#today though i finished all i had planned to finish quite early

[hoziersong]

i do like going to college (at least for now lol) but the way it has rewired some of my thought processes is actually very jarring

[cloudwisp]

✮ sylus x wife!reader (2)

contents: tooth-rotting fluff. arranged marriage au. sylus as your sweet and doting husband who's simply in love with you and anything that you do. 1.5k wc.

꒰ note ᰔ thank you for everyone's patience who requested a part two!! I truly hope this meets your expectations <3

part one here. ꒱

⭒ You’re an early bird married to a night owl. After gradually moving your belongings into Sylus’ master bedroom, your different sleeping schedules were made acutely aware. His day is just beginning when you’re heading to bed and he’s more or less mentally retired after a long night of business dealings and meetings when your body decidedly rises with the first rays of light at dawn. Because of this, you both compromise to meet somewhere in the middle—Sylus sweetly tucks you in later than your usual bedtime and leaves only when you’d fallen asleep, and you snuggle with him in the mornings until the very last minute and you’re forced to get ready for the working day. However, his sleeping patterns are more on the irregular side and he’ll check in on you when he’s supposed to be resting.

⭒ When Luke and Kieran witness you and Sylus bid each other with a goodbye kiss—an affectionate and wholesome display between lovers as your husband sees you off to work at the front door, they are stunned and lose it from the sidelines at the budding romance. “Wait, what just happened?” “Was there a development while we were gone?” The crow twins would share glances and decipher the scene before them together. They both have been rooting for you and their boss since day one, and they marvel at the way you both are completely smitten with each other. As though you two are like newlyweds who can't get enough of your shared love, unwilling to separate just yet even as you slowly step away from Sylus.

⭒ His touch linger with purpose to hold onto every last part of you and his hands move from your waist and slide down your arms to hold your hands until his fingers curl slightly and mourn the loss of your warmth when he eventually has to let you go. When Sylus watches your figure disappear and return back inside his home he receives a thumbs up and pending double high fives respectively from his two henchmen. He walks past them and ignores their antics by giving them orders, but Luke doesn’t leave his brother hanging and celebrates that their boss is officially and undeniably in love.

⭒ Anniversaries were an unexpected thing to celebrate with Sylus—along with holidays and birthdays. You were caught by surprise when you received a gorgeous dress and pearls inside a pretty wrapped box adorned with ribbons after being married to Sylus for three months. You weren’t quite romantically involved with him at that point and went along with what he planned for the evening, and you had a feeling it wasn’t just a performance for the public at an upscale restaurant but he genuinely wanted to make this night special for you. Then something in the air shifted and became sweeter and you suppose you wanted to start making the smaller things in life count. Even if there wasn’t a particular milestone coming up, you decide to make one up yourself. After all, there’s a true saying that the secret to marriage is keeping it fresh and interesting.

⭒ With the help of the cute twins, they set up a cozy tent in the verdant space of the garden meanwhile you decorate fairy lights all around in swooping arcs and tight lines, arrange pillows and blankets inside, and place a deck of kitty cards in the center. After everything is where you need it to be, you show the boys your gratitude and send them away as you work on the finishing touches. You gather the plate of chocolate-covered strawberries and two glasses for the red wine when suddenly your husband sneaks up from behind you and wrap himself around you, inquiring about how the twins wanted him to come find you… Oh those cheeky little things. Well, never mind them. “Don’t tell me that you forgot what today is. Happy 300 days since our first kiss, baby.” You admit that it may come off as a little silly and no one’s truly keeping count, but you simply wanted to do something nice for him.

⭒ Sylus never passes up an opportunity to take care of his darling wife. Even if that means going along with your unusual ideas like you suggesting to borrow his dress shoes after the auction show was over. He throws you a puzzled look followed by a bemuse chuckle, and he supposes he could oblige if that’s what you really wanted. You explain to him that being well dressed from head to toe to match his outfit came at the price of your painfully, aching feet. And he can’t resist giving into your demands when you ask with such adorable little pouts. There are more practical methods to go about the situation, but he certainly loves humoring you even if things don't work out the way you thought they would.

⭒ Sylus leads you to a nearby bench and gestures for you to have a seat while he removes his shoes and bends down on one knee before you, unworried about dirtying his expensive trousers. He works diligently to undo the straps around your ankles and place your heels aside to focus on slipping his shoes onto your feet. “Well, you look quite fetching in my shoes. Now shall we continue our walk or do you have any more requests to make?” He helps you straighten yourself as he returns to his normal height. You huff and make a discontent noise when you almost trip over your own two feet trying to take a step forward in your (his) much too large and too spacious shoes. “Actually, these won’t do. I changed my mind, I want my heels back.”

⭒ Sylus chuckles at your hopeless attempt, his hand going on your hip to keep you from toppling over and accidentally hurting yourself. “Ah, it appears my shoes are too big for you, kitten. You say you want your heels back, hm?” He kneels before you once more as he retrieves your pair of heels, his fingers brushing along the underside of your leg and he carefully tugs them back on your feet. He gives your ankle a gentle squeeze as he finishes securing the straps, his gaze flickering up to meet yours. "There, I hope you're satisfied now, my sweet wife." His arm then goes around your waist and he effortlessly lifts you off the ground without so much as a warning. He smirks at your precious reaction, your body flushed against his meanwhile your arms encircle his neck for balance. “Why don’t I just carry you the rest of the way instead?”

⭒ You’re snuggled up against Sylus’ chest as you bring a concern to his attention one night. “What happens when our arrangement comes to an end?” The main reason you agreed to marry him in the first place is because it was a contract marriage with a specific time frame of five years that you’d have to spend with him. And you realize that with everything he does, he’s always been considerate of you as a whole even with how he drafted this contract knowing that it could end at his own expense. He provided you with a means of freeing yourself from him if you for whatever reason wished to no longer continue your marriage with him after the term ends. The choice is left entirely up to you because he never wanted you to feel trapped but he won’t make it easy for you. “If I decided to leave, you’d really let me go?”

⭒ Sylus hesitates for a moment, his gaze fixed on you and he seems to be thinking about something as his expression grows serious. “You always know how to ask the tough questions, don’t you sweetie?” After a moment, he lets out a small sigh and nods. “…Yes. Technically, you’ll be free to go. I won’t stop you if you truly want to leave.” Another sigh escapes him, yet his voice remains soft and sincere and he tucks a strand of hair behind your ear and his palm cradles your cheek. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want you to stay. What do you want to happen when the contract ends, darling?”

⭒ You mull over your thoughts, teasing him with a pensive look as you purposely drag on the seconds. “Since you’re leaving it up to me, I think… I want to renew our vows at the five-year mark. How’s that sound?” A surprise and slight disbelief flit across his face at the same moment his countenance softens at your affirmation. “You want to renew our vows?” You offer him a demure nod with your sweet smile and he gently takes your hand in his, bringing it to his face and laying a kiss against your knuckles. “Then it’s settled. I would be honored to renew our vows when the time comes. There will be no more contracts or strings attached. We’ll be bound by our love and our love only.”

[justdontaskme]

Home Sick (Leah Williamson x Reader)

A/N: It's been so long! I'm trying to get back into things but don't be surprised if I dip again, unfortunately. I want to go back and finish some of my WIPs but needed to get something out. Let me know what you think!

Normally, a day off from practice was a godsend, and you’d spend most of the day tangled in bed with your girlfriend. The day would be filled with laziness as you both enjoyed the simplicity and stillness the rare day of no obligations could hold. 

Yet, today, at this very moment, you felt as if you were at your wit’s end. And said girlfriend was the source of much of the current frustration. 

You’ve been slaving away in the kitchen since you woke up this morning, preparing to feed your whole team as they were scheduled to arrive later today. If you were being honest, there was a part of you that was beginning to regret even deciding to host, but it was too late now. 

Ordinary team hangouts were usually chill, with all the girls coming over for drinks and a movie or game night. Today though, you had planned an early Friendsgiving dinner. Well, it was actually Emily’s idea after she heard you were feeling extra homesick this year. 

Your fellow American picked up on your sour mood lately, and she hounded you until you admitted that you had seen a bunch of videos about people already planning out Thanksgiving menus. In fact, your family group chat had been going off with your parents asking for a head count for the special dinner and any dish requests. 

Since neither you nor Emily were going to make it home for the holiday, it only made sense for you two to celebrate this holiday with your new team. It didn’t matter that they didn’t quite understand the hype of this specific holiday here on the other side of the pond, they were more than happy to learn and eat. 

When word got to Leah, she was onboard instantly, wanting to do whatever she could to help alleviate any feeling of you missing home. While you loved and appreciated your girlfriend for wanting to help, right now you really just needed her to get out of your way. 

“Leah! Get out of the kitchen!” you said, shooing your girlfriend away before she could knock something else over. You grabbed another dish towel and started wiping up the sauce the blonde managed to get all over the counter. 

“I’m just trying to help,” she said, standing right behind you with a bunch of paper towels in hand, causing you to run straight into her when you turned around. 

After throwing the dirty towel into the sink to rinse later, you grabbed Leah’s shoulders so you could face her directly, “I know, babe, but right now you are literally stressing me out more than you are helping me.”

The blonde pouted, visibly deflating, her voice mumbled, “I didn’t mean to stress you out.”

Your face softened at her words. Leah really was just trying to help, but with a million different things going on in the kitchen at once she was more a hazard than anything else. A hand went up, cupping her cheek.

“I know you want to help, but cooking has never been your strong suit,” you said, your voice light to let her know you were teasing. “How about you help instead by sitting right here,” you patted the kitchen counter that was currently free of anything, “and keep me company?”

“I could do that,” she smiled, stepping away from you just enough that she could hop up and place herself in the open space you had previously cleared for her. 

Once she was settled, you took a step forward, standing between her legs, “You’ll be the best helper from right here.”

She dipped her head down, stealing a quick kiss from your lips. “Anything else you need from me?”

“I just need you to sit there and tell me I look pretty,” you told her, your arms slipping around her as you hid your face in her neck. 

“Oooo, complimenting my beautiful and gorgeous girlfriend. My speciality,” she grinned, her hands running up and down your back soothingly. 

As Leah sat there, with her cheek resting against the top of your head, she whispered all the sweet nothings you wanted to hear into your ear. It helped calm your racing mind as you started to refocus on the task at hand. 

Reluctantly, you stepped out of Leah’s embrace, one hand sitting on her thigh as you turned and took in the kitchen, mentally planning out what dish needed attention next. You left Leah to attend to your dishes, asking Leah to taste things here and there. In your mind, since she was the pickiest eater on the team, if it passed Leah’s taste tests, then it would be good enough for the others. 

If anyone asked, you would deny it, but you literally almost cried in relief when Alessia and Emily showed up almost two hours later. Your friends being the extra sets of hands you desperately needed in the kitchen. With their help, things started moving much more smoothly. 

As the day went on, your teammates slowly started to filter in with drinks, other homemade dishes, or desserts in hand. Now that you had helpers, Leah was free to play hostess, checking in on everyone and making sure you were supplied with drinks that Katie was kind enough to mix for everyone. A few of your teammates offered their help, but with the kitchen being as small as it was, you, Emily, and Alessia were better off handling the food. 

Steadily, the house filled with smells of all the different food as things were almost done. The space in your apartment was becoming almost nonexistent, but it was obvious your teammates were enjoying themselves if their laughs and screams were anything to go by. Despite what some would consider chaos, this is exactly what you needed. 

As the last few dishes were either finishing up or were being reheated, you three finally took a nice break to catch up on drinks and gossip. 

Alessia was telling a story about something Tooney had gotten herself into back in the day when you felt a pair of arms slide around your waist from behind.

“Everything alright, sweetheart?”

You turned your head to find Leah flashing you a bright grin. Her smile was one of the reasons you were enjoying yourself so much despite all the crazy and hard work from prepping and cooking over the past few days. 

“Everything is perfect,” you told her, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she said, squeezing you a little tighter. She held you in her arms, joining in on your conversation with Emily and Alessia, only disappearing once to refill your drink for you. 

When the timer went off from the oven, you felt like a huge weight was lifted off of your shoulders. Your friends chuckled as they watched you slip out of your girlfriend’s arms and back to the oven.

With a huge sigh of relief, you slipped on the oven mitts and went to grab the star of the night. While having a turkey was a staple for the holiday, you decided to forgo it to keep your sanity for the day. 

Instead, you decided to try your hand at something new that you felt would garner much more appreciation. After triple checking that everything was cooked and ready, you gave Leah a nod to get everyone ready to eat. 

“Dinner is ready!” she called, watching as a few of the young ones and Katie started playfully shoving each other in their haste to get first in line for food. You watched as everyone lined up buffet style and served themselves before looking for a space to eat, either at the table, on the couch, or up against the wall.

After everyone else was served, you grabbed a plate and started making a plate for your girlfriend as she went to reprimand the young ones for making a mess on the coffee table.

“This is so good, Y/N! Can you cook for us all the time?” Beth said around a mouthful of food. 

You rolled your eyes, “I already do, Beth,” you reminded her, thinking of all the days Beth would show up unannounced, looking for food and company since Viv moved to Manchester. 

“True, but you don’t make all this,” she countered, stealing a piece of bread off of Steph’s plate when the Australian was dealing with Kyra trying to overload her plate with food. 

“Thanksgiving special, so enjoy this while you can because I will not be cooking like this for some time,” you said, handing Leah her plate of food, when she came back. 

“Aren’t you eating?” she asked after thanking you, taking a seat so you could then sit in her lap. It was a little harder for her to eat this way, but she really just wanted you close. She felt like she barely saw you today as soon as people started showing up. 

“Maybe later, I just need a sec,” you told her, urging her to eat while the food was still hot. Honestly, you had quite a fill from taste testing and right now you were content to sit back and watch everyone enjoy themselves as long as you had a drink in hand.

“I’m a bit surprised there weren’t Smileys on the menu, with Leah living here and all,” Alessia said, digging into her food. 

You chuckled, seeing Leah’s mouth fall upon at the open attack, “We’re working on expanding her horizons on her food.”

Your girlfriend turned to you, her face full of betrayal, “I eat more than just Smileys!”

“Oh, I know, babe. Why do you think I made a ham instead of a turkey? Now you’ll be set with a ham sandwich for like the next week,” you said, grabbing a napkin to wipe the bit of food that spilled from the side of her mouth.

“Lucky! Now you don’t have to cook. Not that you really did much of that before.”

“I can cook!” Leah nearly shouted, sitting back from her food, glaring at her teammates.

“No, Leah. You can heat things up. There’s a big difference,” Lia said, jumping on the train to tease her best friend.

“I would take more offense to that, but you lot are just jealous that I have a girlfriend who is not only insanely pretty but loves to cook for me,” Leah said, sitting up proudly and sending you a quick wink.

“I mean she’s not my girlfriend, but she does keep me fed pretty regularly,” Beth reminded her. 

“And for that comment, Beth, you are not allowed to take any leftovers home with you,” Leah asserted, a satisfactory smirk in place when her friend immediately tried to backtrack all statements.

“Are we going to go around the table and say what we’re grateful for like they do in movies?” Kyra asked, switching topics before Leah and Beth’s banter could continue. 

You waved your hand, dismissing the idea while you took a rather large swig of your drink. The alcohol started to kick in and relax you more now that all of your responsibilities for the day were now over, “No, not really. I don’t know about you, Foxy, but we never really did that at my house. It sounds sweet in practice, but it was pretty awkward the one year we tried it. You are more than welcome to share if you want, but don’t feel like you have to.”

“I, for one, have something to say,” Leah stated, chasing her last bite with a bit of water before she cleared her throat. “It may sound corny and everything, but I want to say I’m thankful for having all of you in my life, especially this one right next to me. After doing my ACL, having you lot support me through it all and being able to share things like this is a dream.”

“Stop being so emotional, you’re going to make me cry,” Katie shouted, pretending to fan away imaginary tears in her eyes.

“Okay, okay, one more thing. Last one to clean up after themself is on dish duty!” Leah exclaimed, taking the last bite from her plate before rushing to put the dish in the sink.

From there it was a mad rush to the sink, as a few snuck around, packing some food to go home with them as the chaos reigned around them. 

You continued to watch everything unfold with rapt interest, refilling your glass and cheersing with Foxy who was following your lead. With these people you considered a second family, you truly felt a sense of home, healing that little patch of homesickness you had been feeling lately. 

[humanitys-strongest-brat]

Kintsugi - ch.4

Pairing: Coach!Levi x Injured fem!Reader

CW: themes of injury, depression, and hopelessness. 18+ minors and ageless blogs dni.

wc: 3.5k

a/n: You all know the drill, thank you @tobbi-loves-levi for going over this chapter with me and helping me make it everything I wanted 💗

previous / masterlist / dividers

An inviting herbal scent fills the air in Levi’s office, complemented nicely with a warm room temperature. While outside it’s quite hot around this time of June, the center is pretty consistently freezing; especially the ice rink. The printer whirls behind Levi’s office chair while he leans back with his arms stretched out to catch the papers as they slide out. He gathers them together, tapping them once on the desk before flipping open your file and placing them at the back. The start of your fifth week means you’re more than halfway through your estimated treatment plan with Levi. 

Levi spins the folder around so it’s facing you and scoots his chair in to lean over it, using his pen to point out specific milestones you have reached. “I think we should change our Wednesdays to off ice days for the remainder of our sessions.” He mentions as he flips through the pages. “Keep Mondays and Fridays as our rink days. Sound alright?” You nod in agreement, following Levi's pen as he goes through a loose schedule of goals he wants to reach over the next couple of weeks. 

“Sign here, then we can head down.” He double taps the signature line. “Oh, and you might want to think about reaching out to Tarasov again if you’re serious about getting involved once skating season begins.” 

You hadn’t considered how fast the time has gone by. Skating season starts in July and your sessions with Levi are on route to wrap up in just a few weeks. You should be happy, everything you worked for is starting to pay off and soon enough you’ll be working on getting back into competitions. Bit by bit all of your goals are being met, so why does your heart ache for more time? 

“You coming, or did you want to spend today’s session staring at my desk?” Levi asks. You’re not sure how long you went without responding to him. 

Your mind is elsewhere for the beginning of today’s session while you did your warm up basics, up until you had no choice but to put all of your mental energy into your target goal for today. Levi has you do Waltz jumps until you could do them with your eyes closed. By the time you move onto spins for the rest of your time, you think if you had to do another waltz you’d pull the hair out of your head. That’s the thing about Levi, he understands when something’s too much to handle but once he’s sure you can do it he’s not so easy on you. Funnily enough it’s one of your favorite things about him, and one of the leading reasons you can say you're making progress. He won't let you give up. 

***

On Wednesday you show up early again to watch Levi skate. Even though you know you won't be on the ice today, it’s still nice to be around it. Your fear of being turned away fades when he sees you standing at the boards and continues on with his routine anyways. Erwin shows up shortly after you and stands to your left. You can't help but be curious about him. He and Levi seem close, in fact you’ve never really seen Levi talk to anyone casually outside of erwin. 

