bit; not when he had your safety to worry about:
That is… Naoya fired everyone, effective immediately.
He took no heed if any of them had been serving the family for years, if they were close friends of his father, or if their livelihood would be affected— Naoya just wanted them out of his sight, the estate, and as soon as possible, less they wanted to receive more of his anger, before continuing with the rest of his plan.
Due to the gravity of said situation, Naoya knew he had to contact your family; he also knew that you would’ve refuted the idea as soon as he mentioned it to you, not wanting to worry them if you’ve truly been attacked, but he couldn’t do this to your father; not when he was amongst the few people in the world he knew had your wellbeing as utmost priority— as well as holding a great amount of respect and appreciation for him, specifically for the way he welcomed him into your family.
Eiichi, your father, had to admit that getting a call from the Zen’in estate that didn’t come from you surely surprised him beyond any comprehension, and yet, that would be nothing compared to the shock he’d get upon knowing the motive behind said call; Naoya swore he almost heard your father passing out, or at least, in the process of.
“Poisoned?!”  Eiichi gasped, tightly clutching onto the phone—he might’ve as well passed out and dived into a nightmare! “Is she ok?! Where is she right now?”
“At the estate, with me—the doctor didn’t think it necessary for her to be hospitalized since he was able to stop the poison from spreading any further, but she still needs rest.”
“And the baby?”  the referenced secret between Naoya and the doctor; your pregnancy.
“Fine.” He breathes, swallowing. “The doctor didn’t tell me of any damage done to the baby…  but I’m—I’m still taking her to the doctor, just—just to be sure.”
“How could this happen?” Eiichi laments, heart breaking not only for you, but for Naoya as well. Your father knew all too well what it was to lose the love of his life, a pain that he would never desire on anyone, not even his own enemies…
One that he could slowly begin to hear in Naoya’s voice; oh, he could only imagine the pain he was going through, or what waited for him if he had lost not only you, but his child too.
But, well, the worst is over… at least for now.
“Someone from the staff did it.” Naoya declares, Eiichi’s heart sinks even further. “But I’ve taken care of it, I’ve fired everyone.”
And your father, contrary to Naoya’s relatives, did not question him. If anything, he seconded his decision, because had he been in your husband’s shoes, he would’ve done the same thing.
“Was her staff involved?” Your father asks, feeling a slight… anger with the idea that the ones you greatly cherished could’ve plotted against you.
“No, they were not; in fact, they were out of the estate when all this went down.” Naoya responds. “But I know that if they had been here, this would’ve never happened in the first place.”
“Bring her here, with me.” Eiichi immediately suggested, Naoya blinks, startled by the idea, if not against it.
“Father—"
“We can take care of her while she’s recuperating, take her to the doctor too. I’ll make sure that she has everything she needs. And not to misjudge your staff, or lack of, but the people here would never hurt her—they’ve known her since she was a child! There won’t be another safer place for her to be than here, Naoya. At least…  until she’s better.”
Previously, Naoya would’ve questioned the veracity of his words, done all he could to prove you were much better with him, but after this occurrence… he had to agree.
As much as it hurt him to know you’d be away from him, especially when you were pregnant… he knew this was the right decision to make. He couldn’t expose you to another similar situation—not even if he got a completely new staff… or if you didn’t want to leave.
So, Naoya accepts Eiichi’s suggestion, alongside buying him a ticket for the earliest available flight to Kyoto; a few hours later, your father would arrive to the estate, rushing to your side, keeping you company while tending to your every need as Naoya prepared everything for your departure.
When you eventually regained consciousness, you were (although a bit surprised) overwhelmingly elated to see your father visiting you, for it had been so long since you’d seen him, probably around the time you announced your pregnancy!
However, that excitement would soon diminish when Naoya told you why he was there… alongside the cryptic explanation of your “sickness.”
“It was an allergy.” Naoya would say, not wanting to stress you by the fact that you were intentionally poisoned, although that excuse did little to stop you from doing so. “Rare, but it can happen, especially with pregnant women.”
“An allergy…? But I didn’t…” you frown.
