#this was supposed to be answered on Monday whoops
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Who is that character in your pfp?
That my dear anony is a old drawing of me dms! Drew it YEARS ago and just never redrew/replaced it :3
Moving on, I at 1st thought you were talking about my banner, so I ended up drawing this:
Heh a happy mistake I guess, felt nice to draw Terezi or just trolls again irregardless
#dms answers!#man haven't do e that in a while đ#thanks anony! đ#homestuck#terezi pyrope#dms draws#dms art#homestuck terezi#hs terezi#terezi fanart#homestuck memories#this was supposed to be answered on Monday whoops
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yayyy tag games @sadmoooose đ¤
rules: answer and tag people you want to get to know better and catch up with
favorite color: black..... immediately followed up by wine red / or creamy beige yellows.... the color of very old lace. you know it.
last song: 0898 heartache if your calling me's a mistake then tell me why we're both still on the line âď¸
currently reading: image of me stressed out and laughing. i've said this before but i have an awful problem with starting books getting halfway and forgetting to finish them. the current stack looks like this: we have always lived in the castle, russian criminal tattoo encyclopaedia vol.1, our wives under the sea, the art thief, this collection of romantic poetry about death and dying, may we be spared to meet on earth still technically but i'm nearly done with it, red doc>, the bone orchard, saturnalia, dead mountain, a house with good bones, and i've got queen of the damned staring at me very impatiently. which is fine.
currently watching: augh i dont know.. i miss iwtv. i wish ldpdl was on my television again. i suppose i'm in a terror rewatch again but honestly mostly when i have time to watch things i'm on youtube watching this irish lad do wood carving vlogs at a living history museum :-( OH god i need to finish black sails as well huh. whoops
currently craving: big glass of cold water & the weather to stop being humid and hot. and a hug would be nice too if i can be honest
coffee or tea: TEA MY BEST FRIEND TEA
hobby to try: something doesn't aggravate my wrist pain pleeease and thank you
current au: strong as fuck ice mummy monday ghosts on beechey island đ which i just know is annoying to the majority of my followers but what EVER
no pressure tags mwah
@hexgh0ul @caleblandrybones @petoskeystones @perenial
@twinsfawn @monstrousdaughter @jartnell @thedissociatives
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Everyone just know I went to the emergency room purely bc I have the worst dental insurance ever known to man and my wisdom teeth are EXPLODING!!!!!!! And it turns out the reason one of them feels like it has a big hole in it is because IT DOES ITS LITERALLY INFECTED AND ROTTING AWAY IN MY SKULL MAWMA!! BUT THEY DONT HAVE ORAL SURGEONS AT THE ER OF COURSE THEYRE JUST LIKE go to our partner clinic at the ass crack of dawn on Monday cause thatâs the only time we do walk ins and MmmmmmaAAAYYBE we can take your insurance for an emergency visit BUT NOT PROMISING ANYTHING đđđ ANSWER OUR RIDDLES THREE. Ok and they hav me an antibiotic AND extra strong painkiller for my fucking rotting mouth and it was supposed to be deliver to me at 8 pm except Oh WHOOPS THERE WAS A PROBLEN WITH YOUR ORDER. OH WHOOPS SILLY US TEE HEE. So I am just I am just I am just literally just sitting here. I slept for one (1) hour last night and I am high on some edibles so I canât feel my face for once just like the weekend. AMA
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Notes from Nowhere:
Authors Note: I kinda forgot to keep postingâŚ
Chapter 3:
As Soda and Steve were sitting at the starting line, in Steveâs car, waiting for the race to start, Pony was sitting in the stands scared as hell. But he couldnât let it show. No Greaser would be scared about their brother being in a drag race.
âI donât get why you get to drive every single timeâ Soda looked out the window of the car at the crowd.
âYou wanna win, donât you?â Steve teased. Soda was a good driver but he wasnât as in tuned with the cars as Steve was. They watched out the windshield as the girl crossed the track with the flag. Steve got ready to press on the gas. The girl held up the flag and quickly waved it as she backed off the track. The cars sped past the starting line. Right away, Steve was in 3rd place. They had to do 3 laps around the track.
Soda and Steve were whooping and laughing in the car as Pony was sitting in the stands, gaze locked on the track. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it to calm his nerves but it didnât work too well. Soda reached over and turned up the radio so they could have some tunes while they beat the competition. The first lap done, still in 3rd place.
Pony felt like the race was taking forever. He knew it usually took long but not this long. Maybe Darry was right, he should have stayed home. Steve was able to push past a rust red ford to get into 2nd place. Second lap done, 2nd place. Soda was still laughing and jamming along to the music. He had his head out of the window like a golden retriever with his hair blowing in the wind.
Ponyâs nerves were starting to settle a little when he realized the race was almost done and afterwards they could go back home. Steve was neck and neck with a blue mustang. Soda wasnât even paying attention to the race. He was having the time of his life. He was always told that he got drunk on just plain living, and that was true. He was on top of the world. He hadnât even noticed when Steve passed the Mustang to first place and was hauling ass to the finish line. He did, however, realize when they passed the finish line. He was hollering at the top of his lungs about their win. Steve drove the car over to the parking lot and parked again as Soda hopped out. Steve hopped out as well.
They were celebrating their win when two Socs came up. They quickly stopped celebrating and toughened their stance. Soda stood tall while Steve leaned against the car. They knew the Socs, Paul Holden and Bob Sheldon. Soda knew Paul because he was friends with Darry. Paul was the receiver to Darryâs quarterback when Darry was on the football team. And everyone knew Bob. He was one of the most popular guys at school. Thankfully when Soda dropped out he didnât have to deal with Bob anymore. Or so he thought.
âWell, well, well, a couple Greasers got first place. Not too surprising. Probably did something to that beat up car of yours. Probably rigged it.â Bob was the first to speak.
âWe didnât rig the car.â Steve stood up quickly. He was offended. It was his car after all
âWell then how else did a couple Greasers win?â Paul was next to speak up. He kept looking at Soda. He had to have known that he was Darrelâs brother.
âFair and Square, Holden. Thatâs howâ Soda hadnât said anything yet. He let Steve do all the talking. But he was having a staring match with Paul.
âYeah right, like a couple of roof rats could win without cheating.â
âWeâve won plenty of times without cheating. You should know that, shouldn't you Bob?â Soda finally spoke up. He would never cheat and he wanted it to be clear. He was many things but a cheater wasnât one of them.
âWhatâs that supposed to mean?â
âIt means all the times weâve beaten you in a rumble was because we won fair and square. We arenât cheaters, Robert.â Steve was surprised by how Soda was sticking up for everyone.
Bob looked at Paul before answering, âWhy donât we really see if you can win without cheating, Monday, Pershing Park, 9 oâclock, you two against us two.â
âKnives or fists?â Steve was looking at Soda like he had another head.
âFists. A fist fights a fair fight and we ainât no cheaters.â
âFine then, see you two later.â Bob eyed both the Greasers before walking away with Paul.
Steve finally turned towards Soda, âWhat the hell is wrong with you? We canât fight those two! Is something going on up there because last I checked the Soda I knew wouldnât go itching for a fight with Socs!â Steve was basically yelling at Soda. Hitting his shoulder and tapping on his head.
Soda pushed Steve off him, âAinât nothing wrong with me. I ainât gonna let them disrespect the Greaser name.â
âThey do it all the time! Whatâs different about it now?â
âShut it, Steve. Ainât nothinâ different. Go claim the money and letâs get outta here.â Steve rolled his eyes as he walked away to go claim the prize money. Soda sighed as he walked back to the stands to find Ponyboy looking around anxiously. It wasnât until he saw Soda that he relaxed.
Pony stood up, put out the 3rd cigarette he had been chain-smoking out of nerves, and then walked over to Soda. âReady to get outta here?â Soda could tell Ponyâs nerves so he slung an arm around his shoulders. Pony nodded and the two walked back to the car and waited for Steve. Steve got back and tossed the keys to Soda before he got into the passenger side without saying a word. Soda though was chatting up a storm with Pony even though he didnât have much to say in return. Soda got in the driver's seat as Pony got in the back. As soon as Soda started the car he turned on the radio and began driving back home. His fingers tapping subconsciously to the beat of the music.
The drive home was quiet beside the background noise of the music and Sodaâs tapping on the steering wheel. When they arrived home, Soda and Pony hopped out, Steve got out too but he just got right back into the driver's seat. Pony walked in the house behind Soda. He kicked off his shoes while the other haphazardly tossed them off his feet.
âDarry! Weâre home!â Sodaâs voice rang out through the house. He walked over and plopped onto the couch. While Pony just continued to stand there.
Darry came down the hall, still in his work clothes. âHey, how were the races?â
âA lot of funâ Soda said before standing up, âListen Iâm gonna go take a shower and wash the dirt off. Love youâ Soda started scampering down the hall.
âDid he and Steve race?â Darry looked at Pony as he sat down for the first time since dinner. Pony just looked at him. He didnât know what to say. He didnât want to get Soda in trouble but he didnât want to lie and make Darry upset. âItâs alright, kid. I knew he was gonna. There ainât no telling Soda not to race.â
Darry and Pony smiled at each other, âAinât that the truth. Iâm gonna sign off, Dar. Long night.â
Darry nodded a little sadly, âNo problem, kid. See you in the morning. Night, Ponyboyâ
âNight, Darâ Pony walked down the hall and into his shared room. He changed into pajama pants and climbed into bed. It wasnât too long until Soda came in and climbed into bed beside him. He threw his arm over Pony and closed his eyes.
âSoda?â
âHmm?â
âAre you alright?â
ââCourse pone, why do ya ask?â His wet hair soaking his pillow as he tried to keep himself from drifting into sleep. It seemed like as soon as he laid down he was asleep but sometimes he was able to stay awake for a while.
âYou seemed off after the races.â
âAinât nothinâ wrong pones. Now you just go on to bed. You got school in the morningâ
âNo I donât, tomorrow's Saturday.â
âAinât you got school on Saturday?â Soda teased. He knew there wasnât school on Saturdayâs but he didnât want Pony to worry about him.
Pony laughed, âNo, Soda, you know I ainât got school on Saturdaysâ
âHey, I havenât been in school for a long time. Who knows whatâs going on?â Soda laughed, he was glad that he was able to make his brother happy, at least for a little while. âNow get to sleep, Ponyboy, if you ainât got school tomorrow youâll bet your ass Iâm making you study.â Soda teased again, Pony just laughed and buried his head into the pillow. âGoodnight, Pony, love you.â
âGoodnight, Sodapop. Love youâ And with that both boys fell asleep. Darry was still awake in the living room, sitting in his dads old recliner chair that was now coined as his. His eyes were heavy with sleep and he should go to bed but he wanted to stay up for a little more. He was worried about Soda and the way he came home. He never acted like that usually.
#the outsiders#the outsiders musical#fanfic#brent comer#darrel curtis#jason schmidt#sodapop curtis#the outsiders sodapop#brody grant#musicals#the outsiders darrel#darrel shayne curtis jr#darrel shaynne curtis jr they could never make me hate you#darrel shaynne curtis jr
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Laisse tomber les filles 10
Warnings: non-consent sex and rape; size kink; age gap; manipulation; sexual acts and dubcon, pillow humping.
This is a dark!fic and Lee Bodecker x (short) reader and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.
Synopsis: You find yourself ostracized on campus by your shyness, but your reticence wonât deter an unwanted suitor.
Note: Itâs Monday, ugh.
Thanks to everyone for reading and thanks in advance for all your feedback. :)
I really hope you enjoy. đ
<3 As usual, Iâd appreciate if you let me know what you think with a like or reblog or reply or an ask! Love ya!
Your curiosity got the best of you, more so your restlessness.Â
After your ride with Lee, you couldnât settle down. You gave up on sleep, late nights not unknown to any student. You flicked on your desk lamp and sat on the chair with a blanket around your shoulders and read a few passages before that peculiar twang made you put down the book.
The flagrant language of the lewd acts made your core hot and you longed for any touch to stoke it. You fidgeted and picked the book up again. Just one chapter⌠Lee was right, you were learning. You pushed the blanket away as you felt yourself sweating and you recalled that night with the sheriff, his leg firmly between both of yours.
You shut the book again and flicked off the light. You had a few more hours before you had to get ready for class. You needed some semblance of sleep to function and you knew another long night awaited you.
You sprawled out on your thin mattress and sighed. You closed your eyes and tried to drift off, tried to forget the lurid excerpts that kept popping back into your mind. You rolled onto your side then the other. You gripped your head and squeezed your eyelids closed. Just sleep.
You brought a pillow down and hugged it as you tried to get comfortable. The corner rubbed along your panties and a ripple tore through your core. You mumbled nonsensically and ignored the urge tugging at you. You couldnâtâŚ
You pushed the pillow down and clenched it between your legs. You started slowly, carefully building the pressure as you hugged it tighter and tighter. Your breath caught and soon you were panting desperately as you chased that strange plucking deep inside.
You got up on your knees and kept the pillow sideways beneath you and straddled it. You rocked your hips as the wooden frame creaked with each move and you smother your voice with your palm.Â
You bit down on the heel of your hand as you hung your head back and became the woman in the novel. You imagined a man beneath you, faceless, nameless, and the mountain rose before you. Almost there, just a little more--
You gritted your teeth as you came and slowed, nails sinking into the pillow as you shook and stifled the weak moans. You fell back onto your side, the pillow caught between your legs and let your arm hang over the edge of the bed. Breathless, you felt the heavy drowsiness setting in. You drifted off before the guilt could set in.
đ
The club meeting came to an end but you hardly kept up with any of the discussion. You couldnât help but think of the last time you saw Lee and everything that came after. You didnât know what youâd been thinking, why you did what you did. Curiosity, mostly as you tried to recreate that same feeling you got on the sheriffâs lap.
You didnât realise your weekly session was over until the chairs scraped and bodies began to move. You stood and your purse fell over as you did. You bent to pick up your bag and scoop up the mess that spilled onto the floor. Another knelt across from you and snatch the red-spined book from amid the pile.
Andre held up the explicit novel and looked it over with a chuckle, âso this is what you like to read?â
âHey,â you snatched it away and shoved it into your purse and stood, âno, IâŚâ
You shrugged and dragged the chair back to the desk and shoved it beneath. You turned back to him as he watched you. You surpassed him as you headed for the door and heard him follow. Your skin was on fire with embarrassment.
âYou know, itâs not really literature but itâs⌠expression nonetheless. I think itâs good that themes like that are being explored in writing--â
âItâs trash, Iâm taking it to the donation bin,â you lied as you came out into the warm summer evening.
âOh,â he said without conviction, âthatâs too bad. You must be one of those prudish girls, then. I always thought so with the way you dress.â
âWhat?â you glanced over at him as he kept pace with you. You searched around for the cruiser but you only saw your fellow club members and the beaten up lemons they drove.
âWell, youâre not exactly pushing the envelope,â he intoned, âI donât see you at any parties, either--â
âWhat does it matter?â you kicked a rock as you continued down the sidewalk. You kept your eyes peeled for Lee but you assumed he was waiting back at your residence as usual.
âOh, I was just thinking you might want to come to one,â he suggested, âyou know, loosen up a bit.â
âA party?â you asked as you turned onto Greek row, âI donât know⌠I have plans and--â
âYou have plans,â he scoffed, âare you that shy or that stupid?â
You were quiet as you didnât know how to answer. Both, probably, you thought, but sniffed and kept on.
âIâm asking you out,â he said as you reached the corner of your street, âyou know, maybe you can do more than read about fucking.â
âExcuse me?â you stopped short and turned on him, âIâm not lying. I have somewhere Iâm supposed to be and-- and-- maybe Iâm not interested in going out with you. Youâre mean.â
His brows shot up and he tilted his head and laughed, âyouâre such a precocious little thing, you know that?â
âMaybe,â you said, âbut you should get out of here before--â
The siren whooped and you cringed. You heard the slow roll of tires as they drew up and the engine clicked into park. The door opened as Andre scowled past you and rolled his eyes. You stepped aside and looked over at Lee as he placed his hat on his head.
âWhat are yâall up to, tonight, huh?â he asked with half a smirk.
âJust talking,â Andre spat, âsome bodunk cop like you can surely understand that.â
âScuse me, boy?â Leeâs hand went to his belt, just beside his gun, âis that how they teach you college kids to talk to authority?â
âItâs how I talk to pigs when they oink at me,â Andre rebuffed, ânow I was just having a discussion with this young woman--â
âNow donât be uppity with me, boy, you out here making a public nuisance,â the sheriff stepped up on the curb.
âWe were just talking, really,â you said quietly, âI was just saying goodbye.â
âNot that itâs any of your business,â Andre dismissed him with a wave and turned back to you, âwell, why donât you just cancel and come up to Delt--â
You gasped as Andre was hauled off his feet and spun against the side of the cruiser. Lee twisted his arm back and bent him over the hood as he reached for his cuffs.
âWhat are you--â
âYou saw that, girl,â Lee snarled, âhe swung at me. That would be attempting an assault on an officer of the law.â
âUmmm,â you blinked and clutched your purse, âI donâtâŚâ
âThatâs an arrestable offence,â Lee snapped a cuff around Andreâs wrist as he struggled, âdonât look good on your record, neither. Think the dean will stand for it?â
âGet off of me!â Andre sneered, âI didnât do anything--â
âYou sure did,â Lee growled, âout here harassing young ladies and disrespecting an officer.â
âYouâre insane,â Andreâs tried to pull away as the other cuff closed, âdonât you have anything better--â
âHoney, get in the car,â Lee ordered as he wrenched Andre up then slammed his face back down against the hood with a sickening crunch, âI donât want you to see this.â
âLee--â you said weakly, âplease--â
âYou know⌠this pigâŚâ Andre huffed in a nasally voice.
