Tumgik
#though tbh I would have thought that the idea of him being 'half' one thing and 'half' another would be worse if anything?
lilflowerpot · 1 year
Note
not to be "that person" but the implications of calling half-galra/mixed galra/part galra, "hybrids" feels dehumanizing.
In a real-world context I'd be inclined to agree with you, but within the realms of the narrative there are several elements at play as to why I personally choose to use the term hybrid—chief among them being that race as we define it is a social construct (see below), whereas Keith & Lotor's status as hybrids very much has a biological basis—but let us first start by clarifying the key components of the topic at hand.
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society.[1] The term came into common usage during the 16th century, when it was used to refer to groups of various kinds, including those characterized by close kinship relations.[2] By the 17th century, the term began to refer to physical (phenotypical) traits, and then later to national affiliations. Modern science regards race as a social construct, an identity which is assigned based on rules made by society.[3][4] While partly based on physical similarities within groups, race does not have an inherent physical or biological meaning.[1][5][6] [1] Barnshaw, John (2008). "Race". In Schaefer, Richard T. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and Society. Vol. 1. SAGE Publications. pp. 1091–3. ISBN978-1-45-226586-5. [2] Roediger, David R. "Historical Foundations of Race". Smithsonian. [3] Amutah, C.; Greenidge, K.; Mante, A.; Munyikwa, M.; Surya, S. L.; Higginbotham, E.; Jones, D. S.; Lavizzo-Mourey, R.; Roberts, D.; Tsai, J.; Aysola, J. (March 2021). Malina, D. (ed.). "Misrepresenting Race — The Role of Medical Schools in Propagating Physician Bias". The New England Journal of Medicine. Massachusetts Medical Society. 384 (9): 872–878. [4] Gannon, Megan (5 February 2016). "Race Is a Social Construct, Scientists Argue". Scientific American. Springer Nature. ISSN0036-8733. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023. [5] Smedley, Audrey; Takezawa, Yasuko I.; Wade, Peter. "Race: Human". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. Retrieved 22 August 2017. [6] Yudell, M.; Roberts, D.; DeSalle, R.; Tishkoff, S. (5 February 2016). "Taking race out of human genetics". Science. American Association for the Advancement of Science. 351 (6273): 564–565.
The dictionary definition of a hybrid is pretty clear-cut across the board, but I've included several different sources, for the sake of both clarity and peace of mind.
​Oxford: [1] (of an animal or plant) Having parents of different species or varieties.​ [2] That is the product of mixing two or more different things. Cambridge: [1] A plant or animal that has been produced from two different types of plant or animal, especially to get better characteristics. [2] Something that is a mixture of two very different things. Merriam-Webster: [1] An offspring of two animals or plants of different subspecies, breeds, varieties, species, or genera. [2] A person whose background is a blend of two diverse cultures or traditions. [3] Something heterogeneous in origin or composition. Collins: [1] A hybrid is an animal or plant that has been bred from two different species of animal or plant. [2] You can use hybrid to refer to anything that is a mixture of other things, especially two other things.
So yes, the term hybrid is much more commonly used to refer to plants and animals than humans, with Merriam-Webster's definition alone being the only one to specify "people", but all the above agree that it is a term that references anything that is a mixture of two different things (heterogeneous). Scientifically speaking, humans are never this; we are all of the same species—homosapiens—and our perceived "race" is actually a societal construct born of phenotypical traits. So while objectively we can argue that Keith as a character was written as biracial, within the narrative he is very explicitly born of parents of two different scientific species: the term hybrid isn't being used to other him, it's,,, literally a genetic fact.
But let's approach this from Lotor's perspective. Our favourite galra prince is a scientist with "a modest background as a geneticist, [his] particular field of study being the rather niche subject area of galra hybridisation" (LB:ch13), meaning it's hardly surprising he'd feel comfortable using the scientific terminology. If ever the term hybrid was used in imperial circles as a slur intended to dehumanise (degalranise?), then Lotor as a hybrid himself has reclaimed it in much the same way that n-slur has been reclaimed the black community. I, myself, am not black, so I can't really speak to that experience, but I do not imagine the reclamation of that word to be dissimilar to that of queer by the queer community. Approaching it from this angle, I am personally happy to identify as queer, and equally happy for other people to identify me as queer; that being said, there's still intent to consider. Though I've no problem with (and in fact quite like!) the word queer, if a homophobe were to throw it at me with obviously malicious intent, it would still sting—not for the word itself, but the fact that the person using it is aiming to other and dehumanise, which begs the question: does the Empire consider hybrid to be a slur?
Personally, I don't think so. I certainly don't write LB with that in mind, but what I do do is apply that sort of a weight to "half-breed" given that canon made particular use of it as a derogatory term, most notably with Throk in s3ep01—"Worse than that, [Lotor's] top generals aren't even pure galra, they're half-breeds at best. He has no honour."—and Haggar in s5ep04—"The blood that so bolsters your claim is also what quells it! You are not full galra, you are a half-breed."—both of whom put a distinctly unkind spin on this term with both their tone and the context within which they use it (to discredit the inherent "worth" of hybrids). In Little Blade, it has thus-far been used twice, both by Lotor and both when he's evidently echoing cruel sentiments that he himself suffered in the past:
“Impure half-breeds we may be, but weak we are most certainly not.” It’s a cold sort of pride. - Lotor, Little Blade, chapter 15 “Any commander worth his quintessence would be able to subdue a mere cadet with ease, especially one so small as you.” the amused lilt Lotor says this with fades in favour of something sweet and deeply saddened, “As for the rest of it—the neglect you suffered as a child—that would never have happened had you been raised galra. Even if we are half-breed whelps, our value is in our blood: it is an irrefutable part of us.” blue eyes turn baleful, “The Empire, for all its faults, would not have forsaken you.” - Lotor, Little Blade, chapter 24
So no, within the context of LB, hybrid is not a derogatory term, but a scientific one that Lotor, his generals, and Keith all identify with and use to encompass the rather unique experience of their lineage in a universe where both sides of their parentage are likely to other them for simply existing as they are.
29 notes · View notes
agaypanic · 10 months
Note
can u write a chase davenport x baddie like everyone knows she’s fine asf and has no clue why she’s dating him and he’s just super lovey and fluffy
Chase Davenport Dating a Baddie Headcanons
Masterlist
Request Something!
A/N: a bit suggestive in one part but that’s it
***
Everyone’s surprised that he pulled someone, period
But seeing that he pulled you specifically?
They act like this is earth-shattering news
Lowkey thought that it was a prank or that he was paying you 
“So, Chase, when are we gonna meet this girlfriend of yours?” Leo asked as he and the bionic trio entered the school. To be honest, they half thought Chase was joking when he told them he was in a relationship, but wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.
“Uh… Oh! Seems like right now.” Chase left his siblings to go to his locker, where you were waiting for him. He grabbed you by the waist and pulled you close to him.
“Oh my gosh, she’s gonna slap him,” Adam said as you raised a hand to Chase’s face. But to everyone’s surprise, you used the hand to pull his face to yours and kiss him.
Adam, Bree, and Leo slowly approached you and Chase, clearly shocked. When you pulled away, you noticed them and gave a wave.
“Hey.”
“This can’t be real.”
Chase is absolutely smitten with you
Follows you around like a puppy
He just wants to do anything that’ll make you happy
“Chase, you don’t have to carry my bags.” You tell him, but you still let him take the bag of things you just bought from your hand. Watching his muscles flex as he grips the multiple bags is definitely a plus.
“I want to.” He shrugs, jutting out his elbow to signal you to take it, which you happily do. 
The two of you go through the mall, occasionally popping into another store. Before getting to the food court, you stopped in front of Victoria’s Secret. Getting an idea, you bite your lip to stop from grinning and turn to look at Chase.
“You know Build-A-Bear?”
“Yeah.” Chase nodded, soon perking up. “Oh my gosh, we should go and make mini us’s.” You couldn’t help but smile at the idea and his excitement.
“I was thinking something similar to that.” You say, looking at the store, yourself, and then back to Chase. “More of a… real-life Build-A-Bear.”
Despite being a genius, it took Chase a minute to realize what you were insinuating. But when he did, he raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“Really?” He asked. You nodded, and the next thing you knew, Chase was running into the store with the excitement of a child.
Before you left the mall, you did end up going to the real Build-A-Bear.
If you like getting your nails done, he insists on paying
When you let him pick the color, he gets all giggly
Almost always chooses blue tbh
When he chooses the color, you ask for his initial on one of your fingers to surprise him
“Hey!” Chase greeted you as he entered the salon. Whenever he dropped you off, he’d always pick something up for you after your appointment and would come back right when you were finished.
You met him at the counter, where he gave your nail tech his card before looking at the hand you were holding up for him. He held your hand, smiling as he looked at the nails.
“You got my initial.” He softly cooed, thumb brushing over the white ‘C’ on your ring finger. “So pretty.”
You blushed as he kissed your knuckles, taking his card back before leading you out of the salon by your now interlocked hands. Even though Chase had treated you like this since the beginning of your relationship, and you should’ve been used to it, he never failed to turn you into a giggly, bashful mess.
“I got your favorite,” Chase said when you got in the car, handing you the bag of food. You took a bite, moaning at how delicious it was.
“Ugh, I love you.” You said, grabbing his face with a freshly manicured hand and kissing him. He gently latched onto your wrist, thumb rubbing over the joint.
“I love you too.” He said, stealing another kiss before reaching over to steal some of your food.
718 notes · View notes
therandomartmaker · 11 months
Text
Tumblr media
[Image ID: An artwork featuring Danny Phantom, full green excluding his hair and white accents, transparent, sitting on a pile of rubble head tilted slightly upwards with his eyes closed. His hair is wispy, he’s got pointed ears and he’s much more identifiable as a ghost. The rubble includes the F of the Fenton Works sign, a satellite dish of some kind, pipes and concrete. The rubble, and Danny, is surrounded by yellow-black striped caution tape. Above Danny’s head is a conversation, in white, “It’s been ten years,” has been written, and in green, “It’s only been 10 years,” is written. /End ID]
Day 31: “It had been a decade since anyone last lived at Fenton Works. Or so people thought.”
tbh this took like. Less than half an hour to make haha. I may have forgotten to do this yesterday lmaooo. To make up for it, here’s a continuation of this prompt by @cryinginthevoid that i filled, wherein Danny has been stuck haunting the rubble of a ruined Fenton Works after his permanent death, only to later be approached by a very much alive Damian, who is the first person to See Danny in over 10 years. So yep, bonus challenge post 2 under the read more :D
Damian had visited. He’d promised and he’d followed through on it, Danny sitting still and watching as Damian approached, day after day, even after Danny had no more words to say, no more information to give. To quote, he was “a tolerable friend despite your intolerance for proper respect.” Danny had no idea if that was a good or bad thing, if he were to be honest.
But still! It’d been 10 years since he’d to spoken to someone, something other than the air. Damian said his brothers wouldn’t follow him, despite saying he’d bring them to meet Danny during one their tentative hangouts, and Danny supposed that was a good thing. He didn’t want Damian to sound crazy or look crazy for talking to thin air, especially not by his family.
Though, what was interesting was the weird amount of black-haired blue-eyed outsiders hanging around town. The FentonWorks rubble had a pretty good view of most of town, despite it’s slow erosion into dust, so Danny was able to see the several strangers in town whenever he went looking.
Damian said his family was looking into ectoplasm due to it’s relation with the dead, and trying to find if anyone around town knew how to access their information databases. They needed to know if there was a way to relieve “Jason’s” burden of the “Lazarus Rage,” and prepare in the case someone else in the family acquires it. And that ‘Lazarus Pits’ are classified information, but who did Danny have to share it to, no one could talk to him except Damian, anyway.
And truthfully, those Lazarus Pits Damian mentioned sounded like pools of ectoplasm that Maddie and Jack would’ve killed for. Danny could only suggest looking into ‘ecto-acne’ treatments, as from one of the stories of Vlad Masters Danny’d heard, it sounded like the short-term effects of ectoplasm exposure.
Damian didn’t know why he was sharing so much confidential with Daniel, but he didn’t seem to mind, and didn’t seem to talk to anyone else. He figured it’d be fine. Daniel needed to know as much context as possible in order to help Damian.
Daniel was strange, he spoke in large amounts, but quieted as though he doesn’t expect someone would respond to him. He rarely moved, and there was something unnatural about him. Perhaps the lack of a rise and fall of his chest, or the way his eyes shined.
Damian couldn’t help but make comparisons to the dead he’d seen. Lightless glossy eyes, pale skin, sallow flesh. Daniel was built like a dying or dead person.
Damian… worried. He’d grown close to the other boy, Daniel’s snark to Damian’s sharp tongue and his acceptance of Damian’s veganism, multiple other factors about Damian never drove Daniel away from him. It was nice, being accepted by someone outside of his family. Daniel’s health was concerning, malnutritioned and Daniel’s reaction time was slow. Multiple things were off-kilter about him, and Damian wanted to know why. So he could help.
Because Danny was his friend.
Dick observed Damian. He’d taken to pacing the length of the hotel room, and he seemed worried about his new friend (!!! Dami has a friend!!!! And he’s worried about him!!!), muttering about bringing food to the next time he visited. Dick kinda felt bad about what he was about to tell Dami.
“Richard, why are you looking at me?” Dami asked, stopping his pacing to look up at Dick, a soft half-hearted glare on his face.
“Uh well, Tim…” (fuck! He wasn’t supposed to mention Tim!)
“What did Drake do?”
“Tim told me to tell you that we’d gotten enough information and that we were leaving in two days, just in case something new crops up!” Dick rushed, knowing that Dami would loathe the information, but despise Dick more for not telling him.
Dami needed to say goodbye to his new friend, after all, but from what Dick could tell, they couldn’t even have long-distance communication, because “Daniel Who Liked Being Called Danny” didn’t even have a phone!
Dami’s click of his tongue was expected, and his expression had worsened too. Dick had messed up, but he didn’t think there was anyway to break it gently that Damian would have to leave his newfound friend.
The boy stormed off, leaving the room with a door slam. Dick felt bad, man. Well… Dick did have a spare phone he was free to gibe to someone… Perhaps Danny would like it?
478 notes · View notes
Text
falling asleep with hobie brown! (sfw)
huge thanks to @michelleart8 for helping me choose
huuhhh title pretty self explanatory lmao
idk if i'll make this with other characters but like
yea :3
(half fully written fic half headcanons ?) (yknow what i'll do both)
bit of hurt comfort towards the hug scene? idk
also reader and hobie are in an implied established relationship
(word count: 250/300)
Tumblr media
it was one of the many nights you spent waiting for hobie to come back home. with the two of you being spider people, you had a very few moments together.
but it didn't stop you from being in love.
coming home later than your boyfriend, or at least you thought you did, you took endless precautions to not make any noise. (which tbh doesn't make any sense tbh let's js say you're a quiet person)
just in case, you know, he did come home earlier than you...
the first thing that hit you as soon as you entered your appartment was that the window - which you often left open when you sleep so that your boyfriend could sneak in without waking you up - was closed.
you didn't pay it no mind as you thought it was the wind.
you headed to the bathroom to get into your pyjamas, where actually were one of hobie's old t'-shirts- which smell reminds you of home.
you then go to the kitchen to get a midnight snack, your all time favorite.
as you turned around, you notice the presence of your boyfriend.
"hobie? is something wrong?" you ask as you run to hug him.
he gave in the hug, shoving his head into your shoulder.
"so... tired... " he mutters, "glad i'm home..."
it was no surprise: the pressure of being a spider-person was extremely high. even though hobie tried his best to hide it, but even he needed to let it out sometimes.
(time for hcs bc idk how to truly describe the scene + it'll be easier)
i feel like he takes all the room there is on the bed like he'd be in some starfish position
somehow you're always touching him whether he's the big spoon or with your head on his chest or his arm around your shoulders
if you're scared of storms he would hug you close and confort you
"it's ok honey, it can't hurt you as long as i'm with you"
he plays with your hair when he can't fall asleep and wonders how non black people's hair work
if you're black/ a person of color he'd go like "ooo their hair is so cool :0
he secretely likes being the little spoon but he never asks for it
"ya can't sleep huh? want me to sing a sothing melody for ya?" (don't judge i have no idea how british people talk)
he always asks you if he can move if you're laying on him - if you're asleep he just doesn't
I KNOW HE WOULD CONFORT YOU IF YOU HAD A NIGHTMARE
"y'had a bad dream ? c'mhere i'll comfort you"
he braids your hair when he can't fall asleep
idk i feel like he only feels at peace in smalls moments like this when he's with you
also when the two of you can't sleep he plays you songs on his accoustic guitar (idk i feel like he's been given one when he was a kid and that's how he started learning)
maybe holding hands under the blankets? also you conforting him after a very tiring day he'd have his head on your lap and he'd fall asleep like that
he probably pushed you out of the bed more than once
"what the fuck are you doing on the floor??" but then he'd know it's his fault and js laugh about it
that's all i got for now i think i'm v tired atm i'll probably edit this later or do a part tO but like xdd hope you enjoyed ;3
843 notes · View notes
m1ckeyb3rry · 3 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
── HOW TO DROWN A CROW
Tumblr media
Synopsis: Saturday rolls around, and Karasu finally takes you on that date he promised you. Continuation of Five Ways to Kill a Crow! (part three here!)