“It happened to your mother, once.” Eiichi followed Naoya’s lead. He hated lying to you, but… he concurred that keeping you safe, both mentally and physically, was worth doing so. “It’s nothing but hormonal changes, so don’t worry much about it.”
“I guess…” you frown, pressing your lips. “But that still doesn’t explain why I have to leave.”
“We need to check what caused your allergy” Naoya responds. “It might be something about the food, the flowers, or even the wood; I rather you be safe than to go through that scare again.”
“But is… all this really necessary?” Naoya gives you a tight smile and a nod. “Naoya, I—"
“It’s not all bad, Y/N.” Naoya says.
“Besides, don’t you want to spend time with your papa? It’s been so long since I’ve spent time with my adorable pumpkin!” Eiichi laments.
“Dad!” you gasp, flustered by his words. “Don’t—don’t say that in front of Naoya…”
“What? It’s true! And that’s all I’ve ever wanted to do since I learned I’m going to be a grandfather!”
“Stop it!” your face becomes redder. “You’re embarrassing me!”
Naoya chuckles; it’s not like he’s seen you in… worse situations. Or better?
“But… I guess a visit is overdue.” You eventually concede, Naoya and your father sigh out of relief. “Though what about Mariya, Haruko, and Hitomi?”
“They’ll go with you, if you want.” Naoya says; he doubts they’ll say no, especially after knowing of the whole fiasco that occurred when away, might even offer themselves before he suggests the idea.
“If I didn’t know any better, sounds like you want me gone.” You jest, Naoya frowns. “It’s a joke, of course…”
“There’s nothing more I would like than you staying here, but until we figure out what caused that reaction from you, I’d rather not risk it.”
“It’s only temporary, Y/N. Besides, look—I brought you gifts!” Eiichi says, taking out the bag he brought from home seemingly out of nowhere, filled with things he knew you’d love, such as sweets, your favorite mochi’s of course, alongside some plushies that would always brighten your day when you were a child. “And there’s much more back home…”
Naoya can’t help but feel relieved you had your father for support, but at the same time, a bit jealous and, well, threatened. Not for bad reasons, of course, it was simply because how the hell did he not think of bringing you gifts first?!
“Dad… you’re embarrassing me in front of Naoya.”
“Ah, that’s a parent’s bane, isn’t it? To always embarrass their children—you’ll see what I mean when you both have your baby.”
Perhaps the main reason why you ended up agreeing to leave was because your pregnancy did not seem affected by your supposed allergy; had it been you would’ve refused to leave your husband’s side!
… Well, you still would’ve refused either way, but perhaps a bit more. You hate the idea of being away from the father of your child for too long, after all.
“I don’t think so—Naoya and I are going to be the cool parents, you’ll see.”
“That’s what your mom and I thought, and look at me now, can’t even say anything without you telling me I’m embarrassing you!” Eiichi says, you chuckle.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, mom was cool! You were always the funny one!”
Naoya smiles.
Now he knows for sure that there’s no safer place for you to be in than with your family, even if that were to be on the other side of the country…
After Naoya prepared everything for your departure, the three eventually made way to the exit, where you and your father would bid their last goodbyes.
“Won’t you accompany me?” you ask, a slight pout on your face, he smiles in hopes to cheer you up, but really, he felt miserable.
“I want to, but I can’t.” He explains. “I have to deal with this as fast as possible if you’re to come back quickly.”
“… Will you visit me over there, at least?” you frown.
“Yes. As soon as I have a chance, I’ll go see you.” Naoya promises.
It had all been too soon, just a few hours ago he arrived at the estate, and now, you’re leaving. Naoya laments that he couldn’t spend a day with you before your departure… but he guesses this to be a rightful sacrifice for your well-being.
“I wouldn’t dream of keeping away from my wife and baby for too long.”
At those words, Eiichi couldn’t help but frown out of sorrow.
It wasn’t fair that neither of you had been able to enjoy this wonderful occasion as you should.