âYâaint talk to her, pretty boy,â Lee warned, âor Iâll break your teeth.â
âYouâre--â
âShhhh,â Lee hushed him and glanced over his shoulder at you, ânow honey pie, get in the front seat. Donât make me tell you twice.â
You swallowed and cautiously went to the front door. You slid across the leather seat and closed the door. You heard them arguing before the back door opened and Andre was shoved inside, barely missing his head as he did. You peeked back at him as he horked up blood onto the floor.
The door slammed behind him and Lee got in on his side. He pushed into gear and took off from the curb with the squeal of tires. He glared in the mirror than looked over at you as his expression softened.
âNot exactly how I wanted the night to go but we drop him at the station real quick then we can have some fun, huh?â he smiled.
âYouâre dating this creep?â Andre snorted from the back seat.
âBoy, you shut your mouth,â Lee barked at the rear view, âI ainât tell ya again not to talk to the lady.â
Andre snickered darkly and shook his head as he hung it. He leaned against his cuffed hands and shifted.
âFine, take me to the station,â he said blithely, âmy father will have me out on the hour. Bail in these parts canât be more than a penny.â
âOh,â Lee sneered at the road as he drove through campus, âis that so?â
#lee bodecker#dark lee bodecker#dark!lee bodecker#lee bodecker x reader#fic#dark fic#dark!fic#laisse tomber les filles#the devil all the time#college au#au#series
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title : cigarettes and parfaits [3] pairing : older!nanami kento x younger!reader [13 year age gap, ft toji fushiguro] Genre: romance, fluff, slice of life, josei, angst, comedy, strangers to lovers au
Summary: youâre pretty sure youâd remember marrying a man 13 years older than you, right?
Warnings: alcohol, smoking, mild smut, y/n making stupid decisions, everyones a human-au so yeh non-canon stuff and everyoneâs happy (periODT) i keep forgeting to add that this isnt beta-rread..all of my stories arent so yeah shshs Notes: ah, i feel like this story will be lengthen more than 8-10 chapters shshshs i wanted to add a little spice anyways thanks for all the comments uwu ily all!
Masterlist || taglist || [prev ; next] [updates; every saturday!]
âY/N-chan!!!â
You cringe in embarrassment as soon as you hear that awfully familiar and cheerful voice, you could barely remember this man and the events that transpired the night before but here he was, acting like your new best friend. You werenât even sure if you wanted to go here but you needed clarity. Surely you didnât just legally marry a man at an Izakaya out of all places last night?
âOh, you actually did marry him.â Gojo Satoru proclaims as soon as you take a seat across him, he gestures around his face, âI could tell by your whole, âI hope this guy is messing with meâ face. You have it, signed and sealed. Even got the cute matchy rings that I had one of my assistants delivered.â
You pale at the thought of his assistant coming in with a silver ring. Wasnât he sober? How could he not have stopped you two from doing something as reckless and stupid as this? Werenât older men supposed to be more responsible than this?
âWhy the hell didnât you stop us?â You groaned, burying your face in your hands, embarrassment painted all over your features.
âI was just as drunk as you two.â He confessed, scratching his head, âprobably even more drunk but anyways back to the topic in hand, I only remembered it when the same assistant came in and congratulated me about it. Itâs good I had your number on my phone before you two bailed.â
âSo you donât really remember?â
âBits and pieces.â Gojo grinned, this guy was a maniac, how did the serious man you met just this morning have friends like this? You probably wouldnât even last long, âI did call Nanami-â
Heâs cut off by the rough sound of someone pulling a chair out, you immediately jump on your seat when you realize itâs Nanami Kento, the guy from this morning. The man you had recklessly married!
âThis better be some prank youâre pulling, Satoru.â His voice was anything but kind that you almost wanted to hide behind Gojoâs back.
âHey, hey.â Gojo raises his hands, âDonât look at me. I didnât force you into anything and stop scaring your poor little partner.â
Nanami snaps his gaze towards you and you notice how his eyes soften just a bit when he sees your red ears and your eyes looking away from him, âYou better call Geto and fucking fix this, I refuse to bother this young-â
âItâs fine.â You cut him off, still shy and red, âItâs...fine...I justâŚPlease donât think Iâm burdened by it. It was technically my fault for even agreeing immediately.â
Nanami clenches his jaw and turns away, âNevertheless. L/N-sanâs young. I hope to not be such an uncouth man like you.â he retorts, voice sharp as he eyes the white-haired businessman up and down. Gojo, seemingly used to it, rolls his eyes behind his dark shades.
âMaybe you guys should try it out.â
The blonde man looks like heâs about to smite the white-haired man out of existence yet Satoru remains oblivious to his friendâs gaze, âDonât ya think so? It will take a while for those divorce papers to settle in so why donât you two go out and get to know each other? Who knowsâŚâ he sing-songs the last part and Nanami is so close to chunking his briefcase towards the tall businessman, not even caringÂ
âAh, heâs not exactly wrong, Nanami-san.â you try to calm him down, placing a small hand on his broad shoulder.
âDonât tell me youâre actually listening to this idiotâs idea.â Nanami replied, gaze narrowing.
âNot really but you have some problems I can help you out on and I have problems that you can help me out on...Of course, the last say is on you...â
âTold you I actually had a brain.â Satoru piped in.
âShut up, Satoru.â he quips, then turns to you, âIâm thirteen years older than you, L/N-san. I have two high school kids that could pass off as your siblings, and-â
âWell, I technically did marry you.â
âYou were drunk.â
âDoesnât exactly really excuse it.â You laugh nervously, âThe whole divorce process usually lasts up to a few months, some even takes a whole year. I could help you out with the boys and I can use you to ward my family off from moving back home.â
Nanami is quiet for a moment, actually thinking about it. Weighing the pros and the cons, not only would you be able to help him out but youâd also be able to get Gojo and blind-dating out of his back.
There really wasnât anything he could loose, really.
âOr you two might fall in love.â Satoru teases, making Nanami throw him another side-eye, as if saying âI dare you to say another word.â
Itâs a Thursday today and Sukuna absolutely loathed Thursdays   apparently because it reminded him of Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. They all were far from the weekend   Everyone seems to be happier than usual though. Maybe it was because you were there teaching some basic shit at the board or something.
â...and if we transfer this here and change the positive to a negative, youâll end up having five as your answer.â You smile, placing your chalk down, âDoes anyone have any questions?â
Echoes of noâs resonated throughout the room.
âAlright then, letâs end the lesson here so you guys can have an early lunch. I donât think an assignment is in order since many of you were able to get a perfect score in the activity awhile ago.â You winked. A couple of whoops resonated throughout the whole class right after.Â
As the kids shuffle out of the room of the class, Sukuna remains behind. The ojisan had cooked them something delicious this morning and he wanted to eat it in peace without that pesky Nobara grabbing a share from his bento and Yuujiâs annoying babbles about horror movies with his best friend Junpei (the only one who was really bearable was Megumi, really)
âSukuna-kun?â you called out, snapping him out of his small trance, Â âAre you alright?â
He notices a glint of worry in your eyes, he had to admit since his transfer here last Monday, you were the least annoying teacher in the academy   the blue-haired professor in Japanese literature was absolute shit since he loved to tease him a lot and that bald-headed teacher in science who looked a lot like Mike Wazowski was an annoying twerp who loved dawdling in him and Yuujiâs business   and you were kind of good at your job. Not only did his idiot of a brother stop coming to him and their ojisan for help in math but he could actually do the worksheets right and get an actual decent grade at it.
âYeah.â he roughly replies.
âThatâs good.â You smiled, he watched as you bind their worksheets together and clip them in utmost delicacy, âYou should head to the cafeteria now, I heard theyâre serving milk bread today.â
Without saying anything more, you left the room, leaving him there in the silence.
Well, the Christmas tree idiot was right.
You kind of had a motherly aura on you and it didnât even look forced.
No wonder, everyone in this room was whipped for you despite your subject being a pain in the ass.
âYou look like an idiot.â You mumbled as you slapped Mahitoâs hand away in annoyance, your workmate wiggling his eyebrows like the little shit he is.
You completely forgot you did have someone like Gojo Satoru in your life and it was one of your co-workers, Mahito, a Japanese literature teacher who was too nosy for his own good.
âYouâve got a ring on your ring finger and a mailman comes in and gives you an invite for Zenâin Tojiâs fortieth birthday.â he whistles, âEven Jogo-sensei gossiped by the water cooler awhile ago, saying that you had eloped with the man. Not that Iâm judging you or anything...â
You choke on your saliva, clearly thrown off by the backhanded comment. That darn bald-headed fool that looked like the green eyed monster from the DreamWorks cartoon, he sure needed to lay off the gossip and actually focus on his job as the head of the science department, âYouâre not denying it.â Mahito stated, narrowing his eyes in suspicion, âWhy arenât you denying it?â
âIâm not dating Megumi-kunâs father.â You grumbled, finishing up your paperwork, âThat man is off limits.â
âRight,â he drawls on sarcastically, â...because you have a strict rule against dating hot older men with money.â
âI also teach his kids and his cousinâŚâ You deadpan.
âWe donât even have a rule against that.â He retorts, rolling his eyes, âIf we did, Hanami-sensei wouldâve been fired a long time ago.â
âYouâre an asshole.â
âAnd youâre so secretive. If it isnât Toji Zenâin, whoâd ask you out?â
âHey, I do have a man.â You huffed, âand heâs very kind and considerate...â
The image of the tall and lean man sleeping next to you slowly wormed its way back from your memory and you feel your cheeks start to flush. Good god, what were you? twelve? How embarrassing.
You needed to get that image off of your head, it wasnât right.
It was all temporary, anyways and he doesnât even see you in that sort of way-
âYes, Iâm Sukuna and Yuuji Itadoriâs guardianâŚâ a very familiar stoic voice could be heard from the nearby table, cutting your thoughts short. Wait, were you so head over heels for the man that you started imagining him here? Yuuji and Sukunaâs guardian? Wait a minute.
All color drained from your face as you snap your head behind you to find the same man you were imagining.
Oh no.
Oh no, indeed.
There stood Nanami Kento in all his glory; Â crisp suit, stoic face, and eyes laced with mild worry.
â...L/N-sensei is Sukuna-kunâs adviser, by the way. It would be best to discuss this with them.â Akari somberly informed the man, turning to your direction. You donât miss the shift of expressions when he sees you standing there.
Your mouth parts and you know you look like gawking fish trapped in a small aquarium.
âAkari-senseiâs looking at you with the new hot daddy.â Mahito mumbles next to you, eyeing him up and down, âDefinitely wonder where all these old men come from these days.â
You were only half-listening to your co-worker because your head was all over the place, just what were the odds that he was the guardian of the new transfereeâs? Just how awkward would everything be? Why did it even have to be at this school out of all places?
Never ending questions pop out of your head as you approached them, âGood afternoon, Nanami-san.â Your smile comes out very stiff and awkward while you hold your hand out for him to shake, clearly there was no memo on how you were suppose to act around your sort-of-fake-husband-whos-kids-you-actually-taught.
Nanami reverts back to his stoic expression as he clears his throat, âYes, good afternoon to you too, L/N-sensei.â he greets, maintaining a straight-laced tone.
âAkari-sensei says that Sukuna has been quite...rude...in classâŚâ you try to rack your brains up to describe his kid.
âYour son literally pointed out that the history lesson I was teaching was fake and that I should study again so he could get his tuitionâs worth.â Akari looks clearly perplexed and ready to throttle the boy if it was legal. You had to admit, Sukuna went overboard with that insult.
You knew how passionate Nitta was about her job and what Sukuna just said to her was like a big âfuck you, you suck.â to her.
âIâll be sure to talk to him about this,â he sighs, bowing down, âIâd like to ask for forgiveness for that, the boy is a good and smart student-â
âNanami-san, the school not only cares about grades but character as well.â Akari Nitta sighed, cutting him off, âIâll let this slide once, if he does that again, it goes on the record.â
You internally bit your cheek, still trying to process everything that was going on.
âI understand. Thank you for that.â
âIâll walk him out, sensei.â You immediately say soon after, wanting to have some alone time with him, âLetâs go, Nanami-san.â
You walk right next to him silently, some students peerlessly glancing at the tall blonde next to you but you were too immersed in thought to notice the stares, âNanami-san?â you ask softly as soon as you reach the exit.
Nanami Kento looks at you, his eyes still laced with a bit of worry, âItâs okay.â you silently comforted him, âJust talk to him calmly.â
âThatâs not the problem.â he sighed, âI just didnât expect that the person I married would be the boyâs teacher.â
You sweat drop, âArenât you worried about talking to Sukuna? I mean, he literally just disrespected a teacher and you said that he and you werenât in good-â
âItâs easier to talk to him about that rather thanâŚâ he paused, showing his ring, âthis.â
You blinked.
Seemed like Nanami knew what to say about the little attitude problem his son had, âSo you must be used to this?â you asked, âHim disrespecting the teacher?â
You notice the shift of expressions on his face, you had only known this man for a few days so far but he was starting to get easier to read. His eyes shed more emotion than his face, no wonder he likes wearing those funny sunglasses a lot.
âItâs something Iâve scolded him over a couple of times,â he gruffed, trying to dance around the subject, it seemed like he had such a soft spot to the point where he had a problem with disciplining them, âAt times I believe itâs just because heâs way too smart for his age. The boy has read history books for fun when he was a kid and solved quadratic equations to prove that heâs better than me when he was ten.â
âIt still doesnât give him the free pass to say things like that to a teacherâ
âI know,â he acknowledged, âIâll be sure to give him a better scolding-â
âNo, you see. This is why he thinks he can get away with it. He isnât afraid of you. Youâll only probably tell him that you canât do that.��� you frown, crossing your arms, âYou do know that not all senseiâs are as nice as Akari-sensei and he could get in trouble for that even more in the future, right?â
Silence lingered between you two for a moment and suddenly you realize that you mustâve said something way off the rails.
âI..â you turn red, embarrassed by the sudden outburst, âThat was too much, wasnât it?â
You look at him directly in the eye, the worry-filled ones are now replaced with a softer gaze. God, he really needed to stop looking at you like a kid. It would only make this set-up more awkward!
âNo,â he mumbles, âIt...It wasn't too muchâŚâ
âOh.â you cleared your throat, flustered and looking away from his face, âWell, okay then goodbye then Nanami-sa-â
You needed to get out of this conversation quick.
âKento.â
Your gaze snaps directly towards him, clearly taken aback by the correction.
âWhat?â
âWeâre technically married now, right?â he softly corrected, âCall me Kento.â
âOh,â You uttered again, this time softly. You looked down on your shoes, it seemed like the floor looked really interesting now, âThen bye-bye, Kento.â
âBye Y/N.â
He leaves you standing there, cursing yourself because of your erratic heartbeat at the way he says your name in that voice. First name basis? okay, totally normal for sort-of lovers, right?
taglist [if crossed out, i canât tag u ; - ;]
; @coldbookworm  ; @frankenstein852  ;  @neavil  ; @shephard17895  @kristineyoshaii ; @airybnb ; @okachansenpai ; @amortentiaxo ; @rinvtaro ; @franko-pop ; @kozutenshi ; @kaldoesthings ; @moonlitdabi ; @chococroissant ; @bleepop ; @kaldoesthings ; @moonlitdabi ; @chococroissant ; @pettybroccoli ; @nixxona ; @kiyoo-omi ; @omibaby ; @bokkunto ; @peccobagnaiaâ ; @sangwoahbigbussyâ ;Â
@Kurok1717 ; Â @hcn421 ; Â @shinhiromi ; Â @airybnb ; @katshuya ; â@atsuhaya
#jujutsu kaisen imagines#jjk x reader#jujutsu kaisen headcanons#jujutsu kaisen fanfic#jujutsu kaisen x reader#jjk imagines#nanami kento x reader#nanami kento x you#cigarettes and parfaits
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Shy Nerd | Dean
Punk | Castiel
[ the world needs more of this]
college au! this ran away from me and ended up 2.2k whoops :â) i hope you like it! (also note i have no idea how motors work i am not an engineer)
Thereâs an open textbook on his bed, but Dean is ignoring it; instead, heâs scrolling aimlessly through Instagram. He doesnât really understand Instagram, but Charlie had looked so shocked and dismayed when she found out he didnât have one that heâd given in. He doesnât post muchâdoesnât have much to post, really, besides his car and LARPing with Charlieâbut it sure is a good distraction from his physics work. He sighs and flops down on his back as he taps through stories. Itâs a Friday night, so thereâs all the usual parties, and clubbing videos, and group dinner shots. He frowns as he taps through Charlieâs story of a few of their friends playing D&Dâheâd be there, too, if it werenât for his exam. His physics final, on Monday, that he should be studying for. Instead of being on Instagram.
Dean is about to close the app and begrudgingly turn his attention back to his notes when he clicks onto one last story.
HELP NEEDED ASAP, it says, white against a black background, in all caps. Someone who is good at engineering. Or building. Or even just welding things. Iâll pay you, it continues, and then in pizza and beer. Please, in smaller font, directly below.
Dean pauses. He likes beer. And pizza. And building things. He could help out thisâwho posted this, anyway? Itâs a name he doesnât recognize. casanova.k. He taps on the profile picture. His eyes go wide.
Oh.
That guy. That guy from the hipster art party Charlie had dragged him to earlier in the semester, when she was still dating that art girl, and heâd ended up in a dark room thick with smoke, blurry with alcohol, talking to a guy about three levels of cool higher than him aboutâŚsomething he canât remember. He just remembers hastily exchanging Instagrams as Charlie dragged him out of the party, ranting about her soon-to-be-ex.
And now he needs help.
Dean looks at his textbook. He looks back at the guyâsâCas?âInstagram. He takes a deep breath and pulls up a message.
i like beer, pizza, and welding things
Itâs smoother than usual, and Dean is proud of himself for about 2 seconds before he panics and ruins it: iâm an engineer, i mean. not just a rando with a thing for power tools, haha.
Thereâs an achingly long pause before Cas likes both messages.
