#this took way too long for how trash it came out but hey... had to try and do something for my beloved LM

[dionysus2xborn]

🩸⚔️♠️

Happy

Birthday

Jack

♠️⚔️🩸

Sharing this post too ♠️ Make me your Maraclea ♠️

[hoshifighting]

staff!jeonghan

WARNINGS: fluff, smut, fame problems, paris trip, idol!reader is a sweetheart with her staff team, teasing, hair pulling, makeup smudging hair destroying sex, face slap, paris sex.

staff!jeonghan who started way back when your career was just taking off. you were still fresh, the kind of new that had people curious but not quite sold on the idea of you making it long term. jeonghan wasn’t even supposed to be sticking around. dude was just a freelancer, floating between gigs like it was nothing. hairdresser one week, stylist the next, maybe even photographer’s assistant if he felt like it. didn’t care much either—just did his job, got his check, and dipped.

he was there the first time you came in for a shoot, thinking, oh, here we go again, another idol who doesn’t know shit about shit, and probably treats their staff like trash. honestly, he didn’t expect anything from you. he had his walls up like crazy. you’d been doing this for, what, a hot minute? and you were already getting attention, which just made him think, “yep, this one’s probably the snobby kind. won’t even acknowledge us when she’s walking by.”

but then you went and did the most surprising thing—like blew his expectations out of the water kinda surprise. you saw him—no, not just like saw him, but like saw him. took a minute to actually chat. asked how his day was, if he needed anything while he was running around fixing the stage lights or whatever. you even remembered his name by the end of the first day, which? yeah, idols usually don’t bother with that.

fast forward a couple months, and jeonghan’s still hanging around. he didn’t plan to stay, but something about you changed that. it wasn’t even the work, really. it was more like you made things different for the whole staff—hairdressers, makeup artists, stylists, all of them. you had this habit of, like, breaking all the usual rules. you’d bring coffee for everyone in the morning, none of that half-assed, "just for my personal team" bullshit, you made sure everyone was taken care of, because they take care of you as welll.

then there was that time when you randomly called up your manager one day like, "hey, i’m taking everyone out to eat after the shoot." and jeonghan was standing there, trying not to look too surprised, but inside he was like, who the hell does that? especially in this industry where staff usually gets a handshake and a “thanks for your work” at most. while you’re out here throwing cash around to make sure your team is happy. it’s wild.

he remembers the first time you handed out those holiday bonuses. it wasn’t even from the company’s budget either; it was straight up from your own wallet. like, your money. you didn’t even make a big deal about it, just casually handed out envelopes and said, “merry christmas, you guys.” you should’ve seen their faces—everyone was shook, even him, and he doesn’t get surprised that easily. it was one of those moments where the room just, like, collectively inhaled. there was silence, and then someone—probably one of the stylists—goes, “y/n, this is... you didn’t have to...”

and you? you just shrugged, all casual, like it was no big deal. “nah, i wanted to. thank you for taking care of me, you make part of all of this too.” you pointed to the stage.

jeonghan couldn’t even look at you right for a second because it was, like, damn, okay, she’s for real. that was the moment he decided he wasn’t just gonna treat this gig like all the others. working with you? yeah, it felt different. and not in some sappy, fairytale shit kind of way, but in a “maybe there are still people in this industry who aren’t complete assholes” kind of way.

“so you’re sticking around, hannie?” you asked him one day, catching him off guard while he was fixing up your jacket right before a stage performance.

he smirked, his usual cocky, nonchalant self, but there was something softer underneath it. “guess i don’t have a choice. you make it too easy.”

he was your go-to guy now, the one you trusted with everything, from making sure your hair wasn’t fucked up during press tours to giving you a reality check when you were stressing over the dumbest things. and he liked that. he liked being the one you leaned on when you didn’t wanna bother anyone else.

but it was more than that too. you were just different. the way you treated people, the way you made sure everyone around you felt seen, felt valued? it wasn’t fake. it wasn’t for show. it was you. and jeonghan? well, he wasn’t the kind of guy to stick around just for anyone. but for you? yeah, maybe he’d go the long haul.

jeonghan was always there, like a constant shadow that somehow made everything feel lighter instead of heavier. as your career blew up, he didn’t just keep pace—he matched your energy, your needs, every twist and turn that came with your fame. whether it was press tours, backstage chaos, or those ridiculous interviews where some clueless host would try to push your boundaries, he was always ready.

you’d be in the middle of a tv show, mind racing, and then there’d be a subtle shift. jeonghan standing just offstage, watching with a sharp, gaze of his. and it wasn’t like he had to do much—sometimes just a look was enough to let you know he had your back. like that time they tried to switch up your routine last minute, making changes that didn’t sit right with you. you didn’t even need to speak up, though. before you could say a word, he was already stepping in, throwing that effortless, yet somehow intimidating smile toward the team. “nah, we’re sticking with the original plan. my artist doesn’t do changes without notice.”

“your artist,” you’d hear him say that a lot, like a protective label stamped right over you, like you belonged to him—not in a possessive way, but in a way that made you feel safe. secure.

it wasn’t just about the work either, not even close. jeonghan made the loneliness that came with fame feel less suffocating. that part of fame nobody talks about—the part where you can’t make real friends anymore, where every new person in your life feels temporary, transactional. except him. he was loyal.

when you had those long, grueling days full of photoshoots and interviews and events, and all you wanted was to escape, jeonghan was the one who made sure you still had a piece of normal.

like that one time in paris. you were there for a fashion show, sitting front row with all these industry giants who couldn’t care less about anything but themselves, and jeonghan was right beside you, but afterward, when it was just the two of you, he was the one who dragged you to some random hole-in-the-wall restaurant down the street, far from all the cameras and flashing lights, ordering too much food and laughing at how terrible your french was.

“you know, you’re lucky you’ve got me,” he teased, watching you struggle with the menu. “otherwise, you’d be stuck ordering water and bread for the rest of the trip.”

you elbowed him playfully. “i’m just trying to be cultured, okay?”

“sure, sure,” he snickered, but the grin on his face was soft, like he was glad to be there with you. “leave the culture to me.”

he was there on the quieter days too. you’d be at home, no schedule to follow for once, just free. but that freedom? it felt empty when you didn’t have anyone to share it with. jeonghan got that. he’d show up at your place without even needing an invitation, like he just knew when you needed him there. sometimes he wouldn’t even knock. you’d just hear the door click open and his familiar voice, “you better not be working in there.”

you’d laugh, shouting back from wherever you were in the apartment, “i’m not, calm down.”

next thing you knew, he’d be on the floor of your pristine living room, surrounded by lego pieces because, for some reason, that’s what the two of you did on your days off. it was ridiculous, really, two adults crouched over colorful plastic blocks, but it made you feel like a kid again, like before everything got so complicated.

you’d crouch down next to him, watching his hands move, and without thinking, you’d wrap your arms around him from behind, pressing your cheek against his shoulder. it wasn’t even romaaaantic, more like instinct. jeonghan had this way of making you feel safe, like you didn’t have to be the perfect version of yourself all the time. you could just be you. and hugging him like that, clinging onto him like a koala, it was the only way you knew how to show him just how much he meant to you.

“you’re clingy today,” he murmured, but there was no complaint in his voice, just that familiar teasing.

“you’re soft,” you shot back, squeezing him tighter, feeling the warmth of his body against yours. his cologne was subtle but always the same, something that reminded you of quiet, peaceful moments, like this.

he tilted his head a little, catching your eyes “oh, yeah? not what you said last time.”

you puffed your cheeks out, crossing your arms dramatically, the sulk settling in. “i’m done being clingy with you, jeonghan.”

he grinned like he was waiting for that exact reaction. it’s almost like he lived for these moments—when you’d pout and try to act all tough, but really? he knew exactly where this was headed. you weren’t fooling anyone, especially not him.

“oh yeah?” he tilted his head, gaze dripping with amusement as he leaned in, close enough that his breath brushed your ear. “you sure about that?”

you tried to hold firm, but the way his voice dropped a little lower, teasing. you shifted your weight, crossing your legs under you on the living room floor, avoiding eye contact. “mmhmm. you’ll see.”

jeonghan let out a soft chuckle, leaning back and watching you with a glint in his eyes, like he was just waiting for you to crack. “you’re too cute when you sulk, y’know that?”

your heart fluttered, but you bit down on the inside of your cheek, determined to keep up the act. “whatever.”

he moved closer, a hand sliding around your waist, tugging you just enough so that your body leaned into his. “nah, don’t pout, baby,” he murmured, lips brushing lightly against your jaw. “we both know how this ends.”

and he was right. because, every time you tried to act like you were done with him, like you were going to keep your distance, it only ended one way—with you wet underneath him, a needy mess, begging for more.

like that first time in paris. paris had done something to the both of you. it was supposed to be a normal night, just you and him hanging out after the fashion show. nothing special, just another city on the endless list of places you’d been together. but somehow, that night went different. the second the hotel room door clicked shut behind you, you’d scarcely made it through the door before his hands were on you, grabbing, pulling, claiming.

“thought you were gonna keep your distance,” jeonghan had teased as he pressed you up against the wall, his lips trailing down your neck, making your knees weak.

you were already panting, feeling the warmness of him beaming off his body. “shut up, hannie.”

he chuckled against your skin, his tongue flicking out to taste you, making you gasp. “aww, so cute when you’re needy.”

and fuck, were you needy. by the time he’d pushed you onto the bed, tugging at your clothes, you were already whimpering for him, already soaked.

he’d dragged you to the edge, rough hands all over your body, pulling, squeezing, leaving marks everywhere. your hair had been perfect for the show, all sleek and done up, but that shit didn’t last long. the second he had his fist tangled in it, pulling your head back, it was ruined. thrusting into you from behind, his cock splitting you in half with each brutal thrust. “such a fucking mess.”

you’d tried to keep quiet, biting down on the pillow as your body rocked with every movement, but every time you let out a whiny moan, jeonghan was right there to mock you for it.

“aww, hannie’s being too harsh?” he cooed, as he tries to sound sweet. “hm? poor baby can’t take it?”

you’d only moaned louder, your body trembling as he slapped your ass, the sting making you cry out. he’d leaned down then, his breath hot against your ear as he whispered, “use your words, sweetheart. tell hannie how bad you want it.”

you couldn’t even speak, just a mess of broken moans and gasps as he kept slamming into you, the sound of skin against skin echoing through the room. and just when you thought you couldn’t take it anymore, when you were right on the edge, that’s when he did it. his hand came up to your face, smudging the glitter from the show as he slapped you—not enough to really hurt. he is a careful guy.

“fuck, y/n, look at you. such a pretty little mess,” he groaned, his grip on your hair tightening as he pounded into you from behind, relentless. “you gonna come for me? c’mon, baby, let me hear it.”

you whimpered, nodding, your mind spinning as his cock hit that perfect spot over and over, making you roll your eyes, drool, everything u had right of. but just as you were about to cum, he pulled out, leaving you empty and desperate.

“aww, no no no, not yet,” jeonghan cooed, a wicked grin on his face as he turned you onto your back, pushing your legs open wide. “hannie’s not done with you.”

your heart pounded, your entire body aching for release, but you didn’t dare move. he was in control, and you knew better than to push him.

“what’s the matter, baby?” he leaned down, his lips brushing over yours as he teased you. “too much?”

you shook your head, barely able to get the words out. “n-no… please…”

his smirk widened, that wicked glint in his eyes making you shiver. “please what? gotta tell me what you want, sweetheart.”

you whimpered, your hands gripping the sheets as you looked up at him, desperate. “please… fuck me…”

“good girl.”

[lonely-cowboy]

HEY HEY CAN I REQUEST ANYTHING FLUFFY W CONNOR X FEM READER

YOU WORK IS SO GOODDD

MY DARLINGS FORGIVE ME

requests started coming in hot right as i started my midterms so pls forgive me for taking so long to get through my requests (which i'm loving btw i'm so excited to get to all of them)

with that being said i'll stop yapping and let you read in peace

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framed

pairing: connor (rk800) x f!reader

summary: you're very confused when you find a photograph of yourself on connor's desk.

word count: 1k

warnings: none

author's note: i said i'm done yapping and i mean it i have nothing to say. (except i do wanna say this was inspired by the person that said my connor was very you are in love coded bc that made me happy and got me thinking)

masterlist ⟡ requests

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

“What do androids do in their free time, anyway?”

“Plot against humanity? I dunno.”

Hank’s laugh came out in a quiet huff, one that indicated he didn’t think your answer was too far from the truth. 

You had come into the precinct hoping to interview Hank and Connor on their latest investigation surrounding a human cult determined to wipe out every single android. As head journalist for the Detroit Free Press, you were desperate to get word before everyone else. And as Connor’s friend, you were sure you could sweet-talk it out of him. 

But when you got to the precinct, Connor was, strangely, nowhere to be found. Usually, he trailed behind Hank like a lost puppy, but not even Hank knew of Connor’s whereabouts. His unusual absence only led to conversations about what the hell an android could be doing on his lonesome. Neither of you had any clue.

“Have a seat, kid,” Hank offered, nudging his chin over to Connor’s desk. “You know he’d feel bad if you were standin’ around waiting for him.” 

Rounding the table, you took a seat in Connor’s chair. You sat stiffly with your hands atop your thighs, the exact same way Connor would. The realization made you chuckle softly to yourself. Even when he wasn’t here, his presence always made itself known in the subtlest of ways.

Your eyes wandered across Connor’s desk, noticing that it was relatively barren. Hank’s desk was littered with mementos– old donut boxes, Detroit Gears merchandise, anti-android propaganda that he’d crumpled up and intended to trash. But Connor’s desk was plain and organized. A single blue pen sat exactly parallel to his recent case file that had been neatly folded. On top of his case file was a quarter like the one he always fidgeted with. You wondered idly how many quarters he had lying around, having never seen him without one. But the only belonging of actual interest was a picture frame right beside his terminal.

Your brows furrowed as your gaze latched onto the photograph. You were staring directly at a picture of yourself.

Believing it to be a trick of the light, you reached for the picture frame and brought it closer. Sure enough, it was you.  

You stared at a version of yourself who was mid-laugh. You could almost hear your own laughter ringing in your ears. It was that genuine kind of laughter, you knew. The kind that was an obnoxious cackle you always wanted to hide. Why on earth would Connor have a picture like that framed?

Come to think of it, where did Connor even get this picture? You didn’t recognize it at all. You couldn’t even place where it was taken. There were zero clues in the photograph as you were the only focus. Nothing else, just you.

You were about to ask Hank about it when a voice over your shoulder startled you, “I really like that picture.”

An inhuman yelp escaped your lips as you spun around in Connor’s chair. You found him looking down at you with a pleasant smile, not even remotely embarrassed to be caught having a photo of you.

“Why… what even… what?” you stammered.

Connor cocked his head curiously, waiting for you to get your words out. But you couldn’t. You were so utterly confused that your brain couldn’t remember a single word in existence. You just stared at Connor with a gaping mouth, holding the picture up for his viewing pleasure. 

When you didn’t say anything, Connor’s eyebrows furrowed for only a moment before easing. An endearing habit of his that made your heart flutter. He definitely was not helping you find the right words. 

“I’d like to clear your confusion as best I can, but… I’m afraid I don’t understand its cause,” Connor said gently.

From behind, you heard Hank’s quiet snort. He wasn’t helping either.

“Well… Connor,” you started slowly like you were gradually putting the puzzle pieces together. No matter how hard you tried, the pieces weren’t fitting. “Why do you have a picture of me?”

The corners of his lips raised into a small grin, his hands moving to clasp in front of him. You knew this stance to mean he was about to tell a story.

“I asked Lieutenant Anderson about the keepsakes on his desk. I was curious as to why these particular items were objects of significance and what classified them as such,” Connor explained cheerfully. “As I recall, he said ‘I don’t know, they’re just alright, I guess.’ Perhaps my interpretation was incorrect, but I took that to mean those items made him happy.”

Connor’s smile widened slightly. That meant he was finished. He didn’t clear any of your confusion.

“Okay…?” you prompted.

“I wanted to do something similar. I thought it could help me accommodate to deviancy, so I decided to surround myself with things that make me happy.”

Your mouth clamped shut as your confused look turned to one of shock. You were almost sure you hadn’t heard him right, but another laugh (hidden behind a cough) from Hank made you confident that you had.

“I… make you happy?” you clarified.

“Yes,” Connor answered curtly. There was another long pause as you waited for Connor to continue. He seemed to get the hint by now, elaborating further. “I always enjoy your company. I look forward to seeing you when we have scheduled plans. This wasn’t a scheduled visit, so I was pleased to see you were here. It made me smile. Seeing you makes me smile.”

With all his talk of smiling, you couldn’t help cracking one of your own. Seeing your smile made Connor brighten.

“Like that,” he said. “If I could photograph and frame you right now, I would.”

You were so giddy with affection that you couldn’t help but laugh. You had never known Connor to be so poetic with his words.

“You know, Connor,” you said with careless laughter. “I came here to sweet-talk you into an interview for the Press. But here you are sweet-talking me.”

Connor looked pleased with himself, standing a little straighter. “I hope that made you smile.”

“It certainly did.”

[retiredteabag]

soft Toji dog-sitting for a generous!reader

pt. 1 - pt. 2 - next

synopsis: Toji takes up dog-sitting for you and learns to appreciate his new job, in more ways than one.

〰・♡・〰〰・♡・〰〰・♡・〰〰・♡・〰〰・♡・〰

Time came and went with Toji’s frequent dog sitting. Despite the workhorse owner seemingly never being home, the dog appeared well cared for and happy.  The place became a second home for the man. On one particular 8:00 o’clock morning, he found a long note… and a hundred dollars.

“Mr. Fushiguro, we will be getting lots of rain this week, I can’t ask you to walk him like you usually would but if it’s not too much trouble, please just take him outside and let him go to the bathroom. I’ve got a raincoat in the closet by the garage, a towel for the dog, and umbrellas by the door, please utilize whatever. There are towels for you in the guest bath, I will do the laundry when I get home, please just toss them on the floor.” – y/n  

Toji had never seen a dog so thrilled to be out in the rain. A scoff shook Toji when he found the raincoat. There was no universe where it would've fit him. The dog bounded to the door and sat patiently for Toji to open the umbrella.

It had been painfully humid that day, the rain was torrential, and he was drenched, even with the umbrella. He normally wouldn’t use someone else's shower and he rarely ever did in his previous line of work.

Back then he learned that using his client's utilities gave them the strange impression that they were more than a couple bucks to him. He liked to avoid messes like that and preferred his own (much smaller) shower anyway.

Even so, when the dog and he made it back, the pristine floors and counters stuck out more than ever. He would have to be at the house for a while that day, he figured he should probably clean himself.

If it weren’t for the loving pooch, the place would look unlived in. It was strange to think that before Toji got there and after he left anyone occupied the space at all.

The shower had been better than he’d ever remembered having. He tossed the towels in the wash and waited around. Toji was making more and more, working back-to-back days and he had learned to expect the apology text,

“I’m so sorry, I won't be making it back tonight, can you stay till 10?”

Toji always responded by liking the message. Their text logs looked like a line of grey text with numerous “thumbs up” reactions.  

Eventually, the day came when he did not have a note on the counter. The first day where there was a sign of life in the house, a mess. The dog had been anxiously circling Toji when he arrived. Tissues on the counter, trash not taken out, fridge empty, and what really stuck out to him, no money.

Toji couldn’t care less about how the owner lived, but if he was promised pay, he expected pay. No matter how generous the owner had been in the past. He knew it had been an honest mistake when he texted for the first time in weeks.

“Hey. Dog looks good. Were you planning on going to the bank this morning?”

It took a while for him to get a response but when he finally did, they came in quick succession.

“Oh my gosh”

“Mr. Fushiguro, I am so sorry!!”

“I promise it wasn’t intentional, I’ll be back early tonight, don’t worry about feeding him dinner, I’ll Zelle you for today and tomorrow.”