He still remembers the excitement in your voice, the glint in your eye, and the beaming smile on your lips when announcing your pregnancy—alongside the nerves that came with it, of course, which Eiichi eased by reminding you and Naoya that their enthusiasm was nothing but indicative they were already on their way of becoming the loving and supportive parents their baby needed.
But as excited as both were, Eiichi had to cruelly put a stop to their celebrations, especially after Naobito was made aware of this, who wished to proceed by announcing the news to the whole community.
“I have to disagree, Naobito.” Eiichi would be the first to reject the idea, much to everyone’s surprise—yours, specifically.
“And why is that?” He’d ask back, not understanding why the father of the expecting mother, of all people, would be the one to reject so.
“It’s best if Y/N keeps her pregnancy a secret, at least… until it’s undeniably noticeable.”
“But… why, dad?” you asked. This was a moment of absolute joy, to be treated as such! So why did he intend to keep it a secret? Was he… disappointed?
No. Never. He was nothing but happy to see you happy and become a grandfather himself for the first time in his life!
But as a man of his years, he’s learned to be cautious of how said blessings are to be celebrated, as well as seen his fair share of happiness turn sour… things that Eiichi would rather take upon him than allow them to ever befall you.
“Because there’s people out there that might try to hurt you—or the baby.”  He’d explain. “Naobito cannot not deny this, but if anyone hears that you’re pregnant with the Zen’in heir’s baby, those that want to hurt the Zen’in clan, or our family, will see this as the perfect opportunity to do so.”
“I’d never allow such thing, rest assured, there’s no safer place than—” Naoya quickly interjects, wanting to reassure your father, but Eiichi was set on his warnings.
“I wouldn’t have said this if I didn’t see it myself.” Eiichi reminds him, Naoya swallows. “We live in a highly competitive world due to the nature of our families; I’ve lost my wife because of this! And I’d be damned to allow it to happen again to my daughter.”
He hated to remind you of the harsh truth; hated to see how your face would sadden, the excitement for your first child, his first grandchild, quickly disappearing…
“Why would someone do that?” you murmur, frowning.
“They wouldn’t dare—I’ll make sure of it.” Naoya hisses.
Eiichi remained silent, sad for you and your husband. Because even if you’ve experienced first-hand what it is to lose someone through these matters, both have yet to fully understand the extremes those supposedly loyal to them can go to if properly incited. Especially for someone who had so much to lose, just as the elite members of prestigious Zen’in clan.
Even then, your father would not allow such pain to reach you, not the same way it almost did to him and your mother, so, he insisted you keep these news secret from the world—and if you must, only if you must, reveal it to your most faithful ones; the rest could learn when your stomach was too big to deny.
If you do so, keep your baby hidden from the world, safe from those that harbor nothing but pain and sorrow… all will be fine. Eiichi promises so.
Or so, that’s what everyone hoped would’ve happened, because if there’s one thing to be learned from this incident, is that no matter how cautious you were, word of your pregnancy still managed to land in the wrong ears, and now, were actively against it.
The question no longer pertained as to how, but rather, who; who was the author of this terrible act?
The notion that someone of Naoya’s relatives, indirectly informed through Naobito’s… drunken rambles, soon crosses the minds of your father and husband. If so, it would make sense as to why they’d use an innocent staff member to do the deed, keep their hands clean of the whole situation, instead of going to bigger extremes.
It’s the most probable of the theories, but they could not annul the following: jealousy from the servants.
Naoya considered that statement to be the most delusional one your father could’ve gathered, but he’d be wise to remember how others perceive him—or more like what he represented. It wouldn’t be too far-fetched that others would desire what he had, or him, in some cases. And naturally, you’re an obstacle to that goal, your baby even more so…
It wasn’t fair, but it was your reality.
Nonetheless, Eiichi and Naoya will still do whatever it takes to keep you safe.
“It’s just for a few days, pumpkin.” Your father would say upon seeing the sadness in your face, which remained even when reassured that Naoya would be with you as soon as possible. “Besides, you’re going to see your brother and sister too—they’ve missed you very much, you know? They’ve been wanting to spoil you and their future niece, or nephew!”
