#um my soulmate perhaps???? | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

bbyseok · 6 months ago

Text

at first sight? — GOJO SATORU

pairing: gojo satoru x gn!reader

word count: 10k (idek i was possessed)

banner by @/bbyseok , dividers by @/bunnysrph !!

a/n: um hi. its finally here ! thanks to all who liked the teaser, this is my first jjk/gojo fic ever but i really think everyone needs some comfort after jjk chap 261.. and fuck u gege !!

content: soulmate au, gender neutral reader, minimal use of they/them pronouns for reader but gender is not specified, sorcerer reader, nicknames ‘sweetheart’, ‘pretty’, ‘baby’, fluff, mild angst with a happy ending, slowburn??, several pov switches, suggestive/implied nsfw at the end but nothing explicit, brief swearing/explicit language, brief violence/injuries, alcohol consumption, reader gets mildly drunk but nothing else, implied satosugu as past soulmates: can be interpreted as either romantic or platonic, fic takes place after jjk 0 but before the show starts

analysis: this is a world filled not only with curses, but soulmates—in which you know someone is your soulmate when you first make eye contact with them. but for your case, things can get a bit complicated when someone is wearing a blindfold.

here, in this universe, you can tell that someone is your soulmate by simply looking at them. so with that, the saying of “love at first sight” is actually pretty accurate here. you see them for the very first time and barely know the person and yet, somehow, they’re the one you’re destined to be with.

with that, you’d think it’d be pretty common for two random people to run into each other while crossing the street or something and bam! suddenly you’ve found the supposed love of your life!

and you? well, for you, that hasn’t happened yet.

to be fair, it’s not like you’re actively trying to look for your soulmate. handling curses as a jujutsu sorcerer is difficult enough. (maybe you’ll run into them one day after saving them from a curse or something. how romantic!)

it’s better to leave it up to fate. it’s fate who decided your pairing anyway, right?

your transfer to jujutsu tech had been fairly smooth. after being stationed in kyoto for a while, tokyo was a nice change of pace.

coincidentally, you had been out of the country during the incident known as the night parade of a hundred demons. a scary event that proved the threat of curse users to be formidable.

because of that, your decision to transfer to tokyo seemed like the right thing to do. and so far, it’s been decent.

it’s a nice change of scenery. the students are aspiring; while maki and megumi aren’t the friendliest, they’re warming up to you. toge and panda are gradually improving.

nanami’s pessimistic outlook on jujutsu society and shoko’s overall unenthusiastic demeanor are certainly interesting for the most part, but your coworkers are pleasant to be around.

well. except for one.

gojo satoru knows that you are his soulmate. he has indeed known this fact right from the very start, ever since your first meeting.

even with his blindfold on, he could see your own eyes before him. his six eyes can see everything. the thing is.. he didn’t know he could have another soulmate.

his situation with geto suguru is something he doesn’t talk about with anyone. maybe shoko at times, but even then, it’s rare. it’s not that he doesn’t want to, but it’s pretty hard to talk about.

after suguru defected, gojo could still obviously feel their bond. even though they were no longer together as the strongest duo, did it really matter when their souls were still connected to one another? it was a factor that played in avoiding (and perhaps meeting up with) each other as the years went by.

satoru felt their bond die that day after the events with okkotsu and rika. and it had frightened him. that lingering presence of the bond was no longer there.

so imagine his surprise when he sees you.

a new sorcerer in kyoto, now transferred to tokyo. normally, gojo doesn’t seek out the new recruits, but yaga had dragged him over regardless. besides, he might as well get to know his possible assistant teacher that would be helping him out with the new first years.

“i guess i can check out some new faces,” he relented with a sigh, adjusting his blindfold and looking to the side as yaga’s steps slowed as they approached you.

gojo rolled his eyes–not that you’d see it anyway–as yaga introduced you with your name and your sorcerer grade. he stopped to stand next to the principal.

you extended your hand to offer a handshake, and gojo finally turned his head.

that feeling as his gaze fell upon yours beneath the blindfold was familiar—frighteningly so—and unfamiliar at the same time. as if he could breathe for the first time in ages. your eyes are unaware, but they’re so revealing to him.

satoru stuttered in his movements, reluctantly taking your hand. the skin that touched yours felt like it was on fire. he briefly held on to see if you felt it too.

but you simply smiled up at him.

“it’s nice to meet you, gojo,” you said, blissfully unaware of the revelation currently dawning on the man before you and the turmoil it brought as he abruptly retracted his arm back.

gojo stiffened. he merely offered a curt nod before turning on heel and walking away briskly. he could faintly hear yaga protest about his sudden departure before apologizing to you hastily. satoru shook his head.

how was this be possible? how could the universe give him two soulmates? he didn’t even know that was a thing that could happen. he wondered if there had been a similar occurrence before.

gojo couldn’t help but feel nauseous. was this the world playing some sort of sick, cruel joke on him? or was it perhaps giving him a second chance?

and truthfully, it wasn’t like gojo even wanted another soulmate. not after what he had been through with suguru. he hadn’t given it much thought.

was it really worth it?

what if he couldn’t protect you too?

so satoru had decided on one thing that day: the blindfold stays on. concealing his eyes from the world not only for him, but for your sake too. he was certain in his choice; he would never tell you the truth.

as far as you were concerned, you haven’t met your soulmate yet.

and never will.

your first meeting with gojo wasn’t exactly unpleasant, but it wasn’t something you could describe as good either. you’ve been left with the impression that he’s cocky and indifferent.

and that he doesn’t like you.

it’s been around.. two? three weeks? it’s been a while since your encounter with the white-haired sorcerer, and you’ve only seen a few glimpses of him here and there on campus.

okay, he doesn’t display any outright mean or ill intention towards you. on the very rare times the two of you do interact, he is obviously curt and clipped. seems like he’s deemed you worthy of the only either nods or one word responses.

you’ve yet to actually participate in a lesson or mission with gojo, but you prefer it that way. providing individual training and advice for the upcoming second years has been going great. at this point, you’re sure it’d only be awkward.

besides, the strongest sorcerer alive doesn’t necessarily need assistance in dealing with curses after all. that much is understandable.

you’re currently in the teachers’ lounge room with nanami. even though he isn’t actually a teacher, he pays visits sometimes. he’s good company anyway.

“it’s nice to hear that you’re settling in well,” the blonde says with a nod. he loosens his necktie absentmindedly as he adjusts the newspaper in his lap. “especially with that gojo around. he can be a pain in the ass sometimes.”

you frown at the mention of the sorcerer, crossing your arms. you’re seated across from nanami, watching him idly look through the newspaper.

“oh, well, actually, he isn’t too much trouble. for me, at least,” you reply, brows furrowing, “he barely talks to me.” (in fact, he seems to avoid you like you’re carrying the plague or something.)

nanami looks up, raising a brow. “huh. you should be grateful then.” he then hums, “but maybe that’ll change once there’s actually new first year students to teach. you both are assigned to them after all.”

you lean back in your seat, your shoulders committing to a halfhearted shrug. “maybe. it’s not like i never did anything bad to him though..”

nanami sighs gruffly. “don’t think about it too much.” before he can continue, there’s the sound of footsteps. nanami brings his newspaper back up, muttering, “speak of the devil.”

“nanamiiii!” gojo’s voice sounds from around the corner. it almost startles you how lively he sounds. you realize you’ve never actually heard or seen how he acts without you around.

nanami doesn’t respond, rolling his eyes.

gojo strolls in enthusiastically, blindfold on. “heyy, nanami, we should-” he cuts off when he presumably sees you, falling quiet and stopping short.

you blink, a bit hurt. does he dislike you that much? but you don’t let it show, resorting to greeting him politely like you usually do when you occasionally pass each other.

“good afternoon, gojo,” you muse, offering a little wave.

nanami notices his reaction too, but doesn’t comment on it. he continues to ignore the sorcerer’s presence in fact, eyes still roaming over the newspaper.

gojo clears his throat and resumes his pace. “afternoon,” he responds, focusing his attention back on nanami. he reaches the two of you, giving you no further acknowledgment.

you don’t care if he can see you looking at him, you opt to stare at the black blindfold covering his face. you have a hunch that he can see, or at least feel, you staring at him.

“can i borrow you for a sec, nanami?”

nanami emits an exasperated sigh, but stands nonetheless to follow gojo out of the room for some discussion not meant for your ears apparently, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

do you make gojo uncomfortable? you don’t know what you could’ve possibly done so though. from what you’ve heard from the others, he can be rather eccentric and overbearing.

does he just not like you? perhaps he views you as inferior, too below his level and power to actually converse with you. while it seems a bit of a stretch, you’re sure it’s not out of the possibility also based on what you’ve heard about him from others.

your frown returns. before you can dwell on it any longer, nanami comes back into the room. “well, i certainly see what you mean from what you said about gojo earlier,” he announces.

his words do nothing to falter your frown. “right.” you then shrug once more, “it’s okay. it’s just a bit.. strange.” you then shake your head, trying to be a bit optimistic. “but also like you said earlier, that might change! who knows?”

who knows, indeed.

megumi tucks the cursed tools inside their designated box and closes the lid. he moves on to the next one right as gojo enters the shed, beaming a smile.

“hey, megumi. you almost done wrapping up things here?” satoru asks, undoing his blindfold naturally. there’s a pair of glasses in his hand ready for use.

the teen nods. they had used a few cursed tools during training session today, and the storage did need a bit of tidying up. “almost done.”

satoru makes a noise of approval as he places his glasses on. “great! do you need help setting up your dorm room?” he looks excited at the idea, still grinning.

meanwhile, megumi looks disinterested at his offer. “no thanks. i think it’ll be easy enough. it’s not like i’m decorating it anyway.”

“oh, boo.” but gojo doesn’t insist on it any further. he actually falls strangely quiet, which causes megumi to glance at him curiously.

his teacher looks.. distraught. it’s hard to actually tell, but he seems to be looking at the floor, maybe lost in thought. before megumi can say anything, gojo’s expression changes and he starts talking again.

“you’re, uh, with the new teacher for tomorrow,” gojo then informs. he shoves his hands into his pockets and kicks at the floor absentmindedly. (he’s fidgeting. subtly.) “it’ll just be you two, i think, on a small mission. so they can get used to actually working with students on field. it’ll be good for the both of you.”

megumi nods. he tilts his head afterward. “you can say their name, you know. it won’t kill you,” he says a bit pointedly, “and they’re not technically new anymore. it has been a few weeks now since they’ve joined the school.”

“right, right.” megumi’s face scrunches up as gojo’s hand comes down to ruffle his hair gently. (a habit that has not died since his younger days.) “whatever you say, megumi.”

despite your minimal interactions and his rather closed off demeanor, megumi is actually one of your favorite students. (and yeah, maybe you shouldn’t have favorites, but oh well.)

your mission with megumi, or rather, the mission you’ve been assigned to supervise the student on, is rather simple.

there’s been reports of a low grade curse roaming the premises of a supermarket neighboring a nearby cemetery, so megumi is to obviously exorcise it under your watch. the area has been closed off with a small veil. megumi had decided to check the parking lot first for any lingering traces, so here you are.

“i think we’re good here,” the teenager confirms as his demon dogs return to his feet, seemingly in the clear. you nod and let him lead the way towards the inside of the store.

as the two of you begin to walk down each aisle with one of the demon dogs trailing behind, megumi says your name in an inquisitive tone. “what do you think of gojo-sensei?”

the sudden question has you blinking in surprise. your eyes scan megumi as you both continue to trek down the aisle. “what makes you ask?”

“no reason.” he doesn’t meet your gaze.

you bite down on your lip in contemplation. you’re not sure what brings this question to mind for him, but you’re willing to indulge him for now. “well.. i think he’s.. alright.” you pause. “as a sorcerer, i admire his strength. though, i think a lot of people think that obviously.”

“and as a person?” megumi presses, turning to investigate the next aisle. he still doesn’t glance over to you, still preoccupied with searching for the curse.

(hell, for a teenager, he sure is perceptive.)

you choose your words carefully, thinking it over with a brief pause.

“i’ll admit, i don’t think i know him well enough to be sure. as a person, i think he’s.. self-centered and rude. sometimes, i see him act very carefree in a way. he’s.. obscure, i guess.” you clear your throat and reiterate, “but again, i don’t really... know him.”

you can see megumi go over your words silently. the quiet continues. the conversation seems to be dying, but it doesn’t matter when monstrous gurgling sounds up ahead.

a curse appears in front of you, the shelving of the aisles toppling over as it gargles some unintelligible roar. megumi doesn’t hesitate, using his technique to summon his demon dogs once more to swiftly engage in combat.

the fight is easily handled in three minutes top. (they weren’t kidding when they said it’d be easy.)

after the commotion has settled, you allow megumi to do one more check up around the store just in case. just as you are prepared to exit and bring down the veil, you decide it’s your turn to ask him now.

“and what about you, megumi?” you inquire lightly, giving one of the demon dogs a few head pats for their good work. “what exactly do you think of gojo?”

megumi hums.

“i agree with most of what you said actually,” he answers honestly, causing you to chuckle in amusement. the teenager tilts his head and finally looks at you. “but i also think he’s kind when he wants to be.”

his frontward honesty surprises you once more. this kid sure is something. you believe his words; he has no reason to lie to you, especially about gojo of all things. still, you poke at him teasingly, “really now?”

you don’t really expect him to answer, but then megumi says in a mumble so quiet that you nearly miss it.

“well, he did sort of raise me after all.”

“i just don’t think he likes me, shoko,” you puff out a sigh, watching as she puffs out smoke. “i’ve seen the way he is around other people, and he’s not like that with me.”

she’s on break right now, so you thought you could talk to her about a certain blindfolded sorcerer who’s been plaguing your thoughts.

it’s interesting to hear about the different sides of gojo satoru from your peers. from nanami, you’ve learned that he’s pretentious and troublesome. from megumi, that he can be caring in his own way. and shoko?

“he’s crazy.” the doctor waves her cigarette at you with a shrug of her shoulders. “but it beats me on why he doesn’t particularly like you.”

you groan, slouching in one of the chairs set up in the infirmary. “maybe i should’ve stayed in kyoto,” you mumble. it’s more of a joke than anything; your.. weird terms with gojo isn’t enough to actually deter you.

but shoko puts the cigarette back to her lips and tilts her head. “want me to ask him about it?”

you straighten your posture abruptly and look at her. “what? you don’t have to. he might think i asked you to or something.”

she shrugs again. “your call.”

your brows furrow. “maybe we just got off on the wrong foot somehow. even though all i did was shake his hand.” you snort. “maybe i can get him something to break the ice. what does he like?”

shoko doesn’t even hesitate. “sweets. he likes his sweets.”

oh. oh, okay! you blink and nod. who would’ve thought? the strongest sorcerer in the world likes sweets. “i can handle sweets.”

you, in fact, cannot handle sweets.

why are there so many? you’re at a local bakery staring at the rows and rows of pastries they have on display, looking as if you’re trying the decipher the world’s hardest math problem.

shoko never specified what kind of sweets he liked during your conversation with her a couple days ago. cake? ice cream? cookies? you might as well buy the whole damn store at this point with your luck. the last thing you want is to buy him something he won’t actually eat.

“oh, fuck it,” you mutter and finally decide on a small piece of cake. it happens to be your favorite kind of cake, but oh well. if he doesn’t like it, he doesn’t like it! it’s the thought that matters anyway, right?

as you exit the shop with your newly acquired dessert, you try to devise a way to give it to him. do you just.. hand it to him? or maybe it’ll be better to leave it in his office. or have shoko give it to him!

ughh, who knew how hard it’d be to give a man a cake? okay, okay. you’ll simply give it to him in person since he’ll know it’s directly from you. problem solved.

well, actually, problem is not solved. how are you supposed to give the cake to gojo in person when you have absolutely no clue where he is right now? after returning to the school, he’s no where to be found, so you eventually turn to yaga for help.

“he’s on a mission where??”

you stare at yaga with wide eyes as he names some city so far away you’re pretty sure you wouldn’t be able to find an affordable ride to get you there in a reasonable amount of time.

“oh, alright,” you say, feeling a little disappointed. the cake suddenly feels a little too big and heavy in your hands.

the principal’s gaze flickers down to your little intended treat for his former student. “these kinds of missions are no trouble for satoru. i’m sure he’ll be back soon, so you can leave that in his office.”

you brighten up at that and nod. “thank you, yaga.” you then dismiss yourself with a polite bow after he informs you where gojo’s office is exactly, and you start to make your way there.

it’s only a few minutes until you get there. you open the door and catch sight of a desk. it looks rather plain, which is understandable since it doesn’t seem like he uses this space often. (though, there is a chair that looks more expensive than your entire rent.)

either way, you walk inside and set the container down on the desk with a small sigh. hopefully the gesture is appreciated! if he really does have a sweet tooth like shoko says, you’re not sure why he’d turn it down. again, you can only hope.

you sigh again and turn to leave when the sound of the door creaking open sounds again. you freeze in place when it swings out fully, revealing the very man you were thinking about.

(yaga was not kidding when he said that gojo finishes his missions pretty fast.)

gojo perks up at the sight of you in his office, and even with his blindfold on, you can tell he’s got a surprised look on his face. “can i help you.. or do you have a reason on why you’re snooping around in my office?” he inquires, walking in.

while not evidently hostile, his appearance and words suddenly have you anxious. “oh, well, i-’’ you want to mentally smack yourself for fumbling over your words. “i’m sorry for intruding. i, uh, just wanted to leave you a little something.”

it’s only then does gojo look past you and makes a small noise. you can’t really decipher it, but you watch as he walks by you to open the small packaging to see the slice of cake meant for him.

and when he makes a small noise again, you can tell it’s one of delight. “you got me.. cake?” he asks, looking to you again questioningly.

“i did,” you clarify with a small nod, summoning a small smile and rubbing the back of your neck a bit sheepishly, “i didn’t know what kind of sweet you would like, so i just ended up choosing my favorite cake. um, i really hope you don’t mind the flavor, but if you don’t you really don’t have to eat it so-”

“kikufuku.”

you stare at him, confused. “what?”

“kikufuku,” satoru reiterates, and it’s his turn to smile. (it nearly catches you off guard because although very small, it’s pretty.) “s’my favorite. or.. one of my favorite sweets. crepes are good too.”

his newfound friendliness has you smiling a bit more evidently, pleased that this interaction is your most pleasant one with him so far in the weeks you’ve been here. “oh, okay,” you chuckle, “noted.”

gojo opens the container and unwraps the plastic fork that had came with it. he takes a bite of the cake and hums in approval. “can see why it’s your favorite. it’s not bad.”

your face lightens up at that. “oh, i’m glad.”

he hums, popping another slice of cake into his mouth. “any particular reason on why you’ve decided to give me cake, if i may ask?”

you falter once more, now nervous in telling that you’re hoping to.. resolve this one-sided tension with you. ultimately, you decide to be straightforward, inhaling deeply and looking at him. (well, his blindfold.)

“well, i’m not an idiot, gojo. you haven’t exactly been.. friendly to me. i’m not trying to win you over or anything, but if we’re going to work together with the first year students, consider this a gift for a truce. or um, a peace offering so we can act somewhat decent with each other.”

the white-haired sorcerer falls silent at your confrontation. you’re half expecting him to brush you off and walk out of the room entirely. especially since he seems to have stiffen up (similarly to the way when you first met, you had noticed).

he seems to contemplate for a bit. you don’t know where he’s looking at; the floor, the cake in his hands, you? it’s suddenly nerve-wracking.

“you’re right,” he finally speaks up, “i.. i’m sorry for my previous behavior towards you. can we start over?” he places the cake aside and walks back over to you to hold out his hand.

“gojo satoru.”

your eyes flicker to his blindfold to his hand, then back to where his eyes are hidden underneath. the rumored powerful and breaktaking six eyes concealed from your ever so curious sight.

against your better judgment, you repeat your name and take his hand.

“it’s nice to meet you, gojo.”

your new relationship with gojo is steadily becoming better. he’s no longer curt with you, and actually engages in conversations even with no other people around.

though, you can’t help but feel like he’d avoiding looking at you for some reason. which is pretty far off since you can’t technically see where he’s looking, but it’s a hunch you have nonetheless.

but hey, it’s progress, progress that you’re somewhat happy about.

like now, as satoru leans over your shoulder to peer at the clipboard in your hands. you’ve just finished wrapping up a lesson with the soon-to-be second years out on the field.

“ooh, what’s on the agenda for tomorrow, teach?” he pries.

“assistant teach,” you remind him teasingly, going over the contents of the clipboard. “more sparring. oh, and the registration for that new first year.”

“the one from the countryside?” gojo hums.

you nod. “yep. a.. kugasaki nobara. we won’t actually get to meet her, but arrangements for her arrival are getting finalized.”

“oh, boo. s’just more paperwork,” the sorcerer beside you whines, kicking at the grass.

“at least megumi isn’t the only one now,” you point out and finally turn to him.

just as you expected, satoru glances away to look at panda and toge finishing up. you squint at him narrowly but don’t comment on it.

“that’s true. not like that kid cares anyway, but it’ll be good for him,” gojo agrees airily, shoving his hands into his pockets.

you eye him. “hey, gojo?”

“yeah?” his head remains turned to the students. (further proving your point! you feel like you’re collecting evidence here; the gojo satoru cannot look at you in the eye!)

you hesitate. “wanna grab some kikufuku?”

he perks up at that. (like a puppy, really. it almost makes you laugh.) “mm, whatever happened to not trying to win me over with sweets?” he teases.

you laugh at that then, shaking your head in soft denial. “no- that’s not what i-”

“well, you did said kikufuku.." satoru interrupts you with a dramatic sigh and heave of his shoulders, “so how could i ever possibly resist?”

satoru doesn’t dare to look down at you.

“care to join me?”

but you smile up at him cheekily, and he hates the way the sunlight is hitting your features just right. it looks like the color of your eyes is glistening.

you’re just.. lying down on the grass of one of the training fields, admiring the drifting formations of white clouds on the blue canvas that is the sky.

satoru keeps telling himself that shouldn’t be doing this. his first mistake was accepting your cake. allowing himself to get closer to you. but when you look at him like that, he feels like he can do anything. which is odd, becaues really, he can do anything. it goes without saying as his status as the strongest.

but with you, it’s starting to feel a bit different.

when he doesn’t give you an immediate answer, you tilt your head and continue to blink up at him. “you can see the sky even with your blindfold on, right?”

he snorts. “yeah, i can.”

you pat the space on the grass next to you welcomingly, a beckoning that he just can’t resist again. “well, come on and join me,” you persist.

he hesitates, shifting his weight on his legs for a moment. against his better judgement, he joins you. it’s surprisingly comfortable, he finds, as he kicks out his legs and sighs.

it’s a comfortable silence that it’s almost startling. how easy it is just to be around you. (which is the exact reason why he had been avoiding you in the start, in fear of slipping up around you. he still might.)

“you get headaches, right? if you don’t cover your eyes.”

he chuckles at your question. “yeah.” it’s a half truth, half lie. he does get headaches, but for another reason now. you can’t get out of his head. (he’s got a suspicious feeling it’s because the soulmate bond is incomplete. but again, that’s just a theory of his.)

“‘m’sorry. that sucks.” you pout subconscously, still looking up at the sky to admire it.

he scoffs fondly, clapsing his hands over his stomach. “it’s no biggie. you think headaches can take down gojo satoru?”

“hey now, tough guy. they can take down me sometimes.”

(he’d fight off headaches from you if he could.) his heart is thudding against his ribcage, warning him. but he doesn’t heed the warning, and continues to lay down with you on the grass.

it’s a nice feeling. he doesn’t feel like the greatest sorcerer in the world with his colleague. it feels like he’s just satoru, pointing out the different shapes and animals you can spot in the sky with his soulmate.

“hey, that one looks like you!”

“hah?!”

“i’m guessing you and gojo-sensei are getting along now,” megumi bluntly comments.

it catches you off guard slightly, and you can’t help but laugh. (of course he had noticed how the both of you interacted from the beginning.) “oh, uh, yeah.”

and as you watch satoru go down the steps of the stairs to head over to you both whilst waving an arm with much more enthusiam than needed, you can’t help but smile.

“yeah, we are.”

this is a mistake. he shouldn’t be doing this.

but satoru can’t help but be so selfish, selfish in indulging in your looks, in your scarce touches. when you had confronted him with your peace offering as you had so called it, he had given in.

and now he’s spending more time with you. be it after lessons with the students, on random days where you have nothing to do, during weekends when there’s no authorities to bother him—he can’t help it.

was it the bond wanting to be complete? you were still unaware of his true identity, of what he could possibly mean to you, so why does he feel like he needs to be so close? he gets antsy at times when you’re not in his sight. it’s starting to affect him.

the soulmate bond, or lack of it—that has to be the only explanation for it. because he knows that you’re his soulmate, he’s subconsciously drawn to you and your presence. (it’s definitely not because he likes the way you smile, or laugh, or-)

fuck.

after a relatively tough mission, you’re obviously sent to see shoko. you’re not fatally harmed, maybe a scratch here and there. and okay, maybe a gash on your shoulder..

it had been enough to sort of knock you off your feet, but you’re fine. totally. exorcising a semi grade two curse at 1 a.m. in the morning was no biggie at this point.

once she’s finished tending to your wound, she dusts off her hands and places them on her hips. “you’re all set.”

you smile gratefully. “thanks, sho. can always count you to patch me up.”

she snorts. “well, it is my job.”

gojo suddenly appears right next to the table and you yelp, startled by his teleportation. shoko, on the other hand, looks unfazed, as if she’s used to this.

“gojo!” you blink, your voice taking a scolding tone soon after, “geez, you scared me! what’re you still doing awake??”

the blindfolded man falters, looking apologetic. “sorry. heard you got back from your mission.” he sounds worried, but before he can voice his concern, shoko rolls her eyes.