It doesn’t take long for the two of you to start talking, neither of you taking your eyes off Levi. You learn that Erwin is a personal trainer based in the basketball wing of Sina, though he takes clients of any sport. He met Levi seven years ago when he first started working here because surprisingly enough, he’s a huge fan of ice sports. Soon you come to find that Erwin and Levi are a lot closer than you originally assumed. They even hangout outside of work too, though as Erwin put it, “it took some convincing.” With how reluctant Levi is to open up, you believe that. 

Levi finishes off with three consecutive jumps before gliding off towards the rink’s exit to get out of his skates.

“He adds one member to the audience and suddenly pulls out the big moves. Show off.” Erwin huffs out a laugh and thanks you for the pleasant conversation before turning and heading off.

Off-ice starts off as it usually would, stretches, ankle exercises, balance board, and spinners. Somewhere down the line you and Levi were practicing throws again. You don't know how it happened but you don’t care. It’s productive because it still helps you build back the skill of landing on your ankle and get used to the feeling of air time again. You slowly work on adding more rotations before landing and eventually Levi feels more comfortable throwing you higher. 

You dont think you’ll ever get tired of the feeling of Levi’s hands on you. It feels safe, he makes you feel light. No matter what, you're confident Levi would never put you at risk for another injury. There's no wiggle room in competitive figure skating. Everything has its order, but it doesn't feel that way with him. In a way you almost feel like he sets you free from that mindset. Even if it’s only for a small chunk of time each session. The following week, it’s now just an unspoken part of your routine.

***

You quickly learn that time is not a generous thing, the whole next week of sessions goes by much faster than you expected. You blame this on the fact that the more you worked with Levi the better you were getting. Once you started to get a handle on skating again after so much time off the ice it started to become more fun rather than something you needed to do to heal.

Every day that week, you showed up to watch Levi skate before your sessions. When you weren’t completely mesmerized by him, you took the opportunity to watch his form in real time rather than how he would present it to you during therapy. You think that helped you get things down as quickly as you are. 

This week marks the beginning of your last two weeks with Levi, and it’s all that you think about. That’s only six more sessions, two of which aren’t even on the ice. It’s not that you didn't think you were ready, no, you know you are. Levi has talked enough sense into you the last couple weeks to have you sure of that, paired with your progress he showed you in your file. It’s clear that you are recovering and building your skill back to how it was before your accident. It was scary to think about doing this without Levi, you still haven’t taken his advice on reaching out to your old coach. The second you do that it will just feel that much more real. You know how irresponsible it is to put off too, which only made it worse. 

Monday you show up to watch Levi skate as usual, quickly noticing that Erwin isn’t here. When he sees you he skates over to the board to greet you, which he usually doesn’t do. When he meets you at the boards he’s quiet for a moment, you can’t quite read the subtle expression on his face. 

“Do you want to come out here with me?” He asks, his question throwing you off a little.

“What, like early?” You ask. 

“No,” he pauses, brows furrowed lightly. Is he nervous? “To skate.” 

“You want me to skate with you?” 

“That’s what I said. Hurry up before I change my mind.” He says, pushing off the boards and skating off. That’s all you needed to hear. You pick up your bag and rush over to the bench to put your skates on, triple checking the laces before going out onto the ice with him. 

Levi meets up with you in the middle of the rink where you stand. “What should I do?” you ask, feeling lost without your usual directions. 

“Whatever you want.” Levi says “Don’t you ever skate for fun?”

You think about it, and you can honestly say that you don't. You haven’t since your accident and even before you can’t think of the last time you went ice skating for anything other than to maintain or improve your skill. “No.” You shake your head lightly. 

“Ah,” Levi hums “explains why you’re so damn hard on yourself. You know you should kind of enjoy this right?” His words sink deep, he’s right. You watch him as he zips off, all you can think to do is bits of your program from Nationals. You take out more of the extreme moves knowing Levi wouldn’t want you doing anything you haven’t worked much on during your sessions together. 

It’s slow, it’s choppy, but you landed everything you attempted. You stayed balanced on your ankle every time you tried, but it’s so hard to be reminded that it’s not the same. Thoughts creep in swiftly. How could you ever compete again? Especially when even after all the improvement you couldn’t even stitch together a smooth program. 

“It’s almost like you don’t need me anymore.” Levi comments as he meets back up with you. You wouldn’t say it outloud to him, but it only made you feel worse. It seems like Levi knows you more than you give him credit for. He doesn’t expand on that thought, but instead he asks if you want to try one with him. 

You agree, it would make it fun just like the throws you practice. Levi gives you a sequence that’s easy to follow and of course only includes two of the simpler jumps the two of you have worked on together as of recently. Essentially this is a pairs program, which is entirely new to you. 

Levi counts the two of you down to start off together, pushing off in sync you go through the motions with him. He starts off with his hand hovering over your lower back behind you, making sure you stay in line with him. Only when he’s sure you can stay in your path does he pull his hand back, allowing the two of you to go off into your first harmonized spin and jump combo.

After going through the routine two more times it’s almost flawless, even you could tell. You lean over with your hands on your knees “Do you want to try that throw?” You asked through labored breaths, though you were half joking. Levi won’t even entertain it. 

“Absolutely not. You need a break anyways.” You catch your breath by the boards with Levi standing across from you, seemingly unphased by the repeated routine the two of you just did. 

“Have you ever had Erwin come out here with you?” 

“Tried. He says he doesn’t want to become one of my clients.” 

You laugh before taking a drink from your water bottle and setting it back down on the ledge. You find yourself thinking over your routine with Levi again, and his words from earlier. You should be having fun skating and it was clear Levi did so you wonder.

“Do you ever miss competing?” You ask him, nervous that he may not appreciate the question.

“Every day.” His answer was not hesitant this time.

“You should get back into it.” You say softly.

“I can’t.” He replies and you can see by the look on his face it’s hard for him to talk about this. He’s being short, but not unwilling. 

“Are you kidding? Levi, you’re incredible out there.” Your expression softens as you try to be hopeful, maybe he just needs to hear it from someone. 

“That’s not my life anymore.” Out of all the weeks you’ve known him, you’ve never heard him sound so sad. Levi anxiously pulls at the hem of his sleeve before pulling it up and checking his watch “It’s time to start our session.” 

You ease off it, watching as he moves to skate towards the center of the rink. For the first time you don’t look forward to your session, the more you complete the more it dawns on you; your time with Levi is almost up.

That’s when it hits you

An idea.

***

Nervous is an understatement. Honestly, you felt like you were driving yourself crazy. When you came up with this idea, you thought it through a million times. It’s the scariest thing because if it doesn’t work out you’re screwed. You couldn’t keep it to yourself, you needed advice, and who better to ask than your best friend. 

Mikasa shows up around seven, prepared for your agreed upon sleepover plans made on Monday night with a set of comfy clothes and carry out from your favorite restaurant for dinner. When she let you know Friday night works for her you were thankful the weeks were going by so fast. You let her in and head straight to the couch, where you enjoy the meal while you start the first episode of a new series. 

“Well,” Mikasa hums when the two of you mutually decide to take a break from the show. “you’ve been awfully quiet about how it’s going in therapy.” 

You smile over at her, turning your body to face her. “Honestly? It was tough at first, I’m not going to lie. It’s a lot better now.” 

“So Levi didn’t scare you off then?” She jokes. “He won’t tell me anything, says you’re a client like any other so,” she trails off. 

“The opposite actually. He's,” You pause for a moment, breaking your eye contact with Mikasa. “He’s amazing. There’s no way I could have made any of the progress I have without him.” You tell her everything. Your progress in physical therapy, the clever ways Levi challenged your anxiety, even the throws and skating together before your sessions; another thing that became an unspoken addition to your routines with Levi. 

“He even opened up a little bit here and there about some of the things he struggled with after his injury.” You mention, and Mikasa’s eyes shoot open. Genuine shock taking over her expression. 

“Really?” She breathes.

“Just a little.” You say, shrugging. “I don’t know much, just that it seemed hard. I can’t even imagine.” 

Mikasa takes a minute to think about how to respond. “We didn’t see him for over a year. He skipped birthdays, holidays. His mom was sick over it for so long.” Mikasa gets quiet again. “He wasn’t the same for a long time, to this day he won’t speak about it.” It was difficult to hear, but made you wonder why Levi was so different around you. Why would he be more willing to answer your questions over his own family? You were scared more than ever now to bring up the idea you’ve been holding in the whole night.

“It sounds like he really likes you.” Mikasa says. “Seems like he found a friend in you.” It sounds silly, even coming from Mikasa. At the end of the day you aren’t oblivious to the fact that you’re a client of Levi’s, not a friend. As much as you wanted to push back you had more pressing matters on your mind. 

“Can I ask you something?” You brace yourself for the words that are about to come out of your mouth. 

“Sure,” Mikasa says softly.

“It might sound crazy,” You begin nervously. “I was thinking about asking him to be my coach after therapy is finished. It’s a shot in the dark, but I know I can do it with him.” You can’t help but feel like along with advice, you’re also asking for her blessing.

“I think that’s a great idea.” A warm smile spreads across Mikasa’s face, her eyes lighting up.

***

A long sigh escaped your lips as you plop down on the bench, your whole body surging with ache. Levi had chosen the last week of sessions to work on the more advanced jumps and spins. It was more so to make sure he could send you off to your coach confident that you knew what you were doing, and that you would be able to build your skill back up while training for competitions. 

Levi approaches you after he takes his own skates off, bumping your skate with his shoe to get your attention “What’s going on with you.” His tone laced with concern. 

“Huh?” You pick your head up, your confusion painted clearly across your face. 

“Something’s on your mind. This isn’t the week to lose focus.” He says plainly. 

You shake your head, turning your gaze back down and directing your attention back on getting your skates off so there was no chance for him to read your facial expression. Proving him right. “Everything’s fine Levi,” You try to assure him. The truth is, you were trying to wait until the last day to ask him. That way if it went badly you’d never have to face him again. Part of you didn’t even know why you were so worried about it. You set your skate on your lap, dragging a cloth across the blade to dry it before putting it away.

“The past four sessions you’ve been somewhere else. Today you barely even spoke.” His words cut through your chest, you forget how observant he is sometimes. “This is the most important part, I can’t release you unprepared.” 

“I didn’t fall once today.” You point out, in fact your session today felt a lot like your regular training. Just practicing to maintain. 

“You know that’s not what I meant.” Levi says. “Don’t tell me you’re second guessing about getting back into competitive skating.” 

You zip your bag up after dropping your other skate inside, whipping your attention back up at Levi. “No! Of course not.” You assure. Just looking at him hurts a little, you start to doubt your plan. It would uplift his whole career to take you under his wing, it almost felt selfish. You should be able to do this with Tarasov. Hell, she got you to Worlds the first time. You know reaching out to her this late would earn you being scolded for waiting until the last second. 

Levi’s knit eyebrows relax and he drops his shoulders, visibly relieved. He stands there for a moment before letting out a sigh and giving up. “Fine, come back on Wednesday more sharp.” He turns around and heads off towards the door, picking up his own skate bag as he walks past it. Panic rises to the surface, you wish you could yell out to him, tell him you don’t want to have to do this with anyone other than him. In an instant you decide that you can do just that. You stand up and grab your bag, haphazardly stuffing your feet into your shoes before taking off after him. Your bag swishes behind you every time your shoes hit the ground 

“Levi!” You don’t mean to shout so close behind him. He flinches when you grab his shoulder to stop him, causing him to turn and face you. “I lied, sorry.” you start. 

“Alright. So what is it?” Levi says, one eyebrow raised as he tenses up slightly under your light grasp. 

“Hear me out, okay?” You bite your lip, waiting for his confirmation and continuing when he tilts his head slightly. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot- the whole week actually. I think I’ve made so much progress with you, and I know this is our last week,” You aren’t holding back, and no matter how much your body screams to do so you don’t look away from him. “And I don’t need an answer right away, it’s sort of a big deal so-“ 

“Spit it out.” He cuts you off, his puzzled look now replaced with one of nervousness, eyes wide as he looks directly into your eyes. 

“Levi, please will you be my coach?” You say it, finally able to catch your breath from the combination of sprinting after Levi and rambling with no breaths in between. “Like my real coach, after we finish therapy.” 

Levi stares at you, his jaw slack. He almost looked.. appalled? You wish you knew exactly what’s going through his mind. 

“I know it’s a huge request, like I said. Think about it.” You try. “I think we could take gold, really-“ 

“No.” Levi turns his head, squeezing his eyes shut and gritting his teeth. Like he is physically unable to look at you. Time stands still, this is by far the worst case scenario that you feared. 

“Wait..” You say in a hushed tone. 

“The answer’s no.” He confirms, lips parted slightly like he wants to say more but nothing comes out. He takes a step back. “Just..I’ll see you Wednesday.” With that he turns completely and walks out, leaving you behind.

Taglist: @amywritesthings @littlerequiem @humanitys-strongest-bamf @hideandgopeep 

@thechaoticarchivist @sixpennydame @saccharine-nectarine @martins-rx 

@levisbrat25 

[littleocean-rose]

Zoo Outing

Summary: Your boyfriend San has been overworking himself lately. So to help him relax, you decide to take him out to the zoo.

AU: non-idol, hybrid au Pairing: house cat hybrid!San x gn!reader word count: 3,902 Warnings: sliiiight discrimination for hybrids but that should be it. reader calls san kitten once or twice. no beta we die like ice cream under the summer sun A/N: it didn't turn out quite how i wanted it to so i hope it's okay! i based what kind of cat sannie was on the poll i posted earlier san will always be a snow leopard in my heart, so thank you to everyone who participated in it!

As a hybrid, San was restricted from going to a lot of places without a human “owner.” And despite the fact that over the last ten years hybrid laws have started to become more lenient, it still had stopped him from doing a lot of things in his life. He could remember the day the government decided to allow hybrids into grocery stores on their own, his hybrid mother nearly crying as she watched the tv. He was a child then, he couldn’t understand what a huge accomplishment it was to hybrids all over the world. He understood now, as an adult, and he cherished what little freedoms they let hybrids have.

But with you, a human lover, by his side, so many more opportunities were open to him now.

You both had agreed early on in the relationship that you would sign off as San’s “owner,” though the title left a bitter taste in your mouth. You saw hybrids as equals, because that’s what they were, really. Equals. The main difference being their animal traits and their instincts, which even then weren’t very different. Sure, dog hybrids tended to get distracted by balls easier, and yeah cat hybrids tended to love sun naps. But to some people, well… maybe they needed a harsh shove down an escalator.

A year into your relationship now, you wanted to surprise San for all the hard work he’d been doing. Between his job as an assistant in a floral shop and online classes, San had been running on empty for a couple of weeks now. Exhausted from his job only to sit in front of his computer for several hours straight was really starting to wear on him, and try as you might, there wasn’t much you could do to improve his mood. Which is why today, on his day off, you broke the news to him.

As your sleepy kitty continued to snooze away in bed, sleek black tail wrapped around the blankets bundled up in his arms, you snuck out to the kitchen to start making breakfast. Pulling out a pan, you started to take out the ingredients for some kimchi pancakes. As you began to cook, your mind wandered to the plans you had made for today. A smile tugged at your lips, a feeling of eager excitement taking place in your chest. You knew San was going to be ecstatic, imagining the way his eyes would widen and his ears would go straight up. You couldn’t wait to see his reaction.

As you finished plating the pancakes you made your way to the bedroom, jittery with happiness as you took a seat on the edge of the bed. You ran your fingers through your boyfriend’s black hair, gently scratching behind his soft ears. He shifted, hugging the blankets closer as he let out a quiet mrrrp as his eyes slowly fluttered open. You couldn’t help but coo at how adorable he looked, face swollen with sleep as a little pout formed on his lips.

“Mm, what time is it?”

“It’s a little after 7am.” His brows furrowed together, a little whine escaping his throat as he buried his face into the soft pillow beneath him.

“Why are you waking me up so early on my day offf,” he whined, his words muffled. You couldn’t help but giggle, your fingers running through his soft hair. He leaned into your touch, the slight vibrations of tired purrs could be felt in your hand, pulling a gentle smile from you. “Can’t I sleep a little more? Please?”

“I know, baby, you’re tired. But I made plans for us today and I promise you’re going to love them.” With a groan, San pulled himself into a sitting position, hair mussed up and eyes still closed.

“But I was just gonna stay in today…”

You gave a hum in response. You knew your boyfriend loved staying in, as an introvert he didn’t mind spending days locked away in the house. He gave you another tired pout, but this is one time you knew you couldn’t cave in. He’d thank you later, you knew that much. “Sorry, Sannie, but trust me, okay? Breakfast is already made and waiting for you.”

His tail thumped against the blankets, clearly unhappy about the fact he had to get out of the very comfy bed. Cute, you thought. You gave an exaggerated sigh, looking down at your lap with a pout. “I mean, I guess we don’t have to go to the zoo today…” You peeked up through your lashes, noticing the way San’s eyes suddenly snapped open and his ears were instantly on alert.

His mouth fell open. “Th-The zoo?”

You smiled. “Yeah, I already bought us tickets. The zoo opens at 9:30.” For a moment the feline didn’t move, frozen in his spot as the information registered in his mind. Then, you were tackled, nearly shoved off the bed as he wrapped his arms around you. You gave a surprised squeak which very quickly turned into a laugh as he pulled you against his chest; nuzzling your neck like his very life depended on it, his tail wrapping around your waist as the sounds of his purrs increased tenfold. So much for being tired.

“Y/N! Oh my god, I– The zoo?! I get to finally go to a zoo!! Thank you, thank you, tha–“ You managed to pull away enough to land your lips against his, silencing him. He was all too eager to kiss back, his hands cradling your face, pouring all his passion and emotions into action.

“You don’t need to thank me, Sannie. I know how badly you’ve always wanted to go to the zoo. With you working so hard lately I figured it would be a nice surprise for you.” San’s eyes turned glassy as you cradled his face, thumbs brushing over his cheeks. “I love you so much, and seeing you overworked these past few weeks have been hard. Hopefully today will help you relax and unwind.”

You felt the soft fur of his tail brush against your wrist, watching as the hybrid turned and kissed the inside of your palm. San had always expressed the want of going to a zoo, watching wildlife documentaries with such fascination, and you always felt bad that you hadn’t had the time to take him sooner. Because hybrids weren’t allowed to go to a zoo without a human companion. With you and San both being busy, on days off the two of you would usually relax at home or, if anything, go to a park or beach to unwind. The zoo was on the other side of the city, a long drive for you two, which was why it wasn’t always the first option to come up for activities.

“I don’t care, I’m going to thank you anyway,” San said, breaking you out of your thoughts. He kissed your cheek, then your other cheek, then your nose, and finally forehead. His eyes practically sparkled, filled with so much love for you. “Thank you so much for doing this for me.”

“Of course, Sannie.” You pressed a kiss back to his nose, and finally his forehead. “I love you so much, I just want you to be happy. I’m sorry I couldn’t take you sooner.”

He shook his head. “Don’t you dare apologize. I’m just happy I get to go today. With you.”

Your heart melted. “Yeah,” you breathed, looking at him with love in your eyes. “With you.”

~

To say San was excited would have been an understatement.