This is how Dean Winchester ends up standing in the Universityâs metalwork studio, with 24 hours left until his final exam, staring at a multi-eyed, multi-winged, metalâŚthing.
Itâs due next week, Cas had said. I know itâs last minute. The only studio space I could get was Sunday.
And Dean had said yes, like a fool, because he can never say no to boys in eyeliner with pretty eyes.
Now, staring up at the sculpture, Dean lets out a low whistle. Cas, next to him, groans and drags one hand down his face. âI know. Itâsâthis is why I need help, alright? I think I can still salvage it if I justââ
Dean, who has taken a few steps forward to admire the intricacies, looks up sharply. âWhat?â
Cas frowns back. âWhat?â
Dean shakes his head. âNo, I meanâIâm not an art guy, but this metalwork is great, man.â He traces one of the welded seams. âYou, uh. Obviously have good hands,â he continues, and then winces. Great compliment.
Thereâs a soft huff and Dean looks up to see Cas watching him, bemused. âMy good hands,â he emphasizes it, and part of Dean wishes he could melt like solder. âMake me a good artist. They do not make me good at making things move.â
Dean blinks at him. âExcuse me?â Move?
Cas frowns again, but itâs more out of worry than confusion. His arms are crossed, and Dean tries very hard not to focus on the black ink swirling down his forearm. âI sent you the plans yesterday.â Now heâs chewing on his lip ring, too, and Dean rips his attention back to the steel structure to stop himself from focusing on that, either. He tries to think about these plans. He remembers getting the text, opening themâŚâŚand immediately disregarding them in lieu of getting as much studying done as possible. Internally, he groans.
Externally, he nods, pretends to know exactly what these âplansâ are. âSure, yeah,â he covers, and hopes itâs convincing.
The metalâŚthing, because Dean still isnât sure exactly what it is, has a cluster of wings in the middleâ6, to be exact, and theyâre poking up around 3 large rings. He reaches out for one of the rings, right between two of its welded eyes, and gives it an experimental push. It creaks, and sways, and Dean winces when he hears Cas suck in a breath behind him. âSorryâ, he mutters, but when he turns back around Cas is frowning at the art piece and not at him.
Dean is expecting to hear either itâs alright or, more likely, never touch my art again, but Cas just hums and steps up until heâs standing next to Dean. âWhat do you think this is?â
Itâs the closest theyâve been since he arrived, and Dean takes a moment to observe the other student from this distance. Heâs wearing black boots, black jeans. A t-shirt with a band on it that Dean has never heard of. His nails are black but the rings heâs wearing are silver, and so is the cross hanging around his neck. His hair looks like he either spent an hour on it or no time at all, and his eyesâlike at that party, the one neither of them has mentioned yetâare rimmed in black. Dean, in his sneakers and second-hand jeans and faded Batman shirt, has never felt less cool.
âItâs an angel,â Cas continues, and Dean isnât sure if heâs given up on waiting for a response or if heâd never expected one in the first place. âA biblical one. You know, the âbe not afraid,â kind.â He lowers his voice for the angel impression, which Dean didnât think was possible. He doesnât know what to do with the realization that it is.
âDonât think this is what my mom meant when she used to say angels were watching over me,â Dean tries for a joke, and itâs half-hearted, but to his relief Cas chuckles anyway.
âYes, well. The church preaches them as significantly moreâŚcuddly.â Cas frowns. âIt makes praying to them easier to sell.â
The cross around his neck is starting to get confusing.
âAnd theseâthese are gonna move,â Dean hazards a guess, reaching out to touch one of the rings again. âAll of them?â
âTheyâre electrons,â Cas nods, which Dean supposes is an answer. âThey should all circle the wings together, like the classic atom diagram. But I canâtââ Cas reaches out for the ring this time, hand landing directly above Deanâs. He pushes it, and it sways. Obviously frustrated, he pulls back. âI need it to be motorized, to look right. And I have the motor but donât know howâŚto do it.â
And, well. That, Dean understands. He smiles and, in a burst of confidence, claps Cas on the shoulder. Cas looks up at him, startled, but his expression morphs into a soft smile at the look on Deanâs face.
âLetâs get her moving, then.â
He tries not to think about the time slipping away as Cas hauls out the motor, or when he hands Dean tools. He does not stare too long at Casâ biceps when heâs screwing something in, or when they have to do last-minute welding. They get it hooked up, and it whirs to life, and Dean does not think about how late it is when Cas gives him a hug in his excitement, or when he promises to follow up on his beer and pizza promise at his apartment.
Itâs there, back in Casâ apartment, sitting on his living room floor, both a beer or two in, when Cas finally mentions it.
âYouâre the one who gave me that idea, you know.â
Dean stops mid-chew and blinks at him. âWhgââ he swallows his bite of pizza and tries again. âWhat?â
Cas shrugs and doesnât make eye contact. He picks at the beer label. âAt the party we met at. The one we arenât talking about, for some reason.â
Dean wants Casâ ugly, blue, cigarette-smelling shag carpet to swallow him whole.
âYou told me you donât âgetâ art,â he sets the beer bottle down to do air quotes, and Deanâs shame deepens. âBecause you only âgetâ science. And I told you they were the same thing. And you told me to prove it.â
Suddenly, it clicks, and Dean risks making eye contact. Cas catches his gaze and holds it steady, and heâs calmânot upset, Dean registers, which is a relief. âThe atom,â he blurts out, and Cas grins. âYeah.â
âArt and science.â
âYeah.â
Dean is sitting up straighter now. âBut, the angelââ
Cas sighs and pushes himself up from where heâd been leaning against the couch. He turns until heâs fully facing Dean. âDivinity,â he raises one hand, âand the core building blocks of humanity,â he raises the other. âArt,â he gestures with the first hand, âand science.â With the second.
Dean stares at him. âAre you calling art divine?â
âArt is an expression of divinity,â Cas shrugs. âScience is an explanation for it. But itâsâyou know. The same thing.â
Dean wonders how he can say that so casually, so nonchalantly. He wonders what would happen if he crossed the pizza-box distance and kissed him.
âIâm sorry,â he blurts instead, and Cas raises his eyebrows. âThe party, I didnât thinkâI didnât think you remembered.â
âI assumed you didnât,â Cas counters. âBut you did. You do. Why didnât you text me?â
Itâs exactly what he expected to hear and it still catches him off guard. âUmââ Dean stammers, trying to think of a good excuse. Cas is just watching himânot staring at, watchingâbrows furrowed.
With a heavy sigh, Dean settles on the truth. âCome on, man. Look at me,â he scoffs and stares down at his jeans, the already worn knees even worse after the day spent kneeling on concrete. âIâm an engineering dork who plays D&D on Fridays and youâreââ he waves vaguely in Casâ direction. âYou know.â
The frown has deepened. âI donât.â
âCool.â It sounds so juvenile to say it out loud.
Now, Cas looks taken aback. âDean. We met at a party where I voluntarily listened to you talk about string theory for an hour and a half.â
Dean doesnât know if thatâs a compliment or not. He buries any possible blush with a swig of beer. âString theoryâs cool,â he grumbles into the bottle.
âYes.â Cas agrees. âAnd so are you. Althoughââ he pauses and tilts his head. âI could have sworn you were in physics, based on how much you talkââ
Dean is so caught up in Cas Novak calling him cool that it takes his brain a second to process the word âphysics,â but when he does he nearly spits beer all over the ugly carpet. âShit,â he swears, already starting to scramble up.
âWhat?â Cas is following him, frowning.
âPhysics final. Inââ he checks his watch, ââ16 hours. I gottaââ he still has time to water down the beer, study, and get at least 7 hours of sleep beforeâ
ââŚWhy did you just spend all day helping me if you have a final tomorrow?â Dean pauses from where heâs trying to find his other shoe to glance back at Cas, who looks so genuinely baffled it shoots a warmness into Deanâs heart.
âYou needed help,â Dean shrugs, finally locating the missing sneaker and pulling it on. âGood luck with the angel, though, okay? If it gives you any running issues, feel free toââ
Heâs pulling on his jacket when he feels a touch on his arm and realizes that, sometime in the past 20 seconds, Cas has crossed the room to him. âDean,â
Dean pauses, and CasâŚlooks nervous.
âI like D&D,â he offers, and Dean stares at him.
âWhat.â
Cas levels his gaze. âThere is nothing more punk than dragons,â he replies, incredibly seriously.
Deanâs brain short-circuits.
Maybe itâs the adrenaline from the exam panic, maybe itâs the 1.5 beers, maybe itâs Casâ hand still warm on his arm, maybe heâs still caught up in Cas calling him cool and maybe his brain takes an extra second to load his self-consciousness on its reboot, butâhe leans down and kisses him.
Cas makes a small noise but kisses him back almost immediatelyâbut then heâs pulling back nearly as quickly, and he gently pushes Dean back by the shoulders when he tries to follow. Not far enough away to be a rejection, justâŚenough. âYou have an exam in the morning,â he says this like an apology, and the warmth in Deanâs chest grows. âText me after?â
Dean nods, then pauses, realizes what Cas just said, and nods again. âYeah, Iâyeah, I will.â
âThereâs not enough alcohol here for you to pretend to forget this time,â he teases, but heâs smiling.
Dean flushes anyway. âIâm sorry.â
Cas shakes his head and pushes him a bit. âApologize tomorrow. Go.â
âOkay.â Dean doesnât move.
âOkay,â Cas replies.
âOkay,â Dean says, and leans down to kiss him again, a quick one, because he thinks maybe he can.
âOkay,â Cas repeats, but his tone is fond. âGo.â
âOkay,â Dean repeats back. But this time, he does.
The next day, after he aces his physics final, he doesnât pretend to forget.
#destiel#deancas#punk!cas#nerd!dean#i didnt know how to end this lmao sorry!!!!#(also ik this isn't quite as punk as the typical punk!cas im sorry sadhakdsh)#but wow i love these two now#this took me back its been a WHILE since i read/wrote some good punk/nerd#thank u anon#they live in my brain now#my words#follower fics#alcohol mention
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Guys this is it
I got tagged for the WIP game
What do I have for wips oh God
The Personal Affairs of Wangsheng Chapter 25
Feels like this one is pretty obvious. It's just Wangsheng. 467 words staring at me like why I won't write the fucking ball scene.
It will be done. I promise.
More below the cut!
Untitled document
I don't know what this is. This is the only thing in the document:
The luminescence of the stars filled the sky, a gentle light that comforted and inspired. Zhongli loved the night sky, and found peace and solace in it's beauty.
The document was last updated on February 9th of last year so god knows what the hell it was about. Lantern Rite? I don't remember.
Matchmaking
What I can only assume was a planned sequel to Dense as a Rock but told through Hu Taoâs point of view. Probably was supposed to be, but the writing on this is kind of meh? Like all that happened was Hu Tao complaining about paperwork then Lumine wanted to go to a domain where she would eventually find the blueprint for the key to Zhongliâs dumbbell.
Monday's Melancholy
A document with no words but was planned to be a Tears of Themis AU where Rosa was an idol and was looking for Luke and ended up turning to Mister Wing for assistance in her search.
Then Raven joins the NXX and things get weird from there.
It was an AU thing where Celestine and Kiki were also in the NXX and Kiki developed feelings for Raven at some point but Wangsheng has basically taken all my writing energy away from me whoops.
Can only handle one longfic at a time.
Head in the Game
A planned Tears of Themis anniversary fic where Rosa has inferiority complex towards Mister Wing and sits and cries while playing a mix of Hatsune Miku Project Diva and Hatsune Miku Colorful Stage.
It has some words but uhhhh here's a snippit:
Hatsune Miku: Sekai Diva. That would clear her head. The rthymn game series that Rosa had played since she was a child. Whenever she would get stressed about something, she would play the game, and her stress would replace her worries with a round of concentration.
So those are words that exist.
Birthday ask
A birthday ask I didn't answer because life sucks and sometimes the wifi just doesn't work and then suddenly the house you cleaned during your birthday gets wiped away in a hurricane and I don't wanna think about this ask I'm sorry I know the person who sent it meant well and I actually have an interesting premise for it and it's somewhat developed but I really don't wanna think about the last time I would ever get to hang out in my grandma's house. ;-;
Pearly White
Another empty doc but was just honestly gonna be a cute Chitao scene with neither of them wanting to get out of bed.
Bookworms
Scrapped Alberose fic where they talked about books or some shit. Can't remember the premise other than it must have been some college/high school AU. Here's some words though.
But there was simply something different about how her classmates in front of her just admired pages as if they were simply art pieces to be looked at for a mere thirty-six seconds before flipping the page to of his book. Sucrose had watched Albedo go through at least three books in the past weeks. What they were about, she couldn't remember. All she knew was that Albedo was extremely talented in his academics and yet he still had time to read in class as if he never studied at all.
Aurora's Light
Scrapped royal AU fic where Rosa was destined to wake the king of Stellis with a kiss. In order to get out of an arranged marriage with Duke Marius, Rosa runs away with her childhood friend Luke to live out in a forest cottage for a few years until vines start taking over the forest. The two basically journey to the castle and beat up a dragon.
There's nothing in this document either. Lovely!
The Duke and the Editors Apprentice
This was a royal modern AU where Lumine works as an apprentice underneath Yae Miko. Miko was gonna set Ayato and Lumine up on a date or something. I don't remember but it was apparently a longfic. Whoops.
Sorry Wangsheng you took over my life.
It wasn't that she didn't like her boss. It was far from the truth; Lumine loved having the opportunity to work under Yae Miko as her secretary and apprentice, but it was certainly not easy. What the public didn't know about Miko was that she was crafty as a fox, always seeming to be planning something or another. Just last week she had managed to create a new persona for a member of an advice column and subjected one of the generals from the army to adapt to it. Lumine was used to Miko's schemes by now, but it didn't make work any less stressful.
Wangsheng Stay Alive Scene
Spoilers for future parts of Wangsheng. :)
The Stoney-Faced Emporer and the Starry-Eyed Princess
Another longfic. Royalty AU with Aether forcing Lumine to attend a ball and to at least consider the Emporer of Liyue as a proper suitor for her.
What I like about this one, other than the fact it has two pages (two! of a wip!), I like the idea of a romcom of Zhongli really playing into a stotic ruler and Lumine wants nothing to do with ruling type things. It's a pretty interesting dynamic I had.
Too bad it's gonna rot in WIP he'll.
Regardless of if that thought had even cross Aether's mind, there were pressing issues at hand that Lumine needed to deal with. She looked at herself in the mirror while one of her retainers, Noelle fixed her hair in time for the ballntonight. How her brother was even able to convince her to go was beyond Lumine's knowledge, but she knew that for the rest of the week, she was resigning herself to the fate of suitors asking to court her, or even worse, marry her.
I have a lot more WIPs but they're over a year old and I don't wanna go back any farther and force myself to read my old writing! I hope you like what I have in my wips that got left in 2022 though.
So now I get to force a couple people to go through wip hell with me! @peachiecure and @mottomottoprecure (don't remember if you have a tumblr that isn't your fanseries account but if you do whoops I forgot it) it's your turn to go through wip hell. :)
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romeo, juliet, and evites to funerals
(NOT MY GIF)
jj maybank x reader
taglist: @sunflowermotel @howdyherron @drew-starkey @maraseavey @outerbanqs @tinylatina01 @yelyahryan @loveylangdon @obxwriterfan @jjmaebank @avashroom @rewindlr @katie-avery @raekenliar @ceruleanjj @adoreyoudrews @dolanfivsosxox @heyhargrove @lashtonandmalumsbaby @beautyandthebleh @pancahke @outrbank @kiarasflowr @corleigh @poguemacking @kristineee-obx @shawnssongs @thorsangel @daniel9seavey9 @hopefultrashforanythingreally @pixelated-pogues @dpaccione @thatshiscigar @hesscott @damonsalvawhore27 @fanficscuziranout @trustfundparker @teamnick @becca-harlow @trashmouthpogues @rudys-pankow @ilovejjmaybank @tomzfrog
a/n: uh oh. back again. thank you @jjmaebank for the beta read i love u. i did switch that one tangled reference i made.
JJ hates when youâre mad at him. You wonât text him, you wonât answer your phone, if you actually see him youâd never acknowledge him, and kisses? Forget about it. Youâre not exactly a lot of fun when youâre mad at JJ.
Youâre currently mad at JJ.
He figured that out after about the 3rd call you failed to return, and now heâs blowing up your phone. Nearly 50 unread texts, 27 missed calls and 13 voicemails, all in a span of 2 hours.
Heâs persistent, he really is. Annoyingly so. Whenever JJ upsets you, his go to plan is to just irritate you into forgiveness. He thinks you canât ignore him forever. Youâre determined to prove him wrong. Itâs been 3 days, and youâre proud of yourself. This is the longest youâve held out against his torrent of digital apologies. You want to go longer.
It didnât take JJ long to realize what you were mad about. For at least the fourth time this month, JJ had missed your date. You had planned a day on the mainland at a local fair, but you spent last Friday waiting as the ferry came and went.
If he had just canceled, you wouldnât be mad. But he didnât cancel, he just texted you every half hour, just when you were ready to give it up and leave, that he was coming and to hold on. And then around 5, a good 3 hours after he said he would come, he showed up.
And then he made fun of your outfit.
âDude, what the hell are you wearing?â He even laughed.
So you left.
It is now Monday morning, and your phone has not stopped ringing for the past 8 hours. How the hell did he manage to keep going, nonstop, for 8 hours?
You canât deny that you miss him. Going without JJâs touchiness is affecting you too. Last night you had to cuddle a pillow.
Youâre fixing your bed when the pebbles start hitting your window.
One, two, three, four. A pause. And then at least 30 pebbles all hit the window at the same time. You huff in annoyance, rolling off your bed to unlatch the window and shove it open.
âHi, baby.â JJ is standing on your lawn, sheepishly smiling at you. His hand reaches up to rub the back of his neck.
You quirk an eyebrow at him, unamused.