Tumblr media
Event Masterlist
Pairing: Karasu x Reader
Chapter Word Count: 6.9k
Content Warnings: reader and karasu are sickeningly down bad for one another but that does NOT stop them from bullying each other when necessary, karasu is never beating the simp allegations though, lowkey hiori slander (in line with the light novel), reader has a protective father, karasu is a good bf tbh, crow boy is thrown into the water (affectionately)
Tumblr media
A/N: KARASU ANON THIS ONE IS FOR YOU!! i will post the rest of your requests once i write them hehe i love this man so trust i will be getting all of them done asap.
Additional: part of my 500 follower event! see the event description and rules to make a request of your own. now closed!
Tumblr media
Staring at the pile of rejected clothes by the foot of your bed, you groaned, burying your face in your hands. It was Saturday, and Karasu was supposed to be at your house in an hour, but for the life of you, you could not figure out what you wanted to wear on your date. It didn’t help that he was being so secretive about where you were going; when you had texted him asking about the dress code, he told you that anything was acceptable and then refused to elaborate. Apparently, according to him, you looked fine in whatever you wore and you were stressing out for no reason.
“Stupid Karasu,” you muttered, picking up your phone and deciding it was time for your absolute last resort. You hadn’t wanted to go to her, because if you asked for her advice, you’d also have to listen to the speech that would inevitably accompany it, but at this point, you were out of options. Before you could chicken out, you clicked on your best friend’s contact, video calling her and waiting for her to pick up.
She did so almost immediately, though she was very clearly in the middle of a workout, judging by her red face and the sweat dripping down her forehead. Recently, she was going through a phase where she spent at least half an hour on the treadmill everyday, and it seemed you had caught her at a bad time. Regardless, she grinned at you.
“Hey, Y/N!” she huffed out. “I was just about to text you, actually, so this is good timing.”
“Not now,” you said. “I’m having a code-red emergency.”
“What’s up?” she said. “Will going bowling with us and a couple of the guys later tonight help with it? That’s what I was going to invite you to. Don’t worry, Karasu already said he can’t go, so things won’t be awkward or anything.”
“Unfortunately, I’m busy tonight,” you said. “I’m going on a date — that’s why I called you, actually. I need outfit advice. I’ve never been on a date before, so I have no idea what to wear!”
“A date?” she shrieked before looking around, obviously embarrassed that she had reacted in such a way at her public gym. “I mean, a date? With who? Is it that guy I was telling you about, the one who thought he might have a chance with you now that you and Karasu had ‘broken up’ or whatever?”
“No,” you said. “Please, I have standards. You may think they’re absurdly low, but they do exist.”
“Then who?” she said. 
“So, funny story,” you said, wincing and bracing yourself for the incoming lecture. “It’s actually with Karasu.”
There was a silence, but you knew that it was deceiving. It didn’t mean that she wasn’t going to react; rather, she was gathering her thoughts, processing the information she had received, and preparing her reaction.
“Karasu?” she said. “Like Tabito Karasu? Soccer player Tabito Karasu? Your ‘mortal enemy’ who you’re ‘so glad is finally leaving you alone’ Tabito Karasu? The one who you refused to talk to because you found him immature? You’re going on a date with him? And it’s tonight?” 
“Spot on,” you said. “That’s why I need your help picking my outfit—”
“No, no, hold on just a second. How long has this been going on?” she said.
“Look, I don’t have time for this. He’s going to be here in an hour, and I’m just standing around in a bathrobe!” you said.
“Okay, show me the options while you talk,” she said. Figuring you weren’t going to get out of it, you flipped the camera so she could see the few choices you had settled on as you began to speak.
“One of his soccer teammates came to me on Wednesday and helped me realize what I had done wrong. Then he invited me to their game that evening, so I went to watch them. Once the game was over, I found Karasu and apologized to him, after which he asked me to go to dinner with him on Saturday — meaning, today,” you said.
“You’ve had plans with Karasu since Wednesday and you didn’t tell me? Also, option two is my favorite. It’ll highlight your figure the best, I think, but it doesn’t look like it’ll be super uncomfortable, and it doesn’t give the impression that you’re trying too hard. Perfect for a first date! Although, considering he’s only really seen you in the school uniform, I’m pretty sure anything you could wear would impress him,” she said.
“You make it sound like I lied to you about it! I just wasn’t sure if I should tell you or not. I mean, it’s not like we’re officially going out or anything. It’s just one date, and it could go horribly wrong. Most likely it will, considering how things between us tend to go,” you said. “Also, thanks! That one was my favorite, too, but I needed the second opinion, and I wasn’t about to go ask my parents for help.”
“Sure, anytime. So what, were you planning on only mentioning it after the fact?” she said.
“Pretty much,” you said.
“You’re so annoying. I need live updates as they happen, not days later!” she said.
“Okay, okay, I promise I’ll keep you posted from now on,” you said, setting your phone down so you could get changed. “Happy?”
“Super happy. I can’t believe you’re going on a date with Karasu, though. No, actually, I can, because I’ve been shipping you guys together from the start, but it’s unreal that you’re finally giving in and doing it! It’s like a dream come true,” she said.
“You’re seriously strange,” you said. “Like I said, don’t expect much. The most I’m hoping for is a free meal.”
That was a lie. You really, really wanted it to go well. You just thought that, if you squealed and gushed about it with your best friend, you would, in a way, jinx it. And you couldn’t afford that, not when you had only just gotten him back, so you did your best to maintain a nonchalant exterior, even though internally, you were freaking out.
“Uh-huh, sure. If you guys get married, I better be the maid of honor! I have such a good speech planned. You’re not ready,” she said.
“Yeah, I’m fucking not! We haven’t even gone on one date yet, why are you already planning our wedding?” you said.
“I’m a bit of a romantic,” she said with a dreamy sigh. “Hey, if things work out between you two, do you think that you can set me up with one of his soccer friends? Besides Karasu, there’s no one attractive at our school, and of course he’s always been yours, so I’ve never even looked twice at him, but I’ll really be jealous if you have a boyfriend and I’m all single and lonely!”
“Sure,” you said. “I’ll talk to him about it, though, you know, even if it doesn’t work out, you could probably ask him yourself. Aren’t you guys kind of friends?”
“Not close enough for me to ask him to set me up with anyone, and definitely not close enough for me to keep talking to him if he wrongs you in any way!” she said.
“What if I wrong him?” you said, only half-joking. You were more terrified of that, of wronging Karasu, than anything. After all, the last falling out had been your fault, and although he had assured you that he didn’t hold it against you, you still worried that you might one day say something that drove him away from you forever.
“Nah, that’s impossible. You’re always right, Y/N!” she said. “Don’t worry so much. Go have fun! Like you said, you’ll get a meal out of it either way. Whatever else happens, happens. How about this — tomorrow, let’s get brunch together. That way, if things go badly, you still have something to look forward to, and if they go well, you have someone you can ramble to.”
“That sounds good,” you said.
“Yay! Okay, see you then! Don’t text me too many details unless it’s an emergency; I want to be surprised tomorrow by the full story,” she said.
“Thanks for the help,” you said, blowing her a kiss through the screen. “Enjoy the rest of your workout!”
“Will do!” she said, hanging up and leaving you with just enough time to finish getting ready before Karasu was supposed to arrive.
When you got downstairs, the first thing your mother did was clap. This gained the attention of your father, who nodded at you in a crisp, paternal way which meant he approved but was too emotional to say it. 
“You look beautiful, honey!” your mother said, pretending to wipe away a tear. “I can’t believe my baby is going on her first date.”
“It’s not that big of a deal,” you said, rubbing your arm. “Do you really think I look nice?”
“Yes,” your father said, pausing the soccer match he was watching. “What’s that young man’s name, again? Kimitsu? I expect him to come inside and greet us before taking you out, like a proper gentleman would.”
“It’s Karasu,” you said. “And no, why would he waste his time doing that?”
“Nowadays, the youth just text one another once they’ve arrived,” your mother said sagely. “I watched a video about it on social media.”
“That’s appalling,” your father said with a sneer. 
“He’s not an appalling guy, father, it’s just more convenient that way,” you said. 
“If he can’t even push aside his own convenience to do something so simple, then how can he be a proper boyfriend?” your father said. “You deserve someone who goes above and beyond.”
“That’s true,” your mother said. “But social conventions and whatnot have changed. You can’t expect him to do something he doesn’t even know that he should do.”
“He should’ve been born with the knowledge,” your father griped. You rolled your eyes.
“Father, please just give him a chance,” you said. “Anyways, it’s only one date. There’ll be plenty of time for whatever you’re talking about later, if it even progresses to that point.”
Your father opened his mouth, but whatever he was going to say next was cut off by a firm knock. Your parents exchanged looks before glancing at you in surprise; you shrugged, equally as taken aback as they were. All three of you crept towards the foyer, your mother shoving you forward and then drawing back to stand beside your father, giving you an encouraging thumbs up as you brushed yourself off and then opened the door. 
Karasu was waiting there, a bouquet of pale pink and white tulips in his right hand. When he noticed you standing before him in shock, he blushed slightly, shoving them into your arms and thumping his fist lightly atop your head in reprimand.
“I brought these for you, idiot,” he said. “I hope you like them. I had my sister help me pick them out so that they were perfect.”
The thought of him going to buy flowers with his older sister was oddly endearing. Maybe it was the fact that he had gone to such lengths for such a simple gesture, or maybe it was the way he was standing so stiffly, like he wasn’t sure whether you’d be pleased or not, but something about the gift made you relax upon its receival. He was nervous, too; it wasn’t just you who was scared about messing up. You and Karasu, you were in this together, and you thought that it was a little bit easier to stomach if it was like that.
“They’re really pretty,” you said. “I love them. Would you like to come inside while I put these in a vase? If you want, you can meet my parents. They’re kind of intense, though, so apologies if they say something strange.”
“I don’t mind,” he said, stepping in behind you. Your parents immediately pretended like they hadn’t been eavesdropping, your mother busying herself with rubbing at an imaginary smudge on the mirror propped up against the far wall, your father straightening one of the paintings hanging by the door. “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. L/N. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Tabito Karasu.”
“Kimitsu, eh?” your father said, puffing out his chest threateningly. Unfortunately, given Karasu’s height and impressive musculature, it was incredibly hard for almost anyone to seem threatening compared to him; thankfully, Karasu did not point this out, only smiling politely and offering your father his hand to shake.
“No, sir, it’s Karasu. Like the bird,” he said. Your father shook his hand warily, and before you could die from the secondhand embarrassment, you escaped to the kitchen, pulling out a vase from one of the cabinets and filling it with water so that you could put the flowers in it.
“Looks like you’ve got yourself quite a catch there,” your mother said, joining you in the kitchen. “He’s handling himself quite admirably in front of your father. And he even brought you flowers!”
“He did, didn’t he?” you said, admiring the splayed out bouquet. “They really are nice.”
“He did a good job picking them out,” your mother agreed.
“Him and his sister,” you corrected her. She tilted her head.
“It’s nice to see that he values her opinion. That tells me that he’ll probably value yours, too, if things between you two ever get serious,” she said.
“They’ll never get serious if father chases him off right here and now, though,” you said, taking one last look at the flowers and smiling to yourself. “I should probably go rescue him.”
“Agreed,” your mother said. 
You were expecting the worst when you returned to the foyer, but to your surprise, it was a heartwarming scene you walked in on. Karasu was leaning against the door, telling your father some story with great animation, and by the looks of it, your father was completely invested in the tale, his initially hostile posture replaced with his typical laid-back slouch. As soon as he noticed your re-entrance, Karasu paused, prompting your father to look over at you.
“Y/N!” your father said. “Karasu here was just telling me about how he started playing soccer. You didn’t tell me he was the captain of Bambi Osaka!”
“I didn’t think that it was relevant,” you said. In hindsight, maybe you should’ve mentioned it; your father loved watching soccer, and there was no doubt in your mind that he would’ve been much more receptive to Karasu if he had known that the boy was so talented at his preferred sport.
“We’ll have to continue this conversation at another time, sir,” Karasu said. “And please, if you ever want to come to one of our games, let me know. I’ll make sure you get good seats. Captain’s privileges and all.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” your father said, though he was obviously delighted by the offer.
“I insist. Anything for Y/N’s family,” he said. You made a face at him behind your father’s back; when your father turned to look at you, you schooled your expression into a sweet smile, discreetly flipping Karasu off when he responded in kind and stuck his tongue out at you.
“Have a great time, alright?” your father said. “Don’t get back too late.”
“Text us if you need anything!” your mother said.
“Will do,” you said. “Come on, Karasu, let’s go, or else you’ll be stuck talking to my father about soccer for hours.”
You dragged him over to his car as he waved at your parents, who waved back. Only when the front door of your house was shut did you allow yourself to flick him on the forehead, causing him to whine and clutch the affected area dramatically.
“What was that for?” he said, opening the door to the passenger side and motioning for you to get in.
“You’re such a suck-up,” you said. “I can’t believe you talked to my father about your soccer journey for that long.”
“I want them to like me!” he protested. “Anyways, your dad’s a pretty cool guy. I can’t lie, I was kind of intimidated at first, but I think he warmed up to me in the end.”
“He definitely did, and you’re some kind of magician for that,” you said, still in disbelief that he had managed to charm both of your parents so thoroughly and in such a short time. “Also, flowers, really?”
“You said you liked them,” he said. “Did you not?”
“Of course I liked them!” you said. 
“Then why are you complaining?” he said.
“I’m not complaining. I’m just taken aback, that’s all. Sure, I’ve never been on a date or anything before, but from what I’ve heard from my friends who have, the first ones tend to not be quite so…nice? Nice, yeah, I think that’s the word,” you said.
“To be fair, their first dates were probably also their first times actually meeting their partners,” he said. “On the other hand, we’ve known each other for years, so it’s a little different. More importantly, what do you mean when you say you’ve never been on a date?”
“I guess this is why you’re not number one in Modern Literature,” you said with an over-exaggerated sigh. “You see, when I say I’ve never been on a date, what I mean by that is I have not, in fact, gone on a date with anyone before. Should I explain it in simpler language so that it’s more on your level? Me no date. Me single forever.”
“That’s embarrassing,” he said.
“Okay, Mr. Playboy,” you said. “What, do you go on dates every weekend or something? Next you’ll tell me you buy all of them flowers, too. And here I was, feeling special.”
“Nope, I’ve never been on a date either, but it’s different,” he said.
“Why?” you said.
“Because I’ve just never asked someone,” he said. “I’ve liked the same girl since middle school, so I didn’t see the point in going on dates with anyone else. For you, though, it’s just because no one ever asked you.”
“How do you know I didn’t just reject everyone that asked?” you said.
“Did you?” he said.
“No,” you admitted. “No one asked.”
He snorted. “Like I said. Embarrassing.”
“Hey! It’s your fault, so quit it with the smug act,” you said.
“How is it my fault?” he said. “Oh, wait, is it because of the rumors that we’ve been dating for years now?”
“Yup,” you said. “People were way too scared of you to approach me.”
“Good,” he said with a smirk. “That means I did my job well.”
“Hold on,” you said, his earlier comment finally registering in your mind. “Since middle school? Who the hell have you liked for that long, and why didn’t you just ask her out sooner? It’s a little sad that you didn’t.”
“You’d think, given your grades, that you’d be bright in real life, too, but I can see that that’s not the case,” he said. “Obviously, I’m talking about you. Why else would we be going on a date right now?”
“Oh, right,” you said. “Holy shit. You’ve liked me for that long?”
He turned redder and redder with each passing second, his grip on the steering wheel tightening as he slunk down in his seat. You watched him in amusement, finding the shyness — which contrasted so harshly with his typically loud personality — to be sweet, in the same way a baby animal learning to walk was.
“Shut up,” he said.
“You should’ve said something,” you said. 
“Considering how set you were on hating me, I don’t think that it would’ve done much if I had. Ironically, as hurtful as it was for you to fall all head over heels for that Yukimiya guy, it was the best thing that could’ve ever happened to me, because it somehow made you realize that you don’t absolutely despise me. I’ll have to thank him if we ever meet,” he said.
