#unfortunately some stuff gets a bit sticky

[jadetheblueartist]

I needed to post all of these together bc they are quite the saga and I love them (pretty sure I drew a few of these…)

For you, dear @banana-pancake5

[avaredava]

MDNI

Toji Fushiguro, just a simple plumber is such a perv.

He's the local plumber, loved by many. He's in and out and gets your pipes clear doing it smoothly and quickly.

Unfortunately you had a sad issue...

Your toilet broke! You flushed too much toilet paper down. So it got stuck in the pipes. Then it hit you. Call Toji, he'll clear it quickly for a low price.

Perfect.

You called him and such and started talking. "Hey do you have any opening's today? My toilets clogged." You say as he lets a chuckle. "Mh yeah I do." he says in a gruff lazy voice.

You give him your information and shit, and he'll come over. Of course as a plumber he needs the source of the problem. So he asked.

"I was drunk and flushed too much toilet paper down the toilet." You said blandly. He was surprised how you bluntly said that. Like you don't give a shit. That just made him pop up.

"Yeah! Totally uhm, just give me your house address." He said in an overly cheery voice. You were honestly super surprised. He went from not giving a shit to giving one. That's the easiest way you could understand what was happening.

He cancels all his appointments, and gets angry calls and text, but he wants to make sure you get the earliest time slot. And also cancels more so he can stay longer.

He drives quickly to your house getting 100's of honks but he didn't care. He had to see this mystery girl. He's practically head over heels. But you sounded young. He had to make sure you were over 18.

So he was fucking happy when you opened the door and showed him your id when he weirdly asked but you thought it was part of the process. You were 22.

He was a bit older but the way you looked at him, he could tell you didn't really mind.

God you were cute.

But he was more focused on your ass when you weren't looking, tight shorts, that wrap around your ass so beautifully. You're significantly shorter than him. He felt like throwing you over his shoulder and slamming into on your cute little pink bed sheets.

"Toji?"

He blinked back to reality. With a small smirk, his plan is already in action.

"So uhm, where's the broken toilet?" He asks. Too over confident? Why? it's a weird question to be confident... but you push the weird thing away.

"Bedroom."

Perfect.

He runs in before you and snatches some panties and goes into the bathroom. He fixes your pipes, fast. You were surprised on how fast he fixed your pipes, but then again that's what everyone said. And it was really cheap.

Then later that night you realized why he made it cheap. He took expensive panties. That ass! But you were surprised when he came that night, with panties in hand, your panties. With messy sticky stuff in the middle.

Your suspicions were right. You were about to yell at him but his lips were pressed against yours. He did what he wanted, throwing you onto your cute bed and stripping you so god damn fast.

Later his cock was in you and it was to much to handle.

Him shoving his fat cock into your tight pussy. His harsh slaps to your ass, that sting feels like a pleasure that is a pleasure only he can make.

You woke up thighs sticky and a note on your bedside. His number and...

"I liked cleaning your pipes, but I hope you liked my pipe. Oh and I took more panties. See u soon."

Cocky asshole.

But that cringy note is true though. You did like his pipe.

Master list's

[larcenywrites]

All About Fur!

Nightcrawler HCs

I have lots of thoughts about lots of things, and Nightcrawler’s fur is one of them! So I had to get a few things out of my brain 💙 Some x reader stuff in here too ;)

Warnings: a few sexual references | a few fluffy (no pun intended) references | no pronouns or specifications on reader obvi

⚜️Unfortunately, he doesn’t get any fluffier, much to your dismay 😔 a fluffy winter coat would have been cute, after all!

⚜️But even that short fur does get thicker and longer in certain places on the daily 😏 you may notice his jawline is a bit shaggy by the end of a lazy weekend 🤭 that there’s more fur on his chest when you run your fingers through it 🥺 his belly and a line above and below is belly button gets fluffy and curly if he lets it 🥺🥺

⚜️Even if you’ve typically preferred your past partners more… clean-shaven or well-trimmed down there, you surely can’t have any issues with his fluffier crotch and thighs 🥰 the saving grace here is that all of his fur is velvety soft 😌

⚜️Now, while it doesn’t grow any longer outside of those places, he is naturally shaggier in some other areas!

⚜️His forearms are a bit more furry than his upper arms

⚜️The backs of his thighs and his little booty have longer, curled fur 🥰🥰🥰

⚜️Rub a balloon on him and watch it stick :)

⚜️Bathing with him is fun because you get to play with his fur! Run your fingers through it! This is a feature, not a bug!!

⚜️Except now he’s more like a soggy kitten 🥺 a happy one at least!

⚜️The tail is surprisingly not just, like, skin! It is fuzzy! The fur there is very very short and fine, but still soft and fuzzy! It kinda feels like one of those lamb’s ear plants! Or peach fuzz!!

⚜️But the tip isn’t covered in fur 😔 just like the bottoms of his hands and feet!

⚜️He says belly rubs are degrading, but he likes them 😘 especially when that fur on his chest and belly hasn’t been trimmed in a while, he’ll absolutely stretch out and let you run your fingers through it during late morning cuddles 🥰

⚜️Don’t be afraid to pay extra attention to his quasi-beard, too 😉 it’s not the same as pubic hair on a human! It’s just as soft as the rest of him!

⚜️And for better or for worse, you won’t have to worry very much about beard burn, at least!

⚜️He really doesn’t mind being petted anywhere and everywhere— so long as you do, in fact, have a close and/or (preferably) more intimate relationship!

⚜️Though, if all your past partners have been more on the human-presenting side, you’ll have to get used to always getting a mouthful of fur whenever you want to kiss his cheek or affectionately bite his arm 😅

⚜️This also makes it a little more difficult to do body shots tbh 😔 not to mention trying to get any sticky wine out of that fur later 🤧

⚜️Among other sticky things 🤭

⚜️And when you’re trying to be sexy and trying to lick him down from neck to abs 😔

⚜️But!! At least he’s all soft and cuddly :)

⚜️You’ll probably literally be rubbing your cheek against his like some kind of cartoon couple! You can’t help it that he’s so snuggly 🥰

⚜️But it’s gonna get very warm under the covers— and not just because he’s getting frisky 🥲 sorry if you get hot easily!

⚜️Also sorry if you're ticklish 🥺 he’s probably trying to be very sexy and romantic by kissing down your stomach all slow and teasingly 😏 but those fuzzy cheeks are probably going to have you giggling and squirming away from him instead 😅 it’s okay, he’ll work with it 😘

⚜️His tail is also a major offender of this! Sometimes, he does it on purpose, but other times, he’s genuinely trying to be sexy when he wraps his tail around your thigh or waist, but it’s so fuzzy! It tickles!

⚜️And that’s okay, too :) he does love making you laugh 🥰

⚜️But there’s another disadvantage… sweat and fur don’t mix— there’s a reason dogs and cats don’t sweat!

⚜️Bandaids and fur also don’t mix 😬 but hey, it���s a lot more intimate wrapping medical tape around his arm or whatever 😏

⚜️And no! He won’t get fleas 😤

[hazeytae]

perv!roomates taesan & leehan who always sneak around and steal your stuff until one day you catch them and they corrupt you..

can i be 🧊 anon ~○~

had to have this marinate in my inbox for a lil bit bc when i got this ask i was GIGGLINGGG 😫 nd yes u can be 🧊 anon!! hi !!! :3

♡ dacryphilia, voyeurism (?), oral (mf), i will be making this into a full fic!! 😡 so much i wanna add to this

you first started noticing your things going missing only a few months into becoming roomates with taesan and leehan. small things like a worn pajama shirt, or panties you swore you put in the laundry hamper that you just havent seen since. sometimes theyd randomly appear right back in your drawers and youd be a little confused, but you just brushed it off as you mustve missed it while searching.

unbeknownst to you, your perverted roomates had gotten their hands on all your panties! taesan literally couldnt get enough of you !! he wanted you so bad, but unfortunately for him you were just roomates. he resorted to stealing your worn panties and other used garments. stroking his cock as hed bring your panties to his nose, taking in your scent which just made his dick harder. wrapping the fabric around his cock to bring him closer and closer to the edge. strings of your name falling out from his mouth like a song while ropes and ropes of white sticky cum soiled your panties. afterwards he felt so gross, but its not like youd ever find out- he'll just wash it and place in back in your drawer! also i feel like taesan would take pictures of you changing or in the shower, staring at the pictures before stealing your panties off the floor and running to his bedroom to jack off to the photos. he'd think about how pretty youd look taking his cock sooo deep into your throat, gagging and crying on his cock. you were an innocent doll to him, and your angel like face and those cute lacey panties you wore made him want to corrupt you into a perfect slut just for him.

(more undercut!)

on the other hand, leehan wouldnt be stealing your panties if it werent for taesan. leehan once caught taesan in the act, but instead of asking him what he was doing it just gave him an idea. slowly but surely more of your panties started to go missing, some not even returning. leehan wouldnt return them. he'd keep them in his drawer and he'd make sure not to cum on your panties so your scent wouldnt go away. and if your scent went away- he'd take another pair of your panties. leehan would even take your panties to his mouth, tongue swirling around the fabric while he took in your taste. leehan had been obsessed with you- ever since he saw your pretty face and heard your pretty moans through the thin walls. you were moaning out his name too, even your lewd moans of his name sounded so innocent to him; from that moment forward he knew he had to corrupt you.

you started to get frustrated- your cute, expensive underwear kept going missing! youve searched everywhere and the only places left were leehan and taesans rooms. with a sigh, you decided to check leehans room, thinking it mightve ended up in his laundry by accident. but as you rummaged through his drawers, you found your panties, wrinkled and stained. your face turned red as you quickly grabbed them. "w-was leehan... with my panties...?" you whine blushing at the thought, before rushing back to your room.

you suddenly heard a sharp cry of your name coming from taesans room, his voice trembling as if he were crying, or maybe whining? your innocent mind immediately assumed he was hurt and needed you. as you approached his room, the sound of staggered breaths grew louder, confirming your worries. “taesan, are you okay?” you called out, pushing the door open, only to be met with the sight of him with your panties wrapped around his cock while thick ropes of his cum spilled out onto them, making eye contact with you with that cocky smirk while you covered your blushing face. was he really doing this? not only was leehan taking your underwear, but so was taesan!

you felt a large figure slowly come behind you making you squeak, it was leehan. "t-taesan.. leehan- w-what is this?" you watch taesan as he walked towards you chuckling.

"you just noticed? you didnt know i was the one taking your little lacey panties?" taesan asked cupping your face with his hands, smirking at your red face. it wasnt unusual for taesan or leehan to be touchy with you, cupping your face or kissing your neck- but this was something else. your heart was racing and you had just watched taesan cum while moaning your name oh so beautifully.

leehan was giggling behind you, "cant believe you got caught taesan." he swiveled you around to face him "i saw you found all your panties. sorry for taking them." he ran his hands down your body making you shiver, you knew his apology wasnt true.

"y-you guys are perverts..." you whisper, suddenly getting shy with their hands all over your body, leehans hands slipping under your shirt rubbing your sides while taesans hands slipped under your waistband. you did want them- you wanted them really bad, just as bad as they wanted you. and they knew that. they knew that from how many times theyve heard you moan out their names while finger fucking yourself.

taesan took innovative to tug your shirt all the way off, "you dunno how long ive waited" he mumbled moving your hair to kiss and suck on your neck while he played with the waistband of your shorts. leehan looked down at you humming, "me too..." he mumbled before smashing his lips against yours while desperately tugging down your shorts and panties at once, making taesan chuckle at his desperation.

taesan picked you up, pulling you away from leehan and throwing you down onto his bed, "let me use you angel, let me make you mine." he mumbled crawling on top of you burying his face into your tits kissing and sucking. his pants had already been thrown onto the floor, making his boner painfully obvious. leehan whined coming in between your legs "taesan stop taking her from me!" he mumbled swiping his fingers across your folds feeling your wetness. "yah,, shes already so wet for us," he giggled kissing your clit gently. you felt so shy, practically bucking into leehans face while you watched taesan.

taesan groaned licking and lapping at your tits while leehan worked on your pussy with his tongue. taesan suddenly got on his knees tugging your hair slapping his cock onto your face "use your pretty mouth angel baby. you got it," he hissed when you opened your mouth happily taking his length into your throat. he was big, you were gagging everytime you bobbed your head. leehans skilled tongue was making you moan around taesans cock and taesan loveddd the vibrations, he couldnt get enough of how good your mouth felt and leehan couldnt get enough of how delicious you tasted. he was starting to get pussy drunk as your juices mixed with his drool coated his chin, sloppily licking and pumpijg his fingers in and out of you while you worked your mouth so sweetly on taesans cock.

but taesan wanted more. he gripped your hair into makeshift pigtails before warning you "m gonna fuck your face, tap my leg if its too much" he grinned throwing his head back as he thrusted into your face ruthlessly and moved your head up and down. you started to cry. he loved this sight, your pretty teary eyes looking up at him while he ruined you. this was just what he needed. leehan was in a trance as he watched, humping taesans bed while he ate you out. your nose hit taesans tummy as his cum filled your throat, making you swallow it all. you and taesan came at the same time, your taste emitted a long satisfied moan from leehan as he slurped up your juices happily.

[stvrgxsm]

long nights, soft days | joel miller [1.2k]

joel comforts reader while she is on her period.

c: references to blood, periods.

beams of late-afternoon sunshine flowed in from the window, bathing the room in a buttery glow.

it wasn’t often that you allowed yourself to sleep in so much, but then again, last night had been… a lot. joel could get insatiable sometimes, and there were usually little to no warning signs. when he did get like that, you slept for far longer than normal.

but this time, when you tried to roll over, all you felt was warmth pooling between your legs. familiar and sticky, you instantly knew what was going on.

unfortunately, the end of the world didn’t mean the end of periods.

you clamped your legs shut and willed yourself to not feel the twinges of pain, both in your core and legs. one was biology. the other was joel.

speaking of joel… the room was empty, but judging by the angle of the sun, he should have been home already. you stilled and listened for a moment. sure enough, pots and pans clanging in the kitchen downstairs alerted you to his presence. 

a dull ache settled over your stomach, and you squeezed your eyes shut, groaning in pain. it didn’t even occur to you that ellie could still be home, or that she would hear you.

so when she burst into the room, you sat up in shock, your muscles cramping again. “woah. lady troubles?” she asked, hands up in a placating gesture.

“no– i mean, yes. can you just– can you help me to the bathroom?”

“yeah, of course. hold on, let me–” she ducked out of the bedroom, and a moment later, you heard her yell, “joel! she’s awake! can you bring up some pain meds?” then she was back, her arm looped under yours and wrapped around your back, supporting most of your weight. the two of you made an odd pair, hobbling to the bathroom.

your period had always been particularly bad. maybe if there were no infected, you would try to seek a diagnosis, but as it was, it hardly seemed important. there were more pressing issues to deal with. 

like your family. you’d been with joel and ellie for a good six months, and nothing felt better than being known by them. ellie had started bringing you the shiny bits of glass she encountered on her outings in jackson, and joel…

well, joel was your partner. in more ways than one. he supported you, he cared about you, and he bandaged your wounds. and he fucked you stupid with increasing frequency, but that’s beside the point. 

you took a seat on the lip of the bathtub and watched ellie gather some things she thought you might need. “do you prefer pads or tampons?”

“either. whatever. which do you have less of?”

she looked at you appraisingly. “i’ll just put both in here.”

“what are you making?”

“it’s a basket of period supply stuff. for you to keep next to you in bed.”

“oh. thank you, that’s– that’s really sweet of you.”

“yeah, of course.” she had to jump to reach the next item– chocolate from the top shelf. “i know how hard these are for you.”

before you could respond, joel had shouldered his way into the master bathroom. his eyes skipped over ellie completely and landed on you. his brow furrowed. “y’okay, hon?”

“she’s on her period.”

“ellie!” he scolded, the southern twang especially obvious in his distress.

“what? it’s true!”

a brief smile flashed across your face, but it was dimmed by another layer of pain settling on top of the first. joel noticed; he always did. 

“c’mon, honey. let’s get you to bed.” he reached for you with both arms, and you thought for a moment he was going to help you walk, like ellie had. but suddenly he was holding you against his chest, your arms wrapped around his neck.

“joel!”

ellie laughed from somewhere behind you.

“what?” he asked innocently.  

then he was laying you down on your bed gently, wincing with you at the change in position. “it’s okay, sweet thing, i’m so sorry.”

“do you have those pain meds?”

his eyes brightened with the reminder, and one of his hands went into his pocket to retrieve a small bottle of white pills. “ibuprofen,” he said, placing two of them into your open palm. 

“thank you.”

“of course.” he looked over the room for a moment, then back at you and the bed. “where’s your water?”

“i don’t– i don’t have any.”

you shrunk into the bed under his withering gaze. “baby. what did i tell you?”

“i have to take care of myself?”

“yes.” he heaved a long-suffering sigh, and you smiled up at him. “i’ll get you a glass. don’t dry-swallow those.”

you nodded, cradling them in your open palms reverently. he disappeared out the door, but you could still hear his footsteps on the stairs and in the kitchen. he had heavy footfalls; part of you thought you would be able to hear him even if he was outside. 

ellie brought the basket into your room. “okay, this has everything you might need. pads, tampons, a menstrual cup, chocolate, my heating pad, the works.” she rolled her eyes. “obviously joel keeps the pain-killers under lock and key. he’s so paranoid.” 

you shared a smile with her, and then she nodded sharply. “okay, i’m leaving. going to make dinner with tommy and maria. i won’t be back until later. will you guys be okay?”

“you know we’re supposed to be the parents here, right?”

but she was already out the door. “whatever,” she called behind her, laughing.

you weren’t alone for long. joel’s footsteps came up the stairs and into your room, and he carried with him a glass of water and a bowl. he set both down on your nightstand. “i made soup for you,” he explained.

“just now?” a smile played on your lips, pulling an eye-roll from him.

“no, silly girl, i was cooking this whole afternoon. while you were sleeping.”

“well, you did keep me up late.”

his brow furrowed. “is that why you’re feeling so bad? i mean i know you’re on your period, but is it made worse by that? i’m so sorry, sweet girl, let me make it up to you.”

he was already kneeling at the edge of the bed before you could even get a word out. “no, no, no, joel, it has nothing to do with that!! really. nothing at all.”

he eyed you warily. 

“i promise! it’s totally unrelated! please, just– can you just–”

“yes, sweet girl?”

fuck. “can you please just lay down with me?” it was almost embarrassing asking joel for anything soft. you knew he wasn’t a particularly gentle man. you were surprised he was even doing this for you.

his entire face softened. “oh, honey.” and then his shoes were off and he was under the covers, curled around you. he tucked his chin into your neck and inhaled deeply. 

you giggled. “what are you doing?”

he was quiet for a moment. “just thinking about you.” his hands came up to your stomach and began rubbing soft circles into the flesh there.

“what about me?”

he didn’t answer, and when you shifted in his arms to look back, his eyes were closed. but his grip tightened, and you allowed him to pull you closer, into his warmth. another smile danced along your lips. 

who needs a heating pad when you have joel miller?

[jiraisupportgroup]

♡ Body & Face Care Tips (for when showering is too much) ♡

Showering is hard sometimes for multiple reasons T-T

But I made a post abt hair care sans-shower so now we gotta talk about body care!! Unfortunately I don’t have as many tips as I did for the hair care one - but on the bright side it’s a little simpler ♡

~ Body Care ~

♡ Baby wipes are your best friend. Go through & wipe down every part of your body. After you hit big target areas (armpits, feet, genitals) switch to a new baby wipe. You can also get biiiiiiig ones from CVS or Walmart sometimes. Look into bathing cloths - they’re usually really big and antibacterial so they’re awesome to have on hand.

♡ If you don’t have baby wipes or bathing cloths, or just don’t want to spend the money on them, use a wet washcloth. You can use a little bit of soap on it if you need, just be sure to wipe down with just water afterwards to avoid soap residue on your skin - that can make you very itchy. I usually recommend baby soap because if you miss any it tends to be less itchy once it dries.

♡ You can also use a body sponge for this (a sponge NOT a loofa, loofas hold on to too much soap so it’s hard to use them to get excess soap off later). You also don’t really have to be at a sink! You can use just a bowl of water so you can do this anywhere. ^-^

♡ Baby powder is really good for hot months, patting a little baby powder onto high-sweat areas & joints can help prevent chafing and keep you dry & fresh through the day. You can also use a little bit of baby powder in your shoes to freshen them up, same for clothes and bedsheets - baby powder is just kind of awesome.

♡ Lotion is amazing for rehydrating skin & smelling fresh after a good wipe-down. I’m obsessed with the baby lotions because they’re not too thick so texturally it doesn’t feel as sticky.

♡ Legs & armpits can be shaved outside of the shower if you want to. Wet your legs, use conditioner or a shaving cream, and shave. Rinse off your razor frequently & make sure you wipe down the area with a wet washcloth afterwards to make sure there is no soap residue. I’ve done this on the couch before I’m not even going to lie. (You also totally don’t have to shave, absolutely 0 shame it’s not like a required thing at all, this is more so of a “if you want to” kind of thing.)