âOh, câmon, Y/n! You canât still be mad at me.â âOh, I very much can! Or could you not tell from the numerous times I called you back?â You scoff.
JJ laughs, pushing his hands out at you, as if heâs reaching for you. âSee, youâre talking to me already.â âGo away, JJ!â You grit your teeth.
âNo.â âGo. Away.â âI donât want to! Not until you forgive me!â âIf you stay here another second, Iâm literally going to ignore you for the rest of your life. Weâll get married and have kids and I still wonât talk to you.â
JJ snorts. âThat would be bad for our family.â
âI will communicate with you through our children.â âOkay, well youâre pretty, like, vocal, if you know what I mean- âJJ, you disgust me.â âso I donât know how you plan on me puttinâ a baby in you if you wonât talk to me. Communication is key, Y/n.â
âOkay, first of all, shut the fuck up. Second of all, if you donât get off this street in the next ten seconds, I will call John B and I will make him drag you off.â You deadpan.
âThat wouldnât even work, John B would take my side.â âIâm his favorite!â You insist.
âOkay, Iâm done talking to you, goodbye forever,â You begin to close the window, and JJ shouts. âWait, wait, Y/n, wait, I swear I will start yelling.â âGoodbye, JJ.â You shut the window and JJ sighs dramatically.
He smirks up at you through the window before he opens his mouth.
âI am hopelessly in love with Y/n Y/l/n, and Iâm going to scream about it now.â He whoops. Your neighbor sticks his head out his door. JJ turns and waves at him. âSheâs up there!â He shouts, pointing at your window.
You yank the curtains in front of your window and flop back on the bed.
âY/n, oh, Y/n, parting is something something? Oh, sweet sorrow! Something, something, I never read Romeo and Juliet last year, true beauty?â He screams.
You pull another pillow on top of your head, trying to muffle JJâs yodeling outside your window. It barely works. You can make out more half-assed Romeo and Juliet references, but you know for a fact the only version of that play he knows is the gnome one.
Eventually, he leaves. You donât dare actually check to see if heâs gone, scared that in true JJ fashion, heâs just baiting you. But after a good 30 minutes of quiet, you know JJâs not patient enough for this. Heâs gone.
Heâs not done though.
He continues to overheat your phone with calls and texts. At one point he sends you an evite to his funeral. âRip: jj maybank. Cause of death: lack of y/n.â The invitation reads.
At least heâs getting creative.
Youâre almost thankful when the clear weather turns into a thunderstorm, knocking out your power. With no wifi, thereâs no JJ.
Or so you were hoping.
Youâre curled up with a cup of coffee and a family sized bag of chips in front of the TV, barely paying attention to the movie playing when he starts knocking on the door.
Youâre not sure who would be at your door in the middle of a storm this bad. Obviously, one boy, but even heâs not dumb enough to come all the way here in weather this bad.
Except he is dumb enough.
You swing the door open to reveal a soaked JJ, squinting in the rain and holding up a bouquet of drooping carnations. He grins at you goofily.
âJJ, you dumbass, what the hell? Get in here!â You grab his wet arm and drag him inside. Even better, he came here in the rain, in a sleeveless shirt.
âDid you get my evite? Because Iâm fucking freezing. I think this is how I go.â Heâs dripping all over the floor.
You throw a glare over your shoulder as you retreat to find a towel.
Once youâve wrapped it around him and forced him into a chair, you finally get to scream at him.
âYouâre- Youâre infuriating, you know that?â You cry out. âYou drive me insane! What am I supposed to do if you get sick? Or worse!â
âThen you couldâve sent out those evites.â He smiles hesitantly.
âIâm being serious!â
JJ gives you another toothy smile and holds out the wimpy flowers. You take them from him and immediately hit him with them, spraying water droplets across his face.
âOw. Okay, I deserved that.â JJ holds his hands up in defense and you hit him with them again.
âMaybe I shouldnât buy you flowers anymore!â âYouâre such an asshole!â
âIâm the asshole?â JJ stands now. âYes, youâre the asshole.â âIâm the one getting beaten up with flowers!â
âWhat, did you think you could just show up here with stupid flowers and your stupid face and all would be forgotten?â âWell, no, okay, kind of?â JJ doesnât know what to say to make you happy.
âThatâs not how this works. You canât just pull some big gesture and fix everything.â âOkay, youâre right. Y/n, Iâm sorry.â He grabs your shoulders to look you dead in the eyes.
âYouâre sorry?â âIâm sorry.â He shakes you a little.
âYouâre sorry for what?â
JJ rolls his eyes, but finishes. âIâm sorry for standing you up and then being harsh about your fashion choices. I did not mean to hurt your feelings. It will never happen again.â JJ sounds like heâs reciting from memory.
âItâs going to happen again, you loofah.â âLoofah? I feel like thatâs a new one.â âBut you have to apologize, JJ.â
âI tried!â JJ protests, but you cut him off.
âAnd not over the phone.â You give him a look.
âOkay.â His hands travel to your hips. âNext time, Iâll say Iâm sorry. Not over the phone. Can I please just kiss you now?â
âIs that all you came here for?â You laugh. âPretty much, yeah.â
JJ leans down to kiss you, and you can feel him smile against you.
You pull away, eyes still closed. âI swear, stand me up one more time and I will dump you for- âShut up.â JJ kisses you again but you lean back. âFor good.â You finish and kiss him again.
âBut then how would we,â He pecks your lips between words, âhave that family you were talking about.â
You tug your head back completely. âI will leave you and my imaginary family.â
JJ shakes his head at you before he looks at the tv.
âWhat are you even watching?â âRomeo and Juliet.â
âWait, isnât he supposed to be a lot shorter than that?â
#outer banks imagine#outer banks#outer banks imagines#jj maybank imagine#jj maybank#jj maybank imagines#jj maybank x reader#jj maybank x you#jj imagines#jj outer banks#jj maybank outer banks#jj maybank fluff#jj maybank angst#jj maybank fic#obx imagine#obx imagines#outer banks fluff#outer banks angst#john b routledge#rudy pankow
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In Sickness, In Health Chapter 3 - Mental Health
Fandom: DuckTales 2017 / The Three Caballeros      Rating: General Audience      Relationships/Pairings:  JosÊ Carioca/Donald Duck/Panchito Pistoles  Additional Tags: getting sick, being cared for, mental health, injury, sore throat, common cold, chicken pox, broken bones, whooping cough, taking care of others.
Part of a Series Called: Weâre the Three- Sorry, Six Caballeros!
JosĂŠ knew it was a long time coming.
 He wondered if it was the constant, non-stop life of a job and raising three kids kept it at bay for so long. Because it was upon realizing the familiar gray clouds were approaching once more that he also counted how long it had been since his last...episode. How long ago his last relapse was. How long it had been since his heart beating heavily in his chest while his mind became muddled.Â
 It started out on Monday. Waking up early to get into work. Knowing he was going to be gone until Friday. Gone from his family and the warm bed surrounded by his husbands. Sleeping in numerous hotel rooms where it was uncomfortably cold.Â
 Then his mind seemed to fixate on every negative aspect of his job. How long the flights seemed to be. How every patron had made it their mission to be as loud, needy, and rude as possible. He was sure every mistake, which was numerous his mind helpfully offered, would cost him his position. Which sent him down a spiral thought of how the family would suffer. How dependent they were on him financially and he would be a disappointment once more.
 JosĂŠ knew the mask was slipping when co-workers pulled him aside after one flight. Asking if he was okay. To which he merely smiled and said he was feeling fine. But he could tell by the exchange of worried glances he wasnât being convincing.Â
 It was both a relief and a mounting worry when the end of the week arrived. He was finally able to go home. But he didnât want to face the family. The kids were old enough to know something was wrong but not able to understand what was wrong. This was a burden JosĂŠ didnât even want his husbands to deal with. He didnât want the kids to worry as well.
 The front door opened slowly, JosĂŠ standing in the doorway. Contemplating if he should go in or just rent out a hotel until this passed.Â
 But it wonât pass. The problem is always there. Hiding will only make them worry more. Theyâd just hunt you down and do you really want to do that to them?
 JosĂŠ couldnât tell if the voice was supposed to be helping or not. Letting out a slow sigh, he walked in. Mind and body exhausted, he shuffled over to the couch. Unable to convince himself to make it to the proper bed. Merely kicking off his shows as he settled down. Sleep not coming to him until a few hours later. Even then, it was restless.Â
 He heard when the family woke up. Familiar sounds of feet hitting the ground. Cheerful cries of âTio Chito!â and âUncle Donald!â coming from the triplets. Very mumbled and soft replies from the two adults. JosĂŠ rolled so he was facing the back of the couch. Curling up to be as small as possible. Footsteps drew closer. Heading straight for the kitchen, the sounds of breakfast cooking and plates clinking together following. JosĂŠ wondered how long it would take for them to find him.Â
 It honestly didnât take that long.Â
 Curious footsteps drew closer to the couch. âTio JosĂŠ?â
 Oh, it was Louie. Of course it was going to be one of the triplets who found him first. JosĂŠ could only hope that Louie would assume the parrot was still asleep. That the duckling would eventually become bored and wanders back to the family.Â
 JosÊ twitched slightly feeling hands grasping the back of his shirt. Louie climbed up and laid himself across the parrot.
 âLouie?â Donald called out from the kitchen, âWhat are you doing in there?â
 âShhh, Tio JosĂŠâs sleeping.â The duckling replied. Two sets of footsteps sounded as, no doubt, Donald and Panchito walked in. Louie was lifted up with a small noise of complaint.Â
 âCome on, letâs let Tio JosĂŠ sleep.â Donald said, his voice growing distant as he went back to the kitchen.Â
 Panchito had remained behind, JosĂŠ didnât have to look up. Sure enough, a hand was gently placed on his shoulder. âJosĂŠ? ...Where are we on the scale?â
 It was always âweâ, never âyouâ. The rooster made it clear how determined he was to help out in any way. It wasnât a problem JosĂŠ didnât have to manage alone. This was an issue they handled together.Â
 âJosĂŠ, where on the scale.â
 Oh, right, he was supposed to answer. â...7.â
 âOkay, we can work with a 7.â Being cautious, Panchito slowly moved the parrot to sit up. JosĂŠ opened his eyes to get his bearings as everything shifted. âDid you sleep?â
 â...I think so...but not longâŚâ
 âI think the first thing we need to worry about is getting you a shower. And out of your work clothes. Iâm sure that will help out as well.â
 JosÊ made no complaint as he was moved to stand. The rooster more than happy (more or less) to carry the other to the bedroom.
 âTio JosĂŠ?â
 And they had to pass the kitchen. So the triplets had their full attention set on their uncles trying to sneak by. Donald looked sheepish, a silent apology for having JosĂŠ being caught in the act.Â
 This wouldnât be an issue if you could actually take care of yourself.
 âNo worries,â Panchito attempted to calm the worried looks, âJosĂŠâs just feeling a little unwell. But heâs going to get cleaned up and sleep for a bit.âÂ
 JosĂŠ watched as the three ducklings exchanged looks. The parrot holding himself back from hiding away behind the tall rooster.Â
 â...I like watching movies when Iâm not feeling well.â Huey quietly offered.Â
 Which Dewey jumped onto easily. âYeah! Movie marathon in the living room! Can we do that, please? To help Tio JosĂŠ.â
 Louieâs eyes darted between all. Curious about the outcome, but not wanting to weigh in.Â
 âAs wonderful as that sounds, Tio JosĂŠ may just want to sleep. Letâs let him get himself clean and decide what he wants to do after that.â Panchito smiled softly at the small chorus of âYes, Tio Chitoâ as he led JosĂŠ away. The bedroom door closed, placing both birds in darkness.
 âYou go get clean. Iâll bring you your sleepwear. Then we can decide what to do after.âÂ
 â...What if I do not want to be with the kids?â
 âThen you donât have to. We wonât force you to.âÂ
 â...But I will disappoint them.â
 Panchito gave a gentle kiss to JosĂŠâs forehead. âYou could never disappoint them. Now, go shower. Take all the time you need.â
 The parrot gave a small sigh. Wishing he could just hide away in the red plumage. But knowing he wouldnât win, he instead shuffled away to the bathroom.Â
 The water was scalding as it fell on JosĂŠ. The room filling with steam as his fingers ran through his feathers. It was nice to get the work dirt and smell off of him. Sure, the hotel rooms had showers. But being home just made that feeling of being clean all the better. That didnât mean JosĂŠ was going to leave anytime soon. He still had to decide what happened when he left.Â
 Do you really think your family will want to be around you?
 âBut I want to be with them,â JosĂŠ quietly argued back, âWasnât that the whole reason I came back?â
 It was so they didnât have to hunt you down. Continuing to be a burden. Just tuck yourself away and keep out of the way. They donât want to see you.
 The parrot frowned. Not in defeat, but in determination. âExcept they do⌠We planned a movie marathon tonight. They suggested it.â
 They donât want to see you!
 âWell, I want to see them.â
 JosÊ turned the water off after only a few minutes of getting clean. Climbing out and grabbing the towel, scrubbing it over himself to dry off quickly. Eyes landing on a pile of clothing resting on the toilet seat. Panchito must have walked in while JosÊ was internally arguing with himself. The parrot ignored the feeling of clothing sticking to wet feathers as he left the bathroom. The rooster, who had been scrolling through his phone, jumped as the door was suddenly opened. Clearly not prepared.
 âJ-JosĂŠ, you alright?â
 âI want my boys.â
 Panchito gave a relieved laugh and smiled. âAlright. Letâs go see our boys.â
 They entered the living room, where the couch was already transformed into a blanket tent. Stack of movies resting at the base of the entertainment system. Dewey cheered upon seeing Panchito and JosĂŠ. But Louie was the one who dashed over, clinging to the parrotâs leg. JosĂŠ instantly bent down to pick the duckling up. Finding comfort in the weight and warmth in his arms.Â
 All clambered onto the couch, smuched together as the movie started. No one commented when JosĂŠ fell asleep halfway through.Â
#donald duck#josĂŠ carioca#panchito pistoles#jose carioca/donald duck/panchito pistoles#The Three Caballeros#the three gay caballeros#s-creations#fanfiction
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Tuesday
'Monday' post-ep
âWhat do you want, Mulder?â
âI didnât say anything!â
But he had. Mulder had been looking at Scully with those sad, hazel eyes like a little boy about to ask for a puppy. Scullyâs level gaze has its intended effect, and he squirms a little as he waffles, indecisive, between whether or not he should ask her. He opts for a classically tasteful segue. âMy apartment needs to be recarpeted. Guess a busted illegal waterbed doesnât really help Landlord-Occupant relations.â
âOh, that sounds wonderful.â Scully says drily. Her sternness is a measure of her affection.
Mulderâs response is downright mournful, practically pouting as he looked at her. âAnd, to top things off, the Gunmen wonât let me crash at their place. Apparently theyâre working on something âabove my paygrade.ââ
Scullyâs eyes follow his hands as they hop in air quotes, successfully fighting the smile that threatened its appearance at the mention of their odd friends. She quirks her eyebrow a bit like she isnât tracking the conversation. âSo- you need a place to stay?â
Mulder nods yes, an eager, hopeful little smile on his face.
âWhat do you want me to do about it?â
Mulderâs head cocks a little to the side, his smile dropping at her unexpected response. âI...uhâŚâ
Scully smiles, more to soothe him than anything. Heâs a little more sensitive than he used to be, nerves close to the skin so that her gentle ribbing smarted and ached, and sheâs still getting used to it. âIâm kidding.â Her voice is gentle, buying herself some time as she pauses. No going back now. âDo you want to stay with me?â
Her teasing has made him hesitant, and she regrets it as he shrugs, knowing she should have been more gentle. âI mean, only if itâs not an intrusion or anything, I can probably find somewhere else.â
Scully hates it when they get like this, running in circles even when theyâre exhausted because neither can ask for what they really want. She shakes her head definitely, taking up the mantle that Mulder had seemed to wear so effortlessly in years past. âNonsense, Mulder. I want you to stay.â
She feels a little exposed, if the blush that creeps into her cheeks is any indication, but she stands her ground. Mulder leaves big shoes to fill.
He snaps out of his shyness like a switch has been flipped. A few words can do wonders for a man whoâs never been told that he is loved. âAgent Scully, â He is smiling now, devious, âare you suggesting we- fraternize?â He mocks dismay, and she rolls her eyes, set at ease. âShut up, Mulder.â
--
Mulder sets his duffle bag on the edge of Scullyâs couch, already resolving to sleep on the floor rather than the back-breaker that she calls a sofa, but Scully drags it by the handle into her room instead. âWhat, youâve never had a sleepover before?â
Not with you he wants to answer, but chooses to be glib instead. âOoh are we going to braid each other's hair?â
He catches her side eye full in the chest, glows from it, and she laughs a little, taking in his spiky hedgehog hair. âMulder, do you even know how to braid?â
âIâll have you know, Scully, Iâm a man of many talents.â
He gets the chance to prove himself after dinner as they watch Jeopardy reruns. Scully is sitting in between his legs, distracting enough that he soundly loses a question on American history, a category he usually beats her in. Mulder finds that he doesnât really mind, knowing that the chance to play with the real Scullyâs hair is well worth the loss of a few thousand imaginary dollars and some pride. Her hair is a lot shorter than Samanthaâs was, and heâs a couple decades out of practice, but after a few false starts he gets going. A french braid is born as Alex Trebek announces the daily double. Mulder has Scullyâs sides fitted between his knees (really, his thighs, but he doesnât want to try her sensibilities) and in the combined intoxication of her closeness and the completion of his task he forgets to wager.