“they’ll be fine,” she says.

gojo’s shoulders finally drop down and he plays off his previous display of concern with a laugh. “ahaha, yeahhh, i knew that,” he scoffs with a wave of his hand, “i can’t bless you two with my presence?”

shoko gives him a displeased look before she turns around to tidy up her tools. you chuckle at her annoyance. “thanks for checking up on me, satoru,” you say sincerely. your eyes go over his appearance; he’s dressed more casually: a pair of dark slacks and shirt that expose his collarbones. not that you’re.. particularly looking.

but his shoulders seem tense again at your words and he hums quietly. (huh, strange. at least he’s not refusing to look at you anymore, you think.)

“well, i say this calls for a little celebration,” satoru suddenly purrs in delight, waving his hands in the air.

“celebration? for me getting kinda beat up?” you blow a raspberry at him, only for him to blow one at you right back. even though you had done it first, you can’t help but giggle at his childish antics.

he grins at that, then shakes his head. “heyy, i heard you beat up a semi grade two curse!” he says, “i think that does call for a celebration, does it not?”

you stare at him, unsure on whether he’s joking or not. wait, how did he even know that? well, maybe he had gone through the mission reports and assignments. still, you’re surprised that he knows. “you can wipe those out in less than a minute, gojo,” you point out with a raised brow, “don’t try and humor me.”

his grin lessens. “well, yeah, s’kinda easy for me, but i think that goes without saying. you’re telling me don’t wanna celebrate an accomplishment of yours?”

you look to shoko who is almost finished with cleaning up. she just shrugs. you look back to satoru and shrug yourself whilst rolling your eyes. “alright, we can celebrate.”

gojo fist bumps the air. and here you are again, giggling at him.

eventually, when he leads you out of the infirmary and to the teachers’ lounge. he digs through one of the fridges and hands you a bottle of what seems to be alcohol.

“i didn’t even know this was allowed here,” you mumble, settling down on what of the high chairs near the counter. you wiggle in your seat to get comfortable as gojo takes the one next to you.

you offer it to him but he shakes his head, nose scrunching up a little. “i don’t drink.”

“wasn’t this your idea?” you blink. “suit yourself, more for me.” you shrug and open the bottle to pour yourself a glass. and another. and another. and then another.

(you don’t know what particularly drives you to keep drinking as you talk with him, but perhaps it’s the way you know that satoru’s eyes are lingering just underneath the blindfold. you can practically feel his stare.)

and gojo watches you gradually drink yourself to being mildly drunk.

“okay, no more for you,” he laughs as he takes the bottle away from you and holding it above your head when you try to reach for it.

“awh, man.” you pout and rest your head on your arms on the table, looking at him the best you can. “you meanie. you got me drunk on purpose. give it back.”

he snickers, amused and endeared by your drunk antics as he pushes the bottle aside. “sorry. you’ll thank me later, pretty.”

pretty. he’s never called you that before. you wanna hear him say it again. (amongst some other things.)

“pretty.. you’re pretty. i bet your eyes are pretty too,” you say into your sleeve, your other hand reaching out to his blindfold, “everyone else says they’re v’ry pretty.”

he leans back to avoid your hand, heart pounding in his chest a little too loud for his liking. he wonders if you can hear it. “sure. i guess they are,” he says softly with a small chuckle.

“i wonder who my soulmate is,” you then mumble out. maybe it’s the alcohol, maybe it’s your incoherent slurring, but you sound.. sad.

before he can dwell on it, you’re slurring out another question that has come to your head.

“d’you have a soulmate?”

satoru’s eyes widen under the blindfold. he knows that you’re drunk. that you’re just saying things. but your hazy eyes stare up at him with a glint that makes his heart lurch.

and you won’t remember a thing in the morning, right?

before he can answer, you’re out like a light.

you wake up in the morning with a splitting headache.

with a groan, you sit up in what seems to be a bed that seems way to be to be your own, legs kicking the sheets that had been draped over you in alarm.

you have no idea where you are, but there’s a glass of water along with some painkillers on the nightstand beside you, which you down gratefully. there’s also the smell of food coming from outside the room.

you can piece two and two together that you’re probably in the home of someone you know.. your brain racks for information of what had happened last night but it’s only causing it to ache even more.

gojo.

you shake your head and make your way to what seems to be the bathroom to tidy yourself up. you notice that your’re still clad in your clothes of last night, so gojo had done the courtesy of tucking you in.

after you’re done, you take a deep breath and head outside.

you navigate your way down the hallway and follow the smell of food. as you turn the corner, you catch the sight of satoru in the kitchen. not that you doubted that the greatest sorcerer could cook, but for some reason, he looks so domestic.

he’s simply wearing sweats and a loose fitting shirt, your back turned to you as he tends to the stove, but the mere sight of it has your heart leaping into your throat. you have a feeling that it’s a sight meant for you, for you to see.

you don’t no how long you stand there, but suddenly a laugh rings through the kitchen from satoru teasingly. “take a picture, sweetheart, it’ll last longer.”

you yelp, embarrassed. (sweetheart? you try not to think about it, but you hate the way it makes your heart leap again. he’s just.. messing with you.) “erm.. sorry. good morning, gojo.” you approach the kitchen and take a seat at the counter.

when he finally turns to you, he’s not wearing his usual black blindfold, but instead what seems to be white bandages. you haven’t seen it on him before, but you don’t comment on it though.

he says good morning back before serving you some food, which you thank him for gratefully. “thank you for the painkillers too. i didn’t do anything embarrassing last night, did i?” you inquire, half jokingly.

you try to remember what had happened last night, but your memories are still a bit hazy. all you can recall is talking with him about things and staring at him. (you’re not going to tell him that though.)

“nah,” he waves off, “just told me your darkest secrets, s'all.”

you straighten up. “what?”

“kidding, kidding!” he snickers.

you groan and drag your plate to you. “i didn’t know you could cook.”

satoru looks mildly offended, emitting a dramatic gasp as he waves the spatula at you in a petulant manner. “hey now, i’m no expert. but i can at least make some sort of breakfast.”

(he totally did not look up a tutorial on how to cook for you. definitely not. but he’s a natural at everything, so at least his naturally gifted skill is in his favor this time.)

“thank you, gojo.” a smile tugs at the edges of your mouth.

“satoru.”

“what?”

“c’mon, you’re literally eating breakfast in my kitchen,” he laughs, sliding a mug of coffee (probably with extra cream and sugar because it’s gojo) towards you across the counter. “satoru’s fine.”

you test the name on your tongue, paying little attention to the way it makes the man before you stiffen up as you grab the coffee. “satoru.. thanks, satoru.” you think you can get used to saying that.

(he does too.)

satoru turns away back to the stove. “you’re welcome.”

“hey satoru, what did you say what you wanted again? i’m thinking bubble tea but i dunno..”

he likes the way his name sounds from you.

“uh, satoru? satoru? helloo, earth to gojo satoru? satoru!”

oh.

fuck, he hadn’t realized he had spaced out. gojo lifts his head in a sudden motion, making a surprised noise. he smiles sheepishly. “what’s up?”

“you feeling alright, satoru?” you tilt your head.

keep saying his name.

“awhh, i’m feeling more than alright, sweetheart.” he shoots you a grin, liking the way your eyes reflect the café lights, giving it a warm hue. “i’ll have whatever you’re having.”

“you seem to be in a good mood lately,” megumi points out. ijichi, in the front see, looks at the two of them through the rear view in silent agreement.

(a lot of people have noticed actually.)

gojo pauses, halfway through unwrapping the plastic of a popsicle. it’s the same one he used to consume during his youth, but his taste really hasn’t changed after all this time. “oh?”

the teenager eyes him narrowly. “yeah.”

gojo merely hums and pops the icy treat into his mouth.

“heh, i guess i am.”

you can hear gojo and shoko’s voices coming from the infirmary, causing you to smile absentmindedly. you didn’t think you’d be enjoying their company this much in the recent months—especially satoru’s.

(strangely, it feels so natural to be around him, you can’t help but wonder if he feels the same. you try to write it off as spending so much time together for a while now, but you can’t lie when you say he doesn’t make the stomach churn with butterflies.)

you turn the corner and announce your presence to the two with a smile and wave. you catch sight of them when they glance over to you, noticing something different.

shoko is wearing her usual white coat with a cigarette in hand, but she’s got her hair tied up in a rare bun to keep any strands from her face.

but that’s not what’s different as your gaze strays to the man next to her, the familiar frame of gojo catching you a bit off guard.

he’s wearing his glasses.

you’ve never seen him wear anything but his blindfold.

how does he look even more breathtaking than without it? you can’t see his eyes still, no—it’s a deep, deep shade of blue that still blocks his gaze from anyone else. but it’s a more casual look, seeing as his hair isn’t being help up and a few strands fall down and you can see his sharp facial features a bit more and-

and then he’s gone.

you audibly make a sound of confusion and hurt, because one moment he’s there and the next he’s no where to be seen. he had vanished without a single world.

he’s fucking avoiding you again; the realization of it makes your throat close up. after all you had been through with satoru.

“what the fuck was that?”

shoko stares at the space gojo had just been standing, just as lost as you.

there’s a distance between the two of you again. it’s painstakingly familiar to when you had first met gojo and he had kept himself strictly professional with you.

and you don’t know why.

it’s back to the cold shoulder from him; you’re seeing him less and less around campus, and those times where you did hang out off duty are practically a thing of the past now.

satoru is going to be the death of you one day, you’re sure of it.

and you and satoru aren’t even.. a thing.

then again, you’re not even sure what you are. you’re friends, yes, that’s much more than clear, but why does it feel so much more intimate than that despite the fact that the two of you have never even done anything?

however.. a part of you knows that you want more. more of those days lying in the grass with him, more of those mornings eating breakfast with him in his home, more of those afternoon café runs, more of everything with satoru.

is that why does it hurts so much now that he’s pushed you away again?

satoru is praying that you’re not in there with shoko as he approaches the infirmary a week later. she had called him over, and though he could’ve easily refused, he found himself obliging anyway.

“hey, what was that the other day?”

shoko is blunt and straight to the point once he arrived, striking him with a petulant and expectant gaze with her tired eyes.

gojo blinks innocently, tilting his head at shoko. “what was what?”

shoko then rolls her eyes. “you know what i’m talking about. what was that. you just- walked out like they we’re going to kill you or something.”

that’s the thing. you just might.

the white-haired man frowns and continues to feign innocence. he’s starting to wonder why he bothered coming here. “i have no idea what you’re talking about.”

his avoidance causes shoko to frown as well and she crosses her arms. “you’re doing the same thing that you did with them when they first joined here.”

when he doesn’t say anything, she continues, “avoiding them, pushing them away. i thought you didn’t have any problems with them. at this point, make up your mind because you’re just toying with their feelings and it’s not going to-”

“we’re soulmates,” satoru blurts out.

shoko is cut off, staring at him all wide-eyed for once. “you’re kidding.”

satoru falters. “i’m not. s’why i always wear the blindfold. and that’s why i.. i ran that night. just my glasses was too risky.”

what if he had angled his head the wrong way, what if you saw his eyes, what if you finally realized that you were fated to be together at the whims of the universe? he couldn’t do that to you.

“how long have you-”

“since we first met. i.. i could see it because of six eyes,” he explains, running a hand through his hair. “i don’t know why. i didn’t think i could have another one after-”

the two fall quiet at the mention of suguru, a heavy feeling hanging in the air between them.

“what are you going to do?” shoko asks quietly.

satoru sounds wrecked. “..i don’t know.”

“well.” shoko smushes her cigarette against the surface of the metal table. “you better do something before it’s too late.”

unfortunately, the higher ups have also noticed.

(the push and pull that has been going on between the pride of the gojo clan and a random transferred sorcerer from kyoto. nothing goes unseen by their tight hold on jujutsu society.)

and you are none the wiser when you’re an assigned a mission late so at night, at a secluded edge of tokyo. you would’ve questioned it, but after looking over the details, it seems easy enough since it was a low level curse.

ijichi drops you off near the location and bids you luck. the night is dark, with the shape of the moon only peaking out every now and then due to the clouds to offer minimum light, and then the veil is coming up.

it’s fine though, as you start walking to get this over with. the faster, the better.

what the fuck? the cursed energy here is much stronger than you had anticipated, almost as if it’s suffocating. now uneasy, you continue your search with more caution.

a low growl sounds from somewhere behind you, and you turn on heel to brace yourself in case the curse decides to catch you off guard with an unexpected attack.

your heart drops.

it’s a grade one curse.

something’s not right.

satoru can feel it. he can sense it in the air. something is lingering, a presence that makes even him feel uneasy, and he doesn’t know why. nothing makes him feel uneasy. but it’s a gut feeling, it’s the bond tugging and tugging and-

you.

something’s not right.

and then gojo is teleporting and finding ijichi in record time, giving the poor man a scare. gojo’s voice is on edge and leaves no room for argument as he demands the assistant director where he had driven you minutes prior. the veil still stands, undisturbed.

fuck, fuck, fuck- shoko was right. he should’ve done something before it was too late, because now it might actually be too late as he steps through the veil.

it’s too quiet for his liking, but the lingering silence only lasts for a few heartbeats before he hears you scream.

you’re going to die.

you don’t want to think that, but you’re definitely not going to make it out of this unscathed as you dodge the curse’s scarily accurate attacks, as if it knows where you’re going to move and land.

the curse screeches out something ugly, and you’re too stunned to react in time as one of its malformed limbs swings down with a speed that you can’t comprehend.

your throat cries for help even as the air out of your lungs, but then there’s the sudden brilliant flash of red that blinds your vision.

satoru?

you can’t see and your body aches everywhere while the sounds of the curse fade out. it’s replaced by the sound of someone speaking frantically. it is satoru as he crouches down at you, hands coming to lift you up gently. his infinity is off. “hey, hey it’s me,” he voices, “it’s me, sweetheart.”

satoru, it’s satoru. satoru is here.

you emit a sigh of relief, cloudy vision gradually focusing. you try and focus it on satoru, tracing over his features repeatedly, trying to engrave it into your memory.

“shit. those damn higher ups,” gojo grits his teeth into an angered scowl. the higher ups? were they behind this? you don’t know, but you know that you’ve ever seen him this furious before. “i am going to rip those old geezers apart limb from li-”

“satoru, we need to head back.”

he looks dazed, tufts of snowy hair now hanging a bit loosely over his blindfold compared to when it’s normally pushed upright. he even sounds dazed, the great gojo satoru, when he says, “yeah. yeah, okay.”

he’s holding on to you tight and suddenly everything seems to get blurry for less than a second before you blink. you realize he’s teleported you both not to the school, not to shoko’s infirmary, but to his penthouse.

the interior is at least familiar: white walls, a little messy, a couple of decorations, and—

“my place,” he clarifies, as if he had read your thoughts. he sets you down on his couch, uncaring if you’re staining the color of the cushions. but he doesn’t let go, hands still cradling your form so tight that you don’t know if you’re still shaking or that he is.

“are you okay?” you utter out weakly and scan him for any injuries while clutching at his arms, which is ridiculous because he’s untouchable. but you’re not in the right mind right now, and you have a feeling he isn’t either.

“i should be the one asking you that,” he retorts, and you also have the feeling he’s doing the same thing with you with the help of his six eyes.

“i’m alright,” you try to reassure him with a small shake of your head. it only aids you in wincing, but the pain is the last thing on your mind. especially with him here. “it’s fine.”

“it’s not fine,” he argues, his hold tightening even more on you, if that was even possible. is that a slight tremor in his voice? “you almost died.”

“and why do you care?” it’s not a malicious question from you. it’s more of confusion, of genuine. after all you’ve been through with satoru, you’re not sure where he stands. what he feels.

he seems startled by your question, like he can’t believe you could ask such a thing. “of course i care! why-”

you clench your fists in your lap, eyes tracing over his face repeatedly. “i don’t know what you want anymore from me, satoru! you’re not- you’re not telling me the truth.”

“i didn’t want to hurt you,” he tells you hoarsely. god, you wish you could see what he’s thinking. what’s going on in that head of his.

“you did hurt me.”

gojo trembles. “i know.”

“you seem to know a lot of things.” your voice sounds tired. your hand goes to rest on his chest, where you can faintly feel his heartbeat underneath. (oh, to be the only one who can touch gojo satoru like this.) “what are you hiding from me?”

“i can’t hide anything from you.” he draws a slow intake of breath. he then whispers,

“but how am i supposed to tell you that we’re soulmates?”

your heart skips a beat.

gojo satoru is your soulmate?

astonished, you now stare at him with wide eyes. “why- why didn’t you tell me??” you ask, voice cracking. to think, all this time, your soulmate had been right there, right beside you, right in front of you.

then it all clicks. his off-standish behavior, his reluctant interactions, his avoidance. his blindfold. he didn’t want you to see his eyes.

he’s known all this time somehow—and oh, oh. his six eyes. your lips part in realization as you stare hard, as if you could see his damned eyes beneath the cloth that hides you from the truth.

“i thought that if you knew that we were soulmates, you’d-” satoru shakes his head. “something always happens to the people i love.” he hesitates, “you still have a chance. you can find someone else.”

“what if i don’t want someone else??” you say out softly in protest, gripping the lapels of his uniform.

gojo shakes his head again. despite this, he doesn’t let you go. like he can’t, like he doesn’t want to. “we’re not bonded yet,” he says your name shakily, “please.”

still gripping the collar of his uniform, you tug him closer to you desperately. it’s so clear, so obvious that he wanted this.

“satoru, have you thought about what i wanted?” you breathe out, feeling tears well up in your eyes, “that maybe, there’s a chance that i want to take the risk? that i want to be bonded to you?”

your eyes flicker down to his lips momentarily. “that i want you too?”

satoru’s breath stutters.

“you haven’t seen my eyes.”

you cup satoru’s face in your hands, swiping your thumb under the space where his eye is hidden with a fierce tenderness that makes him listen.

“satoru, i didn’t need to see your eyes to fall in love with you.”

your confession has him stilling.

(all the times he had stiffened up in your presence, he had been falling for you, bit by bit. you know that now.)

his hand comes to cover yours, the one that’s still resting on his cheek, fingers smoothing over your knuckles. and then his hand continues to go up, up, up, and-

he tugs the blindfold up and over his head, revealing his eyes to you at last.

his eyes are gorgeous, a blue that seems to spill into your vision and take over your senses. a blue that you can get lost in, a blue that reminds you of the summer sky, a blue that tethers your soul to his, and you both can feel it.

the bond between you is so electrifying that you nearly forget how to breathe.

and then satoru is surging forward, closer, even closer, until your breath is his and you forget how to breathe for a whole different reason entirely.

he’s kissing you.

he kisses you like you might disappear right before him, his head angling into yours to capture your lips with a force that makes your world spin.

and you return it tenfold, one hand still cradling his face while the other sneaks to dig its fingers into his undercut, and he’s making a noise into your mouth with fervor.

you’re all too aware of his heat against you, the frantic touches he’s now giving into as he draws you closer. the surface of the sofa dissipates into nothingness and then-

suddenly he’s teleporting you both again—or maybe he’s kissing you dizzy. but you realize you’re now in space that’s not overly familiar with you, but you can tell it’s most likely his bedroom based off of the feel of the lush satin sheets underneath you.

less than an hour ago you were fighting for your life, and now you’re fighting for your life on gojo satoru’s bed.

“satoru, s’toru, wait-” you’re gasping for air, for something as he engulfs you with his presence. he’s everywhere all at once, and it feels as if the bond is intensifying everything he’s doing to you.

“nuh uh. think we’ve both waited long enough for this, baby,” he gasps against your lips, like it’s impossible to be separated from you again, “don’t know how much i wanted this, wanted you. drove me crazy.”

his words makes your head all fuzzy. you don’t even know if it’s the bond anymore, or just the way he makes you feel. maybe even both. your lungs feeling like they’re burning, but even then, you manage to get out,

“you have me, ‘toru, you have me.”

“yeah?” when he pulls back, it’s not even a few inches, his nose brushing against yours. his alluring eyes glimmer in the darkness of the room, and you’re almost so mad that you feel like kissing him again because he’s kept them from you for so long.

your hands hook over his neck again. when your fingers run over his undercut again, you can actually feel him shiver, causing you to giggle in delight. “yeah, ‘toru.”

“yeah, pretty,” he sighs out and he’s losing himself in everything that is you once more so willingly. your eyes, your very being, compels him to give you everything, so he does. “y’have me too. all of me.”

his confession rings through your ears before he’s kissing you again, kissing you breathless. it’s a blur on what happens next; feverish touches and passionate symphonies, but one thing’s for sure,

the magnetic glow of his eyes in the dark of that night is something that you’ll never forget.

as your stir amongst the tousled bedsheets, you can feel the warmth of a certain someone creeping over you, like a cozy cat searching for cuddles.

your eyes peer open to meet the blurry sight of the ceiling, along with the sight of messy white hair tickling your chin.

“good morning to you, sweetheart,” a voice says cheekily, followed by cascading kisses down your jawline, prompting you to giggle softly.

you watch sunlight spill over into the bedroom, engulfing the man above you in an angelic glow as he finally pulls back to look down at you.

so maybe you didn’t fall in love at first sight with gojo satoru.

that’s okay.

cause as you stare up into your soulmate’s pretty ceruleans in the morning light, you think you can fall in love with him like this a little more.

BONUS!

“you owe me.”

nanami drags a hand over his face as he digs into his pocket for his wallet. “this is the first and last time i make a bet with you,” he grumbles.

shoko merely smirks. “you have such little faith in gojo.”

“bet or not, can we go back to before they were together?” nanami looks like he’s close to investing in a pair of one of gojo’s glasses that can block any normal person’s vision.

satoru is clinging onto you like a sloth.

“babyyyyy,” your boyfriend whines, resting his chin on your shoulder with his arms wrapped around your torso. you can’t help but giggle, endeared by his clinginess. (he had claimed it was to make up for the way he had acted in the past and for lost time.)

he’s like another part of you now. not that you mind. being his soulmate is everything and more—from the tender touches to the passionate ones, to the talks of everything: to the mundane to the serious. after all, your soul is his, and his soul is yours.

(and then his hands are sneaking off to places they shouldn’t be.)

“‘toru, not here!”

nanami heaves out another sigh as his hand comes to pinch the bridge of his nose. “is it too late to quit being a sorcerer again?”

TAGLIST : @spn-obession , @deepestartisanhumanoidshark , @scarasw1f3 , @kalopsia-flaneur , @90s-belladonna , @peachipeachy , @chrystinaamanda , @kalulakunundrum , @hunnyheavenn , @dekusdante , @dontmindmelove , @cherries-lostgirls , @rv19 , @etherealstarlightqueen

+ a/n: this fic ended up being way no longer than i expected omg.. but thanks to all who asked to be on the taglist !! some didnt work so im sorry about that </3

like this fic? feel free to go ahead and check out my other works here! -> masterlist

2K notes · View notes

athenamikaelson · 12 days ago

Text

Klaus Mikaelson x Soulmate!Reader x Elijah Mikaelson Pt. 21

Word Count- 8.4k

Warnings- UNEDITED SUE ME- It's 4 AM and I’ve been working on this for the past 5 hours. Swearing, blood, stabbing, reader threatening to off herself with a spoon (idk man), death of a background character, Klaus, Stefan.

“AHHHH,” A loud scream escapes my mouth and I grab the closest thing to me and throw it.

“I’m happy to see you as well, Y/n.”

Elijah?

I blink rapidly as I try to calm my racing heart. I stare wide-eyed at the suited Original before me, and he smiles back at me. His eyes drop momentarily and something shifts in his gaze.

“Maybe you should change, and then we’ll discuss it, " Elijah says, turning to my desk and sitting in my chair as if he owned the place.

I frown in confusion at what he meant but as I glance down at the bright pink towel that is covering my wet body I freeze.

“Oh my god!”

I tighten my grip on my towel and run towards my closet. I squeeze into my tiny closet and shut the door. As I’m trying my hardest to put any clothing on my body, I swear I can hear Elijah laugh to himself from outside the door.

As soon as I think my body is covered I take a deep breath. Elijah is in my bedroom. ELIJAH IS IN MY BEDROOM.

Deep breaths Y/n.

I release a shaky breath and open my closet door. I can feel my heart practically jump out of my chest when I lock eyes with Elijah as he smiles softly at me. His gaze drifts down and his soft smile turns into a shit-eating grin.

“Is that so, Elskan,” Elijah asks me with humor in his voice and I frown.

“What?”

Elijah doesn’t say anything but he nods towards my shirt. I don’t understand what’s funny until I realize what shirt I’m wearing.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” I say as I glance down at the shirt Theo bought for me for my birthday. The shirt that says, in big bold letters “Say Perhaps to Drugs.”

“I don’t do drugs,” I exclaim and then gesture to the door, “My brother got this for me and I knew I’d never wear it so I put it in the back of my closet but it was dark in there and so I must’ve just grabbed this.”

Elijah and I stared at each other for a moment after I got done rambling. Elijah seems to be finding everything incredibly entertaining though as his smile hasn’t dropped this entire time.

“Aren’t you supposed to be dead,” I blurt out and his smile drops for a second but returns a moment later.

“I’ve been dead for a millennium, Elskan,” Elijah retorts and I glare at him.

Elijah clears his throat and straightens out his suit jacket, “You’re… acquaintance Damon took the dagger out of me. I’m to meet him tomorrow morning.”

My eyebrows furrow, “Demon, helped you? I didn’t know he was capable of that?”

Elijah releases a sigh, “You are not the only one.”

I stare at the Original in front of me, well more like ogle. Not much has changed since the last time I saw him, he’s still got his god-like bone structure, expensive-ass clothing, and beautiful dark eyes. What has changed though is the new haircut, instead of the middle part, he’s now sporting a somewhat spiky shorter hairdo. And it pisses me off just how good he makes it look.

“You got a haircut,” I state the obvious as I sit on the edge of my bed.

“Um,” I watch as Elijah fixes a stray hair of his, “I just had it done, it’s something different,” I have to bite back a smile at Elijah’s sudden awkwardness.

“I like it,” I blurt out and Elijah instantly looks up at me.

“You do?”

The smile I was holding back peeks through at the look on his face. Elijah has the same look on his that a dog has when you wave a tennis ball in front of its face.

“I mean the middle part was nice, but you have the facial structure to pull this off too, so you know,” I gesture to his cheekbones and can feel my face warming up.

“My facial structure,” Elijah questions and I want to die in a hole when I see his smirk.