~ Face Care ~

♡ Makeup remover wipes are amazing I love them. On days where washing my face is too much I use a makeup removing wipe (even if I’m not wearing makeup) to get any oils etc off, and then follow up with a baby wipe. Works great.

♡ Micellar water is also amazing. You can use a little washcloth or pad to wipe down your face (no rinsing required) or squirt some into your hands, wipe down your face, then rinse with water. Much lighter than soap so sometimes if you’re not feeling up to the whole face washing thing, this can feel a bit less taxing.

♡ Don’t worry about all the extra stuff. If you have the energy for all the creams and serums and toners and spot treatments that’s amazing but if you don’t, just don’t do it. I promise your skin is not going to freak out if you skip out on some serums. Wash face -> moisturize -> and you should be good to go. Honestly depending on your skin type & what face wash you’re using you may not even need moisturizer either.

~ Make the Shower More Bearable ~

♡ Shower while sitting down. I bought a little kid’s plastic stool from Walmart for like $7 & it works wonders for the days where I’m too exhausted to shower.

♡ Use a shower cap so you can just focus on cleaning your body.

♡ Use a soap you enjoy the scent and texture of, switching up soap scents can make things feel new and less taxing too. If you want, use a 3-in-1 shampoo conditioner body wash combo, if it makes the process easier, just do it ♡ whatever you can do to make things easier.

♡ Shower with the lights off. Do not shave if you’re showering with the lights off. But sometimes if the idea of looking too closely at your body is too much, showering with the lights off can help a little bit. Alternatively, covering the mirror with a towel or sheet can help as well.

I’m sure there’s more than this but this is just what I usually do to keep things fresh when I don’t have the energy to shower T-T

Feel free to drop more tips in the comments / ask box if you have any! 🤍🤍🤍

[brokenpieces-72]

New Balance

New Neighbours | Navigation

Note: This one has been sitting in my notes for a bit, and was inspired by a photo of Neil Ellice in a white sweater, and no mohawk. From there I got the idea of Soap surviving the bullet but there would still be consequences.

Amnesia, is what they told Johnny. They were able to provide him with proper living and even provided him with some work. He was encouraged to attend therapy but it wasn’t required. Some times he went if only to talk some stuff out. Johnny had a good life though. The neighbours were friendly, he had a contractor who hired him for consulting and odd jobs, decent income, and on occasion took in foster animals. Yet something always felt missing from his life. They didn’t tell him anything about his past. A clean slate, a fresh start. Then why did feel stale?

Johnny opened his eyes with a gasp and sat upright. Another dream about death. Honestly, he was considering returning to his therapist about it. He checked his clock and saw he’d woken up before his alarm again. Seriously 4AM? Again? He tried to go back to sleep but the image of a skull dressed in black kept burning into his mind. Johnny, fed up with his fruitless efforts sat up and pulled out the notepad he’d started keeping by his bed, writing down what he’d seen in his sleep. At least he could add it later on before it vanished from his head again. Johnny tried to go back to sleep grumbling to himself about his mind not letting him ignore what he’d witnessed. He maybe got an extra hour or two of just relaxing and resting before his alarm went off.

The amnesiac got out of bed, and did the usual morning routine. A small work out today, he didn’t feel up to a full one. Breakfast was simple enough, and he could pick something up on the way to his regular job. Shower, dressed, checking his pack to make sure he had everything, lunch made up. An hour to spare, with enough time to grab a bite to eat.

Johnny went to work and headed to the tire shop immediately. Fall was when everyone got their tires changed over and he could work quickly. Mix that with night stocker and he was able to cover decent enough ground. Plenty of friendlies around him, people teaching him how the warehouse worked, and people for him to teach. It also meant a lot of energy lost by the end of the night. Yet somehow sleep wanted to leave early almost every night.

He came in to find a kid cross training in the shop, still learning by getting the vehicles lifted and nuts and bolts off the tires. The noise the power socket made when it was grinding against the nuts was evident of their lacking experience. It was loud and almost sounded like gun fire. It went on for a while, of them tightening the bolts more than they maybe should. The sound was not new but it did give him a bit of anxiousness.

“Aye!” He shouted to the kid. They stopped and looked back at him. “The bolt is on, move on to the next one and get it torqued.”

“Yes sir.” You responded. The loud bang of tires breaking pulled Johnny back to where he was supposed to be. A few needed to be balanced, so he got to work on that, removing the weights, and getting new ones on.

You could curse up a storm, clearly frustrated with the screws and the weight of the tires. You were crouching so yeah that can be sore on the ankles with extra weight after a while. The concrete floors were pleasant on the knees either. Johnny noticed you looking around and fiddling with the socket, which was stuck to the nut of the wheel. Johnny finished up and called for you reading your name tag.

“I can’t get it out, I don’t know what I did wrong.” You said distressed. Johnny could deal with it.

“Get these on to the one in bay two. I’ll fix this.” Johnny said, offering a newly balanced tire. You got right on it, quickly. At least you had that down. Unfortunately you seemed to be making plenty of mistakes. Not your fault, some were out of your control. The bolts were sticky on some, others were hard to find the lift points. You kept apologizing, with some of the other employees as well.

Johnny had you as a night stocker in his department. Worked hard and quick but fell behind sometimes. Sometimes Johnny had to remind you to pick up the pace. You just needed a few pointers, and reminders to stay focused.

The day was tiring. Eventually it ended though. As Johnny gave his farewell to the older manager lady, he stepped out to let the cold air fill his lungs. He leaned against the wall, taking a moment to relax before the drive back home.

You were sitting at the picnic table just outside the exit door. You were shivering a little, and checking your phone. A little young for you to be out here alone. Late to be out here alone. Johnny had finished later giving him some over time, but you finished sooner than him. Chilly out too.

“Oi kid?” Johnny said. You looked up, arms folded, shivering and hunched over. “You getting picked up?”

“My uh… my uncle was supposed to pick me up, but… guess he forgot. Just waiting for someone to come.”

“Don’t ya live near me?” Johnny asked. You gave him your address, and yep, it was maybe a five minute drive from away from his place. “Want a ride?”

“You sure?”

Johnny jerked his head. “Not that far out of my way.”

You got off the table and followed the older man, the backpack slung over your shoulder. Johnny didn’t mind driving a little further down the road.

“Sorry for causing any trouble today.” You said.

“Stuff happens. Don’t worry too much.” Johnny assured her. You started chatting with him, learning more about him, and he learned more about you. Little artist who had your sketchbook out every day before starting your shift, played video games, and liked animals.

Once they reached your home, Johnny let you get out but waited as you went up to the door. The uncle was supposed to leave the spare key out or the door unlocked. Johnny already didn’t trust this. He watched as you fumbled around the door trying to get in. Johnny got out of his car and beckoned you back in. No way in hell he would let you stay on the porch.

He got you in his car and drove to his place.

You kept saying sorry. Johnny told you again, it was fine. Besides he didn’t mind the company, living alone. If anything he was concerned you might be the one uncomfortable. A blanket was found and a pillow, and you curled up on the couch. You fell asleep before Johnny could say good night. It was a lot of work, he doesn’t blame you.

The next morning though you were gone. A note was left saying you’d gone back home, and thanking him for letting you stay the night. Johnny shrugged it off, got breakfast made and some small work done before heading off to work himself. He expected you to be at work at least and you showed up early once again. Almost an hour early. He didn’t know if your perception of time was off but then he saw you in your sketchbook. The doodles were pretty cute, and he realized it was the kittens he was fostering. Once his stuff was ready he sat down next to you and asked about your work. Another apology for sleeping and dipping, and then he got his answers.

A couple of weeks passed by, and you had come around to Johnny’s place a few times to stay the night. Johnny didn’t mind putting you up, but he told you to get a spare key so you could get back in your house. A few times you did get picked up, and Johnny tried to talk to your uncle. Each time he missed out, or the Uncle told him he didn’t have time to talk. Johnny would let it go, shaking his head.

In the tire shop, the noise was high. When tightening the bolts, on the wheels, once tight the loud clicking from the socket unable to move can be loud, and grinding. Johnny found himself looking up every time it rang out. The night before, his sleep had been riddled with shouts and gunfire. The kid was doing it, to make sure the wheel was on properly, to reduce the work of torquing. A few others were as well, but it kept pulling Johnny’s attention, making him stare off. It was making his heart thump harder in his chest, and the air to thin around him. The manager had to snap him out of it a few times, offering to take over whatever he was working on.

You took notice of him a few times but assumed he just got distracted. It started to be a pattern though, and with the busy schedule and getting backed up, there wasn’t much time to stand around. You finished bagging the tire you were on, loading it in the back of a car. Johnny was right by the pile of junk tires, bracing himself against one of them. Without a word, you touched Johnny’s arm bringing him to reality again. Johnny tried to go back to work, but no. You were insistent on him stepping out of the shop to get some water.

“I haven’t been keeping you up have I?” You asked.

“No no… m’fine. Ah’m just…” Johnny didn’t know what to say, so he shrugged. You told him to wait outside in the quieter part of the shop, and went back in to get Johnny one of the mini chocolates someone bought for the tire shop team.

“Take a minute. Have some water. Have your chocolate. Come back in when you’re ready.” You said. Johnny nodded, appreciating the your concern for him. Yeah, he needed a break. If it was to get away from being overwhelmed then that was fine. You disappeared back into the shop while Johnny sighed, leaning against a stack of tires. Yeah that chocolate felt good along with the cold water washing it down.

The dream felt too real last night. It was a fast blur but a few things had stood out to him, having seen them before previous nights. The thing that should’ve haunted him was seeing death. He swore that’s what it was, the grim reaper. There were times he swore he saw it outside of his house too but passed it off as just nerves. It should haunt him… so why didn’t it?

“Aye. Try to stay awake.” Johnny said, nudging you in the passenger seat. You yawned and stretched in your seat as much as you could. Both of you were exhausted. Johnny had been getting plenty of commissions for consulting, along with regular work. You had been working overtime quite a bit lately. Thank god the weekend was tomorrow. Johnny had offered to let you stay the night, seeing you drag yourself through the last couple of work days. You could sleep in hopefully, instead of taking off before the sun could.

“M’tryin…” You said sleepily, rubbing your eyes.

“Ya did good today.” He said, hoping conversation would help keep you awake.

“Thanks for letting me stay tonight.” You said.

“I’m not driving all the way to your place tonight, and I cannae let you go walking by yourself.” Johnny exclaimed.

Once you got to Johnny’s place, he let the you in, and then turned around. The road wasn’t very well-lit but he scanned the trees and houses anyways. It was a more rural area, less people and houses, so someone standing and watching like Michael Myers catches peoples’ attention. Yet the only thing stirring was the trees from the wind. Johnny was alert, trying to discern shapes and rule them out as anomalies.

“Johnny?” You asked from behind. Johnny didn’t say anything, instead stepped inside, still watching before shutting the door. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Ah’m.” Johnny assured you, but he wasn’t so sure himself. You didn’t press. Only asked where the spare blanket was. Johnny wasn’t going to let you sleep on the couch tonight, and instead led you to the small guest room he had. You seemed to appreciate that, thanking him and offering a hug. Johnny gladly accepted the offer.

Once Johnny left you to wash up and tuck yourself in, he went to the kitchen. Then he started to draw the curtains, not wanting anyone to see inside his home. After that he went to the basement and inside a small closet in a makeshift office space. It was under lock and key, one that Johnny kept on him at all times. Unlocking it he took inventory of the small weapons stash he had, seeing if anything had been taken out without him noticing. Everything was accounted for. He shut the doors and locked it back up.

Johnny wasn’t a stranger to pattern recognition. After having a few dreams of death he knew it meant something. He wasn’t willing to talk to his therapist about it. But by now, he’d started to piece some things together about his past. In a side room next to the closet, was a chair. A chair sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded by thoughts, ideas, notes, scribbles and even news clippings that Johnny had collected over the past couple months or so. It was a lot, with not a single spot of the painted dry wall peeking through. Johnny couldn’t even remember the colour of the walls. He tried to add something each night, especially after having dreams of him being in high adrenaline situations, with gunfire and shouting and death. Yes, couldn’t forget about death.

Not tonight. Take a break tonight. Johnny was worn out and fixating would just make him feel even more tired the next day. He would be fine tomorrow, a long sleep, a good breakfast, and chilling with you. That he could live with.

Outside, he watched his old friend stare out from his front porch looking. Did Johnny know who he was looking for? Maybe. Unlikely. Just to be safe, he moved into cover, as you called Johnny into the house. He’d seen you leave from Johnny’s house more than once, and hurry home. After a while he was going to pack it in, assuming Johnny had gone to bed by now. Then Johnny did something he hadn’t expected. Johnny drew the curtains closed. There were no signs of Johnny after that, but the curtains were a sign themselves.

Johnny’s gut hadn’t changed. The drawn curtains were to keep prying eyes from looking in. What prying eyes could Johnny be avoiding? Or was it him that Johnny was concerned about?

He waited a couple hours before finally walking away, keeping himself inconspicuous as he headed to his vehicle. If Johnny was remembering it could be a good thing. The question was whether Johnny would be willing to come back after everything he’d made for himself.

After a few seconds of mulling it over Simon drove back to the safe house.

Taglist: @yourlovely-moon @kaoyamamegami @h0n3y-l3m0n05 @sans-chara @0wosugarmommymedic0wo @smitten-haematite-quartz @talia-the-gemini @yuki2129 @whitetiger846 @graystorm444 @chibiduck @reaperxxxxzz @danielle143 @sobbingnshtting @cringeycookies @cryingpages @dcnocap207 @reaper-chan666 @bestbookfriends @thriving-n-jiving @cutiecusp @shikigami-the-paper-spirit @lolyouranelf

[tales-of-wocdes]

Mc who probably going to grow up to be a scammer (a good one) and evade doing taxes and also probably going to be banned in nearly very single kingdom (basically stanely from gravity falls)

I have to admit, I have not seen Gravity Falls. So I will think of something to write.

Some context snippets. Here, here, here and here . The first one is about "Grandpa", the next two about "the hoard" and the last one about the kitchens.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

You want to make more shinies. The cookie based extortion ring has unfortunately run it's course and you are out of the small shinies that were so nice for your hoard. You find yourself missing them. Getting them the first time was easy but now people are paying attention to you.

You had asked the adults you know and trust how to make more shinies. Havard said you could do some chores, and be paid for it. That sounded boring.

Lexia said to use your good looks. Apparently you are adorable and can get anything if I master the "pitiful face" and "puppy dog eyes". Like that one time in the kitchens, you got fed good! That seemed to be closer to what you wanted, but that strategy resulted in more treats and food, not shinies. Treats are good, but not what you are currently after.

You had considered asking Sandor, Alessa and Ethel. In that order, but you were reluctant. However, it was that time of the month when you had a visitor. A visitor who had to be more adult that even the adultest adult you normally interacted with, namely Havard.

Surely something, the Ancient Grandpa, would know of a good way to get more shinies.

You were right! Grandpa had all sorts of ideas. From dungeon diving, to bandit hunting, it sounded like getting shinies was easy! Grandpa had so many good ideas, thought you did not understand all of them. How would "walking through a busy market with sticky fingers" make more shinies. Grandpa is so odd sometimes.

Unfortunately, Havard disagreed. You have never seen him raise his voice at Grandpa before. You wonder what "Completely unrealistic and irresponsible." actually means.

In the end, you have decided on a combination of Lexia's idea and Grandpa's. Grandpa said you just have to sell the stuff you get from the bandits or dungeons.... and that got you thinking. You had no stuff to sell... but Lexia did say you are adorable, and that can be apparently sold.

You had to get Lexia to help you. It was not fun, she laughed at your idea to make more shinies. It was a sign. You are not sure what it says, the squiggles are still beyond you but you asked for "Smiles for money from an adorable orphan." You don't know why the orphan part is important but Grandpa said, it would get you more shinies than just "child". The sign is also awfully full of squiggles ... but maybe writing takes lots of space.

Now, you are in the city, and marching down the street, sign held high. Lexia is behind you, amused and curious.

It does not take long for people to take notice.... and it works! People, especially the elders, you think they are old, they are more wrinkly than Lexia for example, come over and coo at you.

You give them your best smile! The one you practice in front of the mirror. Your smiles always look a bit... off to you, but Lexia says you are adorable so it should work, right?

It does... something. The people freeze for a moment, and their own smiles go a bit odd. Not as natural, your internal sense tells you. You have no time to figure it out, the shinies start coming in!

Little square things, and even a few round bronze things. All good for your hoard! So you keep smiling as widely as you can.

The people often go and whisper something to Lexia. Mostly the younger people... but you can't hear them. You have more people to smile at, and smile you do.

You don't even question how easy it all is.

-------------------------

Lexia is happy MC can't read, and does not question this. Discreetly she slips coins to everyone who gave MC money.

The sign MC holds says, "Smiles for money from an adorable orphan." as requested.... but under that it says. "Make the kid's day, they can't read! Pretend the smile is fine, and give them some small coins. Get reimbursed from the woman in Silver behind them, and make no mention of it to the kid."

MC could use some practice with that creepy smile.

---------------------------------

So... this went in an odd direction.. but once again, a snippet is a snippet. No revisions :D Still, not sure who is scamming who here.

It got quite long.... Thanks for 1000+ followers on this blog!

[chimera-dreams]

Tether Me - Chapter 4

Pairing(s): Geto/Gojo/Reader

Summary: Sweet, cold, saintly watermelon spread over your tongue and you ascended, tilting your head back as you nursed the popsicle like it was the ambrosia of the gods themselves.

Satoru skewed over and dropped his head on your shoulder, making you lour at him. You very much did not need someone else’s muggy body heat worsening the already unbearably humid air.

“Fan me,” he demanded, and you poked his cheek with your popsicle, leaving a sticky spot behind.

“Fan yourself,” you rejected.

Suguru chuckled to himself. “You’ll get used to it and learn how to manage.”

“Speak for yourself,” the man using your side as a bed snarked. “Been here my whole life and I still feel like I’m dying.” CW: No y/n | polyamory | slow burn | slice of life | alt au - no curses | fluff | light angst | eventual smut | forgive me, there's internal monologues | I like using big words... | Gojo & Geto are whipped for you | emotionally constipated reader | (most of the tags have been condensed, you can find the full list on my ao3 here) AN: arachnophobes beware, there is a spider in this one (it’s fairly early into the chap tho) (also v tiny boi, not even really described). Summer has arrived! No other notes for this one, lovelies ♥ except some more second-hand embarrassment. A bit more Suguru focused in this one ♥ Ch: Prologue | Ch: 1 | Ch: 2 | Ch: 3 | Ch: 4 | Ch: 5 - 1 | Ch: 5 - 2 WC: 14k

“Has this house really been abandoned for only 20 years?” You grunted as you forced a scraper under a crumpled section of a newspaper that might as well have been glued to the ground on purpose. Your arms trembled from the strain, knuckles drained of blood, your hands fighting for their lives to finally free the paper of its wooden prison.

With a shallow yelp from you, the scraper came loose, only taking a quarter of the browned paper with it. The section ripped partially through the head of a baseball player, giving him a rather unfortunate face lift.

“That’s what everyone says,” Suguru confirmed as he worked on scrubbing a chunk of the floor like he was trying to avenge someone. His nose wrinkled in disgust when he lifted the rag and observed the dark grime stuck to it. “I asked my gran, she said that she can’t remember the family’s name, something starting on ‘Fu’. Father, mother, and their son. The mother was diagnosed with some sort of illness that the village doctor couldn’t manage, so they had to go to the city.”

“Oh,” you frowned as you sat back on your heels. “Did she survive?”

He shrugged, dipping the rag into the bucket of once clean water beside him. “No idea. They weren’t super close with any of the villagers here, so there weren’t any updates after they left. I assume she didn’t, since they never returned here.”

“That’s sad,” you spoke low as you tossed the piece of ew away in the bag beside you. “I hope they’re okay, one way or another.”

The two of you worked together in the living room, peeling useless bits of goo and gunk to clean the house inch by inch. You'd already finished with the first pass of the kitchen, hallway, and master bedroom. After getting the go-ahead from Uncle Han a bit ago (you felt weird calling him that, but he insisted), you decided to start indoors to spare yourselves from the ever rising sun. With summer approaching, the lawn had been dealt with promptly, the three of you moving through it surprisingly speedily with teamwork.

Satoru, for all his rich boy credit, was actually helping. You were honestly expecting him to maybe work for five minutes, then laze around and whine about being bored, but you were pleasantly surprised by his productivity.

For one, he’d been gathering various architecture and designer house catalogues; stuff that was in, stuff that was out, and everything in between. Whatever might strike your fancy, he was there to offer his input, whether asked or not. You could tell he was having fun showing off expensive house designs, even if it was way too early to be looking at paint colors and matching furniture. He was acting like it was his house that was getting renovated.

He was also helpful with the physical labor portion of fixing this mess up, putting those beefy biceps to good use. He’d done some wondrous work in the kitchen.

That’s not to say he didn’t whine about boredom and hardship and whatnot, but at least he was working while doing so.

Presently, he was in the smaller room opposite to the master bedroom, addressing the tatami issue. Said issue being that the material was practically cemented to the floor below, strangely crunchy for being stiff as a brick, and very much showing its age.