He hadn’t been upset or anything. The owner had been more than lavish with their money, Toji has never been so flush with cash from so little labor. That thought was what caused him to respond,

“No worries.”  

Toji arrived the next morning and for the first time, was met with…. Nothing? Usually, the dog was quick with its futile tackle attempts. Not today I guess Toji thought.

Toji called for the dog and he came running; just not in the way he usually did. Toji noticed immediately, the whining, the huffing, the wiggling, and the ever-constant pushing at his thigh.

“What? What is it, boy?” Toji asks.

The dog let out a particularly loud cry and ran back to the master bedroom. Toji looked around the kitchen, the first room from the foyer he entered. No note on the counter. But what he did find was a half-full glass of water, a ramekin with a cocktail of pills, and an iPhone with a silent alarm on the lock screen. An alarm was set for 5:42. It was 8:17.

The frantic dog rushed back to find Toji at the kitchen counter with the phone in his hand. He whimpered, nudging Toji with his face. It didn’t take long for the dog to practically drag Toji by the pantleg to the master bedroom.

“What? What?” Toji was looking around the room to see what had the big guy so agitated. It would be a lie to say Toji hadn’t done some snooping around the house. He'd wanted to see how the lavish owner lived. It's fair to say that he had never seen the bedroom look so…disrupted. Toji came around the bed where a potentially human-sized lump lay under a pile that consisted of sheets, a blanket, and an exceptionally fluffy duvet.

                “Excuse me?” Toji knocked his knuckles on the dresser by the bed. Still not totally sure if there was life under all the pillows. “Excuse me.” He said, firmer. Toji raised his eyebrows when a long…noise… escaped painfully from the frump on the bed.

                “Hello? You paid me for today, you know?”

There was a shaky stretch he could see from under the fluff. Then, as though burned with a branding iron, the shape jolted up. Toji was struck by the view of the women before him. Screaming in shock.

                The dog began to whine again between Toji and the woman on the bed. You were making loud, unintelligible exclamations. The dog was licking at his paw.

                “H-hello???!” You were nothing like what Toji was expecting. But then again, he wasn’t sure what he had expected from the ghost that was the owner of this place.

                “Ms. y/n? You paid me to come today.” Toji had taken a step back, he was well aware that he was a frightening presence, especially for the seemingly young and unarmed woman sitting up in her bed.

                “Mr. Fushi-“ a cough “guro?!” your eyes stretched comically wide, and made to jump out of bed, but then you saw how close Toji was, and thought again, “I-I didn’t!” Your hands fly to your head, “Oh God….”

Toji stepped back a ways, he wasn’t sure what he should do or say. The women before him seemed… unwell, to say the least. Weak, for sure, cold too maybe.

                “But it’s….” You began.

          ��     “It’s Friday, you paid me last night for yesterday and today, I can leave if you’d like, but I ain’t got the cash on me…”  

                “No, no, no!” Finally, you stumbled from your bed, seemingly no longer frightened by Toji’s looming form, you seemed flushed, and damp? Definitely unwell. “I-I’m so sorry, I can’t believe I let this happen, I swear I set an alarm…”

You spin around and almost slam directly into Toji's chest. Shrieking, you pulled back and stumbled on your own footing. In the same breath Toji grabs you by the shoulder and righted your center of gravity.

Hot. He thinks She was irregularly warm. He let go and stepped back.

There was once a time when a touch like that would mean nothing, but now, he feels unsure if it was the right move. This woman was nothing like his previous clients.

                “I’m so sorry! But… My phone…” Your eyes survey the desk by the bed. A thermometer sat idly by the lamp.

“I’ve got it here.” Toji waved the device before your eyes, “You left it on the counter back there.” He tilted his head toward the kitchen.

The meek women seemed to no longer fear Toji at all, snatching her phone quickly and moaning loudly. “Oh God!” You echoed.

You shuffle on your feet, unsure of which direction to turn, then finally decide to turn to Toji where he stands staring.

                “I- cannot. Apologize. Enough. Please, you stay here, I need to go, I am so late. I- Thank you, for taking care of my boy.” You were huffing. Stress welled in your form but you squeezed the sides of your temples and rushed to slip shoes on.

                “Excuse me.” Toji felt uncomfortable and out of place in this woman's presence but she was insane if she thought she could work in this condition. Not only due to her clear illness, but also, she was currently wearing a professional pair of flats, green and black oversized plaid pajama pants, and a thick black crewneck. “You… can’t work like this.” He made a face.

You look down at yourself. “Oh, I’m-I’m so embarrassed, and I’m sorry. I have extra clothes in the office, I can change there… I can’t believe this happened.” Your hoarse voice had scratched and faded significantly from the screaming you had done moments before. “Thank you, for waking me, and staying with the dog.”

                “Erm…No, I mean, you can’t work…like this” Toji’s hand motioned to rake over your appearance. Like Hello? You are not presentable. “You're sick.”

                “I’m-no! I’m on the recovery side. I’ll be okay.” You state, wobbling on your “recovering” feet.

                “I don’t think so.” Toji wasn’t trying to be pushy but it was laughable to think someone in your condition was anything but grossly ill. “I think you should call out.”

Your eyes jump at the thought. “I can’t, I’m sorry that this happened, I’ll be sure it won't again. I can't believe-ugh!”

Your exasperation was clear, and no, you were not recovering. You had come home last night beyond exhausted. You had left that morning knowing you were sick. You had left work early, (by 5:30) in hopes that sleep would help you body. But the exhaustion had overtaken you. You can recall taking medicine, placing some out for this morning, and then…. Flopping in bed.

Damn it. This was your fault. And after all the work you had done. The panic had settled into disappointment. And the large man that was supposedly your very attentive and efficient dog sitter was still in your bedroom. Staring at you. In your pajamas. Nice.

“Ya can't work like that. How about I walk the dog, you take the drugs you’ve got in that little cup and go back to bed.” He pauses and. Blood rushes to your face. He gives you a once over, “Maybe wash up.”

You were gonna kill yourself.

There were a million “no!” arguments that came to your mind but they were so jumbled in your fuzzy mind. Another reason for your self-induced frustration. The man was already walking out of your bedroom, your big dog in toe. Your boy!? The dog who hated everyone (especially men) but you?? He was leaving YOU for HIM? That was it.

You waddle back to your bed and flop face first into your pillow and wail. No tears come but the embarrassment and anger fill you so full you need it out of your system in some way.

Checking your (nearly dead) phone you find that it is nearly nine, you weren’t THAT late, this could work. But at the realization that you wouldn’t arrive until almost ten, and the sweat pricking at your neck, all the motivation to make it flooded from your bones. You work from home on the weekend anyway, if you went in today you would likely just humiliate yourself more.

You resigned yourself to the bathroom after taking some medicine, desperate to get yourself clean before the dog sitter returned.

Toji decided to take a slower pace on their morning walk. He had an odd feeling in his stomach. All he could that was that this dogs mom was not what he had expected.

It had become a game for Toji- to guess what the homeowner was like. A decrepit golfer with time for nobody but himself? An old, entitled maid, desperate to appear young? A middle-aged guy like himself, too busy trading stocks to feed his own dog?

Yet today proved that all of his ideas were wrong... you were younger than he had envisioned. You had big, full eyes and you had smiled so shyly while thanking him.

He hadn't meant to embarrass you but your face when he told you you were unpresentable just made him laugh. Your eyebrows knitting together, and your (already heated) facade seemed to rush with more blood. Your downcast gaze had lifted to show a pathetically self-deprecating smile. Toji laughed despite himself.

You had seemed small. But in the moment he had spoken to you, you had shrunk even more. No. Not what he was expecting at all.

And despite himself and his greed. He couldn’t help but hope that he wouldn’t be needed here for a little while.

It seemed like you needed to stay home for a while.

〰・♡・〰〰・♡・〰〰・♡・〰〰・♡・〰〰・♡・〰

pt. 3

[whatsk-poppinhomies]

Pairing : Hwang Hyunjin x F!Reader TW : reader is pregnant ; Hyunjin is stressed ; small argument ; reader breaks up with Hyunjin ; Hyunjin regret ; it's mainly angst ; no happy ending ; Word Count : 7.4k A/N : I'm back! Gonna try to write as much as I can before my new job starts!! Request : Anonny : Can you do an angsty Hyunjin Drabble we’re Hyunjin snaps at her because he’s stressed and she’s pregnant but she thinks he snapped because he knows about her pregnancy so she leaves him and he regrets everything and grovels a lot

“Hey baby…” Hyunjin murmured as he walked through the front door, the dark circles under his eyes evident in the bright fluorescent light that hung above the landing. His schedule was grueling nowadays and the jet lag that he experienced had him in so many different time zones you didn’t know how his body was able to handle it. He didn’t even have time to adjust to different sleep schedules before he was being whisked away once again. “Gonna go wash up…” He trudged to the bathroom, the sound of water rushing through the pipes filled the otherwise empty house. 

It was always like this, you barely even talked to him anymore other than the short greeting when he walked through the front door. You knew he loved you though, he just didn’t have the energy to really act on the feeling anymore like he used to. You still loved him too, and you’d be there for him no matter what. There was one small… well… Small right now problem… Well, not actually a problem, but it was something that had you slightly on edge. 

You had found out you were pregnant, and it’s not like you didn’t want to tell Hyunjin, it just felt like there was never a right time to tell him. He was always gone, and when he came home you didn’t want to bother him with something this big when he already had so much to worry about. It had only been 2 weeks since you took the test, and while you weren’t a fan of hiding things like this, you were still in that timeframe where anything could happen… So it would be unnecessary to even tell him right now when anything could go wrong. 

The more you thought about it, it became very evident to you that the trashcan in the bathroom hadn’t needed to be cleared since you took the test. He had been gone for so long, you hadn’t even thought to hide the evidence. It completely slipped your mind, and now you were thinking way too hard, you were panicking. You couldn’t just run in there and take the trash out, he’d question what you were doing. What if he had already seen it? What if he had seen the boxes? What if he looked in the trashcan and saw the positive tests? 

Everything might have been quiet in the house, but your thoughts were so loud, and when the water finally shut off and the shower curtain slid open you had barely heard it. It wasn’t until his damp feet padded across the hardwood floors that you lifted your head and saw him coming closer, a towel hanging around his neck to catch the droplets of water that fell from the ends of his hair. 

He moved right past the couch that you were sitting on and dropped down into the chair on the other side of the room. It’s not like there wasn’t any room right next to you though… It’s like he didn’t want to sit next to you. Did he find out? Was he mad? He seemed alright when he came through the front door, sure, maybe a bit tired, but that wouldn’t make him want to sit on the complete opposite side of the room… right? 

“How was your-” You started, but he let out a loud groan, his fingers coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose. Was he annoyed? Was it because you hadn’t told him? He had to have found out, that’s the only reason you could think of. Your top teeth came down into your bottom lip, a sharp breath shooting in between your teeth as you stared at him. 

“I’m not ready.” He muttered, and while you didn’t let on outwardly, those three words had your stomach twisting into the tightest knots. Your mouth opened, not even to speak, just to breathe, but his eyes rolled and your lips quickly snapped shut. “Just, don’t talk please. I’m not ready. There’s just too much going on.” 

Your head nodded slowly until you were looking straight down at your lap, your fingers twirling around themselves as nervousness and panic completely took over. He found out, he knew, and he didn’t want to know anything about it… He didn’t want anything to do with you or the life growing inside of you right now. He was too busy. “Sorry…” You mumbled, holding your breath to keep yourself from crying right then and there. 

“Maybe I should just stay with the guys tonight…” He proposed, and it’s not like you were going to tell him not to. It’s not like you even had time to try to talk him out of it if you wanted to, he was getting up already, tossing his towel into the hamper next to the washer and then going back to the front door, grabbing his keys off the hook and walking out. Not a goodbye, not an “I love you”... nothing. He just… left. 

///

“It’s just overwhelming being home after so long…” Hyunjin explained to Chan as he fell onto the couch, his hands running over his face as he let out a loud sigh. “And I know she misses me, and I miss her too… I just can’t sleep, I’m not hungry yet and my schedule is so messed up, I don’t want to bother her with all of that.” 

Chans head nodded slowly in agreement, but then he stopped, his eyes narrowed and his eyebrows lowered to cast shadows over his already darkened eyes. “You… did tell her that… right? You told her all of that… Right?” He questioned, and Hyunjins head fell as he let out a dejected sigh. Of course he didn’t tell you that. If he did, you’d just give up more of your time to try to help him. “So you just left… For no reason? And you think that when you return home, everything will be fine?” 

“I’m not stupid, hyung. I know that things won’t be fine.” Hyunjin muttered, letting out an even heavier sigh which turned to a yawn. “But I have another out of country promotion thing coming up, so I’m thinking that I’ll just stay here until I leave for that, and then I’ll have a break when I get back to talk to her. It’ll give me time to get back on a schedule that lines up with hers and I’ll be able to actually be with her.” 

He could read on Chans face that he wasn’t on board with the plan at all, but he didn’t speak a word about it, instead just shaking his head as he pushed himself up off the couch. “If that’s what you think will work, fine. I won’t interfere with your relationship, you know her best. I’m just hoping that you make the right decision, for your sake, and for hers.” There wasn’t much else to say anyway, deep down Hyunjin knew that his decision making was flawed in some way or another, it’s just that he didn’t know what else to do. 

Leaving the way he did left no room for error, the way he left was an error in itself. He might not let on that he knows it was a mistake, but it was, he knew it was. There would undoubtedly be an argument once he did come home, and the time that he was giving the both of you between then and now was mainly to prepare himself for that argument. He hated fighting with you, but being as busy as he always was had him constantly on edge. It’s not like he meant to take it out on you either, he really tried not to, that’s why he left as well. He was just so damn tired. He hoped that you’d understand. 

///

“So you’re… pregnant… and you left? You just walked out?” Your friend asked as you sat in her living room, your eyes burning from the tears that you had cried earlier whilst explaining everything to her. “You’re sure that he knows? Like, 100% sure? This seems like… And I’m not disregarding your feelings at all… But, your hormones are most likely surging and, I don’t want you to make this kind of decision based on a whim… You know?” 

You knew where she was coming from, she always thought more logically than most, and that’s why you had gone to her specifically to talk to her about what was going on. “Why else would he say that? Why else would he just walk out the way that he did? He didn’t even tell me that he loved me… It’s like… Like he realized he doesn’t love me now that he found out I’m having his kid.” And you crumbled once again, a blubbering mess curled up into yourself on her couch, and no amount of back rubs or consolations were going to make you feel any better. “I mean… I know that we never really talked about having children… And he’s been so busy lately… I just didn’t think he’d react like this…” 

She let out a slow breath, she was clearly thinking, but she also knew that right now, you didn’t need realistic thoughts or “what ifs”, you just needed her to be there for you, and that’s what she’d be. “Everything will be okay… I’ll help you no matter what you decide to do.” You fell against her shoulder, letting yourself cry to the point of your eyes feeling so heavy that you could barely keep them open, and you eventually fell asleep. At least in your dreams, this hadn’t happened. Your subconscious mind hadn’t fully come to terms with the events of the day, and in your mind, you and Hyunjin were still happy, and your vivid imagination played out a reality where he and you raised your child together, in a loving home, one where he wasn’t so busy, one where he was actually excited to be a father. 

Upon awakening, you immediately checked your phone. A thin sliver of hope that maybe he had messaged you, maybe he’d want to talk about what had happened and why he reacted the way he did. Maybe he’d apologize, maybe he’d explain things… but there was nothing. There were no calls or texts, hell, you even checked your email just in case… It’s like he walked out and completely forgot that you existed. 

“Sleep well?” Your friend asked as she turned the corner from the kitchen, her head tilted as she watched you look through your phone, and the cheerful smile she had been wearing just a millisecond before faded to a frown as she walked to sit beside you. “Let’s not worry about that, yeah? We can order in tonight, watch some movies, really get your mind off of things?” 

You nodded in agreement, mainly because she was trying so hard, you weren’t going to shoot down her attempts at trying to cheer you up. She was doing the best she could as your friend, and she couldn’t just bring Hyunjin to you or force him to explain… That was something he had to decide to do on his own. 

There was nothing though, nothing that could be done to actually get your mind off of what was happening. You couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that you’d most likely be a single mother, that Hyunjin wanted nothing to do with you or his child. He wasn’t ready, he didn’t have the time to be around for things like that. He was responsible for so many other things, he had so much on his shoulders, how was he possibly supposed to juggle everything that he was already dealing with and being a father on top of that? 

“You pick the movie and I’ll order the food, okay?” She patted your knee after passing you the remote, giving you a smile, but it felt more apologetic. She felt sorry for you. Everyone would pity you… Or maybe they’d pity him. They wouldn’t listen to your side of the story, especially the fans. They’d take his side regardless of what you say. He was perfect, and you had essentially stolen him from them in the first place. They hated you from the beginning, they would find any reason to break you down further. 

Or, maybe they’d be happy that you made this decision. They could go back to their delusional thoughts, their dreams that they’d actually have a chance with him now that you were out of the picture. You didn’t want to deal with all of that though. You didn’t want any of this to be made public, you wanted to disappear. That’s exactly what you’d do… You didn’t need him to message you, you didn’t need an explanation…. It would be better for you and your child to be free of him. Maybe… Hopefully, he’d avoid you long enough and just forget about you, forget about the baby, forget about everything. 

///

“She hasn’t texted you back yet?” Felix asked Hyunjin who was doubled over the kitchen counter, visibly shaking from crying, yet no sound was coming out, not anymore. “Look, I’m sure there’s a reason… What was the last thing you said to her?” Felix, who hadn’t been told of everything that had happened prior to Hyunjins return for his promotions, was just trying to help as much as he could. 

“Nothing… I didn’t say anything to her…” Hyunjin gasped out, finally lifting his head to reveal his eyes that were puffy and red, but underneath the redness was a darker purple from lack of sleep. “She took… Everything. All of her stuff is gone. She left.” And with that reflection came another round of tears. “Chan hyung was right… I know he thought I was stupid… my plan was stupid…” 

Felix was baffled to say the least, and on top of that, quite disappointed in his friend who had spent the last 3 years gushing over how much he loved you and how he couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life with you. How could Hyunjin have fumbled so badly? “Let me get this straight… You haven’t talked to her at all? What happened?” Now, Felix was no expert on relationships, but he was sure that he could help in some way. There had to be something he could do to help Hyunjin get you back. Things couldn’t be so bad that there was no hope. 

“I left… I walked out… And and… It wasn’t her fault… But I did it wrong. I didn’t say goodbye and I didn’t tell her I loved her…” There was still hope though, it’s not like Hyunjin would have ghosted you while he was gone… It was almost a whole month of traveling. He couldn’t go that long without talking to you. Hell, he couldn’t even go that long without talking about you. “I knew I messed up, and I thought… Maybe a little bit of time would make things better. I thought I’d be able to talk to her when I got back because now I have a break… But she’s gone.” 

“So you just… Nothing? No communication at all…?” Felixs teeth gritted together, all thoughts of being able to help had been thrown out the window as Hyunjin shamefully nodded his head. “So this… this might be fixable still… you know… with a lot of work. A lot of communication and explanations… This could still work.” But even Hyunjin knew that Felix was just trying to take away some of the sting, give him just a bit of false hope so he could at least sleep easier tonight, but none of it would work. Hyunjin knew the mistakes he had made had cost him an entire 3 year relationship. He fucked up, and there was no coming back from it. 

“I’m not stupid, Felix…” The words came out as an exasperated sigh, he didn’t need false hope, he needed you back, and that was the one thing he wasn’t going to get. “I’ve tried to call her, it goes straight to voicemail. My texts won’t even go through. She blocked me. She wants nothing to do with me. I can’t fix things, I don’t even know where she’s at.” He ran his hands rather roughly through his hair, strands getting stuck and yanked out between his fingers, only worrying Felix more. Hyunjin was beyond stressed at this point, he was stressed and depressed, and those two are a very bad combination. 