âAll done.â
Scully reaches up, pats at the braid suspiciously as if she is Medusa and her hair has taken new life. The braid, albeit short, was neat. She turns with a proud smile, and Mulder feels his heart drop to his stomach in a way that only a smitten man can know. âLook at you! Youâve been holding out on me, Mulder.â
They sit there for a moment, grinning widely, and Mulder feels the urge to whoop, or jump, or pound his chest. In a life of what felt like successive valleys, the little things seemed more worth celebrating. He settles on grabbing her shoulders and squeezing a little. âAw, donât tell me you had doubts?â Heâs unprepared for the way she leans back against him, doing what she does best, bringing them to the precipice and putting it on Mulder to push them over the edge. âWell, I figured youâd either remember how or die trying.â
Death isnât something they joke about, not anymore. Theyâve come too close too many times for there to be any humor in it, having seen enough of Deathâs masks to realize that the real thing wasnât a joke. Sometimes, Mulder felt, it was like they lived on the gallows, noose around their neck, waiting for the floor to drop out from under them.
He felt phantom memories of timelines that didnât exist, felt a pang in his chest that he knew Scully felt too, the last, fading reminders of how close to death they both had come earlier that week. If he focused hard enough, he could feel the panic flutter up in his gut, there and then gone. Mulder rests his chin on her shoulder, and they both fix their eyes on the screen, feeling that looking at each other might irreparably rend their necessary defenses. He feels her hot pulse against his cheek, feels her swallow as his voice rumbles out from deep in his chest. He is tired. âWeâve had an interesting few days, havenât we, Scully?â
âMore like an interesting few years.â She sighs in response and sinks fully against his chest, his arms wrapping around her waist like they have a mind of their own. He is wounded by grief, and her closeness is the only remedy he knows. âIâm sorry.â He mumbles his apology into her shirt.
âIâm not.â Scully replies more quickly than he anticipated, and he is left a little off balance. âBut...â Mulder is at a loss, hollowed out by his guilt. The deaths of people he never knew burden him, and what he hasnât lost lies just as heavily on his heart as what he has. âYouâve lost everything. Your career, your health, your family.â He doesnât understand why she is still at his side, even after everything theyâve gone through, and he wonders at her persistence. The universe is weaving his death shroud, and he keeps tripping over the threads.
Scullyâs confidence grows in the face of his doubt, emboldened by her protectiveness of him, her brother in arms, her partner, her friend. âI still have you, Mulder, and you are more than enough.â How is a man supposed to react to that? He is off-kilter as she squeezes his arms, reflexively letting go of her waist, but she keeps a hold of his hand as she stands. âCome on Mulder, letâs go to bed.â
#the x files#txf#x files#dana scully#fox mulder#txfic#Formatting this on my phone on browser tumblr is a nightmare#This is my obligatory season 6 post ep#anywhooooo theyâre in love :)#But Mulder is a mess
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Roommates from Hell, pt.5 (Toji x Fem!Reader)
Chapter 5: Off to the Races/A can of worms
Chapter 4 | Story Masterlist | Masterlist | Requests
A/N: reposting cause tumblr is being a bitch with the tags Worm's debut, aye! Also, let us all who thought it was horse races and not boat races lament in silence.
Warning: Curse attack counts as a warning I suppose. Mentions of blood, strangling, etc.
The furniture carrier service arrived with your stuff two days later, on a rainy Monday morning. The two middle-aged men congratulated you in broken Japanese for your wedding, whose ceremony apparently took place at Okazaki Jinja (also known as Rabbitâs Shrine) on Christmas Eve, and according to Toji, you looked most stunning in your shiromuku kimono.
His descriptions were so vivid that whenever he called you honey and wrapped an arm around your waist, you questioned whether your own wedding invitation was lost in the mail.
The charades continued even after the men departed, reaching their climax when Toji tossed you a slotted screwdriver and willed you into work, because what is a wife if not a slave?
Thatâs not to say Toji was a lousy fake husband. Not only did he offer to christen his new bed together, but to also perform âthe shitâ out of his marital duties. Neither happened, and every mention of you as his pretty little wife faded with the melting of the ice and the blooming of the plum trees.
Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, and before you knew it, the two of you had fully adjusted to each otherâs presence. For the most part. You still found it excruciatingly hard to get over the recurrent mess he left in the bathroom as if he were digging for Atlantis, his habit of discarding bloodied clothes in the corridor rather than the hamper, the Easter egg hunt you regularly embarked on in search of his stashed dirty plates, and of course, his turning the living room into a gym, not minding that his roommate just so happened to be a single female with urges of her own.
And for the record, his offers to join him in the shower only multiplied after he got his hands on the first water bill and insisted bathing together would help cut down on unnecessary expenses.
Toji was a handful, and living with him felt as if you were a contestant at Takeshiâs Castle, minus the guards whooping you with sticks and the exorbitant cash prize to justify your endurance. But even with the constant temptation that he was, youâd grown appreciative of your shared routine.
A typical weekday involved you getting up at the crack of dawn to prepare breakfast and side dishes ahead of lunch. The sounds of tinkering pots reached his ears before the whiff of freshly brewed coffee got to his nostrilsâa bedhead Toji sheepishly stumbling his way into the kitchen with sweatpants low around his hips and a fist jabbing the sand off his eyes as he greeted you with the groggiest of Morninâs.
You shared breakfast until duty called, and on days he found sitting at home as a trophy wife too tedious for his tastes, he popped by the diner for a âfreeâ meal paid straight out of your pocket.
By the time you got home late in the afternoon, Toji had already half-assed his assigned chores and would either be zapping through the channels or going through another one of your belongings. Last week featured your junior high diary, whose existence and table of contents remained blurry until he cracked a joke about your short-lived crush on the hot substitute history teacher and you snorted a noodle out of your nose.
The nights were spent evaluating teenagers in idol shows, betting pizza slices on MMA fighters, dissing soap opera protagonists for their terrible life choices, and attempting to solve the cases in crime dramas ahead of the detectives. Cheap thrills for cheap entertainment, with the one to get the most correct answers during âWho Wants to Be a Millionaire?â entitled to minor rewards ranging from red bean soup in the cold months and shaved ice in the Summer, as well as foot rubs for you and shoulder rubs for him.
Time in your apartment moved at the languid pace of snow globe snowflakes and at the hurried tempo of hourglass sand. Five months laterâin June, specificallyâyou barely remembered how to replace light bulbs or the bus routes from and to your job because you couldnât recall a day-to-day life without Toji. Your hand naturally set a second plate on the table; your voice naturally placed an extra wonton order at the Chinese joint; your eyes naturally crinkled at each of his antics; and your lips naturally arched upon his welcoming you home; you naturally werenât alone anymore.
And in a way, this was everything youâd ever wanted, but in plenty of others, you were terrified of losing it all to his former lifestyle when Toji came to his senses and realized this kind of life wasnât for himâthat you werenât for him.
To reward him for being somewhat frugal and to exercise impulse control, you gathered some of your savings and surprised him with a trip to one of his favorite places. However, what ended up stealing the limelight was the big floppy hat on your head, which had last been in fashion before the Titanic sank.
In your defense, whatever impression you had of horse racing came from Hollywood movies where the rich and mighty spectated from their VIP seats with their fancy binoculars and fancier parasols. A near-empty venue with takoyaki stalls and an audience of men spread as sparsely as the hairs on their scalps was not what you expected.
âSheâs a foreigner,â Toji explained to the bookie, whose eyes narrowed at the odd combination of your yellow umbrella-shaped hat paired with a white formal sundress and matching barrette heels.
âYou shouldâve told me,â you huffed as Toji led you to a corner next to the booths.
âTell ya what?â
âThat Iâd stick like a sore thumb! Feels like everyoneâs staring at me.â
He licked his fingers and hastily flipped through the racing cards. âThatâs because you are the prettiest in âere.â
You tugged your hat lower over your reddened face, mumbling, âTheyâre all pensioners anyway.â
He didnât pay you any more attention until he was done sorting the papers. He went over the general rules of betting, recommending you put your cash on the odds-on Narita Brian, a Thoroughbred stallion that already counted seventeen victories in his seven-month career. And you would have trusted his intuition if you hadnât suddenly remembered about his one-sided affair with Lady Luck.
While Toji was off to grab seats, you wagered half of the money on his choice and the other half on the newest entry at the very bottom of the listâan Arabian horse named Doraemon. You collected the slips and spotted him in the middle rows of your section, his feet arched against the empty front seat and his arms spread over the ones beside him. You sat down on his left and handed him his slip, glancing down at the tracks.
Men in identical caps that merely differed in color were tending to their mounts, fixing their halters in place. The race wouldnât start for another thirty minutes, during which Toji ran on about jockeys, breeds, and records, letting you in on how the majority of the contesting horses were between the ages of two and three and how they collectively shared their birthdays on January 1. It was unlike him to gush about his interests, but there was no mistaking it; he loved it there.
You did your best to keep track of the complex terminology and Doraemonâs blue flair as the herd of horses made it to the starting gates. The bell rang without any further delay, and Tojiâs voice fell into an abrupt hush as he watched Narita Brian fall second to Golden Wind and third to the newcomer Doraemon. He tore his slip into bits while you struggled to come up with the right words to sayâthough the cash spoke plenty of its own.
âBeginnerâs luck,â Toji scoffed, maintaining a five-step distance as the two of you walked toward his rental of the month, a German silver sedan with ivory leather coating.
You triumphantly fanned your face with the envelope. âIs that what losers call it?â
âBeginnerâs luck,â he repeated.
âThis has nothing to do with luck. Simply me trusting in my childhood hero to save the day.â
He slurred something under his breath and hopped in the driverâs seat, banging the door with a thud that bounced across the parking lot, filled with the cars of people from the family restaurant next door.
âIâve saved your ass a lot more than that stupid robo-cat, but I donât see ya trustinâ me.â
You rolled your eyes and fastened your seat belt. You shuffled the banknotes and split them into twos, gesturing for Toji to open his palm.
âI trust you. Just not your luck.â
For once, he was hesitant to accept. âSave your pity cash. You earned it.â
âNo, we earned it.â You grabbed his hand and slotted the bills right in. âI bet our savings. Even if your prediction fell out, you are still entitled to half of the prize.â
His fingers closed around yours, his thin obsidian brows relaxing as you held the weight of his persistent stare. âWouldnât do the same if our roles reversed.â
âI know.â
âAnd youâre wrong to gimme half. I pay less rent and snatch the spare change when youâre not lookinâ.â
âThatâs why I trust you,â you smiled. âIf anything, you are consistent.â
His bottom lip twitched as if there was something else to say. There wasnât. He let your palm fall empty onto your lap and put the key in the ignition, slinging his arm over your headrest to back into the road. You didnât budge. Not in the slightest.
Not even when his mouth was inches away from yours, hooded jade eyes teasing his intentions.
âYou are hopeless,â he said.
âAlready know that,â you answered.
Not long after you hit the road, you found yourselves parked outside a grocery store in Minato City, the horizon melting into saturated ripples of copper gold and dusty pink. Toji motioned for you to hurry and reclined against his pushed-back seat in an attempt to escape the invasive sun glare.
You stepped out of the vehicle, momentarily popping in to drop your hat over his face. He groaned before acknowledging your gesture with a soft Thanks and an even softer smile, both hidden under the hatâs wide brim.
âIâll cook you something real tasty for dinner. Your favorite!â The words scattered behind you as you broke into a jog, hair flowing freely against the wind and heart thumping lightly to the monotone chirp of the cicadas.
A beep declared your entrance to the three conversing part-timers who rushed back to their registersâtwo of them experienced enough to greet you with a bow of their heads, and the other too preoccupied with her phone. Teenagers. Around the same age you were when you got your first gig at that convenience store in Sendagaya.
You grabbed a basket and surveyed the aisles for ingredients. It was too hot for motsunabe but just right for yakitori. You could get some liver (since he was particular about offal) and toss it in the pan, or broil it in the oven. Or, you could go all out and opt for the priciest cut on the shelf: ribeye steak. Granted, Toji wouldnât tell the difference between Kobe and Sirloin even if it was pointed out to him, but you wanted to savor such a delicacy at least once.
The closer you got to filling the basket, the emptier your wallet got. At checkout, the employee rang up your groceries and stuffed them all in one bag. She thanked you for your purchase, and you trudged outside.
A tinge of violet contoured the pale moonlight, the starry curtain yet to drop. It was the kind of night that made you wish you had a rooftop to yourself. Just you, the stars, and the man whose arm dangled lazily from the driverâs window.
âHey, what time is it?â
It was safe to assume Toji didnât share your sentimentalism.
You fished your phone out of your handbag, balancing the groceries against the trunk. âLike, uh⌠7:32. Why?â
His fingers drummed at the door, while his lips kept his contemplation private. âMind goinâ home on your own?â
âOn my own?â you blinked. âWhy, what happened?â
âSomething came up,â Toji said, revving up the engine. âWonât take long.â
Without getting to ask about the gender of that so-called something, you were deserted in the empty parking lot, witnessing all color in the skies be swallowed by absolute black tar.
You made it home an hour and three buses later, your first initiative being to check on the thawed ice cream pint. Chunks of Belgian chocolate floated on the surface like skerries amidst a vanilla-bourbon ocean. You slammed the lid shut and tossed it in the trash. No dessert for himâassuming he made it in time for dinner, that is.
You threw yourself into work, marinating your suspicions in soy sauce, glazing your apprehension with sherry vinegar, chopping your anger into fine bits, and lastly, searing your frustrations over the stoveâs fire.
Whether he was clinking virgin margaritas with some non-virgin Mary at a rooftop garden party in Hibiya was none of your business. You had no right to ask. No right to phone him. No right to worry. No right to blow a fuse either. He had his life and you had yours, and for every point they intersected, a million others existed to divide them.
Still, you had every right to feel like a world-class idiot for thinking these past months ought to take the wild out of the wolf.
The first text came at a quarter past ten. Be there soon. You set the table and messed with the cutlery, arranging and rearranging it over and over again. Steakâs best eaten warm, but itâd be fine. Heâd be there soon.
Around eleven, you got a second message. Start without me. Youâd already eaten half the salad and gotten a head start on the main course. The meat was worth every penny. It was simply delicious.
By midnight, only his side of the table remained untouched. The ice in his water had melted, the glazed carrots had turned soggy, and the main course was as stale as damp dog hair. What a waste.
You processed the vacancy in his spot, sticking Tojiâs image on the chair like a cut-out from a magazine. Inanimate, but there. So close that you could almost tell him off about the overgrown fringes heâd consistently refused to let you snip, when your thoughts were cut short by another buzzâthis time, a single word.
Sorry.
Your fingers rehearsed different replies. Itâs fine, paired with a smiley face thatâd surely cost you a few hundred yen. What are you sorry for? Another fine, albeit more aggressive, alternative. A direct approach with a Who is she, and the most pathetic choice of all: Why canât it be me?
You dropped the phone and piled up your dishes, emptying the rest of the salad into his. Youâd barely reached the sink when the device began to vibrate again, each ring driving the phone closer to the edge of the furniture. The caller hung up before you had the chance to press Decline. Or so you thought until an agitated Toji yelled at the other end of the line. You disposed of the plates and rushed to the table, bringing the speaker to your ear.
âWhat are you on abâ Hello?â A series of acute beeps terminated the dial.
Please donât tell me itâs broken, you pleaded while you examined the screen, tapping it on the back as if it were one of those stubborn old TVsâ your eyes widening at the final text in your SMS window. You swore youâd deleted everything, but faced with such compelling evidence, your conviction seemed worthless.
You tried to punch in an excuse when a second round of buzzes launched the phone to the floor, where it typed away on its own, twisting your words into incoherent slurs that exceeded the character limit, the last of which repeated the same three-letter word in uppercase letters.
DIE
Startled, you tripped against your chair and knocked it down, the flickering lights drawing your attention to the ceiling. You stole a glance at the intact switch and dashed to the far-end table corner, piecing a steak knife between trembling fists. Youâd watched enough horror movies to know those who acted last died first.
âHey, asshole! That scared to show your ugly mug, youâve gone into hiding?â You swung the knife forth. âCome out; promise I wonât judge.â
The electricity in the room settled only for the air to turn abnormally cold, your puny strikes facing resistance against the invisible body of your opponent. You gulped, wrapping your fingers tighter around the handle.
âOkay, maybe you arenât a wuss, but youâre still rude! Attacking me in the middle of the night, implying, what, that Iâm single? Since when is that a crime? Breaking and entering, on the other hand, now thatâs a felony!
The lack of reaction prompted you to further your display of wits. âWake up. This is the 21st century, and women can do just fine without man-whores in their lives. Gotta be a real stuck-up to think otherwise.â
Your spiteful insults tackled you to the ground, as your attacker seized the opportunity to entangle themselves around your ankles and decisively shimmied up your throat. A snake? No, this thing definitely had claws. A centipede maybe?
âWho the fuck you think you are deciding if I live or die? Y-you think,â you coughed, blindly stabbing anywhere you felt its presence, âdating is that easy? Why not do it yourself, then? W-what are you here f-for?â
Flight wasnât in the cards anymore. The spiritâs clutches sank deeper into your flesh as it feasted on your emotions, steadily growing stronger. You combed through Tojiâs stories for something to help you get rid of this thing before it got rid of youâa weak spot, a way of striking, a non-sorcerer techniqueâanything. But staying focused when the oxygen tank that fueled your brain begged to be depleted was plain impossible.
Choosing fight over fright, you ripped through the air with your knife once more. The limitations between your body and the curseâs were unclear. Warm blood trickled from where the sharp edge nicked your unpracticed knuckles, the grip loosening until all there was left for you to do was flap the air, falling victim to the overwhelming pressure in your head.
You were really going to die. Alone and helpless on the unmopped kitchen floor to a foe imperceptible to the naked eye.
What would Toji do?
Heâd probably be the one to find your body shaping one of those funny chalk outlines from Law and Order. You didnât want to admit it, but he was the better detective. Even if the cops wrote you off as another serial case victim, heâd know a curse did it.
You pictured his reaction, hoping heâd at least shed a tear at your loss, that your absence would at least strike a chord in his heart, that youâd at least be included as a highlight in his collection of scars; that you at least wouldnât be forgotten.