San was practically bouncing in his seat the entire ride, the end of his tail wagging slowly in happiness. Before you had met San you hadn’t known that cats could sometimes wag their tails in happiness, thinking that they only did it when annoyed. It was cute, really. As soon as he parked the car he practically jumped out, trying his best not to dash all the way to the entrance. It reminded you of a cat when it got the zoomies. (Which San has had before, on several accounts. It was always quite amusing when it happened, even if it did end with him giving a sheepish grin and an embarrassed apology.) His excitement was practically palpable as he held your hand, gushing about all the animals he couldn’t wait to see.

Cute.

As you showed the booth employee your entrance tickets, you looked over San. He was wearing a denim shirt and pants, looking so soft and comfortable as he bounced on his toes, so full of energy and excitement. A little house cat excited to be on an adventure. As soon as you were given the clear the employee handed you a wristband for you to fill out. Once you wrote down your name and phone number, you put it on San’s wrist before grabbing his hand, threading your fingers through his. “Are you ready?”

San’s smile grew bigger. “Yeah.”

~

“Y/N! Look!!” The hybrid pointed to his right, eyes wide as he focused on the animal in the distance. You were currently halfway though the primate exhibit and San finally got to see a monkey. He instantly raised his camera, taking several pictures of the lazying animal. As he lowered his phone, he looked over his shoulder at you. “Do you see it?” He had the biggest smile on his face, and it had been so long since you’d seen him this happy. It was a nice change, and you were already making plans to take him to the aquarium next week. “Y/N, do you see the monkey?”

“Yeah,” you said, looking at San as you fought down a smile. “I’m looking at one right now.”

He blinked before he registered your words, giving a pout, his ears falling flat for a second as he rolled his eyes. “Meanie,” he mumbled, and you laughed.

“Sorry.” You kissed his cheek, his ears flicking back up into their normal position. “Yeah, I see the monkey. What kind is it?” Yeah, you knew there was a sign a few feet away that gave you the name of the primate and some fun facts about the species, but why would you read that when San could tell you all about the the animal? His face lit up, and he began to spew several random facts about chimpanzees, gesturing wildly as he gave you all the information he had on them.

He was such a nerd.

You wouldn’t want him any other way.

~

“Giraffes!” He ran over to the railing, looking over the tall ungulates with a peaceful expression. San stopped to watch them for a while, watching their every move as they ate some leaves off the lower-hanging branches from the trees in their exhibit. “They’re so graceful,” he murmured, resting his chin on his hands. You ran your hand across his broad back, let it come to a rest at the base of his neck where you played with the hairs hanging there. It brought some purrs out of San as the two of you stood in silence. Resting your head on his shoulder, you savored the peaceful moment.

“Even from this distance, they look so tall,” you said.

“They average around 16 feet if I recall, with the males reaching up to 18 feet,” San instantly replied. “They’re so pretty.”

“Are you having fun?” You knew you didn’t need to ask, but you still had the need to. San looked at you, eyes brimming with love and affection. No matter how times he would look at you like that, it would never fail to make your heart skip a beat.

“Yeah, I really am.” He reached for your free hand, giving it a squeeze. “Thank you, Y/N. So much.”

“Of course. Anything for my kitten.”

The smile San gave was blinding.

~

It was finally time to go through the exhibit San was looking forward to most. While he loved the bird exhibit (the way his eyes got so wide the entire time was beyond amusing, you had so many pictures of his dilated pupils and several videos of him chattering at the birds) and was fascinated with the canine exhibit (he thought the fennec foxes were the cutest things around and even decided to name one Wooyoung after his fox-hybrid friend), nothing could compare to his excitement for the feline exhibit.

He took his time with every animal.

The tigers were up first. San, eyes wide, went up to the railing and watched in fascination as the giant feline groomed his mate. They were beautiful, both Siberian tigers, one of them being white. It was such a contrast to the other, a pale white against a light orange. “Did you know tigers are the largest of the felines?” You did, but you pretended you didn’t so San could continue with his info drop. “There’s nine subspecies, but only six remain today. These guys, Amur tigers, are the biggest of the tigers.”

“They’re beautiful.”

“Aren’t they? Tigers are amazing. They’re so big, I wish I could cuddle with them.” You chuckled—of course San would want to cuddle them, but then again you wouldn’t hesitate to cuddle with them either.

Next were the snow leopards. These were probably San’s favorites. They were silly little animals, the smallest of the big cats as he informed you. They were playful, and quite the bouncers. They were unfortunately asleep up in their little house, San pouting at that, but you promised him you’d bring him back here next month. He lit up at that, giving you the biggest kitten eyes in the process, and you swore he was about to tear up at your promise.

The jaguars, too, were asleep, and San gave a quiet whine. “It’s okay, next time,” you said.

He nodded with determination, though his pout didn’t fall. “Next time.”

Caracals were next, and you couldn’t help but coo at the the tufts on the ends of their ears. This was one feline you did know quite a big about. While they weren’t your favorite, they did remind you of San. You told him as much, and he raised his eyebrows in surprise. “They remind you of me?”

“Yeah! They’re able to jump up to 10 feet in the air! And I know you love to jump, too.” He at least had the audacity to look sheepish, cheeks turning pink as he looked away with a pout. San loved to jump, so much so that his friends had banded together and made a jump-ban specifically when San was around. You didn’t mind it though, even encouraging his behavior. You’d see him eye a low-hanging branch on trees during walks, and you’d give a sly smile. “I bet you can’t touch that branch,” you’d challenge, and his eyes would narrow, a smirk on his face as he would instantly prove you wrong by leaping into the air to swat at the leaves. It was one of the many reasons that made him fall for you.

The pumas were after the caracals, and thankfully they weren’t asleep. Like the tigers, they were grooming each other, or simply staring over the crowd, giving large yawns. Despite not being very active, they still held San’s attention, drinking in every detail of the beautiful animals. You knew by the end of the day your phone would be full of mostly San, but you couldn’t help it. He was so enamored with all the animals, how could you not take so many photos and videos of him?

Next up were cheetahs, which happened to be your favorite. This time it was your turn to nerd out, spouting off fact after fact of them to San, you happily listened to you as he watched the feline pace back and forth in front of the fence. He squeezed your hand when you scratched your cheek, apologizing for ranting, but he shook his head. “No, please, go on,” he smiled. “I wanna hear more.”

San, ever the supportive boyfriend, never failed to make your heart flutter. You knew he knew all the information you were telling him, but still he coaxed it out of you, happy to see you enjoying the trip here as much as he was. At the end of your four minute long rant, you turned to San with a smile. “And while they may be my favorite species of cats, you still hold the title of being my favorite cat.”

In return, you never failed to make San’s heart flutter either.

~

Finally, the last one was the lion exhibit. You two had lucked out, a total of three lions were lazying around right near the glass, so San got a real nice close up of the cats. A look of wonder crossed his face as he crouched down, face nearly pressed against the glass. Unsurprisingly, San had a deep love for felines. They left him in awe every time they appeared on documentaries. Perhaps it was because he was a simple house cat, finding his larger, distant cousins simply awe-inspiring.

One particular lioness, the one closest to the glass, pressed her paw up against the glass, and San’s eyes went comically wide. Without hesitation he pressed his thumb against the glass, comparing the size of it to the lion’s large beans. “Woah,” he breathed, and you had to agree. You crouched down and pressed your hand to the glass, amazed by how small it looked compared to the fuzzy paw. You knew big cats were, well, big, but it never failed to surprise you by just how big they were. Until you saw it in person, it was always hard to imagine the scale of the cats.

As the day went on the crowd began to thin out, and you both knew that the zoo would be closing soon. The date would be ending, much to San’s disappointment. Before leaving though the two of you hit the ice cream shop. While they didn’t have chocolate mint, San ended up going with regular vanilla, you doing the same to match him. As the two of you sat at the table, munching away on the delicious treat, San reached over and grabbed your hand.

“I know I’ve said it so many times already, but thank you. Today was… it was amazing. The zoo was everything I thought it would be. And it was all the more special because you were by my side the entire time. You planned this, just for me, and I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”

You squeezed his hand, giving him a soft smile. “Oh, Sannie. I told you, you don’t need to thank me. Today was wonderful, I had so much fun finally visiting the zoo with you. Seeing you so happy, it was the break you needed. We made so many good memories today, and I hope to make more with you next month when we come back.”

San gave a big smile, dimples popping out and fangs peeking out. He looked so happy, a light blush dusting his cheeks. “I love you, jagiya.” Your heart soared at the pet name, this time your cheeks heating up a little.

“I love you, too, jagiya,” you replied quietly, and San beamed.

After you both finished your ice cream, you headed down to the shops before they closed. As San looked over at the snow globes, you quickly grabbed a snow leopard plushie and ran to the cashier to buy it, shoving it in your bag seconds before San turned and declared he was purchasing a tiger snow globe. You couldn’t help but aww at the cute little globe, watching as snow descended over the two tigers sitting on a rock.

“Do you want to get take-out tonight?” you asked as you both exited the zoo. San’s stomach rumbled loudly, yours doing so too. As yummy as the ice cream was, it hadn’t been very filling, and the only thing you two had eaten was the pancakes from breakfast.

“Could we get bulgogi…? Or mandoo?” You thought for a second.

“I could go for those, yeah.” San let out a happy mrrp sound, dimples popping out once more as he got into the car. The drive home was mostly the two of you talking about your favorite moments of the day, and San gushing about how seeing the animals in person was an amazing experience that he would never forget.

After you two got home and ate dinner, you both showered and crawled into bed; San snaking his arm around your waist as he pulled you close, pressing a kiss to your hair as his tail made its way to its usual spot wrapped around your thigh. “Thank you again for today,” he murmured, voice thick with sleep. After such a long day out, you weren’t surprised by how exhausted he was. You smiled, knowing there was one more surprise you had for him.

Reaching down over the side of the bed, you pulled up the plush you had bought from earlier. “I got this for you.” San gave a gasp, quickly pulling the plushie into his arms.

“Oh, she’s so cute! She’s so soft, too! Oh, I love her so much!” He instantly began to pet the plush, low purrs filling the silence as he cooed over his new baby. Eventually he began to gently knead it, a true sign he did, in fact, love it. “She’s sleeping with us tonight,” he declared, not asked. It made you laugh, turning over to face him and patted the space between you two.

“She can sleep right here tonight.”

He tucked the little plush under the blankets, as if she really was his child, and it made emotions swirl in your chest. Before you could stop yourself, the words came tumbling from your mouth. “You’d be such a good dad.” San stopped his actions, looking up at you with wide eyes. It made you flustered, tripping over your words. “I-I mean, like, I don’t want kids right now, or anytime soon, I’m nowhere near ready for that, but I just– I think you’d make a great dad,” you rambled, looking down at the plush with anxiety. You two had never talked about kids, but you just couldn’t help but think the hybrid would be such a soft dad.

“Thank you.” You peeked up at San, a bright smile on his face, his eyes turning into crescents. “I’m not ready for kids yet either, but… hearing you saying that, it helps quell any anxieties I had about it before. Maybe one day we can sit down and talk about it, but until then…” He placed a kiss on the plushie’s head, and then placed a kiss on your lips. “My only babies are gonna be Byeol and these plushes.” His eyes slipped shut, a content sigh leaving his lips. “But you’d be a wonderful parent, too. I know it.”

Warmth bloomed in your chest as you closed your eyes, visions of a family one day playing in your mind. “Thank you, Sannie. Goodnight, my love.”

“Goodnight, jagiya. I love you, so, so much.”

“I love you, too.”

The two of you fell asleep, your new baby tucked in between you two, a souvenir that you both would keep in bed for many years in the future.

A/N: aaaand that's it! have a good day~ please leave some feedback if you liked it~ ♥︎

[actuallysaiyan]

We Can Do Whatever You Want To Do(Ishida Uryu x Fem!Reader)

warnings: smut, handjob, talk about virginity, kissing, alcohol, semi-public sex, Uryu and Reader are in University word count: 1.3k pairings: Uryu Ishida x Fem!Reader summary: you and Uryu are in the same classes in university and you thought at first his arrogance and attitude pissed you off, but it turns you on. taglist: @beneathstarryskies. @seireiteihellbutterfly @misty-angerose. @yeowangies a/n: My first time writing Uryu, so I hope it's good <3

You met him when you were in your first year of university. Whispers of his academic excellence and many scholarships due to his achievements follow him around, though he doesn’t show any kind of real reaction to it. You found yourself so intrigued by Uryu.

After a few months of being in the same classes as him and trying to get to know him, you find out that he tends to keep to himself. And  Uryu doesn’t really bother to make too many friends. You’ve noticed some people coming to visit him from time to time, but the relationships he has with them seem deep rooted in something you can’t quite understand.

Even as time continues on, you find yourself way too curious about him. What kind of thing does he  do in his spare time? What kind of interests does he have outside of science and medicine? Did he have a love interest? Has he ever had a girlfriend?

Everything comes to a head when you and Uryu are at the same party. He’s keeping to himself in the corner, talking a little bit to a few people here and there that are in the same class as both of you. You take a drink from your beer and you head over to him.

“Hmm?” he barely acknowledges you, which makes you even more turned on.

“You’re Ishida-san, correct?” you ask him, your stomach doing flips.

He smirks at you, “Yes. Good to know you can recognize your classmates' names.”

That comment has your blood  boiling. How could he say something so rude to you like this? You roll your eyes and finish off your beer. Despite the way he acts, he holds himself with an air of someone who knows it all. Something about this suggests he’s not too lucky in the love and intimacy department. Meaning….he’s probably a virgin despite being in his early twenties.

The next time you meet up with him, it’s at the end of your class for the day. You make your way over to him, tapping him on the shoulder. He turns around, towering over you and sports that same smirk as he always does.

“Yes? What is it?”

His tone is just driving you insane, “I was going to ask you to help explain something to me, but honestly if you just want to act like a self-centered jerk,, nevermind.”

Students are walking past you and him, making it seem like there’s just no care in the world for something like this. It’s like you and him aren’t even a part of this student body right now. There’s this tension that grows around the two of you. He takes your hand and pulls you just a little closer. Your heart flutters and your stomach does a flip. Why does he keep making you feel like this? He’s just an asshole classmate.

“Listen, if you really want my help, I’ll help. Just ask nicely.” His tone is authoritative and it makes you want to slap him.

“F-fine…can you help me with today’s lecture?”

He smirks again, “Of course. It was rather easy.”

The urge to push him off you and to just give up on your plan was strong. Yet you followed him into an empty classroom. He sits at the teacher’s desk, opening up his notebook. You close the door and without him noticing, you lock it as well.

Innocently as you can, you make your way up to him. When he looks at you, you flutter your eyelashes flirtatiously. He falters for  a moment,  freezing completely. He’s wondering why you’ve changed your attitude towards him completely, but he finds it endearing that you’re trying to be kinder to him.

What you don’t realize is that you’ve been invading his every thought since that night at the party. He loves the way you take his attitude with a grain of salt. He keeps up these walls for a reason, though he’s ready to tear  down some of his walls to show you his real self.

Suddenly, you’re backing him into the corner. His eyes widen beneath his glasses, his cheeks reddening at the way you’re so close to him. Your actions are so bold and brazen..

“Uryu,” you purr softly in his ear. “You’re a virgin aren’t you?”

His heart skips a beat, “H-huh?”

You laugh, “I know you heard me. Answer the damn question.”

His mouth gets dry as his brain short-circuits. Uryu thought he had really hidden that aspect of his life so well. How could you tell just by being in class with him and the few interactions here and there that he was a virgin? How were you so clever?

He’s about to answer when your lips come crashing down onto his. Your hand drags down his chest to his waist, then down below his belt. You squeeze softly the growing bulge. He moans against your lips. Slowly, you begin palming him through his jeans until he’s rock hard.

“Let me have a little fun, hm? I bet you’ve never even had a handjob before!”

Your words sting and hit him right in the heart. .It was true, he was a virgin and he had never  even kissed before. You were taking a lot of his firsts. He can barely believe his own eyes when you unbuckle his belt and unzip his pants. His cock is throbbing and twitching. There’s a precum stain on his underwear now.

“Awhh look at that, you have to be  a virgin.” You tease him as you pull down his underwear.

His cock slaps against his lower abdomen as you release it from the cotton confines of his briefs. The thick precum smears against his button-up shirt. You smirk when you gently graze his cock with just your fingertips and he lets out a whimper.

“Oh you’re gonna blow your load so fast, aren’t you?” You taunt him.

He shakes his head, “N-no. Shut up!”

You wrap your fingers around the throbbing length. He’s shuddering as you begin to stroke him. You make sure to go slow. You aren’t convinced that he won’t just pop within seconds. 

“Look at you, trembling and shaking. What a pathetic little virgin you are,”

Your words are turning him on more than he’d like to admit. It’s making him angrier but also his cock keeps throbbing every time you call him a virgin. He’d love to lose his virginity, but he’s so wrapped up in his studies and academic career that he forgets to make meaningful relationships. He just thought he would end up having to marry someone first to lose his virginity.

“Shut up,” he spits at you. “At least—ahhh fuck— ‘least I’m not failing.”

You squeeze his cock a little harder, “I’m not failing. You really think I’m failing? Let me tell you something,”

You lean in closer, and you start to stroke him faster. Your other hand comes down to massage his balls and he knows he’s done for now. His eyes roll back in his head and his knees begin to buckle. It’s all too much.

“The only reason I asked for your help today was because I wanted to jerk off your cock. You got that?”

He can’t even reply. You’ve rendered him into a blubbering and whimpering mess. His glasses are all fogged up that he can barely make out the blur that’s your fist stroking his cock. You tug on his balls ever so gently and that’s all it takes for him to fall off the edge.

“Fuck! Fuck I—I’m cumming!”

His hips begin to buck up into your hand, spurts of thick cum beginning to coat your fist and the bottom of your shirt. You smirk as you help him through his high. Then you slow down your pace, but never stopping it.

“Listen to me,” you begin. “If you wanna fuck this pussy, you’re going to have to be a lot nicer to me. Got it?”

He nods his head, “Yes, yes…I’ll be nicer.”

And that’s how you ended up with Uryu’s balls in the palm of your hand.

[dearestaussiechannie]

☀︎ Your Mom Showed Me Your Baby Pictures ☀︎— Lee Felix

word count: 2.4k

paring: Felix x afab!reader

genre: Fluff

warnings: afab!reader, boyfriend!Felix, pet names (sweetie, love, beautiful, sunshine), kissing (goes no further), engagement, proposing, mentions Hyunjin, if I left anything out please let me know, kinda proof-read

Felix had thought out absolutely everything that you guys would do for your vacation back to his parents house in Australia. He had the restaurants picked, theme parks, beach days, you name it and he’d planned it. Sadly things weren't going to his plan. Due to the sudden change of weather, you'd caught a cold.

It's been three days and your symptoms are barely easing up. Your fever had finally broken early this morning but you still had body aches and a sniffly nose. No matter how much you insisted that you could do everything he wanted, he refused to let you leave the house, which wasn’t a bad thing since this meant that you'd get to know his siblings and parents better. 

Everyone had been super understanding and helpful while you were sick, whether that was his mom making you something to eat that was light on your stomach, or Olivia coming to watch a movie with you (on separate sides of the room so she didn’t get sick), or Rachel bringing you a fresh blanket out of the laundry when Felix had told her you were shaking from your fever. 