I glare at Elijah and he smiles and then glances down at the book in his hands. When I realize he’s holding Fifty Shades of Grey my eyes widen.

“How did you get that?!”

Elijah glances up at me and smirks again, “I believe you just threw it at me.”

My eyes widen as I realize that the book is what I threw at him when I came into the room.

“So this is the literature that you were telling me about?”

My mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water at Elijah’s questions.

“That’s not mine.”

Elijah raises an eyebrow, “It’s not?”

I shake my head, walk over to him, and reach out my hand for him to give me the book, “Nope. Just holding it for a friend.”

Elijah stares up at me with a smile and I feel a twisting in my stomach at the bright look in his eyes.

“Have you read it then?”

My face seems to be getting hotter at his question and I quickly shake my head, “Nope. Have you?”

Elijah places the book in the palm of my hand and I clutch it to my chest.

“I prefer the real thing.”

I release an abnormal sound at his comment and feel my heart stop.

“The real thing?”

Elijah smirks so hard that a small dimple is shown on his cheek, “You know, real literature. Not that,” He gestures to the book with his hand, “thing.”

]I release a deep breath, “Oh.”

Elijah nods his head and then raises an eyebrow at me, “What did you think I was talking about?”

I squint my eyes at him and then shake my head rapidly, “Same thing as you. Exactly the same thing. Um,” At the knowing look on Elijah’s face, I fight back a growl.

“How did you get in my house,” I ask, trying to change the subject.

Elijah seems to realize this as he lets out a small breathy laugh, “Your mother, is quite the inviting woman. I told her I was writing my book about Mystic Falls and that I was working on a chapter about people who’ve moved to Mystic Falls and she was quite excited to tell me her story.”

At the mention of my mother, a dark feeling washes over me and I clench my fists.

“Elskan? Is everything alright?”

I rub my shoulder and nod my head, “Peachy. Also, why are you here,” I turn to face him and he looks at me wearily.

“I’ve been gone quite a while. Not that I wanted to be, for the record. I know that my brother has been in town and I wanted to…needed to make sure you’re okay.”

My eyebrows furrow as he watches me.

“I’m fine, Elijah.”

“You don’t look fine, Y/n,” Elijah stands up and fixes his suit.

“Ouch,” I bite out sarcastically.

Elijah shoots me a look and shakes his head, “That is not what I mean, Elskan. There will never be a day in my immortality that I think you look anything other than ethereal, but… it’s in your eyes. Before I left you, you had a softer look in your eyes. But now… I’m not sure, but I know something has changed. What’s happened since I’ve been gone, Y/n?”

What’s happened since Elijah was daggered in front of me? Well…

I became besties with a vampire who was hired by his brother to stalk me.

I got shot.

Found out my dad, isn’t my dad.

Moved out and moved in with Damon, who is kind of one of my closest friends now.

I keep having tiny heart attacks.

My brother knows about the supernatural.

I got kidnapped by Stefan and was saved by his brother.

Klaus. In general. Klaus kissing me. Yup.

“Um… not much. You know, average Mystic Falls stuff.”

Elijah still stares at me like he doesn’t believe me, “Y/n-”

“Have you seen your brother yet?”

Elijah quickly stops his talking at my interruption and his upper lip twitches.

“Momentarily.”

I blow out a breath at his lack of answer and sit in the chair he was once sitting in.

“I’m going to guess that you two didn’t hug it out?”

Elijah walks over to my bookshelf and runs a finger over the spines of a few of my books.

“My brother is not someone I’d like to discuss right now. Or really at any time.”

“Then what do you want to discuss,” I question as I lean back into my chair.

Elijah turns back to glance at me, “You. I’ll always want to discuss you.”

I roll my eyes at the comment, “Nothing is interesting about me to talk about.”

Elijah walks over to me and leans against my desk. Our knees are touching and it seems to be the only thing I can focus on. I look up to Elijah and it seems I’m not the only one. Elijah’s eyes go from our touching knees to looking down at me.

“I find that incredibly doubtful, Elskan.”

I let out a light scoff but can’t stop the smile that makes its way onto my face as I look at the man. He looks back at me but this time his attention is on my lips and I swear I can see a hint of pink gracing his cheeks.

“What do you want to know?’’

Elijah quickly clears his throat and glances up to meet my eyes, “I know you have a younger brother, Theodore, how is your relationship with him?”

At the mention of Theo’s legal name I let out a laugh, “Don’t let him hear you calling him that. But…Theo’s,” I stop and smile when I think of my annoying little brother, “He’s my everything. Don’t tell him I said that or it’ll go right to his head, and he doesn’t need anything else to build his ego. But… before when I didn’t have any friends and was pretty much alone,” I stop and clear my throat, “Theo was the only one who grounded me. He didn’t care that I was a loser, it didn’t stop him from protecting me from bullies at school or sitting with me at lunch when I had no one else. He’s my buddy and best friend.”

Elijah smiles softly at me and nods his head, “I’ll have to remember to thank him for protecting you.”

I quickly shake my head, “Please don’t. Big ego and all that.”

Elijah laughs and I feel that weird turning in my stomach.

“Oh! Speaking of siblings, I met your sister.”

At the mention of Rebekah, Elijah furrows his brows, “You’ve met Rebekah?”

I nod, “Ya. She’s…something.”

Elijah shoots me a look and I continue, “Well, she’s nothing like you. I’d definitely say she’s more like Klaus. But unlike Klaus, she’s… I don’t know. Before Elena daggered her I could have seen myself being friends with her.”

“Yes, my little sister is quite the character,” Elijah frowns and narrows his eyes at me, “You said, unlike my brother… since I’ve been gone, have you and him,” Elijah picks at an invisible piece of lint on his shoulder, “discussed much?”

At the mention of Klaus, I go still.

“Y/n?”

I look up to Elijah who is eyeing me wearily, “Me and Klaus? I mean Klaus! Because there is no me and Klaus! It’s just Klaus!”

Elijah’s eyes narrow even more and I look away and glance at my hands.

“I mean he hasn’t killed me so that’s something,” I say casually trying to cover up the mess I just spilled out.

I hear Elijah let out a growl and he grabs my chin to make me look up to him, “Tell me now, Y/n. Has my brother done anything to harm you? If he has I swear to whatever Gods are out there I will-”

“Dude chill,” I move my face out of his hand and stand up.

“Klaus hasn’t hurt me,” I think about my friends, “At least not physically. Him torturing my friends has been kind of emotionally draining. But, no. Klaus, he’s been a nuisance but he’s not been horrible.”

Elijah and I watch each other, well more like I watch him and he accesses me.

“You’re being truthful with me, right Elskan?”

I nod my head and let out a dramatic yawn, “Yup, totally. God, what is the time? I’m pooped.”

Elijah shoots me a look and then rolls his eyes dramatically.

I raise an eyebrow at him and smirk, “If you keep rolling your eyes like that, you’re going to start looking like me.”

Elijah's tense shoulders loosen and he smiles at me and gestures to my bed, “How tragic that would be. Lay down, Elskan.”

I raise an eyebrow and laugh, “Why? Are you going to tuck me in and read me a bedtime story?”

Elijah walks over to me so he’s about a foot away from me, “I don’t see why not. You’ve got plenty of literature for me to read to you,” He looks back to Fifty Shades which is still sitting on my desk.

“I would rather die,” I blurt out.

Elijah laughs and picks up the edge of my comforter. He gestures for me to lay down and I bite back a smile as I do.

I get under the covers and Elijah places the comforter back down. We stare at each other for a moment before Elijah leans down. I suck in a breath and close my eyes. When I feel Elijah’s lips place a kiss on my temple I let out a sigh.

“Goodnight, Elskan. I’ll be seeing you very soon.”

—-

My father’s in transition.

I stare blankly at the text from Caroline as I read it over and over again.

Excuse me?

Meredith Fell gave him blood and he died with it in his system.

Oh, Jesus Christ.

Ok. Should I meet you at the hospital? I can leave now????

I stare at the three dots as I wait for Caroline to finish typing. After what seems like forever I finally get a response.

No. Elena is on her way. Just wanted to keep you updated.

As soon as I read the text I pull out Elena’s contact and type out a message.

WHAT THE HELL????!!! Who killed Caroline’s dad?????

We’re not sure yet. There is someone going around killing council members. Sheriff Forbes said they were killed with one of the stakes from Ric’s collection. I’ll update you later. Stay safe<3

I sit on the edge of my bed, mouth wide open as I stare at the bomb drop that is this text message. Does Mystic Falls have a serial killer? What the fuck am I thinking?! Of course, it does, because what else could be more fucked up about this god-forsaken town!??

I throw my phone on my nightstand and run across the hall to Theo’s room. I throw open his door and my little brother lets out a squeal.

“Jesus woman! Knock first! I could’ve been indecent,” Theo says as he tightens his silk robe around himself dramatically.

“When have you ever been decent in the first place,” I place my hand on my hip and glare at him.

Theo gives me an offended look.

“Also, Mystic Falls now has a serial killer,” I drop the bomb and Theo blinks at me for a few moments.

“Repeat that one more time for me,” He gestures to his right ear.

“Serial. Killer. Mystic. Falls. Stay. Inside.”

Theo nods for a moment before turning around and running towards his phone, “Leave now woman, I must tell my precious baby boy about this.”

I roll my eyes and watch as my pathetic brother dials up Jeremy’s phone number.

“You’re welcome.”

—

For the rest of the afternoon, I tried to do anything to keep me busy. I tried painting, but couldn’t paint anything. I tried reading, but couldn’t focus on the words. I even tried yoga, and now I have pains in my lower back.

To say I pretty much jumped when my phone finally rang is an understatement.

“Hello! What’s going on!?”

“Woah, Pukey. Glad to know you’re finally excited to hear from me,” Demon’s sarcastic voice comes through on the other end.

“You’re not who I was hoping it would be,” I groan.

“And who were you hoping? A certain Original maybe? Not sure which one you were hoping for though. We need to have another movie night so you can update me on your latest conquest.”

“What the hell are you gabbing about now, Demon?”

“Oh you know, a certain suited Original. Or maybe his younger brother who just happened to save your life the other night. Just between us girls, which one is currently tickling your fancy?”

I tighten my grip on my phone, “I’m hanging up.”

“Wait! I have a favor to ask,” Damon stops me from ending the call.

I sigh, “What is it now?”

“I need you to get yourself all dolled up and make your way to the big bad wolf’s house at 8.”

At the idea of seeing Klaus, I freeze up.

“Pukey?”

I shake my head, “That’s not happening, Damon. Deal with him on your own.”

“Y/n, come on. Help a friend out.”

“We’re not friends,” I retort.

“Lovers?”

“I’ll kill you in your sleep.”

“I just love your dirty talk. It amazes me how you’re still single,” Damon’s sarcastic response has my upper lip twitching.

“I’ll help you stab Stefan with a fork if you come.”

I look back to my closet, “Eight, you said?”

—

I let out the biggest sigh possible as I stared at the huge mansion in front of me. I then groan when the fabric of my short dress rides its way up my thighs.

After I got off the phone with Damon I went to my closet to find something to wear. I then realized that the only nice clothing I had was the clothes that Alastair bought for me. And as much as I hate saying it, he does have pretty good taste in fashion.

As I try to pull down the short hem of my black lace dress though, I’m not realizing he isn’t the best at guessing women’s sizes. Every time I pull my dress down so I cover half my thigh, the tiny spaghetti straps holding the dress up pull down farther to give an ample view of my chest. Fantastic.

I make my way up the stairs and I just have to keep reminding myself that I’ll get to stab Stefan. When I reach the huge front door I let out a deep breath and knock on it with my shaking hand.

Not even a moment later a blonde woman in a gold dress answers the door, “Can I help you?”

I stare at her confused, “Um, I’m here for a dinner party?”

The woman stares at me blankly and nods her head, “Of course. Right this way,” she says to me in a monotone voice, and I’ve concluded that she’s most likely been compelled.

The blonde woman leads me through the house and into a large room where Damon, Elijah, Klaus, and Not-Yoda are conversing. They’ve all noticed my arrival now but I just stare at Damon hoping he’ll take the lead on this one.

“There’s my girl,” Damon loudly says as he hops up the steps to me and reaches out his arm for me to take, “I was wondering what was taking you so long.”

I shoot Damon a questioning look at his odd behavior but as I look at the other three men’s surprised faces I’m concluding that they didn’t know I was coming.

“Elskan, I…,” Elijah stares at me as his eyes move quickly over me and I bite my lip in embarrassment.

��I’m sorry for crashing your party,” I gesture towards the door, “I’m just going to leave.”

“Wait,” Elijah calls after me and I watch as he climbs the steps to where Damon and I are standing, “Please, join us.”

I look down at Elijah who has his hand raised for me to take, then to Damon who has a smirk on his face, then to Stefan who looks like he’d rather be anywhere but here, and then to Klaus. The hybrid is sitting in a chair closest to the wall, from his casual posture someone would think he’s in a good mood but as he raises a glass of red liquid to his lips, but as his dark blue eyes meet mine, I can see the dark fire burning underneath his surface.

And that’s when I realize, Elijah may want me here, but his younger brother certainly doesn’t.

“Y/n?”

I look away from Klaus and back to Elijah who is looking at me expectantly.

“Um, ya. If that’s alright with you,” I take my arm out of Damon’s and place my left hand into Elijah’s. He slightly tugs me away from Damon with a smile on his face. But as I come almost chest to chest with him his smile drops and dark looks cover his face. A sick feeling builds in my stomach as Elijah drops my hand and grabs my shoulder. I frown, in confusion, but when his thumb grazes my gunshot scar I tense up.

“What happened here,” Elijah’s usually light voice drops into something that makes me want to crawl into a ball and hide. When I look up at him though, I realize he wasn’t asking me, instead he was asking the other men in the room.

Elijah’s hand hasn’t left its position on my shoulder as he glares at the three men in the room.

“I suggest one of you answer me, now.”

“She was shot,” Damon answers for the other two men.

Elijah’s thumb stops its grazing and his gaze goes from my scar to Damon.

“Who did it?”

At Elijah’s harsh tone, Damon shoots me a look and I shrug.

“It was an accident,” Damon tries to joke.

Elijah doesn't seem to find it funny though as a low growl escapes him, making me flinch back.

“Brother,” Klaus practically growls at his older brother.

Elijah’s gaze quickly turns to me and his dark look drops as soon as he makes eye contact with me.

“Elskan,” Elijah takes a step towards me and I take a step back towards Damon.

The look of utter heartbreak on Elijah’s face makes something deep inside me break as he lowers his hand that is outstretched for me.

“Can we just get this dinner over with,” Stefan interrupts us with his annoyed tone.

I turn my gaze to the asshole but can still feel Elijah’s eyes on me.

“That would be great,” Damon says and slowly gestures for me to go in front of him.

I nod and start to walk towards the table when I realize there are only four chairs.

“Oh.”

“Here let me, Elskan,” Elijah quickly says and goes to the edge of the room grabs a chair, and places it at the table. He stands behind it and gestures for me to sit down. I smile at him and nod in thanks. This seems to bring back his mood as his eyes lighten at my acknowledgment.

After I sit down, Elijah seats himself in the chair to my right. I then look to my left and realize that Klaus is seated right beside me.

A girl dressed in the same gold one as before places a plate and silverware in front of me but almost all of my attention is on Klaus. Who seems to not even care to recognize my existence. I mean why should I care though? Right?

—

“You lost your appetite. Eat,” Klaus Says to Stefan who is sitting directly across from us.

Damon chastises his little brother, “I thought we agreed to leave the grumpy Stefan at home.”

I roll my eyes as I pick at the mashed potatoes on my plate. We’ve been sitting for maybe 5 minutes and yet Stefan has already found a way to ruin the night.

Stefan gives his brother and Klaus a fake smile before picking at the food on his plate.

“That’s the spirit,” Klaus smirks.

“Wine, Miss?”

I turn my shoulder to one of the waitresses who is holding out a bottle of wine. I shake my head.

“No, thank you. I don’t drink.”

The girl nods her head and then walks over to Klaus and offers him wine.

“You don’t drink?”

My attention turns to Elijah who is leaning towards me with an interested look on his face.

I shake my head, “I’m not 21.”

Elijah smiles at me, “I know that. But, if you wanted some, I’m sure no one here would tell the authorities.”

I look at the glass of wine in front of Klaus and a wave of nausea rolls through me, “No. I’m good with my water. Thanks,” I smile and hope he drops the subject.

Thankfully Klaus loves hearing himself speak.

“Isn’t this nice,” He asks us, “The five of us dining together. Such a treat. Is this what you had in mind when you pulled the dagger out of my brother?”

I let out a low breath and sip my water as I watch the men in front of me start their little war.

“Well, I know what he felt about you, so I figured, the more…the merrier,” Damon smirks and winks at Elija, and I shake my head. This guy really needs to realize he can’t keep picking fights with men 10 times his age.

“Well,” Klaus responds, “Elijah and I have had our share of quarrels over the centuries, but we always make it through.”

“Kind of like, uh, you and Rebekah, right,” Stefan joins in and I set down my water, “Where is she, by the way? Last I checked, she was still daggered because you were afraid to face her.”

“If you’re referring to the fact that Rebekah knows I killed our mother I’ve already come clean to Elijah.”

Klaus’ words have me glancing at Elijah. Although his face appears nonchalant I watch as his fingers tightly grip the glass he’s holding. It doesn’t take him but a moment to notice my staring and he shoots me a small smile.

“Hey, Stef, remember when you killed Dad? Might want to dial down the judgment till dessert,” Damon remarks to his brother, and my eyebrows raise.

“Oh, so hurting people you supposedly care about is something you’ve been doing for over a century now,” I smile snarkily at the vampire who glares at me, “And here I thought it was only something you did to your girlfriend, and friends.”

Stefan goes to say something but I clear my throat and raise a hand stopping him, “My apologies,” I place a hand to my chest, “I meant ex-girlfriend.”

I hear Klaus snort into his drink from beside me and I jolt when I feel his hand grip my thigh and squeeze it.

“I fear I might’ve missed some things,” Elijah shoots me a look with a sly smile.

Klaus still has his hand gripping my thigh so focusing is starting to become hard.

“Yes, you’ve missed my brother burning all the bridges he once had,” Damon responds and then takes a sip of his wine.

“Kind of like the bridge he tried driving me and his EX-girlfriend off of,” I respond casually and I feel Klaus squeeze my thigh again.

“You did what,” Elijah’s voice comes out low and I look over to see him glaring at Stefan, the latter who is trying his hardest not to make eye contact with the Original.

“Ooookay. We’re here to make a deal, gentlemen. Not kill each other,” Damon tries to clear the air.

“Might want to remind your brother that,” I bite out and match Elijah’s glare.

Damon shoots me a look and I roll my eyes.

“We have a long evening ahead of us,” Damon continues, “Pace yourselves.”

—-

“Where is the lovely Elena tonight,” Elijah asks at the table and I glance at my phone hoping to get a message from anyone. But frown when I see only one text notification from Theo asking how to cook instant noodles. I don’t respond.

“I don’t know. Ask Damon,” Stefan says and Klaus and I both laugh.

“I’d say to ask your little girlfriend over here,” Damon points to me and I stare wide-eyed at him. I feel Klaus’ hand tighten around my thigh.

“I’m sorry,” Klaus looks over to his brother, “you’ve missed so much. Ah, trouble in paradise.”

“One more word about Elena and this dinner is over,” Stefan gazes at everyone at the table and I roll my eyes.

“And here I thought you were melodramatic when you were off blood,” I stare blankly at the vampire across from me who stares back at me.

“I never understood why Elena was friends with you,” Stefan responds.

“And what is that supposed to mean,” I lean forward and glare at him.

Stefan shrugs and leans back, “I just mean that all of her other friends aren’t fragile like you. Physically and emotionally. I mean you’ve had to realize that you’re always the last one to find out about things going on. It's because you’re nothing but a liability.”

I stare at Stefan and for a moment I’m right back to the scared little girl who would puke at the first sign of danger. Because he’s right. I am a liability. There’s nothing special about me. I’m just some weak human that no one wants around because they know I’ll just get hurt. Or throw up.

I’m still sitting silent when I hear Elijah’s chair push backward. But before he can do anything Stefan is being dragged out of his chair by the next by Klaus.

“Let me make one thing perfectly clear old friend,” Klaus brings Stefan up to his face as Klaus growls down to him, “If I catch you even looking in Y/n’s direction one more time tonight, coffin or no coffin, I will rip you apart. Limb by bloody limb, and feed your body parts to your brother,” Klaus grips Stefan’s throat tighter to the point where I think he’s going to kill him, “Have I made myself clear?”

I watch in shock, along with Elijah and Damon who appear to be the same as Stefan nods to Klaus.

“Words, Stefan,” Klaus growls.

“I won’t look at her,” Stefan chokes out.

In a second Stefan is being dropped to the ground and Klaus is walking back over to his seat as if nothing happened.

“Perfect,” Klaus smirks, “Shall we continue?”

I stare wide-eyed at the hybrid next to me, but he doesn’t look over at me.

I look over to Elijah who sits back in his seat, but his gaze is on his brother. A look I can’t quite distinguish is on his face.

“Alright…let’s keep Elena and Y/n, in the “Do Not Discuss” pile,” Damon says.

The other men nod their heads but a chuckle from Klaus has me sighing.

“It’s just the allure of the Petrova Doppelganger is still so strong,” Klaus says and a wave of jealously washes over me.

“What do you say, brother? Should we tell them about Tatia,” Klaus turns to his brother who lets out a sigh.

Elijah shakes his head, “Now why should we discuss matters long since resolved?”

I furrow my brows at Elijah’s comment.

“Well, given their shared affection for both Elena and Katerina I think our guests might be curious to learn about the originator of the Petrova line.’’

I take a long sip of my water and start to regret not getting that glass of wine when I had the chance.

“Well, we’re not going anywhere Elijah. Please, do tell,” Damon says.

“Please, don’t,” I whisper under my breath and feel Klaus’ hand squeeze my thigh again.

“When our family first settled here there was a girl named Tatia. She was an exquisite beauty. Every boy of age desired to be her suitor. Even though she’d had a child by another man. And none loved her more than Niklaus,” Elijah says, and that wave of jealousy from before builds.

“Oh, I’d say there was one who loved her at least as much,” Klaus says thoughtfully and I roll my shoulders in annoyance.

“Wait a minute,” Stefan cuts in, “you both loved the same girl?”

I place my right hand on my thigh and tighten it into a fist as I stare at Stefan. I’m about to break skin when a hand pulls my fingers apart and intertwines its fingers with my own.

I look up at Elijah who is already staring at me with a worried look.

I have one left thigh being grabbed by Klaus and my right hand intertwined with Elijah. What the actual fuck is going on right now?

Elijah squeezes my hand before continuing, “Our mother was a very powerful witch. She sought to end our feud with Tatia and so she took her. And Klaus and I would later learn that it was Tatia’s blood that we consumed in the wine on the night where our mother performed the spell which turned us into vampires.”

I release a small gasp and squeeze Elijah’s hand in comfort. What kind of mother would do that to her children?

“Tatia wouldn’t make a decision between the two of us so for a time, Niklaus and I grew estranged. Harsh words were traded. We even came to blows, didn’t we, brother?”

“But in the end, we recognized the sacred bond of family,” Klaus responds.

“Family above…all,” Elijah finishes.

Each brother uses their free hand to cheer their drinks together, and at the same time, I feel Klaus tighten his hold on my thigh and Elijah squeezes my hand.

What the fuck.

—-

“So why don’t we move this evening along and discuss the terms of this proposal,” Elijah asks the Salvawhore brothers.

“Well,” Damon starts, “It’s very simple. Klaus gets his coffins back. In exchange, he and the Original extended family leave Mystic Falls forever. Me, Stefan, Elena, and Pukey, live happily ever after…no grudges.”

At the thought of never seeing Elijah…or Klaus again a weird feeling washes through me.

“Most of the deal sounds fair, brother,” Elijah says.

“I don’t think you understand,” Klaus responds, “Elena’s Doppelganger blood ensures that I will always have more hybrids to fight those that oppose me. I will never leave her behind.”

Klaus stands up, and I can finally release a breath as his warm hand is gone from my thigh.

“Let’s say I do leave her here under your protection, what then? How long before one of you turns her into a vampire? Or worse, how long before she dies caught between your feuding, you see each one of you truly believes that you’re the one that can protect her. And that is simply a delusion. Gentlemen…the worst thing for Elena Gilbert is…the two of you.”

I try not to agree with Klaus’ words but he’s kind of right.

“I’m gonna get some air,” Damon says and gets up from the table.

Elijah squeezes my hand before standing up, “Let me deal with this,” He says before following Damon. Which I find quite odd.

“All this talk has made me thirsty,” Klaus says as he leans on the top of his chair.

“What do you say, Stefan,” Klaus gestures to one of the servers, “Can I interest you in a little after-dinner drink?”

Within in split second Klaus is biting into the poor woman’s neck and I flinch backward. I quickly stand up from my chair and away from Klaus. I watch in horror as Klaus drains the young woman.

“Klaus, stop! You’re going to kill her,” I try to beg him but he doesn’t spare me a glance as he drops the poor girl's body down on the ground. I rush over to her to check for a pulse but feel tears rush to my eyes when I feel nothing.

“Oh come on, Princess,” I feel Klaus touch my shoulder and I flinch away from him. Something shifts in his face at my movement but quickly morphs back into his sarcastic smirk, “Get off the floor, it’s dirty. You’ll ruin the pretty dress of yours.”

“Don’t touch me,” I look up at him and growl.

“Well, you two will make a happy couple,” Stefan remarks as he stands up from his chair.

Klaus’ attention goes from me to Stefan as he glares at him.

“I guess the only reason agreed to this evening, Klaus is to drive a wedge between me and my brother,” Stefan says as he walks over to Klaus.

I wipe the hair away from the poor girl’s face and then stand up, distancing myself from the two men.

“Oh no, you’re doing that well enough on your own. Because of Elena, you’re going to lose your brother and you’ll only have yourself to blame,” Klaus says.