“How about you just not think about it for a bit. Just… Focus on literally anything else.” At this point Felix was pleading. Seeing Hyunjin like this, although it was solely Hyunjins fault, was devastating and beyond worrisome. He didn’t know what Hyunjin would do, he didn’t know how bad Hyunjin could get, he didn’t even know if this was the worst of it. He didn’t like seeing his best friend like this. 

Hyunjin scoffed, an unamused smirk stretching across his face. “Oh? Focus on something else, like I’ve been doing? That’s the reason I lost her in the first place. I’m tired of having to focus on so much other shit that I can’t even focus on my own girlfriend!” His voice continued to rise in volume and pitch, and now Felix was downright scared. “I lost the love of my life because I put everything else in front of her! I made everything else my priority! You see where that gets me!” 

Felix stumbled back, scared to even attempt to make eye contact at this point. “Look, I get that you’re mad at yourself right now, and that’s fair… But you need to calm down…” Hyunjin wouldn’t do anything to hurt him, he was sure of that, but his hands instinctively moved out in front of him to keep some space between himself and Hyunjin, just in case his words upset Hyunjin even more. “Maybe she needs some time… Maybe she’ll come back to you. You can't just… You can’t be going off like this…”

A laugh, almost maniacal, escaped Hyunjins lips, his head falling back as the sound seemed to vibrate the whole room. “Calm down… Calm down?! How?! How am I supposed to calm down!? Would you stay calm during a situation like this?! If you ruined your entire relationship would you just be calm!?” He continued shouting, and Felix knew that at this point there was no use. He would either descend completely into madness, or he’d come to his senses and realize that he’s acting absolutely crazy right now. “I need to go out, I need a drink or something.” Hyunjin mumbled, and while Felix knew that a drink was the last thing that Hyunjin needed, there was no use trying to stop him, there was no use trying to talk to him, there was no use trying to do anything to help right now. 

///

“You’re in a good mood today. What’s got you so happy?” Your friend asked, noticing that you were smiling at your phone for the last 15 minutes at least. “Did you get a new boyfriend or something?” You whipped your head up long enough to scowl at her, and she laughed lightly as she leaned back against the couch. “Okay, no boyfriend… So, what is it?” 

You turned your phone in her direction and waved it back and forth as you exclaimed. “I got the apartment that I’ve been looking at. It’s affordable and big enough for myself and the baby.” You dropped your hand down to your lap, clicking off your phone and letting out a soft sigh. “I’ll miss staying with you though… You’ll have to visit me a lot.” 

She snorted loudly, leaning forward and reaching over to grab your hand. “I know that you felt like you needed to do this, but I wouldn’t have minded you staying here. The company was nice…” The corners of your mouth pulled down into a frown at the sentiment, it was too late to go back now that you had already agreed and the landlord was in the process of getting the leasing papers. “Hey, no pouting. I’ll be over your place so much that it’ll be like I live there.” 

Maybe it was the hormones that had tears prickling at the corners of your eyes, or maybe it was just the fact that you had become so comfortable staying at your friend's apartment that you know how you’d actually do this on your own. Now you wouldn’t have anyone, not Hyunjin, and not even her. “Promise?” You whimpered, and a sympathetic smile spread across her face as she dabbed at your tears with the sleeve of her hoodie. 

“I promise. I’m gonna be like the second mom that the baby never asked for.” You laughed weakly at the joke before finally taking a deep breath and getting up, your friend moving right alongside you. “So when is the next appointment? I wanna know what our baby is gonna be, hmm!” You rolled your eyes, but it felt nice to hear someone, anyone, call the baby ours and not just yours… 

“Next week…” You murmured as you walked into the kitchen to grab a drink and she followed right behind you. “Is it okay to be scared? I mean… Once I find out… that makes it more real. I still feel alone… And I know that you’re here and I’m so happy that you are… I don’t know what I would have done without you here… But he’s… I still have dreams about him… What it would be like to have him as a part of the baby’s life.” 

“That’s normal…” She reassured you, stepping around the counter to rub your back in soothing circles. “Just because you got rid of him doesn’t mean that your heart or your mind can or will get rid of him. He’s the father of that baby, regardless of whether he wants to act the part or not, and you won’t forget that.” And once again you were sniffling, your head falling against her shoulder as she consoled you. She put up with a lot for you, and for that you felt awful, even if she said she didn’t mind. You truly didn’t know what you’d do without her. 

///

Hyunjin had slowly begun to get back to his normal routine, although he still missed you, at least during the day he was able to act like he was okay. The same couldn’t be said about nighttime though, he’d lay in bed scrolling through his pictures of you and just cry. 6 months was a long time to be away from someone, and most people would think that it was enough time to get over someone… But it was hard to get over a person if that person was the one that you were in love with. 

Daylight hours though, he was the Hyunjin that everyone knew and loved. The only thing that was different was that he didn’t talk about you anymore, and it’s not that he didn’t try to, it’s just that the guys would stop him before he could even get a word out. 

It had been weeks now since he had last tried to even bring you up, and all of the guys really thought they were beginning to get somewhere. Sure, they’d still hear him crying at night, but they were really hoping that soon he’d be able to move on, maybe not to another girl, but move on from his mistakes, use them as a lesson in the future for what not to do. 

“We should go to the cafe since we’ve got a break, yeah?” Felix suggested as he sat against the mirrored wall beside Hyunjin in the practice room. “I think we deserve to reward ourselves after all of our practice. Plus, I know your ass would never turn down an iced americano, so let’s go.” Hyunjin chuckled as he and Felix both got up off the floor, heading to the door. 

“We should go to my favorite place, they’ve got the best pastries and I’m so hungry.” Felix nodded along to the suggestion, anything to make Hyunjin happy and keep him happy. What both of the guys didn’t know though, was that Hyunjins favorite cafe had become your favorite cafe as well. It’s not like you could help the cravings that seemed to come almost overnight the further along you got in your pregnancy. 

The walk was short, it was within a block of the building, and maybe that’s why Hyunjin had come to like it so much. It wasn’t just the taste of the beverages and the treats, it was the convenience of it as well. Not just that, but there were memories there, memories that he tried to keep at the back of his mind, but just the sight of the familiar storefront sign had the memories flooding in. He couldn’t help but think back on all the days that he’d meet you there during your lunch breaks, holding hands with you across the table as you both talked about your days. Where did it all go wrong? 

“Oh look!” Felix announced, breaking the silence of the otherwise quiet walk. “It must be the anniversary of the cafe opening or something. They’ve got balloons all out front.” Hyunjins eyes were drawn to the pink and white orbs that floated in the front of the shop. Over the five years that he had been going there, he had never seen them do anything like that before for anniversaries, but maybe this one was important. 

“That’s cute… Maybe they’ll have some specials or something.” Hyunjin joked, his pace picking up slightly at the thought of a discounted treat. Things were starting to get a little weird now though as he and Felix got closer. There had never been so many cars parked out front of the cafe at once, and as he glanced through the window, he could see pink and white streamers hanging from the ceiling. “Is someone having a party?” He questioned, and Felix peaked in as well, but ultimately shrugged his shoulders. 

“I’m sure they’re not using the whole cafe, come on. We can probably still get a seat.” Felix pushed through the door, the chime above the door ringing out and letting the employees and everyone else in the cafe know they were there. “Looks like a baby shower… I’ve never known of people having baby showers at cafes… That’s new.” He mused, pointing to the banner that hung above the counter. 

“Is it just me… or did it get like… really awkward in here…” Hyunjin whispered, noticing the way the entire cafe seemed to go silent upon their entrance. He couldn’t help but feel antsy under the gazes of so many people. “Maybe we should just go back after we order…” 

“Or it could just be because we’re famous… Come on… Don’t make me walk back yet. My feet are tired.” Felix playfully whined, and Hyunjin relented. He was sure that Felix was right, sometimes it was easy to forget that he was an idol, especially when he was out doing normal things like getting coffee with his best friend. “Maybe if the parents know of us, they’ll ask us to take pictures. I wouldn’t mind doing that. That would be so cool actually.” Felix continued to think out loud after ordering the drinks and the pastries, Hyunjin following along as they walked to a table closer to the back. 

By that time, it seemed like the people that had already been there for the baby shower were talking amongst themselves, quieter now, and Hyunjin was trying so hard not to be pessimistic, he was trying to truly believe what Felix had said, but there was just this feeling in his stomach that these people weren’t shocked or in awe at the fact that the two of them had shown up. They were angry. Then, the chime above the door rang out, and a unified chorus of “surprise” was cheered. That’s when Felix almost choked on his drink, his eyes widening as he set his eyes upon the new “customer”. 

“There is no fucking way…” Felix muttered, and it’s not like he’d be able to keep Hyunjin from looking, it’s not like they wouldn’t pass by the party anyway on the way out. If something were to happen, it was bound to happen, regardless of how much Felix tried to keep it from happening, so he decided not to try at all. All he could do was hold his breath as he watched Hyunjin turn around in his seat and then completely freeze when his eyes landed on you. 

It wasn’t just you though, there was someone else… Although they weren’t visible right now, they weren’t standing beside you… They were growing inside of you. You had to be 6… maybe 7 months pregnant by now… And it was all starting to make sense to Hyunjin now… At least in his head. That’s why you left. You had gotten pregnant by someone else while he was away, that had to be the reason. What other reason was there for you to just leave the way you did without saying a single word. This whole time he had thought that it had been his fault… But you had cheated on him. You cheated and you didn’t even have the common decency to tell him before you left. 

“Wow! Congratulations!” Hyunjin cheered snarkily as he loudly pushed his chair back and got up, clapping his hands together so hard that it almost echoed off the walls. “Crazy that of all places I finally get to see you again, it’s at your baby shower! Is that why you left, huh? You just couldn’t stay faithful while I was away and you managed to get knocked up! Where’s the father? Where is he, hmm!? I just wanna talk to him!” His voice started rising in pitch and getting louder and louder, something that Felix had seen before, and even though he was upset as well, he didn’t want Hyunjin to do something that he might end up regretting. 

“What are you talking about?” You managed to say through tears and sobs, your arms seeming to instinctively wrap around your stomach to protect it from Hyunjins anger. “Stop trying to act so innocent just because you’re out in public! Or did you not even tell Felix?! Or maybe you just conveniently forgot that you’re the one that walked out on me because you found out I was pregnant and you didn’t want to deal with it!” 

“WHAT?!” Both Hyunjin and Felix said the word at the same time, both of their expressions mirrored right beside each other as they stared at you, their mouths agape and their eyes so wide it looked like they might fall out. “Wait… Just.. Hold on a second!” Hyunjin stammered, his arms going up in defense as everyone in the room started to get more angry. “You’re… You’re saying… The baby is mine?!” 

You let out a sigh of disbelief, your hand running shakily through your hair, but Hyunjin couldn’t seem to take his eyes off your stomach that was rounded out, like a volleyball was placed under your shirt. It’s not like he had never seen a pregnant woman before, but to see the woman that he was head over heels in love with, pregnant… it was something that he couldn’t wrap his mind around, especially now that he knew the baby was his. “I just want to go… I want to go home…” You whimpered to your best friend who had her arm wrapped protectively around your waist. 

“No! No wait!” Hyunjin practically screamed when you started to turn around, his hand reaching out to grab your upper arm and keep you from moving any further. “Why didn’t you tell me? Why would you just walk out? Were you just going to… hide it… from me?” His voice got softer, wavering a little as his eyes glassed over, finally looking at you, and the prominent frown on your face had his heart aching even more. 

“Stop pretending… Stop… Hyunjin, you already knew.” The words came out as a single breath, exhausted already from the back and forth of it all. “You didn’t have to tell me… I knew why you left. You saw the test in the bin… You didn’t even want to talk about it. You left… You didn’t tell me you loved me, and it doesn’t matter how long it’s been… It still hurts…” You never turned around to face him, but he didn’t need to see your face to know that you were holding your breath, your cheeks slightly puffed out, something that he always found to be adorable, but now that it was because of him, he was devastated. You didn’t want him to see you cry, you didn’t want him to hear that you were choked up, but he knew… 

It wasn’t making sense though. “Y/N…” He whispered your name, stepping closer, feeling the glares of everyone around him, but it didn’t stop him. He wouldn’t hesitate. Even if you didn’t want to get back with him, even if nothing was fixed by this conversation… “I would never leave… Not because of this. If I knew… I would have sat down and talked to you about it… I would have… I would have done things differently. I was stupid, but not because I found out you were pregnant. I was stupid because I was stressed, I was so tired from work and… I thought that I had made a mistake before… But now I can see how big that mistake was. I didn’t just lose you… I lost you and… and my baby…” He needed you to know that everything, every thought that had been filling your head about what you thought had happened, that it was wrong. 

Even still, you didn’t turn around, but your shoulders slumped and he could see the deep breath that you took when they raised back up. “You didn’t even call me… I tried to call you, but you didn’t answer. You don’t know the hell that I went through… To try to get over you… And I still haven’t. I don’t think I ever will because… I’ll always have her as a constant reminder of you… And I hate that, but I’d never hate her for being born by a father who couldn’t have cared less.” 

Those words hurt, they hurt more than anything else you had said, because you truly thought that low of him. “You think I don’t care?” He questioned, and you finally turned around, your mascara running down your cheeks with every tear that spilled over, and you simply nodded. “You’re wrong… I care more than you know. I can’t sleep at night… Because I fucked up so bad… And now I have… I have a daughter…” His voice broke, his head falling back and his adams apple bobbing as he swallowed thickly, trying to remove the lump from his throat. “Now that I know… I don’t… What am I supposed to do? I’m not just going to… Move on and… And act like I don’t have a child… Like I’m not still in love with you…” 

“Hyunjin stop…” You muttered, your head shaking as your eyes dropped to the ground. “What do you think saying all this is going to do, huh? If it wasn’t for Chae… I don’t know what I would have done. I would have had to do all this by myself… Because… Because fine, you didn’t know I was pregnant… But you still walked out on me. You put your job before me, above me… You always have…” 

“I know…” Hyunjins head solemnly nodded, you were right, it had been one of the constant arguments that the two of you would have been he still had you, but he had been too blind to see that it would be his biggest downfall. “I know I did, and I regret it, and I’ll regret it even more now. I’ve changed though… And I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I know what I want to happen. I want to be a part of her life… Whether what I want happens or not… Can I at least have that…?” 

///

“So… You’re still single… I’m still single… I don’t know what you’re holding off for…” Hyunjin teased as he helped you hang the banner across the wall. “We’re great at coparenting… I mean, can you imagine what it would be like if we were one unit? We’d be unstoppable. We’d be the coolest parents ever! Not to mention, the hottest parents at school pickup when she’s older.” 

You rolled your eyes. He always managed to find a way to have some sort of variation of the same conversation every single time he came over. He was relentless. “Mm… Don’t fix what’s not broken, haven’t you heard that saying before?” You chimed, stretching up on your toes to try to even out the banner that he seemed to put just high enough for you not to reach on purpose. He stepped behind you, his breath hitting your neck and sending shivers down your spine as he grabbed your end and hung it for you. “You’re such a dork…” You mumbled as you turned around, your breath catching in your throat when you realized just how close his face was to yours. 

“And I’m once again asking if I could be your dork… again…” He smiled hopefully, his head tilted to the side, and although you had admitted to yourself multiple times already that you still loved him, that he was the only man that you’d ever be able to love, that you wanted nothing more than to get back with him… There was always going to be that part of you that worried about him going back to the way he used to be. Going through it once was enough, and you had come to terms that yeah, maybe part of it was your fault for jumping to conclusions and leaving the way you had, but he had been in the wrong as well, and you refused to go through that again, especially now that you had a child to protect as well. 

“But you are my dork…” His eyes lit up momentarily, and you giggled lightly, taking the momentary lapse of attention as a way to slip away. “I still have to put up with your antics almost daily, and you’re over my apartment every day.” He was following you around now as you straightened the decorations that had already been resituated a million times today. “Did you get the cake?” You turned to look at him, his pursed lips and the already guilty look on his face had you groaning loudly. 

“Calm down, baby.” He cooed, and you hated how much you missed hearing him call you that. “I already got it, it’s in the fridge. Have more faith in me… I’m not an absolute pabo.” Your lips pulled into a straight line as you stared at him, but when he remained silent you snorted loudly. “What? What?! Would a pabo make such a beautiful, intelligent, silly, baby girl? Hmm? Would he?” 

“Yes, yes he would.” You retorted with a giggle. “Because the pabo is very handsome, and very silly. She got her smarts from me though.” His lips pulled down into an overly dramatic pout and you playfully pushed against his chest as you shook your head. “Let me take credit for her intelligence, she’s only pretty and silly because you’re her dad. Luckily she looks a lot like you. Although we’re gonna have our work cut out for ourselves when she gets to school.” 

You went to step around him, but his hands landed on your hips, stopping you from any further as he looked you in your eyes, his gaze becoming more serious. “You’re beautiful…” Everything that came out of his mouth before this could have been taken as a joke, and maybe it was all meant to be taken as a joke, but the light tone that he had been carrying the whole afternoon was gone now. “You’re so beautiful, so smart, so perfect and… and every single day I wonder if it’s going to be the last chance I have to even try to get you back… but until that day comes, I’m going to keep trying because if I’m not with you, I don’t want to be with anyone.” He took a deep breath, his arms dropping to his sides as he took a step back. “But if you ever do find someone else… Can you give me a heads up, just so I can prepare myself for the heartbreak of seeing the love of my life with some other man… Please.” 

“You’re so dramatic…” You muttered, taking a step to close the space that he made between the two of you. “You don’t have to worry about that ever happening… There’s no one that can ever make me feel the way you did…” Hesitantly, you reached out to grab his hands, your thumbs brushing along his knuckles. “I’ll never want anyone but you.” Was it really smart to be admitting these things to him? Probably not. Who knew what would happen now that he knew, and you still weren’t ready for anything with him, at least not anything where it felt like your entire life was on the line. “You’re everything to me… and-“ 

His hands pulled away from yours, and for the split second where you couldn’t feel his touch, you panicked. Was he mad at you? No… His hands moved to cup your cheeks as he placed the softest, sweetest, most bittersweet kiss to your lips. It was everything, the sparks once again unleashed in the pits of your stomach just like the first kiss all over again. “You don’t have to explain… I know that you’re not ready… I’m just happy to hear that there’s no one else. And I’ll wait, I’ll keep waiting until you think that I’m deserving enough to be with you again.” His thumbs brushed your cheek before his hand slipped to the back of your head, his fingers tangling in your hair as his forehead rested against yours. “I love you though, only you, it’ll only ever be you…” 

“The birthday girl has arrived!” Changbin announced as him and the rest of the guys walked through the front door, your daughter waddling in infront of them all, her tiny feet carrying her fast over to where you and Hyunjin stood, her tiny hands grabbing at the air in front of her until she reached the both of you. “Are we… interrupting?” Changbin questioned, eyeing you and Hyunjin suspiciously, but you both shook your heads, and you quickly wiped the few tears that had fallen before giving the guys a smile. 

“Nope, you’re just in time!” You clapped your hands together, taking a deep breath to calm your nerves and looking around. Everything was perfect. “Thanks for watching her while we decorated. Was she good?” The guys all nodded, but they still looked between you and Hyunjin, the assumptions and suspicions that they had were obvious. You were just glad that at the end of the day, Hyunjin would be the one faced with the questions, not you. 

“Ah! Look at my big girl! Dada missed you bunches!” Hyunjin squealed as he scooped up his daughter, spinning around with her as he peppered kisses across her face, eliciting a chorus of giggles to pour out. “Do you like? Is it pretty?” He asked as he pointed at all the decorations, walking over to all the places she pointed to and letting her grab at the balloons and the streamers. 