They had all been so nice, even before you were sick and just got to talk to them over the phone. His mother and father would constantly ask about you if you weren't present for the calls, at least that's what he told you, sisters texting you constantly to just check in. The funniest conversations were with Olivia though. She would constantly send you funny memes of her older brother or the thirst traps that would pop up on her tik tok, messaging the same thing every time, “this is what you’re into *barf*”. 

Today was no different besides the fact that you'd pulled yourself out of Felixs’ room to sit in the living room when his mother saw you. Her smile warmed the room just like her sons would, making you smile back to her. “Hi sweetie, are you looking for Felix?” She asked you before walking over and rubbing your shoulders, placing her hand on your head to see if you still had a fever.

You now see where Felix gets his tenderness from, it was the woman standing in front of you. Going back to her question, you shake your head before wrapping the blanket tighter around you. “No Mrs. Lee, I just wanted some fresh air… the room was becoming suffocating.” you respond, watching her roll her eyes when you call her that as she's told you many times you just refer to her as mom at least a hundred times by now. “Gotcha, well he went out to lunch with his father and sisters, so it's just the two of us here right now. Are you hungry? I can make you something.” but before she finished speaking, you're being pulled to the table and she disappears into the kitchen.

You sit and listen to her little stories of when the Lee siblings were little, giggling when she makes sure to tell you the embarrassing things Felix did while he was still in school. Eventually food was done and she'd made enough for the both of you to have lunch together, saying it was nice was an understatement. The food was delicious and her company was amazing, always making sure that you were okay and didn't need more to drink, getting you the medication you needed for your cold, talking to you not only about her kids but also asking you about your childhood and your parents.

Once lunch was over, the two of you had moved back to the livingroom and continued the conversation on the couch. Suddenly she stands up and hurries out, only to return with large books and a bright smile. “Has Felix ever shown you any of his baby pictures?” She asks as she sits back beside you, quite close so that you could look through the books together. You simply shake your head with a large smile, excited for what would come next.

The two of you flip through the books, giggling at the silly photos, stopping when his mother would start telling the story behind certain ones. You couldn't hold in a particularly loud laugh when you see a photo of him from the early years of grade school, leaned up against what looks like a tree in a white button up with a blue grid pattern. “He looks like a little business man!” you say as you look over at his mother who's nodding her head laughing with you. “That's what happens when dad picks your clothes for picture day.”

You flip through more pages, taking a couple pictures of the ones you'd want to look back at. Some time goes by and you've finished looking through the photos, his mother puts the books away and not soon after, the rest of the family walks through the door. You smile when you see your sweet sunshine walk inside, making his way straight to you. You stand up and hug him tightly, his arms pulling you tightly to him by your lower back before pulling one away to feel your head. “No fever, Love?” he asks you, brushing the hair out of your face. “It broke this morning before I woke up, I've been spending time with your mom.” You respond, looking over at her before you see her put a finger over her lips, silently shushing you and you know why, his baby pictures.

A few days have passed since then and since you were finally feeling better, the two of you started doing all of the things that Felix had planned. You're out at dinner with your boyfriend and you couldn't have asked for anything more. The two of you ate and held small conversations, telling him about lunch with his mother the other day and him telling you about everything he did with his father and sisters while you were sick. Dinner was eventually over and the two of you were on your way back before Felix suddenly turned in the opposite direction of his house. 

You just look at him for a few minutes before curiosity gets the best of you. “Lixie, where are we going?” The question leaving your lips, making him glance over at you before slowly grabbing your hand in his free one, pulling it up and rubbing your knuckles against his lips. “You just looked so pretty in that dress, I wasn't ready to go home yet.” He answers, car turning again making your eyes fall away from him only to be met with the sight of water, the moon reflecting on it and waves gently splashing against the bay. Your cheeks flushed as he parked the car, getting out and walking to your side, opening the door for you and slowly taking off the white heels that matched your dress before helping you out of the car.

He carried you to the sand so that the road wouldn't hurt your feet. You insisted that if he had let you keep on your heels, you could have walked but he didn’t want them to be ruined by the sand. Once into the sand, Felix slowly puts you down, making sure both feet are on the ground before completely letting you go. He looks at you with a smile, glancing quickly down at your lips before putting his hands on your hips and pulling you close to him before gently placing his lips against yours. The kiss is very gentle, lips moving against the others with a slight rhythm, your arms draped over his shoulders as you play with his hair and his hands moving to your lower back, rubbing small circles.

Once you break away from the kiss, you lean your forehead against his before giggling and running towards the water. You're about to shin deep when Felix finally gets in since he had to take off his socks and shoes as well as roll up his pants quite a bit so that they didn't get too wet. He runs up to you causing the water to splash and you to squeal as the cold water suddenly hits the back of your thighs, his arms wrapping around you, kissing your shoulder gently. “Now we're both all wet, what about your car?” you ask him, raising an eyebrow when he starts giggling, smile shining so bright even in the dark.

“So… there's actually towels in the backseat. I knew that I would eventually take you to the beach so I put them in the car just before we found out you caught a cold.” He admits, moving a hand from your back to the back of his neck, rubbing it slowly. You can't help but laugh before cupping his cheeks to make him look at you then showering his face in soft but quick pecks. This makes him chuckle, putting his hands on yours before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone, putting on a soft playlist that Hyunjin had sent to him when he told him his plan. 

“May I have this dance, beautiful?” he asks, nerves building in his stomach with his hand outstretched to you. You nod, softly placing your hand into his. The two of you dance slowly, hearing him hum along before he slowly spins you making you laugh as the water splashes around you. You both somehow manage to make it back into the sand as the song changes, sand sticking to your feet but the two of you could care less. The only thing that mattered in this very moment was each other.

“I want you to spin three times for me this time with your eyes closed, okay?” He asks, words more like a demand than a question so you simply nod. He smiles sweetly before spinning you, making sure your eyes are closed on the first spin, he reaches into his pocket and drops down onto his knee. He watches the way that your dress spins with you, the way your hair flows in the wind so effortlessly and the beautiful smile on your face as you make that third spin. He knew now that he was making the right decision. His nerves climb into his throat when you've stopped spinning.

You open your eyes only to realize you're facing the wrong way which makes you laugh. “Lixie why didn't you tell me to turn arou-” You ask him, lips falling silent before you could finish your sentence when you see him. He's in front of you on one knee, smiling so bright you’d bet your last dime that it'd put the sun itself out of business. Your hands quickly cover your mouth as you step closer to him, each step shaky as if you're unsure that your legs can hold you up.

“L/n Y/n, you're the most amazing, beautiful, funniest, most caring person I've ever had the opportunity to meet. You always make me smile, help me through anything that I’m having trouble with and even though you get into my baked goods before I say anything about it amazes me. The way that you also take care of my friends makes me realize every single day what an amazing person you are. I’m in love with you and have been since that first date we went on. Will you make me the happiest man to walk the earth and spend the rest of my life with me? Will you marry me?” He asks a bit shaky in the beginning, finding more confidence in his words as he continues.

“Yes!! Oh my god Yes!!” you shout at him with excitement before you drop to your knees in front of him. He gently grabs your hand and slips the ring onto your finger. It was a perfect fit and he couldn't thank Olivia more for finding out your ring size for him a few months ago. You look at your hand in his and the beautiful ring on your finger as you feel your bottom lip begin quivering. You look up at him, noticing that his is the same, eyes watering as yours do the same. 

You quickly wrap your arms around him, hugging him tightly and kissing him a bit hard but neither of you care. Both of you stay like this for some time before slipping apart, staring at each other, laughing softly as he rubs the new ring on your hand. Eventually the both of you make your way back to the car, drying off after using a water bottle out of the car to get all the sand off. The ride home wasn't a long one but time has felt at stand still since you saw him on one knee. 

You both walk back inside and to his room, changing into more comfortable clothes and crawling into the bed. You put your phone on the charger and he finally sees your lock screen. “What was that?” He asks, a bit shocked when he sees the photo. How'd you get that? Isn't that his moms coffee table? “Hmm?” is all you say back to him, acting clueless as you try to finish getting ready for bed. “Y/n. How'd you get that photo?” He asks, knowing the answer but he wants you to confirm it. “Oh, you mean the little cutie on my lock screen? Your mom showed me your baby pictures the other day and I just couldn't help it. I wanted to be able to look at it again without having to bother her.” You answer him.

“This is what I get for telling her that I was gonna propose to you while we're here.” He rumbles as he rubs his temples. “Oh shush. You look like a cute little business man who is now all grown up and oh so very very handsome and engaged.” You say, pushing your hand in his direction which makes him smile. He gently grabs your hand and his phone in the other, taking a picture of your hand and sending it to his group chat. 

1 Attachment. “I did it you guys!! She's gonna be Mrs. Lee Y/n soon!!”

He then locks his phone, hearing the pings going off but his attention has shifted back to you, gazing lovingly at you as you brush your hair. 

“I’m in love with you, Beautiful.”

“And I’m in love with you, Sunshine.”

©️ dearestaussiechannie, all rights reserved.

Taglist: (to be added, comment or message me♡)

[it-happened-one-fic]

Bridal Visions: Photoshoot #6 - Natlan Bridal - Quite So Charming

Summary: Ororon in a suit was most certainly not something you were used to seeing. But there was something undeniably charming about it. But then, Ororon had a brand of charm all of his own.

Type: Female reader/ 800 Followers Event/ series/ sfw/ fluff/

Bridal Visions Series Masterlist

Word Count: 1031

I sat awkwardly smiling as I watched Chiori, the photographer, and Ororon walk around, flaring out my skirt so that it covered a large portion of the wooden floor I knelt on.

And even though I knew next to nothing about design, I knew exactly what was being gone for in this photograph. The designer of this wedding gown, Chiori herself, wanted the skirt in all its glossy white glory to be shown off in all its magnificence.

In all honesty, though, I was far more distracted by the sight of Ororon in his dark-colored suit and vest.

It was a stark contrast to his usual clothes that were ripped and highlighted with bright blues and purples. 

And then there was the fact of how he didn’t have his usual hood to hide behind. Instead, I could see his face, eyes, and fluffy ears clearly for once. And it was oddly endearing in a way that made me understand even more fully than I had before why Traveler chose him to model a groom’s attire for this photoshoot.

After all, it was a good look for him, if starkly different from his usual one. But Ororon wasn’t an unattractive young man by any means.

I fully assumed that I’d been chosen due to how comfortable with me Ororon was. In fact, I wouldn’t put it past him to have asked if I was the person he was going to be modeling these clothes with.

I could hardly complain, though. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever worn something so fancy as this dress, and who knew if I ever would again.

All glossy, pristine white satin and backless so that the pearls that draped from shoulder to shoulder could be seen clearly against my back, the dress certainly was beyond beautiful, perfectly grandiose, and yet oddly simplistic with the way it leaned into the pure white of the gown.

Perhaps my favorite part of the entire outfit was the lacy mantilla veil that was attached to my head by a narrow tiara whose pearls matched the back of the dress. Somehow it perfectly completed the entire look, and it was a fight to not fidget with its delicate edges as I watched them finish fanning out my dress.

And while I might have never met Chiori until today, I could certainly say I respected her taste in clothes. And while I certainly wasn’t planning my wedding at the moment, I fully imagined this dress would haunt me.

In fact, a small part of me hoped I would be able to request the dress as payment since she’d made it specifically to my measurements, just like how she’d perfectly tailored the suit to Ororon. Though I wasn’t sure how to even start going about making such a request.

“Alright. I want you to lay down on the skirt now, Ororon, with your head near where she’s at,” Chiori gestured lightly to the sleek fabric as she spoke, and Ororon almost immediately frowned. Starting forward several times before looking up at me with an unsure gaze that had me tilting his head at him.

“What’s wrong?” My question mirrored the confusion on the photographer’s face as Ororon continued to hesitate before he shook his head slightly, “I don’t want to step on the skirt and get it dirty….”

I giggled lightly at his words, shaking my head even as I spoke, “Then just kneel at the edge and crawl forward till you’re on the skirt and roll over.”

I watched silently, smiling in amusement as he did as I instructed. First kneeling awkwardly and then carefully crawling onto the skirt before flopping over and looking up at me with an oddly blank expression, causing me to snicker.

Because despite my early thoughts of how endearing seeing him in a groom’s suit like this was, he was also painfully awkward in a way that spoke of exactly how unused to wearing suits he was.

I glanced over to see Chiori looking at him with raised eyebrows even as she stepped back out of the line of the camera. And though I truly adored Ororon, I could hardly blame her. I highly doubted Ororon, or even myself, was what she’d expected to receive as models for her bridal line.

I glanced back down at where Ororon lay next to me, his head just beside my hip as he looked up at me with a characteristically innocent stare that had me tilting my head at him yet again. Idly wondering what exactly was going through his head before he spoke up, “You look really pretty.”

I blinked at his words, my eyes widening at the perfectly blunt honesty that made his words far more flustering than any teasing could have ever been.

I reached down though, idly brushing hair out of his mismatched eyes as a smile slipped onto my face, “So do you. Different than usual, but still really nice.”

 Without any warning the shutter of the camera went off right as he smiled slightly up at me, something softening in his gaze that I almost missed as I realized our picture had just been taken.

He blinked, his ears twitching slightly at the sound before he turned, and I glanced over, quietly hoping that neither of us had our eyes shut in the image as Chiori leaned over before nodding approvingly as she looked at the camera’s screen. Apparently satisfied with the image.

“That’ll do nicely, thank you,” She looked over at us as she spoke, and both me and Ororon nodded as I rested my hands on my lap.

“Of course,” Ororon’s voice was soft as he sat up before glancing back at me and nodding slightly before he looked back at Chiori. “Thank you for letting us wear these clothes.”

Chiori blinked at his words, looking taken aback, but I could hardly blame her. To those who weren’t used to it, Ororon’s level of politeness paired with his rather awkward nature could come as a surprise.

But in the end, it was all a part of who he was and was also what made the image of him as a groom quite so charming.

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[osleeplessflowero]

Sooo I've gotten really into Epic: The Musical recently and the song "Suffering" gave me the idea for this! I've been missing Mer/Siren!Nightmare..so let's give him some content! ;)

Gender Neutral Reader

Reader is pretty much anyone you want them to be as long as they can stand/sit on a boat

No this is not connected to the Mer!Nightmare oneshot I wrote, it's a different plotline focused on them being more like Sirens.. buuut if you wanna check it out.. Click Me!

Immune

Oh, does Nightmare hate you.

Ever since you befriended his brother, he's rambled on and on about you nonstop. He's sick of it! And the way you try to act all buddy buddy with him too..oh, he despises that. He definitely does not think fondly of you. Not in the slightest. And so he's decided to get rid of you. So he doesn't have to feel so confused.

Dream had left early in the morning, muttering something about meeting up with some old friends next to a waterfall. Nightmare waved him off, grinning with malice once he'd vanished. Swimming beneath the darker parts of the sea water, he began making his way to the destination he'd visited countless times: the location of your boat.

After mistakenly getting caught in one of your nets, Dream had ended up befriending you as a way for his life to be spared. And in turn the two of you grew quite close, the worry of hunting one another having long since faded. Nightmare had been dragged along with him on more than one occasion, begrudgingly making conversation with you as you stood on the deck of your boat with that charming smile.

And here you were again, standing on the edge and leaning your arms along the railing, mere inches away from falling into the water to a quick demise. You inhale the ocean air with a smile, relaxing without a care in the world. Nightmare peeks his skull out of the water momentarily, grinning madly when he spots you before quickly moving back down so he isn't spotted. Using his magic a little, he takes the form of his brother. You're more trusting when it comes to him..perfect for his plan.

He pops his skull out of the water, smiling brightly just as his brother always does when he sees you. You look over and wave, turning more to face him directly.

"Dream, hey! Good to see you!" You smile, blissfully unaware of his true identity as you slide to sit on the other side of the railing to kick your legs back and forth. Nightmare's eyesockets narrow briefly as he pushes himself up onto a rock, 'Dream's yellow scales glowing brightly once the sun makes contact with his body. Though not as bright as usual..

"Hi there!" He mimics his brother's voice perfectly, having practiced for the occasion. "How are you today, friend?" He rests his arms on top of the rock, Dream's tail swishing back and forth in the water in place of Nightmare's usual tentacles.

You raise a brow slightly, but your smile doesn't falter as you rest your arms in your lap.

"Good, I suppose. Had to run from some sharks earlier so that sucked, I like the skeleton sharks a bit more. Just get 'em to play cards with you and they'll let you pass." You shrug, taking a card deck out of a satchel and waving it around before you finish your sentence, putting it away again. "What about you, Dream? Anything exciting this morning?" You raise your hands, resting your chin between them.

He rests his cheek on one of his hands, pretending to think and letting out a hum. He taps his fingers against the rock for a moment in a rhythmic pattern.

"Hmm, well..I can't say anything too interesting happened..not until I ran into you, of course!" He smiles cheerfully, watching as you let out a chuckle or two.

"Really? That's strange..usually you have lots to talk about during the morning. Lazy day today?" You kick your legs, looking down at him curiously. Observing.

"Yeah..just a bit slow!" He lowers his arms. "But now that I've found you I'm sure it'll get so much more fun! ..Say..why don't you come down here and swim with me for a bit? Just the two of us?" His spell begins seeping into his impersonation of Dream's voice, his eyes faintly glowing with magic. He holds out his arms out towards you, open and inviting.

You pause for a moment, hearing a slight difference in his tone. Familiarity overtakes you, and you narrow your eyes at him. ..Why is he using his magic? You'd happily go, and he already knows that it doesn't..

You glance over his demeanor again. Well mannered body language, slightly narrowed eyesockets in contrast to his usually wide open ones. Slightly dimmer than usual..

Oh, so that's what this is.

You smile, deciding you'll mess around a little. "Oh, I dunno Dream..I'm awfully scared of the water! What if another shark comes by?" You shrug, smiling apologetically. Nightmare's browbone twitches, but he keeps up his act.

"Don't you worry, I'll keep you safe! I know the sea like the back of my hand, so I can keep you out of harm's way!" He wonders silently why his spell isn't working, sliding off the rock and swimming over, reaching up to grab your legs. But before he can, you swing them back up over the railing, now standing on it to look down at him. His hands twitch at the absence of your legs, but his smile doesn't falter as he moves back a bit.

"I'm sure you could.. but I just don't know!" You drape your arm over your forehead dramatically, earning a very brief deadpan from the siren beneath you. "I think it might be a little better if we stay right here..y'know?" You smile.

"Aww, don't you trust me?" He presses a hand to his ribcage. "We don't have to go far, just jump in the water with me right here! We can swim around your boat. C'mon, just join me!" He splashes a little water your way, making you jolt a bit. You nearly fall, but balance yourself quickly.

"Why don't you come up here, Dream? You can jump this high, you've done it lots of times. We can talk here on the railing. And maybe I could jump down with you from here!" You crouch, patting the rail below you. Nightmare pauses a moment, thinking before smiling again and pushing himself upwards to lean against it. You slide off the rail, standing in front of him and resting your hands at his sides. Quite close..