You smile, it’s good that even when in the storm, your family is still able to exude happiness. You could only imagine how enthusiastic they’d be when the baby was finally here.
“I know… I missed them too.” You admit, before looking over to Naoya one last time. “Well… I hope that whatever is keeping you here is quickly dealt with.”
“You won’t even notice I’m gone.” Naoya promises, placing a kiss on your forehead. “Don’t worry your pretty little head about anything—before you know it, you’ll be back at the estate, with me.”
That’s a promise he unfortunately, doesn’t know if will become true inside the promised timeline, but will do anything in his power so it does.
Either way, it’s safe to say that Naoya did manage to keep one part of his promise—and that would be the one where he reassured you wouldn’t even notice his absence, done through sending you endless amounts of gifts, every day, effectively filling your room to the brim with all things he’d knew you’d like, and some for baby too: from clothes for you, to cute onesies he’d like his baby to wear when she was finally here.
“You still think the baby is going to be a girl?” you’d ask through one of the many videocalls he’d make—one daily, at the very least. “Wait a minute… you better not have spoiled me!”
“I just know” He reiterates with shrug; you roll your eyes. “If not, then I’ll have lots of things to return.”
“Well, if it’s worth anything, I also feel like our baby is going to be a girl.” You smile, warming up Naoya’s heart. “I can’t wait to meet her—I just know she’s going to have your eyes!”
“Or yours, I hope.” He longs, you blush. “Have you been eating well, my love?”
“Yes; and no allergies yet.” You explain, Naoya feels relieved—at least the problem didn’t follow you there. “Maybe I was just unlucky that day, Naoya… Are you sure I can’t return to the estate yet?”
“Not until I’m sure you’re going to be safe here.” Naoya responds, and while his words are meant to be comforting, you can’t shake off the sense that something worse happened; that something far bigger than a simple allergy had struck you, specially with the way your staff and family would act around you, going as far as denying you of any information pertaining to the Zen’in.
But… if your husband had a reason to not say anything now, then the best you could do is trust him. The truth will come out eventually, you suppose. So instead you could focus on other pressing matters.
“Well, at least don’t send me too many gifts.” You continued. “While I appreciate them, between you and my father, I don’t think my house has enough room to store all the things you’ve both given me.”
“Who’s given you more things? Me or your dad?” Naoya nonchalantly asks, you gasp.
“Naoya! That’s not the—take it seriously! Control yourself with the gifts, ok?” you say, he chuckles, but ends up agreeing; at least until the topic has quieted down, because there’s no way in hell he’s going to let your father win the upper hand like that one day ever again. “Or at least save them to when I’m back at the estate… which I hope is soon.”
“Almost there.” Naoya says. “Just a few more things, and we’ll be together once again.”
… even if the answer was to be the same, you still needed to ask.
“Is… everything ok?”
Not precisely, not when he has yet to find out the one responsible for all this…
But he’s gotten a lead, an idea of where to start, of who to hunt—which he knows he’ll find in record time thanks to the fury he harbors, further motivating him to do this as quickly and precisely as possible just so he’d have you back home, with him.
“Nothing you should worry about.” He reiterates. “Just keep focusing on your health, the baby, and not doing anything strenuous.”
“I’m just pregnant, Naoya… nothing extraordinary. I still want to help around., you know?”
“I know, and you’ll be able to do that and more in due time, but for now, keep safe, for me, ok? And our little mochi.”
“When will I see you again?” you ask again, hoping that perhaps this time around, the answer will be different.
“Soon.” He promises. “Soon, my love.”
Once he deals with the bastard that hurt you.
Naoya will give them nothing but a glimpse of the sorrow and pain they’d put you through, his fury—make their life a living hell, make them regret the foolish idea that they could ever get away from it; and still, he doesn’t think he’ll be satisfied with his revenge.
He’d want more, he’d want everyone to know that his family are not ones to mess around with.
He’d burn the whole world to set the message across if necessary—and that would only be the bare minimum for you, the love of his life, and now, his baby…
His home.
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