Your heart swelled whenever you watched him with your daughter. He was a great father, he was a wonderful boyfriend when he wanted to be, and you wished that you could get rid of all the doubt and fears and hesitations that you had about him. He truly was perfect, he’s everything that you wanted. He said that he’d wait, but was it fair to keep him waiting? You didn’t even know how long it would take… Maybe someday… Someday soon… You’d be able to give him the answer he wanted, the answer that you want… But for now… For now you both could be happy like this, and for today, you’d let yourselves forget about everything and focus on your daughter and celebrate her 2nd birthday together, as parents, as a family, surrounded by all the people she loves and all the people that love her. 

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[juanarc-thethird]

Dr. Arc #3

Jaune: *To de camera* A few days ago it was my birthday and my grandmother gave me one of her delicious pies, just for me. I brought my last piece here to eat with my lunch. But to make sure no one took it, I put it all the way to the back in the refrigerator and with several notes saying "Do not touch" and "Property of Dr. Arc."

---------

Jaune is placing his pie all the way in the back of the fridge and then starts putting everything else back inside.

---------

Jaune: There's no way anyone would eat it.

---------

Lunch time

Ren: Hey Jaune, today we're all going to eat outside in the garden. The weather is good today.

Jaune: Ok, I'll just finish some paperwork and catch up to you guys.

Ren: Sounds good. *leaves*

The camera shows how Jaune continues working but in the distance, through one of the clinic windows, you can see Ozpin checking the staff refrigerator.

---------

The scene changed with Jaune filing the papers in his file cabinet.

Jaune: Well, I'm done. Now it's time to eat my pie~

The camera follows him to the refrigerator. He starts taking things out, and when he gets to the end he freezes in place.

---------

Ozpin's Office

The camera shows Ozpin at his desk working on some papers.

Ozpin: *Drinking Coffe*

*Ting!*

Suddenly the camera changes direction to the elevator doors and Glynda appears.

Glynda: Ozpin, we have a problem.

---------

Staff room

The camera shows everyone scared as Jaune holds Yang hostage using a syringe.

Jaune: Ok motherfuckers! Who the hell ate my pie?!! Tell me now, or the girl gets it!

Yang: *Blushing* Oh god~💕 You are so strong~💕

Weiss: *Worry* Jaune, please calm down. We can talk about this in a civilized manner, let Yang go..

Yang: *Angry* Hey, don't ruin this to me. Don't listen to her, Jaune. Don't even think about letting me go from your strong arms~💕

Weiss: Yang, you're not helping!

Yang: You're jealous because he didn't choose you as a hostage.

Weiss: *Angry blushing* I'm not!!

Ozpin: What's going on here?!

The camera changes to Ozpin, with Glynda behind him. Everyone turns to see him.

Ozpin: Dr. Arc, what do you think you are doing? Let Professor Xiao Long go.

Jaune: No! Someone ate my pie and they don't tell me who it was. And I won't let her go until they tell me who it was.

Yang: Yes please~💕

Ozpin: Wait, are you perhaps talking about a lemon pie with chocolate chips?

Jaune: Yes, how do you know? It was wrapped in aluminum

Ozpin: Oh, I think I'm to blame in all this.

Jaune: Huh?

Ozpin: I'm very sorry Dr. Arc, but it seems that I ate your pie by mistake.

Jaune: But it had my name!

Ozpin: And I'm sorry, I didn't think it was that important to you.

Jaune: *Shock* You ate it all?

Ozpin: Not completely, it was too sweet for me. I threw the rest in the trash.

Jaune: *Surprise* You threw it in the trash?!

Ozpin: I hope you can forgive me.

Jaune: *Let Yang go* You know what, don't worry about it. Mistakes happen all the time, right.

Ozpin: Oh I'm glad to hear that. Well, with this resolved. Let's all go back to work, okay?

Ozpin turns around if he leaves, with Glynda following behind him. The camera then focuses on Jaune, who doesn't look away from Ozpin without blinking. It's kind of intimidating.

---------

Ozpin's office

Ozpin is looking out of his window at the scenery of the school and city. He holds up his cup of coffee and takes a sip.

*ting!*

Ozpin: hm?

The camera shows the elevator door to his office open with Jaune stepping out of it.

Ozpin: Dr. Arc, I was not expecting your visit. How can I help you??

Jaune: I came to give you my two weeks' notice.

He puts his letter on his desk and leaves. Ozpin takes the letter and begins to open it without looking away from Jaune.

Ozpin: Is it because I ate your pie? Please Dr. Arc, it was just an…

At that moment he reads the letter and it says:

"I will attack in two weeks."

Ozpin: ..Accident

He looks back at Jaune, and as the elevator doors close he can see an evil smile spread across his face. Then Jaune moves his lips without making any noise saying "two weeks." Ozpin starts to break out in a cold sweat.

Ozpin: I think I made a huge mistake.

[allurilove]

Celebrating the fourth of July with Henry and yandere husband. Also happy 4th of julyyyyy 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

I'm celebrating by eating a lot of hotdogs! I haven't had them in so long, and I sort of forgot how good they could be.

Your husband grunted as you handed him the aluminum pan, heavy with copious amounts of tiny hamburger sliders you made for the neighborhood party. You made sure that you looked nice and that Henry was presentable too. Your husband wasn't the celebrating type, and he was confused when you handed him a shirt with an American flag printed on the front. He shook his head, refusing to even touch or wear it. It just felt wrong to be overly patriotic like that.

Your husband still wanted to "blend" into the crowd, so he opted to slick his hair back and wear a hat backward, a dark blue t-shirt with a fun graphic on the breast pocket, jean cargo shorts, and his black Sambas. From afar, he looked like a college student—in better words, he looked like the typical frat boy. You were surprised he even had clothes like that.

You held Henry's hand as you walked to your neighbor's backyard. You pushed the gate open for your husband and guided him to the table where the food was. "Now that looks good..." You took a banana pudding cup for you and your son. Your husband huffed and finally put down the heavy tray. He took off the top and tossed it into the trash. He looked around to see the other people who decided to show up, and he gulped as he saw his number one rival... the Skylar family.

Fuck, were they the perfect family.

They could model for Gap or Old Navy with how amazing they looked together. Like the good man he was, your husband approached Lucas Skylar. Lucas was sort of an odd man (your husband thought), and he was a sex therapist who mainly worked with those horrible reality TV couples. You know the ones: people who came onto a show for clout and fame, really only looking to win money and cheat into having an easy life. The ones who pair up with other people who matched their physical aesthetics. It was sort of genius, and your husband slowly started to wish he was in that profession.

"Lucas! It's so great to see you." Your husband opened his arms and pulled him into a "bro" hug. Lucas equally threw himself into the hug. Of course, he was an amazing greeter.

"How are you and your wife? I can see that you guys got down and dirty, huh?" Lucas smirked and nudged your husband. You were about six months pregnant with another child—a girl, as you two had found out. "If you two ever get into a rut, you know where to find me."

Your husband would rather die. This wasn't the first time Lucas Skylar offered his services, and your husband was starting to form an idea in his head that Lucas just wanted to fuck you. I mean, he stares at you way too often. His green eyes would linger on your form, even if he was standing by his wife. Maybe your husband should take up the offer and start boasting about how you two had this amazing sexual chemistry.

"Yeah. Thanks." Your husband laughed humorlessly and slapped Lucas's shoulder a bit too roughly, brushing past him. The pissed-off man went straight for the beers. He spent the rest of the night sulking in the corner, nursing his drink, and watching Henry run around the backyard with lit sparklers in his hands.

"Hey." The man cleared his throat and pushed his body off the fence, his expression softening as you came up to him. You handed him some food and he accepted it gratefully.

"Let me guess..."

"You don't even have to." Your husband groaned and his shoulders tensed up. He rolled his eyes and looked right back down at you. "That prick wants to meddle into our sex life again."

"Why don't you tell him that it's great and he needs to back off?" You shrugged nonchalantly and your husband sighed.

"I... I didn't want to embarrass you like that. Plus, I don't want to create any bad blood between us and them. We still have to live near them after all." Your husbands expression soured. He crushed the empty beer can before making a shot into the trash bag. He then took your hands into his and he pulled you into his embrace.

...

Your husband wanted to make it up to you for pouting all day, and he took the family out to a secluded and open area. He opened the trunk of the car, and he pulled out a box of fireworks. After he was done scolding Henry for not listening to his little safety seminar, he finally lit one and took a step back. The firework shot up into the sky and burst into red and blue colors.

He subtly reached for his phone and took a picture of you and Henry both looking at the sky. Your husband would talk to thousands of guys like Lucas Skylar if this was the end result. His heart warmed at the sight of his two, and soon to be three, favorite people holding hands.

[gay-wh0re-slut]

Pre-Show

rhea ripley x reader

content: sad rhea and helpful reader, maybe some smoochin, maybe some sexual undertones who knows?!

Getting put against Liv Morgan was not what Rhea wanted this week but she had to do it anyway. She had been quiet the past week because of it. You tried your best to keep her spirits up and take her on dates and keep her busy to stop her from thinking about but it seemed like that’s all she could think about.

“Obviously you’re going to win,” you tried.

“That doesn’t change what she did to me,” she fired back.

You stared solemnly at her rubbing her arm in comfort. She gave you a weak smile, running her hand through her hair before walking into the living room. She curled up on the couch and Barry cuddled right next to her. You knew he could sense that she was feeling down. She turned the volume up higher than usual and watched whatever channel she thought suitable to keep her mind from wandering.

You sat on the side the dog wasn’t and leaned your head on her shoulder. A muscular arm wrapped around you and held on tight. The wrestler knew that her being like this took a toll on you too but she was never good at expressing her feelings. But her actions of reciprocating the cuddling or bringing you a snack or drink when you never asked, would let you know that she appreciated you being there for her.

The day finally came and the crew allowed you backstage to be with her. They all knew how hard this was.

“Can you help?” she was almost fully dressed with her makeup and hair done. She held out the almost empty bottle of baby oil towards you.

“Sure baby,” you gently took it from her. Opening it with a click you put the rest in your hand, “turn around,” you said quietly.

She followed your command and held her hair out of the way, even though it wasn’t long enough to be a problem anyway. She held her shirt to her chest not letting it fall, leaving the back untied for better application. You rubbed it in making sure every inch of her shoulders and bare back was covered. You wiped the rest on her arms and tied her shirt the way she liked it.

“Thank you,” she whispered putting the bottle in the trash.

“Anytime love,” you smile.

A crew member knocks on the dressing room door before cracking it, “Rhea?”

“What’s up?”

“15 until the show starts.”

“Thank you,” as she watched them close the door.

“You’re the third match though so you have some time,” you reassured her.

“Yeah,” she sat in the big lounge chair that made her look small.

You sighed quietly looking at her for a moment to think of anything you could do to cheer her up for even one small minute. You watched her stare into space chewing at her cheek, twiddling her fingers.

“Hey,” you said walking towards her.

“Hm,” she responded without losing her stare.

You sat on top of her, straddling her thighs, sitting yourself down nicely.

“Hey,” she finally looked something other than sad, resting her hands on your thighs.

“I knew that’d do it,” you giggled, “when this is all over,” you placed your hands on her tight shoulders, “maybe we could have a nice night out somewhere.”

Her shoulders almost immediately relaxed when she felt your hands on them. “That sounds good,” her voice sounded not so sad anymore.

“But maybe later tonight,” you brushed her hair behind her ear, “I can do something…for you,” that had a specific tone to it that Rhea definitely caught on to.

Her eyes lit up, only slightly, but you could tell you were getting somewhere. You leaned in to give her a deep kiss, not caring about the black lipstick stain that would be left.

She hummed into it, gripping your thighs tighter. You could literally feel the hypothetical weight being lifted off of her in that moment.

Breaking the kiss, “You’re too good to me,” she sighs.

“Nah,” you scrunch your nose.

She looked at her phone for the time, “We still have a while,” she cocked an eyebrow.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” and with that she pulled your face forward for another deep kiss.

You braced yourself on the back of the chair. The two of you were trying your best to be wary of the makeup situation but that quickly left your minds as time went on. Your mouths dancing against one another like they have multiple times before, but you could never have enough of her. Your hips involuntarily began to slightly grind on her. Your hands were tangled in her hair as she was pulling you in closer by clawing under your shirt at your back. Small moans fell from both of you. Sweat began to form on her back from the leather seat, so she pushed forward into you. A familiar tattooed hand nudged its way to your waistband, trying to unbutton and unzip-

*knock, knock, knock*

Both of you stopped immediately.

“Rhea?” said the crew member through the door.

“Yeah?!” she yelled.

“10 til places!”

“Thank you!”

“Damn,” you breathed.

“Damn,” she reiterated.

You gave her one more long but lazy kiss before stumbling off of her. Looking in the mirror at the damage you did, you wiped off the black smudges as best you could. She smacked your ass before fixing herself too, replacing what was wiped off and cleaning up around the edges.

“Look good?” she asked turning towards you.

“Always,” you smiled wide.

She held your chin and gave you a big kiss on your cheek wanting to leave a mark, smiling at her creation once she finished. She pulled you in for a deep hug, kissing the top of your head.

“Beat her ass,” you snarled.

“As long as I get to see yours later,” she pushed you back.

“There you are,” squeezing her arms before pushing her towards the door, “now go,” you slapped her ass one good time.

“Do it again,” she stopped just before the door.

So you put your all into it, winding up and landing perfectly on her left cheek so well the sound echoed in the room.

“Fuck,” she held it for comfort, “where’d that come from?!”

You laughed as you shrugged at her, “Go! The sooner you beat her the sooner I can have you at home!”

She stood smiling at you, her sparkle was back in her eyes.

“Go!!” you pointed to the door.

She gave you one more big kiss before heading out the door and closing it behind her.

“Beat her ass, Ripley.”

[anon-sect]

I’d do anything to get close to my gym crush’s feet, could you give me a little help?

Picture source: @paketemusculomorbo

Quinton worked out nearly every day at his favorite gym, and he kept noticing this one guy, always looking his direction but never bothering to come greet him. This attention went on for almost two months straight. He thought about going to another gym, but the guy might follow him there. Since the guy was to shy to come say hi, he would break the ice himself.

"What's up?" Quinton went over and spoke. The guy was sort of silent for a few seconds, probably because of the shock that he came over and spoke with him.

Greg was caught by surprise. "Oh, hi." He didn't know what else to say for a brief moment.

"Listen, I have been noticing you looking my way for a while. I thought I would end your nervousness. The name is Quinton, and yours." He saw that the guy was getting less uneased by now.

"Oh, I am Greg. Nice to meet you." He spoke back, seeing that his gym crush was actually kind of nice.

"Nice to meet you as well, Greg. Well, I will get back to my workout session, I just wanted to say hi." Quinton spoke as he went back to the machine he was previously at. He then noticed the rubber in his favorite shoes came loss. This was no good. Sadly, he didnt' have another pair with him. He went back over to Greg.

"Hey, could you help me with something, buddy?" Quinton asked. He saw Greg's face light up like a supernove when he asked that question.

Sure, anything." Greg quickly answered without even knowing what the request was. He followed him back to the locker room, which was surprisingly empty. He saw Quinton smiling at that. He saw him pull out his phone. With a quick snap of the camera, his whole reality changed. He found himself completely immobile with a limited view. HIs body was split in two, and each half had a solid form.

Quinton picked up the brand new shoes. They looked great. He took off his old shoes and threw them in the trash. "Sorry about this. I know we just officially met, but my old shoes are just too ruined for me to continue to work out. I needed you to be my shoes for now. I really do appreciate this." He put the shoes on his feet and went back out to finish his session. The new shoes felt way better than his old favorite pair. He could easily work out without his feet hurting now.

Greg didn't know if he was dreaming or if it was reality. He was literally being worn on his gym crush feet. The socks were already sweaty and smelled slightly. It was also painful with each step under his feet. Being shoes was quite a painful experience, not to mention sweaty and stinky. Yet, he was still loving every moment of it. He really didn't mind his gym crush using him as his shoes.

Quinton finished his nearly two hour workout. He snapped a quick picture of himself with his new shoes. He loved how they looked on his feet. He decided he would keep them. He hoped the guy didn't mind being his sneakers for a long time.

Quinton went back to the lockroom, grabbed his bag, and went to his car. Once back at his car, he took one sneaker off. "My old pair seem like they were too far gone, but I have found a new replacement for my favorite sneakers. It's you. I don't know if this is something you would want, or if you dispise me for wearing you." He paused as he thought about it. "Honestly, you don't have any choice in your life anymore. You are just my new favorite shoes now. Don't worry, I will take good care of you for sure. My last pair lasted me for years, you wil be mine forever." He put the shoe back on his foot and drove back home to take a shower.

Greg was so happy to hear what came of his fate. Quinton could wear him forever for all he cared. There was no greater pleasure than being worn by him on his feet. He wished he could express his gratitude for what he did to him, but at least he knew that he would be with his gym crush forever. That was all that mattered.

[ellaa-writes]

Welcome home

Johnny angst, heartbreak.

He never meant to yell at you, watching has the smile dropped from your face and replaced with a wobbly lip. How your eyes swelled with fat tears before you looked away from him completely. It torn him up inside.

He always apologized immediately, wrapping you up in his arms. Telling you how much of an idiot he was and how much he loved you. Wiping away the tears he caused.

His job was stressful, he knew it wasn't an excuse. And he's trying, soon as he walks up the steps to your shared house he tries to leave all of it at the door. But sometimes he comes back missing pieces, a few screws in his head.

It was nearly 8 at night when he walked in through the front door. All he wanted was a hot shower and a good meal. The house was quiet, a little too quiet. He set his bag down and kicked his boots off. Making his way into the living area and through the kitchen. Nothing, no one.

He knew you were home, your car was parked outside. He went back to grab his bag and made his way to the bedroom, where he found you fast asleep. Phone abandoned on your chest as the credits to whatever movie you were watching scrolled by on the tv. He checked his watch again, maybe it didn't adjust to the time zones and he came home later than he thought.

Digging out his phone to double check, but nope, each clock read 8:01 pm.

He abruptly turned on the lights, and dropped his heavy bag loudly on the ground. Awakening you from your slumber, you sat up in bed. Alarmed and confused, but once you saw Johnny it all resolved.

"Hey, I missed you." you tried to talk to him but he just walked into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him before you heard the shower start.

Odd, you thought but you knew his job was demanding. You got up from the bed and began pulling items out of his bag. Giving his weeks old clothes a sniff before taking them into the laundry room. You waited to start the washer until he was done with his shower. You had some left over pasta in the fridge, you really wish you knew he'd be coming home tonight or you would have cooked.

Setting the bowl in the microwave and letting it heat up. You made him his favourite drink, setting everything out on the table for him.

It didn't take long until you heard him enter the dining room. But he just stood there, in the door way looking at his meal on the table.

"What is 'dis?" he was looking at the food on the table.

"Dinner" you chimed.

"Ye fockin' jokin'?" it took you by surprise, Johnny never cursed at you, ever.

"Sorry?" you were trying to understand what the problem was.

""Ah've traveled all day, and this is aw Ah bloody get!" he smacked the wall making you flinch as he stormed off. "Bloody unbelievable." he murmured before kicking the bedroom door shut.

You sat their in stunned silence, you could feel the knot in your stomach getting heavier. The weight in your chest making it feel like you were about to throw up. The tears brimming your eyelashes. Taking some deep breaths you gathered the plate and drink off the table. Dumping the liquid down the drain and throwing the unwanted pasta into the trash. Rinsing the plate and glass before loading them into the dishwasher.

It wasn't until you were huddled under the knitted blanket, laying on the couch, that you let yourself cry. Crying yourself back to sleep, the only sound that could be heard throughout the house.

Johnny heard you sobs but decided it was well deserved. Hoping tomorrow you learned your lesson.

[myfeetrcolddd]

A date? (PART TWO!!)