“What do you say, Klaus? It’s time for you to put something on the table. We’ve made our offer, now you counter” Damon enters the room again followed by Elijah. The latter’s attention goes to me and a worried expression comes over his face as he rushes over to me.

Elijah raises his hands and wipes away tears from my face, “What happened? Are you hurt?”

I don’t say anything as I look over at the dead girl on the floor. I hear Elijah take a deep sigh as he looks at her and then he gestures to someone behind us. Right after two waiters walk over to her body and pick her up off the floor.

I watch wordlessly as they take her lifeless body out of the room.

“I’m sorry you had to see that, Elskan. My brother shouldn’t have done that in front of you.”

“He shouldn’t have done it at all,” I bite out quietly.

“It’s ironic,” Stefan’s voice pulls all of our attention as he gestures to Klaus and then Elijah, “You talk about how Damon and I are causing a rift between ourselves because of Elena when you and Elijah are clearly doing the same.”

I frown as Stefan looks over to Klaus and then over to me and Elijah. I frown in confusion.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Stefan. Once again your bloodlust has made you irrational,” Klaus responds sarcastically but his voice is deeper than before and I feel Elijah pull me behind him.

“Don’t play dumb Klaus,” Stefan smirks snarkily at the Orignal, “I know what she is to you. And from the way Elijah hangs onto every word she says as if she’s the only thing in this world that exists to him, I’m going to take a wild guess and say she’s the same thing to him. So tell me, which of us is truly going to be torn away from our brother?”

I stared confused at the men in front of me.

“Elijah, what is he talking about?”

I walk next to Elijah but he won’t look down at me, “It’s nothing, Y/n. Ignore him. Mr. Salvatore, don’t you think you’ve had enough to drink tonight?”

At Elijah’s equally dark tone, I get even more confused.

“Will someone just tell me what the hell is going on?!”

Stefan finally looks over to me and I see Elijah start to move in front of me again but I push him back, “Don’t.”

“Mr. Salvatore if you continue, I will rip your head from your shoulders,” Elijah threatens Stefan.

“Let’s go back to the negotiating shall we,” Klaus interrupts and I shoot him a glare.

“Fuck no! I swear to god if someone doesn't start giving me answers soon I’m going to kill myself in front of you all right now to change the trajectories of ALL your lives,” I yell out and move towards the table and grab a knife. Shit. Not a knife, a spoon.

“Stefan,” I turn and glare at the vampire who watches me with a raised eyebrow, “Spill it.”

“Stefan if you do I swear to-” Klaus begins and I hold the spoon up to my neck and glare at him. He just looks at me like I’m a nuisance.

“Shut it, dog!”

“Brother, maybe this is something that should be held off for another time,” Damon chimes in from the background.

“You shut it too, Manwhore,” I glare at Damon who raises his hands in surrender.

“Elskan,” Elijah says and I look over to see him walking towards me and I glare at him, “Let us finish dinner, and then I give you my word that we will discuss this.”

I shake my head at his words, “No. You’ll just come up with another excuse or you’ll say again that I can’t know just yet. And I’m sick of it! I’m not some liability, compared to what everyone thinks! I can handle whatever you throw at me.”

Elijah sends me a sad look that pisses me off, “I know, Y/n. No more of that, I promise you.”

I stare at him for a moment before turning towards Klaus who is glaring at his older brother, “Brother, you can’t be serious?!”

“Niklaus she deserves to know,” Elijah says and Klaus opens his mouth to begin to argue.

“Screw this,” I hear Stefan say, “Y/n, you’re their soulmate. Which is a supernatural phenomenon that only happens to a few supernaturals.”

“Fuck,” I hear Elijah mutter under his breath.

I loud growl escapes Klaus as he rushes over to Stefan and grabs him by the throat.

“I’m sorry, what,” I release a laugh at the absurdity that is that answer.

All the men turn to look at me and I place the spoon back on the table.

“That’s a ridiculous answer, Stefan, thanks for the laugh but now the adults are talking,” I turn back to Elijah, “So you’ll tell me after dinner?”

Elijah stands there silently, as he just blinks at me with his mouth slightly open.

I raise an eyebrow at him and then turn to Klaus, “What’s wrong with him?”

Klaus drops Stefan and then looks at Elijah and then at me. He opens his mouth and then closes it again.

“How about we discuss this after dinner,” Klaus asks and I sigh but nod my head.

“If you don’t keep your word, I’m daggering you myself,” I turn back and glare at Elijah who blinks at me again.

“Alright then,” Klaus starts, “I offer Elena’s future happiness. You see what she needs right now is to be rid of you lot and to fall in love with a human. Maybe that nice football player. You know the blonde one.”

“Matt Donovan? Really,” Damon asks disgustedly.

“Ya, why not? They’ll marry, live a long fruitful life and pop out a perfect family.”

“And continue the Petrova bloodline,” Stefan concludes, “Every few hundred years you’ll have a new Doppelganger to drain and never run out of hybrids, right, Klaus?”

“Consider it a small return on my investment in her well-being. See, after you hand me back the coffin. I’ll ensure her safety for the rest of her natural life. You know it's what’s best for her. So… What do you say, Stefan,” Klaus walks over to the younger vampire, “Do we have a deal?”

Stefan meets Klaus in the middle and goes to shake Klaus’ hand.

“Nice try, Klaus. But no deal,” Stefan says, and within a second Klaus is breaking Stefan’s hand and legs. And then brings his hand to the flames of the fireplace.

Damon begins to run to help his brother but Elijah easily grabs him by the throat and holds him to the wall. All I do though I stand by the table and drink my water.

“Now bring me my coffin before I burn him alive,” Klaus says to Damon who finally relents.

“Go with him, brother. You keep him honest. When you return I will make good on my promise to you and I will hand over our family,” Klaus says to Elijah who gives me a quick glance before following behind Damon.

With a sigh, I sit down at the table again sip my water, and pick at the leftover corn. Behind me, Klaus is still threatening and burning Stefan but I honestly don’t give a damn. He needs to be brought down a peg. Wait…

“Klaus,” I turn in my chair and the hybrid looks over to me.

“What is it, love? I’m kind of in the middle of something here,” He gestures to Stefan and I shrug.

“While you’ve got him down there,” I stand up and sneakily grab the carving knife off the table, “Damon promised me I could have something if I came tonight. And since he; 's currently gone I was hoping you could help me,” I send him a sickly sweet smile and something shifts in his face and his smile matches mine.

“I don’t see why I can’t,” Klaus smirks and I practically skip over to the two men.

When I get in front of Stefan who looks up at me with a glare, I lean down to meet eye level with him. At the same time, I see Klaus tighten his hold on Stefan. I look up at the hybrid but he’s already watching me with an intense gaze.

“I thought we were friends Stefan. I told you things about myself that I don’t tell many people. And you know what you did,” I fake a frown and lean closer into the vampire, “You threatened my little brother and tried to drown me. So fuck you,” Right when I say the last words I take the knife that is in my hands and plunge it into Stefan’s stomach.

Stefan drops to the ground in pain and Klaus lets him. That red-hot anger I felt those weeks ago returns as I watch Stefan try to pry the bloody knife out of his stomach.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been more attracted to a woman more, in my entire life, Astin Min.”

Klaus’ words shock me out of my trance and I look up to see him staring down at me with an undistinguishable look.

Klaus raises his hand and wipes a finger across my cheek. When he brings his finger back the tip of it is covered in blood, Stefan’s blood.

I watch almost entranced as Klaus locks eyes with me as he brings his finger to his lips and sucks the blood off his finger.

“What’s going on here,” Elijah’s voice has me quickly stepping away from both of the men.

Elijah’s eyes trail over me and stop at my hands which I can see now are covered in blood.

“Damon said I could do it,” I quickly point at the vampire standing next to him who shoots me a glare.

“Why haven’t you left,” Klaus asks his brother as a waitress enters the room carrying a serving tray.

Elijah’s narrowed eyes leave mine to move to his brother, “Well, where are your manners, brother? You forgot dessert?”

I hope it’s a strawberry shortcake!

Elijah rips a blanket off of the tray to reveal two daggers. Damnit.

“What have you done,” Klaus takes a step back.

“What have you done,” Elijaah retorts, “See, I’ve learned not to trust your vulgar promises, Klaus. We’re doing this on my terms now.”

Why was that kind of attractive? No, Y/n. Stop it!

All of a sudden a young attractive man enters the room behind Elijah and Klaus.

“Kol,” Klaus exclaims.

“Long time, brother,” “Kol” Responds.

Klaus backs away shaking his head and the scared look on his face makes me feel sick. Klaus goes to escape but a man with long brown hair stops him.

“Finn, don’t!”

“Finn” stabs Klaus right in his hand and I take a step forward. Within a second though my view is being blocked by Elijah.

“Stay back,” Elijah softly whispers to me and reaches a hand behind him for me to take. I look at my shaking bloody hand and intertwine it with his.

Klaus speeds towards the other exit but Rebekah comes into view.

“Rebekah,” Klaus exclaims right when his sister stabs him in the stomach.

“I can’t watch,” I lean into Elijah and he pulls me into him hiding my face into his neck.

“This is for our mother,” I hear Rebekah say.

“You’re free to go,” Elijah's chest rumbles as he speaks. I look up at him and he glances down at me and uses his hand to brush away the hair on my face.

“You can stay or leave,” He whispers down to me and I turn to see everyone in the room staring at me now.

“Ah, Elijah! You’ve finally met your soulmate,” Kol smirks as he takes a step towards us and Elijah lets out a low growl, “Congrats brother.”

At Kol’s words, I frown, “Elijah? What is he talking about?”

“Kol, you daft idiot,” Rebekah screeches, “She doesn’t know she’s Nik’s soulmate yet!”

“Nik’s soulmate? No, she’s quite clearly Elijah’s,” Kol gestures to how Elijah is holding on to me.

Rebekah, Kol, and the other sibling, Finn, all stare at me with confused looks on their faces before Kol breaks out into a loud laugh.

“Bloody hell! You poor girl,” Kol stares wide-eyed at me and then at Elijah and Klaus, the latter who watches his younger brother with a glare, “You got sacked with both of them. Didn’t you?”

I stare at the young man in front of me and can start to feel myself shake, “Elijah what’s happening?”

“I’ll explain everything, Elskan. Let the Salvatores take you home and I swear to you I will explain it all,” Elijah says and I release a shaky breath as I nod at his words.

Elijah presses a kiss to my temple before nodding to Damon, who quickly comes and grabs my upper arm.

“Mr. Salvatore, I promise you if anything happens to her while in your care…”

Damon quickly nods his head, “I got it. Come on, Pukey. Let’s go home.”

The last thing I see before I exit the room is the pain-stricken eyes of the Original hybrid.

403 notes · View notes

littlefireball · 5 months ago

Text

ᴄꜱ|ᴀꜱ ᴀ ᴠᴀᴍᴘɪʀᴇ'ꜱ ɢɪꜰᴛ (ᴍ)

ᴠᴀᴍᴘɪʀᴇ! ꜱᴀɴ x ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ! ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ: 2.2ᴋ

Today is San's 126th birthday, a milestone that you are excited to celebrate together for the first time. As you browse through the boutique, you ponder what gift would truly surprise and delight him.

With his long life and myriad experiences, you find yourself at a loss, wondering if there is anything left that he desires. He has tasted different blood types, found his soulmate, and even shared intimate moments with you. What more could he possibly want?

As you struggle to come up with the perfect gift, you realize that perhaps it's not about fulfilling a desire, but rather about showing your love and appreciation for him.

Memories of the ‘marking’ flood your mind, stirring up a mix of emotions and thoughts. You blush at the sudden rush of impure fantasies, quickly pushing them aside.

You still vividly remember the details of that day, and for some reason, it awakens desires that have been dormant for a while. As you look up, you realize you've unknowingly wandered to the entrance of the restricted zone.

"Um... When did they have these things..." Another impure thought crosses your mind.

"Give myself to him as a gift."

"Ah ah ah! What am I thinking!" You cover your blushing cheeks, feeling the heat radiating from them, and your fingertips start sweating.

Feeling more and more embarrassed, you suddenly notice someone approaching.

"Damn! Why is someone here?" In order to avoid an awkward encounter, you swiftly grab a red piece of clothing and quickly pay before leaving. You haven't even looked at the details of the lingerie, but you assume San will like it since it's red.

Finally, back at home, even though you're alone, you cautiously make your way to the bathroom, ensuring no one can see you. You take out the mysterious lingerie from the packaging.

"Oh my god, what did I buy?!" This lingerie is completely outside of your comfort zone.

"This is more like underwear than lingerie!"

Feeling a mix of reluctance and determination, you reluctantly sift through the lingerie, pondering, "What am I supposed to do with this?"

Despite your initial uncertainty, you find yourself unable to come up with an alternative gift idea.

"Just this once, for his birthday," you concede as you slip into the delicate attire. Avoiding your reflection in the mirror, you keep your gaze lowered as you navigate the unfamiliar garments.

"It does feel quite airy..." you admit, noting the discomfort of the open slit in the panties. Awkwardly crossing your legs and nervously biting your lip, you can't shake off the self-conscious feeling.

To complete the look, you decide to don a sheer red outer robe from the package. The crimson fabric drapes elegantly over your fair skin, accentuating your curves and adding a touch of allure to your appearance. Despite feeling a bit exposed, you can't deny the allure of the outfit.

Still hesitant, you linger in the living room, the cool breeze between your legs adding to your unease with each step. Reminding yourself of the goal to surprise San, you muster up the courage to head into the kitchen and start preparing dinner.

"Maybe I should have changed after cooking," you grumble to yourself as you whip up San's favorite dish, blood wine.

Carefully, you slice open your chest with a knife, extracting a few drops of blood and mixing it with a potent liquor from the fridge to create the unique concoction.

"Okay, done.But this lingerie..." You still can't get used to it. Thus, you decide to put on one of San's shirts, which conveniently reaches your thighs. Sitting on the bed, you anxiously wait for San to return.

"I'm back." The sound of the door opening and San's approaching footsteps quicken your heartbeat, the rhythm echoing in your ears.

San, puzzled by his own racing heart, reaches for the light switch as you gather your courage and step out of the shadows.

"Why haven't you turned it on..." His words trail off as you wrap your arms around his neck, tilting your head to meet his lips with a soft, sweet kiss.

A smile plays on your lips as you wish him a happy birthday, surprising both him and yourself with your boldness.

"Come, I've prepared your favorites," you say, taking his hand and guiding him to the dining table. The candlelight dances around the room, casting a warm glow that highlights the crystal chandelier above, creating a mesmerizing play of light and shadow on the walls.

As he follows you, his gaze lingers on your outfit - a simple white shirt that hints at the red lingerie beneath, a tantalizing sight in the flickering candlelight. A sudden warmth spreads through him, and he swallows hard, feeling a stirring in his lower body.

You offer him the wine glass, a mischievous glint in your eye as you reveal the special blend of your blood with his favorite wine. He raises an eyebrow in surprise, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes, making him look utterly charming.

Curiously, he takes a sniff of the concoction, the sweet metallic scent filling his senses. Unable to resist, he takes a sip, savoring the perfect blend that glides smoothly over his tongue, leaving a tantalizing mix of wine's aroma and a honey-like sweetness.

"Do you like it?" you ask, a playful smile tugging at your lips. He nods in approval, setting the glass down. You snatch the glass from his grasp, his expression a mix of confusion and intrigue.

With a mischievous glint in your eye, you pour the wine over your body, the crimson liquid cascading over your curves and pooling at your feet. The once-white shirt now stained with the vibrant red wine, revealing hints of your skin and alluring pajamas underneath.

You press a finger to his lips, a seductive smile playing on your lips as you raise a thigh and press it between his legs. With narrowed eyes, you whisper, "This is not how you drink wine.”

San pulls you closer, his gaze fixed on your lips as he whispers, "Is it?" Your lips parted eagerly, inviting his kiss.

As your tongues danced in a sweet, sensual rhythm, a trail of saliva lingered between you when you finally broke apart. San's breath grows hot against your skin as he savors the taste of wine and the scent of your arousal.

With a quick flick of his tongue, he traces the contours of your body, his touch igniting a fire within you. Your shirt falls open, revealing the alluring lingerie that accentuates your curves.

San's heart races at the sight of your figure, and he can't resist burying his face in the softness of your breasts.

"I love your lingerie so much," he murmurs, trailing kisses down your chest and exploring every curve with reverence.

His touch sends shivers down your spine, your body responding eagerly to his every caress. As his hands roam lower, he discovers your lack of inhibitions, and his desire surges even more intensely.

"It's open," he confesses, your cheeks flush with embarrassment. A satisfied smile crosses his lips as he delves between your thighs, offering you unbridled pleasure.

His gentle kisses and playful nips elicits a chorus of gasps and moans from you, your body arching in ecstasy. He licks your clit slowly and gently with a steady rhythm. Sucking your sweet juices, he circles your clit with his long fingers.

"San...Ah!" you moan, your words lose in a haze of pleasure as he skillfully guides you to the peak of ecstasy. Your breath comes in ragged gasps, your hands tangling in his hair as you lose yourself in the intoxicating pleasure he bestowed upon you.

“You’re so delicious, just like the blood wine.”

He stands tall, pressing his lips against yours once more before gently guiding you to lie down on the dining table. Your body stretches out on the smooth surface, legs entwined with his, hands caressing his face as your mouths danced in a passionate embrace. Breath mingles between you, creating a shared rhythm of desire.

“Please…” “I have to fuck you now.”

With practice ease, your hands find their way to his pants, releasing the confines around his lower body. His touch grazes your garter, causing your bra to shift and accentuating the curves of your breasts. A soft gasp escapes your lips as he nibbles at your chest, leaving a trail of tingling sensation in his wake.

Straightening his body, he positions himself at your core, seeking permission with a silent gaze. A nod from you and he enters, eliciting a gasp of pleasure as you feel him fill the void within you.

“Ah!! So big!!” You throw your head at the back and moan out.

The sensation is intense, almost overwhelming, yet perfectly satisfying as he moves with a steady rhythm, each thrust igniting a symphony of pleasure between you.

Moans of ecstasy filled the air, mingling with the sound of skin meeting skin in a symphony of desire. His movements grow more urgent, driving deeper and harder, each thrust a symphony of passion and fulfillment.

Your moans escalate, a chorus of pleasure that echoed through the room, mingling with his own primal sounds of lust.

As the intensity peaks, he flips you over, pressing your chest against the table as he enters you from behind. Each new angle, each shift in position, brings a fresh wave of sensation, hitting your sweet spot with precision and driving you to new heights of pleasure.

“So fucking tight, babe.”

His voice, husky with desire, urged you to open your eyes, to meet his gaze in the midst of ecstasy.

Struggling to comply, your vision blurs with pleasure as his touch roams your body, teasing and tantalizing every inch of your skin. His lips find yours once more, a wet and hungry kiss that leaves you breathless, lost in a whirlwind of sensation.

“Gosh!!Fuck!!” You can’t help but swear.

“Such a dirty mouth.”

His hands move to your breasts, caressing and squeezing, sending shivers of delight through you as he plays with your nipples, each touching a promise of more to come.

“Please…I am gonna…cum”

“No you can’t just hold it.”

He flips you over, lifting you effortlessly and carrying you to the sofa. Your position shifts as you straddle him, his back against the sofa.

"Ride me," his voice, a seductive melody that compels you to obey without hesitation. Placing your hands on his shoulders for balance, you begin to move with a slow, tantalizing rhythm. Each bounce sends a shiver of pleasure through you as you feel him deep inside you, his cock pulsing with desire.

As you picked up the pace, the friction between your bodies intensified, the sound of your skin meeting filling the room as both of you moaned in unison.

“Please, san!I can't.”

“Can’t what?”

“Pretty please… let me cum…!”

“Okay, just cum, babe. You did well.”

His primal instincts take over, and he can’t resist sinking his teeth into your chest, a mix of pleasure and pain sending a rush of sensation through you.

“Oh my god!” You reach the peak of ecstasy, climaxing hard on his cock, but he shows no signs of slowing down.

"But I didn't say you could stop," “What…?” You can feel his cock still hard and even become bigger, wondering if it’s an illusion or reality. He pushes forward as a punishment, his tip goes so deep inside as if breaking your limit and causing you a little bit of pain.

“Shit, sannie.”

“Call me this again or I can't hold back.”

Before finishing his words, his fangs found their mark, piercing your skin as a rush of blood flowed between you.

“You know what, darling. Your blood is so sweet, so tasty! I can't get enough of it.”

He savors your essence, pinning you beneath him as he shifts your legs over his shoulders, thrusting with a primal intensity that bordered on inhuman.

“Fuck!Fuck!Fuck!San-Sannnn!!!!!!Slow…..!!!” He ignores your pleas and continues sprinting. The intense love making finally reaches its climax as San releases inside you before you reach your own peak.

Reluctantly pulling away from your lips, he gazes at you with narrowed eyes, withdrawing from within you. Gasping for air, he rests his forehead against yours, feeling the fatigue spread through your bodies.

"Happy birthday, my San," you weakly whispered. He blinks, a silly smile playing on his lips as he pecks yours, teasing, "Are you my birthday present?" "Of course, aren't I? I summoned all my courage to wear this lingerie, not to mention my heart's blood," you replied.

He smiles indulgently, "Thank you, I love you. But can't you wear this lingerie every day?" Wide-eyed, you pat his chest, "Dream on." He pouts, rubbing against your chest in an attempt to coax you.

"Impossible, I won't be able to leave the bed," you turn away, avoiding his wolfish gaze.

"Oh? Admitting I'm skilled?"

"You... you..." at a loss for words, you glance around in a fluster, giving him a soft smack, "Don't ask questions you already know the answer to."

Pushing his chest, you make a dash for the bathroom. "Where are you going?" He catches up, desires still unfulfilled.

The next day, you struggle to get out of bed, your sore waist making movement difficult.

"Shouldn't have bought that lingerie," you mutter. Despite your words, your body spoke differently as you quietly ordered lingerie online that you knew he would love.

"Why didn't I do this before? Am I foolish?" you chuckle. Looking at the lingerie, erotic thoughts stirred once more.

"Am I becoming addicted?" Blushing, you bury your face in the covers, tossing and turning. Both of your desires remained unfulfilled.

#ateez #ateez fanfic #ateez fic #ateez smut #ateez x female reader #ateez x reader #ateez x y/n #ateez imagines #ateez oneshot #ateez san

125 notes · View notes

luimagines · 4 months ago

Note

hey hey! it’s been awhile

could i please ask for a continuation to the wars soulmate au?

-🫓

Sure thing buddy! :)

Masterlist

Part 1

Content under the cut!

Now- you pitch yourself off a cliff. That's what.

You stand up abruptly- breaking the tension before it can fully form and run out of the room.

This is mortifying.

This is not what you wanted to learn today even if it still makes sense given what Sky had told you about how the soulmate stones worked. Of course Warrior was your soulmate. Had to be. It's not like it would have been one in a bajillion chance at ever meeting him.

And what does it say for when all of this is over?

You do abandon your friends and family for the sake of following him? You can't ask him to follow you. He's too important. Too many people are depending on him for him to simply go with you and live whatever simple life you had to offer.

Is this the end then? Are you still doomed? You doubt you would be able to move on from this even if you were never going to be together.

"Hold it!" Someone grabs your arm.

You scream and jump, trying to tear your arm away but it's Warrior.

Of course it's Warrior.

"What?" You ask with you heart in your throat. "Don't make this harder than it has to be. Please!"

He stills and instantly lets you go. Whatever words he had on his tongue die in an instant and you have the ever subtle feeling that perhaps you shouldn't have said that. Could this get any worse?

Warrior takes a deep breath, bravely meeting your eyes. "I'm sorry."

Why must you tempt the universe? How much more must you pay for your hubris?

Your jaw drops and your stand there stunned. "Wait-"

"I just..." Warrior starts again, cutting you off. "I'm sorry. I'm probably not your first choice." -Oh my god- "I know that my past has more baggage than it's worth." -What have you done?- "But I thought... The stones were honest though, right?"

He looks so hopeful. Had he actually wanted something from you? With you? You sudden get cotton mouth. You can't speak. Your brain flat lines there are no thoughts for you to grab onto.

"Right?" He echoes his previous question, wanting confirmation. "Even... if that was incredibly embarrassing, it was true, wasn't it?"

Somehow you nod.

Warrior lets out a shuddering breath. "Oh... Oh, ok... good. Uh- I mean. I'm... I'm glad that you.. um... Look, I really like you." He says, biting the bullet. "Like... really really like you. I wasn't- I didn't want to seem like I was coming on too strong and the guys give me a hard time enough as it is. But if this is true... If you like me too, do you think...?"

You feel like you need to sit down again. you're only saving grace is that you're outside where no one seemed to have followed you. "...You... like me?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" He flushes, the tips of his ears burning a bright red. "I had thought you believed I was just a joke."

"Funny." You choke on the word. "That couldn't have been further from the truth."

"What is the truth?" Warrior stress, boldly closing the distance between you again. His blushing features don't help him stay stoic and cool like he would have hoped.

You gulp. You don't have the words. This is both agonizingly slow and much too fast for you to handle. Why couldn't he just read your mind and- Wait. The stones.

Double wait.

You're close to each other. The stone would be silent. Cursed be the need to communication!

You take his hand instead and hold it tight. "I think... we both already know the truth."

You kiss his knuckles before you can second guess yourself. His hands are smoother and softer than you would have thought. He wasn't wearing his hand guards yet, still in his casual wear.

The effect of your kiss on Warrior was another delightfully bright blush all over his face, down to his neck and beyond. "I.... I see."

"Do you?" You whisper, feeling like a fish out of water. Everything about this feels raw and sensitive. One wrong move and everything would blow up.

"I think so." Warrior leans in, kissing your cheek. "Better?"

You suddenly feel like you can breathe again. "Much better."