It was fine to be selfish this once, right? After all, you didnât ask to be missed or honored like a lover or a wife would. Just to be remembered with a smile, as fondly as you recalled him during these final breaths of your pitiful lifeâa life he alone made worth living.
There were so many things you wished youâd told him, though what you regretted the most was not thanking him for that day at the bridge, knowing fully well youâd never get the chance to.
In the throes of death, two brown antennae sprouting from a gruesome creature you lacked the courage to describe overtook your vision. Thank God you werenât able to see this earlier. You would have shat your pants and died in a pool of shit.
âThere you are⌠ugly bastard as expected.â
Just when you thought youâd set sail for the other side of the river, a sound akin to that of a bug being stomped pulled you back into what you prayed was reality.
âBeen called a bastard before, but ugly?â A viler crunch followed, the centipede crumbling into a pile of dust to reveal the smug grin on your saviorâs scarred lips. âNow thatâs a first.â
Relief washed over your self-inflicted wounds and abused trachea as you somehow found it in you to stumble rather than leap to the heaven of your choice, an ugly sob muffling all which you tried to say. The swordâjudging by the volume of the collisionâdropped to the floor as Toji welcomed you in his arms, a large palm rushing to rub the small of your back while his other hand combed through your hair reassuringly.
âItâs okay,â Toji cooed. âI got you now.â
You wept even harder, the gentle tone as he repeated those four words bringing about the opposite of the desired effect. How could youâve given up so easily when it meant not hearing his voice or seeing his face ever again? How could you doubt your death would shake him when he was frantically kissing apologies on the crown of your head, cradling you as if he was the one who needed to be saved? How could you feel so idiotically ecstatic when youâd nearly turned into curse food?
Still sniffling in his shirt, you wiped your eyes against the fabric and peered at him, taking in his knitted eyebrows and downturned mouthâthe worry in his featuresâand eventually the extra body between you.
âHey, Toji. Whatâs that around your waist?â
The potent smell of antiseptics took your kitchen by storm as Toji laid out the first aid kitâs contents over the congested dining table, fitting sterile gauze dressings and iodine bottles in the gaps created by the plates. His chair was dragged closer to yours while he constantly hunched forward, holding both your hands in his own and operating with a little less care than you were willing to tolerate.
âOuch!â You flinched when his knuckles grazed another of the myriad open wounds that spanned from the apex of your elbow to the chipped tips of your fingernailsânone too deep to demand serious medical expertise.
Ignoring your whiny tone, he looped the bandage around your thumb again, this time pressing even harder against your bone. âWhat a crybaby.â
âAnyone would cry if they were being mummified!â
âNot mummies, they wouldnât.â
Your next protest lost its turn to the shrill squeak emitted by the elephant, or rather, the worm in the room, whose presence youâd temporarily forsaken. Despite it being of the tubular crawling kind, it didnât look half as appalling as the monstrosity you witnessed. If anything, its plump lips and rounded cheekbones resembled a human baby more than they did an actual worm.
The creature continued bobbing its head up and down on Tojiâs shoulder, its eyes perfectly shut, while it shuddered at its masterâs quip. Not only was it sentient, but it was also openly laughing in your face. You hated it.
âWhat is that thing anyway?â you asked.
âHow many times you gonnâ ask? Worm.â
âI can see itâs a worm, Toji, Iâm not blind,â you sighed. âIâm asking whatâs this worm doing wrapped around your neck like a travel pillow.â
He kept silent while binding the remainder of your fingersâfour of them together and the fifth left apartâthough âencasingâ seemed more appropriate given his dedication to providing you with a proper pair of mittens. He taped the loose end and grabbed the second roll, letting go of your treated hand.
âAâright, quiz time.â Twin shimmers sparkled playfully in his jade eyes. âHow do chefs carry their equipment around?â
âYou mean their knives?â He nodded. âThey stuff them in a roll so they donât knock each other.â
Toji snapped a quick thumbs-up. âNext question, whatâs the name of that movie we watched last week?â
You processed his question while kissing your teeth. âCan I get a hint?â
âA hint, huh?â He scratched his jaw, eventually grinning. âThe one with the pervy lawyer and the hot chick who pissed herself.â
âYou mean âThe Secretaryâ?â
âRephrase it.â
âThe assistant?â
He crooned in approval. âAnd now for the million-dollar question,â he leaned closer. âWhy do people keep mutts?â
âFor company? For uh⌠protection?â He shook his head at both.âReally? Can I phone a friend?â
âNope. Go simpler and youâll find it, ainât that hard. Well, not as if you have anyone to call either.â
You kicked at his chairâs front leg and faked a slap on his giddy face. âYou are lucky I have these on, or else!â
âOr else what?â Toji caught your wrist. âYouâd hit me?â
You dabbed his cheek lightly enough for him to return to his seat with a complacent smile as he resumed dressing your hand.
âYou are the lucky one. A real centipede would have bitten its venom into you. Must have annoyed the livinâ shit out of that curse to have it choke the words outta your potty mouth.â
âYou call that luck?â
He hummed, flipping your palm on his knee to pour iodine over a scratch. You hissed as he brought it to his mouth and blew on the wound. âDonât wanna know about Worm anymore?â
âI⌠do.â
âThen answer,â Toji said.
âFine, fine.â You groaned. âYou said simpler, so⌠pet?â
âBingo. Put âem together, and you get your answer.â
âSo you are telling me that this worm is your knife carrier, slash hot assistant, slash pet? Is that it?â
He carefully folded the bandage on the inside of your palm and crossed it between your fingers. Again, he didnât speak until the work was done and youâd retracted your hand.
âIn other words, the inventory curse, yes. Reason why you couldnât off that curse is because ya hit it with a regular knife. You need something imbued with cursed energy; everything else just tickles.â
âThat explains a lot,â you mumbled bitterly.
âCanât cut bread with a cheese knife, can ya?â Toji continued. âWorm over here carries my cursed tools for me. He doesnât cap, doesnât bark, and doesnât drop his pencils either.â He sneered as he cued the worm to open its mouth. âWatch.â
Without receiving a single order, the curse parted its lips to reveal the fur-embedded hilt of a broadsword twice the size of your table, which Toji easily unsheathed and set on the ground.
âThatâs 500 million for ya. Cuts through pretty much everything.â
Your eyes widened while he proceeded to showcase his collection, bringing out daggers and claymores that ranged from hundreds of thousands to even a billion yen. He went into some detail when it came to the fancier ones, but the majority were dismissed as either âswordâ or âgunâ.
Finally, he pulled out the hat youâd lent him and placed it on your headânot a single blotch of saliva, despite it coming straight from the wormâs intestines.
âDonât you dare tell me you canât afford rent next time!â You scoffed, watching as the worm crawled down his torso and gobbled up the weapons one by one. It was amazing. Kind of disgusting, but amazing all the same.
âSo, Mister Zenâin.â You curled your fingers however best you could and shoved them in his face like a makeshift microphone. âWhatâs it like being a single dad at the tender age of 28?â
Toji smacked your hand away. âKeep callinâ me that, and Iâll give ya a taste.â
You would have given yourself another injury if it werenât for his quick reflexes stabilizing your chair in time. You were blushing mad, and it wasnât from the shock. He was smirking, and it certainly was from the way your thighs instinctively buckled around his handâsomething you became aware of only after your feet had landed on the floor.
âDone with the interrogation?â
He plopped down on his chair and motioned for the worm to come over. It obeyed, wrapping itself first around his leg and then around his torso before nuzzling his neck. They both seemed so content in each otherâs presence that your joke felt more like an expression of reality. Toji with a petânow thatâs new.
Putting his question on hold, you stabbed a carrot with a fork and offered it to the creature. âHere, wormie, wormie! Have a treat.â
âWormie?â Toji quirked a brow.
âCuter than you calling him Worm,â you imitated his raspy tone.
Wormie glanced at its master for confirmation before opening its mouth and swallowing the carrot along with the fork. You wondered if youâd ever get that back, but were stunned to see Wormie slide from Tojiâs shoulder and devour two of the plates like that masked spirit in Spirited Away.
Heâtaking Tojiâs word that Wormie was a maleâslithered across the table and stood in front of you with an amicable expression, his lips rounding to emit three little toots that you gladly interpreted as Thank you for the food; it was delicious. My owner is an idiot for missing out.
Begrudgingly, you lifted your hand to pet him, managing a small head pat before Wormie returned to Toji. At least his pet had superior tastes to hisâboth in women and in food.
âDone now?â You nodded with a faint smile. âGood, âcause Iâm beat.â
âWait!â You blurted as soon as he stood up. âI mean, what if that thing has friends?â
âFriends?â Toji echoed with a chuckle. âScared a curse more popular than you?â
Really lucky, you growled.
âWhat if⌠What if they team up against me to exact revenge while Iâm asleep?â
âOh? Thatâs what scares ya?â He laughed again, and you shouldâve known he was up to no good when he answered, âI can fix that.â
âIs this really necessary?â
Your question felt out of place when the two of you were crammed in the sleeper sofa like canned sardinesâTojiâs left arm comfortably stretched beneath your head as a pillow, while his other willed your body into a snug, albeit humid, embrace. Summer was hot enough without being subjected to his breath fanning steam onto your neck or having the press of his bare chest against your clothed back, and you were already sold on this being your new sleeping norm.
âYouâre the one who didnât wanna sleep alone,â he gruffed in a tired voice.
In a way, he was right. You were the one who dug her heels in the couch and refused to budge even after he checked every house corner for signs of a demonic presence. Incidentally, youâd also been the one who acted as if you wanted to watch a late-night rerun on TV, promising not to disturb him.
One thing led to another. He put Wormie to sleep by quite literally ingesting him, cracked a soda open, and joined you. Your show ended; a movie began. He stole the remote; you threw a fit. He tossed you his shirt and made room; you slid off your dress and put it on. It smelled of gardenia; it smelled of you.
You stayed.
Any other day of the year, you would have raced to your room and hidden your head under your covers like an ostrich in the sand, yet no place in the world felt safer than his arms, knowing they hadnât hosted another.
Of course, you werenât keen to admit that. âI never said that!â
âYou didnât?â Toji yawned. âSure sounded like you did. Now zip it and sleep tight.â
Canât get any tighter than this, you meant to argue, but your will to protest had died out. The first harbingers of dawn started gathering outside as chirping birds at your window ledge, drowning the mournful song of the cicadas. Bless Sakurai and that new part-timer for taking on your early Monday shifts.
You closed your eyes and let yourself be lulled into sleep when a realization shook you to the core. How could he possibly protect you while asleep?
âWould you suit up for my funeral?â
âWoman, one more word, and Iâll feed your ass to Wormie myself.â
You gasped, craning your neck to catch a glimpse of his chiseled yet visibly frustrated profile. âWormie eats humans?â
âIf he doesnât, I will.â He fastened his arm around your stomach as if to get his threat across.âShut up while Iâm asking nicely, wonât ya?â
Some time passed since youâd last disturbed him, and his breathing evened out into a light snore, a hint of raspiness tingling the shell of your ear. He wasnât lying about being exhausted, and although youâd spent countless nights sleeping in the same house, not once did you sleep close enough to hear all those little sounds he let out when he was at his most vulnerable.
You wished you had something to record him with, but mostly, you wished your view was that of his face as opposed to the ghost nightlight on the table.
A different version of todayâs events replayed in your head, excluding all the harrowing details that haunted you in the nightâs darkest hours. The races were fun; you should save money from now on to do that more often. The compliment wouldnât hurt to accept. The food was amazing, the episode was alright, and his coming to your rescue was something straight out of a movie.
âToji?â Making sure he was still asleep, you rolled to his side.
You had to brace yourself not to sigh in splendor as your eyes trailed over the unmapped expanse of his body, skimming over every valley and every peak leading down to the defined V-line that seemingly finished miles below the elastic of his sweatpants. You wondered how many kisses it would take to traverse that distance if the starting point was that of his agape lips, the outline of his scar dim between the greenish shadows in the room.
He had no right to look this beautiful. You returned to your old habit of counting rights and wrongsâand at the time, you couldnât find a single fault to him, but a dozen in you, as you tilted your head and printed a gentle kiss on his lips.
âThank you.â
As soon as the words were out of your mouth, you were locked in a kiss independent of your own wretched volition, as Tojiâs lips branded yours with one of equal gratitude.
âYouâre welcome.â
That shouldâve been the end of it, but before you had the chance to pass judgment, you followed his lead in closing your eyes and were recaptured by his indelible warmth, lips moving together in sync as if there was something to be gained from each otherâs mouth, bit by bit chipping in more than youâd bargained for, so desperate in your game of chance that your hands greedily seized the smallest of earnings.
His long fingers sank deep within your hair while he hiked up your (his) shirt, palm fondling the swell of your breasts without an inch of reservation, and it felt goodâit felt bliss; so much better than it did at that hotel and all the other times your mind invented since. He was certain about where and how he wanted to touch you; every other woman heâd ever been with just practice for this moment, and even though heâd never said it out loud, you mustâve known that to be true.
It was always you.
Your hips bucked against his own as Toji squeezed your bodies together, his teeth joining in the action of his tongue as he bit down on your lip, feeling your leg coil tight around his torso and the tap of your heel on his toned back. That was the only way for you to feel him, considering the bandages greatly restricted the movements of your hands, which were awkwardly thrown over his back.
âYouâre such a stubborn brat, know that?â He panted, pressing your ass firmly enough for the tent in his pants to poke at your clothed entrance. You nodded, brushing your nose against his. âTell ya one thing, you do the other. Ask to kiss you, and you gimme your cheek. And now this?â He couldnât resist slotting his tongue between your lips, pouring all his resentment into one sloppy and heady exchange of spit. âGonna give ya a reason to thank me all week long.â
You shuddered at his words, attempting to steal his next sentence from his mouth before you were forcibly unlatched and turned the other way, your waist caged by both his arms so that you couldnât budge.
âWeek doesnât start until tomorrow.â Toji seared a kiss on your nape, prodding the hair out of the way with his nose. âNow let me fucking sleep.â
A/N: so apparently tumblr fucks up posts when the tag list is featured inside the fic, which sucks and that might be the reason why I had to make three posts for this fic to be seen in its respective tags. Iâve tagged those who had to be tagged in the first one of these three posts, but since this chapter is hard ruined, Iâll do the tags on a reblogged version from now on.
this website seriously sucks. here are the two other versions of the exact same thing ._. first and second
you can still comment here if you wanna be tagged on future updates, and sorry for this entire mess ._.
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Top Shelf: Chapter 12-Bookaholics
Pairing: Bucky x reader (Bookshop/Bartender AU)
Word Count: 1,515
Summary: You and Bucky try to get the ball rolling and explain your idea to Sam and Nat all while having a little fun :)
Authorâs Note: Hey everyone! Happy Monday! Thank you for all your continued amazingness! Love you all! If anyone hasnât been to the High Line you can check out the website here Itâs one of my favorite places in the city and really is that beautiful! I like taking you on a little tour of NYC through this story, it helps with how badly I miss my city (we are doing well though so one thing at a time right!) All the pictures I use in my moodboards are real photos of these places. Here is the link for attaboy  again in case you want to see that too. Thank you all for reading! Much love to you always â¤â¤â¤
Warnings: Fluff, some super light smut (mostly implied), flirting, romantic fluff :)
Previous Chapters
Chapter 1: Enchantment
Chapter 2: Cookie Crumble
Chapter 3: Sweet Anticipation
Chapter 4: Read Between the Limes
Chapter 5: Secrets on the Shelf
Chapter 6: Love Between the Covers *
Chapter 7: Love Lines & Soul Finds
Chapter 8: Drunk in Love *
Chapter 9: Pour it onto the Page
Chapter 10: Recipe for Love *
Chapter 11: The Pages in BetweenÂ
When you awake the next morning itâs to the sound of more rain hitting the sky light, Buckyâs even breathing warm against your neck. You slowly shift and stretch to grab your phone. Seeing that itâs not even 6am you unlock the device and lazily search through your Pinterest, saving recipes that look worth trying.
âLooking up some new stuff to bake, sweetheart?â His voice is low and raspy from sleep and you love the sound, turning and smiling as he rubs his eyes. âI hope I didnât wake you?â He curls his arms around your middle and pulls you against his chest, ânope.â You rest your head under his chin, closing your eyes and listening to the rain.
âHow about we just stay up here forever. Forget work, read books, eat pizzaâŚâ You continue, your breath hitching as Buckyâs hand creeps under your shirt. âListen to the rainâŚBucky.â He rolls on top of you, gently pulling your shirt above your head. âWhat else?â he asks between kisses. âThis. Lots and lots of this,â you whisper, shimming out of your shorts.
âHow long do we have before you have to leave for work?â His fingers inch below the waistband of your underwear, easily slipping inside you. âEnough time,â is the last thing you say before his lips capture yours, swallowing your moans.
You find if hard to concentrate at work, every free minute your mind wanders to thoughts of the bookshop and your idea and to Bucky. Itâs hard to shake the feeling of wanting to dive in headfirst and just do it, go all in. But you know you canât. You must do this right. You shoot Bucky a quick text, âhey babe, want to talk to Sam this weekend? Maybe we can hang at the bar after closing and go over our idea?â¤â¤â
His reply seems enthusiastic and you smile. âDefinitely!⤠I canât stop thinking about it, especially being in the bookshop now. I keep imagining where we could put things and how to move things around and all that.đđâ Letting out a breath you let him know youâre excited and try to get back to work. The rest of the day is boring, and the work week drags, however, your nights with Bucky are anything but.
Saturday night rolls around and you and Nat stroll into the bar late. You wade through the crowd of already drunk people, searching for Bucky behind the bar. You spot him leaning against the back counter, his button down open at the front and his sleeves rolled up, the buttons looking like they may pop off any moment. His jeans do little to hide his thick thighs and perfect ass. Sam slides up next to him and you follow their line of sight over the bar to find two girls giggling at something they said.