He was experimenting with various methods for prying it off, at his own assertion. It gave him the opportunity to lean into that primal urge to break shit, and who were you to take that away from him?

Every few minutes, you’d hear a muted thud, some strangled noises, and a delightful little swear here and there. You’d learned that he quite hated tatami as a kid, annoyed that he had to be careful with it. He was grumpy that he couldn’t run about and stomp his feet like the spoiled child he was because it’d get damaged, then his folks would get mad. Now, he had the perfect excuse to take all that pent up anger out on some actual tatami.

“You think he’s having fun in there?” You asked as you lifted off another slice of the paper, turning it around in the tight pinch you held it in. Most of the words had faded off or bled from whatever liquid got onto it years prior. You could barely make out a cut-off phrase that made you snort. Left fielder is short!

Suguru sneered at the floor. “I sure hope not.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not having fun, so he doesn’t get to have fun, either.”

You rubbed your cheek against your shoulder, fighting the desire to scratch at the itch with your grubby, dirty hands. “Are boys always at each other’s throats like this?”

“Yes,” he answered bluntly, earning a half-laugh, half-cough from you.

You smiled apologetically at him. “I’m sorry. You really don’t have to do this.”

He shook his head as he got up, stripping off his yellow rubber gloves. “I’m not going to back out now after saying I’d help you. I’m gonna keep my word to you. But, I will go grab a drink and think about my life choices outside for a few minutes.”

You breathed out through your nose and waved lazily at him as he stepped out of the open front door, disappearing behind the wall. It was his idea to bring some options for hydration with him, and you lauded him as a genius for it. Even if a quarter of the options were cheap beer. 

Deciding you earned yourself a break, too, you tossed whatever else you managed to free from the floor away, along with your gloves, and got up, shaking out your numb legs with a wince. Ow.

Sure, you’d done next to nothing compared to Suguru, but, oh, your back and arms felt so sore. Poor you. He could forgive you, couldn’t he?

Figuring you should check on Satoru, you trod down the hallway and stopped in the open doorway of the room he was occupying. He was turned halfway towards you, hunched over as he scratched aggressively at the floor with something you could only tell was made of metal. Sweat stuck to his forehead in a thick layer, droplets beading and running down his temples and the curve of his jaw. White hairs were plastered to his cheeks and brow, pale lashes clumped together, lips pulled into a wide grin.

A shiver dashed up your spine.

He looked positively feral.

You should probably leave him be, you didn’t want to get caught in his crossfire, lest you end up the target of his destructive goal. 

You began to creep away, easing off the doorframe, hoping to avoid–

“Mochi!”

Damnit.

“Heyyy, buddy,” you greeted cautiously, meeting his gaze. His winter blues were alight with an untamed sort of fervor, sunglasses folded into the collar of his button-up. Had the moisture on the small of your back always been there? “How’s it goin’ in here?”

“It’s fuckin’ stubborn, but look!” He waved frantically to a boxy pile of…something. Vaguely tan and clumpy and gross. Listen, you weren’t very peeved out by nasty stuff as a kid, but even child you wouldn’t dare touch it.

Gojo, meanwhile, looked ecstatic, seemingly having figured out a method that worked. More or less.

The corners of your lips twitched upwards into a watery smile. Mainly because you were afraid that he’d pounce on you with that brutish glint in his intense stare if you didn’t show the appropriate amount of enthusiasm for his hard work.

“Wow!” You exclaimed, a smidge stiffly. “You’re doing a great job!”

Satoru ate that shit up. He glowed, preening under your praise, even if it felt like you were talking to a six-year-old kiddo wielding a hammer.

“I know!” He cheered. “This is fun!”

You questioned how long that zeal would last. You also debated whether or not you should tell Suguru that the maniac was having fun. You were curious to see what would happen, but you didn’t want to get dragged into the potential brawl they’d have.

The boy in front of you was panting, the collar of his shirt dampened by the droplets of effort he wiped off with it, and the temperature outside was rapidly rising. As hot as this image was, minus the eugh-factor of your house, you weren’t keen on him dying of exhaustion and leaving you short one extra pair of hands.

How noble of you.

“Wanna come take a break with me and Suguru?” You asked.

He glanced at where he paused his work, back to you, the floor, then you one more time before nodding. “Yeaaah, I did a lot, I deserve a lil’ break.”

He groaned as he pushed on his knees and rose up, absently dusting the front of his pants. You rolled your eyes at his show of theatrics, what with him stretching and whining. Not like you were any better, though.

“C’mon, you big baby,” you stepped out of the doorway, rotating to make your way down the hall. 

That was, until you noticed something on the wall beside you. A black dot, or speck you hadn't seen before. A stain, perhaps; a blotch, something dark stuck to the old paint. You could've gotten it dirty(ier) while you were cleaning at some point. You leaned closer to try and decipher it, squinting–

Legs. 

Not two, four, or six. Eight legs.

With a gagged gasp, you screeched and immediately booked it out of the house, adrenaline pumping through your system at mach speed. You nearly slipped as you banked the corner, your sights set on the open front door.

The blinding white of day was burning into your retinas, but you couldn’t care, you needed to get the hell out! 

Instinctively, you threw yourself into a surprised Suguru’s arms the moment you stepped past the threshold as he peeked into the house, concerned by the commotion. He stumbled back a few steps, eyes wide, then released a humorous chuckle as his arms wrapped protectively around you. Sturdy, strong, safe.

“There, there,” he soothed, stroking a hand up and down your back, fingertips pressing into pressure points along your vertebrae. It was easy enough for him to figure out what got you so panicked. “You’re alright, it’s just a spider. I’ll get rid of it for you.”

“Oh, my god!” You squealed and shook like a leaf, air whistling past your larynx. “Suguru! It’s giant!”

He cooed sweetly at you, obviously entertained by your frazzled state. “It won’t hurt you, you’re fine.”

“I am not fine!”

His laugh rumbled low in his chest, right under your ear as you squeezed the life out of him. “I can’t remove it for you if you don’t let me go, angel.”

You bared your teeth at him. “Don’t you dare leave me.”

Suguru opened his mouth to respond, only to get preemptively cut off by a girlish scream originating from within the house. Seconds later, Satoru was dashing out, colliding directly with you and Suguru. A mix of stifled noises of shock erupted, and all three of you toppled right over onto the hard-packed soil.

Suguru’s arms encased more firmly around your form when Satoru tackled you, one thick arm coming to cradle the back of your head while the other constricted your waist until you were pressed immovably to his front. He pillowed your fall, even though it meant taking the brunt force of the ground’s swift ascent by himself. Satoru collapsed on top of you, leaving you sandwiched between the pair.

This was not how you imagined you’d experience your first yukadon. 

Cheek pillowed by a rigid tit. Spine crushed by a dense body. Lungs utterly squashed. Lavender, cypress, and musk overwhelming your olfactory senses. Super sexy.

“Are you fucking stupid, Satoru?” Suguru hissed out, voice strained with pain, compression, and thinly-veiled anger.

“It’s fuckin’ huge, Suguru!” Satoru shrieked back. “Massive! Like, a meter long!”

Amber eyes glared over your head, still clutched to his pec. “Get the hell off, you’re crushing her. And me. You’re heavy as fuck.”

Gojo lifted himself up enough to peer at you, blinked, then laid right back down on top of you. Your wheeze of suffering did nothing to deter him. “But this is so comfy.”

“I will castrate you,” your personal airbag threatened.

Cyan eyes filled with spite as he finally rolled off of you and to the side, allowing Geto to loosen his hold until you could breathe freely. While Satoru was busy grumbling to himself and looking for his glasses, the pair having been flung off in the clamor, Suguru gazed down at you with worry pooled in his softened hues.

“You okay?” He asked.

You wiggled your toes and fingers, then nodded. “Thanks to you. I should be asking you that.”

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me,” he put away your disquiet with a smile.

You frowned at his attempt at paying no heed to the subject. “That was a pretty bad fall.”

He snorted. “I work on a farm and grew up with Satoru. I’d hardly consider that a fall.”

“Oi!” Speak of the devil. The snow-haired boy had located his glasses, it seemed, as they were resting on the bridge of his nose, free of dirt and dust by some miracle. “Get up already, lovebirds.”

Fire exploded across your cheeks and the tips of your ears as you realized the position you were in – straddling your friend’s waist, chest-to-chest, his strong arms enclosing you to keep you close. 

You yelped and scrambled out of his hold, keenly aware that you were only able to leap off of him and stagger away because he let you do so. He was laughing breathlessly as he pushed himself up into a sitting position, endeared by your embarrassed reaction. He grabbed the hand his best friend offered him, their palms clapping as he got tugged onto his feet.

Meanwhile, you were fanning your face in a hopeless attempt to cool the steam lifting from your head, swearing up and down that it was the budding summer heat and not because you got stacked like pancakes by two unreasonably attractive men.

Yeah, that’s what it was.

The sun.

The literal sun, not the sun incarnated in the form of a man that was currently busy brushing off his pants, aided by Satoru clearing his back of debris.

Thank the gods you had tossed the murderous stepping stones off to one corner of the house just a few days prior. You did not want to think about what would have happened to Suguru’s pretty body if you hadn’t.

“You sure you’re okay?” The above-mentioned man with said pretty body called out to you.

You startled in place and cried out the first thing that came to mind. “You’re hot!” Fuck. “I-I mean, it’s– it’s hot! Outside! Right now! We should, uh, stop here for the day!”

Good save.

Dumbass.

You would have smacked your own head with a brick if it wouldn’t attract their attention and make them think you were crazy. Or worse. Turned on.

Suguru and Satoru shared a glance, exchanging in a silent conversation, then Satoru was walking over to the bag of snacks the former brought along, digging around it for a can of soda. He retrieved a separate can of light booze for the other boy, passing it along as they both shortened the distance between you. 

“You sure you wanna call it for the day?” Geto asked, his drink opening with an acute crack and tss, shortly followed by Gojo’s. Thank God they seemed to worn to tease you for your slip up.

Breathing deeply to settle your nerves, you dipped your head twice. “Yeah, it’s starting to get too hot for me.”

For too many damn reasons.

He hummed, sipping his drink as he peered at the chalk-haired boy, who took a sizable gulp in comparison. “Fine by me,” he ground out past the tingle of carbonation, fingers threading through damp, white tresses. “I don’t wanna die of heatstroke.”

“How about we head to the park, then?” Suguru suggested as he stepped away to shut the front door, like that’d prevent intruders or something. The extra security was unneeded, the house itself was enough of a deterrent. “We can stop at Granny’s on the way.”

“Sure,” you assented rather easily. You liked the park. Sitting in the shade, surrounded by the sweet fragrance of the flora there, sounded like a wonderful idea.

Satoru was not as keen. “In this heat? No way.”

His best friend patted his shoulder, gulping down a swig of his drink before responding. “You gotta touch grass at least once in a while, dude. C’mon, it won’t be so bad.”

“Fine. But if I die, I’m haunting you.”

“You’re not gonna die, don’t be a drama queen,” he said pragmatically.

You simpered to yourself as you went to grab Suguru’s backpack, zipping it up to keep everything inside. The last thing you needed was to embarrass yourself more by spilling everything. You grabbed one of the straps, ready to hoist it over your shoulder, just for a big hand to grab it by the top handle and tug it out of your palms.

You didn’t even get a second to prepare to fight for it, the coarse material easily slipping from your grip in a pathetic display of weakness. Your guard wasn’t up. You never stand a chance.

Your head snapped up to find Geto himself, his bag resting against his back as he held it by that same handle, fingers half-closed near his shoulder. He gave you a charming grin, eyes squinted from the squish of his cheeks. 

“Hey!” You gaped, hopping up to your feet. “I can carry it, I’m not helpless!”

The hell you aren’t.

He tipped his head back to finish off his drink, his Adam’s apple bobbing and causing more sweat to form on your brow, then tucked the empty can into his pocket to properly toss out later. “You aren’t,” he agreed, ruffling your hair affectionately with his now free hand, “but what kind of gentleman would I be if I let the lovely lady do all the work?”

All the work? You barely did any work. But, you did like being called lovely, so you supposed you could let it go this once.

Satoru scoffed. “Gentleman? You watched Shoko lug a heavy ass box of shit up two flights of stairs just last week. Hardly call that gentlemanly.”

“You think I’m going anywhere near Shoko and her medical supplies?” Honey-toned irises shifted from you to him. “Hell no. She’d have my head on a pike if I even got close to them.”

“You won’t hold the door open for Utahime,” he accused.

“I’ve held the door for her before. The only person I wouldn’t hold the door for is you, Satoru,” Suguru’s hand drifted to rest below the nape of your neck, scorching the exposed skin there.

He pressed lightly, urging you to start walking with them in the direction of town.

The 6’3” child moped, his eyes drooping. “My own best friend hates me. Practically my brother, and he wants me to die.”

Geto rolled his eyes and bent down to stage-whisper to you. “Drama queen.”

“I heard that!” Satoru exclaimed.

“That was the point.”

You sighed with levity, shaking your head. “Could you two at least try to not kill each other until we get to Granny’s?”

“No promises,” they both responded in unison.

They bickered back and forth over your head, one using you as a shield while the other used you as an excuse to ‘behave’. Not that it stopped either of them from hurling immature threats and insults, each one making you think about how a butterfly felt more scary than either of them.

Or, your presence was taming them after all, and they were more vicious when they didn’t have someone standing guard. What would happen if you were on the other side of one of them? Would the result be the same?

Since when were you into psychology?

“Oi,” a finger jabbed into your cheek, bringing you back to the present, where your trio was crossing over the bridge. “Don’t zone out. Pay attention to me.”

You sent the offending boy a sidelong glance, meeting his intensely cobalt, insisting stare, yet he reveled in it all the same. Attention was attention.

“I’m not zoning out,” liar, “I’m just thinking.”

“About what? About us?” He teased, poking your cheek again.

He squawked and jumped back when you bluffed a strike at him, your teeth snapping dangerously close to his finger.

“Not like that!” He hissed, nursing his finger to his chest. He went as far as pressing the digit against the likely lukewarm can of soda he still had, exaggerating his obvious injury. You know, the one that didn’t exist.

Suguru barked out a laugh. “Like I said; drama queen.”

Satoru harrumphed, mumbling incoherent grievances as he pressed the rim of his drink to his lips, presumably to ‘politely’ muffle his quips with sips of carbonation.

You wanted to bully him a little more, ribbing him when you had the high ground was too much fun.

Geto would probably have more material for you to work with.

“Hey, Suguwu, do you–” you abruptly cut yourself off and slapped a hand over your mouth.

So much for high ground.

Satoru snorted his soda out through his nose and yowled, crying out in pain between guffaws as he clutched his hand over his lips in a hopeless attempt to catch any spare liquid.

Suguru raised a brow at you, a bemused smile spreading lazily across his face, turning his eyes into mirthful, mischievous crescents. “Pardon?”

Your entire face glowing a deep shade of vermillion. “I– can we just pretend–”

“Suguwu!” Gojo wheezed, arms coiling around his stomach, free hand grasping the side of his shirt for dear life. “Y’hear that, Suguwu? Think the lady has something to say, Suguwu. Hah!”

“Don't tease her so much, Satoru. I think it's cute,” he said, adjusting his backpack to hang on his back by one strap.

“Can you, please, just let me die now,” you grumbled, hiding your face with your hand placed flat along the side. You felt like you pulled the pin on a flashbang but forgot to throw it.

Gojo wiped his mouth with the back of his forearm, coughing out whatever liquid had gotten caught down the wrong pipe. You could hear him crooning at you, but you were trying desperately to focus on your destination as it came into view, hoping and praying that Granny would save you.

Or someone, anyone, else.

“Hello!”

Prayers answered! For once!

Your head perked up at the sound of a familiar voice as you approached the store, and you were immensely grateful for the divine timing of your arrival. Candied reprieve kissed your skin, easing your humiliation right away.

“Iori-san!” You called back, returning the wave she sent you in greeting. Spotting a head of brunette hair next to her, you shifted your attention to her companion, lighting up further with both relief and joy. “Oh, hey–”

“Aha!” Satoru jogged forward and spun around, throwing his arm around a less-than-amused Shoko’s shoulders. “This is Ieiri Shoko, she’s the doctor I warn– told you about!”

“Ah, we already met,” you grinned at Shoko, who gave you a ‘can you believe this shit?’ look.

“Wait, what?” He blinked at you. “Really?”

You nodded in confirmation. “Yeah. She called you an idiot.”

Suguru snorted into his palm, briskly facing away to poorly conceal his swallowed back laughter. 

Satoru balked, blinking between you and your mutual friend when she shoved his arm off her. “When was this?”

“Uh…” You pressed your curved index against your chin, calculating. “Same day you and I met, actually.”

He looked completely aghast, utterly betrayed. “Wh– that was ages ago! Why didn’t you tell me!?”

You lifted and dropped your shoulders, grinning sheepishly. “Didn’t cross my mind?”

Deflating with a wispy wheeze that imitated a sad balloon, he pouted and turned his back on the entire group. “Can’t trust anyone around here. Keepin’ secrets, callin’ me a drama queen and an idiot.

Shoko rolled her eyes. “You are a drama queen and an idiot, Satoru,” she grunted and shook her head, then shot a relaxed smile your way. “Thanks for the macarons, by the way. They were delicious.”

“Yeah!” Utahime bobbed her head. “You’re an amazing baker.”

You scratched your neck with one hand and patted Satoru’s back with the other to comfort him. “I actually only know how to make macarons.”

Utahime shuffled closer to you, mouth parted with disbelief. “What? No way! I bet you’d make a great baker! Nothing like that idiot over there,” the bridge of her nose wrinkled with distaste as she sent the whining baby a scathing side-eye.

“I told you she bullies me!” He was looking your way in an instant. “It’s her fault I’m like this! How is any of this fair?”

“She’s older than you, so she gets to bully you,” Shoko stated. “Sibling rules.”

“We are not siblings!” Utahime shouted, nose and forehead flushed red with anger. “Shoko! How could you say that!”

Satoru took that statement and ran. “By that logic, I get to bully Suguru!”

“You already do,” Geto responded.

You blinked, and found a face unexpectedly very close to yours. “What about you, huh?” Ocean blues pierced into the depths of your soul. “You bully me a lot, too. Does that mean you’re older than me– agh!”

He clutched the back of his head where Iori had landed an expert hit, delivered with a precision mastered only after years of training. “Jerk! Don’t you know not to ask a woman her age!?” 

“Why is everyone abusing me today? What did I do to any of you, huh?” He sniffled, bottom lip jutting out as he pinned his watery, puppy-dog eyes on you.

Okay, now you were starting to feel bad. Letting go of a shallow, defeated exhale, you opened your arms to him.

His expression changed to glee faster than you could realize, and within seconds, you were being crushed against his chest. You didn’t give consideration to how strong he was, woefully unaware that his forearms alone could exert enough pressure on your limbs to make a few joints pop. 

“Yippee! I knew someone cared about me!” He stuck his tongue out at everyone else, then nuzzled himself deep into the crook of your neck.

Too hot, too hot, too hot!

“Yeah, yeah,” you hacked out, patting his back. “You can let me go, now.”

“No way,” he refused, breath tickling your collarbone. “This is the least I deserve.”

Shoko was in your peripheral, a wicked smirk on her lips as she stuck a cigarette between them. You mouthed help me to her, and gaped when she pretended to get distracted and miss your S.O.S. request. 

Screw Shoko, Utahime was your favorite person now. She was by you in a snap, prying the arms of steel keeping you caged off of you. Her strength was impressive, especially given that Satoru was actively fighting her on it. There was a hand on your shoulder, coaxing you to duck down under their arms, and dash into the safe haven that was Granny’s shop.

Sweet, sweet AC.

You visibly shuddered as a blast of arctic air hit you. Heaven was in all the things easily taken for granted.

The chime of the bell summoned the old lady out of thin air – or it might have been her ‘you’ senses, she had a keen perception for when you’d be coming.

“Oh, hello!” She welcomed you warmly, wholly ignoring the second person with you as she scurried across the floor to reach you.

Granny grasped you by the shoulders and pulled you close, pressing a couple wet, loud kisses on your cheeks, right in front of your ears, making your eardrums pop. Your theory that the sound of kisses grew louder with age was gaining credence.

“How are you feeling, dear? You aren’t working too hard, are you?” She planted the back of her hand against your forehead, steamrolling right along and not giving you a chance to respond. “Oh, my, you’re so warm! Are you feeling feverish? Sick? I’m telling you, you should leave that house to the men who are used to working in those conditions.”

“Granny–”

“Sit, sit, let me get you some water,” she nudged you towards the familiar stool you’d taken respite on many times now, ready to zip away to retrieve that promised glass of water.

“Hey, Granny,” Suguru interrupted that plan by raising a hand in greeting, only to be subsequently pummeled by an angered grandmother. “Ow–”

“Some man you are, letting a lady get ill!” She shamed him.

You immediately hopped up, bolting to his rescue. “Granny! Granny, I’m not sick, it’s okay! It’s just hot outside today.”

She stopped her volley of attacks on the poor, innocent man to take in your appearance. She lifted your arms, eyeing down your figure carefully, then hmphed.