#linked universe #linkeduniverse #linked universe x reader #lu x reader #lu warrior #lu warriors #soulmate au #help #i didn't know how to end it DX

115 notes · View notes

parkjayist · 8 months ago

Text

TFWILY (psh) ONESHOT

sum you're a florist at a small flower shop. while the shop isn't the most popular, you've made connections with many regulars who come by to say hello and buy some flowers. park sunghoon, slightly clumsy, enters the shop and accidentally breaks a vase ... and a friendship blooms from there.

pairing park sunghoon x florist!reader

genre soft love, fluff, strangers2lovers, just two awkward people bonding over their awkwardness

an hope you enjoy it, i'm pretty proud of this one hehe

tagged: @jjongscardigan @nxzz-skz

wc 2.3k

i. TFW i trip in front of a cute florist

in the heart of a lively town, hidden between tall buildings and busy streets, stands a quaint flower shop adorned with colorful plants. you were proud to call this place your own, getting support from family and friends to open a floral shop. although it was difficult to juggle both college and work at the same time, you’ve managed to make some friends at school that helped you run the shop when you weren’t able to. to put it simply – you were content and happy with your current life. you weren’t too lonely, visiting your parents by train every weekend, hanging out with your friends occasionally, and talking to regular customers that came in and out of your shop. you even met your best friend and platonic soulmate, yani, because she happened to stumble across your shop one day. you wouldn’t trade this life for anything else.

“yeah, it was such a weird–” yani stopped mid sentence and looked at the time on her phone. “oh shoot, it’s almost 2pm! i’m almost late for an event. i’ll see you later (___)!” she waved at you as she rushed out of the shop.

you chuckled at her messy state and how she almost tripped over nothing. you decided to get back to arranging a bouquet for a customer, humming a small tune from one of ella fitzergald’s songs. you were so focused on making sure that the bouquet looked visually appealing that you yelped in shock when you heard a loud crashing sound.

you quickly looked up to see a tall man with a distraught look on his face. you followed his eyes to the ground where you saw the disaster he caused – a vase from your mom shattered into pieces.

“oh my …” you rushed over ready to reprimand the man for damaging your property, before you caught a better look at his face.

“i’m so so sorry,” he frantically apologized, his eyes furrowed with sincere worry. “i’ll clean it up immediately … um, i’ll even pay you for the damage … again, i’m so sorry,” he bent down and started quickly picking up the pieces and before you could even stop him, he cut himself on the sharp glass. he let out a quick hiss before trying to wipe off the blood.

“sir … stop, just stop,” you pulled him up. “you must be a very clumsy person … first you knock over my vase and now you hurt yourself!”

the man didn’t even have a chance to respond before you pulled him over to sit down, quickly getting out a small bandaid that had a cute flower on it.

“miss … the broken pieces are still there,” he quietly said.

“it’s fine, i will clean it up myself,” you responded, still focused on disinfecting his cut.

he went silent, watching you gently put the bandaid on. once you were done you looked at him – his face flushed pink at the close distance between your faces. you took note of his beauty marks that complemented his face gracefully.

“a … alright, i’m done. hopefully you don’t mind the bandaid,” you murmured, rushing to clean the shards (and to hide your strawberry face).

as you busied yourself sweeping up the broken pieces of the vase, you stole glances at the mysterious man sitting on the chair. despite your initial impression, there was something intriguing about him. perhaps it was the way his eyes shined with sincerity, or the faint hint of a smile that played on his lips as you tended to his small wound.

“thank you,” he spoke, breaking the awkward silence.

you smiled and hummed in response. once you finished cleaning up the mess, you turned back to him, noticing he was still sitting there, almost as if he didn't want to leave just yet.

"is there anything else i can help you with?" you asked, tilting your head slightly. “did you come here to buy flowers?”

the man hesitated for a moment before shaking his head, “no, i was just curious because i’ve never seen this shop before … i should probably get going.”

you nodded, understanding. "alright then. take care, and watch your step next time," you teased gently, a playful glint in your eyes.

he chuckled softly, his gaze lingering on you for a moment longer before he finally stood up. "i'll keep that in mind. thanks again." with that, he made his way out of the shop, leaving you standing there with a faint smile on your lips.

you stood there, letting his lingering cologne fill your veins before you go back to working – your rants to your friends about this encounter will have to wait.

ii. classroom at noon

as weeks passed, the memory of sunghoon park gradually faded into the background of your bustling life. your days were filled with the usual routines of managing your flower shop, attending classes at university, and spending time with friends and family. yet … there was always a lingering curiosity about the man who had stumbled into your shop that day.

one afternoon, after a particularly long lecture at university, you found yourself making your way to the library, eager to catch up on some reading and maybe even get started on your next assignment. as you entered the quiet sanctuary of books, you couldn't help but feel a sense of calm wash over you.

finding a cozy corner tucked away from the prying eyes of other students, you settled down with your books, stretching and ready to lose yourself in the world of academics. but just as you were about to immerse yourself in your studies, a familiar & deep voice interrupted your thoughts.

"excuse me, is this seat taken?"

you looked up to find none other than the man from a few weeks ago standing before you, a small smile playing on his lips. he looked much more put together – his hair was styled and his outfit fit perfectly with his vibe. surprise flickered across your face before it softened into a warm smile of recognition.

"oh, hi! no, it's not taken. please, have a seat," you replied, gesturing to the empty chair across from you.

he nodded gratefully and took a seat, setting his bag down beside him. "thanks. i hope i'm not intruding in your studies grind.”

"not at all," you assured him, feeling a flutter of excitement in your chest at the unexpected reunion. “i didn’t know you were a university student.”

not many people do," sunghoon chuckled, flipping through the pages of his notebook. "i like to keep a low profile."

you nodded, understandingly. "fair enough. what are you studying?"

"business management," he replied, closing the book momentarily to meet your gaze. "and you?"

"botany," you answered, a hint of pride in your voice. "i guess you could say it comes in handy for running a flower shop."

sunghoon's eyes lit up with interest. "that sounds fascinating. i'd love to hear more about it sometime."

for a moment, there was a comfortable silence between you as you both immersed yourselves in your respective studies. but as time passed, you found yourselves stealing glances at each other, a silent curiosity lingering in the air.

finally, unable to resist the urge any longer, sunghoon spoke up. "hey, i never properly introduced myself last time. i'm sunghoon park."

you smiled, feeling a warmth spread through you at his cute gesture. "nice to officially meet you, sunghoon. i'm (___).”

the conversation flowed effortlessly between you as you both delved into your studies, occasionally sharing snippets of your lives outside of university. hours passed in the blink of an eye, and before you knew it, the sun had begun to set outside the library windows.

as you gathered your things to leave, sunghoon hesitated for a moment before speaking up. "hey, (your name), i was wondering if you'd like to grab coffee with me sometime? you know, as a thank you for letting me share your table today."

a warmth spread through your chest at his invitation, and you couldn't help but smile. "i'd love to."

"great," sunghoon grinned, relief evident in his eyes. "how about this weekend?"

"that sounds perfect," you agreed, exchanging contact information with him.

with plans in place for your coffee date, you bid each other farewell, anticipation bubbling in your chest at the prospect of spending more time with sunghoon outside of the library.

iii. please just stay with me

the day of your coffee date arrived, and as you walked into the café, your heart fluttered with excitement. you scanned the room until your eyes landed on sunghoon, who was already waiting for you at a table near the window. he looked up and flashed you a bright smile as you approached, and you couldn't help but feel a rush of warmth at the sight of him.

"hey," he greeted you, his smile widening as you took a seat across from him.

"hi," you replied, returning his smile. "thanks for meeting me here."

sunghoon nodded, reaching into his bag and pulling out a bouquet of flowers. your favorite flowers, to be exact. you couldn't hide your surprise as he placed them on the table in front of you.

"how did you...?" you started, trailing off as you looked at him in confusion.

sunghoon chuckled softly, scratching the back of his neck. "well, i noticed there was a vase of these flowers on your desk at the shop, so i figured you liked them. i did a little research," he explained, a hint of bashfulness in his tone. "are you proud of me?"

you felt your cheeks heat up at his words, but you couldn't help but smile. "yes, i'm very proud of you. thank you, sunghoon."

the rest of the coffee date passed in a blur of laughter and easy conversation. after you finished your drinks, sunghoon suggested going for a walk, and you eagerly agreed. as you strolled along the quiet streets, the atmosphere between you was a mix of excitement and nervousness. you both kept stealing glances at each other, your hands occasionally brushing against one another. each accidental touch sent a jolt of electricity through you, and you couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation building in the air.

eventually, sunghoon's hand brushed over yours, and this time, neither of you pulled away. instead, you intertwined your fingers with his, your heart pounding in your chest as you shared a shy smile. awkwardness filled the air, but it was a sweet kind of awkwardness, the kind that came with the excitement of new love.

"you look radiant today," he began, his voice soft but sincere. "not that you aren't always beautiful, but today... you're truly glowing. like, back when i saw you in that flower shop, it just felt right– you belong there. you have this aura, this… this flower aura."

his sincere words caught you off guard, and you felt a rush of warmth spread through you. "flower aura?" you repeated, unable to hide the amusement in your voice.

"yeah," he continued, his cheeks tinted with a hint of pink. "it's like... you're surrounded by this natural beauty, and it's captivating."

your heart fluttered at his words, and you couldn't help but smile. "well, in that case, you're like a prince charming, sweeping me off my feet with your compliments."

sunghoon's smile widened at your response, his eyes sparkling with affection. "i'm just speaking the truth," he said earnestly. "you really are something special."

and with that, the awkwardness between you dissolved, replaced by a newfound sense of closeness and understanding. you continued your walk, hand in hand – you felt something new blooming in you.

iv. that feeling when i love you

as you stood behind the counter of your flower shop, lost in the delicate dance of arranging petals and stems, the familiar chime of the door announced the arrival of someone special. you looked up, and your heart skipped a beat as you saw sunghoon walking in, a warm smile lighting up his face, his fangs poking out. excitement bubbled within you, and without hesitation, you set aside your work and hurried over to him, enveloping him in a tight embrace.

"hey pretty," he greeted you, his voice soft with affection as he pressed a tender kiss to your forehead.

a wave of warmth washed over you at his gesture, and you couldn't help but smile up at him, suddenly feeling grateful for his presence.

"hi handsome," you replied, your voice filled with love as you rested your cheek on his chest.

“baby, i was thinking... would you like to go on a date with me?" he asked, his eyes shining with anticipation. "there's a flower garden event being hosted at the nearby park, and i know how much you love flowers. i thought it would be the perfect way to spend the evening together."

your heartbeat soared at his thoughtful suggestion. "that sounds wonderful," you replied, a smile spreading across your lips. "i'd absolutely love to."

sunghoon's face lit up with pure joy, his eyes glittering with delight. but then, as if realizing the weight of the moment, he suddenly seemed flustered and unsure, his cheeks and ears turning a bright shade of red.

"um, yeah, great!" he stuttered, his voice a bit shaky. "i'll… uh, i'll swing by after you close up shop. can't have my girl seeing me like this."

your heart melted at his adorable nervousness, and you couldn't help but giggle at his sweet attempt to play it cool.

"sure thing," you said, trying to contain your own excitement. "i'll be waiting.”

with that, sunghoon bid you a slightly clumsy goodbye, almost tripping over the steps of the shop. had he not learned his lesson from last time, this would’ve been deja vu. you let out a laugh at his clumsiness, and he looked back at you, his smile a mix of excitement and embarrassment as he hurried out of the shop.

you watched him go, feeling a surge of affection for the endearing man who had captured your heart simply by breaking a vase.

masterlist

#parkjayist #enhypen imagines #enhypen x reader #park sunghoon fic #park sunghoon fluff #park sunghoon x reader #park sunghoon imagines #park sunghoon oneshot #enhypen oneshot #enhypen fanfic #enhypen fluff #enhypen scenarios

158 notes · View notes

braveclementine · 5 months ago

Text

Chapter 2

Warnings: None. (Will however be a 18+ reader book)

Copyright: I do not own any Marvel characters or locations. However, I do own a few OCs like Elizabeth, Katherine, Stacy, and Jessie. I do not condone any copying of this.

The walk from your apartment building to the Avengers HQ was a good thirty minute walk. On a good day, it would've been pleasant, the kind of walk you might've made daily if you'd had a dog. However, wearing the sweatshirt again with the nerves made it feel like you had been walking for hours.

You swallowed the lump in your throat as you stood at the gate with the intercom thing-a-ma-bobber before pressing it with a shaky finger.

You weren't entirely sure why you were so nervous. There was no crime for bumping into people. . . but when it was a King, much less the King of Wakanda, well perhaps it was good sense to be nervous.

"How may I help you?" A bored, female voice said on the other side.

"Hi, I was hoping to talk to the King of Wakanda." Your voice, at least, didn't sound shaky.

The voice on the other side snorted, "Yeah, sure."

"I'm the girl that bumped into him earlier." You said, embarrassed. "I just wanted to er, apologize to him was all."

There was a bit of silence before the female voice said, "I'll let him know. Have a fantastic day."

You blinked. Well, at least he would know that I had attempted to apologize. Some of the nerves dissipated as you turned to walk back to the apartment.

Having only walked a few feet though, you heard a voice call behind you, "Excuse me!"

You turned slowly and then flushed dark when you saw the King standing there.

He was wearing very standard clothing. A black button up shirt with black slacks and black dress shoes.

"Aren't you hot?" You blurted out. The blush went darker. "I mean, hot in your clothing. I mean cause it's summer. You know what, just completely ignore what I just asked."

The King actually smiled, his white teeth almost blinding against his darker skin. "You forget I am used to African climate. Much hotter than this."

Oh. His accent. Oh my God.

You swallowed again and then you said, "I just wanted to apologize. I forgot about work and I was rushing to get to work and I bumped into you and I just spat out an apology and I had no idea that you were the King of Wakanda-"

"Breathe." He said with a light chuckle that almost made you die inside. "It's quite alright. I understand."

Every nerve dissipated. You nodded awkwardly.

"I never got your name." He said, tilting his head.

"Oh, I'm Y/N." You said quickly, not sure if you should hold your hand out. You saw his left hand twitch slightly and he held out his hand, "T'Challa."

"Ouch." You yelped before shaking his hand. You'd felt a sharp pain in your left wrist. It was like backing into a table corner. It didn't really hurt, but you felt like saying 'ouch' anyways.

You blushed, "Sorry, I had a pain."

"I thought you might." He said with a small smile.

You stared at him blankly. He rolled up his sleeve which had a singular colour there. You noticed that it was [Periwinkle/Turquoise/Jade] line. You barely even realized that it was the same colour as the one on your right wrist- a.k.a your favorite colour.

He stepped closer, showing you the name that had been branded into his skin: Y/N.

Of course. After you met your soulmate their name was matched with their colour. You just hadn't realized that it hurt.

Then you realized something.

Your soulmate was the freaking King of Wakanda.

You weren't entirely sure what the correct reaction to the information was. Faint? Squeal? Run away screaming?

Somehow, you just stayed frozen, staring at your name on his wrist.

"Are you alright. . . Y/N?" T'Challa asked.

You licked your lips, trying to form a coherent response. "I- but you're a King."

T'Challa chuckled again, "That I am. Which will make you my Queen."

You blushed again and then said awkwardly, "I'm afraid that you're going to have to um, share me with quite a few people." As you spoke, you pulled up your sleeve to show the eleven brands. The eighth line of purple and black now had the name T'Challa imprinted there.

T'Challa took in the ten other lines and chuckled, "So I will. I recognize your name now, from the record book. Of course, only your baby picture is in there."

"That's a good thing." You muttered.

"Follow me. I'd like to introduce you to my sister Shuri." T'Challa said with a smile.

You nodded, slightly surprised as he put his elbow out. You hooked your hand around his elbow like you had done this before, and let him lead you into the compound.

"Did the attendant behind the intercom let you know I was out here?" You asked curiously.

"Sharon? No. I was walking along the grounds. Tony has a good selection of botany here. I thought I recognized your figure and I was curious about what you were doing here so I came to inquire." He said with a smile.

We entered the Avengers compound and you took a look around. There were two women there, both dark skinned and bald. One, the taller of the two, narrowed her eyes at you. "What is-"

"This is my soulmate, Y/N Y/L/N." T'Challa introduced me. "Y/N, this is Okoye, my personal guard and friend."

There was a slightly shorter girl there with a head of hair who bounced up onto her feet, rushing to hug me. Slightly taken aback, it took me a moment to hug her back.

"Hi! I'm Shuri. You're beautiful." She said, pulling back.

"Y-You're stunning." You stuttered.

"Whose this?" A new voice, male, asked. You looked over to see the Tony Stark strolling along the floor like he owned- oh wait.

"Mr. Stark." T'Challa said genuinely.

"I'm Y/N." You introduced, sticking your hand out on a whim. No idea where you got the courage to do so, even more surprised when Tony actually shook your hand.

"Tony Stark naturally." He said easily but you felt another prick on your left arm. You fought the urge to look down. He was wearing long sleeves as well, so you had no idea if he had felt the prick. Probably, right?

You both stared at each other as you both lowered your hands. Maybe you were wrong. Maybe it was an after effect of T'Challa's bond.

Tony's eyes shifted to T'Challa as he swiped his glasses off, putting them in the breast pocket of his suit jacket. "Everyone's upstairs. We're just waiting for Thor and Loki."

You blushed. There must be some sort of meeting. You certainly didn't want to intrude.

"How about we bring Y/N along here to introduce her to the rest of the crew?" Tony asked.

"Y/N?" T'Challa asked.

You were startled, "Oh, but I couldn't possibly!"

"Nonsense." Tony said, putting an arm over your shoulder. "You're clearly my soulmate, unless you didn't feel a prick in your left arm. It's only fair to introduce you to the group."

"Oh?" T'Challa asked in surprise, "You as well?"

Tony turned to look at him, "Pardon?"

You quickly rolled your sleeve up. Indeed, Tony was there on the red and gold line. Tony looked at the several lines and then whistled, "Well, aren't you a hot commodity? Definitely need to introduce you now, pretty sure that's Capsicle's line." He said, pointing to the red, white, and blue line.

Was he right? Was it really Captain America's line? How many of your soulmates were going to be the Avengers?

"Shall we?" Tony asked, quirking a brow.

Well, at least they were all hot, right?

T'Challa gave you his elbow again which you took, while Tony was slightly more possessive, taking your hand into his.

"FRIDAY, floor 47." Tony announced as we stepped into the elevator.

"Yes Mr. Stark. Miss Y/L/N doesn't have clearance however." An automated, slightly Irish sounding female voice said from. . .the speakers? The air? It kind've sounded like it was all around us.

"Override it. Miss Y/L/N can go wherever she pleases in the building, including the lab."

"You don't let anyone in the lab, not even Stephen." T'Challa said as the elevator started to move with a 'yes sir'.

"Well Stephen would break everything, but I think my soulmate right here will be quite good. Small hands." Tony said, squeezing your hand a little.

You slightly blushed. This was starting to be a bit overwhelming for you, but neither of them seemed fazed at all.

"H-How are you taking this so. . . easily?" You questioned.

"We're used to weird sweetheart." Tony dropped. "You've got eleven soulmates and we just happen to be them. At least there's no time travel or aliens involved." He paused and then questioned, "You're not an alien are you?"

"No." You said quickly. "I'm. . . average except the eleven soulmates."

"I wouldn't say average." Tony said with a nonchalant shrug, "You're quite stunning."

You blushed again.

"I was going to say gorgeous." T'Challa said in a low, husky voice that sent shivers over your spine. Exactly how long would they take to marry you? Because there was a hell of a lot of sexual tension in this extremely small box.

The bell dinged, the doors sliding open. Tony led us down the hallway at this point, pulling open one of the double doors and the three of us stepped through.

Several famous faces stared back at us and you shrank slightly into T'Challa's side.

"Whose this?" The blond man you knew was Steve Rogers asked Tony.

"Well, go on sweetheart, introduce yourself." Tony said with a smirk. You wondered just how many of the people in the room Tony suspected were your soulmates.

"Hi. I'm Y/N." You said quietly.

Five of them jerked their left arms slightly.

Steve, James Barnes, and one of the other African American men exchanged looks. You weren't entirely sure if that was Sam or James Rhodey.

Steve was the first to move, holding out his hand, "I'm Steve Rogers."

You shook it, ignoring the sting in your left arm. You'd left your jacket off, showing the eleven marks. Steve's name slowly filling in on the red, white, and blue one. Tony smirked.

"Bucky." He said. His metal arm was black and gold, but he held out his flesh hand which you shook quickly.

"Sam." The man that you hadn't been quite sure you were said next. Another sting.

"And I'm James." Another African American man stepped forward to shake your hand. "But my friends called me Rhodey."

"I'm Clint." The famous archer said, shaking your hand. Another sting.

"Natasha." The red head assassin said, holding hands with Bruce Banner.

"Bruce." He said with nod of his head.

"I'm Peter. Peter Parker." The youngest one of them said. I almost waited, cringing, for another stab of pain, but nothing happened.

"I'm Wanda, this is Vision." Another red head, slightly brighter said. The robot that was standing behind her had his arm wrapped around her waist. He settled down into a more human appearance.

"Hey I'm Scott, also known as Antman." One of the last guys with a grin said.

"Hope." The female next to him rolled her eyes.

"And I'm Maria Hill." The last person in the room said.

"Nice to meet all of you." I said quietly.

"How many lines do you have left?" Tony enquired.

"Four." I said. I showed him my arm.

"Hmm, well high probability that the gold and green is Loki. He doesn't wear anything else." Tony speculated.

"Loki?" Steve asked with slight distaste and a little bit of a frown.

"I already know the green and blue is Stephen Strange because it matches mine." Tony said, not sounding at all displeased about sharing his soulmate with You. "But the black and the gold, I have no idea."

Suddenly, the doors opened up behind us again. You pressed back into T'Challa's front as a rather intimidating man with an eyepatch entered the room. He greeted Maria Hill softly first, his one eye roving to land on You.

"And who are you?"

"Y/N Y/L/N sir." You said quickly.

There was a slight flicker as his eye moved between Maria and yourself before moving forward to shake your hand, "Nick Fury."

Another stab of pain as you shook his hand firmly. His eye flickered down to your arm, seeing his name on his arm and the multitude of colours there. "Well, aren't you special?"

Was that an insult?

He let go of your hand, motioning to Maria Hill, "This is my other soulmate."

I nodded but didn't have to say anything as Sam asked, "You and Fury? Did not see that one happening."

"Should've placed bets." Clint and Scott said at the same time.

"Guess it makes sense pure black would be Fury." Tony said nonchalantly.

Suddenly, there was a large crash of lightning and thunder outside.

"Damn, he still did it on the lawn." Tony muttered.

You were still rather stressed, feeling completely out of place at the meeting, despite nearly half of the occupants being soulmates. You weren't entirely sure if you were cursed or blessed at this point.

"Point Break." Tony barked to the tall, short brown-haired man that entered, "What have I told you about creating bifrost crop circles on my lawn?"

"My apologies tin man." Thor said in a loud, booming voice, flashing me a huge smile, "I got so excited when Heimdall revealed that our soulmate was here, I temporarily forgot."

My eyes flickered to the just as tall, polar opposite behind Thor. Loki, god of Mischief. Eyes blue as the ocean, wavy black hair neatly falling on his shoulders. He was wearing a black suit without a hint of the gold and green that showed in his colour band.

"Our?" Steve questioned behind me.

"Loki and mine!" Thor said, his voice still loud as he strode forward, "Pleasure to meet your acquaintance Princess, I am Thor God of Thunder."

He kissed your forehead and both cheeks, leaving you red as a tomato before you managed to say, "Y-Yes pleasure to m-meet you. I'm Y/N."

Loki stepped forward with more eloquence and grace, taking your hand to kiss the back of your knuckles, blue eyes never leaving your E/C ones before he said in a quiet voice that sounded a whisper to his brother, "I am Loki, my Queen."

It was so overwhelming as he stepped back and you just stood there. You had only one soulmate left to meet.

Stephen Strange. Dr. Strange.

You didn't know much about him, other than he lived in New York and had helped save the world. Oh and that he had discovered something called the multiverse. But yeah, other than that, you knew nothing about him. You weren't even entirely sure you'd be able to pick him out on the street unlike the others. Unless, of course, he was wearing his infamous robes.

As if called by your thoughts, an orange portal opened up behind Tony, a tall, extremely handsome man stepping out followed by a slightly shorter Asian man, perhaps of Chinese ethnicity, though you weren't certain. Perhaps Tibet?

The man You were sure was Stephen Strange placed a rather sweet kiss on the top of Tony's head before introducing himself to You. The familiar sting took place and You told him your name.

"Well, with introductions out of the way, doesn't change the fact you don't really have clearance for the following conversation. Neither do you Mr. Parker. So-"

"But sir." Peter complained.

"Yeah, right, of course. I should go home anyways." You said quickly. "My sister is probably wondering where I am."

"Parker, please accompany her home." Fury said with no room for arguing.

Peter followed You from the room and once you were in the elevator, you nearly collapsed. You hadn't realized just how tight and uncomfortable you had been until now.

"You alright?" Peter asked with obvious concern.

"Just stressed. That was stressful. I've gone so long without a single soulmate and suddenly they're all dropped on me. And not only do I meet all of them in one day in less than an hour, but they're Gods and Super soldiers and magicians and billionaires and spies! I mean, how is this possible?" I asked.

"It makes sense." Peter said simply. "They're all like family and they're all missing a piece of themselves. You're that."

"I thought some of them already had their soulmates." You questioned.

"Sure. Mr. Fury has Agent Hill and Agent Hill has Mr. Fury and Agent Coulson. But Mr. Fury's also had a band for the past [18-30] years, saying he had another soulmate. Mr. Stark and Mr. Strange as well. Not to mention Mr. Rogers, Mr. Barnes, and Sam, though they're all together, they've had a band missing. And the others just haven't had one period."

You mulled that over for a moment. "It's so. . . interesting the way it works."

"Oh yeah, You should hear Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner talk about soulmate bonds. Real sciency stuff. But yeah, I got two soulmates. One's name is MJ and the other's name is Ned. I think the only one out of us all that doesn't have a soulmate is Pietro."

"Pietro. Who is that?" I questioned.

"Oh, he's Wanda's twin brother." Peter answered as we started our walk out of the Avengers compound. "He's got three bands, but he's never met any of his soulmates. But he spends a lot of time in Sokovia instead of with us."