“You do that,” you said, reaching over to pat him on the shoulder. “Although, if you’re in the business of thanking people, you should reach out to Hiori first. He did you a favor, even if he had an admittedly unorthodox method of going about it.”
“He’s kind of an interesting little guy, don’t you think?” Karasu said. “Like, I want to study him and figure out how his mind works.”
“Aw, don’t be mean,” you said. “He was really sweet.”
“I’m not saying it in a bad way! Besides the fact that he pretty much hates soccer, which is ironic given that he plays for one of the best youth clubs in the country, he’s relatively harmless. It’s just that the way he goes about things is so peculiar, and I feel like I need to know what the thought process behind his decision-making is,” he said.
“That’s fair,” you said. “He told me he’s been observing you.”
“He tried to follow me home one day,” he said. “It was freaky. I thought I was going to get robbed.”
“No way! I thought he was going to rob me, too!” you said.
“Guess that’s an alternative career path for him, if being an athlete doesn’t work out,” Karasu mused.
“You’re horrible,” you said. “Maybe he has a rough home life and doesn’t know any better. You should be kind.”
“What? I am kind! I’m super kind! Why do you think he’s so interested in me? It’s because of the kindness that radiates off of me in waves!” he said. You glanced at him out of the corner of your eye in disbelief.
“That’s not kindness radiating off of you, that’s the scent of your hair gel,” you said. “Speaking of which, Karasu, I bet you’d look so handsome without it. Please stop. For me.”
“Just because you said that, I’m going to put on even more the next time I see you,” he said haughtily. “And for your information, it is hair wax. Not gel.”
“Right, because the difference between the two is astounding,” you said. “My deepest and sincerest apologies. I’ll do better next time.”
“Good,” he said.
“So,” you said after a moment. “Where are we going, exactly? You refused to tell me, so I had to make an educated guess with my outfit. I hope it’s okay.”
Luckily, the light turned red, so he could stop and look you over with a critical eye. He must’ve been satisfied by whatever he saw, as he hummed in approval and returned his attention to the road, just in time for it to turn green again.
“Yeah, you look pretty,” he said. “And I didn’t tell you because it’s a surprise. You’ll like it, though.”
“I hope so. I turned down a bowling trip for this,” you said.
“I turned that trip down, too,” he said.
“True,” you said. “Oh, wait, this is only tangentially related, but since we’re on the topic of our friends…are any of your hot soccer buddies single?”
“What?” he said, voice turning high-pitched momentarily. “Why would you ask that?”
“My best friend is in the market,” you said.
“I see,” he said, once again speaking in his normal tone. You blinked in confusion before deciding it wasn’t even worth questioning him. “Most of them are single, but they’re not the type I’d let within fifty feet of any girl I knew, so it’s your call whether or not that’s the kind of person you want to set her up with.”
“Absolutely not,” you said.
“I’ll keep an eye out in the future, though,” he promised you. “Wanna play music?”
“I can. What do you like?” you said.
“Anything you like,” he said. Not up to arguing, and also having a sinking suspicion that his music taste was probably something obscure and nigh-unlistenable, you decided you might as well put your own playlist on shuffle in the hopes that he at least liked some of the songs.
The two of you were driving for a while, mostly listening to the music you were playing and occasionally commenting on whatever interesting things you zoomed past. Sometimes, if a song you both recognized came on, you’d scream the lyrics at one another, each trying to outcompete the other for who knew the song best, but it was a lighthearted form of disagreement, more fun than anything. 
In fact, you were actually sad when you reached the parking lot and he pulled into a spot, turning off the car and getting out so that he could open your door for you. You had enjoyed the drive so much that you had forgotten you actually had plans to go to dinner, so you could not help feeling a little disappointed — well, right up until you looked around at the scenery and let out a gasp.
The restaurant was by the ocean, and the seating was in an open patio, the ceiling lined with twinkling lights and flowers blooming in hanging pots. The tables were covered in white tablecloths, and the water was so close that you could hear the steady way it lapped against the sand, the soft hush-hush sound far superior to any random pop song you could’ve turned on.
“I don’t know what to say,” you said as you followed Karasu into the restaurant. He offered you his hand, and you took it immediately, your fingers fitting perfectly between his. “How did you find this place? I thought you hated the ocean.”
“Believe me, I do,” he said with a scoff. “Excuse me? We have a reservation for two. The name is Karasu.”
“Right this way,” the hostess said, beckoning you after her, leading you both to a secluded table in the corner, which was decorated like the rest with a candle and a rose in a jar serving as the centerpiece. You sat across from Karasu and accepted the menu that the hostess handed you, leafing through it and considering what you wanted to order.
“If you do, then why’d you pick here of all places?” you said.
“Because. Do you remember last year, when all of us were eating lunch together and we had that debate about what the best first date would be like?” he said.
“Vaguely?” you said, wracking your brain, trying to pinpoint the exact day he was talking about. “Oh, wait, yeah!”
It was uncharacteristically warm out, and so your friends had insisted on eating in the courtyard. Sadly, this meant that you had to beg Karasu and his group to let you sit with them, as they always managed to get the best tables before anyone else could. That day, it seemed that you were in luck — Karasu only glanced at you before nodding and telling you that it was fine if you wanted to join them.
Somehow, the conversation turned to dating and romance. One of Karasu’s teammates was going on a date for the first time, and now all of you were giving your two cents about what you thought the perfect first date ought to be.
“Definitely not a movie,” your best friend said adamantly. “You can’t get to know someone if you’re watching a movie the whole time. It’s totally unromantic and an absolute turnoff. If a guy asked me to go to the movies with him on a first date, I’d say no.”
“Harsh, but fair,” one of Karasu’s friends said. “Going out for coffee is pretty popular nowadays, isn’t it? It’s easy to leave, too, so if things aren’t going great, you can just pay and get out.”
“Getting coffee wouldn’t be horrible,” your best friend said. “Though I feel like it shows a lack of planning and effort.”
“I agree,” you chimed in. “I would like to go for a nice dinner. It would be really special if it was by the ocean — I mean, I love the beach, so I think a guy taking me there would show me that he’s really serious about me and pays attention to the things I say.”
“How would he pay attention to the things you say if you’ve never met before? This is a first date, remember?” your best friend said.
“I can’t see myself dating somebody without being friends with them beforehand,” you said, shaking your head. “I’d want to know what kind of person they are before ever agreeing to pursue something further. So, given that constraint, they should know things about me like my fondness for the sea, and if they don’t, then they obviously aren’t someone who I’d want to be with.”
“You aren’t even friends with any guys,” Karasu said, speaking up for the first time in that insufferable voice of his. You scowled at him; he grinned and held his hands up in the air. “Just saying. Where do you think this magical dude who knows you like the ocean and wants to take you to dinner is going to manifest from? Outer space?”
“I’m sure one day I’ll meet someone who fits my criteria, and then things will go splendidly. You see, for me, it’s a scarcity issue — there just isn’t anyone around here who I’d ever want to date, so I don’t even bother hoping it’ll happen,” you said.
“Nobody? There’s not a single guy at this school you’d go out with?” he said.
“Not willingly,” you said.
“Jeez,” he said. “Tough customer. You need to be prettier to have standards like that.”
“Ugh, you are just the worst!”
“You told me I wasn’t pretty enough to have standards as high as mine are,” you recalled. “Rude.”
“That’s the only thing you can think of? Really?” he said.
“Well…” You bit the inside of your cheek, acting as if you were fascinated by the menu. “I seem to have said something about wanting to go for dinner by the beach for a first date.”
“Mhm,” he said. “You said it would show you that a guy is really serious about you and pays attention to the things you say if he did something like that.”
“Are you?” you said.
“Am I what?” he said.
“Really serious about me,” you said. “Obviously you pay attention to things I say, but what about the first part?”
He furrowed his brow at you. “No, not at all.”
“Huh?” you said.
“I’m joking,” he said, nudging your leg under the table with his own. “Do you think I would’ve gone to all of this trouble if I wasn’t? Hurry up and pick what you want to eat. It’ll be so weird if the waitress comes and you don’t know what you want.”
You would’ve argued, but you were too busy feeling giddy about his confession, so you complied with his instructions for once. Karasu seemed surprised, so you shot him a smile over the top of your menu, earning you a blush which spread from his cheeks to his nose and the tips of his ears.
The food at the restaurant was as good as the atmosphere, and to your surprise, it was easy to talk to Karasu for the duration of the entire meal. You had been afraid that you would run out of things to say, but whether it was due to your shared history or Karasu’s naturally outgoing personality, you found that there was no end to the conversation.
When the waitress came with the check, Karasu immediately slapped his credit card on it, glaring at you so fiercely when your fingers inched towards your purse that you actually felt cowed.
“It’s really alright,” you said.
“I’ll come over there and hold your hands down if you try to pay,” he warned you, wiggling his fingers at you threateningly. You wrinkled your nose.
“If you’re going to be so stubborn about it, then fine,” you said. “Can we go down to the beach once she comes back with your card?”
“Do we have to?” he said.
“No, of course we don’t have to, I just thought that, since we had come all of this way, we might as well,” you said. 
Karasu’s lips pursed into an uneasy expression, but he nodded. “Okay, we can.”
You beamed at him. “Thanks! I know it’s not your favorite, but I promise it’ll be fun if we go together.”
“Sure,” he grumbled. “Whatever you say.”
As soon as he had his card back, you left the restaurant behind, traipsing towards the sand until you were on the beach proper. The sun had set already, and the moon’s reflection on the water was like a silver blot, seeping into the sparkling waves and melting amongst the pinpricks of the stars. As you gazed out at the horizon, Karasu intertwined his fingers with yours, and when you turned, you saw that he was looking at you in much the same way that you had been looking out to the sea.
“I want to go in,” you said. “You don’t have to! I just want to dip my feet.”
“Alright,” he said softly. “We can do that.”
“Aren’t you afraid?” you said.
“Yes,” he said. “But I’ll try anyways.”
You smiled, kicking off your shoes and watching him do the same before he leaned down, refusing to let go of your hand as he rolled up the cuffs of his pants so that they did not get wet. Then, tentatively, he stepped forward, screwing his eyes shut as the tides splashed against your ankles.
“Why are you scared of the water?” you said, urging him deeper with a squeeze of your hand. He followed you willingly, though he did not open his eyes. 
“I hate it,” he said. “I just do. I can’t explain why. When I was a kid, my sister took me to the pool and tried to teach me how to swim, but I cried and I cried, so she gave up. Pretty mediocre, don’t you think? But I can’t bring myself to get over it.”
“Do you think you’ll drown?” you said.
“Maybe,” he said. “Or maybe not. It’s the uncertainty that drives me crazy. When you’re in the water, you’re completely at its mercy, and I don’t like that. I don’t like trusting anyone but myself.”
Of course. The ever-independent Karasu, who was always so self-assured and arrogant…no wonder he hated the water. It was the one force which even he could not rise above, which could kill him if it wanted to, which he was powerless to resist. Being at someone else’s mercy went directly against his nature — so why, then, did he always give himself up for you? Why was he telling you this, when you could be quite sure he had never told anyone else? Why was he chasing after you as you pulled him further and further into an unknown territory?
By the time the water reached his knees, the currents swishing about around your legs playfully, he was all but trembling, though he did not otherwise protest. Working your hand free from his death grip, you waited for him to open his eyes, which he did with a swiftness that left you reeling.
He had an arresting sort of stare, you thought, especially in the moonlight — a kind of dancing wildness which defied explanation. There was not a trace of his typical mischief in his blown pupils when they landed upon you, only fear and awe in equal measure, mixing into a writhing shade as dark as the sky at midnight. An impatient breeze whipped against your face as he reached for you, and for some reason, that moment was what made you very, very certain that you liked him. You liked him more than you had ever liked anyone before. You liked him more than should be possible.
The tips of his fingers dug into your waist as he held onto you for dear life, and slowly, carefully, you allowed your arms to snake around his neck. Besides flinching whenever the water splashed particularly high, he did not move a muscle, though he swallowed when you leaned closer to him.
“Karasu — Tabito,” you said. “Tabito, it’s okay. Even in the water, I’ll be there for you. I was first in the class for swimming, right? So I’ll never let you drown. As long as I’m with you, nothing will happen. Do you believe me when I say that?”
“Yes,” he said. “I do.”
He was reaching his limit, though, and you could tell because he was shifting from foot to foot, eyeing the water warily, his jaw clenched at every ebb and flow. You nodded firmly and then twisted so that you could pick your way back to the shore.
“Let’s go home,” you said.
“Not yet,” he said. In an unexpected role reversal, he yanked you back, extending one hand to steady you when you stumbled and then, before you could comprehend what was happening, tangling the other in your hair, crushing his mouth against yours without abandon.
It was rough and tasted like sea salt, the way he kissed you, all messy and shaky and heady and furious. You were left breathless and clinging to him so that you were not swept away, his shirt bunching up in your fists, his hands roaming up and down your sides like a current. 
“Now we can go,” he said, pulling away and flashing you that same cocky grin he always wore, though it was more hesitant than usual, which was either a product of the water’s presence or yours. “Yeah? I think I’ve had more than enough of the beach for the rest of this year.”
“Yeah,” you said once you had regained your wits about you. “Yeah, my parents, I don’t want them to worry, so we should probably — we should probably go.”
“Hm,” he said, resting his forehead against yours. “A couple more minutes wouldn’t hurt though, right?”
“No,” you said immediately. “Not at all.”
“Then what would you say if I asked if we could spend just a little longer here?” he said.
“I think I would say yes,” you said. “Yes. For as long as possible, I want to be here.”
“You’d say that to anyone,” he teased as you walked towards where your shoes lay on the dry sand. You shook your head.
“No,” you said. “Not to anyone. Just you.”
“Is that so?” he said. “Man. It’s hard to be around you when you say stuff like that. It’s hard to listen to, I can’t lie. If anyone else said something so overly sweet, I’d make fun of them.”
“As if you wouldn’t make fun of me,” you said.
“Normally, I would,” he agreed. “But I’ll make an exception this time. It’s our first date, after all. I have to act like a gentleman so you agree to go on a second one.”
“I’ll go on a second one,” you said. “And a third, if you want. A fourth and a fifth, even.”
“That many?” he said. “I must’ve done something right today, then.”
“You did a lot of things right,” you said. “It almost made up for the lifetime of assholery you have led up until this point.”
“I tried,” he said with a wink. “So. Where do we go next time?”
“How about you pick? You did everything I wanted to today, so it’s only fair if I return the favor,” you said. 
“I’ll think about it and let you know,” he said. “Oh, and hey, Y/N?”
“Yes?” you said, looking up from where you were putting on your shoes.
“I didn’t mean what I said back then,” he said.
“Back when?” you said.
“Every time I called you ugly or whatever,” he said. “I didn’t mean it. You’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.”
“I didn’t mean it, either,” you said. “You know, when I told you there wasn’t a single guy at our school that I’d go out with. Turns out there’s one.”
“Lucky fellow,” he said. “Getting to have the Y/N L/N as his girlfriend and all. He hit the jackpot.”
“That he did,” you said. “So I’m your girlfriend, then?”
His eyes widened. “Ah. I mean, only if you want to be.”
“Yeah,” you said. “I want to be.”
“Then I guess you are,” he said. You were planning on responding in a romantic way, but as you tried to come up with something to say, you happened to notice the time on your phone.
“Oh, fuck! My parents are going to kill me if we don’t leave right now!” you said.
“Not on my watch! I finally got you to be my girlfriend. There’s no way I’m letting you die now!” he said, grabbing your arm and taking off in a sprint towards the parking lot. You did your best to keep up with him, though it was difficult when you kept doubling over with laughter at his urgent pleas for you to hurry so that he didn’t lose any of the favor he had curried with your father.
Maybe your best friend hadn’t been so far off the mark, after all. Once you were settled in the passenger seat of his car, you pulled out your phone and texted her, knowing that she was probably waiting anxiously in her room for an update.
‘date went well. get started on that speech.’
Tumblr media
145 notes · View notes
boqvistsbabe · 2 months
Text
truth or dare - matthew tkachuk
A/N: this is for the summer fic exchange!! I got the chance to write for @ohmyeyesmyeyes as a part of @wyattjohnston 's summer fic exchange. I was pretty nervous because tbh I havent written in so long mostly because of writers block, but here it is! Super excited to have been able to take part in this especially cause it got me out of a writer's block lol. I absolutely loved doing this. Also in this Matt and McDavid are friends. Hope you enjoy it!!
Warnings: Some swearing but I think that's it! (also my computer started acting weird halfway through so the formatting got a little funky so apologies for that)
Wordcount: 4,705
So it finally happened. Matthew had won the Stanley Cup. And you somehow found yourself driving from St Louis down to the Lake of the Ozarks to celebrate with him and his family. 