"..Okay, I'm here. So..jump with me." He finds himself staring into your eyes, beads of magic sweat forming on his skull as the exhaustion of holding this form accurately begins taking a toll on him. Why isn't his spell working? There's nothing blocking your ears, you should've obeyed the first time.

You trail your hand along his jawline, making him shiver. Lifting his chin, you give him a sly smile. He freezes, eyesockets widening a bit. His hands lay suspended midair, twitching a bit.

"Hi, Night. Y'know, if you wanted to see me so badly you could've just said so..I wouldn't mind, big guy." You grin, your face slightly darkening. A bright shade of green crosses what's supposed to be Dream's skull, as the illusion finally drops. Nightmare's true form finally manifests before you, an irritated (but also flushed) expression on his face.

"How? My trick was perfect, I don't understand." He furrows his browbones, narrowing his eyesockets. You let out a chuckle, replying softly.

"I'm immune to siren calls, Nightmare. Dream tried it on me to see what would happen a while ago..nothing. Nice try, though."

"..You know, I could just as easily pull you into the water right now and devour you." He glares at you as he speaks, and yet he doesn't shy away from your touch in the slightest..you narrow your eyes, reading him like a book.

"But you won't..you like me too much for that, don't you?" You smile as you tease him, watching as his face glows a little brighter. "Admit it to yourself..you don't hate me one bit. In fact, it's the opposite..isn't it?"

"You're a fool." He begins to back away, but you put your hand over one of his.

"But I could be your fool..if you want me to." You raise your brows, earning a scoff from him as he moves away. You shift your arms, resting your cheek against one of your hands.

"Don't be ridiculous. I loathe you. I want you gone." He crosses his arms, tentacles writhing about beneath him as he leans against the railing, the only thing keeping him in the air.

"Yeah..and I'm half mermaid." You let out a little laugh, earning a light shove from him. Falling over, you kick your legs a bit before pushing yourself back up. "Admit it! You liiiike meee.." There's a hint of a sing-song tone to your voice, making his browbones twitch.

"In your dreams." He averts his eyelight, ignoring his still-pounding heart.

"I heard my name?"

Dream's voice startles you both, his bright and cheery smile ever present as he sits on the rock Nightmare had just been lying on.

"Hi Dream!" You wave down at him, earning a very enthusiastic wave in return. "I was just talking to Nightmare."

He gasps, putting his hands on his cheeks. "Night, you came to visit them on your own! That's awesome! Such progress!"

He puts his hand against his forehead, groaning into it. "Stop bringing it up.."

You give his shoulder a nudge, smiling smugly as he lets out an annoyed sigh. As you turn your focus back to Dream to hold an energetic conversation, he smiles a bit in the corner of your vision.

[lokideservesahug]

Obsessed In Love

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Pairing: Yandere!Checo Pérez x gn!reader

(Slight) Yuki Tsunoda x reader

Warnings: Yandre, obsession, dark themes ofc (all kinda subtle). Badly translated Spanish

Request: Could you do yandere! Checo Perez with male reader? 👀

Notes: I'm not quite sure how to approach male readers just yet so I tried to do a gn reader instead. Pls let me know if you want something different though. This is the first time I've tried tow rite anything like this so feedback is greatly appreciated. Also if anyone wants a second part then pls let me know

Summary: You were very happy with your job- personal assistant for Sergio Pérez. Yet unbeknownst to you, being Checo's personal assistant isn't enough for him.

Part 2

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You hadn't been at Red Bull Racing for long but from what you've experienced so far, it has been amazing. You came in at the start of the 2024 season as Sergio Pérez's personal assistant and its just great. All of the crew were lively and welcoming to you, especially Checo. You've been following F1 for a long time now (hence how you found out about the hardly advertised job opening) and have always admired Checo and his racecraft so it was a huge honour to work alongside him. Unsurprisingly, media days are the least strenuous for the drivers but the most difficult for the PR/media team and as someone who worked under the former but worked directly alongside a driver, you had a nice balance of stress.

You scan your paddock pass and at the familiar beeps, you start your trek to Red Bull hospitality. You decided to arrive here early today so you can get a head start on the weekend and so you can even hang around with those you don't often get time to, like the engineers etc. You walk over to your workspace and get our your ipad with the schedule for today. Looks like you'll be following Checo around from 10-12 whilst he does miscellaneous activities and jobs first thing. You check the clock next to you. 8:35. You still have a good hour and a quarter until you need to start worrying about your 'boss' coming in.

You dive into your work and begin checking emails and planning entirely for the next few races. You're engrossed in your work for what feels like hours when you hear a gentle knock on the door. "Come in." You say, whilst placing the ipad on the desk and standing up. "Oh! Checo, I must have lost track of time." You glance at the clock. 8:57. Oh, that's odd. "Good morning cariño" You smile at his warm greeting. "Morning Checo, it isn't like you to be this early. What's the occasion?" For a split second you could have sworn that he looked like he was about to protest your words but swiftly caught himself.

"I uh- just thought I'd get an early start." He gave you a half smile and you smiled at his words. "Well Mr early start, I don't think there's much to do. You'd probably be most helpful speaking to some mechanics about any further adjustments but aside from that. But you can do anything I suppose" You turn to look at him after you finish your pacing only to find him sat down on a seat in the corner of your 'office'. You go to ask him what he's doing but he leans backspace, crosses his legs and speaks before you can get any words out. The corner of his lips turn up at the tilt of his head. "What? I thought you said I could do anything?" His half sarcastic response leaves you speechless. "You won't even know I'm here querida. Unless you ask for help which I'll be happy to give." You feel your cheeks warm slightly at his words and sit down at your desk and continue as you were when he came in.

☆-☆-☆-☆-☆

Checo was really quite helpful and by the time you had finished all you planned for the morning and much more, it was 10 o'clock.

You tidy up the miscellaneous work that manged to scatter across your desk and turn to the Mexican stood to your side. "Thank you for your help." He smiles at your words and looks at the clock behind you. "No worry querida. Any time" You feel yourself blush slightly at his words and so you look down and step away from the desk. You point out the time and ask if you should begin your duties. "You go ahead cariño, I just need to do something." Not thinking much of his words (and assuming he probably had to tie his shoe laces or send a text) you leave the door, parting with a soft "See you in the foyer in a minute."

You sit down on a plush leather sofa by the door waiting for Sergio's return to do your first job of the day. Suddenly, the door quietly opens and you hear the distant shouts of fans and the ever moving ambience of a Formula 1 race track. You turn to look at the door, already knowing who the disruptor of your momentary peace is. "Morning Max." The Dutch man nods at you and walks in your direction to place a clearly empty red bull can in the bin.

He sits down to your left and stretches out. "So, what media duties do you have today?" Max hums in thought and furrows his brows at your question. "Uhm- I think I have to film one of those what's in the box videos and then some looking at the car, meeting a few fans and then the video with Checo at the end of the day." You hum in acknowledgement at Max's words. The Red Bull YouTube video at the end of the day should be quite nice. Unsurprisingly, it features him and Checo but also Daniel and Yuki. You continue chatting, waiting for Checo until the Mexican comes through the door. You stand to greet Checo and begin walking out if the door to begin your day. He smiles at your greetings and unbeknownst to you, gives Max a harsh glare at the proximity of the two of you when he first entered.

☆-☆-☆-☆-☆

The day seemed to breeze by and by the time it came to the last media duty, you were shocked at how late it already was. You stand to the side under a canopy, watching as the RB (both Red Bull and VCARB) drivers mess around with each other. The sight of Checo and Max having a small, futile squabble over who gets to drive however, makes you laugh softly. You turn to look at the other drivers as Checo (not that you know) turns to give you a longing glance for the millionth time today. The cameraman calls for a small break before the next segment if the video will be filmed and the drivers all let out a collective sigh of relief.

You walk to the corner of the gazebo and fetch a chilled red bull from the cooler box for Checo. You wait at the edge of the canopy, still in the shade, for Checo to give the now slightly warmer drink to him. However instead if the regular presence of a certain Pérez to your side, you instead find a short Japanese man. "Hi Yuki." The pilot grins at your words and waves slightly. "Hello Y/N, how are you today?" You continue to exchange pleasantries with the man ; you've become more acquainted recently due to him often approaching you and staying for long chats.

"So how is tha-" Yuki doenst get to finish that thought as a gruff sounding Checo cuts across him, saying your name. You turn to him and give him a small smile whilst sticking your red bull filled hand out. "Sorry it's slightly warm, I got it out a little bit ago when you stopped filming." You look from the thawed ice in the shape of your fingers to Checo's face only to find his lips pulled together in a tight line and was he glaring at something? Before you can ask what's wrong, he meets your eyes and his gaze softens.

"Thank you querida." The cameraman calls to the drivers to return to in front of the lens. Checo lingers for as long as he can at your side until you have to jokingly nudge him in the direction of the camera before he leaves with a breathy laugh.

☆-☆-☆-☆-☆

Despite your early arrival, you get back to your office fairly late. You're one of the last people left in the red bull hospitality (aside from a few mechanics of course but they are just all superhuman). You just want to get home and collapse in your bed by the time you push your office door open but fortunately, you know that you just need to grab a few things and you'll be done for the day.

You place the ipad in the overnight charging dock (a clever little timed thing as to not waste excess energy) and grab your handbag from the floor where it lies. But your gaze catches on a red bull in the middle of the desk. Now it's not surprising in the slightest to see cans everywhere when you work for the big Asutrain company. However, this can is unlike one you've ever seen before. It's almost, glittery? You're curious as to what it is and of course where it came from.

Yet you chalk it up to it maybe being a very nice staff member or maybe even someone that has noticed you in the paddock (a certain Japanese man comes to mind before your mind shoos that away). However, you decide to try a bit of the drink. Heck you'll need at least some caffeine to make it home. You hear the ever satisfying crunch of the ring pull and when you put it to your lips it tastes divine. You almost moan at the sensation of a rich, almost Berry like taste, unlike anything you've ever tried before. You feel like you need to sit down to fully appreciate the flavour.

Wait. No. You feel like you need to sit down regardless. You feel a slight pressure in your head that you convince yourself that you're just imagining. You take another sip of the drink to try and subside the feeling. You place the half full can on your desk and go to walk rewards the door. But the door begins to look slightly fuzzy. Before you even try to make sense of what's happening, you suddenly feel yourself begin to grow weightless and fall backward.

You expect to hear a thump and be met with the hard, carpeted floor. However, you instead find yourself met with something warm and soft. Your mind , which is growing ever hazier, tries to make your head look up but you find yourself frozen, unable to move. At your attempts at mobility your hear a quiet "shhh." You groan in response trying to understand who the person (cradling you?) Is. "Shhh querida. You're safe with me. Just relax." And that's all it takes for you to drift into unconsciousness.

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Please let me know if anyone would be interested in a second part!

Thank you for reading. As always, likes, reblogs and especially feedback is always welcome.

Taglist (irdk if this is anyone's thing so sorry if it's not). @nikfigueiredo @mysoulispainted @leclercings @d3kstar @hiireadstuff @a-beaverhausen @nichmeddar @lozzamez3 @stinkyjax @marymustdie @littlesatanicassholebitch @mehrmonga @insanedeathwish @ems-alexandra @a-disturbing-self-reflection @cherry-piee @minkyungseokie

[arcadia-of-pluto]

Twist of Fate; Chapter Seven

Pairings; LADS OT4 X reader

Word Count; 2,876

Themes; isekai, eventual smut

Rating; 18+ for swearing and some mature context

Notes; you have a slight existential crisis, a kiss (but it doesn't get too intense unfortunately), another Xavier-centric chapter with a small cliffhanger, also a reminder that 💛 is Xavier! Also, I accidentally posted this so I guess y'all are getting this chapter early 🤷🏻‍♀️

Prev || Next

Masterlist

I would also like to mention, once more, that the reader isn't aware of anything relating to Sylus. Just his looks, the appearance of his evol, and all of that. Think of her as all of us during Sylus's trailer release! Even though she doesn't know anything, the story will go as it does in the original story. I'm definitely not creative enough to change any of that, but there will be major differences after we finish the final chapter (in-game, chapter eight)!

You have one more day of freedom before you enter the Nest as bait. How will you spend it?

You woke up a bit later than usual, wanting to spend as much time with Estelle in bed as possible before you had to leave her for an unspecified amount of time. You hope she remembers you. After you make yourself something to eat and give Estelle her food, you check up on your flowers. The bluish pink flowers sat in a vase you had made at a pottery class with Zayne. Your thumbprints in the shape of a heart and the vase was glazed in the colour arctic blue, which was a beautiful light blue. The vase was sitting next to the fox Xavier got you and the painting Rafayel made for you.

You decide to lounge around the apartment today, unwilling to go outside and do anything since you knew today would be your last day of freedom. You were honestly worried, after tomorrow you were in the dark on what comes next. Your gaze flitting across the notes you made of the past and near future, hoping to come up with a nice game plan for your next decisions. You could tell the other guys you know about your past lives, but if you don't know everything then what's the point? You knew Rafayel would throw a fit if you didn't remember everything. Zayne doesn't really remember or, at least, you're not sure. Most of Zayne's past life you're in the dark about since you never got his cards. For Rafayel, you know two specific instances of past lives but the bigger one where he was the god of the sea? You only know part of it. You never got those cards either. With Xavier, you know of both lives- one more so than the other. You know he's Lumiere, the man who saved the main character as a child and protected Linkon during the Chronorift Catastrophe..you also know he's quite jealous of himself. Any time Lumiere is mentioned, he gets jealous.

But Sylus? Nope, you know nothing. Besides his looks, that he's the leader of Onychinus, and what his evol looks like. That's all you know. And you think you remember a crow, but you could be mistaken because of meeting Mephi at the animal shelter.

You know you need the aether core at the auction, but you don't recall why. Maybe to help your heart? You don't dare ask because it would look weird if you were intent on finding something, but forgot why you needed it. And after that? You assume winning Sylus’ heart like you have with the others. So he can't be a real bad guy if he's a love interest. You've read theories that the Ever corporation, which is the biggest company in the world- branching from biotech to aerospace to evol energy and even international trade- might be evil or working with Onychinus, but that's the only lead you have. You'll just have to figure it out as you go along.

You put on the TV and laze around with Estelle for most of the day until you step outside to sit on your balcony to watch the sun set.

Your phone buzzes and you look down to check it, seeing a text from Xavier.

💛 :”whatre u doing outside this late?”

A smile tugs at your lips and you tell him that you're watching the sunset to which he doesn't respond. Instead his response comes in the form of a figure hopping down from the floor above you and grabbing onto the concrete wall of the balcony. “Watching it together would be better than watching alone.” He says, reaching out toward you and you grab his hand, tugging him fully onto your balcony.

“You scared the hell out of me, Xavier.” I say, looking up at the sky. “Give me a warning next time, please?” “I'll try my best.” He smiles, propping his arm up on your shoulder. “Aren't you nervous about tomorrow?”

“Ah…a little bit.” You look down at your feet with a small sigh and decide to sit down in a chair. “I'm nervous, but also anxious, but also I don't know what to expect. I have a plan and I know it'll work, but I'm unsure of where to go from there.”

“Well instead of worrying about it, how about you just go with the flow?” He crouches down next to you since you only had one chair, he rests his chin on your knee as he looks up at you. “Don't stress about what hasn't happened, just focus on right now and you can worry about the future when it comes.” You rest your hand in his hair and smile, tilting your head back to look up at the sky. “You know, you talk like an old man.” Your thumb brushes against his forehead, “but…I don't mind it.”

“Besides watching the sunset, I know of another way to calm down. Do you want to hear about it?” Xavier asks, his hand reaching up to cup your cheek. His thumb gently brushes against your fully healed scar and your eyes flutter closed for a moment. “Have you tried it with other people and that's how you know it works?” You tease with a raise of your brow. “How do you know it'll work, huh?”

“Well… you won't know unless we try.” He stands back up, resting one hand on the armrest of your chair. His other still on your right cheek as he leans forward to rest his forehead against yours. “May I?” He asks and you go to nod, but remember before that he told you to speak. “Yes,” you say before adding softly under your breath, “please.”

Xavier's eyes close as he closes the distance between you, his lips gently brushing against yours before fully connecting. He doesn't try to deepen the kiss, leaving it as a soft, yet intimate moment between you both. After a few moments, he breaks from the kiss and leaves a few scattered kisses across your face. His final stop was at your scar, his lips brushing along the scar from the top of your eyebrow all the way to your cheekbone. Your body immediately jerks in surprise at the touch since you realized your scar was rather sensitive. “Better?” He whispers, going back to resting his forehead against yours. His ears as red as yours probably were.

“Thank you.” You say softly, cupping his cheek and you rub your thumb back and forth across his cheekbone. A loud meow coming from behind you both finally breaks the moment and allows Xavier to pull away from you. “It seems like Estelle was jealous.” He chuckles, picking up the large cat with ease. “It looks like she's worried about her mommy.”

“She'll be fine because she'll have her daddy looking after her while I'm gone.” You say nonchalantly, not noticing the blush that spread across Xavier's cheeks or the way he buried his red face into Estelle's fur. “You really have a way with words.” He chuckles, shaking his head.

“We missed the sunset!” You realize, quickly standing up as you whine. “Damn it.”

“We might've missed the sunset but didn't we make a better memory in place of it?” Xavier muses, glancing over at you with a soft smile. “I guess we did.” You reach over to pet Estelle behind the ears and Xavier takes the chance to say, “Be safe tomorrow. Promise me.”

“I can't make any promises, Xav. You know that.” You sigh, hugging both him and Estelle. “But just know I'll do my best to come back in one piece. I can promise that. I'm not going anywhere any time soon.” You murmur into his chest and rest your forehead against it.

“That's…” Xavier lets out a heavy sigh and gives you a forced smile before he nods, “That’s enough for now.”

D-Day

Finally, it's Hunting day. Your last day of knowing what comes next. You spent most of the night tossing and turning, mulling over what would happen and worrying over getting hurt, but you felt a bit better now. Especially as you changed into your clothes for the day. In the game, the main character showed up at the Nest in her uniform and while that would be the best kind of bait, it seemed impractical. If you're trying to be bait, wouldn't being obvious bait deter people? If you're too on the nose, people might think it's a trap. So instead, you opted to put on a strappy, red ruffled shirt that was tucked into a white skirt. You added a belt and you set your red low heels by the door. You spray some perfume and spend a few minutes getting ready to look your best.

A stylish outfit is a good weapon for a woman. That and your actual weapon in its holster under your skirt. You shrug on an expensive black jacket, one of the only things you own that wasn't in game, to hide your obvious weapon. You weren't sure when the right time would be to leave so you decided to have your last meal. Well, it wouldn't be your last meal but it definitely felt like it. After you ate, you'd leave for the Nest to meet up with Rafayel. Your last message to him being ‘Meet me at the Nest and show me how to fish.’ to which he replied that ‘the biggest fish come out at night.’ So you assume 10-11pm would be an appropriate time to leave?

You still have time today so what were you going to do?