"I thought. . . I thought he died?" You asked carefully, not wanting to bring up an insensitive topic.

"When Dr. Banner snapped everyone back, he brought back Avenger members too. That's how Natasha, Coulson, and Pietro came back. And then Captain Marvel snapped to killed Thanos and that was that."

"Interesting." Was all you could muster to say.

"Say, I could swing us to your apartment." Peter said excitedly. "We'd get there so much faster."

"Um, sure?"

What could go wrong?

*A fEw MoMeNtS lAtEr*

I'm going to die. I'm literally going to die.

You had shut off your voice so you didn't scream as you clutched tightly around Peter's neck as he swung through the city.

Sure, it hadn't been to bad when he'd first started going, but now that you were high about these skyscrapers and there wasn't even a seatbelt- well you were starting to feel a little more anxious.

Finally, Peter landed in front of your apartment building. There weren't to many people around. "See you around Y/N." He said, waving slightly before taking back into the air.

You hurried into the apartment and then made your way upstairs, opening the apartment door and stepping inside.

You sunk down with your back to the door, wondering what your reaction was going to be. Cry? Or laugh?

The apartment was silent as you closed your eyes, thinking of the head spinning day you'd had.

"Where the hell have you been?"

You screamed.

⬅️➡️

38 notes · View notes

meaningofaeons · 1 year ago

Note

Hello! Congrats on 500 follows, you deserve it! Can I visit the cat cafe with Gepard to play with a tortoiseshell munchkin + order a hot cocoa? You probably have a ton of other requests atm so feel free to pass!

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈ weathering the storm

⊹ character(s) - gepard landau ⊹ word count - 746 ⊹ notes - gn!reader, meet cute, reader is implied to be part of an affluent/noble family, soulmate au wherein you have a countdown on your wrist until you meet your soulmate (technically until you get within a close enough proximity to them)

⊹ katze's 500 follower writing cat-baret

hiii! thank you so much omg <3 (ﾐΦ ﻌ Φﾐ)∫ I hope you enjoy your "cat cafe date" with gepard, I had a lot of fun with this one!!

It was a cold day as ever on the ever-frozen planet where you resided, but for some reason, it permeated your flesh even as you ran through the Belobog alleyways.

The monstrous footsteps of the Fragmentum beasts were not far behind, and you were not keen to end your days at the flaming blade of the Shadewalker.

However, as luck would have it, you found yourself backed into a corner. You slumped to the floor, pressed against the stone wall.

As though reveling in your terror, the beast's footsteps slowed, brandishing its weapon menacingly as it prepared to swing the blade down upon your head.

You squeezed your eyes shut, preparing for the worst.

Then, a small chime resounded, and your eyes once again shot open.

Your soulmate counter... had reached zero.

As if on cue (or perhaps perfectly so, considering the way the soulmate counter seemed to interfere with fate itself), several Silvermane Guards had appeared, taking care of the beasts with no small measure of ease.

In the midst of them all stood none other than Gepard Landau, who was now right before your eyes. He had frozen the monster before you to ice, knocking it to the ground as it vanished into ash.

"Are you alright?"

A gloved hand reached for you, and you took it with just the slightest ounce of hesitation. A twinge of recognition shone in ocean blue eyes as he spotted you, but even if he acknowledged it, Gepard made no verbal mention of it.

"I'm... I'm okay."

Was... Was the eldest son of the Landaus your soulmate?

"That's good to hear."

His soft smile sent a shiver down your spine, but not the kind that the violent winters of Belobog instilled within you every day.

No, it was... warm. Oddly so. And it was accompanied by a distinct warmth in your chest, as well.

"Um... I—"

Before you could even get ahead of yourself, ask about the counter upon your wrist, the blonde had summoned over a combat medic among the ranks of his subordinates, asking him to patch up your scrapes.

You felt your heart drop a bit.

Right. There were so many guards here... Sure, you hadn't exactly "met" any of them in the same way as Gepard, but soulmate counters had been known to end after only close proximity, not necessarily a full meeting.

Any one of these guards could be your soulmate, and you hadn't a clue which.

"I'm sorry, you were going to say something?" Captain Gepard questioned kindly, still holding on your hand.

Some part of you dearly hoped that it was indeed he who was your soulmate... but with no way to check his wrist, you figured only to relent for today.

You could ask around later... You had friends in the Silvermane Guards. Surely, you could garner the names of the ones present, and discover which was your soulmate that way.

"No... no, no. I'm okay. Thank you very much for saving me."

"I was only doing my duty. Do you live near here?"

"Yes, I live close by."

Gepard nodded. "As much as I would like to ensure your safety myself, unfortunately I must stay and continue patrolling in case anyone else is in danger. I will send some trusted guards to accompany you, so please be at ease."

"Thank you so much."

And with that, you were led away from the kindhearted Captain, questions swirling in your mind, just waiting for answers.

—

"Sir, your wrist—!"

Gepard paused as his fellow guard spoke up, his eyes going wide.

His subordinate was most likely referring to the small gash left behind after the earlier scuffle, but something else had caught the blonde's eye.

Right in the spot where the Fragmentum monster's weapon had sliced his long-sleeved uniform open, his countdown lay motionless on his flesh, all numbers now at zero.

How long had it been as such?! Certainly not for too long, as he had obviously long since met every guard here—

It hit him.

The Captain whipped his head around at once, but you were long gone, likely already being escorted home by one of his many subordinates.

Despite the lack of surefire confirmation, however, Gepard was almost certain he knew precisely who you were. He tried not to let the heat rising to his cheeks show, lest the fluttering of his heart become obvious to all.

"...I suppose I should pay their family a small visit."

#gepard x reader #gepard landau x reader #gepard #gepard landau #hsr x reader #honkai star rail x reader #honkai x reader #hsr #honkai #honkai star rail #katze's 500 follower special #katze's cat baret #katze's cat cafe

161 notes · View notes

alastor-simp-page · 5 months ago

Text

The Soulmate Curse

Yippee! My first Charlastor fic! It is a soulmate AU one! I'm very excited! I've been inching to write it for so loooong. I was inspired by @desertarcanine to write this prompt in a previous post.

Lucifer has dropped a new update in Hell: Soulmates! What could go wrong with a such a lovely idea? Well Hell somehow finds a way to be Hell anyways. In life soulmates are strung together by red strings of fate. In Hell, soulmates are chained (its a little kinky but let's ignore that). Alastor and Charlie are faced with a horrible curse with this new improvement. Or perhaps a blessing in disguise?

There's a little sneak peek underneath if you are interested.

“Hello and welcome back to 666 News!” The anchor beamed and placed a hand on her shallow chest, “I am your host Katie Killjoy and…” she pointed at the gas faced man beside her, “And this moron is Tom Trench.” Katie Killjoy clasped her fingers, beaming her terrifyingly sharp teeth at the screen. “In approximately five minutes, the King of Hell will be adding a new variable to our life in Hell. The ability to find our soulmates.” Her face was still staring and then an evil smirk crossed her face. “HA!” She guffawed. “Soulmates in Hell? Old Lucifer is losing his fucking marbles.”

Lucifer growled as he watched the stupid talking television, “You know I try to do something nice for Hell!” He threw up his hands and jabbed a finger at the screen, “And this my thanks!”

Everyone was gathered around the TV in the lobby. Charlie and Vaggie were snuggled up to each other on the little loveseat. Lucifer was close by in an armchair. Angel Dust was sprawled on the couch next to a very disinterested Husker and an enthusiastic Nifty. Alastor stood back, standing behind the crowd with his eyes narrowed.

This was ridiculous. Soulmates? Alastor scoffed.

Nifty’s one eye raked over the entire room, and she started giggling, manically. Oh god. She swooned to herself, started kicking her tiny feet and said, “My soulmate better be the baddest boy ever.” Her smile turned inward, almost psychotic as her veins popped in her eye. “ Hehe , and he’ll find out what happens to bad boys when they misbehave…” Her laugh sounded like a deranged scream.

Husk sighed to himself as he downed another drink of cheap booze, “Jesus Christ, Nifty,” he added after he swallowed down the foul liquor. “Godspeed to whoever gets stuck with…” he gave Niffty a wary look, “with that .”

Angel Dust grinned, sat up and smoothed back his floppy white hair, “Hey Daddy Whiskers,” he said in that sultry voice of his. “You got the claws. I got the legs ,” He kicked up his legs, crossing them delicately and leaning in close to Husk’s ear. “And we got the chemistry, baby.” Angel Dust let out a loud sigh, puffing out his fluffy chest and giving Husk a seductive side glance, “We’re bound to be soulmates, Husky.”

Husk just groaned as a reply and kept drinking, “I’m too sober for this, kid.” Angel Dust let out a long sigh before scrolling on his phone again.

Lucifer was twiddling with his fingers. A sign of nervousness, Alastor knew, he did it whenever he was around Charlie. Alastor’s spindly fingers tightened on his cane as his gaze swept over the little blonde head in front of him. Tangles of loose blonde strands tucked away in loose hair bands. Alastor didn't let his smile drop even as he mused: Charlie is too forgiving of him.

“Say…” Angel’s obnoxious voice said above the chatter of the stupid screen box. The adult film star’s mismatched eyes glimmered with mischief as he looked upon Alastor. What was this effeminate fellow going to do now? Angel Dust glanced around the room and continued, “Lucifer, is Mr. Smiles here gonna have a soulmate?” He motioned to the stoic Radio Demon. Everyone turned to Lucifer, glances switching between the two powerful forces.

“Well, um…” Lucifer threw a wary glimpse over his shoulder at the smirking Radio Demon. The King shrugged, “I guess so.”

“Ha.” Alastor said, extremely unamused. He studied his nails and twirled his microphone between his slender hands. “I have no need for such trivial things.” Alastor waved a dismissive hand, “I’ll just dispose of them if that sorry fool attempts to court me.”

“Such a charmer,” Husk grumbled under his breath.

Alastor didn’t let that flicker of anger show and instead went on in that cheery sleek radio voice, “Of course I am, Husker. You would know all about that wouldn’t you?” He said innocently. Husk growled under his breath without throwing the Radio Demon a glance. He propped his elbows atop Lucifer’s chair and said in a mock apologetic voice, “It is such a pleasant gift, my worship. However, I have much more…” His teeth shined in the light, his smile wide and toothy, “...grand montres planned.” The Radio Demon resumed his stance behind Charlie’s loveseat.

Vaggie threw a needless glare over her shoulder. Alastor simply arched a brow. What a curious little thing Vaggie is. Always clinging onto Charlie’s arm. Always watching him. He let a small scoff escape. She distrusted him, rightfully so. Yet…if he wanted them dead, they already would be. Well, just Vaggie. Charlie was…he wouldn’t touch her. And he wouldn’t let anyone else raise a hand against her either.

Link is below if you want to keep reading!

#charlie and alastor #charlie morningstar #charlastor #radiobelle #alastor x charlie #hazbin lucifer #hazbin hotel #hazbin alastor #the radio demon #husk #angel dust #huskerdust #vaggie #ao3 writer #hazbin fanfic #ao3 fanfic #hazbin hotel fic #soulmates #niffty

48 notes · View notes

maple-the-awesome · 2 years ago

Text

Color Blinded ||

Pairing: Matt Murdock x Reader

Words: 4,733

Overview: People are born seeing in black and white with the promise that they'll finally see color the moment they first look into their soulmate's eyes. For reasons that should be obvious, Matt has lost all hope in ever finding his own soulmate. I've been working on this dang prompt since the beginning of my blog and now finally, after suffering endless months of writers block and several rewrites, it's finally done in time for my 500 followers milestone🥳 ~ Maple

Marvel Masterlist 🖤 Fandom Masterlist 🖤 Requests

"Oh, those are beautiful!"

You hum at Karen's greeting comment which sticks in your head more than you'd care to admit. Leaning in to inhale the pleasant aroma, you decide that the bouquet certainly does smell beautiful if that's what she means, although you doubt it is.

Peeking at the bundle of roses through half-lidded eyes, you can't say you're particularly impressed by those dark veins carved into each delicate petal, only succeeding in making them appear both old and wrinkled. That being said, they're dreadfully boring in your own judgment, but even so, you don't doubt that they must look wonderful to everyone else.

"I'll take your word for it."

"Are they a gift from someone special?" Her hint is innocent enough, given through a giggle and teasing sway of her body yet it causes a sudden arrow to pierce your heart.

Ever so carefully, you select the best looking rose (still based on your own poor judgment) and hand it to the surprised secretary, "The corner store near my apartment just got a fresh shipment so I thought, since people usually like flowers, maybe I could bring some for the firm - as a sign of appreciation for all your help...I know. It isn't much, but I-"

"-That's very thoughtful of you."

You pray no one notices the way you turn a little too quickly to the voice, your heart lurching before filling with a familiar warmth that would be considered a welcomed comfort if not for how inappropriate it is in the given situation. Of course, because there's nothing appropriate about the way you view Matthew Murdock; your lawyer in whom you share a strictly professional relationship, thus respect and gratitude should be the extent of your feelings towards the man.

Alas, as Matt leans against his office door with a radiant smile that makes your heart flutter like a hummingbird's wings, you allow yourself to foolishly imagine - even if just for a blink - that said smile is built custom for you and you alone. How outlandish.

It's honestly quite pathetic how you're able to hand Foggy a rose without falter yet the same steady hand trembles like a leaf by the mere action of extending one towards Matt. There, you hover the blossomed flower in the air awkwardly before rather shamefully realizing your terrible error and the reason as to why he doesn't accept it despite your wordless prompt; he can't take what he doesn't see.

"H-Here. For you, Mr. Murdock."

"Thank you," His voice is whispered and deep - sinfully so - as his reach fumbles about until finally brushing against your hand which he uses to then guide his own to the rose's stem. The feeling of his calloused fingertips running all too slowly over your skin made you dizzy which is perhaps what ultimately led you to miss the miraculous way Matt avoids every thorn once officially claiming the rose as his own despite the complete clumsiness of his previous touch seconds ago.

You never stood a chance at functioning properly after that, far too focused on him as he lifts the rose to his nose for a sniff, letting it brush just under his nostrils with a tickle that makes the corners of his plump lips twitch upwards into his cheeks to form a gentler smile than before. Huh. He hasn't shaved recently it seems. His facial hair is more noticeable than it had been when you first came to the firm a few weeks ago -

"They're pink!" You blurt out, warmth immediately rising to your cheeks, "I, um...The shop had a list of all the rose color meanings and pink supposedly means gratitude, so I wanted to get pink ones. They are pink...aren't they?"

"Well, I'd sure say so! This has got to be the deepest shape of pink I've ever seen on a flower! Hey, think it'll look nice on my suit? Maybe I should start wearing one everyday?" Foggy's kind enough to reassure, holding the rose to his pocket and striking a few dramatic poses which gains a chuckle from Karen.

"Are roses even court appropriate attire?"

"Who cares? It's Wednesday! On Wednesday we wear pink, Karen!"

You stand in silence, watching as the two bicker playfully in a conversation that feels too distant to join yourself despite only being mere feet away. Filled with dismay once again, you find it difficult not to peer down at the remaining roses in longing, wishing to see even a blink of their bright hue.

You've heard pink's a beautiful color found in flowers and the sunset. According to your sister, a blanket in your house is an ugly shade of pink, and Foggy says the color suits Karen as she tucks her rose behind her ear carefully, yet you wouldn't be able to confirm any of those points. Your world is still locked in the curse that is monochrome...

"Are you wanting to get started discussing the case for tomorrow?" Your wandering thoughts are interrupted by Matt who sets a tender hand on your shoulder, showing a noticeable look of concern despite it being mostly hidden behind his black glasses.

"Oh yes, sorry! The case, yeah, of course..." Fortunately, the lawyer merely chuckles at your disorderly state before stepping aside and gesturing to his office with his cane. Gratefully you enter, taking your usual seat in front of his desk where you fidget while he takes his time sitting opposite and retrieving his case notes.

A bouquet of simple roses, regardless of their color, truly doesn't hold a candle to how appreciative you are to the members of Nelson and Murdock. Thus far they've provided quality work for a price you can actually afford on your tight budget, making them forever your saviors. Matt himself has been particularly helpful, treating your case as if it's been some sort of order given to him directly from God. He never wastes a second leaping into business and goes the extra mile by repeating himself as often as necessary to ensure you understand everything properly which is always nice, after all, you could listen to his voice for hours.

Seeing that there's still plenty to tend to involving your case, you expect Matt to begin promptly discussing any updates and what to be prepared for in regards to the lawsuit, however his hand instead hesitates over his notes before he moves it to his mouth to hide his cough, "I take it you haven't found your soulmate yet?"

"...H-Huh?"

Many would deem that a wildly inappropriate question especially for a lawyer to ask his client. Soulmates are sacred and intimate, not often discussed with strangers or in professional settings, however you'd like to at least call Matt somewhat of a friend - he's definitely treated you with the kindness of one - therefore you don't show any offense towards his innocent curiosity. After all, why should he be blamed? Apparently, you're the one stupid enough to make it so obvious that a blind man can take notice.

Ah, soulmates; a pair designed only for each other, holding such a special bond that meeting for the first time quite literally changes their entire perspectives on life in an instant. How so? Because everyone's born seeing the world in monochrome, color only being granted them once looking directly into the eyes of their soulmate for the first time. This is why you can't make out the color of your roses or the sky above or even the supposedly bright 'yellow' taxi you take here each day; you've never met your other half...

This realization and the knowledge that Matt's been able to piece it together strikes an insecurity of yours which you attempt to cover by redirecting his question quickly, "Have you?"

He laughs, although you'd say it sounds a bit bitter if you didn't know any better, "Wouldn't know if I did, I'm afraid."

Your face burns with embarrassment once more, shame sinking into your stomach, "Oh God, right. I'm so sorry, Mr. Murdock. I wasn't thinking - of course, you're blind, but...I mean unless your soulmate's blind as well, I would think - I would just think that they'd say something when you meet, so wouldn't you know that way?"

"I suppose so..." Matt gives a thoughtful hum, but it's soon followed by a frown, "Unfortunately, people aren't always truthful."

"You think someone would lie about being your soulmate?"

He pauses, his frown only deepening after being tainted by a sour memory, "...Someone did..."

You frown, too, at this confession, but it only takes a split second for this sympathy towards Matt to turn into fury, "Why would someone lie about that?! That's so cruel! I mean, I guess I could see why someone would lie with you because they'd have the opportunity and you're, like, the jackpot, so of course it would be tempting to keep you and all, but soulmates are supposed to be special! You can't force that type of bond and lying about it would only end up hurting both parties in the end!"

"'The Jackpot', hmm?" Matt echoes smugly at the end of your rant.

You blink, reviewing your own words in search of the mistake. After locating it, your face burns so warm that you should be worried about overheating, however you're a little too busy being embarrassed for that to cross your mind.

"Well yeah...You...You're a nice guy - from what I've seen, anyways. You're well mannered and you work hard to do what's right even if it's not financially rewarding in the end which are traits any girl would - should, at least, swoon over. You're also, um...You're not bad looking in any way..." You mumble the last part pathetically, pulling on the fabric of your shirt as a nervous habit.

You swear he leans closer over the table, his voice low and husky on purpose as if he can hear how fast it makes your heartbeat; as if he understands it's a dangerous temptation for you, "So, you find me attractive?"

"Yes, well, I'd, uh...I'd say you are, but..." you glance up at him for a second, hating how flustered even your reflection looks in his tinted glasses," - But I've actually heard Foggy say the same thing, hasn't he? Yeah, in fact, when I first came in he made that joke about how you get all the ladies because of your looks so apparently it's common knowledge through Hell's Kitchen that Matt Murdock is one good looking lawyer."

Much to your relief, he finally leans back with a chuckle towards your words, "Is that so?"

You nod too quickly, folding your hands over your lap and sitting straighter as a poor attempt to get your body and nerves to calm down, "Yeah...A-Anyways, about the case...?""Right, right. The case," he nods, fixing his glasses before returning his hand to the paperwork in front of himself. Little do you know, he hears the way you exhale and fidget in your chair, remaining flustered from the previous conversation well into the next, which is a thought that keeps that devilish smirk tugging on his lips.

It's gotten late - possibly the latest you've ever stayed at the firm. There's no longer a faint white glow of light peeking through the blinds, but there is a dim echo off the small desk lamp. While it protects the room from complete darkness, it's not enough to save you from having to squint at your paperwork to see it properly. Perhaps this wouldn’t be so difficult if you could just make out different color gradients…

Putting you to shame, Matt doesn't seem to be struggling at all. He effortlessly moves his hands over each textured line of his papers, reading faster than you ever could even in perfect lighting. You've stopped to watch him for a bit, noting the slightly darker strips of scars cutting across his knuckles and the vague change in shade against his palms - callouses, you'd guess.

If brave enough (which you unfortunately are), you'd sneak a glance at his face, hoping to make it secret and quick enough to temporarily satisfy that yearning in your heart. You stupidly convince yourself that this task will be easy considering a blind man can't possibly catch you staring, can he?

You managed to do it exactly three times, losing count of the seconds in between each. The first two attempts were as promised: quick and like a shadow. You had looked up, eyes locking on his face while you tried to imagine the buzz against your fingertips which you assumed would be the effect provided if you set them run over his stubble. You had looked up again, focusing on the scent of his colloque. You can smell it from here and wonder if it smells stronger around his neck.

You had looked up one last time, taking instant notice of the smirk Matt tries to lick away before ducking his head when that isn't successful. Absolutely mortified, you looked down at your lap with a stammering heart, promising never to sneak another glance at him again...It turns out a blind man can catch you staring…

Since then, you've remained like a statue, reading your files like a good girl because isn't that why you're here? Matt Murdock's your lawyer, not your eye candy! You should be treating him with respect, not gawking at him like a teenager does the boy band posters in her room!

Breaking this suffocating silence, Matt taps his own set off papers against the desk to file them into a neat stack, "Well, what do you think?"

"What do I think...?" You echo, crashing into the ground of reality so hard it knocks everything you've just read right out of your head.

"About the proposed settlement?" He leans forward a bit, his arms crossed over the desk and his eyebrow perked upwards. He's relaxed (as always), but carries a hint of concern in his voice that digs into your heart further than you'd care to let him in on.

How pathetic is it that you swoon at even the slightest bit of care shown to you by a guy? Of course, you truthfully don't behave this way around just any guy, only Matt, however you'd feel better admitting you're starved of affection rather than say you’re entirely parched by the thought of the man in front of you.

"This is only an estimated amount that they've proposed. We'll go over official negotiations with the council, however I wouldn't recommend taking anything less than this offer," possibly sensing the way you play with your hands and chew on your lip, Matt adds softly, "As your lawyer and representative, I'll be there with you at every moment to ensure you aren't cheated in anyway. All you have to worry about yourself is listening along and signing the papers if you decide the agreed upon amount is fair. If you have any concerns, you can voice them directly to me and I'll deal with the council...I just want to make sure you understand that taking this settlement doesn't mean the company is admitting fault -"

"- They'll just be giving me money to keep my mouth shut."

"Pretty much," Matt nods with a frown, "You'll be signing a contract agreeing to never speak about the matter again - not the settlement itself or what happened. That means you won't be able to sue them at a later date nor does anyone within the company have to be held responsible for what happened either - unless the corporation decides to take corrective action itself."

You sigh, gazing over the paperwork while considering the offer. Going with the settlement, you'll leave with a pretty decent chunk of money (more than you make in a year's salary) which will be somewhat worth all the bullshit you had experienced at your former place of employment, however you're hesitant towards the idea of letting your asshole bosses get away with all the discrimination and favoritism they let poison your life for the last few years. Still...You really don't want to take this to an actual court where the outcome isn't guaranteed to be any better.

"...I understand," you sigh again, tangling a hand in your hair, "I just want to get this over with..."

"I'm sure you do. Nearly five years of being cheated out of raises and higher positions - anyone would be tired of it, but -" You nearly flinch when Matt's hand finds itself over yours on the desk, his thumb gently running over the skin. To top it off, he has that concerned expression again that makes him look so soft and loving…yet he’s only your lawyer, "- I don't want you to make a choice on that alone. If you truly want to go through with the lawsuit, I'll do whatever I can to make it less stressful for you -"

"- It's fine, Matt," you give your best smile, sandwiching his hand between both of yours, "I think the settlement is my best option. With it, I can start moving on with my life. That company took five years of my time, they're not getting a second more.”

He returns your smile. For some reason, he makes no attempt at moving his hand away. Instead, he lets you forget about it, not speaking a word of protest as you find yourself getting lost in the moment.

How is it that you can feel more chemistry with someone in such a simple place - a broken down little law firm surrounded by paperwork - than you've felt on any date in your life? If you're this infatuated with a random guy like Matt, how are you possibly going to survive the heart tremors that your soulmate will give you?

"You guys are still working in here?" A part of you wants to celebrate Foggy's interruption as he peeks his head through the office door, but behind him you can see Karen slipping on her coat, letting you know that your time with Matt has officially come to end.

"We've just finished actually," Matt admits, at last giving a tug to his hand that makes you instantly retract your hold over him in embarrassment, not that he seems fazed himself.

"Great, because it's whiskey Wednesday at Josie's. You know what that means?!" Foggy cheers, earning a chuckle from his friend who's already standing.

"That I'm gonna have to drag you home tonight?"

Shyly, you shuffle off to the side, wiggling on your own jacket while wondering how difficult it will be to get a taxi at such a late hour. You're prepared to wish everyone goodnight and be on your way, but then Foggy turns to you, "You're coming too, right (Y/n)?"

"Me?"

"Of course, the more the merrier!" He says.

"O-Oh, um..."

"It'll be fun," Karen insists.

You're still hesitant, not being one for bars not to mention you have so much on your plate this week. You should really get home and consider this settlement more - reread the proposal, recite your testimony in case you're quizzed about it later, mentally prepare yourself for the stress...

The final nail to your coffin is Matt - it's always Matt. Foggy and Karen are sweet and they make you feel welcomed, but Matt is the one with an inhuman ability to make you feel like a cloud simply by setting his hand on your shoulder and smiling so sweetly, "It might be a nice way to get your mind off of things."