To be completely honest you don’t know why you were invited, Matt and you texted every once in a while for birthdays and other holidays, maybe congrats on a game or promotion, and maybe saw each other when he visited home occasionally but nothing like when you were kids growing up together. You were in the same grade as Brady and quickly became best friends with him. With how much family means to the Tkachuks, you were easily brought in as one of their own. Being brought on family vacations, going to the lake each summer, and traveling to the boys’ and Taryn’s games was a big part of your younger years. Though you were best friends with Brady, there was always something about Matt that drew you to him. He treated you just like one of his siblings always teasing and trying to beat you in games but as you got older things changed. You’re not exactly sure when or why but he stopped messing around with you so much, he still hung out with you but when it was just the two of you it was less teasing and more deep talks about the future and what it held for both of you. Of course, you ended up having a little crush on him, he was too nice and familiar for you to not. Even though you never told a single soul about it, you had a suspicion Chantal knew anyway.
When he made it to the NHL he moved and you stayed in St Louis you kept in touch, making weekly calls and texting all of the time. Then he got a girlfriend and you started hearing from him less and less. You understood of course, things change as you grow up and life goes on. Though you still stayed close with Brady and Taryn when they moved on to college and the league.
Flashforward to playoffs this year, you were watching whatever games of Matt’s you could like always and then the Panthers won, and you got a text from Matt saying you should join the family at the lake to celebrate “like old times”. You had asked Taryn if she thought it was a good idea when you FaceTimed the night after and she told you of course and looked at you like you were stupid for suggesting otherwise. She didn’t know about the silly little crush you still had on him so of course she would think that. Brady knew though, not fully but you slipped up one time when you were drunk and he won’t let you live it down. 
So here you were taking time off work for the first time in forever, driving two hours to get to the lake to celebrate a man you were probably in love with. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Matthew’s POV
“Brady would you stop that!” I was fed up with him bugging me right now. Everyone had made it to the lake so far, Sasha, McDavid, all the other guys their plus ones, and of course my family. The only one left to show up was Y/N. At first, I wasn’t even sure she would accept my offer. I knew she had been working a bunch and honestly didn’t know if she was keeping up with hockey anymore. She liked it a lot when we were younger but things can change. And with us not being super close anymore I didn’t know if it would be worth it to her. Thankfully according to Brady, she left like two and a half hours ago so she should be here any minute. 
But Brady won’t leave me alone about the whole Y/N thing. I don’t see what the problem was, I wanted to see an old friend and this was a good excuse to do so. Well, that’s exactly what I had told my family, it’s not entirely untrue. I just didn’t tell them about how when I was lifting that cup in the air I couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like to have her there with me. When I first made it to the show I was still hung up on her so I dated around to distract myself. Never anything too serious, the whole point was just to get my mind off of her so I could focus on hockey I wasn’t trying to get caught up on someone else too. Of course, it never really worked, which is why I got up the courage to even ask her to come. As soon as I got back to the locker room after that game and had a moment to myself, I texted her. Brady was there and being nosey as usual saw my text from over my shoulder and won’t stop bugging me about it. 
My plan was just to have her come here to just see her again. Yeah maybe partially because I want to see if that little spark is still there, but also just because I hope we can get closer again. I hope we can.
~~~~~~~~
Y/N POV 
You pull in front of the garage, put the car in park, and give yourself to breathe for a second. The second doesn’t last long though.
“Y/N!!! You’re here!!” Taryn was running up to your car with Brady right behind her. And there he was, Matthew Tkachuk standing there in all his Stanley Cup Champion glory on the porch watching his siblings pull you from your car and into a big hug.
“Matt you can’t just stand there and watch them maul me and not even try to do anything!” You shouted over to him even as you squeezed Brady and Taryn tighter. It had been months since you had seen either of them in person and you were planning on savoring every moment you had with them, and Matt before you all had to return to your busy lives. 
Matt started making his way to the three of you a big smile on his face, “Ahh you’re right, I’ve got to join in.” 
Next thing you knew, another set of arms was wrapped around you. Maybe Matt was right, it was gonna be just like old times. They all let you go and you turned to give Taryn her own hug first.
“Hey kid, I missed you.” Somehow it feels like she’s gotten taller since the last time you saw her. Taryn responds with a, “You’re not that much older… but I missed you too.” 
Brady’s next and you get a hug and a big paw messing up your hair like he always did when you were younger. When he lets you go you turn to the only one left, Matt who’s standing there smiling at your interactions with his siblings. You’re trying to fix your hair from Brady messing it up and he reaches over and tucks a piece of hair back to help out. Then Brady says something about helping Mom with dinner and drags Taryn along with him. 
You mumble a thanks to Matt and he opens up his arms and you step into them. 
“Thanks for coming, it means a lot,” Is mumbled into your hair. 
“Yeah of course Superstar.” The old nickname falls out of your mouth unintentionally.  
“Oh my gosh, I’m never going to escape that am I?” You’re still hugging him.
“Definitely not now with the Cup to prove it.” He laughs but is still hugging you too. 
You take a step back and wipe your hands on your shorts not knowing what to do with them. 
“Alright let’s get your stuff and then I’ll help you get it inside, you’re staying in Taryn’s room since she’ll be in the basement with her friends.” 
“Alright works for me.” 
~~~~~~
As you make the trek up the two flights of stairs to the upper floor you’re grateful for Matt taking your bags. You forgot how steep the stairs were. You make it to Taryn’s room before you notice that the corner room, the one next to yours has plastic covering the doorway. Without turning you ask him what happened.
“Oh a big storm came through a couple of weeks ago and a tree fell on that corner of the house.” He shrugs and reaches around you to open the door to Taryn’s room. 
“Isn’t that your room though?” You haven’t moved into the room yet.
“Uh yeah, I’m just staying on the couch and keeping my stuff in Brady’s room.” He nudges you forward and you move into the room, setting your backpack on the bed before turning to him.
“Why don’t you take Brady’s room and make him sleep on the couch? This is like your thing, you shouldn’t be sleeping on the couch.” 
Matt shrugs, “ His girlfriend is staying here too so they get a room and I’m fine with the couch.” 
“Matt you should sleep here and I’ll take the couch and leave my stuff with Taryn and the girls.” You move to grab your stuff from him, but he doesn’t let you.
“Absolutely not, you’re a guest and Mom would kill me.” He’s got a frown on his face that you refuse to admit to yourself is cute. 
“I don’t care, this is your gig I’m taking the couch.”  With that, you run out of the room and bolt down the stairs and Matt is hot on your heels as soon as he figures out what you’re doing. 
It’s not hard to locate Chantal and Keith, they’re out on the back deck grilling and watching the kids (aka Taryn and her friends) play with a volleyball in the yard. It seems like some of Matt’s friends from hockey are here too because they’re taking up the chairs scattered around the deck. But you barely pay attention to them, you’re on a mission.
“Chantal can you please tell your son to liste-” You’re cut off by a strong arm around your waist and a hand over your mouth. 
“Mom don’t listen to her please.” Matt is out of breath behind you, holding tight cause he knows as soon as he lets go you’ll convince his mom to agree with you like always.
“You two are already back at it huh? Hi Y/N it's good to see you, honey. What am I trying to agree to?”  She looks amused at the spectacle of you two. She’s used to it, this is exactly something that would happen whenever you wanted one of the boys to listen to you when you were kids. You would run to Chantal and get her on your side without letting her know the real context so you would get your way. She thought it was hilarious and always sided with you because you were always right. 
“Mom she’s trying to take the couch and make me sleep in Taryn’s room.” You lick his hand and he immediately retracts it and Keith laughs. He doesn’t let go of you though.
“Y/N you’re a guest you know better.” She’s giving you a look and you know you’ve already lost.
“But Chantal it's Superstar’s celebration, not mine! And he has camp starting here soon, we can’t have him in pain from sleeping on a couch.” You heard a few chuckles from the guys at the nickname. 
“If it’s that big of a deal to both of you just share the bed, it’s a king and it’s not like you haven’t shared before. Don’t give me those looks, you think I didn’t know about your little sleepovers?” You feel your face heat and refuse to look at Matt’s friends who are now 100% interested in what’s going on, “ I don’t care what y’all do but I don’t want to deal with arguing right now, it’s day 1. Now shoo and get stuff to set the table.”
Without speaking he lets go of you and you both turn and walk right back into the house and into the kitchen, the sound of laughter following you. The next couple of seconds are completely silent before you both burst into laughter. You make eye contact across the island and start laughing again. Together you get the tables set for dinner. 
“You know she’s not wrong, it’s a good compromise.” You look over to where Matt is perched on the counter. 
“What?” He can’t be suggesting what you think he is, if he is it’s a bad idea. 
“We could share, the bed is big enough and we’re both adults.” He shrugs, “ I don’t see why not. As long as you’re fine with it, I’m fine with it.” 
It’s a bad idea and you should say no, “Yeah I’m fine with it.” So your mouth and brain were not on the same page at all. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You’ve forgotten about that agreement until everyone is headed to their rooms or cabins and you’re standing in the doorway of the room watching Matt put his stuff up. You tell yourself it’s fine and move to grab your pajamas out of your bag.
“What side of the bed do you want?” Matt pops his head out the bathroom doorway to look at you.
“I don’t really care.” You shrug, you’d prefer the side by the window but you weren’t going to say that.
“If I remember right you like to sleep closer to the window, so I’ll take the side by the door.” Matt winks before shutting the door to change.
You’re not going to think anything of the wink or of the fact that he remembers little things about you. Instead, you plug your charger in on that side of the bed and set your water on that side table. When Matt gets out you take your turn. You change first then brush your teeth and wash your face before heading out to the bedroom. Of course, you manage to open the door right as Matt tugs off his shirt. You pause for just a second, taking in his muscular back and arms. When he starts to turn around you look away and start heading to your side of the bed. You don’t know why you were so shocked at him taking off his shirt, he always slept without a shirt on. Maybe it just felt a little different now, you stop that train of thought before it finishes leaving the station. 
You grab two of the big decorative pillows that Matt threw on the floor and place them next to each other in the middle of the bed.
“Really? I’m not gonna give you cooties I promise.” That teasing glint is in Matt’s eyes, “I’ll stick to my side of the bed don’t worry.” 
You roll your eyes before flopping into bed and snuggling up under the covers. 
~~~~~~~~
Waking up the next morning with a heavy arm draped around your waist wasn’t something your brain was able to process that early. Turning you realized it was Matt who was all cuddled up close. You try to wiggle away but it doesn’t work and he just holds on tighter. Sighing you reach over to grab your phone. You pull up the text thread to Brady and snap a quick picture of Matt snuggled up with you.
Y/N: he didn’t stay on his side of the bed and now he won’t let me go.
Brady: don’t pretend like you’re not enjoying it, also you should be thanking me rn 
Y/N: ???
Brady: you forgot to close the door last night, got this on my way to the kitchen. Dw i was up first and i shut the door
Attached to his message is a picture from the doorway of the room, and it clearly shows you half lying on top of Matt, face tucked into his neck and his arm wrapped around you. Before thinking better of it, you save the picture to your photos. 
Y/N: well fuck, thanks
Brady: yw, breakfast is ready when y’all are
Y/N: perfect thanks
Turning around you poke Matt until he stirs.
“What do you want, it's too early for this,” his eyes aren’t even open.
“So much for staying on your side of the bed and its 9:30 its not that early.” You tease, poking him again.
Matt’s eyes flutter open and he takes in the situation. Once he realizes his arm is around you, he quickly retracts it and brings his hands up to rub his eyes.
“Whoops sorry.” He doesn’t sound sorry at all.
“Uh huh sure. I’m gonna go get breakfast.” And with that, you roll out of bed, grab your phone and water, and slip out of the room.
~~~~~~~~
Matt’s POV
“Fuuucccckkkk.” I stretch out across the bed. I didn’t intentionally cuddle Y/N last night but oh well. She’s a good cuddler. Maybe I can convince her to cuddle tonight. Actually, maybe I need to stop thinking like that. Sitting up I grab my phone and see a notification from Brady.
Brady: if you don’t want everyone knowing about your little crush maybe you should remember to shut the door 
Right after the message is a picture of Y/N lying on top of me with her face tucked in my neck and a leg hooked around mine, I assume she wasn’t aware of this but if she was she conveniently left that out when teasing me about breaking the pillow wall.
Matt: shit did anyone else see, i don’t want anyone to bug her about it
Brady: nah just me, i shut the door on the way downstairs and I was the first one up.
Matt: K thx, she said breakfast is ready?
Brady: ya, get your ass down here and eat its boat day
Groaning I push myself up from the bed and head downstairs. And if I saved the picture to my phone who can blame me, it’s cute. 
~~~~~~~~
Brady POV
If these two don’t get their shit figured out before the end of the trip I’m gonna scream. They obviously like each other, and I know for sure Y/N has liked him for years and I’m pretty sure it’s the same for him. They just need to do something about it.
~~~~~~~~
Y/N POV
Boat day means us “kids” are out being stupid and Chantal and Keith stay home and get to relax by themselves. It also means you get to drive the boat because that’s your favorite part besides the actual wake surfing. And Matt and Brady know not to argue with you about driving. With so many people though you had to rent a second boat. This meant Brady and his girlfriend were on the boat with Taryn and her friends and you got stuck with Matt and his friends. Not that it would matter too much because you’d stick close together for the most part. 
When you left the dock Matt was sitting in the back with his friends but now he’s moving up to sit in the chair by you. He doesn’t say anything, it's far too loud to have a conversation right now. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Matt’s POV 
I can’t stop looking at her. I’m trying not to be too obvious, but she looks so pretty. The wind is pulling the hair out of her braid and the blue of her swimsuit looks so good on her. And even though I know she grew up on the lake with us, her knowing all about the boat and loving to drive it is so attractive for some reason.
Once we get far enough out she gets the boat stopped so we can set everything up. The guys have already decided who’s going in what order so I’ll probably stick up here with her while she’s driving. Even though she didn’t seem to mind about getting stuck with us I still feel a little bad. Plus I like being in her presence. 
~~~~~~~~~~
Y/N POV
“You know you can hang with the guys, they came here to see you.” You don’t turn to look at him, instead choosing to keep watching the boys get set up. 
“Yeah, I know but so are you. And I Like spending time with you so,” he just shrugs. 
So throughout the laps of the boys going one after another, he sat there next to you while you drove. Finally, it was his turn and then you were up next. And this continued till lunch when you all took a break to eat before starting back up again. 
It was the last run for everyone and Matt was up and you somehow ended up in the back watching him because one of the guys wanted to drive a lap. However, this lap was a little different. Matt ended up losing his balance and falling off the board but when that happened the board ended up catching his head as he fell into the water.
The boat stopped and he popped up like nothing was wrong but he had blood dripping down the side of his face starting at his eyebrow. 
“Matt you good man?” Came from McDavid. 
“Yeah, the board just barely caught me.” He seemed fine but you still wanted to make sure.
“Come up here I’m gonna check that out and make sure you’re actually okay.” You told him gesturing up front where the first aid box was. He followed without complaint. You motioned for him to sit in the captain's chair.
“I’m just gonna clean it up and put a bandage on it but once we get back to the house I might have to get something better okay?” You grabbed the kit and got an alcohol wipe out to clean up the blood. His curls had fallen in the way so you brushed them back before cleaning him up. He sat there without complaint, even though the alcohol probably burned a lot, looking up at you as you held his face to keep him still while you doctored him up. The cut wasn’t as bad as you originally thought, but it was still pretty bad. You grabbed the biggest band-aid you found and gently placed it over the cut. 
“Alright good to go.” You declared standing back up. 
“What no kiss for my boo-boo?” Matt teased.
Without even thinking about it you leaned down and kissed the band-aid before walking to the back of the boat to get ready for your last turn. Not even realizing the look Matt is giving you or the fact that Taryn is recording it all from where they stopped not too far away to make sure everything was okay. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After dinner that night it was time for the firepit. Chantal and Keith were inside in bed already, and Taryn and her friends were watching a movie, which meant truth or dare mixed with a little alcohol. Just like if you were all teenagers again.
Though not everyone was drinking it did surprise you that Matt wasn’t. This was normally his bread and butter. And when you asked he just shrugged it off. 
By the time the game actually started, you might’ve been just a little tipsy. Thankfully Matt was sitting next to you so at least knew who you were next to. Though maybe you were a little bit more out of it than you thought because you couldn’t stop looking at Matt and you’re pretty sure it’s really obvious but you also don’t really care.