“My apologies, darling,” she reached up to pinch Suguru’s cheek, which somehow looked more painful than the fairly weak smacks she delivered earlier. She was easily able to tug him down to be eye-to-eye with her. “But you have been taking care of her, haven’t you?”

Still, he put on a smile and nodded. “Of course, I have been.”

She smiled broadly at him and released his cheek, patting it gently twice. “My, what a good boy you are. But, if I hear you’ve been mistreating her, I won’t hesitate to beat you with my geta and bury you beside that fish of yours.”

Suguru grimaced as he rubbed the tender spot she had pinched, rising back up to his full height. “Ouch, Granny. Don’t worry, I’ve been keeping an eye on her.”

You planted your hands on your hips, eye twitching with irritation. “I’m right here. And, I can take care of myself, you know?”

“I carry extra bottles of water because you always underestimate how thirsty you get,” he fired back. “You sweat it out faster than you think you do.”

You coughed into your fist. That was fucking embarrassing. Now you were worried you had a sweating problem. “Maybe I’m a little forgetful, but it’s not that bad.”

This time, Granny was on your ass. “You need to take better care of yourself!”

“Granny–”

“What if you didn’t have such a dependable, strong, young man to take care of you?” She tutted in disappointment. “What about when your husband is away at work?” – HUSBAND!? – “Will you forget to drink water then, too?”

You half-inhaled your spit, looking up towards Suguru for help in getting out of your pseudo-grandmother’s scolding–

You almost questioned if you were imagining the flashing dots outlining him – or, rather, where he used to be. A quick twist of your head proved he had already sauntered off somewhere towards the back of the store, if the thump of a fridge door was anything to go by.

“Are you listening to me, young lady?” Holy shit, for being an older woman, her pinches hurt.

“Ai– yes, I’m listening,” you assured her, wincing. Looks like you had no savior to get you out of this one. There was some muffled yelling outside the glass pane behind you, implying that the three that didn’t come in were too busy squabbling to see you getting reprimanded.

Though, knowing Satoru, he’d just use this as ammunition against you.

She jiggled your cheek. “Very good. You’re a beautiful woman, you need to take care of yourself. Lots of water, avoid direct sunlight, make sure you eat well, all that. Understood?”

“Understood,” you assented.

That good-natured smile of hers was back, and you were pulled into yet another hug. “D’aw, I can’t stay mad at you, you’re too sweet. Don’t go letting anyone take advantage of that.”

There was only so much of the embrace you could return when your arms were pinned to your sides by your unnaturally brawny kinda-grandma, leaving you to awkwardly prop your chin on her shoulder. “I know, Granny.”

That was a lesson you learned a long time ago.

You observed Suguru as he walked between the aisles while he grabbed some stuff, his head sticking out high above the shelves. When he emerged back out at the front, you were seated on the stool that basically belonged to you at this point. He carefully set his gathered spoils on the counter next to the cash register, then slipped past you to go behind the counter. 

His hand briefly rubbed your knee, something you noticed he did from time to time. While he wasn’t nearly as touchy as Satoru, who didn’t know the definition of personal space, he did often give you comforting nudges like that.

You noted with curiosity how familiar he seemed with ringing up his products by himself, working swiftly to tally them. Based on Granny’s lack of reaction when she returned with a mug, she trusted him to pay properly.

Smooth ceramic was placed within your palms, and you brought it up to guzzle down the life-saving liquid within. Damn, Suguru was right, you had no idea how thirsty you were. In terms of hydration, anyway. You were painfully aware of your other shortcomings.

“How’s that house of yours coming along?” She asked, resting a weathered hand on your upper thigh.

You hummed past a gulp, then answered. “Good, I think. We’re still washing the floors, but we’ve already cleaned up a lot. Satoru’s been dealing with the tatami in one of the rooms. It’s been stubborn as hell so far.”

“Try soaking it for a while beforehand,” she suggested. “And ventilate well. Goodness knows what’s been in there.”

Comforting. “We have been, don’t worry. Suguru managed to get all the windows open, which has been a huge relief.”

The elder leaned in close to you, ‘whispering’ in what could have only been a singular decibel quieter than normal talking. “See? Reliable, strong man. He’d take good care of you, I’ve known him since he was a child. Very dependable.”

Wha–

Was she trying to set you up with him!?

You glared at him when you heard him laughing under his breath, having heard her suggestion. It’d be more shocking if he didn’t.

Instead of coming to dispel her wild offer, he stuffed his goods away into a bag and walked towards the exit. You got up to follow after hastily finishing your drink and letting her take the empty mug from you, fully intending to give them both a piece of your mind the next chance you got. “Thank you for the water, Granny. We’ll head out, now.”

“I left some extra cash for you, Granny,” Suguru said as he held the door open for you. “From my mom, paying you back.”

She clicked her tongue. “I told her not to worry about it. Be safe, you two. Suguru, tell your mother to sleep with one eye open.”

“Will do,” he agreed too easily for such a casual threat, pushing you out into the humid summer air, and you were tempted to return to the sanctity of her air-conditioned shop. 

“You’re back! Thank God!” Utahime ushered you further away from your salvation, to which you whined and peered back at it forlornly. “Come with me to the shrine! I found more mythological history books recently, and you promised to tell me about Sne– sneguh– snah?”

“Snegurochka,” you corrected.

“Yeah! Her!”

A limb wrapped around your middle, drawing you back into a board chest. “No can do, Utahime!” Satoru shut her down cheerily, pressing his cheek against yours. “She already agreed to go on a date with me to the park.”

Utahime’s appalled expression was mirrored in your own. Her upper lip lifted in a snarl directed at your captor and…date, apparently.

“Like hell! I’m not letting you corrupt my friend!” She growled.

“Corrupt?” He pouted, playing the part of virtuous maiden. “Me? Why, I’d never.”

Suguru crossed his arms over his chest. “With us, Satoru. Don’t forget about me.”

“Hard to when your head is so big,” the other boy snapped in return.

You gawked at Geto, disbelieving. He was supposed to be your savior! “It is not a date! Don’t go making Iori-san and Shoko think the wrong things!”

“Welp, I gotta head back to the clinic,” Shoko said as her name was called, beginning to walk past. She patted your bicep on the way. “Good luck.”

“Shoko!” You cried out after her. “Come back here!”

She merely waved over her shoulder with her cigarette pinched between her fingers, blowing out a stream of smoke.

Utahime cupped your face in her hands, expression taut with seriousness. “Blink twice if they’re holding you prisoner.”

You heard ‘blink’ and went with it, batting your eyes as fast as you could.

“I knew it!” She bayed, tugging at Satoru’s arms – but she couldn’t free you. “Let go of her, you dog!”

He jerked his head towards the hill her shrine sat atop and gasped theatrically. “Oh, no! Is that a fire near your shrine?”

“What!?” She whirled around in horror, opening up the opportunity for him to tow you away, one arm staying around your waist while he led you into an unwilling sprint.

“Ohp, so sorry, guess I was wrong!” He yelled back, giggling at the rage painted all over her twisted expression.

“Satoru!” She shrieked, watching with grit teeth as Suguru jogged to catch up. “Yeah! Get him, Suguru–” Her jaw dropped when he grabbed your hand with his free one, making you run faster. “Oh, Heaven’s sake, not you, too!”

What the fuck! You didn’t agree to extra exercise today! And poor Utahime! You really hoped she wasn’t assuming things about your relationship with the men.

“Hey– guys! Slow down, damnit!” You heaved out. “Ugh! You two are awful!”

They simply laughed, hauling you right along to the park. Their long ass strides made this hell for you, and you were certain that if the park wasn’t so close, you would have eaten shit and died from the amount of times you stumbled. Their tight grips kept you from falling, and you partially wished they’d just let you collapse.

Pavement gave way to grass, the impact of your shoes becoming dulled. After running a few steps further, they finally gave you mercy and let go of you, slowing their gaits to a stop.

You slapped your hands against your knees, greedily sucking in air through the ache in your throat.

“You two–” pant, “really–” pant, “fucking–” pant, “suck.”

Satoru snickered and smoothed a hand over your messy tendrils, ignoring your death stare, finding it humorous in your current state. “Aww, come on! That was fun!”

“You’re gonna give Iori-san and Shoko the wrong idea,” you groaned, wiping wetness off your brow.

He feigned innocence. “What idea?”

Bastard.

“That we– tch,” you took in one more deep breath to catch your breath. “Nevermind. Shut up.”

“Don’t be like that!” He purred, right on your tail as you trudged to a nearby maple tree.

With the impromptu run, plus the season, the heat was finally getting to you. For all of Satoru’s bravado, you took solace in the fact that it also looked like the temperature was affecting him.  

You flopped down under a maple tree you picked out and loafed back on your palms, trying to survive the immense wave of evil weather that chose to sweep across the valley. You felt like you were turning into a prune, or a sponge that got tossed into an oven set on broil, despite all the sweating. You weren’t a stranger to high summer temperatures, but this was asininity.

Somehow, you survived the trip to the park, mourning the glacial morning dew that had long since evaporated, leaving the grass tepid at best. But you’d take anything, whatever it cost to keep you from roasting like a fine crème brûlée.

Satoru dropped down beside you, not doing much better than you, and Suguru slumped against the bark of the hulking plant, taking respite under it.

The shrill songs of cicadas took presence everywhere, chirping and pestering the females in hopes of copulating and passing along their live-underground-for-17-years genes.

You were immensely happy that you managed to clear out most of your lawn before the true harshness of the season kicked into full swing. You would not have lived through that, and doing it at night would have been too dangerous.

Work was very far from what you wanted to think about, though.

“Why the fuck is Japan so hot in summer,” you lamented, lethargically fanning yourself with a slack hand. It did zilch to help. “How do you deal with this?”

You squealed when something chilly touched your forehead and squinted up to see Suguru holding out a popsicle to you. You grabbed it without a second thought and ripped off the plastic covering, stuffing the crumpled ball back in his awaiting hand.

Sweet, cold, saintly watermelon spread over your tongue and you ascended, tilting your head back as you nursed the popsicle like it was the ambrosia of the gods themselves.

Satoru skewed over and dropped his head on your shoulder, making you lour at him. You very much did not need someone else’s muggy body heat worsening the already unbearably humid air.

“Fan me,” he demanded, and you poked his cheek with your popsicle, leaving a sticky spot behind.

“Fan yourself,” you rejected.

Suguru chuckled to himself. “You’ll get used to it and learn how to manage.”

“Speak for yourself,” the man using your side as a bed snarked. “Been here my whole life and I still feel like I’m dying.”

You chomped off a bite of your snack with your molars, flinching at the slight sting, then relaxed as the chunk rested on your tongue. Bless Suguru and his mother hen tendencies. Towards you, anyway. He seemed to find humor in his best friend’s suffering up to a certain point.

The newly purchased, refrigerated, highly-sugary fizz he bought while at the store showed he did care at the end of the day.  

Summer in rural Japan smelled nice. That was about all the praise you were capable of giving this hellish landscape when you were getting steamed like a damn dumpling. Winter you could deal with; in winter, you could just add extra clothes or blankets or whatever for more warmth. You could only get so naked in summer before you were melting into a gross puddle.

“I wanna skin myself,” you slurred around your icy treat.

Suguru snorted. “That’s morbid.”

You bored into him blankly, examining his clothes – light-colored long sleeves and full-length, loose pants versus your tank top and flappy shorts. “How the hell are you dealing with this so well?”

He simply shrugged and gave you that closed-eye smile that always had your insides doing funky things they flat-out were not allowed to do. “I’ve always preferred summer.”

Hm. It added up. You always associated him with the sun – warm, inviting, making you want to lay somewhere soft and bask in his glow. But that feeling was warmth, not sweltering fire making your muscles shed off your very bones. 

“You’re a beast,” you mumbled, unsure if you were admiring or fearing him. “What ‘bout you, Toru?”

“Ehh?”

“Season.”

“What about it?”

You whined and placed your head on his. “Pay attention, idiot.”

“Well, excuse me, princess. I’m busy trying to not die of heatstroke over here,” he pinched your thigh, making you yelp.

You flicked the back of his hand in retaliation. “What’s your favorite season?”

“Oh,” he pried his limpid orbs open and eyed you from over the rim of his sunglasses. Those glistening, forget-me-not hues never failed to whisk your breath away. “Spring.”

“Good choice,” you approved.

Suguru bent down from the tree, angling his head to the side as he pointed a finger at himself. “Oh? Is my choice not good?”

“Ask me again when I don’t feel like I’m evaporating,” you muttered, taking another bite of your ice snack and plainting at the sharp pain radiating in your teeth for a few seconds. He merely laughed in the voice that had you feeling twice as flushed, instantly soothing the pain away.

“Don’t eat it like that if it just hurts you,” the silver-blond grumbled, his eyes already closed again as he fought to fend off the temperature mentally, if he couldn’t spare himself physically.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” you huffed pettishly.

You partially closed your eyes and lazed back on your free palm, absentmindedly licking up the melted drips before they landed on your hand and coated it in residue. More than they already had, anyway.

A welcomed breeze rustled through the leaves of the trees surrounding you, a relieving balm against scalding skin that had all three of you sighing in alleviation. It rustled the yellow of the leaves above your head, creating a mesmerizing show of dancing golden fans, their edges dipped in crimson.

The droning chirps of cicadas, the tweets of birds calling to their brooding mates as they brought back food from a successful hunt, the fragrance of blooming flowers being pollinated, having their nectar gathered in preparation for being turned into honey – all of it surrounded you in a deep serenity you didn’t know you were capable of feeling.

Your head was optimistically empty, merely taking in the ambiance in fine detail. The lush, fluffy grass underhand tickled your wrist and the back of your hand, and the pleasant silence with your closest friends made you…happy. 

You’d been happy for a while now, but never stopped to notice it until this moment.

You found two idiots and two other kind-of-normal people to call friends, and you always ardently anticipated hanging out with them, rather than dreading it. You were pouty when they were busy, and ecstatic when you could all gather together.

Especially these two dumbasses, Tweedledee and Tweedledum. You spent most of your time with them, doing things that reminded you of the nostalgic highschool and college years you didn’t recall having.

You ruminated on how different your life would have been if you knew them from childhood; if you went to school with them, grew up as neighbors, mourned when Satoru left for his studies, celebrated when he returned. Would you have still ended up like this, a paranoid kite that was running out of thread to cut?

Or would you have been normal – or, at least, normal-adjacent? How would being raised in Japan differ from your home nation?

…

Home nation.

What was your home nation, again?

All that came to mind was here, now, with your best friends on either side of you. You knew where you were born, but that seemed so far away, now. You didn’t remember what the sky looked like over there – if you caught a glimpse of it at all in the first place.

Reflecting back left an odd emotion welling in your chest, like you were forgetting something. You wouldn’t say melancholy, nor yearning. It wasn’t nostalgia, either, seeing as you were semi-nomadic for a good portion of your life. You didn’t stay in one place long enough to form attachments to anyone or anything. 

When you tried to think about your childhood friends, you saw Geto, Gojo, Ieiri, and Iori. The boys were smaller, childlike, with chubbier cheeks and brattier attitudes, but your boys regardless. You remembered how Satoru was the class clown that frequently set off your teachers, while Suguru egged him on from the backlines, purposefully getting on his nerves. 

Shoko was there, too, watching with a shit-eating grin and not doing anything to help. Utahime at least tried.

And then there was you.

You didn’t really know if you were there or not. Just a spectator, possibly, but it didn’t seem like that. Not an empty, silent, emotionless observer, no. You couldn’t put your finger on it. What you were was there, on the tip of your tongue, you just didn’t know the word for it.

These memories weren’t real, you knew that. But it didn’t hurt to imagine they were, especially when they felt like they were.

You could see yourself growing up with them, spending days lazing under the shade just like you were now, losing half the water in your body under the unforgiving summer sun and turning into a sort of sad excuse for a cucumber. You could remember the sharp sting of a wadded up piece of paper hitting your temple from across the table, your head shooting up so you could glare at jubilant Satoru that concluded throwing notes at you from two feet away was a better use of his time than just whispering or, gods forbid, studying.

You were certain he did it specifically because it pissed you off, and because he was unafraid of repercussions from the teacher. Discipline didn’t exist in his dictionary. Suguru would grab the wad from your other side to toss it right back and nail his best friend in the center of his forehead, leading to a paper ball fight that you were, unfortunately, directly in the middle of.

Shoko and Utahime, the lucky bitches, were smart to choose seats a few tables back, safely out of the firing and collateral range. 

You tried to join the two several times, yet the boys somehow always managed to sit you right back between them. You were their ‘mediator’, even though you tended to exhort them rather than soothe. You did calm them down, but only after you, Shoko, and Utahime had a good show. It was payback for all the times they dragged you into their messes.

Other memories filtered in bit by bit, sporadic sections popping up as they pleased; dying on the track field together, sparring against one another, learning vague concepts in a classroom that scarcely had anyone in it. You and Satoru would crack stupid jokes until you were both in stitches, Suguru would be there when your thoughts became too much to handle, Shoko was the one to mend you with a touch that felt both toasty and mellow at the same time.

There weren’t a lot of you, but you had each other, and that was all you needed. You had your friends by your side, and you were complete.

You were pulled from your woolgathering when you felt someone pluck your popsicle from your hand, your eyes flying open to gawp at Suguru in disbelief as he took a sizable bite out of it, then returned it innocently, as if he hadn’t just robbed you blind.

“Hey!” You cried out. “Thief! That was mine! You said you were fine in summer!”

“I said I prefer summer, not that I’m immune to it,” he corrected you, licking off a spot of juice from the corner of his mouth. Such a simple action from him legally wasn’t allowed to be that devastatingly attractive, yet here he was, casually breaking the law and sending you into disarray. “Besides, I paid for it.”

“Unfair,” you pouted, staring down at your now half-gone heatstroke preventer. “You can’t just give me something, then take it back.”

He chuckled and knelt beside you. “Relax, I’ll buy you another one.”

You instantly perked up. “Really?”

“Yes.”

“Will you buy one for me, too, Suguwu?” Satoru flapped his long eyelashes and stuck out his lower lip.

“No.”

“What!?” He sprung upright. “Now that’s unfair! It’s favoritism!”

Suguru snorted and dropped the bag between your knee and Satoru’s, which the latter took to like a raccoon to a dumpster. He dug around inside the plastic until he located his drink and held it up like Arthur did with Excalibur.

Only Gojo could down this amount of sugar in a single day and not suffer the consequences, you mused, watching him greedily gulp at the borderline dessert. Maybe there was some merit to his body being godly, after all.

“Hey,” Gojo called out after chugging a solid 2/3rds of the soda. “What are those, uhhhh…maple syrup snow candies called?”

“I think they're just called maple syrup snow candies,” you filled in.

“Maple candy, or maple taffy,” Suguru enlightened you. “Popular treat in winter in Canada.”

Satoru gave a thumbs-up in appreciation. “Yeah, those. I want one of those.”

You lamented. “It’s the middle of summer.”

“But they sound so cold and good. Mm…I can taste it already. I just know they'd save me from this god awful heat. Thanks for the soda, by the way, Suguru.”

Geto hummed in acknowledgement.

An idea flittered into your mind and you sat ramrod straight, clapping your hands together and grabbing their attention. Satoru grunted, slipping partially off you. “Let’s go to the river!”

“Hm,” Suguru considered it. “Not a bad idea, might help us cool down.”

You celebrated at obtaining his approval and passed the rest of your popsicle to Satoru, who devoured it in a single chomp.

A large hand was offered to you in way of assistance and you grabbed it, getting pulled easily with a short ‘hup’ from your aide. He inspected your form for a moment, then plucked a fallen leaf from the top of your head, twisting it between his digits. When a gale lifted, he released it, letting the unseen hands of the sky carry it away.

Satoru was up on his feet, too, the plastic bag in his hand crinkling from the shift in position. “Let’s go!”

He took the lead, speed-walking through the park to reach the shallow slope that allowed easy access to the river. For someone who was about as dead as you minutes ago, he obtained an infectiously energetic zest out of nowhere. Motivation is a hell of a drug.

You caught up to him and skipped forward, unburdened by needing to carry anything like the pair. Already able to feel the refreshing bite of the water as it came into view, you picked up the pace, racing towards the cure to your ails.

You tore off your tank top in the process and threw it somewhere carelessly, stumbling out of your sandals as you neared upon the shoreline of the river. Leaving them behind on a boulder, you skidded down the bank to the icy waters and jumped in, dressed in your shorts and sports bra.

A shrill cry and jubilant hoot echoed in the valley as goosebumps coated your skin, prickling the hair on your arms and nape. Frigid liquid surrounded you, abruptly replacing torrid solstice with frozen tundra. 

“Fuck, cold!”

Satoru was rolling up his pant legs, his own button-up having been disposed of like your top. Just as eager to experience the same liberation you did, he toed off his shoes and ripped off his socks, then he was kicking up water next to you as he joined you. The crystalline liquid came to about mid-thigh for him, but that didn’t stop you being able to see all the hairs on his body stand on end all at once.

“Cold!” He echoed you.

You laughed, running your wet hands through your hair. “That’s what I’m saying!”

Not wasting a second, he threw a handful of water onto you, making you twist your body to avoid the splash. You shrieked from the pellets of frost raining down on you, his icy-toned orbs brimming with mirth at your reaction.