Theo kept to his word. After leaving the cafe he took her hand in his once more, intertwining their fingers together. He walked so close to her that their shoulders kept brushing.

"D'you want to go to the bookstore?" Y/N asked innocently, batting her pretty little eyelashes at him in a way she knew always worked on him.

He pursed his lips and acted as though he was annoyed by the prospect of going there, even though he had planned to go there. After all that was the one store she had gone to consistently every time she was at Hogsmeade. "I suppose so." He rolled his eyes with a grin and she shoved him lightly.

Theo tossed their empty cups into a trash can before he held the door open for her and let her in.

Theo watched her face as it morphed into this giddy childlike expression and found himself smiling at it. A thought came to mind, a muggle phrase he had heard once, 'Happy wife, happy life' and he knew they weren't married (yet), but he couldn't help but feel as though that phrase was nothing but the truth.

He followed her around the store, listening intently as she rambled on about each book and the plotlines. He held the books she handed to him and kept track of those she lingered on but didn't pick up.

Theo was not known for his patience, or his ability to stay quite for such a long time without putting in his two cents. This was not the case with Y/N, because when he was with her he found his loud and over busy mind was calm and quite. He liked that nearly as much as he liked the girl herself.

"Are you sure this isn't too much?" She asked, as she stared at the stack of books she hadn't realized had gotten so high. Truth was that she always felt bad about spending Theos money, she never wanted him to think she was only friends with him for his money.

"If you asked I'd buy you the whole store." He said casually as he paid for the books.

She was glad he had his back to her, because if he didn't then he'd see how flustered that 'casual' comment made her. Though she imagined it wouldn't matter, nearly everything Theo said to her made her blush to some extent.

Before she could grab the bag of books herself Theodore did, he then grabbed her hand and without thinking kissed the back of it. Y/N felt as though she looked as red as a tomato right then.

He mumbled something in another language, Italian. Though she could barely hear it and even if she could hear it it's not as if she would have been able to understand.

She'd have to ask him about it later.

Soon the two found themselves walking into The Three Broomsticks. "I'll go get us a seat, you order." Y/N says, leaving no room for argument before she took the heavy bag of books out of Theos hands and going to find a booth.

Thankfully there was a empty booth towards the back, away from any prying eyes. Not that she wanted to keep this day a secret, but she had her what ifs about this day she was nearly certain was a date. What ifs that included Theo denying the day ever happened.

As she waited for the Slytherin boy to return Y/N found herself getting nervous. Pulling her out of her thoughts someone cleared their throat above her.

She turned and found one of the boys she had 'hung out' with in fifth year. It was awkward when I realized it was a date, but we kept talking and I thought I might've been able to like him. But then he ghosted me.

"Oh- Ben! Hi." She said glancing behind him to see Theodore still waiting for their drinks.

"Hey." He smirked, "Long time no see."

"Uh- yeah." She glanced back over at Theo who still had yet to notice what was happening, "What are you doing here?"

"I just saw you over and thought I'd come to say hi." He shrugged and she grew a little irritated, because this guy hadn't come to say 'hi' to her in the past two years.

"Oh well. You've said it." She said, not so subtly.

"Yes I have." He looked her up and down and it was then that she was thankful for having learned social ques, had she been in this interaction a few years ago she would think he really was telling the truth. "Listen, I think we should hang out sometime-"

"Sorry, her schedules full." Theo says from behind Ben and we both turn to him.

"Well I'm sure she can make some room-"

"Nope." Theo says, shoving past the short boy and sliding into the seat next to Y/N. He places their drinks down on the table before wrapping an arm around her, "Is that all? Or is there more we can help you with?"

"Look-"

"I really think you should leave Benjamín." Theo glares, not bothering to hide his aggravated mood.

Ben scoffs before stomping away.

Even with Ben gone Theo kept his arm around her, if she didn't know any better she'd say he actually held her tighter. Despite the mood Ben seemed to put Theo in Y/N couldn't help but be amused and let out a giggle.

His head snapped to hers, their faces closer than they've ever been, "Do you find this amusing?" He raised an unamused brow at her.

"No." She grinned, then leant forward picking up her butterbeer and taking a sip.

"Mhm." He hummed unconvinced and she kept grinning and Theo dropped the moody act, smiling and shaking his head at the pretty girl and drank his own butterbeer.

They slipped into a comfortably silence and Y/N figured now would be a good time to ask him. "So..." She started, keeping her eyes on the foam floating around her drink.

"So." Theo copied, his eyes on the side of her head.

"Are we on a date right now?" She ripped the band-aid off, turning to him and he froze. His eyes widening and his cheeks flushing slightly.

He then grinned, a wide ear to ear grin, flashing me with the deepest dimples I have ever seen. "I was wondering when you'd piece it together."

"I-what?" She spluttered and looked at him confused. She wasn't sure what she had expected his answer to be but it surely wasn't this.

"You heard me." He whispered, leaning in closer. His eyes darted from her lips to her eyes.

Y/N cleared her throat loudly and turned to face her drink once more, Theo laughed and brushed a stay piece of hair behind her ear. "I like you, Y/N." He said in a low voice that made her feel all kinds of things. "Actually, I like you a lot."

She swallowed her dry spit at his words as her face heated so much she might as well be the fucking sun. "I've liked you for a while now, a few years give or take. Personally, I thought I was kind of obvious with it." He spoke into her ear and she huffed.

Turning her head towards him once more their faces were so close their noses rubbed each other. Theo opened his mouth to say something else but she cut him off. "Theo, are you going to kiss me or not?"

He grinned before he grabbed her face and their lips met in a passionate kiss.

[earthtoharlow]

Don’t Like The Lights

Sequel to Flashing Lights series, must read Flashing Lights first to understand

Series Masterlist

10. Easier Said

Healing and patience are lovers. Don't place the blame on your heart, just to shut 'em up. There ain't a rush to recover

“It looks like he’s been stalking you for months, sending you threatening messages. He was outside your home for hours before breaking in, waiting for the right moment. In his backpack he had a knife, zip ties, mace, and duct tape….”

Jack immediately started to turn pale. Without a word he pushes away from the table abruptly, excuses himself and leaves the room. 

Once in the hallway Jack leans against the wall taking deep breaths to calm himself down. The more details that came out the sicker he felt. 

He stumbles to a nearby trash can and empties his stomach. His body was shaking with anger and fear. Jack just couldn’t believe how close they had come to something bad happening to the love of his life. 

Jack pulls out his phone and dialed his mom’s number, needing the comfort of her voice. It rang a few times before she answered.

“Hey, baby,” his mom said warmly. “How are you holding up?”

“Not great, Mom,” he admitted, his voice shaky. “I feel so guilty. Maryse hasn’t been sleeping, and I just… I should’ve been there. I keep thinking about what could’ve happened if Maryse didn’t escape or if he chased after her…”

“Oh, honey,” she sighed. “This isn’t your fault. You’ve done everything you can to keep her safe. Sometimes, bad things happen no matter how much we try to prevent them.”

“I know, but it doesn’t stop me from feeling like I failed her,” he said, his eyes welling up with tears. “She made me barricade the doors of the hotel last night. That’s the only thing that makes her feel safe enough to sleep, and even then, it’s not much” 

His mom’s voice softened, filled with empathy. “It’s natural to feel that way, but you need to remember that she needs you to be strong now. You’re her rock. And it’s okay to feel scared, but don’t let it consume you. Talk to her, let her know how you’re feeling.”

Jack nodded, even though she couldn’t see him. “I just want her to be okay, Mom. I can tell she’s still terrified.”

“She’s been through a lot,” his mom said gently. “It’s going to take time for her to feel safe again. Be patient with her, and with yourself.”

“Thanks, Mom,” he said, feeling a small sense of relief. “I really needed to hear that.”

“You’re welcome, baby. Just remember, you’re doing your best, and that’s all anyone can ask for. Take care of yourself too, okay? She needs you to be strong, but you can’t do that if you’re running on empty.”

“I will,” he promised. “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too. And tell Maryse I’m thinking of her.”

“I will,” he said, taking a deep breath. “Thanks again.”

He took a moment to get his emotions together before returning to the room. Maryse looked up from where she sat with the officer. 

“Are you okay?” She asked softly. 

Jack took a deep breath, crossing the room to sit beside her. “Yeah, I just needed a minute,” he told her. 

“Thank you for always being there for me,” Maryse whispered. “Especially now.”

Jack gently took her hand, his thumb brushing over the promise ring on her finger. “I promised you, didn’t I?” he said softly. “You’re my world. I’ll always be here for you.”

Maryse pressed a small kiss to his lips, before turning back towards the officer. 

“We’ll be taking this to court,” the officer said firmly. “Given the amount of evidence we have, it shouldn’t be a long process.”

She let out a shaky breath, relief and anxiety mingling in her chest. “So, there’s a chance this will be over soon?” she asked.

“Yes,” the officer assured her. “We have more than enough to make a strong case. The restraining order will stay in place, and we’ll ensure you have the protection you need.”

Jack squeezed her hand, offering silent support. “Thank you, officer,” he said. “We appreciate everything you’re doing.”

The officer nodded. “We’ll keep you updated on every step. In the meantime, make sure to reach out if you need anything. Your safety is our priority.”

As the officer left, Maryse turned to Jack, her eyes searching his. “I hope this really is over soon,” she whispered, laying her head on his shoulder. 

“It will be.” Jack told her just as quietly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

***

Maryse was bouncing her knee nervously as the courthouse buzzed as it was the final day of trial. She looked back towards Jack and Urban who were sitting behind her for support. Neither of them had missed a single court date. The months leading up to this moment had been a whirlwind of fear, and anxiety, Now, it was all coming to a head.

The fan was seated a few feet away from her, being so close to him still sent chills down her spine. This whole trial he sat with an indifferent expression, like he knew his fate. 

The judge cleared his throat, breaking the heavy silence. “After careful consideration of the evidence and testimonies presented, this court finds the defendant guilty of stalking and breaking and entering. It is the judgment of this court that the defendant be sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by 15 years of probation.”

As the words hung in the air, Maryse couldn’t help but feel relief but frustration as well. Fifteen years of prison meant the fan would be off the streets for a significant period, but the probation period meant he would still have some freedom after serving his time.

The judge continued, “During the probation period, the defendant is to have no contact with the victim, and any violation of this order will result in immediate re-incarceration.”

As the gavel came down, signaling the end of the trial, Maryse exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. The fan was escorted out of the courtroom in handcuffs, his expression still unreadable.

Maryse felt a tear slip down her cheek as the weight of the verdict settled in. It wasn’t the life sentence she had hoped for, but it was a step towards reclaiming her peace.

Jack immediately joined her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, pulling her close. “It’s over,” he whispered. “We can finally put this behind us.”

As they walked out the courtroom, the sun seemed to be shining brighter, warmer. There was a long road ahead but for the first time in months, Maryse felt like she could breathe again. The nightmare was finally over. 

Jack gently held Maryse’s hand and guided her to their car. “You up for a little trip?” he asked, a hint of excitement in his voice.

Maryse looked at him curiously. “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise,” Jack replied with a wink, opening the car door for her. “Trust me.”

The drive was short, Maryse watched the scenery change from the urban landscape to rolling hills and open fields. As they pulled up to an empty plot of land, Jack parked the car and turned to her with a smile.

“Come on,” he said, getting out and walking around to open her door.

Maryse stepped out, looking around at the vast, open space. “What is this place?” she asked, confused. 

Jack took her hand, leading her a few steps forward. “I bought this land,” he said, his eyes shining with anticipation. “I thought we could start building our forever home here.”

Maryse’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really? You bought this for us?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Our current place has a lot of memories, but after everything that’s happened, I think it’s time to make new ones. A fresh start.”

Tears welled up in her eyes, but this time they were tears of joy. “I love it,” she whispered, hugging him tightly. “I can’t believe you did this.”

Jack held her close, feeling the relief that was finally setting in. “We’ve been through a lot, but this is our chance to build something beautiful together. Our own space, filled with nothing but good memories.”

Maryse pulled back slightly, looking into his eyes. “Thank you. I can’t wait to see what we create here.”

He kissed her softly, a promise of all the good things to come. “Me too. This is just the beginning.”

After spending almost an hour talking about all the things they wanted in the new house they made the trip back home. 

“So, when we left the courthouse today I had Urban drop something off here.” Jack told her with a mysterious grin on his face.

“Oh god. I don’t like the look on your face.” 

Jack ignored her and guided her to the couch and gestured for Maryse to sit down. “Close your eyes.”

She complied, covering her eyes with her hands. She heard him walk away, then return a few moments later.

“Okay, open your eyes,” Jack said softly.

Maryse opened her eyes and gasped. In his arms was a tiny, wiggling puppy with big eyes and a wagging tail. She covered her mouth in shock, tears springing to her eyes.

“Meet Lou Lou,” Jack said, placing the puppy gently in her lap. “I know how much you’ve always wanted a puppy. I thought this little one could keep us company, especially when we’re missing each other.”

Maryse's heart melted as she gently stroked the puppy’s soft fur. “Oh my god, she’s perfect,” she whispered, looking up at Jack with a grateful smile. “Thank you so much. This means everything to me.”

Jack sat down beside her, watching as Lou Lou nuzzled into Maryse lap. “I know things have been tough, and we both get lonely when we’re apart. I thought having her around would make things a little easier.”

Maryse leaned over and kissed him. “You’re amazing. I can’t believe you did this. I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “And now, we’ve got our little family started.”

Maryse settled into the couch and watched as Jack played around on the floor, laughing a bit when Lou tried to grab at Jack’s hoodie. Happy that what happened was all behind her now.

***

Couple weeks later Maryse was finally back in the studio for the first time since the incident. She had traveled alone for the occasion, something she hadn’t done since everything happened. She had written a song for the soundtrack of the Color Purple and the producers of the film loved it so much that they asked if Usher could be part of it. The collaboration was also set to appear on his upcoming album.

Her nerves went away as soon and she walked into the recording booth, it was like she never left. The sight of the mixing board, and the hum of quiet conversations around her brought back memories of her life before she had to constantly look over her shoulder.

Maryse was supposed to stay the night in Atlanta but she couldn’t shake the discomfort she felt from being in a hotel room alone at night. The thought of sleeping without Jack by her side felt unsettling. As soon as the session wrapped up, she wasted no time booking the earliest flight back home.

Arriving home in the late hours of the night, she quietly unlocked the door and slipped inside. The house was silent, a comforting contrast to the loud studio. She headed to the bedroom, eager to see Jack.

As she pushed the door open, a heartwarming sight greeted her. Jack was sprawled out on his stomach, mouth wide open, sound asleep. Lou Lou, was curled up on his back, equally as peaceful. Maryse couldn’t help but smile at the adorable scene.

Moving quietly, she set her bag down and approached the bed. She gently placed a hand on Jack's back, careful not to disturb the puppy. He stirred slightly but didn’t wake. She leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, whispering, “I’m home.”

Jack mumbled something incoherent, his eyes fluttering open for a brief moment. “Hey, babe,” he slurred, barely conscious. “You’re back.”

“Yeah,” she whispered, stroking his hair. “I missed you.”

He smiled sleepily, his eyes already closing again. “Missed you too.”

Maryse carefully climbed into bed, trying not to jostle Lou Lou. She settled in beside Jack, her hand resting on his back. The warmth of his body and the soft breathing of their puppy eased the tension that had built up over the past few days.

As she lay there, listening to the quiet sounds of the night, a sense of peace washed over her. She would get through her fears of sleeping alone one day at a time. Being home, with Jack and Lou Lou, was all she needed.

And for now, that was enough.

***

an: thank you for reading as always let me know your thoughts 🫶

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[ofoceansandtombsanew]

the summer moon was born from the waves to be loved (gojo x reader) pt 2

or, you got pregnant and the ghost of university days past finds out five years later.

tags: 18+, afab!reader (she/her), baby daddy gojou au pt 2: electric boogaloo

AO3 || pt 1

TAGLIST: (bold couldn't be tagged) @cafedanslanuit @ainescribe @chiyoso @wishing--butterfly @hash-slinging-slasher-trash @sweet-evie @korrynn-nadine @strawberrycrash @juzestellium @theabbies @evalynanne @mghostsworld @syynnaaah @cupidezlyia @princessrow12 @lindascosmos @hydraafk @moosey

o. buoy

If Satoru was forced to use some sort of ocean-related terminology to describe you, he’d say you’re a buoy.

You were the marine biology major. (What was the difference between that and oceanography? Satoru had no idea. You explained it to him at least twice though). Because of that, Satoru heard his fair share of marine terminology from you.

Buoys were those floating things at sea, the ones from Finding Nemo that had all the seagulls on it. You said they were guiding posts, gave heads up for reefs or they could be warnings for hazardous zones.

To Satoru, you were like an anchorless buoy that ー no matter how far he sailed ー he could never reach.

i. halocline

You’ve never felt permanent; not to Satoru.

You sooner felt like one of those quickly formed friendships you thought would last forever only for it to dwindle out as fast as it started. Then that person was just a forgotten name in your contacts list until you’re scrolling down and going ‘Who the hell is this? Delete’ without a second thought.

It was strange.

An oxymoron of the highest degree.

How did someone who was such a constant in his life from the moment you set foot in it simultaneously feel as impermanent as foam on the waves? One minute you were there, the next you weren’t. Satoru wasn’t sure when the fear of you disappearing entirely crept in.

When those looks started appearing on your face.

All he knew was that it started long before he started sleeping with you and it started long before you left.

One moment you’re hanging out ー undoubtedly doing something stupid. Singing the wrong lyrics to a song on the radio, putting Suguru’s hair in pigtails, watching María la del Barrio with Utahime who took one Spanish class and made telenovelas her entire personality for a month ー then you’d grow quiet and this far away look would be in your eyes. Satoru never knew where you went in those moments, but it wasn’t there.

So he’d do something to anchor you back to land. It didn’t have to be much.

A poke to the cheek,

a tickle to your side, 

calling out to you,

sometimes he’d even play with your fingers.

It didn’t matter what he did as long as you’d blink and grin and go “what’s up?” and everything would feel right in the world.

It never would feel right long enough though; the look always came back and the feeling would persist.

When you sang songs in the car.

(“I can do it fast or slow, it really doesn't matter, though. 'Cause I'm a pro, what you say? You wanna take me toe to toe? Uh no, dude, I think so,” you’d rap Kel’s verse flawlessly like you’d rehearsed it for hours. “My style is phat and Immature’s got my back on this funky trackー” you pointed at Satoru enthusiastically.

“You want fries with that?” Satoru would point back with way too much passion for a line that went way too hard for what he was actually saying. “Coo coo ca-choo whatcha gonna do?”

Shoko would roll her eyes but she’d still be smiling when Suguru softly brought in the chorus with rhythmic bumps of his head, “watch me do my thing, I like to do my thing, watch me do my thing, everybody sayー”

Your head continued to bump along but you stopped singing along and looked out the window. Satoru remembered he threw his arm around your shoulders loudly belting the rest of the lyrics until you laughed and joined back in.)

When you indulged Utahime’s telenovela personality change.

(“[First], quit zoning out. I’m bored.”

“Hey, unlike you, I’m actually paying attention.”

“Oh yeah, then what’s been going on?”

“Soraya Montenegro is gasping in Spanish right now.”

“Can you both shut u- OH MY GODー”

“IS NO ONE GONNA STOP THIS BITCH?”)

And at parties.

(Satoru always knew you were about to leave when you made that face. Things could start perfectly at the beginning of the night. You’d finally skulk out of your cave like you were Gollum from Lord of the Rings and wave him over. The next moment? You were in deep thought while your friends made joke after joke, rip after rip.

“Sorry gang, but my lips don’t touch anything but Don Equis and Asahi,” you’d say with an air of regality not suited for a party of college students. “Maybe Corona if there’s nothing else. I’m not drinking... whatever this is. So I’m gonna head out, there’s a 24 hour liquor store around here somewhere.”