At some point, someone asks you the age-old question of truth or dare. Normally you’re a truth kind of person but even through the alcohol, you can tell that drunk confessions might not be the best idea right now. Of course, the only other option is dare so you pick that, which in hindsight still might not be a great idea because you are far gone enough to agree to whatever dare they threw your way. 
“I dare you to kiss Matt, on the lips.” 
Oh, that was, unexpected. Especially considering it came from McDavid. 
You glanced over at Matt who looked like a deer in the headlights. You nudged him and he turned to look at you.
“I’m fine with it if you are?” You whispered to him.
“Are you sure, you’ve drank tonight I don’t want that to be influencing your decision.” He looked concerned which you found sweet. And even though you were drunk, you still wanted to kiss him. This might be your only chance and the alcohol is giving you the confidence you need.
“I’m sober enough to consent to it, but are you okay with it?”
“Yeah.” He was still looking at you, eyes jumping around different parts of your face before landing on your lips. So you did what any sane person would, slid your hand into the curls at the nape of his neck tugged him towards you, and kissed him. Your eyes fluttered shut and one of his hands came up to cup your face and the other wrapped around you to pull you closer. 
You broke apart to a couple of whistles from the guys and Brady saying something about how he doesn’t wanna see that.
Matt was still sitting closer to you, but you didn’t move away until you stood up to grab another beer.
Later on when it was time for everyone to go to bed you were on wobbly legs so Matt offered to give you a piggyback ride up the stairs and of course, you said yes. He brought you all the way into the room and dropped you back on the bed before disappearing into the bathroom.
“Thank you Mattyyyy!” Okay, maybe you were still a little drunk. Matt reappears and sets a cup of water and some pills on the side table.
“Yeah, not a problem. I’m gonna need you to go ahead and sit up so you can take this and not feel totally horrible in the morning.” You raised your arms and he grabbed your hands to tug you up so you could take the medicine. Once you get it down you flop back onto the bed, kick your shoes off, and curl up under the covers. 
“Come on Matty I wanna cuddle and you’re taking forever.” He had just gotten into the bathroom to change and get ready for bed. 
“Give me a second and I’ll be right out.” And sure enough he was. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Matt POV
I was royally fucked. 
That kiss, was good. Too good. Cause now I can’t stop thinking about it. 
After rinsing off my face I walked back out expecting Y/N to be asleep, but she was still awake waiting for me covers pulled back and everything. 
“Hurry up Matty,” she looked so cute snuggled up and ready for bed. So I climbed into bed next to her and she immediately tucked herself under my arm and was out a minute later.
Yeah I was in big trouble.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Y/N POV
Waking up the next morning sucked big time. Thankfully the planned hike was not until later this afternoon so after breakfast you could come right back upstairs to sleep some more. At least you could remember the night before. But also remembering the night before means you could remember the kiss and how good it was and then Matt getting you upstairs and taking care of you and of course you begging for cuddles. Which speaking of, Matt himself was still asleep and still holding you close. Though this morning you were able to roll out of his grasp before he could pull you back. You went to the bathroom and grabbed more medicine and some water before running downstairs and grabbing two granola bars. No one else seemed to be up either and you didn’t feel like making real food. 
When you got back upstairs Matt was sitting up in bed. You tossed one of the bars at him before crawling back in your side and opening up your own. 
“Everyone else is still asleep, and the hike isn’t untilater so after I eat this I’m gonna go back to sleep.” You exclaimed before eating your granola bar. 
“Alright. Thanks by the way. And if you don’t mind I’ll probably join you, we were up late last night and I’m tired.” You just shrugged in response because your mouth was full. 
True to your word both of you were back asleep after setting an alarm to give enough time for getting ready before the hike.
~~~~~~~~~~
You were all about halfway through the hike when it happened. Somehow you had managed to trip over a tree branch that was across the path. Through this area of the trail it was a small path so everyone was in a single file line and just just happened to be in the back. So no one even knew you fell until you tried to stand up and couldn’t put any pressure on your left foot without yelping in pain. As soon as they heard you they all turned to look to see what happened. And even though he was leading everyone, Matt made it to your first.
“Hey hey, what happened?” He asked as soon as he got to you, kneeling down next to you.
“I got caught on the branch and hurt my left ankle. I can’t stand up.” You had tears running down your face. More out of pain than anything else. 
“Alright, you probably sprained it. I’ll take you back and they’ll continue on okay?” He reached up to wipe your tears away and all you could do was nod. Your ankle really hurt.
He turned around to face the group, “Hey Brady, you keep leading everyone and I’m gonna take her back to the house, she can’t walk.” Brady said something in response but you didn’t even hear him. Before they left Taryn came back to tell Matt to keep them updated and give you a hug. 
When the group started on their way Matt turned to look at you again. 
“Okay I’m gonna have you get on my back and we’ll get back to the house that way okay?”
“Okay, thanks Matt. I’m sorry you have to deal with this instead of finishing the hike.” You did feel really bad.
“Hey hey no it’s fine, you didn’t mean to do this. And I’d rather take you back and know you’re okay than have someone else do it okay?” You ignored how that cause butterflies to errupt in your stomach and just nodded.
“Alright I’m gonna stand up and help you up then get you on my back alright?” You just nodded again.
Matt stood up before leaning down to grab you bridal style.
“When I set you down stand on your good foot and I’ll get lower so you’re able to hop on easier.”
“Okay.”
~~~~~~~~~~
You made it back to the house, Matt checking on you the whole way, making sure nothing else hurt and making sure he wasn’t hurting you.
Once you get inside Matt sits you down on the couch and disappears. When he comes back he has an ice pack and a bandage to go around your ankle. You lean down to start to undo your laces but he stops you and does it himself.
“Hey let me take care of you.”
“Thanks Matt. I really do appreciate it.” 
He makes quick work of getting you all bandaged up. And you both decide to have a little movie night and Matt gets up to get snacks and turn the lights off. And when he sits back down, he’s sitting a lot closer than before. And you don’t mind.
Eventually you do end up cuddling together, him pulling you close and you tucked in next to him but still with your foot resting on the coffee table in front of you. 
And that’s exactly how everyone finds you later when they get back. 
~~~~~~~~
Matt’s POV
Someone is shaking me. I open my eyes half expecting Y/N to be telling me I’m on her side. But its Mom and I’m in the living room and the TV is showing the ending credits.
“Honey I think y’all need to go to bed its late and y’all are tired. Is she okay?”
“Yeah she’s got a sprain. Nothing too bad thankfully but she is gonna be in pain for a bit.”
“Alright honey, go ahead on up to bed, I’ll see you in the morning.” 
I untangle myself from Y/N and stretch before standing up and lifting her to head upstairs. When I make it to our room and kick the door shut, lay her downa dntuck her in before laying down next to her. And when she automatically cuddles closer who can blame me when my heart flutters for a second.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Y/N POV
Today was the day everyone was leaving. Myself included. Thankfully the ankle I hurt was not the one I needed to drive. Matt of course helped me get everything to the car. By the time I’m ready to leave everyone but Matt and I are gone. And of course Chantal and Keith. 
I’m sitting in my seat procrastinating leaving. I have tomorrow off of work so I’m in no rush. And I want to keep talking to Matt who’s standing in the doorway of my car looking down at me with soft eyes.
“Hey Y/N?” Matt is suddenly serious.
“Yeah what is it?” 
“I like you.” 
“What?”
“I like you. Actually I think I kinda love you and I always have. And if you feel the same which I think you do, or at least I’m hoping you do, I’ll do whatever I can to make it work with us. Even though we would be so far apart. But I just had to telly you that before you left. If you don’t feel the same we can pretend this never happened, but for the record I really don’t want to have to forget that amazing kiss.” There’s a blush covering Matt’s whole face.
“Matt?” 
“Yeah?”
“I think I’m kind of in love with you too.” Relief washes over Matt’s face. 
“Can I kiss you Y/N?” 
You don’t answer, you just pull him close and plant one on him.
“And Matt,” he leans back to look at you again, “I think now is a good time to mention that I got a promotion that requires me to move out of St Louis.”
“I don’t care where you move if you want to I am willingto make it work no matter where you are.”
“Well me moving might make it a little easier on us.”
“Oh yeah? Where do you have to move to?” He rests his hands on your hips, a smile across his face.
“Well I kinda of have to move to Miami. So like maybe twenty minutes from you?” 
Matt’s smile somehow gets bigger as he lifts you up to spin around.
“I think that’s the best news I’ve heard in a long time.”
73 notes · View notes
dailymothanon · 4 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media
I’m back 🐶 thank you for being patient, things are relatively back to normal! Anyways I got some drawings… it’s the actual D&D au now! I’ve got plenty of ideas, but for now this is Alaska and Maine! Alaska is a Druid, circle of stars though his race is unknown (I also don’t have any general cloth ideas for him). It is noted he is very bird-like tho, no wings because he can just have a wild shape/starry form with a pair. Maine is a half human half beast, he’s quite prickly because unfortunately even in this au he still has to deal with the northeast 😒 (long rants of ideas below)
Tumblr media
I also have other ideas for other states, but I haven’t drawn them yet. For New Jersey I’m thinking like Nevada he is a fae folk but of a bee; and he was born with deformed and torn wings that resemble the Jersey devil’s. But due to his deformity his “hive” decided to just toss him out because they wanted a big strong community with no one holding them back 😒 so maybe Jersey had to barely survive out there on his own, and in later years NY could’ve found him (I like to think he is a human knight, merely because instead of his bat he can have a sword) and took him in 😌 (and they were roommates)
Another idea I’ve got is for Texas! I would like to think he is a mostly human gunslinger who is legally blind (not totally blind, tho still very blind) but sees thru heat & taste, much like a snake does. Maybe he collects bounties, I haven’t really thought much for his lore yet 🤔 but he is one of the best gunslingers out there despite his disability!
Cali is also one I’ve thought up, I think he could be a dragon rider. A funny idea is that he has a scam where he and his dragon makes this whole act where he pretends to be a princess damsel in distress, being held captive by the big bag dragon and people who come and try to “save” him but it just ends up with Cali robbing them 😒 (love me a big flawed character)
As for Alaska, he’s as stated, a Druid of the circle of stars! He comes from an unknown island (just imagine irl state of Alaska except disconnected to any continent tbh) that’s gatekeeped gaslighted girlbossed because they don’t want no colonizers or anything ofc. But Alaska grew up hearing all about the other outside lands and he wanted to go see it! So one day he ventured into the continents (the one that contains all the other states except for Hawaii) and yaddy yadda; and Alaska is actually very curious and friendly in this au because he doesn’t have the trauma of outsiders 😌 he has a pet(s?) dog with three heads (ofc, Balto Togo and Fido) to accompany him! I haven’t designed his starry forms yet btw. And also he doesn’t really know how his Druid magic works somehow 🧎 it’s mostly innate and learned behaviors and habits and traditions. It just comes naturally to him! This is the biggest difference between him and Mass with magic, think of Alaska’s Druid magic as traditional and natural, meanwhile Mass’s sorcery as artificial and learned and studied magic. So it’s hard to say who between the two is better at magic
Maine is a half-human-half-beast, he faces discrimination because of it and there aren’t much others like him in at home land. He mostly doesn’t care but the occasional person really gets to him. Not really sure why he is half beast yet tho I don’t have the lore for that. Mass keeps trying to pester Maine about learning magic, as Mass is one of the best magic users in his region (and he’s quite boastful/egotistical because of it) so he believes Maine might be really good too, and Mass wants him to be able to know it when in times of need, but Maine doesn’t really listen 🙄 though he is nimble and quite good at sneaking!
My last minor ideas is that Ginny is a great swordsman (race undecided), Mass is probably a human sorcerer, Nevada is a fae folk, Ny is a human knight, and Hawaii 🤔 some sorta sea/ocean critter maybe? Dunno yet. Anyways I hope these ideas are cool and that you guys like them! I also want to mention I probably wont post daily still, I wanna do what’s comfortable for me.
101 notes · View notes
alexthebordercollie · 12 days
Text
Tumblr media
Soooo I made thing. I will probably redraw this in the cannon style in the future. As for my own personal style for drawing GF stuff, I'm still fleshing it out. But I have another AU now. My Hand of God AU has Ford committing to Bill and spending years trapped in a very abusive relationship, also the apocalypse so that's fun. This one's the complete opposite direction. Ford and Fidds accidentally come into possession of a pair of twins, these boys end up being the motivation it took for Ford to cut things off with Bill and do whatever it takes to keep him from ever getting out.
(I've yet to flesh out exactly how these two were born but the boys were created through anomalous means.)
On the left is Nik (Nikola) An adrenalin junkie who loves adventure and is an absolute menace to society as is the Pines tradition. On the right is Newt (Newton), a pastel-loving soft boy who will cry if you tell him pink is a girl color and gets overly attached to every weird critter Ford brings home.
Nick is missing a pinkie because Bill cut it off while possessing Ford when he was a baby as a threat. Trying to scare Ford into compliance by threatening to kill the boys. Ford did some very unsafe brain surgery on himself to make it impossible for him to ever sleep again. Cutting off Bill's ability to control him for the most part.
Portal is gone, still living in Gravity Falls though, and keeping an eye out for anyone Bill might try to manipulate. Fidds and his wife are divorced. Emma has primary custody but Tate stays with them in GF during the summers where he often bullies Nik and Newt. But Nik and Newt don't tell their dads about it because they know how much Fidds loves his other son and they don't want to make things complicated for him. Tate is just taking out his frustration over his parents failed marriage on his half-siblings. Fidds takes the twins with him when he visits Tate and the rest of his family in California for Christmas. Ford stays behind because Emma hates him and he doesn't want to deal with her family.
Ford and Fidds aren't married both cause it's not legal yet but also tbh not sure they ever would regardless just cause Ford is pretty disinterested in those sorts of formalities. Whatever it is they have going for them right now works for him.
Heavy thoughts below the cut.
TBH I made myself sad thinking about autistic people and our relationships. The way we love isn't always obvious to NT people and it can sometimes feel like you're not good enough for anyone because loving people in the way you're expected to is such a struggle.
Sometimes I see people frame Ford^2 as this completely unrequited thing and it reminds me of the experience of loving people very intensely but feeling unable to prove it because it's so difficult to live up to the standards most people have in relationships.
I like Fiddlestan as a ship it's cute and a fun idea and I get the appeal but there's a little nagging thought in the back of my head that it kind of implies Ford's neurotypical brother is better. More capable of real love. That Ford was never good enough. Not to say Fiddleford didn't deserve better but the idea that these two couldn't have worked makes me kind of depressed for kind of personal reasons so I wanted to make up a universe where they do.
Not to say there isn't plenty of material of Ford and Fidds reconnecting as old men and making it work but the fact they lost so much of their lives to bad decisions is still sad.
45 notes · View notes
twit-ter-pa-ted · 11 months
Text
Apple of My Eye
Tumblr media
pairings: vinsmoke sanji x gn!Reader, straw hat crew x gn!Reader
warnings: can be romantic or platonic, can be opla/animanga (but more on animanga), everyone finding out in one fell swoop (thanks to reader), honestly a self-insert, includes the whooolee crew!!
overview: a headcanon wherein sanji has heterochromia, an optic condition where a person has two different colored eyes. moreover, you can't seem to get over those eyes.
a/n: this was inspired by and dedicated to a tiktok (@/drayiskewl) i saw tbh. got love at first sight w the idea. enjoy!
Sanji was cooking while you watched, feet swinging as your seat was too tall for them to be able to reach the floor.
He seemed to have been quite engrossed in his cooking, as he only noticed your staring once he was finished.
"Hm? Anything I can do for you, lovely?" He wiped his hands on the 'I like big buns and I cannot lie' apron the crew had gotten for him on his birthday (partly as a joke, though Luffy gifted it wholeheartedly).
You curiously tilted your head to the left. Wordlessly, he mimicked your action.
Your hand then lifted reluctantly, getting closer and closer to his face. Sanji never had a problem with people getting touchy with him, much less you getting touchy, so he decided to let things play out to see what you would do.
Though, being on the same boat as you for god knows how long surely didn't help him in predicting what you would do next.
You brushed your fingers through his hair, specifically brushing aside his fringe adorned over his eye.
"H-Hey, wait a minute – " His cheeks turned pink while you stared in adoration at his mocha-iceberg eyes.
He tried to take your hand's gentle grasp off his hair. His fumbling came to a stop as he looked at the smile on your face as you looked at his eyes.
He chuckled, almost nervously as if easing himself into the fact that you were seeing his blue eye.
He initially didn't intend to hide it, attempting to casually slip it into conversation if it ever came up as a topic, but it never did. So he figured it didn't matter whether the crew knew or not.
"What, you like them, sweets?"
You grinned. "Yeah-huh. They're pretty." You leaned back onto your seat.