Suguru was still on the shore, more composed and patient than either you or his best friend. He went about methodically locating both your and Satoru’s shirts, setting them down on the ground beside the bag and his backpack, then focused on his own clothes. 

He slipped off his shoes and socks, rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and legs of his pants, and stepped into the river.

Just to get grabbed and pulled further in by Satoru before he could get acclimated to the pressure of the running stream.

He took in a shallow breath, bounding forward to keep his balance and not fall splat into the rapid. “Satoru!”

“Come on!” Lanky fingers pushed back ivory hair. “Relax a bit, would ya?”

Chestnut eyes narrowed. “There’s a difference between relaxing and getting waterboarded.” 

Gojo huffed. “Yeah? How would you know what getting waterboarded feels like?”

“How many times have you nearly drowned me in your hot spring?”

“I wasn’t trying to drown you.”

“So, you admit it’s waterboarding, then?”

The two were distracted, arguing about drowning technicalities, which meant they weren’t paying attention to you.

Perfect.

You sank down into the flowing water, shivering from the hibernal wet as it surrounded you. Once you were absolutely certain they had no idea what you were up to, you made your move.

Crawling along the riverbed, you let the flow guide you, using the sound of water breaking to further creep up on your companions.

You could hear the Jaws theme slowly ramping up in your mind, each beat growing louder as you neared. Trembles wracked your body, caused by a mesh of the nippy waters and budding adrenaline.

A little further, you were too far…still too far…almost…

“Rrah!” You jumped out the moment you were within range of your target, unleashing your fiercest battle roar as you threw yourself onto Satoru’s back and wrapped your arms around his neck.

The man choked in surprise, and based on the way he promptly lost balance and dropped like a rock into the waters with a heady splash, you could proudly say you caught him off guard. You both surfaced with deep gasps of breath, and you were on top of him as soon as he sat up.

Using your position of straddling his thighs to your advantage, you skipped past the torture and went straight for the kill.

Your fingers grabbed his sides and started lightly scratching at them. 

Satoru hiccuped and howled, writhing and trying to shove you off him as you attacked him with endless tickles. “Wait! S-Stop, no! That tickles!”

“Give up your throne, Gojo Satoru!” You demanded, doubling down on the siege on his crown. “Name me king, or I will never stop!”

He easily turned into a blubbering mess despite his attempts to stay stoic and strong. “N-No way! Oh, god– stop! Please!”

“Not until you hand me your crown!”

“Never! I’ll–” you pinched his hip and he yowled. “Okay! Fuck, fine, it’s yours, just spare me! Please!”

“Yes!” You released him at long last and threw your arms in the air in victory. “I’m the king of this valley! Haha, suck it!”

You climbed off Satoru as he took deep breaths to calm himself, turning your focus on Suguru, who was losing his shit on the shoreline. Wheezes slipped past his lips, the boy barely getting a chance to inhale before he was cackling all over again.

Standing with your legs shoulder-width apart and one fist on your hip, you pointed at Geto authoritatively. “You! Surrender to me now or face the punishment of one thousand tickles for defying the king! 

“Oh, god,” he heaved, arms clutching his ribs to keep himself together. Bunny lines formed on the bridge of his nose, brows pinched tight, tears springing to the corners of his amber eyes. “I can’t, the threat of tickles is too much. I surrender, I surrender!”

“The king is triumphant! All hail the king!” You thundered, throwing your head back to unleash a demonic chortle that soon turned into real laughter. “Mark my words, on this da–”

Powerful hands pushed against your side, and you went crashing unceremoniously into the river.

Poor Suguru was wiping away more tears at the point of you reemerging, flushed red from head to toe from the exertion.

“This is a coup!” Satoru announced. “I’m taking back the crown!”

“Wh– no fair!” You objected, wiping your face free of water. “I won that fair and square!”

He beamed down at you, summer skies reflected in his spring eyes. “Come and get it, then!”

An all-out war was waged then between you and Satoru, a motley of screams, hollers, and demands getting thrown back and forth at one another. The activity and sweltering sun kept your blood thermal within the oasis of the numbing waterway.

This pearl of time belonged to the three of you and the three of you alone. The seconds slowed infinitely, and though they never came to a true stop, they lasted longer than the birth, life, and death of a distant star. This, to you, was paradise. Your skin was frosty, but your heart was blooming as you skylarked and frisked with people you’d met only a short time ago, but treated like you’d known one another all your lives.

The limits of your joy seemed to shatter with each passing day, expanding more than you ever thought possible. Hell, you never so much as considered that experiencing exultation to this degree was possible in and of itself, but you basked in it all the same.

As long as it lasted, you would savor it.

The sun was beginning its descent when your trio chose to end your excursion, feeling sufficiently chilled.

“Brr,” you quivered as you made your way out, squeezing water out of your hair. “My fingers are like icicles.”

“Come on, ladybug,” Suguru offered you his hand, which you took gratefully, allowing him to guide you out of the river. “That’s enough for today, you’ll catch a cold. Let’s go get you warmed up.”

You moaned in complaint at the thought of having to walk all the way back home. You really should have considered it before deciding to take a dip. Curse your spontaneity. “I forgot, Satoru’s house is on that damn mountain.”

“We’re going to my place,” he corrected nonchalantly, as if it’d been long decided. “It’s closer, and my folks are out for the weekend.”

A hand towel was dropped on your face by Satoru, probably one Suguru brought with him when packing his backpack earlier in the day. 

“Dry off, princess,” Satoru instructed you as he crouched down by Geto’s backpack, popping open a bottle of water to knock back. He tossed a second one towards the noiret, who caught it with ease.

He waited for you to finish rubbing as much water off your head as you could before he twisted the top of the bottle off and handed it to you with a pointed look. A veiled threat to drink before I make you.

Well, jokes on him, you actually did want to drink water. 

You took it from him and gulped down half the fluid inside it without hesitation. By some boon, you had the self control to stop before you got sick, and returned the water with a thank-you. Suguru took it upon himself to finish the rest of it.

Satoru snatched the towel from you, replacing it with your tank top (also placed on your head). You blew him a raspberry and tugged it on, cringing at the feeling of your dry (sorta) clothing getting caught on your damp skin. Maybe you should have considered bringing a towel. You would have, if you’d known beforehand that you’d be making a stop at the river.

You hooked your fingers into the back straps of your sandals when they were handed to you, the other two following suit. The village was kept clean, so none of you were worried about stepping on anything concerning, especially since Suguru’s house was right nearby.

“Ready to go?” He asked you, and you nodded.

His palm had returned to its normal calidity, something you noticed as he helped you up the slope. The boy’s body ran like a damn furnace, even after playing in the stream for a couple hours with you. Granted, he somehow managed to keep himself dry above the knees, but regardless.

All three of you were tired out, and you were looking forward to unwinding for the evening. The two boys didn’t bicker much, some light teasing in quieter tones, and – as promised – the trip to Geto’s home was short. You were standing within the genkan of his house in no time, waiting patiently while he disappeared further in to grab a couple towels.

His house resembled the buildings around the middle of town, sitting on the side of the river your house did. There was a stretch of land behind it, but you didn’t get a chance to see much, having been ushered into the cozy abode. 

Being a bit nosy, you peeked around. There was a staircase leading up that hugged the wall of a turn to your left, leaving only the bottom few steps visible to you. The hallway straight ahead was clean and minimalist, likely leading to a dining room, if you had to guess. 

Each home had its own unique smell, and his smelled of spices and something faintly earthy, like fresh soil.

“Here we go,” Suguru announced his return, rounding the corner with a few towels in tow. He tossed one down at your feet above the genkan, motioning for you to step onto it. Obeying, you moved out of the pit, allowing him to layer a second towel around you before tossing the last one to Satoru.

“You can shower first,” he said to you.

You grabbed at the towel, pressing it into your hips and thighs to absorb the water that remained in your soaked bottoms. “Are you sure I can go first?”

He nodded. “You can take a bath, too, if you want.”

“Just a shower is fine, I think. I don’t want to take too long, since you two need to shower, too.”

Satoru sidled up to you, his smug ass grin coming into view as he hovered his chin over your shoulder. “Or, I could shower with you.”

Frankly, you were too drained to let that statement fluster you.

Suguru placed the tip of his index between Satoru’s brows and pushed his head away. “Leave her be, creep. Dry your legs, dude, you’re getting water everywhere.”

“You’re no fun,” the towhead pouted, but retreated anyway.

“Come on,” Geto settled his hand on your nape, guiding you inside. “Don’t be shy, the walls don’t bite.”

You snorted. “New fear unlocked.”

He snickered, shaking his head in amusement. “Relax, I won’t let any walls bite you.”

He took you around the bend, past the stairs, which opened up directly to the living room. While following a more traditional structural style, the interior was comfortably modern. A plush, gray couch was pushed against the wall, with side tables on either end. You immediately noticed that the place was littered with a bunch of plants. Some hung from the ceiling, a few were situated on floating shelves, and a potted shrub was situated near the flatscreen opposite to the couch.

You gawked around shamelessly with parted lips, intrigued by the domesticity of his home. “Your place is so nice, Suguru.”

He chuffed beside you. “Don't go making fun of me while you're my guest, now, angel.”

“I'm not!” You gasped, affronted. “I swear! I like it. Lots of plants.”

“My mom’s an avid plant parent,” he explained.

You hummed in appreciation. “It’s homely.”

He exhaled through his nose and pressed his thumb and first finger into your trapezius. “Thank you. Go shower; second door to your left down the hall. I'll lay out some clean clothes for you in a little bit.”

He pointed towards an open sliding door on the other side of the shrub, bumping you forward. You needed no further prompting, trotting off in the direction he showed.

Thankfully, you didn’t get lost on the way, his instructions easy to follow. Finding the bathroom, you went into it and closed the door. Your fingers hesitated over the lock on the knob, debating. He said he’d bring clothing, but didn’t mention where he’d put it…

You chose to leave it unlocked and hurriedly got to work shedding your drenched clothes. Placing the towel down on the sink counter, you unabashedly peeped the details of the bathroom while you dropped the pieces of your outfit onto the towel.

Just like the rest of his place, the bathroom was well taken care of, also adorned with a few plants, albeit smaller and out of the way. He wasn’t kidding when he said his mom liked plants.

The ceiling light gave off an inviting glow, subconsciously helping you relax. Naked, you fiddled around with the shower knobs until you got hot water to blast out. You squeaked in surprise, adjusted the temp to be your desired level, and hopped right in.

It felt like years of stress were dissolving right off you. His shower might not have been high-techy and super modern like the one you used back at Satoru’s, but the familiarity in its style brought you a kind of comfort you didn’t know you were missing. You melted into the rising steam, sighing deeply and simply doing nothing for a minute to unwind.

It was a good day, the chaos with Granny, Shoko, and Utahime included. You’d have to reassure those two later that Satoru and Suguru were just teasing. Well, Utahime. For Shoko, you’d probably have to convince her, and you didn’t have faith you’d succeed.

You glanced around, spotting a bottle of body wash that looked like it belonged to Suguru on an inset tile shelf. You grabbed it, hoping he wouldn’t mind you using it.

Reading over the label, you admired his choice in soap: lavender and green tea, both for scent and the benefits they provided. 

You couldn’t help the giddy little burst of vim you got knowing you were about to smell like him, too.

You squeezed some onto your palm and lathered it between your hands, then started rubbing it onto your body. The day’s strain, dirt, grime, and weariness lifted with it, washing off in thin and slow waves of white streaks down your figure. You felt lighter and lighter with each pass over your chest, waist, hips, and thighs. 

Tension thawed from your shoulders as you scrubbed your hands along them, muscles loosening with each bit of cleanliness you gained. It felt nice. Really nice, a calm time away to yourself to let go.

His shampoo also smelled like green tea, and you were occupied with massaging it into your hair when there was a knock on the door.

“Yeah?” You called out.

The door cracked open. “Just me,” Suguru responded. “Brought some clothes for you. I’ll leave them on the counter.”

“Oh, thank you!” What’d you do to deserve a friend like him?

There were some rustling noises as he spoke. “It’s no problem, I’m not gonna leave you hanging without something to change into. Do you mind if I take your clothes to toss in the wash?”

“That’s fine,” you permitted. “I’ll be out soon.”

“Don’t worry about it, take your time,” he said, and then the door was closed once more.

Even if he told you to, you still didn’t want to hog the shower to yourself, knowing that Satoru got just as river-bathed as you did, and he was wearing pants to boot.

You rinsed off the shampoo and followed it up with the matching conditioner, using your fingers to delicately comb out any tangles. Though they weren’t your own products, they felt amazing, making your tresses silky smooth. You would have to ask him where he got his products.

You were out as soon as you were done washing your hair. You cocooned yourself in the clean, fluffy towel he also provided, loving the texture. It was soft yet absorbent, coaxing away any droplets that clung to your curves and planes. 

You wanted to steal it.

But, reluctant as you might have been, you refrained. You used it to dry your hair some, and folded it to set aside after you were sufficiently devoid of liquid. Checking the clothes Suguru provided you, you noted he gave you a pair of sweats with a drawstring, allowing you to adjust the waistline as needed. Ever the observant mother hen, you were grateful for his foresight.

You slipped on the t-shirt first, pleased by the material as it came to rest against your freshly washed skin. It was noticeably oversized, but in a sleepy-Sunday sort of way, big enough to be cute and snuggly.

The sweats were huge on you by comparison, what with his absurdly long limbs. You tugged the drawstring to your preferred tightness, then rolled up the legs until they were out of the way and you wouldn’t trip over them.

All dressed, you opened the door with your used towel in hand and walked out to find Suguru waiting for you, leaning against the wall beside the room. He smiled warmly at you and pushed himself off his support, holding out his hand to take the towel from you. 

A quick sweep over your form showed he was appraising your outfit with an approving eye, pride undisguised. “That shirt looks good on you.”

You were probably imagining the hint of possessiveness in his tone.

“Ehehe,” you giggled fiendishly, channeling your inner menace as you lightly tugged at the fabric of the top. “Mine, now.”

His expression softened into a smile that had little cupid wings fluttering on your back, a smile you only ever saw him give you. “All yours, angel. You can go sit down in the living room, I’ll be right back.”

“Sure,” you nodded and followed his instructions, making your way back to the flora-infested room.

Settling down on the couch, you exhaled and closed your eyes. You heard the shower start up again before it became muffled by the door, presumably because of Satoru. You weren’t left waiting long, the five or so minutes you were alone flying by. The padding of feet signaled you to Suguru’s return, your eyes prying open halfway to peer languidly at him.

“Here,” he jutted his chin towards you. “Sit on the floor, I’ll do your hair.”

Finding no reason to object, you stood and let him take your place on the cushion before plopping yourself down between his legs. He tilted your head forward, then got to work. His touch was ever so gentle, fingers diligent in their movements as he treated your hair with a knowingness you didn’t expect him to have. 

Amicable silence filled the space around you, just the shifting of clothes and the slick sound of leave-in as he spread it evenly through your tresses. It gave your mind the freedom to drift away undisturbed.

As he was carefully drying and styling your hair, you thought about how Suguru often reminded you of a cat, considering his tendency to groom you. Or a bird, like a crow or a raven, that liked to preen you.

If you were all some sort of animal hybrids, you could easily imagine him being either some sort of corvid, a vulpine, or a big cat. A black leopard, to be specific.

If Satoru was a big cat, he would be a snow leopard. You refused to take any other suggestions. The tall freak was touchy, cuddly, and so proficient in hiding himself within an environment that did not suit him that he could be breathing down your neck and you'd be none the wiser.

The more you thought about it, the more you could picture them as their respective animals. Satoru would undoubtedly sunbathe with his belly up, paws curled, tail flicking side to side happily, unafraid of showing his biggest weakness. 

You compared and contrasted between your options for him. He did like to give you small, shiny things, and you'd never refuse because oooh, shiny! His hair reminded you of crow feathers when it caught the light from the sun. It bore a faint iridescence, a chrome that shifted between emerald and the time just between midnight and dawn, in the earliest hours of the morning where stars still sparkled brilliantly. You could picture him preening his feathers, plucking out the pins and fluffing the downy fuzz. 

Though black leopard might have suited him better. He tended to rub his cheek against yours or the top of your head whenever you embraced. You could easily picture him loafing under the shade, licking his paw to smooth out his fur and ensure it matched the rest of his satiny complexion. He had the personality of a laid back, lazy feline that could turn from a sweet teeny baby kitten into a merciless predator in the blink of an eye. 

You'd seen the way he behaved when he wanted something – the narrowing of his eyes, the set of his jaw, the concentration in his brow. 

It made a tremor flit up your body, especially when he set his sights on you like that. He was capable of being a silent stalker, an expert in scaring the ever living shit out of you any chance he got, just like Satoru.

That soursop boy was surely the type to roll over and let others do things for him. Feed him, rub his belly, comb through his fur. You hadn’t seen him when he was prowling, searching for a meal to hunt down, but sometimes you got a flicker of something similar to it in his eyes. Like a passing rumination, where he considered if it was worth exhausting energy to chase down his prey. 

…Could the reason you’d had yet to witness his hunt be because of his ability to camouflage? Because he didn’t want you to see?

The concept gave you chills.

You suppressed your reaction at the introspection, remembering that Suguru was behind you, gently drying your hair with tepid air and tender touches. You didn't want to embarrass yourself by giving him the impression that he was pleasuring you.

Which he undeniably was, but he didn't need to know about the prickles and tingles traveling all the way from your crown to your tailbone.

You continued your train of thought.

Satoru the Snow Leopard would spend his days grooming you endlessly, licking at your fur until it stuck out in all kinds of wild angles. After that, Suguru would mend the spiky hairs until you were glossy and sleek like him.

What did that make you in comparison to them?

Standing side by side with them, it was clear you were prey – unless you were a black-footed cat. But given your dynamic and how the two of them liked to coddle you, you doubted you'd resemble any kind of predator.

If you had to be prey, then what? A doe, or gazelle? 

No, those were unfortunately too majestic, and you weren't nearly as graceful as those lovely creatures. Your habit of tripping over your own feet proved case enough.

Okay, so if you weren't either of those…you supposed you could still fit into the cervidae family. Pudu deer was a possibility. 

You tried to imagine it, but sadly, you couldn't put yourself into deer hooves.

Were birds prey? Some of them had to be, like doves, right? 

If you were a bird, then Suguru had to be, too. You only trusted him to primp and help you maintain your feathers. Satoru would just chomp on them.

Alright, so no-go on the birds, then. Field mouse?

No, too small. You were short, but not that short. They’d also likely accidentally swallow you whole if they tried to mend a stray whisker.

Fennec fox? 

You contemplated it, then mentally shook your head. You weren't high-pitched and energetic enough to qualify for that. Satoru would beg to differ, and you’d let him, because it’d be funny. Also, they were predators, anyway.

A brief memory flashed in your mind of something Satoru said, back when you first met Suguru.

‘I don't know,’ he hummed in deliberation. ‘I prefer bunny. Or mochi.’

Bunny.

Bunny…

A rabbit with floppy ears and an upturned tail. Fuzzy and velvety, obviously small and squishy, as much as you grimaced at those choice words of his.

Flumped right between either of their front paws, or stuffed in the middle of their bodies when they curled up to nap. Or chilling on one of their backs, your little paws on their head to watch the world from an angle you could never see on your own.

Bunny fit perfectly, a glove with no rips in the stitch.

You three together would consist of a snow leopard, a black leopard, and a small rabbit that they decided to keep as a pet and not dinner. For whatever reason that could be. Fish are friends, not food.

You had no idea why you chose to start daydreaming about being animorphs. Imagining being squished by their hulking forms in the afternoon rays, or being wrapped up in their fluffy tails for warmth on autumn nights. They were fun images to entertain.

“You seem to be quite deep in thought,” Suguru's breath brushed against the shell of your ear, spooking you. You hadn't even noticed he was finished. “Care to let me in?”

“Eep!” You squeaked, rotating partially to give him the stink eye for doing the thing he and Satoru always did. No way were you going to let him in on your weird brain doing weird brain things. “It's nothing important, just fantasizing a bit. Zoned out.”

Ohp. 

And there was that hungry gleam in his eye, the shimmer in his black tea hues. You hit the nail on the head with the black leopard comparison.

“Fantasizing about what?” He purred. Cat. “About me?” 

Your lashes fluttered and you whipped your head back in the other direction, tucking your newly dry and enviously soft hair behind your ears. “N-No?”

Man.

You were such a bad liar.

He, merciful god that he is, elected to only tease you and not try to dive into the unreasonably bizarre pool of thoughts that swirled and whirled in your consciousness like the godsforsaken mess you were. 

Nor ask about why most of them revolved around those two boys. Bless him, your hero. Satoru would have tormented you until you gave in out of desperation, just to make him shut up. Then, he'd tease you about those ideas for the rest of your days. Probably double down on the bunny related nicknames, poke right above your tailbone and make jokes about how he should make you wear a pair of bunny ears and a tail. And then make the tail option extremely not family friendly.

Heaven’s mercy spare you if you give him any more ideas beyond that. Like a skimpy outfit that barely covered your tits and had a crotch narrow enough to give you a wedgie-induced friction burn where friction burns did not belong and would not wish on your worst enemy.