“You coming back?” Satoru didn’t know why he asked, he already knew what your answer would be.

“Nah, I think I’m done for the night. I’ll catch you guys later though.”

“I’ll walk you back to your place then.”)

He doesn’t know why he looked at your lips that night at the park. 

You were friends, he liked being your friend. That’s all there was to it. It had always annoyed him up until that point when Suguru and Shoko joked the two of you were more like a couple than anything else. That he chased after you like a lovesick puppy, the pathetic but funny kind. He wasn’t sure why it annoyed him so much.

Maybe it was because it felt like it reduced everything about his friendship with you into that shit take that the opposite sex couldn’t just be friends.

Maybe it was something else entirely. He doesn't know.

You weren’t permanent.

Not while you sat beside him in a park at who knows when in the morning and not even when you reassured him his life would work out the way he wanted and you touched him like he was something precious to you.

“Be careful I don’t disappear for months, spirited away by the sea folk on my Children of the Sea shit. I’ll come back to shore occasionally, mysterious as the sea itself.” You already were as mysterious as the sea itself.

“Even if you got spirited away, I’d just go and bring you right back.” Satoru meant it. Even if, more than anything, it felt more like he was making that promise to reassure himself. It didn’t matter how far off to the sea you went as long as Satoru could bring you back to the shore. “You’ve doomed yourself.” More specifically you said that to him. Maybe he should have taken it more of a warning than a light-hearted nudge.

“You said it first, remember?” You did. He remembered it as clear as day. He’d stumbled onto an unstable boat and you were a buoy far off in the distance.

“There’s no ditching me now, not even at sea.” So stay. That’s all Satoru needed you to do.

The sprinklers that decided to join in on the moment must have been a sign that he was in the middle of a prophecy that was going to be fulfilled whether he wanted it to or not. That’s why he kissed you first in the doorway of your bathroom when you just came to ask if he wanted tea.

Buoys are supposed to have anchors, right? 

Maybe he could be yours.

When Satoru woke up the day after the first time you slept together, he woke up alone.

It wasn't until he reached out an arm lazily to your side of the bed and he patted the mattress several times that he realized no one was there. The bed had long since gone cold so you had to have been gone for a while. Yes, you called five minutes later from McDonald’s cheerily going “Yooo, Satoru, I’m at Mickey D’s, what do you want?” Still it cemented your impermanence and that was only the first of many times he woke up by himself.

You could be out the house or in; Satoru preferred when you were in. Sometimes you’d be in the kitchen humming some unknown tune, other times you’d be watching TV on the couch. Either way, he could drape himself over you with a tired ‘morning’ and hold you close.

(“What are you wa- is that the new episode of Love is Blind?”

“Um… I only just started it two minutes ago?”

“[First], what the hell!? While I was asleep?!”)

From then on when Satoru saw those far away looks, he’d kiss you since it was on the table now. Satoru put everything into those kisses and you’d kiss him back just as hard.

Don’t go anywhere. He’d thread one hand into your hair and the other would pull your waist closer to his. Satoru didn’t want or need anything else. Stay.

You kissed him like you would.

It’s crazy how easily you could just slip away from everything like a ghost that hadn’t been there at all. It was shockingly apparent that impromptu trip you took to the beach in the middle of the semester.

Everyone had been together in awe of the bioluminescent dots in the sea and it donned on him you hadn’t said anything in a while. You were gone.

He’d painted his panic in his usual bravadoー nonchalant and grinning, claiming he was gonna go bother you for a bit.

It was a relief when he found you.

It was dreadful when he found you.

Satoru couldn’t see your face clearly but he could tell your look was intent on the sea and how it shined with the glow of a billion bright lights. If there was a ghost ship calling you out to the depths, Satoru knew you’d leave in a heartbeat.

You slowly became more noticeably distant from your group of mutual friends after that trip. It didn’t start immediately, you’d acted the same as usual at first. You still sang songs in the car, Utahime had grown out of her novela phase in favor of all of you losing your shit at the editing of Indian serial dramas and in between those moments Satoru found himself in your bed again.

It was around that time you started kissing his forehead; when the kisses started, that’s when you started drifting away from his orbit. You said it was homework, your profs telepathically communicating to increase your workload.

You alright?

What kind of sadists are your professors if you’re this busy?

Just let me know if you need me to come over some kind of distraction. Sorry for coming over earlier unannounced, I shouldn’t have assumed. Just wanted to make sure you were okay.

“Do you think she thinks I’m being clingy?” Satoru mumbled as he stared at your text that you were fine just dying from homework. You definitely thought he’s being clingy. He’d always been a bit clingy with his friends. He was probably more overbearing than usual though.

“Yes,” Kenjaku replied without missing a beat. “You’re gonna get dumped if you keep this up.”

God what does Suguru see in this guy? He’s like a fucking parasite. “I wasn’t asking you,” Satoru glared. “And she isn’t my girlfriend.”

Suguru snorted, running his hands through his boyfriend’s hair, “play nice both of you,” he said lightly and Satoru rolled his eyes. “But if [First] is saying she’s fine, then just trust that she’s fine. She’ll come back around when her workload decreases.”

Satoru glared with a pout, “you’re worried too, don’t act like it’s just me.”

“I never said it was, it’s just that between the two of us I’m handling it better. I sent her a surprise uber eats delivery yesterday.” Asshole, that was a brilliant idea. Satoru wished he thought of it first. Instead he asked Shoko to check on you; maybe you’d be more receptive if it wasn’t him bothering you for the tenth text in a row.

Shoko went to check on you. Apparently you were fine and Satoru was worrying for nothing. She even said that you would come and hang out with them soon. Some people might say it’s a bit petty to celebrate the failures of others. In another universe, Satoru might even agree with them. But in this universe, Satoru was a hater first and foremost. So if he and his friends wanted to go out to eat to celebrate the fact Zenin Naoya was bitching about a failing grade on an essay, he and his friends were going to go out and eat to celebrate Zenin Naoya failing his essay.

Apparently, you were all haters.

It was also just nice seeing you again. If Satoru was more poetic, he’d probably add a bunch of other things to that statement. It was just nice to have you back.

“Karma is probably gonna come back to clap us in the ass for celebrating someone getting a bad grade,” you snickered.

“Sounds like a problem for future us,” Suguru grinned with a twinkle in his eyes.

“We go to school with the Japanese version of Ben Shapiro,” Satoru choked on his strawberry smoothie when Shoko said that. “I think we’re covered on karma.”

“Y’all are terrible people,” Satoru clicked his tongue, shaking his head in disbelief and shame.

“Hey, good neighbor, this dinner was your idea,” you nudged him with a dry tone and a smile.

Satoru nudged back with a grin of his own.

Dinner was fun, lots of drinks and jokes. It was a non-alcoholic beverage sort of night. Shoko said it was because they’d clearly been drinking too much if Satoru of all people had gotten better with holding his liquor. Her point was fair but rude nonetheless yet when Satoru turned to whine for you to come to his defense, the distant glaze was over your eyes and your smile was smaller than it had been the last time he looked at it.

“[First],” your motion to close your apartment door stopped and you hummed with a raised eyebrow. Satoru felt more dread than usual that night. Something about the air had been different. The face you made felt different than it normally did. It was always distant, you were always far away, but tonight was the worst it had ever been. “We’re good, right?”

You look at him like he grew an extra four eyes. “Why wouldn’t we be?”

Satoru couldn’t meet your eyes as he shrugged wordlessly. You’d probably say he was being ridiculous and clingy if he mentioned anything but he couldn’t find anything else to say to make himself seem unbothered either.

You rolled your eyes with a grin before stretching your arms out wide. “You’re being overdramatic, you big baby. Come here, big guy,” Satoru pulled you in close, burying his nose in the corner of his neck. Despite welcoming your embrace, it did nothing to soothe Satoru’s anxieties.

“I’ll see you later, yeah?” Satoru asked without pulling away from you completely.

The way you smiled at him was warm but it still somehow felt unreadable. Satoru knew all of your smiles. Your happy ones,

the sad ones, 

the one you made when Sora finally got into Smash. 

The ones you made when you were mad that he was successfully charming his way out of you being mad at him. 

Satoru didn’t know this one.

Despite that fact, Satoru let you cup his face in your hands and he let you stand on the tip of your toes to place a kiss on his forehead. “See you, Satoru."

ii. undertow

Sleep didn’t come to Satoru after he laid in bed.

His head was too full as he kept running back through what you told him after he took you home.

You didn’t say you’d see him later.

You’re just being overdramatic, Satoru forced his eyes to close. You’re always overdramatic. It’s my best trait 30% of the time.

No one else said anything that night, it was just him who felt like this, right? It was always just him. If everyone else felt like something was off all night, someone would have mentioned it by now. With that, Satoru forced his eyes closed for all of five minutes before he decided to send, at the very least, a dumb meme. Something that’d make you laugh when you saw it and would make you reply “I’m wheezing” or “that’s so us!”

A quick stroll through his photos was all it took to find something suitable. He can’t remember exactly what it was, only that it was stupid.

It was stupid and didn’t go through to your phone.

A disconnect and reconnect dance to his wifi later and it still didn’t go through.

Satoru’s feet was on the pavement before not even a heartbeat after he calmly made sure his apartment was locked.

He just had to be sure you were okay. It was just him being an overdramatic, big baby. Your phone died or something and that’s why nothing was going through. Or maybe this was like the time you put your phone in airplane mode to narrowly avoid sending Shoko the wrong meme and then forgot to switch it back off.

You don’t answer the door when he knocks and he goes back and forth between knocking and trying to reach you on your other socials.

Twitter? Blocked.

He can’t find you anywhere else.

Instagram.

LINE.

Discord.

It’s like you were never there, gone from all the group chats and servers you once shared.

Satoru stayed outside of your apartment for the better part of an hour before one of your neighbors opened her door tired and annoyed.

“Dude, do you know what time it is?” Your neighbor asked groggily. She’s a nice girl, the reason rent was low enough in the area you could afford an apartment on your own. Apparently she wrecked shit in the neighborhood on the low to keep the rent down. Even better was the fact she was the landlord’s daughter. Not all heroes wore capes. 

“Sorry,” Satoru knew he must look like a maniac with his messy hair and wide eyes. “have you seen [First]? I’m having a hard time reaching her.”

The neighbor gave him a funny look, “she moved out tonight,” she told him like that was the fifth time she told him that her favorite color was orange. “I thought it was weird you didn’t help with moving her stuff out a few days ago. She gave me the key to give it to my dad tomorrow. Didn’t she tell you she was leaving?”

iii. la niña

Satoru didn’t know which was worse sometimesー the fact Shoko kept the fact he had a daughter a secret for five years or how he found out.

It wasn’t like Shoko approached him one gloomy night when memories of the most prominent ghost in his life began bubbling to the surface. She didn’t grimly say that she needed to tell him something and he should sit down for it. She didn’t start off with apologies, saying she felt she had no choice or that if things had gone different she would have told him.

None of that happened.

Satoru found out by accident.

Accident.

All because Shoko didn’t hear him approach her when she was on her phone scrolling through instagram. She was so focused on whatever she was looking at, she didn’t even notice how Satoru quietly snickered to himself and snuck behind her to give her spook. He was just about to say something, ready for swears and ‘you’re so annoying, what are you 12?!’s when he took an instinctual glance at her phone and he saw you.

Thoughts of scaring Shoko went out the window in a matter of milliseconds. He didn’t even feel his body move when he snatched her phone out of her hand.

“Heyー” Shoko started with an offended hiss but when she looked over her shoulder, she looked like she saw an impending storm and her jaw clamped shut.

Satoru took in the photo like it was the last thing he’d ever see. You were dressed in a blue t-shirt and cream colored shorts, some aquarium’s logo stitched into your clothes. You were holding a kid, hugging her tightly and kissing her cheek while the girl was caught mid-giggle. And when Satoru looked at the little girl in your arms, it was his eyes that looked back.

“I- she told me not to say anything,” Shoko murmured, brown eyes looking anywhere but at him. Then the secrets came rolling out one after the other.

“If I didn’t see this picture,” Satoru’s grip tightened on Shoko’s phone to ground himself to the present. “Were you still going to keep this a secret from me?”

Her answer was silence.

iv. el niño

“I have to be honest,” from the corner of your eye, you see Satoru chasing after Itsuki, Nanako and Mimiko. Suguru is watching next to you on the bench, your respective care bags for accidents and playground injuries at the ready between you. “I thought I’d be more surprised you’re a dad now. But it kinda just makes sense. You always had ‘single mom’ energy in school.”

Brown eyes flash with recognition, “you had a dream about me adopting kids once, right?”

“No, I had a dream where you were off a perk and calling people without powers ‘monkeys’,” you correct your old friend petulantly. As if he should have remembered after all these years without contact. “You just happened to adopt children in the process of all that.”

Suguru snorts, “my apologies for getting the details wrong. So you had a dream that I adopted kids once and that I was off a perk."

"Exactly, thank you."

A silence somewhere between comfortable and awkward settles over the two of you, save for the squeals of little girls and Satoru’s manic laughter as the evil sorcerer king.

Suguru looks nice. 

He’s still rocking the man bun but he’s opted to let some of his hair hang loose and he’s a couple hundred pounds down a shitty, parasitic boyfriend. Suguru and Kenjaku broke up halfway through the semester after you transferred. “Before you ask, yes, we had dinner to celebrate,” Suguru told you when you saw him for the first time in years a few days ago.

You’ve had your fair share of private updates on the lives of your old friends you didn’t keep in contact with. Shoko kept you up to date on everything. A surprising number of your old friends had gone into the field of educationー Utahime, Suguru and Satoru. You wonder how Satoru’s parents reacted to that information. You have yet to ask; it seemed like too much of a mood killer when Satoru happily recounted stories about his students a few weeks ago.

When Itsuki almost trips you make to stand but Satoru catches her before you can blink. 

“He’s pretty good with her,” Suguru says like he’s a mind reader. “There was this kid we used to babysit, Riko, when we were younger. He said he hated it but he’s always been pretty good with kids.”

You can believe it. There’s plenty of things you remember Satoru complaining about despite his inherent talents in them. It makes you want to cry sometimes seeing how good he is with Itsuki. Your daughter is smart enough to play neutral when he asks but you’re pretty sure your daughter has a favorite parent. Adorable little traitor, you laugh softly to yourself. You’d think five years would give someone an edge.

Five years.

“Are you… mad?” You look at your old friend from the corner of your eye.

Suguru takes his time answering, mulling over unknown thoughts in his head. Playful as you remember Suguru being, he’s always been introspective. He thinks before he acts, lets things slowly come to a boil before turning off the stovetop. “I was more worried than mad to start,” he finally speaks. “It’s not everyday an entire group of people gets ghosted. I’m a little mad you didn’t open up though.”

Your smile is small and your eyebrows knit apologetically. 

“But at the end of the day, this is nothing compared to what went down between Satoru and me in high school. So I guess I can forgive you.” You never did get the story about Satoru and Suguru’s mysterious high school turning point. The itch to know all the details is minor compared to the way your shoulders relax when Suguru shoots you a familiar smile. I missed you too. “Just don’t do anymore disappearing acts.” Smooth as they come, Suguru raises a closed fist just above your care bags. 

Smile a bit more grand, you bump the side of your fist to his. “I can happily vouch that it won’t be happening again.”

“Good. It’s nice to have you back.”

“It’s nice being back.”

v. sea state

“Did you get an undercut?”

“Yeah, a while ago,” Satoru grins. “I look nice, right?”

“Please accept the compliment normally so your arrogance doesn’t rub off on our daughter,” you shake your head but a good-natured grin is plastered on your face. “Itsuki, make sure Daddy behaves. You’re in charge as the honorary aquarist.”

Itsuki’s eyes fill with delight at the duty bestowed upon her. “I will,” she promises, chest puffed with as much pride as a five year old can produce. It’s a rare day off in the middle of the week for Satoru. Normally he’s confined to his school during these hours, but thanks to some school holiday you scheduled in advance for him to take Itsuki around your aquarium. It isn’t the first time Itsuki’s been, you’d taken her there before she could even walk. It might as well be her first visit though from how she’s beaming. “Daddy, you have to be good so Mommy doesn't get mad.”

“As you command, general,” Satoru salutes playfully, picking Itsuki up in his arms. “Now then, if you excuse us, this father-daughter duo is gonna enjoy the aquarium while you work.” 

“Bup bup bup,” you tut before the man can take off. “At least let me get my goodbye kiss before you run off to have fun without me,” you peck Itsuki’s cheek once, twice before blowing a raspberry and she squeals. “Alright,” you place your hands on your hips. “You two go have fun. Tell Daddy all the names you gave the whale sharks, okay?”

You think that’s that until Itsuki innocently asks, “where’s Daddy’s kiss, Mommy?” You blink once. Maybe you misheard- “You’re supposed to give both of us goodbye kisses, aren’t you?” Apparently you haven’t.

“I think Daddy’s too old for goodbye kisses, Itsuki.”

Itsuki squints, unsatisfied with your answer, “but Grandma always kisses Granny and they’re ancient.”

Why do your parents have to have a long lasting and fulfilling love life?

You and Satoru share an awkward smile as you both wonder what either of you can do to get out of this situation. Kissing Satoru used to be as easy as breathing. He’s always been the more affectionate of the two of you and it rubbed off on you some time during your university days. But you’re not in university anymore and your relationship has most definitely changed since then.

Still with bated breath, you gesture for Satoru to bring his head low enough for you to kiss his forehead, “there. Now both of you go have fun.”

If you think you see Satoru’s expression dim, he’s all smiles the moment you blink. “Try not to be jealous when you see us feeding the stingrays, [First].” He’s gone before you can tease you’re the one of the employees that help with that.

Once a maelstrom, always a maelstrom.

You love your place of work, it always has a familiar noisy sort of peaceful bathed in the light of blue decorated in corals, pinks and purples. Aquariums have a special magic to them. You fell in love with the sea when you were young and never fell out. The magic somehow is renewed every time you clock in, even on the most trying days.

How can you not when you see the dozens of people that stop by with the same love?

How can you not when you see dozens of people that stop by and fall in love with it for the first time?

“Hi, Mommy!” You hear Itsuki call from a distance. You wonder how she can even see you when you look up and see she’s on Satoru’s shoulders. It’s so natural, the two of them together. She’s wearing his sunglasses, if you can really say that. They keep sliding off her face but she holds onto them resolutely and Satoru is smiling widely in front of the tank full of black tip reef sharks, whale sharks and dozens of other fish in between.

You don’t know how your heart can fill with even more affection than you thought possible but it does. “Hi, baby,” you wave back. “I love you!”

“I love you too!” I have to enjoy that before she gets old enough to start thinking she’s too cool to tell her mom I love you. You know Satoru should too when you see her lean over to plant her father an awkward kiss on his head. You can’t hear what she tells him but you can guess she must be saying she loves him. Even from his profile, you can tell Satoru is saying he loves her back from how adoringly he looks up at her.

You see Itsuki giggling and saying something else you can’t hear, looking down at her father in earnest.

Whatever it is she says, Satoru looks over at you with eyes that are wide and somehow reflect all of the blue from tank lights. Despite how it makes your heart twist, you give him another small wave. When he doesn’t wave back, you wonder what it is your daughter could have said that had him in such a stupor.

Whatever he says to Itsuki, his eyes stay on you while he says it.

vi. nearshore

“Do you still like the same brand of honey or no?” You call over your shoulder from the kitchen.

It’s unusually quiet in your apartment since Itsuki is at your parents’ house for the weekend. You only realized you’d forgotten to tell your co-parent when he showed up at your house with sweets in hand. “What Itsuki doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” you told him with a snicker when you invited him inside to eat them. 

“Satoru?” You call out again.

No response.