You took a few more notes on what to expect after and made sure the tiny tranquilizer was in your pocket. The antidote vial sitting on your kitchen island ready to take before you leave. You double, no triple, no quadruple checked that you have everything and spent a few hours anxiously pacing back and forth and petting Estelle. You were never good at waiting, especially when you were anticipating something.

You decide to leave at 10pm, giving you an hour to get to the Nest, which makes sense since you'd be walking. You down the vial, tossing it in the garbage as you head toward the door. You slip your shoes on and lock the door behind you after feeding Estelle for the night.

Honestly with all this walking, you should probably just bite the bullet and learn how to drive since you already have a license in this world. But driving is scary and you have bigger issues to deal with right now so that'll have to come later.

As you walk through Azure Square, you pin your ‘family’ crest to your jacket, trying to make sure that not all of Jeremiah's hard work went to waste and even though you have your hunter's watch on, it is covered by your jacket sleeves so you assume it'll be fine. A pretty bait is what you're planning to be tonight, no need to go too overboard with it. You enter the Nest and it just looks like your average nightclub. People were standing and drinking, some slightly dancing to some music or talking amongst themselves, not many people were at the bar though, besides the bartender.

As you look around, your vision is blocked by someone stepping in front of you. “Hey there,” the man’s eyes glance at your crest as he continues, “Actually-”

“Isn't it a bit weird to do business with newcomers?” Rafayel steps into frame, practically shoving the other man out of the way as he fixes his sleeves, not even sparing the man another glance. “Come.” He loops a finger with yours as he pulls you up to the bar. “So…do you have your bait ready?” He asks, leaning his chin onto his hand.

“Mmh, I'll play their game and allow myself to be caught. Act like a clueless little worm on a tackle.” You say, nonchalantly. Not mentioning the N109 Zone since you didn't want to catch others' attention just yet. “You'll still need to cast your line though…that should be easy enough.” Rafayel drums his fingers against the bar counter before he hands the bartender a coin. He picks up an embossed card, sliding the blank side over to you. “Go ahead. Write down what you're looking for.”

You take a deep breath, nodding your head as you grab the black feathered pen that was sitting in a nearby cup. You write down ‘aether core’ and the ink disappears a few moments later. Rafayel scoops up the card to hand it to the bartender who nods and disappears into the back. “Who's he going to tell?” You ask, turning your body to face the well dressed artist. “Doesn't matter. If they're interested, you'll know.” He muses, moving his hand over to trace random shapes on the back of your hand.

“Rafayel?” He's still silent before he takes your hand, kissing the back of it. “Now, we wait for the fish to bite.” “How long?” You ask after he lets go of your hand. “Hmm..not long. The Nest lives up to its name, you know? An underground intelligence network that's well known to match supply and demand.” As Rafayel finishes his sentence, the bartender comes back with a shot glass. He places it in front of you before stepping away once more.

“And this?” You ask before assuming this means a fish has taken a bite so you reach out for it and Rafayel suddenly grabs your wrist. “Think about it first. The glass is black, that means you'll have to pay a high price and if it doesn't go smoothly, you'll be the payment instead.”

“Well, being the payment is better than sitting here and doing nothing.” You shrug, downing the shot in one go. “Since you've made up your mind, I won't stop you.” Rafayel chuckles, placing his hand on top of your head to ruffle your hair. “I hope you find the answers you seek.” He stands up from the barstool and doesn't look back as he walks away, just puts his hand up as he waves.

“Alright, I guess let's look around until the hunting starts.” You murmur to yourself, rising to your feet as you walk around the bar. You notice a board off to the side, a wanted board. You see a head shot of Lumiere who looks obviously like Xavier except with a white mask and an outfit you've never seen before. A small chuckle leaving your lips before you notice how much he's wanted for. “100 million? Geez, what did he do?” You step a bit closer to look at the other wanted posters and you only catch a glimpse of purple hair on another poster before someone runs into you.

“It's starting, it's starting.” The drunken man excitedly mumbles to himself as he walks further into the crowd.

The lights suddenly shut off and a modified OTTO patrol bot rose up from a podium in the center of the room. The circular robot flies high until a voice booms from it, “There's a price to pay when a wish is granted! Will you be the hunter or the hunted tonight?” The robotic screen was a deep shade of red, the camera on it shaped like an eye. “Hunting day will now…commence.”

As your gaze lands on the eye, you feel your blood run cold. This…this reminded you of the red eye from your nightmares but you couldn't put your finger on how. You decide to play it safe and try to find a place to hide but honestly, where can you hide? You're in an unfamiliar, crowded place so you're not even sure where the bathrooms are and why would you hide if the plan is to be caught in the first place?

Your thoughts are cut short as the voice says one last thing. “Now.” It's red gaze lands on you, effectively spotlighting you to everyone in the crowd. “Shit.” You mutter to yourself as a few people in the crowd walk toward you.

“There she is…we've been looking for you.” One person says and another one chimes in, “This is the prey.”

You're a tad bit overwhelmed as people close in on you and as you try to dip out of the crowd, you feel your breath leave you as you're hit in the back and your knees hit the ground hard. “Hey-” you say, trying to turn toward the person and elbow them in the gut but they grab you by your hair and hold a vial in front of your face. “C-003, a neurotoxin. If you're smart, you won't put up a fight.”

You sigh, head hanging down and your hair covers your face to hide your smile. At least everything still went according to plan. Now what comes next is a complete mystery. Your smile leaves your lips as you feel the butt of a gun hit your head and you fall to the ground.

I'm keeping the extra spaces in this chapter to show a comparison, so just let me know which you prefer and I'll keep doing it for the up-coming chapters! Also, this won't be a cliffhanger for long since I'll also be posting chapter eight today. I decided to spoil y'all 🩷

I do want to add that I change up mc's dialogue compared to what she says in-game sometimes because I don't like how it's worded or I don't like specific actions she does (like shaking Mephisto, you'll see). I also make comments on her stupid actions- like her trying to hide in the original chapter or wear her hunter's uniform as if she wants to scream to the Nest, "I'm a hunter!! Please, take me!" Instead of being more low-key and under the radar.

Taglist; @orphicmeliora

[randomchaosyay]

Good evening, random. I saw your Blue Lock requests are open, so I came running. After breaking off with your fiancé after exposing his affair with your cousin, Chigiri finds out you are the new sports therapist of Manshine City and he steps up his attempts to woo you.

Chigiri Hyoma ~ Random Encounter

oooooooooh~

I enjoy the way your mind works :) this was really fun to write

This got a lot longer than I planned, oh well~

Warnings: Cheating, confrontations, swearing, mentions of ex fiancé being an asshole, Ryosuke Kira being your fiancé because I’m bad at making new characters/ naming things. Mild implied stalking.