"Well, if I'd known, I'd have constantly pulled back my hair." He humorously pushed his hair back.
"Sanji! Give me food!" Luffy came marching into the kitchen with the demand, then his eyes widened as he saw Sanji's. "Woah! Sanji, is that really your eye?"
He practically jumped on the chef as he kept Sanji's usually hidden eye open to examine it.
"Do you really have to ask that – ?"
"It looks so cool! Can you teach me how to do that? Ooh, food!" He spotted the recently cooked food while Sanji was speaking. His attention quickly averted from the cook's eyes to his dishes.
" – Hold on, Luffy!" Sanji stepped back to bring his foot down onto the captain's head.
"Ow!"
Usopp and Chopper barged into the kitchen in a panicked manner. "Sorry, Sanji! We looked away for one second – woah!"
It was almost as if there were stars in their eyes. "They're so mesmerizing…!"
You chuckled, looking at Sanji's eyes again. "Aren't they?"
Chopper opted to jumping on the counter, though quickly changed his mind as he thought what Sanji's reaction could be to that, so he changed into his human-hybrid form and quickly took out a flashlight and a magnifying glass to examine his eyes.
"I've never seen anyone with this before!" He seemed to be the most fascinated so far. Or perhaps it was just in his nature as a doctor to be curious about it.
Sanji's eyes widened as they darted between you, Usopp, and Chopper. "S-Stop staring, would you?!"
Usopp let out an exclamation. Chopper suddenly recognized that he had jumped into Doctor Mode before thinking and snapped out, returning to his normal, smaller form.
He and Usopp then each grabbed a hold of Luffy's shoulders. It was their turn to keep Luffy out of the kitchen, after all. "S-Sorry!"
The other half of Luffy's body stretched and lagged behind, considering the Straw Hat didn't want to leave, yet soon came hurling out the door and towards the pair that pulled him.
A whack soon sounded as Luffy inevitably collided with the top half of his body, and Usopp and Chopper.
While Sanji started to bake a dessert for the ladies, Franky entered the kitchen. "Hey, curly cook, is the food ready? The ladies and the skeleton are hungry."
"It's almost done, give me a second."
Franky nodded in understanding, then sat on the seat next to you.
"Hey, could you give me some cola?" He requested from the cook.
"Yeah, as long as you promise to leave my kitchen after." Franky let out a small laugh and raised his hands in surrender.
"Hey, wanna see something cool?" You smirked towards Sanji who sighed just as he had reached for the cola bottles in the fridge, already knowing what you were scheming.
"Yeah? What is it?" He prevailed curiously. You reached to push Sanji's hair back again when he approached the counter to set the cola bottles down.
Your smile widened as you looked at Franky's fascinated stare. "Don't they look cool?"
"Oh! I never knew your eyes looked like that. Super!"
Sanji couldn't help but chuckle, never getting used to the crewmate's silliness. "Thanks, Franky. I'm afraid I'm still gonna have to ask you to leave."
"Aw, but why can they stay?" Franky whined, pointing at you.
"Because it's them. I don't really have a choice," he jested before leaning back to smoothly avoid your swinging hand.
Franky laughed as he left the kitchen with the cola bottles.
Sanji quickly finished making the desserts. While settling the plates on the tray, you tugged on his sleeve to catch his attention.
He hummed to acknowledge your attempt. "What is it, darling?"
You held your hands up. "Hear me out – "
One of his curled brows rose with curiosity, then your hands went up to his hair.
You tied his hair up, it currently being long enough to barely settle into a man bun.
Sanji chuckled at your antics, yet went along with it. You searched around and found Nami's mirror, facing it to Sanji. "What do you think? Good?"
Zoro, seemingly recently done with his workout session (though his sweat seemed to have dried) with his towel over his shoulder, passed by and lightly chuckled through his nostrils before Sanji could reply.
"Hmm? I'm in the kitchen?" He asked himself, seemingly unaware of you and the cook being there.
"Yeah-huh," you replied. Zoro only seemed to notice your presence then.
"Nice eyes, idiot cook."
Sanji rolled his eyes and set the mirror down. "Quiet, moss head."
"You look like a broom." Zoro cocked his chin towards Sanji's hair, then smirked. "Broom head."
You couldn't help but chuckle.
Nami entered as if searching for something, or someone.
Her brows shot up when she saw Zoro. "Zoro, I thought you were going for a shower? Luffy was looking for you and I told him you headed to the bathroom. He got there and talked to no one for a solid ten minutes."
"I was gonna go take a shower," he clarified. The room was silent for a moment, waiting for his explanation as to why he was here.
Everyone should have expected his answer – "I got lost."
Your eyes widened, "How do you get lost on your own ship?!"
"Idiot!"
"I can't believe you!"
Still, Zoro waved dismissively before heading back the way he came from.
"That's still not the way to the bathroom…!" Nami shouted after him, but the swordsman had left through the doors. Nami's palm met with her face. "Oh, he is hopeless."
Sanji brushed the situation off and went back to arranging the food.
"Oh, Miss Nami, I'll have the food out in a minute." Nami finally looked at the cook, who was now looking at you to see if it was alright if he were to untie his hair. He did once you gave a reassuring gaze.
Nami's mouth slightly went agape as he approached the cook, pushing his hair back to see if she had seen it correctly. "Hey. Sanji, I never knew your eyes looked like that. They look…!"
He was holding one of the desserts as Nami started complimenting him. You quickly lunged to grab the dessert off his hands when he suddenly collapsed.
You and Nami looked over the counter to check if Sanji was alright. He was, he just became struck by the sudden compliment.
"…I didn't even finish complimenting him."
Food had been served by you by the time Sanji woke up again.
He was surprised to see that you had gotten him to sit at the table and waited for him to wake while the crew ate. You had tied his hair up again.
"Oh! You have such pretty eyes, mine almost flew out of my skull!" Brook exclaimed once everyone had realized he had regained consciousness. "But then again, I actually don't have eyes anymore. I'm all bones! Yo-ho-ho-ho-ho!"
Luffy, Chopper, and you were the only ones to chuckle at the skeleton's joke. Robin let out a small chuckle as well, "But how come you've been crewmates for so long, yet you didn't know Sanji had different-colored eyes?"
Luffy somehow grinned while stuffing his mouth full of food. "I didn't ask."
Nami sighed and shook her head. "In case you hadn't noticed, our captain just has a tendency of inviting anyone into the crew."
Zoro nodded in agreement. "It's true. Just look at the cook."
Sanji's brows almost uncurled in fury. "What does that say about you, First Mate?!"
"I must admit," Robin crossed her forearms and prompted an arm to sprout from the top of Sanji's head, its hand brushing his hair out of the way. "they do look…"
Luffy nabbed the cook's food from his plate before Sanji's face planted onto them as he once again fell unconscious.
"…Pretty."
213 notes · View notes
saym0-0 · 7 months
Text
what do you think the mechs would be avatars of? my first thought was slaughter for the group as a whole bc,, duh. but now that im thinking about it, i think they'd be more eye/end aligned. because their whole thing is stories and the part they clearly deem most important is the end right? theres all the blood and gore in the middle but the important bit is everyone dies at the end
individually though, not as a whole group they're all sorts of stuff i think
ashes would be desolation for sure with all the fire and the likes, and hades makes me think web too? they're the one behind the scenes pulling the strings (granted, usually for their own entertainment but who can blame em really)
toy soldier would be stranger, once again for obvious reasons. im not really sure if theres much crossover on this one really.
jonny i reckon would be eye and slaughter, mans cares for two things and its violent crime and a good story (amen!)
brian is SO lonely coded like?? its in the backstory song man,, also vague end-ness probably, though tbf they probably all have that end cloud by virtue of being the mechanisms. maybe vast too
tim would be slaughter too, he loves a good murder spree but i feel like theres something else and ive just forgotten like half the fears lmao OUGH hunt maybe? tim goes crazy is very hunt coded
ivy is SO immensely eye. she's literally an archivist. she gathers and stores aaallll that information but her emotional connection to it is reset every night. thats so eye!!
nastya is definitely lonely, at least towards the end but probably the whole time (from what little i know of cyberian demons) and maybe dark? that ones 100% vibes i have no explanation
marius has very spiral vibes i think. hes just a silly guy ur honour i think he deserves it. i cant really think of any other one for him tbh
and raph is quite stranger coded i think, idk the detachment from humanity that comes with being a mad scientist just feels very stranger to me? more so than the average mechs detatchment from humanity
i dont know why i made this post but ive been rotating end/eye mechs in my brain for a couple days just because i think the idea of s5 jmart stumbling across a domain thats kind of an accumulation of the various album aettings and music that can be heard from anywhere in the domain and victims living/reliving the parts of the characters is very very cool and i needed to word vomit it somewhere
67 notes · View notes
oodlyenough · 6 months
Text
apollo justice: ace attorney thoughts
over the weekend I finished playing AA4 so I wanted to try to put my thoughts in order. much to think about etc
spoilers for the whole game obv, but i haven't played AA5 or AA6 yet so any mention of those are speculation lol
I had heard some pretty mixed reactions to AA4 and I had a lot of reservations going in. It's also probably the AA game I've played that I've been the most spoiled for, which is a shame but probably an unavoidable consequence of waiting for the port while engaging with the fandom. I don't usually like being spoiled but I think knowing the broad strokes of what to expect actually helped here. I can imagine an AU where I blitzed through the first trilogy and onto 4 with no idea of what was coming and being... very upset and disappointed by the direction it took. Having several months to brace for things like Phoenix's disbarment, the 7 year gap, Trucy, etc definitely softened those blows and made me more amenable to them than I would've been otherwise.
Cases
For the most part I thought the puzzle solving was good and the pacing was solid. The puzzles were mostly challenging enough to be satisfying to solve but not so challenging as to be infuriating, and I don't think I needed a walkthrough at all. 4-1 is one of the best tutorial cases in the franchise so far (though I'd give the edge to 3-1) and 4-4 was a really cool finale. The middle two cases tbh I also found fairly charming, and there's usually a least one case in the middle that seems to drag forever, so that was a pleasant surprise. I played Investigations 1 right before this, and I thought both the puzzles and pacing in that game were frankly horrible, so AA4 won a lot of points just with that.
I did think Turnabout Corner and Serenade would be more relevant in the grand scheme of things. The half-spoilers I knew had me expecting a much bigger web of conspriacy than we ended up with -- I expected it to be more than coincidence that Phoenix got hit by a car, more than coincidence that the Borginian egg coccoons are related to poison etc ... like... I fully assumed this was going to tie into the atroquinine plot. But I guess not ... ? Lol
Characters
The new main cast are all very likable, despite my initial reluctance to have a new main cast to begin with. Klavier was an interesting change of pace as prosecutor, in that he wasn't particularly antagonistic outside of the court, nor was he particularly preoccupied with winning, but he was still fun and challenging enough to face off against. Trucy was fun and delightfully bonkers as all assistants should be. Apollo's longsuffering exasperation was hilarious. Ema is the BEST I loved having her as the detective I wish she was there all the time.
I loved Beanix, for the most part. I can see why he rubs some people the wrong way, and tbh I'm glad his last canon outing isn't ... this. But I didn't find him wildly out of character, or at least, when he was feeling "out of character" vs the trilogy it made sense given the intervening events. I also thought it was fun to see him from the outside and see what a galaxybrain 5d chess master he is. I do wish we'd gotten to see more genuine moments of him with Trucy.
Kristoph was fun as a villain, though I have to say fandom led me to believe he was much more of a mastermind puppeteer than he seemed to be in reality. I was expecting a whole decade worth of conspiracies! Instead he fucked up once and struggled to fix it for seven years, lol. I also found the Kristoph/Phoenix relationship a) very fascinating, b) not really what I'd been led to believe by fandom (shocker). I like the canon more though -- I like that instead of being a retread of the Dollie betrayal-from-someone-you-love it was two guys who hate each other being forced to play nice as part of their own schemes.
Criticism
I think it's fairly obvious AA4 was meant to be a soft reboot of the series, to pivot away from the trilogy cast and set up our new heroes in Apollo, Trucy, and I guess Klavier. I think this is probably the entire explanation behind Maya and Edgeworth (and others but lbr those are the big two)'s conspicuous absence... but that doesn't make their absence any less conspicuous. I can squint and forgive neither of them being there when Phoenix is accused of murder, even though I find that insane. I can squint around Maya maybe being off in Kurain during the Enigmar trial, even though I think they could've used a line of dialogue to explain it. But then we started playing past-Phoenix for huge portions of investigation and that started to fall apart for me. Sure, maybe he's pushing his friends away because he's depressed, or maybe he wants to keep Maya out of things because he thinks it's dangerous, or whatever -- you could at least throw in a line or two saying as much. Not mentioning them at all and setting AA4 so closely after AA3, where Phoenix fell through a bridge to save Maya and Edgeworth chartered a private jet, just feels ridiculous.
I also think, at the end of the day, the story here was focused on and pivoting around Phoenix. The core question of the game is "what the hell happened to/is up with Phoenix Wright?" I love Phoenix, so that alone isn't a negative -- except that I think it meant Apollo, Klavier and even Trucy felt underwritten. Trucy and Klavier have such personal stakes in the unfolding events with the Gramaryes and Kristoph, but we only spend a little time and hints on how that might influence Trucy, who mostly falls into the AA weird girl pattern of brushing off major trauma instantly. (Maya got this a lot too in the original trilogy.)
Klavier ... I like Klavier, but they did not do much with him. How did he feel about Kristoph going to jail? He doesn't seem to hold it against Apollo, which is uh, noble, but perhaps not believable. He says he values honesty and truth but do we know why?
Apollo, likable as he was, felt like a passenger in his "own" game, rather than a major character. He doesn't even solve much of the stuff happening in the big overarching mystery -- he is Phoenix's avatar in court, presenting evidence and clues Phoenix left for him. Unlike Trucy and Klavier, who I am pretty sure take a back seat from now on, I guess Apollo still has two more games to try and flesh himself out ... lol but I also know fan reception of those two is not great, so my expectations there are minimal.
Overall
A really solid game that I enjoyed playing, though I can see why it's controversial and not some people's favourite, if they really loved the trilogy. I think it's debatable whether this was the best/only way to continue the series after AA3. And I am excited to read and write a billion 7 year gap fics now.
58 notes · View notes
charmixpower · 7 months
Text
Valentines for everyone else!! LMAO chdndjd
Bloom/Sky
Okay but really funnily with these two would be the extreme differences in expectations. Sky is royalty so he's expecting to take Bloom to a extremely fancy restaurant and buy her a necklace or something and Bloom is expecting like some flowers
Bloom is getting overwhelmed and Sky is trying to reroute and their first Valentine's is a mess. They usually just hang out for dates so she has no idea where Sky got this idea vs Sky being autistic and being like "ah yes this is where I do the Grand Gesture™ perfect"
After the first one they know what they're doing and just hang out mostly, neither of them like grand gestures all that much
Bloom/Diaspro
These two would start dating in like like s3~s4 so their first Valentine's would be when the Winx are famous and have probably won the peace prize, so like they usually do nice™ dates and shit because Dia wants to and Bloom is just accepting this is her life
Bloom is trying to hard to get thoughtful and meaningful gifts and Diaspro usually gets Bloom jewelry with stone meanings and magic properties that she thinks Bloom will like
Stella/Brandon
Do I even have to say anything, every year it's a bombastic production of declarations of love. They're off being the absolute most ever and I love them for it
Flora/Helia
They probably just exchange flowers and hang out outside and relax in each other's company and that's super cute
Flora/Mirta
Mirta is such a baby girl and always tries her hardest to take Flora out on a good date™ for Valentines even though Flora said it's fine. She's so nervous and awkward but so lovingly earnest and it makes Flora melt
Tecna/Timmy
Listen they both try SO HARD for Valentines day. They try to get the perfect outfit, go on the perfect date, get the perfect gifts. They're dorks. They're trying so hard and are so earnest and excited it's so cute. They're in their own fucking world even worse than Brella tbh. Tecna has made the perfect itinerary for their date!!! Their plans usually fall though but they're still having fun and love it anyways
Aisha/Nabu
Nabu is a classical romantic, and by that I mean he's sheltered and got all his romance advice from books, so he gets Aisha flowers and they go to a lovely dinner and Aisha really appreciates the effort Nabu is putting in. She also grabs him to do a destination hike to some of the magical wonders of the world which Nabu is always fucking STOKED for. Like seeing the planetary core everywhere, it's literally the best thing to him and he always half forgets about his own plans because of how much fun he's having
Aisha/Anne
Anne always drags Aisha out to do something weird for their Valentines dates. The range is wide from stuff like a pottery class to taking a hike next to an active volcano. Anne loves trying everything and Aisha absolutely loves an adventure so they're just trying to find something they haven't done for every year
73 notes · View notes
aihoshiino · 5 months
Text
chapter 149 thoughts
Chapters Since The 143 Kiss Happened And Went Entirely Unacknowledged And Unaddressed Count: 6
anybody else here unironically love getting yuribaited or just me
Honestly I kind of don't know what to think about this chapter lol. As it stands I didn't really hate it - in a lot of ways, it feels like a return to the humour and emotional focus of early OnK which is something I've honestly been missing in the manga while revisiting the anime. Mengo's art toys chapter was great and getting some proper Akane focus was nice. On the other hand, transitioning into this style of writing with no cushioning after the last arc is so incredibly jarring and the Akane stuff we get here is… well, we'll put a pin in it for now and address it later.