âHey Nat, I think our boys caught some attention,â you snicker, pointing their way. Nat raises her brow, whispering in your ear before heading to the other end of the bar. She makes her way to the bar, getting the attention of Peter. âHey Pete, could you get y/n and I some shots please,â she asks, batting her eyelashes.
He nearly falls over, grinning wide at you both before looking nervously over at Bucky and Sam. âUh, yea, sure of course ladies. Whatâll it be?â You pretend to think it over for a second, âyou know what, why donât you pick for us? Whatever you think weâll like. And make one for yourself so you can join us!â He simply nods, rushing off to make your shots. âCould he be any more adorable,â Nat whispers, giggling. âNo. But could he be any more afraid of the boys?â
You both let out a laugh, having way too much fun and looking over at them. Theyâre staring, Sam with his arms crossed over his chest and Bucky with his hand on his hip, all four eyebrows raised in your direction. You smirk at Bucky just as Peter appears with the shots. âThanks Pete, canât wait to try these.â He lifts his shot up, clinking the small glasses with yours and Natâs. You keep your eyes on Bucky while you down the cold liquid, slamming the glass down on the bar and licking your lips. âThat was great, good choice, thanks.â Nat heartily agrees, sliding the glasses back and smiling at Sam.
âYouâre welcome, can I get you anything else?â A large hand lands on Peterâs shoulder, Samâs deep voice answering his question. âNo, thanks Pete, weâll take care of the girls from here on out.â You watch him visibly stiffen, shaking his head vigorously before practically running off in the other direction.
âNo need to scare the pants off the kid, baby,â Nat coos, her smirk reappearing. âAnd it looks like you were handling those girls on the other side of the bar just fine from here.â Bucky and Sam look at each other and scoff before they start laughing. âSo, thatâs what this is about!? Theyâre Steveâs cousins that are visiting from out of town,â Sam says, eyeing Bucky before laughing again. âYou were jealous!â Bucky adds, his eyes bright. âI love it.â
His smile is so wide you want to punch him and for a moment you and Nat are silent. âWell, how were we supposed to know! And we were only having a bit of fun! AND might I add, I was not jealous!â Nat chimes in, âbut clearly you two were! Coming over here and scaring Peter half to death!â They start laughing again and Bucky leans over the bar to whisper in your ear, âI love you.â Sam throws Nat a wink and waves over the two girls who quickly head toward you. After introductions are made and everyone laughs over your misunderstanding you spend the rest of the night enjoying your new friends and having some drinks.
By the time 2am arrives and the bar closes youâre all tired but still willing to talk things over. Â Sam cleans off a back table and grabs some waters. âOk. Letâs hear this plan of yours,â he says, smiling brightly despite the time and fact that heâs been at work for almost 12 hours. Your heart swells. You love them all so much.
Before you start you reach into your bag, pulling out a small Tupperware. âOk, but first, some cookies!â Sam whoops along with Bucky, two large hands grabbing for the container. Bucky looks to you, his mouth full of cookie, âgo for it baby.â You hold his hand the whole time, laying out what youâve come up with so far.
Natâs smile never falters, and Samâs excitement is clear as they listen to all you have to say. When youâre finally done, they naturally have questions which you and Bucky do your best to answer. âListen, I think it could really work if you do it right. People love books. They love food. They love coffee. You just need to bring it all together,â Sam says, suggesting you set up a meeting with his friend Tony who owns several businesses and has a really good head for this stuff.
âHe sounds like he could be a huge help,â you say excitedly. Sam nods, chewing his last cookie. âOh definitely. Heâs brilliant and honest and if anyone can help you navigate through this itâs him. And of course, us!â he adds, putting his arm around Nat. âOf course, guys! Did you tell Steve yet?â she asks. Bucky shakes his head no. âHe and Peggy couldnât make it tonight so they are going to stop by tomorrow, actually later today, so we can fill them in.â
When you finally leave the bar, it looks as if the sun is about to come up. âSummer is really here! I love how early the sun comes up these days. And how long it stays out,â you say, leaning into Bucky. He has his arm around your waist as the two of you walk slowly down the quiet street. Suddenly, he stops. âHey, I have an idea. You wanna go on a little adventure before we head home?â
With a little squeeze to his middle you happily exclaim, âyes,â not needing to ask any questions as you follow him into the subway. About twenty minutes later you emerge back to the surface and see youâre at the High Line. âOh, Bucky! I love it here!â He smiles down at you, walking up the steps. âI hope we can see what I want to see,â he whispers, holding your hand as you head down the path.
You reach a spot where you have a clear view of the water and Bucky sits on a bench, pulling you into his lap. Itâs close to 6am and the sun is starting to peek over the horizon, the bright orange and pink hues dancing across the calm water. âGood morning,â he says against your ear, his eyes fixed on you instead of the rising sun. Turning your head, you kiss him softly. âItâs the most perfect morning.â
@aesthetical-bucky @auro-ora @azurika-writes @book-dragon-13 @buckys-broody-muffin @bucky-on-my-mind @bugsbucky @eurynome827 @hiddles-roseâ @hailmary-yramliah @hawksmagnolia @ikaris-whore @imgaril-lindru @itsunclebucky @jhangelface0523 @jewels2876 @loricameback @littledarlinhavefaithinme @littleredstarfish @mushyjellybeans @marvelandotherfandomimagines @marvelgirl7 @nano--raptor @randomfandompenguin @sallycanwait68 @scarletsoldierrr @softpeachbarnesâ @the-wayward-robotâ @throwmyheartawayagainâ @flyawaybayâ @amandatar-06â @nd1998scâ @yansi1923â @captainchrisstanâ @vherriepieâ @godofplumsandthunderâ @when-the-hell-is-buckyâ @fire-flvâ @jamesbarnesappreciationclubâ @irishflutiegirlâ @rinthehufflepuffâ @moonybarnesâ @nordlysinthewoodsâ @inflxmes @lauratangâ @my-favorite-fics-and-imaginesâ @buchanansebbaâ @emilylyonessâ @curlyred2020 @kaoseraâ @breezy1415â @metal-armed-cuddly-dorkâ @devynsdiaryâ
#bucky barnes#bucky x reader#bucky x reader fluff#bucky barnes bookshop au#bucky barnes au#bucky barnes x reader#bucky barnes x reader au#bucky barnes x reader fluff#bucky fluff#bookshop!bucky au#bartender!bucky au#bartender!bucky x reader#bucky x reader smut#bucky barnes imagine#bucky barnes fanfiction#bucky x you#bucky barnes x you#bookshop au#bartender au#bookshop!bucky x reader#bucky smut#sam wilson#natasha romanoff#steve rogers#top shelf#top shelf chapter 12#sebastian stan
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the ghost, my past lover || seo changbin (ft. kim seungmin)
genre: angst
pairing: seo changbin x reader, kim seungmin x reader
words: 2.2 k
synopsis: the boy you once loved was gone. but why did you still see him around? you blocked everyone out of your life and surrounded your heart with an iron wall. how on earth did seo changbin manage to break through those walls?
trigger warnings: death
a/n: happy birthday to me (in a few hours)! as my birthday treat to myself, i decided to post something! enjoy! and let me know what you think about it!
i hate that i canât seem to forget you.
i hate that youâre a part of my psyche.
why did it have to be this way? ây/n, clean up after yourself pleaseâ seungmin sighed from across the room as he saw you slouch against your bed frame laughing at some drama you were watching. seungmin scrunched his nose as he saw your different pair of socks littered all over the floor of your room. for the past 5 years, he has watched you hide yourself away, closing every door that has opened up for you. five years itâs been five years since his passing itâs been five years since seungminâs passing you had pushed so many people away in the past five years and build up a wall that separated you and world. seungmin could tell you felt reluctant to start anew. he knew you felt as though you didnât deserve happiness, especially if seungmin wasnât there by your side. he knew you felt as though his passing was your fault. as though your loneliness was your punishment for someone you lost. did you think that your own happiness would bring yourself further guilt? maybe you felt that you would forget him and your past if you found your happiness once again. as you watched your drama, you slightly casted your eyes to the corner of the room, wondering what the figure was doing just standing there. even after years since his passing, you still see him around.Â
at first you were afraid. but after a year, it felt as though the presence was really truly him, the boy you once loved. sometimes you could feel his burning stare on your back as you cleaned the house or as you trudge back into bed after a long day at work.Â
when you first saw him a week, days after his passing, you thought it was just the lack of sleep from those sleepless nights you lay in your now empty bed. as those days of seeing him around became weeks, you thought it was just the devil playing tricks with you.Â
but when you catch a glance on his face whenever you cried, a part of you knew it was your seungmin.Â
although you knew, the boy you loved and lost was with you all throughout these years, you never approached him or signalled to him that you knew of his existence.
whenever you wanted to speak to him, whenever you felt like you needed him. a part of you just couldnât. you missed him so much. but he was supposed to be gone. why has he been walking around your house and talking to you for the past five years?Â
was it guilt? was it sadness? were you just trying to punish yourself that you got out of the mess unharmed but the consequences that came afterwards left a scar on your heart?Â
some days seungmin trails behind you and nags at you for not cleaning up your apartment. or for ordering in instead of cooking at home. but what hurts most is when he mentions your friends. âseriously babe, youâve got to talk to jisung, jinnie and lix. you canât just cut off contact with our friends. they are so worried about you. go talk to them, do this for me pleaseâ he pleaded. do this for me.
those words stung your heart. you couldnât blame him, he didnât even know you could hear him. but sometimes you would hear him talk about his dreams that he wanted to achieve, what he wanted to do when he was still here. you felt guilty as if he was also putting the blame on you. you knew he would never blame you for what had happened, but a small doubt did live in your mind. ~ âget ready youâre going out!â jisung screamed through the phone. no matter your efforts to cut off ties, the boys never gave up ⌠surprisingly. âno thanks, my boss wants a lot of paperwork done by monday.âÂ
âso? itâs friday. you have another two days to complete it. please boo, itâs my birthday today!â jisung whined through the phone.Â
âfine.â you reluctantly agreed as you saw seungminâs figure sitting at your desk swing his legs happily at your answer.
âyay! wear something nice!â he shouted as he hung up the phone. ~ ây/n! come here quick!â jisung gestured you over as he held a drink in his hand. you looked at the people around the table only to find that you only knew felix, hyunjin and jisung. you stared at the three other men confused.Â
âokay! this is changbin, minho and chan! now that you know each other letâs drink!â jisung laughed as he downed a shot.
 âhiâ you laughed awkwardly and sat yourself next to hyunjin.Â
âfelix told me you work as a reporter?â the one called changbin asked from your left. you smiled and nodded.
âyeah i usually report social issues. you?â
âoh, i work with children as a psychologist.â you eyes widened, not expecting his answer.
âwait, how do you know jisung?â confusion evident in your eyes that someone like jisung are friends with psychologists. not that jisung was not capable of doing so or anything.Â
âi took music production as an elective in uni and met himâ changbin laughed, understanding your confusion.Â
~
you and changbin watched from the booth as the other boys danced their heart out. as much as  you hated the club, it was the twins birthday party after all.Â
âyou sure you donât want to dance?â changbin asked gesturing to felix and jisung whooping while dancing.Â
âmaybe some other time thenâ
 âyou know, you shouldnât suppress yourself from happiness you knowâ changbin muttered from the side. you werenât sure if you were meant to hear it or not. you turned to him, your eyebrows raised as if questioning his statement.Â
âi didnât mean it in a very harsh way, itâs just â just â occupational habit, thatâs allâÂ
âitâs fineâ you waved off.Â
âiâm sure the twins and jin would have told you about my ⌠situation. seeing as minho and chan were very careful when talking about jisung finding his true love tonight. but itâs been five years you can talk about it.âÂ
âwell⌠if itâs really fine, iâd like to help you out. iâll help you to try to stop you from suppressing your emotions and desires.â
âyeah, i really canât afford a psychologist right now.â you let out a small laugh, although thankful for his kindness. changbin shook his head instantly.
âiâm not doing it as a psychologist but as a friend.â changbin pouted and gave you puppy dog eyes that made you reluctantly agree.
 âokay itâs settled! now what drink would you like?â changbin asked as he stood up. you kept quiet pondering if you should be drinking.Â
 ây/n, you havenât had the mojito here in so long. wasnât it your favourite?â you could hear seungmin ask from beside you.
oh right.Â
you almost forgot that seungmin has been there beside you this whole time. Â
âiâll get you a mojito thenâ changbin voiced, breaking your train of thoughts. the look of surprise on your face, made him laugh as he walked away.Â
how did he know whatâs what you wanted?Â
~Â
âwhere are we going?â as asked changbin as you entered the car.Â
âamusement park!â your face felt at the answer.
âohâ
âoh my god changbin no. y/n hasnât been to an amusement park since i was gone and thatâs where i you know â â Â
you could hear seungmin question changbin from the backseat, nagging and scolding changbin for making such a decision.Â
âtake y/n ice skating! they love ice skatingâ Â
âoh how about ice skating?â changbin asked you.Â
your eyes widened in disbelief.Â
can changbin see seungmin? was that possible? seungmin was not part of your imagination? Â or did he find out about your hobbies through jisung?
âoh my god can you actually hear me?â seungmin exclaimed.Â
ây/n likes any type of bread and cakes you can find. they really like rice not noodles. when they need cheering up just bring them to a karaoke room to sing their hearts out. y/n hates liars and despises lizards. they suck at cooking and can only make scrambled eggs.â you heard seungmin went off tangent on your likes and dislikes. Â
you couldnât help but let out a sad smile. he still remembered all those things about you. Â
~
âthatâs not fair!â you whined as you pointed to minho and hyunjin. the 7 of you crowded around your living room.
âstop giving minho money, hyunjin! heâs supposed to be bankrupt by now.â minho stuck out his tongue at you.Â
monopoly games with the boys are always ⌠intense.Â
they never tried to hide the fact that there were cheating which frustrated you more as you tried to play fairly.Â
you rolled the dice and gasp when your thimble landed on minhoâs park lane with a hotel.
âi canât afford to pay that!â you glanced at your money pile. as minho celebrated your loss, changbin piped in.
âiâll pay for y/n!â you felt your ears heating up at the comment.
âooooooohhhhhh, what a man!â jisung swooned from the side causing you to roll your eyes.Â
â you canât do that, itâs against the rules!â hyunjin added.Â
â and since when have you played by the book?â chan laughed from the sofa watching the game.Â
hyunjin huffed and pouted causing you and changbin to break out into laughs.Â
itâs been about three months since you met the three boys and they have been a handful. changbin kept his promise and helped you out whenever you tried to suppress your emotions and desires and it a weird way it worked. Â
~
âno i need to knowâÂ
you thought as you paced back and forth in front of changbinâs office door before entering.Â
âchangbin.â you approached the man sitting at his desk in his office.
âi need to ask you a question. and please answer it truthfully. donât deflect it and please donât judge me.â you begged.Â
âw-whatâs going on?â changbin asked nervously unsure what you were going to ask.Â
you pointed to his couch in his office.Â
changbin following the direction of your finger.Â
âdo you see him?â
âwhat?âÂ
âwhat?â
both changbin and seungmin voiced at the same time. your lips quivered as you took in a breath.
âitâs too big of a coincidence that every time he talks about what i like, what i hate, my drink preference, my subway order and to even my dreams. you seem to echo what he says.â Â
ây/n ââ
âat first i thought jisung had told you everything about me. but there were things that even jisung couldnât have known. from my first pet to my family?âÂ
you heard seungmin take in a deep breath.Â
â y-you could see me?â tears collect at your eyes as you heard his broken voice.Â
âhow did you know about ice skating and how did you know that i couldnât go to amusement parks anymore, not after the accident.â
âwhy didnât you tell me? why didnât you tell me you could see me?â seungmin screamed out.Â
more tears fell from your eyes are you looked at seungmin.Â
âi couldnât. not after what happened. i just couldnât face you. it was my fault.â
âhow was it your fault? it was nobodyâs fault! i died due to my own negligence.âÂ
 you shook your head violently as you sobbed.
âi- if i didnât force you on that roller coaster ride. n-none of this would have happenedâ you hiccuped.
ây/n, i didnât tell you about my heart condition. youâre not to blame. please stop blaming yourself. youâre getting better and happier thanks to changbin hyung. please to this for meâÂ
 please do this for meÂ
you cried out and your breath quickened. you fell to your knees as you tried to gasp for air.Â
ây/n, listen to me and take deep breathsâ changbin held your shoulders.
 âdeep breaths, â
âi didnât know you could see him too, he told me a bit more about you and what happened. i couldnât tell you because how absurd would that have sounded?â Â
you nodded, understanding where changbin was coming from, tears still spilling from your face.Â
âseungmin,â you started as you turned towards where you saw him last. only to find that he was gone.Â
âseungmin!â you cried out looking for him around the room.Â
~
 seungmin.
 the boy you once loved. Â
the boy you never saw again.Â
it was at that turning point , where you got better exponentially. changbin helped you moved on and sealed the scars that was once left on your heart. Â
sometimes you felt like you werenât ready to find love yet. a part of you still thinking you deserved this punishment, that part of you stopping yourself before your heart could skip a beat.Â
 although⌠your cheeks heating up or your heat beating slightly faster whenever you saw changbin might prove you wrong. Â
you deserved to feel loved.Â
you deserved to be happy.Â
although seungmin was the boy you once loved.Â
changbin might just be the boy you love.
|||
hope you enjoyed this short fic! i wrote it quite quickly so forgive me for any grammar errors whatsoever.
also leave a comment or anon me about what you think of it! your critiques /comments do make my day!
#stray kids#stray kids scenarios#skz scenarios#skz#stray kids fic#seo changbin#kim seungmin#stray kids angst#stray kids x reader#changbin x reader#seungmin x reader#stray kids imagines
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Shea Butter (Baby) (NSFW)
Pairing: Erik x Black!Reader.
Summary: I meanâŚ. another manâs trash is another manâs treasure.