How can you honestly say no to more time with him? Oh yeah, you can't…

You've never been to Josie's before, although you aren't surprised by that fact considering it seems to be an easily missed hole-in-the-wall bar with room temperature beer and sticky seats. Despite this, the others seem to be having lots of fun, officially having gone numb to all the health code violations around you guys.

Foggy and Karen are currently on their third round of playing pool where the loser must take a shot. You had played the first round with them and lost. After that, you decided it’s far more amusing to sit back and watch the show than to partake in it.

"I'm assuming you guys come here often?" You ask distantly, letting your voice drift off with the sound of loud voices and clicking glasses that makes the bar feel much busier than it actually is, yet somehow Matt still hears you.

He brings his beer bottle to his lips, poorly hiding his smirk, "What gave that away?"

"Well to start, the owner rolled her eyes the second we walked through that door and neither of those two have crashed yet showing they've had practiced -"

"- They could've had 'practiced' at any bar."

"We're not in a courtroom, you know, so don't have to poke holes in my argument like that…" You tease lamely, shifting in your chair to face him fully instead of Foggy and Karen at the pool tables.

You've always cursed yourself for not being professional around Matt, but tonight you’ve officially met a new awful low. This table is small - small enough that when you moved in your chair, your knees ended up brushing with his. On top of that, he has long removed his jacket, his white sleeves sinfully rolled up past his elbows showing just a hint of the impressive muscle to his biceps. It's insane how much one little jacket can hide. You wonder how much muscle he had built elsewhere. His shirt is definitely too tight, not leaving much for your imagination -

"- What are you thinking about?"

Your breath hitches, your eyes darting from his chest to his eyes. There's the damn smirk again - the same that makes you doubt whether he's truly blind considering he has such a good record when it comes to calling out your stare.

"N-Nothing..."

"'Nothing' makes you that nervous?" He's honestly having fun with this, isn't he?

"I...I was thinking about the settlement," you excuse, propping your elbow on the table while hoping to distract yourself by drawing invisible designs against the surface.

Matt crosses his arms, leaning back. You swear he purposefully bumps your foot with his, "As I've said, there's nothing to worry about. Believe me, they wouldn't have even offered you a cent unless they were scared of the dirt you have on them. We have this thing in the bag."

"You seem confident," you comment quietly, earning a devilish smile from him.

"Would you rather me be nervous?"

"Maybe not with a case, but now that you mention it, I don't think I've ever seen you be nervous before. It seems like I'm always the one stumbling over my own words."

"I suppose it comes with the profession. It wouldn't send the best message to my clients if they see me fumbling around. Believe it or not, but I've got an important reputation to keep as a 'jackpot' lawyer," Matt jokes, drawing a laugh from you, although you still feel a prick of embarrassment over the callback.

"Are you ever going to let me live that down?" You groan, hanging your head low dramatically, however the smile remains on your face and Matt knows it.

"Not for a while, no."

"Be careful, Murdock. Keep teasing me so much and I might leave a bad review," you quickly snatch your glass, downing a gulp of bitter alcohol which gives you enough confidence to add, "Don't wanna ruin your status as 'jackpot lawyer', do you?"

He laughs heartily and shakes his head. The action causes his glasses to slip on his nose slightly. Anyone else wouldn't be so bothered by this, however he is, finding the new position itchy against his skin. Without thinking too much of it, he decides to remove the problem completely, taking his glasses off and setting them in front of himself, "You know what? Why don't we just call it a truce? If Foggy hears, I'll be the one who never lives it down."

"Aw, you seemed like you liked the nickname, though? Why the change of heart, Murdock?" You tease, your giggles echoing through your glass before you finally set it down and look at him. It's amazing how much alcohol and a bit of laughter can make you feel this at ease, but it doesn't last long.

"...What's wrong?" Matt notices your silence rather quickly, although it was the skip in your heart beat that truly set off the alarm in his head. Your whole body goes tense and he can once again feel your eyes staring at him which he normally doesn't mind nor would he mind if not for your sudden change in overall behavior.

When he repeats the question again in a whisper, you merely hum, barely catching his concern even then. Instead, you become lost in the moment, forced to trust your rapidly beating heart to guide your muddled brain as you speak without much forethought, "...You're eyes - they're beautiful...They're the most beautiful color I've ever seen..."

It takes Matt a second to catch onto your exact words, pairing them with your body's reaction that shares your sudden amazement. Even so, he's reluctant to ask, fearing one of the possible answers to his own question, "Am I...Do you see color right now?"

"I do...I can see color," you confirm breathlessly, your surprise soon transforming into a giddy grin that almost reaches your ears. Leaning forward, you try to get a better look at the man before you through your new vision. Your hand moves as if prepared to reach towards him, however you keep it hovering in the air, "...I can finally see color..."

When you let your hand slowly drift back down to the table, it doesn't take long before Matt's brushes over it, remaining there as his face twists into a series of emotions. First, there's hesitance and fear, then a flash of sorrow before finally a gentle smile.

Staring into his unfocused eyes, you almost lose yourself, forgetting that you're in fact sitting in the middle of a busy bar with your lawyer who is apparently that one special person you're meant to spend your life with...but it's then that you come to another realization that almost jolts you away from him, your words in a panic, "I-I promise I'm not lying either! I'd never lie about this to you, Matt! I really do see color, so I think you're my -"

You don't get to finish your drawn off sentence before his lips are pressing softly against yours, his hand moving yours to his cheek where it had desired to be to begin with. You had no sense of time to tell you how long you remain like that before he pulls away, forehead set against yours as his breath cools your lips, "...I'm your soulmate."

"You believe me?"

He chuckles, pecking your lips in a kiss that doesn't last nearly long enough. Matt has never admitted it to anyone, however a part of him has always feared the idea of ‘soulmates’. If they’re found through color, how would he ever find his perfect match without sight and would they even want him?

Those insecurities only got worse after he was lied to. He knew it was a lie, too - of course he knew, he can sense the signs the human body gives off while fibbing - yet he played dumb and pretended to believe it. Why? Maybe he was too poisoned by young love, desperately wanting to believe the woman before him was his soulmate. Perhaps he was just scared he’d never find his real soulmate anyways, so why not take what he was being handed since beggars can’t be choosers?

Then you came into the picture. Matt may not be able to confirm your connection through any form of color, but he can definitely say he felt something special from the second you first came into Nelson & Murdock searching for help.

Some part of him realized it by the way your laughter lights a fire in his heart or how the thought of you sticks in his mind like glue throughout each day and night. Still…He was too afraid to act upon this feeling - too afraid to let himself live the chance that you could even possibly be his soulmate, although he can feel safe admitting it now: he’s been silently hoping this entire time that it would be you and it seems his instincts have been correct.

"You're my soulmate," Matt whispers, returning his lips to yours for a third time that mirrors the first: a long and loving kiss that makes you both echo out the rest of the world as you hold dearly onto the fact that neither of you will ever have to be alone again.

#matt murdock #matt murdock x y/n #daredevil x reader #daredevil #marvel #marvel x reader #marvel one shot #nelson and murdock #x reader #reader insert #fluff #soulmate au #matt murdock x reader soulmates

208 notes · View notes

liloinkoink · 1 month ago

Note

past me thought the dnd au looked neat but not related to my interests. current me thinks WOAW!! SO COOL!! I am invested in these characters!!! ah i see what this part of the setup references hmm yes interesting... perhaps i shall watch the original videos to get more insight into this au... excellent.

anon i am so sorry to tell you this but for doomsday there are no original videos…. they ARE based off of our sands of life game but no one in doomsday posted their pov………. and none of us are posting the ctm map we did either. maruu has been slowly editing her pov of sands but it doesn’t look like it’ll be out for a good minute. i’m so sorry. we baited you

honestly this au is a little bit our way of pulling our characters away from the uh. mess? sands was? what w spine, the admin, being a complete ass to the players, making the server game atmosphere feel shitty as hell, and eventually getting outed for cheating and being removed from their own game. this au is a bit us going hey, despite eveything we DID have fun in these games and we wanna take our little guys and this nice friendship we made and do our own thing

um. that said—if you wanted to watch sands the echolocati0n pov has the most of doomsday in it!!

anyway. thank you so much for your interest and investment in the doomsday dnd au!! i’m really glad to hear you like our little guys so much. bc i am obsessed w them so bad. i plan to keep writing little oneshots for it and such and if ppl ask questions abt the au i will answer em (or bring em back to the group for answers). we’re still in the process of fleshing it out basically daily trying to work everything thru but we do have a lot more than just what’s posted so far

the short version of the inspiration is kind of just…

woven - maruu and i were soulmates (this is basically all we took from woven)

sands - the five of us teamed up for an alliance i ran which we called the doomsday cult, and the general setup and allegiances of the characters come from our actions in sands. generally—cj and i started the group (i had a doomsday prophet bit and syyrin was cj’s character for sands), chris joined later but was half in our alliance and half in another and regularly betrayed both of us (but he was allowed bc it was funny), maruu was in another alliance but was betrayed by them and joined us after we got revenge for them, and smurg joined the game late but was in our alliance from the moment they joined

ctm - the format of the au itself as a fetch quest of many pieces of the god, mabuz (based strongly off the antagonist from divinity’s end, who was called the curator and who we dubbed evil skizzleman, bc he looked like skizzleman), our general playstyles in the ctm maps. we’ll also been using each area of the divinity’s end map for the areas the dnd group will go to, but we haven’t fleshed all of those out yet

there are. def more details we got from woven/sands/ctm im forgetting but ive only been awake for like 15 minutes and i do plan to go back to sleep after answering this

but yes. thank you again so much for your interest and investment and if you have questions let us know!!

#oink asks #anonymous #capture the myrkul #we are recording ctm as well but those are not getting posted they’re getting turned into funny clip compilations

13 notes · View notes

winter-dayz · 1 year ago

Text

Lonely St.

Pairing: Kim Seungmin x Reader Grim Reaper AU; Soulmate AU Genre: Angst; Fluff Words: 3322 Warnings: implied major character death; implied suicide; strong language

Masterlist | Fictober Masterpost

Taglist: @soobin-chois

Wandering.

Watching.

Waiting.

That’s all Seungmin really knew.

He wandered around the material plane, invisible to mortal beings, watching them enjoy their short lives. He saw them laugh and cry, celebrate and grieve. He watched their senseless wars, their fighting, their deaths.

And then he waited.

He waited for the feeling. The pull to a newly deceased soul.

It was all he’d ever known.

Ferrying souls so that they could rest, he’d never had a choice in it. It was what he was created to do.

The Fates had molded him in the shape of the beings he worked with, helping to gain their trust once they had left their mortal bodies and making it easier to get them to cross over.

He wasn’t frightening. He didn’t kill. He just did his job. He might’ve been a bit reserved towards his… clients, but he was anything but scary. Despite the rumors that the Grim received.

Presently, he was monitoring an older woman in the hospital. He could feel the tug. Any moment…

“Oh dear…” She sighed, eyeing her children and grandchildren weep over her. “I didn’t want them to mourn me.”

Seungmin nodded at the woman’s soul, “It’s what humans do. It can’t be helped. It simply shows that you were loved.”

Her wavering form seemed to smile up at him. “So are you the terrifying reaper, taking my soul?”

He shrugged, looking back over at the husk that the humans cried around. “I suppose that is what they say about me. Are you ready?”

“More than anything… I suffered long enough. I want to be with my husband again.”

“Just through there,” Seungmin motioned to the doorway of the hospital room, shimmering a white light. “He’s been waiting for you.”

The soul seemed to wriggle in excitement, becoming more and more amorphous as it melded into the white light of the other side, leaving Seungmin behind to once again wander… Watch… Wait…

What an odd thing it was, waiting.

He never knew how much time would pass.

🎃

The tug was there, and he followed it.

Just like always.

He found himself in a park, families with children and dogs with their owners playing all around him. As he settled on a bench, he felt the tug again.

Just in time.

A small brown puppy ran towards him, leash trailing behind.

He would’ve paid no mind. The creature wouldn’t be able to see him anyway.

“Hey! Grab that leash!” A young woman shouted at him.

He really would’ve paid no mind. If the woman hadn’t been able to see him.

For the first time in probably his entire existence, he moved reflexively. He didn’t simply wait. He reacted.

Seungmin grabbed the puppy’s leash in time, and the little dog whirled around in confusion, yipping at—presumably—nothing.

“Oh my god,” the woman gasped, coming to stand in front of him, “Thank you so much…?”

His mouth fell open, eyes wide and disbelieving. “You can see me?”

She plopped down onto the bench beside him, “Um… Yeah… Should I not be able to? Are you a spy or something? Oh shit! Am I blowing your cover?”

Sarcastic. The woman was sarcastic.

“Anyway, thanks for catching my dog. M is such a troublemaker. He’s always running off… I’m Y/N, by the way.”

Pretty. The woman—Y/N, his brain slowly supplied—was pretty.

“M is a letter.”

She hummed. “Very quick wit you have there, super spy. I wanted to name him M&M, y’know like the candy, since the day I got him he stole an entire bag of them, and then I had to rush him to the emergency vet… But he won’t respond to that. Only M, or just Puppy… If I’m being honest, I think he knows what his name is supposed to be and does it just to annoy me.”

Kind. Y/N was kind.

Wait.

Y/N could see him.

There was his brain coming back online…

How could she see him?

Was she on the cusp of death perhaps? A terminal illness? It would be rude to ask.

It also didn’t feel right. Those who saw him could usually tell who—what—he was. But she simply assumed he was a mortal out for a stroll in the park.

He turned to stare at her. The sun glittered against her skin. She was completely at peace, ethereal, in her human shell.

“You never told me your name.” She finally spoke, standing to leave with her dog.

He hummed but was still in too much of a daze to respond. She left with a shrug and a small laugh.

Dizzying. Her laugh was dizzying.

🎃

Her name had not been on his list, despite the tug he had felt to be in that spot at that moment.

It was as if he was destined to meet her.

But that shouldn’t have been possible.

He didn’t meet people.

He ferried souls. He did his job. He wandered, watched, and waited.

It was too much for him to figure out. Honestly, it was outside of his duties… above his pay grade, so to speak. And yet, it bothered him that he couldn’t do so.

His job continued; the tug reappeared, pulling him to the next soul.

He discounted the experience and moved on.

🎃

“So we meet again?” She tilted her head up at him, eyelashes batting and a playful smile dancing on her lips.

The tug had lied to him again.

He’d been pulled to the front of this ice cream shop, only to arrive at the same moment as the woman from the park.

She could still see him. She still wasn’t a soul. She was still ethereal.

“I don’t know why this keeps happening. You shouldn’t be able to see me.” He muttered, more to himself than to her. She snickered at him anyway.

“So you’re still undercover then? Wait, wait… Am I the target? Is that why I’m not supposed to see you?” She looked around, eyes wide as if she was afraid and searching.

At the furrow of his brows, she laughed and nudged his shoulder. “C’mon. Ice cream is on me, just gotta tell me your name.”

He hesitated, considered leaving. Obviously this was another fluke… And it’s not like he could really enjoy the human treat anyway. But then the tug returned, and it was stronger than it had ever been. It was so persistent, so annoying. He had to follow it. So, he followed her into the shop with a small mutter of, “Seungmin.”

🎃

He had double, no triple, checked his list.

Nowhere to be found was a L/N Y/N.

He had even broken a rule and snuck into The Fates’ hall.

Finding hers amongst the millions of threads should’ve been difficult. Normally, one is only drawn to their own string, and only The Fates themselves can easily identify anyone else’s thread. But…

But, the never-ending tug when it surrounded anything having to do with the chatty, ethereal woman led him right to her string.

It was fine.

It wasn’t frayed like she was near-death or ill. It wasn’t cut like she was deceased and unaware.

Y/N was a normal woman.

Or, as normal a woman could be if they could see, talk to, and feel the Grim Reaper.

🎃

This time he had intentionally followed the tug, knowing it would lead to the enigma in his life.

He shouted her name, stomping through the bar and uncaring of all the people around. They couldn’t hear him anyway.

She turned to him, her furrowed brows eased and a smile lit up her face when she spotted him. She didn’t notice that no one else had reacted to him.

Seungmin nodded towards the side door, and she followed him into the dark alley.

“How did you find me?” She laughed, drunkenly, “Been keeping tabs on me, super spy?”

“Yes.” Seungmin stated, “I need to know how you can see me.”

Y/N groaned, “You’re still playing this game?”

Seungmin huffed, “It’s not a game, Y/N. I–” He hesitated but let out a steady breath, “I am not human. I’m a Grim. I was created by The Fates to ferry souls. You shouldn’t be able to see me unless you are dead… or at least dying.”

Her eyes widened, seemingly terrified, “I’m dying?”

“No!” Seungmin nearly shouted. He was a rational being, but she made him react so strongly. “That’s the problem… Your thread seemed perfectly normal to me. Granted, I don’t work with them. That’s not my job, but it wasn’t frayed or ended.”

“Oh my god,” Y/N let the scared face slip, falling back against the brick wall in another fit of drunken giggles. “Are you insane? You really think you’re the personification of death or something?”

“I’ll prove it.”

And he did. He dragged her back through the bar, snapping in front of people’s faces and tapping on shoulders only to be met with confused glances around. She finally noticed no one reacting to him; she also noticed the crazy looks she got when she reacted and spoke with him.

It was her turn to drag him away, back to the front and into a cab that she shakily hailed.

Y/N remained silent the entire drive, only speaking to the driver.

Once inside her apartment, she let out a heavy breath.

“So I can see ghosts?”

“I’m not a ghost.”

“Well, you’re not a person, Seungmin!”

He rolled his eyes, “I’m aware of that. But I’m not a ghost. Ghost implies that I died and didn’t cross over. That’s not what happened.”

“Okay then, how are you… this?”

Seungmin’s brows furrowed, matching her own confusion. “What do you mean? I’ve always been ‘this.’ I’m a Grim Reaper. That’s how The Fates created me.”

“Okay… Not a ghost. So…” Y/N dropped onto the sofa beside him. “The Fates. You mentioned them earlier too and something about a thread?”

He nodded. “Yes. By all accounts, only beings that have passed and need to cross over can see and interact with a Grim the way you do. In some rare cases, a being that is terminally ill or on the precipice of death will see us as well, but their strings are always fraying. I checked yours since I wondered if that was the case for you; however, your thread seemed to be perfectly intact to me.”

“So I’m not dead, and you’re not alive… But we’re able to talk?”

“Yes.”

“And that’s a problem?”

“It’s certainly not normal.”

“I see…” Y/N sighed, “Well, what if we just go our separate ways and forget about all of this until I actually am dead?”

“That’s the other thing…” Seungmin hesitated, “I keep getting drawn to you.”

“What does that mean?”

“Well, normally, I am drawn to a soul that is needing to cross over. But for some reason, more and more frequently, I am being pulled to you.”

Y/N’s eyes widened, “That’s how you keep finding me… It’s what you meant by ‘keeping tabs.’ And here I thought it was a bunch of coincidental meet-cutes.”

He tilted his head, obviously not understanding, “I don’t follow. A ‘meet-cute’?”

She hummed. “It’s this plot device in movies and stuff where a future couple meet for the first time.”

Seungmin’s expression didn’t falter, but he whispered, “Couple?” to himself regardless. He was aware of the concept, of course, often interacting with sad souls being separated from their earthly partners or excited ones getting to reunite on the other side. But he himself had never considered companionship in depth… Particularly because before now he never thought it would be possible.

“You said those on the precipice of death can sometimes see you…” Y/N finally asked, breaking his lengthy pondering of what it would be like to have someone to wander through life with.

Seungmin noticed the quiver in her voice, the roughness of her tone. He hesitated, if only for a moment, before leaning forward and placing his hand on hers. “Yes, in rare instances. But, I can assure you that your thread was fine. You are not going to die anytime soon, Y/N.”

She shook her head, “That’s– No. I know you said that, and I believe you… I– I trust you. But… When I was little, I was in an accident. The paramedics who responded said my heart had stopped. I was dead for three minutes. Could that be some kind of exception?”

“I– I don’t know, Y/N.” Seungmin floundered. All of this was unprecedented for him too.

“Who would know?”

“The Fates.”

Y/N sighed, “I was afraid you were going to say that…” She stood from her sofa, trading her uncomfortable heels for sneakers. “Alright, let’s go.”

“Go?” Seungmin sputtered with wide eyes as he trailed her to the front door. It was the most reaction she had seen out of him; the most… human, he had seemed. And the cutest, if she was able to think about anything other than the fact that he was a Grim Reaper.

She shrugged, grabbing his hand without thinking to pull him to the elevator. “They are the only ones who know the answers to what is going on with us. So you’re going to take us to them, and we’ll get this sorted out.”

Seungmin gaped at you, “You’re insane.”

“Maybe.”

🎃

“Whoa…” Y/N breathed, staring up at the massive doors in front of her. “So this is the underworld?”

Seungmin shook his head, “Not exactly. It’s The Fates’ hall. It exists outside of your space and reality, a place that the trinity can weave time for mortals. It’s where I first remember… waking up.”

“Right. Well let’s go in.” She huffed, pushing forward as Seungmin’s eyes widened.

“Wha– You– We can’t just go in!”

She shrugged. “Why not?” Y/N asked, opening the doors and stepping through.

“Because it’s against th–”

“It’s about time you two showed up.” A voice spoke, reverberating down the neverending hall.

Y/N paused, gaping as she took in the millions of red threads strung around. Many of them crossed over one another, some tangling together and some fully knotted. There were strings dangling pitifully, obviously ended, and others clearly fraying and barely holding together.

What Seungmin had mentioned came to mind, settling like a rock in the pit of her stomach at how many people were so close to death without even knowing.

Another heavy feeling settled as she gazed over to the Grim, unaffected by the threads as he led her through the maze of red. How many people had he helped cross? How much death had he been around? How long had he been without real connection as the only beings that could speak with him were meant to leave immediately?

“Don’t think too hard, dear.” An elderly woman smiled up at her from a rocking chair, happily snipping a thread.

“Yes, child, you won’t likely remember any of those dreadful thoughts once you leave our chambers.” Another, middle-aged, woman spoke as she measured the string she was holding.

Y/N’s eyes widened, head shaking lightly to clear her jumbled mind, “Who–”

“Who are we?” The final woman, young—barely a woman—spoke, while she wove the red strings. “You know who we are. We’re The Fates. We’re time and destiny. And you are here because you are wondering how you can see our Grim Reaper.”

She nodded, unable to find words. Seungmin, likewise, remained silent. In all his existence, he had never directly met with The Fates.

The elderly woman tutted gently to capture the mortal and reaper’s attentions. “The Grim… Sorry, Seungmin… is a bit confused about his origins. We didn’t create him. He was a mortal once.”

“I was a what?!” Seungmin interjected.

“Hush child, don’t interrupt your elders.” The middle-aged woman scolded.

The young woman continued, “Yes, it’s true. We did not create you. You were once a man who cut his own thread, so-to-speak…”

“That’s to say that you unfortunately took your own life, dear. And, the punishment for this sin is to be reincarnated as a Grim Reaper…”

“You were assigned an undetermined amount of time assisting souls pass on. To not know rest, child.”

“But, a few years ago, we decided you earned your second chance… If you could reconcile with the soulmate that you so cruelly left behind in your last life.”

Y/N’s eyes flickered between The Fates as they stared at her meaningfully. “Oh my god… You mean me?”

“Yes, dear. You and Seungmin are a destined pair. Would you like to see your threads?”

She nodded dumbly, while Seungmin gaped. “I– But I looked at her thread, and I didn’t notice anything odd…”

“Well of course you wouldn’t, child. It’s not your job to read the strings.”

Before Seungmin could argue further, the hallway around them shifted, the strings around them changing. The scenery settled, and the middle-aged woman held two threads gently. She motioned Seungmin and Y/N over, allowing them to follow her explanation with a demonstration.

“This was your original thread, so beautifully woven and tied together, until…” She held the end of one of the threads, cut short as the other continued on, fraying slowly. “You cut your string, while your soulmate continued on, decaying from heartbreak. You were changed into a Grim Reaper shortly after, and we created a new thread from you.”

“And then,” The young woman continued, as the scenery changed once more. Seungmin recognized the two threads she now held, “Your soulmate was reborn.”

The Fates admired their handiwork on Seungmin and Y/N’s strings, tracing over where Y/N’s was cut and retied—explaining it was from her near-death experience.

“It wasn’t quite your time, dear. I apologize for being a bit scissor-happy. But, it was also a way for us to ensure our sweet Grim and you become more easily tangled later on.”

The two threads continued on, crossing over multiple times to signify each time Seungmin was pulled to her, and The Fates held them both tightly together as they stood still in time with each other in the hall.

“What happens now?” Seungmin whispered finally.

“Well, that will be up to you and your soulmate, child. Ideally, you two will continue on your journey together and strengthen your bond to grant you mortality.”

Y/N gasped, backing away into the maze of red string, “This is… a lot…”

Seungmin turned to follow her, making sure she safely made it back to the entryway, “I’m sorry if you feel you have no choice. I had no idea…”

She smiled sadly. “It’s not that, Seungmin. I actually like you… getting past all of this,” she gestured at the hall behind them, “I just don’t want to feel like we’re only together because it was forced by destiny.”

“We’re not.”

Y/N scoffed, “How can you be sure?”

Seungmin shrugged, “If we were being forced, we would’ve seen the rest of our threads woven together already. They aren’t yet because The Fates are giving us a choice.”

Y/N huffed at his blase attitude towards all of this, “Do you even like me, Seungmin?”

“What?” Seungmin’s eyes widened, “Of course I do! You were so kind to me, even when you thought I was crazy and kept following you. And then, all of this, you’ve been so brave and patient. You have such a light heart and not to mention how beautiful you are. You’re ethereal to me. Just unreal. I just…” Seungmin sighed, “I won’t force you into anything for my sake when all of this was my fault to begin with.”

“I don’t want you to be alone anymore…” Y/N whispered.

“I don’t mind. I’m used to it.”

“I don’t want to be alone anymore either…” She added, stepping closer.

“Then you won’t be. We can wander together.”