Well, no, maybe you would, but that's besides the point.

You chuffed out your nose and let your head fall back against the cushion between Geto's legs. His fingers found their way back to your scalp, massaging and lightly scratching at it until you were pushing into his hands like a needy kitten.

“Comfortable?” He asked with an amused lilt in his voice, to which you chirped merrily in answer.

You really were. Limbs like jelly, squeaky clean, tired out after playing in the river with them. You felt good, truly and genuinely good.

Aversion to permanent routine or not, you’d welcome every day with open arms if they were like this. Peaceful contentment after a long stretch of sunlit hours, able to let loose and uncoil any strain in your body, it all sounded so…

Happy.

You were okay with being happy like this.

You were okay with forgetting your past and what drove you here in the first place. You didn’t mind having your eyes shift shut, lashes sweeping over the highs of your cheekbones. You were alright with one of your best friends playing idly with your hair, and you were fine with listening to him hum some melody to himself as he did so.

It was okay.

This was okay.

You were okay.

banner by cafekitsune ♥

taglist: @kimi01985

[maxsimagination]

𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 - 𝗮.𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶

summary: the barcelona women are dying from heat exhaustion so they resort to acting like kids

𖦹 masterlist

𝗜𝗧 𝗪𝗔𝗦 𝗔𝗕𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗟𝗬 sweltering in barcelona.

even at seven in the morning, the spanish sun never failed to make everything hot.

unfortunately, that still meant we had to do training. as an australian i thought i'd be able to handle the heat, but on days like today i felt like i was dying.

aitana rolled over in our shared bed, smiling at my sleepy eyes. i didn't have any sheets covering my body, it was too hot for that. i was simply starfishing, face down on the mattress.

"time to get up, amor. we have training."

i groaned and shoved my face further into the pillow i was lying on.

aitana chuckled at me and started to get up. she pulled the curtains, attempted to make the bed as best she could with me lying on it still. then she moved to the bathroom to get ready.

i was internally groaning as i rolled out of bed myself, taking a bit to actually wake up. then i too got ready, throwing my training stuff haphazardly in my training bag and heading downstairs. when aitana made her way downstairs she ruffled my hair and pressed a kiss to my temple.

i was sleepily and slowly eating a bowl of muesli.

she sat next to me with the bowl i'd somehow managed to make for her as well.

we ate, and got everything we needed before i went back to our room to grab my phone and bag.

"yn are you ready?"

aitana called out to me from wherever she was in our apartment.

"yes, i'm coming!"

i grabbed my bag and dragged myself out to the door where aitana was.

"i made you a snack. here."

she handed me a container with some food in it and a little sticky note with a heart drawn on it stuck on top.

"thank you, mi amor."

i gave her a kiss on the cheek and we walked out to the car.

when we got to the training grounds, most of the other players were already there, just finishing getting changed.

we joined in and everyone eventually made it out onto the pitch.

we had a routine whenever we were training. the team always went to the gym first then we did drills on the field.

this was when aitana and i split up for a bit, i went straight for the weights while she was on the opposite side of the area, doing sets with kiera.

once everyone had done their own exercises and sets, we had a quick water break and made our way out to the field. 

our first drill was sets of five aside. there were five teams of five, four of them were playing while one sat out, then they rotated once they'd played for fifteen minutes.

weirdly, aitana and me were on the same team. jonatan almost always split us up but maybe he was feeling nice today.

we finished that drill and moved onto the next one.

the whole team ended up completing five or six more drills before another water break. everyone gathered round the water coolers and had water bottles in their hands.

i was one of the first at the cooler, desperate to get to liquid into my system. aitana walked over slowly with lucy and grabbed her own bottle.

but within the next minute she had moved behind me, pulled my shirt and squirted water all down my back. i whipped around with a shriek, before noticing it was aitana running away.

"'tana! not cool!"

then i grabbed another bottle that still had water in it, i'd completely drained mine, and ran after her. she was quick and got a bit away from me but i did manage to get her back when she ran back to the group. i hid behind lucy while she wasn't looking and crept up on her.

then squirted some water on her head and ran away again.

now it was her turn to shriek and turn around. she did catch up to me and got me with a heap of water. she had taken the lid off her bottle and just threw it at me. so i turned around and did the same.

jonatan saw us having our water fight and said he was happy with what we'd done for today and we were free to go home.

by then end of our little water fight we were both drenched from head to toe, but at least i was cooler.

[hischiershoe]

𝐇𝐨𝐭 𝐍𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐫 | 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐨 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐫

word count: 5.1k (oopsie)

summary: moving to new jersey brought more than a change of scenery to your life

warnings: angsty a lil bit, mentions drinking, drunk nico; unedited (pls let me know if you see any mistakes)

Moving to New Jersey, away from all of your family, seemed like a good idea at the time. In fact, you would even go as far as to say it was the best idea you’ve ever had, but that was until you had to haul all of your boxes and various items up to your new apartment all by yourself. You were deeply regretting the offer that your brothers had extended multiple times to come up and help you move in, but you insisted that you were a big girl and could do it all by yourself.

Luckily the elevator was working, but that didn’t help when it came to the boxes and furniture items that were so heavy you couldn’t even move them around in the truck. You had gotten all of the boxes that you could carry alone up to your apartment, but that left you standing outside the truck, staring into it as you tried to figure out just how in the hell you were going to get it all inside.

“You alright,” A voice called out from your left.

Not looking away from the job in front of you, you responded, “No. I’m about to just leave all of this in the truck and whoever can move it, can just have it. It’s too heavy for me. I’ve given up.”

The deep sigh you let out was masked by multiple airy laughs. You jerked your head to where their voices were coming from, and your eyes landed on a group of guys who were all huddled together. They were watching you with amused smiles, but you were too focused on the dark haired one to really pay attention to the others. His dark eyes met your own, and you could have sworn time stopped. He was the most attractive man you’ve ever seen with his soft eyes and floppy brown hair.

“Would you like some help,” He suggested, eyes unwavering from your own. God, he had an accent. You’re thankful your knees didn’t buckle as soon as he spoke.

“Oh no,” You quickly denied, vigorously shaking your head as you waved your hand at them, “You all are clearly hanging out. I don’t want to intrude.”

“You’re not,” The younger one with bright blue eyes spoke up, “Don’t worry.”

The four boys ignored your protests, moving around you to pick up the boxes and heavy pieces that were left in the truck. They stood in front of you, arms full and faces determined as they waited for you to lead the way. You let out a quiet huff, yet turned towards the building and held the door for them. You walked ahead, falling into a conversation with a guy you now know as Dawson.

Stepping off the elevator, you led the group of hockey players, information you gained courtesy of Dawson, towards your apartment. You heard Jack mutter something along the lines of ‘dude you’ve got a hot neighbor’ to one of the others, but you didn’t turn around to see who. Still, your cheeks flushed at his comment as you pushed the door open.

“We’ll bring the rest of your stuff up here,” Nico informed you after placing his box on the floor next to the kitchen, “You look like you could use a break.”

Suddenly, you were hyper aware of how much of a mess you probably looked like. Your hair had been sloppily thrown into a bun, and you could feel the stickiness on your neck and forehead from the sweat. You threw your glance down to the ground, crossing your arms across your chest as a way to hide yourself. Unfortunately, Nico picked up on your sudden shift in demeanor and was quick to act.

“No no,” He rushed out, delicately grabbing your elbow, “I mean that there’s already a ton of stuff up here that you moved by yourself.”

“Right,” You bashfully let out, still avoiding his stare. You should’ve known better than to assume he was picking at your appearance, but a part of you couldn’t help it.

After the boys had gotten all of your stuff out of the truck, they invited you over to Nico’s apartment, which was conveniently located right next to yours. You politely declined their offer, sputtering out some excuse about how you wanted to get some of your stuff unpacked and then just go to sleep. Truthfully, you needed time to yourself so you could call your best friend back home and tell her about your hot new hockey playing neighbor.

Days came and went and you only saw Nico once as he was leaving for practice and you were coming home from work. You had exchanged formal pleasantries and went on your own ways, the interaction leaving you wanting to see him again even more so than the first time you met him. Though it seemed as if the universe had other plans and you didn’t run into him at all, until you found yourself knocking on his door.

You nervously rocked back and forth on your heels, hands clasped behind your back as you waited for someone to open the door. Blowing out the air you had pockets in your cheeks, you glanced around the hallway before turning to go back to your apartment. You knew him being home was a long shot with the season starting soon, but you wanted to give it a try.

You heard the door click open, Nico calling out your name shortly after. His voice halted your movements as he slightly stepped out of his apartment, “Is everything okay?”

You spun back around, eyes landing on him as he leaned against his doorframe. You couldn’t help but admire the way his shirt hugged at his biceps in a way that made it look tailored to him. His sweatpants, his gray sweatpants, tight on his thighs. His hair was messy and unkept, but he still looked beautiful. You’re surprised you’re not drooling at this point.

“Um yeah,” You coughed, lightly shaking your head to rid yourself of the not so appropriate thoughts you were having of the man in front of you, “I was just going to ask for your help putting this couch together. They brought it up but I didn’t realize I would have to assemble it and I don’t really know what I’m doing. But it’s okay if you’re busy! You know what- you’re probably busy, I'm sorry. I can figure it out.”

Embarrassment crept up your neck as you rattled off words at record speed, your cheeks flushing and eyes darting back towards the ground as you turned back to your apartment. Nico’s infectious laughter bounced across the empty halls as he called out for you again, but this time you heard the click of his own door shutting and the sounds of his feet across the wooden floor.

“Of course I can help you,” He assured as he neared you, his lips turned upwards into a kind smile.

“Are you sure,” You hesitated, hand hovering over your door handle as you turned your head.

His hand came to gently grip your shoulder, his expression unwavering as he spoke, “I’ll always be available to help you.”

Your heart skipped a beat at his words and his touch, stomach filling with butterflies as you averted your gaze so that he couldn’t see the way your cheeks and neck flushed. It was a little embarrassing that someone you’ve barely known had such an effect on you, but there was no turning back now. You let him into your apartment, gesturing to the lump of half opened boxes that held the contents of your couch in it. A part of you felt stupid for not knowing what to do, but another part of you was more than okay with it because you got to see Nico again.

“That’s a big couch,” He joked, eyes flitting from you to the boxes.

“Yeah,” You mumbled, “My mom was convinced that I needed the biggest sectional in the world I guess.”

“Well, we better get started then.”

The two of you fell into a conversation that flowed so naturally that it was almost as if you had known each other for years. He had asked you about your family and your hometown, and you asked about his. You listened intently as he told you about his love for hockey, raving about his team and how much they mean to him. His passion for the game and the way he talked about his teammates made your heart swell, and your determination to give yourself the best life possible made him all the more attracted to you.

After about an hour, the two of you had managed to successfully assemble the three piece couch you’re almost positive would’ve taken you a few hours to do alone. Nico did most of the work, lightly pushing you out of the way when you tried to help, but you managed to at least put the back cushions on without his protest.

“Let me cook you dinner,” You spoke up after the brief lapse of silence, “As a payment for all your help.”

You watched as he hesitated, his hand that was previously running over the back of the couch halting. His back was turned to you, so you couldn’t see his expression and that made you nervous. You pulled your lip between your teeth as the silence overcame you, and just as you were about to rescind your offer, Nico finally spoke up.

“Sure, that would be nice,” He turned to you, his hair lightly flopping in his eyes, “But I’m helping you cook.”

“That’s not how that works, Nico,” You playfully rolled your eyes, missing the way his breath caught in his throat as his name rolled off your lips.

“Too bad.”

The rest of the night, the two of you talked about anything you came to mind. Laughter filled your messy apartment until the early hours of the morning, only ceasing when you picked your phone up for the first time that night and saw the time. When Nico went back to his own apartment, there was nothing that could wipe the smile off your face. Your stomach was doing flips and your heart was beating a mile a minute as you recounted the events from the night. It wasn’t until sleep finally took over that you finally calmed down.

The following days, Nico texted you as often as he could with his busy schedule. He would even come over to your apartment, or you to his, after he had practice and the two of you would hang out. The more you saw him, the more you began to develop a crush on him, but you pushed that down as far as you could because there was no way he felt the same about you. He was a hockey star. He had so much going for him, and you were just you.

Earlier in the day, you were harshly slapped in the face with the reality that there would never be anything between you and Nico. You were coming home from the grocery store when probably the most beautiful woman you’d ever seen was coming out of his apartment, heels dangling between her fingers and hair an untamed mess as she did the unmistakable walk of shame. Though, there was no shame if it was Nico Hischier one had hooked up with. Your heart fell out of your chest and to your feet as you practically ran into your apartment, eyes brimming with tears and breathing shaky. The gutted feeling settling in your stomach made you want to vomit.

Of course you felt stupid for letting it get to you the way it did, but you couldn’t help it. The last two weeks you’ve spent with him made you feel things that you hadn’t felt in a long time. He made you feel happy and lighthearted, and like you were the only girl in the world. Though, you should’ve known better than to read into it so much. He was a professional hockey player, after all. Making girls feel special and like they mattered was a skill they had all mastered, and he was no exception.

Later that night, Nico texted you asking if you wanted to come out to the bar with him and a few of the guys you had met when you moved in. You responded to him with some vague excuse of how you didn’t feel well and then turned your phone off for the night. Curling into a ball on your couch, you put the first Twilight movie on and tried to forget about the man who had effortlessly captured your heart for the night.

You’re not sure when you fell asleep, but you woke up to the sound of someone intensely knocking on your door. Eclipse was still playing on the TV, though it was almost over, and the last thing you remember seeing was Edward dropping Bella off at the police station. Throwing the blanket off, you trudged to the door and peeked through the peephole.

“What the fuck,” You mumbled when you saw Nico and Dawson on the other side.

Pulling the door open, Dawson was quick to speak up, “He wouldn’t let me take him to his own apartment without checking on you since you’re sick.”

The way Dawson’s eyes dragged over you, his brow quirking as he realized that you were, in fact, not sick made your cheeks burn. Nico was clearly heavily inebriated judging by his flushed skin, and by the way his head was lazily lolled onto Dawson's shoulder. He was also incoherently mumbling to himself, or maybe he was mumbling in German. Either way, you couldn’t understand him.

“You can tell him I’m fine,” You responded, looking back towards the blonde in front of you.

At the sound of your voice, NIco’s bloodshot eyes flashed open and he immediately stepped towards you. Your hands instinctively came out to catch him as he stumbled out of his friend's grasp.

“Y/N,” He slurred, his hands coming to find a place on your waist once he found his footing, “Are you okay? You said you were sick and then you didn’t answer for so long and I got worried.

His accent was significantly more prominent when he was drunk, so it was a little harder to understand him than normal. His grip on your waist made your stomach flip and your heart race, but you were harshly reminded of the scene from this morning as brief images flashed in your mind. Gently removing his hands from your waist, you finally met his gaze and shook your head.

“I’m fine, Nico. You should probably go home and get some sleep,” You steadily spoke, taking a step backwards to put space between the two of you.

Nico’s face fell as you put distance between the two of you, and you had to force yourself to look away from him before you pulled him into your arms. He looked jilted, lips turned downwards into a frown and eyes swimming with a mix of confusion and hurt.

“Look,” Dawson started, voice slightly hesitant, “I hate to ask this, but can you make sure he gets to his apartment? Jack’s downstairs in the car and I’m afraid he’ll try and run off into the street or something.”

You purse your lips as you maintain eye contact with Dawson, silently cursing him in your mind as he gave you an apologetic smile. Mumbling out an annoyed agreement, Dawson quickly placed a chaste kiss to your cheek before thanking you and running back towards the elevator. Finally letting yourself look at Nico again, you were met with the same defeated expression he had when you turned away from him.

“Do you have your keys,” You asked, crossing your arms across your chest. Nico’s hands sloppily pat at his front and back pockets, yet all he found was his cellphone. No keys or wallet.

“Well, I guess you can stay here tonight,” You quietly huffed, opening your door so that he could pass through.

His eyes lit up as you offered him safety in your home, and he was darting in without a second thought. He staggered towards the couch, falling over the back of it and landing on the soft cushions. You couldn’t help but smile at his antics as you grabbed him a glass of water and an uncrustable from the fridge.

Walking back into the living room, you see Nico sprawled out on the couch with his face buried in between the cracks of the cushions. You took the spot next to his head and gently tapped his shoulder as a way to get his attention. However, your touch apparently startled him and he roughly flipped over and nearly knocked the cup out of your hand. Luckily, only a few droplets spilled onto the couch and rug.

“Sorry,” He mumbled, a light blush creeping up on his cheeks when he realized that happened.

“Don’t worry ‘bout it Neeks,” The nickname effortlessly fell from your lips, “Drink and eat this. It’ll help sober you up a little.”

He took the food first, inhaling it so quickly that you’re truly surprised he didn’t choke on it before he was grabbing at the cup of water. You clasped your hands in your lap, gaze staring at the small spots of water that now adorned your carpet. Your heart was beating fast and loud, the sound echoing in your ears as silence enveloped your apartment. Having a drunk hockey captain in your apartment at two in the morning was not on your daily bingo card, yet here he is.

“Did I do something wrong,” His voice came out weak and uncertain, his eyes flicking towards you before focusing back on the ground, “Are you mad at me?”

Your body tensed, back straightening and jaw clenching as his words washed over you like a cold bucket of water. Truly, Nico didn’t do anything wrong. The way you feel was entirely your own doing, and you couldn’t place that blame on him no matter how much you wanted to.

“No, Nico, I’m not mad at you,” You deeply sighed, leaning back against the couch as you closed your eyes, “And you didn’t do anything wrong.” Except for be so shamelessly and irresistibly himself.

You heard him quietly mumble something in his native language, but you didn’t have time to even pretend like you understood him before you felt his head land in your lap. Your eyes shot open, wide and confused as you peered down at the man below you. He was gazing up at you with, what looked like, admiration and a little something else you were unsure of.

“You know, you’re really beautiful,” Nico started, a ditzy smile on his face, “ You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”

The blood instantly rushed to your cheeks, turning them a deep pink shade as you quickly glanced away from him. Despite you wanting those words to be true, you knew Nico was drunk and he was more than likely saying things to just say them. Though even then, he wasn’t exactly making it easy to get over the feelings that you had developed for him.

“Okay, Nico,” You rolled your eyes, letting your fingers card through his soft hair as you tried to push back the feeling in your chest.

“I mean it,” He pulled his brows together as if your dismissal offended him, “You are. I think you’re the sweetest, kindest, most beautiful woman in the world and I like you a lot.”

You froze as his words registered in your mind, your breath catching in your throat and hand stilling with his hair tangled in your fingers. His eyes fluttered closed and his lips parted as he let small breaths pass through them. The blood was pounding in your ears, your mouth opening and closing as you tried to form any words, but you were coming up blank. You didn’t want to read too much into what he was saying because there was no telling how far gone he was, so you decided to play it safe.

“I like you too,” You mumbled, swallowing the lump in your throat, “You’re a good friend.”

“No,” Nico shook his head on your thighs, turning to his side so that his face was shoved into your stomach and his arms were uncomfortably wrapped around your waist, “I like you more than a friend.”

“You’re drunk, Nico,” You forced out, mouth growing dry as you hastily untangled yourself from his hold, “We can talk about this tomorrow, if you even remember it.”

You scrambled off the couch, eyes lightly lined with tears. You busied yourself with making sure he had a pillow, blanket, and a cup of water before you retreated to your bedroom so you could overthink his drunken words. However, the sound of Nico’s voice had you pausing in the middle of the hallway.

“I might be really drunk, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know how I feel about you.”

Needless to say, you had a hard time falling asleep. You were tossing and turning, blanket wrapped around your body in a sort of cocoon as a way to try and comfort yourself. Nico’s words were echoing throughout your brain, making it hard for you to calm yourself down enough to sleep. People say that drunk words are sober thoughts, but what if that wasn’t the case? You wanted so desperately to believe that he liked you as much as you’d like him, but all you could think of was that girl leaving his apartment not even twenty-four hours ago.

The following morning, the smell of coffee filling your nose woke you up and, though for only a brief moment, you had forgotten about the events that occurred yesterday. However, Nico’s drunken confession was back to ringing in your ears like it never left, but so were the gentle footsteps of the blonde woman you had seen when she passed by your apartment door.

Blinking back tears, you shoved the blankets off of your body and walked into your bathroom, rubbing a tired hand across your face. The light flickered on and you cringed as you took in your appearance. Your hair was tangled in knots at the back of your head, bags adorning the spots underneath your eyes from your lack of sleep. Truthfully, you looked like shit, but knowing that Nico was out in your living room was enough encouragement to put yourself together at least a little bit.

Once your hair was brushed and pulled back away from your face, and your teeth were rid of their disgusting morning breath, you made your way out of your room. Your heart was beating so hard that it felt as if it was going to beat out of your chest, the nerves lighting your skin on fire the closer you got to the front of your apartment. You briefly paused at the edge of the hallway, taking a deep breath before finally stepping into the open, but you froze at the sight in front of you.