(authorâs note: so, okay...I had this idea of mash-up monday where we all take two songs with the same title, or same general title and write a fic based on what you are inspired by from listening to both songs. Iâm sure there are enough songs to do this with. my songs were Shea Butter by Pardison Fontaine and Shea Butter Baby by Ari Lennox and this is what I came up with. I hope people try this as well! It was fun.)
Song Lyrics That Inspired Me: I want you, gotta have you, I don't think you understand (You don't) I heard you when you told me you already got a man (So?) That nigga probably love you but can't fuck you like I can You need a man in your pussy, not a pussy as your man (Ayy, woo)Â - Pardison Fountaine
 You lost in the shape of my hips Hope there is a move And if you really down, we can find it Lost in an alley, make love by a trash can, ayy - Ari Lennox
        You felt uncomfortable, to say the least. You were smashed right between your boyfriend, and his homeboy. Your boyfriendâs hand was slung around your waist, hand on the curve of your hip. He could definitely feel the vibration of your phone, notifying you of text messages that you were receiving.
âDamn baby, you got the hotline tonight.â Devon said drink to his lips, eyes glued to the tv screen. You laughed then, nervously, out of the corner of your eye you could see his homeboy, best friend, supposed god father to your future kids, put his cellphone back down on the arm of the chair.
Good lord you were playing with fire. You had been striking the match for a long time now, ever since you had drunkenly kissed his homeboy during a kickback, on the side of your brownstone. He was holding the trash, that he was supposed be throwing out, with one hand and your ass in one hand. You were holding his face pulling him deeper into you. You were supposed to be showing him which trash can was yours. That was months ago. Ever since then you had been trying to avoid Erik Stevens. You made sure that you were busy on nights like this, studying at your own place, working night shifts at the pharmacy. Hell, you had even taken up night soul cycling with your crazy cousin who was into the crystals. But somehow you had gotten caught slippinâ.
But you were an adult, you could handle a little awkwardness and as long as Erik was cool, you could be cool.
        As least thatâs what you thought.
        It all started at the door. You opened it and was instantly hit with that familiar fragrance of man, cologne and Irish Spring. You felt dizzy and were tongue tied when you looked up to see Erik smiling, wolfishly, back down at you.
âDamn girl, where the fuck you been?â He leaned against the doorframe looking you up and down. When his gaze traveled back up and paused at your lips, he bit down on his own and you knew right then that you were in trouble. âYou been hiding from me?â He asked, low enough to where only you and him could hear.
Before you could respond by pushing him out of the doorframe and slamming the door on your troubles, Devon walked up and made that noise men make when greeting another male of their brotherhood. While they did their handshake and greeted each other, you slipped under Devonâs arm and made your way into the kitchen to make sure the spread was rightâŚand to get out of Erikâs eye sight.
        Fifteen minutes later you still had not made it out of the kitchen, still picking over the food. The living room was now full with Devonâs friends and their girlfriends or girls they were seeing at the moment. You busied yourself putting out more food when the men made their plates, engaging their girlfriends when they came into the kitchen to grab a drink or a little food. Anything you could do to avoid being in the same space as Erik. At one point you had started to arrange the cups in his cupboard.
âBaby. Stop fingering my cups and sit down. Damn.â Devon said earning a laugh from his crew. You turned and huffed, the jig was up and you had to face your demons. And your demon was patting the cushion between himself and his boy.
        And thatâs how you found yourself between a rock and a hard place. Devon had wrapped his hand around your waist somewhere after the 1st quarter ended and thatâs when the text messages started. You knew it was Erik because he nudged you discreetly once your phone started vibrating. You made sure Devon was focused on the game before grabbing your phone from your pocket. You unlocked it and read the message.
You didnât answer my question.
What question?
U been hidin from me?
Y would I hide from you?
I donât know baby. U tell me.
Donât call me baby.
        With that you slid the phone back into your pocket and cuddled up into your man. But that of course didnât stop Erik from messaging you. You pulled out your phone again and brought it closer to your face now that you were closer to Devon.
Y not? You my baby.
No Iâm not, Erik. I have a man.
Nah, you got a boyfriend. Iâm ya man.
Can your boyfriend make you cum like I can?
        His sentence made you go back to that day, in the alley, next to your garbage can. Youâre not sure who touched who in what way to make Erik push you against the wall like he did. Youâre not sure what signal you gave him that made him know that you wanted him to kiss you like he did. By the time you figured what you were doing was wrong, he had your legs around his waist and your dressed hitched up so you felt him against your panties.
You pushed him back, breathless, your lip gloss smeared around and on his lips. His and your breaths came out in white puffs, going up together in a cloud of vapor.
âWhat ma? Why you stopping me?â He leaned towards you again capturing your lips in another heated kiss but you pushed him back again before you both got in too deep.
âWe shouldnât be doing this, Erik? Devon is right upstairs.â You searched his face for regret or memory* but the only thing you saw was undisguised lust. It made you even more turned on.
âI donât give a fuck about fucking Devon.â His lips brushed up your neck. âHe knew I wanted you anyway but nigga fucking pushed up before I could.â He bit gently right under your earlobe and you shivered, but not from the cold.
âWait what?â You pushed him back again and this time he made a noise that sounded close to a growl. âThe fuck does that mean?â
Erik looked down the alley where people were passing by, not looking towards the sounds you know they could hear coming from the dark alley. He looked back at you. âThat day Devon approached you at the party, I saw you first and I told him about you. How good your ass looked in that yellow dress.â He gripped your ass at that and you groaned. âHow I liked how you bit your lips when you danced with your girls. How I wanted to take you home that night. How bad I wanted you to sit on my fucking face.â He kissed you again and when he pulled back, you immediately followed his lips with your own but he kept talking.
âBut D, fucking D always has to have what I want, so he pressed up on you first.â He pressed against you then, hard and big. Your pussy clenched. âAnd now you with him. But I donât give a fuck. I want you.â With that he rocked against your clothed pussy, sending a sharp jolt as if he was inside of you. You moaned softly.
âYeah, just like that.â He said encouraging your moans as he continued his dry humping. âWhen he fucks you tonight, you remember I made you feel like this without being inside of you.â He rocked harder. âYou remember how wet you got from just my kisses.â He sucked a line from your neck to your lips biting down. You moaned as his thrusting became harder, giving you enough friction to throw you over the edge hard.
You clenched your legs around him hard, pulling him into you. He chuckled softly in your ear before giving you soft kisses on your neck.
âThen when he finally makes you orgasm with that weak shit he gives you, you remember how good you felt with me, and how much better I can make you feel with just one strokeâ When your legs stopped shaking, he dropped you down and picked up the trash, putting it in the trash can where it belonged.
        A buzzing brought you back from your memory, and you noticed that you had clenched your legs up tight.
I didnât think so.
Answer ya âmanâ.
âHuh?â You slid your phone back into your pocket and looked over at Devon who was looking back at you as if you had two heads.
âYou bored huh bae? Iâm sorry.â He kissed your temple. âI was just asking who was texting you?â
âOh.â You chuckled, placing a smile on your face. âJust Kendra. She was telling me about her date with the NBA player.â
âYour girl is a trip, I swear.â Devon settled back and got back into the game, even moving his arm from around you and pointing out a bad call.
        After fifteen minutes your phone had buzzed several more times, yet you ignored it instead spending your time really focusing on the game. Devon and several of the men had taken to standing up around the TV as if their energy could be transmitted through the TV. The girlfriends were gathered in the kitchen picking at fruit and talking. You had tried to join them but Erik gripped your shirt, keeping you in your place. He had hung back from the guys, instead choosing to antagonize you by brushing his knee against yours every five minutes.
Erik leaned towards you and whispered in your ear. âSince you ainât answering my messages, Iâm just gonna tell you what they said. The first one said, I want your pussy against my mouth.â He licked your earlobe before pulling back just as whoops went up.
âStop it.â You said out of the side of your mouth.
Erik smirked and leaned closer to you, âNah. I wrote them messages and you gonâ know what I said. The second one said, I want you ride my face. Period. Hard. Period.â
âErik, please.â You begged quietly, you could feel your resolve crumbling.
âNo ma. You been hiding from me. I donât like that shit. You got a nigga fucking weak and shit, hoping to see you but you donât never show up. So you best believe Iâmma tell you everything I want from you while youâre here.â He smiled. âThat reminds me, the third one said, after you cum against my mouth, Iâm going to bend you over whateverâs close and take what I want. Hard.â
You bit your lip and clenched your thighs together. You looked at Devon who was focused solely on the game.
âOh and the fourth one is my favorite one, it said, 15 minutes, my crib.â He brushed his hand over your knee and then stood up going over to Devon and patting him on the shoulder.
âOh man, youâre leaving already?â Devon said doing their handshake again but ending it with a chest bump. âYou must got a pussy appointment?â Devon smirked.
âI hope so.â Erik grinned at Devon and then said his goodbyes to the other men before waving goodbye to the ladies and then finally at you. He mouthed â13â before walking to the door and leaving.
You looked around and found the girlfriends looking at you. When they found you looking back at them, they turned whispering to themselves again. Honestly, you really didnât give a fuck about what they thought. In fact, you didnât give a fuck about anything at this point.
You looked at the clock on the wall.
In 11 minutes, you were going to get dicked down.
#erik x reader#erik killmonger#killmonger smut#black panther fanfiction#erik stevens x reader#killmonger x reader#black panther killmonger#killmonger imagine
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so much angst
why do some real work when i can write 1700 words of angsty jonny in the aftermath of patâs 400th goal!
Jonny had spent the last three days practicing looking and sounding excited. He knew Patrick would be calling him to celebrate after his 400th goal, especially since Chicago was still mostly on lockdown, and it wasnât like he could go out and party with the guys. He was determined not to bring Patrick down, not to make yet another conversation about him and his issues. Patrick deserved to be the center of attention, and Jonny was damn well going to give him that.
He texted with Sharpy a bit before the game, predicting when they thought Pat would score. After the frustrating loss in their last game, Jonny had has money on Patrick scoring early. Thankfully, Sharpy didnât ask how he was feeling; he must have known that he wouldnât get much of an answer out of Jon, anyway.Â
Jon watched the game with increasing tension as time wound down and Pat still hadnât scored, his body moving unconsciously on the couch as he deked along with Patrick. When the puck finally found the back of the net, after that beautiful hesitation move, Jonny whooped in joy, throwing his arms up before he even realized what he was doing. Not like he had any neighbors to bother, though, tucked away in isolation at his cabin. He pulled out his phone and sent Patrick a quick text, even though he knew Pat would be overwhelmed with congratulations over the next few days.
Jonny pulled up Twitter and watched the goal a few more times, scrolling through reactions from the Blackhawks, NBC sports, the NHL, other Chicago athletes, and pretty much everyone involved in hockey.Â
As the accolades added up, a familiar heaviness settled into his chest, weighing down his excitement. Patrick was somehow getting better with age (âlike a fine wine, baby,â Patrick had teased him, once), and while Jonny couldnât be prouder of him, of what theyâd accomplished together and what Patrick was continuing to accomplish on his own, he couldnât help but compare himself to Patrick, and it wasnât pretty.
Everyone knew that the organization was grooming Kirby to take over for him. If it hadnât been for that freak injury at World Juniors, the kid would be out there centering the first line right now, in the spot that had belonged to Jonny since 2007. Jesus, Kirby was six when Jonny started his first game in the NHL. How was he supposed to compete with that? Sure he had the ârespect of the roomâ and the experience, but Jonny himself had taken on the captaincy before he turned 21; there was no reason Kirby couldnât do the same.
He tried not to check message boards too frequently, but sometimes even his willpower wasnât enough, and he was already feeling sorry for himself, brief elation at Kanerâs goal subsumed into the ever-present anxiety he felt these days. He poured himself a few fingers of whiskey, knocking them back quickly and setting up a refill before he opened up a thread on Reddit talking about the salary cap and bad contracts.
It wasnât as bad as what Seabrook got, but the general consensus, Jonny learned, was that he was way past his prime. There were a lot of posts that âwished him all the bestâ but pointed out how much cap relief the Hawks would get if Jonny never came back. âIâll never forget what he did for Chicago, bringing hockey back with Kaner,â one poster wrote, âbut Toews should recognize that his contract is a fucking albatross on the team.â
Albatross. Decline. Overpaid. Lost a step. Lost a lot of steps.
Jonny kept scrolling, barely reading the individual words anymore. Six months ago he may have laughed them off, would have turned to Pat to show him the most ridiculous comments. Now, though. He was pretty sure they were right, and he didnât really know what to do with that.
The ringing of his phone, signaling an incoming FaceTime call, startled him out of his spiral. Oh fuck, that was Patrick. He hadnât realized how much time heâd lost reading, nodding his head in bitter agreement as poster after poster pointed out all of his flaws.Â
Showtime, he told himself. This was what heâd been preparing for. He hit accept, willing his smile into something bright and natural.
âCongratulations, babe!â he said, a little too loud to his own ears. Maybe the volume would make up for any lack of enthusiasm. âThat goal was a beauty, Patrick,â he continued, more quietly and more sincerely. You can do this, he repeated in his head. Do this for Patrick. Be there for him.
Patrick just stared at him for a second, worn out from the game and all the post-game media, probably, but then he broke into a grin.
âYea, you liked that, didnât you?â He replied, letting himself be way cockier than heâd act to the press.
âYou know I did, Peeks,â Jonny told him truthfully. âWas so stressed just watching, canât imagine how you held it together out there.â
âJust imagined you were there yelling at me, telling me to keep my head in the game. I told you to fuck off a few times, just fyi.â Patrick was still smiling, now chugging a Gatorade and stripping out of his suit while they talked.
Jonny was distracted by the broad lines of Patrickâs shoulders, his strong chest and arms now visible as Pat settled down on his bed. Without thinking, he mumbled âbetter get used to imagining it, man.â He felt his face flush as the words came out. Ugh he sounded pathetic. Patrick deserved so much better than this, especially tonight.
âWhat do you mean, Jonny?â Patrick asked immediately, languor gone, tension snapping into his muscles as he sat up.
âNothing, nothing,â Jonny hurried to add. âYou can imagine what you want, but Iâm imagining being there in your bed right now,â he tried, desperate to distract Patrick and get the evening back on track.
Patrick looked like he might push it, but Jonny took his momentary silence to strip off his shirt, as well. He saw Patrickâs eyes flick down to his chest and abs, and yea, at least he was still able to work out enough that Patrick still thought he looked good.Â
Unless. Unless he was looking at Jonny and judging. Looking at Jonny and thinking of how much better heâd look if he were training full-time. How much better Jonny used to look, when they shared the rink and the locker room and the gym, not just each otherâs phone screens.Â
âJonny..â Patrickâs voice sounded hesitant. Focus up, he told himself fiercely.Â
âJust thinking about your goal, Pat. Gets me hot,â Jonny said suggestively, letting his voice drop lower, one hand drifting down to his chest, fingers sweeping over a nipple like Patrick liked to do.
It wasnât the best phone sex Jonny had been a part of, though Patrick seemed to enjoy it well enough, based on how hard he came, and how quickly he hung up afterwards, telling Jonny he was about to pass out. Jonny had to work way more than usual at just getting himself hard, getting himself off, but he got there eventually, a minute or two after Patrick.
He usually slept pretty well after an orgasm, and heâd actually been jerking off more often lately just to get himself to sleep. Tonight, though, every time he closed his eyes those comment threads started running through his head. He laid in bed for close to an hour, trying to force himself to sleep before giving up, throwing off the covers and wandering into the living room.
He opened his laptop, even though he knew that if he couldnât sleep, he shouldnât be messing around on his computer, either. Nothing good would come of it, not at this hour.Â
Instead of message boards, he opened YouTube, pulling up old highlights of himself. He watched his hands, his edges. He watched himself lift the cup three times, remembering the roar of the home crowd that third time, how he felt on top of the world.
His eyes were burning, suddenly. He rubbed at them, clenching his jaw and fighting back tears. He was so tired. Tired of the uncertainty. Tired of the tests. Tired of the well-meaning questions. Tired of being left behind as Patrick continued to exceed all expectations. He didnât cry, not quite, but it was a close thing. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, breath coming in gulps as he fought for control of his body.
He spent the rest of the night like that, sleep never quite finding him, but not really awake, either.Â
The doorbell rang at 7:00, making him jump. Only a few people even knew where he was, and none of them should be showing up this early on a random Monday morning. He stumbled to the door, the old afghan from his couch wrapped around his shoulders. He was probably a mess, but he couldnât really find it in himself to care.
He opened the door slowly, not sure who to expect, and then he saw the flash of Patrickâs curls. Patrick shouldered in, not even waiting for Jonny to finish opening the door.
âPatrick, what-â he started, but Patrick cut him off right away.
âJesus, Jonny, you look terrible,â he said, reaching one arm out as he spoke, pulling Jonny in towards him. Jonny tripped, feet heavy with exhaustion, but Pat supported him like it was nothing. âYouâre still a terrible actor, man. You were messed up last night, donât even try to lie.â
Jonny didnât know what to say to that, brain moving too slowly. Patrick was here. The Hawks had a three day break, their last one of the shortened season, and instead of getting some rest, or maybe seeing his family, Patrick was here. He wasnât even sure how Patrick had managed to get here this early in the morning.
âHow,â he tried again, but Patrick just tugged him in tighter.
âShhh, Jonny,â he said, stroking one hand over Jonnyâs neck. âYou look like youâre about to fall asleep on your feet. Letâs just get you to bed.â Patrick started walking Jonny back towards the bedroom, steering with the weight of his hand on Jonnyâs neck.Â
They stripped quietly, not bothering with pajamas. Patrick settled them on their sides, facing each other, foreheads almost touching. Jonny finally felt his body relax, muscles sinking into the bed. Here in this space, sharing breath with Patrick, he let the tears come.
#blackhawks fic#1988#kazer#o captain my captain#angst#just to be safe#tw: depression#jonny is having a rough time#pat is here to make it better#get well soon jonny
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