In general "put a pin in it" feels like the right energy for this chapter. As the second chapter of a new arc it's primarily setup for the stuff we're going to be dealing with for the next however long, I think it's going to be something we can really only chew on when we have a more solid idea of what exactly it's setting up, long or short term.
Anyway…! We start off with an explanation of why Kana seemed to flip so suddenly last chapter which does patch up some of that logic a bit. I think it's a little silly that she didn't actually overhear the conversation and thus clue into the actual goings on with how close she was standing but that's basically romance misunderstandings 101 so…
Her leaping to assumptions and giving up so quick also feels a bit abrupt but tbh Kana has always been deeply insecure and quick to leap to it's so over when it comes to her feelings for Aqua. Not only that but as others have pointed out since last chapter, from Kana's outsider perspective, Aqua was at his happiest and most at peace while dating Akane and has been in a mental health spiral to the point of expressing suicidal ideation since they broke up. Obviously we, the readers, know the extenuating circumstances at place but from Kana's POV it makes perfect sense to conclude that Akane makes him happiest and is uniquely equipped to do so. It just feels clunky in execution.
On the subject of clunky… I won't lie, it really bugs me that the first really significant AKKN interaction we're getting is love triangle shit entirely centered on Aqua. One of my biggest complaints about the series post TB was the way the end of that arc set up a huge status quo change to Akane and Kana's rivalry and then kind of failed to expand on it at all and that continued to be true all the way up to the Movie Arc. I'd hoped that them both working in close proximity as actresses on the same project would give us opportunities to dig into that. We got some lip service in that regard and then swerved hard into suddenly hyperfocusing on Kana's insecurities regarding Ruby while Akane got all of zero meaningful focus during the back half of the Movie Arc even though she was one of the characters with the most potential to bring interesting things to the table.
Honestly, one of my biggest fears with Akane's declaration that she'd stop Aqua's plan was that even though the two of broken up, she would continue to orbit Aqua at the expense of being allowed an arc of her own that focused on her relationships with the wider cast. Like - even if what she says about not being romantically interested in Aqua anymore is true, she is nevertheless entirely revolving around him to a really frustrating degree. It really feels like Akasaka realized Akane would have solved everything going on in the Movie Arc and had to panic and offscreen her as a result lol.
tho akane dismissively talking about the idea of clinging onto a past lover did make me do a very mean chuckle. ouch, better hope ruby didn't overhear that one, girl!
That said, for all my complaints, I didn't hate their little talk. Yes, it contained an absolute mountain of transparent-to-the-point-of-cynical KanaKane shipbait but it was pretty gay so who's to say if it's really good or bad or not. It's also just nice to see Kana and Akane being able to have a talk that isn't entirely hostile even if I really wish it was under different circumstances, or even that we'd just seen the road they took to being able to be so civil with each other. But whatever - we're here now, I'll take what I get.
Circling back around a bit, I am intrigued by the idea of Akane framing herself as having 'moved on' from Aqua when she very clearly hasn't lol. Like I indicated up there, I don't quite think this is the case nor do I think we're supposed to uncritically accept this as being the case - it reads moreso to me that Akane is trying to convince not just Kana but also herself that she's moved on from Aqua so Kana doesn't feel like she's in Akane's way if she tries to shoot her shot. As for why… well, that's something to talk about at the end of the chapter but I do think it's interesting either way. Akane wildly overshooting in her scrabble to convince Kana it's totally just platonic and going for sonzoning Aqua was also about the most insane thing she's said in a while but her utterly panicked and deranged expression as she said it made me bust a gut laughing.
In general, the expression work this chapter was on fire and there was a ton of really funny and really cute moments - Akane's blushy pout after Kana's quasi-confession, the fish-eye lens effect on her when Kana sees her outside her door and especially her and Kana's expressions in the second to last page… jesus i lost it so bad.
I've been gushing about Mengo's panelling and expressions for the last ten or so chapters but she really is amping it up lately. It definitely feels like her art for OnK has been getting really refined during the last few volumes and while this chapter was a little whiplash-y coming off the end of the Movie Arc, I also think it's a really impressive display of Mengo's range, too. Her horror and drama chops were on full display while all that was going on but in a more lowkey chapter like this, she brings a lot of life and charm to even simple things like the little montage of everyone wrapping up their day of the beach - it's three silent, tiny panels at the bottom of the page but she crams a ton of detail and character into each one.
I also am Extremely Shrimpterested in the note this chapter ends on. Something OnK does occasionally is use genre trappings as a smokescreen for what is actually happening on page and Akane's words at the end here seem to indicate this is happening here, too. This entire chapter goes extremely hard on the romcom tropes and dynamics but the way Akane's energy totally changes once she's on her own makes me think this is intentional and a reflection of the way Akane is setting up to use Kana.
Because I do think it's undoubtable that she is setting up to use Kana. Her sudden leap to captain of the SS AquKana is not about wholeheartedly supporting two people she loves (at least not primarily) and more about her continued efforts to save Aqua from himself. Kana just happens to be a convenient pawn in making this happen.
If I'm making this sound very cynical and cold of Akane: it is! But that's why I think it's so interesting. Akane is very like Aqua in a lot of ways and seeing this tendency of his to perform cruelty and manipulation to the greater end of doing the most good (or at least in their eyes) mirrored in her is very juicy and potentially very deadly in the hands of someone as smart and perceptive as Akane.
It's also kind of telling and kind of really sad to see Akane asserting that Aqua wouldn't be able to take revenge if he had a girlfriend at his side when that certainly didn't stop him back when he and Akane were dating. It's subtle but it's consistent with just how little faith Akane seems to have ever had in Aqua's feelings for her. Kana's not the only one struggling with long term insecurities in that regard.
I also can't not address the elephant in the room that is the story setting this up while the resolution to whatever the hell is going on with Ruby is still dangling over everyone's heads. I mentioned this last chapter but it really is getting to be bizarre just how much of a nothingburger that has been turned into, not just in terms of the characters' lack of reaction to it but the way the narrative has just entirely failed to give it any weight or significance whatsoever. I can only assume that one of the other girls making a move to pursue Aqua (if it does end up happening) will kick Ruby into action and we'll get god knows what sort of resolution there but a dark and evil part of me that loves to start shit thinks that the funniest possible resolution would be for it to never come up or be referenced ever again just for the sheer frenzy of confusion and bafflement it would cause. everybody loses!!!
46 notes · View notes
keis-slut · 28 days
Text
Tumblr media
PINES TWINS HEADCANONS
|
in honor of their birthday (8/31), some headcanons of 25 year old dipper and mabel!
also bc i binge watched the show again-
includes what they’re up to, relations, interests, stuff they do in their free time, etc.
+ short 5 song playlist of their taste at the end
(will be songs from recent years since it’s now, as in this second, of their interests. i’d be happy to do a full playlist if requested!)
|
DIPPER
-stayed in touch with stan and ford all these years, he’s very close to them. they’re still around but much older and calmer
-so, yes, he’s covered in tats. yk that fanart we allllll have seen? yea they pretty much look like that, some weird ones, he rlly likes patchwork style tattoos
-probably has one on his chest or stomach/lower pelvis tbh, he’s a quirky dude
-mabel probably dared him to do something like that because she thought he’d chicken out from the pain but he did it
-him and mabel have matching tattoos that was dippers idea, dipper has a pine tree on his ankle and mabel has the shooting star on hers
-his pain tolerance is definitely pretty high given all the stuff he’s been through
-he decided to grow his hair a bit longer because he likes it that way. he enjoys being able to put it into a messy half up lil bun
-as for shaving his face, he likes to be clean. as much as he was excited about chest hair or whatever, once there started to be more hair coming in, he got tired of it and started keeping clean. maybe some stubble on his face once in a while if he’s lazy
-he has rosacea he mistakenly took for acne when he was growing into his teens, so he just naturally has a reddened face, probably from all the stress. aside from it being a medical condition, it’s rather cute
-he’s also in the sun a lot in california, so that’s what caused that and his darkening freckles.
-he’s good with his skin though, he likes to just keep himself clean, that’s it.
-he also wears chapstick, but only the cherry flavor from the chapstick brand.
-likes jewelry so he wears a bunch of different necklaces and bracelets and rings. he changes his necklace like every week, it’s always some kinda rock in wire or dog tag. also pierced his ears so he wears small studs or smthn
-ahem he has his tongue pierced ahem
-wears a lot of plain clothes or band t-shirts. he’s got like a weird grunge/hippie mix to his style, like converse and band tshirts with like a bandanna and all his jewelry
-still wears hats, he likes beanies too
-he consumes a lot of media, he loves cartoons but will watch the occasional greys anatomy episode
-he loves video games, such a nintendo sucker like mario, sonic, zelda, smash
-his fav series is the legend of zelda im not biased shut up
-he also got into anime more, this happened a bit after he left the summer of 2012. you can blame soos for recommending he tries it out, and he did
-i feel like his favorites would be like soul eater, jujutsu kaisen, or death note
-cat person cat person cat person
-owns like 3 cats
-orange tabby he named corduroy, grey tabby named tyrone (calls him ty), and a black one he named august, for him and his sisters birth month.
-she helped him decide the name, they got him together so technically it’s both of their cat but mabel still has waddles (and a guinea pig but this isn’t mabels headcannons)
-he decided against going to college but instead has his own interactive websites for people interested in the weird and crazy supernatural, this all started from a blog he created himself about the weird things he’s researched.
-he’s thought about studying computer science, or becoming a teacher for philosophy or even psychology, something like that, but he now thinks college will get in the way of his personal research, so he finds things off of that
-he does a lot of his own research on these things anyway because he’s still interested in it
-for an actual job to make a steady income he’s been working at an amazon warehouse for a couple of years
-dabbled in smoking weed but it’s not for him, he’s too paranoid
-he has a lot of friends but most of them are online
-you thought the awkwardness was just part of the preteens phase, well it wasn’t
-he’s still pretty awkward but i guess some girls find that more attractive as you get older and not gross
-also i think dipper is straight, but he’s still pretty flamboyant.
-he’s definitely tested the theory of him being not straight though, that’s all imma say
-he’s better at talking to girls, especially now that he knows what he really wants to do and who he is, the confidence in himself was the key
-sometimes he’s shy, but doesn’t have a problem smiling or saying hi or complimenting someone
-he’s had a couple of relationships, done a handful of things and tried stuff out, but he still hasn’t found the one
-he’s the kinda guy that needs to find someone who’s ok with him being very private and independent sometimes, and he finds that hard
-as much as he can be distant, he still wants a long term partner eventually
-he also does know he has a lot of his own issues to figure out to do that, because he knows he can get distant, and so he has traumas to work out and he’s aware of that
-at heart, he is very much so a lover boy though
-his top love language from the 5 would be acts of service. he may get distant and stuff but he still thinks about you a lot and what you need or what you’re doing, like bringing you soup or tissues when you’re sick, switching your clean clothes to the dryer, simple stuff like picking up after you if you forget, or even teaching you new things he’s learned about because he likes to share that
-in order of the 1-5 from most to least, acts of service, gift giving, quality time, words of affirmation, and physical touch.
-just because it’s the last doesn’t mean he doesn’t like it, he just shows the others more.
-he’s perfectly fine with cuddling and kissing all day in bed on a lazy rainy day, all gloomy outside during a thunderstorm and you both are cozy in bed, nice and warm form body heat and in and out of sleep.
-he needs this very often he’s so stressed
-wears knee high socks to bed tho oops
-he’s doesn’t like wearing a shirt to bed that much though, but he does wear the socks
-always with shorts or boxers tho, he doesn’t like the feeling of pants over long socks, or pants under the covers anyway. not a fan of layers
-as much as he’s very into technology and being lazy or whatever, he does like to go outside a lot and hike, or casual walks
-he enjoys the feel of nature, and more so during the summer. summer is his favorite season for nostalgia reasons
-drives a subaru crosstrek. and he liked the camo green, ok?
-covered in magnets and stickers
-wants to get a motorcycle
-now that he drives, him and mabel make frequent trips to gravity falls whenever they can to see everyone, they all still stay in contact, and love seeing the twins.
—pinetrees pods
stick season - noah kahan
birds of a feather - billie eilish
baby i’m home - odetari
snakelike - whatsaheart
crush - ethel cain
|
MABEL
-also stayed in touch with stan and ford like dipper, they’re both close with them (stan and mabel are closer but they all love each other equally)
-i feel like she also would have tattoos but they’re kinda smaller and more floral and colorful, not huge and overbearing though
-not to be sad, but waddles doesn’t have much time left and so she got a little tattoo of a cute pig on her hip for memory of him
-she chose her right hip because that’s his favorite spot to snuggle on her when they sleep together or cuddle, he was always on that side
-she definitely kept like a girly hippie and y2k kinda style as she got older
-she keeps her hair long and always natural, she never really likes to blow it out or straighten it, but she loves doing different styles like braids or space buns, but usually just naturally down and wavy.
-likes hair clips and scrunchies, especially the ones with the cute designs and colors on it. like the hair clips that look like wings and have dangling jewels
-she did however have a little phase where she wanted to dye some of it, she did the front strands of her hair hot pink and purple before
-she really likes doing her makeup, all kinds of styles and colors. she’ll try eyeliner, face paint, glitter, lipstick colors, bright eyeshadows, everything
-she doesn’t overdo it, but always has some kind of color in her face, like a natural face but some blue or purple eyeshadow, something cool.
-has a small stud on her nose, but a lot more piercings on her ears.
-she never wanted anything crazy but she thinks more holes to put cute earrings in was a good idea
-she also enjoys tv, she loves movies more though. she likes cartoons but more enjoys shows like friends, or reality tv shows like the masked singer or love island
-she also enjoys video games, mostly because dipper introduced her to alot, zelda she likes because of him and she got into animal crossing too
-NEEDED pietro on her island or else she wouldn’t play.
-she bought her own switch because of this
-it has pink remotes and lots of stickers, obviously
-she also has a pc, she likes playing minecraft with candy and grenda. she isn’t very good at it tho so she plays with cheats LOL
-social media obsessed, she posts everything, especially on tiktok and instagram. she likes sharing, sharing is caring.
-her user would probably be like “sh00t1ngst4r31” or smthn from like 2016 pinterest username ideas but she doesn’t care too change it, she still thinks it’s cute
-pothead, it makes her feel funny and fuzzy and happy and stupid and…oh i’m hungry.
-so yea, she also has a guinea pig and she named her star, after her own alias as shooting star
-she likes to draw and she actually makes money off her art, like selling designs or stickers on redbubble, but also makes art of characters from games and stuff, or pretty nature designs
-shes in college for theatre and film, she would love to make movies or shows some day. she’s also interested in acting and singing a lot too
-there is a boy she likes in her class but she’s nervous to talk to him, after the whole boy crazy teen phase, she’s calmed down but become more nervous to talk to boys if she likes them, otherwise she’s extremely social.
-mabel isn’t straight guys. never was and never will be. she finds its much easier to talk to girls if it’s a crush.
-GOES TO DRAG SHOWS!
-she’s friends w all the queens, she gets behind the scenes of them changing and choosing their songs and outfits and their theme for sets !!!!
-she’s like adhd central, but yes she’s on medication for it.
-i also think she has a personality disorder of some sort, like bpd
-she has a tough time keeping relationships because of how wild and moody she can be as a person, it can get confusing and it’s hard, but her optimistic trait keeps this lovely girl going, she’s doing ok don’t worry.
-DRIVES A MODDED JEEP WRANGLER ITS PURPLE AND COVERED IN DUCKS
-also likes anime, she’s an ouran high school host club girly, but also the occasional demon slayer fan
-she loves my hero academia be fr
-she’s in love with ochaco
-wears big asf t-shirts to bed, panties and socks. it’s cozy
-collects stuffed animals, she loves emptying her wallet at arcades and only playing for stuffies. it’s not all for nothing though, she’s pretty good at what she does.
-big collector and still scrapbooks.