#stray kids #skz #kim seungmin #reader #kim seungmin x reader #stray kids x reader #skz x reader #angst #fluff #grim reaper au #soulmate au #oneshot #fictober

85 notes · View notes

pomeg-glitch · 2 years ago

Text

“You can see strings.”

Tim stares at them, brown eyes owlbear-wide and words intoned with accusation and fascination alike. If nothing else, he’s at least waited until Martin was out of earshot, though he had to find some nook in the stacks to shove Jon into to do so. For that, at least, Jon gives him credit. They surely would have passed away otherwise, flagged down some fire giant or phoenix to please, please turn them into a pile of ash and put them out of their misery. The smell of soot would be preferable to the present moment, which is permeated with the stale scent of old books and their own mortification.

Jon would love nothing more than to go back in time and not warn Tim he was about to trip over threads no one else could see — he’s been able to do this for years, he should know better to spot the subtle difference in perceived depth. But he’s no mage, not really, and so the best he can do is glare up at him, moving his pointed finger off his chest, and spit, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Jon.” Tim crowds in a little closer, the brim of his hat blocking the light. His eyes light up like scrying crystals. “You have magic, boss. Real magic! Like, dragon-whispering, light-conjuring, glittery unicorn snot magic.”

“I have the ability to see a world that looks like it’s been taken over by dire tarantulas.”

“And that’s really cool!” Tim says, throwing out his arms in emphasis. At Jon’s grimace, he amends, “It is to me, at least. And don’t try to pull the ‘boo hoo, I don’t believe in magic, I hate fun’ sceptic bit on me again, you’re cuter when you’re not lying to yourself. And to me, of course.” He claps a hand on Jon’s shoulder. “So, which poor sod’s strings was I about to trample on? I wouldn’t want to rip out anyone’s heart trying to get to lunch.”

Lowering the brim of their hat to maybe, just maybe hide their burning blush and stammering lack of words, Jon mutters, “Um. It was actually… erm. Good lord, this is embarrassing…”

“I mean, I was only joking, heh, it’s not actually my business, boss—”

“No, no, I’ve never — uh, I’ve just never really discussed it with anyone. It was… yours. A-And Martin’s. I know you two have, er, fancied each other awhile—”

“He likes me back?”

Jon blinks. Going by all the touchy-feely flirting they’ve been doing for months now — holding hands in the stacks, talking movies and pets over lunch, rescuing that nest of cinnamon birds in the atrium — he was frankly convinced they were living together. “Yes? I… thought you knew?”

“Jon. Boss. Just because you can see that with your fancy spook-o-vision doesn’t mean we all can.”

“My sincerest apologies that you can’t see what’s right in front of your eyes,” they snark. Jon’s already had this sort of conversation with Martin, excluding mention of their… unique ability, of course. He’s more Tim’s friend than Jon’s, they think, but they’ve nonetheless listened to his anxious rambling and, in hindsight, perhaps inadvertently played a wingman sort of role. The two evidently like each other. Jon’s hardly forcing or creating anything that isn’t already very much there. Their chemistry is thick and tangible whenever they’re in a room together — it’s already cavity inducing. They’re becoming a risk for attracting pixies.

Tim gets a mischievous gleam in his eye, smirking in that way reserved usually for Martin, or for any patron at the front desk he’s trying to please, and Jon’s heart swoops even as it sinks, like a piece of parchment fluttering whilst it falls to the floor. “Well, I guess you’ll have to see it for us.”

“…I beg your pardon?”

“Y’know. With your spook-o-vision.”

“Do not call it that.”

Hello!! This is my valentine gift for @gayformlessblob for the @seasons-in-the-archives Valentine’s event, featuring a martim/jonmartim focused fantasy/soulmate AU!

Marked by a childhood incident, Jon can see the thin strings woven between his fellow researcher Tim and the librarian Martin as the two grow closer, but he tries to keep this ability under wraps to focus on his work at the Magnus Institute, one of the largest repositories of magical artifacts and writing in the land — after all, he’s never seen any strings tied to himself. As his secret comes out, however, and he works in cahoots with both Tim and Martin to help their developing relationship, he winds up a bit more tied up with the two than he intended :)c I hope you like it!!

(IDs are in the alt text!)

#the magnus archives #tma #jonathan sims #martin blackwood #tim stoker #martim #jontim #jonmartim #tma au #seasons in the archives #tma fantasy au #tma soulmate au #cinnafic #cinnart #my art #gif #i worked so hard on this and im really proud of it! i hope you enjoy!

225 notes · View notes

teaberrii · 1 year ago

Text

Chapter 16: Connecting the Dots

You've been Cupid for as long as you can remember. You've brought countless soulmates together, yet you've never found love.

When you're assigned to bring two childhood friends back together, it should be simple until you unexpectedly catch feelings for the mysterious and cold Ph.D. student, Dan Heng, the man with a soulmate… the man with answers to your past.

Dan Heng/You

Notes:

Cross-posted on Ao3

Female reader

Chapter index at the end of chapter one

“You’re being threatened?” Stelle’s unexpected revelation almost makes Pom drop his cookie. “By who? Why?”

Stelle fidgets as she says, “I don’t know.” She gets up from the couch and picks up her phone off the coffee table. “I… took a picture of the note.”

Her bottom lip curls inwards as Pom watches her tap her phone a few times. Then, she hands it to him. Upon reading the messy scrawl on the ripped piece of paper, Pom immediately gets goosebumps. However, is it just him, or does the scrawl look a little familiar?

"Do you have any idea who'd do this?" Pom asks. "A fan? A… friend, maybe?” She looks down, hesitant to answer. “Stelle…?”

Finally, she looks at Pom and says, “No. I have no idea who'd do this, but..."

"Does the writing look familiar?"

Stelle is looking away from him when she says, "My brother."

Pom blinks once. Twice. “Caelus? How? Isn’t he, um, studying abroad?”

“I know his handwriting.” Pom takes another look at the photo, and it’s then he feels as if the scrawl mimics someone who’s slowly losing his mind. “His writing isn’t usually messy,” Stelle continues. “But I know it’s his.”

Pom gives her phone back. “But why would he write this? The message itself doesn’t make much sense if he’s the one who wrote it.”

Stelle sighs and leans back. “I… I don’t know, Pom. My dad’s been acting strange. Caelus hasn’t been answering me. I just… I feel like I’m the only one who doesn’t know what’s going on.”

“Acting strange? How?”

“He’s been doing everything he can to keep that article from running.” Stelle looks up at the ceiling. “The Withering supposedly makes people go crazy. With the way my dad’s obsessing over this article”—she scoffs—"the disease is truly making him lose his mind.”

Hold on a minute. Is Stelle supposed to know about the details of The Withering? Pom remembers her father mentioned that he doesn’t know much about it himself besides that it’s rare. Perhaps she read about it somewhere, but Pom still feels like he should ask.

“How do you know it makes people go crazy? Did someone tell you?”

Stelle reaches for a cookie. “Luocha.”

Pom froze. Did he hear that correctly? Luocha? The fake, pretty-boy doctor who was your brother? How does Stelle know about him? Through Caelus or—

"He’s a doctor,” Stelle says.

Finally, Pom takes a deep breath and takes a sip of the tea Stelle prepared moments ago. “How do you know him?”

“He’s my other brother.” Pom chokes on the tea, and he almost drops his cup. Stelle has to quickly take the cup from him and put it on the table. Then, she moves onto the couch he’s sitting on and gives his back a hard pat. “Geez, Pom. Are you okay? What’s gotten into you?”

His heart can’t any more of these surprises or else he’s going to suffer from a fatal heart attack. After hitting his chest a couple of times, Pom asks, “You have another brother? But”—he vaguely gestures to her hair just her in general—”you look nothing alike!”

“He’s—”

A knock comes at the door, and Stelle gets up to answer it. Pom quickly takes out his phone, eager to tell you and Dan Heng this shocking truth. But as he’s typing, he hears a familiar voice that makes his blood run cold.

“A friend?”

“Yeah,” Stelle answers. “His name’s Pom.”

And that’s when Pom sees Luocha come around the corner with Stelle.

“Well, what a small world.” The gentle smile on Luocha’s face makes Pom frown.

“You two know each other?” Stelle asks, looking from Pom to Luocha.

"We're acquainted," Luocha says, looking at Pom. “The last time we met… he was suspicious of me.”

Pom shoots Luocha a look to which the doctor returns with a kind smile.

“Suspicious?” Stelle asks. She looks at Pom. “Why?”

Is this what being cornered feels like? Pom puts his phone aside and says, “You were thinking too much.”

When Stelle’s phone goes off, she picks it up from the counter.” Ah, I need to take this. It’s from my manager. Be right back!”

Neither Luocha nor Pom looks at her as she walks off while answering her phone.

As soon as Pom hears a door close, he immediately asks, “What are you doing here? And... how in the world are you related to Stelle and Caelus?" Then, without thinking, “Does that mean they’re also related to Cupid—”

Luocha smiles. “How much do you know about the past, Pom?” Pom looks up and sees Luocha leaning against the counter. “Or is magic the only supernatural phenomenon you believe in?”

“Sounds like you believe in much more than that.”

“I guess my sister hasn’t filled you in.” Luocha pushes himself off the counter. “I’m talking about my half-sister, by the way. Our beloved Cupid.”

Half sister?

“I know about doppelgangers and reincarnations. I also know about a past life where I lived as Cupid’s brother.”

“You referred to her as your half-sister a few seconds ago,” Pom says.

“Because that’s who she is.”

“How are you so sure?”

Luocha walks over, and Pom instinctively gestures for him to stop with his hand. “D-Don’t come any closer.”

“There’s nothing to be afraid of, Pom. I won’t hurt you.”

“Great. Then”—Pom points to a chair that’s a fair distance away—”you can stay all the way over there.”

Luocha almost rolls his eyes. He doesn't listen, however, and sits on the couch adjacent to the one Pom is sitting on. Pom immediately moves to the end of the couch.

“Caelus was the one who told me,” Luocha says.

“...Caelus?”

“Haven’t you heard? Caelus is getting his memories back.”

Oh, Pom’s heard, of course. But nothing about you.

“And you believe him?” Pom asks skeptically.

“Does he have a reason to lie?”

“He's been hostile towards Cupid. I don’t know why, but he might be telling you things to get you to hate her for whatever reason.”

Luocha leans back and crosses one leg over the other. “Let me ask you something, Pom.”

“...What?”

“If something you were supposed to have was ripped away from you… and you found it in the hands of another person who didn’t cherish it, what would you do?”

“Are you saying Cupid stole something from him? She would never do that!”

“Not her,” Luocha says. “Her father. Or… our father.”

A young Caelus awakened to the sound of muffled conversations in the room right outside of his. He looked over his shoulder and saw his younger sister, Stelle, sleeping soundly. So, he quietly slipped out of bed and put his ear to the sliding door to hear whatever conversation was happening on the other side.

“I don’t… I don’t understand what you’re saying.” A woman raising Caelus and Stelle stood in front of two armoured men. “I am not going anywhere with you.”

“It’s the king’s orders.”

“Has he gone mad?” she snapped. Caelus quietly slid the door open a little. "I have a life here. I’m looking after two children—”

One of the men grabbed her arm. “You’d be doing the kingdom a favour.”

“No! I—”

Caelus fully slid the door open. “L-Let her go!”

The woman gasped. “Caelus!” The man let her go, and she rushed to Caelus’s side. “You're supposed to be sleeping.”

“Who are they?” Caelus asked, nervously looking at the men.

She stood in front of them, blocking Caelus's view. “Just visitors.”

The men looked at each other. Then, one of them unsheathed his sword. “If you don’t come with us, we’ll take the kid instead.”

The woman pushed Caelus behind her. “Leave him out of this.”

“...Or, we’ll kill him.”

Caelus’s eyes widened. What was going on? Where would they take him? Why would they kill him? Caelus nervously looked up at her. After a moment, she turned around and crouched to be at eye level with him.

“...Mommy’s going to be gone for tonight, okay? Just… Just for tonight.”

“Where are you going?”

Caelus could feel her trembling when she put her hands on his cheeks. “To visit… the king.”

“Come,” the man said. “We’re leaving.”

Caelus could feel it in his gut. He couldn’t let her go. So, he grabbed onto her sleeve and said, “Please… Don’t go.”

“I promise… I’ll be back soon.”

As soon as her sleeve left his grasp, his heart fell to the pit of his stomach.

“That was the last time he saw her,” Luocha says.

Pom is at a loss for words. He can only stare at Luocha who’s not looking at him but at the coffee table. Finally, Pom asks, “Who... Who was she? Did he know what happened to her? She must have lived another life or—”

"She was their guardian, and... she was murdered." Pom’s eyes widen. Luocha looks at him. “Do you want to know how I know?”

Pom doesn’t have to give him an answer.

Luocha was still processing everything Caelus was telling him in the hospital room when Caelus suddenly stood.

“...Caelus?” Luocha asked cautiously. Caelus’s eyes had clouded over, and he was swaying as if he had too much to drink. When he stepped forward, he stumbled, and Luocha steadied him, not realizing that he’d touched Caelus’s infected hand.

But that was when it happened.

Luocha saw himself sitting with a man dressed in an elegant hanfu. The men were drinking alcohol, and the older man’s face was becoming more and more flushed.

“I’m so proud of you, Luocha,” the king said with a soft laugh. Then, he downed the alcohol from his small glass. “A doctor who's also a king. You’ll be the first.”

“...I have no interest in becoming king, Father,” Luocha said.

The king slammed the glass on the table. “What are you saying, Luocha? You're my only son! If you won't take over the throne, who will?"

“Sister is getting married to Jing Yuan. I’m sure he would make a fine king.”

“Women cannot carry the family name!”

Luocha poured his father more alcohol despite seeing how red his father was getting.

“I’ve heard some interesting… gossip from the maids,” Luocha said cautiously, watching his father for any kind of reaction. “They said I’m not Mother’s son.”

“How…” A sudden laugh. “...What do they know?” The king downed another glass. Luocha poured him more. “How would they know such a thing?”

“That’s what I’d like to know. Where did this rumour come from? They said Mother was the one who admitted it.”

That was when he saw it: the darkness in his father’s eyes. Coupled with the smile, he looked almost… demonic.

“How dare she,” the king said between drunken laughter. Then, he looked Luocha in the eyes. “My son…”

“...Yes, Father?”

“I"—a hiccup—"I suppose you’re old enough to know.” Then, his father grabbed Luocha’s hanfu and pulled him closer. “But secrets come with responsibilities.”

“It’s true I wasn’t the queen’s son,” Luocha continues. “They had seven children before Cupid. All of them were girls, but they needed a boy.”

Pom does not like where this is going.

“So, he brought in a concubine.”

“W-Wait a minute,” Pom says. “Was this woman…”

“That’s right. It was the woman looking after Caelus and Stelle.”

“But you said she was murdered…”

Luocha’s gaze hardens. “After she gave birth to me, they killed her. Just like what they did with the other girls that came before Cupid.”

Pom’s head suddenly starts spinning, and when he puts a hand on his forehead and closes his eyes, he hears your voice.

“After they killed them, they burned their bodies.”

You knew. While Pom isn’t sure where this is in the timeline, he’s certain that you knew… because you were the one who told him.

“Is this too much for you, Pom?”

Pom looks up and sees Luocha looking at him. “...Cupid knew. She knew about what her father did.”

“And does she know why she was spared?”

The queen cried loudly with one last push. Two maids, who stood on either side of the queen were holding her hands. The one who delivered the baby was cradling a newborn baby girl.

“It’s a girl.” The woman’s voice broke, and the other two maids glanced at each other with a crestfallen expression.

“Let me see her,” the queen said, reaching out.

As soon as the queen saw you, she smiled with tears falling from her eyes.

Hours later, the queen was on her knees in front of the king. Only one maid was in the room, standing near the king with you in her arms.

“Please,” the queen sobbed as she bowed her head so far that her forehead touched the wooden floor. “Please spare her.”

“Why should I?” the king asked. He glanced at you in the maid’s arms. You were surprisingly quiet for a newborn, unlike the others. "Don't tell me you're feeling guilty."

The queen didn't have an answer. Perhaps the guilt had gotten to her. But she sensed something different about you when she held and looked at you for the first time.

“We can keep trying,” the queen said, looking up to meet her husband’s eyes. “I just…” Then, she clenched her fists. “There are other options.”

“What are you getting at?”

“I know of a woman… a single woman looking after two children. She lives a very quiet life. No one would know if she were to go missing.”

“...Missing? Why—” That was when it dawned on the king. Then, he laughed darkly. “I never thought you would resort to such measures.” The king stood and looked at you. “If that is your wish… I will spare her.”

“From the beginning, Cupid had a fate worse than death,” Luocha says.

Before Pom can say anything, the migraine and your voice return…

“She regrets it.”

“...Is that why you’re letting her die?”

“...Are you… are you really on our side?” Pom asks. “If what you say is true, they killed your birth mother. Do you… hate Cupid?”

“I have nothing against my sister,” Luocha says. “She is also a victim.”

“Then why are you working with Jing Yuan?”

Luocha turns to Pom, a stern look in his eyes. “We are not your enemies, Pom. Our worst enemies are ourselves.” When Pom looks away, Luocha continues, “There are still questions I don’t have answers to.”

“You're telling me all of that came back from just one accidental touch?"

"Yes. I don't know why or how, but that was what happened."

Does this mean if Pom also touches Caelus's hand, would his memories also return?

"I wasn't born yet when my father—the one in the present—was infected," Luocha says. "I relied on my mother's diary of the accounts. When he was almost completely paralyzed, he kept telling me of a woman. He started seeing her everywhere as if she was haunting him.”

Was that woman… you, somehow?

“I assumed the disease made him lose his mind as he went on about a past life. But knowing about the locket, meeting Jing Yuan and Cupid and you… I’m convinced.” Pom’s heart begins to race out of anxiety. “The description my father gave back then. It matches her. It matches Cupid.”

“...What happened to your mother?”

“She’s gone.” Luocha exhales sharply. “If Cupid was responsible for The Withering, then she killed more than just my father.”

The silence that follows is loud, almost deafening.

Finally, Pom takes a breath. “After all that, it still doesn’t explain why Caelus hates Cupid. It was her parents who broke apart their family, not her.”

“Call it a hunch, but maybe you can thank Jing Yuan for that.”

◆◆◆

Jing Yuan has just finished a call when he turns his car onto another street. He can’t believe he’s driving halfway across the city for Lan. The god had called him earlier, saying they needed “to talk.”

“Are you breaking up with me?” Jing Yuan deadpanned.

“It’s much worse than that.”

For the past ten minutes, Jing Yuan had tried getting in touch with Luocha—but the man wasn’t answering. Eventually, Jing Yuan gave up and turned his focus to getting to the hospital.

When Jing Yuan’s car rolls to a stop at a red light, he looks to the side and sees a young couple walking on the sidewalk. They are holding hands, and they’d smile at each other. Then, when Jing Yuan blinks once, he suddenly sees you… and him.

It was not long after you and Jing Yuan met that your parents volunteered you to show Jing Yuan around the village. When you saw him, you bluntly said, " You’re not going to the village dressed like that.” Your mother had glared at you, and you frowned. “He looks like he’s going to war. We’re going for a walk, not to a battlefield.”

So, that was how Jing Yuan ended up on a casual village walk with you dressed in a black-and-white hanfu.

You’d just finished telling him about some of the shops you passed by when he said, “You’re very knowledgeable.”

“Well, I grew up here. What did you expect, General?"

“You grew up here, sure, but not everyone knows so much about its history. However, you know all about the ins and outs of everything. It’s fascinating.”

"I guess that's one way to look at it." You smiled at him. "You have manners, General."

"I'm offended you'd think otherwise."

"Just accept the compliment before I change my mind."

"For a princess, you sure are... direct."

"What were you expecting?"

"Is this a trick question?" Then, Jing Yuan suddenly took your wrist, making you stop. “Tell me about this place.”

You looked up. “...The noodle shop?” You raised a brow. “Are you interested in learning about its quality ingredients Or would you like me to tell you their secret of staying in business for more than thirty years?”

“Well if you’re willing.”

“...That was sarcasm.”

“Too late.”

Before you could say anything else, he was walking inside with his hand still around your wrist and you beside him.

A loud honk snaps Jing Yuan out of his thoughts. He shifts the gears and drives off, trying to forget whatever he just remembered.

◆◆◆

In an empty area of the hospital, Lan and Dan Heng stand off to the side. You’re sitting on a bench where Lan and Dan Heng can keep an eye on you. You haven’t said much since you left Caelus's room. After Lan had said everyone needed to talk, you had turned to Dan Heng.

“...Sorry,” you said. “I… didn’t mean to hurt him.”

He could see it in your face. It was like you were fighting with something. Dan Heng put his hands on either side of your face.

“Something came back for you,” Dan Heng said. When you looked down, he knew he was right. You put his hands on top of his, and he felt you trembling. “We’ll get through it.”

You looked down, and he wasn’t sure what to make of your silence.

“I had someone look into The Withering,” Lan says, and Dan Heng turns to him. “To conclude, The Withering is the result of black magic. And... it couldn’t have been done alone.”

Nanook had just come out of his quarters with nothing but a towel around his waist when he nearly jumped at the sight of Lan sitting on a chair.

“Who said you could just waltz in here?” Nanook frowned. “What the fuck are you doing in my room?”

“...I need your help.”

Nanook raised a brow. “Are we in danger? Since when does the all-powerful God of the Hunters need my help?”

“It involves Cupid.”

“...Cupid?" Nanook's gaze hardened. "Did something happen to her? Whose ass do I have to beat? Is it Dan—"

“She may have created a curse.”

Nanook’s eyes widened. “...What? Are you messing with me? This is Cupid we’re talking about. Why would she—”

Lan took out a vial with black liquid inside. “I need you to examine this for me.” Nanook walked over and took the vial from him. “It’s a blood sample from an infected human. I can’t match whatever is in it to any curse families I know about.”

“If I help you, you better tell me what’s going on with her.”

“I told him everything,” Lan says. “If I didn’t”—he scoffs—”he’d probably try killing me in my sleep.”

“Why ask Nanook?” Dan Heng asks.

“He’s the God of Destruction. He owns the Grimoire of Black Magic. If there’s anyone who knows something about how The Withering is made, he’s our best chance.”

“...Did he find anything?”

The next time Lan saw Nanook was to get some answer—but Lan was not expecting it to come in the form of a full-blown report.

“It has everything you need to know,” Nanook said. “All the way down to its base components, ingredients, and whatnot.”

“You got all of this from one blood sample?”

“Of course, I also had to do research. Hate to admit it, but the blood sample you gave me did help a lot, though.”

"So, you are useful for something," Lan said, flipping through the notes.

"You're lucky I'm more worried about Cupid than beating your ass right now." Lan looked up and Nanook sighed. “I don’t know what’s going on down here, but are you sure she's the one who created this?”

“Why do you ask?”

“The Withering was created using advanced black magic,” Nanook said. “We're talking top tier." Lan made a gesture for Nanook to get on with his point. "Cupid was human at the time, wasn’t she? There was absolutely no way in hell she could’ve created that.”

A small pause.

“Not on her own.”

Lan narrowed his eyes. “Explain.”

“Black magic is powerful, but advanced black magic is on another level,” Nanook said. “It requires two or more people, depending on what you’re trying to do. To create something like The Withering, a curse in the disguise of a disease, you need a human and a magical being.”

“...Like who?”

“Anyone who’s not human and knows about advanced magic."

Lan glanced down, and his eyes widened when it dawned on him. When he looked at Nanook, the God of Destruction exhaled sharply.

“Don’t have any proof, but the rabbit's lookin' a little suspicious."

Upon making eye contact with Dan Heng, Lan also knows he’s thinking of the same person.

“...Do you know something, Dan Heng?”

“Pom… he said he remembered being a shapeshifter. A shaman… he helped Young put a protection spell on the pendant to keep Cupid safe from Jing Yuan.”

Lan leans against the wall. “A shapeshifter…”

“Were there others like Pom?”

“You wouldn’t know someone is a shapeshifter unless they told you. They were common in folklore, but I’ve never met one before.” Lan looks down as if deep in thought. “If he did help Cupid create The Withering, it would explain why he’s on The Astral Express.”

“...The Astral Express?”

Before Lan can say anything more, the men see you standing, staring straight ahead. When Dan Heng looks in the direction you’re looking at, he sees Jing Yuan who has just reached the top of the stairs.

“Is it just me, or is the atmosphere awfully dreary?”

When Dan Heng is by your side, he notices you’re slightly shaking as Jing Yuan walks toward you. Then, when Jing Yuan is in front of you, he leans down.

“We meet again, Sweet—”

His eyes widen when you swiftly grab his neck without warning—but what frightens him isn’t that you’re choking him. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t even blink. He’s forced to look at you as he suddenly feels a searing pain in his stomach.

“...How does it feel?”

He hears your voice but your lips never moved. His mouth opens but no words would come. Instead, when he finally looks down, he sees himself bleeding from a gaping wound in his stomach. Another voice comes, but this time it’s his own.

“I did it... so you'd never forget me. Hate runs deep, deeper than love."

Jing Yuan falls to the ground, still reeling at whatever it was he just experienced. It felt so real. The metal through his stomach. The blood from his wounds. Then, when he looks up, he sees you and Dan Heng; the murderous look in your eyes Jing Yuan saw moments ago disappeared.

This time, he's sure this feeling is real.

Because looking at you and Dan Heng, it feels like his heart is being ripped from his chest. And the worst part is Jing Yuan has no idea why.

Chapter 17

End notes: I was not expecting Jing Yuan to have such a big role in this story, lol. But through his back story, you will gradually learn about everyone else's, including more about you and Young. This is just the surface, fellas LOL more to come...

Tag list: @suoshiii @lordbugs @lxry-chxn @seirenspinel @tanspostsblog @theprinceofkhaos @nqctre @lunavixia @akwardbiscuit @kplatzman @sunsethw4 @hiqhkey @n8mareee

#dan heng x reader #dan heng x y/n #honkai dan heng #dan heng #dan heng honkai star rail #danheng x y/n #danheng x you #danheng x reader #dan heng x you #danheng

82 notes · View notes