You turn off the eye your kettle is on and look out into the living room. He’s right where you left him. “Hey,” you sit on the ottoman in front of him. He blinks in surprise when he sees your hand waving in front of face. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Satoru smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

“Let me rephrase that question,” you start anew. “What’s wrong? Come on now,” you grin crookedly. “You’ve always sucked at pretending to be okay in front of me.”

Satoru’s smile falters for a heartbeat, “yeah?”

“Yes, Mr. Bravado,” Satoru might have been an expert at fooling others, but you know him. He was the guy who never took notes but passed every test because he worked his ass off in the background. The type who’d act oblivious but you realize halfway through a meal that the reason he took you is because he noticed you’d been feeling down lately. It’s one of the things you love about him. “So come out with it, fess up.”

One, two, three seconds pass before Satoru finally cracks.

“I’m mad. More at myself than anything.” Before you can reply, Satoru opens his mouth again but it feels more like he's talking to himself. “I shouldn’t be upset anymore, right? We made up.” Satoru runs his fingers through his hair in frustration. “We made up,” he says again. “I shouldn’t still be mad about anything. Things have been going great.”

Satoru finally falls silent and he looks tired. You hate you’re the reason for it. “It’s okay to still be mad about Itsuki. I’m sorry,” you whisper. “I… I’d take it back if I could. I know that doesn’t mean anything after five years but I mean it. Even if I was scared I should have told you. I just- I don’t know, it had gotten into me. I was thinking how you couldn’t commitー”

“You thought I was non-committal?” Satoru raises an eyebrow and he looks hurt by your revelation.

“Satoru, you have never been in a relationship with anyone throughout the time I’ve known you,” you rub your finger and thumb together nervously. Five years later is as good as any time to have a conversation you should have had long ago. “You were scared when I asked what our relationship was, remember?”

“I didn’t know what the right answer was,” Satoru argues with his hands raised. “I thought you were tired of our friends always talking about us being a couple.”

“You were relieved when I said that-” you stammer over your words thoughts going much faster than your mouth could. You remember the tormented days of unrequited affection quite clearly. If there was someone who avoided romantic relationships like the plague, it was Satoru. He was a flirt, relished in the attention he received for his well-known good looks. Regardless, he’d never committed to anyone. “You said fucking someone else was a non-issue! For all I knew you were sleeping with someone else, it wasn’t like we were-”

“It was a non-issue if it meant you weren’t going to take off and start avoiding me!” Satoru snaps like you’ve grown a second head. Maybe you did judging by how he looks at you incredulously. Your mouth closes, unsure what to say next and Satoru looks away with a scoff. “It’s the other way around,” he mutters so soft you almost didn’t catch it. “you were the non-committal one.”

“Excuse me?” It’s your turn to look at Satoru like his body has magically sprung additional body parts. When he doesn’t immediately say anything, you double down. “Satoru, you don’t get to say that and then turn around and not elaborate on it.”

“You know, the first day we met, Suguru told me that I acted like the sun shined out of your ass,” Satoru says much to your confusion. But he went on, lost in his memories, “it might as well have, I thought you were so cool. I wanted you in my life so bad from pretty much the moment you said I doomed myself. I didn’t care what happened next in my life as long as you were there for it.

“But you left me,” Satoru croaks with a smile, crystal blue eyes dark and empty. “You left me.” The way he says it breaks your heart. “I’m so gone for you. I’ve always been gone for you. I just didn’t want to see it. Somehow I always knew you’d leave.” He laughs, cold and humorless and completely lost. “And you did.

“You could be right there with me and then suddenly be so far away. It always felt like you would just up and leave one day. You and Utahime always talked about intuition and trusting it. I guess mine was saying from early on ‘this girl is gonna break your heart one day, don’t fall in love with her.’”

“I knew it when you got those far away looks in your eyes. I knew it when I woke up that first morning alone. I knew it when you didn’t say you’d see me later. And just like that you were gone on that ghost ship. You left and didn’t even tell me you were going. Do you know how much that fucking hurt? I wait outside for hours and your neighbor’s the one who tells me you’re gone. I may have purposely lied to myself about how I felt but I never slept with anyone else. I didn’t want anyone else. I was the one who kept reaching out, you never reached back.

Itsuki’s the second tier on the cake and the rest of the frosting. You’ve been gone on that ghost ship for five years and when I finally catch up, I still feel like I’m drowning.”

“... I didn’t mean to make you feel that way. I didn’t know.”

“I know. That’s almost the worst part. Guess I didn't wear my heart on my sleeve as much as you thought.”

.

.

.

“It was the week after our second year midterms,” you recall when you were six years younger and the biggest problem you had in life was a professor was out to get you. Midterms had finally passed and you were on a victorious emotional high after finishing your last exam. At least until some asshole who should have covered their mouth coughed and you were coughing by the end of the day. “I got a cold and just so I could breathe better when I slept, you let me lay on you on the couch the whole time even though you ended up getting sick afterwards.” 

You’d felt so bad, coughing all the while but Satoru hadn’t let you budge an inch, proudly claiming ‘I don’t get sick, I’m built different so cough away.’ When he got sick days later, he said over coughs, ‘This has nothing to do with when you were sick. This is from Suguru.’ “That was when I realized that I’d been stupidly in love with you ever since I met you.”

Gojou Satoru has been called many things throughout your years of knowing him. But for you, the fall child has always been easy to love. He was made for it. “You were a pain in the ass but you were my pain in the ass. I never wanted it any other way.”

“Stop being mean to me,” Satoru leans forward to rest his head on your shoulder just as you wrap your arms around his back. “Don’t you know who you’re being mean to when you’re being an ass?”

You laugh weakly, “the guy I’m still gone for?” When you hear a sniffle in the corner of your neck, you tighten your grip.

"Don't go away this time," Satoru hugs back.

vii. ocean deep, seafoam soft

Satoru finds himself in your bed again for the first time in years.

“I confess my love to you and you try to kill me, I'm hurt.”

“Oh don’t be such a baby, I didn’t even know it was there,” you chuckle fondly after the two of you stumble into your bed after nearly tripping on a stray toy on your floor. Satoru loves that laugh. He loves how you look up at him with all the adoration in the world. “Remember that time we forgot that textbook was on your bed?”

“Please don’t remind me, my back hurts just remembering it,” Satoru whines but laughter escapes him despite his apparent trauma. It wasn’t one of your best moments during your shared years of sexual escapades in college. You pull him down kiss his lips tenderly and he practically moans, relishing the feeling. No more forehead kisses, he wants to tell you. You did that a lot before you left. 

"I love you," Satoru whispers in awe at the words falling out of his own mouth. In awe at the fact you’re even there with him at that moment. “I love you.”

Your hands cup his face like he's something precious and you thumbs away the tears pooling in his eyes despite the ones in your own, "I love you too.”

Satoru’s had sex with you more times than he can count. 

He memorized everything, refused to forget a single detail. It feels like the first time all over again.

The way one set of your fingernails dig into his back while he envelopes your other hand with one of his own. How your fingers intertwined tightly. How amazing you feel squeezing around him tightly. The speed of your pulse as he peppers your throat with kisses and soft nips. The ache between his legs as he rolls his hips into you gently yet persistently, chasing his high but wanting it to last long beyond the confines of this singular moment. 

It’s not just this one moment anymore though. “[First],” Satoru squeezes your hand tighter. “[First].”

I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

Don’t leave me this time, Satoru gasps like a man starved for air before kissing you again desperately. Stay.

(When Satoru wakes up the next morning to you in his arms and playing with his hair at the base of his neck, he feels like could cry. He nestles into your chest with a tired grin, “morning.”)

viii. anchor

Gojou Itsuki, that’s the name staring back at him.

Satoru loves when it’s his birthday. Until Itsuki was born it was arguably the best day in the universe. The importance of birthdays tends to titter on the rope of priorities, but it’s the one day of the year when the people important to him would pop up to say ‘hi’. Even people from the past. An old teacher he used to drive crazy but always said he thought Satoru had a lot of potential.

His mom still sent him a birthday text even if most of their exchanges are dry the rest of the year.

Even his students will tip in to get him a card and some sort of celebratory gift on December 7th.

December 7th lost a bit of its shine when you exited from his life. With you and Itsuki both in it, it shines tenfold.

It’s just the light is too blinding when Satoru takes out his last present of a plain envelope and he sees Gojou Itsuki written in bold and clear text.

Gojou Itsuki

Father: Gojou Satoru

v. sea state private ver.

"Daddy, do you love Mommy too?"

"Yeah. Daddy loves Mommy."

[esmedelacroix]

Coffee Shop Love Pt.3

pairing: miguel o'hara x f!reader

summary: He's as stern and cold as the snow falling from the sky blanketing the bustling streets of Nueva York, Miguel O'Hara stumbles upon a hidden gem of a coffee shop just around the corner from Alchemax. Only problem is the annoying-as-shit smiley-ass barista.

contents: slow burn, no use of y/n, so much fluff, implied age gap, a teeny smidge of angst, suggestive

author's note: Hi lovies, third part! I'm so happy you all like this series! I really like writing it. Please let me know what you all liked its really helpful! Enjoy...

word count: 1.5k

Pt.1, Pt.2, Pt.3, Pt.4, Pt. 5, Pt.6, Pt.7, Sequel: Sweet Tooth

The next morning you got up and got ready to start baking for the morning rush. By the time you got down to the shop your two employees were already baking the muffins and cakes. You said hello and went over the menu for the day. You then started preparing lunch menu ingredients.

Just when you had finished the morning preparation and opened up. You felt your phone buzz in your back pocket. Which was weird because no one ever texted you in the morning. You took your phone out and stared at the message that awaited you.

Miguel: Hey could you make my coffee in advance? I'm running late today...

You: Of course, hurry!

Miguel: Maybe sneak a lil muffin in there...?

You: Sugar? Am I speaking to Miguel or an imposter?

Miguel: 😡

You smiled down at your phone. You had texted Miguel last night for a while before going to bed. Older people using emojis always cracks me up. You thought to yourself. You put your phone back in your pocket and made his order. While the morning rush built up to its usual catastrophic storm of angry city folk. Mr. Smith picked up his order and his rent, just when the morning rush was at peak catastrophe and the line was going out of the shop, you saw Miguel pull up to the sidewalk and step out of his car.

You put on your scarf and earmuffs, along with a puffer jacket and gloves before heading outside. If there was one bad thing about you, it's that you were practically allergic to cold weather. You rushed out to Miguel who was leaning against his car. "Hey, I came as fast as I could," you huffed out smiling at him.

"Thank you, Baby—you look warm," he teased. He noticed the way your eyes watered when gusts of wind carried snow. How the snowflakes fell on nose and eyelashes. The way your nose turned a slight shade of pink, he could already guess that if you didn't have those earmuffs on, your little ears would be pink too. Even though you were wrapped in the warmest clothes, you still looked so chilly Miguel was resisting the urge to wrap his arms around you and warm you up properly himself.

"I'm so sensitive to the cold, my hands and feet are always cold," you explained as you held his drink out to him as well as a little brown paper bag. "I packed you a lemon poppyseed muffin, something tells me you'll enjoy it," you said.

"Hmm, I let you know," he hummed looking away. He was obviously a bit embarrassed to be enjoying baked goods. You chuckled to yourself and shook your head.

"Get inside Baby, or you might freeze right where you stand," Miguel chuckled as he ushered you back into the shop.

You waved goodbye and entered the battlefield of morning brews and muffins. It was a long day but you looked forward to the clock finally striking 9 p.m. because you knew Miguel would walk in, probably get stuck in the mistletoe, and say hello.

So he had walked through the door into the empty shop and got caught in the mistletoe while accidentally knocked over the yuletide, your night was finally complete. You never would have thought that a man as intimidating as Miguel would also be so clumsy. But it wasn't his fault that he was incredibly tall and monstrously muscular.

"Miguel, can you stop trashing my shop?" you teased as you walked around the counter to fix your holiday decor. Just when you have adjusted the yuletide, his broad shoulder bumped into a bell and it fell as well.

"Great, now you're throwing stuff at me," you joked giggling at his clumsiness.

"Oh stop it," Miguel said rolling his eyes. The both of you were so lost in the moment of laughter and bliss that you didn't realize that you were standing at the entrance of the store. You both realized and looked above you to see the mistletoe, you felt the heat rise from your chest to your face all the way to your ears.

You had never been this close to Miguel so you never realized that his eyes which you thought were mahogany brown had a slight hint of ruby in them. They were both whiskey and wine while simultaneously being black coffee and velvet cake.

He smelled like sandalwood, vallina, musk, roses, and cedarwood. In short, he smelled better than sex. His scent drugged you and kept you in his trance while swimming in his eyes. You stared at each other far too long for it to be nothing. You finally broke the tension by clearing your throat. "It's too bad you don't believe in Christmas, I'm a really good kisser," you said as you began to walk back around the counter, hoping that he didn't notice how nervous you were. He walked up to the counter visibly not over what had just happened.

"Well, who said I don't believe in Christmas?" he asked.

"I said I haven't celebrated in a while," he explained correcting you.

"Are you just saying that because you want a smooch? So needy," you said shaking your head at him. You handed him his coffee, which you already started to make. Your question made him blush a bit. Cute.

"Don't worry you don't have to answer that question, but you have to tell me if you liked the muffin I made you," you asked with a shy smile.

"It was actually really good. But don't take that wrong way, I still don't like sweet things," he said.

"Yeah sure, anyway I'm going to drop the extras off at the homeless shelter down the road if you want to tag along?" you suggested

"Okay, I don't really have much to do," he replied rubbing the back of his neck.

You were partially asking so he could help load the stuff into your car. How could he blame you? He didn't have all that muscle for nothing. As you both got in the car and drove the short drive to the shelter, you sparked a bit of conversation. "So, I've never seen you around the area, did you just move here?" you asked.

"I moved recently, I actually work at Alchemax, it's not too far away," he explained. You let out an impressed hum.

"Ohh snazzy, what do you do there?" you asked as you taped the wheel rhythmically to the Frank Sinatra Christmas song playing in the background.

"I'm a geneticist," he answered.

"Yeah, I don't know what that is, but I was born and raised here," she said as Miguel laughed at her earlier comment.

"Tell me more," Miguel said under stifled laughter.

"The coffee shop is kind of a family heirloom if you will, it's been around for decades. Naturally, I followed in my parents' footsteps and went to culinary school. But my parents passed away a while ago so I couldn't finish school," she explained.

"Well, I'm sure your parents would be proud. I think you have this coffee thing down to a T," he said, making you smile like an idiot.

"Thank you, Miguel, that means a lot," you said as you pulled up to the shelter. You both got the stuff out of the trunk. You walked in and took it to the front desk where your best friend Estella was. "Hey, Baby—oh? Who's this? Boyfriend? Hookup?" she asked while sizing him up and giving you a nod of approval.

"This is Miguel and um, he's my uh—" you started trying to find the words.

"We're friends," he answered simply. Estella still looked at us suspiciously before letting the volunteers take the goods off our hands.

"Well you two have a great night, and Miguel, she may not look like it but, she likes it rough," Estella teased throwing a wink at Miguel.

"Oh my god, Estella!" you groaned as you walked out with Miguel and got back into the car. The ride was silent until he said, "Rough huh?"

"Please forget she said that," you said smiling sheepishly at the revelation.

"Oh, so you're not going to deny it?" he asked.

"Well, why deny it when it's true?" you said accepting the shame.

You had parked and looked over at his face for a reaction to this information. But nothing, you couldn't read his expression. The two of you spent the rest of the night chatting it up about everything under the sun(or moon). You have learned so much about Miguel.

You learned that he has a brother named Gabriel, his favorite color is red, he prefers chocolate over gummies(wrong opinion), and he absolutely has to keep eye contact when speaking with someone.

As you both continued to bond over Christmas cookies and brews, your moment was interrupted by a buzz from both of your phones. It was an amber alert that read:

[Blizzard Warning! This area til 9:00 PM EST Mon. All citizens must stay indoors. All roads closed]

Next... Pt.4

taglist:

@iite-cool@jewelz-teehe@br0-please@thesilenthill@d1lf-loverrr@amber-content

[luciferlightbringer]

Talk to Me

Chapter 2

Lucifer x Fem Fallen Angel Reader

Word Count: 4.4k

CW: Angst, pain, swearing, slow burn, enemies to lovers(ish?), mistrust, lies

Chapter 1|Chapter 2|Chapter 3 (Updated through Chapter 5)

Eventually, you flutter back into consciousness, but it was not peaceful. You feel the earth tremble accompanied by the sound of distant booms. You startle sitting up, and quickly remember that you have broken bones. You gasp at the pain before trying to turn your attention back to the rumbling. It sounded far off, so you were probably ok for now? But you didn’t trust that there wouldn’t be a battle here soon. You needed to find somewhere else to go.

You tried to stand up, and you manage, but with a broken leg it really hurt. You were just glad no one had found you. You had no idea how long you had been out, but you figured it was at least a day. Then the absolute weakness and hunger in your body kicked in. Ok maybe it had been more than just a day. What were you going to do? Where was there for you to go?

And then it hit you. You groaned at the thought, but there was literally only one actual place you knew of in hell. And that was the Princess’ Hotel. Would you actually be safe there, especially with the extermination coming and fully likely to be aiming at their doors? You racked your head for other options, but with all of the horrible “firsts” you were feeling, you were not coming up with many other options.

You sighed, oh well. It wasn’t like the angels could kill you even when they did come. The hotel it was, and you had sometime still to figure it all out. Before you headed out, you took one last look at your heavenly robe and sighed before ripping it into pieces to use as both rags to wipe off any golden blood, and to use to wrap your arm and your leg.

You could tell your new form was still the demonic shape you had landed in. That made sense. The stories say that Lucifer’s form was also forever changed into a hideous beast when he fell, so too have you, you guessed, feeling your long horns and tail with your new black claws. You wanted to cry, but you swallowed it down. Better you than Emily, that’s what you needed to focus on. You swallowed your pride and headed down into the city.

As you stumbled through the city, you were met with even more horrors told in the stories of Heaven, sinners. There was a dark sinister feeling that wafted through the air, every street there was something so revealing it was almost hard not to stare. Trash fires, people stabbing each other, people drunk on the street, getting cat called… what was that guy doing with barbed wire? Nevermind, you did not want to see more than you had to. Ugh and the smell of it all! What a revolting realm this was. It already felt like quite a shitty first day in Hell, and you had hardly made your way through the city.

The upside was, other than a few catcalls and one guy yelling “Hey! You look like shit!” Most left you alone. Maybe you looked pathetic and beaten up enough that maybe they took pity on you? Oh that made you feel great… the idea of getting pity from the scum of Hell… These were the people the Princess was trying to get into Heaven? Ya right…

You realized you had no idea where you were going or where the hotel was. You tried asking a person or too, most shrugged you off or swore at you. One roughly gestured in a direction, at least that was a start. You started wandering in that direction, when you came across the sight of a tall building that looked like it had very Heavenly architecture. It peaked your curiosity, so you went towards it.

You went inside and it was silent lobby, filled with waiting empty couches and chairs. You were relieved, it almost felt like home. You realized this must have been the Heaven Embassy, you had heard Emily and Sera mention it before. Something about Adam meeting someone here recently. Probably Lucifer. That thought made a tingle of fear run up your spine, were you in same building that he had been in recently?

You went to sit on one of the couches, and you sighed. The first bit of comfort you had felt in a while. Not as good as the couches at home, but it was close. In the safety of the embassy, you found yourself start to tear up, and then the flood came. The tears of fear, sadness, pain, anger, all pouring out as you sat alone in the wide lobby of the Heaven Embassy. You cried loudly and heavily for the first time in your life, until you ran out of energy and slipped back into unconsciousness.

Some while later, you woke up to a light tapping on the bottom of your shoe, accompanied by a soft “I’m sorry dear, but I can’t have sinners sleeping in here.” Your eyes popped open and you moved away from the tapping before remembering the pain in your body again. You looked in the direction of the sound and tapping to see a little… creature with red skin and horns, holding a broom.