-she has shelves of manga and figures, also books of drawings and memories, and other random collectibles
-really likes sanrio
-she is in school and does have her own online business, but she does also dog sit and dog walk on the side
-i feel like she loves to cook and bake, she likes to try new things all the time
-she enjoys traveling too, she’s been to the east coast in the states like new york, vermont, and down to virginia and north carolina too
-also out of the country, she’s been to japan, and paris a couple times. she HAD to take a picture that made it look like she was holding a tiny eiffel tower before she dies cmon
-she loves fall, definitely a pumpkin spice girl
-prefers dunkin over starbucks, but will get the occasional cake pop from starbucks
-she’s still taller than dipper lol, i’d say she’s like 5’6 while he’s an inch shorter
-she wears glasses now, but prefers contacts. she only wears her glasses like at home or doing casual stuff if she doesn’t feel like putting her contacts in but for the most part she wears the contacts
-she loves taking trips with dipper back to gravity falls, she’s especially excited to see wendy again now that they can really relate more with girl things since mabel’s old enough to understand a lot more
-they take mabel’s jeep when driving to gravity falls, but switch out driving here and there.
-passenger gets aux, it’s their rule
—shooting stars symphony
girl, so confusing - charlie xcx
i love hollywood! - slayyyter
l’amour de ma vie, extended - billie eilish
ancient dreams in a modern land - marina
joyride - kesha
29 notes · View notes
stardust-sunset · 1 month
Text
maybe i’ll draw this later but i thought i’d share some mythical being au with yall (keep in mind this is a mythical au so i don’t really bother with realism lmfao)
I think Mrs Curtis would be a nymph-I head anon she was a nature lover who was soft but had a bit of a bite to her. Maybe a forest nymph-I have an idea in mind where she kinda has a “true form” that was really big (think greek god?) since she was kind of a forest protector in a way? It’ll make more sense when I draw it tbh
Mr Curtis was a gargoyle. In my headcanon I think Mr Curtis was this huge, scary looking guy but he was absolutely just a goofy sweetheart under all of that-he was pretty big too but not in the same way-he was bat like in a way? He had huge bat wings and claws and such but underneath all that he’s just a silly guy
Darry is kind of like a centaur but instead of a horse it’s a gryphon-I think gryphons were fairly big so I think he’d be quite big too (weren’t there stories of gryphons being destroyers of cities? He’s that kind of big but he doesn’t destroy shit lmao-he uses his size to his advantage and it also helps him clear ways for new construction. Mr Curtis taught him how to fly too, also lions and eagles remind me of Darry so-he also has sharp teeths. Also instead of smacking Pony, simply because of his size I feel like he just…recklessly picked up Pony and squeezed him a bit too hard and only realized when he saw Pony struggling to breathe and that was when Pony ran away
Sodapop is a centaur. Pong said it himself that Soda reminds him of a palomino colt so of course Soda is a palomino-sometimes when he laughs he falls onto his back and just kicks his hooves lmao-also horses know how to walk as soon as they’re born so Soda was pretty much running around from the moment he was born. He takes great pride in his tail and hair and lets people brush it-girls flock to the DX just to brush his tail-sometimes he lets little kids braid it if they want too!
Pony is a cervitaur-basically a deee centaur. He’s an axis deer-they’re known for their speed and agility (they can run up to 45 mph and jump up to 6 feet high so this obviously helps him in track)-he likes to style his hair so his little antler nubs are showing but when his antlers actually grow he’s so prideful about it it’s not even funny. He’s kinda like bambi in a way, when he was a baby he had such a hard time walking and when he goes through growth spurts he does too-it’s also just funny because his name is Ponyboy and he ended up being half deer
I really like kraken Johnny-just Johnny being some gigantic creature but being the most quiet and nervous is just funny to me. His scales are valuable too so maybe that’s why he gets jumped a lot. I know Oklahoma isn’t known for its water sources but just pretend with me that there’s a huge lake somewhere that he just chills in-when him and Pony run away he swims in the river. He’s always dreamed of going to the ocean but he’s kinda just stuck in Tulsa. He’s fairly huge though so it can be tough, but he swims through rivers to get to where he’s going. Darry being the size he is even made a sort of moat leading to a lake by the Curtis place. (I know it’s not realistic but bear with me)
Dally’s a dragon for sure. He’s a shifter in a way? Like Mrs Curtis he has a true form and a semi human form, he’s a huge dragon though when he is in his true form and he’s definitely caused…a number of things (jails) to be burnt down. It got to the point that the west side had to haul in fireproof things because Dally would just try to escape. Johnnyme the only one who can stop him from burning things down and just spits water at him to make him stop (another reason Johnny is a kraken because opposites attract I guess-) but Darry also has to wrestle him sometimes because he’s sick of having to rebuild things Dally burnt down even if he does get paid. Darry’s basically Tulsa’s version of Fix It Felix lmao
Two Bit is an imp. I don’t know how to describe my thought process but he’s just an imp. He’s silly. He’s goofy. He does reckless shit-he’s just this little, nimble imp with dragon wings and horns-Imps aren’t evil, they’re just mischevious and like to play pranks. Just like Two Bit. He can be smooth when. he wants to be though. He likes to jab people with his horns. He’s just goofy like that. I feel like when he’s mad his voice kinda gets deeper since they technically are devils in a way-his teeth also get sharper and he has claws. His eyes kinda glow too and his pupils slit. It’s scary. Think do when he snapped at Johnny’s mom when he was in the hospital.
Steve is a werewolf. He’s got that dog in him 😔 I think he’s always have sort of wolfish features, like sharp teeth, kinda slit pupils, maybe he even keeps the ears and/or tail (this is a stretch but idk lol) but whenever it’s a full moon you’ll know it evacsue he’s gorging on all kinds of meats and his shifts can be rough. Especially the first few. I feel like if he’s really really REALLY emotional he’ll shift a little bit too? Like it’s not confined to just full moons but he can’t will himself to do it either if that makes sense. I just think this is cool
I dunno; what do you guys think?
22 notes · View notes
Note
This made me think how much hanma and draken have this funny enemies thing going on so imagine ur pissed at shuji or just sick of him not making a move yet? Y’all act like a couple but this mfer never made it official? Like why is his hand always in the back pocket of ur jeans? Why does this mfer offer u the last bite of his donut? No tell me why tf does he hold ur hand in a crowded place?🤨And when u lowkey joke about oh are u in love with me? And he laughs saying “don’t be silly doll” doll? (I’ll end him I swear) so u flirt with draken and yknow how he hates his guts that’s why u do so to piss him off and I think pissed shuji very sexy tbh wow 🤲🏽👍🏽and the thought of losing u to another man? And that man is bald with a braid? Aw hell naH Shawty he confessing so fast🤭😳
No because making draken the sacrificial goat is killing me lmao. Dw we won't do draken dirty here I've got a work-around.
also massive apologies to you vivi i'm sorry you knew abt this for an inordinate amount of time
Tumblr media
Official.
it takes idiots (reader and shuji) many months, jealousy and miscommunication, and some prettiness to finally make it official.
cw: fem!reader, reader loses her temper and shuji is super needy so its a lil more subby!shuji smut, cream pie, unprotected sex (don't recommend, be safe out there), ye idk im gonna go pretend this isn't posted now, peace ✌️ ~2.2k
Tumblr media
God but hear me out it starts at a toman party. Shuji and you are acting the way you always do. You're literally in his lap lounging in the corner of the couch. He's playing with the hem of your skirt, flipping the end between his fingers and rubbing the skin of your thigh. You're talking to Yuzuha who's occupying the chaise lounge. You haven't seen her in a while, she's been abroad with hakkai on so many modelling gigs lately. And she totally misreads the situation. She's like, so how is it, finally being together?
At first it's silly, though you have a tinge of want at the end of your words when you joke back with, "Well we've actually been married for three years, we just never found the right time to tell you all."
Yuzuha clocks it as a joke, but not as a sore spot for you. Or maybe she's so shocked and that's why she won't let it go that easily. "Hanma what the hell is wrong with you?"
"Undiagnosed ADHD and probabl-"
You give your friend a we're-going-to-talk-about-this-later look as a baffled Yuzuha cuts him off. "Wha- Hanma god damn it I meant-no- you know what I meant."
He offers a half shrug, "What? M'young."
That's when you excuse yourself blankly to get another drink. The insinuation that Shuji was still playing the field left you a bit numb. He wasn't. You knew that he wasn't because you were with him 90% of his waking hours. Hell you'd platonically (as platonically as you and Shuji ever really were) slept in his bed last night and woke up next to him. The bastard slept with his arms around you and snored in your ear half the night and he has the balls to joke like that? His words stung like a betrayal of the highest degree.
In the kitchen you found Draken looking for a pong partner. Perfect, you decide, a distraction with alcohol built in.
He tells you casually between turns he's fresh off (another) a break up with his on again off again girlfriend and you feel a dark part of you light up and a wicked idea is born.
You throw the pong game. To the point where Draken has to give you pointers. Has to get real close and talk lowly in your ear about how we need you to aim for the left one this time okay? His honeyed baritone sends shivers down your spine and you wonder for a second how much better this scenario would be if it were Shuji in your ear. Shuji's hands on your hip, his thumb dipping below the waist band of your skirt.
You huff a little. Nah fuck him. it's time to put your plan into action. You throw with your usual accuracy. You get the point. Out of the corner of your eye you see a certain skunk striped boy half-fixated on your game.
Showtime, you brain screams.
Excitedly you hop in Draken's grasp, throwing your arms around his neck and revel in his pleased laughter. "You're up again," he says as he puts you down and steps back. You stop him by the wrist, tug him back a little.
"Wait can you help me line it up again?" You bat your lashes a bit, playing at being drunker than you both know you are.
"Sure thing." You feel his warmth and relish in it, stalling and pressing into him. It's a miss, but the tiny peck under your ear he plants feels like a win.
The ball splashes in a cup on your side and you opponent, Kazutora smirks. Draken offers to drink it but you refuse. It's cheap beer. It's rough going down. Draken puts his hand between your shoulders and says that for such a pretty little thing you sure can hold your alcohol. The praise, more than the alcohol, warms your cheeks.
It's the last shot and you make it. You excitedly turn around in Draken's grasp and catch his lips in yours. You never intended for it to be a just celebratory peck, but you pull away, blushing a bit and stuttering apologies to make it appear so. Draken drawls out some praise for his pretty girl that won the game and draws you back in by the small of your neck and pulling the plush of your lower lip between his teeth.
You hear Kazutora cat whistle and know, you just know, it's meant to alert his buddy Shuji. Mentally you apologize to Emma but after she's regaled you and the girls with all the filthy details of the nasty make up sex she and Draken have, somehow you think she won't mind this little show, given that's all it was.
You hope she'll also forgive the two heavy punches Shuji lands on her Kennyboy before Kazutora pulls your next friend back and you can get back between the two again. People are staring, hoping for a fight. Some even boo when Emma whisks Draken away by the collar of his shirt and you try to push Shuji away.
"Fuck him," he spits and looks at you, "you too you little shit," he accuses and pulls you away by the wrist.
--
God, you're a certified sucker for that crazy look in his eyes. It's the first thing you think when Shuji slams the door of a spare bedroom in Pah Chin's house. You can't help it. There's nothing like Hanma Shuji slipping into his aggressive chaos mode on this earth. His irises glow with his emotion. And, wow was it easy to forget that he had you pressed against the door of this room with all his energy and attention fixed on you.
His fingers were knotted in your hair and you vaguely noted his growl asking you what the FUCK you thought you were doing.
"And who are you to ask that? I'm not yours. We're not together Shuji. Never have been. You're young, still right?" You shoot back
"Tch, that's what this is about?"
Maybe he had you caged against the door but liquid courage had you fighting back. You shove his chest. "Yeah. Yeah that's what this is about. What the fuck right do you have to treat me like I'm yours? You drive me everywhere. You hold my hand. You share your bed. You kiss my forehead. You make me breakfast. You know my secrets. You call me yours. But you can't make it official? What the fuck is up with that?"
With every sentence you've pushed Shuji back till he was perched on the corner of the bed.
"How the fuck is that fair, huh? You want me to be yours Shuji? Then tell me you're fucking mine." It's not a request. It's a demand. An ultimatum. A last chance to be honest with you.
He's looking up at you still as a statue, emotion so unreadable it unnerves you. You know how he wears almost any emotion. He rarely surprises you, and yet...
"I'm yours."
Shuji says it quietly at first like there's a lag between his awareness and speech. You're shocked he's caved so quickly and you stutter out an "Excuse me?"
"I'm yours." He repeats, more confidently. "God I'm so fucking yours." He's dragged you by the hips to straddle his lap and his lips are on yours and you swear you can taste the adrenaline on his tongue.
It's every bit as addicting as you guessed to properly make out with Shuji. You don't know how long you've been sat on him attached in this kiss but when you tug him by the hair to catch your breath and hear him groan at the tension you think you've died and gone to heaven. He's mumbling little "all fuckin yours, baby" up and down your neck and you feel his voice reverberating in your throat.
You grind down on the swell of his hardening dick and smirk a bit, lips ghosting his, "all?"
"All."
He's shimmying out of his pants, when you slide off his lap to kneel on the floor. You're met with a sizeable bulge hidden under tight black fabric and you damn near moan just at the sight of his freed dick springing up to tap his abs when you pull the last offending piece of fabric away. "Shuji you're so fucking beautiful." You say as you brush your fingers over his length carefully. His mouth opens in an amused playful smirk but you're on him immediately, stealing his words by licking a stripe from base to the tip that you pop right in your mouth. His jaw hesitates and then goes slack as you look up at him and take as much of him as possible.
You don't know what you expected but he is not quiet. He's mumbling praise and expletives and he exhales the hottest, breathiest moan you've ever had the pleasure to hear, let alone cause, when his tip hits the back of your throat and you swallow around it. You smile around him and want to giggle but you settle on humming around him. You force his fingers in your hair into a fist telling him to set his pace but he pulls you off instead. He's panting a bit and you feel a pang of pride in your chest.
"Need to fuck you. Need your pussy." He's already clamoring to help you up and discard your skirt. You do him the honor of not remembering his words as needy and stuttered as they were just this one time.
You climb over him to straddle his hips and stroke his cock once, twice, before running the tip along your slit. Rather than taking the tip you pivot your hips and pin his dick to his abs and run your soaking lips along his length. The sensation of his hot head nudging your clit brings you to your elbows, moaning in his ears.
Big hands grip your ass and grind you even harder into his dick. And between the warm stimulation and the nails digging into your skin you're already on the fucking edge, but you'll be damned if the first time you fuck Shuji you don't cum around his cock.
Finally after your relentless teasing you lined up his dick and hovered over him bobbing just enough to tease his tip with the velvety walls of your pussy. Shuji can barely whine a "fuck, doll stop teasing me cant take it," before you've sunk down and taken his cock whole and he's groaning and squeezing your ass, pulling you onto himself with bruising strength. You're suddenly laying on him again, collapsed down to your elbows with the power of your orgasm, while your fluttering walls only spur him on.
The weight of years of fantasies of this moment hit him at once and before you can process it, he's bear hugging you and rolling over to take the lead. Fuck, how could he not? After pining after you for so long, imagining getting to finally fuck you and promising himself that he'd make sure you wanted no one else when he was done with you.
It's endearing, you think, how he mutters as much to you over and over as he makes your pussy his as he fucks you through your high and beyond. You giggle and moan and gasp and think this is exactly how you pictured sex with Shuji to be needy, whiny, unexpected, a little rough.
You can read him so well that when his breath hitches just right, you wrap you legs around his waist, ignoring the stuttered warning of his own impending orgasm. Instead you gripped his hair, pulled his face to yours and breathed, "Gonna make me all fucking yours?" over his lips.
Immediately he pulled away from your kiss, unable to coordinate as he lost his composure and filled you, half locked in place by your legs. Muttered curses and filthy nonsense about how you feel around his is all he can get out until he's spent, finally latching his mouth on your shoulder to give an affectionate bite, not unlike bites you'd exchanged as friends a few hours before. You let him lay on you a minute or so to recover before he pulls back and sits up on his knees to look down at you, at his handiwork.
"Holy shit."
"Yeah," you agreed.
"Why haven't we done that before?"
"Hm...something about you being young?" You tease as he eases out of you.
"Yeah yeah, I get it. We already fucked that issue away," he jokes back and combs his fingers through some minor tangles in your hair, "S'not like I meant it anyway, y'know."
You catch his hand and tug it, wanting to be closer, "You're free to prove that to me any time."
In true Shuji form, he gasps in that goofy performatively dumb way he likes to as he brings his face close to yours for a kiss, "You mean I can do this again?"
180 notes · View notes