“Good morning! I hope you don’t mind, but I made you breakfast- Well, lunch, really, as a way to say thank you for letting me stay here last night,” Nico rambled, his hands gesturing to the plate of breakfast food sitting on your dining table.

“Thank you, Nico. I appreciate it,” You managed to give him a genuine smile as you slowly approached the table, picking up the cup filled with coffee.

Taking a sip, you nearly choked on the drink as you realized it was made exactly how you liked it. You had only ever told Nico how you took your coffee once one morning after you had accidentally fallen asleep on his couch, but he remembered. It was something so small, yet the gesture itself meant so much.

“Of course,” He nervously rubbed at the back of his neck, looking everywhere but at you, “I’m uh- I’m sorry. About last night, and about whatever I did to upset you. You say you’re not mad at me, but I know you are.”

You quietly fell into the chair, blood pounding in your ears as you contemplated what you were going to say in response. On one hand, you could tell him the truth and potentially ruin the entire friendship you’d built with him. On another, you could stick with your story from last night and pretend like nothing happened. Though, if Nico knew you well enough that he could tell you were lying when he was drunk, you knew there was no use in trying to do it again now that he was sober.

“I was,” You sheepishly admitted, eyes staying trained on the plate in front of you, “But I’m not anymore. It was stupid.”

“What did I do,” He asked, voice careful and full of worry as he sat next to you. His knee brushed against your thigh, his arm laid against the table as he slightly leaned forward so he was closer to you.

“You didn’t do anything, Nico. It was my own fault,” You sighed, finally letting your gaze meet his own.

His eyes were soft, swimming with emotion as they searched your face for any sign of what was going through your mind. Your cheeks were flushed, lip pulled between your teeth as nerves shot throughout every inch of your body. He was close enough to you that you could see the faint outline of a scar on the bridge of his nose. You opened your mouth to continue, but Nico beat you to it.

“What was your fault?”

Averting your stare back to the table, you took a deep breath, hands anxiously gripping the edges of the chair. “It’s stupid, Nico. It’s not important,” You mumbled.

“Hey,” He carefully grabbed your wrist causing your wide eyes to snap back to him, “If it’s important to you, it’s important to me.”

If you thought your heart was racing before, it was doing a full on sprint now. Your skin was on fire underneath his hold, your breath catching in your throat as you tried to form any sort of coherent sentence. It was absolutely ridiculous how a small touch from the man in front of you made your brain short circuit; the ability to function completely lost in the air.

“IsawagirlleavingyourapartmentandIgotupset,” You quickly rushed out, not stopping to breath until the final word left your lips.

Nico’s face contorted with a mix of confusion, and also a little bit of amusement as well as the gears in his brain worked to decipher what exactly you had said. “I’m sorry, but I have no idea what you just said,” He lightly laughed, “I know English isn’t my first language, but I’m not sure that was English.”

“Shut up,” You groaned, embarrassment crawling across your skin as you brought both do your hands to cover your face, “I said that I saw a girl leaving your apartment yesterday and it made me upset.”

The silence that followed made your stomach twist itself into knots, anxiety flowing off of you as you waited for his response. You peeked at him through your fingers, watching as he furrowed his brows and mumbled to himself in German. The last thing you had expected him to do was laugh, though. It wasn’t an over-the-top, chest clutching laugh, but it was still a laugh and it made you angry.

Frustrated tears brimmed your eyes as the legs to the chair scraped against the floor as you pushed it back so you could stand. You knew you should have listened to yourself last night when you told yourself that Nico hadn’t meant what he said. That he was drunk and just saying things to say them. Not wanting to be around him anymore, the urge to toss the cup of coffee on him growing by the second, you turned to walk back to your room, but Nico’s hand grabbed your wrist again and tugged you towards him.

“No, wait,” He spoke, the amusement from his face gone once he noticed your glassy eyes, “I promise I’m not laughing at you, but what you think happened, didn’t. That girl- She was with Jack. Not me. I let them come to my apartment because Luke, Jack’s brother, had a bunch of people over and he didn’t want to take her there. I swear, that’s it. You can ask Jack if you’d like.”

An overwhelming sense of relief flooded your chest as his words registered, your shoulders dropping as you let your body relax. While the story might seem a bit outlandish to others, it made some sort of sense to you. You thought you had heard Jack’s voice bouncing across the halls that morning, but you were too preoccupied with your emotions to truly acknowledge it.

“Oh, okay,” You mumbled, mortification slowly working it’s way back in as you stayed under Nico’s intense gaze, “I’m sorry for ignoring you yesterday. It was childish and stupid.”

You gently pulled your wrist out of his grasp, clasping your hands together behind your back as shamefully you stared at the ground. Nico took a short step forward, hesitantly taking your jaw in between his thumb and forefinger so he could guide your eyes back up to him. He wiped at the tears that had spilled down onto your cheeks, his warm touch leaving the skin cold in their wake.

“Don’t apologize,” He lowly comforted, “I would have thought the same thing, but at least now I know you were jealous.” His tone was teasing and playful, a subtle smirk forming on his lips as he continued, “I meant what I said last night. I like you. I like you a lot.”

Swallowing thickly, you peered up at him through your lashes, your voice small and nervous, “I like you a lot, too.”

“Can I kiss you,” He whispered, eyes flitting down to your lips.

You eagerly nodded, not minding that it might’ve made you look a little desperate, because, in a way, you were. You’d been waiting for this moment since the first night you hung out with him, and you weren’t going to let your nerves get in the way of that. Although, nothing could have prepared you for the feeling that exploded in your chest when your lips finally met his. It was as if all of the misaligned pieces to your life were finally settling exactly where they were supposed to be.

[sugar-omi]

Professor Holden, who teaches marine biology and gets just so excited about the material. He stands too close to you sometimes when you stay after class to ask him about some part of his lecture, but it's just because he's passionate about the material, right?

Professor Holden takes some students to the aquarium one evening for a more hands-on lesson. It's crowded though, lots of people milling around to see all the animals, and your group gets a little separated. You find yourself at the edge of a large open pool, watching sting rays swim, sometimes close enough for patrons to touch.

Suddenly you sense someone behind you, then you feel a hard, warm body pressed against you. You start to turn, but before you can, you hear a familiar voice -- it's Professor Holden, and you see his strong, tattooed arm come out at your side to point to the water. He's telling you all about the sting rays, about their natural habitat and the different types, but all you can feel is his hot breath on your neck, and all you could think about is how your professor should absolutely, positively NOT be making you feel this way HI SORRY JUST PROFESSOR STUFF BYYYYE

JUST DROP A BOMB AND LEAVE WHY DONT YA?? OMG????

idk about yall, but my head would fucking swim.

the area is crowded, people moving all around you. so of course he comes up from behind you, he's tall enough to see over you but if he knew how much his big body, warm and solid and true, was affecting you, he wouldn't do it.

or at least, he wouldn't do it with the intention of telling you about sting rays and a bunch of fun facts that you are not listening to because your eyes are stuck on his long, sexy, strong fingers and veiny hands.

even though the waves of his sleeve is pretty, you can see the cords of muscle in his arms. he's not the most muscular guy you've seen, but if he was any bigger, you'd either get the ick or your pants would be frighteningly sticky...

and his voice. oh his fucking voice when he's this close...

his voice is light, and happy, but he's still a man and you can hear the slight rasp of his voice, and when he leans into your body, not realizing that he's forcing you to lean forward too so he can point at a different stingray that's pregnant and starts telling you something about how some stingrays lay eggs, and others carrying the eggs until term. but your immediate thought is that he could do that to you if you two were stingrays, instead of student/teacher who unfortunately have to maintain decorum instead of fucking like animals.

are you joking? yeah. are you losing your mind over him a little too much and you can already hear your friends making fun of you or giving you a look once they hear the thoughts going through your head? also yes.

but with his body this close to you, his voice purring right in your ear.. his arms caging you in, albeit on accident. he's just trying to purchase himself as he tells you all these interesting facts. it'd be bad if you two fell in after all.

oh and when the smell of his shampoo and cologne hits you... it's almost euphoric.

really, you should not be this desperate over your teacher. it's not even about the rules, it's that it's stupid how this man is consuming your thoughts and sending alarm bells all throughout your body, begging for him to have you, for you to have him.

your body is damn near screaming at you to push this man down and- you won't finish that thought.... you also won't even entertain the thought of what position professor holden would take...

would he wanna be on top, would he be rough or soft, take his time with you.. or would he want you on top, alleviating all his stress after a long day of teaching....

no. it's a thought you will not consider. not even a bit! you have restraint, and you will use it!

as long as he stops looking at you like that, stars in his eyes and a smile as he eagerly awaits your response to the mass of information he dumped on you...

but his eyes are as blue as the stingray's swimming pool, and they're deeper than you've ever realized, that you're sure you'd drown in his gaze...

yeah no, you're fucked. you re so fucked...

[darkhymns-fic]

Be Mine

“Besides.” And here, Alastor loomed over him more, leaning closer so that his breath tickled Husk’s ear. The sensation made Husk flutter his eyes shut. “I don’t really enjoy sweets. And neither do you.”

Someone like Alastor shouldn't even care about Valentine's Day, and neither did Husk. But when Alastor gets everyone a Valentine's gift except for him, Husk can't help but feel extremely bitter about it. He didn't know Alastor had other plans for him.

Fandom: Hazbin Hotel Characters/Pairing: Husk/Alastor Rating: M Word Count: 5052 Mirror: AO3 Notes: I wrote this for Valentine's Day and missed the date. Anyway happy valentine's to the cat and deer!! Part of this fic was inspired by this amazing art by @star-junk, because everyone needs to see it!

-

When Husk felt something soft and squishy turn to mush as he stepped into the parlor, he genuinely thought he had just squashed some nasty bug.

“Ugh.” He grimaced, hesitant to look at the floor. This is what he got for going around in bare feet, but this was also per the stupid fucking dress code his boss had him on. Also, whatever it was felt extra sticky, which could only mean it was extra gross…

“Oh, Husk! You stepped on my chocolate treats!”

Niffty, scurrying like a little roach trying to hide from the light, went over to lift up his foot. She then immediately took out what looked like a broom and dust pan, sweeping up bits of what had been destroyed.

“...The fuck are you leaving them on the floor then?” Husk finally looked down, and sure enough, it was some little bon bon thing he had just smushed, the nougat filling coming out of it like the insides of some unfortunate six-legged pest. Man, he’d been cooped up in here too long. He was pretty much comparing everything to bugs nowadays.

“Well, that’s where it belongs, silly!” After her rapid clean-up, she then held out a little box where more of the chocolate treats dwelled. “I set them up on the floor and then I go and snatch them and put them where they belong! In my mouth!”

All of them were in the shape of some sort of insect, like cockroaches, praying mantises, some three-headed abomination with three sets of mandibles that he forgot the name for, and then even more roaches. They looked so convincingly real, with details carved into the chocolatey surface, that Husk wondered if maybe they were literally made from bugs in the first place.

“Fancy,” he drawled. “You even got the money to get yourself this treat?” Maybe she bludgeoned some rich sloth demon to death.

Niffty shook her head in disbelief. “Why would a gal buy a gift for herself on Valentine’s Day? That’s crazy!” Then she laughed. Then laughed some more, going off-kilter every few seconds with her pupil dilating in the process. “Nope! Sir got it for me!”

Husk took a moment to let that fact process itself into his brain. “Wait, the boss did?” A pause. “On what day?”

“Yeah! He got stuff for everybody!”

Husk was still not fully functioning on all cylinders (lack of sleep, hangover, depression, etc.) so it took him a bit to realize other people were gathered in the parlor. He could already see Charlie seated on the couch with Vaggie, squealing with joy as she unwrapped a heart-shaped box. “Vaggie, look! I bet this one has raspberry filling!”

“How are we sure it’s not blood? Or poison?” The other girl eyed the treats like it was a snake ready to lash out. “Here, you should let me test it—”

“Oh, you want me to feed it to you?” Charlie was more than happy to oblige, already stuffing the three different chocolate pieces right into her girlfriend’s somewhat shocked mouth. “Alastor makes the best food!”

“Wait, slow down—!”

And right by his bar, even Sir Pentious and Angel were bonding over their chocolate gifts… sort of. The failed villain in the making was still eyeing everyone with suspicion, especially Angel who was leaning over and asking for some ‘extra treats.’

“Come oonnn. You ain’t gonna eat all that, are ya?”

“I don’t ssseee your name on it!” Sir Pentious pushed the box to the side on the counter, smug that he had gotten it away from the other. “It’ll be for safekeeping! Alastor gifted it to me personally, his most noteworthy rival, and no one else!”

Said noteworthy rival was unaware his chocolate box was currently being poked around and eaten by his Egg Boiz, where one half-stepped into the box while another fell into it completely, squashing some pieces.

“Hey, there you are, sourpuss!” Angel waved both left hands to Husk, holding up some crooked shaped treat that was already melting. “Not gonna unwrap your little V-day gift with the rest of us?”

Another gear clattered in Husk’s skull, spurred on by Angel’s obnoxious grin. “He even got you something? For Valentine’s?” There was no way.

“Why you gotta act so shocked, huh?” Angel replied in mock hurt. “It was only a matter of time before Smiles would have the hots for me. Look what he made me!” He held up that chocolate treat in his hand, dangling it by its wooden stick. His eyes waggled up and down suggestively as he slid one long tongue up the length.

Husk rolled his eyes. It was just a stupid chocolate popsicle. Dumbass was going to drop it to the floor if he didn’t eat it fast enough.

But nowhere in sight was the man who supposedly got everyone a bunch of treats. Niffty was still looking up at Husk, munching one of the chocolates, always starting with the head first. She looked happy. If the boss was going to give anyone anything, it would be for Niffty. But the rest of these people?

His eyes shifted to the sides, expecting a shadow to pop out any moment. Nothing. He then looked down at Niffty. “When did—?”

Then right into his ear, shitty filter and all. “Surprise, dear Husker!”

For fuck’s sake, he even looked around for him!

A quick jab of that radio mic cane on the shoulder stopped Husk from flying off instinctively. Fur slightly spiked, Husk glared as Alastor circled from behind him. What stopped a tirade of curses from his mouth was seeing his boss dressed in an outfit that wasn’t the tattered coat he always favored. 

Well, it was still tattered. But it was different-tattered. The red suit was replaced by a black shade, stitched with red threading. His black bowtie was now a bright red, matching Husk’s own, though it fitted more snugly over his collar. There were even some goddamn hearts over his cuffs, trailing over the seams in patterns of pink and red. It was both so alien and so familiar to Husk that he was effectively tongue-tied for the moment. To top it off, he had a pretty little rose on his lapel. It was a miracle it wasn’t already wilting.

Alastor gazed at him for a moment before he then tapped the head of his cane over Husk’s hat. “Don’t spend all your time gawking! No wonder you’re late for work again!”

“Can I ask what the hell are you wearing?” Husk finally found it in himself to say, still befuddled at it all.

“Oh, this old thing?” Alastor looked over at his outfit with just a small bit of pride. “I thought it would be fitting for this whole Valentine’s shin-dig. I don’t really care for the day personally, but sometimes it serves to do a little something to help boost the hotel’s morale! It even gave me an excuse to take a turn at some chocolate recipes I’ve been hoarding! Homemade treats always do the trick!”

That was the most unbelievable thing he ever heard, but as Niffty continued to smile up at their boss with chocolate covering her face, he had to believe the truth of it.

“Thought you enjoyed all of our suffering. Ain’t this go against all that?” The man certainly enjoyed Husk’s suffering.

“Oh, of course. I would never say no to such things! But the best seasoning for despair is always a little bit of hope and happiness. And most of these sinners surely do need some of that now more than ever!”

Alastor then fully twisted around his neck to gaze at Charlie, who was now getting fed one of those homemade chocolates by Vaggie. “Isn’t that right, Charlie!?”

“Erm… wha?”

“The morale boosting! How a little holiday celebration is what this hotel desperately needs! Especially with the Extermination happening in, oh, about—” Alastor checked his wrist for a non-existing watch. Husk held the instinct to groan. He always did this stupid joke. “Four months from now! An inevitable horrible day of bloodshed for everyone!”

Charlie slowly blinked, a piece of chocolate still half-in her mouth. Then she looked down at her knees. “Ah…”

Even with Vaggie glaring death spears towards Alastor, the demon paid such an expression no mind at all. He waved to them again. “So be sure to eat to your heart’s content, girls!” 

Alastor then turned back to Husk with his wide and sharp grin. “See? It’s already working.”

“Oh, whatever.” Husk bristled again, not up for whatever bullshit antics Alastor was planning. He sighed, rolled his shoulders, then held out his palm. “Fine, then. Just get it over with and give it here.”

Alastor blinked. A shifting of his head, the static blipping in and out between stations, one from classical music to one talking about car jacks in some sort of radio commercial. “Give what?”

Husk felt like he was being pulled into a bit he had no say in. He tried all he could to not give in and act huffy like Alastor probably wanted him to. “My Valentine’s gift. Like what you got everyone else? I’m sure it’s something stupid like chocolate fried fish.”

Although, the thought of it actually sounded pretty tasty.

There was another stupid blank gaze from Alastor’s face that it was really pissing Husk off. But before he could say anything, his boss let out a sharp “HA!” with the force of it knocking his hat right off.

“Oh, Husker! Of course I didn’t get any for you!” Alastor chuckled, holding up his cane near his own face. He tapped Husk’s forehead with the very point of his claw, pricking his skin slightly. “Just use your head!”

With a growl, he pushed that hand away. “Stop playing around and give me the chocolate already! I don’t want to have to wait for whatever joke you’re gonna pull with it.”

Alastor tsked sensibly. “It seems you still don’t understand. There is no such thing for you. And if you think about it a little more, you’d know why! Now, with dear Niffty for example, I can give her all the chocolates she wants with no fear!”

Niffty was now on the floor, scarfing up the chocolate bugs she had thrown around the room. Husk could hear her fangs bite into the wood as she did so.

He felt like the rug was pulled loose from him. But Alastor remained standing there, looking stupid in his outfit even when it wasn’t that much different from the usual.

“So that’s the joke then,” Husk figured. “The deadbeat drunk gets nothing while everyone else does.” Fitting, he supposed.

Alastor laughed once more, his mic joining along with the applause as he then tousled Husk’s fur for a brief moment. “Such a riot, Husker! Now that we got that settled, you should get to your station. I’m sure you’ve prepared some Valentine’s-themed drinks for our guests!”

“Yeah, fucking studied all night for it.” It was said through gritted teeth, bending down briefly to retrieve his hat and get away from Alastor’s touch.

“Well, I’ll be seeing you!” And just like that, his boss dissolved into shadows, though he did so while trailing heart-shaped black puddles across the carpeting. For today’s special day.

Husk hadn’t expected much—hell, he thought Alastor would be a little petty and just give him a Valentine’s box with nothing in it. Or maybe a box filled with fakes, so that when Husk bit into a piece, it just fell apart to dust. He even expected a box that would be filled with eyeballs or something gross.

But he just got nothing instead.

Husk slammed the bar counter open to get behind, feeling more frustrated than he thought. Why did he care that Alastor didn’t even bother getting him some sort of joke gift?

Just ridiculous.

--

And of course, it was today Husk was forced to go and get some groceries for the hotel’s kitchen, since apparently Alastor had gone ahead and used up most of everything for his chocolate-making earlier.

Just how his boss could even use so much of their ingredients (even the damn meat and booze!) was over Husk’s head, but Alastor certainly enjoyed pushing Husk out through the front doors and shouting, “Be sure to get there while the buy one head, get two free sale is going on!”

So, it had been two hours, and Husk was nowhere near any damn store. He was already half-drunk on a bottle of cheap liquor he managed to sneak away from the bar. His journey was a mess of bright lights from what must have been the Entertainment District, along with sexy commercials that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. He was treated to a gallery of genitalia in crisp HD, apparently a porn special for Valentine’s Day, with all the heart swipe transitions that were put in as an excuse for some awful editing.

He didn’t always care about whatever would be playing on screen. Hell, sometimes he’d just take a seat and watch a bit while he was bored, but today it was irritating.

Everything was irritating. So he took another swig from his bottle, and wandered off more. Past the lights and sexy moans, past the clearance sales for cheap used dildos and chocolates garnished with human bones.

He’d wandered off somewhere—way past the city and into an abandoned park, more in the center of Pentagram City. It took ages to walk here, and he knew this because his bare feet were aching by the time he got there. Half-bent trees loomed over the cracked pavement, while sections of the everlasting red sky shone between the dry boughs. The leaves were pure red, and the tree trunks were decorated with thorns, inviting absolutely no one to touch it. There were bushes filled with roses that dripped red, and he was sure some of these plants were the man-eating kind as well if he weren’t too careful. It was a dismal, eerie place.

When he got drunk like this, he didn’t know where he was going half the time. Sometimes a week would go by that he would then completely blackout from his mind. Maybe that would happen now too.

Husk took another drink, feeling more and more bitter by the second. Alastor could get his own damn groceries. Husk would just go and find some bench and take a long nap, finally sleeping in the somewhat fresh air—if one ignored the toxic fumes seeping in from the factories nearby. 

He didn’t give a shit that he got nothing. He didn’t care.

It was all Alastor ever promised for him anyway. Nothing.