“Ahh! I’m sorry I’m not… uhh… not used to being here yet. I can go…” you start to get up.

“It’s ok,” the soft voice said again, a feminine voice, “You’re not in trouble, Heaven just doesn’t want anyone causing trouble in here. Why they would think sinners sleeping in here is trouble? I have no idea. But you are welcome to be in here for a little bit.”

You looked the creature up and down, they must be a hellborn… but why were they so… nice? “Uhh… thank you… uhh…”

“Clarisee, but you can just call me Claire,” she smiled, “I’m the janitor and facility manager of this building.”

“Oh! Well I’m…” you paused, you didn’t want to give your real name, it may sound too “Heavenly” or whatever. “I’m (your fake name(y/fn)),” you said with a weak smile.

“Pleased to meet you, are you new to Hell?” Claire asked.

“Uh… ya… it’s a lot to take in… never thought I would end up down here…” you thought back to the trial.

“It’s not an uncommon feeling, you’ll settle in soon enough” she looked you over “Looks like you already had a nice run in with the locals.”

You were confused but you looked yourself over, she thinks you got in a fight, that was a good cover. “Oh! Ya… I… bumped into someone and… they did not like that… so they just started…” you threw a punch at the arm with your not broken arm, “but like… a lot… and it hurt.”

Claire shook her head, “Oh sinners…”

You looked at her again, “You say that like you are not a sinner.”

Claire chuckled, “Oh because I’m not! I’m an Imp, a hellborn. I was born and raised in Hell, right here in the Pride ring.” She flashed a prideful smile.

“Oh! I see… are all Imps nice?” You asked.

Claire laughed, “Oh hell no! But we aren���t all mean either, same goes with sinners though, you just have to find the right ones.”

You held back making a face, you couldn’t imagine a nice sinner. “I see… well… I don’t want to overstay my welcome. I should be continuing on my journey.” You said getting up from the couch.

“Journey? Haha, where are you off to?” Claire asked with a cocked eyebrow with a michevious smile.

“Oh! Uhh… I’m trying to find a hotel, one that um… the Princess is running?” You asked shyly.

“Oh! That Hazbin Hotel? Ya, ya, I know it. Right on the Eastern edge of the ring,” she said pointing out the window. You look out in the distance and you see a small hill with a weird looking building, topped with a glowing “Hazbin Hotel” sign on the top.

You lit up, “Yes! That’s it! I need to get there.” Heavens, you wished you could just fly over there instead of walking.

Claire smiled and tapped a finger to her chin, looking at how you struggled to stand. “Are you comfortable waiting an hour?”

You looked back at her, “Uhh… why?”

Claire smiled and shrugged “You look like you’re having a hard day and I thought maybe I could just drive you over there instead of you hobbling for hours through the masses.”

You smiled “Really? Oh, I would really appreciate that, if you don’t mind.”

“Give me one hour and then I’ll take you over.”

You sat and waiting an hour for Claire to finish up sweeping and dusting the lobby before you guys walked to her car out back. You had heard of humans having cars but you had never seen one. You got in a you drove through the city on your way to the hotel, nervousness growing in your stomach along with your hunger that was already hurting your insides.

Claire weaved the car down the streets of the city, well… the streets were straight but she had to maneuver around all of the people that were in the streets. You felt better getting the chance to watch the sinners of hell as you passed them by in the safety of the car. It was more like watching animals in a zoo that were trying to attack each other. It wasn’t that way throughout the entire city, but of course violence was all you could focus on. It made you feel so sick and sad.

Before long, you pulled up to the front of the hotel. You thanked Claire before getting out.

“Good luck! And don’t be a stranger ok? You are always welcome as long as you don’t bring any firearms, weapons, drugs, or sex parties, ok?”

You blinked. “Uh, ya! Ok! Sounds good, thanks again,” you closed the door and Claire drove off.

You turned around to see the front of the hotel. Even at the front door you could see the markings of apples and snakes, the symbols of the Morningstar family, symbols of Lucifer. You didn’t consider until now that he might be at the hotel. Oh shit… maybe this was a mistake, but where else could you go?

While you were distracted by your thoughts, inside the hotel lobby, a certain radio demon perked up his ears at the sound of a car outside. His big smile grew a little, before turning to Charlie who was pouring over her new battle plans for Adam’s return in a couple of days, and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Charlie my dear, I hate to interrupt you in the middle of your strategizing, but I believe I just heard a car stop outside the front door and someone get out,” Alastor said his voice crackling through his normal radio filter. Charlie stopped her thought and looked up at him.

“Someone’s outside?” She asked and looked to the door. More people had been coming in and out related to the extermination defense preparations, but she didn’t think Alastor would be reacting like this if it was one of them. Charlie stood up and walked over the door and opened it, looking out and seeing you lost in a panicked thought out on the entryway to the hotel.

“Oh! Hi there.” Charlie said softly, not wanting to startle you.

You still jumped a little as you were pulled back in to present and realized the Princess had just opened the door and addressed you.

“Oh uhh…” you bowed, “H-Hello y-your highness.”

Charlie blinked and then chuckled as she open the door further and took a step towards you, “Oh please, just call me Charlie. And you are?”

You straightened up, half surprised to feel a familiar sense of comfort from her, you looked at her face. Her expression was warm and soft, with a touch of concern, and most importantly of all, no recognition of you. “Oh uhh… (y/fn)… my name is (y/fn).”

“Pleased to meet you, (y/fn). What can I do for you? Are you… interested in the hotel?” Charlie’s eyes lit up a little.

“Uhh… yes! I am. I uhh… I’ve only been here for a short while… in Hell and uhh…” you looked down are your broken limbs. “I-I was attacked… haven’t had much to eat or a place to stay. I uhh… heard something about this hotel and I thought I would come check it out. I heard you uhh… rehabilitate sinners?”

Charlie started to bounce in place “Yes!! Oh yes! Welcomeeeee to the Hazbin Hotel!” Charlie stopped again ones she looked at your hurt and malnourished form. “Oh gosh, I’m so sorry about your wounds. Would you like some help in?”

“Uhh.. ya that would be grea-“ before you could finish, Charlie scoops you up and carries you inside. You expected he to aid you not just full on pick you up! She just picked you up like you were a small child! She was gentle though, and you were happy to not be on your leg anymore. She hip bumped the door open and carried you over to the couch before gently setting you down.

“Vaggie! Can you grab the med kit? Also some water and any food we might have?” Charlie called out. A shadowy figure emerged from the shadows with a cup in hand, “I’ve got the water, my dear, and I’d be happy to grab some leftover jambalaya from last night if you’d like.” He handed to cup to Charlie and then she turned to had it to you, who was staring in fear at this new figure. If him emerging from the shadows wasn’t already creepy, his appearance and energy was terrifying… This couldn’t be him, could it?

“Oh! (Y/fn), this is Alastor, or facilities manager. Alastor this is (y/fn),” said Charlie.

“A pleasure to meet you darling, are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?” Alastor asked with a pleasant smile, even though it does not seem as pleasant to you. You did feel at least a little bit more calm now that you knew that this was not Lucifer. But he was still an unsettling sight.

“Will… will it hurt me?” You asked.

Alastor laugh swatting a hand, “Heavens no! Although that is a devious thought… no, no, no, no. I would never use my mother’s recipe for murder. It’s just leftovers from dinner I made last night.”

“Oh… uhh… ya, sure. I’ve never had it before,” you said. Alastor’s eyes grin widened.

“Well then you are in for a real treat! I’ll be right back!” and he disappeared back into the shadows of the floor. You looked at Charlie before taking the cup and quickly inhaling the water.

“Don’t mind him, Alastor is… a character. But he has been here helping me build the hotel since day one,” Charlie said, Vaggie entered the room with a box, “Along with my girlfriend, Vaggie here, my literal and figurative angel.” She said looking happily at her girlfriend.

Vaggie chuckled, “Are we just telling everyone now?” She put down the box next to Charlie.

“Oh! Sorry, just still processing it.” Charlie said giving Vaggie a shy smile. Vaggie put a hand on her shoulder, “It’s ok, I understand, I was just teasing.”

Wait… what? Literal and figurative angel? Charlie and Vaggie caught your confused look.

“Oh haha… umm Vaggie here is an angel… well… ex-angel? She used to be an exorcist and now she is not… it’s a whole thing,” Charlie said.

You looked back and forth between Charlie and Vaggie. What? There was another angel down here? An exorcist for that matter?

“An exorcist?” You covered your mouth. You didn’t mean to let that slip out. Crap, did you just blow your cover already?

“Oh right! You said you are new right? You probably don’t even know about the… the exterminations…” Charlie gave Vaggie a look. Oh thank Heavens that is how they took that comment instead of your wondering what an exorcist was doing down here.

“We should probably tell her, it’s only fair,” Vaggie said to Charlie. Charlie sighed. You played dumb and gave them a confused look, even though you knew what was coming next.

“So… every year an army of angels come down and kill a bunch of mortal souls, erasing them completely. They… maybe have not liked the idea of my hotel and might… be focusing their next extermination on us…” Charlie gave a big anxious smile. “It’s totally understandable if you don’t want to stay butttt we do have an attack plan to defend ourselves.”

You blinked, “Oh wow… that’s a lot… how are you gonna defend yourself against angels? Can they be killed?” It was a silly question because you already knew they couldn’t.

“Yes, they can!” Charlie beamed. You froze, trying to not make it obvious that her statement was causing you fear for your own life.

“Oh… wow, how?” You asked as calmly as you could. Vaggie noticed the fear in your voice but just continued to watch as you and Charlie talked.

“With angelic weapons! So we are defending ourselves with this metal that angels had left from previous exterminations. But…” she put a hand on your shoulder, “we understand that you just got here, so if you don’t want to stay or don’t want to fight, you don’t have to.”

You looked off in the distance, glad that your current mental breakdown from your new found sense of mortality was being perceived as panic over the idea of an extermination.

“I… uh… I want to stay… but I don’t want to fight. I honestly don’t know if I could fight. When is it happening?”

“In like… a few days…” Charlie responded.

A few days?! You thought you had at least a week! How long were you out for? A week or two?!

“We can find a place to keep you save… maybe… oh! Maybe my dad could…”

“No!” You shouted louder than you meant to, earning a confused look from Charlie and Vaggie. “Sorry! Uhh, I mean… Noooo need to worry about that, heh, I know someone that I can hide with for a day. They are the reason I’ve made it this long.”

Charlie smiled, “Great!” At that point, Alastor made it back into the lobby with a big bowl of that jambalaya, which you practically inhaled as soon he handed it to you. It was surprisingly good, you told Alastor and he beamed before heading off to other matters. You were going to keep an eye on that one.

Charlie then worked with you to take off the makeshift wraps before replacing them with some nicer wraps for your arm and leg that were more like casts, and giving you some pain meds. You were thankful that there was no golden blood on any of the wraps at this point to give you away. “There we go. Now, would you like us to show you to your room?” Charlie asked. You nodded. Charlie and Vaggie helped you up the stairs and into the first available room.

While chatting with you, Charlie’s phone started to ring and she answered, it was her dad. It was Lucifer. You couldn’t make out what he was staying, but the bits of speech were fast and higher pitched than you expected. Energetic even? Charlie responded back in kind, excitedly tell him about the hotel’s next guest and giving you a wink. You must have had an uncomfortable look on your face, because Charlie quickly added how you had been in pretty bad shape so he probably would not get to meet you today, before adding a quiet “Also I think she is new to hell and might not be ready to meet, ya know… the devil yet.” He seemed to respond with an understanding murmur before Charlie said she would see him later and ended the call.

“Sorry about that, dad is coming over later to go over some things. He’s just nervous about all this,” Charlie said sheepishly. Lucifer is nervous?

“Oh… is he not into like fighting and stuff?” You asked, genuinely curious.

“Oh no! He hates fights! Hates conflict in general. He is powerful, but tries to avoid it unless he has to. Plus he is also worried because he basically can’t even step in unless a hellborn gets hurt, which basically just means me or my guardians. He’s hands are really tied,” Charlie gave a concerned look at the floor, before shaking her head. “But uh, anyways, I know this is a lot to take in so, I won’t have you meeting him any times soon. I know they have a really negative few of him on earth, but he really is a nice guy. Just… a little rough around the edges, heh…. And a little socially awkward at times… But he is getting better!”

You smiled and nodded, “Thanks, ya… maybe once I’ve had some more time to rest.”

You hoped that you would never have to meet Lucifer, but it seems like you might have to meet him at some point. The Princess seemed to have an interesting take on her father. Did she just have a screwed view of how evil he was? The again, just as when you met her in Heaven, she wasn’t mean, she didn’t push, she even… seemed to notice that you didn’t feel comfortable meeting her dad… and she was ok with that? Could her father be similar?

You didn’t even want to get started thinking about Vaggie’s situation. There was another fallen angel besides Lucifer and that wasn’t broadcasted everywhere for her to be made as an example too? More than that… how long ago did she far? And… why didn’t you remember her? You had been around for a while, but you feel like you would have remembered her, even a little.

Vaggie and Charlie got you set up in your new room for the next few days and then let you be, saying they would let you know when dinner was ready. Soon they left and you were alone, still afraid, but at least you had a place to stay with people you had at least met before while you recovered.

You laid out on the bed, it wasn’t the greatest but it worked for what you needed it for. You wanted to stretch out your wings, but the spot where one was missing still burned, and you didn’t trust that they wouldn’t just bust into the room or spy on you or something. No, you couldn’t let your wings out yet.

You stared up at the ceiling, trying to relax, but so many factors were swirling in your head. So many questions about what was real and what wasn’t. The meeting, Emily’s information about the meeting, Adam and his army, the extermination, the court, the fall, your wing, the experience of Hell, the Princess, her Fallen Angel girlfriend, the weapons, the timeframe… Lucifer… you were still afraid of him, very afraid of him. But if Heaven was bending the truth on other things… could they have done that amount him too? Your centuries of devotion made you want to push that thought out of your mind, tell you that you were just being manipulated… but damn… some things were really starting to not make sense anymore.

After a while of laying there, you heard a chatter start to rise door in the lobby. You got up and snuck closer to the door to get a better listen, you were not able to make out much until you heard a loud giggle that sounded like the Princess followed by “Oh my God, Dad!” followed by a loud masculine voice replying with “Haha! See? I told you, Alastor!” that sounded similar to the murmur on the phone.

Your breathing started to pick up pace, was that him? Could the Bringer of Evil, Scorn of Heaven, Original Sin, Fallen Angel, Betrayer Serpent… Lucifer Morningstar… be downstairs? Every cell in you body told you to run, you hide, to damn getting caught and fly as far away as you could… but your curiosity was more powerful, and you cracked open the door the smallest fraction. Your room would not be seen from where they were, but you still worried.

With the door cracked more, you were able to hear slightly more of the conversation, though this distance still made it a little muddled. Overall you were catching to sounds of joking and then what sounded like Lucifer arguing with Alastor, before Charlie and Vaggie told them both to cool it. The conversation flipped through some topics until it landed on you, which startled you.

The voice you believed to be Lucifer asked how “the new guest” was, his daughter responded how you were starving and had broken bones when you arrived and were up resetting. You hear a sigh, and then some soft comment about sinners, you were surprised by how sad the tone sounded. He asked his daughter if you would want him to look at your wounds to heal them, and she turned him down, thanking him but advocating for you needing space to rest. He muttered something in acknowledgment.

At this point you closed the door and went back you your bed, back to staring at the ceiling. Now with even more questions and even more curiosity. The curiosity is what scared you the most. He sounded… well he sounded like an older male Charlie, from the small bit you heard from him. Offering to heal your wounds? If you weren’t so afraid of him, you would have taken him up on that. You were curious about that.

Your head was swimming, and if you weren’t taking pain meds you would have probably had a headache at this point. You were staying to drift, and you faded into unconsciousness. Charlie came by later to offer you food, but that that point you were passed out. She ended up just slipping a note under your door and getting a plate set up for you and put in the fridge for whenever you were ready.

———————————————————————

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Taglist:

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[specialagentlokitty]

Carol Danvers x reader - don’t do this to yourself

Hiii could I request a Carol x self harm reader please ? If not that's okay thank you sm - Anon💜

TW: mentions of self harm

Nothing had ever been the same, nothing ever was going to be the same, not since that day.

Since you had lost everything, since your whole world had been turned upside down and everything was was different.

And you hated it.

You hated the world.

You hated everything in it.

And most of all.

You hated yourself.

You hated who you had become and what you had done.

Standing in front of the mirror you took a deep breath, closing your eyes for a moment before you opened them again.

Your eyes were drawn to the many scars that littered your skin.

You turned your attention to the bloody bandages that were sitting around your wrist, and with a heavy sigh you began to change them.

It was a quick process, and it was something you were used to doing.

Once you were done, you pulled your shirt back on, buttoning it up before tidying your mess up, throwing it in the trash and taking the trash back outside to the bin.

Throwing it out, you walked back inside and stood in the kitchen, running a hand down your face.

“You seem a little stressed.”

You felt a pair of hands settle on your shoulders and you smiled faintly, slowly turned around.

“Hey…” Carol whispered.

“Hey, thought you were halfway across the universe saving the whole of space and time or something.”

Carol laughed a little but, shaking her head at you.

“No, I just had some diplomatic things to resolve I’m not sure I wasn’t really paying attention.”

“Course your weren’t, just winging it again huh?”

Carol grinned a bit, resting her chin on your shoulder, hugging you softly.

“You know me too well.”

You placed your hands on her back, patting it a few times.

“You reek, go take a shower.”

“Wow, okay I see how it is.”

Carol pushed herself away, and she grinned at you as she kissed your cheek before making her way down the hallway.

Walking over to your desk, you looked through some papers before putting a few away.

Making your way back to the living room, you began to go through your books, taking a few to put them on the desk.

“Hey (Y/N)?”

“Yeah?”

You glanced at Carol as she came through wearing some of your clothes, drying her hair with a towel.

“Did you fell in the shower? Are you alright?”

You looked at her confused before it hit you.

You were in there not long before.

You were adding to your little collection of scars.

“Uh no, no. Sorry I was washing some paint things in there I forgot to clean up.”

Carol nodded her head a little bit, and she looked around before walking over, tossing the towel on the back of the couch.

“Right, except you don’t paint, you hate it, and nothing has changed since I was last here a few months ago.”

You turned around.

“I don’t know what to tell you.”

Carol narrowed her eyes a little.

“What did you do..?” She whispered softly.

“Carol I didn’t do anything..”

She walked over, gently taking your hands in hers.

Running her thumbs along the back of your hands, giving you a sad look.

“Please tell me you didn’t…” she whispered.

You clenched your jaw, turning your eyes away from her.

“Why…?”

“Carol I.. I hate myself myself. I.. I can’t.. words can’t.. nothing can describe how much I hate myself… how much I hate everything…”

Carol threw her arms around you, holding you tightly

“You should’ve called me (Y/N)…”

“You were so busy…”

“And I would’ve come running, I can’t stand you doing this to yourself I just.. I don’t.. I don’t know how to help you…”

You shook your head a little bit, pulling away from her.

“It’s not something you can help with..:”

“Maybe not, but I can still be here. I can be here so you’re not alone.”

“Carol you can’t do that, you’re needed all over.”

“And right now they’re not as important as you. So, we’re going to figure this out, okay? Because I can’t be out there knowing you’re slowly destroy yourself…”

You slowly shook your head.

“I don’t think I can stop…”

“You can, okay? You can. And we’re going to figure it out.”

You nodded, resting your head on her shoulder, letting her hold your and you clutched in to her tightly.

Never in all your years did you think anybody would stick by you, but there was always someone.

That one person that no matter will always be by your side, and Carol Danvers was that person, and she wasn’t going to let the only ray of light in her life be snuffed out