My apologies to the people with cat allergies 😅

~~~~~~~~~

It’d been a long day at work and your boss was a mysogynistic prick. Luckily, you had found a new job a few days ago and you were able to turn in your two week notice. You and your team were able to finish up early this today and had no appointments left, so you were let off an hour and a half early. On your way home, you couldn’t help but think about your fiancé, Ryosuke Kira.

You hadn’t exactly ever felt a spark between the two of you, sure it wasn’t the fairy tale love everyone else talked about, and sure sometimes he’d ignore you, but he treated you well and that’s what counts. Lately you had thought the two of you had been drifting apart more than usual and you figured that the extra time you could spend with him today could help fix that. You thought of him for the rest of the way home, the fond smile on your face not quite reaching your eyes.

Once you reached home, you quietly shut and locked the front door behind you, to surprise him. As you gently took off your shoes, you heard voices coming from your bedroom. Maybe he was playing a video game? No, they sounded too real for that. As you edged closer to the room your gut churned in anticipation, you didn’t have a good feeling about this.

You opened the door in one fluid motion, shocked at what you saw inside. Your fiancé and your cousin, lying together in bed. You cousin saw you first, giving you a little smirk as she got up from your bed. Ryosuke looked at her confused before noticing you at the door, standing there dumbfounded, as if your world had shattered. Because it had. All those years, all that time, for what?

“I’ll see you later babe,” your cousin said to Ryosuke, giving him a seductive smile, as she gathered her clothes and things and walked out the door. You both just stared at each other for a minute before he looked away, not in shame, not in guilt, but in disinterest. He didn’t care. Your fiancé didn’t care. And that was the final straw

“Get out.” You said, voice steady and calm despite the whirlwind of emotions in your voice.

“This is our apartment, you can’t make me leave.” He responded. Rage bubbled up in your throat.

“Our? Nothing here is ours! I have paid for every damn thing in this apartment and the apartment itself! You never bothered to get another job and I still bought you everything you wanted. Get out, take your things, and don’t come back. Needless to say, we’re over.” You watched as he stared you down before getting up to gather his things.

You kept an eye on him as he packed everything up, making sure he didn’t grab anything that wasn’t his, and didn’t try to steal anything. When he finally walked out with his stuff, you made sure to keep his key so he couldn’t get back in, locked your door, and cried. You put your engagement ring away in a ring box, shoving it into the back of your nightstand, unable to get rid of it just yet.

It took you nearly the entirety of your two weeks notice to get over the betrayal your, now ex, fiancé had broken your heart with. It had passed faster than you thought, though maybe that’s because you knew the relationship had fell apart months ago. Yet why neither of you ended it was beyond you. But now it was time to put Ryosuke Kira and the bad things to rest, as today you would be starting as Manshine City’s new sports therapist.

You had moved out of your apartment and into a place closer to Manshine’s base so the commute to work would be less and you could skip the morning traffic. Without Kira mooching off your income, you had actually been able to buy a small house for yourself which you would be able to pay off in no time. Luckily your job payed pretty well.

Once you arrive at Manshine’s compound. You made your way down the halls with the receptionist as she showed you to your new office. You’re the only sports therapist working there so you’ll have your hands pretty full with all the work you assumed. Just as you were finishing setting up your workspace, you were met with a head popping in through the door. Chris Prince. He had come to ask if you were ready to meet the players.

As you and Chris walked down the halls, you made some small talk about the players and and the job requirements. One of the cool things about this job was that you’d have to travel with the team to there matches, all expenses paid for. You’d get to see the world.

“This is the door”. Chris said as the two of you stopped in front of the door to one of their training rooms. “Everyone’s gathered in here, we’ll go in when you’re ready.”

Taking a few breaths to calm your nerves, you opened the door. Everyone stopped talking as you walked in and looked over at you. Chris cut in and introduced you to everyone, telling them that you were the new sports therapist and that everyone would need to stop by your office this week to make sure you had the proper information.

After his little speech, a few people left, seemingly uninterested in you, while most stayed behind to introduce themselves. As they did you cataloged the information in your brain till the last person came up to you.

He was probably the most beautiful person you’d ever seen. His luscious locks of red hair framed his hair perfectly, eyes almost as red as his hair. Though as beautiful as he was, he looked almost scary. Well, at least until he started talking to you.

“Chigiri Hyoma, nice to meet you” he said to you, holding his hand out.

“Y/n L/n” you replied, shaking his hand, “and likewise.”

“I was wondering if you were free right now? My leg could use some help.”

You agreed instantly, and the two of you walked back to your office, you let him guide you slightly as he explained that he had torn his ACL a while back and it still need some therapy and help from time to time.

From then on, Chigiri would come to your office a lot because of “his leg”. Though with the frequency he showed up you were 90% sure that wasn’t true. Well it’s not like you were complaining after all, whenever he’d show up you’d talk about the most random things, being with him was always really fun.

______

Over the almost year you had gotten to know him, you had developed a big fat crush on Chigiri Hyoma. He was sweet and kind, yet fun and exciting at the same time. Every moment with him was comforting yet gave you butterflies. You couldn’t help but think about him, always looking forward to his visits to your office, and to the times you’d go hang out with him outside of work as well, which was getting ever more frequent as time went on.

Currently, you were on the sidelines, watching Chigiri the team completely decimate their opponents as they played. Once they were done and showered, you treated whatever needed to be treated and took some preventative measures for any aches and soreness they would develop in a day or two.

As soon as you were off duty and ready to go home, you turned around and instead, you were met with the sight of Chigiri Hyoma, leaning against the doorframe. Your eyes widened as you saw him. Was he waiting for you?

“Hey.” He said, voice soft.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” You answered, unable to keep the curiosity out of your voice, he had just had a match, shouldn’t he be resting?

“There’s a new cat cafe a little bit away from here, and you’re coming with me.” It was said with such finality you had no room to refuse. Though, you wouldn’t refuse even if you could.

“Last one there is paying!” You yelled, cackling as you ran out the door to the parking lot as fast as you could. Rest assured, there was no way you would win a race against Chigiri. As soon as you got into your car, you had to call Chigiri and ask for the address, something you had forgotten to do in your excitement.

Once you got there, you met Chigiri at the door, he making it there a few minutes before you had. He took your hand in his as you walked in and were given a booth to yourselves. Your was mind spinning at the contact.

The rest of the night was filled with mindless chatter, harmless little touches that you both savored, as much as possible. As well as, unbeknownst to you, secret pictures taken as you played with the cats, you just looked so cute, he couldn’t help himself! All was going lovely until an all too familiar voice called out to you.

“Y/n! Where have you been my love.” Ryosuke Kira, your ex, had the audacity to talk to you and call you his love

“Fuck off Kira,” This was met with a very slightly alarmed look from Chigiri, “and I’m not your love anymore, I haven’t seen you in a year and I’m all the better for it.” You had decided to cut his bullshit off before he started spouting more nonsense than he already had.

“Fuck you, Y/n. How bout you just come back to me huh? You know you need me. Just admit it now and I’ll forget all of this ever happened. And if you don’t? Well who knows what could happen.” Kira was starting to sound deranged now, a slight tinge of fear slipped through your mind, you lived alone, and there was nothing to protect you had he found out where you lived.

“Leave my girlfriend alone,” A dangerous undertone to Chigiri’s words as he moved to stand up and block you with his body, “I think she’s made it pretty clear that she want nothing to do with you, so lock off.”

Just as you worried things were about to get physical and considered between fighting or getting help, a few of the stronger employees entered and forcefully removed Kira, and apologized sincerely for letting that happen, saying your visit was on the house this time. Once they left, you and Chigiri were left alone, as the two of you stewed in the silence.

“So,” you started, breaking the silence between the two of you, “girlfriend huh?”

“Oh, about that,” he replied, face dusted with pink, “this isn’t how I wanted to do it, but now that we’re here, would you consider dating me?”

“I’d love to.” You replied happily, the universe had most definitely made up for what just happened a few minutes ago.

“Thank you, Chi-” you started as you were cut off by your new boyfriend.

“Hyoma. Call me Hyoma.”

“Thank you Hyoma.” You said, quickly giving him a kiss on the cheek before you lost your newfound confidence.

He didn’t just let it go though. Before you had a chance to pull away completely, his hands found your face as he pulled you in again for another kiss. Your lips locked as he deepenedthe kiss, soft and slow, yet still burning with passion and unspoken love.

The two of you enjoyed the rest of your time at the cat cafe, and go home smiling, just waiting for the happy times to come.

Maybe the random encounter wasn’t that bad at all, if it led to something this good.

[oqwomyo]

Butler's wedding party. Lucas's card translation.

Part 1.

- The Day After the Party -

Because of Lato's proposal at the party... I decided to spend the day with each of the butlers. And today... The day I will spend with Lucas.

- Devil's Palace Hallway -

One morning... When I went out to get some fresh air... One of the butlers came out from the corner of the hallway...

Lucas: Fu, uu~m.. Fu~wa...

Lucas doesn't seem to notice me... He walks up to me, sleepily rubbing his eyes. Not wanting to scare him... I quietly called out to him.

You: Good morning, Lucas.

Lucas: Mhm..?

Lucas slowly raised his head... Suddenly, his eyes widened.

Lucas: ..! M-Master..!?

You: Yes, it's me.

Sorry for scaring you.

Lucas: No, I... Sorry for looking so sloppy...

You: You look sleepy, are you okay?

Are you sleeping well?

Lucas: Yeah, but... I worked all night last night.

Lucas: Actually, after the party... A lot of work came in...

Lucas: Finally, recently... I finished sorting out a big pile of documents.

You: Thank you for your hard work.

Don't overwork yourself.

Lucas: Thank you for your concern.

Lucas: If it helps Master... It's worth the effort ♪

Lucas laughed when he said that, but... There were dark circles under his eyes.

Lucas: Hmm, besides...

Lucas: Meeting Master so early in the morning... It'll be a wonderful day.

Lucas: Besides, today is the day I've been waiting for... "The day I'll spend with Master"...

Lucas: For such a wonderful reward... I could stay up every night. ♪

You: It's bad for your body...

Lucas: Fufu... Of course I'm kidding.

Lucas: As a doctor... I understand the harm this can cause to my body and mind.

You: Would you mind spending the day with me after not sleeping?

If you're tired, should we reschedule?

Lucas: No, absolutely not.

Lucas: I'll go back to bed now and take a nap. There's nothing that can interfere with my plans with Master.

You: I-Is that so?

Lucas: Yes.

Lucas: That's why, Master... Let's have fun together today.

You: U-Uh-huh.

I shook my head at Lucas, who was smiling brightly.

Lucas: Fufu... Then I'll go take a nap.

You: Sweet dreams, Lucas.

Lucas: Yes. My apologies.

After saying that, Lucas left.

*Yawn*

Along with the sound of footsteps on the stairs... I heard a loud yawn.

You: (He must be really tired...)

Lucas said, "I'll take a nap before meeting Master." But is it really... Will it be okay if we spend the day together?

You: (I'm a little worried...)

Although I was worried about Lucas's health... As planned, I headed to the garden.

- After a while -

After that, I finished breakfast and... I met Lucas in the garden; we sat down on a bench. It was quite cool for June today, and the sunlight was a little soft.

The early morning breeze that blew from time to time was pleasant... Just sitting on the bench, I felt calm.

Lucas: Um, um... The sun is pleasant today too.

Lucas: A lot has happened... I'm glad I can spend time with master like this.

You: Me too.

Lucas: Fufu... Thank you.

Lucas: Each of these kind words... I feel like it's my reward for my efforts.

Lucas squints his eyes happily, but... There are still traces of tension under his eyes.

You: Are you feeling okay?

Aren't you sleepy?

Lucas: I'm fine.

Lucas: After talking to Master in the hallway... I took a good nap.

Lucas: That's why... ....

You: ...Lucas?

In the middle of the conversation, Lucas turned away from me. And right after that... I heard a yawn.

Lucas: ...Phew. Master, I'm sorry.

You: Are you still sleepy after all?

Lucas: Well, that's right... To be honest, my eyelids are a bit heavy.

Lucas: But... Rest assured that this won't affect our plans.

Lucas laughed, but... His voice seemed less energetic than usual. Even though he had slept a little... Was he still tired after a sleepless night?

You: ...Hey, Lucas.

Lucas: Oya..? Master, what's wrong?

You: I think you should rest.

I want you to sleep now.

Lucas: Uh...

You: I'm worried.

You look tired.

Lucas: Master...

Lucas: ...Thank you. Master is worried about me.

Lucas: It's true that I didn't sleep all night... A rest would definitely be good.

Lucas: But... Just this once, let me not do it.

Lucas: I... Have been looking forward to the day when I can spend time with Master.

You: Lucas...

Judging by Lucas's hesitant smile... He really has been looking forward to this day. Forcing him to rest in the room... I didn't want to do that. So I... decided to offer Lucas a compromise.

You: Then let's rest here?

How about we lie down on the bench and sleep?

Lucas: Eh...? On the bench..?

You: Right.

I'll stay with you until you fall asleep.

Lucas: I-I see... Is that so...

Lucas lowered his eyebrows. He seemed to tense up even more.

Lucas: Of course, if I think about it... Maybe sleeping here can be counted as time spent with Master...

Lucas: While I'm sleeping... Won't Master get tired of it?

You: Then let's talk until you fall asleep.

Lucas: Um...

You: While Lucas is sleeping, I'll sleep too.

I'll rest on the bench across from you.

Lucas looked like he was thinking... And then he smiled slightly at me.

Lucas: ...Okay.

Lucas: When Master cares for me like that... I can't let those feelings go to waste.

Lucas: Then, Master...

Lucas: Your kind words... I think I'll just lie down for a bit.

You: Sleep however you like.

Don't worry about me.

Lucas: That means...?

You: How about relaxing your neck?

I want you to be comfortable.

Lucas: Ah, I see...

Lucas: If you say so... I'll take your word for it.

Lucas stretched out his hand, touching his neck... He loosened his neatly tied tie. Then he waited for me to get up from the bench... Then he gently lowered his body.

Lucas: ....

Lucas looked at me happily.

You: Lucas, what's wrong?

Lucas: Fufu... No, sorry...

Lucas: It's so nice to look at Master... For some reason, I feel happy.

Lucas: Because Master... They're cute no matter how you look at them.

Lucas: I should be sleeping, but... It's almost embarrassing to close my eyes.

You: Lucas...

Lucas: What's wrong... If I don't fall asleep, Master will be worried.

Lucas: I'll watch for a little while longer, and then I think I'll close my eyes.

Lucas: So... Let me imprint Master in my eyes for a little while longer.

You: Uh-huh...

Even though I'm confused... Lucas smiled happily.

- After a while -

In the end, Lucas... Slept peacefully.

You: (As I promised, I'll go to sleep too.)

Lucas: *sleeps*

You: Sweet dreams, Lucas.

After saying that, I sat down on the bench on tge other side and closed my eyes. The weather was too sunny to sleep, but... It was nice to fall asleep in the light.

Part 2.

- Devil's Palace Garden -

- After a while -

Lucas: Fufu.. An innocent sleeping face...

Lucas: How cute... I could watch forever...

I woke up from a gentle voice... I slowly raised my eyelids.

Lucas: Oya..?

You: Lucas..?

Lucas: Yes, it's Lucas.

Lucas: Good morning, master.

Lucas: On my lap... Did you sleep well?

You: On your lap..?

Then... I finally felt it. I should have been sleeping on the bench... Lucas is looking down at me. I felt something soft under my head.

You: ..!!

*Rustle*

Lucas: Fufu... Good morning, master.

Lucas: What is it... I was just talking.

You: G-Good morning...

I responded to Lucas's words, although I was confused. I sat down next to him. If I looked around... There was a bench in front of me where Lucas was sleeping. Because the sun was shining on the bench at an angle... I think I slept for quite a while. When Lucas woke up... For some reason, it felt like he made my head lay on his lap.

You: Uh...

Lucas: Hmm... You look like you want to ask, "Why am I on your lap?"

Lucas: Let me explain from the beginning...

Lucas: Master fell asleep on a hard bench... In order not to hurt your body...

Lucas: You need to change your body position.

Lucas: However, even if you lie down... There are no pillows here...

Lucas: So I used my lap as a pillow.

You: I-I see...

Lucas Yes. ♪

Lucas laughed like a mischievous child... But it seemed like he willingly offered me his lap.

You: Thank you for what you did for me.

Lucas: No, no. I should probably be the one thanking you.

Lucas: While you were sleeping peacefully on my lap... I was able to see Master's cute face.

Lucas: Fufu... ♪ A sleeping Master is as beautiful as an embarrassed Master.

Lucas: An innocent profile and a quiet sleeping breath are so charming...

Lucas: I was thinking... I wished this time would last forever.

You: Lucas...

I was almost charmed by Lucas's kind smile... When the word "time" came out of his mouth, I was brought back to reality.

You: ...Ara?

Lucas: ...Oya? What is it, Master?

You: This is...

I completely forgot about it because of Lucas's lap... In the first place, I was only supposed to sleep when Lucas was resting after a sleepless night. But I slept much more than Lucas. He even put me on his lap... I think I made him uncomfortable.

You: (What should I do...)

Lucas must have realized what was going on in my head. He kindly called me.

Lucas: Master. Please don't make such a face.

Lucas: Because Master was sleeping... I had a good time.

Lucas: It's not often that you get the chance to watch the sleeping face of those dear to you. ♪

You: But I'm sorry.

I want to repay you somehow.

Lucas: Repay me..?

You: Is there anything I can do for you?

I will grant any wish.

Lucas: Hm, I see... Master will listen to my request...

Lucas thought for a while... And then he smiled at me.

Lucas: ...Okay

Lucas: If Master wants to do something for me... I can't let this opportunity pass.

Lucas: If that's the case... Then do you mind if I say my request right away?

You: Of course.

Tell me, Lucas.

Lucas: Fufu... Thank you.

Lucas: Then, Master...

Lucas: Can I lie on your lap?

You: ...Eh?

Lucas: Oya..? Maybe you didn't hear it?

You: Did you just say "on my lap"...?

Do you really want to lie on my lap...?

Lucas: Yes. I definitely prefer Master's lap. ♪

Lucas replied with a smile. It seems... He really wants to lie on my lap.

You: (What should I do...)

I was confused by the sudden request, but... The one who said "I'll do whatever you want" was me.

In that case, I should grant his wish. Gathering up my courage, I replied.

You: ...Okay, Lucas.

Let's try it.

Lucas: ....

Lucas: ...Eh?

You: ...Were you just joking?

Lucas: No, that's... That's not it...

Lucas: ...Is it really okay?

You: I said it myself.

This is in order to repay you.

Lucas: Master...

Lucas: Fufu... Today is really a wonderful day... ♪

In the end, I let Lucas lie on my lap... He gently laid his head down.

- A few minutes later-

A few minutes passed and Lucas was laying on my lap... I'm not used to this kind of situation. Speaking of which... Lucas, who is lying on my lap, looks at me happily.

Lucas: Fufu... It's really a beautiful view... ♪

Lucas: Besides... It's warm and very comfortable.

Lucas: Such a happy person... I guess I'm the only one in this world...

Lucas looks at me with a gentle smile. I felt awkward from the way he was looking at me... I covered Lucas' eyes with my hand.

Lucas: Oya..? What are you doing, Master?

You: T-The sunlight must be bothering you...

After listening to my best excuse... Lucas laughs happily.

Lucas: I see... Master is taking care of me.

Lucas: But... Don't worry.

Lucas: In situations like this... It's normal to be a little blinded.

You: Eh..?

After saying that, Lucas gently took my hand. A mesmerizing, narrowed eye was peeking out from under my hand... Lucas gently pressed my hand to his cheek.

You: L-Lucas..!?

Lucas: Fufu...♪ What a beautiful view...

Lucas: Not only kind, but also cute... It's blinding...

Lucas: Right now... I see the most beautiful creature in my life.

You: Uh...

His smile was so beautiful... I was speechless.

Lucas: Master... You promised to spend time with each of the butlers...

Lucas: But... I'm the only butler who get to lay on Master's lap.

Lucas: Fufu... How wonderful...

Lucas: I've been living in the illusion that Master and I are partners... We had such a wonderful time...

Lucas: The person who happily spent time with Master...

Lucas: It's me... But, since I'm the only one...

His eyes look like he's dreaming. I felt awkward again... I covered his eyes again.

Lucas: Fufu... Oya oya... ♪

Lucas' eyes were closed. He seemed to like what I was doing. It seemed like under my hands... Lucas was squinting happily. Because I knew that... I couldn't take my hands away...

[sakuhai]

Interview with Yagami Toll and Hisashi Imai (Ongaku to Hito, April 2024)

Translation from Japanese: Pikopiko ( Toll / Imai )

The promise is forever

In this interview, we asked each of the four members about that day, their reasons for continuing to play in the band, their performance at Budokan late last year ( BUCK-TICK Phenomenon ), and what BUCK-TICK will become now that they have lost their vocalist and dear friend and are now down to just four. Some of the members are still confused and have not sorted out their feelings, while others are already looking to the future and making detailed plans for the band. Some are looking at the situation from a bird's eye view, while others are always full of enthusiasm. There is a sense of unevenness, they have not yet found a cohesive unit, and it is impossible not to feel how much of a shock they have experienced. However, even though they always said that “the group would be finished if even one member was missing,” they have something in common: the feeling that they still have things to do as BUCK-TICK, and the feeling that no matter how much the group changes, the man named Atsushi Sakurai will always remain in their music and in their hearts. We are publishing the interviews in the order they were taken. We deliberately did not take a group photo. Despite the many different feelings, I will continue to respect and support the group that underwent its first lineup change in the 36th year since debut and who began to move forward with optimism. BUCK-TICK forever and ever, the five of them. Forever, forever, the five of them. Holding on to the feelings of more than 35 years together, they are taking their first step as a more innovative group.

Yagami Toll

— Today was your first photo shoot in a long time. Yes. But the fact that... [he] was not there was very acutely felt. The atmosphere was not as usual.

— Really...... Who would have thought that this would happen. Yeah...... I think it was the third song of the main part that day. I thought, "Acchan is really messing up today." Then the song ended and I noticed that he was being held by the staff. When we went backstage, he was sitting on a chair. It looked like he was talking to the staff, so I had no idea that his condition was critical. We were told to wait in the dressing room on the second floor because the backstage was cramped. After a while, we found out that he had been taken to the hospital in an ambulance.

— I see. Then came the order for us to return home. I got home at about nine o'clock in the evening. Around midnight came a message from the manager: "Passed away."

— What did you think when you heard that? I was stunned. At the same time, somewhere in my head, the thought arose: “That’s it.” After all, we all constantly said that if we lost even one member, the band would cease to exist, and if there was no vocalist, and also the person who creates the worldview of the band, then we would not be able to do anything.

- Yeah... I told the staff, "It's over." Then we went to the funeral, and on the way back, we talked about having dinner as a group of four. It's been a long time since we've gotten together like this. And when I looked at Imai, it was written all over his face that he wasn't going to quit the band.

— Did you understand it from his face? There’s nothing surprising about it. After all, we’ve known each other for over 35 years. I asked Imai, “You’re not going to quit, right?” He nodded and said, “Uh-huh.” Yuta and hide also said they didn’t want to end like this. Hearing that, I thought that if all three of us were so determined, then the only thing left to do was continue with the four of us.

— I see. I thought again about how Imai was the leader and mastermind behind BUCK-TICK. Imai gave the band its name. And wasn’t he the one who determined the band’s musical direction in the early days as the main composer? Gradually, Acchan’s expressive power increased, and it became clear what he wanted to do, especially recently, and he used that to shape his worldview. But we can’t do that anymore. Even if the four of us traced his outline, it would be a lie. And if we took on a replacement vocalist who imitated him, that wouldn’t be it either. First of all, the fans wouldn’t accept it. So let Imai formulate what he thinks the four of us can do to make it cool. If the leader says, “Let’s do it this way,” I’ll just follow him.

— But there is no idea what to do and how. So, frankly speaking, I feel terrible anxiety. I never thought that we would continue to work in the group in this form. But the second stage of BUCK-TICK begins............ That's the only way to think. I don't want to think that way, but there is no choice.

- Yeah...... It was a hard test. For everyone. Especially for Yuta...... my little brother, I dare say... He was completely crushed. It seemed like he was the worst of all. He cried all the time. Locked himself in the house, lost weight, couldn't eat anything at all.

— And you, Yagami-san? I feel sad. Doesn’t that go without saying? It’s sad, but that means that those who are abandoned by God are told to do something. You can’t just mope around all the time. Even my career as a drummer began with the death of my older brother. God says, “You guys need to work on yourselves a little more.” ( Transcript: Toll uses the word 修行 (shugyou), which means spiritual practice to achieve enlightenment (the same as “sadhana” in Sanskrit), as well as going on a pilgrimage; in the everyday sense, hard work to improve knowledge and skills) . So even though Achan is gone, we have to show that it’s possible to act like this, we have to do it. And I don’t want to leave with such a feeling of incompleteness. None of us feel like we’ve done enough at all. You know, maybe we would have decided to end the band if we had talked as a group and realized that one of the members was physically unable to continue or had lost interest in music. But [he] suddenly disappeared silently from view, and so I feel abandoned.

— So you got together as a group and decided to continue, but you don't know what exactly you're going to do. Well, there are songs where Imai sings. Now, maybe hide will sing... I mean, hide has become very proactive. The Budokan setlist was based on his ideas. He's probably the one who's changed the most. I'll repeat what Imai said: we can do a lot. We can do everything. The only thing we can't do is replace Acchan.

— However (and this is exactly how it was at Budokan), no matter that there are four of you left and that the uniform has changed, Sakurai-san’s presence will always be felt somewhere. That’s true. After all, there were always five of us. Right now, I feel a frighteningly strong sense of loss. The recent BUCK-TICK Phenomenon concert made me feel a pressure I haven’t felt since BUCK-TICK started. So I was wrong *smile*.

— What do you think about the Budokan concert taking the form of BUCK-TICK Phenomenon? I thought we had to do something. Not for us. For the fans who had lost a place to go and vent their feelings, and were feeling restless.

— Was it difficult to synchronize the vocals and the video and also play along with them? Of course it was difficult, but I would never say that I don’t want to do it if the other members are going to do it. Moreover, during the live, Acchan’s MC was playing. That’s when I broke down. During the introduction of the members, [he] called me: “Drums – Toll Yagami!” That’s when I started crying. I was in pieces during the rehearsal too. That’s why I lost my cool.