Then, as he turned down an isolated path that curved among the trees, something in the thrush moved. Rose petals shivered, as if alive.

Husk stopped, looked over his shoulder. 

Then that something pounced. Red and black streaked through the air.

Oh fuck right off!!

Husk was usually quicker on his feet, but the liquor was doing its work in dulling his senses. Even then, he was still able to sidestep the thing approaching him, despite half-stumbling over his tail. His stupid cat body was both a blessing and a curse, tripping him up constantly, but also giving him those reflexes to begin with.

The only way out was deeper into the park, over the cracked-up pathway that twisted among trees and bushes that no gardener had tended to in probably centuries. It gave Husk little room to fly, the trees’ branches above blocking the way like prison bars. He could only run, and was already hightailing it out of there, even as his chaser hounded him down.

Again, Husk was drunk, barely able to think straight, let alone run. His feet managed to find every root and vine, and his wings dragged behind him like weights, feathers catching onto the grass. Still, the thing chasing was always just at the edge, blending with the low lighting. At one point, he thought he saw a sharp hand reach out, to grab him by the tail.

There was a hot breath at his neck. There was a sound that dug inside his ears, grating.

He didn’t come here completely defenseless. He had his cards, and he had his dice. They weighed in his pockets right now, and it would only take a second or two to reach down and aim it right at his assailant’s blurry head.

But the thing was, his body was running on pure instinct—which can also be incredibly stupid. So instead of going for any of his usual tricks, he instead hurled his still half-full bottle right at the other’s head. He’d carried it with him during his run, close to his chest, and then just threw it away like that.

The immediate regret was beyond painful.

“Oh!” The shadow solidified, tilting its head to dodge the bottle so that it collided with a tree trunk instead. Both glass and booze exploded from the impact, all to scatter and soak the already dark soil beneath. “Aren’t you jumpy!”

A growl left his throat. Even before Husk had even seen the details formed, he’d known it was Alastor. He’d felt it, in the way the chase had gone, being so purposely close but never quite reaching him. Anything that was a game for Alastor, who loved scaring off his snacks before feasting.

Even if he hadn’t feasted on Husk just yet.

“I have good fucking reason to be jumpy! You stalking me now?”

Alastor also took his damn time to reveal himself, breaking away from the shifting magic to be whole again. The lurid red shade of the sky made everything seem darker, more ominous. Alastor was still wearing his stupid holiday outfit, which was like a piece of shadow taken from beneath the trees. It made the stark red of those hearts stitched into his cuffs, along with that rose on his coat lapel, even more obnoxious in contrast.

Husk found it aggravating that he couldn’t stop staring. His hand ached for that drink he so stupidly threw away.

“Such a way to talk to your employer, Husker! I was only checking up on you. I figured you might have gotten yourself a bit lost.” His eyes shifted to around them, static filtering with each turn of his head. “Looks like I was right!”

Husk knew that wasn’t the reason. Hell would freeze over first before Alastor would check up on him for anything. He could call up his boss and beg for help, and it would be weeks before Alastor would even deign to leave his business to even bother with any sort of wellness check.

“Though I must say, this is quite a lovely spot you led us to,” Alastor continued, unperturbed by Husk’s thoughtful silence. “Why, back in the day, I heard this was known as a popular lover’s walk! Until the cannibals set in and ate those unsuspecting lovers. I suppose the popularity waned a bit after that.”

Husk grimaced. He hated how this was working as a distraction, but he caught that glint in Alastor’s eyes.

“Why are you really here right now? I know it’s not just to tell me some disgusting trivia.”

Those eyes, gleaming underneath the red glow of the sky, latched onto him. That smile widened, along with another tilt of his head. A small snap, like the breaking of a twig, subtle but still filling Husk’s sensitive ears. Then, the soft, nearly sonorous notes of a melody, filtered through a weak signal.

“To give you your gift.”

Something about that annoyed Husk so greatly, to the point that he ignored the strange glow in Alastor’s eyes. The outfit made it hard for him to take such a look seriously. “Oh, so you’re now doing this? Thought we already decided that I’m a deadbeat that doesn’t deserve a gift, I got that loud and clear.”

The barbs were meant to strike at Alastor, but they turned on himself instead. He always spoke too honestly when he drank.

Alastor continued to stare, but his smile seemed to upturn even more. A little shaking of his shoulders, but the laughter was clear enough. It only provoked Husk further.

“What’s so funny?”

“Oh, do you really not know?” Alastor shook his head. “Valentine’s is a chocolate-giving holiday, and cats can’t eat chocolate! It’s quite dangerous for you, and I have to be responsible.”

Husk blinked—momentarily stunned. But no, he heard that correctly.

“I’m not a fucking housecat, you lunatic!”

Even so Alastor laughed, and as he laughed, he seemed to move closer. Not unlike when he had been chasing Husk further into this park, always so close yet just being far enough to not reach. 

Such a thing was by design.

“Husker, you know the best gifts are with a bit of a surprise to them,” he said. The song continued to play, with the faint notes of brass and piano, intermingling with his words. “And just the same old thing can get boring so quickly.”

Husk took a step back, then another. His feet crunched against petals, a quick look noting the rose bushes nearby. “What’s that got to do with me?”

It took another moment for Husk to realize—Alastor’s mouth was slightly open, his eyes glazed, and the sharp points of his teeth gleaming and salivated. Alastor was looking at him the way a predator would look at his prey. 

So, like the predator that Alastor was, he leapt forward.

Husk’s instincts here failed him. He didn’t move quick enough, his feet slipping slightly from all those petals underneath. Like a fool, he fell right onto his back, wings flinching from the strain of the ground hitting them. Reflexes could only get him so far.

Alastor stood over him, looming, staring—as if he had never moved at all. Hands were behind his back, as if he were studying Husk underneath the weak light.

There was a rapid beating in Husk’s chest. It took him a while to understand that it wasn’t just from fear. 

Alastor certainly took his time, somehow pinning Husk down to the ground just from his gaze alone. But eventually, he knelt down on the grass, shifting away some of the loose petals with a careless wave of his hand. That same hand reached to grip Husk’s knee, moving it just slightly to give adequate space.

Husk shivered with his back against the grass, watching Alastor slide a hand up his leg. “You’ve certainly picked a secluded place, my friend…”

“You chased me down here.”

“But you still led the way,” spoke the demon with a softness in his tone. The static laced over it was almost like silk, even with its subtle sharpness, meshing too well with the music that he played. “Maybe it was just meant to be.”

He slowly crawled over Husk’s body, a few claws playing with a suspender strap. A knee shifted to move between Husk’s legs, keeping him further locked in.

His soul was wrapped up in Alastor’s hands, in the same way those hands now wrapped around his waist. Claws kneaded through fur, soothing, hypnotizing. Of course, when he was drunk like this, he was less able to fight this.

Except it felt freeing to just lay back, his wings stretched out among the grass and the stray petals that floated from the poisonous rose bushes nearby. Alastor’s smile was shining in the dark, those sharp canines looking like they’d drip venom at first bite.

“You still didn’t get me anything,” Husk said, and the pettiness of his tone instantly made him regret it. Like a spoiled kid denied his favorite treat. 

Alastor twisted his head, just short of being uncanny. The red sky shone against his monocle, the chain attached to it falling forward and brushing against Husk’s fur.

“So materialistic, Husker,” he answered with a chuckle. “Perhaps I should have known. You always were so greedy.”

“It’s just common courtesy, you bastard.” Fuck this guy for not even getting him a stupid gift like he did everyone else. Not like it had to be chocolate anyway.

But it wasn’t easy to hold onto that anger. He felt one hand shift down his fur, down his waist to grip him from behind. A lift, and Husk’s back curved. He leaned into that touch, so natural. It was as if their waists were magnetic.

Husk kept quiet, but the heat of Alastor’s hands melted down any flimsy defense he had. His wings rustled beneath him, like brittle leaves and dying petals.

“You should trust me in knowing just what you want, dear.”

Did the bastard have to sound so smug, even if he was right?

“Besides.” And here, Alastor loomed over him more, leaning closer so that his breath tickled Husk’s ear. The sensation made Husk flutter his eyes shut. “I don’t really enjoy sweets. And neither do you.”

No, he didn’t. Husk always enjoyed something more savory, more bitter in a sense. A taste that moved through him, leaving a sharpness on his tongue. When Alastor’s mouth hovered over his, the heat of it made his heart stutter. He thought for sure he’d taste some of that chocolate that Alastor had been making all day, a hint of sugar that was buried deeply. But the tongue that lingered over his own let him know none of that sweetness was there, just something harsh, and bitter, and sharp.

It’s what he always liked, something that Alastor knew so well. Husk leaned into the hot kiss, arms reaching up to wrap over the other’s neck.

“I…”

He could barely get a word out. Hands were already slipping away suspender straps, moving away what little Husk wore, all while Alastor remained overdressed. The kiss left him panting, left him oversensitive as he then felt the imprint of sharp teeth over his fur and skin.

The touch was subtle and dangerous—and it left Husk both tense with worry and ardor. “Al, what…”

“You must understand, Husker… I haven’t had a good meal all day.”

Husk then remembered the tidbit about cannibals laying in wait, hunting down unsuspecting lovers for their feast.

He raised his head, and Alastor’s eyes shone. His sharp teeth grazed over Husk’s chest, so close to piercing deep enough, to do far more than just draw a little blood.

Husk gasped, his back arching. He leaned further into those teeth.

“Please,” he gasped out, before he felt a soft swipe of a hot tongue, before that mouth moved further up his chest to latch onto his shoulder. 

“A good gift is thoughtful,” Alastor whispered. “Don’t rush it.”

Small bites, almost playful, but just barely hiding the real hunger beneath them. They traveled over his neck, down his torso, even around the meat of his thigh. A sting, a brief rush of adrenaline, then a strange ecstasy he couldn’t name. The sharpness of those teeth, followed by the softness of a tongue. If he bled, he could hardly tell, Alastor lapping it up like spilled whiskey. All while hands held him so close, heating him up until it was unbearable.

Husk had always been pathetic, desperate, and easy to read. The pettiness he felt before in not receiving Alastor’s attention had been so plain to see. His boss must have been thrilled at the sight of it.

He had that attention now. The intensity of it made his fur stand and his toes curl into the grass.

“What…more do you want of me?” he asked, fast running out of breath.

Alastor took his time to respond. Part of the game, the entertainment of it. But maybe Husk saw a flash of something in other’s eyes. It was as if he was truly considering what to say.

“Only to make you feel special,” he finally said. Fingers played with the base of Husk’s tail, pulling at it gently. “That’s all I ever want out of you, Husker.”

Charming, with a silver tongue. Still, even as Husk’s mind fogged over with both his hangover and Alastor’s kisses, there was a part of him that demanded something else. 

He was selfish as hell, but he felt he deserved it.

“If you…want me to feel special… then shouldn’t you give me something else? Or say something else?” Husk found the air to speak, even allowing himself to smirk. He could play this game if Alastor insisted on it. “If you’re gonna celebrate this stupid holiday.”

If the freak even went as far as to dress up for it, he could at least follow through.

Alastor’s fangs were hovering over his neck once more, hot breath ghosting over him, all while hands continued to grip his waist. They didn’t let him go. They wouldn’t let him go. But that wasn’t what Husk was asking for.

So when Alastor lifted away to gaze at Husk so closely, the red backdrop of the sky outlining him like some otherworldly aura, it seemed he had nothing to say. Just his expression, the placement of his hands, the marks he had already left over Husk’s body—and the music still playing, on low frequency and over a warped vinyl.

“Isn’t it a waste to say what you already know? How I love you and adore you?” Shadows seemed to slip around them, binding Husk to the ground, yet it wasn’t like he struggled. “But I can say another thing, one that is good to be reminded of, as you’re so prone to forget.”

Husk didn’t let go. He only gripped the back of Alastor’s neck tightly, claws shifting through red hair. Like blood-drenched silk. Maybe his claws pierced through skin, but such a thing would only excite Alastor more.

“Fine,” he said with a tremble in his voice. So far out here in this abandoned part of the park, no one would hear him shout. And even if they did, they wouldn’t come. But he accepted that and the beast above him. “Then tell me.”

Alastor’s kisses were fire and bitterness, but ones that filled an aching in his throat. A sharp gasp left him at the fervor of it before a brief pause as Alastor spoke. 

“You’re mine.”

[mythosidhesdollhouse]

Teen Trends have arrived! Advance warning this is going to be another long post, there's a lot to go over--

The first thing I must report, unfortunately, is that they are not clean. Their limbs and faces have a slightly sticky, greasy film on them, and they both exude a scent akin to crayons with an undertone of something less savory that I can only characterize as 'well-aged child grime'. It is not pleasant. The good news is I suspect these conditions are due to long storage without prior cleaning after the dolls had been heavily played with, and a thorough cleaning should remediate both. Unfortunately the dolls' cases are equally grimy and unpleasant to handle, so I won't even bother trying to photograph them until I've had a chance to give them a once over with disinfectant wipes.

Kianna's Kanekalon hair is in markedly better condition that Gabby's (purportedly) curlable 'Memory' hair at the moment, but hopefully with a little tlc I'll be able to get them back in shape on that front as well.

Last thing to make note of on the condition front is that both have gone quite loose in their stringing, an issue I have seen reported frequently by other collectors. Once I get all their other problems dealt with I'll make a decision as to whether I want to restring them, find stands that fit them, or just figure out a good place for them to lounge XD

These dolls have such beautiful faces! Very reminiscent of some of the Barbies of the early 2000s, while staying distinct enough to be recognizable as their own thing. Would love to know which Mattel sculptor was responsible for them.

Aside from the dolls themselves there was lots of STUFF crammed into those cases--

First off we have Gabby & Kianna's pet dogs, which have had their bags switched. This amuses me a great deal and I have no intention of fixing it ;p

Next, we have been blessed with SHOES! All the shoes. I was so glad to find I needn't have worried on this account XD Only one pair is incomplete, and since the fashion it goes to is also not present I don't suppose its loss matters much.

We were also fortunate to end up with a great deal of clothing, though aside from Kianna's 'Night Out' fashion pack and the pj sets there are no complete looks here (thanks to the @dollect-net database I was easily able to determine what is missing from the various fits). Despite the losses there's more than enough here to give me good options for dressing them, especially if I augment it with handmade pieces.

There was also a fun bonus in the form of Courtney's complete unopened 'Goin' Glam' fashion pack in addition to the same set loose with the rest of the clothing.

Lastly there's a quantity of miscellaneous accessories I'm not inclined to handle until they've been cleaned. I'll update on anything of note once I go through it all.

___

So that's it for now! It always makes me happy to rescue dolls that were clearly a well-loved by their original owner. I admit it will be a bit of a challenge to clean all this up, but once the work is done I know they're going to be a wonderful addition to my collection.

[margridarnauds]

1, 6, 7, 10, 14

1 ⧽. if you could sit down and finish any one of your wips without anything stopping you (time, tiredness, etc), which fic would you choose? tell us about it if you want!

...hm. Probably The Abomination, just because that's been hanging around for a very long time and I would like to have some closure on it after all this time. Door #2, to a lesser extent, because it's by FAR my most popular fanfic of all time and I've always felt guilty that I had to stop because (1) I hit a snag in my writing and more importantly (2) ...the publication date for the last couple of chapters happened to overlap with the first year of my program, so you can guess which one won that fight. I haven't GIVEN UP on it, but I would like to just be able to work late one night and then BAM, it's done, since I also haven't been in the headspace to get back into RE8 to finish it. MOST of it is already written out! It's just...the sticky fleshy bits.

6 ⧽. if you were to write a part two/sequel to a fic, what fic would you want to write it for?

I always wanted Goosefic to span multiple universes, with the goose becoming an increasingly eldritch being who can change the course of history, make empires rise and fall, felling gods, mortals, and the very personification of Death himself. (He keeps Lazare's coat.) None may escape The Goose.

As it is, unfortunately, we only got a hint of his power. The world couldn't handle the truth of how powerful he really was. (And, in all honesty...it's like, with the 1789 fandom, I know I'm on familiar ground; I can write basically whatever I want, but I didn't want to see how, say, the Elisabeth or BG3 fandoms would react to a random crackfic starring a deranged love-obsessed goose.)

7 ⧽. is there a fic you wish you received feedback on, but didn't get any/much? this ask game is asking someone else to then give feedback on said fic, pretty pretty please!!!

Honestly? I don't really think so. Like, there are some things where the comments that I got weren't the ones I'd have liked, maybe, but...for most of my fics these days, I'm at a bit of a distance from them. I remember writing them, but I'm not nearly as emotionally attached to them and, for most of them, I'll admit that I think that they got a response that's proportionate to the size of the fandom. Would I have loved my 1789/MA Assassin's Creed fics to have gotten a little bit more attention, or my fics for medieval Irish lit? Obviously (though, to be honest, I think that my VERY earliest stuff with the latter is a poor showing, in the same way that I think the one fic I currently have up for Kitrye/Raphael is a poor showing), but I went in knowing they were a niche, so. I appreciate when I receive comments and kudos but I don't track them nearly as much and, honestly, I think that...having to be under a microscope so much for the last few years has really made me appreciate the joys of writing fics that DON'T get much attention.

10 ⧽. what genre is generally the easiest or most enjoyable for you to write? which is the hardest?

I love anything in the gothic genre, surprising exactly no one. Gothic romance, gothic horror, folk gothic, gothic fairytales, anything that falls under that category I think really fits into my natural style.

For hardest...you and I both know that I struggle with straightforward smut. It is probably the single BIGGEST challenge I've faced off against as a writer and so it's the one I keep returning to, because I like to torture myself and I think, if I can master smut writing, it will help with other aspects of the human condition as well. Like, the same things a writer can do that can make a reader step away to take a cold shower can also make them cower in fear behind a blanket or salivate over a meal that they can never have. So...yeah, I can fade to black in fics, and I often *have*, but I also think that it's important to get the hang of smut. Romantic smut, sad smut, 'it's a work night, dear' smut.

14 ⧽. is there anything outside of your normal content that you want to write?

I don't really know what I want to do outside of my current WIPs, but I know I want to do the unexpected. I think an important part of being a writer is to constantly try to push your boundaries, and I think I've grown complacent in the last four years.

[chocodile]

Found your work through desperate searches for sylvanian family customisation or recolour resources and WOW your art/characters/worldbuilding are also astoundingly good... gonna be scrolling here a while. Out of curiosity do you do custom/commissioned sylvanian figures or do you have a tutorial/materials list someplace? Thanks for reading!!

Aw gosh, thank you, Anon!

I did one custom commission as an experiment (which I'm sure you've seen if you looked through the tag) and it was pretty fun, but man are these things a time suck! I tried to do too many dolls in too short of a time, got kind of burned out on them, and haven't touched them in months... I'm currently trying to work up motivation to get back into it and finish the projects I have materials for. If I do, I'll take pictures this time and put together a proper tutorial.

Unfortunately I can't take any commissions right now, but I'd be happy to share a materials list! It's under the cut:

The paint used is basic acrylic paint, like the kind you can get from Walmart or craft stores for under two bucks. There's a bit of a trick to painting them without making the fur clumpy, I described the painting process here!

For the hair, you'll want doll hair ("My Little Pony" size is way more than sufficient), a hair rooting tool/kit, and either a heat gun or blow dryer. I wrote some notes on hair rooting Sylvanian Family dolls here.

For the clothes, you can use a number of different fabrics, but you want it to be very, very thin. That super cheap, thin cotton fabric you can find at Joann Fabrics is pretty perfect and comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns, though some stuff like doll-sized flannel you might have to look online for (or DIY--you can use acrylic paint on fabric, it just makes it stiffer). I use ribbon for trim. Other accessories like jewelry, buttons, chains, crystals, and belts can be sourced from craft stores, too... I usually just bring my WIP doll with me in my pocket and hold it up next to anything I'm interested in buying to check if the sizing is right (the lady at the fabric cutting station was incredibly charmed by them, hah). For more specialty items, like tiny hats and replica firearms, you will probably need to look online.

If you can't find a specific accessory, or need to sculpt something like armor, you can try making it out of epoxy clay and painting it with the same acrylic paint you used for the figure. Mod Podge will help seal it and give it a nice glossy finish. (Do not use Mod Podge on Sculpey--it makes it sticky!)

Tails are generally pipe cleaners or occasionally pom poms. Cut the original tail off with wire cutters, digging out as much of it as you can, and super glue the new tail in the hole.

Horns are done with epoxy clay. For big horns on the head, I use wire cutters to cut the pointy part off a pin, embed that in the clay horn, and then stick the end of the pin into the plastic head to more securely anchor it.

Bat and dragon wings are done with leather sheets you can buy from a craft store.

Other essentials: Super glue, sewing kit, Dritz fray check. Super glue is essential for both tails/horns/etc and clothing (it's often better for ultra-fine detail than sewing). Sewing kit is needed for clothing. You will not have much success with clothing without Dritz fray check. It keeps the edges of the fabric from disintegrating, which is a major concern when working on such a tiny scale.

Also this isn't a material so much as a tip: I often use the pointy end of a pin to do fine detail painting. It's also useful for sculpting miniatures.

Hope that helps! Good luck on your customization ventures, and feel free to ask if you have any more questions!