— But the fact that LOVE ME resumed after the glitch with the crowd waving their hands was like a symbol of the band starting all over again. It was great. All four of us were talking during the MC and it threw me off. I’m just trying to justify myself *smile*. When Eureka ended, I felt a bit relieved. I thought Acchan was going to MC next and I was frozen, but then there was a click and I was like “Oh shit!” but I couldn’t get it *smile*. The vocals and video were on and it’s not easy to get it right. I was really panicking but the roadie tweaked something with the remote and we managed to get it done.

— How did you feel when you finished? I felt like I had overcome one of the hardest challenges. As I just said, we had to do it. So it was a completely different feeling than usual. It wasn’t the usual “I did it!” It was a feeling of relief.

— Is it possible that the music Imai-san will write in the future will be completely different from what you've done before? Yes, because it's BUCK-TICK. We played in different genres. In " Six/Nine " there was a poetry reading (the song "Loop") , and the critics at that time tore us to pieces!

— You haven’t forgotten that, have you? *smile* The thing is, it was early. But if we do that, it will become a specific feature of BUCK-TICK. I’ve said this many times before, but I’m sure that Acchan, the least of all, would want us to repeat what he expressed. We’ll just do what we think is the coolest thing that the four of us can do. It’s completely fine if it’s instrumental music or if the melodies are completely different. Even if, in the worst case, I have to sing *smile*.

— Like Peter Criss from KISS *smile*. If everyone thinks it's cool, why not? But I doubt it will *smile*.

— So you still think that you have an exciting future ahead of you? Yes. And thanks to the fans! Because they are the reason we have been able to do this for 35 years. And the fact that we are able to perform like this is the destiny of our band. I still wanted to play as a five-piece. I would like to be in the band even if I became even more decrepit. I am the one who should have disappeared first. Don't you dare die before me!..... It's sad to think about it, but the fact that we are trying to continue despite Atsushi Sakurai's death is also the destiny of BUCK-TICK. So..... Let it be. What else can I say?

— Whatever happens, happens. So, the only thing left for us is to become a different group. BUCK-TICK season 2. The members who create the sound, as well as the producer and engineer, are the same people, so the sound quality won’t change much, but since there’s no vocalist, the sound will be completely different no matter what we do. But Acchan will still be there. I’m sure of it. Both I and the other members won’t let Acchan’s shadow disappear.

— Do you think Sakurai-san could do even more as an artist in the future? Of course. I noticed that Acchan’s expressive power was absolutely amazing in recent years, and I was sure that he would become an even better vocalist in the future. He is a person of hard work. He trained his voice and became like this thanks to his hard work. He is not the same person as he was when we debuted, right? But his appearance is a natural gift *smile*.

— You were asked to join because Sakurai-san, who was the drummer, was switching to vocals, so you could clearly see the change in his efforts. Yuta kidnapped me and brought me to Tokyo *smile*. At first, I refused. At that time, I had no idea whether Acchan could sing or not, and I thought he was fooling the band *smile*. It's just that I've never heard of a drummer becoming a vocalist.

- Yeah. With his efforts, he made everyone recognize him and carved out a path for himself into a world where he could express himself. The album " IZORA " is simply amazing! No one could have imagined that the person who sang " SEXUAL×××××! " would create such an album. This is the result of his hard work.

— Exactly. Really, I don’t know anyone who works as hard as him. He decided to live by taking on the role of a vocalist, and that’s how he became like this… I think it was about ten years ago. I started making loops using a sequencer and stuff like that. And that time, I said to Achchan, “Achchan, you were a drummer too. Wouldn’t it be cool if you played a few bars and I made a loop, no?” He immediately shot me down, “I won’t.” And he said, “Ani, I’m not a drummer anymore.” That’s how determined he was to be a vocalist.

— What do you remember now from those 35-plus years that you spent together with Sakurai-san? More precisely, what I remember about him... He was a kind person. During the indie period, we would travel by minibus to Shikoku, and the roadie and Acchan would take turns driving. Despite such an appearance, at his core, he was always a Fujioka guy *smile*.

- It's true. That's why he didn't put on airs. He was considerate of people. That trait in him didn't change. And it couldn't change.

— It’s good that the five of you were together until the very end. But I think he still wanted to continue. After all…… I decided to continue with the four of you because I think Acchan would definitely forbid me from leaving. He would say, “I’ll never forgive you if you quit the group because I’m gone.” Because he had a stronger sense of responsibility than anyone else. He said that at the Budokan, right? That he would be there. I thought so too. Acchan is very responsible, he will definitely come and watch. So as long as BUCK-TICK exists, he won’t die *smile* (transl. note: 成仏する (joubutsu) — to become a Buddha, to die enlightened; also to die without regrets) .

- Yagami-san, you too, please live as long as possible and show us how you play the drums. I'll be fine. I'm the only one in the group who has never been seriously ill *smile*.

Hisashi Imai

— It’s been a hectic four months for the band. Yes. But I would say I’m already looking ahead. And new tunes are coming one after another. I’m pleasantly excited.

— In this interview, we will look back on these four months. First of all, do you remember the day when Sakurai-san became ill? Yes. That day, after the live started...... I think it was the third song. I wondered why he couldn't hit the notes. When the song ended, I noticed that he was being taken backstage. It was a bit strange, so I announced from the stage that we were taking a break. I went back to the dressing room on the second floor, but I felt uneasy, so I went to check on the situation. It became clear that the situation was a bit complicated. He was taken away in an ambulance.

— Live was stopped. Then I went home. I called my manager once, he said, “He’s sleeping now.” Then I got an email, but I didn’t notice it. And when I called again, [the manager] said, “He passed away.” At that moment, I was a little confused. I almost said, “Do something!” but I realized that words were useless. I said, “Got it,” and hung up.

— What was the first thing you thought about when you learned about this fact? What can you say... But I decided that it was better not to delay, and immediately began to think about the future, because almost all the songs that we have now can only be sung by Achchan.

— So, do you feel like there's no one who can sing the songs you've composed so far?...... In short, they're sealed? Yes. We can play the songs that I can sing. We can slightly change the arrangement here and there, and it'll be something interesting. But we have a lot of songs that can't be played without Achan's vocals. We can't and won't perform them anymore. I wrote those melodies myself, but they're difficult *smile*. I'm sure no one else can sing them.

— Have you thought about playing in sync with Sakurai-san’s vocal recording in the future, like you did at the BUCK-TICK Phenomenon concert at Budokan? We did, but… I’ll try my best to keep it to a minimum. I can’t say anything yet, but I’ve been thinking about doing a live where we play along with Sakurai-san’s vocals. It might be interesting once we get further along. But it’s more of a fan service, a kind of performance. Lives in the future will mainly focus on what the four of us do. I hope everyone will enjoy it.

— Did it ever cross your mind that the band ended with Sakurai-san's death? I never did. Acchan is gone...... The vocalist is gone, and it might be okay to end it there, but I still want to continue, saying, "It's okay!"

— In the spirit of, “I feel like I can do something more interesting”? Yeah. Or, more like, something a little more explicit. I’d like to have an album that kind of captures the true essence of BUCK-TICK.

— The true essence of BUCK-TICK? Yes. For example, until now we couldn’t play instrumental music. There was a vocalist. It’s not about taking advantage of the fact that he was gone, but I wanted to do such things too. Or, for example, melodies without guitars. At live shows we could include melodies from background noises, and the participants wouldn’t necessarily have to be on stage.

— Without participants? Only noise? I thought, shouldn’t we break the format of the Japanese group that we’ve always followed. After the main part, we’d leave, change costumes and come back. I want to try to change that too. Acting by touch, experimenting, I want to do something new.

— I think BUCK-TICK has always been a band that could do anything, including this kind of thing. And what was holding it back was the overwhelming presence of the vocalist Atsushi Sakurai, no matter how you look at it, right? Yeah. And when he was gone, I noticed it. Of course, I was shocked by his departure, and at first I took it negatively and started thinking that something had to be done about it, but when I looked at the minus as a plus, I realized that in this case I could do this too. And when I started thinking like that, the perspective became broader.

— I see. Until now, I thought I was free. I was obsessed with the worldview that Acchan had, and I created within a narrow framework. Acchan told me, "Imai, you can do whatever you like," and I was going to do the same, but I didn't... Because I knew that it would happen someday, and somewhere in my head, there was a thought that Acchan would probably be the first to leave.

— Why did you think so? Sawaki-san from Taiyou Records (Kazuo Sawaki — the head of the label during the band's indie period) is an astrologer. During our collaboration, he told fortunes for the five of us, and even then he said this. "The first one among you to pass away will be Sakurai-kun."

- Wow... to say that before debut.... It was imprinted in my memory. I thought I understood, albeit vaguely, that this day would come one day. But... The image of death is always present in the mind's eye. You see it constantly in front of you, among other things. This is also an experience.

- That day on social media you raised a toast for the repose of his soul. After I learned of his death. After finishing the phone call with the manager, I started drinking in my room, but I didn’t want to be there, so I went to drink on the territory of the nearest temple. At that moment, I couldn’t think of anything.

— Then did you tell the other members that you were going to continue? After the funeral, the four of us went out to dinner and found out who was going to do what. We talked there, and it seemed like everyone was already determined to act. It was decided to continue. We didn’t want to change the name of the band, so we left it as is.

— Were there any options for replacement? I didn’t, but I thought that maybe if we changed it, it would be clearer. But I didn’t want to change it. Because I want to show that the musical character of BUCK-TICK contains something more.

— But on social media, you wrote, “I want to play guitar next to Acchan forever,” and were those words spoken from the heart? Yes. At the same time, I thought being number two suited me. I was comfortable being next to Acchan, and I thought that was my life. But it seems that’s not the case.

— Have you decided that it's time for you to step forward? Yes. It'll be me or hide. When I rethink the role Acchan played and imagine myself doing it... I realize that I would like it. After a while after he passed away, ideas gradually started coming to me.

— You realized how strong your desire to create in a positive way is, right? Yes. I was glad that I had this desire. So when November began, I already sat down at the computer and started composing melodies.

— Up until now, when writing songs, the initial condition was that they would feature Sakurai-san's vocals, right? That won't happen anymore. The melodic, gothic, and dark worldview will disappear. It will be completely different.

— Aren’t you worried about the reaction that everything will be completely different? No. It would be worse if they said that the vocals are different, but the melodies are the same. If they got the impression that I can only write songs like this. No, it will be cool.

— What are you planning to do with the vocals? I will sing. Probably hide too. It will depend on the song, of course, but the first number is me, and the second is hide. This also makes me a little nervous. I couldn’t even think about it before.

— What did you think of the content of BUCK-TICK Phenomenon? Considering that we had little time, we thought it would be best to synchronize Acchan's vocals with the video image, so we tried our best to achieve that. We also wanted it to be as non-gloomy as possible. Hide suggested the set list at the meeting.

— There were a few songs from the setlist that Sakurai-san had made while he was alive. Yes. But if we were to play it now as is, it would have felt too much like a requiem, so we allowed ourselves to slightly adjust the setlist and give it a positive character.

— There was Itoshi no Rock Star. I suggested playing it. I thought that if we didn't play it this time, we might never play it again. And I also wanted to play Namonaki Watashi because Acchan liked that song.

- I see. However, there is no one to take on the role of emcee. You can't just talk about how convenient it is to be number two. I've thought about this a lot. After all, this is not at all what I've always done.

— Will this role remain in the future? Either it will remain, or the live shows will be without a master of ceremonies. We'll figure it out as we go. I don't know.

— After watching the live and talking to you now, I thought that the more I tried to imagine the image of BUCK-TICK with 4 members, the more Sakurai-san’s presence was felt. If I talk about things like this seriously, I’ll be known as someone who’s not quite right in the head *smile*. Acchan’s form of existence has changed. He doesn’t have a body, but I think he still wanted to be in a band, so he probably follows us everywhere. That’s what I think.

— Do you think he still wanted to play in the band? Yes. That's why I always have this feeling that he's standing somewhere and watching. It's unlikely that he'll go to some kind of Heaven while the band exists.

— It looks like you'll need a lot of time this year to give it all a shape. It'll depend on the songs. I don't know yet what will happen, but it looks like I'll be writing all the lyrics. It takes time. This will be the first time I'll be writing lyrics for hide's melodies.

— Do you think that no one else should sing the songs that Sakurai-san performed? Probably. Because... that would be strange, in my opinion.

— Yes. But I want to try different possibilities. Whether it's a guest vocalist or AI — I don't rule anything out. The main thing is that it's interesting. But for now, perhaps, it will be the four of us.

— You are even more positive than I expected. Yes, positive. Because if you are depressed, you will be stuck forever. Yuta was terribly depressed. Everyone is different, there is nothing you can do about it, but when you are depressed to such an extent, people around you can’t even be sad *smile*. Because they are worried [about you]. So you have to look forward and do everything in your power. And I really want no one to suffer.

— Do you remember anything from your communication with Sakurai-san now? He told me many times: “Give yourself free rein!” It seems that from the outside it looked like I couldn’t relax in my melodies and was limiting myself. Although I had no intention of limiting myself, but when he was gone, I realized it. It turns out that I often suppressed myself. So I decided that I wanted to take off this lid, remove this limiter.

— That's why after his death you decided to go freely, without restricting yourself in any way, without considering yourself obligated to follow what had been before. Yes. I understood a lot after he passed away. I regret some things a little, because I can no longer check what would have happened if I had done this and that at the time. That's why I'm going to do everything that seems interesting to me. After all, Acchan probably sees this too. He sees how unrestrained we are, and he smiles.

[reiiaokii]

love in transit

08. shift shenanigans

scene eight in session …

time skip …

sophia knocked on y/n's door with a cheery smile on her face despite the early hour. before sophia could knock a second time, y/n swinged the door open, she was ready, but definitely still exhausted.

the two made their way to the campus café, sophia going on and on about her plans for today as y/n listened intentedly.

just as they were approaching the café, megan suddenly appeared, a sly smile spreading across her face. she was standing with daniela, who was telling her about who knows what.

"fifi!" megan laughed, jogging over to sophia to give her a brief hug before turning to y/n.

of course, megan had remembered every, single, detail of y/n's face ever since then. it was too 'gorgeous' not to. but as she took another look at y/n, she was convinced that the girl only grew into her features even more as the days passed by.

"y/n, right?" megan said, her eyes completely fixated on y/n's.

y/n nodded, a hint of confusion in her eyes. "yeah… we've met before, at least i think."

megan's smile only grew wider, finding the girl's innocence and cluelessness absolutely adorable.

"yeah, you were the one who had to drop sophia off when she was batshit drunk." megan huffs, earning herself a playful glare from sophia who stood beside y/n.

"i'm honestly glad she was though, because i got to meet one really beautiful girl for the first time." megan flirted, internally cringing at her 'cheesiness.'

y/n raised an eyebrow, her lips curling up into a teasing smile. "oh, did you now?"

megan chuckled, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "maybe just a little."

sophia rolled her eyes, chuckling. "megan, stop flirting. it's painful just watching." sophia teased.

megan grinned, unfazed. "what? i'm just being friendly."

y/n laughed, a low, throaty sound. "i think you're being a little more than friendly, megan."

megan's smile grew into a smirk, her eyes locked onto y/n's. "maybe." she hums, the same smirk still playing at her lips.

daniela, who had been quietly observing the exchange with the same 'cringing-expression' sophia had on her face, spoke up. "what are you doing today, fifi?"

sophia smiled, happy to see her friend. "me and y/n were actually just about to head in for our morning shift."

daniela nodded, before turning to y/n. "hey, i'm daniela. you can call me dani if you want." daniela smiled, that y/n flashed right back.

"i know you're quite popular on campus, but we've never officially met." daniela hummed with a sheepish grin on her face. y/n only laughed and waved her hand dismissively.

"oh stop it, you're too cute." y/n smiled. daniela nudged megan teasingly who only shot her a glare.

y/n smiled, extending her hand. "well, lovely to meet you. i'm y/n as you might've already known."

once they finished exchanging pleasantries, megan leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper. "so, y/n, what's it like dating our infamous point guard, mateo?"

y/n's smile faltered for a moment, and she had a sudden urge to rub her neck self-consciously. she soon regained her composure once she met megan's eyes once again.

"it's... interesting."

megan's eyes sparkled with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. "interesting? that's all i get?"

y/n laughed, shaking her head. "sorry, megan. i don't think i know you enough to tell you." y/n huffed, a slight grin playing at her lips.

megan's smile didn't falter, in fact, it only grew even wider. "maybe i'll just have to get that number of yours to get to know you better, hm?"

y/n's cheeks flushed a light pink ever so briefly before she recomposed herself as sophia returned. megan winked at y/n, before turning to sophia. "i'll let you two get to work. me and dani have a class to get to."

sophia smiled. "okay, megan. see you."

megan turned back to y/n, a sly smile spreading across her face. "so, y/n. that phone number?"

y/n cocked an eyebrow at her in slight amusement, shaking her head as a slight grin played on her lips. "as much as i find your flirting endearing, i am taken." y/n laughed. "didn't you just ask me about my relationship?"

"can't blame a girl for trying, eh?" megan hummed, grinning like an idiot.

y/n slapped her forehead as she continued to shake her head, laughing. she tilted her head back up to meet megan's gaze.

"i think i'll make you work for it." y/n hummed teasingly, matching megan's playful energy which only made megan ever more head over heels.

"then i'll try my best." megan winked.

as megan and daniela walked away, y/n turned to sophia, who was grinning, and clearly on the verge of bursting out laughing.

"your friends are... interesting."

sophia only remained calm, the same grin still on her face as she shook her head in amusement. "no, that's just megan."

as they started their shift, y/n couldn't shake the feeling that megan had left a lasting impression on her, something y/n is practically immune to.

masterlist ᡣ𐭩 next

NOTES | nothing to say 🙌

TAGLIST | @meizinisnumberone @hiraizyo @arihiu @artrizzler19 @1luvkarina @meiphobic @meganskiendielsbtc @fruityg0rl @kristalag @sunshinez4 @vrtualstar @yazzyminny ( closed .ᐟ )

[hoomandoescosplay]

Becoming Mrs. Potter | James Potter x Reader

Trying to be quiet so as to not wake up his friends, especially Sirius as he can be very grumpy if woken up, he grabs his uniform and robe and goes into their shared bathroom.

After taking a quick shower he gets dressed and brushes his teeth. With one last look in the mirror he ruffles up his hair and leaves the bathroom.

"I was wondering where you were." Remus says from his bed while looking up from the book he was reading. "Hey Moony. Just got up early today for once." James shrugs with a coy smile.

"Yes. The James Potter just happened to get up early for once in his life." Remus playfully taunts. "Hey hey now. Today's a special day which requires special exceptions." He eyes James curious to what he meant. Not saying anymore he heads to their door calling out one last sentence before leaving their shared dorm. "If all goes well you'll know by the end of tonight my dear Moony."

As James is sitting in the Great Hall eating breakfast the others eventually join him not too long after. As all of them sat and ate they all joked about random things and tried to plan out their next prank on the school. James's eyes quickly darted over when a certain female walked into the Great Hall finding herself a seat among her group of friends. He watched as she quickly added food to her plate while laughing at something it looked like Marlene said.

He places his head atop of his hand and continues to stare at the girl he's fallen head over heels for. "Prongs? Earth to Prongs." James shook his head and diverted his attention to Sirius. "What's up?" He asks with a lopsided grin. "What's up with you today mate?" Remus sighs and butts in. "Don't bother, he won't tell anyone until later tonight apparently." He only grins at the boys as they finish eating and head off to their first class of the day.

When stepping into the potions classroom he noticed that they were the first ones to get to class. All four of the boys decided to continue thinking of new prank ideas until more people showed up and they had to go sit in their assigned seats.

James never liked being separated from the boys in class but this was the one exception since he was assigned to sit next to (Y/N) (L/N). They've actually become quite close throughout the years of being sat together in potions. And this was the perfect opportunity to slide her a note explaining that he wanted to meet her in the astronomy tower after dinner.

He took out a piece of parchment and wrote a simple note before signing his name and folding it up. Now all he had to do was wait until she sat down which was easier said than done for the anxious boy. He gently tapped his fingers against the wooden desk trying not to attract attention from the sound.

Finally, she pulled out the chair and sat down exhaling and he ruffled up his hair once more. She turns her head and smiles at him. "Hello James." He puts on a huge smile and greets her back. He stared at her for a moment taking in all of her features before snapping out of it and sliding the folded up parchment in her direction. She eyes him quizzically before unfolding it and reading the words written down.

He starts up his tapping once more trying to read the expression on her face as her eyes scan the parchment. When she finishes reading she looks up at him once more and nods her head. "I'm free after dinner so I'm good with meeting up." He lets out a breath of air he didn't know he was holding in and smiles at her. "I am curious why you can't just talk to me now though." She ponders mostly to herself. He puts a finger up to his lips and replies "it's a secret my love." This causes the girl to roll her eyes and try to suppress a grin. "Alright lover boy. I'll leave you to your secrets until we meet up."

The rest of the day felt like it was dragging on to the Potter boy. He has always been quite impatient when it came to waiting for something he was excited for or even something important.

As James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter all walked to the Great Hall for dinner they spotted (Y/N) and her friends and decided to sit with them.

Alice and Frank were sitting together while Mary, Dorcas, and Lily were next to them. The boys sat on the other side of the long table with (Y/N) and Marlene. James tried to sit next to (Y/N) but Remus beat him to it as she was sitting at the edge of the table and only had one spot next to her.

As they filled their plates and ate until they were stuffed they all joked the whole time and even planned to all go to Hogsmeade sometime in the upcoming week. James excused himself a few minutes before dinner officially ended so he could get to the astronomy tower and calm his nerves.

As he began to walk his mind started to race. He hasn't been nervous about anything in a long time. He was known as the cocky and confident bloke around Hogwarts and he lived up to it pretty well. However, it mattered to him how this girl was going to respond to something he brought up five years ago. Merlin, he was worried she forgot and would treat him like he was only trying to play with her emotions.

Getting up the final steps he walks to the balcony's railing and leans his body against it as he stares up at the moon shining onto the lake below. He fluffs up his hair for the millionth time today as he hears footsteps approaching.

Turning around he's greeted with a small smile on the girl's face as the moon reflects onto her. She walks up to the stunned boy as they both face the sky. She nudges her shoulder onto his forearm as she speaks up. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?" He gulps then takes a deep breath.

"I'm just keeping you to your promise love." She raises her eyebrow to him and places her chin on her hand. "What did I promise the Great James Potter?" He blushes and debates whether he should tell her or just make something up. After a moment he decides he's in too far to back out now and just tells her. "Don't you remember what you promised me back in year two? I remember it quite vividly." He grins while adding, "but you didn't expect me to remember huh?"

(Y/N) stands up straighter trying to rack her brain about what he's talking about. She almost speaks up again saying she really doesn't remember until her eyes widen a bit. James perks up at a reaction from her and hopes she finally remembered.

"If I ask you to marry me again five years from this exact day will you?" James asked the girl with a large grin on his face.

"Yes Potter. I suppose I will." She chuckles lightly. "I doubt you'll remember anyway." As she says this she smirks up at the boy and starts to walk back in the castle.

"You promise (Y/N)?" He calls out to her. "I promise lover boy." She responds without turning around.

After revisiting the memory she turns to the boy gawking at him. "James, that was five years ago! You honestly can't expect us to keep our promise can you?" All he does is grin down at the bewildered girl causing her to blush. "For Merlin's sake we were twelve." She sighs and looks up at James putting on his best puppy dog eyes.

(Y/N) eventually cracks and starts to laugh at the situation. "You should at least take me on a date before you propose you know." That comment was all he needed to hear as he pulled her into his arms. She laughs even more as she cups his face into her hands and kisses him on the forehead. "You're right. I really didn't expect you to remember that." James looks down at her and responds. "How could I ever forget proposing to my future girlfriend." (Y/N) grins up at him and embraces the Potter boy.

As the pair walked through the portrait and into the commonroom with their hands intertwined they were stopped by curious looks from their combined friend groups. (Y/N) sheepishly smiles as James raises their hands up like he does every time he and his team wins the quidditch cup.

The boys hoot and holler as the girls give each other knowing looks while giggling. James pulls (Y/N) into his side and whispers into her ear causing her to blush. "I guess you're one step closer to becoming Mrs. Potter."